SearchCap: Google Fred Update Confirmation, Mobile-First Index Status, and the Future of Search

Below is a summary of today’s search-related news as reported on Search Engine Land and other sources.

From Search Engine Land:

1. Google: Our search leads won’t let us talk about the Fred update

   • March 23, 2017, by Barry Schwartz
   • Gary Illyes from Google mentioned that the techniques targeted by Fred are outlined in their webmaster guidelines.

2. How much is a happy customer worth?

   • March 23, 2017, by Digital Marketing Depot
   • In our data-driven marketing world, it’s possible to quantify customer happiness. Join us for our webinar, "The Value of a Happy Customer: Action steps to a great customer experience," featuring expert Christine Crandell.

3. How AI will shape the future of search

   • March 23, 2017, by Justin Freid
   • Artificial intelligence is transforming how users find information online, and columnist Justin Freid explores the future trends and implications for search marketers.

4. Google’s mobile-first index is (still) months away

   • March 23, 2017, by Matt McGee
   • At SMX West, Google’s Gary Illyes reported that the mobile-first index is still in the experimental phase without a set launch date.

5. Beware these 7 sneaky PPC attribution tricks

   • March 23, 2017, by Andrew Goodman
   • Columnist Andrew Goodman cautions that misleading attribution can distort performance data, even if conversion goals seem to be met.
6. An answer box experiment (my journey into known and unknown factors)
   • March 23, 2017, by Bill Sebald
   • Contributor Bill Sebald details his quest to secure placement within a featured snippet or answer box on search results pages.

Recent Headlines From MarTech:

1. Are technical and content audits still relevant?
2. Google site search is being phased out. What’s next?
3. Content Attribution: Identifying content that converts
4. Three steps to resolving site issues that affect performance
5. Facebook’s ‘Collection’ ad is its latest iAd-like format
6. Users begin to see Facebook’s disputed content alerts
7. BKON Connect unveils an expanded platform for browsing the real world
8. Smiling at an advert correlates with increased sales
9. Six tips to boost email marketing open rates
10. Google Posts offers dedicated space for museums, movies, musicians & sports groups
11. Major US brands pulling ads from YouTube & Google over extremist content concerns

Search News From Around The Web:

• Industry:
  • Google Pulls Off Another Successful Google Dance, Search Engine Roundtable
• Local & Maps:
  • Google Earth imagery updates – Sport, Google Earth Blog
  • Google Local Reviews With Emojis, Search Engine Roundtable
  • Google Local Reviews With Guardian Top Ten Icons, Search Engine Roundtable
• Link Building:
  • Former Google Employee Involved in Paid Links for SEOs?, Search Engine Roundtable
• SEO:
  • 5 Common SEO Mistakes to Fix Before Your Next Audit, Portent
  • Google’s Mobile First Index Awaiting "Quality Neutral" Results Before Launch, Search Engine Roundtable
• SEM / Paid Search:
  • 3 Easy Ways to Optimize Landing Pages for Low Traffic, PPC Hero
  • Increase Non-Brand PPC Conversions with AdWords Position-Based Attribution Model, Metric Theory
• Search Marketing:
  • Keyword Research Strategy: Search Volume, Competition & Relevance, searchenginepeople.com