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 released the March 2026 core update this morning. Google Search Live is now global. Google Merchant Center to highlight vehicle ads data quality issues. Google Ads expands loyalty program. Google Ads PMax has new exclusions and reporting. Bing is testing rounded corners on short videos. And I posted the SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google March 2026 Core Update Is Rolling Out - First Core Update Of Year
Google officially announced the rollout of the March 2026 core update early Friday morning at around 5:14 ET. This core update is expected to take up to 2 weeks to roll out. Google said this is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites. -
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google March 2026 Core & Spam Update, AI-Generated Title Links, Bing AI Reports Update & Much More
This week we covered the release of the Google March 2026 core update that rolled out this morning and will take about two weeks to finish. We also covered Google March 2026 spam update that launched on March 24th and finished 19.5 hours later on March 25th... -
Google Search Live Goes Global
Google announced Search Live has launched globally, for all languages and locations where AI Mode is available. Google said this is possible by its "new audio and voice model, Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, which delivers even more natural and intuitive conversations." -
Google Merchant Center Will Highlight Vehicle Ads Data Quality Issues
Google announced that it will begin to highlight data quality account issues related to Vehicle ads within Google Merchant Center. This will begin in mid-April 2026. -
Google Ads Expanding Loyalty Program
Google Ads and Merchant Center is expanding the Loyalty program features to highlight key perks, expand local and regional visibility, expand internationally and within AI Mode and Gemini. -
Google Ads PMax Audience Exclusions & New Reporting
Google announced several new steering updates for Google Ads Performance Max including first-party audience exclusions, budget reporting, full audience reporting and network segmentation in placement reporting. -
Bing Testing Rounded Corners On Short Videos
Microsoft Bing is testing using rounded corners on short videos and normal videos within the Bing search results interface. Bing used to show these as squared-off edges.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Google is sending out an email titled "Updates to how we verify your business details" to contact business owners. Issue: This is the same exact way scammers contact biz owners, Len on X
- Google is now nudging advertisers to apply seasonal themes (like Easter) directly inside asset groups., Arpan Banerjee on LinkedIn
- If you're still keeping an eye on ranking factors, remember that patience is at the top of the list., Marinella Himari on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google adds seasonal creative theming to PMax asset groups
- If your local rankings are off, your map pin may be the reason
- Google March 2026 core update rolling out now
- Google Search Live expands globally where AI Mode is available
- Google PMax gets new exclusions, expanded reporting features
- Automated traffic is growing 8x faster than human traffic: Report
- Google-Agent user agent identifies AI agent traffic in server logs
- SMX Now: Learn how brands must adapt for AI-driven search
- The parts of Performance Max you can actually control
- Report: Clickout Media turned news sites into AI gambling hubs
- How to use first-party data to find high-impact content ideas
- Google updates structured data for forum and Q&A content
- How GSC’s branded query filter changes SEO reporting and analysis
- LinkedIn Ads on a budget: How one playbook drove sub-$10 CPL
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Beyond the Spreadsheet: Omnimedia Content Audits for the AI Era, iPullRank
- What AI Writing Tools Get Wrong (And The Stack I Use Instead), Ahrefs
- Where do Americans look first for breaking news information?, Pew Research Center
- 4 Prompt Tracking Mistakes — Whiteboard Friday, Moz
Industry & Business
- EU backs nude app ban and delays to landmark AI rules, The Verge
- OpenAI Surpasses $100 Million Annualized Revenue From Ads Pilot, The Information
- Publishers lose Google case, for now, The Seattle Times
Links & Content Marketing
- Content Health Gains Importance in AI World, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
SEO
- The Google Helpful Content Update And Its Relevance in 2026, Hobo
- An Ecommerce SEO Audit You Can Run Using Only Google, Intergrowth
- What is a Query Fan-Out and How Does it Work?, Foundation Inc
PPC
- Support Updates Available Via Whatsapp, PPC News Feed
- Google Ads Rolls Out Passkey Security for Account Access, PPC News Feed
- Upcoming Improvements to Offline Conversion Imports, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Veo Video Generation Now Available in Google Ads, PPC News Feed
- Data Manager Adds ActiveCampaign Integration, PPC News Feed
- Google Pickup Later Ads: Expand Local Reach Easily, Optmyzr
- I Asked ChatGPT 500 Questions. Here Are the Ads I Saw Most Often, Wired
- Themed Asset Cloning for Performance Max, PPC News Feed
Search Features
- Apple Plans to Open Up Siri to Rival AI Assistants Beyond ChatGPT in iOS 27, Bloomberg
- Gemini now lets you import chats and memory from other AI apps, 9to5Google
- Google Web Guide: What It Is, How It Works, and What It Means for SEO, Ahrefs
- How to switch to Gemini: Import your chats and data from other AI apps, Google Blog
Other Search
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.
