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Lyft starts serving ads on its app

Written on August 11, 2023 at 5:26 am, by admin

Lyft will start serving ads to customers on its app for the first time this week.

Adverts will appear while consumers wait for their taxi, when they are matched with a driver, and for the duration of the journey.

The company is also planning to roll out video ads on the app later this year in addition to exploring other ad products such as in-car screens.

How it works. Targeted ads will be served to Lyft customers using data collected via payment methods, ride histories and lifestyle segments. Users will have the option to opt out of targeted advertising, however, they will not be able to opt out of being served ads.

Why we care. It’s important to be open to testing new ad formats and to diversify as much as possible because relying too heavily on one platform or channel can have a devastating financial impact. However, there is a risk of potentially annoying customers if they are bombarded with ads. The targeted ads may also raise privacy concerns, which would not be a good look for advertisers.

Why now? The move comes after Lyft said that ad revenue had exceeded expectations and grown significantly in recent months. So it’s understandable that the company is continuing to invest in this area.

Notably, Lyft’s rival, Uber, launched in-app video ads last month. When the company announced its Q2 earnings last week, it said that advertising revenue exceeded expectations at over $650 million. Given the success Uber has experienced, it makes sense for Lyft to also trial in-app video ads.

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What has Lyft said? Lyft’s Chief Business Officer, Zach Greenberger, told the Wall Street Journal:

• “We’re going to continue to invest in our omnichannel strategy that we believe does create differentiation from our competition because we can hit a user on every kind of step and part of their transportation journey, which also includes our massive bike network.”

Deep dive. Visit Lyft’s advertising help centre for more information on its ad product offering.

The post Lyft starts serving ads on its app appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

How to use SEO and CX for better organic performance

Written on August 11, 2023 at 5:26 am, by admin

A brand’s online success relies on interconnected variables. 

Two critical facets of this interdependent digital ecosystem are search engine optimization (SEO) and customer experience (CX). 

When SEO and CX work together, they:

• Pave the way for businesses to reach the right people.
• Convert visitors into customers.
• Retain customers in the long run. 

A well-optimized website attracts more traffic, and a positive customer experience ensures that the traffic converts into loyal customers. 

SEO brings customers to your digital doorstep, and CX makes them stay, engage, and return. 

The following tactics improve your search engine rankings and enhance the customer experience.

Help customers find what they need

Customers turn to search engines to solve their problems or to learn how to use your products. 

By creating content that addresses these concerns, you can leverage SEO as a powerful customer service tool. 

For instance, if you’re a software company, you could create blog posts or tutorials that answer common questions like “How to install X software” or “Troubleshooting tips for X software.” 

This helps your customers and improves your visibility on search engines. This strategy involves mapping the customer journey and identifying potential issues and concerns at each stage. 

Dig deeper: Content mapping: Who, what, where, when, why and how

Use interlinking to enhance content discoverability

Internal link building is fundamental to on-page SEO. 

For example, if you have a blog post about “The Benefits of X Product,” you could internally link to a related post like “How to Use X Product Effectively.” 

This helps search engines understand the relationship between your pages and guides your customers to additional relevant content. 

Strategically placed internal links can guide the customer experience and improve engagement metrics such as bounce rate, pageviews, and time on site.

Improve site speed

Site speed is critical in both SEO and CX. 

Consider compressing your images, reducing the number of plugins, using browser caching, and hosting your site on a dedicated server. 

Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights can provide a detailed analysis of your site’s speed and offer suggestions for improvement.

Dig deeper: Page speed and experience in SEO: 9 ways to eliminate issues

Focus on mobile-friendliness

A mobile-friendly site minimizes scrolling, loads fast, and avoids heavy elements.

For example, if your site is an ecommerce store, ensure that the product images are visible, the text is readable, and the checkout process is seamless on mobile devices. 

One way to make your site mobile-friendly is to use a responsive design, which automatically adjusts the layout of your site based on the device being used.

Create a knowledge base

A well-structured knowledge base can serve as a valuable resource for your customers, helping them find answers to their questions quickly and easily. 

