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 says you don’t need a niche site to rank for a specific topic. Google said you might not want to let Google index your AI chatbot’s output. Google is testing star store badges in search. Google has a new feature for sports cards. Google Image search has two lines of descriptions now.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
Google: Maybe Don’t Let Google Search Index Your AI Chatbot Output
With all these AI chatbots out there now, Google Search seems to be seeing more and more of them publishing AI-generated outputted content in the wild. And if you don’t want Google indexing that content, make sure to block Googlebot from seeing that content.
Google: You Don’t Need A Niche Site To Rank On A Topic
Google’s John Mueller said on Twitter, “You don’t need to have a niche site in order to rank in Google; in fact, sometimes that’s a good way not to rank.” He explained that “A page doesn’t have to be on a site that’s “related to the niche” in order to be useful & helpful.”
Google Images Now Shows Site Name, Favicon & Page Title
Google Images are now showing the site name, favicon and below that, a second line, for the page title that image is sourced from. Previously, Google showed just the image, then Google tested the site name and favicon but now Google is showing it all.
Google Search Tests Star Store Badge
Google is testing replacing the “top quality store” badge with a “star store” badge in the search results. Previously it was a “Trusted Store” badge but that was replaced by the “top quality store” badge.
Google Search Major League Baseball “Recent Featured Highlights”
Google has a new search feature titled “recent featured highlights” for Major League Baseball players. It showcases stats for recent games, short video clips and more.
Google Carnival Sign
Did you know that Google has a carnival at the GooglePlex, its main headquarters in Mountain View, California. We saw one in 2015 and here is one from this year with Peter the Greeter standing in fro
Other Great Search Threads:
Reports of this are pouring in to me now.. Instant denials on legit disputes.. I have some questions out to LSA “support” rn. Will keep you posted., Len on Twitter
(SEO) Update: According to Sistrix, BBBY is climbing pretty nicely in visibility as Overstock is dropping. This is all as expected., Shalom Goodman on Twitter
It’s a web page. Not all web pages get indexed. There’s nothing fancy happening there., John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
TikTok rolls out major Ads changes to meet EU regulations
Moz debuts new metric, Brand Authority, to measure brand strength
[Next week] Actionable search marketing training + live Q&A from SMX
Google Merchant Center sending ‘inappropriate title’ warning
Google Analytics 4 Reports get Match Types, including regex
How ChatGPT can help you optimize your content for entities
How to remove sensitive client data from Google’s index
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Match types, including regex, are now available in Reports, Google Analytics What’s New
Industry & Business
Google catches a break in its Search and Assistant antitrust case, Android Police
In win for Google, judge dismisses many claims in DOJ monopoly case, Ars Technica
$5 billion Google lawsuit over ‘incognito mode’ tracking moves a step closer to trial, The Verge
Links & Content Marketing
7 Ecommerce Link Building Strategies That Work in 2023, Semrush
Introducing Brand Authority: Measuring the Unmeasurable, Moz
SEOCausal: showcasing the impact of digital PR for a leading accounting company, Builtvisible
Local & Maps
Local Listings Management Explained: Google Maps, Apple Maps, Facebook, and Bing, BrightLocal
Mazda CX-5 gets touchscreen input for Android Auto, CarPlay, 9to5Google
Mobile & Voice
Google Assistant swaps ‘Lens’ quick capture option for a ‘Screen reader’ button, Chrome Unboxed
Why do Messages Say “Sent with Siri” on iPhone?, OX Daily
SEO
Cracking Google’s Code: The Impact of Core Updates and Search Intent on Your SEO, Amsive Digital
Increasing Flat SEO Traffic in Competitive Spaces – Case Study, Adam Riemer
10 Skills Every SEO Pro Needs for Success, Ahrefs
50 Episodes of the SERP’s Up SEO Podcast, Wix
A Guide to Choosing an Enterprise SEO Platform, Semrush
How Does Duplicate Content Affect SEO?, JumpFly
Why Do Search Rankings Fluctuate?, Koozai
Yoast SEO 20.13: A few more enhancements, Yoast
PPC
22 Google Ads Automated Rules That Will Make Your Life Easier, WordStream
Four ways to prepare for the holiday season, Google Merchant Center Help
We’ve Made Updates to the User Messaging Platform SDK APIs, Google Ads Developer Blog
The Privacy Sandbox conundrum: ad tech vendors remain cautious about Google’s vision, Digiday
Search Features
Microsoft Edge is testing super-useful Bing Rewrite feature, MSPoweruser
Other Search
Celebrating 6 months of the new AI-powered Bing, Bing Search Blog
Microsoft AI Red Team building future of safer AI, Microsoft Security Blog
Feedback:
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