Updates
Google’s Updated Search Quality Rater Guidelines
Priyanka Bhati

Google’s Updated Search Quality Rater Guidelines: What Publishers Should Know

Google’s Updated Search Quality Rater Guidelines

Google is setting the standard for the quality of content in today’s digital world. Here, some essential updates to the Search Quality Rater Guidelines cut across, and publishers ought to be up to speed. 

The new requirements outline what Google needs to ensure in its quest to prioritize user-first content while paying attention to AI and spammer trends. So, let’s get down to what publishers need to know.  

Understanding the Changes

Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines have constantly been a guide through which content quality will be evaluated. The new update centers its focus more sharply on AI-generated content, better maintenance of content value, and specific strategies against spam techniques.  

1. Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content: New Definitions and Clarity

Google has recently clearly stated its position on what is and isn’t AI-generated content. 

The company further explains that only when AI tools are useful to publishers does the content deliver unique value to its users. 

What this means for publishers is that using AI in content creation is permissible; however, the content itself cannot be the repetition of something that already exists.

2. Unique Value Must Be Provided

The guidelines stipulate that however content is developed, it should address the requirements of users. AI tools could be used for content development. However, their output must come with new perspectives, solutions, or insights that publishers can derive. Google does favor user-centric experiences, so repetitive or boilerplate content would not rank highly.

3. Addressing New Types of Spam

Google just recently exposed three new spams that contravene its guidelines. If the publishers of these sites want to keep their credibility and ranking, they should not adopt any of the following techniques:

  • Expired Domain Abuse: Using a dead domain to rank higher or mislead users is also being penalized.
  • Site Reputation Abuse: Any attempt to build a false reputation or manipulate trustworthiness will be penalized.
  • Content Abuse: Massive low-quality and duplicate content creation is considered damaging.

These additions clearly show that Google is determined to put an end to all deceptive activities and reward actual publishers.

What Publishers Can Do

The new Search Quality Rater Guidelines mean that publishers must strategically change their approach to creating and managing content. Here is what you can do:

  1. Use AI Wisely: Apply AI tools for efficiency but concentrate on fresh perspectives and original ideas. 
  2. Quality Over Quantity: Avoid churning out high volumes of repetitive content. Instead, write meaningful pieces that solve user problems. 
  3. No Spamming: Stick to the best practice in SEO by focusing on obtaining credibility for the website ethically.

Why These Updates Matter

Updates of these kinds find their significance within Google’s initiative to provide improved user experiences. 

In addition, to defining AI-generated content while combating spam, Google makes the publishers shift towards value and integrity. 

To a publisher, this means that the evolution of strategy should accommodate such purposes to succeed in the digital domain. The latest Search Quality Rater Guidelines remind one to evolve their content in place of emerging user expectations. 

It means publishers have to be original, with quality content, and to be on the ethical side to move ahead in rankings. 

Once they understand and implement these updates, publishers can build sustainable credibility and provide meaningful value to their audience.

Updates
ChatGPT Updates: Free Search, Voice, and Maps
Priyanka Bhati

ChatGPT Updates: Free Search, Voice, and Maps

ChatGPT Updates: Free Search, Voice, and Maps

Increased access and retrieval is as an effect of artificial intelligence to human inputs of information. OpenAI has released cool new features into the overall platform of ChatGPT, improving its usability and accessibility. Whether you’re into web surf, voice command, or just getting around the local block, the convenience gets redefined. Let us find out further from these amazing updates.

Free Web Search for Everybody  

Real-time information has never been so easy. ChatGPT now makes all account holders free web searching, so much easier to find all the latest news, trends, and data without barriers.  

  1. What This Means:- You can now search for fresh, real-world information without leaving the ChatGPT interface. Whether you need the latest techno innovation, some hot-breaking news, or even arcane, specific knowledge about a topic, it is all only a query away. 
  2. Why It Matters:- This portrays the end of private states; formerly, only paying users had this facility accorded to them. They got good news, especially students, researchers, and small business owners, who needed the latest insights at no cost. 

Voice Search: Multilingual and Real-Time 

When it turns into sound, it gets closer to reality, voice search provides more conversational interaction with ChatGPT. This feature allows users to ask real-time queries in many languages, thus enhancing the user experience.  

ChatGPT Updates: Free Search, Voice, and Maps

Features At a Glance: 

  1. Support for all languages forms a worldwide place by finding a common thread of communication.  
  2. The capability to respond in real time is an excellent travel partner for answering questions.  
  3. An adaptive learning experience makes it more accurate when used.

Usability 

  • Driving or multitasking hands-free.  
  • Users with disabilities can access more.  
  • Fast translations, pronunciation help, and conversations in other languages.

Maps Integration in Mobile Apps  

Cutting-edge modernity recently brought map integration into ChatGPT for finding and even guiding a person from an unfamiliar place to a local business.  ChatGPT Updates: Free Search, Voice, and Maps

  • Prime Benefits:  
  1. Local Business Discovery: Search whenever possible for nearby restaurants, stores, or service providers.  
  2. User-friendly Navigation: Maps are integrated into an app that provides a step-by-step approach within the app.  
  3. Customers get more Money-related mobile experience: A consolidated tool for query, search, and location assistance for mobile-based customers.  
  • The Way It Will Be In Real Life:  
  • Sure, how about needing a coffee while traveling? Just ask, and you’ll have ChatGPT’s maps feature to help you out.  
  • Surely, you’d like to look for local businesses to weigh against one another? The app just makes searching and deciding easier.

