This day in search marketing history: February 27
Google Panda Update 3.3 and Venice, plus: GSC domain properties, Google Scraper Report, XML sitemaps change and more.
Google Panda Update 3.3 and Venice
In 2012, Google confirmed the Panda Update 3.3 as well as a noteworthy change to local search rankings.
Panda 3.3 was a refresh of the Panda system, meaning none of the signals Panda looked at were new or had changed.
While Google Panda got the headlines at the time, there was some other noteworthy news about improvements to local search results, which Google referred to as “Venice”:
Improvements to ranking for local search results. [launch codename “Venice”] This improvement improves the triggering of Local Universal results by relying more on the ranking of our main search results as a signal.
And also this:
Improved local results. We launched a new system to find results from a user’s city more reliably. Now we’re better able to detect when both queries and documents are local to the user.
This turned out to be a significant local search update.
Google’s algorithm would essentially localize a user’s search results on broad queries that had local intent. This was entirely different from pre-Venice. Put more simply:
Where in the past a search such as ‘seo’ or ‘jacket’ would have simply returned Google’s non-local result set, now Google will include results specific to your location (whether you have actively set your location or not: Google will locate you based on your IP address).
Chris Liversidge, Why Google’s Venice Update Fundamentally Changes Global SEO
Read all about it in Google Confirms Panda 3.3 Update, Plus Changes To How It Evaluates Links, Local Search Rankings & Much More
Also on this day
Google Search local pack’s map is now interactive
2022: The new map let you zoom, pan, hover and click to see more details on the map.
Google Rich Results testing tool adds support for ‘How To’ markup for Google Home displays
2020: You could test your pages in real time to see how Google displayed your how-to pages on smart displays.
Yotpo taps Bazaarvoice Network for review distribution to retailer sites
2020: The move was intended to expand the reach of Yotpo-managed reviews content for retailers.
Google Search Console gives us domain properties to replace property sets
2019: This consolidated your http, https, www, non-www, m-dot, etc into a single property to get an aggregate view of your site’s performance and errors/warnings in a single property.
FTC busts Amazon seller for buying reviews
2019: Diet supplements company was buying fake reviews from a vendor Amazon itself had previously sued in 2016.
Startup helps small retailers get local inventory data online at POS
2019: Pointy offered a way to gain more SEO visibility and compete with Amazon.
German court: Google has no ‘duty to inspect’ websites for illegal content before displaying
2018: Google couldn’t be held liable before being notified of a ‘clearly recognizable violation’ of individual rights.
Law and reputation firms generate 21% of Right to Be Forgotten delistings, says Google
2018: Google report dug into three years’ worth of data on removal requests and exposed the delisting criteria.
Google local finder tests cards with horizontal scroll for map search results
2017: Google was testing a new format for their local search results on mobile when bringing up the Google Maps local finder.
Google Assistant to roll out across newer smartphones
2017: Google was rolling out the Google Assistant to more devices.
Bing UK now displaying National Health Service data for GP & hospital search queries
2017: Searching for nearby GPs and hospitals on Bing UK would surface information pulled from the country’s publicly-funded national healthcare system.
New Bing Ads Editor Version (10.7) Now Available
2015: Changes included some subtle but welcome usability updates and the ability to edit the text of keywords that already had been synced.
Search In Pics: Android Caveman, Google Ski Trip & Rope Logo
2015: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.
Someone Outranking You With Your Own Content? Use The New Google Scraper Report
2014: Without promising a fix, the tool asked people to share their original content URL, the URL of the content taken from them and the search results that triggered the outranking.
Google AdWords Smart Annotations Test Continues To Roll Out
2014: Smart Annotations automatically pulled information from an advertiser’s landing page in an additional line of text in their ads.
Google Yanks Fake FBI Listing From Google Maps, Puts New Blocks In Place To Stop Further Abuse
2014: A user took advantage of Map Maker to create fake FBI and Secret Service office listings using his own phone number, and even managed to intercept calls to both agencies.
Marin & DoubleClick Search Partner With Boost Media To Scale Ad Optimization
2014: Boost aimed to help marketers scale the taxing process of creating, testing and reporting on search and social ad creative.
Gmail Search Field Trial Adds Calendar Results To Google Search
2013: The idea was that if you do a search, you’ll see matching information from your calendar showing within Google’s search results, when it was relevant.
Privacy Vs Censorship: Google, Spanish Government Face Off In European Courts
2013: Google got the liability treatment of a “publisher” without the corresponding freedom of expression protections accorded to newspapers.
Google: 1 Billion People Will Use Mobile As Primary Internet Access Point In 2012
2012: Mobile search usage had nearly 100 percent penetration among smartphone owners, most of whom searched at least once a week.
Google Mobile Tests Large Black Menu Drop Down Bar
2012: Despite moving away from the large black navigation menu on the web, it seemed Google was testing that exact same version on mobile.
Google, Yahoo Both Fail At Moneyballing Oscar Predictions
2012: Overall, neither really got the winners right.
