SEO newsletter issue #445

The Blue Array Academy's SEO Manager Certification has had a content refresh! ??

This update brings refreshed content, new lessons and two FRESH NEW modules:

?? Google News

?? Website Migration

This new content is available to new & existing students, so if you've already completed the course, you'll automatically have access! Lifetime access means lifetime updates!

Click the link below to learn more and enrol now! ????

https://www.bluearrayacademy.com/courses/seo-manager-certification

5 reasons to sign up for Google Labs and how to do it

Google has plenty of generative AI experiments that you can try today, and signing up is easy.?

Via Sabrina Ortiz

Google is planning some big changes for Bard — including its name

Android app developer Dylan Roussel leaked an apparent changelog that says “Bard is now Gemini”. More here.

Via Dylan Roussel

Check if you're in Google Chrome's third-party cookie phaseout test

Google has started testing the phasing out of third-party cookies on Chrome, affecting about 1% of its users or approximately 30 million people. Learn how to check if you are part of the initial test.?

Via Mayank Parmar

Arc Search combines browser, search engine, and AI into something new and different

‘Browse for me’ is the new search engine, at least if The Browser Company is right about the future of the internet.?

Via David Pierce

TikTok tests feature that could make all videos shoppable

TikTok is testing a feature that could make all posts shoppable, the social media company’s latest move to create a multi-billion-dollar US e-commerce business. In further news, the SM platform?is also going?all in on long-form video. Also noteworthy is the growth?of its user base (now 33% of US adults say they use it).?Women use the platform at higher rates than men (40% vs. 25%).

Via Alex Barinka?& others

Yelp launches revamped feed with AI-powered business summaries

Yelp is releasing new features as part of its winter release, which includes a more visual feed, AI-powered summaries of businesses, and number masking while contacting businesses for better privacy.?

Via Ivan Mehta

New bylines on the NYT

'And just a reminder that author bios are not some magical ranking factor'.?

Via Glenn Gabe

Alphabet?(Google's parent company) and Microsoft announced?earnings Alphabet reported better-than-expected revenue and profit for the fourth quarter, but ad revenue trailed analysts’ projections.?Microsoft beat on the top and bottom lines, as Azure cloud growth was stronger than expected.

Via Ari Levy?and Via Jordan Novet

The question Google won’t answer

'Google is not sure it will successfully manage the transition from traditional revenue models (AdWords mixed into old-school SERPs) to what its calling “Search Generative Experience”'.

Via John Battelle

The New York Times is building a team to explore AI in the newsroom

The publication is hiring engineers and editors for a new team that will experiment with uses for generative AI but says journalists will still write, edit, and report the news.?

Via Emilia David

Advanced SEO Industry News ??

Google brings generative AI to Maps

Google's generative AI push continues, this time with Google Maps. The app has now been sprinkled with AI, but there's a catch... (starting in the U.S., this early access experiment launches this week to select Local Guides only).

Via Google

Google revamps SEO Starter Guide to focus on a starter audience

The Google SEO starter guide also has been significantly cut down and shortened. Here's what's changed and why.?

Via Barry Schwartz

A 'Notes' update from Google

'like a global commenting system for every page on the web now'.?

Via Glenn Gabe

SERP’s Up Podcast - Does Google use user behaviour metrics for ranking?

What has Google said about the impact user behaviour has on rankings? How should you look at user behaviour and rankings? Good summary here from @Glenn Gabe

Via Wix

Google offers specific feedback on why an article might not be helpful

Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, replied to with very specific feedback on a specific article on how to make that article more helpful.?

Via Barry Schwartz

Google may consolidate ranking signals to canonical partner URL even if it's not the source

Lily Ray asked Google's John Mueller what does Google do with all the ranking signals from the content syndication partners when Google Search decides which URL should be the canonical.?

Via Barry Schwartz

Google Core Web Vitals to add Interaction to Next Paint on March 12

We now know the specific date as to when Google will replace FID with INP as a Core Web Vitals metric.?

Via Barry Schwartz

Google Search officially retires cache link

Google might add links to the Wayback Machine in place of the cache link.?

Via Barry Schwartz

Google Bard adds image generation

You can now use Bard to generate "high-quality, photorealistic" images in English, in most countries around the world, Google announced.

Via Danny Goodwin

Bing Deep Search is rolling out to more users

Microsoft previewed Deep Search in December 2023 and now it seems more users are able to see it..?

Via Barry Schwartz

Blue Array News ??

We're thrilled to announce that our commitment to excellence has earned us a stellar 5-star rating on Trustpilot! ??????????

? Our team at Blue Array is dedicated to delivering top-notch services, and your satisfaction is our priority!

Do you know someone in your network who would benefit from Blue Array's SEO services?

Are you an SEO freelancer?with more work than you can handle?Refer customers to Blue Array and earn 10% of the customers?ongoing retainer for up to two years! On average that's ￡5,000 per referral!

https://www.bluearray.co.uk/referral-scheme/

We’re hiring at Blue Array across the UK! We're looking for experienced SEO Managers, Technical?SEO Specialists?or Digital Marketing Managers looking to be fast-tracked into a specialist SEO role at Blue Array.

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