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 announced the June 2025 core update finished after just over 16 days, but we still see volatility. Google rolled out Gemini 2.5 Pro for AI Mode and Deep Search but you need to pay for it. Google also has AI-powered local business calling, like the Ask For Me feature. Google officially rolled out AI summaries for Google Discover. Google Ads call assets QR codes or send emails are tracked by Google. Google is testing much larger favicons.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google June 2025 Core Update Finished Rolling Out
Google's June 2025 core update is now done rolling out, it took 16 days and 18 hours to complete. The core update started on June 30, 2025 at around 10:34 am ET and ended on July 17, 2025 at around 4:18 am ET. Google posted saying, "The rollout was complete as of July 17, 2025." -
Google AI Mode Gets Gemini 2.5 Pro & Deep Search For A Fee
Google is charging searchers to access the latest and best of its AI Mode and Deep Search. Google released Gemini 2.5 Pro for AI Mode and Deep Search for Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers. -
Google Discover Officially Gets AI-Generated Summaries
Several weeks ago, we reported Google was testing AI-generated summaries for Google Discover. Well, according to TechCrunch, Google has confirmed as of this week, this is an official launch and is rolling out in the U.S. -
How The Google Ask For Me Feature Works & New AI Local Calling
Earlier this year, Google released a new search labs feature named Ask For Me. Google would call local businesses to get the information you need and then send it to you, without you having to pick up a phone. Well, it is still in labs, still an experiment, I am still on the waitlist but according to one user, it can be hit or miss. -
Google Ads Tracks Call Assets QR Codes Or Send Email
For the past couple of years, we've seen Google show QR codes you can scan and email or text this number to call features in the Google Ads. Google's Ads Liaison, Ginny Marvin, confirmed that these actions are indeed tracked by Google Ads, down to the conversion, if you set those up. -
Google Tests Much Larger Favicons In Search
Google is testing much larger favicons in the Google Search results on mobile. We've seen Google test variations to favicons and sitenames countless times and covered a lot of them here but this version has Google using a really large favicon and sometimes removing the site name completely. -
Google Dinosaur Replacement Employee Badge
I guess if a Googler loses his or her badge they can pick up a replacement badge. That replacement badge has a picture of the dinosaur from Chrome. This was shared by Satyajeet Salgar of Google on X, who wrote, "I guess they have a new replacement badge."
Other Great Search Threads:
- Google Discover now testing showing X posts in user feeds. Users can expand the card to see full content of X post in Discover feed itself or can click through to land on X. And links which are there in X posts are clickable t, Gagan Ghotra on X
- I have been seeing a lot of talk about how ChatGPT may have switched from using the Bing index to the Google index., Johnny Herge on LinkedIn
- Aaaand we're coming back up! Phew. We appreciate all your support and patience while we rearranged our feathers, DuckDuckGo on X
- Exciting news! Impression Based Remarketing from @MSFTAdvertising now supports up to 20 campaigns/ad groups as sources! Additionally, so long as at least one of the campaigns is an Audience Ads campaign, any campaign can be, Microsoft Ads Buddy on X
- Josh from Profound about the surge in Reddit citations in ChatGPT starting in May: "That just quietly happened because the folks over at OpenAI turned the dial." Sounds like another company we know. :) "At the same time, there's ins, Glenn Gabe on X
- Thanks for the suggestion, Mike. We understand and continue to focus on ways to bring more visibility in privacy-safe ways. Keep in mind that our bidding systems already evaluate and adjust bids (or stop bidding) on, AdsLiaison on X
- The asset-level reporting shows how individual assets perform each time they're served within an ad. For example, if your ad appears once (one ad impression), but that ad contains three different assets (e.g., o, AdsLiaison on X
- This recipe site is exploding, especially with this core update. They do a lot more than just recipes and seem to have a pretty popular brand. They have a store, events, podcasts, and games on their site - all related to their ni, Lily Ray on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- LinkedIn study reveals how B2B video ads can gain +129% engagement lift
- Google Search adds Gemini 2.5 Pro, AI Deep Search, and agentic local calling
- Google Ads tests expandable summary row in Channel Performance Report
- LLM perception match: The hurdle before fanout and why it matters
- Your website still matters in the age of AI
- Google Search Console adds 24-hour comparison views to performance reports
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Another High-Profile OpenAI Researcher Departs for Meta, Wired
- OpenAI says it will use Google's cloud for ChatGPT, CNBC
- OpenAI to take cut of ChatGPT shopping sales in hunt for revenues, Financial Times (Sub)
- Perplexity's CEO Says Google Must 'Suffer' to Move Forward With AI, Business Insider
Links & Content Marketing
- How Volunteering Can Advance Your Marketing Career, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- So Now You’re Just Going To Bribe Me For Reviews?, SEO Theory
- Ready to ditch Google Maps? My new favorite map app won't track you or drain your battery - and it's free, ZDNET
Mobile & Voice
- Apple TV 4K rumors: 2025 launch date, AppleInsider
- Gemini starts replacing Google Assistant on more Wear OS watches, Android Police
- When Will Google Announce the Pixel 10? August 20. What's New About the Pixel 10, Bloomberg
SEO
- The Era of Zero-Click Search and Zero Click Marketing, Hobo
- Alt Text to Supercharge Discoverability: SEO Guidelines for Smarter Image Optimization, Amsive
- “AI Prompt Optimization”: How SEO Needs to Change, Ann Smarty
- Future-Proofing WordPress SEO: How to Optimize for AI-Driven Search Features, Cshel
- GEO vs SEO: Everything to Know in 2025, WordStream
- How does Googe use the hreflang attribute?, Google Search Central YouTube
- How Working Agency-Side Boosts Your SEO Career, JumpFly Digital Marketing Blog
- SEO vs. GEO: Aleyda Solis on eCommerce Search in an AI-First World, Search Pilot
- The Biggest Lessons I Learned From the HCU So Far, Moz
- THE ZERO RESULT SERP (and the Death of SEO), Dan Callis
- Tracking the right KPIs for SEO, SEO Gets
- Your Real Differentiator is Authority and Trust (EP67), Compass Digital Strategies
- Google Thinks AI Mode Is Good for Users, but the Content Isn’t Good Enough to Rank in Google, Ahrefs
PPC
- Google Spotlights Top Advertisers with Exclusive 'Accelerate with Google 2025' Nominations, PPC Live
- Manual Bidding Strategies Are Still Important To PPC, PPC Hero
- More budget, same results? Why more PPC spend doesn't always get you more conversions, Adalysis
- WhatsApp for Google Ads Support? Industry Experts Raise Concerns, PPC Live
Search Features
- Analysis of Gemini Embed Task-Based Dimensionality Deltas, DEJAN
- Google is testing new ways to lure people into using AI overviews, Android Authority
- Microsoft begins testing desktop sharing with Copilot on Windows 11, Windows Central
- The Temperature Zero Trick: How to Discover What LLMs Really Know About Any Company in 30 Seconds, Metehan
- Three Ways to Remove AI From Your Google Search Results, Lifehacker
- Top Stories, Your Way: What “Preferred Sources” Means for Publishers, Search Engine World
- Microsoft Promotes Edge’s Features in a New Comparison Banner When You Search for Chrome on Bing, Windows Report
Other Search
- 2025 AI & Local Search Consumer Report, Youtech
- Google study shows LLMs abandon correct answers under pressure, threatening multi-turn AI systems, VentureBeat
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