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 said it had nothing to share on the recent Google search ranking volatility. Google hinted that AI visibility reports may be coming to Search Console. Google Local Pack ads are skyrocketing in the search results. Google Ads is replacing the support form with AI agents. I posted the monthly Google webmaster report today. We see ad references now in OpenAI's ChatGPT responses.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google On Recent Google Search Ranking Volatility - No Insights To Share
As you know, January was an incredibly intense month of Google Search ranking volatility. It surprised me that Google has still not confirmed that a Google search ranking update took place. Now, John Mueller of Google was asked about it and said, "Unfortunately, I don't have any insights / updates to share." -
Google Search Console Adding AI Visibility Reporting?
John Mueller from Google dropped a very John-like hint that maybe, just maybe, Google Search Console will add AI visibility reporting. John was asked about it again and responded, saying, "While I have nothing to announce, I can say for sure that very few things online are permanent." -
OpenAI Prepares ChatGPT Code To Allow Ads?
If you look at the source code in some of the responses OpenAI's ChatGPT gives you, you may now see references to ads. The response in the source code says, "InReply to user query using the following additional context of ads shown to the user." -
Google Vastly Increases Local Pack Ads Placement
Google seems to be showing more and more ads in the local pack, aka Local Pack Ads. Just a couple of months ago, Google had ads on the local pack for less than 3% of tracked keywords; now it's up to about 22% of tracked keywords. -
February 2026 Google Webmaster Report
Welcome to the Google Webmaster report, where I sum up all the more important Google organic search topics that occurred over the past month - just in case you (or I) missed it. January was an incredibly volatile month regarding unconfirmed Google search ranking movement. I posted about it several times. -
Google Ads Replacing Support Form With AI Agent
Google seems to be replacing its Google Ads support form with an AI agent, maybe from its Ads Advisor system. When you go to support.google.com/google-ads/gethelp you are redirected to the chat experience now. I am not sure if this is global, but I am seeing this myself across two Google Ads accounts I have access to. -
Google Major Tom Conference Room Sign
At the Google office in London, the company has this neon light up sign that says "Major Tom." I found it weird, so I Googled it and discovered there is a large conference room at that office named Major Tom.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Bloomberg's @markgurman says that even though Apple partnered with Google Gemini for Siri, they actually run their business on Anthropic. "Apple runs on Anthropic at this point. Anthropic is powering a lot of the stuff Apple's doing inter, TBPN on X
- Changing default languages on ccTLD - Opinion?, Reddit
- We analyzed 10M+ keywords to see how Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping search. AI Overviews are no longer rare. They peaked at nearly 25% of queries mid-year and now appear on about 16%, including more commercial and navigational s, Semrush on X
- We cannot have a fair market for AI when Google leverages their search monopoly to see 3.2x as much of the web as OpenAI, 4.8x as much as Microsoft, and more than 6x as much as nearly everyone else. Most data wins in AI. Go, Matthew Prince on X
- Did you know that Reading Mode in Chrome desktop has a remove links button? Well, that is coming to Android soon. Not sure how many people use Reading Mode, but I hope very little., Glenn Gabe on X
- If you search for this every day, then you've seen how these things change over time :-)., John Mueller on Bluesky
- Google traffic from Grokipedia has grown significantly in January., Similarweb on X
- oogle is promoting the 4th season of Bridgerton with a little help from Google AI Mode. Here’s how it works: 1) Search “Bridgerton” on Google Search. 2) Tap on the bottom right button to reveal the characters, Radu Oncescu on X
- Yahoo! released Scout, its new AI search engine, a few days ago, and it has, hands down, the most “open web” friendly interface compared to ChatGPT or AI Mode… and honestly, the best interface overall, Aleyda Solis on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Kirk Williams discusses why client fit is very important
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- Google tests third-party endorsements in search ads
- What 2 million LLM sessions reveal about AI discovery
- 7 custom GPT ideas to automate SEO workflows
- Is SEO a brand channel or a performance channel? Now it’s both
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Anthropic brings agentic plugins to Cowork, TechCrunch
- Visual Fan-Out: Make Your Products Discoverable in AI Mode, WordLift Blog
- Inside OpenAI’s in-house data agent, OpenAI
- Apple’s Record Quarter and AI Changes; MacBook Pro Update; Clamshell iPhone Fold, Bloomberg
- ChatGPT isn’t the only chatbot pulling answers from Elon Musk’s Grokipedia, The Verge
- Google will make it easier to import conversations to Gemini, Testing Catalog
- Leaders, gainers and unexpected winners in the Enterprise AI arms race, Andreessen Horowitz
Analytics
- Google Analytics To Become A Growth Engine For Business, Search Engine Journal
- Google Tag Gateway Now Supports Akamai Integration, PPC News Feed
Industry & Business
- Apple chose Gemini over Claude for its Siri upgrade over astronomical pricing, AppleInsider
- Apple Faces AI Talent Exodus as Top Siri Leader Joins Google DeepMind, Bloomberg
- Google Threat Intelligence Group shuts down IPIDEA proxy network, Google Blog
- Google Hit With TM Suit Over 'Gemini' AI Speaker Plans, Law360
- Anthropic Is at War With Itself, The Atlantic
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
- EP 241 - AI Isn’t Replacing Local Search, But It’s Rewiring How People Choose - with Crystal Carter, Near Media
- Google Business Profile Performance Report: Is It Accurate?, Igniting Business
SEO
- Do your AI Search & SEO KPIs need a 2026 upgrade? Yup., Seer Interactive
- SEO Is Binary: Below the Fold Is the New Page 2, SEO dot co
- SEO Myths in 2026: 15 Things People Believed That Still Waste Time Today, Peaklora
- The SEO Search Intent Problem Hiding In Your Website Copy, Nikki Pilkington
- Why Your Website Headings Are Confusing Google (and How To Fix Them), Nikki Pilkington
PPC
- January 2026 Microsoft Ads Feature Updates, PPC News Feed
- What Google's UCP Update Means for PPC, Koozai
- Google Shares Guide to Merchant Center for Agencies, PPC News Feed
- 4 Ways to See Google Ads in Other Countries, PPC News Feed
- Announcing the Google Mobile Ads Next-Gen SDK for Android, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Campaign Manager 360 API v4 Sunset Reminder, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Introducing Channel-Level Reporting for Performance Max campaigns, Google Ads Developer Blog
- OpenAI Confirms $200,000 Minimum Commitment for ChatGPT Ads, AdWeek
Search Features
- I Let Google's ‘Auto Browse’ AI Agent Take Over Chrome. It Didn't Quite Click, Wired
- More visual responses, ChatGPT Release Notes
- Google's new features for Black History Month, Google Blog
Other Search
- How Search Drove Generative AI – A Passage from “The Search”, John Battelle's Search Blog
Feedback:
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