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 Might Release More Short-Form Videos Over the Search Results
Google is exploring methods to include more short-form videos in search results, claiming that it is a clear and succinct format for addressing specific questions. This was mentioned by Google Product Manager Danielle Marshak, who controls videos in search results, in the most recent Search Off The Record podcast episode. Gary Illyes and Lizzi Sassman, both from Google’s Search Relations team, joined Marshak in an episode about videos in Google Search. The debate shifts to the issue of short-form videos around the 17-minute mark and whether Google has any intentions regarding this format.
Internal Linking is a Must For SEO, Says John Muller!
Internal linking, which extends beyond site breadcrumb navigation, is one of the “largest things” a publisher can do to tell Google what content is the most significant, according to Google’s John Mueller, who responded to an inquiry about it. So, in short, Internal linking is a critical element when it comes to SEO.
Google Will Most Likely Not Penalize You For Widget Links
Despite what some SEOs wish to believe themselves, Google has a webmaster rule against widget links (since 2016). The good news is that, as we predicted, Google will most likely ignore such connections today and will not penalize your site for them.
In 2017, John Mueller stated that Google would most likely disregard links within widgets.
So, if Google ignores the links, it simply indicates that Google treats them as nofollow links that aren’t counted in any way. Using widgets for link development may appear to be a penalty and a waste of money, but you are unlikely to be penalized or receive a manual action.
SEO Claims That Content Hidden in Tabs Results in Higher Rankings
We stated a few years ago that, despite several SEO case studies, Google said that material compressed and concealed under expandable tabs (accordions) will be fully indexed and ranked. Dan Shure put it to the test again, and he declared no, it isn’t.
People Also Ask on Google Being Displayed More Than Two Times
Over the past couple of weeks, many viewers have noticed this change and are asking why is the PAA’s being displayed more than once on the SERPs. At first, people thought it was nothing new and had probably seen this change for the time, but then more and more people raised this issue, and it got confirmed that this was some glitch!
Microsoft Advertising Editor Takes Control of Audience Networks
The Microsoft Advertising Editor now supports the Microsoft Audience Network, according to Microsoft. You could previously only manage your audience network campaigns through the web console or API, but you can now do so through the Microsoft Advertising Editor. “Recently, Microsoft Advertising Editor was incorporated into the Microsoft Audience Network,” according to Microsoft. “With Microsoft Advertising Editor,” they added, “you can now manage your audience campaigns.” For both Windows and Mac, you can get the Microsoft Advertising Editor here.
Google Now Has a Filter to Display Products That are Being Sold at Smaller Stores
A filter in Google Shopping allows you to see products sold in “smaller retailers.” I believe Google mentioned this during last year’s Google Marketing Live event, but it now appears to be live, allowing you to filter items in Google Shopping by smaller retailers. This is a great approach to support small businesses by providing the opportunity to sell their goods instead of buying it from a larger competition.
PPC Updates and News
Professional Service Ads For Bing Search are Now Available Via Microsoft Advertising
Professional service advertising for insurance, real estate, and tax services was unveiled by Microsoft Advertising as yet another set of vertical ad types for Bing Search. Microsoft noted, “Professional Service Ads seek to do just that for anyone looking to connect with a specific agent, advisor, consultant, or any other type of professional.”
Google Ads is Testing the Use of Lighter Fonts on URLs
Google is experimenting with a lighter font color for some of the URLs displayed in search advertising in the search results. The main domain is written in a solid dark typeface; however, the surrounding areas are written in lighter grey font.