Admitting Role In Google Anti-Trust Complaints Microsoft Complains Of Google “Lock In”
2010: Microsoft essentially told Google “get over it.”
Google Still Working On Making Blog Search More Relevant
2009: Google said it would be conducting “visual experiments early next month” that would start with the link: queries and focus on “blogroll detectors” in the matching algorithm.
The Big List Of Search Engines & Their Employees On Twitter
2009: A starting list of who’s out there from the search engine world.
Search Biz: Google News Courting Legal Trouble?, Bold Predictions About Behavioral Ad Targeting & More
2009: Would the introduction of paid ads on Google News lead to legal issues for Google?
Search In Pictures: Google ViewMaster, Twitter & Yahoo Cake Spelling
2009: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.
Sitemaps.org Update: You Can Now Store Your XML Sitemap Files Anywhere!
2008: The major search engines announced that site owners could store their XML Sitemap files in any location – even on a different domain than the one referenced in the Sitemap.
EFF Sues DOJ Over Googler For Correspondence With Horvath
2008: The EFF wanted to know what was said between Google and Jane Horvath, a former US Justice Department privacy lawyer who now worked for Google.
Microsoft’s Chief Strategy Officer: “Google Owes Its Business To Us”
2008: “If we didn’t succeed at the PC, they wouldn’t have a business,” said Craig Mundie.
Yahoo’s Apex Preview: An Ambitious, Unified Ad Platform
2008: It attempted to knit all of Yahoo’s recent acquisitions and ad network properties together.
AdWords Editor 3.0 Available For Windows; Mac Version Coming In Weeks
2007: The AdWords Editor program was updated with extra features.
Search Engines Do Not Have To Display All Ads Says Court
2007: A complainer wanted to use search ads to air his gripes.
Finding Search Engine Freshness & Crawl Dates
2007: How, when and where Google, Microsoft Live Search, Ask.com and Yahoo showed crawl dates for pages.
Microsoft’s Ozzie Talks Of Google “Wake-Up Call,” Vertical Search Hopes
2007: A reprise of the “it’s early days” and search is just past its “first generation” comments we’ve heard from Microsoft execs many time before
Google Ink Sends Ask.com New Google Pen
2007: “We noted your suboptimal experience with our Google pen and are thus pleased to send you — at no charge — a replacement set.”
Happy Birthday, Flickr: Web 2.0 Pioneer Turns Three
2007: Flickr was in many ways the company that helped define “Web 2.0” and was its poster child for quite some time.
From Search Marketing Expo (SMX)
- Enterprise SEO Panel Preview For SMX West 2012
- Google Takes Top Prize At SMX Search Bowl (SMX West 2008)
- SMX West 2008 Day Two Coverage
Past contributions from Search Engine Land’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
These columns are a snapshot in time and have not been updated since publishing, unless noted. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.
- 2020: How SEOs can grow their talent, influence and impact by Jim Yu
- 2019: 3 ways to lower your Amazon advertising ACoS by Trevor George
- 2018: An easy way to see if Google thinks your webpages are keyword relevant by Eric Enge
- 2018: Can you predict what the future holds for your inbound links? by Julie Joyce
- 2017: Need to contact Google My Business support? Use Twitter! by Greg Gifford
- 2017: 5 ways you can improve your new business’s visibility on Google Maps by Wesley Young
- 2015: How I Lost My Clients Their #1 Ranking And Their Profits Exploded Overnight! by Stoney deGeyter
- 2015: What Can Businesses Do About The Knowledge Graph Dominating Search Results? by Nate Dame
- 2014: The Real Reason AdWords Isn’t Working For Many Small Businesses by Larry Kim
- 2014: 3 Simple Messaging Changes That Can Mean Big PPC Bucks by Mona Elesseily
- 2013: A Guide To Understanding Big Testing & Massively Parallel Marketing by Scott Brinker
- 2012: Are Check-Ins A Local Ranking Factor? by Chris Silver Smith
- 2012: 5 Ways To Give Your PPC Account A Kick In The Butt by Mona Elesseily
- 2012: How To Best Optimize Your Mobile Site For SEO by Bryson Meunier
- 2009: Finding The Right Balance Between Search Marketing & User Experience by Kim Krause Berg
- 2009: Paid Search’s Point of Diminishing Returns by Josh Dreller
- 2008: Leveraging Search To Meet B2B Challenges by Brian Kaminski
- 2008: Lessons Learned As An In-House SEO Consultant by Paul Bruemmer
- 2008: In-Depth With EveryZing Chief Revenue Officer Stephen Baker by Grant Crowell
- 2007: Social Media Not Converting? Put Down The Shotgun & Use A Rifle! by Cameron Olthuis
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About the author
Goodwin has been editing and writing about the latest developments and trends in search and digital marketing since 2007. He previously was Executive Editor of Search Engine Journal (from 2017 to 2022), managing editor of Momentology (from 2014-2016) and editor of Search Engine Watch (from 2007 to 2014). He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.