This improves customer satisfaction and reduces the load on your customer support team. 

From an SEO perspective, a knowledge base provides a wealth of content that can be indexed by search engines, improving your site’s visibility. 

Ensure your knowledge base articles are well-written, easy to understand, and contain relevant keywords.

Implement schema markup

Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better. 

It can be used to provide additional information about your business, such as your address, operating hours, and product reviews. 

This helps boost search visibility and improve the user experience by delivering relevant information on the search results page.

Use culturally relevant and high-quality images and videos 

Visual content plays a crucial role in enhancing the user experience on your site. 

High-quality images and videos make your content more engaging and easier to comprehend. 

However, it’s more than just the quality but the relevance. 

Using images that reflect the cultural context of your target audience can significantly improve the customer experience. 

When users see images they can identify with, it helps them connect more deeply with your product or service. 

If you’re a global brand with a significant user base in a specific country, using images that reflect that country’s culture in your content can make those users feel more connected to your brand. 

These images and videos should be optimized appropriately with appropriate alt text and descriptions for SEO.

Create a glossary

A glossary is a valuable resource that can significantly enhance the user experience, especially for businesses that operate in industries with a lot of jargon or technical terms. 

By providing clear and concise definitions of these terms, you can help your customers understand your content better. 

From an SEO perspective, a glossary can provide a wealth of keyword-rich content to improve your site’s visibility on search engines. 

For example, a website that sells computer parts could benefit significantly from a glossary. Terms like “GPU,” “RAM,” “SSD”, and “motherboard” might be familiar to tech-savvy customers, but for others, they could be confusing. 

You can also hyperlink relevant terms in your articles to their corresponding definitions in the glossary. 

For instance, if you have an article about building a computer, you could hyperlink the term “GPU” to its definition in your glossary. 

Post-purchase follow-up content

Follow-up content is often overlooked for SEO. Yet, post-purchase, customers seek value, such as how-to guides or maintenance advice. 

Optimizing such content aids customers searching for product-related information and attracts those seeking solutions.

Encourage reviews and ratings

Customer reviews and ratings are a form of user-generated content that can boost your SEO. 

Encourage your customers to leave reviews and ratings of the products they’ve purchased so that they can offer value to other users. 

This can provide valuable feedback for your business and create fresh, unique content for your site. 

Positive reviews can improve your site’s credibility and attract loyal customers.

Any step we take to improve SEO – creating helpful content, improving site speed, or making our website more mobile-friendly – will also enhance your customer experience. 

The goal is to improve your search engine rankings while enhancing the customer experience. 

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Crafting a flawless CX through SEO: A detailed breakdown

Let’s explore SEO’s pivotal role in shaping the customer journey. 

Below is an ecommerce case study showcasing the synergy between SEO and CX.

Step 1: Landing on the site

The customer journey begins with a search, leading them to your site. 

Effective SEO ensures your website ranks well for pertinent keywords, directing users to you when they seek relevant products. 

The initial content they meet shapes their perception of your brand. 

With SEO, this content is tailored to their search intent, offering a positive, purposeful introduction. 

For instance, if you sell eco-friendly products and a user searches for “sustainable cleaning products,” good SEO will bring them to an informative blog post about your offerings, ensuring their first encounter with your brand is impactful and aligned with their needs. 

The blog post is informative, engaging, and tailored to the user’s search intent. 

It provides valuable information about each product, including its eco-friendly benefits and how to use it. 

This makes the user’s first interaction with your brand positive and purposeful, as they found exactly what they were looking for.

Step 2: Product discovery and evaluation

SEO is essential in guiding users effortlessly through your website. 

Headers (H1, H2, etc.) structure content for users and search engines, leading to easier product evaluations. 

Continuing with the eco-friendly online store example, the user is intrigued by the “Sustainable Cleaning Products” blog post and decides to explore one of the products mentioned, a “Biodegradable Multi-Surface Cleaner.” 

In this case, SEO ensures a clear page title and keyword-optimized product descriptions detailing benefits and eco-features. 

The product page might also offer related content like blogs or videos for engagement, improving SEO. 

