Practical Cyber Intelligence provides a thorough and practical introduction to the different tactics, techniques, and procedures that exist in the field of cyber investigation and cyber forensics to collect, preserve, and analyze digital evidence, enabling readers to understand the digital landscape and analyze legacy devices, current models, and models that may be created in the future. Readers will learn how to determine what evidence exists and how to find it on a device, as well as what story it tells about the activities on the device. Over 100 images and tables are included to aid in reader comprehension, and case studies… [Continue Reading]

SHARGE has introduced the ICEMAG 2 MagSafe power bank (soon available here). It includes a new active cooling system (a fan) and an aluminum backplate to support effective heat management and maintain charging performance. It supports 15W Qi2 wireless charging, aimed at delivering faster speeds compared to traditional MagSafe batteries and improving on the previous ICEMAG model. Visually, the ICEMAG 2 features a transparent design with RGB lighting for added aesthetic appeal. The power bank also includes a foldable kickstand, allowing for hands-free use and adjustable viewing angles. In terms of functionality, the ICEMAG 2 offers 30W two-way USB-C charging,… [Continue Reading]

Back in the day, when personal computers were first making their way into homes, buying a desktop was often a massive investment. The price tags on those early machines were no joke, especially in the ’80s and ’90s. Dropping a couple of thousand dollars on a beige box humming with potential was considered normal. Fast forward to today, and times have certainly changed -- computers, including the powerful M-series Mac minis, have become more affordable, while flagship smartphones have skyrocketed in price. I recently bought Apple’s new base-model M4 Mac mini, which set me back $500 with the education discount… [Continue Reading]

The Debian project has announced its latest point release for Debian Linux 12, codenamed “bookworm,” marking the eighth update to this stable distribution. This 12.8 update primarily addresses security issues and fixes various critical bugs, enhancing the reliability and security of the system. Importantly, this release is not a new version but an update to existing packages within Debian 12. Users who routinely update via security.debian.org will notice only minimal changes, as most updates are rolled into this point release. There is no need to replace existing installation media for bookworm; a simple upgrade through an up-to-date Debian mirror suffices… [Continue Reading]

As third-party risk continues to be a critical concern for enterprises, the need for effective risk management strategies has never been more pressing. We spoke with Bob Maley, CISO of third-party risk management specialist Black Kite, to get his insights into effective strategies for managing this challenge along with the nuanced risks and necessary tactics to secure enterprise environments against sophisticated threats. BN: How can organizations assess and manage risks associated with emerging technologies? BM: Organizations need a proactive approach that begins with detailed assessments to identify potential risks. These assessments should focus on the technology’s architecture, possible attack vectors,… [Continue Reading]

Online scams aren't anything new, but thanks to artificial intelligence they're becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect. We've also seen a rise in disinformation and deepfakes many of them made possible, or at least more plausible, by AI. This means that venturing onto the internet is increasingly like negotiating a digital minefield. With FAIK, risk management specialist at KnowBe4 Perry Carpenter sets out to dissect what makes these threats work and the motivations behind them as well as offering some strategies to protect yourself. This is no dry technical guide though, it's all presented in a very readable style,… [Continue Reading]

Although it may not make the headlines as often as other forms of cybercrime, identity theft remains an issue. Now NordVPN has launched an identity theft protection service called NordProtect. Currently available to NordVPN Prime plan users in the US, it merges years of cybersecurity expertise with cutting-edge technology to offer a solution users can trust. "NordProtect is yet another step in NordVPN's mission to fully secure customers as online threats advance," says Tomas Sinicki, managing director of NordProtect. "You can have all of the necessary tools for cybersecurity installed but one careless click can end up giving your identity… [Continue Reading]

Logitech is making it easier for consumers to access refurbished devices with the expansion of its Certified Refurbished program. Now, customers in North America and Europe can purchase a wide range of products, including mice, keyboards, tablet accessories, gaming gear from Logitech G, and Bluetooth speakers through Logitech’s eBay Refurbished brand store and its own websites. The company is tapping into a growing trend as more consumers seek out high-quality refurbished products. The appeal of these devices lies in their cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits, offering users a way to own premium technology while contributing to waste reduction. Sacni Leon, Head… [Continue Reading]

Apple has launched a beta feature called Share Item Location in iOS 18.2, allowing users to share the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with third parties. This update is designed to simplify the process of locating misplaced items, particularly when traveling. Users can generate a secure link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which can then be shared. The recipient can access an interactive map that shows the item’s location and updates automatically. The shared link expires after seven days or when the item is recovered, maintaining privacy and security. “Find… [Continue Reading]

Humans are generally the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain, so training and awareness are essential alongside technology to keep organizations safe. With the launch of its AI Scenario Generator, Immersive Labs enables organizations to seamlessly generate threat scenarios for crisis simulations to ensure their workforces are ready for the latest threats. By inputting a few short prompts, customers can use the AI Scenario Generator to rapidly generate and launch customized cyber exercises to prove and improve individual and team cyber skills against various attack types, such as ransomware and supply chain threats. Organizations can automatically tailor content by attack… [Continue Reading]

Branding is important, and this is something we’ve already seen with digital assistants like Siri. Moving into the artificial intelligence era, companies have been falling over themselves to get their own stamp on their version of AI. Apple has opted for the reasonably predictable “Apple Intelligence”, while Microsoft’s approach has been a little more haphazard. But now there are clues that suggest the company has finally come to understand the importance of giving people an overarching term to cover all of its AI-related offerings. Say hello to Windows Intelligence. See also: As is so often the case, it is the… [Continue Reading]

As organizations increasingly adopt AI capabilities, the most common and dangerous attacks often go undetected by static code scanning or traditional security methods. The only effective way to stop common AI attacks, such as prompt injection and zero-day vulnerabilities, is through active runtime detection and defense. Operant AI is launching a new 3D Runtime Defense Suite aimed at protecting live cloud applications, including AI models and APIs in their native environments. Because AI applications don't operate in isolation, they need to be secured in the full context of the modern cloud application stack. The 3D Runtime Defense Suite is designed… [Continue Reading]

