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.
No, there is no helpful content score from Google Search. Google is testing the featured snippets that are not in position zero (one). A study says that reviews from Google Local Guides stay up longer than other reviews. Google says your content does not need to be niche to rank well. Microsoft Advertising will require UK advertisers in the financial sector to be verified.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
- Google: There Is No Helpful Content Score Or Threshold
Google's John Mueller said there is no score or threshold for the Google helpful content update. He said on Mastodon "There is no "HCS score" or threshold at which HCS [helpful content score] would switch from unhelpful to helpful for SEO. - Google Tests Featured Snippets Not In Position Zero, Again
Google is once again testing showing the featured snippet, aka position zero, not in the first or position zero slot but rather under position one or even further down the page. - Google: Your Content Does Not Need To Be Niche, It Can Be Diverse - Just Write For Your People
Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, said on Masoton that your content does not need to be on one topic, one niche topic, for it to rank well. You can write about diverse topics on your site. The main thing, Danny said, was that you should write content however you want for your people and not for search engines. - Study: Google Local Guides Reviews Stay At The Top Longer
Joy Hawkins has published another local SEO case study, this one on whether reviews left by Local Guides do better than any ordinary reviewer on Google. The answer is yes; reviews left by Local Guides seem to do better and last longer than other reviews. - UK Financial Services Advertisers Now Needs Verification For Microsoft Advertising
Microsoft announced that if you do financial service ads in its network, like on Bing Search, in the UK, you will need to be verified in early 2023. "Starting early 2023, we'll allow only advertisers duly authorized by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to present regulated financial promotions in the UK," wrote. - R2-D2 At Google Event
Here is a photo from the Google Dublin office from an event named "Google Unwrapped, Let Your Thursday Roar." You can see, R2-D2 from Star Wars was in attendance.
Other Great Search Threads:
- As I mentioned (and double checked), the *vast* majority of URLs on GSC will be canonicals, but sometimes a non-canonical naughty URL will sneak in, Daniel Waisberg on Twitter
- The left result is called a VisualDigestVideoResult and the one on the right VisualDigestWebResult, Valentin Pletzer on Mastodon
- Google fights the AI sites no doubt, but some of those sites are so borderline that Google struggles to catch them. (This PAA based website is based on scraped modified content). Example, Ori on Twitter
- Indexing Issues Since Google Update?, BlackHatWorld
- The Virtual Unconference goes Español in February 2023! Calling for Facilitators! ¡Hola! La Search Central Virtual Unconference ha vuelto… ¡esta vez en español! Puedes proponer un tema y registrarte p, Google Search Central on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Programmatic SEO: Your missing link to 1M+ sessions
- Microsoft now requires verification for UK Financial Services advertisers
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Data Visualisation: the tips and tricks to humanising data and shaping a robust business narrative, Builtvisible
- What Are The Alternatives To GA4 Tracking?, Koozai
Industry & Business
- Google refused Hong Kong request over protest anthem - HK official, Reuters
- Google appeals certification of consumer class seeking $4.7 billion in damages for Google Play app tax: valid questions about pricing of apps and in-app purchases put before Ninth Circuit, FOSS Patents
- Here's What Sergey Brin and Larry Page Are Doing Since Leaving Google, Business Insider
Links & Content Marketing
- What can backlinks tell us about the authenticity of social media handles?, Majestic
- How to Craft a Blog Post that Search Engines Love, Semrush
Local & Maps
- Voices of Search Podcast Recap: Local Vs National Intent, Local SEO Guide
- Why You Should Add Videos to Your Google Business Profile, Local University
- 45% survey respondents find Google ratings inaccurate, 37% find biases: LocalCircles, Deccan Herald
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- 15 Key SEO Statistics to Know When Building Your 2023 Marketing Plans, Lumar
- 2022 Year in Review: SEO Trends and Predictions - Episode 49 - The SEO Weekly, iPullRank
- How to analyze the impact of continuous scroll in Google's desktop search results using Analytics Edge and the Google Search Console (GSC) API, GSQI
PPC
Search Features
- Featured Snippets Gone Wild: Introducing the New Featured PAA Snippet, Brodie Clark Consulting
Other Search
- Using new technology and old books to combat disease, Google Blog
- Google’s Quest to Digitize Valuable Military Tissue Samples, ProPublica
Feedback:
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