Industry News

Catch up on interesting new discussion and industry news.

    November 2024 Google Webmaster Report

    rustybrick
    by rustybrick
    Nov 11, 2024
    While Google has yet to confirm a Google search ranking update, we have seen tremendous volatility in the Google Search results this month. Google did however confirm it can downgrade sections of content that is starkly different from the main content. We also posted an update on the helpful content update. Finally, Google did say a new Google update is coming soon.

    Google AI Overviews Testing Anchor Text Based Hyperlinks

    rustybrick
    by rustybrick
    Nov 11, 2024
    Google is testing showing real blue anchor text based hyperlinks in the AI Overviews, instead of showing that paperclip icon. This may encourage searchers to click on the links within the AI Overviews more - or maybe not - we have no data to validate this because Google won't give it to us.

    Google Ads Allows US Elections Ads Again Today

    rustybrick
    by rustybrick
    Nov 11, 2024
    Google has lifted its pause on US election and political ads today, Monday, November 11, 2024. The pause of US based election ads was temporarily instituted after the US election polls closed on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Google has now lifted the temporary pause and you can begin those ads again, if you so want to.

    Google Ads Editor Version 2.8 Is Now Out

    rustybrick
    by rustybrick
    Nov 11, 2024
    Google has released version 2.8 of the Google Ads Editor. This new update brings a number of new features including AI-generatged images, export to Google Sheets, brand guidelines, image cropping, strict age and gender targeting, a new help center and more.

    Google Tests Dropping Site Name & Favicon From Search Results

    rustybrick
    by rustybrick
    Nov 11, 2024
    Google is testing removing the favicons and site name from the mobile search results. As you may remember, Google first launched these in the mobile search results back in October 2022 and yes, Google has had its trouble with these favicons and site names over the years.

    Google Map Finder Ads Sponsored Labels Not Always Showing

    rustybrick
    by rustybrick
    Nov 11, 2024
    Google may be testing displaying sponsored labels in different positions within the local map finder view. Some of the ads have sponsored labels on the left side, where it lists the local listings. While others don't show the sponsored label until you hover over the listing.

    HARO / Connectively Platform Closing Down December 9

    rustybrick
    by rustybrick
    Nov 11, 2024
    HARO, Help a Reporter Out, now known as the Connectively Platform is being discontinued, and shut down, on December 9th. For SEOs, it was a way to get attention and potentially links, from journalists and it is a topic we've covered in the past.

    The Cure Deliver the Power-Doom Epic We’ve Been Waiting For

    by Rian van der Merwe
    Nov 10, 2024
    Great Rolling Stone review of a perfect late-career album by The Cure:

    ‘Songs of a Lost World’ is the triumphant power-doom epic it needed to be, fully the Cure’s best since ‘Disintegration’, as Smith reaches into the depths of his cobwebbed heart, going deep into adult loss and grief. It’s an album that begins with the line ‘This is the end of every song I sing,’ and closes with ‘Left alone with nothing at the end of every song.’ In between, he gets dark.

    I’ve also slowly been...

    A Deadly Gravitational Pull in PLG B2B: Individual-Centric Experiences

    by Rian van der Merwe
    Nov 9, 2024
    Elena Verna on the importance of focusing on team experiences in B2B products:

    The key to any successful B2B Product-Led Growth (PLG) strategy lies in connecting end-user adoption to enterprise-level deals. But because B2B PLG often looks like, smells like, and acts like consumer product, it pulls product and marketing teams into a deadly gravitation pull of crafting consumer-like experiences focused solely on the individual value. While acquiring individual users is a natural first...

    Garden State was a good movie

    by Rian van der Merwe
    Nov 9, 2024
    I read about Zach Braff and His All-Star Benefit Concert for the 20th Anniversary of ‘Garden State’, and it reminded me how much I loved the movie despite all the hate it gets.

    “Back in this era, the Virgin Megastore was around the corner from a movie theater in [New York City’s] Union Square,” Braff recalls in a phone interview. “And so many people were going directly from the movie theater to the Virgin Megastore to buy the soundtrack that Virgin had to put a sign in the CD slot that...