Google was busy last week, rolling out some updates, including adding 8 languages to Translated Search Results, enabling broad match for search campaigns as the default setting, and tweaking its URL best practices for changing page content.
Besides the updates, we learned Google ranks Reddit content over credible websites and expert advice, Google doesn’t trust signals under the direct control of SEOs and site owners, AI Overviews is at a new low of only 7% of all search queries, and John Mueller said that the feedback submitted by publishers since the March 2024 update was really helpful.
SEO News (Week in-Review)
Google Adds Languages To Translated Search Results
Google Search results add 8 languages to its translation feature, bringing the total languages to 21 and increasing publishers’ global reach, specifically in the Middle and Far East continents.
Key takeaways:
- The additional 8 languages on translation search results increase the total from 13 to 21.
- The new languages are Arabic, Gujarati, Korean, Persian, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
- Publishers can now reach a far greater audience, and people in the 8 added countries have greater access to global products and services.
Google’s Search Advocate Explains Why Reddit Can Outrank Credible Sites
John Mueller, Google’s senior search advocate, answers questions about why unverified sources rank above expert advice from credible websites.
The question focused on why an anonymous Redditor is outranking a named author and how Google deems it as credible content, especially since the Helpful Content Update!
Mueller’s reply is surprising and gives another valuable insight into how Google ranks content!
Key takeaways:
- SEO expert asks Mueller why anonymous Redditiors’ content ranks above credible sites and experts.
- Anonymous user content is acceptable (often chosen above a reliable source) if it answers the search query.
- Mueller says Google aims to provide relevant search results for its users, regardless of where it comes from.
Google Ads Enables Broad Match As Default for Search Campaigns
Google updates search campaigns by enabling Broad Match as the default setting.
Google hasn’t yet reported the update, but it’s in play and could impact an advertiser`s campaign by automatically targeting a broad audience if the correct keyword match isn’t applied.
Key takeaways:
- Google ads showing broad match enabled for new search campaigns.
- The update means all new search campaigns match everything from relevant variations, related searches, equivalent phrases, and exact matches.
- Advertisers must change the settings to match their targeted keywords before initiating their campaigns.
Google Updates URL Best Practices For Changing Page Content
Google updated its best practices for URL structure in its Search help documentation page to remind publishers not to use URL fragments to change content as Google rarely supports them,
Key takeaways:
- Google says, “Don’t use fragments to change the content of a page, as Google rarely supports fragment URLs. If you’re using JavaScript to change content, use the History API instead.”
- Google’s reason for the update is to: “Make it easier to find the guideline about fragment URLs, as it was previously only mentioned in the JavaScript and mobile sites documentation.”
From Around The Web
“Google Says These Are Not Good Signals”
Roger Montti, a Search Engine Journal writer and owner of Martinibuster.com, reviews a May 2024 interview with Google’s Gary Illyes. The interview is packed with helpful information about digital marketing and how Google ranks websites.
Illyes provides SEO tips for website optimization and discusses how Google judges signals from site owners.
Key takeaways:
- Google has “less trust” for signals that SEOs and site owners control directly.
- Illyes explains what SEOs and site owners should focus on when optimizing their sites.
- Illyes also says: “The markup that SEOs and site owners control, including authorship, are generally not good signals.”
- Gary then discusses authorship signals: “Google’s experience with SEO-controlled data on the web page (markup) tends to become spammy (implying that it’s untrustworthy).”
“Google: SEO Feedback On The Last Core Update Was Really Helpful”
Barry Schwartz, Executive Editor at Search Engine RoundTable, writes about the video Google’s John Mueller posted on Google Search News thanking publishers for the feedback many provided since the March 2024 update, saying, “Google teams have been reviewing with the search quality and ranking teams.”
Key takeaways:
- Google set up a March 2024 core update feedback form for publishers to tell Google what they have been experiencing since the update.
- Google’s John Mueller says the feedback has “been really helpful in evaluations and discussions.” Adding that the Google teams have “been reviewing with the search quality and ranking teams.”
- Google says they read the feedback, and changes might come from publishers’ experiences.
- Glenn Gabe joins the conversation on X, saying, “I’m eager to see how the next core update looks for sites that have been working hard on improving after the ‘fall of 2023 updates.”
“Google AI Overviews only show for 7% of queries, a new low”
AI Overviews search results drop, hitting a 7% low for specific queries.
Google now rarely cites Quora and Reddit, and entertainment and education see the most significant reductions in AI Overviews search result answers.
BrightEdge, which tracks and monitors AI Overviews, provides all the data.
Key takeaways:
- Google’s AI Overviews now appear in less than 7% of search results.
- The most significant drops are in entertainment, education, and e-commerce queries.
- Google recognizes that user-generated sites are unreliable sources of trustworthy information (apparently only on AI Overviews search results)!
- Reddit and Quora are now hardly cited (again, only on AI Overviews)!
