Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google Tests Removing A Site's Normal Snippet When Featured Snippet Is Displayed
Kieron Hughes posted on Twitter that he is seeing a test where Google is not displaying a site's normal snippet in the search results when Google displays that URL for the featured snippet. Generally when Google shows a URL as a featured snippet, it will also show that same URL on the first page results, in the main listings. - Google: Setting A Geographic Target Doesn't Prevent Your Site From Showing In Other Locations
John Mueller of Google reminds us that when you use the geographic target setting in Google Search Console it will not stop you from getting traffic to your site from users outside of that target region. All it does is help Google understand your site might be more relevant in specific Google regions but not to prevent your site from showing in other locations. - Google Search Tests Grouping Results From Same Domain In Single Box
Google is testing displaying results from the same domain name in a box that groups them all together. It doesn't save that much screen real estate by putting them in the same box, but it does subtly show to the searcher that these results are similar. - Google Drops Calling In To Google My Business Support
Google announced it has removed the toll free customer support numbers from the Google My Business homepage. Now if you do try to call one of the existing numbers, you will be directed to the Google My Business Help Center. You can still request someone to call you by clicking on the Contact Us button but you cannot directly call in anymore. - YouTube Subscriber Giveaway Is Now Done
I'll be honest, when I launched my YouTube subscriber giveaway I really anticipated that I would get well over 10,000 subscribers, I thought maybe a total of 100,000 subscribers. I guess this shows that I know very little about the YouTube world... - Doogler Molly With GoogleBot
Here is a photo John Mueller of Google took of Lizzi Harvey's dog named Molly at the Google offices. I believe Google dogs are named Dooglers. In any event, here is Molly next to a GoogleBot, a 3D pri
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- Badging for high-quality experiences, *beyond just speed*? :) "Our plan to identify sites that are fast or slow will take place in gradual steps based on criteria... Our long-term goal is to define badging for high-quality exp, Glenn Gabe on Twitter
- Is There Any Point Being #1 For The Regular SERPs?, WebmasterWorld
- New YouTube Terms: It doesn't Need to Keep your Content, WebmasterWorld
- You don't want to be blamed by Google Chrome soon with "usually loads slow" ... Make your site fast https://t.co/bTKmsIPaaJ https://t.co/H84xlx4xvA, Tobias Willmann on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- A story of a loyalty app: How mobile applications can keep improving your customer experience
- New SERP feature truncates title tag in favor of location
- Here’s how to set up the Google Site Kit WordPress plugin
- Which SEO software is right for your company?
- DuckDuckGo joins World Wide Web Consortium
- Video: Danny Sullivan, Google Public Liaison of Search, on his transition from Search Engine Land to Google
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Custom Parameter Reporting In Google Analytics: App + Web, Simo Ahava's blog
- What Google Tag Manager Is and How It Can Help Your Website, Grow Map
Industry & Business
- Google planning big expansion into North San Jose office park The Assembly, Silicon Valley Business Journal
- Google’s Secret ‘Project Nightingale’ Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans, Wall Street Journal
- Microsoft says it will follow California’s digital privacy law in U.S., One America News Network
Local & Maps
- How Sales Teams Can Use Online Reviews to Convert Prospects, Red Canoe Media
- Map out Thanksgiving with these tips from Google Maps, Google Blog
Mobile & Voice
- Amazon Echo vs. Google Nest: Which of the two big smart platforms is right for you?, TechHive
- Google Nest currently down worldwide, but it's being worked on, Android Central
- Pixel 4's Google Assistant takes down Siri [Video], 9to5Google
SEO
- Dwell Time & SEO: Does it Matter as a Ranking Factor?, State of Digital
- How to Use Google Search Console to Improve SEO (Beginner's Guide), ahrefs.com
- The Bedlam Update [November 5-10, 2019]: What You Need To Know, Sterling Sky Inc
- Weekly Wisdom with Bartosz Góralewicz: Real User Metrics, SEM Rush
PPC
- Conservative Firm Stops Using Google Ads To Snare Email Addresses: Report, MediaPost
- Is It Time to Give Google Ads Message Extensions Another Try?, Search Engine Journal
Search Features
Other Search
- Making new experiences possible on the web, Chromium Blog