How These Updates Change User Experience  

Those two updates will amplify what remains true for ChatGPT. Making information accessible, practical, and actionable. Here are some ways:  

  1. Tools for searching, asking, and navigating all unify into one platform.  
  2. Free and multilingual features attract a broad audience.  
  3. Speedier and more dependable responses make everyday tasks much more efficient.  

The Future of ChatGPT  

Alas, this is just the beginning. As innovation continues at OpenAI, the features available to users will redefine how they interact with technology. Infinitely applicable, from more intelligent AI to broader integration, the potential is limitless.

The latest updates to ChatGPT, which include a free online browsing capability, voice functionality, and maps integration, are meant to empower users in all facets of their digital lives. If you are trying to understand everything about the world, how to use your day more efficiently, or how to travel wisely, ChatGPT now shines more brightly in all those areas too. Come and see the future of AI-enabled assistance today by trying out these features.

How Magicbid Will Help YouHow Magicbid Will Help you

MagicBid offers comprehensive software solutions that foster profitable expansion by maximizing monetization and utilizing artificial intelligence for strategic, data-driven marketing choices.

Collaborating with businesses, MagicBid ensures tailored experiences on a vast global level, enhancing engagement and customer satisfaction.

With the right technology and experience, one can achieve a greater goal.

Magicbid enhances your monetization capabilities with their experience and tech expertise.

Connect with us now to get a free ad revenue evaluation.

Updates
Google Confirmed Click Penalty: How to Avoid & Recover
Priyanka Bhati

Google Confirmed Click Penalty: How to Avoid & Recover

Google Confirmed Click Penalty: How to Avoid & Recover

As a publisher, ensuring that ad revenue is a steady stream can be very critical to the success of your digital platform. However, some unforeseen issues can sneak up and affect your earnings; one such problem is the Confirmed Click Penalty by Google. Such a penalty is likely to dramatically reduce your CTR and ad impressions, which impacts your revenue streams.

Whether you’re already seeing the negative impact of this penalty or want to proactively safeguard your ad revenue, knowing what the Confirmed Click Penalty is and how it affects your ads is critical. In this article, we will dive deep into what this penalty entails, why Google applies it, how to detect it, and the steps you can take to recover from it or avoid it altogether.

Confirmed Click Penalty Definition

The Confirmed Click Penalty is also sometimes called the Two-Click or Double Click penalty. The Confirmed Click Penalty is a Google automatic feature to counter invalid click traffic. It usually targets websites and ad units that exhibit more than normal accidental clicks or fraudulent click activities. Click through this ad by one user, now the user should fill an extra action like a visit site button after clicking which indicates that he’s ready to see the advertiser landing page. If not clicked by this confirmation button for the publisher it will not add any revenue to the account based on that particular click.

Why Does Google Apply the Confirmed Click Penalty?

The most prominent reason for the application of the Confirmed Click Penalty is dealing with invalid clicks, specifically accidental ones, that might result from bad ad placement or user mistakes. Google is continually trying to make digital advertising a better experience and increase the efficiency of ads; it has recently taken an interest in filtering out low-quality traffic.

The Confirmed Click Penalty is part of the overall effort by Google towards keeping user experiences improved, and even the concern for Core Web Vitals reflects a continuous push for making the sites more usable. Cumulative layout shift, an average measure that penalizes websites with shifting content while loading, can result in accidental clicks and other forms of invalid clicks that lead to improper click rates. 

Google, therefore uses the Confirmed Click feature every time it recognizes patterns where users click on ads by mistake because of misleading ad placement, reflowing content, or lack of sufficient padding between ads and other content.

How Google Detects Accidental Clicks

The self-service system monitors interactions on ad units and finds patterns that could imply accidental clicks. For instance, users always click on ads in such a way that one cannot get meaningful engagements like low conversion rates and bounce rates to ignore user activities: Google will confirm the users’ intentional click by applying the Confirmed Click functionality. Google Confirmed Click Penalty: How to Avoid & Recover

  • Inadequate padding or spacing between the ads: The navigation buttons and menus plus other details may accidentally get clicked due to how closely they appear to the ads.
  • Deceptive ad placement: Some ads can be placed in such a way that they are portrayed as content. The ad may also become a link or button to attract random clicks.
  • Overlapped sticky ads with other content: Sticky or floating ads might interfere with a user’s natural navigation flow, making them click on such ads accidentally.
  • Reflow of content: Whenever content re-flows while pages are loading due to delayed ad loads, users will end up mis-clicking the ads since they might have not intended to do so.

How to Identify If Your Website Is Affected by the Confirmed Click Penalty?

