Daily Search Forum Recap: May 6, 2024

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Google says sites hit by the old helpful content update can recover and even grow, but it takes a lot of effort. Statcounter updated its search engine market share data to show Google really didn’t lose huge share. Google said it will remove its link disavow tool, eventually. Google is testing showing only local listings for nearby queries. Google Gemini has stopped linking to sources. Google SGE recommends you drink urine to pass kidney stones quickly.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 
  Google: Sites Hit By The Old Helpful Content Update Can Recover & Grow
  
  
  Google’s John Mueller said again this morning that sites hit by the old September helpful content update or even new core updates can recovery. He said on X and on LinkedIn that it is possible to recover but it is not a simple change you can tweak on your website, but rather it takes a lot of effort, over time, to recover.
• 
  Statcounter Fixes Search Engine Market Share Data After Incorrectly Showing Google Lost Share
  
  
  Over the past week, many have been windblown by Statcounter reporting that Google lost significant market share in the US and worldwide from March to April 2024. It turns out it was some sort of reporting bug and Statcounter has updated the data over the weekend.
• 
  Google Will Remove Its Disavow Link Tool At Some Point
  
  
  Google’s John Mueller said on X that he believes Google will remove the disavow link tool “at some point” in the future. Bing dropped the disavow links tool from Bing Webmaster Tools in September 2023 and I suspect Google will also drop it from Google Search Console.
• 
  Google Gemini Stops Linking To Most Sources?
  
  
  A year ago, Google Gemini (formerly known as Bard) began linking to sources as citations and we rejoiced. Well, it looks like in most cases, Gemini has stopped linking to sources. I believe this started about a week or so ago but I am not sure on the timing.
• 
  Google Search Tests Showing Only Local Listing For Near Me Queries
  
  
  Google Search seems to be testing showing only local listings from Google Business Profiles for many “near me” types of queries. So when you search for [dentist near me] or [indian food near me] and so on, you only get local listings and no web search results.




• 
  Google SGE Says Drink Urine To Pass Kidney Stones Quickly
  
  
  The new AI advanced version of Google Search, aka Google SGE or Search Generative Experience, provides wicked smart AI answers to your queries. And if you ask it how to pass kidney stones quickly, Google will tell you to drink at least two quarts of urine every 24 hours.





• 
  Ask Jeeves Frozen In Carbonite
  
  
  Remember Ask Jeeves from the OG search days in the early 2000s? Well, here he is frozen in carbonite, at least according to this Reddit post. I am not sure if this is a real Ask Jeeves statue or just someone who thinks it looks like one.

Other Great Search Threads:

• I don’t know where that number came from. This page has more on our approach to compliance https://t.co/uNWOb4BpxH which has been to conduct reviews of sites and apps that use our advertising services since, AdsLiaison on X
• Microsoft Bing states that buying links is “a valid marketing strategy,” while Google continues t…, Solespire Marcus on Threads
• I can’t give you legal advice, but some folks use the DMCA for similar issues. The DMCA is per-page, and you can send such notices to search engines, hosters, site-owners. https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905?hl=en has a trouble-shoote, John Mueller on X
• It’s your site – you get to decide what you want to publish and – essentially – stand for. It doesn’t matter if it’s from UGC or GenAI, you’re the one publishing it. Put your best foot forward., John Mueller on X
• We’ve made it easier to use imported user data with audiences. Now, data you upload, joined via either user ID or client ID can be used to qualify users for your #GA4 audiences right away, without them needing to visit you, Google Analytics on X
• Well, looks like Sports Illustrated JUST completely took down its /showcase directory (https://t.co/ThPTgPTp1Z) in prep for Cinco De Mayo! (Within the last day or so?) They were impacted in Sep ’23 and began seeing an uptick in, Vlad Rappoport on X
• Department of Justice has now posted its hundreds of great slides from closing arguments. I’ll share 13 slides that tell story imho captured by this list. First, if search defaults don’t matter, why pay approx $30B, 40% of revenu, Jason Kint on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

Other Great Search Stories:

Industry & Business

Links & Content Marketing

Local & Maps

Mobile & Voice

SEO

PPC

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