Google Search Console Updates and a Known Bug
In this week's #SEOForLunch (Issue #255) we cover a few Google Search Console updates including UI updates and a known bug causing some users headaches.
Hi Lunch Buddies!
I’m back from Florida and 100% recharged. I cheated and did a little work but overall it was one of my better “offline” vacations. The best part? I did a bit of fishing off the shoreline in from of our Airbnb. Even better - I caught something… a SHARK!
To say I was surprised was an understatement. After a fun fight and a quick picture, I released it right away. What a fun experience!
Let’s jump into this week’s #SEOForLunch.
-Nick
WIX announced big SEO upgrades
[sponsor]
In the latest of a series of major SEO upgrades, Wix now offers full URL customization.
You can customize subdirectory names, edit, remove or add a prefix to your URLs or even create a completely flat URL structure in blog and product pages. Plus, Wix automatically takes care of creating 301 redirects for all impacted URLs.
That’s on top of a long list of advanced SEO capabilities that are already built-in:
Structured data out of the box
Bulk 301 redirects
Editable robots.txt file
GMB integration
Enhanced eCommerce for GA
Bot log reports
Full control of meta-tags
Automatic page caching
Instant homepage indexing (Google)
Official Search Engine Updates
Video:
Search News: Core Web Vitals, Title Links, Continous Scrolling (and more)
What's Important:
Google’s John Mueller recaps notable Google search updates that have been recently announced. This includes Core Web Vitals (for desktop), Title Links (how they display in the SERPs), Continuous scrolling (again, in the SERPs), and official documentation for eCommerce sites. He also shouts out the State of Technical SEO report.
Nick's Take:
If you are a regular #SEOForLunch reader none of this should (hopefully) be “new” news. This is a good recap video but no net new information (unless you haven’t been an active reader :) )
Help Forum:
Are you not seeing "Users and Permissions" in Search Console Settings?
What's Important:
Google Community Manager, Caio Barros posted in the support forum a known bug within Google Search Console. Specifically the clarification of a Delegated Owner role vs a Full User role.
Nick's Take:
While this is more of a UI issue, it’s important to distinguish the difference between the two roles in the account. A Delegated Owner will have more access such as seeing and delegating user roles for the entire account.
Tweet:
Google Announces a “Refresh” to Its Search Console
What's Important:
Google announced yesterday (Monday) that it’s in the process of refreshing the interface to improve user experience and accessibility. Updates are anticipated to be rolled out in the upcoming months.
Nick's Take:
Below is a screenshot from one of my websites. If you log into your Search Console you should notice the same change. Keep an eye out for future updates as their made available.
Top SEO Resources From Last Week
Findings: Google Core Update November 2021
Johannes Beus, Sistrix.com
Last week, Google released a core algorithm update. It normally takes a few weeks to get reports published on the critically impacted domains and overarching “targets” or “tactics” the update addresses. The Sistrix team shares a bunch of early data including big winners such as Amazon, Wikipedia, and eBay. Notable losers are big names such as Pinterest, YouTube, and even Instagram.
SEO Freelancing: 10 Things You Need To Know To Be Successful
Kristina Azarenko, Search Engine Journal
Most of you know who subscribe to my other newsletter The SEO Freelancer know I’m passionate about SEO freelancing. I started the newsletter due to the limited amount of information published on the topic.
Imagine how big my smile was when I saw that Kristina covered the topic on SEJ. This is a great read if you have even the tiniest interest in freelancing full-time or even as a side hustle.
Why Getting Indexed by Google is so Difficult
Tomek Rudzki, Moz
In a perfect world, all search engines will adopt IndexNow. However, until that magical day, we need to understand why Google indexes some content and not others. This is where Tomek’s post comes in. If you read nothing else, check out his top 3 reasons why your content likely isn’t being indexed by Google.
How To Do Intent-Driven International Keyword Research
Lazarina Stoy, Larinastoy.com
Do you dabble in international SEO? This post is your read of the week. We know the same words, even translated, do not have the same meaning or intent in different countries or cultures. So how do you effectively conduct keyword research when your website serves users across multiple geographies/languages? Great writ up, Lazarina!
What High-Impact SEO Consulting Looks Like
Ross Hudgens, Siegemedia.com
This has got to be one of my favorite articles in 2021. As Ross calls out, SEOs can be busy fixing/updating various issues but if you aren’t prioritizing the right ones are you really providing a high impact? His section on proactive vs reactive is worth reading 3 times. It’s by far the biggest issue I’ve seen in SEO campaigns. I’m guilty of this as well - but we all should be aiming to be proactive as possible.
All I Want For XMAS Are SEO Content Briefs!
[#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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Learn More About The Guy Behind The #SEOForLunch: Nick LeRoy
Nick LeRoy is a professional SEO Consultant specializing in technical SEO, content strategy, and website migrations.
Nick is also the author of two SEO focused newsletters: #SEOForLunch and The SEO Freelancer.
You can connect with Nick online through Twitter and LinkedIn.