The Week In Search & SEO: July 20, 2018

The Week In Search & SEO: July 20, 2018

Apple replaces the old guard with new ones in an effort to move forward with artificial intelligence. Google reminds webmasters of some basic SEO best practices. This and a whole lot more happened in the week in search.

Top Global Search News

Google Shows Which Search Queries are Used to Find a Google My Business Listing 

If you click on the Insights tab on Google Analytics, you may be able to see what search queries people are using to find your business forthe last 7 or 28 days. This feature is not available to all users yet, but it is coming.

Google Releases AMP Stories v1.0 with New Features, Including an Ads Beta for DFP Users 

Google releases AMP Stories v1.0 with new features, including an ads beta for DFP users

After initially introducing AMP stories in February, Google has now introduced several new features including the option to add a call-to-action to these stories. Developers can also add text boxes and portrait and landscape cards. According to Google’s AMP Stories Lead Engineer Jon Newmuis, additional features will be added in the coming months including the ability to add a paywall and subscription functionality. Users can sign up to be part of the Beta testing program on Github.

Google Image Search Updates Referrer URL to Help Publishers Track Image Search Traffic 

Over the next few months, Google will be rolling out changes allowing webmasters to know if a user came to their page from a search results page or from an image search page. At the moment, it is very difficult to tell, but in the near future, those users arriving from an image search page will be reported as originating at https://images.google.com.

Google: Crawling SPA (Single-Page Application) Isn’t Easy But Can Work 

According to Google’s John Mueller, the company can crawl and index single-page applications but it is not easy. Therefore, webmasters need to use the Search Console “Fetch as Google” feature to make sure what Google sees when crawling the page.

Google May Still Add Voice Query Filters To Google Search Analytics 

Google’s John Mueller says that the company discusses a lot whether they will add voice query filters to search analytics. If they do, webmasters could discover if users found their company using voice, mobile or a desktop device.

Google: Noindex & Rel=Canonical Should Not Be Mixed 

Using both noindex and rel=canonical tags sends mixed signals to Google (go figure).

Top Local Search News

Google Tests Location Tab for Hotel Knowledge Panels 

Google tests location tab for hotel knowledge panels

Although it does not seem to have rolled out yet, Google may be in the process of starting to rank hotels based on what there is to do in the hotel’s vicinity. The company is also giving each hotel a location score that may be useful for people choosing a hotel for vacations.

Google Search Tests Hotel Prices By Day Chart 

Google Search Tests Hotel Prices By Day Chart

Google may be releasing a chart showing prices of hotels over the next month with the average price being shown on the left. Clicking on the chart likely takes you to Google Hotel allowing you to search several sites at once to find the best price.

Top PPC News

Bing Ads Can Now Have Security Annotations 

Bing Ads Can Now Have Security Badge Annotations

While users can request that Bing not show security badge annotations, Bing is automatically adding these to ads if they can tell the site is secured by a third party. This may be a great way to add trust to an ad. For now, the notification only appears on ads in the United States and will only be shown on one of two competing ads.

Top Social Media News

Facebook Updates Ad Manager App With New Creative Tools 

Facebook Updates Ad Manager App With New Creative Tools

While some will still find it easier to create their Facebook Ads on desktops, the company has introduced many important updates making it easier to update ads within their mobile app. These tools allow users to create texts for ads, check it against the company’s policies, use templates, insert stickers, add shapes including the business’s logo and adjust the color of the ad.

Facebook Will Start Pulling Down Fake News That Could Incite Violence

Facebook will start removing posts that are inaccurate and false in the wake of recently being accused of inciting violence in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Initially, Facebook will work with outside organizations to identify posts only affecting these two countries, but if the program is successful, then it could be expanded.

YouTube Shows Searchable Hashtags Above Video Titles 

YouTube Shows Searchable Hashtags Above Video Titles

People watching YouTube videos on Android devices and in web browsers can now click on hashtags to be shown search results for related videos. The option is not yet available for users of iOS devices.

Instagram Shows Users When Friends Are Online 

Instagram Shows Users When Friends Are Online

Users of Instagram can now see which of their friends is currently logged onto the platform. People will only be able to see people that have followed them back or that they have direct messaged. Users will have the option of turning this notification off.

Internet Marketing-Related Tech

Google Assistant Gets More Helpful 

Google Assistant gets more helpful

Google Assitant has just announced a number of new features including placing your daily tasks to the front of your phone, see your agenda, personalized reminders, entertainment and food reservations and a ton more. It now performs over 1 million tasks and can import data from your programs like Google Keep, Any.do, Bring! and Todoist. Most importantly, however, Google Assistant can help you remember where you parked.

Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Twitter Partner for Ambitious new Data Project 

While most platforms offer some form of data-download tool, companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter are working together to create ways to make it easier for users to share data between platforms without having to do so.

Best Opinion Pieces

A Beginner’s Guide to SEO in a Machine Learning World 

A Beginner’s Guide to SEO in a Machine Learning World

SEO is changing because of Google’s ability to gather data, interpret it and react to it. Read about the impact of machine learning on SEO in the latest piece by Beanstalk’s Dave Davies over on Search Engine Journal.

How Important Is an H1 Tag for SEO? 

Historically the H1 tag was the biggest text on your page, and told viewers instantly what the page is about like the title of a book. This all changed with style sheets. Jenny Halasz explores how important they are today.