Local Memo: When to Worry About Updating Citations, and When It’s a ‘Waste of Time’

In this week’s memo, learn the balance of importance in citations when it comes to relocating your business and dive into Google’s new AI features for video search. We also explore a rocky weekend in Algorithm updates, and hear the latest regarding YouTube’s SESAC agreement.

Should We Update Our Citations? A Lesson from Sterling Sky & Whitespark

Recently Joy Hawkins of Sterling Sky explored the common problem of “We moved our location, or changed important information – should we update our citations?” 

Citations are used by search engines to validate the legitimacy and consistency of a business’s information across different platforms. If this information is outdated or inconsistent after a move, it can cause confusion for search engines, which may hurt local rankings and cause customer issues.

However, the priority of updating citations depends on various factors, including the type of business and how much weight these citations hold in local rankings for that industry. While updating major platforms like Google Business Profile is crucial, the need to update every citation may not be as pressing. For instance, platforms with less SEO influence or low-traffic directories are likely not worth your time, while larger and more visible platforms should be prioritized.

Two things to consider when deciding on whether or not to update your citations:

• Is the citation indexed on Google? Many smaller citation websites aren’t even indexed in Google search, or large portions of their websites aren’t indexed in Google search. Starting with this step can help you prioritize which citations are necessary to update.
• Is the citation website showing for your branded search? Most times you search for your brand, websites like Yelp or larger citation sources will appear in results. If the website is not appearing in the first page or so of Google, the citation is likely not a priority. 

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure your business information is accurate where it matters most. The decision to update citations also depends on how reliant your business is on local SEO, as inconsistent data can harm trust and credibility with both search engines and customers. Make sure you’re prioritizing the most important citations for your brand and industry to aid in long-term success. 

Meet Video Search: Google’s AI powered Google Lens Upgrade

Originally announced at Google’s I/O event, it appears Google is slowly rolling out its video search feature for Google Lens.

Using the new feature is straightforward. Users just need to open Google Lens and hold down the shutter button. This lets your phone record video, giving you time to ask any questions. It’s especially useful when a photo alone isn’t enough, like when you’re trying to troubleshoot a product fault that only happens while it’s running.

Some users may not have this experience yet, but it is likely to roll out in wider scale soon.

A Rocky Weekend – Google’s Persistent Algorithm Volatility

This weekend saw significant volatility in Google’s search rankings, continuing a pattern of fluctuations that have persisted even after the August 2024 core update. Many webmasters and SEO professionals noticed substantial shifts in search rankings, indicating that Google’s algorithms are still undergoing changes. This could potentially reflect ongoing tweaks or broader updates beyond the August core release. Such volatility tends to impact various niches differently, causing spikes or drops in traffic for many websites.

The fluctuations come at a time when Google is also integrating more AI-driven features into search results. AI overviews are increasingly being shown for commercial shopping queries, and the search engine is testing new interfaces and features for AI overviews. This is part of a broader effort by Google to enhance the user experience by making AI-powered results more intuitive and accessible.

Besides the ranking shifts, the weekend also saw developments in other areas of Google’s platform, such as changes in Google Ads and the local search space. For example, Google Maps is showcasing business photos in reviews, which could influence how users interact with local business listings.

These ongoing changes highlight Google’s focus on improving both its advertising services and its search engine functionality through AI integration and updates. The continued volatility in rankings suggests that SEOs should remain vigilant and monitor their traffic closely to stay ahead of any significant algorithm changes.

YouTube and YouTube Music missing songs due to expired ‘SESAC’ license 

YouTube Music and YouTube are facing the removal of many songs in the U.S. due to a licensing dispute with SESAC, a major music rights organization. SESAC “represents songwriter’s and publisher’s copyrighted musical works and their right under the Copyright Law to publicly perform those works inside businesses. Essentially, anytime music is performed, played, or broadcast to the public, a license from the copyright holder is required.” 

The expired agreement has led to tracks from artists like Adele, Bob Dylan, and R.E.M. being blocked, and users are seeing error messages when trying to access these songs. YouTube stated that it is in active negotiations to renew the deal and hopes to restore the content soon, but for now, SESAC-related music remains unavailable.