Daily Search Forum Recap: March 11, 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.
A new study shows AI search engines way too often gets the answer wrong…
Advertisers Skeptical About Google Tag Manager Changes
Google sent out an email to advertisers yesterday about changes coming to Google Tag Manager. Specifically, Google Tag Manager will send events before loading a Google tag and Google calls this a “small change” that “will not harm measurement performan…
Study: AI Search Engines Are Confidently Wrong Too Often
A new study from Columbia Journalism Review showed that AI search engines and chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Deepseek Search, Microsoft Copilot, Grok and Google’s Gemini, are just wrong, way too often. I have said this time and…
Data: Google Search Had 22% Growth In Searches Year Over Year
A new data report from Rand Fishkin at Sparktoro says that Google Search has seen 21.64% growth in searches year over year. This comes after his study that showed 1/3rd of Google searchers don’t search all that much.
Google Shopping Results: Price At Checkout Label
Google can now show the “price at checkout” within the Google Shopping listings, both paid and organic. I am not sure if this is new, being that Google has had policies about suspending merchants who change their pricing at checkout and even allows Go…
Google Tests Expandable Shopping Ad Carousel
Google is testing a new shopping ad format. This format expands product listings available within a store, shows the products with larger images and product details and then lets you swipe through a carousel of those items.
Google AI Mode Ads Will Be Coming
No surprise here – Google will be testing and experimenting with ads in Google AI Mode. Google told Adweek that they will be “explore bringing ads into” Google AI Mode.
Google Expands Site Reputation Abuse Policy Manual Actions Next Steps
Google has updated its manual actions documentation around site reputation abuse, to expand on the next steps and actions you can take if you receive this manual action. Google now more clearly says that you should not block that content with your rob…
Google Responds To Publishers Concerns On AI Mode
Google’s VP of Product at Google Search, Robby Stein, has responded to concerns from publishers around the new AI Mode. Specifically, the concerns around this new AI search interface not being all that encouraging for users to click over to publishers…
Google Knowledge Panel With Expandable Places Map
Google is testing a knowledge panel that includes a places card that can be expanded to show a map and local pack results. I cannot replicate this, which makes me think this is a test. I do see the places section below the knowledge panel, but not one…
Google Search Knowledge Panels Larger Font
Google is now using a much larger font for the knowledge panels shown in Google Search. The font size looks jumbo and it does not seem to be test, it seems to be live – I think.
Google Get Tailored Recommendations Quiz
Google Search is testing a feature to quiz you on the product you are looking for and then to give you more tailored recommendations for product suggestions. This box is titled “get tailored recommendations” and it reminds me of the AI powered recommen…
Daily Search Forum Recap: March 7, 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 dropped the horrid page annotations feature, thankfully…
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google AI Mode, Gemini 2.0 Powered AI Overviews, Ranking Volatility & New Search Data
Google released its much anticipated AI Mode, which is in beta now, but it super cool. Google AI Overviews are now powered by Gemini 2.0. Google had more search ranking volatility this week. Google said they answered…
Google Business Profile Now Associated With Local Service Ads
Google sent out emails to Local Service Ads advertisers notifying them that their Google Business Profile accounts are not affiliated to your Local Service Ads account. That means your reviews will only be accepted through your Google Business Profile…
Google Ads Location Targeting New Add Locations In Bulk
Google Ads has updated its interface for when you select when you want your ads running in specific regions/locations. Now, it has a button to “add locations in bulk,” which should help you add locations faster.
Google Ads May Get Channel Reporting For PMax Campaigns
Google may be bringing channel reporting to the Google Ads Performance Max campaigns. I spotted this via Kirk Williams who posted a photo of a slide from Google Think event in Amsterdam where Arjan Schoorl attended. The slide says “Channel Reporting” …
Google Drops The Horrid Page Annotations Feature
Google has shut down, turned off, and disabled, its new page annotations feature. The feature where Google hijacked your content, placed links in your content, links you didn’t add yourself, and directed your content to Google Search. It is no longer, …
Google Search Know Before You Go Section
Google has this new “Know before you go” section in the search results. I mean, it is new for search, not new for Google Maps and not new for local. But I’ve never seen a Know before you go box in the search results before.
Microsoft Shows How Ads Are Chosen In Bing Search
Microsoft is now showing why it selects or chooses to show a specific ad directly in the Bing search results. When you click on the arrow down by the URL of the search ad snippet, you will get window dialog that may explain why the ad was shown.