Header tags segment the information into sections, aiding in both user comprehension and search engine optimization. 

Linking complex terms to a glossary clarifies them for users, enriching the experience and adding keyword depth. 

Step 3: Proceeding to purchase 

In the example of our cleaner website, upon choosing the “Biodegradable Multi-Surface Cleaner,” the user hits “Add to Cart” and proceeds to checkout. 

The seamless experience is enriched with links like a “How to Complete Your Purchase” guide and key information sections such as “Shipping Information” or “Payment Options”. 

These guide the user and embed additional keywords. 

Buttons like “Proceed to Payment” clarify the process for users and search engines. 

Breadcrumb navigation, like “Home > Shop > Cleaning Products > Cleaner > Checkout,” contextualizes the journey, while the title “Checkout - Biodegradable Cleaner” precisely flags the page’s purpose.

Step 4: Checkout and post-purchase

The checkout page’s efficiency, especially its loading speed, is vital for customer satisfaction and successful purchases. 

Slow pages can lead to cart abandonment, making speed optimization crucial. 

Even post-purchase, SEO shapes CX by curating relevant follow-up content, such as personalized product tips or related blog posts, fostering ongoing brand engagement.

For instance, after purchasing the “Biodegradable Multi-Surface Cleaner”, users could receive optimized content like a “How to Use” guide. 

Based on their buying patterns, personalized recommendations, such as other eco-friendly products, can re-engage customers, driving continued interaction and potential further sales.

From search to satisfaction: Synergizing SEO and CX

We create an inviting environment by:

• Personalizing the users’ journey right from the initial interaction.
• Equipping them with relevant resources.
• Ensuring an effortless navigational experience regardless of location. 

The aim is to organically attract users and facilitate their journey to becoming satisfied, recurring customers.

Our focus shifts from merely bringing in traffic to nurturing a fulfilling experience that engenders loyalty and fosters long-term customer relationships. 

This is the power of converging SEO and CX – a game-changer setting the stage for lasting success.

The post How to use SEO and CX for better organic performance appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

Google warns against content pruning as CNET deletes thousands of pages

Written on August 10, 2023 at 2:22 am, by admin

Gizmodo published an article “exposing” CNET for deleting thousands of pages, as they put it to “game Google Search.” This, even though content pruning is a fairly common advanced SEO practice.

What CNET did. “Thousands of articles” were deleted in recent weeks (CNET declined to provide an exact number), according to Gizmodo. CNET confirmed the content culling. CNET decided which pages to “redirect, repurpose or remove (deprecate)” by looking at metrics such as:

• Pageviews.
• Backlink profiles
• Amount of time passed since the last update.

What CNET said. Content deprecation “sends a signal to Google that says CNET is fresh, relevant and worthy of being placed higher than our competitors in search results,” according to an internal memo.

• Clearly, CNET needs better advice on how SEO works. Deleting content does not signal those three things. Publishing relevant, helpful, quality content for your audience is what makes you worthy of greater organic search visibility.

Removing content is not a decision CNET takes lightly. That’s what Taylor Canada, CNET’s senior director of marketing and communications, told Gizmodo:

• “Our teams analyze many data points to determine whether there are pages on CNET that are not currently serving a meaningful audience.”
• “This is an industry-wide best practice for large sites like ours that are primarily driven by SEO traffic. In an ideal world, we would leave all of our content on our site in perpetuity.
• “Unfortunately, we are penalized by the modern internet for leaving all previously published content live on our site.”

Sorry, CNET. Google doesn’t want to reward sites that are primarily driven by SEO traffic. The helpful content system is meant to reward websites that are primarily creating content for users, not search engines.

• There is no “penalty” for having old content on your website. Google will not send a manual action notice to CNET, or any site, because you have an article that was published in 2015, or 2007, or 2003, or whatever year.

‘Not a thing’. Before the article published, Google’s Danny Sullivan, via his @SearchLiaison account on X, posted:

• “Are you deleting content from your site because you somehow believe Google doesn’t like ‘old’ content? That’s not a thing! Our guidance doesn’t encourage this. Older content can still be helpful, too.”

