Google on how it ranks search results and prevents obvious spam
Don't focus on one or two specific signals, make your site is better overall says Google.
Topic: HTTPS
Google’s help guide on redirects and Google Search updated
This document has been updated to show you how various forms of redirects impact your site's performance in Google Search.
Google Search Console adds Page Experience report and filters for Search Performance report
These new reports give us more information to prepare for the new timeline for the page experience update rollout.
New EU regulations compel more transparency for search rankings
Guidelines seek disclosure of major ranking factors by Google, Amazon.
How to audit sites inside corporate networks
Turn private (VPN required) URLs into temporary ones that allow for page changes but hide the content to preserve its privacy.
How Switching To HTTPS Helps Your SEO
Why are some sites HTTP and some sites HTTPS? If that’s a question you’ve ever asked yourself, then there are some fundamental things you need to know about the internet. Simply put, the S in HTTPS stands for secure and means that a site has a security certificate (more on that below). Back in 2017 […]
Chapter 3: Site Architecture & Search Engine Success Factors
The next major on-page group in the Periodic Table of SEO Factors is site architecture. It plays a critical role in SEO effectiveness. These factors affect the findability and usability of your site. Good architecture makes content easier for search engines and users to access and navigate. Take the following architectural factors into account as […]
Google selects canonical URLs based on your site and user preference
If a different URL is chosen, it doesn’t negatively affect your site.
How to spin a bad site migration into higher traffic and conversions
A look at Merkle's Search Engine Land Award-winning campaign to help a new client remedy replatforming problems, regain rankings and revenue.
PWA: How to avoid partial rendering issues with service workers
When there are issues rendering pages server side to prevent correct rendering, the content can have discrepancies shown to end users (or search bots).
Nearly half of users have a bad reaction to ‘not secure’ browser warning, survey finds
With few exceptions, brands suffered diminished credibility in UK study.
Google shares tips for success in Google News search results
Get reacquainted with best practices for getting your content in Google News.
Google launches portal to help developers build modern web sites
A new Google tool at web.dev measures your site's performance as well as its compliance with standards for progressive web apps, best practices, accessibility and SEO.
Google Chrome now shows search result answers in the omnibox by default
Chrome 69, Google's latest browser version, also removes the green label for HTTPS URLs.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is not some complicated form of digital marketing witchcraft. SEO means making Search Engines such as Google like your webpage the most for a search. The reason we include a guide to SEO on a website about Online Advertising is twofold. If you are running paid search ads, then studies have shown that they perform […]
Google Search Console query reports now exclude ‘anonymous query’ data from chart totals
When applying a query filter to reporting in Google Search Console, anonymous queries will be removed from click and impression totals.
SearchCap: Ask an SMXpert, Google HTTPS site migration, GSC news & 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: Report shows YouTube and Google video ranking algorithms differ widely Aug 22, 2018 by Barry Schwartz A new report shows that there’s little correlation between ranking well in YouTube search and […]
When migrating from HTTP to HTTPS, Google says to use 301 redirects
Don't get fancy with your HTTPS site migration. Keep it simple and consistent, and use 301 redirects, says Google.
How to increase your PageSpeed in WordPress
With over 59% of websites using WordPress as a CMS, optimizing them to load quickly is a good idea. Contributor Dave Davies walks through key steps and shows how to optimize a WordPress site for Google PageSpeed.
SearchCap: Chrome and HTTP will not mix tomorrow, Google hotel search results & 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: Tomorrow, Chrome starts telling users HTTP sites are not secure Jul 23, 2018 by Barry Schwartz Is your site using HTTPS yet? Google is releasing Chrome 68 that will begin marking […]
Chrome starts telling users HTTP sites are not secure
Is your site using HTTPS yet? Google is releasing Chrome 68 that will begin marking pages not using HTTPS URLs as not secure.
