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 the search quality raters guidelines are not a guide to search rankings. Google Ads has this new Prospect Mode. Google tests 1st order price labels on shopping ads. Google Discover profile pages are testing short URLs. Bing is testing new sitelinks. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google: Search Quality Raters Guidelines Not A Guide For Search Rankings
John Mueller from Google said that the Google Search Quality Raters guidelines are not a guide for search rankings. Meaning, the content in those guidelines is not a blueprint on how to rank your website in Google Search. -
New: Google Ads Prospects Mode
Google Ads has expanded New Customer Acquisition with a new feature called Prospect Mode. Prospect mode also targets brand-unaware users, Google said. Those prospects who have not searched for, engaged with, or visited your site. Some call them cold prospects. -
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google May Core Update Status, Buying AI Brand Mentions, Preferred Sources In AI Responses, Google Ads, Local & Legal
This week in search, we gave a status update on the Google May 2026 core update. Google strongly warned against buying mentions for AI or manipulating mentions for AI. Google removed the indexing lag between.... -
Google 1st Order Price Labels On Shopping Ads (Again)
Over a year ago, we saw Google testing a "First order" label on shopping ads within search. Now, we are seeing Google test a variation of that named "1st order price" on those same ads. It basically tells the customer that if this is their first order with this retailer, it is a special discounted price. -
Google Discover Publisher Profile Pages Tests Short URLs
Google is testing short URLs with @handles for the Google Discover publisher profile pages. Instead of those long URLs that go on forever, Google is testing a format that uses the publisher's handle. -
Bing Tests New Sitelinks On Ads
Microsoft Bing is testing a new style of sitelinks for the search ads. These sitelinks differ in that they are narrower, use a smaller font, have a border and when you hover over them, they change from a blue font to a bold black font. -
Old Google Photo From Google Ski Retreat In Squaw Valley In 2000
Here is an old photo from Google's Paul Buchheit from 2000, where Googlers went on a ski retreat in Squaw Valley, California. Paul Buchheit said on X, Don't just start a company, Start a cult.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Microsoft (and Bing) legends @BrianmacMSFT and @harryshum joined the Bing team to celebrate the 1B MAU milestone today - what a long, strange (but always exciting!) trip it’s been, Michael Schechter on X
- Organizing an SEO conference and want honest feedback, Reddit
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Brad Geddes on 20 Years of Paid Search Evolution
- Google adds AI shopping visibility insights to Merchant Center
- Vanessa Fox on the birth of Google Search Console
- Google expands customer acquisition targeting with “new prospects” mode
- How persuasive content taps into human psychology
- 5 places to find FAQ content that improves AI visibility
- Brand depth determines what AI systems recommend
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Apple to Renew Push for AI That Runs on Devices, Instead of the Cloud, The Information
- Google adjusts Gemini’s new usage limits in response to complaints, 9to5Google
- GPT-5.5 Instant Update, OpenAI
- Introducing Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic
- Introducing dynamic workflows, Claude
- MAI-Image-2.5 launches at No. 3 on Arena, Microsoft AI
- New: Track your brand visibility in Claude with Yoast AI Brand Insights, Yoast
- Researchers let AI run a simulated society. Claude was the safest—Grok went extinct within days, Fortune
- Exclusive: OpenAI launches biodefense program, Axios
- Microsoft Debuts A More Buttoned-Up Look For Copilot, Engadget
Analytics
- Improved Conversion Tracking for Google Ads-Linked Analytics, PPC News Feed
Industry & Business
- Anthropic Tops OpenAI to Become the World’s Most Valuable A.I. Start-Up, New York Times
- CNN sues Perplexity over alleged AI copyright theft, CNN
- First UK team to use Google Willow quantum chip announced, BBC News
- The Top AI Search Skills Hiring Managers Want (From 1,543 Job Listings), Moz
Links & Content Marketing
- Content Strategy Update: Is AI Visibility Ushering in a Golden Era of Digital Content?, iPullRank
- Why Your Influencer Marketing Isn't Delivering ROI (And How to Fix It), Brainlabs
- 15 Link Building Strategies That Can Improve Your Website, Koozai
- Adding meta pixel in GTM - Best Practice, KRM Digital Marketing
Local & Maps
- What Does It Mean When a Google Review Shows 'Edited'?, Sterling Sky
- Google Patent: Ride-Hailing Built Into Google Maps, Patentlyze
SEO
- 6 things you'll want to know to beat Google in AI Search, Content Caffeine
- EntityMap Wants To Give AI Search A Sitemap For Meaning, Search Engine World
- Google hates you, San Francisco Chronicle
- Schema, LLMs and the Low Bar for “Evidence” in GEO, Mark Williams-Cook
- The role of citations in AEO: Why citations matter more than backlinks for AI visibility, Hubspot
- What It Takes To Rank In Google's AI Overviews in 2026 Isn't What You Think, Seer Interactive
- SEO Myth Debunked: Alt Text Must Contain All Your Keywords, Nikki Pilkington
- Stanford subdomains targeted by black-hat SEO attacks, Stanford Daily
PPC
- Ads Decoded at Google Marketing Live, Google Blog
- Google Ads Not Working? Don't Fire Your Team Just Yet., Group Twenty Seven
- What Is Business Agent in Google Merchant Center?, Igniting Business
- Why Experienced PPC Managers Are Abandoning Google Smart Bidding — And What They Use Instead, Optmyzr
Search Features
- Apple iOS 27 Photos, Screenshots: Revamped Siri, Pro Camera App, New AI Features, Bloomberg
- Siri's new look for iOS 27 predicted, AppleInsider
Other Search
- Dive deeper into Google I/O 2026 with NotebookLM., Google Blog
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