Sullivan was then asked what to do when old content has broken links, is no longer relevant or can’t be made more helpful. Sullivan’s response:

• “The page itself isn’t likely to rank well. Removing it might mean if you have a massive site that we’re better able to crawl other content on the site. But it doesn’t mean we go ‘oh, now the whole site is so much better’ because of what happens with an individual page.”

Except, it is a thing. Well, sort of. Much of this belief that “deleting old content is good for SEO” can be traced back to when Google once advised removing content. After Google launched Panda, a Googler shared this exact advice (emphasis mine):

“In addition, it’s important for webmasters to know that low quality content on part of a site can impact a site’s ranking as a whole. For this reason, if you believe you’ve been impacted by this change you should evaluate all the content on your site and do your best to improve the overall quality of the pages on your domain. Removing low quality pages or moving them to a different domain could help your rankings for the higher quality content.”

Yes, that quote is from 2011. But logically, it makes sense because we know some of Google’s algorithms, including helpful content, evaluate sitewide signals.

Old and low-quality. If you were to create a Venn diagram – where one circle is for “old content on your website” and the other circle is for “low-quality content on your website” – I would bet good money that there is a big overlap. Much of what passed for “good” content 10 or more years ago probably wouldn’t today. This is especially true for a 25-year-old site like CNET.

Sullivan, in a followup thread with the article author, pointed out that there is more need for nuance in this particular discussion and tried to make it clear that Google has never advised people to delete content simply because it’s old.

Other prominent Googlers, including John Mueller and Gary Illyes, have also advised improving content, instead of removing it, whenever possible. Barry Schwartz has covered many of these points on Search Engine Roundtable:

• Google Advice On Old Content On News Sites: Remove, Noindex Or Leave It
• Google: Don’t Remove Old News From Your News Site For SEO Reasons
• Google: Don’t Just Blindly Delete Old Pages
• Googlers Disagrees About Removing vs Improving Content For Google Ranking Benefit
• Google: Old Content On New Domains Is Okay
• Google: Panda Victims Don’t Necessarily Need To Delete Old Blog Posts
• Google: We Don’t Recommend You Remove Content To Fix Panda Issues
• Google: Pruning Content Never Should Have Worked For Panda
• Google Retake: Improving Content & Pruning Content Are Both Valid Strategies

Why we care. I’ve found that deleting old content can be good for SEO performance. I’ve done it, written about it and spoken about it at conferences and on webinars. To be clear: deleting old content alone – just because it’s old – probably won’t help you much. However, deleting, improving and consolidating content should be part of your SEO strategy because it helps improve your overall content quality – or, as Mueller once put it, “building out your reputation of knowledge on that topic.”

Dig deeper. Why and how to delete content in bulk for SEO, a great case study by Search Engine Land contributor Jared Bauman.

Don’t trust Google’s advice blindly. Gizmodo’s article also featured a great quote Lily Ray, head of organic research at Amsive Digital:

• “Just because Google says that deleting content in isolation doesn’t provide any SEO benefit, this isn’t always true.”

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Ecommerce brand debuts AI-generated product review summaries

Written on August 10, 2023 at 2:22 am, by admin

Newegg, an American online retailer, now summarizes customer reviews using ChatGPT, the company announced.

The AI-generated summaries of customer reviews – called Review Bytes – appear on product pages, highlighting pros and cons.

Why we care. This is innovative and smart use of AI in ecommerce that could potentially drive more sales for the company. The highlighting of pros and cons is also a smart play in the era of Google reviews update. I expect more ecommerce brands to provide similar experiences soon because doing good and helpful things for shoppers also tends to be good for SEO.

Review Bytes. The Review Bytes are designed to help shoppers “understand key aspects without having to read reviews” of products. Clicking on a Review Byte generates a Search Keyword that highlights any full reviews mentioning that particular pro or con.

SummaryAI. Below the Review Bytes Pros and Cons is a section called SummaryAI. Newegg calls this AI-generated summary “a comprehensive paragraph summary” that “provides further insights into multiple customers’ opinions with sentences to elaborate on key points.”

