Google Search Console is reporting that pages from Microsoft’s Bing search engine are links back to websites. Today, in my regular review of the links to my website in Google Search Console, I found several suspicious links. I found about 10 Bit.ly links listed. This is normal, as others will use URL shorteners in social media to link to a website. However, investigating these links, I found that several of these are actually just the Bing.com search results pages. [Read more…]
Google Search Analytics Data Still 1 Week Delayed
You may recall me posting just the other day that Google’s search analytics data is one week behind. Usually, the data is two days behind. But, even after about a week, the search analytics data is now still about one week behind from being reported in Google Search Console. [Read more…]
Search Analytics in Google Search Console Delayed 1 Week
Google’s Search Analytics data, available to website owners in Google Search Console, is now delayed one week. Under normal circumstances, the search query data is delayed only two days. However, right now the keywords used to find your website is now delayed one week. And Google reps so far, when questioned about this, aren’t providing much detail on the reason why. [Read more…]
Chrome Will Show Security Warnings on HTTP Websites
Starting October 2017, Google Chrome (version 62) will show a “NOT SECURE” warning when users enter text in a form on an HTTP page, and for all HTTP pages in Incognito mode. If your website is not HTTPs, and you have not moved your website to HTTPs from HTTP, then your website’s visitors will start to see this warning. [Read more…]
Bug in Google My Business Posts Doesn’t Allow Upper Case URLs
A bug in the Google My Business Posts feature, recently released to all GMB users last month, doesn’t allow businesses to use an HTTPs URL when adding a button and link to their post. As you know I’ve been critical of Google My Business and certain features, such as website URLs easily being overwritten. [Read more…]
Not Again: Google Maps Ranking in Organic Search Results
I know I’ve been a pretty touch critic of Google lately, but I continue to see search results in Google that I don’t agree with. So, of course I’m going to bring it up. I recently wrote about the fact that Google’s maps results were showing up for a particular search query, antique auctions northeast Georgia. That search query is Google’s custom maps, created by users. I can potentially see the benefit for showing that in the search results. [Read more…]
How to Install Google Analytics on AMP Pages
A while back I noticed an error in Google Search Console that was flagging Google Analytics code. The error looks like this: [Read more…]
Google Thinks I Posted Every Post 7 Hours Prior
I’ve been watching this interesting Google bug for over a year now. Turns out that Google thinks that I posted every single post 7 hours prior to when I post. Whenever I make a new post here on my WordPress blog, and go find the post in Google’s search results, Google ALWAYS shows that I posted it 7 hours prior–even if I made the post 3 minutes ago. [Read more…]
Google Maps Result Ranking in Google Organic Search Results
This is a new one that I have not seen before. Google’s own map results are ranking in the top 10 search results for a search query. For a certain search query, “antique auctions northeast georgia”, Google is showing the maps results. But, further down the page, in the organic search results, Google is showing a page from their own Google.com domain, which, when clicked on, shows a maps listing of antique auctions in northeast Georgia. [Read more…]
EU Fines Google $2.7B in Record Fine for Manipulating Search
The European Union is fining Google a record $2.7 billion due to an anti-trust allegation. Google apparently has been manipulating their search results to favor their own services–more than it’s rival competitors. One of the main issues lies in the unexplained sudden drop in traffic to competitors’ websites and services. [Read more…]
Google Flags Google Analytics Code as Critical Error in AMP Pages
On my site, this site, I want to track how many visitors are coming to my site’s AMP pages. I use the official WordPress AMP plugin, the one that’s officially endorsed by Google. After installing the plugin, or updating it, I edit the code and add the Google Analytics code. This has been handy for me because of the fact that someone clicking on one of my posts in the Google search results that’s an AMP version won’t visit my site. They won’t visit my domain name, because Google is caching my AMP content. The only way to see how many visitors are seeing my AMP content is by putting the Google Analytics tracking code on my AMP pages. Makes sense, right? [Read more…]
Google Crawling AMP Pages 20 Percent Less Since Fred Update
I analyzed the past 6 months of Googlebot’s crawling activity on my website, specifically looking to see how often AMP pages, versus blog posts, versus pages are being crawled by Google on my site. What I found was pretty interesting. [Read more…]
Google Search Console Shows No Indexed Pages for Website
Google’s Search Console appears to be having another possible data issue. Google Search Console is reporting no indexed pages in the Indexed Pages report. One particular website that I have verified in Google Search Console does, in fact, have pages indexed in the Google search results. However, viewing Google Search Console, they show that no pages are indexed in the Google search results. [Read more…]
Can You Submit URL to Google Someone Else’s Page and Get It Indexed?
Can you submit a web page URL to Google from someone else’s website, that’s not indexed yet, and get that page indexed quickly? Well, Marie Haynes asked that question on Twitter and thus this blog post was born. [Read more…]
Google Thinks AMP Pages & Blog Posts Contain Duplicate Title Tags
If you’re a website owner, you have the opportunity to verify your website with Google and get access to the Google Search Console. Previously called Google Webmaster Tools, the GSC’s goal is to provide helpful information about your website. In most cases, you can get helpful insights into areas of your website that could be improved. Sometimes the information Google provides in GSC is helpful–and sometimes it’s not. Let’s look at an example of when Google has screwed up in GSC, providing us with inaccurate (or misleading information). Once example is the HTML improvements. [Read more…]
Submit URL to Google Feature Broken
Update: April 20, 2017: As of April 20, 2017, this feature is fixed. I have verified this by using the tool to submit a URL to Google and getting it indexed fairly quickly (within minutes).
The Submit URL to Google feature, that I wrote about a while back, is broken today. Turns out that if you try to submit a URL to Google, you’ll get an error message that says “Oops! Something went wrong, please try again.” as shown below: [Read more…]
With Featured Snippets, Apparently Good Spelling Doesn’t Matter
All the rage nowadays amongst SEOs is about Google’s featured snippets that show up in the search results. It’s that coveted “rank zero” that everyone wants to get. Not only can you rank on the first page, but if your content is good enough, then Google will pull (scrape) your site and feature part of your content at the top of the search results. [Read more…]
Submit URL to Google: New Form Implemented in Search Results
We all know by now that you don’t need to actually submit your URL to Google or “submit URL to Google”. Google’s crawlers typically are so good about crawling the web that you don’t need to tell them about a new URL or a new page. And, it’s been this way for years now. I’ve written about it time and time again. You don’t need to submit your website to the search engines, it’s actually free, and you certainly do NOT need to pay to submit your website. [Read more…]
Google Maps Ms. Pacman Can’t Play on Country Roads
For April Fool’s 2017, Google Maps has implemented a new feature that allows you to play Ms. Pacman on the roads. It’s Google Maps Ms. Pacman. Apparently, though, I cannot play it on the roads where I live. Turns out that there aren’t enough roads where I live, so I cannot actually play the game: [Read more…]
How Much Feedback Does It Take Until Google Responds?
Last week, I had the great opportunity visit Google’s headquarters, attend the Google Dance as a part of the SMX West conference, and talk with many in the industry. There were quite a few great tips that I picked up along the way. [Read more…]