SEO Wash-up Monday 30th January 2023

Google Updates

Google tests new cleaner knowledge panel feedback interface – Users have said that the Google knowledge panels are useful but, when they are wrong or inaccurate, you can submit feedback to Google directly in the search interface. However, users have mentioned that this interface is not as nice looking. Google seems to be testing a much cleaner and prettier interface for submitting knowledge panel feedback in Google Search.

Google drops 110 character limit from article headline structured data – The search giant has updated the article structured data help documentation by removing the 110-character limit from the headline properties. They have mentioned this now “Consider using a concise title, as long titles may be truncated on some devices.”

In the past, you could see the headline property on the article structure data, “The title of the article. The value should not exceed 110 characters.” However, now it reads, “The title of the article. Consider using a concise title, as long titles may be truncated on some devices.”

As Google removed the 110 character limit for the headline property in the Article structured data documentation, there’s no hard character limit, instead Google recommend that you write concise titles as long titles may be truncated on some devices. Furthermore, Google has removed the reference to word count in the Search Console document not too long ago as well.

Google Ads remove redundant keywords recommendation now applies across match types – Google has sent out email notifications to some Google Ads advertisers about changes happening to the “remove redundant keywords recommendations”. This means that Google is expanding this recommendation to work across match types. Google mentions that currently, the “remove redundant keywords” recommendation suggests redundant keywords within the same ad groups, destination, bidding strategy, and match type. However, all that will change and will now have this recommendation work across different match types, starting from January, the recommendation can include keyword across different match types.

Furthermore, Google has said that you can view the match type reports to see this by clicking on “Segment” on the “search keywords” report and then by choosing “search terms match type.” The point to making these change is to help you manage your accounts more easily as it doesn’t negatively impact your performance, and still allows your ads to appear on the same searches.

The example Google has provided, is if your ad group has the phrase match keyword “women’s hats” and broad match keyword ladies hats, Google will recommend that you remove the phase match keyword since the broad match keyword ladies hats covers all searches from “women’s hats.”