What it looks like. Here’s a screenshot showing the Review Bytes for a pair of Sony headphones:

Among the Review Bytes are “Exceptional sound”, “Good Battery Life” and “Amazing Active Noise Canceling”.

And here’s a screenshot showing the Pros and Cons and SummaryAI section for that same product:

The AI summary is:

• “The Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones have exceptional sound quality and good battery life. The active noise canceling is amazing, although it can be disorienting for some users. The headphones are comfortable to wear for long periods of time and have convenient touch controls. They can connect to 2 devices simultaneously, making them perfect for work. However, there are some disadvantages, including noise cancellation and mic support issues, charging problems, and high price. Overall, these headphones are highly recommended for their sound quality and features, but users should be aware of the potential drawbacks.”

When Review Bytes will appear. Shoppers will only see these features on Newegg’s desktop website when products hit a minimum number of reviews. Newegg declined to reveal what that minimum is, adding that number may change based on customer use and feedback.

Ahead of Amazon. Amazon was testing AI-generated summaries or product reviews, as we reported in June. However, Amazon’s AI feature hasn’t launched.

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Google’s Performance Max Best Practices Guide gets major update

Written on August 10, 2023 at 2:22 am, by admin

Google has rolled out significant updates to its Performance Max Best Practice Guide.

The refreshed document now includes information on new strategies, advising retail marketers on how they can better optimize campaigns and improve conversions.

Why we care. If you don’t keep up-to-date with the latest best practice guidelines from Google, the strategies you use to optimise your campaigns may be outdated and no longer effective, which could cost you in terms of reach, conversion and ROI.

What’s new? The updated document details new tools and features that marketers can use to market their campaigns more effectively:

• PMax benefits – The updated guide explains how switching from Standard Shopping campaigns to PMax can increase conversions.
• A/B testing – The document advises running A/B tests to prove that switching from Standard Shopping campaigns to PMax has increased your conversions. If you’re satisfied with the results, it encourages you to continue using PMax for the best results.
• Plan budgets early with Performance Planner –  It explains how to use Google’s Performance Planner to review your campaign’s projected monthly and quarterly performance. This tool can also be used to get recommendations on how to amend your campaign for the same spend. It’s worth noting that the tool’s forecasts are adjusted seasonally to enable marketers to identify conversion opportunities during key periods like holidays.
• Taking seasonal action – The guide also contains tips on how to reduce ROAS targets to boost visibility for high-priority products during key periods, for example, in the lead-up to a holiday. Google advises setting more aggressive ROAS goals ahead of time to ensure your campaign reaches potential customers already researching purchases for maximum conversions.
• Consolidation – Google advises consolidating your campaign structure where possible whenever you set up a new PMax campaign. This helps AI to optimize performance across channels using a unified budget.
• Reaching high-value customers – Google has rolled out its New Customer Acquisition with High Value optimization tool in beta. This feature was designed to help optimize campaigns for new customers with a high predicted lifetime value, while still optimizing for regular new customers and engaging existing customers.
• More insights and reports – The updated document also provided information on its new reporting features, including:
  • Asset group metrics
  • Performance change insights
  • Creative strength tests
  • Product-level data

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What has Google said? Google announced its new features via an update posted in its Help Centre. A spokesperson said:

• “We’ve created these best practices for retail marketers who are running Performance Max campaigns with a Google Merchant Center feed.”
• “If your goal is to increase sales and reach new customers, these guidelines will help you get there.”

Deep dive. Read Google’s Retailer Best Practice Guide for more information.

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Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing

Webinar: The art of winning audiences through content by Cynthia Ramsaran

Written on August 10, 2023 at 2:22 am, by admin

A well-crafted content strategy is a fundamental element for businesses to engage and expand their audiences. With so much being published, how can you decode the art of winning audiences through content?

Learn how to define your audience using personas and conversion data and create a tailored content strategy for new audience groups. This isn’t just about content creation; it’s about delivering experiences that convert.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your content strategy and truly connect with your audience.

