Local Memo: Google Search Console Drops Page Experience Report, Adds Recommendations

In this week’s update, we discuss changes in Google Search Console; Bluesky’s upsurge in usage; and Google’s expansion of “Nearby Events and Deals” to desktop.

Google Search Console Drops Page Experience Report, Adds Recommendations

The News

Google announced this week that they are removing the Page Experience report in Search Console. The report summarized data from their Core Web Vitals and HTTPS reports, which will continue to be available on their own.

Source: Google Search Central

According to Google: “We decided to remove this page to reduce unnecessary clutter within Search Console and simplify navigating to this information. We still encourage you to focus on providing a good page experience to your readers and monitoring the status of your site’s page experience in the CWV and HTTPS reports.”

This page was likely sunset to make way for the new Recommendations feature which promises to provide website owners with personalized, data-driven suggestions on how to improve their site’s visibility in Google Search, by highlighting potential issues, optimization opportunities, and configuration changes; essentially acting as a built-in SEO advisor within the Search Console dashboard.

Source: Google Search Central

According to Google: “Recommendations are based on a variety of Google Search systems data, like indexing, crawling and serving. The data was already available to you on Search Console, but now we’re helping to make it more accessible by providing direct recommendations. They can help you prioritize your search optimization efforts, such as using structured data to help Google understand your content, adding sitemaps, and checking out trending queries and pages. The recommendations are computed on a regular basis and may expire or change details over time.”

You can access the recommendations within the Overview section of your Search Console dashboard. Currently, not all websites have access to the recommendations feature as Google is rolling it out gradually. 

Why This Matters

Unless you are a technical SEO, it can be difficult to investigate and interpret page issues using Search Console. And even with the technical knowhow, it can be just as difficult knowing what will have the most direct effect on better search rankings. This feature promises to make it easier to interpret Search Console data by delivering direct, actionable recommendations that you can pass along to your development team.

Bluesky Usage Soars 500% in Exodus from X

The News

In the wake of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the two-year-old social media platform Bluesky has experienced a significant surge in user migration from X (formerly Twitter), expanding from 9 million in September to upwards of 20 million as of the writing of this post.

This influx is largely attributed to growing dissatisfaction with X’s content moderation policies, its association with controversial political figures, and recent updates to its user policy. X’s new policy allows its artificial intelligence systems to train using user-generated data, sparking privacy concerns and intensifying user backlash. Many users view Bluesky as a safer and more user-centric alternative in the evolving social media landscape.

Bluesky is a decentralized social media platform that sets itself apart from X (formerly Twitter) by prioritizing user autonomy, privacy, and a democratic online environment. Unlike X, which operates under a centralized model, Bluesky allows users greater control over their data and interactions through its decentralized structure. This approach provides transparency and reduces reliance on traditional algorithms. Bluesky’s open architecture also enables users to customize their experience and engage in a less commercially driven space, making it a compelling alternative for those seeking a more user-focused and privacy-conscious social network.

Despite its rapid growth, Bluesky faces challenges in diversifying its user base, which currently skews toward media professionals and tech enthusiasts. To sustain its momentum, the platform is working to attract a broader audience, including casual users and younger demographics. This strategy aims to foster a vibrant and inclusive community while continuing to differentiate Bluesky from other platforms.

Why This Matters

While Bluesky’s user base is still much smaller than Threads (which recently reported north of 275 million monthly active users) this migration represents a shift in social media dynamics, offering a new opportunity to connect with audiences in a decentralized and privacy-conscious environment. As users migrate from X to Bluesky, brands have the chance to engage with a tech-savvy, values-driven demographic that prioritizes authenticity and transparency. Bluesky’s decentralized structure fosters closer user-brand interactions, minimizing algorithmic barriers and enabling more organic engagement.

Brands who embrace early adoption on Bluesky can position them as innovators and leaders in the digital space, especially as the platform scales and attracts a broader user base. By building a presence on Bluesky, brands can tap into emerging trends, adapt to shifting consumer expectations, and establish themselves in a less saturated, community-focused ecosystem.

Google Continues to Expand “Nearby Events and Deals” Feature to Desktop

The News 

Despite regular assertions that Google Posts are all but dead, Google continues to expand the “Nearby events and deals” feature for local Food & Beverage industry search results. 

First appearing last December as a quad pack in mobile search, the “Nearby events and deals” feature is the first to highlight Google’s Offer and Event posts somewhere other than on the Business Profile on which it was posted, allowing businesses another opportunity to be found in local search results.

Since its debut, the feature has evolved from a quad pack to a carousel that often appears directly below the local pack, and now includes social posts from Facebook, X, and Instagram alongside Google Posts — another indicator that Google is in fact crawling and indexing posts from linked social accounts. 

Now, Google appears to be expanding this feature to desktop, bringing additional visibility for businesses posting their deals and events. Additionally, they’ve updated the name of the feature to “Nearby offers and events” (a change so subtle, I nearly missed it until proofing this post). 

Although this feature still only appears primarily for results in the food and beverage industry, Google has indicated to us that they intend to roll the feature out more broadly. The delay in this rollout may be due to the lack of widespread Google Post adoption overall. It may also be why Google has continued to evolve the feature to include relevant social posts to fill that gap.

Why This Matters

The “Nearby offers and events” feature provides businesses an additional opportunity to be found in search results. Food and beverage customers that are not taking advantage are missing out on an exciting new way to optimize for a feature that I’d argue could pull just as much traffic, if not more, than the local pack when someone is looking to try a new place and to save money. It’s also a great way for restaurants to be found for searches they might not normally rank highly for in the local pack.