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 Ads and Merchant Center now allow upload Customer Match via Merchant API. Bing is testing an overlay for source icons. Google Ads is testing an open in new window icon. Google Ads removed the shocking content restriction for younger accounts. Google's John Mueller says meta descriptions, although useful, are not required by Google.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google: Meta Descriptions Not Required But They Are Useful
Google's John Mueller said that while it is useful for site owners to add meta descriptions to their web pages, it is "definitely not a requirement," he added. The usefulness comes from sometimes writing a meta description, "helps you to figure out a clear focus for a page," John wrote on Reddit. -
Google Ads Customer Match Uploaded Via Merchant API
We knew this was coming, Google Ads now allows you to upload your customer loyalty data, i.e. Customer Match data, via the Google Merchant API. Google told us this change was coming back in March and Google has finally updated its documentation to say this is possible. -
Bing Search Source Favicons Tests Overlay Vs Anchors
Microsoft Bing is testing having the source favicons at the top of the search results page work as an overlay box with more links. Previously, when you clicked on an icon it would anchor you down to that specific search result on the page but instead, in this tests, there is an overlay with the links. -
Google Ads Tests Open In New Window Icon
Google is testing adding an open in new window icon on sponsored results within the Google Search results. This icon appears at the end of the URL in the Google search ads. -
Google Removes Shocking Content From Ads Not Allowed For Young Users
Yesterday, Google announced it was "renaming and updating the Default Ads Treatment policy to improve the clarity and transparency of the policy." But it did one more thing, it removed "shocking content" from the list of categories of ads that would not be shown while Google was determining the user's age. -
Indoor Soccer At Google Bangalore Office
Did you know they have an indoor soccer game at the Google office in Bangalore? Here is a screenshot from a video I found on Instagram of a Googler kicking a ball into a soccer net.
Other Great Search Threads:
- The SEO habit almost nobody talks about.....but it keeps working, BlackHatWorld
- Crawl Stats dominated by CSS, JS, images and fonts instead of HTML pages on a WordPress news site, Reddit
- If you're serving bots nicely formatted markdown but giving users div soup that forces them to download 15MB of JS that does nothing for them, you're treating humans as second class citizens., Chris Spann on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Why proving technical SEO ROI is so difficult
- How to safely implement high-impact technical SEO changes
- How to build a 120-minute weekly SEO workflow that gets results
- AI search is driving customers. Can you measure it?
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- How ChatGPT Deep Research reads your site: What the logs reveal, Peec AI
- ‘There’s this deep mystery of what, actually, is this thing?’: the philosopher inside Google DeepMind AI, The Guardian
Analytics
- Google Tag Manager UI Updates, Simo Ahava's blog
Industry & Business
- Google accepts need for 'new value exchange' with publishers, Press Gazette
- Top Google Security Staff Warn Search Data Could Be Hacked if EU Rules Change, Wired
- Amazon Prime Day Total Online Spending Surpasses Adobe Estimate, Bloomberg
- Google Antitrust Case Puts Spotlight On De Facto Exclusivity, Law360
- Google and Tesla Wrap Up a Magnificent Day, Wall Street Journal
- Search engine age-checking rules begin in Australia, Information Age
- UK regulator considers opening Apple, Google app stores to rival payments, Reuters
Links & Content Marketing
- Digital PR Done Right: Earned Media Strategies and Human-First Pitching, Advanced Web Ranking
- Is Blogging Still Relevant for AI Search Visibility? What the Research Says, TopRank Marketing
Local & Maps
- Google Gemini rolls out across Renault's vehicle fleet, Automotive World
- How to Ask for Google Reviews: During and After Service Delivery (With Template and Examples), Corina Burri
- Google Search Agents and MULO Brands, Street Fight
Other Search
- ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool for people in the US, Social Media Today
- OpenAI is teasing new hardware… for Codex, The Verge
PPC
- Track the full impact of YouTube brand campaigns, Google Blog
- Value-Based Bidding for Better Lead Quality, Hop Skip Media
- Why Your Google AI Max Isn't Working, Brainlabs
- Deprecating Structured Data Files v9, v9.1, and v9.2, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Shorts Ads Actions Added To Columns in Google Ads, PPC News Feed
- Google Ads Inventory Type Rebrand Reaches Accounts, PPC News Feed
Search Features
- Don't Like Gemini? Here's How To Roll Back To Google Assistant On Your Android Phone, Engadget
- The Gemini app is bringing personalized image creation to more users., Google Blog
SEO
- Google Discover grouping publishers together below AI summary, Press Gazette
- New Research from Similarweb: How AI Brand Mentions Influence Direct Visits & Traditional Search Queries, SparkToro
Feedback:
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