In our July SEO news roundup, we talk about the latest Product Review update, new Video Indexing Report in Search Console, Google Analytics 4, and more! Read on to keep up to date with the most important updates that are happening in this ever-changing space.
Google updates
Product Review July update
Google confirmed the fourth in a series of updates targeting low-quality reviews. The update started rolling out on July 27, and it should be complete within the next two to three weeks. Google wants to ensure reviews come from people who demonstrate expert knowledge and first-hand research about products. They want to see that you’ve tested the product and provide your evidence in your content too.
Will you be impacted?
Remember to focus on the following best practices when creating your high-quality product reviews:
- evaluate the product from a user's perspective
- attach additional evidence such as images, videos, or other links to support your expertise
- show how the product differs from its competitors
- talk about other products users can consider
- discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the product
- don't forget to include links to other useful resources
- identify key decision-making factors for the product's category
- include why you consider that product the best
Google search quality rater guidelines update
The search giant also made a variety of significant changes to its Quality Rater Guidelines. The most significant updates were to Google’s definitions of YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) and E-A-T. Google now asks raters to think about the extent to which content can cause harm to users. Whether you’re YMYL or not, focus on users in your content first.
Search console: Video Indexing Report
In July, Google also announced the new Search Console Video index report to help you understand the performance of your videos in search. It also points out different errors to know what’s wrong with your videos and what you can improve.
With the next Video indexing Report, you will be able to answer the questions:
- In how many pages has Google identified a video?
- Which videos were indexed successfully?
- What are the issues preventing videos from being indexed?
In addition, if you fix the existing issue, you can then use the report to validate your fixes and track how your fixed pages are updated in the Google index.
You will only see the new report if Google detects video pages on your site.
Image source: Google Search Central
Nearly half of Gen Z is using TikTok and Instagram for search
Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers searching on TikTok and Instagram over Google Search and Maps. It seems that TikTok's video format is changing the way young people search online, and Google is working to keep up. They are working on updating features in Search and Maps to try to attract a younger audience. For example, Google Maps now incorporated AR to help users position themselves in their environment, instead of forcing them to figure out which way to go. And there are more Google product announcements to come.
Google Analytics 4 - Useful Resources
Are you prepared for the transition to GA4? Do you know how your reporting will be impacted? We put together top guides and useful resources to help you get the most out of Google Analytics 4.
- How to set up Google Analytics 4 - a complete guide
- Content grouping in GA4: beginner’s guide
- Why you may not be seeing all your GA4 conversions [thread]
- How to build a Google Analytics 4 Landing Page report
- How to recreate the Behavior > Site Content > Landing Pages report from UA [thread]
- Google Search Console Insights now supports GA4
Our Top 5 SEO reads
SEO in Real Life: Harnessing Visual Search for Optimization Opportunities
Visual search simplifies the whole searching process, and it’s becoming a highly accessible way for users to understand the world around us. You can now simply take a photo of a product and tap a screen to find a similar or exactly the same product. How do you optimize real life for visual search? We found this great read by Crystal Carter for you to find out!
The state of eCommerce SERP Features
What SERP features matter most for eCommerce? Kevin Indig found the answer for us by analyzing 20,000 eCommerce keywords and exploring what SERP features Google uses in the organic results. You will learn what SERP features Google presents in eCommerce, how you can leverage them in your favor, and when to pivot your SEO strategy.
Why Expertise is the Most Important Ranking Factor of Them All
E-A-T has become extremely important for SEO. But improving E-A-T is not a simple process, and we need to keep updating our content. Lily Ray nicely summarized in this read why we need to get smarter about E-A-T and focus on the quality of content itself. You will also find a few valuable tips to know what the real expertise on your website should look like.
Zero-Click Content: The Counterintuitive Way to Succeed in a Platform-Native World
How can digital marketers use zero-click content as a strategy to win without trackable clicks? We found this interesting read by Amanda Natividad to learn more about how to succeed with zero-click content on platforms that discourage links in shared content.
Benchmarking the Performance of over 2,000 Digital PR pieces
This is a must-read for all digital marketers to remember that behind every successful digital PR piece is also a lot of work that wasn’t so successful. Thanks to Hannah Smith’s data insights, you will have a more realistic idea of how well digital PR pieces typically perform.
Marketing Miner Insights
Top Google Searches
What do people in the US search for the most in 2022? We compiled lists of most Googled keywords and questions from our database of 165 million keywords for you to find out!
What is Competitor Analysis and How to Conduct One?
Competitor analysis provides valuable insights into how to build your marketing strategy (and win!). We put together this detailed guide to show how you can track and analyze your competitors to make informed, data-driven decisions about your business. Plus, we mentioned some amazing free tools too!
