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's Nick Fox said standard licensing deals for publishers are not coming, and that optimizing for AI search is the same as optimizing for traditional search. Google warns not to use JavaScript for noindex tag. Google Ads exact match is not eligible to show ads in AI Overviews. Google Search Console average impressions are going back down. Google Search Console performance report is back up to date but not the page indexing report. Google search results gain read more links.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Won't Provide Standard License Deals For AI & SEO Is The Same
Nick Fox is the SVP of Knowledge and Information at Google was interviewed again on the AI Inside channel by Jason Howel and Jeff Jarvin. He said a lot of interesting things but said no, Google won't be offering standarized licensing deals for all publishers. He also said that optimizing for AI Search is the same as what you do for web search and normal SEO. -
Google Ads Exact Match Can Not Show Ads In AI Overviews
Google can not show ads in AI Overviews with the exact match type. This is a change from back in May, where Google said otherwise. Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, wrote on X, "We have since updated this." -
Google Search Console Average Impression Dropping Back Down
Earlier this month, we documented that the average position sharply increased for many sites when Google made that num 100 change blocking a lot of automated queries. Well, for some sites, that number is dropping again, which may mean that there is a workaround for the blocking of those bots and automated queries. -
Google Search Console Performance Reports Finally Caught Up
Google Search Console's performance report seems to finally be all caught up and up-to-date as of last night and this morning. I am seeing the normal two-hour or so delay, which has always fluctuated from an hour to five hours on a normal day. -
Google Rolling Out Read More Links Search Result Snippets
After several months of testing, Google seems to be rolling out the "Read more" links at the end of some of the search results listings. We saw Google test variations of this back in July and it now seems to be live. -
Google Warns: Don't Use NoIndex Tags In Pages That Use JavaScript
Google updated its JavaScript SEO documentation to warn against using a noindex tag in the original page code on JavaScript pages. Google wrote, "if you do want the page indexed, don't use a noindex tag in the original page code." -
Google For Startups Recording Booth
Google's Tel Aviv, Israel office has a Google for Startups section where I think startup companies can leverage the workspaces and resources. This is the recording room, all set up with the proper equipment.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Sergey Brin admits Google messed up by under-investing in the transformer architecture it invented Google was too scared to release chatbots that "say dumb things", so it under-invested in scaling compute "we didn't take it very seriously.., Haider. on X
- Gemini Agent can help tackle all sorts of tasks. Even renting a car. Tell Gemini Agent your budget and it’ll get to work comparing prices, gathering info from your inbox, and booking the car. Now available for Google AI Ultra users in, Gemini on X
- Google has introduced View-Through Conversions (VTC) optimized bidding for Android App campaigns, Rakshit Shetty on LinkedIn
- Sometimes robots.txt is complicated on its own, and sometimes you just "have to" make it more complicated, right?, John Mueller on Bluesky
- Weird that Google is discontinuing the dark web report from January 15, 2026, Gagan Ghotra on X
- You'll have a hard time tracking things & Google will have a hard time understanding your sites. My recommendation would be to clean it up properly as soon as you can. Even properly planned & executed site migrations can be hard, and this makes it much mo, John Mueller on Bluesky
- You're a power user on @GeminiApp. What else do you want to see? Top known requests: MacOS app, Projects, and Branching Chats., Josh Woodward on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Ads adds VTC bidding for App campaigns
- Sergey Brin: Google ‘messed up’ by underinvesting in AI
- Google says don’t use JavaScript to generate a noindex tag in the original page code
- Why share of search matters more than traffic in the AI era
- Why click-based attribution shouldn’t anchor executive dashboards
- How to build an effective content strategy for 2026
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- "I was forced to use AI until the day I was laid off." Copywriters reveal how AI has decimated their industry, Blood In The Machine
- 10 AI Fails & Cautionary Tales (+Tips to Avoid Them), WordStream
- AI image generators are getting better by getting worse, The Verge
- ChatGPT Query Fanout Analyzer (Bookmarklet), JC Chouinard
- Google’s AI Playbook for Sustainability Reporting, Google Blog
- Human-Centered AI: Using Data Without Losing Perspective | Michelle RobbinsonSoft Skills and Linguistics in the AI Era, Advanced Web Ranking
Analytics
- How I Became a Digital Marketing Analyst with Zero Experience, KP Playbook
- When The Last Click Disappears: How AI Shopping Breaks Attribution And Rejuvenates Brand-Building, AdExchanger
Industry & Business
- Google considers data center in Valer, Norway, Data Center Dynamics
- Google To Retire ‘Dark Web Report’ Tool That Scanned for Leaked User Data, PCMag
- Google's AI deals repeat Showcase playbook, Press Gazette
- Publisher Plaintiffs Get Class Status in Google Ad Exchange Case, Bloomberg
- Sergey Brin Says Leaving Google Before Gemini Was a 'Big Mistake', Business Insider
- Why xAI Has an Uphill Battle Selling Grok to Businesses, The Information
- OpenAI’s Chief Communications Officer Is Leaving the Company, Wired
Links & Content Marketing
- Your Next Launch Will Fail Without an Amplifier Strategy, SparkToro
- How To Settle the Content ROI Question, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- This upcoming Waze feature could pull users away from Google Maps, PhoneArena
- Waze is testing support for showing traffic lights along your route, 9to5Google
SEO
- How I Accidentally Triggered 125K Google Impressions Through LLM "AI News Today Recency" Bias, Metehan
- How Important Is AI for Technical SEO? A Reality Check for Ecommerce Brands, Analytics Insight
- How to Build an AI-Ready SEO Team in 2026: A Complete Guide, Backlinko
- Rendering, Style, and Layout: When Things Go Wrong, Merj
- Why 2026 Will Be the Best Year for Small Businesses in Search, Wix SEO Hub
- Why Google's Spam Problem is Getting Worse, Leadership SEO
- Why Your DIY SEO Didn't Work And What To Do Differently Next Time, Nikki Pilkington
- You Have These 6 SEO Problems (And How To Fix Them), Search Logistics
PPC
- Budgeting for Paid Media in 2026: A Guide for CMOs, Hallam
- Capture Last-Minute Shoppers with AI, Microsoft Advertising
- Google Ads API v19 sunset reminder, Google Ads Developer Blog
- New Generated Tab Enables AI Image Creation in Asset Explorer, PPC News Feed
- Why One RSA Per Ad Group is the Smart Play in Google Ads, Optmyzr
Search Features
- Are AI Mode and AI Overviews Just Different Versions of the Same Answer? (730K Responses Studied), Ahrefs
- Google letting you customize Discover using prompts with new Lab, 9to5Google
- Google Search adds John Cena and 67 Easter eggs, 9to5Google
- LG TV users baffled by unremovable Microsoft Copilot installation — surprise forced update shows app pinned to the home screen, Tom's Hardware
- Voice on macOS desktop app is retiring (effective January 15, 2026), ChatGPT Release Notes
Other Search
- The 2025 Cloudflare Radar Year in Review: The rise of AI, post-quantum, and record-breaking DDoS attacks, Cloudflare
- 2026 Smartphone Shipment Forecasts Revised Down as Memory Shortage Drives BoM Costs Up, Counterpoint Research
- iOS 26.2’s Home app has a new upgrade for adding accessories, 9to5Mac
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