Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google says ranking login pages are a challenge. Google Business Profiles has a new way to check the status of your edits. Google AI Overviews can show up for movie queries. Google Ads is rolling out smart bidding exploration for tROAS. Bing is testing sitelinks with light gray underlines. Google Analytics had a real time reporting bug. And I posted my weekly SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google June Core Update Done, Local Ranking Update, AI Mode Updates & AI Calling Businesses
Google's June 2025 core update finished on Thursday after running for 16 days. It was a volatile Google update for a while with some recoveries. Google AI Mode gets Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Search but you need to pay... -
Google Ads Rolling Out Smart Bidding Exploration To Some Advertisers
Google Ads is rolling out its new Smart Bidding Exploration bidding update to some advertisers. At Google Marketing Live, Google called this its "biggest update to bidding in over a decade." -
Google: Login Service Pages Are Hard To Rank In Search
Google's John Mueller said it is hard for service oriented login web pages to rank in the search results. Like, if you have a landing page where people can login to their account and check on analytics, billing, etc, those types of login pages can be hard to rank well in Google and Bing Search. -
New Google Business Profile Check Edit Status
Google launched a new feature for Google Business Profiles that lets you check the status of your edits. So if you made a change and you want to see what the status of that change is for your Google local listing, now you can. -
Google AI Overviews For Movie Queries
Google is supposedly showing AI Overviews for movie-related queries. Apparently, this is new, although I don't have firsthand knowledge since I don't typically search for movies. However, I've been told it's new by a number of sources. -
Bing Tests Sitelinks With Light Gray Underlines
Microsoft is testing showing sitelinks with light gray underlines in the Bing search results. Normally, the Bing sitelinks don't have any underline at all - but here Bing is testing this. -
Google Analytics Real Time Reporting Broken Again
Google Analytics real-time reporting screens seem broken again. I am seeing a ton of complaints about GA4 real-time reporting not showing full data. -
Google Nonpareils Chocolate
Here is a photo I found on Instagram of custom nonpareil cookies or chocolates. These have the Google logo on them with Google colored sprinkles. Nonpareils are one of my favorite.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Google Discover bug: There's an invisible icon next to the "like" button. It's the "share" button that's not displayed, and only the "save" button is visible in the additional options menu., Damien (andell) on X
- Read your homepage out loud. Does it sound like something a real person would say? If not, bin it and start again., Nikki Pilkington on Bluesky
- Testing The New Google Audio Overview of Search Results For Content Ideas. Audio Overviews (launched June 13), which uses our latest Gemini models to generate quick, conversational audio overviews for certain search, Andy Simpson on X
- The amount of horror stories I am hearing from this is really unsettling! Google is blatantly allowing a negative SEO technique that can temporarily remove the most valuable pages of your site. A prime example is crypto projects, Charles Floate on X
- June 2025 Google Core Update Summary, WebmasterWorld
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Ads adds new AI Max reporting view
- Google Ads rolls out Smart Bidding Exploration for tROAS campaigns
- Chunk, cite, clarify, build: A content framework for AI search
- How to use Performance Max for high-value customer acquisition and retention
- Google June 2025 core update rollout is now complete
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
- AI start-up Perplexity’s valuation tops $18bn months after latest funding round, Financial Times (Sub)
- Google takes legal action against Badbox 2.0 cyberattack, Google Blog
- Microsoft's AI CEO says Google almost shipped ChatGPT first, Windows Central
- Former Heads of Google Travel and Tripadvisor Form AI Startup to Head Off Online Travel Agencies, Skift
Links & Content Marketing
- How Content Audits Help Brand Reputation in AI Search, Content Marketing Institute
- Make an Operating Contract With Your Editorial Team, Content Marketing Institute
- How to Use Reddit For Content Ideation, Hallam
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
- ChatGPT Record Mode now live on Mac for Plus users, AppleInsider
- Gemini Live gets improved video resolution on Android, 9to5Google
SEO
- How do I prevent a subpage from appearing as a link in results?, Google Search Central YouTube
- What is GEO vs SEO and why it matters now, Hospitality Network
- 8.64% of AI Overviews Appear Outside Position #1 (And as Low as Position #6), Ahrefs
- How to Optimize for AI Search Results in 2025, Semrush
- SEO Testing: the complete open-source guide (without paid tools), Level343 LLC
- What Happens When You Launch a Website Without Google or Bing? (AI Citation Test), Metehan
PPC
- AI Max Search Terms and Landing Pages Report Live, PPC News Feed
- Brand Inclusions and Exclusions Moving into AI Max, PPC News Feed
- Effective Lead Generation Using Google Ads: Complete Guide, Hopskip Media
- Secrets To Success: Five Keys to Generating Results from Video Action Campaigns, PPC Live
- Smart Bidding Exploration Now Live for tROAS Campaigns, PPC News Feed
Search Features
- Circle to Search rolling out Song Search history on Android, 9to5Google
- Gemini Code Assist’s June 2025 updates: Agent Mode arrives, Google Blog
- Google Translate set to supercharge Conversation mode with Gemini's help, Android Police
- Introducing ChatGPT agent: bridging research and action, OpenAI
- OpenAI’s New ChatGPT Agent Tries to Do It All, Wired
- Perplexity’s CEO on why the browser is AI’s killer app, The Verge
Other Search
Feedback:
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