Fibre Marketing

Category: Google

Google’s Latest Design of Search Engine Results Pages

Posted on by Chloe

You are probably already aware that Google make regular minor changes that affect the design of search result pages. This includes several small changes to the font and size of ads over the years. However, last week Google announced that they have made a major change to the design of mobile search results and ads. Google state that the design update aims to put “website’s branding front and center” so that web users “better understand where the information is coming from”. The new layout should also create a more streamlined design on search engine result pages. With this in mind, here’s everything you need to know about Google’s new update.

What are the changes?

Black ad sign

The green ads sign has been replaced with bold, black text. This may seem minor, however it could have a significant impact on search results as it helps ads to blend in with the rest of the search results and appear more like organic content.

Name of the site

With the new design, the site name and information appears next to the favicon in search results. Prior to the update, the name of the site appeared in smaller green text below the title and there were no logos or images present. This helps search users to understand where their information is coming from.

No grey line

Previously, ads stood out from the rest of the search results and were easily recognisable. For example, back in 2013 Google ads were displayed in a single block with a coloured background, clearly separate from other result types. More recently, ads and organic search results were  differentiated by the presence a grey line, but Google has now removed this to give each result a more singular look.

Google SERP

 

Image from Twitter

Presence of a favicon

The new design layout takes a brand-first approach and the site’s favicon will now appear at the top of the search result. This means that the user will be able to instantly see where the information is coming from. This is an important feature as it will help you in building an online brand.

These changes mean that organic and paid results will appear more similar on search result pages. The new design also brings some branding to search results and allows users to get quick information on the businesses and sites included in their search results.

Do I have to have a favicon?

A favicon is essentially a small icon that can be associated with your site. Previously, they would only usually be seen in the address bar of a browser, or next to a bookmark for your site. However, with Google’s new update, having a favicon is more important as they will be displayed next to search results. Not having a favicon may affect how your business appears to consumers and have a negative effect on traffic to your site. Your favicon should act as a visual representation of your business and brand, and it needs to the correct size and format so that it can be supported. There are plenty of free tools available online that can convert a standard image into a favicon file. Check Google’s guidelines for more information.

Will the changes increase traffic?

The most notable benefit of Google’s new update is that it helps ads appear more like organic search results. This may help improve click through rates and traffic to paid search result pages. Although it may be too early to notice any impact yet, it is definitely worth monitoring your click through rates on both organic pages and paid results to check for any changes. Another benefit of the new design, is that it provides users with details on where their search results are coming from, so they can get instant information on your site and business. This will help build brand awareness and make your business more recognisable to people. Consumers are far more likely to buy from your business if they know and trust it. For that reason, the new update could help to improve organic traffic to your site, leading to more conversions and an increase in revenue.

Final thought

Overall, the changes have created a more streamlined design to search result pages. It is too early to say whether Google’s new update will improve traffic to paid search results. However, re-designing ads to appear more similar to organic search results, will certainly make it harder for consumers to differentiate between the two. It is important for all marketers and site owners to monitor the potential impact on traffic from Google mobile search, in response to the new updates.

Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines: What They Mean

Posted on by Chloe

The Quality Raters Guidelines (QRG) are intended to help the team of Quality Raters that work for Google to assess the quality of websites. It makes sense that updates to the QRG are important as the Quality Raters help Google engineers to understand whether changes they make to the algorithms will work as intended.

This is why, in the past, updates to the QRG have been reflected in Google algorithm updates that have followed. For instance, after the QRG was last updated, in July 2018, relevant algorithm updates seemed to follow with the Google Medic Update of August 2018 and the following update in September. These updates centred around the “safety of users”. So, what can we learn from the latest QRG update that might help us to predict future Google algorithm changes?

Interstitial ads

It’s no secret that Google does not have much love for interstitial ads, especially when they are used on mobile content. These full screen ads that pop-up during the flow of an app are especially disliked by Google when they are displayed at the start of the user experience.

In the latest QRG update, Google has added the phrase “interstitial page” when discussing ease of access for users. This is interesting as Google already has an algorithm that deals with sites that use interstitial ads immediately as users arrive on a page.

It could be that the use of the phrase is intended to clarify the situation regarding interstitial ads, with Quality Raters.

E-A-T, how formal does expertise need to be?

Expertise, Authority and Trust (E-A-T) are factors that Google uses when it measures the trust that can be placed in a website or the brand it represents.