There are several ways to identify whether the Confirmed Click Penalty has been implemented on your ad inventory:

  1. Decline in eCPM and CTR: If eCPM and CTR have taken a huge fall but traffic doesn’t go down, then there’s a good chance that the Confirmed Click Penalty has been applied on your website.
  2. Check Your Site’s Code: Look for the ad tag in the header of your site for the keyword ‘confirmedClickVisible’. This will tell you if Google has flagged your ad units with the penalty.
  3. Google Policy Center: Look within your Google Ad Manager account and find the Policy Center. Search for warnings over invalid clicks, also known as Confirmed Click Penalty. Here is where you shall view potential issues with ads.
  4. Partner Health Score: If using Google Ad Manager, a rate of invalid clicks may affect a higher rate here. A drastically sharp decline in the health score likely means the confirmed click penalty applies

How to Solve and Prevent a Confirmed Click Penalty 

Knowing what you should do to rectify the situation or avoid it from happening in the first place is as important as knowing how the Confirmed Click Penalty works. Here are some best practices you should observe:

Google Confirmed Click Penalty: How to Avoid & Recover

  1. Add Extra Padding Around Ads:-  Adding padding around ads prevents accidental clicks, especially in areas where users will most likely click, such as navigation bars or buttons.
  1. Make Ads Distinct from Content:- Clearly mark your ads as advertisements using clear labels like Sponsored or Advertisement. Avoid making ads appear as content so that they are not mistaken and clicked accidentally.
  1. Place Ads Wisely:- Place ads in places where they will not interfere with key navigational elements or content. For example, avoid placing ads near buttons that users are likely to click on or in areas where content may shift.
  1. Avoid Content Reflow:- Use fixed-size containers for your ads, especially for in-article or in-feed ads, to avoid layout shifts that can cause accidental clicks.
  1. Optimize Your Site’s Page Speed:- The content will jump around because the page is taking a long to load, and accidental clicks on ads are very likely. Ensure that your page loads as fast as possible to make the experience smooth and reduce accidental clicks.
  1. Diversify Your Revenue Streams:- This tends to happen when relying heavily on the Google ad network, as it did with the penalty from the Confirmed Click, so now might be an excellent time to try a little diversification of other monetizing techniques, perhaps header bidding, which may help prevent putting too much revenue on one line.

How Long Will It Take To Remove This Penalty?

The Confirmed Click Penalty is not something that publishers can remove manually. Google will automatically monitor the performance of ad units, and if it determines that there is a sustained improvement in click quality-for example, fewer accidental clicks, the, the penalty will be removed eventually. It will take some time depending on the changes you implement and how soon Google can evaluate the improved click quality.

Defending Your Revenue Against the Confirmed Click Penalty

This penalty can be quite a plague for publishers, but at least by following some best practices and improving ad placements, you may be able to avoid or recover from this penalty.

After all, staying proactive- maintaining good user experience on your website, higher page load times, and varied sources of revenue will continue to keep your ad revenue healthy.

If you are having problems with the Confirmed Click Penalty or need help optimizing your ad setup, we at Snigel are here to help you.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you implement strategies that maximize your ad revenue while keeping your site compliant with Google’s best practices.

How Magicbid Will Help YouHow Magicbid Will Help You

MagicBid offers a powerful suite of tools to enhance monetization strategies across web, app, and Connected TV (CTV) platforms.

Web monetization ensures optimal ad placements to boost visibility and engagement, supported by detailed analytics to continuously refine strategies.

In-app monetization, MagicBid seamlessly integrates with various demand sources to maximize fill rates and eCPM.

For CTV, it delivers personalized, high-quality ad experiences, ensuring maximum audience engagement.

By leveraging MagicBid’s Ad Tech Solutions, publishers can optimize ad inventory and unlock new revenue streams across all digital channels.

Updates
Google Rolls Out Its Final Spam Update of 2024
Priyanka Bhati

Google Rolls Out Its Final Spam Update of 2024

Google Rolls Out Its Final Spam Update of 2024

With the year 2024 nearing an end, Google finally released its much-awaited December spam update. As part of this spam-fighting effort towards better search quality, Google is going to conclude the update within the next week.

Like the previous December core update that was released one week before this one, the release would also mark the end of momentous changes in Google’s spam policies and updates in its algorithm.

Let’s break down the important things that this update has for the owners of the website and the digital marketers.

This December update comes in a chain of crucial changes that were brought forth by Google in the year 2024. With many updates on its algorithms, particularly core ones during the months of March, August, November, and finally in December, it has been quite a ride dealing with many things this year 2024.

  • March Core Update: Targeted policy-violating websites and reduced ‘unhelpful’ content by 40%.
  • August Core Update: Targeted devaluation of low-quality SEO content and promotion of high-quality material.
  • November Core Update: Enforced SRA penalties with more strict enforcement.
  • December Core Update: Improved a number of systems in parallel that closely resemble the most recent spam update.

All these updates have the objective that users’ experience will be better and high-quality content on search results along with the elimination of manipulative practice.

December Spam Update

The December spam update is part of Google’s efforts to identify and suppress various types of spam. 

  1. Improved detection systems: Google further refined the algorithms for detecting spam, which made it hard for sites to use spammy practices to manipulate rankings. 
  1. Target Low-Value Content:- As with most of the updates this year, the algorithm has targeted low-value automated or AI-generated content, that offers little to no value to the users. 
  1. Focus on Policy Violations: The updated Google spam policies strictly observe those websites that abuse a site’s reputation and use of scaled content against their policies. There have been changes in these broader policy updates Google carried out in the year, determining how spam is detected as well as penalized.

Key Policy Changes in 2024

Google introduced three key policy updates in 2024. All of them targeted specific issues with spamming.

