Google's Latest SEO Tools Boost Rankings for Forums, Social Media Sites in Search Results

Google rolled out some new tools that’ll help websites, especially those with social media vibes or forum-style discussions, to get a better spot in its search results. So, what are the reasons behind the rollout of this new generative AI in Google search?

The news opens new doors for the company, given Google is shifting its focus to value real, user-generated content more than those SEO-optimized pages that don’t offer much substance.

Back in May, Google introduced this “Perspectives” filter – spotlight for posts from platforms like Reddit, Quora, and other social media in their search results. It started on mobile, but now it’s on desktop too, along with some other search changes.

Google’s also adding some changes to its ranking algorithm. With the mere goal of pushing these real, firsthand accounts up in the search results so they’re easier to spot. So, if you’re seeking that human element, this one’s for you.

Google’s giving these websites some help by allowing them to demonstrate how their data’s structured. This helps the Big Tech giant feature their content more accurately. Take the new ProfilePage markup, for instance. It lets content creators shine in Google Search with their name, photo, follower count, and more, right in the search results. Both the Perspectives feature, and the Discussions and Forums feature will use this kind of markup.

There’s also this DiscussionForumPosting markup.

This markup lets Google recognize and better categorize discussions from forums across the web. This means even the smaller forums can get noticed by Google’s new algorithm.

As for the Q&A

For Q&A sites and general discussion forums, there’s specific markup for them too. Google’s also updating its Search Console to help site owners track how well their marked-up pages are doing, with reports on errors, warnings, and much more.

There’s been some talk about Google’s search results not being as helpful as before. With so much content that’s just optimized for SEO and not really informative, people are looking for more authentic information.

There’s also this growing concern about AI-generated content taking over, and not in a good way. Remember the story about the “SEO heist” using AI that’s got people talking. It’s about how AI was used to create articles and steal traffic from a competitor.

But that’s exactly what the search engine parent is trying to fix with these changes. The company is working hard to make sure their search results prioritize real discussions and social content.

And that’s not all Google is experimenting with. They’re also playing around with generative AI in Google Search, and even testing a feature that lets users add notes to web pages. Think of it as Google building its own version of Reddit, right there in the search results.

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