We hope you are in good health. Here are some of the major SEO news updates of the week that you need to know:
Search Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
Google’s John Mueller Offers Solutions for Inaccurate Product Pricing In Search
In Google’s SEO office-hours Q&A video, John Mueller, the Senior Search Analyst, provided helpful solutions for the issue of inaccurate product pricing in search results. One of his suggestions was utilizing the Google Merchant Center, which allows businesses to input more accurate product prices. This can help ensure that the prices displayed in search results are correct and up-to-date. Another tip shared by Mueller was to avoid having product page versions that are too similar across different countries, as this can lead to duplicate content problems. Monitoring how prices and currencies appear in search results and rich snippets are also advised to ensure accuracy. Lastly, if any persistent issues cannot be resolved, Google’s help forums are available for assistance.
Google’s Martin Splitt Questions the Usefulness of Specific Suggestions Made by SEO Auditing Tools
In a statement, Google’s Martin Splitt expressed doubts about the usefulness of certain suggestions made by SEO auditing tools. According to Splitt, many of these audits fail to specifically focus on SEO and instead provide outdated or irrelevant recommendations. He provided examples such as the text-to-code ratio, stating that Google search does not consider it a ranking factor. Similarly, he mentioned that while CSS and JavaScript not being minified may impact user experience by increasing data load, it does not directly affect SEO. Despite this, he acknowledged that optimizing these elements for better user experience is still a good practice.
Google’s John Mueller Says Search Console Data Remains After Domain Expiration
In the August edition of Google’s SEO office-hours Q&A video, John Mueller, Senior Search Analyst at Google, addressed a question regarding domain expiration and Search Console data. Mueller explained that Search Console data is not user-specific, meaning any verified user can access the data and cannot be reset. Mueller advised preventing domain expiration and re-verifying the site in the Search Console to avoid data loss. For sites already removed from the server, he recommended using domain verification and submitting a temporary site removal request, which hides the site from search results without removing it from the index.
What Google’s John Mueller Says on August Core Update vs. Ranking Bug Effects?
According to Google’s John Mueller, waiting until the August core update finishes rolling out is advisable before making any conclusions about its effects. While he emphasizes the importance of continuing to work on your website, if you want to compare the before and after impacts of the update, it is crucial to wait for it to be fully implemented. Mueller mentions that there are often fluctuations during the rollout, making it difficult to separate the effects of the core update from the ranking bug. Therefore, it is recommended to exercise patience and avoid making premature judgments based on partial data.
Google’s Martin Splitt Explains Why Pages Aren’t Indexed
In a discussion, Google’s Martin Splitt shed light on why the search engine may not index certain pages. According to Splitt, Google advises website owners to exercise patience regarding newly discovered pages. While Google’s crawling process is efficient, it still takes time to index all pages. To increase their chances of being indexed, website owners should focus on improving the quality of their content. This includes creating unique and valuable content relevant to their target audience. Additionally, enhancing server performance can also help facilitate Google’s crawling process, ensuring that pages are discovered and indexed promptly.
Google’s Gary Illyes Warns Again SEO Professionals And Website Owners for URL Parameter Issues
Google’s Gary Illyes has consistently cautioned SEO professionals and website owners regarding URL parameter crawl issues. In a recent warning, Illyes emphasized the importance of addressing URL parameter issues on LinkedIn. He specifically recommended the use of robots.txt to manage URL parameters effectively. This advice holds significance as it directly impacts the efficiency of site crawling and indexing. By proactively managing URL parameters, website owners and SEO professionals can ensure that their websites are properly crawled and indexed by search engines, ultimately improving their online visibility and organic search performance.
Google’s John Mueller Explains How to Remove Unwanted Content From Search
Google’s John Mueller shed light on the process of removing unwanted content from search results. He explained that there is no set timeframe for how long it takes for a “noindex” directive to take effect, but it typically happens within a few months. In some cases, it may take up to six months. However, Google’s systems will check the page within a few days of implementing the noindex directive to confirm its presence. To assist in the removal process, Google provides removal tools for website owners and individuals, making it easier to control the content appearing in search results.
Google’s Martin Splitt Says Unanswered Comments on Your Site Don’t Hurt Your Google Search Rankings
Google’s Martin Splitt clarified that unanswered comments on your website or web pages do not affect your Google search rankings. He emphasized that these comments have no SEO impact. While comments are indeed text on your pages, Google’s search algorithm does not analyze whether a comment has been answered. The presence of text on your pages matters for search rankings, while the absence of text has no impact. Therefore, website owners and administrators should focus on other factors to improve their search rankings and user experience rather than worrying about unanswered comments.
Google Search Introduces New Google Maps Design
Google Search unveiled a fresh design for its embedded maps, which are utilized in both local pack maps and knowledge panel maps. The updated map design showcases a more subdued aesthetic, featuring blue roads instead of the previous yellow roads and various other design distinctions. This new look aims to provide users with a visually appealing and user-friendly experience when navigating through Google’s search results. By incorporating these design changes, Google continuously strives to enhance its search platform’s overall usability and aesthetics, ensuring an optimal user experience for its vast user base.
PPC Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
Google experienced a bug in its Google Ads platform, which caused traffic to be attributed to a match type that should no longer be in use – smart matching. Ginny Marvin, who serves as the Google Ad Liaison, acknowledged this issue and reassured advertisers that they would not be billed for these clicks. In response to the bug, Google promptly reversed the change, leading to the incorrect traffic attribution. This incident highlights the importance of continuously monitoring and testing advertising platforms to ensure accurate results and fair charges for advertisers.
