What happended in the world of SEO this week?
This has been one of the most eventful weeks in the world of Search Engine Optimization as well as the tech world.
Later in the post, we look at how Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI was fired from his company by the board.
Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) rolled out to more than 120 countries and teritories.
This was quite a shock.
I had thought that Google would rollout this update in 2024 but it seems Christmas came early.
With this update, users in these territories get access to search labs after which they can use Generative AI on search.
So, how does one enroll to SGE?
Visit Search Labs and follow the prompts.
FAQ Snippets comeback?
Some users have been experiencing a spike in Google Search Console on FAQ snippets.
See the images below from Brodie Clark.
Follow Feature Added on Google Search
Google is introducing a new feature that lets you follow topics in search.
By clicking the follow button, Google will show you more about those topics in your Discover feed and in Google Search results.
This is different from other follow buttons, like those in knowledge panels or Google News.
It’s also distinct from Chrome’s follow feature. After following, Google might display a “News for you” box with different perspectives on that topic.
The feature is rolling out in US English results on the Google app and mobile web in the coming weeks.
You can easily unfollow topics, and it won’t work for sensitive queries. The community’s response has been mixed, with some finding these features distracting.
Google Announces New Structured Data For Educational Videos
Google has introduced a new way to improve the search experience for educational videos.
Publishers can now add special information to their videos, like the education level, concepts, and skills they cover.
This helps Google understand the content better and show users more relevant results when they search for educational videos.
The marked-up videos may also display extra information, like the education level and video type, in search results.
These features are currently available in English on Google Search worldwide for both desktop and mobile.
The new structured data can be added to web pages using plugins for content management systems or through code for JavaScript-based websites.
Google recommends following best practices for implementation, such as adding the required properties and using their testing tool to check the markup.
The videos must meet technical requirements, like being at least 30 seconds long, publicly accessible without a login or subscription, and having the structured data on the same page where users can watch the video.
This initiative aims to make it easier for both search engines and users to find and understand educational content on the internet.
Google updated its documentation on Best practices for titles - Main thing, do not include flight prices as this may provide a bad experience
This has been one of the most eventful weeks in the world of Search Engine Optimization as well as the tech world.
Later in the post, we look at how Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI was fired from his company by the board.
Google introduces note taking on the SERP
Google Search is testing a new feature that lets you add personal notes to search results and see notes from others.
This experiment, called Search Labs, is available in the US and India on mobile and the Google app.
To participate, you must opt-in.
You can add and view notes on Google Search and in Google Discover.
When you opt in, you’ll see an “add note” icon on search results.
Clicking on it allows you to add a note for others to see, and you can also view notes left by other users.
Notes are ranked by relevance and usefulness, with a link to the source landing page provided. Google assures that notes don’t affect search rankings and are subject to algorithms and human review.
Google is exploring ways to share notes with publishers for better insights.
The feature is experimental, and its future integration with Search Console is uncertain.
Notes are crawlable and indexed by Google Search, according to John Mueller from Google.
Last but definitely not least, Sam Altman is fired from OpenAI via Google Meet meeting
The biggest news however is the firing of Sam Altman from the company he founded.
The OpenAI board fired Sam over a Google Meet meeting, causing an outrage online.
There were discussions to bring him back but that fell through as the board hired former Twitch CEO and Co-founder Emmett Shear as interim CEO.
Sam together with Greg Brockman, a co-founder of OpenAI have been hired by Microsoft to lead an AI research project.
