Daily Search Forum Recap: November 7, 2025

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 now uses your PMax campaigns for Waze ads. Google also expanded channel performance reporting to all PMax campaign users. Google Finance added a ton of new AI features. Google Merchant Center has new preferred audience targeting for promotions. Google Merchant Center also added a new content creative section. Google Discover has numerous ongoing tests. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Performance Max Gains Waze Ads & Channel Performance Reporting
  Google announced it has added Waze ads inventory to Performance Max for store goals campaigns and Channel performance reporting is now available in all Performance Max campaigns in Google Ads.
• Google Finance Gets Live Audio, Instant Transcripts & AI Insights
  Google has been adding AI features to Google Finance - like what can go wrong? Recently Google's Rose Yao announced Google Finance added live audio, instant transcripts and AI insights.
• Google Merchant Center Adds Creative Content Section
  Google added a new navigation button to Google Merchant Center labeled "Creative Content." I believe this is where you access Product Studio, and all your videos and assets for your Merchant Center campaigns.
• New Google Merchant Center Preferred Audience Targeting For Promotions
  Google added a new promotion targeting option to Google Merchant Center for audience targeting. The option is labeled "preferred audience" and is available when setting up a promotion.
• Google Discover Numerous Experiments Documented
  As VP of Engineering for Search at Google, Rajan Patel said months ago - "We're experimenting with various approaches to X in Discover." Google has been super busy with testing various approaches to Google Discover. Here are some of the more recent tests I found via Damien (andell) and Gagan Ghotra over the last few weeks.
• Halloween Decorations At Google Hong Kong Office
  Since we are still posting photos from the various offices from Google's Halloween parties and events. Here are some photos from the Google Hong Kong office of some of the office decorations for Halloween.
• Video: Google Drops Search Features, Tests AI Mode Responses, Ad Click Trickery & More
  Google dropped a number of search features and structured data types. Google is testing a new version of AI Mode. Google AI Mode gained three new agentic capabilities. Google AI Overviews continue to result in a drop in click-through rates...

Other Great Search Threads:

• "I don’t care about how much content you produce or how quickly you can produce it, I care if people actually trust your brand.” Being visible in AI / search doesn’t matter if “nobody believes you.” @wilreynolds #mozcon, Lily Ray on X
• Another #MozCon, another killer keynote from @lilyraynyc — demystifying #SEO vs. AI Search with the hilarious story of the SEO swamp. And of course, setting a new gold standard for keynote decks (again)., Romain Damery on X
• Using the house metaphor - build your house on a strong foundation, without it, no amount of design or tech will make it strong or useful.., Janet Bartoli on Bluesky
• A new kind of search to optimise for... But AEO is probably still just another flavour of SEO... probably, Andy Beard on X
• SEO Salt, when a client asks you to just add some SEO., John Mueller on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google expands PMax reach with Waze ads
• Google Ads pushes ‘Investment Strategy’ planning for budget-limited campaigns
• ChatGPT boosts brand mentions as Google AI Mode narrows focus: Report
• Exploring the real risk AI brings to the internet (and SEO with it)
• How to build authority when no one knows you yet
• 4 times PPC automation still needs a human touch
• Google’s double-serving dilemma: Who really wins when one advertiser gets two spots?

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Google announces support for JSON Schema and implicit property ordering in Gemini API., Google Blog
• Microsoft Lays Out Ambitious AI Vision, Free From OpenAI, Wall Street Journal
• OpenAI unveils blueprint for teen AI safety standards, Axios
• The New Comet Assistant, Perplexity
• Towards Humanist Superintelligence, Microsoft AI
• 9 Ways You Can Use Google's AI to Give Your Learning a Powerful Boost, Google Blog

Analytics

• Google Analytics Adds Cross-Channel Budgeting Tools for Marketers, AdWeek
• User-provided data attribution improvement, Google Analytics Help

Industry & Business

• Google unveils Ironwood, seventh generation TPU, competing with Nvidia, CNBC
• Google’s Ruth Porat on the Employee Habit That Drives Her Nuts, Wall Street Journal

Links & Content Marketing

• Audiences Moved. Has Your Distribution Strategy?, Content Marketing Institute
• What Happens when AI Content is Added with a Disclaimer?, Search Pilot

Local & Maps

• Google Maps could soon let you choose shady streets, literally (APK teardown), Android Authority
• Google Maps reveals trends data for navigating the 2025 holidays, Google Blog

SEO

• ChatGPT’s Entity Update: Fewer Mentions, Tougher Competition, Profound
• From Found to Cited: Analysis of ChatGPT Ranking Factors (400K Pages), Sellm
• GEO, AEO, LLMO: Separating Fact from Fiction & How to Win AI Search, Amsive
• How to perform a technical SEO audit, Google Search Central YouTube
• Last-minute Black Friday SEO prepping for ecommerce stores, Yoast
• Traditional SEO vs AI SEO: What You Actually Need to Know, Semrush
• Why Sentiment Matters More Than Ever, Celeste Gonzalez
• AI answer engines: How brands are "hacking" zero-click search, Digiday

PPC

• 2025 Partner Awards: North America partner of the year winners announced, Microsoft Advertising
• 3 Holiday Tips with Google’s Commerce Media Suite, Google Blog
• How to Know If Your Ad Traffic Is Low Quality (And What To Do About It), Adworld Experience
• New monetization and AI tools for publishers, Google Blog

Search Features

• Google's Preferred Sources Tool Is Jammed With Spam, Search Engine Journal

Other Search

• Google’s November 2025 frauds and scams advisory, Google Blog

Feedback:

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