Archive for the ‘seo news’ Category
Wednesday, September 4th, 2024
Google is testing a new display and user interface for forum content within its search results. “We’re testing a new display for forum content when it appears in search results, allowing people to quickly view top comments and related discussions to help them find useful information and dig deeper,” a Google spokesperson told us.
What is this new display. The new display will highlight the “top comments” on a specific discussion forum thread and then also highlight related discussions on that topic.
Google told us that searchers often want to learn from others’ experiences with a topic, and because of that, Google is trying new ways to highlight those experiences in Google Search. This is in addition to the “Discussions and Forums” feature and the Forums filter, previously named perspectives.
Google has shown “top answers” for years, a decade actually, but this new UI shows more to the searcher. Google told us also that in some cases, Google has agreements from a forum to show these additional details. I assume this is about the Reddit partnership. But Google added that it surfaces content from hundreds of forums and other communities across the web.
What it looks like. Here is a mock up of the interface that a Google representative sent me, showing the “top comments” section” and also the “related content” section – you can click to enlarge the image:
No impact on rankings. Google said this search feature has no impact on rankings. Again, it does not affect how forum pages rank in Google Search for a given query. This is just a new way for people to access this content, and it appears on searches where forum content would have already surfaced in results.
Why we care. Like Google doesn’t show enough forum content, i.e. Reddit, in the search results, Google is now testing showing this content with new features. Google will show the top comments and related comments for these forum results.
We’ve seen Google testing various flavors of this before, but this one seems different.
It is unclear when and if this will fully roll out but Google is testing it now to see how it performs.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, September 4th, 2024
With the emergence of conversational AI models like ChatGPT, there is an increasingly loud debate about how the future of search and information retrieval could evolve.
Traditional search engines like Google have long been the primary method for accessing information on the web. Now, advanced AI models offer a new approach to finding and retrieving information.
Let’s discuss the potential of ChatGPT and other AI models to disrupt search, drawing comparisons to traditional search engines and exploring their future role in the domain of digital marketing and beyond.
The traditional search engine model
Google has led search for over 20 years and still controls about 90% of the global search market. Traditional search engines work using a web index-based model, crawling vast pages of information on the web and ranking their results according to relevance and authority.
This model is highly effective for users searching for specific information, research or products. It makes vast resources accessible in seconds with just a few keywords.
Some of the key features of traditional search engines are the following:
- Keyword-based searching: Users input keywords and the search engine returns a list of relevant web pages.
- Page ranking: Algorithms rank pages based on relevance, user engagement and other factors.
- Ad integration: Sponsored results and advertisements are integrated into search results, forming a significant revenue stream.
- Wide data access: Search engines index a vast array of websites, providing comprehensive access to information across the web.
The rise of conversational AI: ChatGPT
Conversational AI, such as ChatGPT by OpenAI, has blurred the lines between man and machine, moving toward interactive, even subtle, information retrieval.
While the classical model of a search engine returns a list of results, ChatGPT engages the user in conversation, providing more personalized and context-aware responses.
These AI models, trained with vast amounts of data, can understand and generate text that closely mimics human conversation, making interactions feel natural and conversational.
ChatGPT brings unique benefits to the table, transforming the way we access and engage with information:
- Natural language understanding: ChatGPT excels at understanding and processing natural language queries, allowing users to ask questions in a conversational manner without needing to think in terms of keywords.
- Contextual awareness: The model retains context over multiple interactions, enabling more coherent and relevant responses during extended conversations.
- Personalization: By understanding user preferences and previous interactions, ChatGPT can tailor responses to individual needs.
- Real-time interaction: Users can receive immediate feedback and clarification, enhancing the user experience.
Comparing ChatGPT and traditional search engines
Search precision and depth
Traditional search engines are very good at being precise and wide, returning many different results.
Google’s algorithms grasp the precise meaning of keywords and determine the relevancy of top-ranking results based on many signals.
Contrast this with ChatGPT, which essentially contains richness through interaction.
It won’t provide you with an avalanche of results like a keyword search, but it will give you detailed descriptions, summaries and recommendations on specific queries. It’s a deep tool for a complex query where sense and context come into play.
User experience
The user experience differs significantly between the two models. Traditional search engines provide a straightforward list of links that users can explore.
