Google Webmasters is renaming its name to Google Search Central and rebuilding the branding with a new mascot. Google in a blog post explains the reason behind the change stating that the term “Webmaster” is changing because it is dated and reducing in use.
Recommendation:
“A user experience study we ran revealed that very few web professionals identify themselves as webmasters anymore. They’re more likely to call themselves Search Engine Optimizer (SEO), online marketer, blogger, web developer, or site owner, but very few “webmasters.”
Google “Search Central” more appropriately describes the content published under the “Webmaster Central” channels. The change in the name applies to the Webmaster’s social media accounts and Central blog. The idea of content published under the “Search Central” name aims to assist SEOs and website owners to enhance the visibility of their website in the Google Search results.
“We will continue to create content for anyone who wants their websites to show up on Google Search, whether you’re just getting started with SEO or you’re an experienced web professional.”
Few other changes that will be in effect when then Search Central name comes out in a couple of days.
Integrating The Google Blogs
Google is combining its help documentation and blogs to one site. All the help documentation relates to how Google Search works, indexing, guidelines, crawling, and other search-related topics are shifting to the new Google Search Central site. Google also shifting the main Webmaster Central blog and localized blogs, to the new site.
GoogleBot Now Appears With A Sidekick
The Googlebot mascot will now come with a web crawling sidekick – a spider robot. The new sidekick has yet to be given a name and Google is looking for recommendations.
When we first met this curious critter, we wondered, “Is it really a spider?” After some observation, we noticed this spider bot hybrid can jump great distances and sees best when surrounded by green light.
We think Googlebot’s new best friend is a spider from the genus Phidippus, though it seems to also have bot-like characteristics.
All the above-stated changes are coming out in a few days. It is interesting to see how long does it take for SEOs to get used to saying “Search Central” rather than “Webmaster Central.”