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's head of search, Liz Reid, spoke about ads and SEO with AI Search. Google is testing site names in AI Overviews. Google launches "preferred sources" for Top Stories in Search in Labs. Google Ads has updated its preview tool. Google launched Offerwall to publishers. Google and Bing tests bolding on hover. And I posted my weekly SEO video recap - a great place to catch up on the weeks news.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Search News Buzz Video Recap: Where The Google Core Updates, Web Is Thriving & AI Index Freshness
Another week and more Google search ranking volatility hits, this time on June 25 and June 26. Google promised more core updates, more often, but that did not happen. Google's Nick Fox says he questions the AI Overview click studies and says the web is thriving... -
Google AI Overviews Tests Showing Site Names
Google is testing adding the site name next to the link icons in the AI Overviews within Google Search. This makes it much more likely for searchers to click on the links and click over to the source of the information. -
Head Of Google Search, Liz Reid, On Ads & SEO With AI Search
Liz Reid, the head of Google Search, spoke with Reed Albergotti of Semafor, on Google's push towards AI Search. The interview was conducted weeks ago at Google I/O but was just published this week. It is worth a read but I wanted to highlight the SEO comments and ads comments in that article. -
Google Top Stories Preferred Sources Labs Feature Can Be Big For Publishers
Google Search is testing yet another way to indicate to Google that you prefer specific sources, news sources, and publications, so that Google can show you fresh content from those sources. It is a Search Labs feature called "Preferred Sources" and is available for English in the US and India. -
Google Offerwall Out Of Beta
After over a year of being in beta, Google has announced the launch of Offerwall. "Offerwall messages allow your site visitors to choose alternative ways to support your site and gain access to your content, such as viewing a rewarded ad or paying a fee," Google wrote. -
Google Ads Ad Preview Tool Update
Google seems to be rolling out an update to its Ad Preview tool within Google Ads. The ad preview tool also shows a preview of a Google search result page for a specific term. This helps you view which ads and assets are appearing for your keyword, Google explained. -
Google & Bing Testing Bolding Snippets On Hover
Both Google and Microsoft Bing are testing hover effects that will bold elements of the search results. Google is testing bolding the description of the snippet and Bing is testing bolding the title of the snippet. -
Google Korea Box Logo Wall
I am not sure how to describe this Google signage, but it is at the Google office in Korea. The wall has these box pattern with the Google logo illuminated in front of it.
Other Great Search Threads:
- AI citations are now in @ahrefs Site Explorer. You can see the numbers and changes from our Brand Radar indexes on all plans, but to see the actual mentions and citations, you'll have to subscribe to Brand Radar., Patrick Stox on X
- for this new images feed in Google App - will Google be sharing the impressions/clicks data in Search Console in any way?, Gagan Ghotra on Bluesky
- Just got this email: "Completed advertiser verification by January 20, 1970", Yash Mandlesha on LinkedIn
- Remember OpenAI's update to ChatGPT Search on June 13th? I've spotted an interesting pattern on three very large sites. OAI-SearchBot was crawling a lot up until June 12th. Then... the crawl frequency plummeted. Has anyone, Juan Gonzalez Villa on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Search tests “Preferred Sources” for Top Stories
- Google Search Chief Liz Reid on ads, AI, and the future of search
- Google’s Liz Reid: It isn’t AI or search; it’s AI in search
- SEO-friendly URLs: What you need to know
- The 5 new realities of search: Rethinking content strategy for 2026 and beyond
- Google launches Offerwall, a customizable content access tool for publishers
- As Google shifts to AI search, legacy SEO faces a new reality
- How Google AI Overviews are changing the PPC game
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- How to Use Google Analytics?, Analytics Insight
Industry & Business
- Key Insights from SMX Advanced Boston | What SEOs Need to Know, Locomotive Agency
- OpenAI, Microsoft Rift Hinges on How Smart AI Can Get, Wall Street Journal
- Union alleges Google did not give required notice of mass layoffs, Mountain View Voice
Links & Content Marketing
- Should News Disrupt Content Plans? A 2-Question Test, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- How Digital Maps Decide What Names Appear, AFAR
- Top Google Maps Feature Now Available for All Users, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- Gemini is getting ready to replace Google Assistant on Android, The Verge
- Upcoming Gemini for Android change lets you use more apps with fewer privacy concerns, Android Police
SEO
- Agentic SEO: A C-Level Guide to AI-Driven Marketing, WordLift Blog
- AI SEO Experts Don’t Exist But Here Are Some Ways To Improve Your Strategy, ARCM
- Could optimizing for vector search do more harm than good?, Marie Haynes
- Demystifying SEO for developers, Search Off the Record
- Google’s “Ask For Me” is now reaching out to law firms, DCDiGiTAL PRO
- How to Run Query Fan-Out Analysis in Screaming Frog Using Gemini AI, Metehan
PPC
- 6 Steps to a Brilliant Google Ads Account Structure, WordStream
- Google Shopping Ads Now Available in Google Lens Results, JumpFly
- Microsoft Advertising Now Reviews Individual Assets for Policy Compliance, PPC News Feed
Search Features
- AI Traffic Has Increased 9.7x in the Past Year, Ahrefs
- Begun, the AI Browser Wars Have, Spyglass
- Google Photos’ Ask Photos feature improved, expanded availability, Google Blog
- Is AI Killing Truth and Trust on the Web?, The Upper Ranks
- Try on looks and discover your style with Doppl, Google Blog
Other Search
- DeepSeek’s Progress Stalled by U.S. Export Controls, The Information
- Exclusive: Scale AI's Spam, Security Woes Plagued the Company While Serving Google, Inc
- Google for Startups launches Gemini API Kit and more AI resources, Google Blog
- Two new ways YouTube is using AI to bring you more of what you love, YouTube Blog
Feedback:
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