There has always been a question about how formal expertise needs to be. For instance, does an individual or brand need to have qualifications in order to be considered an expert in a specific area? In some cases, such as when medical advice is being given, qualifications are important.

However, in the latest QRG update Google suggests that a medium rating should be given to creators of content who display expertise that is not formal. This change is probably more to do with better evaluating E-A-T than a suggestion that the importance of E-A-T is being reduced.

It could be that Google is recognising that not all experience is best gauged by professional qualifications. This could mean that people who have in-depth expertise as an amateur will rank better in the future.

Authority of brand and content

We all know that authority of brand and authority of content are not always the same thing. Some content that is not of a particularly high standard seems to still be able to rank highly if it’s produced by an authoritative brand.

Interestingly, at one point in the updated QRG Google refers to the authority of a brand “making the information on this page highly authoritative”, rather than suggesting that the information on the page is authoritative in its own right.

This could seem to suggest that the authority of the brand itself can be seen to make content authoritative. This can make it difficult for content creators to compete for position in search results against the big brands. It means that expectations need to be considered when trying to compete for certain keywords and phrases.

Emphasis on the quality of pages

One interesting change that is noticeable in the latest QRG update is that the phrase “page quality” has replaced the E-A-T acronym on several occasions. While it’s obvious that E-A-T still has huge importance, it seems as though there is a move towards assessing the quality of individual pages. This is different from the previous emphasis on assessing the E-A-T of a website and of its author.

The impact of the QRG update on future algorithm changes

While it’s not possible for anyone to predict the precise effect that the QRG changes may have on future Google algorithm changes, it is possible to suggest what the effect may be.

The biggest change that could be coming is an increased emphasis on page quality. While E-A-T is not going away it could be that sites that have found a way to be valuable in other ways will rank higher than they do now.

It will be interesting to see if and when this happens.

A Guide to Featured Snippets

Posted on by Chloe

 

A Google snippet or featured snippet is a small summary of your website on the Google results page. It offers small segments of detailed information with the aim of helping a Google user choose if he or she should visit your website. It is programmatically chosen from your web pages. If you are wanting to land a featured snippet, you’ll have to optimise your content, conduct some keyword research and answer the questions that your target audience are looking for.

Where Are Google Snippets Coming From?

Information is extracted from what a reader sees on your web page. If the Google algorithm indicates that your website offers an answer for a Google user’s question, then the answer  will be presented on the featured snippet.

The snippet shows directly under the paid ads, but before the rest of the search results on the SERP (search engine results page).

The snippets come in a range of formats:

  • Paragraph
  • List
  • Table
  • Video

Is There Anything I Can Do To Affect Snippets?

There is nothing you can do besides offer a suitable level of information or content on your web pages. For example, if your web page has a single image and a single line of text, then there is not very much for the website to go on.

To optimise your content for featured snippets, there are many things you can do. But it all comes down to content.

  • Keep your content concise. And make sure it’s quite specific as well. Add bullet points or short paragraphs (the average length of a paragraph snippet is 45 words), as these will help user retention.
  • Answer the questions that people are asking. Your content needs to provide the information that they are looking for, so do your research (the ‘People also ask’ tab on SERPs are useful for this) and lay out the answers searchers want on your page.
  • Do your keyword research. Try and fit a range of keywords with a decent search volume into your content – just make sure you don’t spam, else you’ll likely be penalised by Google. It would also help if your keyword research included a mix, such as long-tail keywords and questions.

Are there any search terms that usually give featured snippets?

There are so many search terms that generate featured snippets. While many are questions, a few short searches do frequently show them as well, such as ‘definition,’ ‘vs,’ and ‘recipe.’

Build an Online Brand

If you want your website message and your Google snippets messages to match up, then simply brand your website correctly. If your website is not sending mixed messages, then your Google snippets will not transmit mixed messages. There is nothing wrong with website wackiness, but do not break or bend your brand principles. If you make a claim, then live up to that claim consistently and your online brand will hold.

Site Indexing: What is it, and why does it matter?

Posted on by Chloe

The main aim of any business website is to attract interest in the brand. From this interest, sales  of products and services can be increased. This is why creating a business website that works is so important. It’s your way of establishing a global shop window, where people can see what your business has to offer.

Establishing a website is not the full story though. If your website is not indexed by Google, it will not appear in search results, where you want it to be. As we recently reported, there has been a recent issue with sites dropping out of the index due to a bug. This has led to problems for businesses who have missed out on potential custom as a result. Although this recent issue is a glitch that is being resolved, it’s possible to have ongoing issues with indexing if you do not have a proper understanding of how important it is.

