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Last updated connected January 10, 2022.
Welcome to occurrence #28 of the SEO Newsletter.
👉 This is simply a special variation that is packed with tons of SEO tips, SEO news, and SEO resources. 👈
If you haven’t already, marque definite to follow maine connected Twitter. I volition beryllium sharing much utile SEO tips determination soon.
📰 Top SEO News
A batch of absorbing things person been happening successful the SEO manufacture implicit the past month. Here is what I person selected for you.
Record-high hunt volatility successful December
2021 was the astir fruitful twelvemonth erstwhile it comes to the fig of Google updates. According to the Semrush data, December was the astir volatile period of 2021. Has your tract experienced a batch of fluctuations successful December? You are not alone. My proposal is to NOT to beryllium reactive but alternatively instrumentality a measurement backmost and look astatine a bigger picture.
December 2021 Google Product Reviews Update afloat rolled out
The December Google Product Reviews Update has been afloat rolled out. This is the 2nd update of this type, the archetypal 1 taking spot successful April 2021. You tin larn much astir the Google Product Reviews Update successful my extended article.
Updates to Google Search Console reports
1) Google announces an update to its logging strategy for Google News to marque it much accurate. As a result, you tin spot a simplification successful the fig of impressions successful the show study for Google News.
2) “Search Console has changed the mode that it evaluates and reports errors successful Product structured data. As a result, you whitethorn spot changes successful the fig of Product entities and issues reported for your property, arsenic good arsenic a alteration successful the severity of immoderate issues from errors to warnings.”
There is nary quality betwixt nofollow, UGC, and sponsored links for SEO
In lawsuit you were wondering, John Mueller confirms that determination is practically nary SEO quality betwixt rel="nofollow", rel="ugc", and rel="sponsored" nexus attributes for SEO. Basically, they each transportation the aforesaid connection that you bash not endorse the leafage to which you link.
After hours of unsuccessful searching: I person a question for you @JohnMu: Is a nofollow backlink better, adjacent oregon worse than an ugc and a sponsored backlink?
— Michelle Christen (@Michelle_Celin) December 29, 2021Google Search News (Dec ‘21) – Google ranking algorithms updates, interactive Schecklist, and more!
In this December occurrence of Google Search News, John Mueller goes implicit caller developments successful the Google Search world, specified arsenic Google Search Central documentation, caller updates to Google ranking algorithms, Google Search Console updates, mobile-first indexing update, and more.
January 2022 Google webmaster report
If it wasn’t for Barry, we would each get mislaid successful the satellite of SEO news. Make definite to work the monthly Google webmaster report where helium recaps each the much and little important Google SEO quality from the past month. There is truly a batch of ace absorbing quality for December 2021.
The not-so SEO checklist for 2022
In this Search Engine Watch article, the best-selling author, Kris Jones debunks SEO myths and dishes retired logical proposal connected the 3 things you should not bash successful 2022, 1 of them being that you shouldn’t presume your affiliate merchandise reappraisal tract is successful trouble.
Google author’s instrumentality connected 2021
“It’s that clip of twelvemonth again: penning a blog post astir what happened during the year, and the aspirations for the twelvemonth to come. Since penning is hard, we asked the Googlers who’ve authored for the Search Central Blog successful 2021 to collaborate with america again, and to bespeak connected what was memorable and what they’re excited astir for 2022.”
SEO successful 2022 by Majestic
Majestic asked SIXTY-SIX! of the world’s starring SEOs (including me) to stock their fig 1 actionable extremity for 2022. Check retired the Majestic SEO book, oregon simply ticker the full database of 66 videos to stay 1 measurement up of your rival successful 2022.
📍 Local SEO
Google confirms the November 2021 Google Local Search Update
Search experts, specified arsenic Barry Schwartz, noticed a batch of changes and fluctuations regarding section hunt results successful aboriginal December. However, it wasn’t until the 15th of December that Google officially confirmed that so their November 2021 Local Search Update had concluded. Google recommends you cheque their nonfiction connected how to amended your section ranking of Google.
Our November 2021 section hunt update has concluded. It began Nov 30 and ran done Dec 8. It progressive a rebalancing of assorted factors we see successful generating section hunt results. General guidance for businesses remains the aforesaid arsenic covered here: https://t.co/uyXFfmUEIR
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) December 16, 2021Google moves section battalion results to the apical and the representation to the right
As Barry Schwartz notes, Google has confirmed it is moving the section battalion results to the apical and the representation connected the close of those section results connected desktop search. Do you similar this change?
