Daily Search Forum Recap: September 4, 2026

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 testing a new way for you to verify your Google Business Profiles with business photos. Google now allows Waze Ads outside of the United States. Google Ads is testing another variation of expandable sitelinks, where sitelinks are collapsed by default and a number indicator shows how many more are available. Microsoft is testing bolding the https portion of the URLs in the Bing Search results. Google Ads is now pushing notifications to advertisers for recommendations they have previously dismissed. We got a number of updates coming from OpenAI about ChatGPT Ads and the ChatGPT Ads Manager. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• New Google Business Profiles Submit A Business Photo For Verification
  Google Business Profiles seems to be adding a fifth way to verify your business, this new method is by submitting a photo of your business location. The other methods are phone or text, email, live video call or a postcard in the mail.
• Google Expands Waze Ads Beyond The United States
  Google has expanded access to Waze Ads beyond the United States and to a total of 42 countries. Google updated the PMax help documents in the Google Ads help center with this new information. It now says, "Waze Ads are currently available across select global markets..."
• Google Ads Collapsing Sitelinks That You Can Expand
  Google Ads is testing another variation of expandable sitelinks, where sitelinks are collapsed by default and a number indicator shows how many more are available. You can then click to expand the sitelinks to show more.
• Bing Tests Bolded HTTPS URLs In Snippets
  Microsoft is testing bolding the https portion of the URLs in the Bing Search results. We've seen Microsoft test HTTPS labels in various forms over the years, including using lock icons. But here, Microsoft Bing is being more subtle about it by just bolding the HTTPS portion of the URL.
• Google Ads Pushing Dismissed Recommendations
  Google Ads is now pushing notifications to advertisers for recommendations they have previously dismissed. Google shows a message in the ads console that reads, "You still have dismissed recommendations for this campaign," which you can dismiss once again?
• ChatGPT Ads Manager Plugin, Audience Updates, Product Feeds & More
  We got a number of updates coming from OpenAI about ChatGPT Ads and the ChatGPT Ads Manager, we also suspect that the shopping results coming from ChatGPT only come from those who submit product feeds. The other updates include a plugin for integration with ChatGPT and/or Codex, custom audience improvements, conversion matching updates, ad unit formats, budget pacing, more conversion optimization options and expansion of the platform.
• Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Ad Tech Monopoly Won’t Be Broken Up, AI Mode Takes Over, Gemini Not Citing, AdSense Impression Changes & Bugs
  This week, we covered how Google for the second time dodged being broken up, this time over its ad tech monopoly. Google AI Overviews are expanding by default...
• View From Google's London Office
  Here is a photo from the rooftop of the Google London office looking out over London. I spotted this on Instagram.

Other Great Search Threads:

• 25th Anniversary, WebmasterWorld
• That this can happen is known, and to some extent, expected... different contexts of the same "words entered" can make something branded or non-branded. Eg: [polo], [subway], [patagonia], [visa], etc. Some sites rank both for the branded & non-branded versions, so ideally we'd list them both., John Mueller on Bluesky
• AdSense Earnings and Observations - September 2026, WebmasterWorld
• To make planning a lot more reliable, we’re launching WeatherNext 3 in Search today. Our newest, most accurate AI weather model from @GoogleDeepMind and @GoogleResearch brings a huge upgrade to forecasts whether you’re looking a few days out or planning for the weekend, Robby Stein on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google to fix citation bug with Gemini 3.8 Flash in AI Mode
• SMX Now: Find the entity gaps holding back your content strategy
• The SEO warning signs before organic traffic falls
• 3 SEO priorities to win organic traffic in 2027
• What your Google Ads hour-of-day report doesn’t tell you
• AI works best when it removes work, not judgment

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are all down in confirmed outages, 9To5Google
• Gemini Spark rolling out Google Photos control for editing, sharing, 9To5Google
• Microsoft AI’s MAI-Transcribe-2 undercuts OpenAI, Google and ElevenLabs on price and speed, VentureBeat
• OpenAI Cut Off a Billion-Dollar Customer to Avoid Elon Musk, Wired
• OpenAI launches Astra, its powerful (and controversial) new model, TechCrunch
• OpenAI launches initiative to protect utilities from AI hacks, Axios
• Why Established Brands Aren’t Visible in AI Search (And How to Fix It), Jenny Munn
• Introducing GPT-6 Astra, ChatGPT Release Notes

Industry & Business

• Reddit Hit With Antitrust Counterclaims Over Google Data-Access Deal, Pymnts
• Google’s immunity to breakup is starting to feel inevitable., Digiday
• Reddit promised its users an open internet. Then it closed the door., SerpApi
• Google engineer unplugged every fiber they could see and – surprise! – took down a chunk of the G-Cloud, The Register
• Anthropic Splits From Google, OpenAI Over State AI Safety Bill, The Information

Links & Content Marketing

• AI Reawakens the Need for PR and Earned Media, Content Marketing Institute
• Content Strategy in the Age of AI: What to Keep in Mind, Cypress North

Local & Maps

• Organic Maps is a great offline Google Maps alternative, but it wasn't enough to make me switch, Android Police
• MapQuest tops Apple App Store after refusing to change Lake Ontario to "Lake America", CBS News
• MapQuest app downloads surge after Lake Ontario name change refusal, Boston Globe
• Rescued Hikers Blame Google's Gemini for Giving Bad Trip Advice, PC Magazine

PPC

• Google Tag Gateway for Advertisers Exits Beta on Akamai and Fastly, PPC News Feed
• Six holiday shopping trends in 2026, Microsoft Advertising
• Google Performance Max Channel Controls: What Advertisers Need to Know, Brainlabs
• Microsoft Advertising Adds Dual-ID Account Linking, PPC News Feed
• Update to Google Ads Personalized Advertising Policy (September 2026), Google Advertising Policies Help
• Klaviyo Added as Customer Data Source Partner, PPC News Feed
• App Campaigns Product Report Adds Cost and Conversions, PPC News Feed
• Help guide in the AdSense Help Center (Beta), Google AdSense Help

Search Features

• Microsoft cancels Edge feature that would have benefitted Google Search users, Neowin
• Gemini in Google Chrome now lets you upload files directly, Android Authority

SEO

• SEO Trends Ecommerce Brands Cannot Ignore, Assertive Media
• What's Limiting Your AI Visibility? Find & Fix Every Visibility Gap, WordStream
• Maggie Beer Holdings Posts $9.5M Loss After Website Migration, Inspirepreneur Magazine
• GEO, AEO Or AI Search Optimisation?, Koozai

Feedback:

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