  1. Site Reputation Abuse (SRA):-  It targeted ‘parasite SEO’ practices that used well-established domains for unauthorized third-party content.
  •  Publishers host third-party reviews or coupons.
  • This led to manual penalties for publishers that were unable to monitor hosted content.
  1. Expired Domain Abuse:- Manipulative practices involving expired domains:
  • Backlink exploitation.
  • Repurposing domains for unrelated content.
  • Domain squatting for ranking manipulation.
  1. Scaled Content Abuse:- Massed scaled AI-generated content and other content translation manipulation techniques.

These policies have undergone drastic changes in the contents of many websites, so more accountability and good content quality standards are being followed.

Core Update, besides these spam-focused updates, there were several spam-specific updates released by Google during the year:

  • June Spam Update: This focused on the detection of automated content and policy violations, which rolled out over the course of a week.
  • November SRA Enforcement: Increased site reputation abuse penalties and dramatically altered publishers’ content strategies.

Together, these updates indicate a new way for Google to handle spam and its integrity in the search ecosystem.

What This Means for Website Owners

During December’s update regarding spam, website owners and the digital marketing industry must expect ranking variation. Here are a couple of tips for compliance with Google’s revised policies.

  1. Quality-focused- Ensure your content is novel, valuable, and relevant.
  2. Avoid the following manipulative practices: 
  • Link exploitation.
  • Automated content.
  • Keyword stuffing.
  1. Monitor Hosted Content: Third-party content on your site has to be checked upon frequently through a set of strict monitoring and quality assurance processes. 
  2. Follow Google’s Guidelines: Understand the latest updates from Google and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Looking Ahead

With Google ending its 2024 spam-fighting campaign, the industry will look forward to more quality content and ethical SEO practices in 2025. As the December spam update is almost complete, businesses need to be vigilant, monitor ranking changes, and adjust to the guidelines that are evolving.

The Search Status Dashboard of Google tracks ongoing rollouts and allows the website owner to track the changes and plan accordingly.

This is because, following the policies of Google and user-centric approaches, businesses can not only survive but thrive in the dynamic digital ecosystem.

Ad Tech, Updates
Google Launches December 2024 Core Update
Priyanka Bhati

Google Launches December 2024 Core Update

Google Launches December 2024 Core Update

On December 2024, Google was busy releasing the December Algorithm Update, the sad news for the November update was that it was successful, even this sad news would have ensembles to surface. 

With respect to the updates and modifications this was an important step on the right direction for the company as it provided better search results to its users. 

Google December update is set to be out and it’s expected to only take about two weeks, What is interesting is that Google had suggested that because their updates are continuous in nature, a core update can follow within the next timeline.

Google’s Announcementgoogle statement

 

The update to the November foundational update became complicated which created confusion as to the purpose of this update in the first place. 

It was stated that getting updates a week apart was not a comfortable zone and that the core November rollout would also coincide with the update timeline outlined in December.

Purpose of establishing these criteria and the core updates was to have distinct rankings purely for the basis of relevancy and relevance was ranked on the level of satisfying search requirements.

In addition, the company emphasizes that such upgrades should not be understood to be aimed at punishing websites, rather they are aimed at rewarding those pages with highly authoritative and user-friendly content.

Things to Remember for Site Owners

Just like all other core changes, Google did not specify in the December update what exactly they managed to change. 

However, the recommendations for the website owners do not change: 

  • Emphasize useful, trustworthy, and user-oriented materials.
  • Check the guidance provided by Google on their sites regarding updates.
  • Report all alterations to the site traffic and changes in search results.

Through this means one can get regular reports on the status of the rollout, or even subscribe via RSS feeds to get timely alerts on the changes on this means.

Celebrating a Year of Changes to the Algorithm

The update rolled out in December 2024 is the last one for the year and consequently brings to a close a year full of changes initiated by Google on their algorithm. Each of those changes serves to reinforce their claim of improving search results and enhancing the user experience.

Updates
Core Web Vitals Update: Google Focuses on Real-World Data
Priyanka Bhati

Core Web Vitals Update: Google Focuses on Real-World Data

Core Web Vitals Update: Google Focuses on Real-World Data

In the modern landscape of today’s digital speed, the significance of website performance has increased. Core Web Vitals have emerged as core metrics to measure and optimize for user experience, but Google has taken a step forward by shifting its focus toward field data or actual-world metrics of how users really interact with websites. Adjustments are also featured in this update of PageSpeed Insights and the throttling mechanisms of Lighthouse scores to get web owners to focus more on real performance rather than synthetic metrics.

Why Google is Focus on Field Data

Field data is the actual performance of websites, really experienced by actual users, whereas lab data is simulating the controlled lab environment, wherein field data gives an actual view of how website performance works across various devices, network conditions, and geographies.

With regard to field data, Google argues that it should continue offering excellent experiences to all types of users regardless of the situation. There is a need to relate to a broader goal of increasing the satisfaction and engagement of the users.

 

Core Web Vitals Update: Google Focuses on Real-World Data

PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse Scores Changes

One of the updates under this Core Web Vitals initiative is that Google is modifying PageSpeed Insights throttling. This is to make Lighthouse scores more realistic and more aligned with real-world user experiences.

Previously, developers optimized their sites so as to achieve high scores for Lighthouse even at the cost of sacrificing real-world performance. With this change, Google is nudging the developer to shift from synthetic benchmarks to true user experience.

Prioritizing Actual Performance Optimization

Since so much is changing and going forward rapidly, websites need to focus on real-world optimization rather than continue the pursuit of very good lab scores to excel in the digital game. Key Web Vitals, like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) become components of today. Improving these parameters by using field data not only ensures better outcomes for users and a greater chance of retention and conversions but also aligns with Google’s new approach.

