Google Testing REAL-TIME Indexing!?
SEOForLunch #254 covers Google's announcement of its recent SPAM update being fully rolled out, Interstitial desktop impact, and it's testing of real-time indexing protocol.
Hi Lunch Buddies!
I hope everyone is doing well. I’m in Florida this week soaking up the sun while it’s snowing back home in Minnesota.
This is my first vacation since going freelance and I’m dedicated to being 95% disconnected from the internet. Why 95%? Well, I’m a pushover and agreed to take exactly one call that’s scheduled for later today. I’m also sitting here looking at the ocean while I write this newsletter… but this can hardly be considered work.
Let’s jump into this week’s #SEOForLunch.
-Nick
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Official Search Engine Updates
Tweet:
Google’s Spam update has been fully rolled out
What's Important:
Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, tweeted last week that a SPAM update has been released within their systems.’s Danny followed up confirming the update has been completed as of 11/11/21.
Nick's Take:
I’ve been fortunate that none of my sites or clients' sites have been impacted from analysis done to date. However, other sites haven’t been as lucky per a report from Barry Schwartz over here.
Article:
Google is Testing the IndexNow Protocol for Sustainability
What's Important:
A Google spokesperson said that they are testing the protocol introduced by Bing/Yandex that allows you to submit URLs for direct indexation.
Nick's Take:
While only a confirmation of testing, it is very exciting to hear Google is testing the IndexNow protocol. This protocol would only make getting new/updated content added to the search engine index’ easier… though we know it will likely be abused too which may scare off the search giant from full adoption.
Article:
Google Confirms Intrusive Interstitials Ding Will Apply To Desktop Sites
What's Important:
Google’s John Mueller confirmed that intrusive interstitials (currently impacting mobile search results) will also have an impact on desktop pages during the recently announced update that is planned for February 2022.
Nick's Take:
If this “ding” is as impactful as the mobile version then we don’t have too much to worry about. It’s absolutely worth measuring the impact of being “compliant” vs the impact of seeing a minor ding. I had a client across 3 websites that saw a major drop in email subscriptions by making their interstitials “compliant”. I highly suspect had they kept the interstitial that their organic search wouldn’t have seen a noticeable drop. This serves as a constant reminder that we always need to test and measure impact.
Top SEO Resources From Last Week
SEO TEST: Adding keyword-rich alt text to product page images
Emily Potter, searchpilot.com
I love SEO tests that are closely monitored and measured. Sometimes the impact of just a handful of small SEO tactics can be the difference between top-rankings and being stuck on page 2+. What do you think of this test approach?
2021 CTR Research Study [750B Impressions + 30B Clicks + 17B Keywords]
Mitul Gandhi, SEOClarity.com
We as SEOs work so hard to get visibility for our (or our clients) websites in the search results. The click-through rates we get from all this work continue to diminish as we fight not only paid ads but various search layouts and features. What I found the most interesting is the disparity in position 1 CTR between desktop and mobile results!
Google’s New Scroll-to Sitelinks, How They Differ, Impact on SEO & More
Brodie Clark, BrodieClark.com
Brodie has been killing it when reporting on various search features that are being launched. This post on scroll-to sitelinks is very comprehensive. If you're short on time, scroll directly to the section where he outlines the difference between the three types of sitelinks: Internal sitelinks, Jump-to sitelinks, and Scroll-to sitelinks.
How To Compare The Most Authoritative Links Between Websites
Glenn Gabe, GSQI.com
SEO has evolved from content + links. Today links really mean being “authoritative” as a whole which is likely a combination of inbound links, site mentions, and other trust signals sometimes referenced as “E-A-T”. Glenn does a great job of leveraging popular third-party tools to identify authority factors between various sites. This type of analysis (IMO) is critical in succeeding in SEO today. Great write up Glenn!
How to Become a Brand (part 1) “The Look”
Sean Markey, ranktheory.com
This article is VERY complimentary to Glenn’s post above. We know that the concept of authority is easier to demonstrate to established brands and offline businesses. So what happens if you want to become an authority but your site is strictly an affiliate site? Sean walks us through some actions you can take to differentiate yourself from the thousands of spammy affiliate sites on the interwebz.
SEO Briefs = Step 1 To Top Search Rankings?
[#SEOForLunch Partner]
I use Content Harmony for all my client’s SEO briefs. I’ve yet to meet a writer who doesn’t appreciate the data points and direction that I’m able to provide with this tool. I’m convinced that SEO briefs are critical to creating content that ranks well.
You can test out Content Harmony too. Get 10 briefs for $10.00 today.
You Made It To The Bottom. You’re AWESOME!
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