This approach is efficient for those who know what they are looking for and prefer to browse multiple sources.
Conversational AI offers a more interactive and engaging experience. Users can ask follow-up questions and seek clarifications in real time, making the search process feel more like a dialogue with a knowledgeable assistant.
This can be particularly advantageous for users seeking comprehensive understanding without needing to navigate multiple web pages.
Limitations and challenges
Despite its advantages, ChatGPT has limitations. One significant challenge is the potential for generating inaccurate or misleading information.
While traditional search engines rank results based on credibility and authority, conversational AI might generate responses that sound plausible but are not necessarily accurate.
Ensuring the reliability and accuracy of AI-generated content is a critical challenge that needs to be addressed.
Additionally, traditional search engines benefit from a well-established ecosystem of SEO practices. Businesses and content creators have long adapted their strategies to align with search engine algorithms.
In contrast, optimizing content for conversational AI is still a developing field, requiring new approaches and metrics.
The impact on SEO and search marketers
The rise of conversational AI models is set to change SEO strategies and how search marketers work.
As these AI models become more important, traditional SEO tactics may need to be adjusted to fit this new approach.
Shift in SEO strategies
SEO has traditionally focused on optimizing content to rank highly in search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves keyword optimization, backlink building and ensuring high-quality, relevant content.
However, with the introduction of conversational AI, SEO strategies must evolve to meet the demands of these new tools:
- Natural language optimization: Content must be optimized for natural language queries. This means shifting from short, keyword-focused phrases to more conversational language that aligns with how users interact with AI models like ChatGPT.
- Answering specific questions: Instead of simply ranking for keywords, content must be tailored to answer specific questions comprehensively. AI models excel at providing detailed responses to queries, so content should be structured to provide clear, concise answers.
- Enhanced content structure: Content should be organized to make it easy for AI models to extract and present information. This could involve using more headings, bullet points and summaries to improve readability and accessibility.
Dig deeper: What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
New opportunities for search marketers
The shift towards conversational AI also presents new opportunities for search marketers:
- Personalized marketing campaigns: By leveraging the personalized nature of AI interactions, marketers can create more targeted campaigns that resonate with individual user preferences and behaviors.
- Content for conversational interfaces: Marketers can develop content specifically designed for conversational interfaces, creating a more engaging experience for users interacting with AI-powered search tools.
- Real-time user engagement: Conversational AI allows for real-time interaction, enabling marketers to engage users directly and provide immediate responses to inquiries, potentially increasing conversion rates.
The future of information retrieval
The future of information retrieval is likely to be a hybrid model combining traditional search engines’ strengths and conversational AI. This hybrid approach can offer a more comprehensive, accurate and engaging search experience.
- Hybrid search models: Search engines might evolve to incorporate conversational interfaces such as Google’s Gemini, providing users with both traditional search results and interactive, AI-generated responses.
- Improved AI training: Ongoing advancements in AI training methods will enhance the accuracy and reliability of conversational models, addressing current limitations.
- Regulation and ethical considerations: As AI becomes more integrated into search and information retrieval, ensuring ethical use and preventing the spread of misinformation will be critical. Regulatory frameworks and industry standards will play a vital role in guiding the development and deployment of these technologies.
Redefining search: How ChatGPT is challenging traditional search
Though ChatGPT and other conversational AI models will make a huge impact on the future of search and information retrieval, traditional search engines like Google will still hold dominance – and that won’t change any time soon.
At the same time, in the future, when AI models are strongly implemented inside search engines, so will SEO strategies and the work of search marketers.
The answer lies in optimizing by natural language, answering questions comprehensively and making the most of the AI-driven personalized marketing opportunities.
Understanding both the strengths and limitations of traditional search engines and conversational AI will help us navigate the evolving digital landscape more effectively.
Balancing accuracy with engaging presentation will shape how we search for and interact with information online.
Dig deeper: How to win with generative engine optimization while keeping SEO top-tier
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, September 4th, 2024
Google Ads is merging its Video Action Campaigns (VAC) into the more versatile Demand Gen campaigns starting Q2 2025. This shift aims to enhance advertisers’ ability to capture emerging demand and drive growth through a multi-format approach.
