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 says when it comes to SEO, nobody knows everything and you can do a lot of SEO that doesn't work and still do okay. Google Shopping is showing more ads in the free sections. Google Search Console's performance report for jobs is buggy. Google added best practices for read more snippet deep links.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google: When It Comes To SEO, Nobody Knows Everything
Google's John Mueller said the other day that "SEO is not belief-based, nobody knows everything, and it changes over time." Super true, I've been covering SEO changes over the years and I spot this all the time. -
Google: You Can Do A Lot Of SEO That Don't Work & Still Do Ok
Google's John Mueller said that since SEO is complex, multifaceted, and resilient, you "can do a lot of things that don't work & still do ok." Meaning, you can mess up on several SEO things and still do well with search rankings. -
Google Shopping Showing Shopping Ads Within Free Listing Grid
Google is reportedly showing shopping ads in the free listing grid in the Google Shopping tab. Previously, Google was better at showing more free listings but that seems to have changed. -
Google Search Console Performance Report Job Listings Reporting Bug
Google Search Console seems to have a bug with the performance report, specific to the jobs listing and jobs search appearance filter. The report is showing zero impressions and clicks since the 16th of this month. -
Google Documents Read More Snippet Links Best Practices
Several months after Google launched the Read more links within the Google search results snippets, Google decided to post some best practices how Read more links work. These should help you encourage Google to show the read more links and thus help increase click-through rates from Google Search.
Other Great Search Threads:
- I'm interested in interviewing anyone who was part of the deletion discussion on Wikipedia for Barry Schwartz's Wikipedia article, Reddit
- Hi Barry, This issue has been resolved., AdsLiaison on X
- I shouldn't have said that. I definitely shouldn't have said that..., Gary Illyes on Bluesky
- If you're searching in HTML, you need to watch out for the usual HTML encoding, tags, etc. But anyway, if it's findable in search, it's findable in search, so you should be ok :). I'd generally avoid having important content hidden in tabs / expandos, it', John Mueller on Bluesky
- My guess is it'll work (our systems are pretty robust), but it feels like something you'd want to clean up at some point, for sake of avoiding these questions another time :)., John Mueller on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Yelp launches AI-powered Assistant to streamline local search and bookings
- YouTube & Discover political ad rules updated
- Google tests video ads in local search results
- The digital PR duplication method: Rinse, reuse, repeat
- Utility news content: How to win beyond clicks in AI search
- Google adds Read more links best practices
- Rand Fishkin: Zero-click search began long before AI
- Is Google Ads Asset Studio a game changer? Not so fast
- How to use the three-act structure for data storytelling
- Is your AI readiness a mirage?
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Gemini in Chrome expanding to Asia-Pacific markets, Google Blog
- Google Creates Strike Team to Improve Coding Models, The Information
- Redirects for AI Training enforces canonical content, Cloudflare
- Your AI Visibility Data Is Wrong (And That's Okay), Brainlabs
- Google DeepMind's AI Tool Divide Causes Internal Tensions, Business Insider
- Pomelli AI marketing tool for SMBs is now in Europe, Google Blog
Analytics
- The Google Analytics 'Blind Spot', MediaPost
Industry & Business
- Amazon invest up to $25 billion in Anthropic part of AI infrastructure, CNBC
- Apple names John Ternus CEO, replacing Tim Cook, who becomes chairman, CNBC
- Meta’s Victory Lap Over Google on Advertising Will Be Short, Bloomberg
- OpenAI Takes Aim at Google with New Image Model, The Information
- Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman John Ternus to become Apple CEO, Apple
- Google Privacy Intervention Attempt 'Too Late,' 9th Circ. Says, Law360
Links & Content Marketing
- How AI Search Is Rewiring B2B Software Buying [G2 Report], Foundation Inc
Local & Maps
- Yelp's VP of Product Nicole Lund on what's next for local businesses on Yelp, Yelp - Official Blog
SEO
- Breaking! Can You Rank In Google Without Content?, Hobo
- GEO as in Geography: Bing Webmaster Tools Reveals Lags in How LLMs Understand Semantics, Seer Interactive
- What Is Agentic Search? (And Why SEOs Need to Pay Attention), Backlinko
- What is multimodal?, SEO For Journalism
- When "Mt. AI" crumbles, ChatGPT can follow [Case Study], GSQI
- The Yoast Perspective 2026: 7 things we learned from the SEO industry, Yoast
PPC
- Google Introduces AI-Qualified Call Leads, PPC News Feed
Search Features
Other Search
- Final Soft Navigations origin trial starting in Chrome 147, Chrome for Developers
- Smart glasses race heats up as Apple prepares late-2026 entry, AppleInsider
Feedback:
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