We hope you are in good health. Here are some of the major SEO news updates of the week you need.
Search Related Updates and News From Major Search Engines
Who is Better: Google Web Stories or Amp?
On Twitter, John Muller from Google replied to a question from an SEO practitioner who wondered if Web Stories was the new Amp. Well, it’s quite reasonable to ask a question like this. In fact, the Web Stories format was initially dubbed “AMP Stories” when it was released back in 2018. It is more or less because AMP provides the foundation for Web Stories. However, Muller confirms in his response that there is a distinction between AMP and Web Stories.
Keyword-Based Domains Get No SEO Bonus, Says Muller
John Muller from Google recently answered a question via Reddit regarding the ranking advantages of using the keywords in the domain name. He confirmed that there are no SEO bonuses for any keyword in the domain name. He also listed valid reasons for that, but we still find a few reasons why it could be a reasonable option.
Google is Testing Dual-Site Name and URLin Search Snippets
Google is experimenting with displaying the site name and URL twice in the search result snippets in Google mobile search. So you’re not only seeing the site’s name or URL with the favicon from the site, but you’re also seeing it twice up with the site name on top of it, along with the URL and the favicon.
Google’s Launch a New API That Retrieves Call History From Your Google Business Profiles
Google has released a new API that allows you to obtain call history data from your Google Business Profiles, which is what happens when customers click call this business from Google Search or Google Maps. Shouldn’t it be called the “Google Business Profiles Business Calls API” instead of “My Business Business Calls API”? In any case, this API essentially allows you a programmatic means to retrieve your Google Business Profile’s call history data. In the Google Business Profile Manager, under the “calls” tab, there is a web view for this.
Google Removes the Appointment Link From Business Profiles
The ability to amend or add a new appointment link to your business profile in Google Maps and Google Search appears to have been deleted from Google Business Profile Manager. It’s unclear whether this is a defect or a feature that Google is deleting on purpose.
Professor M, who stated on the Local Search Forum, was the first to report this “This morning, a few users (including myself) observed that the appointment link in the GBP Manager’s “Info” section is no longer available, even though it was previously available (it had a link as well). Is this a glitch, or is Google phasing out this feature in favor of third-party booking integration?”
PPC Related Updates and News
Top Three Priorities For 2022: Google Ads
Google Ads has dedicated itself to providing a better experience for its users as purchasing behavior continues to alter across the pandemic. The top three goals for Google Ads in 2022 are automation, measurement, and privacy. These priorities are not new to the world but rather shifts in how they are focused on each one.
New Improvements Announced by Google on Google Ads
Advertisers will benefit from new ad extensions from Google, which will make management easier. Sitelink, callout, and structured snippet extensions will all be updated in the near future. According to Google’s research, ad extensions provide users with an additional opportunity to interact with ads, with fouritelinks in ads resulting in a 20 percent increase in click-through rate (CTR).
In the Next Release of Google Ads Editor, Performance Max Campaigns Will be Available
According to Ginny Marvin, Google will add performance max campaign support to the Google Ads Editor in the next release. Right now, we’re on version 1.8, so it may be in version 1.9, or they could go straight to version 2.0. On Twitter, Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin stated that she had “excellent news,” stating that the Google Ads “Editor will enable PMax campaigns in the upcoming version release.”
Google Ads Talk About the “Destination Not Accessible Policy”
Destination Requirements category, which includes adverts about a destination’s accessibility restrictions. This policy will also “enable self-service appeals handling for advertisers,” according to Google. Pages that lead to error messages like “This site is not accessible in your area” or “down for maintenance,” which were formerly imposed under the “Destination not working” regulation, are among them. The new policy will state something like, “Not allowed Destinations that are not available in the intended place.” According to Ginny Marvin, Google will add performance max campaign support to the Google Ads Editor in the next release.
Social Media Updates and News
New Metadata Released by Youtube For Educational Videos
YouTube creators can now add additional metadata to instructional videos that will be displayed in future search results. This change was disclosed during YouTube’s weekly news digest, which also included a number of smaller adjustments for producers worth having a look at.
You Can Now Like Stories on Instagram
In an official announcement, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, introduced the users to a new way of engaging with the stories. Now, we can simply like a story for simple appreciation rather than sending a DM to the creator. He also said that this feature is coming up to help clear the user’s Dm Boxes clutter! Previously, when you felt the urge to interact with the user in an Instagram story, you had to re-share and reply or comment on them.