A new report finds 61 percent of organizations have suffered a security breach in the past year because their policies, governance, and controls failed or were not working effectively. This is costing US businesses $30bn and UK businesses £10bn per year. The study from security posture management firm Panaseer surveyed 400 security decision makers across the US and UK and found 72 percent have taken out indemnity insurance in response to growing personal liability, whilst 15 percent have considered leaving the industry. In addition, 85 percent of decision makers are facing greater scrutiny from the board. 57 percent say they… [Continue Reading]

Other World Computing (OWC) has launched the Thunderbolt 5 Hub, which promises to elevate device connectivity for Macs, PCs, and even tablets like the iPad Pro. This new hub delivers an impressive 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed -- double that of Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 -- and supports up to 120Gb/s for users needing higher display bandwidth. With just a single cable, users can expand their device’s ports to include three Thunderbolt 5 ports and a USB-A port, making this hub a productivity game changer. For tablet users, the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is especially transformative, turning an iPad Pro… [Continue Reading]

Fully updated to reflect modern developments in the field, the Fifth Edition of An Introduction to Optimization fills the need for an accessible, yet rigorous, introduction to optimization theory and methods, featuring innovative coverage and a straightforward approach. The book begins with a review of basic definitions and notations while also providing the related fundamental background of linear algebra, geometry, and calculus. With this foundation, the authors explore the essential topics of unconstrained optimization problems, linear programming problems, and nonlinear constrained optimization. In addition, the book includes an introduction to artificial neural networks, convex optimization, multi-objective optimization, and applications of optimization in… [Continue Reading]

Logitech has introduced a range of Sync smart office tools designed to improve workplace efficiency and provide enhanced analytics for IT teams. The new suite includes Auto Book and Auto Release, which automate room reservations and cancellations based on user activity. Additionally, Logitech View offers interactive digital office maps to assist with navigation in large office spaces. Henry Levak, VP of Product at Logitech for Business, highlighted the AI capabilities of the tools, stating, “Rally Bars use AI in-camera sensors to automatically detect and respond to natural workplace behaviors with no human intervention needed.” This approach aims to simplify room… [Continue Reading]

SurveyMonkey, a widely used platform for creating surveys and forms, has expanded its social sharing capabilities to include WhatsApp. This addition allows users to share their surveys and forms directly with WhatsApp contacts and groups, aiming to simplify the distribution process. WhatsApp joins SurveyMonkey’s existing social sharing options, which include LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Microsoft Teams. With over 2 billion active users globally, WhatsApp is recognized as one of the most popular messaging apps. SurveyMonkey customers in over 130 countries, speaking 56 different languages, can now leverage this integration to share surveys and forms through a platform that… [Continue Reading]

When it comes to protecting sensitive information like financial data, personal information, and intellectual property, encryption has become a must. By scrambling data through the use of algorithms, only those with access to decryption keys are able to read what's being secured. Encrypted traffic has fulfilled its intended mission: to lock down data. But, could it simultaneously be helping bad actors slip by undetected? And could encrypted traffic actually make it harder for network defenders to spot threats before it's too late? To find out, we sat down with Phil Owens, VP of customer solutions at Stamus Networks. Phil believes… [Continue Reading]

A new report finds that 75 percent of the 100 most visited websites in the US and Europe are not compliant with current privacy regulations. The study from privacy solution provider Privado.ai shows despite stricter privacy enforcement in Europe a surprising 74 percent of top websites do not honor opt-in consent as required by Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Although top websites in the US have a similar non-compliance rate of 76 percent for not honoring opt-out consent as required by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), Privado finds the median volume of compliance risks to be three times… [Continue Reading]

Your website’s command center, the WordPress dashboard, arrives with several widgets that enhance functionality. However, not all of these may be beneficial for every user. As plugins introduce more widgets over time, your dashboard may start to feel crowded and …

Achieving digital accessibility and optimizing your platform for screen readers, can be a strategic decision with multifaceted benefits. Not only does it reflect empathy and inclusivity for visually impaired users, but it also potentially expands your audience and the reach …

Optimizing your WordPress workflow often involves tweaking a few settings and functions. One of these features is post revisions. This built-in functionality can be a lifesaver, especially when you want to revert changes or restore an earlier version of a …

Offering an array of choices might seem like an excellent way to cater to diverse user preferences, but more often than not, it can cause decision fatigue, negatively impacting the user experience and conversion rates. So, how do we strategically …

UX surveys can be pivotal tools for designers seeking to understand user preferences, opinions, and behaviors. They foster alignment between design strategies and user expectations and can improve product or service usability. Our overview unravels the process of conducting UX …

Our recent migration to GA4 left a lot to be desired and led us to explore for better google analytics alternatives. We tried just about everything out there, including Plausible, Fathom, and several others, all with their own pros and …

In today’s world, journaling has become an essential daily routine for many people. It’s a great way...

In today’s fast-paced work environment, an efficient office workstation is essential for maximum productivity and comfort. A...

In today’s world, journaling has become an essential daily routine for many people. It’s a great way...

If you’re looking for stunning black and gold wedding themes, look no further. Here are some ideas to help guide your choice.

Building a house, whether private for one owner or an apartment building, is just one of the...

In video editing, one key aspect that can significantly enhance the visual appeal of your videos is...

A cluttered kitchen is an eyesore, and often becomes a source of stress. Even if you are...

One of the most important things to consider when planning a wedding is the invitation. How the...

Are you looking for an online editor that offers free templates for commercial use? If so, you...

Creating a personal oasis in the midst of our hectic lives is more than just a luxury;...

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 are 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.

It slipped my mind and I forgot to post the Google Webmaster Report at the beginning of the month, so here it is, the November Google Webmaster Report.

Google said the sitelinks search box is going away soon. Google tested showing the full recipe in the search results, which was upsetting. Google rolled out AI Overviews to a 100+ countries, added new AI Overview features and much more. Google also launched AI features in local search and maps.

Finally, the DOJ said they may break up Google but that was before Trump won the election. Google ad revenue was way up again this past quarter. And Google replaced Prabhakar Raghavan with Nick Fox.

If you missed the last recap, it is at the October 2024 Google Webmaster Report.

