SearchCap: Google snippets increase, Google local Q&A, local services on Google Assistant

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

From Search Engine Land:

• Google officially increases length of snippets in search results
  Dec 1, 2017 by Barry Schwartz

  Company says change is meant to provide more descriptive snippets.

• Merkle: Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales from Google paid search up by double digits YoY
  Dec 1, 2017 by Ginny Marvin

  Phone sales from search ads continue to play a significant role for retailers.

• Google Local Questions & Answers now rolling out to desktop search
  Dec 1, 2017 by Barry Schwartz

  Searchers and businesses can now search on desktop to add questions and answers to the new Google Q&A feature.

• 8 simple ways to utilize a blog to improve SEO results
  Dec 1, 2017 by Joe Goers

  Is your blog living up to its full potential? In this beginner-level how-to, columnist Joe Goers explains several ways to utilize your blog for SEO gains.

• Four brand-building activities that lay the foundation for SEO
  Dec 1, 2017 by Brian Weiss

  Columnist Brian Weiss explains why a strong brand is necessary to ensure that your SEO efforts can reach their full potential.

• Google brings local lead generation to Google Assistant and Google Home
  Dec 1, 2017 by Greg Sterling

  The company taps HomeAdvisor and Porch to provide local contractors through a multistep voice-driven interaction.

• Google facing $1 billion in potential liability with UK class action
  Dec 1, 2017 by Greg Sterling

  The case stems from bypassing the cookie-blocking settings on the iPhone’s Safari browser in 2012.

• Search in Pics: Light bulb cups, Google brain fixtures & crazy hat day
  Dec 1, 2017 by Barry Schwartz

  In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have and more. Google drinks from light bulb cups: Source: Instagram Front of the Google Chicago rooftop subway car: […]

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

• Swrve adds support for OTT TV apps
• The influence of affluence: How to leverage the ‘Affluencers’
• How the end of net neutrality could affect online marketing
• Pinterest ad boss Tim Kendall is leaving the company
• Instagram’s business profiles are being used by more than 25 million marketers
• SEO SWOT Analysis: Focus your efforts in areas that deliver results

Search News From Around The Web:

• Google Says Structured Data Should Match Visible Content, Search Engine Roundtable
• Does Google Rank Brands Artificially Higher?, SISTRIX
• Google Photos v3.10 adds text selection mode to Lens, prepares tool to remove obstructions from photos and videos [APK Teardown], Android Police
• Google Showing Personal Search Filter Tab To Some Users Again, Search Engine Roundtable
• Underscores, Optimization & Arms Races, Humane Tech – Medium
• White Hat vs Black Hat SEO: Which Hat Will You Wear, SEM Rush