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🔍 Google Keyword Planner updates | So long, info: command

Good morning, search marketers, sometimes what's old is new again.

You can once again add new keywords to your Google Ads campaigns from Keyword Planner. That's among a number of new (and returning) feature updates available in Keyword Planner now. Be sure to look under the Columns options to enable the new Competition index, too.

Google is killing off the info: command once and for all. It had already limited the command's functionality. Now, If you want to see what Google identifies as the canonical of your URL, use the relatively new URL inspection tool in Google Search Console. The days of being able to get this info right from your browser are numbered.

More than 500 of you responded to our poll about the impact you've seen from Google's March core search algorithm update. The results did not point to any significant patterns or sign that the update related to a specific category of site or tactic. Roughly 58 percent of respondents saw a negative impact from the March update, while 33 percent saw a positive rankings impact.

Lots more below, including a Pro Tip from Eric Enge on why it's time to update your approach to interstitials.

Ginny Marvin
Editor-In-Chief

Quick links to stories mentioned above:
+ Google Ads Keyword Planner gets new (and old) features
+ Google to retire the info: command, adds canonical information to URL Inspection Tool
+ SEOs show mixed results following Google March 2019 core update

 
 
 
Pro Tip
 

Update your approach to interstitials

"Google's main problem with interstitials is if they interfere with the user getting the content with the initial page load," explains Eric Enge of Perficient. "So an interstitial that is in the way of a page load would be a problem for Google, even if it was easy for the user to make it go away. A more progressive way to handle this would be as an interstitial that pops up only when the user moves the mouse cursor towards the address bar of the browser or towards the "x" to close the window."

READ MORE »

 

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Search Shorts
 

Be nice to Google and Google will be nice to you...

Got an accent. Do you have accents in your URLs? No need to worry, Google can handle them just fine.

Don't confuse Google. Google says don't confuse them by having both a responsive site and separate mobile URLs.

Google Ad community moving. In just a few weeks the Google Ad community is moving to a new home, part of the new Google support forum platform.

Embedding images. Google won't penalize you for using the WordPress gallery for embedding images. Why would you think they would?

 
What we're reading
 

We've curated our picks from across the web so you can retire your feed reader

Announcing v2.1 of the Content API for Shopping – Google Ads Developer Blog

Down under, over and all around: Sydney in 3D on Google Earth – Google Blog

Google Assistant John Legend voice preview available – 9to5Google

Google says EU copyright reforms will hurt creative industries – Reuters

Google's move to "mobile first crawl" and the impact on SEO performance – Search Metrics

Local SEO – how to optimise and generate leads – Vertical Leap

The Website Migration Checklist – SEM Rush

Top Paid Social Advertising Trends in 2019 – Seer Interactive

 
 
 
Join Us
 

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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!