This day in search marketing history: February 10

Google refreshes Page Layout Algorithm

In 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts announced via Twitter that the company had refreshed its Page Layout Algorithm.

The Page Layout Algorithm downgraded the ranking of webpages with too many ads at the top or if the ads are deemed too distracting for users.

This was the third confirmed update to the algorithm, which launched Jan. 19, 2012 and was updated Oct. 9, 2012.

Read all about it in Google Updates Its Page Layout Algorithm To Go After Sites “Top Heavy” With Ads.

Also on this day

YouTube reveals 2022 roadmap for shopping features, Shorts and more

2022: Shoppable videos, Live Shopping and heavier shopping integration was coming to the YouTube app.

Google officially displays years in business in local pack

2021: After several months of testing, Google officially launched a label that showed how many years a business had been in operation.

In-SERP lead forms convert Google Ads users without a click-through

2021: Google Ads announced its updated lead form extension, which pops up a form directly from a click on an ad in search, Video, and Discovery.

Google Search Console adds review snippets performance, enhancement and testing reports

2020: Google added an enhancements report, a performance report and added support for review snippets on the rich result testing tool.

How to use Google’s new price competitiveness report in Merchant Center

2020: You could see how your product pricing compared to your Google Shopping competitors.

Facebook buys AR startup building a 1:1 digital map of the physical world

2020: The acquisition appeared to be about augmented reality, but Scape Technologies’ capabilities went way beyond AR.

Video: Chris Elwell, CEO behind Search Engine Land and SMX, talks business — and that time Sergey Brin skated on stage

2020: In this installment of Barry Schwartz’s vlog series, he also chatted with Elwell about how everything got started, working with Danny Sullivan and how he manages everything in this company.

Searchmetrics e-commerce ranking factors study says easy e-commerce sites rank higher in Google

2017: In e-commerce, URLs on the first page of the Google search results had 70% more internal links than the overall benchmark.

Here’s how Google’s own ads impact bids & pricing in AdWords auctions

2017: Google took steps to minimize the impact of its ads on CPCs, but advertisers paid as if Google didn’t win its ad positions, not as if Google didn’t bid at all.

Google Data Studio beefs up AdWords MCC integration

2017: A new “Manager Accounts” option let MCC account holders select individual sub-accounts for reporting.

Florida court: Google permitted to delist sites regarded as spam under First Amendment

2017: Google was sued under various federal and Florida state statutes, basically for unfair competition.

Search in Pics: Google vintage office, embedded wall offices & hamburger bean bag

2017: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have and more.

Google To Remove Right-To-Be-Forgotten Links Worldwide, For Searchers In European Countries

2016: Links would no longer show for those in the particular country where a RTBF request was made, regardless of the Google edition they use.

Google Introduces Rich Medical Content Into Knowledge Graph

2015: Users would soon see deeper health information for more than 400 conditions.

Jewelry Advertisers Spending More On PLAs (Both Mobile & Desktop) Than Text Ads

2015: With a few exceptions, the top jewelry advertisers on Google relied heavily on product listing ads (PLAs) in the weeks ahead of Valentine’s Day.

After Nine Years, Google’s Udi Manber Moves On

2015: Manber was VP of Engineering at YouTube. Previously, he had been in charge of search products at Google.

Bing Ads Auction Insights Now Available Globally

2015: Reports showed how your ads competed against other advertisers’ ads on the Yahoo Bing Network.

Google’s Matt Cutts: Don’t Worry About Poor Grammar In Comments

2014: Cutts answers the question: “Should I correct the grammar of comments on my blog?”

A Paid Search First? Olympic Sponsor Visa Opts To Advertise Its Tumblr On Google, Bing and Yahoo

2014: Visa appeared to be the only major Olympic sponsor to have made Tumblr its Olympic content hub.

Microsoft Testing “Bing Saves” Search Bookmarking Feature

2014: It was a way to click and bookmark a search result for later retrieval from a personal Microsoft account.

Bing Beats Google With Bitcoin Conversion Tool

2014: Bing announced that people can search for the current rates, such as [one dollar in bitcoin].

