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:
- Search Buzz Video Recap: Google Update, News Publishers Ranking, BBB & Trust Signals & Google Audit Tools
This morning there may have been a new algorithm update impacting search rankings in Google. Google confirmed there is an issue they have fixed or are still fixing around news content not being indexed and ranked fast enough... - Early Signs Of A Google Search Algorithm Update
I am seeing some early signs that there may be a Google search algorithm update rolling out this morning. There is some early chatter in some of the forums and some, not all, of the automated tracking tools are also showing changes. - Google: Quality Raters Guidelines Are Not One-To-One With The Ranking Algorithm
I feel like Google has to spend more time telling SEOs to stop obsessing about specific details then helping with technical SEO issues and I called it with this one. Google's John Mueller had to say in this mornings hangout "quality rater guidelines is not one-to-one our ranking algorithm." - Google: Trust Associations & Memberships Are Not Used As Direct Ranking Factors
Since I posted about the the story the other day that Google does not use the BBB, Better Business Bureaus score or reviews as well as other third-party trust sites in their ranking algorithm it caused a lot of interesting and unexpected debate in the SEO industry. John Mueller from Google was asked again and he said they are not used as direct ranking factors in Google search this morning. - Google's Internal Search Quality Docs Kind Of Mirrors The Manual Actions Help Docs
Back at SMX East, Fili Wiese spoke about Google manual actions. He said while he was at Google years ago, he was tasked in writing Google's internal documents around search quality. He said based on his memory, those docs are a mirror on some level to the manual action help documents available publicly. - Robot Building Kids At Google Zurich
Here is a photo from the Google Zurich office showing 3rd grade children building robots. He wrote "3rd graders visited the Google office in Zurich today & had lots of fun building robots & improving
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- This is essentially a different kind of snippet, which we use to highlight a search result that we think is well-suited for the user. There's a ton of information on that linked page, so I can see how our algorithms might choo, John Mueller on Twitter
- At that point you're kinda asking if we read the internet, right?…, John Mueller on Twitter
- b/c search quality raters guidelines is NOT the ranking factors Google uses in search. Google has said this hundreds of times already.… https://t.co/8MqbzxQGf0, Barry Schwartz on Twitter
- Today's #GoogleDoodle marks the 44th anniversary of the Arecibo message, the most powerful broadcast ever deliberately beamed into space 🌌👽→ https://t.co/GlyyN1BuYe… https://t.co/Y3fJ5sdA2T, Google UK on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Housekeeping in your Digital Analytics World, Analytics Pros
- How To Embed Your Data Studio Dashboard, Periscopix
- Using Google Analytics to Find the Best Time and Day for Email Sends, Blule Adz
Industry & Business
- Google’s Cloud-Computing Boss, Diane Greene, to Step Down, Wall Street Journal
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- Why You Should Use Search Clicks Not Search Volume, Siege Media
- YouTube SEO: Top Factors to Invest In - Whiteboard Friday, Moz
PPC
- Additional Google Ads scripts workshop event, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Update to Customer Match Requirements, Google Ads Developer Blog
Search Features
- Friendsgiving? More like #trendsgiving, Google Blog
