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 Discover seems to show X posts way too often and some searchers don't like it. Google Knowledge panel has a bug where it is squishing images, Google will fix it soon. Google Search Console links report seems to be showing fewer links. Google Ads change history report has a new go to button. And I posted the big Google Webmaster Report for January 2026.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Discover Show X Posts Too Often?
Google has been showing social media posts in Google Discover, including posts from X for a while now, and Google may even show more posts from those you follow. But is Google showing too many social media posts from X in your Google Discover feed? -
Google To Fix Squished Knowledge Panel Images
Google is working on fixing an issue where some searchers are seeing squished images within the Google Search knowledge panels. I personally cannot replicate this but it seems to be happening for a number of searchers. -
Google Search Console Links Report Missing Data?
Google Search Console's link report seems to be either missing data or is now showing fewer links. I suspect it is a bug but I also don't think Google spends too much time monitoring this report within Search Console. -
Google Ads Change History Adds Go To Button
Google added a new button to the Google Ads Change history report that lets advertisers quickly jump to different campaigns and ad groups in this report. It should be a big time saver for some advertisers. -
January 2026 Google Webmaster Report
It is January 2026, and it is now time for the monthly Google Webmaster report, where I recap the most important Google organic stories of the past month. Obviously, the Google December 2025 core update was the big one, it ran for 18 days and it really had a large impact on many sites. -
Chief Wiggum Conference Room At Google
Google has a conference room named for Chief Wiggum at Google's office in Zurich. Chief Clancy Wiggum is a character from the animated television series The Simpsons.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Looks like @bing Copilot’s SERP overviews are showing different dates for the keyword "When is New Year." The first result shows the Orthodox New Year, while the second shows Dec 31 for search results from India., Shameem Adhikarath on X
- Ecommerce alarms going off at OpenAI, Gemini, Perplexity, and others. Amazon's AI Assistant Rufus has been triggering by default for me when visiting https://t.co/AlqdMzXJU6. It's a shopping assistant that can answer questions via A, Glenn Gabe on X
- Smart Bidding on Google is designed to drain your budget and maximize Google’s revenue Not maximize your profit You're bidding $8 for clicks from people searching your brand name Manual CPC at $0.40 = same custom, Collin Schmelebeck on X
- AdSense Earnings and Observations - January 2026, WebmasterWorld
- December 2025 Google Core Update Key Shifts Across Major Verticals, Aleyda Solis on LinkedIn
- Search demand for AI agents peaked in March and has since cooled. Industry signals show the trend is still gaining momentum, shifting from hype and generic curiosity to slower, more complex execution. For more insights, check out our ful, Similarweb on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google tests blue Send button that replaces AI Mode in the search box
- Top 10 PPC expert columns of 2025 on Search Engine Land
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Elon Musk's Grok Posts Sexual Images of Minors After ‘Lapses in Safeguards’, Bloomberg
- Gemini app gets faster model switching from @-menu, 9to5Google
- Kara Swisher on Big Tech, Trump and the AI Boom, Bloomberg
- Looking Ahead to 2026, sn scratchpad
- OpenAI’s Sam Altman Is Trying to Take On Apple’s App Store. He’s Got a Long Way to Go., Wall Street Journal
- Being Right Isn’t Enough for AI Visibility Today, Duane Forrester Decodes
- The Physicist Who Has Appealed to the Pope and Elon Musk on AI Safety, Wall Street Journal
Industry & Business
- Microsoft and Google withhold Dutch data center energy data despite EU rules - report, Data Center Dynamics
- Schwarzman, OpenAI’s Brockman Boost $102 Million Trump War Chest, Bloomberg
- EU readies tougher tech enforcement in 2026 as Trump warns of retaliation, Financial Times (Sub)
- Inside Elon Musk’s Optimus Robot Project, Wall Street Journal
- AI start-ups take on Google in fight to reshape web browser market, Financial Times (Sub)
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
- The Number One Navigation App in 2025, AutoEvolution
SEO
- SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost in 2026? (New Data), Backlinko
- SEO Pricing for Independents, Freelancers, Consultants, The SEO Community
PPC
- Creator Partnerships Enhanced With Creator Search And Management Hub, PPC News Feed
- Omnicom Media kicks off CES with a Google search partner that drills deeper into intent, Digiday
Search Features
- If Siri 'Leans' on Google Gemini, What Happens to Apple’s “On-Device Privacy”, Mac Observer
- Understanding & Explaining Query Fan-Out, SALT agency
- The Xreal 1S glasses get a spec bump and 3D conversion, The Verge
Other Search
- Is Siri listening to what radio stations I like?, AppleInsider
- [Dec 2025] How Attackers Are Abusing Google Infrastructure for Phishing, RavenMail
- Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z, The Guardian
Feedback:
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