Practical Steps to Enhance Core Web Vitals

Here are practical steps for improvement of your website’s core web vitals based on field data:

  • Optimize Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Minimize render-blocking resources and optimize images.
  • Reduce First Input Delay (FID): Target execution time of JavaScript and browser response.
  • Improve Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Add dimensions to images and prevent inserting content above the fold.
  • Analyze Field Data: Make use of tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights and Search Console to track performance.
  • Monitor and Test: Continuously test your updates across real devices and networks for accurate results.

Why This Update Matters

By focusing on field data for Core Web Vitals and adjusting PageSpeed Insights throttling, Google encourages a more authentic approach toward website optimization. Such a shift makes it challenging for businesses to adapt toward a user-first mindset while ensuring that their websites perform great in the real world rather than just in controlled tests.

This means an update that marks a big shift in the way websites measure and optimize performance. With this increased preference for field data over lab data, Google actually emphasizes real-world user experience. For a website owner, this means focusing on making sure actual performance is improved so your site can fulfill the different needs of users.

How Magicbid Will Help YouHow Magicbid Will Help you

MagicBid provides an advanced suite of tools designed to elevate monetization strategies for web, app, and Connected TV (CTV) platforms.

For web monetization, it optimizes ad placements to enhance visibility and engagement while offering in-depth analytics to fine-tune performance.

In app monetization, MagicBid integrates seamlessly with diverse demand sources, driving higher fill rates and eCPM.

For CTV, it delivers tailored, high-quality ad experiences to maximize audience engagement.

By utilizing MagicBid’s Ad Tech Solutions, publishers can effectively optimize their ad inventory and unlock new revenue opportunities across all digital platforms.

Updates
Canonicalization and SEO: Your Essential Guide For 2025
Priyanka Bhati

Canonicalization and SEO: Your Essential Guide for 2025

Canonicalization and SEO: Your Essential Guide For 2025

Are you ready to elevate your website’s SEO game in 2025?  Through the ages, a lot has changed in the realm of SEO; however, one factor that has remained constant is Canonicalization. The uniqueness of the website content, the efficiency of crawling and indexing, and the strong presence of the website amongst its competitors are essential. This article will assist in understanding why it is important to follow the proven methods of Canonicalization and how they work for your websites, especially from the end of the year 2025 and onwards.

What Is Canonicalization?

It is called the technical term in search engine optimization concepts and refers to the design of a web page to select a specific one among several copies for indexing. If done correctly, the technique will not leave any traces of copycats on your site, and you will not have to worry about search engines erroneously focusing on the wrong page.

Why Is Canonicalization Important for SEO?Why Is Canonicalization Important for SEO?

  • Prevents The Problems Associated With Duplicate Content: Such pages can be quite damaging since search engines might divide ranking signals geographically over different pages. Canonicalization is the technique that makes sure that all the ranking signals point to the main version.
  • Improves crawlers’ resource utilization: Search engines depend on bots to scan every page and document, and they only have so much available to divide among the sites. Canonicalization is the process which tells them where they need to spend their energy.
  • Protects Link Equity: By consolidating duplicate pages, canonical tags help preserve link equity, ensuring better SEO value for your preferred URL.
  • Enhances User Experience: Canonicalization eliminates confusion for users by directing them to the intended content version, improving navigation and satisfaction.

Common Scenarios Requiring Canonicalization

  1. WWW vs. Non-WWW Versions: Ensure only one version (e.g., www.example.com or example.com) is treated as the primary domain.
  2. HTTP vs. HTTPS Versions: Secure your site with HTTPS and set it as the canonical version to build trust and improve rankings.
  3. Pagination: For pages with pagination (e.g., /page1, /page2), canonicalization helps consolidate ranking signals to the main page.
  4. E-commerce Sites: Product pages with multiple URLs (due to sorting or filtering) should use canonical tags to point to the base URL.
  5. Dynamic URLs and Tracking Parameters: URLs with session IDs, UTM parameters, or other tracking codes should be canonicalized to the clean, static version.

How to Implement Canonicalization

  1. Using the rel=canonical Tag: Place the <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://example.com/your-page” /> tag in the HTML head section of your duplicate pages.
  2. 301 Redirects: Redirect duplicate or unnecessary pages to the preferred version using a 301 redirect to consolidate traffic and SEO signals.
  3. Set Canonical URLs in CMS: Most content management systems like WordPress and Shopify allow you to specify canonical URLs for each page easily.
  4. Update Your Sitemap: Include only canonical URLs in your XML sitemap to guide search engines toward the preferred versions.
  5. Use Google Search Console: Inspect URLs in Google Search Console to verify how search engines view your canonical settings and troubleshoot errors.

Best Practices for Canonicalization in 2025Best Practices for Canonicalization in 2025

  • Audit Your Site Regularly: Conduct regular audits to identify and resolve duplicate content issues caused by CMS errors or parameterized URLs.
  • Keep URLs Consistent: Ensure consistent use of trailing slashes, case sensitivity, and URL structure to avoid unintentional duplicates.
  • Avoid Overuse of Canonical Tags: While canonical tags are helpful, rely on them sparingly. Fix the underlying issues causing duplicate content where possible.
  • Monitor Changes: If you redesign or restructure your site, update canonical tags to reflect the new architecture and avoid outdated links.
  • Mobile-First Indexing: Ensure your canonical URLs are optimized for mobile-first indexing, as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly content.
  • Leverage Structured Data: Use schema markup in tandem with canonicalization to enhance search visibility and provide additional context to search engines.

