We hope you are in good health. Here are some of the major SEO news updates of the week you need to know:
Search Related News and Updates from Major Search Engines
What Google Search Advocate John Mueller Says About Keyword-Rich Domains?
Identifying and using a domain name that conveys your purpose and values is essential for creating brand recall. Many website owners have chosen keyword-rich domain names thinking they are an effective way to increase web visibility while saving a search engine optimization (SEO) effort. Yet John Mueller, Google Search Advocate, warns against the potential harm of keyword-rich domains in the long term. He claims that they can be associated with spam, make it difficult to adapt your business focus or offer new products, and lack a unique brand name. Ultimately, creating and building upon a distinct brand identity will be more beneficial for successful customer loyalty and organic growth.
John Mueller’s Answer on The Use of Structured Data For a Services Business
Google’s response to the individual’s question about structured data usage brought up an interesting point: Google’s guidelines for structuring data can sometimes differ from what is recommended by official Schema.org documentation. John Mueller, a member of the Search Relations team at Google, provided all involved with an excellent answer on how to use structured data to best encompass a business that offers a service that carries a range of prices. In doing so, Mueller demonstrated that although there may be discrepancies between properly utilizing various forms of structured data as outlined by each source, companies still need to keep up with both to remain compliant according to each set of standards.
Google Search Ranking Algorithm Unconfirmed New Update on February 14
Google is at it again! After the numerous unconfirmed Google search ranking algorithm updates from February 4th, 8th/9th, and now around 14th, they seem to be creating an atmosphere of webmaster turbulence and stirrings. The automated tracking tools are certainly picking up on the volatility as more people start noticing the fluctuations. It isn’t business as usual; many people have seen a change in their rankings and search visibility over these past few weeks. What this means in terms of the future of SEO cannot be definitively determined quite yet; only time will tell.
Google Publishes a New Document on SEO Link Best Practices
Google has recently published a new and improved document on SEO and link best practices. This document includes advice on making your links crawlable. It goes one step further with tips on optimizing anchor text placements and crafting meaningful and effective anchor text, as well as best practices for internal links within the content and external ones from other sites. Knowing how to prepare links properly can be essential to achieving successful rankings in page search engine results – so developing a good understanding of these new guidelines is beneficial and anticipated for all SEO experts.
Bing’s New Search AI Experience Gets 71% Thumbs Up
Microsoft’s Bing AI search and chat feature has been making waves in the tech world since its launch last week. Based on feedback, 71% of users have given a thumbs up for this new experience. Microsoft recently shared its takeaways from its first week with the feature launched, and according to the blog post released on the Bing blog, overall, reviews have been largely positive. The combination of AI and user input has thus far proven to be a success in empowering users to quickly get the answers they need while providing helpful contexts around their topics of interest. It’s exciting to see where this dynamic technology will take us next!
Microsoft Bing Test a Map Interface Within Search Results Snippets For a Company
Bing is testing a game-changing search feature: the ability to view a map within the search result snippet for a company. This new feature follows in the footsteps of Google, who tested something similar earlier this year. However, Bing’s twist on the trend is that the functionality only appears when searching for certain companies by name. The results suggest that Microsoft knows what kind of information you’re trying to find when searching for a specific business, giving you an easy and effective way to locate your destination! This development could dramatically change how we use online services for even more convenience, providing access to timely directions and maps with just one click.
Social Media Related News and Updates From Major Search Engines
LinkedIn Released Its Annual Report For Most In-Demand Skills in 2023
The modern workplace continues to evolve, and employers are finding themselves in need of new skills to stay competitive. LinkedIn recently released its annual report on the most in-demand skills for 2023, based on gathered data from job postings and member activity. Unsurprisingly, the top five skills demanded include those that emphasize people-oriented tasks such as management, communication, customer service, leadership, and sales. On the other hand, hard skills such as software development, SQL, finance, Python, and Java remain necessary elements in any successful employee’s repertoire. As technology advances rapidly and AI becomes a key player in various industries worldwide, soft and hard skills will become increasingly intertwined. Knowing which ones to prioritize will give professionals an edge in rapidly becoming an ever-competitive job market.
Youtube Shorts Monetization Compares to TikTok Creator Fund: What’s The Difference?
With the emergence of new platforms for video makers, including Youtube Shorts and TikTok’s Creator Fund, one question is how much money content creators can make from each platform. The difference with YouTube Shorts monetization is that it does not use CPM, which measures revenue earned for every 1,000 impressions like long-form videos. Instead, YouTube Shorts uses a pool-based model where earnings are combined and then paid out depending on each creator’s share of all the views combined. On the other hand, the TikTok Creator Fund pays creators based solely on their performance and engagement metrics, with no specific restrictions on eligible content.
Youtube New Update for Content Creators on Video Analytics
YouTube is streamlining its video performance analysis and comments interaction features, making it easier than ever for content creators to engage with their audiences. With the new update to replying with Shorts, creators can transform comments into content, and viewers can easily access a creator’s longer-form videos from the Shorts feed. Additionally, YouTube analytics now break down complex topics into simpler, more concise information that can help creators understand how their videos perform in real-time. Finally, as part of this latest update, viewers can now become channel members directly from the Shorts feed, which can help creators monetize their content for a sustainable income.
