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.
The Google December 2024 core update landed hard over the weekend, it seems like a really big update so far. Google is testing a paper clip icon in its search bar to attach files to. Google Search Console's API does not support the 24 hour view yet. Google Business Profiles is asking you to add your social profiles. Google Search is testing research more. Google is testing new favicon designs. Google posted its Hanukkah decorations in the search results.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google December 2024 Core Update Landed & It's Big
As you know, the December 2024 core update was announced on December 12, 2024 at around 10:46 am ET and Google said it would take about two weeks to complete. Well, this update seemed to have touched down, landed, over this weekend. There is a lot of volatility reported in the Google search results and with that, a lot of chatter within the SEO community. -
Google Search Tests Attach File To Ask About A File
Google Search is testing adding a paper clip icon to the search bar, next to the voice search icon, next to the lens icon and the search button. This seems to also you to search a file you upload and says, "ask anything about a file." -
Google: Search Console API Does Not Support New 24-Hour View
Google's Daniel Waisberg confirmed that the new 24-hour date filter that is in the Google Search Console web interface is not yet supported by the Google Search Console API. Of course, you can query the API for any date range and it will bring back data, when it is there, but the new 24-hour view is not there. -
Google Business Profile Emails Asking To Add Social Profiles
Google is sending out emails asking business owners to add their social profiles to their Google Business Profiles. The email says, "Link your social profiles so customers can see your posts from Instagram, X, Facebook, and more when they search for your business." -
Google Search Tests New Favicon Design With Backgrounds
Google is testing yet another design for favicons in the search result snippets. This one has these backgrounds, grayish backgrounds added behind the favicons in the search results. -
Google Search Research More Articles Section
Google is testing a "Research more" section in its search results that shows articles on the topic you queried. This looks like the list articles section we covered in October, but renamed to research more... -
Google Hanukkah Decorations Are Live For 2024
Hanukkah (aka Chanukah) starts pretty late this year, compared to other years. The holiday starts Wednesday, December 25th. And Google has already added its Hanukkah decorations for his year, while Christmas starts the day before and Kwanzaa the day after - but both Christmas and Kwanzaa decorations are not live on Google yet. -
Google Build A Snow Globe Holiday Event
Google has been having various holiday parties at their offices. This one at the Google Seattle office had a station to build your own snow globes and ornaments.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Microsoft is promoting google with doodle., Punit on Bluesky
- Key Takeaways from the Google Search Central Zurich Q&A: At Search Central Live Zurich, the Q&A sessions were the real highlight for me. Discussions on content strategy, AI, and expanding into new areas offered actionable insi, Mr Jonathan Jones on X
- Search Console should have more information on the searches that led people to your site. Analytics only has a very limited set of referrers that include queries., John Mueller on Bluesky
- Exciting to see major players adopting the IndexNow protocol (https://t.co/0IKLye4AoV) for real-time indexing! This means better control over content and instant access to the latest updates for users. Kudos to those embracing Ind, Fabrice Canel on X
- Because sharing is caring… Attended the Google Search Central Conference in Zurich on 12 Dec - wrote it up with a full breakdown with quotes on my website. Key takeaways: AI in content: Assistive, not a replacement, Mr Jonathan Jones on X
- Want to rank on Google within free local listing features? Ranking in these features are likely the most complex area of eCommerce SEO, but can send valuable organic traffic and in-store sales. It includes ranking in Google feature, Brodie Clark on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- Google Performance Max negative keyword exclusions now in beta
- Decoding Google’s E-E-A-T: A comprehensive guide to quality assessment signals
- How Gen Z is redefining discovery on TikTok, Pinterest, and beyond
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
- Why Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai never panicked, Semafor
- Microsoft’s New Sales Pitch for AI: Spend Less Money on Humans, The Information
Links & Content Marketing
- 6 Step Content Distribution Strategy (for Maximum Reach) in 2025, Backlinko
- Should TikTok Ruling Take a Bite Out of Your Marketing?, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- Local SEO for Home Service Companies: Drive Traffic & Leads, RicketyRoo
- Google puts a (new) date on Maps Timeline's shutdown, Android Police
- How Adding Custom Services to a Google Business Profile Boosted Keyword Rankings in Just 72 Hours and lasted over a year!, Steady Demand
- Suspended and Disabled Profiles Frequently Asked Questions, Steady Demand
Mobile & Voice
- AI is booming on the App Store, and developers are taking advantage of it, The Verge
- Apple Working on Giant Foldable iPad, Revamped Mouse, Longer-Range AirTag 2, Bloomberg
- Apple's smartglasses are still years away from launch, AppleInsider
SEO
- Does Content Coverage Affect SEO? Surfer's Top 100 Articles Analyzed, Surfer SEO
- Free Local Listings: Bridging the Google Gap for Ecommerce & Nearby Shoppers, Brodie Clark Consulting
- I Built a Niche Site and Ranked it On Google in a Short Time — Here's How, HackerNoon
- SEO Pros’ Predictions for Search in 2025, Lumar
- Change in SEO ROI 2022, Statista
- How To Add eWallet Payment Methods in Google Merchant Center Next, FeedArmy
- How To Overwrite Product Information in Google Merchant Center Using A Spreadsheet?, FeedArmy
- My (unsolicited) Search and SEO in 2025 previews, I Love SEO
- The Google Search Central Conference December 2024 - Q&A Edition: Highlights from Zurich, Mr Jonathan Jones
- 2025 SEO Predictions: Alternative Search Journeys, Builtvisible
- Will Google’s AI Search rewrite SEO Rules?, AdNews
PPC
- How To Add Video Link In Google Merchant Center Next, FeedArmy
- Suggestions to Improve Ad Strength for PMAX Groups, PPC News Feed
- Sorry, Mad Men. The Ad Revolution Is Here., Wall Street Journal
Search Features
- Google News redesign simplifies the bottom bar on Android, 9to5Google
- NotebookLM announces NotebookLM Plus and other new features, Google Blog
- SearchGPT vs. Google and Bing: A Quick Comparison of Search Engines, Semrush
Other Search
- Harvard and Google to release 1 million public-domain books as AI training dataset, TechCrunch
- OpenAI blames its massive ChatGPT outage on a 'new telemetry service', TechCrunch
- ChatGPT's new Projects feature can organize your AI clutter, TechRadar
- OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever believes superintelligent AI will be 'unpredictable', TechCrunch
- The Trouble With Searching Google for ‘the Best’, Wall Street Journal
Feedback:
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