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.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
Vlog #108: Eli Feldblum On Content SEO Equity & Future SEO Thoughts
In part one, Eli Feldblum and I spoke about the good old days and in part two about the SEO industry maturing. The SEO discipline is all about building up equity and it is all about content. We talked about how things were super easy in the old days but now Google understands queries and content on the web way more now that it did years ago. If you write really good content, that is the most important thing you can do, the other stuff matters but the level of your content is more important.
Google Tests Displaying Auto Suggestions On Scroll Up
Google is testing displaying and popping up the auto-suggestions auto complete search terms in the search bar when you scroll back up towards the top of the search results. Here is a GIF of it in action captured from Valentin Pletzer who posted a video of it on YouTube and Twitter.
Google: Focus Less On Individual Pages & More On Category Pages
Google told one site owner, this is specific advice to one specific site owner and not meant to be a generalization for all sites, that he should not focus on his individual pages but focus more on the category level pages. The issue was the individual pages on this site had very little content on it and John thought a good strategy would be to create higher level pages that can have more significant content on them.
Google Testing Keyword Tags Or Labels In Snippets Again
Brodie Clark spotted a new Google Search snippet test where Google is showing keywords labels or tags above the description and below the title and URL. This reminds me a bit of the tags Google showed in the snippet in 2017 and 2019.
Possible Google Search Console URL Inspection Tool Bug With HTTP/2?
Google may have a bug with the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console specific to websites on HTTP/2. The tool shows a malformed response when it is run on the HTTP/2 server.
Google Search Console Changes To Web Story Performance Report
Google has made a change to its performance report around reporting on your Web Stories. This change may lead to seeing more impressions and clicks from Google Discover to your web stories.
Bing Pillow
Here is a nice throw pillow from Microsoft with the Bing logo on it. It is in the Bing colors and on a nice chair. This was shared by Microsoft on Twitter a few years ago, but it never goes out of st
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
If you’re learning SEO, and don’t know where/how to start/continue, with good and free reliable resources, I’ve created this #LearningSEO site: https://t.co/TTjcOIXGCq It features a roadmap + google sheet to copy/, Aleyda Solis on Twitter
Keep counting your links, if that makes you happy! It’s good to have some source of pleasure nowadays. (It won’t make the ranking algorithms happy though.), John Mueller on Twitter
Co-author of the 1st Indigenous American opera 🎭 Powerful writer & musician 🎻 Resilient activist for Indigenous & women’s rights 📜 Happy birthday to Zitkala-Ša of the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota! #GoogleDo, Google Doodles on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
Facebook-Australia standoff may have turned a corner
How the Microsoft Search Network can maximize your search campaigns
Passage based rankings, core web vitals and responsive search ads; Friday’s daily brief
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Measuring PR Results with Google Analytics, NextPR
Understanding Google Analytics 4, Red Shark Digital
Industry & Business
Amid the pandemic, search is going local, vocal and future-proof, The Drum
Google tweaks diversity, research policies following inquiry, Axios
Google has fired another AI ethics leader, Engadget
Google picks Rochester for its first Minnesota office, Perham Focus
Publishing industry questions Google’s motives in paying off News Corp, Digiday
Links & Content Marketing
10 Years of Site Explorer, Majestic Blog
Local & Maps
How to Use Apple Maps in a Browser on Windows and Android, How To Geek
New Google Maps Updates Released With Must-Have Android Auto Improvements, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
So that’s how Google is going to monetize your Fitbit data, Android Central
SEO
Cumulative Layout Shift Study of Over 1 Million Websites, SEO Clarity
Google Search Console (GSC) reporting for Soft 404s is now more accurate. But where did those Soft 404s go?, GSQI
How to prepare for page experience and Core Web Vitals, Vertical Leap
SERPs: What Are They & Why Are They Important for SEO, Seer Interactive
7 Emerging Technologies in SEO and Their Applications, Moz
Court prohibits cooperation between Google and Federal Ministry of Health, SISTRIX
Working With Large Internal Link Graphs in Python, Briggsby
PPC
Improving Shopping Campaign Performance: The Importance of an Optimized Feed, Metric Theory
The value of paid search for automotive brands, Microsoft Advertising
Search Features
Google Mobile Search Snippets Showing Keywords Mentioned, Brodie Clark Consulting
