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🔍 Coping with the losses of average position metrics and property sets

Good morning search marketers, are you ready to say arrivederci to average position?

OK, it's not going anywhere quite yet, but Google announced it will retire average position reporting in Google Ads later this year. What will post-average position life be like? Start preparing for this shift now and you should end up better informed. Frederick Vallaeys says it is time to start rethinking bidding strategies and position metrics in his latest column.

In more goodbyes, Google Search Console users will lose the property sets feature at the end of March. Not a big surprise – we first reported this news a couple of months ago. You can download data for now. Google says its working on an alternative solution, but no word yet what that is.

Call-only ads in Google are getting the "expanded" treatment with more text. As part of this announcement, Google said the business name will move down to the description line. That small shift could have an outsized performance impact for some advertisers.  

The Facebook ads algorithm is its own animal. Traditional search campaign structures just won't work, Michelle Morgan told the crowd at SMX West. To truly leverage the Facebook ads algorithm, first thing you need to do is get your campaign objective right. Everything follows from that critical choice.  

Lots more below, including how you can help inform the upcoming refresh of The Periodic Table of SEO Factors.

Ginny Marvin,
Editor-in-Chief

 
 
 
Pro Tip
 

Content silos are more trouble than they're worth

Content silos hurt both the browsing and searching experience, which often results in lost sales, says Shari Thurow of Omni Marketing Interactive. Silos do not, in fact, make website content easier to find, so she offers a suggestion. "Two ways to minimize the silo effect is to include a wayfinder site map or a site index in global navigation. Make sure that one or both of these items contains links to important content. Without clear and consistent information scent, users are unlikely to complete their desired tasks (Add to Cart, Sign Up, Download, Try for Free, etc.)."

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Live Webinar: 2019 Martech Trends You Need To Know - Feb. 28

Sponsored by MarTech Conference

Join the godfather of martech, Scott Brinker, for a live, exclusive look at the three overarching trends shaping marketing technology today and in the future. Learn how you can harness these trends to break free of classic trade-offs and have "the best of both worlds" – standardization and specialization; cutting-edge technology and human expertise; and customized martech capabilities without reinventing the wheel.

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Search Shorts
 

One-to-one, swipe it right and stick with one.

The 1:1 rule. When moving a site to a new domain, try to make sure the URLs are moved on a one-to-one basis. If you create totally new URL structures and a new complicated URL format, then it won't go as smoothly.

Swipe right. Google Image Search on mobile asks searchers to remember they can swipe right to see the next image.

Pick one and stick with it. Google's John Mueller recommends you pick either HTTP or HTTPS and stick with it, preferably the HTTPS URL.

Yoast SEO 9.7. Yoast has released an update to its popular WordPress plugin, now up to version 9.7. Read what is new in version 9.7 over here.

 
The Big Picture
 

Calling all scientists of SEO

We know you're familiar with our Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors. But did you know that one of the most important inputs in the process is feedback from this  highly experienced readership? Indeed. We hope you'll set aside a few minutes to take our survey and be a part of the project. The resulting update will be unveiled at SMX Advanced in June.

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Reading List
 

Today's themes: SEO tips, voice search & log files.

Advanced Linkbuilding: How to Find the Absolute Best Publishers and Writers to PitchMoz

Major SEO Issue With WPengineBeanstalk Internet Marketing

We Analyzed 13 Billion Log Entries – Here's What We LearnedKinsta

Google Says Don't Just Stuff Content At The Bottom Of Your E-Commerce Category PagesSearch Engine Roundtable

How Google Home Hub Can Help Retailers Increase SalesState of Digital

Webcast: Get started with Bing AdsBing Ads Blog

 
 
 
Join Us
 

Gain expert SEO & SEM tactics to drive your campaign's success. Attend SMX Advanced, June 3-5!

Attend Search Engine Land's SMX Advanced, June 3-5, 2019 for expert-led sessions, networking (including the 2019 Search Engine Land Awards), and top amenities including WiFi, delicious meals, and snacks. This is your once-a-year event to learn only advanced SEO and SEM tactics. You'll come away with at least one tactic that you can immediately put to use… we guarantee it. View rates and register today!