Wayback Machine Down Amid Cyberattack, 31 Million Accounts Exposed via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

The Internet Archive has been hit by a cyberattack, compromising the personal data of over 31 million users.

The nonprofit organization, known for its Wayback Machine service, which archives web pages, is grappling with the aftermath of the sophisticated attack.

Breach Details

On October 9, visitors to the Internet Archive’s website were greeted with a pop-up message indicating a security breach.

A hacker group operating under the name SN_BlackMeta has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that they had launched “several highly successful attacks” against the Archive.

The breach exposed user records, including email addresses, screen names, and bcrypt-hashed passwords.

Troy Hunt, founder of the data breach notification service Have I Been Pwned, confirmed receiving a database containing information on 31 million unique email addresses associated with the Internet Archive.

Ongoing Disruption

The Internet Archive’s website and Wayback Machine service remain inaccessible as of this writing.

This outage is concerning given Google’s recent integration of Wayback Machine links into its search results, a feature announced just last month to enhance access to historical web content.

The timing of this attack could potentially disrupt Google’s new feature, which was designed to provide users with easy access to archived versions of web pages directly from search results.

Response From Internet Archive

Brewster Kahle, founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive, acknowledged the breach in a post on X, stating:

“What we know: DDOS attack–fended off for now; defacement of our website via JS library; breach of usernames/email/salted-encrypted passwords. What we’ve done: Disabled the JS library, scrubbing systems, upgrading security.”

Kahle is saying that while they were attacked in several ways, they’re actively working to fix the problems and make their systems safer.

However, user data was compromised, so users should be cautious and change their passwords.

The organization is actively working to restore its services and secure its systems, but the full extent of the damage remains unclear.

Why This Matters

The attack on the Internet Archive is troubling, given its role in preserving digital content.

Founded in 1996, the organization aims to provide “universal access to all knowledge” and has become a resource for researchers and journalists.

While the exact motivations behind the attack remain unclear, cybersecurity experts speculate that the attackers may have been searching for specific information or attempting to alter historical records.

This serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure, even for organizations dedicated to preserving it.

Looking Ahead

This attack compromises user data and temporarily denies access to an invaluable resource for internet users worldwide.

As the Internet Archive continues its recovery efforts, users are advised to change their passwords and remain vigilant for any potential misuse of their personal information.

Featured Image: Piotr Swat/Shutterstock

Google Analytics 4 Introduces Realtime Pages Report via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google Analytics adds a Realtime pages report, offering instant insights on page views, user engagement, and website performance.

• Google introduced a new Realtime pages report in Analytics.
• The report shows live page views and active user counts.
• It helps identify popular content and detect website issues instantly.

Google Updates Search Console With Sticky Filters via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has announced updates to Search Console, introducing sticky filters across Performance reports and streamlining navigation within the tool.

Search Console Performance report filters are now sticky! 🥳 From now on, filters set in one of the three Performance reports (Search results, Discover or Google News) will remain applied when navigating between them.

Also, you’ll now have a “reset filters” option to remove all… pic.twitter.com/Bp0JRJ48Zj

— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) September 30, 2024

Sticky Filters Across Performance Reports

Google has introduced a feature that allows filters to remain consistent across different Performance reports.

You can now set filters in one report – Search results, Discover, or Google News – and have those filters stay active when switching between reports.

Google says this update is in response to user feedback.

New “Reset Filters” Option

Google has included a “reset filters” button alongside the sticky filters.

This new option allows users to clear all applied filters at once.

Enhanced Tab Navigation

Daniel Waisberg, Search Advocate at Google, highlighted an additional improvement in the platform’s navigation.

When you click on a row in specific tabs of the Performance report (such as Pages, Countries, Devices, Search appearance, or Dates), the report will automatically switch to the Queries tab.

If you’re already in the Queries tab, clicking a row will switch the view to the Pages tab.

Waisberg notes that this update “might sound small, but can save a lot of clicks!”

Why This Matters

These updates are designed to streamline workflows within Search Console.

The sticky filters could reduce time spent on repeated filter applications when comparing data across different report types.

The navigation changes allow you to move more efficiently between queries and pages data.

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HubSpot Rolls Out AI-Powered Marketing Tools via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

HubSpot announced a push into AI this week at its annual Inbound marketing conference, launching “Breeze.”

Breeze is an artificial intelligence layer integrated across the company’s marketing, sales, and customer service software.

According to HubSpot, the goal is to provide marketers with easier, faster, and more unified solutions as digital channels become oversaturated.

Karen Ng, VP of Product at HubSpot, tells Search Engine Journal in an interview:

“We’re trying to create really powerful tools for marketers to rise above the noise that’s happening now with a lot of this AI-generated content. We might help you generate titles or a blog content…but we do expect kind of a human there to be a co-assist in that.”