Here are the important stories for the past month:

Google Updates

• Election 2024 Google Search Ranking Update ð>ð'
• Halloween 2024 Google Search Ranking Update ð'>>
• Google Search Ranking Volatility Again On October 26th & 27th & 23rd & 24th
• Google Search Ranking Volatility Continues October 19th & 20th
• Google Search Ranking Volatility Again Heats Up (October 15th)
• Google Search Ranking Volatility Rumbling Again October 10th
• Record-Breaking Google Search Ranking Volatility Continues Into October
• Google Search Downgrading Rankings Of Content Starkly Different From Main Content
• Google: Search Ranking Update Coming Soon But HCU Victims May Not Recover
• Report: 22% Of Sites Hit By Google's Helpful Content Update Are Up 20%+

• Google Search Console Partial Data Reports With Dotted Lines
• Google Search Console Performance Report Showing Almost No Data Today

• Did Google Hit Fortune Recommends With A Search Penalty Over Site Reputation Abuse?
• Google AI Overviews Not Linking To Sites Hit By Helpful Content Update
• Google: Doubtful You'd See Big Ranking Drop Over Core Web Vitals Issues
• Google: Having Different Links On Mobile vs Desktop Pages Can Slow Crawl
• Google Proposes New Shipping Data Schema Including Type ShippingService
• Google Warning On JavaScript-Generated Product Markup
• Google Updates URL Structure, Favicon & Adds Google Trends Docs
• Google Clarified Support For Robots.txt Fields With Tiny Change
• Google Drops Support For Noarchive Meta Tag Directive
• Google Merchant Listings Adds Certification Markup Support
• Google To Host Creator Summit At GooglePlex Later This Month

• Google Sitelinks Search Box Going Away Next Month
• Google Tests Quick View Button For Recipes That Keep You On Google
• Google Tests Dropping Results Count After Moving It Under Search Tools
• Google Search Tests Verified Labels For Product Results
• Google Tests Frequently Saved Label On Search Result Snippets
• Google Menu Highlights Search Carousel
• Google Search Entity Trust Scores From APIVoid & ScamAdviser
• Google Search Snippet With Mentioned Products Carousel
• Google Other People Search Box
• Google Search People's Insights For Unprofessional Medical Advice
• Expandable Google Knowledge Panels On Desktop Search
• Google Search Tests List Articles
• Google Search Tests Top Links Title For Sitelinks?
• Google Search Tests Replacing Google Logo With Super G Logo

• Google AI Overviews Rolling Out To 100+ Countries & Billion+ Users
• Google AI Overview Ads, New Link Format, AI Organized Search Results & More
• Google AI Overviews Highlight Feature Expands AI Responses
• Google Generative AI Snippets Throughout Search Results
• Google Shopping "Researched with AI - Experimental" Answer

• Google AI Answers In Google Maps: Things To Do, Review Summaries & About This Place
• Google Local Service Ads To Soon Require Google Business Profile
• Google Business Profiles Learn Something Specific Question Box
• Google Business Profiles Removes Health Insurance Accepted
• Google Tests Discover More Places & Explore Places Nearby
• Google Business Profiles Testing Reviews Within Photo Carousels
• Google Business Profiles: Answer Questions About Your Inventory
• Google Drag & Drop Reorder Your Restaurant Menu Items

• DOJ May Breakup Google As Remedy To Monopoly Ruling
• Google Ad Revenue Up 10% - With Biggest Ad Revenue Quarter Ever
• Nick Fox New Lead Of Google Search; Replaced Prabhakar Raghavan

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.

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.

I posted the November 2024 Google webmaster report a bit late this month, sorry about that. Google is testing anchor text based links in the AI Overviews. Google Ads has unpaused the election ads today. Google Ads Editor version 2.8 is out. Google is testing removing the site name and favicons from the search results. Google Maps finder may or may not show the sponsored label on the left side. HARO is being closed next month.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• November 2024 Google Webmaster Report
  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
  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
  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 Tests Dropping Site Name & Favicon From Search Results
  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
  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.
• Google Ads Editor Version 2.8 Is Now Out
  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.
• HARO / Connectively Platform Closing Down December 9
  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.
• Google Hosts A Plant Party
  This isn't a joke, they have parties centered around plants. Google had a "plant party" at its Kitchener, Ontario office the other week. Googlers sat in a big room and made plants, it was a party.

Other Great Search Threads:

• For those wondering about what @JohnMu answered to my question related to the validity or not of es-419 as language code for Latam Spanish in the #hreflang , here his answer confirming it's still not considered, Gianluca Fiorelli on X
• Nothing has changed, the documentation for this is pretty stable. If we decided to support different code sets, we would make a big deal about it., John Mueller on LinkedIn
• This is great to see, an HCU-affected site (which Google specifically acknowledged as having good content) is now ranking in position 2 organically for a valuable, relevant keyword (above REI & Switchback Travel). Green line in t, Lily Ray on X
• Google is displaying schema prices in bold, Sachin Patel on X
• Heads-up: Looks like there have been some huge surges and drops in the recipe space over the past few weeks. And Oct 26 was a big day for a number of those sites impacted. Some were tied to the August 2024 broad core update... and t, Glenn Gabe on X
• We took a revenue hit in our Moz SEO business, partially due to the MozCon conference moving out of the quarter, but also due to a softening a new customer acquisition" Ziff Davis are usually pretty quiet about their Moz acquisit..., Glen Allsopp on X
• I'm delighted to announce the<< #SEOFOMO News: Your Real-Time Source for SEO and Digital Marketing news. 'SEOFOMO News<< is a news community designed for SEO and digital marketing professionals to stay current with the, Aleyda Solis on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google to unpause political election ads Nov. 11
• The latest jobs in search marketing
• Google shifts Demand Gen audience categorization to 'signals'
• Google sunsets Local Services Ads mobile app, shifts focus to web platform
• Google's srsltid= parameter: What it means for SEO and attribution
• YouTube expands shorts monetization, adds new analytics features
• How to brief a content creator effectively for social search marketing

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• Google Analytics launches data access monitoring tools for security control, PPC Land

Industry & Business

• OpenAI loses another lead safety researcher, Lilian Weng, TechCrunch
• A.I.-Powered Painting of Alan Turing Sells for $1.1 Million, New York Times
• How ChatGPT Brought Down an Online Education Giant - WSJ, Wall Street Journal

