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.
Third-party Google Search tracking tools are failing because Google is blocking them way too often. Google is testing using AI to come up with suggested goals and assets for your Google Ads campaigns. Microsoft announced Microsoft-Decision-1 last week and it is already being experimented with in both Bing Search and Copilot. Google says poor image quality will not stop products from showing in Google Search or Ads. Google will show AI Overviews for typos and when Search finds no results. The search performance reports in Google Search Console were very delayed over the weekend.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Third-Party Google Rank Tracking Struggling Now
Google seems to be successfully blocking enough of the attempts of scrapers from trying to scrap data from its search results page over the past few weeks than it has in a long time. We reported this a few weeks ago, and I am surprised to see that many tools still struggle with Google Search reporting. -
Google Ads Tests Using Google AI For Goals & Assets
Google is testing using AI to come up with suggested goals and assets for your Google Ads campaigns. Google has confirmed this is a current test. -
Bing & Copilot Experimenting With Microsoft-Decision-1
Microsoft announced Microsoft-Decision-1 last week and it is already being experimented with in both Bing Search and Copilot. Microsoft-Decision-1 is a "decision-scoring model delivers top performance in latency and quality on structured decision tasks to outperform both LLMs and other decision models," Microsoft said. -
Google AI Overviews For Typos & No Search Results
Yes, Google often shows AI Overviews when Google Search cannot match specific web pages or when it thinks your query is a typo. In fact, Google AI Overviews can respond by saying, "It looks like your message might have been a typo or random keyboard input." -
Google: Poor Image Quality Won't Stop Products From Showing In Search Or Ads
Google has updated its Google Merchant Center low image quality help document to now say that poor image quality will not stop those products from showing in Google Search or Google Ads. -
Google Search Console Performance Report Extremely Delayed
The search performance reports in Google Search Console is now over 64 hours delayed, which is incredibly unusual for this report. Generally, we see this report updated within a few hours but over the past few days, post-spam update, the report has been lagging. -
Noogler Cupcakes
Here are custom designed Noogler cupcakes from the Google Dublin office. Nooglers are new Googlers who just got hired by Google. So Google gave them special cupcakes.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Bing with updated layout for sponored ads results section. Also the cta button usually it was coloured but now transparent., Khushal Bherwani on X
- Google Discover has just introduced Bluesky cards, similar to those for X(.)com, Threads, and TikTok. We see a card showing a Bluesky post and a clickable CNN link. That is, as with X(.)com, and Threads, the CNN(.)com link contained within the Bluesky post is directly, Damien Andell on X
- Thanks for bringing this to our attention. That's not accurate. The Help Center article on this is up-to-date: "If you don't want your video to serve on YouTube, you may use an unlisted YouTube video in the campaign." More here, AdsLiaison on X
- We’re experimenting with it in Copilot and it’s pretty good! Very impressed with how quickly they improved it as well., Rangan Majumder on X
- When sites drop for their core queries due to major algorithm updates, other queries can show up prominently in GSC since the other core queries are now gone... If think those newish queries are scary or dangerous (and you believe they are truly NEW), I highly recommend exporting, Glenn Gabe on X
- ChatGPT's total website visits grew by 3.35% in Q3 compared to the previous quarter., Similarweb on X
- I don't think this would be considered a UGC platform, sorry! Sitemaps seems more fitting, where do we mention not to use them? Would unavailable after work for some of these, or is it always unknown ahead of time?, John Mueller on Bluesky
- Google wants to transform Google Discover into a proactive, hyper-personalized feed. This comes from the job posting for Principal, UX, Search Discover. Director+ level. Mountain View, CA or New York, NY. The posting says this person will drive the UX strategy and execution for, Damien Andell on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Ads adds automatic text overlays to Demand Gen video ads
- Google launches Display & Video 360 Structured Data Files v11 with expanded targeting
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- Your boss is nervous about AI, too
- What Google AI Mode follow-up questions reveal about your content
- Google AI Mode ads: Everything you need to know
- The PPC marketer’s guide to Google’s Meridian
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- AI companies plot "day after" scenarios for public revolt, Axios
- Google Employees Praise Latest Gemini 4 Internal Model, Business Insider
- Senate Report Challenges Big Tech’s Case for AI Data Centers, TIME
Analytics
- User Groups Admin API, Google Analytics Help
Industry & Business
- The Desperate Hunt for AI Computing Power Is Upending Silicon Valley, Wall Street Journal
- The Other Anthropic Founder Trying to Fix the Company’s ‘Woke’ Reputation, Wall Street Journal
- 28 AI Search Experts Who Actually Advance the Field (2026), I Love SEO
- The Attractive Economics Behind Anthropic Data Center Sprint, The Information
- Yandex: Ukraine strikes data centre in third attack on Russian tech giant, BBC
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
- Plumbers Without Websites: More than 1 in 3 on Google Maps Have None, Sixth City Marketing
- Google Maps Showing Accident Alerts Everywhere, So What's Going On?, Autoevolution
- This Gemini Map feature solved my biggest search frustration in seconds, Android Police
Other Search
PPC
- FouAnalytics and fraud0 Partner to Bring Automated Google Ads Refunds to the World's Largest Advertisers, PR Newswire
- Google tests new design for ads at bottom of AI Mode responses, Search Engine Watch
- Google Redefines Video Engagements: 10 Seconds Now Required, PPC News Feed
- Microsoft Adds Messaging Guidelines to Text Guardrails, PPC News Feed
- Video Reach Campaigns Get Automated Bidding in Beta, PPC News Feed
- Google Explains Suspensions for Suspicious Payment Activity, PPC News Feed
- Google Clarifies GG_ Transaction IDs, PPC News Feed
- Google LSA's October Update Creates a New Lead Attribution Problem, HackerNoon
Search Features
- Bing tests light blue bubbles for sitelinks on desktop, Search Engine Watch
- The SERP Stops Being the Default Between 2028 and 2030, and the Place It Moves Already Exists, Duane Forrester Decodes
SEO
- How to plan 2027 when traffic is down and AI won't attribute, Growth Memo
- SEO Migrations For Enterprise: How To Plan, Execute And Assess A Site Migration, Prosperity Media
- What is Site Authority? The siteAuthority Signal in the Google Leak, Hobo
- Spam, Spam, AI, and Spam: What’s Really Happening with Google’s Latest Updates, Liz Bowers
Feedback:
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