Breeze AI Covers Copilot, Workflow Agents, Data Enrichment

The Breeze layer includes three main components.

Breeze Copilot

An AI assistant that provides personalized recommendations and suggestions based on data in HubSpot’s CRM.

Ng explained:

“It’s a chat-based AI companion that assists with tasks everywhere – in HubSpot, the browser, and mobile.”

Breeze Agents

A set of four agents that can automate entire workflows like content generation, social media campaigns, prospecting, and customer support without human input.

Ng added the following context:

“Agents allow you to automate a lot of those workflows. But it’s still, you know, we might generate for you a content backlog. But taking a look at that content backlog, and knowing what you publish is still a really important key of it right now.”

Breeze Intelligence

Combines HubSpot customer data with third-party sources to build richer profiles.

Ng stated:

“It’s really important that we’re bringing together data that can be trusted. We know your AI is really only as good as the data that it’s actually trained on.”

Addressing AI Content Quality

While prioritizing AI-driven productivity, Ng acknowledged the need for human oversight of AI content:

“We really do need eyes on it still…We think of that content generation as still human-assisted.”

Marketing Hub Updates

Beyond Breeze, HubSpot is updating Marketing Hub with tools like:

• Content Remix to repurpose videos into clips, audio, blogs, and more.
• AI video creation via integration with HeyGen
• YouTube and Instagram Reels publishing
• Improved marketing analytics and attribution

The announcements signal HubSpot’s AI-driven vision for unifying customer data.

But as Ng tells us, “We definitely think a lot about the data sources…and then also understand your business.”

HubSpot’s updates are rolling out now, with some in public beta.

Featured Image: Poetra.RH/Shutterstock

Google Analytics Update: Plot Up To Five Metrics At Once via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has rolled out changes to Analytics, adding features to help you make more sense of your data.

The update brings several key improvements:

• You can now compare up to five different metrics side by side.
• A new tool automatically spots unusual trends in your data.
• A more detailed report on transactions gives a closer look at revenue.
• The acquisition reports now separate user and session data more clearly.
• It’s easier to understand what each report does with new descriptions.

Here’s an overview of these new features, why they matter, and how they might help improve your data analysis and decision-making.

▶ ️We’ve introduced plot rows in detailed reports. You can now visualize up to 5 rows of data directly within your detailed reports to measure their changes over time.

We’ve also launched these new report features:

🔎: Anomaly detection to flag unusual data fluctuations
📊:… pic.twitter.com/VDPXe2Q9wQ

— Google Analytics (@googleanalytics) September 5, 2024

Plot Rows: Enhanced Data Visualization

The most prominent addition is the “Plot Rows” feature.

You can now visualize up to five rows of data simultaneously within your reports, allowing for quick comparisons and trend analysis.

This feature is accessible by selecting the desired rows and clicking the “Plot Rows” option.

Anomaly Detection: Spotting Unusual Patterns

Google Analytics has implemented an anomaly detection system to help you identify potential issues or opportunities.

This new tool automatically flags unusual data fluctuations, making it easier to spot unexpected traffic spikes, sudden drops, or other noteworthy trends.

Improved Report Navigation & Understanding

Google Analytics has added hover-over descriptions for report titles.

These brief explanations provide context and include links to more detailed information about each report’s purpose and metrics.

Key Event Marking In Events Report

The Events report allows you to mark significant events for easy reference.

This feature, accessed through a three-dot menu at the end of each event row, helps you prioritize and track important data points.

New Transactions Report For Revenue Insights

For ecommerce businesses, the new Transactions report offers granular insights into revenue streams.

This feature provides information about each transaction, utilizing the transaction_id parameter to give you a comprehensive view of sales data.

Scope Changes In Acquisition Reports

Google has refined its acquisition reports to offer more targeted metrics.

The User Acquisition report now includes user-related metrics such as Total Users, New Users, and Returning Users.

Meanwhile, the Traffic Acquisition report focuses on session-related metrics like Sessions, Engaged Sessions, and Sessions per Event.

What To Do Next

As you explore these new features, keep in mind:

• Familiarize yourself with the new Plot Rows function to make the most of comparative data analysis.
• Pay attention to the anomaly detection alerts, but always investigate the context behind flagged data points.
• Take advantage of the more detailed Transactions report to understand your revenue patterns better.
• Experiment with the refined acquisition reports to see which metrics are most valuable for your needs.

As with any new tool, there will likely be a learning curve as you incorporate these features into your workflow.

Featured Image: Vladimka production/Shutterstock

Google Rolls Out Tag Diagnostics Tool To Improve Data Quality via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google introduces Tag Diagnostics tool to help advertisers improve ad measurement accuracy and compliance across its platforms.

• Google has introduced a new Tag Diagnostics tool.
• The tool provides enhanced insights into measurement setups and helps identify potential data accuracy issues.
• Tag Diagnostics is integrated across Google Ads, Tag Manager, and Analytics.

