Google has a history of surprising webmasters with their constant algorithm updates. As an SEO specialist, we need to keep constant track of the updates so as to ensure that our business online availability is not adversely affected. In context of that we have recorded the most commanding updates rolled out by the search engine mammoth in recent times.
1. Mobile First Indexing
It was on March 26 2018 that Google rolled out its ‘mobile-first indexing update’. Before you arbitrarily start squaring mobile first indexing with search engine results, let us inform you that both factors are independent of each other. The declaration from Google came after one and a half years of diligent experimentation when it decided that it’s the mobile version of the individual page which will be compiled when it comes to indexing and ranking.
In the past, it was the desktop version of a page which was used for the indexing purpose. However, the decision to shift desktop version to the mobile version was made to tackle an increased number of issues facing mobile users. This new algorithm is all about ‘how content is gathered’ not how it is ranked. Content which has been secured from the mobile versions of pages will not surely enjoy ranking edge of any sort. Even if you only have a desktop site, you will pursue to be spotlight in Google’s main index.
2. Boosting your local knowledge panel in Google My Business
Google has declared that businesses can now add a business description to the Google listings directly within Google My Business panel. If you do that, then your business description will displayed on right in the local knowledge panel or for that matter in the Google Maps.In you want to use this particular feature, you can log in to your Google My Business Account and hit the info button right on the menu bar which will redirect you to a newly added section called ‘Add Business Description’ where you can easily place your business description.
3. Trimming of Search Result Snippets
This particular type of declaration may leave you a little baffled considering the fact that this declaration came only five months after increasing the length of snippets. The search snippets are now shorter. The search engine mammoth has chosen a positive approach towards the selection of snippets. It has been said that most of the snippets are automatically developed from the content itself and not from the meta descriptions.