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: Why You See Portions Of Your Site Go Up Or Down After Algorithm Updates
Google’s John Mueller said in a video hangout last week at the 37:02 mark that you can see parts or portions of your web site go up or down after an algorithm update. The reason for that is that some of Google’s algorithms not only try to look at the “bigger picture of the website” but also “look at smaller parts of a website,” he said.
Microsoft Advertising Launches Health Status Dashboard
Microsoft announced the launch of the Microsoft Advertising “health blog,” which really looks like a monitoring dashboard for the uptime and system status of the Microsoft Advertising applications, platform and APIs. You can access it at status.ads.microsoft.com
Google May Be Testing The Ad Label & URL Under Ad Headline
Google may be testing placing the black Ad label and the URL of the ad under the ad title/headline but above the ad description. This was reported to me on Twitter and no, I cannot replicate, but I can see Google testing this – why not.
Google Testing New People Also Search For Location
Google seems to be testing yet another new location to try out the “people also search for” query refinement options in the Google search results. Here it is using the filter bubble design with the title “People also search for.”
Google Tests Square & Multicolored Search Result Category Buttons
A couple months ago we saw Google testing a green search category navigation bubble shaped button in the mobile search results. Now I am seeing more reports of Google testing that button in other colors, like orange, gray and more. Plus, Google is also testing showing that button as a square versus oval shape.
The Google Search Relations/Webmaster Trends Team From 10 Years Ago
On January 10th, Gary Illyes will be celebrating his 10 year work anniversary at Google. He joined Google 10 years ago after being in the SEO community for years and years prior to that.
Other Great Search Forum Threads:
Looks like a bit of a dip for FAQ schema per @RankRanger https://t.co/N6bLKeGScI, Mordy Oberstein on Twitter
Alibaba being investigated by China over monopoly tactics, WebmasterWorld
So, In Google Adsense you can submit a website for review 4 times without any delay, but after this you have to wait for next 14 days. @rustybrick https://t.co/8GAVoVkz1t, Sunny Ujjawal on Twitter
They’re the same. The slash after a hostname is always implied. It’s different with sitename . com / page and sitename . com / page / though., John Mueller on Twitter
Search Engine Land Stories:
Will COVID vaccine rollout bring back in-person conferences?
Brand reputation and the impact of Google SERP selections
Google algorithms vs Google penalties, explained by an ex-Googler
PPC 2020 in review: COVID leaves its mark on e-commerce and paid search
Technology saving retail businesses from going under
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
Fired Googler says she was told heavy Baltimore accent a “disability”, Business Insider
Google rejects DOJ antitrust claims in court filing, The Seattle Times
Google told its scientists to ‘strike a positive tone’ in AI research – documents, Reuters
How Google is hurting local news, Washington Post
Local & Maps
[Quiz Result] Can a Food Truck Have a GMB Listing If They Don’t Have a Permanent Location?, Sterling Sky Inc
First Navigation App With CarPlay Dashboard Support Getting Better and Better, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
Google Assistant’s ‘Updates for you’ now appearing for more users, Android Police
How to Trigger Routines at Sunrise/Sunset on Google Assistant, How To Geek
Magenta Voice Assistant Gets Simpler Wake Word, Adds Apple Music, Arrives in MagentaTV Mobile App, Voicebot
Siri Will Now Announce Telegram Messages Through AirPods, Voicebot
What is Voice Search Technology?, Tech Guide
SEO
Duplicate Content: SEO Best Practices to Avoid it, SEM Rush
How to Measure the Impact of Structured Data, Schema App Tools
PPC
Keep up to date: Microsoft Advertising Health Blog, Microsoft Advertising
Search Features
How to use Google Santa Tracker this Christmas Eve, 9to5Google