SEO Matters - Week of 3 April 2023

Here's the news that mattered most for enterprise SEO this past week:

More Info About Sites/Pages in Google

On April 2, in conjunction with International Fact-Checking Day,?Google announced five new or updated initiatives?to provide more background information about sites that appear in its search results.

Three dots will now appear next to most search results. Clicking them will reveal in a panel showing more information about the site.

Among the information Google says it will show may be an "About this author" section.

POV:?I'm calling attention to the "About this author" feature as an example of how recently Google has been showing renewed interest in the authors of content, as I detailed in this recent?blog post about Google Authorship.

While we can't (yet) say that having a known relevant author on your content is a direct ranking factor, I think the level of interest Google is showing in knowing and surfacing legitimate authors means you should seek to show clear authorship, at least on your pages with your most critical content.

Best practice: Have a unique page for each of your authors that their bylines link to, and link from that page to other places they've written and their social profiles.

March 2023 Google Core Update

Last week Google announced they had completed the previously-announced March 2023 Core Update.?According to Google, Core Updates are "designed to ensure that overall, we're delivering on our mission to present helpful and reliable results for searchers."

Lily Ray published a?list of apparent "winners and losers" after this update. Her analysis confirms what we've been seeing for a long time: it is difficult, if not impossible, to pick out the specifics of what may have increased or decreased in value from a core update.

That's because Core Updates are rarely focused on a single factor. Instead, they are a mix of many changes, some small, some larger, meant to bring overall improvement to the quality of search results.

POV:?Our advice is always the same in regards to core updates: If you are practicing all the fundamentals of?Search Experience Optimization, working to optimize your site's Usability, Relevance, and Authority, you'll probably do fine through any such updates.

However, if you think you were impacted negatively by and update, or worry that you aren't prepared for future updates, we have two resources you should turn to first:

• Prepare Your Site for a Google Algorithm Update with This Framework
• Rankings Dropped? Here's How to Analyze a Ranking Fluctuation

Google Reducing Brand Names in SERP Titles?

Many searchers have noticed?that Google appears to be reducing how often it shows a site's name in the title of a search result even if that name is in the page's title tag.?

Barry Schwartz provided this example:

A check of the Nike page shows that the title tag is "Jordan Shoes. Nike.com" but Google shows just "Jordan Shoes." This could be because they have recently increased showing the brand name and favicon with the URL in the result, as you can see above.

POV:?Check how your title tags are being displayed. If you include your brand name in your title tags but Google is not showing it, perhaps consider using that character space for other messaging that might increase CTR.

More URLs in Core Web Vitals Report

Google updated its?Search Console Data Anomalies page?on March 27 to alert users that they are now reporting on more URLs in the Core Web Vitals report (by including some that previously fell below the reporting threshold) which may cause users to see an increase of URLs in their reports.

FREE Resources (from our sponsor?seoClarity)

• Spark Content Optimizer?- Chrome extension shows keyword performance & ranking, over 40 technical issues, and backlink authority for any web page. Recommended by Aleyda Solis in her?#SEOFOMO?newsletter?(which we also recommend!)
• Schema Builder?- Create and validate Schema structured data code for your site from your browser. Winner of Best Search Software Tool at the 2020 US Search Awards
• SEO and Content Marketing Learning Center?- Hundreds of free guides, workflows, and how-tos covering every aspect of SEO and content.

GSC Bulk Data Export in seoClarity!

Now seoClarity clients can export ALL of their Google Search Console data into our Search Analytics for more advanced analysis.

Five Industry-Rattling Innovations in Five Days!

Recently?seoClarity?held its first-ever Release Week, rolling out five worlds-first SEO platform capabilities available in no other platform or too. And all in direct response to the expressed needs of our enterprise clients. See all five below!