Important News We Are Watching From This Week

Be in the Know on Microsoft Advertising

Be in the know! This week we have found a few nuggets that you may want to review or do a deeper dive into from our blog post.

Is It Worth Writing Website Meta Descriptions?

“Many SEOs debate the importance of creating unique meta descriptions. It can definitely help with click-through-rate from SERPs, but, for most, it’s often a low priority SEO task. Will the news that Google overwrites our work make us less likely to spend time on it?” Read the full article.

From our point of view, we do still recommend writing these to assist in click through rates from the search results. We have seen Google write there own before and then later roll back their action.  It makes sense to write them and if Google does or does not use them is a non-issue at this point.


Google is Tweaking the Layout of Google Local or Google Maps Listings

We are seeing the removal of addresses in Google Maps listing tests by Google. See pic.

Google also appears to be listing the years in business in some Google Maps listings. Read the article and see the pic.


Google Ads Does Away with Broad Match Modifiers

Google has announced that it will no longer honor broad match modifier keywords and will instead merge the broad match modifier into phrase match. For now if there are broad match modifier keywords in the account, Google will simply deliver them as phrase match.

How do we feel about this? Well, we expect to spend more time on negative keywords list creation to sculpt ad results. We are not terribly worried about this due to the extensive use of machine learning used in ad delivery. We do expect broad match modifier keywords in the account to start to receive fewer and fewer impressions over time. We will no longer add broad match modifier  to ad accounts. Read the full article for more details.

1-29-21 What We Are Watching This Week

McCord Web Services is a Google Partner and a Certified Google Ads Professional

There are just a few new things in the world of Google that we are watching this week.

Rich Snippet Changes

Google has a new validation tool for Rich Snippets you may be using on your website. You’ll want to click in and check your code in the new validation tool as Google is stating that they will drop your snippets indexing in search if you do not make updates to have the code be valid. Read the full detailed article here.

Local Service Ads and the Impact on Standard Google Ads Campaigns

In 2020 Google started testing Local Service Ads for lawyers. A number of firms have done research on how using both Google Ads and Local Service Ads impacts Google Ads performance negatively.

After review of the data, it appears that Local Service Ads will be shown preferentially by Google and are typically clicked on more by users due to the richness of the interface and ad appearance. CTR and CPA are negatively impacted in Google Ads when the client is using both programs.

If you are using Local Service Ads AND Google Ads (standard professional version), you will want to dive in and read the full article.

12-7-20 The Google and SEO Week in Review

Monitor Your Page Speed

There have been a few important things that have happened this week in the world of Google. Here are a few snippets from interesting articles I have read this week.

Google Expands the Use of Form Extensions in Google Ads

Form extensions are not new in Google Ads, but now Google is expanding their use to share them over differing types of campaigns. Read more…


Yes, the December 2020 Core Update Was Important

We are finding that the core update Google rolled out last week has had a big impact on the search results. Why Google would do an update before the holidays is too strange to understand. Read more…


May 2021 is the Date for the Big Google Page Experience Update.

Google already telling webmasters that the pending algorithm update for the mobile index scheduled for May 2021 will be big. Anytime Google gives this much notice, it means that the update will be “life changing”. In this case the update is all about mobile and uses the Google Search Console Core Web Vitals for the rankings. Of most important note is the speed of your mobile version site. Read more…

11-27-2020 The Week in Review

The Role of Social Media on Your Website: If You're Not Using It- Lose It

Interesting things have happened last week and this week. Here is a brief synopsis to keep you up to date.

Google Ads Sneaks in Auto Update without Approval Features

You’ll want to be smart and watch your account. Google has rolled out a beta program that makes automatic account updates without your approval. These changes are not, as of now, even reflected in change history. You’ll want to make sure you know what is happening by reading the article linked below. If we manage your account, Google has provided us with a master control panel to turn on and off features as a Google Partner.  More info…


Unconventional Link Building Strategies

You may have actually fallen prey to some of these tactics yourself already, but that being said, some are savvy and could possibly be leveraged for your own needs. More info…


Google Guaranteed Starts to Be Visible in Maps Listings

We are just now starting to see the Google Guaranteed checkmark in Google Maps listings. This program is one Google rolled out earlier in the year and costs a business $50 a month after a certification and vetting process. These are actually upgraded Google My Business profiles. Google has stated that this is an experiment and may keep or may not keep this update as it rolls out more businesses. Right now, only certain business sectors are eligible for this feature. Some businesses are choosing instead to do local service ads instead of participating in the Google Guaranteed program. More info…


Why Your Website May Have Lost Search Placement

This article details 5 points as to why your website may have lost organic search placement. There is no ground breaking information here, but it is a good review.  The writer focuses on changes to competition, search algorithms, expectations, and your own website changes. Still a good read for this week. More info…


Duck, Duck, Go Search Engine is Trending

Duck, Duck, Go is considered a possible replacement for Google due to its privacy related focus. Although it does not have near the traffic Google does, searches on the platform are trending up. Of note is that Duck, Duck, Go shows Microsoft Advertising ads. This could be a huge consideration for some clients in the very near future. Learn more…