Some how, I forgot to post the Google webmaster report last month, so this one will be a bit longer as I am combining the June and May Google webmaster report in one big report. Sorry for missing that report, but here is the catch up.
The big items for the past two months are the Google May 2022 core update and the ongoing March 2022 product reviews update when it ended mid May. There was an intense amount of unconfirmed updates prior to the confirmed May 2022 core update, which is interesting.
Google posted a lot of new rich results, structured data and schema markup details over the past couple of months. Google also announced a bunch of features at Google I/O, which is expected. Google Search Console ditched the URL parameter tool, and released some features as well as previewed some new features. Also, FID may be replaced by INP for core web vitals.
There were tons of Google Local and Google Maps changes, like the Google My Business brand and app going away. Also a ton of features and changes to Google Business Profiles. And don’t forget the endless Google user interface tests. We saw a new Google News design and Google launched multisearch over this timeframe.
Here are the top headlines for the past two months:
Google Algorithm Updates:
Google May 2022 Broad Core Update Is Live – What We Are Seeing Now
The SEO Impact Of The Google May 2022 Broad Core Update
Google Core Updates Uses Data Before Launch But May Update Data Between Launches
Google Search Ranking Update Monday On May 16th (Unconfirmed)
Google Search Algorithm Update Tremors & Instability Continues…
Google Mother’s Day Weekend Search Algorithm Update (May 6th – May 8th)
Possible Google Search Algorithm Update May 1st With Rumbles All Week
Larger Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update On April 20th & 21st
Spring Break Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update – April 18th
Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update April 13th & 14th (Unconfirmed)
Immense Google Search Ranking Volatility; The Tail End Of The Product Reviews Update?
Now Finished: March 2022 Google Product Reviews Update
Google On Product Reviews Update: Content Should Add New Information To Body Of Knowledge
Google On Writing You Tested A Product With The Product Reviews Update
Not All Product Comparisons Trigger The Google Product Reviews Algorithm
Google SEO:
New Google Search Learning Video Rich Results
New Google Author Markup Best Practices For Article Structured Data
Google Suspends Job Training Rich Results
Google Updates Video Best Practices For Thumbnail Transparency Guidelines
Google Now Supports Education Q&A Structured Data
Google Adds Troubleshooting For Title Links & Valid Page Metadata Help Docs
Google To Deprecate Some Video & Image Sitemap Extension Tags
Podcast: Past, Present and Future Of Structured Data With Google Search
Google’s 2021 Web Spam Report: Hello Google SpamBrain
Google Now Says Automatically Generated Content Against Guidelines When Intended To Manipulate Search Rankings
Moz Back In Google Search After Fraudulent DMCA Takedown
You Can Now Remove Personally Identifiable Information (PII) From Google Search
2022 Google Merchant Center Product Data Specification Updates
Signed Exchanges Coming To Google Desktop Search For Some Sites
Google May Replace FID With INP (Interaction to Next Paint) For Core Web Vitals
Google I/O Session: Google Search For Site Owners
All The Search Related Announcements From Google I/O 2022
Google Search Console:
It’s Gone: The Google Search Console URL Parameter Tool Is Now Offline
New Video Page Indexing Report Coming To Google Search Console
Google Search Console To Change Coverage Report To Pages Report?
Google News Performance Report Reporting Issue (May 12 – May 26)
Google Video On Why Search Console Graphs Fluctuate
Google Search Console Performance Reports Now Shows Education Q&A Rich Results
New: Google Search Console Performance Reports Logs Additional Desktop Features
New Translated Results Search Appearance Filter Added to Google Search Console Performance Report
Google Site Kit Now Has Question Hub Data
Google Search Console Sending Notices For Intrusive Interstitials
Google Links:
Google Hints Useful Nofollow Links Won’t Pass Much Or Any Weight
Google: Don’t Get Hung Up About “Toxic Links”
Fake DMCA Requests Using AI Generated Lawyers To Demand For Links
Google Maps & Local:
Google My Business App Going Away
Google Maps With Deeper iOS Integration, Toll Prices & Traffic Lights/Stop Signs
New Google Business Guidelines For Virtual Food Brands & Delivery-Only Businesses
Google Maps Mobile Showing Justifications On The Map
Google Hotel Results Using Reviews For Things To Do & Review Summaries
New Google Travel Search Features
Google Reduces Visibility Of Business Edits With Color Changes To Updates
Google Maps Testing Overlay Box Over Maps Interface For Local Listing
New Recycling Attribute For Google Business Profiles
Google Business Profile Review Tool Now Works For Larger Accounts
Google User Interface:
Search By Image & Text With Google Multisearch
New Google News Trial Being Tested
Will Short Videos Overtake Web Stories In Google Search?
Google Tests Search Bar Menu Links In Box Button Like Interface
Google Displaying Less Sitelinks For The Past Couple Months
Google Tests Knowledge Panel Without A Box Border
Google Featured Snippet With Question Header
Google Search Explore Outfits & Shop Similar
Google Search Grid Format Visual Design On Desktop
Google Search Scroll To Highlight Now Can Share Highlighted Text Via Social, Email, etc
Google Tests Slightly Larger Favicons In Mobile Search Results
Google Search UI Tests Continue With Full Width Videos & Grid Formatted Results
Google Search Tests Images On Left Side Of Search Result Snippets
Google Search Can Write Its Own Knowledge Panels
Google Tests What People Are Saying Search Results
New Google Featured Snippet: “From The Web” & “Other Sites Say”
Google Search Tests Side Bar Navigation
Google Tests People Also Ask Play (Listen To) Speaker Icons
Highly Cited Label In Google Search Tops Stories Now Live
Google Trusted Store Badge Now Live
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.
Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Shavous.