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.
I covered all the Google Search related news from Google I/O including the new intelligent search box, Gemini 3.5 Flash powered Google Search's AI Mode, new agentic features like information agent and so much more. Google is testing preferred sources labels in AI Mode. Google added adult consideration property to merchant listings and property vairiant markup. And Microsoft Advertising made updated to import center, cross account portfolio bidding and bidding strategy report.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google's New Search Bar, The Intelligent Search Box
Google has released the first major update to the search bar, the search box, ever - Google is calling it the intelligent Search box. We saw variations of this being tested over the past year, and now it is officially rolling out - as per Liz Reid, Google's Head of Search, via Google I/O. -
Google Search Now Powered By Gemini 3.5 Flash With New Agentic Features
Google Search is now using Gemini 3.5 Flash to power AI Mode globally and also there are several new agentic features in and coming to Google Search. These agentic features include information agents, agentic coding, personal intelligence is expanding and Universal Cart, UCP and AP2. -
Microsoft Advertising Updates Import Center, Cross-Account Portfolio Bidding & Bidding Strategy Report
Microsoft Advertising announced its monthly releases, and they include updates to the import center, cross-account portfolio bidding, bidding strategy reports, and custom column conversion metrics (that one we covered earlier). -
Google Tests Preferred Sources Label In AI Mode Citations
Google is now testing adding the Preferred Sources label in the AI Mode links and citations. It is unclear if Google is showing this link in this AI Mode response because it is a preferred source or if it is just labeling it, and it would show the source anyway - does that make sense? -
Google Adult Property Added To Merchant Listing & Product Variant
Google added the hasAdultConsideration property to the Merchant listing and Product variant documentation, and it is now officially supported and listed as a recommended property for both Merchant listing and Product variant structured data with Google Search. -
Google Workshop To Make Alebrije
Google held a workshop in the Mexico office for kids to create and paint Alebrije. Those are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical (fantasy/mythical) creatures, traditionally made from papier-mâché or wood. It is a form of art originating from Mexico City in the 1930s.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Bing organically promoting " Free ai creation" on top of the serp., Khushal Bherwani on X
- Google I/O 2026: Impact on Directory Sites & Google-Extended Policy?, WebmasterWorld
- I don't know React that well - you can roughly test by blocking the URL in Chrome dev-tools and reloading the page. If the content loads & displays, it's probably fine., John Mueller on Bluesky
- Today we're launching Index: a platform for content owners to understand how AI agents use their work, and earn revenue when they do., Parallel Web Systems on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google’s new intelligent Search box – its biggest change to the search box in 25 years
- Google Search now powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash
- Google Search gains information agents and improved agentic experiences
- Google lets you build your own app within Google Search with agentic coding
- Google Search Universal Cart, expands UCP and AP2
- The funnel query pathway: A framework for measuring AI visibility
- Reasoning lift: What happens to brand visibility when AI thinks harder
- How to build custom SEO reports with Claude Code and Google Search Console
- How AI may increase the value of SEO expertise
- AI search loves listicles: What 25,000 URLs reveal about citations
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- AI Search Isn't a New Game., Koozai
- Apple Intelligence-Infused Accessibility Features Promise Greater Flexibility and Power, MacStories
- Demis Hassabis Thinks AI Job Cuts Are Dumb, Wired
- Google's James Manyika is betting that doomers are wrong about AI and jobs, Platformer
- What are AI Brand Mentions? Brand Mention vs. Citations, Yoast
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Google Hires Staff From Bezos-Backed Contextual AI In Licensing Deal, Bloomberg
- How Google Is Starting to Win the A.I. Race, New York Times
Links & Content Marketing
- 7 Ways to Automate Content Marketing with Agent A, Ahrefs
- How To Get Your Content Budget Approved: Try This Pitch, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- Android Auto will let apps launch major redesigns soon [Gallery], 9to5Google
- Android Auto: Does It Have Netflix And YouTube?, Motor1
SEO
- Content Chunking & AI Extractability, Lumar
- Google's AI Overviews Are Starting to Send Clicks Again—But Only to the Right Brands, JXT Group
- Is Zero Click marketing dead? The branded link update, Profound
- Non-Commodity Content: What SEOs & Content Teams Need to Start Doing Differently, Ann Smarty
- SEO MCP: Where AI fits in your technical SEO workflow, Oncrawl
- Stop Chasing AI Rankings Before You Fix How LLMs See Your Brand, Seer Interactive
- Stop Replacing Traffic. Start Replacing Visibility., Forrester
- What Is Agentic SEO? And How to Get Started This Week, Ahrefs
- Why Schema is Entity Infrastructure, Not a Citation Lever, I Love SEO
PPC
- 5 Reasons Why Agencies Still Matter in an Automated PPC World, JumpFly
- AI Max for Shopping: A New Google Ads Account Theory, ZATO
- AI Video Creation Now Appearing in Performance Max, PPC News Feed
- Google Marketing Live BINGO Card, PPCChat
- New import center and other product news for May 2026, Microsoft Advertising
- New signal for age-related compliance: Tag for age treatment (TFAT), Google AdSense Help
- Phone Support Popup Appears in Google Ads Interface, PPC News Feed
- Map View Added in Google's Data Manager, PPC News Feed
- The New Paid Search Campaign Structure Playbook: Simplification Without Losing Control, JumpFly
Search Features
- Google Search Is Moving From Links To AI Tasks with new Slop Box, Search Engine World
Other Search
- Hands-On With All of Google’s New Upcoming Android XR Smart Glasses, Wired
- Will Apple Vision Pro get better at video calls?, AppleInsider
Feedback:
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