Today I learned that it’s possible to use the Google Removal Tool to request removal of pages on someone else’s website. Even if the page is on a website that you don’t own. I may be mistaken, but previously you had to be logged into a Google Account to use the Google Removal Tool and you had to be a site owner, verified in Google Search Console, to request removal. [Read more…]
56 Takeaways from Google’s Gary Illyes’ AMA On Reddit
Gary Illyes, Google’s Chief of Sunshine and Happiness and Trends Analyst, recently did an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit. There were a lot of questions asked, and I’ve narrowed it all down to the key takeaways. I’ve pulled out the most important questions and answers, in my opinion. You can read the whole entire Reddit AMA with Gary here. [Read more…]
Google to Shut Down Small Business Community from Google
We’ve already heard that Google is closing down their social media site Google Plus, closing it down faster than previously expected. Now, we have yet another Google social community being closed down on January 16th, 2019: the Small Business Community from Google is shutting down rather abruptly. [Read more…]
Grace Millane Case: Google Illegally Revealed Murder Suspect’s Name via Mass Email
December 13, 2018: 11:14am CST
Google illegally revealed the name of a murder suspect via a mass email sent out to subscribers of their top trends in New Zealand. A temporary suppression order was in place until the suspect went to trial for the murder of Grace Millane, a backpacker from the UK. She was found about 10 days later after she went missing from a Hostel in New Zealand. [Read more…]
Google Ads Training Mistake Cost $1.6m in One Hour
A Google Ads training mistake cost Google about US $1.6 million dollars in one hour, as a single yellow ad was shown across the United States and Australia. Apparently the ad was a “training mistake made by a Google team that helps customers learn how to use the platform” according to reports. [Read more…]
Google Loads Maps Results over HTTP
As a Google Local Guide, I typically contribute to Google Maps on a regular basis. I was checking a few things today, several Google Maps listings, as well as Checking the Facts as a part of the Google Local Guide program, and noticed something rather odd. Google Maps loads over HTTP and not HTTPs. With Google being so adamant about everyone moving their sites to HTTPs and making them secure, I find it rather odd that Google’s own maps results would attempt to load over HTTPs but give a broken lock symbol–meaning that parts of the page is not secure. [Read more…]