Links & Content Marketing

• 100+ Winter Content Ideas to Keep Your Marketing Momentum, WordStream
• 10 Content Optimization Tips From 13 SEO Experts, Surfer SEO
• Optimize Content for Search Engines: From Invisible to Unmissable, Level343

Local & Maps

• Edit your Business Hours on Google Business Profile, Sterling Sky
• Google Maps now lets you pick and paint your own virtual car, Android Police
• Has Google Maps seemed a lot less reliable to you lately?, Android Police
• Siri Finally Gets Local Search, Near Media
• Google Maps Introduces AR For Paris Landmarks With Rock Paper Reality, Forbes

Mobile & Voice

• Gurman: Apple Vision Pro 2 on track for release between Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, 9to5Mac
• Standalone 'Google Gemini' app spotted for iPhone with Live, 9to5Google

SEO

• AI vs. SEO: What does the Future of Search look like?, SISTRIX
• News sites 'don't have genuine choice' over Google AI crawlers, Press Gazette
• SEO Poisoning: Google Search Traps Cat Lovers with Malware in Surprising Bengal Cat Scam, Bill Hartzer
• SERP Features Beyond Google '" Analysing China, Advanced Web Ranking
• What if Schema.org is just'... Labels?, Jono Alderson

PPC

• 9 PPC Metrics to Track & How to Optimize Them, Semrush
• Google Ads Speeds Up Access to Automated Asset Settings, PPC News Feed
• How To Design Effective A/B Tests for PPC, PPCChat
• Video: How to Set Up Attribute Rules in Google Merchant Center Next, ZATO Marketing
• What Is Keyword Advertising? A Guide to How It Works + Tips, Semrush
• Customize Your Communication Preferences with Google Ads Reps, PPC News Feed
• Google AdSense unveils enhanced features for 2024 holiday season monetization, PPC Land
• Performance Max Is transforming Google search results - But at what cost?, PPC Land
• Google Ads RLSA: How to Retarget Your Search Campaigns, Jyll Saskin Gales

Search Features

• The Google app is testing a convenient way to check your search history, Android Police
• How search engines changed with proxies, TechRadar
• Veterans Day 2024 Doodle, Google Doodles

Other Search

• ChatGPT told 2M people to get their election news elsewhere '" and rejected 250K deepfakes, TechCrunch
• AI didn't sway the election, but it's eroding voters' grip on reality, Washington Post
• OpenAI Shifts Strategy as Rate of 'GPT' AI Improvements Slows, The Information
• Researchers at Peking University Introduce A New AI Benchmark for Evaluating Numerical Understanding and Processing in Large Language Models, MarkTechPost

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.

Google is testing placing a second link directly under the main ad headline link, some call the title link, that pull from your Google Ads assets or extensions. It is unusual to see these links right next to each other, sometimes you'd see them as sitelinks under the ad description but not directly under the main headline link.

This was spotted by both Anthony Higman who posted it on LinkedIn and X - here are his screenshots:

And this desktop variation by Jonathan Cottrell on LinkedIn:

This seems weird but it can probably have a huge impact on an ads click through rate, but again, it is just a test right now.

Forum discussion at X and LinkedIn.

Google is showing both seller ratings and product ratings on a single Google Shopping Ad unit. It is a bit weird to see both ratings, and it can potentially be confusing to see different ratings for the same retailer but one is for the rating of the specific product and one is for the rating of the company selling that product, i.e the seller.

This was spotted by Hana Kobzová who posted about it on her PPC News site who wrote, "Google started showing both seller ratings and product ratings can appear together in Shopping ads. This help retailers to be more trustworthy, visible, and competitive."

Here is what it looks like:

There is a lot more detail on this over here but again, I am not sure I like this.

Forum discussion at X.

Google Search has been rolling out this new expandable section in the search results titled "current sales." I guess Google is able to figure out what is a sale and what is not, maybe from structured data or Merchant Center and then have a section in the search results for that...

This was first spotted by Khushal Bherwani on X and then by Sachin Patel on X - here are some screenshots:

Then when you toggle it open it looks like this:

Here are more screenshots:

More finds , noticing this in wild on serp pic.twitter.com/ckiNaxS1Wg

— Khushal Bherwani (@b4k_khushal) November 10, 2024

@rustybrick Google SERP has a current sales section. pic.twitter.com/AkFiIBvIia

— Sachin Patel (@SachuPatel53124) November 7, 2024

Forum discussion at X.

A couple of weeks ago, Google announced the new features for travel search ads through integration with travel feeds. These may now be out in the wild, as we are seeing pricing and other rich markup showing up for hotel ads in Google Search.

Lluc B. Penycate posted some examples and screenshots on X of these out in the wild. He wrote, "I think we are seeing the new Google Hotel Ads format announced last week(s) which integrates rooms, prices and availability."

Here are those screenshots:

Google wrote a couple of weeks ago, "all hotel advertisers can now showcase feed data, such as hotels, prices, dates, ratings and images, in this ad format" and then shared some mock examples of those ads. But these look like them in real life.

Forum discussion at X.

The meanings of words and brands can change over time. The terms can drift to different meanings. Term drift happens, although it is rare amongst words and less rare with rebrands - but still, it happens.

When it comes to SEO, managing term drift on your older content can prove to be an important task.

The phrase "term drift" seems to have been created by Darth Autocrat (Lyndon NA) over here on X and it was in response to a brief case study shared by Glenn Gabe on X that explained and showed the importance of handling term drift within your content.

Glenn showed an example of where the core query for a page changed based on how people are now referencing the main topic. He said, "The original content referenced the old way it was being referenced. It was high quality content, but just didn't reference the correct/current wording anymore."

So what changed was to update the content based on how the world was referencing the new meaning of the word. He said, "the content was updated to reflect the new wording in the title tag, in the on-page title (h1), and then when it was referenced throughout the content. Basically just making sure the content wasn't referencing the old wording."

What was the outcome? The ranking stability of that page of content in Google Search became stable, whereas before it was all over the place. Glenn shared this chart to show the before and after impact of this outcome.

Glenn explained, "Look how stable ranking became for that query as soon as the page was updated. Literally the same day it was updated. Just a reminder to keep an eye on things like this. Quality was totally fine. The page just needed to reference the correct and current wording. Again, simple but powerful."

Then Darth Autocrat (Lyndon NA) replied with the phrase, "term drift."

