SearchCap: Google Assistant ups its game, SMX East, SEO traffic projections & more

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.

From Search Engine Land:

• How to project SEO traffic levels and avoid saying, ‘It depends’
  Jul 18, 2018 by Simon Heseltine
  Establishing a baseline and understanding historical trends helps forecast traffic trends and alerts you when traffic changes. Contributor Simon Heseltine lists steps you can take to predict incoming traffic and changes to your site.
• SEO & SEM experts are coming to NYC! Are you?
  Jul 18, 2018 by Search Engine Land
  Search marketing has never been more important… or more complex. Staying on top of all the new tools, technologies and trends is a huge challenge. Attend SMX® East October 24-25 in New York City and get up to speed on the new search console, aligning your customer journey, mobile, AMP, voice and analytics.
• Google may notify you when your local business listing goes live in Google Maps & Search
  Jul 18, 2018 by Barry Schwartz
  A new notification from Google My Business will tell businesses when their local listings go live.
• Google tests location tab for hotel knowledge panels
  Jul 18, 2018 by Barry Schwartz
  Need help finding a great hotel based on what you can do near that hotel? Google is testing a location tab that shows you just that.
• Kurt Masur, the German conductor, gets a Google doodle
  Jul 18, 2018 by Barry Schwartz
  Google logo honors one of the last old-style maestros, Kurt Masur.
• Google Assistant gets more helpful
  Jul 17, 2018 by Chris Sherman
  The Google Assistant app now offers a new visual overview of your day, with proactive suggestions and personalized information.

Recent Headlines From Marketing Land, Our Sister Site Dedicated To Internet Marketing:

• Looking to grow into a C-level leadership role? Focus on e-commerce.
  Jul 18, 2018 by Andrew Waber
  Contributor Andrew Waber suggests marketers looking for a senior leadership role should address the gaps and opportunities present in their e-commerce practice as a way to stand out.
• SEO & SEM experts are coming to NYC! Are you?
  Jul 18, 2018 by Marketing Land
  Search marketing has never been more important… or more complex. Staying on top of all the new tools, technologies and trends is a huge challenge. Attend SMX® East October 24-25 in New York City and get up to speed on the new search console, aligning your customer journey, mobile, AMP, voice and analytics.
• Why the local search marketplace would benefit from a super-app
  Jul 18, 2018 by Wesley Young
  Contributor Wesley Young looks at how WeChat works, what the chances are of a similar app development here in the US and what integrated interfaces could mean for local search marketers.
• Oracle Responsys launches first SMS aggregator marketplace
  Jul 18, 2018 by Barry Levine
  Now, marketers can select from hundreds of aggregators, covering every territory.
• Google hit with largest-ever $5 billion antitrust penalty in Android case
  Jul 18, 2018 by Greg Sterling
  The fine could have reached $11 billion, according to EU regulation guidelines.
• How to be proactive and prevent a negative SEO campaign — Part 3
  Jul 18, 2018 by Joe Sinkwitz
  There is no such thing as being negative SEO-proof, says contributor Joe Sinkwitz. All you can do is take steps to lessen the probability of becoming a victim. Here’s how to reduce attack vectors and protect your site.
• Ask an SMXpert – Google Tag Manager
  Jul 18, 2018 by Debra Mastaler
  SMXperts Stephanie Wallace and Tom Bennet answer questions on how Google Tag Manager works, its key benefits and why you should be using it.
• Google My Business listings: 5 frequently asked questions
  Jul 18, 2018 by Sherry Bonelli
  GMB has a handful of new features and some best-practice confusion. Contributor Sherry Bonelli clears things up and answers five frequently asked questions on fake reviews, random people changing your listing and more.

Search News From Around The Web:

• How to SEO New Websites, Kaiserthesage
• Structured Data Homework, Technical SEO
• The Evolution and Expansion of Google’s Featured Snippets, Search Engine People
• AI Strategy: America Needs One. Just Ask Google., National Review
• Bing Ads Adds Security Badge Annotations to Search Results, The SEM Post
• How to Calculate Your Own Click-Through Rate, Seer Interactive
• How to Detect and Verify Search Engine Crawlers, Elephate

About The Author

Debra Mastaler

Debra Mastaler is Features Editor at Search Engine Land. She is an internationally recognized authority on link building and is an OMCP Certified Link Building Trainer. Based in Washington DC, Debra is also a columnist for Search Engine Land, has written for or been featured in numerous tech publications and is active on the search marketing conference circuit as a speaker and trainer. Debra serves as a judge for the Landy Awards and is the President of Alliance-Link.com. Connect with Debra on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay in touch.