How Canonicalization Improves Crawl Efficiency

Canonicalization facilitates web search engine bots by cutting down the number of URLs they have to crawl, thus eliminating that inconvenience for them and making it possible for them to index the most important pages. This is crucial for sites that have a huge number of pages, like e-commerce platforms. Correct use of canonicalization makes sure that bots are directed to the important pages, thus better crawl budgets and higher rankings are achieved.

Tools to Help with Canonicalization

  • Screaming Frog: Crawl your website to identify duplicate pages and check canonical tag implementation.
  • Google Search Console: Use the URL Inspection Tool to analyze canonical tags and identify any indexing issues.
  • Ahrefs or SEMrush: These tools provide insights into duplicate content and help optimize your site’s SEO health.
  • Sitebulb: A great tool for auditing canonicalization issues and improving your website’s technical SEO.

Common Canonicalization Mistakes to AvoidCommon Canonicalization Mistakes to Avoid

  • Pointing Canonicals to 404 Pages: Ensure all canonical URLs are live and not broken.
  • Conflicting Signals: Avoid using canonical tags alongside no index directives, as they can confuse search engines.
  • Canonicalizing Different Content: Canonical tags should only point to pages with highly similar or identical content.
  • Overlapping with Hreflang Tags: When using Hreflang for multi-language sites, ensure canonical tags don’t override these settings.

Conclusion

Canonicalization is a comprehensive strategy for improving a website’s performance, aside from being a technical SEO tactic. In 2025, when search engines keep on changing, good canonical tag usage will help you to avoid duplicate content issues, save link authority, and improve site visibility.

Magicbid Expert’s SupportHow Magicbid Will Help you

MagicBid is your ultimate solution for app, web, and CTV monetization.

With advanced targeting, diverse ad formats, real-time bidding, and seamless integration, it empowers publishers to maximize revenue across digital platforms.

By utilizing MagicBid’s innovative technology, you can optimize your ad inventory and achieve unparalleled revenue growth in a competitive digital landscape.
For businesses aiming to elevate their monetization strategy, MagicBid provides a comprehensive, user-friendly platform that delivers measurable results.

Embrace the power of MagicBid and unlock your digital advertising potential today!

Ad Tech, Updates
Understanding Google's AI Features Across 100 Countries
Priyanka Bhati

Understanding Google’s AI Features Across 100 Countries

Understanding Google’s AI Features Across 100 Countries

The greatest step Google has taken toward improving its search capabilities lies in widening the scope of AI-powered features to over 100 countries. That’s a pretty good landmark in the journey of artificial intelligence, showing just how much technology is reshaping the way we access information online. Expansion of the AI Overviews for Google means it’s no longer just a tool for advanced searches but also an experience toward a smarter, more intuitive internet.

In this blog, we’ll explore the scope of this expansion, the impact of Google’s AI on global search experiences, and what users and publishers can expect from this advanced feature. 

A Global Reach: From the US to Over 100 Countries

The Google AI Overviews were initially available for use only by users in the United States, but recent developments have unveiled the feature to over 100 countries, with access to one billion monthly users in the world. This really reflects Google’s unwavering effort to bring innovative solutions to a myriad of people around the world.

However, Google AI is not confined to specific demographics or regions-it’s for everyone. The firm is leveraging its power of artificial intelligence to ensure that, within seconds, people around the world find correct information relevant to their needs, and well organized.

Multi-Language Support: Ripping Language Isolation from the RootsMulti-Language Support

Perhaps the most exciting thing about this is the inclusion of six languages within the scope of Google’s AI Overviews. As such, the new functionality will allow users from varied linguistic backgrounds to access AI-driven searches without a hitch.

Language support is not just a technical success but a tool through which inclusivity and bridging between the user and vast online information can be done. With Google refining its AI, I expect this support in languages to expand even further to improve accessibility and user experience. 

Google’s AI Summaries are more than just brief, AI-created versions of search results; they also introduce a new style of representing links to websites by helping a user get an organized and visual view.

This change is good for both sides, the users and the publishers. It enhances clarity and how one searches for it on their own. For the publishers, a higher possibility of discovery and appreciation is guaranteed by the layout. Such benefits of both sides vindicate how Google AI is constituted with attention to the betterment of the ecosystem for everyone.

Ads in AI Overviews: An Early Step Toward MonetizationMulti-Language Support

Google began showing ads inside AI Overviews for mobile users in the United States as part of its continuous development. This development is an effort by Google to incorporate its advertisements model into its AI features and keep the user experience at par.

Opportunities abound for publishers and advertisers with this new development. In AI Overviews, ads were first introduced, thereby creating a new path for reaching audiences through what will be a cutting-edge platform for searching. Another major step forward is being made toward the development of a sustainable model for the search that is enhanced by AI. 

Google’s AI is nothing if not a feature-it is, in fact, a revolution in the way we seek answers, learn, and interact with things online.

  • It makes it possible for any user to be granted access to specific summaries of complex topics;
  • Explore how an issue might be perceived from a number of angles
  • Find more relevant content based on your interests with ease.

