Sam Knight

SEO Nerd | Gold Product Expert @GoogleMyBiz | Director of Digital Marketing | Mental Health & Recovery Advocate

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

@rustybrick @ClaudiaTomina Traditionally you have been able to select up to 10 reviews for a single appeal though it isn’t exactly clear. Poor UX. If you can select more than 10, that would be new.

[BrightLocal 🇺🇦 @brightlocal]

What’s happening with Google, fake reviews, and “review removal” services right now? 🤯

GBP Gold Product Expert @SamKnightSEO tackles the thorny issue and finds that all is not well in the realm of reviews. Hold onto your hats—it’s about to get messy. ⬇️
https://t.co/njfiD5LBY7

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

Google has new fake review punishment policies, but they are still profiting from their own incompetent policy enforcement. Check out my piece in @brightlocal where I dive into the messy world of Google reviews

https://t.co/o3adaB6BZB

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

@GoogleSmallBiz @GoogleWorkspace Ya’ll using Gemini for social media mgmt? Cuz this tip is 💩

[Joy Hawkins @JoyanneHawkins]

Still hearing lots of ridiculous stories like this one:

I spoke to a massage therapist who found out her pin had been moved to a different state, but when she moved it back her profile was suspended.

She appealed the suspension, but Google denied her appeal saying that her profile had “ deceptive content that misleads others.”

Google really needs to fix this.

https://t.co/SYnpH7JFzk

[Lily Ray 😏 @lilyraynyc]

Serious question for you @searchliaison:

For 6+ years, and throughout the QRG, Google has shared that YMYL queries - presumably like "weight loss" - require the highest levels of E-E-A-T. For 6+ years, we've seen sites like the CDC and Harvard ranking prominently for these queries, plus Google's own "symptom search" knowledge panel, which was also supposedly curated using information from the Mayo Clinic and Harvard.

Why, then, is it ok for Google to add a "Discussions and Forums" carousel above all of these E-E-A-T-driven medical results when we are seeing very clearly how Reddit is being overtaken by affiliate spam and scammers?

This is not the only such YMYL query where Discussions and Forums ranks so prominently.

Isn't this a big dangerous for Google?

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

@GoogleMyBiz Have you informed 3rd parties like @UberEats that they must remove their link when a merchant asks to opt out? This hurts small biz.

[ClaudiaT @ClaudiaTomina]

@UberEats You are in clear violation of Google guidelines. Providers are required to remove third-party links from a profile within 5 business days of a request from a business. @Google This email is not acceptable.

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

Map Packs completely MIA this morning... 😐

[Greg Gifford @GregGifford]

hey @searchliaison (and also tagging @methode and @johnmu in case y'all can ping the right people)

any update on what's going on with the local algo this morning? Map packs are gone from all search results in North America, and searches in Google Maps pull up zero results...

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

@JoyanneHawkins One green, one purple. Look different to me 🗿

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

Ah yes, "Some of the First Steps of How To Find Alcohol Detox, Alcohol Rehab Drug Addiction Treatment Center Near Me In Columbus Ohio" thank you for this helpful and totally user-centric result 🙄

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

Still trying to figure out how on earth this is "helpful content" and why they are winning cities nowhere near their location with this spam: https://t.co/LJBix1DH8E

All these headings make me 🤢

please tell me this is a bug @searchliaison

[Joy Hawkins @JoyanneHawkins]

Well it's confirmed guys! This is a ranking factor and did change recently.

[Yan Gilbert @YanGilbertSEO]

Operating hours are now factored into the Google Maps rankings #localseo

[Kevin Pauls @Kevin__Pauls]

Win for service area business verifications!

Google has added a new option to upload photos of your vehicle in a "local area where you meet customers"

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

@keyserholiday Another problem is my hair is bleached in my ID photo so they think it is fake 😂

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

I turn 30 today. Will I stop getting carded at R-rated movies now? Probably not.

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

@imcrystalhorton Thanks!

[Sam Knight @SamKnightSEO]

"I got a Google penalty 😱"

^ This myth is alive & well. I saw an agency give this diagnosis just this week. They were wrong.

If you don't have a manual action report in Google Search Console, that drop in rankings is algorithmic (aka: you need a better strategy)

#SEO

[Amy Toman @BubblesUp]

Fun photo of @StefanSomborac, @krystal_taing , me, and @SamKnightSEO on our London walking tour during #PESummit23. Thank @GuideTwit for guiding us!