Google Responds to Claims That Maps Has Millions of Fake Business Listings
Google has responded to a Wall Street Journal investigation claiming Maps is home to millions of fake business listings.
About
Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, Matt specializes in gathering details, checking facts, and making complex subjects easy to understand. In addition to writing articles, Matt oversees strategy development for SEJ’s news department.
Articles
Google Ads Begins Reporting on Shopping Campaign Landing Pages
Google Ads now reports on landing page performance from shopping campaigns. Data will be included in the “Landing pages” page.
Twitter Removes the Ability to Add Precise Location Tags to Tweets
Twitter users can no longer tag their precise location in tweets.
Google: Disallowed URLs Do Not Affect Crawl Budget
Google’s Gary Illyes updated his original writeup on crawl budget with clarification about disallowed URLs.
Google Ads is Removing Features from Portfolio Bid Strategies
Google Ads is making adjustments to two portfolio bid strategies in an effort to simplify the experience for users.
Google My Business Listings Can Offer Discounts to New Followers
Google is rolling out new ways for businesses to market their GMB listings, including giving discounts to new followers.
Google Ads App Now Has Ability to Create & Edit Responsive Search Ads
An update to the Google Ads mobile app introduces support for creating and editing responsive search ads.
Google Search Console Removes Ability to Set a Preferred Domain
Google is sunsetting preferred domain in Search Console that allowed users to specify which URL to display in search results.
Google to Cite the Source of Song Lyrics in Search Results
Google’s statement on how it will handle song lyrics in search results following allegations that it stole content from Genius.
Google Lets Advertisers Promote YouTube Live Streams as Display Ads
Google is introducing a new ad format that lets marketers run YouTube live streams in display ads. Live stream ads can appear anywhere Google’s display...
Google Introduces Interactive Ads With 3D Objects
Google is introducing a new display ad format, called Swirl, that allows users to interact with 3D objects.
Google’s John Mueller Explains How Sites Without Backlinks Are Discovered
Google’s John Mueller explains how Googlebot finds sites when there are no links pointing to them.
LinkedIn Gets a Brand Refresh to Make it Feel “Warmer” and More Inviting
LinkedIn unveiled a brand refresh which features a slightly different logo, a new color palette, and a custom font.
Google is Reportedly Adding Timestamps to YouTube Videos in Search Results
Google has been spotted testing the addition of timestamps for certain types of YouTube videos in search results.
Google Accused of Scraping Content from Song Lyrics Site ‘Genius’
Leading song lyrics site Genius.com has accused Google of stealing its content and publishing it in search results.
Google’s John Mueller Predicts Dynamic Rendering Won’t Be Needed in a Few Years
Google’s John Mueller predicts that dynamic rendering will only be a temporary workaround for helping web crawlers process JavaScript. Eventually, all web crawlers will be...
Google Rolls Out a New Look for Desktop Search Results
Google has rolled out a new design for desktop search results which features colorful icons in the top navigation bar.
Google: Self-Referencing Canonicals Are Not Critical
Google’s John Mueller recently stated that self-referencing canonical tags are not absolutely necessary, but they do help.
John Mueller: Google Doesn’t Give Your Site an ‘Authority’ Score
Google doesn’t specifically measure the authority of a website, according to webmaster trends analyst John Mueller.
Google Recommends Using JavaScript “Responsibly”
Google’s Martin Splitt, a webmaster trends analyst, recommends reducing reliance on JavaScript to provide the best experience for users.
Google Search Console Now Shows 90 Days of Search & Discover Data
Google is making an adjustment to the performance report in Search Console, which now displays 90 days of data.
80% of Voice Search Answers Are From Top 3 Organic Results [STUDY]
A recent study on voice search indicates that answers typically rank in the top 3 web search positions.
Google Analytics is Blocked by Firefox, Mozilla Explains Why [UPDATED]
Representatives from Mozilla, parent company of Firefox, have explained why the browser is now blocking Google Analytics by default.
Google Improves SOS Alerts in Search Results
Google is improving the SOS alerts shown in Search and Maps with visual information and a new navigation system.
Facebook Makes it Easier to Create Video Ads Out of Static Images
Facebook is adding new features to its Video Creation Kit which simplify the process of creating mobile video ads.
Instagram Lets Advertisers Boost Organic Posts as Feed Ads
Instagram advertisers can now promote organic posts as ads that appear in other users’ feeds.
PayPal is Rolling Out its Ecommerce Solution to All Businesses
PayPal’s e-commerce platform, used by Instagram Shopping and Facebook Marketplace, is now available for businesses of all sizes.
Google’s Rich Results Testing Tool Updated With Desktop & Mobile Selector
Google has updated its rich results testing tool with the ability to run separate tests for mobile and desktop.
Study Shows High Ranking Websites Are Neglecting Accessibility
According to a recent study, the most neglected aspect of technical optimization is website accessibility for the visually impaired.
Google Ads Restrictions Are Impacting Third-Party Tech Support Providers
After restricting ads for third-party tech support services to “legitimate” providers, Google hasn’t delivered on its promised verification program.