Google updated the manual action policy violations list for News and Discover. They removed the adult-theme and artificial freshening sections and added new deceptive practices sections, along with updates to the hateful content section. The new sections cover coordinated deceptive practices, good neighbor policy, impersonation, and misrepresentation of affiliation and location. These changes were noted by Gagan Ghotra between October 10 and November 27.
Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, explained that Google has made it harder to find the results count in searches because it can be a distraction and researchers should use Google Trends for more accurate data. He mentioned that result counts are broad estimates and not necessarily indicative of interest or popularity. Google has been testing removing the results count completely, but it remains available under the "Tools" menu.
Google Search Console may be introducing a new feature where the most recent, unfinalized data appears as dotted lines in the performance report charts. Previously, Google included a disclaimer for this partial data, but the dotted line design seems to be a new addition. Users have reported seeing these changes and shared their observations on social media, indicating ongoing UI updates by Google.
Effortlessly audit your Google Ads account with Marketing Auditor. Perform 200+ automated checks to uncover optimization opportunities and save over 10 hours per audit. Generate white-label reports in minutes with 50+ pages of actionable insights. Customize your reports with professional themes or your own branding, and export them in editable formats like PowerPoint or Google Slides. This tool is the ultimate solution for efficient and impactful Google Ads audits.
Google Business Profiles performance report has removed the "call" tab, which provided data on searchers who called from Google Search and Maps. This change might be linked to the discontinuation of Google Business Profile call history reports, set to end on July 31, 2024. Users have noticed and complained about the missing feature on social media. Google has yet to provide further details on this issue.
Danny Sullivan, Google Search Liaison, announced that the next core update is expected to roll out in the coming weeks, though the exact timing is uncertain. These updates are not scheduled for specific dates but are launched after thorough testing and approval. Sullivan emphasized that the process involves making changes, testing, evaluating, and then setting a launch date. The update could happen anytime, so stay prepared.
Google is testing a feature that attaches country labels to search result snippets, indicating the country the site operates in. An example shows a "South African" label with the flag and country name next to the site name. This was first noticed by Marguerite Smal and shared by Top Click Media on X. The specific page in the example does not mention South Africa but is a South African shopping site. Users are asked if they've seen this feature before.
Google Search now features a special search box for queries related to finding credit cards, such as "credit cards" or "best credit cards." This widget, sourced from Google's Knowledge Graph, provides information on benefits, fees, and terms without being labeled as ads. Clicking on a result leads to more detailed Google Search results about the credit card. This new feature may impact affiliate sites focused on finance, as noted by Glenn Gabe.
Google's Merchant Center advises adding structured data directly to the HTML source rather than using JavaScript post-page load, as it complicates processing. While Google can handle JavaScript-generated data, it often causes quality and consistency issues. Ryan Levering from Google clarified that both Google Search Central and Merchant Center guidelines are correct but need better wording. He cautioned against re-implementing websites if they currently work.
Google Business Profiles websites, which initially redirected to Google Maps listings, now result in 404 errors. This change was expected to occur last Sunday but was delayed until later in the week. Users attempting to access these URLs, such as Will Scott's Business Profile, will encounter 404 errors. Google had advised users to set up redirects for custom domains by June 10, 2024, but the redirects have ceased earlier than anticipated.
