Google’s click-through rates (CTRs) experienced notable changes across industries and search categories in Q3, according to a report from Advanced Web Ranking. This report compares Q3 data to the previous quarter. It shows how CTRs can vary and what that means for website traffic. Key Findings: Branded searches on mobile saw a 1.07 percentage point … Read more
Google Analytics launches Customer Match beta, enabling advertisers to enhance remarketing using first-party data instead of third-party cookies. Google Analytics now lets advertisers use first-party customer data to improve ad targeting. The feature automatically works with Smart Bidding campaigns on YouTube, with Search and in-feed ads coming soon. Advertisers can implement this by setting up … Read more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed that Google sell its Chrome web browser and possibly the Android mobile operating system. This suggestion is part of a larger effort to address the company’s alleged monopoly in online search. In a 23-page brief submitted to the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., the DOJ outlined … Read more
Google announced new features for in-store shopping and expanded payment options, marking changes to its retail technology offerings. Key Updates Google Lens Google Lens, which reportedly processes 20 billion searches monthly, will enable users to photograph products in stores to find price comparisons and reviews. The system uses Google’s product database of over 45 billion … Read more
Google has issued new clarification for its site reputation abuse policy, which was launched earlier this year. It targets “parasite SEO” practices where websites leverage established domains to manipulate search rankings through third-party content. Chris Nelson from the Google Search Quality team states: “We’ve heard very clearly from users that site reputation abuse – commonly … Read more
Google simplifies Search Console by removing Page Experience report while retaining Core Web Vitals and HTTPS monitoring tools. Google removed the Page Experience report from Search Console. Core Web Vitals and HTTPS reports will continue to function separately. The change aims to reduce clutter while maintaining all essential metrics. Source link
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) users report data collection issues affecting websites globally, with many experiencing up to 50% drops in reported traffic since November 13. The problem has sparked discussions across Google’s support forums and social media platforms. Key Issues Multiple website owners have documented discrepancies between GA4 reports and actual traffic levels. While GA4 … Read more
Since the first broad core algorithm update, there has been much confusion, debate, speculation, and questions about what exactly it is. How does a core update differ from a named update that many SEO pros are used to? Google’s acknowledgment of core updates is usually vague, offering little detail beyond the fact that the update … Read more
Google has updated Maps to include product-specific search capabilities, just in time for the holiday shopping season. This feature allows consumers to search for specific items and find nearby stores with available inventory. Key Features The update lets you search for products directly within Google Maps and find real-time inventory availability at nearby stores. Shoppers … Read more
Enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge is actively monitoring millions of keyword search results, detecting real-time trends in Google’s AI Overview and organic search tied to the ongoing November 2024 Core algorithm update. The data suggests six preliminary observations on the direction of Google’s algorithm and what publishers and SEOs need to know now. AI Overviews is … Read more
Last week, reports claimed Google was testing mobile search results without favicons or colors, eliminating any advantage conferred by a well optimized favicon. However, a Google representative confirmed this was not a test. Favicons In Search Results The word favicon is short for “favorite icons,” an image meant to be shown in browser tabs, in … Read more
Google sent out an update to its Customer Match policy to advertisers yesterday, going into effect in January 2025. Customer Match allows advertisers to use their first-party data to reach people across many different campaign types, making it one of the most valuable features available for brands. The new policy change introduces new standards designed … Read more
Google has released its latest broad core algorithm update for November 2024. This update continues Google’s refinement of search systems to enhance the quality of results. On X, Google states: “Today we released the November 2024 core update. We’ll add it to our ranking release history page in the near future and update when the … Read more
Google continues updating AIO rankings, increasing the presence of larger shopping-related panels and ads that push organic search results lower on the page. The good news for search marketers is that AIO volatility in shopping queries is stabilizing, with AIO rankings increasingly matching sites typically ranked in organic search. Arguably the most important change is … Read more
If you’re just getting started with local SEO, this Google My Business guide is the perfect spot to kick things off. Even though GMB looks simple and pretty intuitive, there are a lot of things to pay attention to. You’ll really benefit from it only if your listing is set up right. Remember — when … Read more
A recent investigation finds that Google’s Featured Snippets may display conflicting information from the same source material, depending on how users phrase their search queries. This raises concerns about the search engine’s ability to interpret content accurately. Sarah Presch, director at Dragon Metrics, discovered that Google’s Featured Snippets pull opposing statements from the same articles … Read more
ChatGPT Search (CGS) is a landmark launch in the shift from traditional to AI Search. Now, OpenAI competes with Google (Search) heads-on. Note the subtle elbow hit between the lines in the announcement: Getting useful answers on the web can take a lot of effort. It often requires multiple searches and digging through links to … Read more
Since the first broad core algorithm update, there has been much confusion, debate, speculation, and questions about what exactly it is. How does a core update differ from a named update that many SEO pros are used to? Google’s acknowledgment of core updates is usually vague, offering little detail beyond the fact that the update … Read more