Google Trends Update: Faster, Smarter, More Customizable via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has updated its Trending Now tool in Google Trends, offering faster and more comprehensive search data.

The tool now detects more trends, covers more countries, and provides more visualization and filtering options.

These changes further enhance Google Trends’ value for marketers, researchers, and anyone seeking real-time insights into search behavior.

Updates To ‘Trending Now’ In Google Trends

Improved Trend Detection & Refresh Rate

Google says its new trend forecasting engine spots ten times more emerging trends than before.

It now updates every 10 minutes, providing real-time insights on rising search interests.

Expanded Global Coverage

The Trending Now tool is now available in 125 countries, 40 of which offer region-specific trend data.

This expansion allows for more localized trend analysis and comparison.

Enhanced Context & Visualization

You can now view a breakdown of each trend, including its emergence time, duration, and related news articles.

A graph displaying Search interest over time is also provided, along with the ability to compare multiple trends and export data for further analysis.

Customizable Filters

The redesigned filters tab lets you fine-tune trend results based on location, time frame, and trend status.

To concentrate on currently popular searches, you can select a time frame (4 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, or 7 days) and filter out inactive trends.

Google Trends Tutorial Video

To complement the Trending Now update, Google has released a comprehensive video tutorial on its Google Search Central YouTube channel.

The video features Daniel Waisberg, a Google search Advocate, and Hadas Jacobi, a software engineer on the Google Trends team.

They demonstrate using Google Trends to compare search terms and topics across Google Search and YouTube.

The tutorial covers:

• Navigating the Google Trends interface
• Comparing up to five topics or search terms
• Utilizing filters for location, time period, category, and Google property
• Interpreting trend data and charts
• Understanding related topics and queries

See the full video below.

Why This Matters

Google Trends remains a powerful tool for understanding public interest and search behavior.

As Waisberg states in the tutorial:

“Whether you’re a marketer, journalist or researcher, understanding Google Trends can help you uncover emerging trends and make informed decisions.”

As search patterns change, these updates will help you stay ahead with the latest insight into global and local search trends.

Featured Image: DANIEL CONSTANTE/Shutterstock

Google’s Latest Tool Flags SEO Opportunities You’re Missing via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google unveils new Search Console feature offering personalized SEO recommendation to simplify website optimization.

• Google launched a new “recommendations” feature in Search Console.
• It provides personalized SEO suggestions based on site data.
• The feature is rolling out gradually as an experimental tool.

Google Chrome Adds Visual Search, Tab Compare, & Smart History via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has announced three features for its Chrome browser, which will roll out in the coming weeks.

These additions, incorporating Google’s AI and Gemini models, offer new ways to interact with web content and manage browsing history.

Desktop Integration Of Google Lens

The first update brings Google Lens, previously a mobile-only feature, to the desktop version of Chrome. This tool allows you to search and ask questions about visual content on webpages.

You can activate Lens via an icon in the address bar or through the right-click menu, then select areas of a page to initiate a visual search.

Results appear in a side panel, where users can refine searches or ask follow-up questions.

Screenshot from blog.google.com, August 2024.

Tab Compare For Product Research

A new feature called Tab Compare is being introduced, initially for U.S. users.

This tool generates an AI-powered overview of products from multiple open tabs, compiling information such as specifications, features, prices, and ratings into a single comparison table.

The feature is designed to streamline online shopping research, though its effectiveness in real-world scenarios remains to be seen.

Screenshot from blog.google.com, August 2024.

Natural Language Processing For Browser History

Google is updating Chrome’s history feature with natural language processing capabilities.

This will allow users to search their browsing history using conversational queries, such as “What was that ice cream shop I looked at last week?”

Google states that this feature will be optional and can be turned on or off in the browser settings.

Screenshot from blog.google.com, August 2024.

Privacy Considerations

While these features promise enhanced functionality, they also raise potential privacy concerns.

Google assures that the enhanced history search will not include data from incognito mode browsing. However, the extent of data collection and processing required for these AI features is unclear from the announcement.

Broader Context

These updates show AI’s growing role in browsers. As tech companies race to add advanced features, we see trade-offs between functionality and privacy, with potential ripple effects on web usage and ecommerce.

Parisa Tabriz, Vice President of Chrome, hints at more AI features in the pipeline, signaling a broader push to weave AI into browsing tools.

The rollout starts stateside and will be phased. As always, performance and user uptake will be the success metrics.

Google Simplifies Adding Shipping & Return Policies For Online Stores via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google introduces Search Console feature for online stores to easily manage shipping and return policies.

• Google now allows online stores to manage shipping and return policies via Search Console.
• This simplifies providing vital information to customers.
• The feature can potentially boost sales for retailers.