Updating the user agent of Googlebot

Google announced that starting in December Google will update Google’s user agent to represent the version of Chrome that GoogleBot is running. Sites that follow their recommendations to use feature detection and progressive enhancement instead of user agent sniffing should continue to work without any changes. If your site looks for a specific user agent, it may be affected.

Google Search Console adds Change of Address tool to new interface

Google announced on Twitter that they have added the Change of Address tool to the new interface of Google Search Console. The change of address feature was available in the old Search Console but was not migrated when Google shut down the old interface.

Google Says H1 Headings Are Useful but Not Critical

On a Google Webmaster Hangout someone asked about the role of H1s on a web page. John Mueller responded that heading tags were good for several reasons but they’re not a critical element. John did confirm that H1 headings are good for outlining the page structure.