Why we care: Advertisers using VAC could see significant benefits from adopting Demand Generation campaigns. Combining video and image assets in Demand Generation can increase conversions by 20% at the same cost per action (CPA), compared to those relying solely on video, according to Internal Google data.
The details:
- Expanded reach: Demand Gen campaigns will allow advertisers to engage with up to 3 billion monthly users across YouTube, Discover and Gmail.
- Creative flexibility: Advertisers can use both video and image ads in a single campaign, with granular insights available to optimize creative strategies.
- Enhanced audience targeting: Lookalike segments in Demand Gen help brands reach new audiences similar to their existing customer base.
- Consistent performance: Advertisers using only video assets in Demand Gen have seen performance comparable to VAC, ensuring a smooth transition without compromising results.
What’s next. Here’s the transition timeline:
- Now: Advertisers are advised to start running Demand Gen campaigns and explore its advanced features.
- Early 2025: Google will launch a migration tool for manual upgrades from VAC to Demand Gen.
- March 2025: Google Ads will disable creation of new VACs.
- Q2 2025: Automatic upgrades of all remaining VACs to Demand Gen will occur.
Success stories: Google, as usual, highlighted a well-known brand – DoorDash, a U.S.-based food delivery service – to help make a case for Demand Gen. According to Google:
- DoorDash reported a 15x higher conversion rate and a 50% more efficient CPA using Demand Gen compared to VAC.
Bottom line: This latest update represents a strategic move to meet evolving consumer expectations following ad format preferences updates in Demand Gen earlier this year. Testing Demand Gen and VAC now can give you a head start in leveraging these tools to drive stronger, more efficient results before your competition catches up.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024
Google Ads launched advanced “Performance Planner” plans, now including tailored strategies for YouTube campaigns, with a focus on Demand Gen for both Action and Awareness goals.
Why we care. These new plans allow advertisers to better align their full marketing strategy with campaign goals, offering customizable options for budget, ad format, buying method, and campaign objectives—whether aiming for conversions or building brand awareness.
Key features:
Action Plans. Prioritize conversions with a mix of Video Reach, Video View, and Demand Gen campaigns.
Awareness Plans. Focus on brand visibility, incorporating Video Reach and Demand Gen campaigns to capture conversions.
Pro tip. Demand Gen estimates assume a mix of image and video creatives, allowing for more versatile campaign execution.
First seen. We were first alerted to this update from Thomas Eccel’s LinkedIn:
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024
Google’s August 2024 core update is now done rolling out, a Google spokesperson told us. It started on August 15, 2024 and completed 19 days later on September 3, 2024. This update caused a lot of ranking movement and changes to the overall Google Search results.
As we said before, this update is not just a normal core update. The August 2024 core update took into account the feedback Google heard since the September 2023 helpful content update that seemed to have a negative impact on many small and independent publishers.
What we saw. In fact, we saw some movement for the first time with some (not all) sites hit by that update. I recent poll I ran showed that most who took the poll were negatively impacted by the last core update:
- 44% said My Rankings/Traffic Are Down (total votes 1,583)
- 27% said My Rankings/Traffic Are Up (total votes 993)
- 29% said No Change (total votes 1,038)
Overall, it seems like while we saw some recoveries from the September helpful content in 2023, that was only for a few sites and limited recoveries. Most sites did not see significant or meaningful recoveries, from what we can tell. And even more sites saw even more declines or just stayed the same.
Ranking bug. The first four or so days of the August core update, we also had a big search ranking bug that was fixed 4 days later. So, you should disregard any movement you saw during those first four days or so. You should compare the rankings and traffic you have seen from Google this week, going forward, compare to the weeks prior to the release of the August core update.
What Google said about the August core update. John Mueller, Search Advocate at Google, wrote when the update was originally released.
- “Today, we launched our August 2024 core update to Google Search. This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.”
Google said this update aims to promote useful content from small and independent publishers, after Google listened to feedback it received since the release of the March 2024 core update. Mueller added:
- “This latest update takes into account the feedback we’ve heard from some creators and others over the past few months. As always, we aim to connect people with a range of high quality sites, including ‘small’ or ‘“’independent’ sites that are creating useful, original content on relevant searches. This is an area we’ll continue to address in future updates.”
This August 2024 core update “aims to better capture improvements that sites may have made, so we can continue to surface the best of the web,” Mueller added.
