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 was ruled an illegal monopoly once again, this time with some of its ad tech. Google said it made search faster but didn't really say how much faster. Google Merchant Center has a new popular products report. Google Ads PMax campaigns now support age exclusions. Google said there is no positive SEO impact for using a .esports TLD. Google Discover's new full-width design is cropping publisher hero images. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Judge: Google Illegally Engaged In Anticompetitive Monopolistic Ad Tech Practices
A US judge ruled Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in some ad tech. This is the second time a judge ruled Google willfully engaged in monopolistic practices. The remedies for these rulings are still being worked out but may strengthen the case to have Google's business broken up. -
New Google Merchant Center Popular Products Report
Google Merchant Center has added a new report named popular products report. This report will show you your popular products, popular brands, top-selling products, etc, all on Google. -
Google Ads PMax Age Exclusions Rolling Out
Google Ads seems to be rolling out the expected age exclusions feature for Performance Max, PMax, campaigns. In January, Google told us it would be coming and then we saw the Google Ads Editor add the feature in version 2.9. And now, some are seeing it in the Google Ads advertiser console user interface. -
Google Discover Cropping Publisher Images In New Full Width Redesign
Google has been rolling out its new full-width redesign of Google Discover. But the issue is that it is taking publishers' images and cropping them to fit this new width. -
Google: No Positive SEO Effect From .esports Domain
Google's John Mueller was quick to debunk a claim that owning an .esports domain will have no positive SEO effect. He said on Bluesky, "There's no positive SEO effect from a TLD like that." -
Google Made Search Much Faster - But How Much Faster?
Google recently said it made Search "much faster," at least that is what Rajan Patel, the VP of Engineering at Google Search said on social. There is a larger blog post that Google wrote up on this, which I initially decided not to cover but I changed my mind. -
YouTube Rain Signage
Here is a cool wall at the Google office in California of a YouTube logo with a pattern that makes it look like it is digitally raining. I spotted this on Instagram and made it into a GIF. -
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Ruled A Monopoly Again, Heated Volatility, Google ccTLD Change, Ads Safety Report & AI Overviews
Google was ruled, for the second time, an illegal monopoly again by a Federal Judge yesterday. And another week and more heated volatility in the Google Search results. Google also announced they will redirect...
Other Great Search Threads:
- ChatGPT is a beast and is growing rapidly. Important reminder that this doesn't necessarily mean Google is declining. SEO is alive and well. – Latest Semrush traffic analytics data, SERP Alert on X
- I had no idea @maileohye was the Googler who gave @methode his title, Chief of Sunshine and Happiness at Google, Barry Schwartz on X
- I'd check how it renders (with mobile Chrome) with individual resources disabled - like with the webm in the case there. JS sites should be robust and still load as much as possible, even if some embedded resources aren't loaded (like stati, John Mueller on Bluesky
- Another one bites the dust: @SHEIN_Official has exited Google Shopping in the US, following closely on the heels of @shoptemu From an ad spend perspective, these are very tall dominoes that are falling h/t @juokaz (again!) for suggest, Mike Ryan on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- Google Ads API v19.1 adds new Demand Gen, video campaigns features
- Google Search boss: AI Overviews boost click quality
- Court: Google’s illegal ad tech monopoly harmed the open web
- Google Analytics 4 fixes data gaps, now flags issues early
- Search behavior, decoded: What platform preference really tells us
- 4 ways to connect your ads data to generative AI for smarter PPC
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Alphabet: Monetizing Gemini In Google Search, Seeking Alpha
- Google Is Twice a Monopolist. Fixing It Will Be the Hard Part, Bloomberg
- Google tries to reassure employees after antitrust ruling, Axios
- Google's journey from dorm to internet dominance, Reuters
Links & Content Marketing
- AI Content Detection, DEJAN
- Consistent, High-Quality GBP Content Using Generative AI, Search Engine World
- Does Google Search Approve of Using AI to Help Write Content?, Marie Haynes
- Wikipedia is giving AI developers its data to fend off bot scrapers, The Verge
Local & Maps
- Gemini is accelerating onto Android Auto and Automotive, Android Police
- Gemini likely coming to Android Automotive vehicles, code confirms, 9to5Google
Mobile & Voice
- Meta blocks Apple Intelligence on Facebook and its other iOS apps, 9to5Mac
- Next Apple Vision headset could have a refined battery cable, AppleInsider
- Google Shows Off Sleek AI Smart Glasses With A HUD, UploadVR
SEO
PPC
- 5 Paid Media Challenges Solved with AI, Seer Interactive
- Google Ads vs. LinkedIn Ads: Which Platform Is Best For Lead Generation?, WordStream
- Google’s Privacy Sandbox leaves ad tech in limbo, Ad Age
- The 2025 Tariff Crisis: What It Means for Advertisers (And How to Survive It), Optmyzr
- Why Meta Ads Feel Different: What’s Changed & How to Adapt, JumpFly
- Choosing the Right Platform: Paid Ads on Google vs Facebook for Maximum ROI, Hopskip Media
Search Features
- AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 34.5%, Ahrefs
- How we keep Search fast and reliable, Google Blog
- The latest viral ChatGPT trend is doing 'reverse location search' from photos, TechCrunch
Other Search
- How are web standards made?, Search Off the Record
Feedback:
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