Register and attend, “The Art of Winning Audiences Through Content,” presented by iQuanti.

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Judge: No evidence Google harmed competitors by limiting search visibility

Written on August 8, 2023 at 11:21 pm, by admin

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia failed to find evidence that Google harmed rivals by limiting their search visibility.

While Google was cleared in this aspect of a DOJ antitrust lawsuit that began in 2020, Google will still be in court starting Sept. 12. Google will defend claims relating to its Search Ads 360 product, as well as deals the company has struck to ensure it is the default search engine on mobile devices and browsers.

Why we care. It will be worth watching to see whether Google is found guilty of stifling competition in ad buying or in its mobile phone and browser deals – and whether any of this ultimately leads to any changes for search marketers.

Claim: Google weakened Specialized Vertical Providers (SVPs). Google was accused of harming niche companies (e.g., Expedia or TripAdvisor in travel; OpenTable in restaurant reservations; Amazon or eBay in shopping). Specifically by:

• Limiting the visibility of SVPs in Google’s search results.
• Demanding that SVPs make their data available to Google on terms no less favorable than it does to others.

• “With respect to those allegations, Plaintiffs have not demonstrated the requisite anticompetitive effect in the relevant markets to make out a Section 2 prima facie case,” wrote judge Amit P. Mehta.

Claim: Google uses Search Ads 360 to thwart competitors. Google remains accused of “harming competition by delaying the implementation of various SA360 product features for Microsoft Ads that have long been available for Google Ads, thus harming Microsoft’s ability to compete.” Other rival tools mentioned were Skai, Marin and Adobe.

Google launched a new version of SA360 in February 2022, which added four features (call extensions, dynamic search ads, responsive search ads and local inventory ads), and said it was testing a fifth missing feature (auction-time bidding) at issue.

• “…there remains a genuine dispute of material fact with regard to the anticompetitive effect of Google’s disparate development of SA360’s ad-buying features. Summary judgment is therefore denied as to that part of the Attorneys General’s claims,” Mehta wrote.

What Google is saying. Google published the following statement via Court dismisses state AG claims about Google Search:

• “We appreciate the Court’s careful consideration and decision to dismiss claims regarding the design of Google Search. Our engineers build Search to provide the best results and help you quickly find what you’re looking for. People have more ways than ever to access information, and they choose to use Google because it’s helpful. We look forward to showing at trial that promoting and distributing our services is both legal and pro-competitive,” said Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs & Chief Legal Officer.

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Google Ads launches several new features ahead of holiday season

Written on August 8, 2023 at 11:21 pm, by admin

Google Ads is rolling out several new features ahead of the holiday season.

The platform has made the changes in a bid to improve insights, expand access to the Search top slot, reduce onboarding time for local inventory ads, and enable marketers to quantify the impact of online-only bidding vs. Smart Bidding for store visits.

Why we care. It’s important to stay up-to-date with Google’s latest features, and test them, so that you can gain early learnings to help shape your campaigns and bidding strategies.

What’s new? Google Ads is launching several new features to help drive efficiency for digital marketers, including:

• Enhanced insights – Google Ads is updating its product page with more details regarding product issues, for example, stock inventory, missing feed information and high bidding targets (like ROAS). This is to help you better understand the performance of categories, brands, product types, and custom labels, giving you the power to make smarter, data-driven decisions.
• Local inventory ads update – Google Ads is cutting down the average onboarding time for local inventory ads and has also introduced a new local store unit ad format. You can use this new format to better showcase your brand to potential customers as it combines inventory data from your local product feeds with imagery and information from your business profile.
• New A/B experiments – You will now be able to quantify the impact of online-only bidding vs. Smart Bidding for store visits and store sales by running A/B experiments. This feature is currently available for Standard Shipping campaigns but is also being rolled out to search campaigns in the near future.
• Expanded access to the Search top slot – Google Ads has implemented a new interactive ad format that shows business information, such as opening hours, and prompts customers who have shown explicit local shopping intent (like searching “near me”) with productive business actions, such as directions or calls.