What is site indexing?

It’s important that you have an understanding of site indexing, in order to realise how vital it can be for your business. The process of indexing involves Google searching the web for pages to be added to the Google Index. It’s this index that is used to produce results when searches are made online.

Websites need to be structured correctly, in order to be indexed and to appear in search results. This means that there needs to be an efficient sitemap in place and that tags need to be correctly added to enable Google bots to find the content and index the page correctly.

Why is site indexing important for your business?

Knowing what site indexing means, you should be able to get an idea of why it’s so important. In order for your business to show up in search results, the pages of your website need to be indexed. Any pages that are not indexed are not available to be presented in search results. The pages exist but no-one can find them, so they are not of much use.

You need to make it as easy as possible for Google to find your online content so that all of the information contained on your website is added to the index.

Keeping check on your index status

As can be seen from the recent issues caused by a bug, just because your website pages are added to the Google Index, this does not mean they will always remain there. The recent problem was a temporary one, but there can be issues which cause your pages to drop from the index more permanently. If you do not realise that this has happened, you may be wondering why traffic to your website has dropped.

You can check on the current index status of your pages yourself. However, many businesses find it easier to get experts to do the work for them, giving them time to concentrate on the day to day running of the business.

The simple fact is that if the pages of your website drop from the Google Index, no-one is going to know that they exist. This makes monitoring the index status of pages a vital exercise.

As we mentioned at the start of this article, the main aim of having on online presence is for your website to attract people to your business. You want them to visit your site, and see all of the good content that is there; and you want them to go on to invest in your products or services. This is not going to happen if people do not know that your website exists, because it does not show up in search results. No matter how wonderful your website content is, it does not matter if the pages are not indexed. You need to make sure that it’s easy for Google to find, and navigate through, the pages of your website, so that they are added to the Index and can be produced in search results.

Brighton SEO 2019: Takeaways from John Mueller’s Q&A

Posted on by Chloe

Last week, Google’s own John Mueller was put in the firing line in front of a vast audience in Auditorium 1 at Brighton SEO last week (12th April 2019).

The session started as quite relaxed, with questions such as ‘What are your responsibilities as a webmaster trends analyst?’ and ‘What does success look like for the team?’ But after a few minutes, Hannah Smith began asking John about vital matters such as user data, the recent de-indexing bug, featured snippets and plenty more. Here are some of the key takeaways:

User Signals as a Ranking Factor

Hannah asked John if Google uses user data, such as clicks and bounce rates, as a ranking factor.

John answered that he doesn’t think they do, but instead they use them to analyse the algorithms in general. They’re just not part of the algorithm itself.

Google uses user signals to evaluate the quality of algorithms, seeing which trends are correct by observing where people click. John said that, for one specific search query, it could go in many different directions. So essentially, user data would be too noisy a signal, too easily spammed.

Clarity on the recent indexing bug

Carrying on from algorithm updates, Hannah also asked what exactly happened with the Google indexing bug, which recently caused the de-indexing of many websites. There has since been speculation that this was the result of an algorithm update gone wrong.

John responded that it was merely a technical issue that was not caused by an update. He also stated that when something goes wrong at Google, they try to make sure that it isn’t visible, but that isn’t always possible.

He confirmed that the issue is now resolved and that if any URLs are still not indexed, then you can submit them in Google Search Console.

Google’s Link Graph

Many major websites are now nofollowing all external links, a recent trend that does impact Google’s link graph, as John confirmed. He said that it’s a shame as it affects their ability to pick up new content.

However, he also stated that he understands that certain sites, such as news sites, see SEOs as a hassle, messaging them to add links. But, this kind of thinking isn’t so great for them, as links still play a role in finding useful content online.

The Role of Featured Snippets

SERP features, such as featured snippets, are valuable for websites, as if they are featured in a snippet, their site is highlighted and the traffic is sent to them. This is because the information in a snippet isn’t always complete, and so users click on that website to read the rest.

There have been some complaints that these snippets take clicks away from websites, as there are instances when the snippet presents the information that the user wants, and so they don’t need to carry on their search.

John stated that Google are not taking clicks away in these types of situations; all they are doing is helping the user find their desired information a lot faster.

The Role of Voice Search

The popularity of voice search is growing, and webmasters are now trying to optimise their sites for this. However, it can be tricky as there is so much that we don’t know.

