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.
I am seeing some really heated Google search ranking volatility over the past 24-hours again. Google is testing third-party endorsement content on search ads. Google added a preferred sources help document. Google Business Profile review appeals are no longer delayed. Google Ads PMax has new one click ad previews. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google Search Ranking Volatility Super Heated January 29 & 30
January has been an insane month with Google Search ranking volatility, and I guess it is no surprise to see the most heated time right now, as we end the month. I am seeing a significant spike in SEO chatter and many of the tools are showing very heated Google search ranking volatility over the past 24 hours or so. -
Google Ads Tests Third-Party Endorsement Content On Search Ads
Google is testing showing third-party endorsement content on Search ads, a Google Ads spokesperson confirmed. This "third-party endorsement content" may include content from third-party websites under the ad description, including the site's name, logo, and a short endorsement from that site. -
Google Business Profiles Review Appeals No Longer Delayed
Before the December holidays, Google posted a notice that review appeals for Google Business Profiles were delayed. Well, Google just removed the notice, which likely means the extended delays for review appeals are no longer an issue. -
One Click Google Ads Performance Max Ad Previews
Google Ads has this new way to preview your Performance Max campaign ads, with one click. Now you can easily preview your PMax asset group ads from the table by clicking on the images. -
Google Search Adds Preferred Sources Help Docs
Several weeks after Google rolled out support for Preferred Sources globally, Google added official help documentation for site owners to use to help them understand what it is all about and how to encourage their readers to subscribe to your site as a preferred source. -
Chrome-kie (Chrome Cookie)
Who doesn't like cookies? Well, here is a Chrome-kie or a Chrome Cookie. I found this on Instagram at the Google Washington D.C. office for some event. -
Video: Google Rank Volatility Heated, AI Overviews To Send Less Traffic, Opt Out Of It, Yahoo Scouts & Bing AI Performance Report
This week, we covered more ongoing Google search ranking volatility - January was a heated month. Google AI Overviews show more button officially flows to AI Mode, which is not good for publishers. Gemini 3 is powering AI Overviews globally now. Google is being forced...
Other Great Search Threads:
- Auto Browse in Chrome arrived this morning. It wasn't active yesterday even when the new Gemini sidebar showed up. Auto Browse works with any Gemini model btw. So I gave my new agent a task and asked it to check some of the Google volati, Glenn Gabe on X
- If the current run rate continues, Gemini is expected to surpass the 2 billion website visit benchmark for the first time ever in January., Similarweb on X
- OpenAI relies on an independent web index for this -> Keeping your data safe when an AI agent clicks a link "To operationalize that, we rely on an independent web index (a crawler) that discovers and records public URLs without any, Glenn Gabe on X
- The great paid ads pullback of 2026 is here. We surveyed 50 mid-market B2B marketing leaders with Wynter. The data is violent. 72% are actively slashing budgets for paid ads, content syndication, or agencies. This isn't a "hot take.", Pe:p Laja on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- How to optimize for AI search: 12 proven LLM visibility tactics
- 1/3rd of publishers say they will block Google Search AI-generative features like AI Overviews
- Google Ads API v23 brings PMax data, richer invoicing, scheduling
- When search performance improves but pipeline doesn’t
- How to find great writers (and other content marketing struggles)
- Why AI makes agency-client relationships matter more than ever
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Can we control AI? Google DeepMind’s plan for responsible AI, CNBC
- Dow to Cut 4,500 Employees in AI Overhaul, Wall Street Journal
- Grounding in Truth - What are The Surfaces that Matter to LLMs?, SearchEngineWorld
- Keeping your data safe when an AI agent clicks a link, OpenAI
- OpenAI's Sora app is struggling after its stellar launch, TechCrunch
- Project Genie: AI world model now available for Ultra users in U.S., Google Blog
- Retiring GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini in ChatGPT, OpenAI
- YouTube wiped 4.7 billion+ views worth of AI brainrot, Android Police
- Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis on AI’s Next Breakthroughs, What Counts As AGI, And Google’s AI Glasses Bet, Big Technology
- India is teaching Google how AI in education can scale, TechCrunch
Analytics
- Google Search Console vs Google Analytics vs SEOTesting, SEOTesting
- Conversational Analytics in BigQuery is in preview, Google Cloud Blog
Industry & Business
- Amazon in Talks to Invest Up to $50 Billion in OpenAI, Wall Street Journal
- Apple isn't changing its privacy rules with Google Gemini deal, AppleInsider
- Ex-Google Worker Guilty of Stealing AI Tech for Chinese Firm, Bloomberg
- OpenAI Plans Fourth Quarter IPO in Race to Beat Anthropic to Market, Wall Street Journal
- Perplexity Inks Microsoft AI Cloud Deal Amid Dispute With Amazon, Bloomberg
- UMG sues Anthropic for $3bn over ‘brazen’ copyright infringement of 20,000+ songs, Music Business Worldwide
- Apple Dodges Users' Deposition In Google Antitrust Case, Law360
Links & Content Marketing
- How To Use Agentic AI To Create Marketing Workflows, Content Marketing Institute
- In Defence of the em dash: What the AI writing debate gets wrong, SALT agency
- Why Experiential Content Builds B2B Buyer Trust, DesignRush
Local & Maps
SEO
- Despite 90% Traffic Loss, Review Platforms Top AI Overview Citations, SE Ranking
- Digital Sleuthing: How to Find and Decipher Google’s Patents, Leaks, and PR, iPullRank
- How Schema Markup Helps Enterprises With Their AI Journey, Schema App
- Keyword Research Insights SEOs Need in 2026, seoClarity
- Let's talk about GEO, AIO, AEO, SEO, etc., Momentic
- New to Yoast SEO for Shopify: Enhanced pricing visibility in product schema , Yoast
- SEO is dead! Via… :checks notes: LLMO?, Not A Robot
- AEO: Optimize for the follow up, Product Led SEO
- Generative Engine Optimization Is the New SEO for AI Chatbot Influence, Wall Street Journal
- How to Write Engineering Tickets for SEO Work, Gray Dot Co
- Your SEO backlog is costing you revenue. Here’s why marketing needs to own it., SALT agency
PPC
- Google's Support Form Now Auto-Fills Details From Past Cases, PPC News Feed
- What’s Next For ChatGPT Ads: The Facts And The Theories, AdExchanger
- ChatGPT Ads Are Here: What Marketers Need to Know, JumpFly
- Google Ads Double Serving: Top vs. Other Auctions, Jyll Saskin Gales
- Google Ads Hints at Bulk Management for Callout & Snippet Assets, PPC News Feed
- Google Ads Introduces Channel-Level Reporting, PPC News Feed
Other Search
- iPhone 16 World’s Best-selling Smartphone in 2025; Apple Takes 7 Spots in Top 10 Models, Counterpoint Research
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News, add as a preferred source on Google and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or just contact us the old fashion way.
