It was yet another busy month in terms of Google algorithm updates, all of which are unconfirmed. But we had six, maybe seven, unconfirmed updates in March. This is all while we wait for the next Google core update. The good news, featured snippets returned to normal levels in the Google search results.
There was a lot of debate around a new zero click study that Google disputed and then Rand Fishkin added more clarity to later.
I covered a lot of information around the Page Experience Update and core web vitals, including how it might roll out, the updated FAQs, how top stories won’t need the core web vitals to be cleared for eligibility and much more. I also covered how Google has one last batch of sites to move over to mobile-first indexing in the upcoming month or two.
Google came out with free hotel listings this month. Google released new rich results for practice problems and math solvers, and released a bunch of Search Console features or updates. Plus there was a lot of topics on the local front including two-pack testing and suspension notices and more.
There are a lot of these details categorized below, plus if you missed the March report catch it here. Finally, the ongoing WebmasterWorld thread has discussions around a possible reversal of the latest update – I may cover that later – maybe. It might just be Easter weekend slowness, so hard to tell.
Google Algorithm & Ranking Updates:
Google Page Experience Update & Core Web Vitals:
SEO:
Google Search Console:
Zero Click Google Study:
Google Local, Maps & Google My Business:
Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.