Here are those posts:

Uncovered this cool example recently. It's so simple and obvious, but powerful. The core query for this page changed based on how people are NOW referencing the main topic covered. The original content referenced the old way it was being referenced. It was high quality content,'... pic.twitter.com/XzkEE492hI

'" Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 8, 2024

"Term drift". I like that. :)

'" Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 8, 2024

Other people have noticed this as well:

100%

'" Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 8, 2024

No, I would never update the url for something like that. Overall, the actual url used isn't really a strong ranking factor at all. Google has explained that many times and it's what I've seen as well. And I wouldn't risk changing urls in case something goes wrong there and'...

'" Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 8, 2024

What would be examples of this for some phrases? I am guessing maybe some of the following:

• Google AdWords to Google Ads
• Google My Business to Google Business Profiles
• Link building to content marketing
• Public relations maybe to Growth marketing

I mean, there are probably hundreds of examples of this over the years.

There is also "query drift":

Believe @darth_na is referring to Query Drift as cited in IR documents like https://t.co/z5noOy16dE

— Pedro Dias (@pedrodias) November 12, 2024

Forum discussion at X.

Google's John Mueller posted some SEO advice on how to handle version history pages, for product releases, specifications, APIs and other version history. This advice is pretty similar to how to handle recurring event pages, like conferences and events. In short, the main page should keep the same URL and then archive the older version history details on an archive page URL.

John wrote on LinkedIn, "If you work on a website with versions (APIs? Specs?) or yearly editions, here's the top SEO improvement you can do: Use a stable URL for the current version."

I mean, if you like at Google Ads API, they use developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/release-notes and show the current version details there and then archive the older API versions on different URLs, like version 17 for example.

John wrote:

Add versioned directories if you like. This makes the current version much more visible in search, reducing guesswork by readers, and making it easier to link to. EASIER TO LINK TO.

Even better? keep the versioned URL for the current version, and use link-rel-canonical to refer to the stable URL. This lets people go directly to the versioned URL if they know it, while focusing search on the stable URL.

John added to explain, for API docs, technical specs, yearly events, etc, go with this format:

• .../spec/live/page < do this for SEO
• .../spec/2.1/page - rel=canonical to /spec/live/page
• .../spec/2.0/page - keep these

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Google has begun rolling out the third core update for the year, the November 2024 core update. This update started to roll out on November 11, 2024 at around 3:30 pm and will take about two weeks to complete rolling out. This seems like a typical core update, without any new specifics about what changed or what improved.

We knew this update was coming - and it finally arrived yesterday afternoon. Google also told us not to expect HCU victim sites to recover with this update.

So far, we are seeing some folks suggest their rankings went down even more. But the vast majority of people are saying they are not seeing movement as of yet, as of the time I published this story. Of course, I will keep track of the chatter and let you know what people are seeing over the coming days. In addition, the volatility tracking tools are mostly all showing normal volatility - so maybe this has not kicked in as of yet.

And yes, it was released on the Veterans Day US holiday, but it seems like it was released well before the big holiday shopping season, post-Thanksgiving holiday.

Google posted this update on LinkedIn and X and wrote:

Today we released the November 2024 core update to Google Search.

This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.

We'll update our ranking release history page in the near future, and update it when the rollout is complete. For more information about core updates, please see here.

The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.

Google November 2024 Core Update Quick Facts:

Here are the most important things that we know right now in short form:

• Name: Google November 2024 Broad Core Update
• Launched: November 11, 2024 at around 3:30 pm ET
• Rollout: Will take about two weeks to roll out
• Targets: It looks at all types of content
• Penalty: It is not a penalty, it promotes or rewards great web pages
• Global: This is a global update impacting all regions, in all languages.
• Impact: The normal core update stuff around helpful content.
• Discover: Core updates impact Google Discover and other features, also feature snippets and more.
• Recover: If you were hit by this, then you will need to look at your content and see if you can do better with Google's core update advice.
• Refreshes: Google will do periodic refreshes to this algorithm but may not communicate those updates in the future. Maybe this is what we saw the past couple of weeks or all those unconfirmed Google updates.

Google November 2024 Core Update Details

Google didn't say much specific about this November 2024 core update. Google did say, "This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search."

So it seems like it is more of the same:

• Show more content that people find genuinely useful.
• Show less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search.

Yes, a lot of joking in the SEO community about these statements. Yep, it sounds a lot like the helpful content update statements... Yes, the helpful content update is no more, it's part of core updates now, in some sense...

Previous Broad Core Updates

Here is a list of the most recent core updates we've seen since Google started to confirm them. Previously we nicknamed them Phantom updates or unconfirmed updates.

• November 2024 Core update: November 11, 2024 and will take about two weeks to roll out.
• August 2024 Core Update : August 15, 2024 through September 3, 2024
• March 2024 Core Update : March 5, 2024 through April 19, 2024
• November 2023 Core Update : November 2, 2023 through November 28, 2023
• October 2023 Core Update: October 5, 2023 through October 19, 2023
• August 2023 Core Update: August 22, 2023 through September 7, 2023
• March 2023 Core Update: March 15, 2023 through March 28, 2023
• September 2022 Core Update: September 12, 2022 through September 26, 2022
• May 2022 Core Update: May 25, 2022 through June 9, 2022
• November 2021 Core Update: November 17, 2021 through November 30, 2021
• July 2021 Core Update: July 1, 2021 through July 12, 2021
• June 2021 Core Update: June 2, 2021 through June 12, 2021
• December 2020 Core Update: December 3, 2020 through December 16, 2020
• May 2020 Core Update: May 4, 2020 through May 18, 2020
• January 2020 Core Update: January 13, 2020 through mostly January 17, 2020
• September 2019 Core Update: September 24, 2019
• Google June 2019 Core Update: June 3, 2019 through June 8, 2019

Previous Helpful Content Update Impact

Here is the list of the previous Google helpful content updates:

• Septemebr 14, 2023 - September 2023 Google helpful content update - completing on Septmeber 28, 2023
• December 5, 2022 - December 2022 Google helpful content update, completing on January 12, 2023
• August 25, 2022 - August 2022 (original) Google helpful content update, completing on September 9, 2022

Previous Unconfirmed Updates

We had a ton of unconfirmed updates between the August 2024 and November 2024 core update. I won't list them all, but you can scan them over here.

