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 added five new changes to how links show up in AI Mode and AI Overviews. Bing wrote a long post on the differences between AI and Traditional Search. Google Ads will add titles anc ontent related exclusions on the account level for AI Max. Bing Places for Business is finally mobile friendly. Google Ads turns on call recording by default.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google Improves Links Within AI Mode & AI Overviews In 5 Ways
Google announced five new ways in how it is improving linking to web pages from AI Mode and AI Overviews. Some of these we saw Google testing earlier, and I (we) were fans of these changes and I am glad to see Google officially roll them out. -
Microsoft Bing On Search Indexing vs. Grounding Indexing
The folks over at Microsoft Bing put together a blog post explaining the differences between indexing for Search versus indexing for Grounding (AI responses) and the differences. Krishna Madhavan, Knut Risvik, Meenaz Merchant from Microsoft wrote, "Indexing for grounded AI answers is not a reinvention of search '" it is a major evolution of it. Grounding commits to an answer." -
Google Ads AI Max Content & Titles Exclusions On Account Level Coming
Google will be bringing content and titles related exclusions to the account level to Google Ads AI Max later this year. It will give you the ability to always exclude any other content you don't want to use in your ads at the account level, Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, said on LinkedIn. -
Bing Places For Business Finally Mobile Friendly
It is 2026 and finally Bing Places for Business is finally mobile friendly. Microsoft Bing sent me an email letting me know of this update, saying, "We're excited to share that Bing Places for Business now offers a mobile-responsive experience, making it easier to view, update, and manage your business profile from any device-desktop, tablet, or mobile." -
Google Ads Call Recording To Default To Yes On July 1st
Google sent out emails notifying applicable advertisers that they will default call recording to Yes, to always record calls, if you don't pick an option yourself. Google wrote, "Starting July 01, 2026, if you haven't made a selection for your "Call recording" setting, it will automatically default to "Yes"." -
Google Shrine With Plastic Plants & Android Figurine
I am honestly not sure what this is, but it looks like some small shrine at the Google office in Mexico. It has this arc with the Google logo within it. Then these fake plants and an Android figurine
Other Great Search Threads:
- This is the first time I've seen this on Google Discover: A "Google Showcase" Discover card, BUT with the "sources" of an AI Overview card. You can click on the sources to open their feed. This is what you find in the AI s, Damien (andell) on X
- Google AI Overview side links appear in blue., Sachin Patel on X
- Google Small Business Bulletin - Happy Small Business Week, Google Business Profile Community
- I love this take & went down the rabbit hole :-). It turns out, there are a lot of pages on the BK sites that don't rely on JS to be served, so there are a lot of details to be found regardless. That said, it's fascinating to see how these systems automat, John Mueller on Bluesky
- Is AI creative leading to a “sea of sameness”? In the latest Ads Decoded, we talk how to maintain brand fidelity and stand out while scaling performance across YouTube and Search. Learn about: New features for steering, AdsLiaison on X
- Personal Intelligence in AI Mode is coming to even more countries. Starting today, AI Pro and Ultra subscribers across the world can opt in to connect apps like @Gmail and @GooglePhotos. Accessing the world's info is the baseli, Robby Stein on X
- So, the best practices of the semantic web, technical SEO, and accessibility have always played a fundamental role in how a website is understood. This reaffirms that code is also content, that SEO is a science more closely tied to product, and that we're, Mikael Araujo on Bluesky
- Thanks for writing this up! I feel it's a bit like with SEO, when you start digging into how search engines actually work, then a lot of things fall into place (or are quickly discarded)., John Mueller on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Microsoft: AI answers need a smarter search index
- Google Analytics Data API adds cross-channel conversion reporting (alpha)
- The real strategy behind negative keywords in 2026
- How to use Call assets, lead forms, and Message assets in Google Ads
- Your managed WordPress might be blocking AI bots and you can’t see it
- Google updates links within AI Overviews & AI Mode
- Why Facebook account lockouts are rising and what’s driving them
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Gemini API File Search is now multimodal, Google Blog
- Google Is Building an AI Agent That Could Be Its Answer to OpenClaw, Business Insider
- Agentic AI vs. Generative AI: What’s the Difference, and Why Does It Matter?, Ahrefs
- How to track ChatGPT traffic for you and for competitors, Semrush
- How to Use AI in Your Content Strategy Without Tanking Performance, searchlabdigital.com
- OpenAI unveils protocol to stretch compute, The Deep View
Industry & Business
- Anthropic commits to spending $200 billion on Google's cloud and chips, according to The Information, CNBC
- Alphabet Just Signaled That the Next Phase of the AI Revolution Has Arrived -- and Google's Parent Is Coming for Nvidia's Crown, The Motley Fool
- Blackstone, KKR in Talks With Google to Give Portfolio Firms Access to AI Models, Bloomberg
- Google Offers Changes to News Search in Bid to Avoid EU Fines, Bloomberg
- Google shuts down Project Mariner, The Verge
Links & Content Marketing
- The Power of B2B Influencers, Dixon Jones
- Award-Winning Content: Insiders Reveal Strategies Behind the Work, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
SEO
- Burger King Is Not The King of AI SEO, Ashla
- The Gemini Mistake That Tanked My Page & The Analysis That Rescued It, Sitebulb
- The missing guide to SEO domain migrations, Joost de Valk
PPC
- AI in Online Advertising: 5 Key Trends from April 2026, JumpFly
- AI’s role in advertising, and how to get it right, Google Blog
- Google Officially Introduces Site Visits Asset, PPC News Feed
- Google’s AI Max has pushed up search budgets – and costs, Digiday
- How to Delete a Manually Added Product in Google Merchant Center, FeedArmy
- Google Updated Product Landing Page Requirements, Here’s What Changed, FeedArmy
Search Features
- 5 gardening tips using Google tools, Google Blog
- Google rolling out a really vibrant Search Live redesign, 9to5Google
Other Search
- Meet Remy: Google is creating a ‘24/7 personal agent’ to manage your digital life, says report, Mint
- Five Ways A.I. Search Beats an Old-School Google Search, New York Times
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.
