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.
OpenAI is testing ChatGPT ads maybe in the form of sponsored content in the AI responses. Google spoke about the biggest Google Ads launches in 2025. Google continues to test centered search results. Google said make sure to pick a reasonable site name that you can compete with. Microsoft Advertising says exact match trumps ad rank. And John Mueller was doing Google SEO support on Christmas day, like he has the past 18 years. I also posted the weekly SEO video recap this morning.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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ChatGPT Ads May Prioritize Sponsored Content In AI Responses
A report from The Information outlined a number of avenues OpenAI is looking at for ad formats in ChatGPT. The main one that is reportedly being thrown around at the AI company is to show sponsored content within the AI responses given by ChatGPT. -
Google: #1 Google Ads Launches Of 2025
Google has been publishing these videos from advertisers on the number one Google Ads launches of the year 2025. Bug Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, was asked and she picked PMax channel performance reporting as her number one feature release for Google Ads in 2025. -
Google: Pick A Reasonable Site Name To Rank For In Search
Google's John Mueller said on Reddit that when picking a site name, make sure to pick something that you can reasonably expect to rank for. In short, don't go online and complain that your site is named Best SEO blog and you don't rank in the number one position in Google Search for [best SEO blog]. -
Microsoft Advertiser: Exact Match Trumps Ad Rank On AI Surfaces & More
Navah Hopkins, the Ads Liaison for Microsoft Advertising, made it crystal clear that exact match is prioritized even over Ad Rank. Navah Hopkins wrote on X and LinkedIn, "Exact match will get the priority if it's there, otherwise Ad Rank determines everything." -
Google's John Mueller Working On Christmas (2025 Edition)
Every year, for the past 18 or so years, Google's John Mueller has been working on Christmas to provide support to those who need help with their Google Search ranking and SEO concerns. This year is no different; John Mueller has responded to several concerns on Reddit and other social media platforms today. -
Google Continues Centering Search Results Test
Google is testing placing the search results in the center of the screen, instead of aligning it more to the left of the screen. This is an ongoing test we have seen on and off over many many years and it is still going on. -
Yahoo Bangalore Office Neon Sign
Here is a Yahoo neon light up sign at the Yahoo office in Bangalore. I found it on Instagram and it caught my eye. -
Video: Google Core Update Status, News Publishers Traffic Distribution, Ads In AI Overviews Expand, ChatGPT Ads & Christmas
This week in search, we covered an update on the Google December 2025 core update. Google Search traffic to news publishers continues to vanish, but there is Google Discover. A report shows Google has deleted a ton...
Other Great Search Threads:
- Yes! I think it's even more the case nowadays. Mainstream search engines have practice dealing with the weird & wonky web, but there's more than just that, and you shouldn't get lazy just because search engines can figure out many kinds of sites / online , John Mueller on Bluesky
- You can use AI Mode signed out or with Incognito in Chrome!, Robby Stein on X
- expanding my SaaS using multiple ccTLDs, Reddit
- Freaking travesty that Microsoft owns a browser and an OS and can't get usage to grow. Man this feels a lot like Bing. They just can't figure out how to take advantage of their entrenched real estate., Wil Reynolds on X
- Google SEO indexing conversion from PHP site to NextJS, Reddit
Search Engine Land Stories:
- OpenAI discusses an ad-driven strategy centered on ChatGPT scale and media partnerships
- Google lowers audience size limits across Ads
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Baker beware: How I was fooled by an AI-generated recipe, CNN
- Waymo is testing Gemini as an in-car AI assistant in its robotaxis, TechCrunch
- AI Minted More Than 50 New Billionaires In 2025, Forbes
- AlphaFold Changed Science. After 5 Years, It’s Still Evolving, Wired
Analytics
- Entrances in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing
Industry & Business
- Former Google engineer accused of stealing AI secrets faces US trial in January, MLex
- New York Times reporter sues Google, xAI, OpenAI over chatbot training, Reuters
- Google’s Trajectory: 2026 and Beyond, DEJAN
- Google 'rolling out' option to change Gmail addresses, 9to5Google
Links & Content Marketing
- The Evolution of B2B Content: Stephanie Losee on Thought Leadership, Trust, and Experience, TopRank Marketing
Local & Maps
- Google's AI Route 66 Archive Features Santa Monica Endpoint, SMDP
- I tested the new Google Maps Power Saving Mode over 200 miles; here's what you need to know, Android Police
- The Big Feature That Made Google Maps the World's Top Navigation App, AutoEvolution
SEO
- How ClarityAutomate Helped an Enterprise Retail SEO Team Execute at Scale, seoClarity
- SEO 2025: What You Need to Know Moving Forward, Yoast
- What Server Logs Tell About LLMS.TXT, SEO Depths
- AEO vs. GEO explained: What marketers need to know now, Hubspot
- AI & SEO Bot Crawlability Tester, DEJAN
- GEO KPIs: How To Measure The Right GEO Metrics, Similarweb
- The Ultimate SEO Tutorial for 2026, Backlinko
- SEO Budgeting for Capacity: A Practical Framework for 2026, I Love SEO
PPC
- Open AI, Google, and the future of advertising, Fast Company
Search Features
- Android Auto may finally let you cast media from your phone, Android Central
- Google is fixing the Gemini overlay's biggest annoyance, Android Police
- Prominent Canadian Musician Says Gig Was Cancelled After Google AI Overview Wrongly Branded Him Sex Pest, Gizmodo
Feedback:
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