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 updated its explicit search ranking algorithm to target sites hiding explicit videos, plus Google updated its SafeSearch documentation. Are you noticing an indexing decline since late May, many are. Bloomberg's Emily Chang interviewed Google's CEO Sundar Pichai. Google Ads API version 20 is now available. FTX is suing Neil Patel for $55 million.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Updates Ranking Algorithm For Explicit Content & Videos While Updating SafeSearch Docs
Google has updated its search ranking algorithm to "more strongly affect the sites that host explicit videos but don't allow Googlebot to fetch those video files" which may lead to a "significant drop in ranking" for some of these sites. Google also updated its SafeSearch documentation with new best practices and details. -
Drop In Google Indexing Less Since Late May 2025?
Several individuals have inquired whether Google has been indexing fewer pages on websites since late May. I've seen a number of complaints, and while nothing is verified on Google's end, I wanted to share these reports with you. -
FTX Sued Neil Patel for $55 Million
Cyrus Shepard posted about how FTX, you know, the company Sam Bankman-Fried ran, is now suing Neil Patel and his company, for $55 million. There are a ton of whoppers in this lawsuit, and I have no idea who is right or wrong here, but as Cyrus noted, Neil Patel went through lots of efforts to hide this in the Google search results. -
Bloomberg Interviewed Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai: Search Will Grow, AI Content & Publishers Decline
Bloomberg's Emily Chang interviewed Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, last night at the Bloomberg Tech summit in San Francisco. The interview covered a ton of topics and was pretty fast-paced. It goes across AI, search, the monopoly case and more. -
Google Ads API Version 20 Now Available
Google has released version 20 of the Google Ads API, this is a major release, and we are expecting two more major releases in 2025. Google updated its API release schedule update, there is new Demand Gen ad_network_type reporting, Platform comparable conversions and Campaign-level negative keywords for PMax - plus more. -
Google Marketing Live Dublin Event
I didn't know Google had a remote version of Google Marketing Live, this one was in the Dublin office. It seems like it may have been a watch party, where they watched the show from California in Dublin.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Do We REALLY Need Ai To Summarize 2 Paragraphs Of Text Into 1 Paragraph, With A Disclaimer That It May Make Mistakes? WHY? LOL, Anthony Higman on X
- Google is deprecating de-identified URLs (like xyz.anonymous.google.com) in Display campaigns to comply with Ads.txt transparency requirements., Adriaan Dekker on LinkedIn
- ChatGPT can now connect to more internal sources & pull in real-time context—keeping existing user-level permissions. Connectors available in deep research for Plus & Pro users (excl. EEA, CH, UK) and Team, Enterprise & Edu users: Out, OpenAI on X
- Sometimes pages go a long time between crawls, so it can take quite some time to notice that a page has turned into a 404. If it's really gone, you may be able to use the outdated content removal tool at search.google.com/search-conso... to, John Mueller on Bluesky
- There's a lot of state-of-the-art work being done on both sides of that problem., John Mueller on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- The ultimate consent strategy to maximize customer opt-ins
- Google updated its ranking algorithms for explicit videos and explicit content
- LinkedIn launches new video ad formats, Adobe integration
- Google DeepMind CEO: We’ll dominate AI search and assistants
- Google Ads In-Market Segments: Your guide to High-Intent audiences
- How to use competitive audits for AI SERP optimization
- To show in Google AI Mode & AI Overviews, your page must be indexed
- Why your best content is invisible to AI search engines (and how to fix it in 30 minutes)
- Why SOPs are the secret weapon for small SEO teams
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- What Is Neil Hiding? Bankrupt FTX Sues Neil Patel for $55 Million, Zyppy Marketing
- Google takes a gamble in class action jury trial over cell phone data use, Reuters
- OpenAI slams court order to save all ChatGPT logs, including deleted chats, Ars Technica
- OpenAI tops 3 million paying business users, launches new features, CNBC
- Watch Google Works Hard to Earn Trust of Users, Pichai Says, Bloomberg
- Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai dismisses AI job fears, emphasizes expansion plans, TechCrunch
Links & Content Marketing
- 7 Intro Formulas That Turn Skimmers Into Readers, Content Marketing Institute
- Link Building Best Practices for SEO Success, The Upper Ranks
Local & Maps
- Android Auto adds heads-up Google Maps navigation pane in cars, 9to5Google
- How Google Maps Convinced Me It's Time To Switch to Waze Full Time, AutoEvolution
- Polestar Gets Custom Google Maps Experience, Droid Life
- The Features CarPlay Should Get in the Next iPhone Update, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- Exclusive: AirPods to get camera control, sleep detection, new gestures, 9to5Mac
- Gemini for Android may soon get autocomplete for search queries, Android Authority
- Here’s what’s inside Meta’s experimental new smart glasses, The Verge
SEO
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) & AI Optimization (AIO) vs SEO, Explained CLEARLY, Ann Smarty
- Reddit Marketing Statistics 2025: Brands Facing Reputation Risks & What to Do, Smarty Marketing
- “Yes; (Google Sucks) AND…” – The Off-Site Reasons Why Organic Is Dropping Across the Board, AIMCLEAR
- Google AI Mode & AI Overviews: Text Fragments as the Key, GPT Insights
PPC
- AI Max Revealed: The Real Performance Data Behind Google's Bold Claims, Hopskip Media
- From generative AI to Gen Z How brands can win the next digital shopping revolution, Microsoft Advertising
- 8 Key Takeaways from Google Marketing Live 2025, JumpFly
Search Features
- An upcoming major Google Translate redesign could lean heavily into AI, Android Police
- ChatGPT can now read your Google Drive and Dropbox, The Verge
- Google Discover adds bullet point summaries to some news articles, Nieman Journalism Lab
Other Search
- Gemini app doubles recently introduced 2.5 Pro query limit, 9to5Google
- Microsoft Bets On Agents to Fuel Next Chapter of AI Growth, The Information
- Perplexity’s CEO Sees AI Agents as the Next Web Battleground, Wired
- We tested 5 AI summarizers with documents and books. Here are the best., Washington Post
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