More Studies Show AI Overviews Harm Google Click Through Rates
In February, we covered how Google’s AI Overviews really hurt the click-through rate of the search results and paid ads. Well, several more recent studies have come out that back up this data.
Google Posts Go Missing From Local Panels
Google Posts/Updates are starting to disappear from the local panels within Google Search. I saw complaints about this yesterday and tested it by adding a post myself on my business, it was there, until it wasn’t. Now I see a huge number of complaints…
Google Business Profiles Video Verification Gets Video Previews
Google has added video previews to the video verification within Google Business Profiles. Google’s Lisa Landsman said this will help with “submitting, ensuring clarity and accuracy ‘” saving you valuable time and reducing the need for resubmissions.”
Google Local Service Ads Has New Legal Terms You Must Agree To
Google sent emails to Google Ads advertisers about new Local Service Ads additions to its terms for its providers that they must accept by June 5, 2025 or else their ads will no longer serve in Google Search or Google Maps.
Google Analytics Campaign Data Quality & Attribution Reporting Updates
A week or so ago, Google Analytics made some updates to how it handles campaign data quality and attribution reporting. Many are now seeing a new label named “Data not available” show up in their GA4 reporting.
The Google HCU Helpful Content Update & Helpfulness
Get Early-Bird Access to the new EEAT tool! Google’s Helpful Content Updates are a series of algorithm changes designed to ensure search results are more helpful and reliable for users. “It is now part of a “core ranking system that’s…
The Search Analytics API now supports hourly data
A few months ago, we announced an improved way to view
recent performance data in Search Console.
The “24 hours” view includes data from the last available 24 hours and appears with a delay of
only a few hours. T…
How Aiming to Meet the Needs in Section 2.5.2 of the Google Quality Rater Guidelines triggers a compliance Domino Effect
Get Early-Bird Access to the new EEAT tool! When Google released the updated Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines on January 23, 2025, many site owners zeroed in on high-level E-E-A-T and content quality. Fair enough. However, one of the most quietly po…
Google Refreshes Its Merchant Opportunities Report
Google announced it has refreshed its Shopping tab listings report which it initially launched in November 2022 and renamed it to the Merchant opportunities report. The refreshed report now includes details about payments methods and store ratings, Goo…
Apple Intelligence Raters Guidelines Leaked
On Friday afternoon, Danny Goodwin covered a 170 or so page PDF that Search Engine Land received from an anonymous tip named “Preference Ranking Guidelines.” It looks to me similar to the Google Quality Raters guidelines that continuously leaked until …
Google Search Video Ads
Google can show search ads with video formats. I mean, Google has been doing this for a while now, but they are kind of rare to see. This latest one is a video ad from Adidas.
Copilot Search in Bing Now Officially Live
After initially going live on Wednesday morning, Microsoft did not officially announce the launch of Copilot Search in Bing until late Friday afternoon. Microsoft said, “Copilot Search seamlessly blends the best of traditional and generative search tog…
Google Search Relevant Topics
Google has a new search refinement or expansion feature they are titling “Relevant topics.” This reminds me of People also ask, Things to do, and the other ways Google tries to get you to search more after conducting your first search.
Google: Hreflang Tags With 301 Redirects Are Probably Okay
Google’s John Mueller said if you have hreflang tags that point to a 301 redirect, it is probably okay. But you probably also want to automate the process of setting up those hreflang tags so that there is no redirect.
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Post Core Volatility, Brand Ranking, Reddit AI Translations & Google Ads Double Serving
This week, we covered some more Google Search ranking volatility, post-core update. I also posted some polls on the Google March 2025 core update. Google said they do not have a brand ranking system. Google is ranking AI-translated Reddit results…
Google Responds To Comprehensive PMax Report
Mike Ryan put together the single most comprehensive third-party report on Google Ads Performance Max campaigns. It is free, super detailed, easy to read and chock-full of useful information. And guess what, Google’s Ginny Marvin responded to some of …
Bing Tests Ad Labels Not In Blue
Earlier this month we reported that Bing was testing ad labels in blue colors. Well, now I am seeing examples of those ads labels without the blue, but rather normal black text and icons on white backgrounds.
Google To Subscribe To Your Emails To Find Content For Your Search Listings
Google sent out a notification that it will automatically opt you into using content from your email campaigns to help Google know what to show in Google Search, Shopping, and Maps. It will look for content around new arrivals, sales or ongoing promot…
Bing Tests Pill Favicon Design & Sitename Changes
Bing is testing a pill-shaped favicon design, like Google did a lot last year, and showing both the site name and the favicon in the pill design.
Bing Related Image Search Box
Microsoft seems to be testing a new related image search box in the main web search results in Bing Search. I personally cannot replicate this, which I take as a sign that this is a test.