The Engine-izer Bunny: Changes Keep Coming and Coming — SEM Synergy Extras

On today’s episode of SEM Synergy we spend some time talking about how Google is testing links to brands in product-related SERPs, as well as other news from the search engines. Along those lines, today’s extras are search engine news items worth a run down.

New Google SERPs Layout Goes Live

We all caught on to the tests, and Susan was even a guinea pig, but the new user interface for Google’s search results has made its official debut. Google’s calling it a new look for a new season. You’ll also notice that the company gave their logo a nip and tuck to boot.

So what on the results page has changed? There’s the new left-hand navigation (a la Bing), with search filters that Google chooses based on the query. And scratch the “related searches” links, as well as the “not entirely unlike” links that Susan saw in her test SERPs. No, Google went with “something different” for links to searches that are related, or not unlike, or, nevermind, I’m getting dizzy. And tough luck if you don’t like the new UI. *cough* Hide Google Options *cough*

Ask.com Testing a New Home Page

Another engine might be making some changes to its home page, but for now Ask.com is still in testing mode. Bringing its Q&A specialty to the forefront, the test home page featuring the Question of the Day more prominently, as well as some primo ad space — a 300 x 250 pixel interactive ad unit. There also playing with links to image and video services on the home page, and expect to test additional engagement objects on the page soon.

Yahoo! Search Rolls Out Updates

Yahoo!’s updates took place under the hood last week. The engine’s crawling, indexing and ranking algorithms were updated, and the search engine gave webmasters and SEOs a heads up that some ranking shuffles may be on the horizon. Anyone notice any dancing in the SERPs? Or has everyone completely stopped paying attention to the search engine that was swallowed whole?

adCenter API v7 Sneak Preview Webcast Available on Demand

Over at Microsoft, adCenter gave audiences a sneak preview of the upcoming version of the adCenter API. I’m told Microsoft’s APIs are pretty data rich. I skimmed through the slides in the webcast presentation and there’s talk of REST and SOAP and I don’t know what that could mean other than someone sleepy wants to take a long relaxing bubble bath. [They should throw in some wine while they’re at it! —Susan] Is that what the new API is about? If so, how do I get in on that beta?

Virginia Nussey is the director of content marketing at MobileMonkey. Prior to joining this startup in 2018, Virginia was the operations and content manager at Bruce Clay Inc., having joined the company in 2008 as a writer and blogger.

See Virginia's author page for links to connect on social media.