Welcome to episode #73 of the SEO Newsletter by #SEOSLY!
AI war is in full swing and you are probably fed up with AI news, so in this episode, I am only sharing SEO news with no mention of ChatGPT, Bard, Bing Bot, or AI in any form.
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The SEO Newsletter by #SEOSLYis sponsored by JetOctopus
JetOctopus is a cloud-based website crawler and SEO log analyzer. The tool allows you to analyze your website structure, check for broken links, detect technical SEO issues, and monitor your website’s ranking in search engines.
JetOctopus is the fastest and most affordable SaaS crawler and logs analyzer without limits.
SEO X-Ray: Bi-Weekly Live SEO Audits By Olga Zarr
I want to invite you to check out the new bi-weekly series of live SEO audits – SEO X-Ray – on my YouTube SEO channel. Every Tuesday and Thursday, I publish a video audit of a website I haven’t seen before. I am auditing the site as I am recording. It’s going to be a lot of fun both for you and me!
Here is the latest SEO X-Ray audit from today.
Top SEO news
Here is the latest and hottest SEO news.
Google updates now in the Search Status Dashboard
The status.search.google.com website now displays updates from Google that reveal possible problems related to crawling, indexing, ranking, and serving.
Google March 2023 broad core update done rolling out
The Google March 2023 broad core update that started rolling out on March 15, 2023, is now officially done rolling out. The update took 13 days to roll out, beginning on March 15, 2023, and ending on March 28, 2023.
JavaScript at Google [Search Off the Record]
In this episode of Search Off the Record, Googlers Edu Pereda and Pascal Birchler join Martin Splitt to chat in-depth about programming languages, JavaScript and TypeScript. This is really geeky stuff.
Google Search Console Adds If embedURL Page Uses indexifembedded
Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool has been updated to detect whether the embedURL page of a video uses the newer indexifembedded robots tag. This tag enables Google to index the content of a page that is embedded in another page using iframes or similar HTML tags, even if the page contains a noindex rule.
Google Search Console Core Web Vitals Report Update
On March 27, 2023, Google made an update to the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console. This update could have caused a modification in the count of URLs displayed in your report. Google explained that more URLs are now being reported because of a new origin group that includes data for URLs that didn’t meet the previous data threshold. A small indicator in the report should notify you of this update.
Google Search Console breaks out Merchant listings and Product snippets appearances
Google has separated the reporting of merchant listings and product snippets into two distinct views that can be filtered in the performance reports of Google Search Console. This separation was also implemented in the Merchant listings and product snippet reports that were introduced by Google in September of the previous year.
Five new ways to verify info with Google Search
Google Search aims to help users find high-quality information quickly and easily by providing access to diverse and credible sources. To assist users in their fact-checking efforts, Google has introduced features that help users evaluate information and understand where it comes from. With the About this result feature, users can access additional information about a search result to make informed decisions about the sites they visit and the information they rely on.
The new Bing making (small) gains on Google Search
Bing has experienced a 15.8% increase in page visits, making it a more significant source of referral for certain publishers. The article also suggests that Microsoft may have gained ground on Google in the AI search engine race due to the success of the new Bing. Microsoft reported that one-third of preview users were new to Bing, and the platform surpassed 100 million daily active users after the introduction of the new preview.
Check my latest guides on SEO auditing
Here are the latest guides from the SEOSLY blog:
- Questions to ask before an SEO audit (questions both for auditors and people looking to hire an SEO auditor)
- Benefits of an SEO audit (44 examples of what benefits an SEO audit can bring to a business)
- How to migrate without losing traffic (a must-read if you are preparing for website migration)
- How To Detect & Fix Keyword Cannibalization (+ video)
- How To Audit Page Headings (+ video)
- How To Audit An XML Sitemap (+ video)
Latest SEO interviews
SEO Cash Flow #3: Client calls. Do we even need them?
In this video, together with Myriam Jessier, we dive into the world of meetings – the good, the bad, and the unnecessary. We share our experiences and discuss how to optimize and prioritize meetings for a more productive workflow. Join us as we uncover tips and tricks to help you regain control of your schedule and work-life balance!
“If you don’t understand why you’re doing it, don’t do it. ” Interview w/ Mark A Preston
In this video, I have a thought-provoking conversation with Mark A Preston – Straight-Talking SEO Trainer, Speaker & Advisor.
How to get started with an SEO site audit
Check my latest contribution to the Wix SEO Hub where I talked about how you can get started with an SEO audit.
Top SEO Tips
And here are the SEO tips for you.
