14 Feb 2024
- 05 Dec 2018
- 4 Min read
November 2018: SEO news and Google updates
- by Emily Park
When you’re trying to boost your Google rankings, it’s vital that you keep an eye out for developments within the SEO industry. This will ensure you learn about new tools, best practices, and algorithm updates in a timely fashion, which should help you to stay ahead of the game and outrank your competitors.
Of course, we keep up to date with all of the latest news, and November has been a particularly busy month in this respect. Google My Business API v4.3 was released, and the search engine launched a new design for its hotel search results. Plus, site owners have started to see their Google Search Console stats directly in the search results. Here, we’re going to look into those stories in more detail and explain how they’re likely to affect you.
Google My Business API v4.3 is released
Towards the end of November, Google released an update to its Google My Business API. Numbered 4.3, it brings the addition of Q&A APIs, which means site owners can retrieve questions, post answers, and provide potential customers with FAQs. You can now also read reviews in bulk, identify any unclaimed branches, report issues to do with your locations, and more.
Search Engine Land has a complete list of all the new features, but it’s clear that Google is trying to encourage more communication between businesses and searchers. They’ve also made it much easier for you to manage multiple locations, whether you’re an agency that looks after several brands or a business with various branches. So, it’s never been easier to provide potential customers with all of the information they could possibly need.
If you’re not currently using Google My Business to your advantage, make sure you read our guide, which outlines everything you should know, as well as what you need to be doing to get the most out of your listing.
A new design for Google’s hotel search results is launched
For the last few months, Google has been testing out a variety of different looks for its hotel search results. And, it seems the search engine has finally settled on a design it’s happy with.
The results for hotel-related queries now feature a grid and card interface, where searchers can filter down their options using a variety of parameters, including dates, prices, and the number of guests. They can then click on a specific hotel to learn more about it and even see photos that people have taken there, which is especially important in this Instagram-led day and age.
These changes are only likely to affect hotel owners and workers, but it could have a huge impact on their bookings. If you work within this industry, it’s well worth ensuring that your listing is up to date, and that it shows your establishment in the best possible light. The new design of Google’s hotel listings means people can access more information than ever before with just a click of their mouse, and it’s vital that you use this to your advantage.
Google Search Console stats begin to show up in site owners’ SERPs
Seemingly in an effort to raise awareness of Google’s Search Console, the search engine giant has rolled out a new feature that gives site owners a brief overview of their performance statistics when they search a relevant query. This essentially works as a teaser, and the idea is that more business and site owners will click through for more insights.
Using this information that Google is offering up on a plate can help you to build an even healthier and more successful website that will rank well on its SERPs. Search Console shows how your site is performing and highlights any issues it finds. So, it’s well worth using the information to inform your strategy.
And, if there are any technical issues that you’re not sure how to fix, our Technical SEO team will be more than happy to check it out for you. Just get in touch to discuss your requirements!
You can now consider yourself up to date with all of the latest happenings from the SEO and digital marketing industry. If you would like more regular updates, make sure you follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook where we post every weekday!
