Hi, and welcome to another weekly news roundup here at uSERP, where we’ll look back at Google’s reminder to users to export their Notes search data before it’s too late, Google’s u-turn on removing cookies from Search, and a report that identifies the three key reasons sites suffered drastic ranking drops during 2024.
Plus, we’ll cover other hot topics from around the web, like Google’s John Mueller’s advice for SEOs, a study that confirms Google’s claims that AI boosts user satisfaction, and Google’s announcement that it will soon test shopping ads in AI Overviews.
SEO News (Week in-Review)
Google Reminds Users To Export Notes Search Data or Lose It
Google updates its Google Notes documentation to confirm it has stopped testing Notes, reminding people who use it that it will end on July 31, 2024, and that they must download their Notes content before that date or lose it.
Key takeaways:
- Google will remove Notes on July 31, 2024.
- Users must download their Notes content before that date.
- Google tells account holders to use Google Takeout to download their Note data.
Google U-turns On Decision To Remove Cookies
Google has reversed its decision to remove third-party cookies from Search. It will now implement a new Chrome experience to increase users’ control over their privacy choices.
Google said it would remove third-party cookies from Chrome in 2022 but pushed that date back three times.
Now Google has changed its mind, but the potential impact has advertises a little worried.
Key takeaways:
- Google’s plan to remove third-party cookies crumbles.
- The fresh approach intends to increase people’s control over privacy options when browsing the web.
- Stakeholders and feedback influenced Google’s decision to use Privacy Sandbox rather than remove cookies.
- Google says it understands the transition requires work and could impact advertisers.
Report Identifies Three Key Reasons For Google Ranking Drops in 2024
A recent Press Release Distribution Services survey identifies why many sites experienced Google ranking drops in 2024. The report also offers tips on improving rankings after Google core updates and discusses AI’s impact on SEO.
Key takeaways:
- The report identifies three reasons sites suffered ranking drops.
- “Insufficient optimization of the website content and structure.”
- “Lack of effective backlink strategies.”
- “Failure to adapt to search engine algorithm updates promptly.”
- The analysis report says AI SEO has flaws and won’t replace human SEOs because it relies on old data.
- The report recommends publishers implement four objectives into their SEO strategies.
From Around The Web
Google’s John Mueller: Don’t Use LLMs For SEO Advice
Barry Schwartz from Search Engine RoundTable covers a conversation by
Google’s John Mueller on LinkedIn, where Mueller recommends not to use LLMs (AI tools) for SEO advice.
Mueller wrote:
- “Please don’t use LLMs for SEO advice.”
- “They learn from all the bad SEO information out there.”
Mueller was responding to a question about why Google Gemini recommended using the disavow tool, and when asked again, it said you shouldn’t.
Key takeaways:
- Google says don’t use LLMs for SEO advice.
- When asked if we should use the disavow tool in Google Search Console, Google Gemini contradicts itself.
- Gemini said LLMs can be helpful for SEO but have limitations.
Study Backs Google’s Claims: AI Search Boosts User Satisfaction
Matt G. Southern from Search Engine Journal covers an independent study by
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) showing that AI boosts search satisfaction on search and social media.
The recent study also confirms that while users express concerns about using AI in online services, many are satisfied with search engines and social media platforms using it.
Key takeaways:
- AI-enhanced search features reportedly boost user satisfaction.
- The ACSI study shows improvements in customer experience on search engines.
- Users are most satisfied with Google search, with an ACSI score of 81, up 1% from 2023.
- Google is still number one, but Bing is slowly catching up.
- TikTok leads the pack with social media satisfaction.
Google will ‘soon’ test search shopping ads in AI Overviews
Danny Goodwin from Search Engine Land reports on Google’s announcement that it will soon begin testing ads in AI Overviews.
Google initially announced it would use ads in AI Overviews in May at the Google Live event but has kept advertisers waiting to ensure the metrics are healthy.
Google says it’s seeing positive trends, but when asked, it gave a vague reply, saying, “All the feedback we have seen is positive.”
Key takeaways:
- Google takes a conservative start with ads in AI Overviews, focusing on quality to ensure healthy metrics.
- Google plans to start AI Overviews in more countries during 2024.
Google says:
- “Ads appearing above and below AI Overviews “continue to provide valuable options for people to take action and connect with businesses.”
- “People are finding ads, either above or below AI Overviews, helpful.”
- “We see even higher engagement from younger users aged 18 to 24 when they use Search with AI Overviews.”