Industry News

Google is testing a sticky sponsored label in the Google Search results as you scroll down the search results and scroll past various Google Ads. The sponsored labels disappear as you get to the organic/free listings and then reappear when you go back to those Google Ads.

Google's John Mueller recommended that you do not disallow your internal footer links. A Reddit thread asked, "Should I disallow some pages that are in footer?" John replied, "If you do this, future-you will be annoyed by the problems current-you is creating."

Today is the total solar eclipse and while we know about the neat Google Search solar eclipse easter egg, today, Google has a special Doodle for the total eclipse of 2024.

This has been shared around quite a bit over the past couple of weeks, but Anil Dash has written another[1] modern classic in Make better documents. Excellent advice all around, including:

Similar to the importance of sequencing and order, you almost always want to start by clearly and simply stating your conclusion, or declaring your request or question. Very often, people feel a lot of anxiety about the need to preface their big dramatic point with lots of build-up. But you almost...

This is a good reminder about micro-management from Judd Antin. He says that maybe You’re Not Managing Enough (a big climbing analogy runs through the whole post):

As managers, we can be so afraid of micro-management that we risk moving into passive territory. We’re made to believe our main job is putting people in position to grow, and then going hands off to give them the space to do it. But that’s like encouraging a climber to take on a harder route, cheering them as they start while...

I like this alternative approach to the old “disagree and commit” adage. That idea always struck me as a little passive aggressive (“sure, I’ll do this stupid thing you want me to do…”), whereas this seems like a more active, helpful approach:

It’s much healthier to “have concerns and commit.” Some decisions you can agree with, some you can disagree with, but most you should either just “have concerns about” or “be supportive of”. […] If you’re not sure of the answer but have concerns,...

I found this essay on why we do things that are bad for us really interesting. First, I learned the word “akrasia”, which means “the state of mind in which someone acts against their better judgment through weakness of will.” Second, this is not exactly a new thing. From Romans 7:18–19:

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Anyway, I thought this was helpful...

This is a solid essay (and book review) on social media and teen mental health that includes much-needed academic research receipts. In short:

Two things can be independently true about social media. First, that there is no evidence that using these platforms is rewiring children’s brains or driving an epidemic of mental illness. Second, that considerable reforms to these platforms are required, given how much time young people spend on them.

This point is especially important:...

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today...

This week, I posted the big Google Webmaster Report for April; it is an excellent place to catch up quickly on the news. Google's March 2024 core update had some volatility this week, and it is still rolling out. There are still no....