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 Search Console finally rolled out custom annotations for the performance reports. Google's AI not only got a search snippet wrong but it was insulting to the writer. Google Ads may be launching journey-based bidding in 2026. Google is testing the old search design or is it a bug. Google Ads combination reports gain top combinations for PMax campaigns.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google Search Console Performance Report Annotations Rolling Out
Google seems to be rolling out the annotations feature within Google Search Console's performance reports. This was a feature Google began testing in May and now it seems to be rolling out. Custom annotations in the performance reports are live. -
When Google Search Snippet Description Go Wrong
We know Google has been using machine learning and more recently, AI, to generate search result snippets descriptions. Well, here is an example of Google getting a snippet not just wrong, but downright insulting. -
Google Ads Journey Aware Bidding Coming In 2026
Google Ads may be introducing a new bidding type named Journey Aware bidding in 2026. This will be reportedly for search campaigns using Target CPA. -
Google Adds Top Combinations To Combinations Report For PMax
Google Ads top combinations report now has a Top Combinations option for PMax campaigns. This report should be able to quickly show you your top performing assets including logos, headlines, descriptions, images, sitelinks, and other assets. -
Google App Image Search: Get Started With A Few Topics
Google added a carousel to the top of the image tab within some Google Search apps, I think it might be a test. The carousel lets you scroll through some ideas to get you started with your image search. -
Google Testing Old Search Design - Or Is It A Bug?
There have been several complaints over the past week about Google showing searchers its old Google Search design. Some of those search results seem to lead to a broken interface, while others just look like they are from a decade or so ago. -
Google Ads Wall
Here is a wall at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California - the Google Plex. The wall is devoted to Google Ads and says "Powering the open and free internet." Yep.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Google's ability to automatically detect fake reviews needs A LOT of improvement. Like how does this crap even publish? Cannot tell you how stressful it is for a small business owner to be hit by this scam., Joy Hawkins on X
- Today Bing started showing me nonsensical search results, and it wasn't a mistake. If they think you're scraping, they won't always block you. They'll just rank completely irrelevant pages instead. I checked ~150 rankings wit, Glen Allsopp on X
- Top FAQs: YouTube Content Moderation & Appeals, YouTube Community
- Google is testing out a new 'track price' animation for free listing results. Within the main search results section, the button goes blue, whereas in AI Mode free listings, the button goes grey., SERP Alert on X
- Google's latest shopping features reveal some interesting tracking parameters behind the scenes. The string ibp=oshop is simply a tag that tells Google the click came from its online shopping interface. It has no broader business meani, Brad Brewer on X
- I’ve been thinking a lot about what the net benefit of the AI platform wave is. The real question is how to empower every company out there to get more out of this platform shift and build their own AI native capabilities and enter, Satya Nadella on X
- Someone just brought this up to me... Another example of spam surfacing on Google based on taking over an expired domain. This won't last long probably... Google's systems often catch up pretty quickly, but it has been working for a few, Glenn Gabe on X
- Today, we are 5 yrs into Core Web Vitals v1.0. For those who follow the performance side of the web, this was significant in that more orgs began to pay attention to faster, more stable user experiences with smoother interactions., Henri Helvetica on Bluesky
Search Engine Land Stories:
- The latest jobs in search marketing
- Google rolls out total campaign budgets for PMax beyond the U.S.
- YouTube tests retroactive cost cuts for underperforming Demand Gen campaigns
- 5 SEO truths that cut through the AI noise
- The end of the web? Goodbye HTML, hello AIDI!
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Microsoft Disavows Religion Bias in Discount Program for Nonprofits, Bloomberg
- OpenAI says it's fixed ChatGPT's em dash problem, TechCrunch
Analytics
- Direct Traffic in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing
Industry & Business
- Google must pay German price comparison platform 465 mln euros in damages, court says, Reuters
- Google’s Long Battle With Europe Shows No Signs of Ending, Bloomberg
- News publishers win first round of copyright claim against Cohere, Press Gazette
- Google to Invest $40 Billion in New Data Centers in Texas, Bloomberg
- Opera says DMA contributed to 5x growth of iOS users in Europe, 9to5Mac
- Tech Giants Sue California Over Social Media Access Law, Bloomberg
- Google’s top AI executive seeks the profound over profits and the “prosaic”, Reuters
- Google-parent Alphabet's shares rally after Berkshire reveals $4.9 billion stake, Reuters
Links & Content Marketing
- AI as Your Marketing Co-Pilot: How to Effectively Leverage LLMs in SEO & Content, Cshel
- Employee-Generated Content: Ideas, Implementation and Examples for Social Media, Metricool
- Why Are Businesses Turning to AI Video Generators for Content Marketing?, Programming Insider
Local & Maps
- Apple Maps Gets Another DCE Update, Still No Problem for Google Maps, AutoEvolution
- Google Maps gets smarter with Gemini AI integration for drivers, USA Today
- I tested Google Maps Live View vs Apple Maps Guide Me — which map app has the better AR navigation?, Tom's Guide
SEO
- AI SEO Myths | Comparing AI Search to Traditional Strategies, Hill Web Creations
- AI SEO Tips: How to Earn Citations & Mentions in AI Search, Semrush
- How to Increase AI Visibility: Win Mentions & Citations, Brainlabs
- Why SEO Testing Is Crucial for Long-Term Success, RicketyRoo
- Post-Halloween Comedown, The Fractional SEO Secret, And Signs You've Hit The DIY Limit, Nikki Pilkington
PPC
- Google Makes Incrementality Testing More Accessible and Accurate, PPC News Feed
- Holiday advertising: Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Microsoft Advertising
Search Features
- Google Home is a confusing and inadequate mess, Android Police
- Google's song search evolves with a modern Gemini-inspired UI on Android, Android Central
- Mark it up! Highlight and comment in Scholar PDF Reader, Google Scholar Blog
Other Search
- I Ditched Alexa and Upgraded My Smart Home, Wired
- The Smartest Fliers Use This App to Survive America’s Travel Hell, Wall Street Journal
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News, add as a preferred source on Google and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or just contact us the old fashion way.
