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 still says that helpful content recoveries are possible but may take a really long time. OpenAI may launch its own search engine really soon. Google Ads to automatically pause low-activity keywords. Forbes removed its coupon directory completely from its site, with the Google site reputation abuse policy coming. Google Ads now disallows deep fakes of a sexual nature. I posted the big Google Webmaster report for May 2024.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

May 2024 Google Webmaster Report

In the past month, in Google-land, we have spoken a lot about the March 2024 core update, which ended on April 19th, a week before Google notified us it was done. This core update was painful for many, especially those who were hit by the September helpful content update. But more is to come, we have the site reputation abuse penalty coming in the next few days – are you ready?

Google: Helpful Content Update Recoveries May Take Much Longer Than Others

Google’s John Mueller responded to some questions around why sites hurt by the September 2023 Google helpful content update have not recovered with March 2024 Google core update. He said on X that while recoveries are still possible, “some things take much longer to be reassessed (sometimes months, at the moment), and some bigger effects require another update cycle.”

Google Ads To Automatically Pause Low-Activity Keywords Next Month

Google Ads will automatically pause low-activity keywords starting in June 2024. That means campaigns with keywords that were created over 13 months ago and have zero impressions over the past 13 months will be paused.

Forbes Completely Removes (410 Server Status) Coupon Directory

A couple of weeks ago Forbes blocked its coupons directory on its website from being crawled by Google. Now Forbes has completely wiped out all the coupons from its site, serving a 410 status code and removing the coupons link from its navigation.

Google Ads To Disallow Services For Deepfake Sexual Content

Google Ads, Shopping Ads, Admob, and other Google Ads products will soon disallow deepfake sexual content, synthetic sexually explicit content, or synthetic content containing nudity services. I mean, this seems like something they should have disallowed before, but now any tool or service that is around these types of content will be disallowed.

Report: OpenAI To Launch Search Engine

Over the past week or so, I’ve seen two signals that OpenAI will launch its own search engine of sorts soon. The first is that search.chatgpt.com is showing in the log files for some servers, and also, yesterday, there were more business-oriented rumors of OpenAI launching a search engine on May 9th.

Googlers Eating Matzah Before Passover

Here is a photo of some Googlers at the Google New York City office eating matzah on a rooftop area. This was taken before Passover but I only spotted it now. This was shared on Instagram.

Other Great Search Threads:

As a reminder, the last part of the March 2024 announcements, the new Google Search spam policies about reputation abuse, take effect after May 5, 2024. Find out more about these changes in the blog post https://t.co/FB8bo, Google Search Central on X
Goodbye, Google Podcasts. Hello, @youtubemusic, Azeem on X
Google is testing a more colorful version of their (German) navigation: the first item just got a blue background., Frank Sandtmann on Mastodon
Submit your best example., John Mueller on X
These DOJ Antitrust docs are so fascinating. Years ago I wrote an article that said Ad Rank is where Google could hide whatever they wanted to do in an auction… and here is Google changing their definitions away from “you pay t, Kirk Williams on X
Why should it never happen? Ranking #1 does not mean that it’s a good result now, or that it was then. I don’t mean to be harsh, but the advantage of the web is that it moves quickly. That’s also a challenge sometimes., John Mueller on X
Google is now testing out a “shop deals” banner for Mother’s Day, directing users to a page focused on gift ideas for moms. This test is part of a string of occasion-based banners that have been appearing as far back as October of, SERP Alert on X
Many of the pages I’m analyzing with traffic/rankings shifts in the last months correlating with the update show a similar pattern to this one: Dropped right before the core update official release date, touched bottom, Aleyda Solis on X
Reminder!! We’re just 2 months away from the official turndown of Universal Analytics. For UA360 customers, the migration deadline is right around the corner. But this date is important for everyone. Beginning July 1, you will, AdsLiaison on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

Did Google really lose search market share to Microsoft Bing in April?
The future of search is social
6 ways to use AI for paid search account restructuring
How to boost your marketing revenue with personalization, connectivity and data

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

Which Consent Management Platform (CMP) Most Compliant?, Measure Minds Group
AWS AppFabric now supports Salesforce, Azure Monitor and Google Analytics, AWS

Industry & Business

Google cuts hundreds of ‘Core’ workers, moves jobs to India, Mexico, CNBC
Google lays off dozens more in Bay Area on way to record valuation, San Francisco Chronicle
Google urges US to update immigration rules to attract more AI talent, The Verge
Google, DOJ return for closing arguments, The Hill
Google’s Payments to Apple Reached $20 Billion in 2022, Cue Says, Bloomberg
What Google Investors Should Really Be Cheering, The Information
4 Google Execs Received 200% of Annual Performance-Based Stock Options, Business Insider
U.S. v. Google: As landmark ‘monopoly power’ trial closes, here’s what to look for, NPR

Links & Content Marketing

Avoid Traditional Marketing Metrics To Prove Content’s Real Value, Content Marketing Institute
How To Develop a Great Creative Brief and Get On-Target Content, Content Marketing Institute
Why Big Companies Make Bad Content, Ahrefs

Local & Maps

GM’s continuing with its CarPlay-beater despite a rocky start, AppleInsider
Will GM Regret Kicking Apple CarPlay off the Dashboard?, Bloomberg

Mobile & Voice

For Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, it’s now or never, Fast Company
Using CarPlay with or without your voice, AppleInsider

SEO

Dear Google. Please do more to help the website owners impacted by HCU and March Core., Marie Haynes
Magic Links: easily share access to SEO tests and reports, SEOTesting
Reddit SEO Guide and Tactics, Influencer Marketing Hub
The Big Disconnect: Charting The Growing Disconnect Between Google And SEOs, Search Engine Journal
The March 2024 Core Update and how the transition of Google’s helpful content system to its core ranking system is supposed to work., GSQI
What Are Canonical URLs: An In-Depth Guide for SEOs, Backlinko

PPC

Google Ads API Resource Usage Policy Update, Google Ads Developer Blog
5 Ways To Use Google Gemini For PPC Inspiration, PPC Hero

Feedback:

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