As a reminder, Google did tell us that an search update is coming soon. The last time we reported on an update was when I named it the Google Election 2024 unconfirmed update and before that was the Google Halloween 2024 Google search update and then before that on October 23, 24 and 26 and 27th and before that, October 19th and 20th volatility and then on October 15th, October 10th and then before that on October 2nd which lasted a couple of days. The Google August 2024 core update started on August 15th and officially completed on September 3rd. But it was still super volatile the day after it completed and also weeks after it completed and it has not cooled.

We saw big signals on and around September 6th, September 10th or so and maybe around September 14th. We also saw movement around September 18th, last weekend and Septmeber 25th and September 28th or so.

Google Tracking Tools On November 2024 Core Update (So Far)

Here is what these Google Search volatility tools are showing so far; keep in mind that this update can take about two weeks to fully roll out. And so far, the tools are mostly showing normal volatility but that might change in the coming days.

Semrush:

SimilarWeb:

Sistrix:

Wincher:

Cognitive SEO:

Accuranker:

Advanced Web Rankings:

Mozcast:

Mangools:

Algoroo:

SERPstat:

Data For SEO:

SEO Chatter

It just started rolling out last night, so the chatter is early, just like the tools:

Just the reminder I needed to "focus on quality content"'"again. Thanks, Google, I'd almost forgotten!

So by quality, do you mean similar to what previous core updates focused on or is there a specific change to look out for?

In search of "quality" and "usefulness" in the age of generative-AI-driven SERPs.

It will take 2 weeks to complete and 2 years to recover?

Asking for friends.

Fasten your seatbelts, Google has launched the November 2024 core update.

This update is designed to continue our work to improve the quality of our search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on Search

Good luck to the people still fighting.

Traffic on the very low tide since a week (billable visits), impression seem stable according search console, CTR dropping.

Luckily I'm busy with something not Google related !

Traffic Down :)

Swings on my personal results have been wild over last few days actually. Like normal, but on steroids!

Searched 150+ queries since morning unrelated to my niche...each of these queries were answered by AIO in a very organized form. So...worth not keeping hopes after this

It's been very quiet over the last few days. One article of mine gained a small bit of traction, but a couple of others barely saw any traffic at all. Not sure if it's the same for others.

Recently the fluctuations were too great. Either business as usual or downward. I am seeing more PAA boxes. More YouTube at the top. Other than that I do not see much.

Just more downward movement ಠ' ï'µ' à² 

Yes, lots of keywords back on page one, including some near the top, but I doubt it will result in a traffic increase because there are AIOs everywhere.

It's just a mess. shuffling, even more AI overviews for shopping comparison articles.

Also some local SEO chatter, and core updates do impact local rankings:

Seeing movements this early for local organic ranking for the following sectors (mostly Canada): Landscaping, HVAC, Psychologist, local furniture maker, renovation contractors.

Here we go! The November 2024 broad core update is rolling out. There's been a ton of volatility since the August core update completed. Let's see what Google has in store for us. Stay tuned. I'll probably share my "Core Update Notes" each day based on what I'm seeing in the'... https://t.co/T9rks7tAMP

'" Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) November 11, 2024

OK here we go. A new Google core update just launched.

If you were impacted by a previous core update (i.e. August, March, November, October) then often it takes another core update, or sometimes a few, before a site sees recovery.
ð¤ https://t.co/7XHVWBRbbo

'" Marie Haynes (@Marie_Haynes) November 11, 2024

These announcements are as much as uninteresting as uninformative.

'Hey, look! We did something' https://t.co/BcK4rzTuN6

'" Pedro Dias (@pedrodias) November 11, 2024

Golly, I hope Reddit will be ok

'" Harad (@harad) November 11, 2024

Good luck, folks!

Not expecting anything this end, mostly because I only fully finished my site move around seven minutes ago. ð' https://t.co/MGfUyA9GOP

'" Wesley Copeland (@Wesley_Copeland) November 11, 2024

Sad state when my first thought is: "wonder what they've screwed up this time". https://t.co/jtYZvXPZgM

'" Martin MacDonald (@searchmartin) November 11, 2024

Also later last night I asked if anyone is seeing movement:

Anyone seeing any movement yet? https://t.co/qttLlYNeU1

'" Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) November 12, 2024

While most say it is too early to tell, which I 100% agree with, here are the ones that say they are seeing movement:

I see some movement, but it's hard to attribute it to the typical movements we see or this core update. Will check more sites/data tomorrow morning to confirm.

'" Vlad Rappoport (@vladrpt) November 12, 2024

It affected my website from yesterday, today zero click, that means this update will harm more than the previous updates. We expecting more damage.
I'm afraid to say that, but don't be happy with any update again. Get a new job or go to Pinterest or the new ChatGPT search.

'" Ameer Belal (@NFT_Domains) November 12, 2024

Slightly up

'" Lizzy's Small World (@AVerySmallWorld) November 12, 2024

Yes, ranking down

'" बबलà¥' à¤à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤° ð®ð³' (@seobabloo) November 12, 2024

I saw a 15% spike yesterday evening and night. So far this morning it seems the spike didn't last.

'" Brian Spears (@BrianHTX20) November 12, 2024

It is probably too early to tell right now but we will keep you posted on what the SEO community is seeing over the coming days.

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld, Black Hat World, Local Search Forum, X and LinkedIn.