How Google Reviews Impact Map Pack & Organic Search Rankings
Google reviews are a large instrumentality for not lone converting searchers to customers but helping you fertile higher, arsenic well. In this SEJ article, you volition larn much astir however Google reviews tin and bash interaction your representation battalion and integrated hunt rankings.
⚙️ SEO Tools
Sitebulb [Main Sponsor] 🌳🌳🌳
The SEOSLY newsletter is kindly sponsored by Sitebulb, an astonishing desktop-based SEO crawler. The SEOSLY newsletter subscribers tin get an extended 60-day escaped proceedings of Sitebulb (no recognition paper accusation required).
Did you perceive astir the climate-positive SEO auditing initiative from Sitebulb?
“Every period we put successful projects to offset the c footprint of the Sitebulb team, and the vigor utilized by our users’ computers erstwhile moving SEO audits. We besides works trees for each idiosyncratic that takes a escaped Sitebulb proceedings oregon subscribes to our newsletter.”
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☝️ SEO Tips
And present are the SEO tips for you.
#1: You tin disregard “toxic” links that galore SEO tools alert you about
If you person been successful SEO for astatine slightest immoderate time, it’s not uncommon to spot galore SEO tools alert you astir “toxic” links and advising you to disavow them. The champion usage of your clip is, however, to simply disregard them. Check this tweet wherever John Mueller comments connected that.
Hi @JohnMu
I was auditing my company's website and recovered that determination are galore car generated nary travel backlinks which are raising the toxic people for my website connected semrush and different 3rd enactment tools.
Shall I disavow these backlinks? pic.twitter.com/XSaKFDYF27
#2: Keyword density is NOT a ranking origin (a reminder)
“So it is present 2022 and immoderate folks are asking if keyword density is an SEO Google hunt ranking factor. The reply is inactive no, according to John Mueller, a Search Advocate astatine Google.” Barry nicely summarizes this taxable here.
#3: Be cautious erstwhile migrating to a caller domain and dropping AMP astatine the aforesaid time
An absorbing tract migration lawsuit was discussed during 1 of the latest SEO bureau hours. The contented is that aft migrating to a caller domain and dropping AMP, the tract stopped ranking successful Google Top Stories wherever it ever ranked well. With that successful mind, you whitethorn beryllium ace cautious of this benignant of migration.
#4: Quality of each connection versions of your tract matters
“Google’s John Mueller confirmed connected the December 31st SEO hangout that if you person aggregate versions of your tract (on the aforesaid domain name), and 1 mentation is deemed precocious prime by Google and the different mentation is deemed debased prime by Google – the low-quality mentation tin negatively interaction the high-quality version. “
#5: 100,000 URLs should not interaction the crawl budget
As Barry Schwartz notes, “Google’s John Mueller said a tract with 100,000 URLs usually won’t beryllium capable to interaction crawl budget. Your tract and fig of pages should beryllium larger to wherever you mightiness tally into an contented with Google’s crawl budget.” Check my crawl fund optimization guide to larn much astir this topic.
100k URLs is usually not capable to impact crawl fund (it's <1/minute implicit 3 months), and if it's noindex/404, we won't crawl them that often. With robots.txt it's uncommon we'd amusement them successful search, site:-queries don't matter.
— 🐄 John 🐄 (@JohnMu) December 21, 2021#6: Are backlinks mandatory to fertile successful search? Nope.
When asked this question connected Twitter, John Mueller answers “nope”. Of course, you should not dainty it similar the last reply due to the fact that – arsenic everything successful SEO – it depends. The takeaway for you is that it is imaginable to fertile without links but don’t hide that links inactive are 1 of the astir important (confirmed) ranking factors.
#7: Words successful the URL slug bash not substance for SEO
This is the taxable that comes backmost each truthful often. John Mueller stated that words successful the URL person zero oregon close to zero effect for Google. However, I would inactive usage them for the involvement of users who bash spot the URL (i.e. desktop users).
@JohnMu How important it is to person a Category/Topic successful the URL slug?
– domain/category/article-title
OR
– domain/article-title with due breadcrumb (which describes the category)
when it comes to multi-niche websites.
Appreciate your insights successful this regard.
@JohnMu, immoderate accidental URL slug is not a ranking origin but immoderate accidental it is. There is nary specified wide mentation for that. Please marque it wide for everyone. I bash besides deliberation URL slug is simply a ranking factor.
— Siddhant Gusain (@SIDDHANTGUSAIN) December 21, 2021#8: Google volition not penalize you for not nofollowing your affiliate links
In 1 of the December Google SEO bureau hours, John Mueller answers a question of whether a tract tin get penalized for failing to nofollow affiliate links (or marking them arsenic sponsored). This is simply a champion signifier to bash that but you won’t get penalized if you don’t.
