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 is now using machine learning to detect the age of a user and then disable some ad features if they are under 18. Google is also testing a "Posts on Reddit" section in Google Search. Google Shopping is testing a clickable sub-menu. Google Ads AI Max group settings with search term matching is out. Google Search Terms insights categories for responsive search ads is also out. And Microsoft announced earnings and its advertising revenue is up again 21%.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google To Use Machine Learning To Determine Age For Ads & More
Google emailed advertisers and publishers yesterday that they will begin using machine learning to estimate the age of signed-in users in the United States to "protect young people as they use Google products." This means Google will disable... -
Google Search Posts On Reddit Section Replacing Discussion and Forums?
Google is testing a new section in the search results titled "Posts on Reddit." This section seems to maybe replacing or be in addition to the Discussions and Forums section, which also shows Reddit threads in a dedicated section. -
Google Search Live With Video Rolling Out
Google has a new beta within Google Ads for Al Max ad group settings with search term matching. This shows when AI Max is turned on and Google wrote in the setting... -
Google Shopping Tests Clickable Submenus Categories
Google is testing a clickable version of the sub-menu within Google Shopping, next to the G super logo we spotted before. This menu is below the other menu and lets you filter down by product sub-category. -
Microsoft Bing Advertising Revenue Up 21% Yet Again
Microsoft reported its fourth quarter 2025 earnings and it showed that its search and advertising revenue was up for the third time in a row by 21%. The previous two quarters it was up 21% as well, then the quarter before that was up 18%, then 19% but before that it was 12% and 8%. -
Google Tests Search Term Insights For Responsive Search Ads
Google seems to be testing the search terms insights report for responsive search ads. Search terms insights help you understand how your customers are searching and engaging with your business on Google. -
Google Family Day Bracelet
Here is a photo from some sort of "Family Day" event at the Google office in Chicago. They have these Google beads or charm bracelets that say Google with a star.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Google's AI Overview, AI Mode, and Gemini rely on Google Search as the foundation of information, mieruca_kun on X
- Having a mismatch in the URLs and content that you show users vs search engines is generally a bad idea, it leaves room for a lot of things to go wrong. While it's possible that your plan will work out, if you need to do it, I'd use #URLs, John Mueller on Bluesky
- We are pleased to help you, attract high-quality referral customers traffic from Bing and solutions using Bing. Thanks for adopting IndexNow, which makes our lives so much easier and allows us to focus on other pr, Fabrice Canel on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- New Google AI Max ads spotted – here’s how they’re different
- Brands dominate Google AI Mode, struggle in AI Overviews: Study
- User-first E-E-A-T: What actually drives SEO and GEO
- AI isn’t the enemy: How bloggers can thrive in a generative search world
- Stop guessing, start testing: The hypothesis-driven SEO approach
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Google Analytics (GA3) Universal Analytics Legacy Guide, MeasureMinds
- Top 10 GA4 Best Practices for 2025, Codefixer
Industry & Business
- Google tool misused to scrub tech CEO’s shady past from search, Ars Technica
- Apple, Google, OpenAI to Work With Feds to Make Health Data Helpful, Bloomberg
- OpenAI Launches Stargate in Europe With Norwegian Deal, Bloomberg
Links & Content Marketing
- 5 Tactics To Ready Content Now for a Future Refresh, Content Marketing Institute
- Content Strategy Framework for Earning Citations from LLMs (Answer Engine Optimization), David Melamed
Local & Maps
- Google announces state-of-the-art geospatial AI models with Earth AI, Google Blog
- I Tested 6 Offline Maps for iPhone—This Is the Only One You Need, Make Use Of
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- Google Expands AI Mode in Search: What Site Owners and SEOs Should Know, Search Engine World
- Journalist Discovers Google Vulnerability That Allowed People to Disappear Specific Pages From Search, 404 Media
- What Are AI Citations & How Do I Get Them?, Semrush
- When Programmatic SEO Backfires, Sara Taher
- Emoji SEO: Do Emojis in Meta Titles Actually Work?, Bitvero
PPC
- Building AI-ready creative: How modular content drives search advertising results, Microsoft Advertising
- Exploring Google’s New “AI Max” Campaigns – Testing Insights & Feedback, PPC Live
- Why Removed Products Stay in Your Google Merchant Center Account – Understanding Product Protection, FeedArmy
Search Features
- AI Mode Isn’t Sticky Yet, iPullRank
- Ensuring a safer online experience for U.S. kids and teens, Google Blog
- Gemini Embedding: Powering RAG and context engineering, Google Developers Blog
- Reddit as a Getaway to Google Search (and ChatGPT): Do’s and Don’ts, Ann Smarty
- Google AI Mode’s Early Adoption and SEO Impact, Semrush
- What is 'Google Zero' and what could it mean for the web?, NPR
Other Search
- Google was once the most exciting place on the internet. ‘AI mode’ will ruin it, The Independent
- What is the Common Crawl Database, and Why should a Site Owner Care?, Search Engine World
Feedback:
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