SearchCap: SMX East agenda, Google Marketing Live recaps, Bing Ads & 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: Check out the new SMX East agenda Jul 10, 2018 by Search Engine Land Now more than ever, it’s important to stay on top of the latest changes in search marketing. […]
Bing Ads recommends updating final ad URLs to HTTPS if supported
With the Chrome update this month, now is a good time to change your final ad URLs if your site supports the HTTPS protocol.
SearchCap: Bing Ads Editor, Chrome HTTPS, HomePod & Google Home
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Report: Google Home making gains on Alexa, Apple HomePod in 4th placeMay 18, 2018 by Greg Sterling Even if Apple’s smart speaker sales don’t grow, they could still generate $800 million […]
Google’s Chrome browser to drop secure label for all HTTPS sites
In addition, Chrome will mark all HTTP web sites as not secure.
AdWords sets parallel tracking deadline & will warn advertisers using HTTP landing pages
Advertisers using third-party click measurement systems need to prepare for parallel tracking. AdWords will automatically redirect some HTTP ad clicks to HTTPS landing pages.
Study: 11 voice search ranking factors analyzed
Some of the findings confirm and some upend conventional wisdom.
SearchCap: India fines Google, Bing Webmaster Tools login & Chrome on HTTP
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Effective July 2018, Google’s Chrome browser will mark non-HTTPS sites as ‘not secure’Feb 8, 2018 by Michelle Robbins After years of pushing for ‘secure by default’ web sites, Google will identify […]
Effective July 2018, Google’s Chrome browser will mark non-HTTPS sites as ‘not secure’
After years of pushing for 'secure by default' web sites, Google will identify insecure sites in the Chrome browser beginning mid-Summer.
Google confirms mid-December search ranking algorithm updates
As the updates continue to roll out, early indications suggest disruptions in mobile SERPs, sites with no schema data & those relying on doorway pages being most impacted
SEO Ranking Factors in 2017: What’s Important and What’s Not
What are the most crucial search engine ranking factors these days? Panelists at SMX East discussed their findings and provided practical advice for putting this data into action.
SearchCap: Google’s new flexible sampling, paywall schema & HTTPS migrations
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: First Click Free is over, being replaced by Flexible SamplingOct 2, 2017 by Greg Sterling Google is rolling out a suite of tools to help news publishers drive more subscription […]
SearchCap: Google chrome warnings, Facebook marketplace & SEO data
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 emails warnings to webmasters that Chrome will mark http pages with forms as ‘not secure’Aug 18, 2017 by Barry Schwartz Have forms, login fields and other input sections on your […]
Google emails warnings to webmasters that Chrome will mark http pages with forms as ‘not secure’
Have forms, login fields and other input sections on your HTTP website? Chrome is going to mark them as not secure.
SMX Advanced keynote: Google explains mobile-first, featured snippets data & more
Google's Gary Illyes sits down with Search Engine Land's founding editor, Danny Sullivan, for a keynote conversation covering a wide range of Google- and SEO-related topics.
SearchCap: Google authority score, hotel reviews & Bing image backstory
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 Google assesses the ‘authority’ of web pagesMay 3, 2017 by Danny Sullivan Google has no single authority metric but rather uses a bucket of signals to determine authority on a […]
Google’s Chrome will add new ‘Not secure’ warnings later this year
Have a search box or form on your website that runs over HTTP? You might want to switch your pages over to HTTPS by October.
SearchCap: Bing Shopping feeds, Google HTTPS & local SEO
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: 4 ways brands are losing store traffic — and how to use location marketing strategies to reverse courseApr 24, 2017 by Wesley Young Many national franchise stores are failing to appear […]
Moz report: 50% of page one search results are HTTPS
Based on the trend of sites switching to HTTPS and what is ranking in Google, we may see 70% of the page one results going to HTTPS by the end of 2017.
SearchCap: Amit Singhal joins Uber, Google AMP carousels & 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: Former Google search chief Amit Singhal joins Uber Jan 20, 2017 by Danny Sullivan Singhal will become a senior vice president of engineering, overseeing Uber’s Maps & Marketplace departments. Google AMP […]