John recommended purchasing a device with voice assistant, so that people can start to understand how it works. He also believes that if the content on your site is high-quality and easily accessible, there is no need to make any certain changes.

We had a fantastic time at Brighton SEO last week, and we cannot wait to return.

Google dropping pages out of the Search Index

Posted on by Chloe

It’s been reported that a Google bug is causing the removal of pages from the search index. Starting on Thursday 4th April, Google confirmed the bug on Saturday 6th, and as of the time of writing, (11th April), it is yet to be fully resolved.

Sites are seeing web pages being omitted from their index, thus not showing up in Google search results. This could have a huge impact for these websites, resulting in less traffic and therefore less e-commerce check outs, leads and conversions.

On Twitter, people have been asking what the issue is/was, but Google seemed to be avoiding the question:

Come Monday morning, the issue was still not resolved:

Google did also confirm that, while you can use the URL inspection tool to expedite pages, everything will be fixed by Google and we don’t necessarily need to do anything:

Hopefully, this issue will be resolved soon – has your site been affected?

This is not the first Google bug we’ve seen – a few months ago, a bug caused 14 Ads to show on mobile SERPs.

UPDATE: The issue has been resolved:

How to Optimise Your Google My Business Listing

Posted on by Chloe

Optimising your presence online is essential if you want your business to be as competitive as possible. Making sure that your Google My Business listing works as effectively as it should is a major part of this. It makes sense to use this vital tool to its full effect as it does not involve any financial expense to your business and it can help you to feature highly on Google Maps and in Google’s overall organic rankings.

You can choose to do all of the work to optimise your Google My Business listing yourself, or you can work with professionals. This can have benefits for you, as professionals have experience and expertise in working with tools such as Google My Business.

Whatever decision you make about dealing with the optimisation of your Google My Business listing, you need to know what is involved.

Make sure your Google My Business profile is complete

You need to remember that this is a device which is being used to help people find your business. This means that you need to include all important information in your profile. The information that should always be featured includes:

  • The address of your business.
  • Your phone number.
  • The hours that your business operates. Do not forget to include details of any special opening hours which may apply on bank holidays.
  • The operating category of your business, so that people know what you do.
  • A description of the role of your business.
  • How to find your premises.
  • How people can buy your products or pay for your services.

This is your opportunity to tell people about your business, so use it wisely.

Include photographs of your business

Google My Business listings that include photographs usually receive more click-throughs, and more other forms of contact. People like to see what your business look like. Make sure to include photographs that show the inside and outside of your premises.

When you are choosing photographs to use, it’s important to opt for quality and relevance. Do not just decide to use photographs that you already have, if they are not clear or do not accurately represent your business. Have some up to date photographs taken, that show people what your business is all about, and what they can expect when they visit.

Pay attention to your reviews

People can leave reviews on your Google My Business listing, and if these reviews are good, they can have a positive impact on your rankings. The best way to get good reviews is to make sure that you provide a high standard of service. Make sure that products are delivered on time and that services are carried out as promised. You also need to ensure that good customer service is at the centre of everything that you do.

Whether the reviews you receive are positive or not, you need to make sure that you respond to them. People like to feel that they are being listened to. Acknowledge people who are pleased with your service, and say thank you. If people have suggestions, say that you will take them on-board, or explain why it’s not possible to do so. If someone is unhappy with your service, say that you will contact them about the issue. The exact response you give will depend on the situation.

Keep your listing up to date

Once you have created your Google My Business listing, you need to make sure that it’s kept up to date, in order to ensure that it works as effectively as it should. If your address or telephone number changes, do not forget to make the change to your listing. Likewise, if you add to your services, tell people about it. Doing this work helps to make sure that your listing is optimised as all times.

Google My Business is an important tool to use, when it comes to advertising your business. It helps people who are looking for your products or services, in your area, to find you. Make sure that you include all of the relevant information about your business, including photographs. Once you have created your listing, do not forget to update it every time there is a change that people need to know about, in order to help them find your business.

Update for August 2019: 

Google are rolling out new features for Google My Business accounts. Click here to read what these entail and how they can benefit your business.

Google bug shows up to 14 ads on mobile search pages

Posted on by Chloe

If you follow us on Twitter, you would have seen that we recently posted a video showing a Google mobile SERP that features up to fourteen ads:

As you can see, there are four ads on the top of the page, followed by two organic listings.  Seven more ads appear followed by six organic listings, and then the page ends with three final ads. That’s twice as many ads than usual, and our video kick-started a backlash across Twitter.