This fusion of speed, accuracy, and personalization makes Google’s AI a game-changer for search engines to set the standard for the industry. 

What This Means for Users and Publishers 

  • What it means for Users:- The Expanded Google AI Overviews Ensure that it has a much more intuitive and efficient experience in search. The promotion of six languages along with the improved view of the website link makes things easier to find what the user is looking for quickly in the language they prefer.
  • For Publishers:- Content exposure on Google’s AI becomes supercharged. Improvement in link appearance will see more users click on them, and the spreading of ads along the preview of AI Overviews is a new angle of revenue generation. The publishers who adjust to such new changes will reap maximum benefits from this shift in the digital world.

The Way Forward: The Future of Google’s AI

Besides, Google AI Overview’s expansion to over 100 countries is just the beginning. It has plans to refine and expand its language support, enhance user interface design, and explore new monetization opportunities to lead into the next digital era.

It is needed that both the users and publishers are abreast of the current developments. And with Google AI continually revolutionizing, new things, and ways of accessing information online would be opened and defined.

Conclusion

Google’s AI features represent a giant leap beyond innovation in technology toward global revolution in search to make it smarter, more inclusive, and richer. In so far as Google makes its push into more than 100 countries, supports six languages, and includes ads in AI Overviews, it becomes a springboard into a new world of search technology.

Whether you are the user looking to get more informative search results or the publisher looking to increase visibility to any content, it is important to understand and leverage Google’s AI if you do things in today’s digital landscape. When it comes to innovation and accessibility, Google’s AI really shapes the future of web exploration and interaction.

How Magicbid Will Help YouMagicBid: Your Monetization Partner

MagicBid transforms app, web, and CTV monetization with AI-driven ad placement and precise targeting.

Leveraging advanced audience segmentation and real-time bidding, we help maximize ad revenue while boosting engagement and conversion rates.

Our platform integrates effortlessly with your current systems, offering deep analytics for a comprehensive approach to optimizing ad performance across digital channels.

Reach out for a free ad revenue evaluation and see how MagicBid can elevate your ad strategy.

Updates, Ad Tech
Google site reputation abuse policy now incorporates first-party involvement
Priyanka Bhati

Google site reputation abuse policy now incorporates first-party involvement

Google Site Reputation Abuse Policy Now Incorporates First-Party Involvement

Google has updated its site reputation abuse policy to include cases where first-party involvement or oversight is found. Cases previously excluded from this policy include manipulation of search rankings through third-party content, even in scenarios where first-party involvement or oversight could be determined to exist. This policy update was initially included in Google’s March 2024 core update.

Chris Nelson of the Google Search Quality team explained that using third-party content to exploit a site’s ranking signals is a violation of this policy, regardless of first-party involvement or oversight.

New Policy Definition

The new policy reads:  Site reputation abuse is the practice of publishing third-party pages on a site in an attempt to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site’s ranking signals.

Why an Update?

Since the launch of the policy, Google considered different degrees of first-party engagement, such as collaborations with white labeling, licensing agreements, and partial proprietorship arrangements. Based on the studies conducted, Google concluded that the involvement of first parties would not alter the exploitative nature of third-party content nor its impact on search rankings.

Nelson also pointed out that users have complained vigorously about reputation abuse of sites, which is often called Parasite SEO and serves to degrade the overall search experience. 

Policy Enforcement:- The policy is enforced through human action rather than algorithms. Website owners whose sites are found in violation are notified via their Search Console account and can file a reconsideration request. Google made clear that not all third-party content violates the policy, and specifics are outlined in its spam policies. 

Independent Content Evaluation

If the sub-sections of sites contain content significantly different from the main site, its algorithms can now test it independently. This prevents sub-sections from free-riding on site-wide ranking signals. Google clarified that such tests are not demotions but a measure to ensure equal rankings. 

Importance for SEO

It updated the long-standing issues of Parasite SEO that evoked fairness concerns about the search results.

Plenty of people in the SEO community will rejoice at this move, but others will see it as a form of constraint.

After all, its purpose is to fortify the user experience and ranking integrity.

To learn more about it, check out Google’s spam policies page.

Ad Tech, Updates
Core Web Vitals Documentation: Essential Updates
Priyanka Bhati

Core Web Vitals Documentation: Essential Updates

Core Web Vitals Documentation: Essential Updates

The documentation for Core Web Vitals was recently updated to more clearly explain the Interaction to Next Paint metric, one of the relatively new Core Web Vitals. This is an important milestone in evaluating the responsiveness of a website and is at the forefront of recent changes in user expectations and variability in the capabilities of different devices. This blog will discuss the relevance of INP, the evaluation thresholds and the information the new documentation provides on how Google measures and sets the thresholds to provide a smooth experience for users.

What is Interaction to Next Paint (INP)?

Interaction to Next Paint is one of the Core Web Vitals that Google introduced in Spring 2024. It is a performance measurement that tracks in real-time how quickly a website responds to requests made to it by a user’s activities. It measures the time it takes for a page to process interactions such as clicks, taps, and keystrokes.

  • While the old First Input Delay only measured the latency for the very first interaction on the page, INP measures the latency for every interaction the user performs on a page and then provides a single value that approximates the response time for almost all interactions.
  • A low INP rating indicates that the website always responds to the user’s input in a very short time, which increases the enjoyment of surfing immensely. This metric attempts to give a realistic picture of the user’s experience by focusing on all interactions and not just the first one.

