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 Ads Recommends You Switch To Broad Match With Smart Bidding
Google ads is going to be recommending to advertisers to switch or supplement some of their search ad campaigns to use broad match with its Smart Bidding. Google wrote "using broad match and Smart Bidding together can help you reach more relevant queries that meet your performance objectives." - Google Shares Crawl Budget Between Organic & Ads
Google shares the same crawl budget between GoogleBot, the organic free web crawler, and Google AdsBot, the paid Google crawler. Keep in mind, Google has dozens of crawlers and they all likely share the same crawl budget. - Microsoft: BingBot & Adixbot Share The Same Crawl Budget Per Site
Fabrice Canel from Microsoft said that BingBot and Adixbot, the Microsoft Merchant Center crawler, share the same crawl budget that is set in Bing Webmaster Tools. He said this one Twitter when asked about it. - Google Quietly Launches Small Business Advisors
Five years ago, yes, that long ago, Google first began seeking applications for small business experts to become official Google Advisors. Well, after five-years, Google has launched its official Google Small Business Advisors program. - Google Tests Subcategories In Search Results
Google seems to be testing, or maybe it is some weird bug, these sub-category tabs in the Google search results. SEMRush spotted this and posted a screen shot on Twitter, here is that screen shot: - Google Ads Auction Insights Report Now Available In Google Ads Report Editor
Google announced that it is now allowing you to access the Google Ads auction insights report directly in the Google Ads Report Editor. Google said "auction insights are now available in Report Editor at the account and manager account level." - Google Search Blueprints
It has been a year since I visited Martin Splitt of Google at the Google New York City building to record that SEO Mythbusting video. A year ago, I shared a photo of the blueprints on the table in fr
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
- Google Maps Test - USPS cross-referencing for deliverability, Local Search Forum
- Update to the Editorial requirements policy for Unidentified business (January 2021), Google Advertising Policies Help
- Google made a help document explaining how to get help in the YouTube office hour hangouts https://t.co/bQjRYRudci https://t.co/RdqMvLlOan, Barry Schwartz on Twitter
- Heads-up: free Shopping tab listings seem to have gone back into testing in some regions. Official launch was meant to be last month, but 100% Ad results are returning in some instances (impacting SaG reporting). Here's a sig, Brodie Clark on Twitter
- They're usually crawled normally (not as often if they've been noindex/404 for long, but still) -- especially if you give us a heads-up about them in a sitemap file., John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Ads wants advertisers to give broad match another shot
- The future of search marketing: Where do we go from here?
- Video: Michael Lewittes on growing a site after an algorithm update
- Social Shorts: Instagram pegs Reels and Shop, Pinterest’s engagement metric, TikTok’s size and more
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Designing a Feed of Dashboard Cards in Google Data Studio, Data Narrative
- Implementation Guide For Events In Google Analytics 4, Simo Ahava's blog
- Introducing Google Analytics 4: New Features and How to Set Up, SEO Hacker
- Top analytics tips: Why ecommerce retailers need to embrace GA4, the future of online measurement, Netimperative
Industry & Business
- Airbnb S1: Google travel sites hurt Airbnb in search results, CNBC
- San Jose to study how Google project might benefit residents, San Jose Spotlight
Links & Content Marketing
- Building Links? Check Out These Unconventional Approaches..., Sterling Sky Inc
Local & Maps
- A Handy Checklist For Google My Business Spam, SEM Rush
- Br(rr)ing on the holiday trends from Google Maps, Google Blog
- Google Maps updates to get you through the holidays, Google Blog
- Google My Business Adding Reinstatement Request To Contact Flow, Steady Demand
Mobile & Voice
- A full list of Siri voice commands you can use, Business Insider
- Apple HomePod Mini review: iPhone owners will love this $99 Siri smart speaker, CNET
- Samsung has a new Smart Monitor that works with Google Assistant and DeX, Android Central
SEO
- Gift Guide SEO & Monetization Techniques With Examples!, Adam Riemer
- Introducing the free Keyword Tool, SISTRIX
- The impact of image SERP Features on traffic, Kevin Indig
PPC
- Changes to Content API request validation, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Ecommerce PPC: 3 Steps to Selling Online, Pure Visibility
- Google Ads Beta explains mysterious new keywords added, Yael Consulting
- Take a PPC holiday: how to take a break from ads, PPC Hero
- Tips to Optimize Your NGO's Google Ad Grant, SunHouse Marketing
Other Search