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 added a new user agent to the list, the Chrome Web Store user agent. Google Search Console's API has a long-standing bug when filtering by search appearance. Google Merchant Center has smart cropping, but you can opt out of it. Google is testing infinite endless scrolling for Google Discover. I posted the large Google Webmaster report for November.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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November 2025 Google Webmaster Report
We had a few unconfirmed but big Google search ranking updates but we are still waiting on an official core update... -
Google Merchant Center Smart Cropping - You Can Opt Out
Did you know that Google Merchant Center will automatically crop your product images in Google Shopping if it thinks it will look better in Google Search? Did you know that you can also opt out of what they call "Smart Cropping"? -
Ongoing Google Search Console API Bug Impacts Search Appearance Filter
Google Search Console has a bug with its API when filtering on the searchAppearance dimension. This bug occurs when using the notEquals or notContains operators, it will only return rows with the excluded value, instead of excluding those rows. -
Google Adds Chrome Web Store Google-CWS User Agent To Docs
Google added a new user agent to the Googlebot's user-triggered fetchers documentation. The new user agent is for the Chrome Web Store named Google-CWS. -
Google Discover Tests Infinite Endless Scroll
Google is supposedly testing an endless, infinite scroll for Google Discover. When I scroll through Google Discover, it eventually just stops and doesn't keep going. But Gagan Ghotra said he is seeing it go on and on forever. -
Google Indoor River Boat Desk
Here is an interesting workspace at the Google office in Germany. It is like a river boat that has desks that Googlers can work in. It is indoors, but also in the water, boxed in with glass, a wood deck and the boat.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Apparently, a 0% Google Ads optimization score is possible. My previous low was under 35%, Nate Louis on X
- Google Discover is testing larger publisher icons. Comparing the favicons reveals several interesting points. Google keeps both in its memory. The first: - Very lightweight, small PNG (originally 57x57 pixels, resized). - Google, Damien (andell) on X
- Interesting Google Patent I came across that was published 5/8/25. And btw, whatever happened to Google Perspectives? I think AI Mode and AIOs ran it out of town :) I have not analyzed this patent heavily but it talks about gathering, Glenn Gabe on X
- Our preliminary data shows that ChatGPT is set to surpass the 6 billion total monthly visits benchmark for the first time. Between October 1–30, it generated 5,986,912,477 visits., Similarweb on X
- You can also do a site-removal in Search Console and immediately hide the whole site in the search results, if you mess something up. (For the rare times that people have gotten something wrrong in staging ... :-)), John Mueller on Bluesky
- Will removing a subdomain (cpanel.mydomian.com) in GSC affect my main site?, Reddit
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google adds Chrome Web Store user agent
- 7 focus areas as AI transforms search and the customer journey in 2026
- Google says verify your cloud hosting provider with Search Console
- Google Local Services Ads vs. Search Ads: Which drives better local leads?
- Google AI Overviews guide research, but Search still wins the sale
- Want to write for Search Engine Land?
- How Google’s AI Overviews are accelerating change in paid search
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- ChatGPT’s October Update: Fewer Mentions, Tougher Competition, Profound
- In a First, AI Models Analyze Language As Well As a Human Expert, Quanta Magazine
- Google AI Overview Holiday Shopping Test: 57% Pullback Reveals 2025 Strategy, BrightEdge
- LLM Citations and Brand Mentions are Vanity Metrics, Crawl Space Blog
Industry & Business
- Google’s metasearch crackdown: A win for fair play in the price accuracy game, Koddi
- How Google fooled Brussels: the tech giant’s playbook exposed, Follow the Money
- Microsoft Vows to Spend $8 Billion in UAE Through 2029 on Cloud, Chips, Bloomberg
- OpenAI Seeking Rejected DOJ Search Fixes, Google Says, Law360 UK
- OpenAI signs $38 billion deal with Amazon, first partnership with AWS, CNBC
- Opponents of Google's Fort Wayne data center plan strategy, Journal Gazette
- Yes, Brussels really wants Google to be broken up, POLITICO
Links & Content Marketing
- 4 Ways to Use ChatGPT or LLMs for Publisher Newsletters, Adam Riemer
- Mapping news creators and influencers in social and video networks, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
- The Creator Economy Just Moved Into the Newsroom, Are You There Yet?, Newzdash
- What If Your Best Content Comes From Complaints?, Zoomsphere
- Why the ROI Obsession is Killing Content Marketing, SALT.agency
Local & Maps
- Expert Tips for GBP Suspensions, Verification, and Local Ranking, BrightLocal
- Here's your first look at new gradient icons for Google Maps and Photos, Android Police
SEO
- Differentiated Delivery: Evolving and Cloaking Your Robots.txt into an Active Bot Gatekeeper, Search Engine World
- Research: Which page types are cited most frequently by AI in the travel sector?, SALT.agency
- Should SEO Be A Marketing Team's Job Or Is It Wasting Their Time?, Nikki Pilkington
- Staying Grounded in an AI-Driven SEO World | MJ Cachón, Advanced Web Ranking
- Strategic SEO: The real evolution of SEO isn't technical, Level343
- 26 AI SEO Statistics for 2026 + Insights They Reveal, Semrush
- JavaScript SEO Checklist, Cloud22
PPC
- Performance Max Brand Exclusions: A Guide to Clarity, Hopskip Media
- Suggested Assets Tab Now Fully Explained, PPC News Feed
- Transition to IAB TCF v2.3, Google AdSense Help
Search Features
- Google releases Holiday 100 gifting list driven by Search trends, Google Blog
- Google updates Search Live with floating controls on Android, 9to5Google
- Save time with new Chrome autofill enhancements, Google Blog
- Which Countries Have the Most AI Overviews? 108 Million Queries Analyzed, Ahrefs
Feedback:
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