Simply put, INP gives a more accurate picture of how users experience the performance of a website.

Why Interaction With The Next Image is important

In today’s high-speed digital world, users need to receive quick responses every time they interact with a website. According to studies, slow response times often lead to user frustration and can result in higher bounce rates and lower engagement.

  • A good INP score reassures users that the website will respond promptly to their actions at every stage of the visit, leading to an overall positive interaction and encouraging users to continue interacting with the website.

What’s more, Google takes into account Core Web Vitals, including INP, in its search rankings; this means that websites with excellent INP scores are likely to have better SERPs.

New INP Rating ThresholdsNew INP rating thresholds

The new Core Web Vitals documentation provides more detail on the new INP score thresholds that indicate a good, needs improvement, and poor user experience:

  • Good: scores below 200 ms are responsive and optimal.
  • Score between 200 ms and 500 ms: indicates a moderate experience with plenty of room for improvement.
  • Less than 500 ms: This indicates a slow response and may well lead to lower user satisfaction.

The Chrome team needed to ensure that the standards were set above an achievable threshold that takes into account the different capabilities of different devices. Although desktop is much faster than mobile, the decision was made to use a threshold that works well for both mobile and desktop. This decision is in line with Google’s nature of keeping things simple and as consistent as possible; the user gets the same experience every time, regardless of whether they’re using mobile or desktop.

Why The INP Rating Is Cross-Device

Google has chosen not to set separate INP thresholds for mobile and desktop, but to apply the same threshold to all cases. According to Google, the differences between the expectations of a responsive website for mobile and desktop devices are much smaller than expected. Of course, the calculation is indeed easier with lower INP values in the case of desktops due to better processing power and network conditions. However, using a single metric forces developers to optimize for an even wider variety of devices to support all users.

However, the universal threshold is primarily focused on mobile performance, where the majority of website traffic originates. The thresholds set the bar by aligning with cell phone capabilities so that developers are encouraged to further refine the optimization of the experience for the mobile user who may be using a slower network or a low-end device.

Consideration Of Low-End Mobile Devices

The Chrome team focused on making the INP thresholds available for a variety of devices, especially low-end cell phones that most users continue to use. Through research and analysis, it was determined that a 200ms threshold for a good score is quite reasonable and feasible on lower-end mobile devices. With the majority of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, this mobile-focused benchmark was strategic to provide a consistent experience for users.

Thresholds For INP Considering Real-World PerformanceThresholds For INP Considering Real-World Performance

Finally, Google also considered real-world performance data for the 10,000 most popular websites, which account for a large proportion of global internet traffic, when setting the INP thresholds. The data in the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) shows that only around 23% of mobile visits achieve a good score within 200ms, while over 55% exceed the 300ms mark. With this in mind, the Chrome team has set 200 ms as the target for a good user experience, knowing that this is a challenging but reasonable goal for most websites.

To avoid most websites being categorized as poor due to unrealistic performance values, they eventually agreed on 500 ms as the threshold for poor performance to balance user expectations with real-world website performance data.

The perspective of the Google Web Performance Advocate

Barry Pollard, Google Chrome’s Web Performance Developer Advocate, provided additional context on the INP evaluation decisions. Pollard emphasized that last year’s INP changes exceeded all expectations, but said that the 200 ms goal is still hard to reach for low-end devices. The top-end devices have improved significantly in their changes, but the lower-end devices are improving at a much slower rate. Considering this, the variety of devices will once again improve the applicability of INP for users.

Why these changes matter to web developers

These newly added details in the Core Web Vitals documentation provide web developers with more clarity on how Google defines achievable metrics that reflect real-world performance. Developers now have better insight into the factors that influence user experience at INP thresholds and are encouraged to optimize their sites accordingly.

Since Core Web Vitals impact search rankings, this means that every developer should be able to exceed the thresholds. Website responsiveness improves user experience, but it is also a crucial factor for search engine optimization; it helps websites gain visibility and engagement.

Conclusion

The recent revisions to the Core Web Vitals documentation underscore Google’s commitment to the idea of focusing on improving the user experience through practical yet achievable metrics. The realistic INP thresholds that Google sets act as standards, especially for mobile users, that developers can use as a guide to improve a website’s responsiveness across devices, thus adopting the standards and creating a more responsive web that provides seamless experiences on any device used. For web developers and website owners, understanding and optimizing for INP presents a great opportunity to provide users with the fast, efficient interactions they expect in today’s digital landscape.

How Magicbid Will Help YouHow Magicbid Will Help you

MagicBid offers state-of-the-art ad technology solutions to help publishers maximize revenue across web, CTV, and app platforms.

Our AI-powered tools optimize ad placements and formats to ensure you achieve the highest possible earnings from your ad inventory.

With real-time analytics and precise targeting capabilities, MagicBid ensures the delivery of the right ads to the right audience, enhancing user engagement and improving ad performance.

Whether you’re focused on monetizing websites, connected TV, or mobile apps, MagicBid provides the expertise and tools to accelerate publisher revenue growth and reach your monetization goals.

By adopting advanced ad optimization techniques and leveraging MagicBid’s ad partner solutions, publishers can stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape and secure long-term revenue growth. 

Contact us today for a free ad revenue evaluation and see how MagicBid can transform your monetization strategy!

1 2 3