How One SEO Consultant’s Near Death Experience United The SEO Community

2014: Dana Lookadoo wrote: “Whatever the future holds, I’m ready for it, but I know without a doubt that I won’t be alone!”

Google AdWords Gets Shared Lists To Eliminate Duplicate Data Entry

2012: Google added placement exclusion lists and list suggestions.

Google Moves Away From Large Navigation Drop Down Menu

2012: Most of the main search options were back at the top, placing the less “important”’” search options in a more menu.

Now, Mitt Romney Has A Santorum-Like Bing & Google Problem

2012: The “Spreading Romney” site appeared in the top results on Google and Bing in a search for [romney].

Search In Pics: Google Sugar Cube, Yahoo Valentines & Chrome M&M’s

2012: The latest images showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.

Google Operators In Instant, Profiles In Navigation & AdWords URL On Description Line

2011: At least three new changes to search results Google had implemented or was testing.

Live Blogging Google’s ThinkMobile Event

2011: Google had seen a 400% increase in mobile searches over the past year.

How Much Will Google Pay for Twitter?

2011: Nothing nearly as close to what Elon paid for it…

Bing Results Get Localized & Personalized

2011: Bing started delivering personalized listings depending on a searcher’s location or past search history, just like Google had already been doing for several years.

Foursquare Sets Super Record During Big Game

2011: It saw 200,000 check-ins.

Mapquest Introduces Transit, Walking Directions

2011: Playing catch-up to Google and Bing.

Google Buzz: The Good, Bad, & Ugly Reactions

2010: “Google Buzz was announced to widespread derision.” (Accurate.)

Policy Change: Advertise Pharmaceuticals On Google AdWords

2010: Only VIPPS and CIPA certified pharmacies would be allowed to advertise and pharmacies could only target ads within their country.

Google May Be Sued By Russia’s Quintura Over Wonder Wheel

2010: Quintura held 8 patents on the technology.

They’re Back: AP Stories Reappear In Google

2010: Thus ending a nearly seven-week absence.

Google To Develop Superfast “Experimental Fiber Network”

2010: Google? Fiber? Ah, Google FIber!

ComScore Releases January Search Numbers (Bing Gains) & Year In Review

2010: Meanwhile, Hitwise Announces January Search Market Share Numbers.

Scoring Super Bowl 2010 Commercials: How’s the Search Visibility?

2010: Better in general. But there was less integration between the commercials and the web.

Google Launches AdSense For Mobile Search

2009: It gave carriers and publishers a quick way to embed a Google search box on their mobile sites.

Yahoo Tries To Be Google With Holiday Search Ad Bar For Valentine’s Day

2009: If you conduct a search at Yahoo on [valentine’s day] or other related search terms, you would see a horizontal search bar with hearts for the special day.

Google Wants To Save You Money On Electricity

2009: Google was testing software that would help people better manage their home electricity use and reduce energy loss and inefficiency.

Yahoo oneSearch Shortcut Adds Auto-Location, Search Assist & More Availability

2009: Enhanced Search Assist that incorporated the user’s recent search history was added.

From Search Marketing Expo (SMX)

SMX West 2009 Day One Coverage

Past contributions from Search Engine Land’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

These columns are a snapshot in time and have not been updated since publishing, unless noted. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

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2020: Paid search marketers can find success with top of funnel campaigns by Amy Bishop

2017: How to nail a local SEO pitch by Lydia Jorden

2017: The impact (and lack thereof) of Google’s mobile popup algorithm by Glenn Gabe

2016: Brand Bidding & PPC Optimization: The Value Of Brand Keywords (Part 2 of 8) by Lori Weiman

2016: Wikidata 101 by Clay Cazier

2015: In 2015, Your Job As An SEO Isn’t Actually SEO by Erin Everhart

2015: 7 Advanced Tips To Automated Bidding Success On AdWords Search Ads by Matt Lawson

2015: SMBs Divided On The Effectiveness Of Google My Business by Myles Anderson

2014: Where Do You Go When You’ve Maxed Out SEM? by David Rodnitzky

2014: Products, Prices & Proximity Are Most Important Info On Local Business Websites by Myles Anderson

2012: Google Analytics Update To Organic Reports by Daniel Waisberg