#9: Google does not scale portion of a leafage unless it’s embedded content
Google transition ranking (at archetypal wrongly labeled astatine Google transition indexing) was astatine archetypal wrongly interpreted that Google volition beryllium capable to scale lone parts (or passages) of a page. John Mueller clarifies that Google so separately indexes embedded content only.
When tin Google take not to scale a *part* of your webpage?
Seems similar webpage is indexed by tract relation successful google web hunt but there's nary representation successful Google Image for that url, and worst portion is, it merchandise page. #AskGooglebot
#10: Human-readable lists of links oregon HTML sitemaps are not indispensable for SEO if Google is capable to usually crawl your site
In the Google Search Central documentation connected sitemaps, Google recommends providing an HTML sitemap of pages connected the site. John Mueller – asked if this is indispensable for a tiny tract – states that you bash not request to interest astir that arsenic agelong arsenic Google tin usually crawl your site.
If you privation adjacent much tips, cheque my list of 60+ SEO tips I person prepared for you.
🤓 Don’t Miss These SEO Resources
100 things to cognize astir Google Core Updates by Marie Haynes (MUST-SEE)
In this video, Marie Haynes is sharing 100 things that volition assistance you recognize Google halfway updates. Marie is astir apt 1 of the top SEO experts connected earth. We are each fortunate that she wants to stock her contented with us. Make definite to ticker this.
22 astute Google SEO tips for 2022
In this occurrence of Whiteboard Friday, Cyrus Shepard shares his apical 22 tips to beryllium palmy successful SEO successful 2022. Make definite to cheque this out! The tips include, among others, A/B testing, FAQ schema, interior nexus optimization, heavy linking, and more!
Domains lightning circular #AskGooglebot
In this lightning occurrence of AskGooglebot, John Mueller answers respective questions astir domains, specified arsenic if .com domains are better, if you should person www oregon non-www domains, if you tin fertile internationally with a ccTLD, and more.
Web Almanac SEO Chapter
You decidedly privation to work the SEO section of the Web Almanac that covers the latest SEO developments and recaps the astir important SEO concepts.
The past, present, and aboriginal of robots.txt
In this occurrence of Search Off the Record, Gary, Lizzi, and Martin from the Google Search squad are joined by peculiar impermanent David Price, a Product Counsel for Google. They sermon human-initiated crawl requests vs. bot-initiated crawl requests, the robots.txt file, and more! This is simply a truly chill episode!
Landing Page SEO Best Practices & Tips For Success
With truthful galore Google updates, landing leafage optimization has changed. In this nonfiction from SEJ, you volition larn however to amended your landing leafage SEO and conversions.
Most “Types” of Content Marketing Are Nonsense. Here Are 5 That Actually Make Sense
In this article from Ahrefs, you volition larn whymost fashionable types of contented marketing, specified arsenic infographics, e-books, whitepapers, descent decks, etc. whitethorn really beryllium nonsense and larn astir 5 types that really marque sense.
14 apical reasons wherefore Google isn’t indexing your site
Do you deliberation Google is having a hard clip indexing your website? Check retired these 14 hunt indexing issues and however to lick them. This is simply a truly bully list!
15 Newsletter Growth Tips: How I Grew #SEOFOMO from +1K to 17K Subscribers wrong 2 Years
Aleyda Solis shares however she managed to massively turn her SEO newsletter. “A mates of years agone I re-took my SEO newsletter that had 1.7K subscribers and grew it to beryllium present 17K subscribers and 1 of the “go to” SEO newsletters successful the industry. These are the insights, learnings, and tips from the journey, truthful you tin use them too.”
📢 Other Announcements
As you astir apt noticed determination was nary SEO newsletter successful December. That’s due to the fact that I person been progressive successful a batch of caller projects and person been transitioning to my caller relation arsenic the Director of SEO astatine Market JD and readying retired the contented strategy for SEOSLY. New chill things are coming soon.
Anyway, the newsletter is backmost is my extremity is to nonstop it each Monday.
🙏 Please enactment that I americium getting hundreds of messages and I americium not ever capable to respond to each of you quickly. Please beryllium patient. I volition get backmost to you. I americium doing my best.
See you adjacent week!
Olga Zarzeczna is a elder SEO specializer with 8+ years of experience. She has been doing SEO for some the biggest brands successful the satellite and tiny businesses. She has done much than 150+ SEO audits truthful far. Olga has completed SEO courses and degrees astatine universities, specified arsenic UC Davis, University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins University. She besides completed Moz Academy! And, of course, has Google certifications. She keeps learning SEO and loves it. Olga is besides a Google Product Expert specializing successful areas, specified arsenic Google Search and Google Webmasters.
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