Full Article

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 released the November 2024 core update, so far, we are not seeing much movement but I have a lot more details in the story below. Have you seen term drift in SEO and Google Search. Google has SEO advice on version history pages. Google Ads is testing subheading links. Google is testing seller and product ratings on the same shopping ad. Google is testing a current sales section in search.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google November 2024 Core Update Is Now Rolling Out - What We Know So Far
  Google has begun rolling out the third core update for the year, the November 2024 core update. This update started to roll out on November 11, 2024 at around 3:30 pm and will take about two weeks to complete rolling out. This seems like a typical core update, without any new specifics about what changed or what improved.
• SEO Advice On Version History Pages From Google
  Google's John Mueller posted some SEO advice on how to handle version history pages, for product releases, specifications, APIs and other version history. This advice is pretty similar to how to handle recurring event pages, like conferences and events. In short, the main page should keep the same URL and then archive the older version history details on an archive page URL.
• Term Drift In SEO - Why It Matters
  The meanings of words and brands can change over time. The terms can drift to different meanings. Term drift happens, although it is rare amongst words and less rare with rebrands - but still, it happens.
• New Google Travel Ads Feed Format May Be Rolling Out
  A couple of weeks ago, Google announced the new features for travel search ads through integration with travel feeds. These may now be out in the wild, as we are seeing pricing and other rich markup showing up for hotel ads in Google Search.
• Google Search Current Sales Expandable Section
  Google Search has been rolling out this new expandable section in the search results titled "current sales." I guess Google is able to figure out what is a sale and what is not, maybe from structured data or Merchant Center and then have a section in the search results for that...
• Google Shopping Ads With Both Seller & Product Ratings
  Google is showing both seller ratings and product ratings on a single Google Shopping Ad unit. It is a bit weird to see both ratings, and it can potentially be confusing to see different ratings for the same retailer but one is for the rating of the specific product and one is for the rating of the company selling that product, i.e the seller.
• Google Ads Tests Subheadline Links Under Search Ad Title Links
  Google is testing placing a second link directly under the main ad headline link, some call the title link, that pull from your Google Ads assets or extensions. It is unusual to see these links right next to each other, sometimes you'd see them as sitelinks under the ad description but not directly under the main headline link.
• GooglePlex Sign: Please Refrain From Touching The Androids
  Here is a sign at the GooglePlex that is politely asking visitors to not touch the Androids. It says, "Please refrain from touching the Androids - Thank you." I often see photos of people climbing on them, so maybe that will help?

Other Great Search Threads:

• chatgpt went down for 30 mins today :( we are much, much better at reliability than we used to be, but clearly more work in front of us., Sam Altman on X
• Here are two key takeaways from Google's Search Central Live Taipei 2024., Hope Lui on LinkedIn
• Marigold Magic! From the flavors to the culture, India left us spellbound. That's a wrap on the Gurugram #PESummit24. We loved connecting with PEs in person and virtually!, Google's Product Experts Program on X
• Nothing has changed with the way audiences work in Demand Gen campaigns., Ginny Marvin on LinkedIn
• Several readers are asking me why Search Engine Roundtable won't come up in any Google AI Overviews. I don't have a good explanation but they are right. Even based on third party tools that track them, SER does not show up at all. I assume it is some sort, Barry Schwartz on LinkedIn
• Site reputation abuse reminder: Marketplace Operations Inc & Forbes Marketplace Holdings Inc are responsible for the content on Forbes Advisor, Health, Wheels & Home Improvement. Remember them + Thomas Callahan as we uncover how th, Goog Enough on X
• You can add voiceover to your Pmax videos to increase users attention., Thomas Eccel on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google November 2024 core update rolling out now
• Data: PMax performance stable, but Search CPCs increasing
• Google debuts Sale Event promotion type in Merchant Center
• Google integrates seller and product ratings in Shopping Ads
• Google Ads Editor 2.8 launches with AI image generation
• Server access logs and SEO: Everything you need to know in 2025
• Knowledge graphs: An introduction
• How to gain visibility in generative AI answers: GEO for Perplexity and ChatGPT

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• How to use Google Analytics 4 to track social media performance, Hootsuite

Industry & Business

• Google Executive Picked to Supercharge News Efforts Has Resigned, Wall Street Journal
• Acodie Interview Series: Barry Schwartz, Founder of the Search Engine Roundtable, Acodez

Links & Content Marketing

• NEW: Topics, Interests, and Content Ideas Now Live in SparkToro V2, SparkToro

Local & Maps

• Coming Soon: An All-New Moz Local, Moz
• Goodbye, Google Maps? Apple Maps Envisions Revolutionary Traffic Light Navigation Feature, AutoEvolution
• Google Maps moves the weather for a cleaner map on Android, 9to5Google

Mobile & Voice

• ChatGPT is currently down; Siri integration in iOS 18.2 affected, 9to5Mac
• Google Gemini tests an overlay that looks like you're texting your assistant from any screen, Android Police
• Google's Android-exclusive Gemini Live could be about to launch on iPhone, TechRadar
• Why 'Type to Siri' Is My Favorite New iOS 18.1 Feature, Lifehacker

SEO

• Introducing our Bing Webmaster Tools API Python Client, Merj
• Technically Wrong, But Worth Fixing?, Chris Green
• What we learned at NESS 2024 (pt. 2), SEO For Journalism
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider Update '" Version 21.0, Screaming Frog

PPC

• 5 Ways to Maximize Your Ad Performance with AdCreative.ai, Semrush
• CMA demands changes to Google Privacy Sandbox after cookie deprecation reversal, PPC Land
• Google Lifts the Lid (a Little) on AI Buying Tool Pmax, Giving Buyers More Ways to Test, AdWeek
• Taboola reports Q3 Growth and raises 2024 targets amid AI expansion, PPC Land
• Unpacking the Data Behind Trump and Harris' Presidential Election Ad Spending, PPC Hero
• Updated PMAX Table View Now Displays Ad Strength, PPC News Feed
• What Digital Marketing Agencies Are Saying Behind Your Back, DAGMAR
• Image Asset Gallery Combines Square & Horizontal Images, PPC News Feed

Other Search

• Ecosia, Qwant partner on search engine tech to counter Google's power, CNBC
• LLMO: 10 Ways to Work Your Brand Into AI Answers, Ahrefs
• OpenAI and others seek new path to smarter AI as current methods hit limitations, Reuters
• Two Upstart Search Engines Are Teaming Up to Take on Google, Wired

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.

Google has added a new promotion type to Google Merchant Center named "Sale events." Sale events are a type data that you can submit on Google and are shown on non-product-centric surfaces. This seems to be available in the US for free Merchant Center listings right now.

This was spotted by Dario Zannoni who posted about it on LinkedIn and wrote, "A new "Sale Event" promotion type has been released in Google Merchant Center."

The help document says:

Sale events highlight a general sale happening in your store on different Google surfaces. Events don't show up on product listings, both organic and ads.

Unlike promotions, events aren't mapped to offers. Since events aren't directly mapped to offers, you can use ranges for discounts, such as 'Up to 40% off,' which isn't allowed with promotions.

