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 Updates and News from Major Search Engines
Google Provides Users With a New Way to Search Their Queries
Google is launching a new way to search the web that combines text and graphics in one search. Multisearch is a new feature in Google Lens that allows you to find what you’re looking for in a different way. This tool is intended for more complex searches than a single image or textual word. Multisearch comes in handy when you want to learn more about an object in front of you but don’t have all the words to describe what you’re looking for. You can ask Google questions about what you observe using Lens’ multi-search feature.
Google’s AI advancements have made this possible.
John Mueller Discusses the Best Way to Utilize Alt Text For SEO
Google’s John Mueller answered a question about how to use alt text for SEO in a Google Office-hours chat. Along the way, he debunked the myth that alt text is limited to 16 characters and offered SEO-friendly suggestions for how to use it.
Does Google Treat Unlinked Mentions the Same Way it Treats Links?
Someone asked John Mueller about the dilemma of articles discussing his site, but no references of the brand name or domain name were linked to his site during a Google SEO Office hours chat. He wanted to know if his domain and brand name mentions may be interpreted as a signal. John Mueller’s response was relatively unambiguous.
Google Palm Algorithm: An Effort For the Next Generation Search!
Google revealed a major step forward in developing an AI system capable of handling a wide range of activities, including complicated learning and reasoning. The Pathways Language Model, or PaLM, is the new system’s name.
PaLM is capable of outperforming existing AI state-of-the-art and outperforming humans in language and reasoning tests. However, the researchers warn out that they can’t get over the restrictions that come with large-scale language models, which can unintentionally lead to unethical outcomes.
Out-Of-Stock Products May Affect Search Visibility, According to Google
If the item for sale is marked out of stock on the retailer’s website, Google may restrict the visibility of the product page. During a recent Google Search Central SEO office-hours hangout, John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, stated this when an ecommerce business owner inquired about the impact of product sales on search rankings for transactional keywords. Google may, in theory, restrict the prominence of product sites featuring out-of-stock items, according to Mueller. That isn’t always the case, though.
Bing to Test a New Explore Feature For Search!
Microsoft has been quite busy testing new variations with the explore features in Bing Search. As the news says, they are testing the feature that will show a sidebar menu that expands when you click on it and directly takes you to Bing Image Search.
Larger Accounts can Now Take Advantage of the Google Business Profile Review Tool!
According to Ben Fisher, Google has opened up the Google Business Profiles maps reviews function to anyone who manages more than ten accounts. The tool isn’t new; it was first released a year ago and looked and works the same way. Previously, the tool was only available to people with a small number of accounts to manage. However, it now enables accounts with more than ten Google Business Profiles. This can be quite beneficial for local SEOs who manage a large number of business accounts.
Google’s John Mueller Talks About Thin Content Issues That are Not Always Page-Specific
On the most recent webmaster hangout, Google’s John Mueller was asked about thin content difficulties, and he noted that this generally applies to the site as a whole rather than on a page by page basis. So a site can be branded as having thin content in general, but not because of a few solitary pages here and there? When challenged about thin content difficulties, John responded at 17:59, “generally, it pertains more to the total website.” “So it’s not so much a matter of not having enough stuff on one page. It’s more than the website as a whole is devoid of useful information.” So it appears that thin content issues are site-wide rather than page-by-page. Discover what John Mueller says in the video above!
It’s Time to Say Goodbye to the Google My Business App!
When the Google My Business tool was rebranded as Google Business Profiles, Google told us that it would be phased out at some time. Users of the app are now receiving emails from Google informing them that “the Google My Business app is being replaced.” According to the email, you should “start using Google Maps and Search to maintain your Business Profile up to date and interact with clients,” according to the email. The Google Maps app for iOS or Android is then linked.
PPC Related Updates and News
Google Ads Have Been Experiencing Latency Issues Since 1st April
On 5th April, Google’s Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin stated that there is a delay issue with Google Ads reporting. The problem was first reported on 1st April, and it caused a huge number of users to experience error messages, severe latency, and other unusual platform behaviour. The issue appears to have been rectified for the majority of customers as of 7th April, but it is still reported as a continuing interruption.
Social Media Updates And News
Twitter Finally Confirms That They are Working on an Edit Button!
Twitter has confirmed that it is working on an edit button, which will be tested with a small group of users in the coming months. This was announced late last night after Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is now Twitter’s largest shareholder, made news by voting his followers on whether or not an edit button should be added.