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.
Today I celebrated my 21st year anniversary of writing about Search. I posted the big Google December 2024 webmaster report. Google Chrome has this site engagement metrics (it's not new). Google has watch animated tutorials. Bing is testing shopping / e-commerce cards. Google Business Profiles food ordering performance metrics are gone.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Chrome Site Engagement Metrics
Google Chrome has a way to see site engagement metrics for your personal browser usage across the sites you visit. It shows the origin URL, base score, bonus score and then total score. Google writes, "The Site Engagement Service provides information about how engaged a user is with a site. The primary signal is the amount of active time the user spends on the site but various other signals may be incorporated (e.g whether a site is added to the homescreen)." -
21 Years Covering The Search Industry
Today marks the 21st year anniversary of when I started this site, the Search Engine Roundtable. I was 23 years old when I started this site, compiling what the search community and search industry was talking about and... -
December 2024 Google Webmaster Report
Here is the big Google Webmaster report for the past month, including the launch of the Google November 2024 core update that has ventured into December, passing Thanksgiving and Black Friday... -
Bing Tests Shopping / E-Commerce Card
We recently spotted Google testing a new e-commerce / shopping card format at the top of the results. Now it looks like Bing is testing its own version of this e-commerce / shopping card panel at the top of its search results. -
Google Business Profile Food Orders Performance Metrics Gone
In April 2022, Google Business Profiles added performance metrics for direction requests, website clicks, bookings, products and food orders. Well, it seems like food orders are no longer being tracked by Google Business Profiles. -
Google Math Solver Watch Animated Tutorials
Google is now showing animated tutorials for some math solver questions in Google Search. Math solver is not new but I think the animated tutorials are. And if they move too quickly, you can click on them and see each step manually. -
Climbing The Google Logo Rock Wall
We've seen rock climbing walls at the Google offices over the years but here is one that is just the Google logo spelled out. I guess you don't climb this version?
Other Great Search Threads:
- Google has taken its next step to become a shopping hub with its Black Friday Shopping Experience this year in the USA, with the release and promotion of a BF Deals Hub: 1. A link to "The Google Shopping deals hub" fr, Aleyda Solis on X
- If you've received a manual action for 'Site reputation abuse' based on the latest policy update, and you're confused about the situation, just understand that the webspam team could be sending you clues about why they think that con, Glenn Gabe on X
- The cache operator in Google Search now just shows you search results that match the query - which makes sense - before it just was a broken, Barry Schwartz on Bluesky
- Tough for Black Friday deal sites this AM (and another spotting of ads mixed into the organic results!) -> A search for 'black friday deals' yields Google's carousel of deal categories that leads to a fresh serp for that category, f, Glenn Gabe on X
- AdSense Earnings and Observations - December 2024, WebmasterWorld
Search Engine Land Stories:
- How to monitor brand visibility across AI search channels
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- Decoding LLMs: How to be visible in generative AI search results
- ChatGPT search: Does it deserve the fanfare?
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
- Major Canadian news media companies launch legal action against OpenAI, Reuters
- Breaking down the DOJ’s plan to end Google’s search monopoly, The Verge
- Elon Musk files for injunction to halt OpenAI's transition to a for-profit, TechCrunch
- Google offered millions to ally itself with Euro trade body, The Register
- OpenAI targets 1bn users in next phase of growth, Financial Times (Sub)
- Assessing the fallout of Google’s ad tech antitrust trial, Digiday
Links & Content Marketing
- 5 Content Marketing Ideas for January 2025, Practical Ecommerce
- 5 Easy Steps To Make Your Startup's Content Marketing More Effective, Forbes
Local & Maps
- What is the Proximity Bias (Factor) in Google Search and How Does It Impact Local SEO, Igniting Business
- Tinkering with Your Google Business Profile Page Is Dumb: 10 Reasons, Local Visibility System
Mobile & Voice
- Google Assistant Quick Phrases stuck on some Pixel phones, 9to5Google
- Apple is reportedly working on ‘LLM Siri’ to compete with ChatGPT, The Verge
- Google Gemini's Imagen 3 lets players design their own chess pieces, TechCrunch
SEO
- Site Engagement Metrics, DEJAN
- Dumb Things SEO Experts Keep Doing, SEO Theory
- The Complete Guide to Programmatic SEO, Day Dream
- Understanding search intent: beyond the traditional funnel, Omi Sido
PPC
- Microsoft Advertising Bug Causes Currency Conversion Errors, PPC News Feed
- Promotion Filter Not Working as Expected in Google Merchant Center, PPC News Feed
- Google Ads for Beginners: A Guide to Different Ad Types, Jyll Saskin Gales
Search Features
- Study of ChatGPT citations makes dismal reading for publishers, TechCrunch
- How Google can personalize search results?, Kopp Consulting
Feedback:
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