Google Search News: Ranking Changes, APIs, Analytics, and More

Welcome to the latest edition of Google Search News, your one-stop-shop for all the latest updates on Google's search algorithms and tools. Here are some of the recent developments that you should know about:

Page Experience Ranking Factor

Google has updated the Page Experience Ranking Factor to include Core Web Vitals. This metric measures the speed, responsiveness, and stability of a website as perceived by its users. The update was previously only applicable to mobile users, but it now includes desktop users as well. This is an independent factor that is not related to mobile-first indexing. Many websites have already made substantial improvements in this regard, and Google hopes to see more progress in the future.

Product Reviews

Google has updated its recommendations for websites that include product reviews. Last year, the tech giant focused on in-depth, authentic, and high-quality reviews. The new update aims to better recognize such reviews for ranking and is currently available in English. Google plans to roll out this update to more languages in the future.

If you're a website owner who publishes product reviews, it's worthwhile to check out the blog post and information link. Even if you don't, you can still gain a better understanding of the type of content that Google's users find useful.

New API for Search Console

Google recently launched a new API for its Search Console. The URL inspection feature API allows programs to check the indexation status of any specific page on your website. It informs you if the URL was discovered, crawled, indexed, and more. Many programs have already started including this feature in their offerings, making it possible for website owners to track their website performance better. There's an excellent source of documentation for those who like to write their code.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics recently announced that it will stop collecting data for Universal Analytics next year. The newer version, Google Analytics 4, was launched a few years ago. Although there's still time to transition, it's wise to move to the latest set up now and get used to its features. There's a lot of documentation on the subject, and many experts can help you with the setup process.

Barry Schwartz from Search Engine Roundtable

Barry Schwartz from the Search Engine Roundtable recently celebrated publishing over 40,000 articles on SEO. His work has made a notable difference in the way search engines function worldwide, and his insights have proven invaluable to website owners worldwide.

Google's Blog Post Series on Search Console with Data Studio

Google has started a blog post series about combining its Search Console and Data Studio services. Combining these services allows users to connect multiple sources of data and create custom dashboards.

IndexIfEmbedded Robots Meta Tag

Google launched the IndexIfEmbedded Robots Meta Tag recently. This tag allows a page to specify whether its content should be included in indexing for particular situations. This feature is unique and useful when needed.

Search Console Insights

Google recently launched Search Console Insights, which is specifically tuned for creators who don't require the full functionality of Search Console or analytics. Verified users of Search Console have access to it automatically.

SEOs & Devs Video Series

Google has started a video series called SEOs & Devs, aiming to bridge the gap between search engine optimization experts and developers and highlighting how the two professions intersect.

In-person Events

After months of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Search Relations team at Google is planning to attend some in-person events. If you see one of their members in person, be sure to say hi.

Conclusion

That's all for now, folks. Keep yourself updated on Google's latest tools and features to ensure that your website ranking remains strong. If you have any feedback/comments, please let us know. If you subscribe to our channel, you'll never miss another episode of the Google Search News. Thanks for reading!