WordPress Hackers Are Using Vulnerable Plugins to Gain Access to Sites
Hackers are reportedly exploiting vulnerabilities in over ten WordPress plugins in order to backdoor sites with rouge admin accounts.
About
Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, Matt specializes in gathering details, checking facts, and making complex subjects easy to understand. In addition to writing articles, Matt oversees strategy development for SEJ’s news department.
Articles
YouTube Removed Over 100K Videos and 17K Channels in Q2 2019
YouTube detailed the work it put into removing harmful content last quarter, revealing over 100,000 individual videos were removed.
Facebook Might Follow Instagram By Removing Like Counts
Facebook may take a page out of its own playbook by hiding likes, similar to what’s being tested on Instagram.
Google Search Console Makes it Easier to Verify Domain Properties
Google is working with with domain name registrars to automate the process of verifying domain properties in Search Console.
YouTube Will Show Abbreviated Subscriber Counts Starting in September
Starting in September, YouTube will stop showing full subscriber counts for all channels with more than 1,000 subscribers.
Facebook Lets Users Share Music from Spotify to Stories
Facebook has gained another popular Instagram feature, the ability to share songs from Spotify to stories.
Podcasts Are Getting Attacked With Negative Reviews With No Help in Sight
Angry fans are review-bombing podcasts with one-star reviews, and podcasters have nowhere to turn for help.
Study Finds ‘Like’ Buttons Are the Most Harmful Social Media Feature
A study commissioned by the Royal Society for Public Health finds ‘like’ buttons are the most toxic social media feature.
Heads Up: Google Ads Banned Someone for Paying With the New Apple Card
A Google Ads user reports they’ve had their account banned for attempting to pay with Apple’s new credit card.
Google Doesn’t Intend to Bring All Old Features to the New Search Console
Google’s John Mueller confirmed there are no plans to bring all legacy features to the new version of Search Console.
Google’s Danny Sullivan Responds Directly to DuckDuckGo’s Anti-Privacy Claims
In a rare move from Google, Search Liaison Danny Sullivan has responded directly to negative claims made by DuckDuckGo.
Study Finds Which Types of Digital Ads Are Most Annoying for Consumers
A survey of US digital ad buyers reveals which types of ads are likely to be most annoying for consumers.
Study Finds 4 in 10 Smart Speaker Users Engage in Shopping-Related Activities
A study on how US consumers use smart speakers finds 4 in 10 engage in some kind of shopping-related activities.
Facebook Rolls Out Automated Lead Generation in Messenger
Facebook’s launching automated lead generation, which lets businesses qualify leads in Messenger and continue the conversation in their preferred channel.
Google Removes Some Filters from Image Search Results
Google appears to have removed the ability to filter image search results by “minimum size,” “exact size,” and “full color.”
Google: JavaScript SEO is not Dying, It’s Evolving
Google’s John Mueller and Martin Splitt recently debunked the notion that JavaScript SEO is dying.
Pinterest Reveals the Top Trending Searches for Fall 2019
Pinterest proclaims fall is “back to life” season as searches for self-improvement topics spike while summer comes to a close.
72% of Marketers Have No Plans to Optimize for Voice Search
A study of top marketing priorities for 2019-2020 finds 72% of respondents have no plans to optimize for voice search.
Google Ads Introduces Seasonality Adjustments for Smart Bidding
Google Ads is rolling out seasonality adjustments for smart bidding for search and display campaigns.
TikTok is Working on a Way for Advertisers to Target Users in Other Apps
TikTok is working on a way to earn revenue through an audience network for advertisers looking to reach TikTok users.
LinkedIn Reveals the 10 Most Followed Pages in 2019
LinkedIn shared a list of the 10 most followed pages with insight into what other pages can learn from them.
Instagram is Doubling Down on Stories Ads
Instagram is literally doubling down on stories ads in a test that will show back-to-back ads to some users.
Yelp Introduces Personalized Search Results
Yelp is giving users the option to personalize their search results based on diet, lifestyle, and accessibility.
Google: Dynamic Rendering is Not Cloaking
Google recently updated one of its developer documents to clarify that dynamic rendering is not cloaking.
Facebook Makes Changes to Housing, Employment, and Credit Ads
Facebook is requiring that advertisers use a new process when buying ads related to housing, employment, and credit.
Twitter Reveals Tweets With Video Generate 10X More Engagement
Twitter has revealed that adding video to a tweet can attract ten times the engagement as a tweet without video.
LinkedIn Introduces a Central Hub for Actionable Marketing Insights
LinkedIn rolled out a new page dedicated to insights and research, which is designed to help marketers make informed decisions.
Study Finds the Structure of Most Blogs May Be Hurting Search Rankings
A recent study on blog structure finds most blogs are making a critical mistake that could impact rankings.
Google Ads Lets Users Add Filters to the Overview Page
In response to user feedback, Google Ads is introducing filters to the Overview page.
Google Search Console Shows New Image Search Data for AMP Pages
Google has started to show data in Search Console related to a new image search feature introduced last month.