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
Why Some Indexed Pages Don’t Show Up in Google Search
Google clarified that even if a page is indexed, it might not appear in search results due to factors like low relevance, duplication, or insufficient value for specific queries. The search engine prioritises showing results that best match the user’s intent, meaning not all indexed content will be surfaced.
Google Stops Showing Review Counts for Non-Ecommerce Pages
Google has removed the display of review counts next to star ratings for non-shopping search results. While eCommerce pages with proper Product and AggregateRating markup still show both ratings and counts, non-eCommerce snippets now only show stars without the number of reviews. This change affects how rich snippets appear in search, reducing visible detail for certain content types.
Bing Urges SEOs to Prioritise Conversions Over Click Volume
Microsoft’s Fabrice Canel advised SEOs to focus less on traffic and rankings and more on the quality and conversion value of clicks. As AI-powered search and chat technologies evolve, Bing expects these higher-quality clicks to become increasingly valuable for businesses.
Google’s Mueller Addresses Rise in AI-Created Fake Links
John Mueller of Google predicts an increase in AI-generated “hallucinated” links—fake URLs that lead to 404 errors. He advises site owners not to waste time redirecting these non-existent pages but to focus on valuable SEO metrics and maintaining strong internal site structure.
Google Confirms Pre-March 2025 Volatility Was Not the Core Update
Google has clarified that the search ranking volatility observed before the official launch of the March 2025 core update was unrelated to the update itself. Although some suspected early changes, Google confirmed that the core update began only when it was officially announced. However, unannounced smaller updates may have occurred before, as part of their ongoing algorithm improvements.
Bing Adds ‘Buy Now’ Button That Skips to Merchant Checkout
Microsoft Bing has introduced a “Buy Now” button in its shopping carousel that takes users directly to the merchant’s checkout page, bypassing product detail pages. This feature mirrors a similar approach by Google and aims to streamline the shopping experience, although it’s not yet confirmed how much control merchants have over this setup.
Microsoft Confirms Schema Helps Copilot Understand Content
Microsoft’s Fabrice Canel confirmed that schema markup aids Bing’s Copilot and other LLMs in understanding web content more effectively. This structured data enhances comprehension and supports real-time indexing, especially when used with tools like IndexNow. While Microsoft embraces schema for LLMs, it remains unclear whether Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s models do the same.
PPC Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
Google Tests Three Rows of Shopping Ads on Desktop
Google is experimenting with displaying three rows of Shopping ads in desktop search results, expanding beyond the usual one or two rows. This test, spotted by users, may enhance product visibility but could also crowd out organic listings further.
Google Adds ‘First Order’ Discount Label to Shopping Ads
Google is now showing a “First order” label in Shopping Ads within search results, highlighting discounts for first-time buyers. This follows the addition of a related field in Google Merchant Center and may replace previous test labels like “1st order price.” The label aims to boost visibility and appeal for promotional offers.
Google Tests Double-Expanding Image Carousels in Ads
Google Ads is experimenting with a new image carousel feature that allows users to expand ad images twice—first into a standard carousel and then into a larger, more immersive gallery. This test, spotted on mobile, could enhance engagement by offering a more interactive shopping experience directly within ads.
