Welcome to our SEO news roundup for September 2024!
The August 2024 Core Update is completed
Google’s August 2024 core update finished rolling out on September 3 after 19 days. It focused on boosting helpful, high-quality content, especially for smaller and independent sites. This move seems to address complaints from these publishers after last year’s helpful content update. While there was a brief issue with rankings early on, Google quickly fixed it. Their main advice remains the same: create content for people, not just search engines. It’s another step in their ongoing effort to improve the quality of search results.
Google’s Search Console now has sticky filters
Google Search Console now features sticky filters across Performance reports, meaning any filters you apply in Search Results, Discover, or Google News will stay active as you switch between them. There’s also a "reset filters" button to clear everything in one click, streamlining your workflow. Additionally, you can also use a new navigation enhancement: when moving between the Queries and Pages tabs, Search Console will automatically update the view, saving you extra time and clicks.
Google Ads data in Search Volume miner
We’ve recently added a new feature to the Reports section, allowing you to choose whether you want to obtain keyword search volume data from Marketing Miner database (click-stream data without clusters) or from Google Ads (with clusters).
You can find a detailed guide on how to bulk retrieve keyword search volume data from Google Ads in this short video (in Slovak).
Google's new spam warning in Indexing API
Google recently updated its Indexing API documentation with a strong warning against potential misuse. Primarily intended for fast indexing of job postings and live streams, the API should not be used to manipulate or spam search rankings. Its misuse could result in penalties or manual actions against your site. This update serves as a reminder to follow Google’s guidelines and avoid spammy practices.
The updated documentation now states:
“All submissions through the Indexing API undergo rigorous spam detection. Any attempts to abuse the Indexing API, including the use of multiple accounts or other means to exceed usage quotas, may result in access being revoked.”
srsltid parameter: New bug in Google Search
Recently, many people have noticed Google search results displaying URLs with the ?srsltid= parameter. This parameter is added to links generated by Google Merchant Center in organic shopping results and is used for conversion tracking when site owners enable the feature. While it appears in search results, it doesn’t affect crawling, indexing, or rankings - it’s strictly for analytics purposes. In Marketing Miner, we've already stopped tracking this parameter in search results.
If you don’t want it to appear, you can disable auto-tagging or use canonical tags. Google plans to update documentation as this feature expands.
New ways to search using AI
Google rolled out significant updates to Search, integrating advanced AI features. Key updates include enhanced Google Lens capabilities, allowing users to search using videos and voice commands.
Image source: Google.com
You can now ask any questions about moving objects in videos or photos. Additionally, a new AI-organized search results page provides more diverse content, starting with recipes, while AI Overviews include clearer links to supporting web pages.
Image source: Google.com
Google has also introduced ads in AI Overviews to the US search results for relevant queries. This update actively highlights products and brands that match users' search intent, making it easier for them to find relevant and useful options directly within their search results.
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