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Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Google may have also released a search algorithm update for the local and map results, it may be core update related or its own thing - Google has not confirmed it. Google did make a change to the News specific performance report where your impressions may drop, this is a reporting only change but may make things harder to track. Google is now showing two ads in some local packs. Google top stories may use new structured data for defining the logo, since publishers are dropping AMP. Google Ads has a new custom columns design with new metrics and formulas. Google said relevancy and core updates are more than just the text on your page.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Local Search Ranking Algorithm Update Last Week Google may have also pushed out a local search and map algorithm and ranking update over the past week or so. There has been some recent chatter and the Bright Local RankFlux tool has been off the charts for the past couple of weeks.
• Google Search Console Performance Report Updated For Google News - Impression Changes Google has made some changes to the Google Search Console performance report for Google News where your impressions may drop. Google said this is just a reporting change and the drop in impression doesn't reflect any ranking changes but rather how Google measures and tracks impressions.
• Two Google Ads In Local Pack Google is now showing up to two ads in the local search results - the local pack. Joy Hawkins spotted it the other day for a search on [lawn care near me] and shared a screenshot where Google's local pack results showed two ads above the organic local listings.
• Google Top Stories Logo May Use Structured Data For Non-AMP Pages Now that some publishers, like Search Engine Land, are removing AMP because it is no longer a requirement for top stories inclusion, some are noticing weird changes to the publisher's logo Google selects in the top stories section. Google said when you switch off AMP, Google may use a different logo than what you specified in your AMP structured data.
• Google: Relevancy & Core Updates Factors Are More Than Just Text On A Page Google's John Mueller said on Twitter that when it comes to Google understanding and ranking documents, Google looks at more than just text on a page. He aimed this comment at a question around core updates and a site being hit by a core update.
• Google Ads Custom Columns Design Update With New Metrics & Functions PPCGreg posted on Twitter that Google Ads has updated the design and look for the custom columns and also added some new metrics and the ability to use functions.
• Google Zurich Trains Here are some of the trains chugging along past the Google Zurich office. This is from an Instagram video which I modified into a GIF, because GIFs are fun for train videos.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Do you have issues with the indexing of the new websites RECENTLY?, Tomek Rudzki on Twitter
• Google > Mobile I saw a Trending search in Related Searches. It might be new. Sending to: @rustybrick SIR., Saad AK on Twitter
• My understanding was that alt attributes are required for HTML5 validation, so if you can't use them with your platform, John Mueller on Twitter
• Sometimes the pipelines are just a little bit delayed, I'd give it a bit longer (and will check here to find out more should it take more than a few days more)., John Mueller on Twitter
• Amazon projected to generate $26 billion in ad revenue in 2021. It's ads business also expected become the company's most profitable unit -- much more than AWS. https://t.co/wv8dO8vm8c, Greg Sterling on Twitter
• If it's all the same content, we probably see a lot of it as being duplicated (which it sounds like it is). Hreflang can help a bit with that, but ultimately if you want separate content indexed for individual, John Mueller on Twitter
• It's back. Google is again testing showing product pricing details for eCommerce category pages, that aren't driven by Structured Data. Interestingly, this variation gives specifics on how many products the price range is ba, Brodie Clark on Twitter

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google’s December 2021 product reviews update was bigger than the April product reviews update, say data providers
• 400+ businesses swear by this secret to their digital marketing success
• Microsoft Advertising adds Asian-, Latin-, Women-owned and Diabetic-friendly business attributes
• Bing launches Ethical Shopping hub in UK
• How successful marketers plan paid media in a changing world
• The cost of ignoring website accessibility
• How expired landing pages kill your Google rankings

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• Create Calculated Fields in Blended Data Source Tables with Data Studio, ClickInsight
• Turbocharge Your Google Analytics Setup through the Power of Google APIs, InfoTrust

Industry & Business

• Google eyes hundreds of downtown San Jose homes over BART station site, Mercury News
• Google to give additional staff bonus this year, Reuters
• Roku, Google settle messy battle over YouTube distribution, Axios

Links & Content Marketing

• Content at Scale: How to Support Every Experience with Content Symphony, Merkle
• Your guide to user-generated content, Google Blog

Local & Maps

• Meet our 2021 Guiding Stars, Local Guides Connect
• Reputation Report Shows Increasing Relevance of ​​Google Business Profiles, Street Fight
• Yelp: Reviews Not Ratings, Amazon Ads Deceive, Apple Weakens Privacy, Near Media

Mobile & Voice

• Google releases first Android 12L beta for large-screen devices, The Verge
• Kuo: Apple AR Headset to Feature Advanced Hand Gesture Controls and Object Detection, MacRumors

SEO

• How to Improve Website Crawlability with Sitemaps, DeepCrawl
• How to write an SEO-friendly introduction for a blog post, Yoast
• Keyword Cannibalization: What It (Really) Is & How to Fix It, Ahrefs
• Redirects for SEO: A Simple (But Complete) Guide, Ahrefs
• The SEO Writers' Guide to Google Algorithm Updates, SuccessWorks

PPC

• Amazon ads deceive customers: complaint, Ad Age
• December 2021 update to Display & Video 360 API v1, Google Ads Developer Blog
• How Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021 were different, and what advertisers can do about it, Microsoft Advertising

Search Features

• Shop with Purpose with Microsoft Bing, Bing Search Blog
• Working with the WHO to power digital health apps, Google Blog

Other Search

• DeepMind tests the limits of large AI language systems with 280-billion-parameter model, The Verge
• General and Scalable Parallelization for Neural Networks, Google AI Blog
• Amazon is shutting down web ranking site Alexa.com, Bleeping Computer

Feedback:

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