Google Fixes a Discover Traffic Bug
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Google has fixed a problem that affected the visibility of certain websites in Google Discover following the most recent core search update.
Google said on November 1st that it has found and resolved an issue that affected Discover’s deployment of the October 2023 core update. Some websites may now experience an increase in traffic connected to Discover as a result.
Beginning on October 5, Google began rolling out the October 2023 core update. Google’s main search algorithms are the focus of these updates, which aim to elevate higher-quality content and devalue low-quality websites.
Changes in search rankings caused by core changes frequently affect website traffic. On October 19, Google finished the most recent core update.
The Google developers were able to fix the issue the same day they discovered the error. The solution should bring back the correct operation of Google Discover’s core update implementation.
Google advises concentrating on improvements to user experience, content quality, and expertise for any websites that have been adversely affected by core updates. Regaining lost exposure can be facilitated over time by creating more informative and truthful material.
Google claims that although core updates cause short-term instability in rankings, high-quality websites eventually reap the benefits.
Google Has Released New “ING” Top Level Domains
Google has announced that users may now register domains that represent verbs, nouns, and adjectives that finish in “ing” by using the new dot ING top level domain.
A top level domain (TLD) is known as the last part of the domain name, such as .com, .org, etc.
Google just unveiled the newest version,.ing, which enables publishers to register a domain name that targets terms like locations, actions, people, objects, and even adjectives that finish in “ing”.
Numerous companies have already started to register.ing domain names:
- ING banking and financial company registered bank.ing;
- Adapt clothing brand registered adapt.ing;
- Adobe Acrobat registered edit.ing and sign.ing;
- Canva registered draw.ing
This type of targeting, using a ING TLD, is good for branding, as it is short and easy to remember. We usually refer to this as a domain hack.
It is helpful in a variety of ways, including marketing, sales, and enabling simple access to websites.
It could also be helpful for websites with long or challenging to remember domain names that would rather have a domain name that sums up their content in one or two words.
Google Introduced New Features for Small Businesses to Stand Out
In a continuing attempt to assist newer businesses on its platforms, Google has unveiled new tools to link the holiday customers with small and local companies.
In one of the company’s posts, Google outlined upcoming updates to Search, Maps, and Merchant Center designed to make small companies stand out.
These include labels designating “small business” listings, improved business information panels, and AI-powered product image generation.
As one of the new features, Google is adding a “small business” badge to the Search and Maps listings of eligible firms.
During the crucial holiday shopping season, this label should make it simpler for customers to locate and support small businesses.
Companies using Google’s Merchant Center and Business Profile systems can identify themselves as small enterprises. Additionally, Google will automatically add the label based on variables like the quantity of items supplied and website traffic.
Additionally, Google is now instantly displaying more important company data in search results, such promotions, shipping guidelines, and client testimonials. The goal is to increase customer confidence in small firms that are new to them yet are reputable.
Google Officially Switches To Mobile-First Indexing
Google announced on October 31st, that it has fully made the switch to mobile-first indexing, a move that took years to complete. This indicates that while crawling pages and indexing content, Google gives priority to mobile versions.
This change is a reflection of Google’s increased emphasis on mobile devices, which started in 2015. Google changed its search algorithm at the time to give preference to “mobile-friendly” websites.
The next year, the business began indexing mobile pages before desktop ones, a move known as mobile-first indexing.
Since mobile now accounts for more internet usage than desktop, crawling the mobile versions provides the most accurate results for those searching on their phones.
Websites have increasingly adjusted by adding full-featured mobile versions to their desktop counterparts.
According to Google, a tiny percentage of websites still have issues with mobile functionality. Google will continue to crawl the desktop versions of those websites for the time being.
To further save resources, the business will restrict the crawling of desktop pages even further.
In a similar update, Google is eliminating data from indexing crawlers from its webmaster tool, Search Console. Since mobile is now used to crawl all working websites, this data is no longer required since the change is complete.
Google On How To Handle 404 Errors In Search Console
John Mueller from Google responded to a Reddit user’s query on what to deal with the hundreds of 404 errors that were discovered in Google Search Console.
John’s response made it clear how to handle the 404 problems mentioned in the Search Console Page Indexing report.
A server will provide a 404 error response to a crawler (or browser) informing it that the requested webpage does not exist and that the server experienced a problem retrieving it.
The 404 result indicates that the page does not exist and does not necessarily need to be fixed.
As John Mueller stated, if you are aware that the page is not available, the server is acting appropriately by providing a 404 answer.
Some people don’t want a 404 result from their server. To ensure that there are no more 404 errors, they set a redirect to the homepage. However, that is not a recommended practice as it generates a soft 404 error.
The 404 is regarded as a mistake, which is the basis for that practice. It’s not a mistake. All it is is a response from the server.
The lesson is that a 404 error answer is appropriate when a webpage is not found.
Unless the 404 server answer is the result of an error on the website.
Social Media Manager at Zentury, with passion for SEO. I always try to deliver fun and engaging content for our community!