We believed that this was another test by Google concerning its search engine results pages, only this one focused solely on mobile searches.

From what we have seen, the SERPs are not still like this, but the discussion on Twitter is still ongoing:

It has been predicted for a while that Google would push its Ads, and the founder of Moz, Rand Fishkin, recently reported that, in 2018, there had been a decline in click-through rates yet an increase in no-click searches. This statistic reflects how Google SERP features, such as Google Ads and Featured Snippets, are competing for clicks.

However, Google Ads responded to our tweet, confirming that it was, in fact, a bug and not a test:

While their reply has received some mixed responses, it is a relief to know that this is not likely to be the layout of mobile searches anytime soon.

See the rest of the Twitter discussion here.

Google displays ‘empty’ search pages to European users

Posted on by Chloe

Recently, Google shared screenshots of proposed search engine results pages that would display if the EU passes Articles 11 and 13 of the EU Copyright Directive. The search results appear empty, as if they have failed to load correctly, and only links are displayed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Image from Search Engine Land 

These types of results were then shown to European users, as discussed on Twitter:

 

The experiment was, according to Google, ‘to understand what the impact of the proposed EU Copyright Directive would be to our users and publisher partners.”

Two provisions that are part of this proposal are Articles 11 & 13. Article 11 would mean that Google and other search engines are required to pay licensing fees when displaying snippets of content. Article 13 requires certain platforms, such as Google and social media sites including Facebook and Twitter, to monitor content uploads for potential copyright infringement.

The full Twitter forum is below:

What is the new URL inspection tool from Google and how do you use it?

Posted on by Chloe

The latest announcement from Google is an exciting one for website owners who want to know what the Googlebots see when they crawl a specific URL. This is important information if you want to be able to correct problems with any of your website pages, so that you feature highly in search engine rankings and attract more traffic to your site.

It’s only a few months since Google released the beta version of its new Search Console . The URL inspection tool is a stand-out feature of this. The tool has only just been announced by Google, and is being rolled out to Search Console users over the coming months. What can you expect?

What does the URL inspection tool do?

Google has introduced the new tool to help you see how the pages of your website are indexed, and to enable you to identify any issues that need to be addressed. All you have to do is enter a URL that you own into the tool. You will then be able to see specific information about the indexing of that URL, and how this indexing has been achieved:

  • Last date on which the URL was crawled.
  • The status of the crawling.
  • Identified crawling or indexing errors.
  • Details of the canonical URL for the page.

The information you can see is in depth. You will be able to see any enhancements that Google identified on your page. This can include having an AMP (Accelerated Mobile Page) in place. You will also be able to see if your page has not been indexed and why this has happened. This information includes details of all URLs that have not been indexed for the same reason. This means that you can identify, and resolve, issues with several different pages of your website at the same time.

Why is it so important that your web pages are indexed?

You will probably be aware that a good web presence is an essential tool for any business. This is why you need to invest time and money in an effective content marketing strategy. The problem is that there is little point in making this investment if your website is not included in search results, so that it can attract traffic. This is what happens if your web pages are not indexed as they should be. There are several reasons for pages not being indexed.

Google cannot see the page

Google does not automatically see all new web pages that are created. If you create a new page, make sure that it links to other pages on your site, so that Google is more likely to identify it. You can also submit a new site map to Google using the Search Console, or even just tell Google that you have created a new page.

The Noindex attribute is in place

This attribute is normally used when you do not want Google to index a page for some reason. It can block Google from indexing a page if it’s still incorrectly in use. The attribute can be found in the header of a page or in a robots.txt file which is in the root directory. If you have any problems identifying the attribute, talk to your web designer.

You have been penalised by Google

There are certain black hat techniques that result in pages being de-indexed by Google. You may need to check that you are not using any of these techniques on any of your pages.

Your website has been compromised

If Google spots that your website has been hacked, or there are issues such as malware being present, it will block your page from being seen by web users, in order to protect them. You can use Webmaster Tools to check for any issues which may be present.

These are some of the most common reasons why web pages are not indexed.

You can see why it’s so important that each of your webpages is indexed. Using the URL inspection tool enables you to see if this is the case, and to identify problems. The tool has been released as the beta stage and will be rolled out to Search Console users over the coming months. As soon as you are able to access the tool, it’s a good idea to do so. You can keep check on the crawling and indexing of all of your web pages and help to ensure that you feature as highly as possible in search engine results.