SEO 101 Podcast Summary – Episode 483: A Major Acquisition, Bing and Google Accused of Stealing Recipe Content
Release Date: October 28, 2024
Hosts: Ross Dunn and Scott Van Ek
Source: WMR.FM
Introduction
In Episode 483 of SEO 101, hosts Ross Dunn and Scott Van Ek delve into significant developments within the SEO landscape, discussing a major acquisition, allegations against Bing and Google regarding recipe content, updates to Google Business Profiles, advancements in AI, multilingual SEO strategies, and valuable insights from Google’s John Mueller on the use of SEO tools.
Major Acquisition: Semrush Acquires Search Engine Land
Timestamp: [01:47] - [06:53]
The episode kicks off with Ross Dunn announcing a pivotal industry development: Semrush has acquired Search Engine Land and its parent company, Third Door Media. This acquisition includes prominent resources such as SearchEngineLand.com, the Search Marketing Expo (SMX), MarTech.org, the MarTech Conference, and Digital Marketing Depot.
Notable Quote:
"With this purchase, they're essentially acquiring the overarching company called Third Door Media. This is so huge."
— Ross Dunn [01:47]
Scott Van Ek raises concerns about potential biases, questioning whether Semrush’s ownership might influence the content’s impartiality, especially regarding tool recommendations like Ahrefs or Moz.
Notable Quote:
"I definitely wonder how that's going to play out with the bias... I hope they stay unbiased."
— Scott Van Ek [04:25]
The hosts express mixed feelings about the acquisition, acknowledging Semrush's value while remaining cautious about editorial independence under a tool-centric ownership.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) News
Timestamp: [07:00] - [17:22]
Scott Van Ek introduces two critical updates in the PPC realm:
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Google Ads' 11-Year Data Retention Policy: Google Ads has implemented a policy limiting data retention to 11 years. Advertisers are urged to back up their historical campaign data by November 13th to prevent loss.
Notable Quote:
"If you use Google Ads, you have until November 13th to save that historical data or you will lose it."
— Scott Van Ek [07:26] -
New Penalties for Policy Violations: Google Ads is enforcing stricter penalties for agencies and third parties that breach their advertising policies. Violations may result in account suspensions without prior warnings.
Notable Quote:
"Activity by a third party partner that demonstrates a disregard for compliance with Google Ads policies may result in a loss of privileges."
— Scott Van Ek [09:00]
Ross Dunn emphasizes the importance of adhering to these policies to avoid detrimental impacts on multiple client accounts, highlighting the interconnected nature of manager accounts.
Allegations of Recipe Content Theft by Bing and Google
Timestamp: [11:33] - [18:52]
A significant portion of the discussion centers on Bing and Google allegedly copying full recipe content from websites. Scott Van Ek shares his experience searching for "turkey recipes," discovering that Bing presents complete recipe steps without proper attribution, sparking accusations from content creators like Inspired Taste.
Notable Quote:
"They were calling Bing out for showing their entire tahini recipe and calling it outright theft."
— Ross Dunn [12:51]
Ross Dunn speculates that Google might be engaging in similar practices through AI-generated overviews, potentially undermining content creators' control over their proprietary recipes.
The hosts discuss the ramifications for content creators, including strategies to prevent unauthorized content usage, such as hiding crucial recipe steps or embedding content in non-indexable formats to ensure traffic is directed to the original website.
Google Business Profiles Update
Timestamp: [15:05] - [19:16]
Ross Dunn brings attention to Google's removal of the "health insurance accepted" field from Google Business Profiles, as reported by Joey Hawkins via X (formerly Twitter). This change affects health-related businesses that previously used this feature to specify accepted insurance providers, streamlining lead quality by pre-qualifying potential clients.
Notable Quote:
"It just makes sense. But why would they remove this? It just makes no sense."
— Ross Dunn [15:02]
Scott Van Ek speculates on possible legal reasons behind this removal, such as insurance companies' preferences, but acknowledges the negative impact on businesses reliant on this information to filter leads effectively.
AI News and Developments
Timestamp: [19:16] - [27:01]
The hosts transition to discussing advancements in AI that impact SEO:
-
Search GPT's Surge: Search GPT is reportedly yielding four times more referrals to brands compared to competitors like Perplexity and Claude, growing at 150% month-over-month according to BrightEdge Search.
Notable Quote:
"Search GPT is sending four times more referrals to brands than their competition."
— Scott Van Ek [19:46] -
Google AI Overviews and the Helpful Content Update: It has been observed that Google AI Overviews do not link to websites penalized by the Helpful Content Update. This phenomenon serves as a diagnostic tool to identify sites affected by content quality issues.
Notable Quote:
"Google AI Overviews that may talk about your business won't show a link to your site if you were hit by the HC."
— Ross Dunn [20:46]
The discussion underscores the evolving interplay between AI technologies and SEO, emphasizing the need for continuous adaptation to maintain visibility and traffic.
SEO Tips for Multilingual Sites
Timestamp: [22:55] - [27:01]
Drawing from insights shared by Martin Split, the hosts outline three essential strategies for optimizing multilingual websites:
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Website Structure: Choose between Top-Level Domains (TLDs) (e.g., example.fr), Subdomains (e.g., fr.example.com), or Subdirectories (e.g., example.com/fr) to organize content for different languages or regions.
Notable Quote:
"The most common and recommended ways to deal with international sites are to either use top level domains or use subdomains or subdirectories."
— Scott Van Ek [23:44] -
Correct Hreflang Tags: Implement accurate hreflang tags using valid language and country codes to ensure search engines serve the appropriate language version to users.
Notable Quote:
"Use a valid language and country code combination. Make sure all variations link to each other."
— Scott Van Ek [24:25] -
Language Selection Links: Provide users with visible links to switch between language versions instead of auto-redirecting based on assumed preferences, enhancing user control and experience.
Notable Quote:
"Provide links to different language versions rather than automatically redirecting visitors based on assumed preferences."
— Ross Dunn [24:54]
The hosts and Scott stress the importance of these practices in improving international SEO performance and user satisfaction.
Advice from Google’s John Mueller on SEO Tools
Timestamp: [27:01] - [34:13]
John Mueller, Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst, is referenced for his insights on the over-reliance on third-party SEO metrics. The conversation highlights his caution against depending solely on tools for SEO decisions, advocating instead for consistent effort and high-quality content.
Notable Quote:
"SEO success requires consistent effort through great content, not quick fixes."
— Ross Dunn [30:13]
Scott Van Ek echoes these sentiments, emphasizing that while tools like Semrush are valuable for data analysis, they cannot replace the nuanced understanding and expertise required to navigate Google's algorithms effectively.
The hosts discuss common client misconceptions stemming from tool-based metrics, underlining the necessity for trained SEO professionals to interpret data accurately and implement strategic actions beyond what automated tools suggest.
Notable Quote:
"SEO metrics have to be taken with a grain of salt... they're just hints."
— Ross Dunn [31:00]
Conclusion
In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Ek provide a comprehensive overview of recent events and trends shaping the SEO landscape. From Semrush's significant acquisition of Search Engine Land to the contentious issue of recipe content duplication by search engines, the hosts offer critical analysis and practical advice. They underscore the importance of strategic planning in multilingual SEO, the prudent use of AI tools, and the invaluable role of human expertise in navigating the complexities of search engine optimization.
Listeners are encouraged to stay informed through the show's newsletter at seo101radio.com and to engage with future episodes for ongoing insights and strategies in SEO.
Remember: For more in-depth discussions and actionable SEO tips, tune into SEO 101 every week on WMR.FM.