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:
Google Search Ranking Algorithm Tremors On May 7th & May 9th
I am seeing an increase in chatter amongst the SEO industry around a possible Google search ranking algorithm update around Friday, May 7th and then again on Sunday, May 9th. Even some of the tools are showing the changes as well. But it doesn’t seem to be a massive update, like some previous Google updates.
More On How Google Uses Machine Learning In Google Search
This past Friday, I asked John Mueller of Google a bit more on if and how Google may use machine learning for adjusting the weights of various ranking signals. The short answer is, Google may or may not do this, depending on the specific ranking signal.
Google Search Console Bug: Insufficient HTTPS Coverage On Your Site
For the past couple of weeks or so, well, really since page experience report launched in late April in Google Search Console, there has been a bug with some sites over HTTPs. The error is “Insufficient HTTPS coverage on your site” and it is a known bug with the report that Google will fix.
Google Tends To Not Watch For Scroll Events Or Click To Load More Buttons
What is the latest in terms of how Google / GoogleBot sees the content on your full page. Now when it comes to lazy loaded content, John Mueller said GoogleBot tends not to watch out for a scroll event or a click to load more button. With this set up, lazy loaded content, he said you will want to make sure to set up intersection observer so Google can use that to find your content.
John Mueller Relaunches His Old Blog
Back in 2004 John Mueller started his personal blog while he was the owner of a small marketing and development company – like many of you. In 2007 he joined Google and has been with the company since. But also, his blogging slowed and the blog kind of died out. Well, John relaunched his personal blog I believe over the weekend.
Vlog #119: Justin Abrams On Human Experience Marketing & Adaptation of Technology
In part one with Justin Abrams, the Senior SEO Consultant at BrightEdge and also the co-founder of Cause of a Kind…
Is This New? Hat
I have to share this here because this is funny. Last Thursday, I received a hat in the mail without a note. It just was a black hat that said “is this new?” I had to tweet a photo of it to find out
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
Job Postings in Google Discover – This is the first time I am seeing a job posting page in Google Discover. Has anyone seen this before? cc: @rustybrick https://t.co/f2ltyxN8MR, Praveen Sharma on Twitter
Seeing a "recently viewed recipes" card in search results. (cc @rustybrick – I searched for it on SE roundtable and don’t see it – although I’m still anticipating a "not new" from you for some reason) 😉 https://t.co/beBG1l14zk, Dan Shure on Twitter
If @lilyraynyc or anyone wants to share an actual example of this, happy to pass it along to our team to debug it more. It’s really hard to debug without actual exampl, Danny Sullivan on Twitter
Today’s #GoogleDoodle is popping up to wish a #HappyMothersDay to moms everywhere ♥️ → https://t.co/VqXppnShMf https://t.co/9UskSb9bTQ, Google Doodles on Twitter
On the one hand, I can’t even read the site without being inundated by popups, on the other hand, it’s *absolutely* your problem if your site is bad (slow, etc). No user will ca, John Mueller on Twitter
Seems like a lot of SEO companies are recommending backlink disavows, often based on DA. My advice, don’t disavow UNLESS you have something in your backlink profile that looks artificial and bad. Low DA isn’t an issu, Gerry White SEO geek on Twitter
Yeah, the struggle is real :-/. It’s kinda the price of having something more customizable like WP – it means you also have to fix more things yourself. Being able to use many p, John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
Trade cookies for control of your identity program
The real-world impact of keyword stuffing in Google My Business
Google search rankings algorithm check-in; Friday’s daily brief
As UGC gets a pandemic bump, brands need to leverage customer content now
Events of the future will be hybrid and “always on”
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Using CASE WHEN in Google Data Studio to Supercharge Your Reporting, Rise at Seven
Industry & Business
Citi downgrades Facebook and Google, says ad market expectations are too bullish, CNBC
Google Childcare Workers Start Petition Over Transportation Costs, Business Insider
Links & Content Marketing
6 Ways Your Book’s Content Should Fit Into Your Content Marketing Plan, Entrepreneur
Local & Maps
Apple Maps vans photographing Hong Kong streets for "Look Around" expansion, AppleInsider
Google begins surfacing vaccine centers, hospital beds, oxygen info in India, TechCrunch
Mobile & Voice
Google Assistant continues to mean well with socially relevant, utterly cringeworthy songs, Android Police
Google Assistant will sing you a song about getting vaccinated, The Verge
SEO
Are Core Web Vitals and Page Experience The Same Thing?, Botify
The Benefits of Using SEO and SEM Together, BrightEdge
Is Domain Splitting Worth the Headache?, Searchmetrics
Mindset Shifts for Strategic SEO, The SEO MBA
How to optimize your eCommerce homepage for SEO, DeepCrawl
How to Use SEO Tools to Qualify Sites Before the Pitch (for Non-Link Builders), Moz
PPC
Google Advanced Search Operators for Competitive Content Research, Moz
US consumer behavior shifts post-pandemic, Microsoft Advertising
What’s Google FLoC? And How Does It Affect Your Privacy?, Wired
Other Search
Is Bing Underestimated?, Searchmetrics
