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.
Liz Reid, Google's head of search, spoke about the progression of AI in Google Search. Google Ads sends notices for EU political ads. Google Discover has a follow widget card. Google Search Console bulk export to BigQuery is broken. Google adds trending posts and discussions to the what people are saying section.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google's Liz Reid On Progression Of Google AI Search
Alex Heath and Ellis Hamburger interviewed Google's head of Search, Liz Reid, on Google's progression of AI into Search. It felt like a very candid interview that is worth listening to. In short, Liz is still not sure if Gemini and Google Search will ever fully converge or not. -
Google Search Console BigQuery Exports Not Working?
There are a number of complaints that the Google Search Console bulk data export to BigQuery is not working. The issue seemed to have started several days ago and is still not working today. -
Google: Trending Posts & Discussions Added To What People Are Saying
Google added "Trending posts & discussions" title under What People Are Saying section within Google Search results. It also has those favicons at the top, which I don't think is new but it is all part of the package. -
Google Ads Sends Notices For European Union Political Ads
Google has sent notices to some advertisers asking them to confirm whether their campaigns contain European Union political content. The deadline to confirm is by March 31, 2026. -
Google Discover Follow Widget Home Card
Google is testing a new widget for the Google Discover feed where you can follow news publishers and/or topics. It is called the "home follow widget." -
AI Cricket Coach At Google
At one of the Google offices the team set up an AI-based cricket coach. The signage says "AI Cricket Coach" and you can see a computer system analyzing the swing of the bat.
Other Great Search Threads:
- I'm not aware of anything, what are you seeing?, John Mueller on Bluesky
- We've been shipping updates to @googlemaps faster than ever, and Street View imagery is a big part of how we make the map super fresh… @MorningBrew filmed a ride-along in one of our iconic Street View cars from Bosnia to NYC - check, Nick Fox on X
- Remember this story about journalists being replaced by AI writers? Seems that may have caught the attention of Google's webspam team. Looks like two of their sites might have received manual actions this weekend. And that could be f, Glenn Gabe on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- 10 Reddit comment frameworks that drive engagement without sounding like ads
- Google’s AI Mode is citing Google more than any other site: Study
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- OpenAI’s big ChatGPT Instant Checkout plan just changed
- Google’s Liz Reid: Search and Gemini may converge, or diverge further
- Google contacts advertisers with a mandatory EU political ads deadline
- How structured data supports local visibility across Google and AI
- Break down data silos: How integrated analytics reveals marketing impact
- ‘Always be testing’ worked in 2016 — it’s risky in 2026
- Why most video ads fail — and what video metrics actually matter
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence, Anthropic
- In and Out of Model Responses Explained — Whiteboard Friday, Moz
- Search Grounding is Transient, DEJAN
- When Using AI Leads to “Brain Fry”, HBR
Analytics
- GA4 Device Category Report, KRM Digital Marketing
Industry & Business
- Anthropic CEO says 'no choice' but to challenge Trump admin's supply chain risk designation in court, CNBC
- Microsoft says Anthropic’s products remain available to customers after Pentagon blacklist, CNBC
- UK to delay difficult decisions on AI copyright rules, Financial Times (Sub)
- Google gives CEO Sundar Pichai new pay deal worth up to $692mn, Financial Times (Sub)
- Meta, Google Begin Defense As Mental Harm Plaintiff Rests, Law360
- International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Google Blog
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
SEO
- A Systems View of GEO: What Metrics Actually Control Visibility, SEO Vendor
- JavaScript SEO: Help Google Read Your Website (2026), Jonathan Alonso
- What Are Secondary Keywords? (And How to Use Them), Ahrefs
- Web Graph Statistics Gets a Proper Upgrade, Common Crawl - Blog
- Has Google Deindexed EsportsInsider – And Is This the Start of a Parasite SEO Crackdown?, iGamingToday
- SEO Myth: Every Page Must Have A Table Of Contents!, Nikki Pilkington
- Social SEO Strategy: Instagram, YouTube & TikTok SERP Features, Sitebulb
PPC
- Brand vs Performance Marketing: Why B2B needs both, Hallam
- Google Marketing Live 2026 Scheduled for May 20, PPC News Feed
- The Physics of PPC: Why Google Ads Revenue Has a Natural Limit, but Campaign Waste Has No Bottom, ZATO PPC Marketing
- The Ultimate Guide to AI Max for Google Search, Smarter Ecommerce
- Google Explains Multi Party Approval For Google Ads Security, PPC News Feed
Search Features
- I tried using Google to redesign my wardrobe and the results were a disaster, Android Police
- Is AI Mode Now Dominated by Google’s Self-Referencing Links?, SE Ranking
- AI Overviews Are Up 58% - And Everyone's Reporting It Wrong, Nikki Pilkington
Other Search
- Does ChatGPT Get More Searches Than Google? Data Says Not, Nikki Pilkington
Feedback:
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