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 will fix its Google Discover fake AI news problem. Google is now showing search ads, not just shopping ads, in the image search results. Google now lets you add your shipping and returns policies to Search Console without a Merchant Center account. Google Ads has AI-guided help within the disapproval section. Google Local Service Ads message leads has new value-based pricing. Bing is testing favicon anchors at the top of the search results.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Search Console Lets You Add Shipping/Return Details Without Merchant Center Account
Google now lets you add your shipping and returns information within Google Search Console, even if you do not have a Google Merchant Center account. Previously, Google let you do this only if you had a Merchant Center account, that is no longer a requirement. -
Google Working On Fixing Google Discover AI Spam Problem
Google is reportedly working on a "fix" for the AI spam that routinely shows up within users' Google Discover feed. Google issued a statement to the Press Gazette saying, "We're actively working on a fix" for the fake AI spam stories showing up in Google Discover. -
Google Image Results Tests Search Ads (Not Just Shopping Ads)
Google is testing showing normal search ads in an ad carousel at the top of the image search results on mobile. The ads take up a lot of the top real estate of the image results and can be scrolled from side to side. -
Google Ads Gains AI Guide Me Button In Policy Disapprovals
Google is now embedding its AI chat feature within the Google Ads advertiser console, specifically in some screens. The "Guide me" button that triggers an AI chat feature was spotted in the policy disapprovals screen. -
Value-Based Pricing For Google Local Service Ads Message Leads
Google emailed advertisers who are leveraging message leads within Google Local Service Ads telling them about the new value-based pricing. Basically, when a seacher uses the "Request multiple opinions" within local results, those leads may result now in higher discounts than the previous 50% discount you would get on those messages. -
Bing Tests Site Favicons Anchors At Top Of Search Results
Microsoft is testing placing site favicons at the top of the Bing search results page that when clicked on, anchor you down to the specific search result on the page. This is a test, it does not always show up, but I was able to replicate this in one of my browsers. -
Large Outdoor Google Pool
I believe we saw a photo of this pool before, but here is a wider angle showing the complete pool at the GooglePlex, the Google Mountain View, California office.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Should creators wait 1-2 days before making a video public?, YouTube Liaison on X
- The 202510 dataset is live, Google Chrome Groups
- We just completed one of the world's most comprehensive query fanout studies across 2,867 ChatGPT query fanout sequences from our main database. The data proved that ChatGPT's citation behavior doesn't follow traditional SERP logic:, Josh Blyskal on LinkedIn
- Small Google Merchant Center API update, Barry Schwartz on X
- To add to my somewhat-stupid meme answer, "bad" is often relative, and it matters more what you do with the metric. If people end up blindly focusing the metric rather than the end goal, then it's possible to end up in a bad place., John Mueller on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Microsoft makes Clarity mandatory for publishers
- Google Ads Editor 2.11 gets campaign-level negatives and smarter automation
- SEO vs. AI search: 101 questions that keep me up at night
- Tim Berners-Lee warns AI may collapse the ad-funded web
- Google expands image search ads with mobile carousel format
- With negative review extortion scams on the rise, use Google’s report form
- Google tightens rules on fraud-linked phone numbers in ads
- Why AI availability is the new battleground for brands
- 7 local SEO wins you get from keyword-rich Google reviews
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman on AGI, Evolving OpenAI Relationship, Business Insider
- Free ChatGPT for transitioning U.S. servicemembers and veterans, OpenAI
- Gemini for Education: How universities are using Google AI products, Google Blog
Industry & Business
- Google to invest around $6 billion in Germany, source says, Reuters
- Microsoft to Invest $10 Billion in AI Data Hub in Portugal, Bloomberg
- Search Central Live is back in Zurich!, Google Search Central Blog
- The Little-Known Search and Browser Startup Generating $100 Million in Annualized Revenue, The Information
- Why Tim Berners-Lee still believes in the web, The Verge
- Google fights scams with legal and legislative action, Google Blog
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
- Fake Review Extortion and What To Do If It Happens To You, SEO Grok
- The 10 Best Ways to Rank Higher on Google Maps, WordStream
- Full List of Countries Where Google Maps Is Blocked or Restricted, Newsweek
- How to Quickly Find the Buyer & Seller Questions Your Site Already Ranks For, SEO Savvy Agent
- It’s time Google lets us customize Maps on Android Auto, colors and all, Android Authority
SEO
- How to Monitor AI Bots in the Log File Analyser, Screaming Frog
- Mastodon's social posts are now optimized for Google Search, Coywolf
- Why do consumer preferences matter in GEO?, Blue Array SEO
- Why Technical SEO Deserves a Seat at the Executive Table, BruceClay
- Dominating the SERP, DealerOn
PPC
- Google clamps down on RSOC as AdSense for Domains dies, Domain Name Wire
- Google Explains How to Use Brand Report for Reach and Frequency, PPC News Feed
- What's the most popular Google Ads bid strategy?, Adalysis
- Strengthen media measurement and ROI clarity with incrementality testing improvements., Google Ads Help
Other Search
Feedback:
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