What has Google said? The changes to Google Ads were unveiled via an announcement on its blog. A spokesperson said:

• “This holiday season is just around the corner, which means one thing: shoppers and retailers alike are working on their checklists. In fact, today’s shoppers are being more intentional with their holiday purchases, with 74% planning their shopping ahead of time.”
• “AI-powered tools are transforming businesses’ ability to move faster, better understand the intent of their customers, and engage them in new ways across the path to purchase.”
• “Today, we’re excited to share new tools to generate insights and new features to help you do more with Google AI.”

Deep dive. Read Google’s new ads and insights features announcement for more information.

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Google reduces the visibility of HowTo and FAQ rich results in search

Written on August 8, 2023 at 11:21 pm, by admin

Google will be showing fewer rich results in its search results, specifically showing less FAQ rich results across the search result snippets and limiting How-To rich results to desktop devices.

Google said this update will roll out over next week globally.

FAQ changes. Google said the FAQs, FAQPage structured data, rich results will only be shown for “well-known, authoritative government and health websites.”

For all other sites, this rich result will no longer be shown regularly, Google added.

Which sites Google decides to show them for are automated and algorithmic.

Don’t remove structured data. Google said there is no reason to remove structured data from your site. Google said “Structured data that’s not being used does not cause problems for Search, but also has no visible effects in Google Search.”

HowTo changes. Google said the How-To, from HowTo structured data, rich results will only be shown for desktop users, and not for users on mobile devices.

Google added that “with mobile indexing, Google indexes the mobile version of a website as the basis for indexing: to have How-To rich results shown on desktop, the mobile version of your website must include the appropriate markup.”

Why we care. If your site is impacted by this, you may see a decline in clicks from Google Search to your site. Your Google Search Console performance reports would show the decline in clicks and your analytics traffic would show a drop in traffic from Google Search.

Google wrote, “For both of these items, you may also notice this change in the Search Console reporting for your website. In particular, this will be visible in the metrics shown for FAQ and How-To search appearances in the performance report, and in the number of impressions reported in the appropriate enhancement reports. This change does not affect the number of items reported in the enhancement reports. The search appearances, and the reports, will remain in Search Console for the time being.”

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From SERPs to CHERPs: Generative AI results need their own name

Written on August 8, 2023 at 11:21 pm, by admin

Search results are not chat results. 

In search, the input is a query. The output is what we have called a SERP, or search engine results page. 

A SERP is full of answers and ads. It has links to websites, text, images, featured snippets, and videos. “SERP” has been used in search marketing for more than two decades. 

In chat, an input is a prompt. The output is text, ads, images, videos (and sometimes clear links, in the form of small citations) – often trained on or powered by search results.

But what’s that page of results called, exactly? 

We at Search Engine Land believe that this LLM-fueled, generative AI, end user-facing output – whether it’s Google’s Search Generative Experience, the new Bing or another search/AI platform – needs a name. 

“Kein ding sei wo das wort gebricht,” my colleague Kim Davis put it recently. Translation: “No thing can be where the word is lacking.”

So we are introducing a neologism into the search marketing lexicon: CHERP for Chat Experience Result Page.

Search vs. chat experience: The distinction is needed

There’s a fine line between language that clarifies concepts and jargon that unnecessarily clouds issues and creates confusion. 

We are at one such crossroads right now with generative AI. Specifically: the results pages various chatbot interfaces produce. 

We expect Google and Microsoft Bing to continuously update and test the various elements, just as they continue to tinker with the traditional search results pages.

The search marketing industry currently lacks the precise language needed to distinguish between traditional search results pages and the results produced by generative AI. 

Google and Bing have referred to their generative AI offerings as “experiences.” So that’s why we’re suggesting a new acronym for the results by those experiences be dubbed Chat Experience Results Pages or CHERPs. 

What is a SERP?

The term SERP stands for “search engine results page.” In simple terms, it’s a page of search results you see after you enter a query on Google, Microsoft BIng or any other platform.

Origins of SERP

The origin of the term “SERP” can be traced to 2000 in a forum post by Webmaster World founder Brett Tabke. 

