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.
Why should New Years eve be any different, we are still seeing intensely heated Google search ranking volatility. I posted the 2024 confirmed Google Search algorithm updates infographic. Google is testing top quality store badges on websites. Google is testing a button to get AI Overviews in Google Search. I posted the most commented on stories on the Search Engine Roundtable - over 43,000 comments (wow, thanks!). And I posted those who helped me create the content over the 2024 year, the top contributors to the Search Engine Roundtable. Happy New Years all and see ya in 2025!
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Search Ranking Volatility Heated Into New Years 2025
The Google December 2024 core update and the December 2024 spam updates are both complete, but yet, the Google search ranking volatility is still intensely heated. It feels like one or both of these update never ended and it continues to cause heated ranking volatility the week following the end of the last Google update of 2024. -
Google Algorithm Updates 2024 Infographic
Google has rolled out fewer confirmed search ranking updates in 2024, then it did in all the past years where Google confirmed these updates. Google rolled out seven confirmed updates in 2024, nine in 2023 and ten in 2022 and 2021. -
Google Search Tests Get An AI Explanation Selection
Google Search is testing a new method to get trigger an AI Overview in Google Search. You can select text with your mouse cursor and then select the "Get an AI explanation." Oh, Google is also letting you select "Copy to clipboard." -
Google Top Quality Store Badge Off Search & On Website
We've seen top-quality store badges in the Google Search results for a long time now. But now some are seeing the badges directly on individual websites, which turns out to be a supported feature by Google. -
Most Commented Search Engine Roundtable Articles - 2024 Edition
Here are the most popular articles on the Search Engine Roundtable by number of comments. In other words, these are the articles with the highest number of comments posted in 2024. -
Top Contributors To The Search Engine Roundtable In 2024
The Search Engine Roundtable is made up of what you, the search community, are talking about. What are you, the search community, noticing in the search results, whether it be ranking changes, user interface changes, or beyond... -
Google Doorways
Pick a Google door, any door, but once you pick it, you don't know what you'll get on the other side. Maybe a spam update, maybe a core update, maybe a manual action???
Other Great Search Threads:
- This is interesting. The review count is missing on several profiles. @rustybrick have you heard of this?, Jason Brown on X
- Yeah, I have also been seeing a higher than usual amount of maps errors recently. They always working on something lol, Anthony Higman on X
- Google new shopping search gains big "Back to Top" button., Khushal Bherwani on X
- And the power of Tudum being owned by Netflix is they know exactly what you are watching, when you start the show, finish, etc. Just received this email from Tudum going into great detail about the ending of Black Doves (which we fin, Glenn Gabe on X
- Google have updates their FAQ rich snippet documentation to be clearer about their "no soup for you" policy after us SEOs over ate the soup, Tony McCreath on Bluesky
- Not missing anything, i just moved this part to also be above the fold so it was easier to see it, Lizzi Sassman on Bluesky
- Thanks for all the feedback (here and elsewhere!). Based on that feedback we’ve decided to keep the DCL and L markers after all but are still removing the FP markers. You can see this in Chrome Canary already., Barry Pollard on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Top 10 PPC expert columns of 2024 on Search Engine Land
- Google’s CEO warns ChatGPT may become synonymous to AI the way Google is to Search
- Top 10 PPC news of the year 2024 on Search Engine Land
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Tag Assistant No Longer Deprecated, PPC News Feed
Industry & Business
- Why Elon Musk and OpenAI’s Sam Altman Are Fighting—and How It Could Help Google, Barron's
- Wrapping up 2024, Search Off the Record
- Crawling out of December: the 2024 recap, Google Search Central Blog
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
- Meta is working on a fix for a software update that bricked Quest headsets, Engadget
- A Billion Pixels a Second: I Got a Rare Look Inside Apple's Secret iPhone 16 Camera Labs, CNET
SEO
- 8 Websites Driving Insane Traffic Using… Calculators, Ahrefs
- AI and SEO: Navigating the Future of Search Optimisation, Andy Drinkwater
- December Google Core Update 2024, Semrush
- There's 3 types of AI search - do you even know which one are you optimizing for?, Seer Interactive
- 5 Reasons Your Direct Traffic Can Suddenly Drop, Moz
- Top 10,000 Popular Searches (Updated), ClickStream
PPC
- Google Ads Chief Outlines Plans For 2025, MediaPost
- 'Leads From Messages' Conversion Action, PPC News Feed
Search Features
Other Search
- New Year's Eve 2024 Doodle, Google Doodles
Feedback:
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