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 Merchant API will replace the Content API for Shopping in the coming year. Google Trends API has been out for a month but SEOs should not expect access to it any time soon. Google is testing vertical image layouts for top stories. Google's Barry Pollard explained why core web vitals measurements don't match in Search Console to the Chrome UX report. Google AI Overviews explain overlay is testing a tray UI.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Why Google Chrome UX Report & Search Console Don't Match
While I think SEOs spend way too much time and effort on Core Web Vitals, many do ask why does the Google Chrome UX report often not match what is shown in the Google Search Console core web vitals report. Well, as Google's Barry Pollard said, they look at "different measures." -
Google Tests Vertical Images For Top Stories
Google is testing vertical images within the Top Stories section of the Google search results on desktop. We've seen vertical or portrait layouts for top stories on mobile, but I don't think I've seen it look like this on desktop. -
SEOs, Don't Expect Access To The Google Trends API Soon
As you know, Google released the Google Trends API as an alpha release last month. And many SEOs have already applied for access. But if you are an SEO or even a small publisher, I would not expect access to this API any time soon. -
Google AI Overviews Explain Overlay Tests Bottom Tray
Google AI Overviews has this feature where you can select the text in the AI Overview and an overlay with explain this, related images and copy text (sometimes other features) overlay as buttons for you to do more with. Google even tested keyboard shortcuts for it. But now Google is testing this in a bottom tray design. -
Google Merchant API Is Replacing The Content API For Shopping
Over a decade ago, Google released the Content API for Shopping to let merchants manage their Google Merchant Center feed programmatically. Well, that has been officially replaced by the Google Merchant API. -
Google France Googley Hanging Decorations
Here is a photo from the Google office in France. You can see these decorations hanging in the center, like these leaf like art pieces, in the Google red, blue, green and yellow colors.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Two pro webperf tips! Are you using Annotations in your performance traces?, Barry Pollard on Bluesky
- Want to see Google AI stumped? Ask it about Oreo spelled backwards. It's a joke on the internet, but the logic paradox presented by data seems to have caused the AI to go into deeper processing and perhaps even timing out wi, Chris Silver Smith on X
- Passionate about AI & web-scale challenges? We're expanding and hiring talented Principal Engineers to advance our Web Data Platform, supporting cutting-edge next-gen LLM grounding for future scenarios. Join us!, Fabrice Canel on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- TikTok limits posts to five hashtags
- Want to win at local SEO? Focus on reviews and customer sentiment
- Google Ads to end manual language targeting in Search campaigns
- Google Search Console: How to fix ‘Duplicate without user-selected canonical’
- Google’s great clarity cleanup: 3 shifts redefining the Knowledge Graph and its AI future
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Consent Mode Best Practices: GTM Study of 1,000 Websites, Measure Minds Group
Industry & Business
- Google Lifting Stake in TeraWulf With Additional $1.4 Billion Backstop, Wall Street Journal
- Google, Kairos to deploy advanced nuclear reactor in TVA, CNBC
- Microsoft Hires Google's DV360 Head For AI Advertising Strategy, MediaPost
- Our first advanced nuclear reactor project with Kairos Power and Tennessee Valley Authority, Google Blog
- Phishing Scam Poses as Google Job Offer, PPC News Feed
Links & Content Marketing
- Move Over Authentic AI: Real Beats Perfect in Marketing, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- 7 Reasons Why Local Businesses Need a Website More Than Ever in the AI Era, Local Falcon
- Censorship Double Standards in Google Business Profiles, Online Ownership
- I use Google Maps every day — here's 11 underrated features you should try now, Tom's Guide
- The Data-Backed Argument for Near Me Optimization, Localogy
Mobile & Voice
- Google Translate will soon use Gemini for more accurate translations, Android Police
- Report: Siri to Get New Design on iPhone and iPad as Early as Next Year, MacRumors
SEO
- Do Similar Processes Cause Duplicate Content Penalties?, Adam Riemer
- From 10 to 7 Blue Links: The New Way of Tracking Rankings, Search Engine People
- Generative Engine Optimization: Growth Strategies and Metrics For the AI Era, Ahrefs
- How 3 top SEO tools track your brand in AI, SEO For Journalism
- How to Optimize Your Ecommerce Store for AI Search (7 Steps), Backlinko
- Search Everywhere Optimization: 5 Places to Optimize Beyond Google, Ahrefs
- The Secret Migration: How Site Navigation Changes Can Destroy SEO, Sitebulb
- Why Google is not Crawling Your Site, The SEO Adventure
- Why the Soft Navigations API Enables Better SPA Core Web Vitals Auditing, SALT agency
- Wirecutter dropped heavily in search visibility over the past four months – Was it a reviews update, Google’s ‘Starkly different’ algorithm, or was vertical expertise rewarded?, GSQI
- What does an SEO do in 2025?, DEJAN
- Why Informational Content Is Critical for Ecommerce SEO, JumpFly Digital Marketing Blog
PPC
- 10 Seasonal PPC Strategies to Drive Growth All Year, WordStream
- Your Google Ads Metrics Look Great, So Why Aren’t You Growing?, Taikun Digital
- How Much Does PPC Cost? A Comprehensive Guide, Hopskip Media
Search Features
- Google's AI Overviews led users astray, reports say some phone numbers are scams, Android Central
- URL context tool for Gemini API now generally available, Google Developers Blog
Other Search
- AI Systems Often Prefer AI-Written Content, Study Finds, Search Engine Journal
- Building a web search engine from scratch in two months with 3 billion neural embeddings, Wilson Lin
- OpenAI rolls out cheapest ChatGPT plan at $4.6 in India to chase growth, Reuters
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