Google Webmaster Tools Beta International Targeting Reports

Google is currently beta testing a new international targeting report within Google Webmaster Tools.
The new International Targeting report is designed to help webmasters who have international sites and use href lang markup understand common mistakes and learn what errors they need to fix, in order to better communicate the language settings across the webmaster’s internationalized web site. The tool offers debug details on missing return links from specific language codes, to unknown language codes in general.
Here are some screen shots of the beta tool that was shown by Google during their SEO hangout last night.

Google On Mobile Redirection: Use 302 Redirects

A couple weeks ago, Google has vastly improved their site move documentation, while also updating their mobile smartphone documentation.
Alistair Lattimore posted on Google+ asking why the documentation for smartphone guidelines specifically recommends using 302 redirects over 301 redirects? 301s have always been the recommended path for SEO purposes because they pass the best link equity from URL A to URL B.
But no, Google specifically wrote a 302 in the documentation on purpose:

Screen Shot Of Google’s New Rejection Notices For Reconsideration Requests

At SMX Advanced last week, Google’s head of search quality, Matt Cutts, announced that they will be revising their reconsideration requests rejection notices with more detailed responses in some cases.
We’ve now located an example of the new rejection notices, as shared with me on Twitter.
The new notice has a new section at the bottom titled “A note from your reviewer.” Then the Google reviewer was able to give specific advice that, at least in this case, would be extremely helpful to the webmaster with the manual action.

The MetaFilter Google Update Is In Process Says Google's Matt Cutts

As you may remember, MetaFilter got nailed by an unconfirmed update on November 17, 2012 that Google denied.
Google has now confirmed that update, 1.5 years later. Not only that, Google's Matt Cutts said on Twitter, in response to  story on IBL Web Solutions that they are working on updating that unconfirmed update from 1.5 years ago.
Specifically, MetaFilter doesn't have to make any changes to their site, but when Google releases the update in the next few weeks or so, MetaFilter will see an increase in referrals from Google.

The update from November 17, 2012 seemed to have had a major impact on many forum-like web sites. Google wouldn't talk about it then, but now, they are talking.
I suspect any of you hit on that date, will want to follow to see when the MetaFilter update (naming it that) is released and see if you are also released from that unconfirmed update.
Google's Matt Cutts will not give us more details on that update.
Another side note: When Google does not confirm updates, it clearly doesn't mean there was no update. So I will keep reporting unconfirmed Google updates - just in case years later Google confirms them.

Google Spam Algorithm Version 3.0 Launches Today

As I reported last night out of the SMX Advanced keynote with Matt Cutts - the third version of the Google Spam Algorithm, also known as the PayDay Loan algorithm, is launching today.
Didn't we just have version 2.0 a couple weeks ago? Yes we did.
Matt Cutts explained that 2.0 was targeting specifically spammy sites, while 3.0 targets more spammy queries. So the algorithm looks more at the query versus looking at the site. You are smart SEOs, so you can figure out what that means.
Matt also explained that version 2.0 also added some negative SEO factors, to reduce the amount of negative SEO that can happen. If you believe that.
I do not believe this launched just yet, it may launch today sometime, or maybe tomorrow - but likely today, Matt Cutts said. Based on the lack of complaints in the black hat forums, I do not think it launched at the time I am writing this.
Reminder, this will look specifically spammy queries, such as terms like [payday loans], [casinos], [viagra] and other forms of highly spammy queries.

Webmasters Complain Of Google Structured Data Items Dropping

I've received several reports from webmasters that the Google Structured Data report in Google Webmaster Tools is all of a sudden showing a huge drop in the items being reported.
Some are saying they've gone from 3,000 items to 250 or so items being reported in that tool.

oogle has not yet responded to the complaints about this on Google Webmaster Help but some TCs, top contributors, are saying these reports may have issues.
Have you noticed a large drop in your structured data items being reported? Check out your Google Webmaster Tools to be sure.

Google Reconsideration Rejection Requests More Details

Google’s Matt Cutts, the head of search spam, announced at SMX Advanced that they are updating how they handle reconsideration rejection requests with more details from Google Search Quality analysts.

That means when a Google search quality representation reviews and responds to a reconsideration request with a rejection notice, that Google representative has a new box where they can enter more details.
Hasn’t Google provided more detailed responses to webmaster who have submitted these requests? Yes.
Matt Cutts explained they have offered a couple link examples for link issues and general categorization for other issues but now they are going to offer more.
Specifically, it seems that part of the internal reconsideration request response on Google’s end will prompt Googlers to type out specific advice or recommendations for the webmaster.
So webmasters should expect to get more specific and detailed responses starting today from their reconsideration requests.

Google Launching Payday Loan Algorithm 3.0 Targeting Spammy Queries This Week

Google’s head of webspam, Matt Cutts, announced at SMX Advanced tonight that the third version of PayDay Loan algorithm is launching this week, as soon as tomorrow.
This algorithm specifically targets “very spammy queries” and is unrelated to the Panda or Penguin algorithms.
Didn’t Google just update the PayDay Loan algorithm a couple weeks ago? Yes, version 2.0 was launched a couple weeks ago.
Matt Cutts explained that this goes after different signals. The 2.0 version targeted spammy sites, whereas version 3.0 targets spammy queries.
Again, this is launching as soon as tomorrow and will look specifically spammy queries, such as terms like [payday loans], [casinos], [viagra] and other forms of highly spammy queries.
Matt did not clarify exactly what he means by spammy sites versus spammy queries, we will try to get more concrete details on this soon.