#1: URLs Excluded By Robots.txt Aren’t Removed Until URLs Are Individually Reprocessed
John Mueller recently provided clarification on the process of removal or exclusion requests made in a website’s robots.txt file. The requests are not immediately actioned by Google when a change is detected in the robots.txt file. Instead, Google processes the robots.txt file first, then reprocesses the specific URLs that are affected by the change before taking any action on the exclusion request.
#2: Google Might Not Fully Render A News Article Before Showing It In Search
Gary Illyes of Google mentioned that there are instances when Google may not completely render a page before displaying it in Google Search or News, depending on the content’s relevance and urgency. This does not mean that Google won’t eventually render the page fully, but in cases of breaking news, Google might need to show it in search results within minutes of publication and come back to render the page later for better understanding.
Videos to watch this week
You don’t want to miss any of these videos from other brilliant SEOs either. I know, some of them have info about ChatGPT and AI. LOL.
Bard, GPT-4, and Google – The SEO Weekly – Episode 59
In this week’s episode, Garrett Sussman covers more GPT-4, Bard’s release into the wild, and how the Verge games Google with a fake product review.
Unveiling the Secrets of AI, NLP, ChatGPT, and ML
An awesome deep dive into AI, NLP, ChatGPT, and ML with Britney Muller.
Barry Schwartz 📰 Start Your Own SEO Publisher Site
A great interview with Barry Schwartz on the SEO Video Show. You don’t want to miss this one.
Other articles & resources to read
And you need to allocate some time to read these articles from other SEOs. They are brilliant.
Countdown to GA4: 100 days to make the switch
Businesses should be preparing to transition from Google Analytics Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), with only 100 days left until the official retirement of UA. Steve Ganem, Director of Product for Google Analytics, provides important insights into the benefits, challenges, and steps to ensure a smooth transition in a Q&A session.
SEO in 2013, 2023, and 2033 – The More Things Change… [presentation]
Slides from Barry Adams’ talk at Friends of Search 2023 where he looked back at the past 10 years of search and SEO, and made some predictions about where the industry is heading in the next decade.
How to Create Dynamic Schema With Google Tag Manager
This guide by Brian Gorman (Go Fish) will show you how to create a schema code template, insert variables into that template, replace those variables with information from the page, and add the schema code to any number of pages using Google Tag Manager.
Blending Search Console and internal data inside Looker Studio
Search Console provides data on website performance, which can be accessed on Looker Studio to build dashboards for monitoring and analyzing performance. By combining data sources, such as technical and business information, users can gain a better understanding of what contributes to their results, and Looker Studio’s data blending functionality enables the creation of charts, tables, and controls based on multiple sources, including Search Console.
SEO and Tech Resources by Crystal Carter
Some of the SEO industry’s most brilliant resources, tools, and communities have been created by women and non-binary folks. Along with driving innovation and growth, women are actively supporting one another to increase the presence of women in SEO, web development, and other STEM careers.
Do you really need tools to do SEO?
A great contribution to the Wix SEO Hub by Geoff Kennedy. While specialized tools are not necessarily needed for SEO, they can be helpful in optimizing page copy, adding internal links, and building backlinks more efficiently. However, tools can also be a distraction and may result in over-reliance. It is important to weigh the pros and cons and determine which tasks require a tool for technical analysis, and which can be accomplished through an understanding of SEO principles.
The elements of advanced site migrations for SEO
Another great Wix SEO Hub contribution (by Chris Green) with advanced stuff about migrations like content auditing, mapping keywords and content, 301 redirect mapping, tech SEO checks, and reporting and benchmarking.
Server-Side Rendering: The Pros & Cons To Consider For SEO
Server-side rendering is where your site’s content is rendered on the web server rather than the browser. Read about how the server-side process works, and its advantages and disadvantages. By Dan Taylor on SEJ.
How to Remove a Negative Google Review (This Works!)
Darren Shaw discusses the process of removing negative Google reviews, which is a common concern among business owners with Google Business Profiles. He highlights two methods of removal – the traditional approach of reporting the review by clicking on “…” and using Google’s dedicated form for reporting reviews. He provides a step-by-step guide for using the new tool and offers some tips on review reporting in the video.
People Are More Important Than Money, by Greg Gifford
Digital marketing agencies often neglect to prioritize their employees despite being unable to function without them. Greg Gifford argues that the commoditization of digital marketers has led to a lack of empathy and understanding from the top-down, and offers advice on how to shift one’s mindset to better prioritize employees.
13 Local Search Developments You Need to Know About from Q1 2023
The article introduces the continuation of the quarterly review series for local search, which has received a warm reception from readers. The author discusses the most interesting new developments in local search during the first quarter of 2023.
SEO Twitter nuggets
And before we end, here are a few Twitter nuggets for you.
Thank you for reading my newsletter! I hope you found the information useful. If you enjoyed this issue, be sure to check out the next one next week.