Guidance updated. Google posted several updates to its help page about core updates, including more in-depth guidance for those who may see changes after an update.
Previous core updates. The previous core update – the March 2024 core update – was the largest core update, according to Google. It started March 5 and completed 45 days later on April 19.
Here’s a timeline and our coverage of recent core updates:
What to do if you are hit. Google has given advice on what to consider if you are negatively impacted by a core update in the past. Google has not really given much new advice here.
- There aren’t specific actions to take to recover. A negative rankings impact may not signal anything is wrong with your pages.
- Google has offered a list of questions to consider if your site is hit by a core update.
- Google said you can see a bit of a recovery between core updates but the biggest change would be after another core update.
In short, write helpful content for people and not to rank in search engines.
- “There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people. For those that might not be ranking as well, we strongly encourage reading our creating helpful, reliable, people-first content help page,” Google said previously.
Why we care. By now, you should probably see the trend of this update and how it may have affected your website. If you noticed improvements, then great – if not, then maybe you have more work to do so Google will deem your site helpful enough to rank better in the Google search results.
Google releases core update every few to several months, so you should always continue to work on improving your site and the content on your site. Future updates may benefit your site’s ranking and Google traffic – so always be working on improvements – not just for Google Search but also for your website users.
Google did tell us there won’t be a feedback form for this update.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024
Google Ads is quietly testing a new “Promotions” feature within App Campaigns, offering advertisers a fresh way to drive engagement during key events. This beta feature is currently only available to a limited number of ad accounts, making it a rare find.
Why we care: This new tool allows advertisers to create app-specific promotions, similar to those available in web campaigns, but tailored for mobile users. With options to customize for occasions like Black Friday or Christmas and choose between different promotion types, advertisers can now boost app engagement and conversions more effectively.
How it works: The feature includes fields like occasion selection, promotion type (e.g., percent discount), item name, and a pre-filled final URL for the app. Advanced options allow for tracking URLs and scheduling, ensuring campaigns are timely and trackable. A preview feature helps visualize how ads will appear across Search and Display networks.
First seen. We first were made aware of this update from David Vargas’s LinkedIn:
The bottom line: As Google Ads expands its capabilities, this feature presents a valuable opportunity for app marketers to leverage event-driven promotions, potentially driving higher engagement and conversions during peak periods. Keep an eye out for this feature as it rolls out more broadly.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024
Microsoft Advertising rolled out several updates this September, building on recent advancements in AI and retail media. Following August’s highlights on Joint Business Plans and AI-driven insights, these new features are designed to make advertising more efficient, relevant, and accessible.
Key updates:
- Enhanced Display and Video Ads: Starting this month, advertisers can access new bidding strategies, targeting options, and conversion tracking for display and video ads. These tools offer greater flexibility to tailor ads across the funnel.
- Native Ads with Logos and Call to Actions: Advertisers can now add business logos and call-to-action buttons to native ads, increasing engagement. Options include automated calls to action or importing them from Google.
- IAS Verification Across All Ad Formats: Microsoft now supports IAS verification for viewability, brand safety, and invalid traffic on native, display, and video ads, regardless of bid strategy. Advertisers can integrate their IAS tag URL within the platform.
Making Connected TV (CTV) more accessible
Microsoft Advertising is expanding its CTV offerings to make this powerful medium available to businesses of all sizes. Advertisers can now:
- Use longer Video Ads: Support for 45 and 75-second video ads caters to new pharma regulations and provides more creative flexibility for all industries.
- AI-Powered creative recommendations: Integrated AI tools now assist in generating ad content for CTV, using existing assets to create video-ready ads.
Performance Max Updates
Microsoft continues to refine its Performance Max campaign type, with key updates including:
- SA360 Support: Performance Max campaigns imported from Google are now fully supported.
- Search Term Insights: Rolling out to all advertisers, this feature provides deeper insights into campaign performance.
- Search Themes: Now in pilot, these themes help optimize campaigns during the learning phase.
New bid strategy available. For those focusing on high-value conversions, the Max Conversion value bid strategy is now available for portfolio bidding, helping advertisers maximize the total sales value of their campaigns.
