Welcome to our SEO news roundup for March 2023! In this episode, we'll dive into the latest updates from Google, including a core algorithm update and the arrival of Google Bard. Plus, we'll share some fascinating insights into the intersection of AI and SEO. Let's get started!
Google's March Broad Core Update 2023
On March 15th, 2023, Google launched a new core algorithm update, causing changes in website rankings. The latest update to search results aims to improve relevance for users utilizing more natural language queries. If your website’s rankings have dropped, it's time to review content and ensure it follows the best practices.
Following Google's tips and best practices for coping with core updates, we suggest that you focus on creating valuable content. Here are some important questions you should ask about your content:
- Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
- Does the headline and/or page title provide a descriptive, helpful summary of the content?
- Is this the sort of page you'd want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
- Does the content present information in a way that makes you want to trust it?
- Is this content written by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic well?
- Is the content free from spelling or stylistic issues, and was it produced well?
- Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
- Do you follow the search quality rater guidelines?
Google's ranking updates are now shown in the Search Status dashboard where users can view the current status of all significant Search updates.
The update was completed on March 28th, 2023.
MM TIP: Did you know that we automatically add notes on days with major Google updates that could have affected your rankings? Check notes in the Rank Tracking section to cross-reference any changes in your organic search traffic.
Try our Profilers to see our tool in action:
Google Bard - A Revolution in Search Technology
Google has officially released Bard to compete with ChatGPT. Google Bard promises to revolutionize the way we search for information. Bard is not a search tool, it is an experimental AI service that helps users explore their creativity and curiosity. It combines AI and natural language processing to create a conversational and interactive search experience.
Bard can understand search intent and offers recommendations based on users' preferences and interests. It uses predictive analytics to anticipate users' search queries and context, making searching for information quicker and more accurate.
If you are based in the US or UK, you can join the waitlist now at bard.google.com with your personal Google account. Google has plans to expand to more countries and languages in the near future.
Bing chat updates
With the increasing popularity of AI-powered search tools, Bing has also unveiled its latest updates and confirmed that it has been using GPT-4 for the past five weeks.
GPT-4 can solve difficult problems with greater accuracy, thanks to its broader general knowledge and problem-solving abilities. It is now more creative and collaborative compared to its predecessor. Microsoft Bing can now generate AI images for free with Image Creator which will be fully integrated into the Bing chat experience. Bing Image Creator preview will also be available in Microsoft Edge, making it the first and only browser with an integrated AI-powered image generator.
Microsoft also introduced ads in Bing chat, transforming the ad-free platform and offering new opportunities for publishers. The AI-powered chatbot will start to show more ads, though the exact form of the ads is yet to be determined.
The 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors report
Whitespark surveyed local SEO experts to identify the most important ranking factors for local search. They ranked 149 potential local search ranking factors by their importance for both, the local pack and local organic search results.
Local pack factors:
- Primary Google Business Profile category
- Keywords in your Google Business Profile title or name
- Proximity
- Physical address
- Removal of spam listings through spam preventative mechanisms
- High numerical Google ratings
- Additional GBP categories
- Verification in Google Business Profiles
Local organic factors:
- Dedicated landing page for each service
- Internal linking
- Quality and authority of inbound links to the domain name
- Geographic keyword relevance of domain content
- Keywords in Google Business Profile landing page title
- Quantity of inbound links to a domain from locally relevant domains
- Topical keyword relevance across the entire website
- Volume of quality content on the service page
Read the annual report here to learn more.
MM TIP: We also created The ultimate local SEO guide and checklist for 2023 to learn why local SEO is so important and what you can do to improve your presence in local search results.
Top SEO reads
Everything you need to know about AI-generated content
This Conductor's post examines the advantages and drawbacks of using AI-generated content. It explains how to quickly and effectively produce high-quality content. You will also find practical examples of how AI can be used in SEO.
How Google’s latest ‘Helpful Content System’ update is impacting SERPs
Instead of focusing on scale, focus on content quality and E-E-A-T. Lily Ray shares useful insights about The Helpful Content system and how to future-proof your content strategies to build sustainable organic traffic growth.
What are SERP features? Common types on Google
Not sure about SERP features and their types on Google? This updated Marketing Miner guide gives you a quick overview of everything you need to know about SERP features.
The Keys for eCommerce SEO Success for 2023
In this presentation, Aleyda Solis talks about what you should pay attention to when creating your eCommerce SEO strategy in 2023 to increase your organic search visibility. She recommends focusing on these three areas: creating content to meet user intent, leveraging product search features, and avoiding common eCommerce SEO bugs.
Who benefits from a TikTok ban? Youtube!
TikTok, the most popular app in the last 5 years, may be banned in the US due to privacy concerns. What does this mean for its competitors and who could benefit the most from a ban? Kevin Indig dug deep to find out who was going to be the first to benefit.
Analyzing the Google February 2023 Product Review Update
Mordy Oberstein analyzed the latest Google Product Review Update, which aims to improve the ranking of high-quality product review content and demote low-quality or spammy reviews. This expert in-depth analysis explores the key factors that determine the quality of a product review and discusses findings on what has changed in this vertical.
Marketing Miner news
New Project limits - more flexible plans
We have great news for all Marketing Miner users with multiple projects! We have set new Project limits for Rank Tracking at the account level, not for individual projects.
Thanks to this update, you can adjust the rank tracker keyword limits and rankings check frequency across different projects. Currently, you can track up to 40,000 keywords per day, or 100,000 words per week, in one project (depending on your subscription plan). When upgrading your plan in the Pricing section, you can easily define the number of tracked keywords and their measurement frequency.
In the Subscription Settings section, you can also see an overview of all limits associated with your subscription plan, including how many keywords (or URLs) are still available to track. Thanks to this overview, you can easily monitor your used units and plan next actions across all your projects in Marketing Miner.
Whether you're working on one or multiple projects, the new limits give you the freedom to work as you need.
Marketing Miner in HU and PL
Last month, we also launched a new website for our Hungarian and Polish customers to provide our services to businesses in these regions more efficiently. We also translated our Knowledge Base to ensure our tutorials are accessible to more people. We also have this useful Getting started with Marketing Miner webinar in case you want to learn how to use our tool in more detail.
