Google’s John Mueller Says HTML Sitemaps Should Never Be Needed
John Mueller of Google has always downplayed the importance of HTML sitemaps over the years, he is a fan of XML sitemaps, but HTML sitemaps, not so much. On Mastodon the other day he really showed his dissatisfaction of HTML sitemaps by saying that HT…
Poll Shows SEOs Split On If Google Or The Web Is Getting Worse
There have been a lot of complaints about the quality of Google search results – the truth is, there are always complaints. Assuming you believe the results are indeed getting worse (which not everyone would agree with), is Google to blame, or is it t…
Google Tests Removing Estimated Number Of Search Results Again
Seems Google is once again testing removing the estimated number of search results under the search bar. You know, the line that says “About X results in Y seconds” Google is testing removing that again.
Google Search Console: Sites Using Subscribe With Google May See Increase In Impressions & Clicks
Google added a new annotation to the Google Search Console performance reports on December 5th, saying that sites that use Subscribe with Google may see an increase in clicks and impressions. I’ll be honest, I am a bit confused by the annotation was ad…
Google SafeSearch Can Be Triggered By Use Of Explicit & Extreme Cursing
A couple of years ago, Gary Illyes of Google noted that using many more X-rated curse words can trigger Google to think your site is adult oriented and thus be filtered out by SafeSearch. But how much, how often, and how explicit do those words need to…
Google Search Tests “Where To Stop Along The Way”
Let’s say you are going on a road trip from one location to the next. One thing I expect some of those who do such entertainment would want to know is where are good places to stop along the way. Google is answering that now, I think, in a new test, …
Daily Search Forum Recap: December 7, 2022
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 is rolling out an updated Google helpful content update/system…
December 2022 Google Helpful Content Update Rolling Out With Global Impact
Google has officially confirmed the launch of the second release of the Google helpful content update/system. It started lightly on December 5th but became noticeable, according to Google, on December 6th, which is why Google did not announce it until …
Poll: 40% Of SEOs Say Link Building Is As Effective As It Always Was
We have heard a lot from Google recently that links are just not as significant of a ranking factor in Google Search as they used to be. But 40% of SEOs still feel link building is as effective now compared to a few years ago. 60% of SEOs think it is …
Google Local Panel Adds Disclaimer To Appointment Providers Links
Google has added a disclaimer to the appointment provider links that you find in the Google Search local panel and in the Google Maps business listings. The disclaimer partially reads under the “about these providers,” adding “providers are listed in …
Google Launches +Topic Search Bar Refinements After Several Months Of Testing
Back in July we reported that Google was testing a new more dynamic search bar refinement option that adds keywords to the filters at the top under the search bar. Then Google demoed that feature at Search On and this week, Google is now rolling out th…
Search Chrome Tabs, Bookmarks & History
Google announced three new ways to search in Chrome – including search your tabs, your bookmarks and your history. You can search with three new site search shortcuts directly built into the Chrome address bar, with @tabs, @bookmarks and @history.
Microsoft Advertising Gains Flyer Extensions, Retract & Restate Conversions, Ad Schedule Calendar View & More
Microsoft posted the monthly Microsoft Advertising news and new features and announced a bunch of new stuff. The new features include new flyer extensions, update (restate) the revenue value associated or delete (retract) the conversion, a new calendar…
Official: Google Continuous Scroll Now On Desktop Search
Google has officially brought the continuous scroll feature from the mobile search results to the desktop search results. Google has been testing this for a while after bringing it to mobile in October 2021, and now it is live in the US English search …
Google Keyword Planner Organize Keywords Into Ad Groups Officially Live In English
Back in August that Google added a new feature to the Keyword Planner tool to organize keywords into ad groups. Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ads Liaison, said last Friday (yes, months later) that this feature is now officially live for all English users.
Businesses Cannot Upload Their Logo & Photos To Their Google Business Profiles
There is a confirmed bug with Google Business Profiles where you cannot upload your logo or other photos to their business profile. Google is aware of the issue and is working on a fix, but it seems to be impacting newly verified businesses.
Google Search Tests Short Product Reviews In Image Thumbnails
Google seems to be testing showing a super short product review in the image thumbnail in the search results. So Google will overlay at the top of the product image reviews like “sturdy,” easy to move,” “well made,” “easy to clean,” and so on.
Vlog #200: Jeremy Meindl On CRM Targeting To Get A Girl (He Married Her) & For Marketing
Part one and part two with Jeremy Meindl was more on black hat SEO stuff and now in part three…
Large Google Search Ranking Algorithm Updates & Volatility Continues
Every Monday, I end up covering an unconfirmed Google search ranking algorithm update but this past week, going into the weekend, was even more volatile than the others. I am seeing way more chatter, and even the tools are showing heavier volatility th…
Have Content Load First For JavaScript Heavy Sites Says Google
Gary Illyes from Google posted a PSA (public service announcement) of sorts on Mastodon and LinkedIn for sites that are heavy with JavaScript. He said that you should try to load the content, including the “marginal boilerplate” content, first when you…