Google Search Console Difficulties, Google Ranking Volatility, Zero Click Study, Google Ads & More

Search Engine Roundtable Podcast

This week, I posted the monthly Google Webmaster report and we had more search ranking volatility over the weekend. Google Search Console had huge delays, which started to be fixed on July 3rd and seems to have caught up late last night. Google also said these delays have nothing to do with core updates and they are not documented on its Search Status Dashboard. Rand Fishkin posted an updated zero-click data study on Google. Reddit is not blocking Google Search, despite what you see in its robots.txt file. Gary Illyes from Google explained why soft 404s are bad. Microsoft added prompt injection to its Bing Webmaster Guidelines. Google is testing "current styles" search carousel. Google Merchant Center may use your conversion data. Google Local Service Ads now show in the mobile local business finder. Google Ads’s new brand controls won’t prevent your ads from showing random firms. Google Ads gained a new checkbox to specify if it has altered or synthetic content. Google Ads will allow fantasy sports and lottery courier ads in many states. Microsoft Advertising has a new Property Center and expanded lodging campaigns. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

Sponsored by BruceClay, who has been doing search marketing optimization since 1996 and also has an amazing SEO training platform.

0:00 - Introduction

0:47 - July 2024 Google Webmaster Report

1:17 - Google Search Ranking Volatility Over June 28th & 29th Weekend

1:51 - Google Search Console Working To Fix Search Performance Delays & Latency

2:30 - Google Search Console Performance Reports Catching Up But It's Not Done Yet

2:47 - Google Search Console Performance Reports All Caught Up

3:22 - Google Search Console Delays Is Not A Google Core Update

4:04 - Google Explains Why Search Console Reporting Delays Are Not In Search Status Dashboard

4:54 - Google Zero Click Study Now At 58.5% In 2024

5:51 - No - Reddit Is Not Blocking Google Search

6:40 - Google Explains Why Soft 404s Are Bad

7:10 - Prompt Injection Added To Bing Webmaster Guidelines

7:44 - Current Styles Google Search Carousel

8:00 - Google Merchant Center Conversion Data Usage Changes

8:32 - Google Local Service Ads Now On Mobile Local Business Finder

8:59 - Google Ads New Brand Exclusion Won't Prevent Your Ads For Showing For Random Firms

9:45 - Google Ads Gains New Checkbox: Altered Or Synthetic Content

10:40 - Google Ads To Allow Fantasy Sports & Lottery Couriers Ads In Many States

11:01 - Microsoft Advertising Property Center & Lodging Campaigns Expands

11:26 - Conclusion