Google Roundup: Google Search Console updates, enhanced sitelinks, call extensions and more!

MatchCraft
Aug 8, 2017 · 4 min read

August 4, 2017 · Google Roundup

Our latest roundup of all the Google updates you need to know about.

Google Search Console sneak preview

Google has been hard at work creating a new user interface for its Search Console to deliver stronger, actionable insights to users. It’s inspiration: the updated mobile-friendly testing tool that launched just under a year ago.

The updated Search Console includes some new features. One is the Index Coverage Report, which will report your website’s number of indexed pages and give you clues about the remaining pages which were not indexed.

The report will include visual examples to guide you in fixing any issues. Plus, you’ll be able to view a sitemap submission flow.

The second new and nifty feature is the AMP Fixing Flow report. It takes the AMP Issues report and shows how any existing AMP issues are showstoppers for displaying your AMP content in search results. Sort by issue, verify your fixes and request for Google to recrawl the pages.

AdWords API comes to Google Slides.

The latest API integration for AdWords scripts? Google Slides.

Before you scratch your head and mutter, “Huh?” consider the incredible possibilities. The whole concept of AdWords Scripts is to create more efficient workflows.

This API integration cuts the hassle of manually copying and pasting AdWords data every time you want to make a presentation and share data in slide format.

Save your search results.

Why should end users repeat searches over and over, just to find the images, news articles, web pages that they want to reference again?

To solve for this in a user-friendly way, Google has rolled out a “save” button, located within the hamburger menu on the left side of Google’s homepage on mobile. You can save whenever you see the bookmark icon.

To see your saved searches, click “Saved” in the navigation drawer on your mobile search results page.

AdWords enhanced sitelinks get a list format makeover

Google’s been on a testing spree, seeing how sitelinks display on brand searches from the desktop. These enhanced sitelinks include a one line of description copy, displaying only from desktop brand queries.

The test: a list format versus a two-column format. So, what’s the big deal? The desktop results are starting to look a lot more like mobile. We’ll be watching for Google’s next move on this one.

Take control of your AdWords’ call extensions.

Now you can play around with bid adjustments for calls within AdWords, controlling how often call information appears in mobile search ads.

For example, if you’re a travel advertiser, you may see higher order values from calls because it can be easier to cross-sell rental cars, group tours and other vacation add-ons during a live conversation. Raise your call bid adjustments to show call extensions more frequently and drive more of these high-value call conversions.

See ya, Instant Search.

Google Instant Search is how Google goes about showing you search results when you’re actively typing a search query. It’s been around since 2010, and as of mid-July, it’s a goner. This move depicts an ever-increasing focus on mobile.

In Google’s words:

“We launched Google Instant back in 2010 with the goal to provide users with the information they need as quickly as possible, even as they typed their searches on desktop devices. Since then, many more of our searches happen on mobile, with very different input and interaction and screen constraints. With this in mind, we have decided to remove Google Instant, so we can focus on ways to make Search even faster and more fluid on all devices.”

MatchCraft

Written by

MatchCraft specializes in SEM technologies for companies that sell local online advertising to small businesses around the world.

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