The weeks are flying by… here’s a quick round up of what’s caught my eye in Google this week.
Contents
Google Search Updates
Google announced 53 search updates throughout April. Pandas and Penguins aside, there’s a few other interesting changes:
Improvements to local navigational searches. [launch codename “onebar-l”] For searches that include location terms, e.g. [dunston mint seattle] or [Vaso Azzurro Restaurant 94043], we are more likely to rank the local navigational homepages in the top position, even in cases where the navigational page does not mention the location.
Hopefully, the local navigation search change is happening over here too. I’ve not noticed a difference, have you?
There’s a few changes to “Freshness”, one with a smack on low quality sites. “We have modified a classifier we use to promote fresh content to exclude fresh content identified as particularly low-quality.”
And, Google continues to second guess what we want with…
Better query interpretation. This launch helps us better interpret the likely intention of your search query as suggested by your last few searches.
Personally, I despise all the second guessing and personalisation.
If you just need some switch off time you can always do the zerg rush…
Google Business Photos rolled out to more locations
Interactive 360-degree photos are pretty cool. Panoramas are featured on Google Maps and on your Google Places listing. Approved photographers are now available in United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Google Drive on the cloud
Document sharing and more with a twist. 5Gb available free, and it now works for me too – jolly good.
Google Places Bug
It would appear the “We currently do not support this location” error message resurfaced with a vengeance. Well, if it’s not once thing then it’s another with Places…
Over on the Google and Your Business community group, Vanessa reports that the problem is being worked on and the bug fix should be rolled out fully by today or tomorrow (Monday).
A Week in Google – 6th May 2012 by Jan Kearney
Grab your guide to local search and learn:
- What elements are important on your website
- How to set up your Google My Business Local Page
- How Google Plus can help you zoom past your competitors
- Two things you should not neglect if you want to rank in the local search pack
- How to power past your competitors and dominate your area
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