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.
I am now seeing a huge spike in SEO chatter specific to a Google algorithm ranking update, but some, not all, of the tools are calm. Bing launched dark mode on Bing Search and Bing Chat. Google clarified its Local Service Ads review dispute form. Google Things to know can now show links outside of the accordion. Google can now categorize reviews by type of reviewer.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
Google Search Ranking Algorithm Update Chatter Signals – June 25th
I am seeing a significant increase in chatter from within the SEO community around a possible Google Search ranking algorithm update. While most of the tracking tools have calmed, except for Semrush and Mozcast, I am seeing a big spike in SEO chatter yesterday and into today.
Dark Mode Now Rolling Out On Bing Search & Bing Chat
As we expected, Bing Chat and Bing Search both now support dark mode. There is a new “dark” setting under the “appearance” section of the settings menu at the top right of the page to turn it on or off.
Google Local Service Ads Review Dispute Form Updates With Clarifications
Google has updated its Local Service Ads reviews dispute form. The update clarifies that the form should be used for reviews on Local Service Ads and not to handle reviews through Google Business Profiles.
Google Things To Know With Links Outside Accordions
Google has made the links within the Things To Know box more prominent by placing some of those links outside of the accordions. So you no longer have to click to expand the Things to know section to get some of the links, some are shown in the top section by default.
Google Categorizes Reviews By Type Of Reviewer
Google seems to be testing categorizing the review by the type of review in the Google Maps and Local reviews section. So if you have a couple on vacation leaving a review versus a solo traveler or family, it will say so.
Outdoor Hammock At Google Brazil
Here is a photo from outside of the Google Brazil office. You can see a man relaxing with a cup of coffee on a hammock, surrounded by some beautiful landscape.
Other Great Search Threads:
Google has added quite a few new Google Business Profile categories in the last 2 months. Check out the list here:, Joy Hawkins on Twitter
I wouldn’t worry about crawl budget with O(100k) URLs affected., John Mueller on Twitter
IndexNow continues gaining momentum ! Naver, South Korea’s leading search engine, has adopted IndexNow, Microsoft Bing Webmaster Team on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
Meta’s ad revenue up 12% in Q2, exceeding expectations
Microsoft Search and Advertising revenue up 3% amid ad spend drop
OpenAI’s AI Text Classifier no longer available due to ‘low rate of accuracy’
Bing Search and Bing Chat officially rolling out dark mode
How long SEO takes to work
3 ways PPC campaign management could soon change
How to use always-on marketing in paid search
Naver, Korean search engine, now supports IndexNow
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
GA4 Bigquery Tips: Guide to Attribution, Adswerve
Industry & Business
Alphabet rallies as Google Search unfazed by challenge from Microsoft’s Bing, Reuters
Alphabet Steams Past Ad Worries, Fueled by Google’s Search Engine, New York Times
Exclusive: Amazon has drawn thousands to try its AI service competing with Microsoft, Google, Reuters
Yandex Announces Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results, Yandex
Links & Content Marketing
Why the Marketing Funnel Needs an Empathy Overlay, Content Marketing Institute
Generative AI: The Art of Strategic Prompt Creation, Skyword
Overcoming Algorithmic Gender Bias In AI-Generated Marketing Content, Forbes
Local & Maps
Meta, Microsoft, Amazon join Overture maps to vie with Apple, Google, CNBC
Google Business Cannot Control Incentivised Reviews, Online Ownership
Mobile & Voice
Apple Vision Pro details emerge from visionOS beta 2, AppleInsider
Apple Vision Pro draws investors back to VR/AR market, AppleInsider
Google Maps gets Assistant-powered voice-to-text search, MobileSyrup
You Should Try Google Assistant’s ‘Bedtime’ Routine, Lifehacker
SEO
9 UGC Examples That Will Make You Rethink SEO Content, The Gray
AI-Powered Conversation Intelligence for SEO ft. Jason Tatum, iPullRank
UK Supermarket Visibility in Google Search – July 2023, SISTRIX
What to do when changing SEO agencies in Search Console?, Google Search Central YouTube
How to Grow Your Google Authority, Chris Garrett
PPC
Introducing Performance Max, Microsoft Advertising
Use Google Ads AI & Machine Learning To Run Better Campaigns, Moz
Google Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Autoplay Ads Triggered By Bots, Deadline
Google Sued Over Allegedly Inflating Video Ad Metrics, The Hollywood Reporter
Other Search
Google’s Vision for Search in 2023 and Beyond – Analysis of the Q2 2023 Earnings Call, Marie Haynes
How to build a better search engine than Google, The Verge
Researchers Poke Holes in Safety Controls of ChatGPT and Other Chatbots, New York Times
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