This week in search it was mostly about COVID-19 changes made to Google Search and Google Local/Maps. But before that, I published the monthly Google webmaster report and covered a possible, but yet unconfirmed Google search algorithm update. Google is providing search support and advice to official health organizations. Google added structured data for COVID-19 announcements. Google featured snippets is being tested in the lower part of the page. Googlers can look up your real PageRank score, but there is rarely a need to. Google released the videos from last years Google Webmaster Product Summit. Google Search Console added new email preferences and a method to not show preference report data all or some of your sites in the search results. Google Ads is disallowing profiting off of COVID-19 and similar situations now. Google Ads is testing that carousel format again. Google My Business is busy with COVID-19 stuff also, with support options, Google Posts features, issues and bugs and new attributes for restaurants. I also posted two vlogs this week, one with Kevin Doory and the other with Dawn Anderson. I hope you are all doing okay during these times. Please note, next Thursday and Friday is Passover and I will be offline, there is probably no video next week. Oh and if you want to help sponsor those vlogs, go to patreon.com/barryschwartz. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.
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Search Topics of Discussion:
- April 2020 Google Webmaster Report
- Google Search Volatility & Fluctuations Super Unusual
- Google: We Are Not Filtering Out Sites For Coronavirus Searches
- Google Initiative To Help Health Organizations Become More Visible In Search
- Google Structured Data For COVID-19 Announcements
- Google Search Console COVID-19 Announcement Beta Tool
- Google Featured Snippets Not In Position One
- Google: We Can Look Up Internal PageRank But Toolbar PageRank Is Gone
- Google Releases The Webmaster Conference Product Summit Videos
- Google Posts New Guide On How To Use Structured Data With JavaScript
- Google Search Console New Email Preferences - Screen Shots
- Hide Search Performance For This Query In Google
- Google Ads New Policy Disallows Profiting Off Sensitive Events, Like COVID-19
- Google Ads Testing Carousel In Search Again?
- Google My Business Support During Uncertain Times
- Google Posts With Special COVID-19 Updates
- Google Posts In Google My Business Now Back After Being Disabled
- Google Temporary Closed Status Now Doesn't Hurt Your Search Rankings
- Google Tests Dine In, Take Out & Delivery Attributes For Local Results
- Google Search Takeout & Delivery Discover More Places Cards
- Google Logo Says Stay Home. Save Lives. With Coronavirus Tips Results
- Bing Testing New Curvy Logo
- Vlog #58: Kevin Doory on Local SEO vs Traditional SEO & Google My Business
- Vlog #59: Dawn Anderson On Google BERT & What It Really Means
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