Dario Zannoni shared this screenshot:

He wrote, "Standard promotions in Merchant Center require linking to specific products, which can make them challenging to implement. Now, Google has introduced a new promotion type called "Sale Event," which is not tied to individual products. Instead, it can be used to advertise general sales, like "All items discounted up to 70% off" or "Special discount: 10% off on golf bags.""

For more details, check out this help page.

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

A couple of months ago, we reported how Google Search will label if an image was AI-generated, edited by photo editing software or taken with a camera by working with Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) as a technical standard. Well, now Google officially supports C2PA metadata in the about this image feature.

Google wrote this morning, Google Search now supports this [C2PA] metadata in the "About this image" feature."

Google updated its image meta data documentation to add a new section for "How C2PA metadata can appear in Google Search results."

The new section reads:

If an image contains C2PA metadata, Google can extract those details and may show information in the "About this image" feature, such as how the image was created or if it was edited with AI tools. This metadata comes from a signer, which is usually an app, device, or service (for example, photo editing software, the camera itself, or other services that modify or create images) that meets the following conditions:

• The app, device, or service has adopted C2PA version 2.1 or later.
• The image's manifest must be signed by a certificate from a Certification Authority on the C2PA Trust List.

It does seem like Adobe products, like Photoshop, Illustrated, and others, do support this metadata.

I just wonder how it handles the image above, which I generate using Midjourney AI and then edit later in Photoshop.

Forum discussion at X.

Google will be changing how it handles the first-party cookie controls on AdSense sites. Google said, "We're making some changes to how first-party cookies are managed in your AdSense account to simplify controls and improve your access to third-party demand."

Google has combined the controls for enabling "first-party cookies" and "first-party cookies for personalization" into a single control.

Turning on the new control will enable first-party cookies for the publisher, share it with demand sources, and enable all usages including personalization, Google explained.

The new control will be set to your existing personalization setting to aid the transition, Google added.

Google added:

Currently, first-party cookies are shared with Google demand sources (Google Ads, Display & Video 360). Starting no earlier than December 4th, 2024, your first-party cookies will also be shared with Authorized Buyers. However, for the time being, this sharing will not include users in the EEA, Switzerland, UK, California, and some US states.

If you're already using first-party cookies for personalization, sharing with Authorized Buyers will be turned on by default. If you're only using first-party cookies without personalization, sharing will remain off.

Choose whether or not you want to allow first-party cookies from Google on your site, and allow sharing of first-party cookies for personalization with eligible advertising platforms (Google Ads, Display & Video 360, and Authorized Buyers). Allowing first-party cookies from Google may increase your revenue because it enables features like frequency capping on ads and allows ads with a frequency cap to serve on your site. First party cookies for personalization help to show personalized ads to your users when third-party cookies aren't available, which may also increase your revenue.

Cookies are small text files downloaded to a user's browser that can be used to store user information and preferences. Cookies are either first-party (associated with the domain the user is visiting) or third party (associated with a domain that's different from the domain the user is visiting). Google may use first-party cookies when third-party cookies are not available.

Forum discussion at X.

This week, Google sent an email to some Google Ads advertisers warning that they may lose access to use Customer Match with their ads cause harm to users or create a poor user experience. Google said they are updating their customer match policy effective January 13, 2025, to enforce this. Google also posted this over here.

Navah Hopkins posted about this notice on LinkedIn after she received an email from Google about this update. The email says:

On January 13, 2025, Google will update its Customer Match policy to state that customers may lose Customer Match access if their ads have the potential to cause harm to users or create a poor user experience. We may take the following considerations, among others, into account when making this determination.

What are those considerations? Google wrote:

• User feedback
• Prevalence or severity of abuse
• Repeated violations of the Customer Match policy

Google added that "violations of this policy will not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A warning will be issued, at least seven days, prior to any suspension of your account."

Here is the email:

Navah Hopkins added, "Google customer match allows advertisers to take customer lists and apply them for targeting and seed purposes in Google Ads. This is a great way to ensure folks get exactly the right messaging as well as giving us an option to exclude our existing customers from prospecting campaigns."

She explained what harm might be:

The first and most important consideration is using someone's email without their consent. I would take this signal from Google that gambling with privacy rules is getting harder.

Second, ad creative needs to pass the "not a creep" check. This means:
1. You're not targeting kids.
2. You're not making it seem like the ad is for any one specific user.
3. You're not including people in a target list who outright told you they didn't want to see your ads.

Third, and most importantly, violating customer match rules will get your account suspended. Don't mess around with it.

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Google's John Mueller said that some SEOs over focus on URL structure and that if your context from your pages aren't clear, then no URL structure can fix that.

John wrote on LinkedIn:

Often SEOs over-focus on URL structure (imo) -- if the context of your pages isn't clear from the ... text on the page, then the URL structure isn't really going to fix that.

What advice did he give for URL structure for SEO?

• Avoid making unnecessary URL structure changes (because changes will affect SEO at least temporarily, it takes time for search engines to recrawl & reprocess all affected pages), pick something that can last for a long time
• Primarily think about users & about how you want to track performance (URL structures are great for grouping URLs for analytics, conversion rates, etc. -- not directly SEO, but for monitoring how well SEO is working for you).

John added, "Anyway, Google generally (*) wouldn't care. Make a useful structure. Make it easy for you to monitor. Make it helpful for users, if you want (do people even look at URLs? I assume most users don't nowadays.)"

When does structure of your URLs matter? When you have adult content on portions of your site (we covered this before). John said on LinkedIn, "(*) the "generally" ... an exception that I can think of is if an affected part of the site is treated significantly different than the rest of the site. For example, if that folder is where all of the safe-search filtered content is located, then moving it around can make it harder for the safe-search system to understand your new site structure. I don't think that's something most sites need to consider, but it's helpful if you're looking for an "it depends"."

Google has often recommended not to change URLs for SEO purposes, here is our past coverage:

• Google Really Wants You To Avoid Changing URLs Just For SEO Reasons
• Google: Avoid Change URLs Unless You Really Have To
• Google: Don't Change Your URLs For SEO Purposes
• Google: Don't Change URLs When Replacing Old Content With New Content

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.