SEO News You Can Use: Has Google’s Search Indexing Issue and Bug Been Resolved?

On July 15, Search Engine Journal reported  a problem with Google’s search index that was affecting various websites. 

It seemed that new content was not being indexed, which meant that it wouldn’t have a chance to rank. This issue didn’t impact Google Search ranks for current content.

Google confirmed, “There’s an ongoing issue with indexing in Google Search that’s affecting a large number of sites. Sites may experience delayed indexing. We’re working on identifying the root cause. Next update will be within 12 hours.”

The following morning, Google confirmed that all problems had been entirely fixed.

What’s more, some users also experienced one search result due to an odd rendering problem in Google Search. This appeared to be a tiny bug that only affected a select few; however, even 1 percent of searchers equals a large number of searches for Google. Google stated that it would look at these claims.

There were complaints about this on Twitter, Reddit and the Google Chrome forums; however, the problem seems to have been resolved.

Google has subsequently located the indexing problem and bug, developing and implementing solutions for both issues. 

More SEO News You Can Use

Google’s Title Tag Guidance Clarified: According to an article by Search Engine Journal, Google changed to the Search Central rules that govern how title tags are displayed in search results. The update clarified and eliminated numerous ambiguities in the terminology that made the guideline challenging to understand without altering the guidance itself. Previously, users were urged to control their title links in search results by Google, issued in the guidelines on October 8, 2021. The revised title tag advice now clarifies what is intended by “headline.” The term “headline” is unclear because it could refer to the heading element in HTML or the title at the top of the page (H1, H2, H3). Although the page’s title is typically a header element, the revised version of the guidance is more precise. Here are the most recent rules for title tags: Control your title links in search results.

Are Search Rankings Affected By the CMS You Use?: John Mueller, the Search Advocate at Google, recently answered an ongoing query regarding whether choosing a specific content management system (CMS) over another has any search engine optimization (SEO) benefits. In the most recent video of the Ask Googlebot series on YouTube answers this query, Mueller confirmed that WordPress is often regarded as the top CMS for SEO, giving the impression that using a different CMS would leave them at a disadvantage. Search Engine Journal reported, Mueller stated that there is no difference between CMSs regarding ranking signals and that Google isn’t concerned with a website’s back end; it’s the outcome displayed to visitors that counts. In fact, any of the popular content management systems can be used to produce pages that perform well in search. Whether you use WordPress, Wix, or no CMS, Google will receive the same signals, and you’ll have just as much chance to rank, provided you grasp the foundations of SEO.

Google’s People Also Ask Feature Search Results Back To Normal: The saturation of the “people also ask” search option on Google appears to have been returned to normal. The frequency of the “people also ask” box appearing in Google Search decreased by around 30 percent earlier this month. According to Search Engine Land, about 60 percent of desktop queries are displayed again in the users’ search box. The “people also ask” feature is a search tool on Google that displays additional inquiries or questions users input. These queries can be expanded to see additional queries and their respective responses. It appears that this reduction may have been an accident, as Google has since restored it.

Automated Messaging Added To Business Profiles Frequently Asked Questions: To assist businesses, Google has launched a new function that automates some of the answers to queries received through their Google Maps and Google Search company listings. Search Engine Land confirmed that this new function could be managed in the messaging area’s frequently asked questions (FAQs) section of your Google Business Profile. It allows businesses to recommend things customers could ask when they start a conversation and automatically responds to those inquiries. You can locate this feature in Google Search by typing “my business” or your company’s name. Next, select “Messages” from the drop-down menu under “Customers.” Then select “Message settings” from the drop-down menu in that section, followed by “Manage frequently asked questions.” You can create up to ten FAQs; each question can be up to 40 characters long, and each answer can be up to 500 characters long. Additionally, you can include links to your responses. Customers can benefit significantly from messaging in Google Maps and Google Search, but many companies lack the resources to address such inquiries promptly. These organizations may answer consumers more efficiently by using automated responses and frequently asked questions, increasing client happiness and boosting productivity.

Discover Local Businesses Easily on Instagram: Search Engine Journal recently reported that Instagram’s location maps may now be searched, making it simpler to find locations and companies close to you. This update lets you search for popular places close by and sort them by category. Instagram’s map functionality was restricted to finding posts with local places as tags. You can now locate official Instagram profiles of tourist attractions by simply searching for a city’s name and moving the map to find companies. In contrast to Google Maps, locations are not pre-populated or added by users. Companies can only be found on the Instagram map by creating a business account with your contact details. Customers are also not able to leave reviews. In some ways, however, the Instagram experience is more engaging than Google Maps since you can view all the visual content the company publishes and engage with them directly. The bottom line is that users are changing their search habits and are using other search engines more frequently. According to Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s Senior Vice President, over 40 percent of young people don’t use Google Maps or Search when seeking a lunch spot; they use Instagram or TikTok. 

Editor’s Note: “SEO News You Can Use” is a weekly blog post posted every Monday morning only on SEOblog.com, rounding up all the top SEO news from around the world. Our goal is to make SEOblog.com a one-stop-shop for everyone looking for SEO news, education and for hiring an SEO expert with our comprehensive SEO agency directory.