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 announced AI Max is rolling out to all as a beta, plus announced a number of new features for advertisers. Google is testing sponsored ads with search refinement options. Google tests dropping hotel star reviews for the hotel's web site and phone number. Google is testing local ad cards in the search results. Bing is testing link icons in the sitelinks.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Ads AI Max For Search Campaigns Globally Available & More
Google announced a number of updates to Google Ads at Think Retail yesterday, including the global rollout of AI Max for Search campaigns, new Google Merchant Center features, AI updates to Asset Studio, and more. -
Bing Testing Link Icons In Sitelinks For Microsoft Ads
Microsoft is testing putting link icons in the sitelinks carousel buttons within the Bing search ads from Microsoft Advertising. Normally, you'd just see the carousel of sitelinks below the search snippet but here Microsoft is testing adding a link icon to them. -
Google Tests Sponsored Ads With Search Refinement Options
Google is testing adding search refinement options in the sponsored ads in a carousel format. The test shows refinements named "fine-tune your search," "search specific products" and "specify your search." But I bet there are more. -
Google Tests Replacing Hotel Review Stars For Website & Phone Number
Google is testing replacing the review stars at the top of the hotel knowledge panel with listing the hotel's website URL and the hotel's phone number. -
Google Search Testing New Local Ad Cards Format
Google seems to be testing a new format for local ads in the search results. These look more like that older card format test we saw a year or so ago. There are these two local cards at the top and when you click on them, the local panel for that Google Business Profile opens up. -
Google Sleek & Curved Hovering Meeting Areas
From one of the campuses at the Google office, I think this is the Google Cloud office, they have these hovering sleek, curbed meeting areas.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Google Search AI Overview leaking its own product search payload in plaintext, Jane Manchun Wong on X
- I'll pass a note on. FWIW sometimes when a site disappears completely, it can be due to accidental removal requests made in Search Console (eg, wanting to remove the non-www version; not realizing it removes both www/non-www). I'd double-check there + che, John Mueller on Bluesky
- just sipping my tea (actually an iced shaken espresso) and not responding to the “SEO is dead” bros, Celeste Gonzalez on Bluesky
- You asked, we shipped! Scripted mode just dropped for audio generation in Copilot Labs (c/o our new MAI-Voice-1 model). Scripted mode: reads your input verbatim Emotive: riffs a bit for max drama Story: performs multiple voice, Mustafa Suleyman on X
- SEO 'Expert' just uploaded Google disavow file with all our good links, Reddit
- Google on 9/11, Barry Schwartz on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Reddit launches Pro tools for publishers
- Google Ads rolls out Suggested plans in Performance Planner
- Ranking in Google doesn’t guarantee visibility in ChatGPT: Study
- Google to retailers: Use AI to win the longer holiday season
- Google expands AI Max globally to give advertisers more control
- Brands back new licensing standard to charge AI for training data
- The Google Ads mistakes costing SMBs time and money
- Measuring GEO: What’s trackable now and what’s still missing
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
- From 2003 to 2025: Two Decades of SEO News — Expert Interview with Barry Schwartz, SEO by Marta
- Google scraps some cloud data transfer fees in EU and UK, Reuters
- Perplexity Finalizes $20 Billion-Valuation Round, The Information
- Will The Anti-Monopoly Ruling Crack Open Google's Data?, Moz
Links & Content Marketing
- 5 Ways Content Design & Formatting Are Harming Your Website, Alice Rowan Content Marketing
- Hidden Costs of Cheap Content: Why Bargains Hurt Your Brand, RicketyRoo
Local & Maps
- Yelp, Google remove fake reviews after Trump’s DC restaurant visit, DC News Now
- The Apple CarPlay "Myth:" BMW Claims Drivers Still Like In-Car Navigation, BMW Blog
Mobile & Voice
- Amazon is Developing AR Glasses in Challenge to Meta, The Information
- Apple is teaching its artificial intelligence to adapt to the Trump era, POLITICO
- ChatGPT Voice Update, OpenAI Help Center
- Global Premium Smartphone Sales Hit Record H1 High in 2025, Counterpoint Research
SEO
- 8 Ways to Adapt Your SEO Strategy for LLM-Powered Search, Exploding Topics
- CrUX Dashboard deprecation, Chrome for Developers Blog
- How to Create an SEO Client Report That Builds Trust and Retains Clients, SEO Sherpa
- SEO vs. GEO: 5 Key Differences Despite the Similarities, Ahrefs
- Zero-Click Timeline – Googles Insufferable March to “Killing Search”, Search Engine World
- Amazon Loses Organic Product Grid Rankings After Google Change, Audience Key
PPC
- AI Overlords - This is Why We Want Control, PPC Live
- Google Publishes Help Page for Suggested Plans in Performance Planner, PPC News Feed
- Google Search Ads 360 Adds Criteo As First On-Site Retail Media Supply Partner, AdExchanger
- Updates to Cryptocurrencies and related products policy Argentina (September 2025), Google Advertising Policies Help
Search Features
- Announcing Genkit Go 1.0 and Enhanced AI-Assisted Development, Google Developers Blog
- Perplexity Comet to get local MCPs unlocking file access, Testing Catalog
- The web has a new system for making AI companies pay up, The Verge
- What Happens When AI Mode Becomes Default?, Ann Smarty
Other Search
- 100 Most Cited Domains in ChatGPT, Ahrefs
- Google's AI is the 'worst' for stealing content, says People CEO, Fortune
Feedback:
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