🔍 The Google link spam update is rolling out

And, the review stars are back in Google Search results To view this email as a web page, [click here]() Jul 28, 2021 Good morning, Search Marketer, we have a new Google algorithm update to talk about again this week — the link spam update. If you thought Google was done with all these algorithm updates, you thought wrong. Google launched yet another algorithm update aimed at “nullifying” link spam. So if you or your clients were doing any spammy links and you see a drop in rankings over the next couple of weeks, it might be related to this new algorithm update. I should note, Google used the word “nullify” for a reason. Nullify does not necessarily mean “penalize,” but instead, to ignore or simply not count. Google’s efforts around link spam have been to ignore and not count spammy links since Penguin 4.0 was released in 2016. But ignoring a signal that may have helped you rank initially might feel like a penalty — keep that in mind. So far, we are not seeing too many complaints about the link spam update but we will keep you posted. Barry Schwartz,Link spam reporter PPC Google passes on 2% “Regulatory Operating Cost” for ads served in India and Italy Beginning on October 1, 2021, Google will include a 2% “Regulatory Operating Cost” surcharge to advertisers’ invoices for ads served in India and Italy, according to an email sent to Google advertisers on Tuesday. The surcharge applies to ads purchased through Google Ads and for YouTube placements purchased on a reservation basis. The company was already passing on digital service taxes for ads served in Austria, France, Spain, Turkey and the UK, and this is more of the same. Advertisers should be aware that these fees are charged in addition to their account budgets, so the surcharges won’t be reflected in the cost per conversion metrics in their campaign reporting. Advertisers should take these factors into account when creating their budgets. And, if you’re thinking, “Hey, regulators are levying these taxes on Google, not on advertisers!” well, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, Google isn’t alone either as Amazon and Apple are also doing something similar by passing on their taxes to third-party sellers and developers in some territories, meaning that passing on government-imposed taxes is quickly becoming a precedent. [Read more here.]() [Brands today are thinking like seasoned news publishers. Here’s why.]() Brands that have been successful at creating sustained customer relationships realized a new approach was needed, one steeped in content focused on demonstrating value and building trust by serving up helpful content at the right moment. This embrace of content is precisely what news publishers have been doing for decades and why more and more brands are approaching their content marketing like publishers. [Read More »]() Links Google link spam update rolling out Google has begun the two week process of rolling out a new algorithm update; the company is calling it the link spam update. Google said this update targets spammy links “more broadly” and “across multiple languages.” It is a global update that impacts all languages and seems to target links that are manipulative and not natural. As of Tuesday, I have yet to see many complaints from SEOs about this update. I should add that, over the weekend, I did notice an [unconfirmed update]() that seemed to target more “black hat” methods but again, that was the weekend, and Google said this update started on Monday, so the two are probably unrelated. In any event, if you see a ranking drop in Google over the next couple of weeks, it might be related to some of your link building methods. [Read more here.]() SERP feature trends every SEO must know How can you leverage SERP features to increase your visibility on search and reach more of your target audience? In this report, Similarweb analyzed the most popular SERP features across various industries. Download it now and learn best practices to help you rank for key SERP features and the 6 types of optimizations you can run to power you SEO strategy and reach more of your audience. [Learn more »]() SEO Google review stars back in the search results Google seems to have resolved the bug that was preventing review snippets or stars from showing in the search results. We are now able to see the gold stars for many results in the Google Search. The bug began creeping into the Google Search results interface on Wednesday, July 21st based on the reports that were sent to us. By the following day, the review stars were hard to find for any query you conducted in Google. Google confirmed the issue on Friday, July 23rd. Then, on Monday afternoon (July 26), the issue started to get resolved and now everyone seems to be able to see review stars again. Why we care. Reviews not showing in the snippets can lead to a lower click through rate from the search results. Lower click through rates can lead to less traffic and less traffic can lead to fewer conversions. [Read more here.]() Ready to boost conversions with actionable tactics? Join us online — August 17 — to explore cutting-edge SEO and PPC conversion optimization topics with the Search Engine Land experts and a panel of brilliant speakers. Early Bird rates expire this Saturday, July 31… don’t wait, book now! [Register for just $99 »]() Search Shorts Page speed, core web vitals and updated structured data guidelines Old page speed signals. Google has come out with numerous page speed signals for search over the years. Does Google still use the old ones? John Mueller of Google said on Twitter “[we try to avoid unnecessary duplication in our code, so I would assume this replaces the previous speed ranking factors]().” priceRange local business schema. Google has updated the priceRange fields in the [Local Business structured data documents]() to say that the priceRange fields must be less than 100 characters to be eligible for use in Search features. FAQ content guidelines expandable areas. Google updated the [FAQ schema content guidelines document]() to say the FAQs can be in expandable areas as well as visible on the page to be eligible for use in Google Search features. Too much focus on core web vitals. Gary Illyes of Google somewhat mocked those SEOs that complain that their search rankings dropped even if their core web vitals scores improved. He said on Twitter “[I don’t know who needs to hear this but putting work in core web vitals doesn’t mean that the site can’t lose rankings over time]().” What We're Reading We've curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader. [Back to school trends 2021]() – Microsoft Advertising [Google Search AR Olympic Athletes]() – Search Engine Roundtable [Reach TV and audio streamers with Display & Video 360]() – Google Blog [Thoughts on Google’s Algorithmic News Inclusion Process]() – SEO for Google News [Why Now is a Great Time to Begin (or Pivot) in Your SEO Career]() – Matt Tutt [Search Engine Land] [() Information on Advertising/Sponsorship [here](). This email was sent to {EMAIL}. [Unsubscribe.]() [We respect your privacy.]() This email was sent by: Search Engine Land - a Third Door Media, Inc. publication with headquarters at 88 Schoolhouse Road, PO Box 3103, Edgartown, MA 02539 [Manage my subscriptions.]() © 2006-2021 Third Door Media. All Rights Reserved.