Why we care. These updates are worth paying attention to as they are most likely to boost engagement, and provide greater flexibility in campaign customization. With even more AI-driven tools, expanded access to premium channels like Connected TV, and advanced verification features, these updates give more ways to reach the right audience, optimize performance, and protect your brand.
The bottom line: These updates not only expand the capabilities of Microsoft Advertising but also streamline the process for advertisers, making it easier to reach and engage audiences across various platforms and formats.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Saturday, August 31st, 2024
Google rolled out a significant update to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), allowing users to compare their performance with other businesses in their industry.
Why we care: This new feature will provide valuable context for advertisers trying to understand their performance relative to their peers, potentially informing strategic decisions and goal-setting.
How it works.
- Users can access benchmarking data if their property has the “Modeling contributions & business insights” setting enabled in Admin > Account Settings.
- Benchmarks are refreshed every 24 hours.
- The summary displays:
- Your trendline.
- Median in your peer group.
- Range in your peer group (25th to 75th percentile).
Key features.
- Customizable peer groups: Users can select from various categories to find the most relevant comparison group.
- Data privacy: Google assures that benchmarking data is encrypted, protected and aggregated to maintain privacy.
- Wide range of metrics: Covers acquisition, engagement, retention and monetization.
The big picture. This update addresses a long-standing need in the analytics community for comparative data, allowing businesses to gauge their performance more accurately within their industry context.
What’s next. Users are encouraged to check their GA4 accounts for this new feature and explore how it can enhance their analytics insights.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Saturday, August 31st, 2024
Google rolled out a significant update to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), allowing users to compare their performance with other businesses in their industry.
Why we care: This new feature will provide valuable context for advertisers trying to understand their performance relative to their peers, potentially informing strategic decisions and goal-setting.
How it works.
- Users can access benchmarking data if their property has the “Modeling contributions & business insights” setting enabled in Admin > Account Settings.
- Benchmarks are refreshed every 24 hours.
- The summary displays:
- Your trendline.
- Median in your peer group.
- Range in your peer group (25th to 75th percentile).
Key features.
- Customizable peer groups: Users can select from various categories to find the most relevant comparison group.
- Data privacy: Google assures that benchmarking data is encrypted, protected and aggregated to maintain privacy.
- Wide range of metrics: Covers acquisition, engagement, retention and monetization.
The big picture. This update addresses a long-standing need in the analytics community for comparative data, allowing businesses to gauge their performance more accurately within their industry context.
What’s next. Users are encouraged to check their GA4 accounts for this new feature and explore how it can enhance their analytics insights.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Friday, August 30th, 2024
Google Search finally supports the AVIF file format in Google Search, Google Images and all locations Google Search shows images such as Google Discover, Google News and so forth. “We’re happy to announce that AVIF is now a supported file type in Google Search, for Google Images as well as any place that uses images in Google Search,” John Mueller, Google Search Advocate, wrote.
What is AVIF. AV1 Image File Format is an open, royalty-free image file format specification for storing images or image sequences compressed with AV1 in the HEIF container format. It competes with HEIC, which uses the same container format built upon ISOBMFF, but HEVC for compression.
Google said it is one of the mostly widely used image formats today. “AVIF is an open image file format based on the AV1 video compression standard,” Google added.
What this means for SEO. Technically nothing. Google said, if you are using AVIF formats, you don’t need to do anything, Google will now process them and use them like they would other image formats. “You don’t need to do anything special to have your AVIF files indexed by Google,” John Mueller wrote.
In March 2024, Google hinted this support was coming soon and now it is here.
You can see the full list of supported image file types over here.
More details. Mueller wrote:
“AVIF is an open image file format based on the AV1 video compression standard. It’s supported by all major web browsers, and images in AVIF image file format are supported by a variety of services and platforms on the web, including WordPress, Joomla, and CloudFlare. It’s not recommended to blindly make sweeping changes to images across a website: take the time you need to evaluate which format works best for your specific needs. If you do choose to change image file formats for some of your images, and if this results in changes to filenames or extensions, make sure to set up server-side redirects.”
Why we care. If you are using workarounds for AVIF files on your sites, you no longer need to. Google now natively supports AVIF file types in Google Search.
Also, any workarounds you have, you can now remove.
Make sure to watch your Search Performance reports for any changes you make around AVIF files, to ensure Google is processing those images properly going forward.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
