Google core updates, a Google podcast and Search Console tips: What we read this week (5/22)

22. May 2020

By William Flannigan service@newsdashboard.com

The last three months feels like a year. What we all need now is a long holiday weekend. Thankfully, it’s here!

Before you check out, take a look at the five news SEO stories we read this week.

Google core updates are complex, m’kay?

It’s not often Google rolls out broad core updates (usually only three to four times a year). The last one, which dropped May 4, had SEOs rushing to declare winners and losers. Even Trisolute jumped in and offered an analysis from a news publisher’s perspective.

Glenn Gabe over at G-Squared Interactive wrote up a measured and practical overview (complete with case studies) of how core updates can affect sites and what measures web admins and SEOs should take to adjust.

A couple sections we suggest reading include:

Relevance Adjustments
Aggressive and Disruptive Advertising
Core Updates: Some Final Tips and Recommendations

Of course if you have the time to read the entire report, please do.

https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/may-2020-google-core-update-case-studies/

Was there a Google update? Search Engine Roundtable has a tool

Now that you know WHAT a Google core update can entail and HOW to best adjust your site to mitigate any traffic loss – this nifty little tool will tell you IF a Google update happened.

This simple calendar by Search Engine Roundtable is straightforward; put in a date, hit “search,” see if an update happened and what you need to know.

https://www.wasthereagoogleupdate.com/

A Google Search podcast by … Google?!

If you have a spare minute between listening to “The Daily”, “Radiolab” and “This American Life”, you may consider adding the upcoming Google Search podcast hosted by three Google employees: “Search Off the Record.”

A preview landed on Twitter this week:

New Podcast from Google Webmasters 🦄🎙🎧@johnmu @g33konaut and @methode talk all things Google Search such as:

🗣trending topics in SEO
🖥Search Console features
🎉fun stories, and more!

Find the full trailer and subscribe to Search Off the Record → https://t.co/8cQVTALyGD pic.twitter.com/iIUafSeIFr

— Google Webmasters (@googlewmc) May 21, 2020

The hosts promise to include previously unreleased or undocumented info about Google Search. They’ll also discuss upcoming projects. Still not convinced? Well, you should listen because “we have information that you don’t have,” said Gary Illyes, one of the hosts.

You can subscribe now on your preferred podcast app.

Google Search Console tips

Having a deep understanding of Google Search Console is essential to any SEO. The tool can help uncover a myriad of technical issues a site may have which can negatively affect SERP rankings. This guide from Content King is a deep dive into the index coverage report and how to use it to diagnose common indexing issues.