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 Maps released its spam fighting report efforts and Google Ads did the same. Google AI Mode's new Chrome split view is neat but publishers may not like it. New Google Maps reviews guidelines warns against staff manipulation. Google LSAs rich content may come from your URLs. And Bing is testing and animated people also search for. And I published the weekly SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Maps Blocked 292 Million Reviews & Removed 13 Million Fake Profiles
Google also released the annual Google Maps safety report saying blocked or removed over 292 million policy-violating reviews and removed over 13 million fake Business Profiles. Google also said it blocked 79 million inaccurate or unverified edits and placed posting restrictions on more than 783,000 policy-violating accounts. -
Google Ads Removed 8.3 Billion Ads - Up Over 60% (Most Before Serving)
Google has released its annual Google Ads safety report and the big number that stands out to me is that Google removed 8.3 billion ads, which is up almost 63% from last year's number of 5.1 billion. Google did say that 99% of those were removed before serving the ad, thanks to Gemini. -
Bing Tests Animated People Also Search For
Microsoft is testing animating the Bing "people also search for" boxes. Bing will run this animated outline around the boxes when it loads, to give it more attention to the searcher. -
Google's AI Mode Now Opens Links In Split View On Desktop
Google rolled an important change with how AI Mode works yesterday and it can have a big impact on the experience for desktop users. Now when users click a link in AI Mode... -
Google Updates Reviews Policy To Restrict Staff Mentions & Solicitations
Google has updated its reviews policy to add two items; (1) do not have your staff solicit a certain number of reviews and (2) the content of the review should not mention the staff member's name and information. -
Google Local Service Ads To Pull Rich Content Through Your URLs
Google sent out emails to some of its Local Service Ads advertisers introducing "rich content" that can be pulled from your URLs. Rich content includes service descriptions and special offers. -
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Back Button Hijacking Penalty, Spam Reporting Change, Google Ads AI Max Replacing DSAs & More
This week we covered a new Google Search spam penalty for back button hijacking. Google also updated its spam report, it may now be used for manual actions. Google is aware of self-serving listicles and warns not to...
Other Great Search Threads:
- PSA Googlebot tries to render pages to understand what they look like, to better understand the value & context of your site's content. This requires that your JS & CSS files be crawlable. Don't block these files for Googlebot in robots.txt, if you want G, John Mueller on Bluesky
- Google Discover feed with SEO highlighted by @glenngabe , @rustybrick and @gaganghotra_ on the first cards of my feed including 3 LinkedIn posts, Damien (andell) on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Microsoft makes it easier to import Google PMax campaigns
- ChatGPT citations reward ranking and precision over length: Study
- Google AI Mode in Chrome now lets you search deeper with fewer tabs
- Gemini helped Google block more than 99% of bad ads before they ran
- Why your website is now the source of truth in local AI search
- How to fix a suspended Google Merchant Center account
- Why log file analysis matters for AI crawlers and search visibility
- Why your Google Ads results keep repeating the same outcomes
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- The Reputation Risk of AI Inaccuracy: How to Protect Your Brand, seoClarity
- LLMs Are Not as Complex as You Think: Here Are 10 Strategies To Improve AI Visibility, Moz
- What AI Search Audits Can Tell You About Your Site, iPullRank
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Anthropic unveils plans for major London expansion, CNBC
- Doodle for Google: Vote for the 17th annual winner, Google Blog
- Google and Pentagon Discuss Classified AI Deal as Company Rebuilds Military Ties, The Information
- Google suffers setback in attempt to establish construction staging area in Allen County, Journal Gazette
- Prominent SEO Journalist Barry Schwartz’s Wikipedia Page Removed, Forbes Advisor
Links & Content Marketing
- I'm rethinking blogging, Marie Haynes
- Most Links Come From Follow-Ups, Not First Emails, The Upper Ranks
- Why Google (and AI) Treat Healthcare Content Differently And What It Means For Your SEO, Koozai
SEO
- Schema Markup for Enterprises: Schema App vs. AI-Generated Markup, Schema App
- Introducing SERP Lens: The Web Browser for SEO Pros, SERP Lens
- March 2026 Core Update Caused More Volatility Than December’s, SE Ranking
- Q&A: Similarweb VP of global research on SEO vs GEO and retailer websites in the age of AI, Retail Week
PPC
- 5 Microsoft Ads Extensions Google Doesn't Have (And Why You Should Be Using Them), ZATO PPC Marketing
- A closer look at OpenAI’s ads manager, Digiday
- Google Ads Bid Adjustments: When They Work, When They Don't, and When to Just Let Go, ZATO PPC Marketing
- Google Tag Manager Now Supports Fastly Integration, PPC News Feed
- How to Use Google Ads Brand Guidelines for Cleaner Automated Assets, WordStream
- IAB: Digital Ad Revenue Hit Nearly $300 Billion in 2025, TV Tech
- OpenAI Prepares to Launch Cost-Per-Click Ads In Coming Days, The Information
Search Features
- Google tests Live Mode with screen sharing on Gemini desktop, Testing Catalog
- Personalize your images in the Gemini app with Nano Banana & Google Photos, Google Blog
Feedback:
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