The earliest SERPs typically consisted of 10 blue links and endless pagination of search results. PPC ads were also present, usually above organic search results and on the right rail.

Evolution of SERPs

Google began reimagining the SERP with Universal Search in 2007, blending Search with news, video, images, local, maps and more. And as 2010 approached, Google was introducing a variety of instant answers, including weather and sports scores. 

Big Google SERP changes continued in the 2010s, most notably with the integration of the Knowledge Graph into Google Search and seen on the SERPs via knowledge panels. In 2014, Search Engine Land reported on a new type of detailed answer that would later become known as featured snippets.

Now, in 2023, we have seen a massive change to Search: generative AI. Microsoft calls it the new Bing, or Bing Chat. Google calls it a Search Generative Experience. 

As of this writing, both experimental experiences are not fully rolled out. But it’s only a matter of weeks or months before that happens.

What is a CHERP?

The term CHERP stands for “chat experience results page.” In simple terms, it’s the generative AI result you see after you enter a prompt on Google, Microsoft Bing, ChatGPT or any other generative AI platform.  

Let’s illustrate with an example prompt – “what is a SERP” – using Google, Microsoft and ChatGPT.

Google

The chat results page consists of:

• Two paragraphs of text (one dedicated to a Search Engine Results Page; the other to a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan). This includes two citations (the clickable quotation marks) that, when clicked, result in a dropdown, which lets you click on three sources, which are brand names. 
• Three links (with images) in the Snapshot, which in this case are duplicative.
• Suggestions to Ask a follow up.

New Bing

The chat results page consists of:

• One paragraph of text (only discussing a Search Engine Results Page). This includes three visible numbered citations (plus two that are not visible, you have to click on the +2 more). The sources are domains. 
• No other links or images.
• Two suggested follow-up question bubbles.

ChatGPT

The chat results page consists of:

• Nine paragraphs of text, including an ordered list of six items (only discussing a Search Engine Results Page).
• No citations, links or images. 
• No suggested follow-up questions.

All of these results minimize traditional search and are based on answering questions – and encouraging users to ask more questions. They are results pages unto themselves.

Search engines have SERPs. Answer engines have CHERPs.

Language must change to reflect new realities

Why is coining the term CHERPs necessary? Do search marketers really need another acronym?

Yes. It’s necessary for accurate communication and to provide clarity for clients or stakeholders when explaining whether you have visibility in the search or chat experience. 

Just on Google, since it continues to be, by far, the biggest player:

• Is your ad appearing above, within or beneath SGE?
• Even if you have strong organic visibility in search results, will that matter if your competitors are getting cited (and potentially clicks from) the chat results above the organic search results?

Hopefully, Google and Bing will provide us with the data we need to understand and report on how people are getting to our websites. 

Search continues to evolve. As it does, our language also must evolve.

CHERPs, as a new term, is familiar, while also being different enough to create a clear distinction.

Did you ever used to say or write, “rank on Page 1 of Google”? Well, you can’t do that anymore, thanks to Continuous Scroll. Google evolved. Our language must evolve with the platforms. 

There has also been a push within tech to make terms more inclusive. That may be why Google renamed its Webmaster Guidelines to Search Essentials. The term “webmaster” has become a relic of an earlier era. 

Thankfully, we hear the terms “white hat” and “black hat” a lot less. I’ve always found these to be cartoony (see also: link juice) and undermine all the great and professional work we do that drives billions of dollars in revenue every month for brands and businesses of all sizes.

Words matter. Clarity matters. 

SERPs and CHERPs will co-exist

To be clear, SERPs will continue to exist – as long as Google and Bing serve search results. We’re not suggesting CHERP as a replacement for SERP, like how many have tried to “rebrand” SEO over the years.

No, we think of SERPs and CHERPs as two unique entities that may or may not occupy the same space on a platform that produces content using generative AI.

The purpose of introducing CHERPs as a new term is so that we, as an industry, can clearly distinguish between results pages from search versus chat. 

We think it’s needed. We hope you agree. 

The post From SERPs to CHERPs: Generative AI results need their own name appeared first on Search Engine Land.

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