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.
Google Maps for iOS added the “business” tab. Google’s Gary Illyes explained how Google handles 103 server HTTP status codes. Google Merchant Center updated its product data specification for 2023. Google Business Profiles products are not going away, said Google. Google Ads has an opt in to use media from Google Business Profiles. I also posted the weekly SEO video recap, check it out and have a good weekend.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Ranking Fluctuations, Perspectives Filter, SGE Business Profiles, Bard With Lens, Bing Chat Visual & More
This week, we had yet another pretty hot and unconfirmed Google search ranking update in the middle of the week. Google finally launched that perspectives filter in the mobile US search results. Google updated its Search Generative Experience…
2023 Google Merchant Center Product Data Specification Updates
Google has done its yearly update for its Merchant Center product data specification. Some of the changes listed below went into effect yesterday, some go into effect July 18, 2023 and some don’t go into effect until September 1, 2023.
Google: Products Within Google Business Profiles Not Going Away
There was some concern that products were going away within Google Business Profiles and being moved fully to Google Merchant Center Next. Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, said on Twitter that this is not true; she said, “Products will remain available in GBP.”
Google Ads Location Setting To Use Media From Google Business Profiles
Google Ads has a setting named “automated locations” that has a subsetting to grant Google Ads access to your media and photos from your Google Business Profile. You can turn this on or off under “automated locations” option in Google Ads.
How Google Search Handles 103 Early Hints HTTP Server Response
Gary Illyes from Google posted information on how Google Search handles the 103 early hints HTTP server status response. He said, “Googlebot will ignore the 103 and wait for the subsequent response.”
Google Maps iOS App Also Gets Business Tab
In February, Google added a “Business” tab to the Android Google Maps app for those who have verified Google Business Profiles. Now that feature is live in the iOS version of the Google Maps app.
UN Members At Google Pier 57 Office (On AI Topics)
It looks like Google hosted some members of the United Nations at the newish Google Pier 57 office in New York City to discuss the topic of AI responsibility.
Other Great Search Threads:
A compendium of some uncommon bugs and “bugs”, Local Search Forum
Do you really need it? I’m trying to decide how much priority to put on this, the traffic from tablets in general is super-low…, Mikhail Parakhin on Twitter
If you submit a product feed, it’ll try to crawl those. Especially if you submit unique / tagged URLs, that can add up. It’s not so much that the tool itself increases crawling, it’s what you do with it. The last time I looked into it, the teams also said, John Mueller on Mastodon
Our key advice to anyone creating content is to create that content for people, not robots. I’d encourage anyone to read that guidance, Google SearchLiaison on Twitter
Googlebot has a longer timeout and more caching to help crawl sites that use inefficient JS, but for a live tool we optimize a bit more for user-experience, so we need results faster. I see it as a wink that you could improve your JS usage if the live tes, John Mueller on Twitter
Regardless of the site, as a site owner, if you have trouble maintaining it, it should be in your own interest to find ways to make it run well & be better across the board. Perhaps that means having to make compromises with passionate users / writers or , John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
Google files lawsuit over fake review scams
Major Looker Studio GA4 connector update adds 170 new fields
Microsoft on the future of advertising and conversational AI
How higher education is failing at SEO
Google SGE now uses photos and reviews from Google Business Profile listings
How to build your own SEO ‘second brain’ (and why you need it)
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
How to Build an Analytics Team: Managing Digital Analysts, Measure Minds Group
Industry & Business
Alphabet Selling Google Domains Assets to Squarespace for About $180 Million, Bloomberg
Google says Australia’s online privacy law should target websites instead of search engines, The Guardian
Microsoft Prepares to Cash In on OpenAI Partnership With Copilot, Bloomberg
Google, Sonos Smart-Speaker Patent Judgment Vacated Over Relief, Bloomberg
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Google takes legal action to stop fake review scams, Google Blog
Mobile & Voice
‘Hey Disney’ Custom Alexa Assistant Arrives, Voicebot
Mercedes-Benz enhances drivers’ experience with Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft Blog
MyQ says Google Assistant integration is ‘no longer available’, 9to5Google
SEO
Build an SEO Report in Seconds with Domain Overview, Moz
How to fix eCommerce keyword cannibalization | Joshua George, Wix SEO Hub
SEO Podcast #49: SEO Confidence, SEOSLY
The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T, BruceClay
The customers might be human, but the audience is Google, The Verge
The Misunderstood Intersection of SEO and UX ft. Adriana Stein, iPullRank
PPC
Continued improvements to App campaigns, Google Ads Help
Keyword Clustering in a Flash: An Update to the Keyword Manager Tool, Semrush
Building towards greater transparency in media buying, Google Blog
Search Features
Microsoft’s New Bing Image Creator Watermark Helps Users Identify AI-Generated Images, WinBuzzer
Feedback:
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