Learn More About Structured Data!
In issue 276 of the #SEOForLunch we discuss structured data, GDS bubble charts and JS page rendering issues within Google's cache.
Hi Lunch Buddies!
Let me start with a quick story for this week’s newsletter. I stacked five back-to-back calls for last Thursday making it nearly a full day of calls. Oh well, it happens and I was prepared.
After dropping my kids off at school I come back and see one client already canceled. 15 minutes later I get two separate slack messages asking to cancel/reschedule two more meetings. By the end of the hour, all but one of my meetings had been canceled… I’m feeling a “free day” coming on. I reach out to the owner of my last call and get it punted to another day. My calendar is officially wide open. Score!
So what did I do with my free day? I closed my laptop and decided to go play Blackjack at a nearby casino. I left +$500.00. This has been my lucky day. I took myself out to lunch and did what any other self-respecting father of three who had just won money would do… I went to the grocery store. Grocery shopping doesn’t suck when you're there at 2 pm on a random Thursday!
Below is my (blurry) attempt to sneak a picture of my table winnings. It was a great surprise day off and I’m charged up for this week. Now back to business AND this week’s issue of the #SEOForLunch.
Have a fantastic week everyone!
-Nick
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Official Search Engine Updates
Podcast
Search Off The Record: Structured Data (What’s it all about?)
What's Important:
Google’s Martin Splitt, Lizzi Sassman, and Ryan Levering discuss structured data, its impact, and how Google uses it.
Nick’s Take:
This podcast kicks off by asking what everyone’s favorite structured data is which made me think for a moment. I think, for me, I would have to choose the recipe structured data. If you aren’t familiar with structured data or would like to better understand all of its benefits, I highly recommend that you listen to this podcast episode.
Article
Optimizing website performance with a Search Console bubble chart
What's Important:
Google Search Advocate, Daniel Waisberg continues his series on building Google Data Studio reports - this time utilizing a bubble chart to review your top-performing search queries.
Nick’s Take:
I’ve seen a lot of GDS reports but I wasn’t familiar with the ability to create a bubble chart before seeing this post. Daniel does a great job of not only sharing with us how to create this report but also how you can read and take action on the data.
Video
Why Doesn’t My JS Page Get Cached in Google?
What's Important:
Google’s John Mueller answers a user’s question regarding Javascript pages not showing in Google’s cache properly.
Nick’s Take:
John acknowledges that JS pages can regularly display a “blank” page within the cached version. He further explains that this is not an issue but goes into more detail as to how Google processes JS-based pages.
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Top SEO Resources From Last Week
Internal Linking: The SEO Superpower
Barry Adams, SEOForGooglenews.com
I’ve been very vocal about the power of internal links and how they are often overlooked within a larger SEO strategy. When I saw this post from Barry I knew instantly it was a worthy share piece. While relevant to all websites, this post specifically showcases the value of internal links for news websites.
Four Heartbreaking Reasons SEO Freelancers Fail (And How To Address Them)
ME, TheSEOFreelancer.com
I talk to a lot of SEOs. Many have aspirations to freelance but not all of them succeed. In this post, I review the common issues I see with individuals looking to get into the freelance game but ultimately struggle to find success.
Google’s 2021 & 2022 Product Reviews Updates: What Happened?
Lily Ray, AmsiveDigital.com
When I shared that Google announced the third rollout of its product review update I had a sneaking suspicion that Lily was all over it. Image how (not) shocked I was when she published this great analysis. If you had any impact (positive or negative) this is a great read on how these rollouts have impacted the search results.
Google Doesn’t Want Your AI-generated SEO Spam Content
Danny Goodwin, SearchEngineLand.com
Danny covers the April 1st Google Hangout session run by Googler, John Mueller. One of the questions was regarding AI-generated content and Google’s perspective on the topic. I don’t think many will be surprised by John’s response — anything else would basically support SPAM efforts.
Featured Snippets Study: Results From 3,500+ Internet Users
Jonathan Gorham, enginescout.com.au
Jonathan conducted a survey of 3500 users and published this great case study on key findings regarding featured snippets. I wasn’t at all surprised to read that featured snippets receive on average 35% of all clicks — honestly, I thought the number might be even higher!
You Made It To The Bottom. You’re AWESOME!
Thank you for reading this week's issue of the #SEOForLunch. If you know anyone who may also enjoy this newsletter please consider sending them to the signup page. https://nickleroy.com/newsletter
Learn About The Guy Behind The #SEOForLunch
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.