Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Search Volatility, AI Mode in Search Console, Audio Overviews and ChatGPT Search Quality
This week we covered the ongoing Google search ranking volatility. Google is now officially counting AI Mode in Google Search Console’s performance reports, but good luck understanding it. Google is testing Audio Overviews…
Google: Larger & Longer Issues Can Take Longer To Reverse In Google Search
Google’s John Mueller said that for larger and longer issues, it can take Google longer for Google Search to reprocess it all. Meaning, the bigger the issue and the longer the issue was on your site, Google will take longer to reprocess all of those si…
Google Troubleshooting On Blocking Content From AI Mode & AI Overviews
Google has quietly updated its AI features and your website help document, which it initially launched just under a month ago, with a new section on troubleshooting preview controls. In short, if you are trying to block your content from showing in AI …
Google Video Search Tests Speaker Icon With Language Label
Google is testing placing a speaker icon next to the video snippets. The speaker icon includes a language label indicating what language the video is in.
Google Investigating Search Clicks Leading To Translated Results
Back in November 2021, it began sending some searchers to translated versions of webpages through the search results. Google then in May 2022 started to report on how often this happened within Search Console. So when I saw a Google representative say …
Google Local Service Ads Tests Background Checked Labels
Google is testing adding the text “background checked” to the local service ads listings in the Google local search results. This seems to be instead of the Google Screened or verified labels.
Daily Search Forum Recap: June 19, 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 rolled out the audio…
Google Rolls Out Talk & Listen Version Of Search Live In Labs
Google has begun rolling out the audio version, talk and listen version, of Search Live in the Google app to those who opt into the AI Mode experiment. This is not the video/camera/visual version, that won’t be live in the app for a few more months – …
Google Tests New Report Reviews Options For Local Listings
Google is testing new report reviews options in the Google Business Profiles reviews section. You can access it, if you are in the test, by looking at your local reviews in Google Search and clicking on the report / alert icon next to any review.
Google URL Structure Help Doc Updated
Google has updated its URL structure best practices help documentation – it was pretty much a rewrite but the overall guidance is not new. Google said they added “clearer flow and is easier to navigate, with added examples based on real-world URLs we’v…
Google Tests Swapping Site Name & URL In Search Snippet
Google is testing swapping the site name with the URL in the search result snippets. So instead of the site name being shown at the top of the search result snippet, Google is showing the URL above that, followed by the site name.
Google Ads New Promotion Preview
Google seems to be testing a new way to preview ads within Google Search, specifically promotions. There is a new “Promotion Preview” tool that shows what your promotion will look like on Google Search before it goes live to customers.
Daily Search Forum Recap: June 18, 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.
There are new signs of an unconfirmed Google search ranking update that touched down…
The Great Decoupling Explained By A Googler
The term, The Great Decoupling has really been catching on over the past couple of weeks. It is being used to describe what we are seeing with impressions and clicks moving further and further apart since AI Overviews has become more of the norm in the…
Google Search Ranking Volatility Heats Up June 18th
It’s been almost ten days since I last reported on a Google search ranking update. Well, I had to stop the streak and cover what I’ve seen over the last 24 hours or so. It appears that the volatility in ranking positions in Google search results is shi…
Google Ads Tests Design With Horizontal Lines Filled Halfway
Google is testing a new design for its sponsored search ads in the Google Search results. These have horizontal lines that are darkened or filled halfway through, alternating from left to right and right to left every other ad.
Google: No AI System Currently Uses LLMs.txt
There has been a lot, I mean, a lot, of chatter around if one should add an LLMs.txt to their website. Many are starting to add it while others have not added it yet. Well, John Mueller of Google chimed in and wrote on Bluesky, “FWIW no AI system cur…
Google Merchant Center New Website-Reported Autofeeds
Google has rolled out a new feature to automate the process of updating your inventory with Google Merchant Center. It is called Website-reported Autofeeds and it uses Google Tag Manager tag implemented in your site to manage this.
Bing Tests Bold & Colored Hover Styles On Snippets & Related Searches
Microsoft is testing new hover effects and styles in the Bing Search results. Specifically, when you hover over the URL of a snippet, it will bold and underline the result. And then on related searches, Bing is using a blue and orangish styled backgro…
Daily Search Forum Recap: June 17, 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 Search Console is now counting AI Mode impressions, clicks and position…