Search Central Live is back to Mexico City
We’re very excited to announce that Search Central Live is coming back to Ciudad de Mexico
on September 25! Following successful events throughout the world earlier this year, we’re
continuing our mission to helpyou enha…
Google AI Overviews Explain Overlay Tests Bottom Tray
Google AI Overviews has this feature where you can select the text in the AI Overview and an overlay with explain this, related images and copy text (sometimes other features) overlay as buttons for you to do more with. Google even tested keyboard shor…
Why Google Chrome UX Report & Search Console Don’t Match
While I think SEOs spend way too much time and effort on Core Web Vitals, many do ask why does the Google Chrome UX report often not match what is shown in the Google Search Console core web vitals report. Well, as Google’s Barry Pollard said, they lo…
Google Tests Vertical Images For Top Stories
Google is testing vertical images within the Top Stories section of the Google search results on desktop. We’ve seen vertical or portrait layouts for top stories on mobile, but I don’t think I’ve seen it look like this on desktop.
SEOs, Don’t Expect Access To The Google Trends API Soon
As you know, Google released the Google Trends API as an alpha release last month. And many SEOs have already applied for access. But if you are an SEO or even a small publisher, I would not expect access to this API any time soon.
Google Merchant API Is Replacing The Content API For Shopping
Over a decade ago, Google released the Content API for Shopping to let merchants manage their Google Merchant Center feed programmatically. Well, that has been officially replaced by the Google Merchant API.
Google Search Ranking Volatility Cooled & Calmed This Weekend
It has been week after week of intensely heated Google search ranking volatility, and it is time I start reporting when the volatility cools or calms down. Well, this weekend we had a bit of a cooling period, where the chatter within the SEO community…
Google Updates Google Ads API Documentation
As I briefly mentioned two weeks ago, Google has updated the Google Ads API documentation. Now, Google had told us what exactly was updated from the previous version. Google said these updates were “designed to make your development experience smoother…
Google Ads Language Targeting For Search Campaigns Going Away
Google Ads will be removing the language targeting setting from Google Ads Search campaigns by the end of 2025. This notice was posted quietly at the top of a Google help document in the Google Ads help center.
Google Ads New Preview Ad Link In View Asset Details
Google may have added a new convenient feature in the Google Ads console that lets you preview ads directly from the view assets detail screen. Clicking on the preview ad button shows the preview within the same window.
Google Ads To Accept Sports Betting Ads In Missouri
Google has updated its Gambling and games policy to now allow sports betting ads in the state of Missouri. This change is in effect as of August 15, 2025.
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Volatility Continues, Preferred Sources, Site Hack Demolishes Traffic & Google On AI
The Google search ranking volatility has not calmed down since the June core update and we are in mid-August and expecting another core update soon. Google launched the preferred sources feature for Top Stories…
Chartbeat: Traffic From Google To Publishers Stable Over Years
The studies we have thus seen from third parties have all said traffic from Google Search to websites has declined a lot since AI Overviews came out. But we have a new study from Chartbeat that says traffic to news publishers from Google (including Dis…
Google’s John Mueller Suggests AI SEO Acronyms May Lead To Scams & Spam
Google’s John Mueller replied to a lot of the hype around all GEO, AIO, AEO, etc topics floating around the SEO space. John said on Bluesky, “The higher the urgency, and the stronger the push of new acronyms, the more likely they’re just making spam a…
Google Search Age Verification: Asking To Confirm You’re An Adult
Google Search started to roll out the age verification that it said it would begin doing a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it is not just YouTube, it goes across Google Search ads too, as we reported back a couple of weeks ago.
Google Looking Into Adding Analytics For Preferred Sources
Google recently launched the preferred sources for top stories within Google Search. But there is no way for publishers to know how many of their readers selected their website as a preferred source. But Google said they are “looking into this” and m…
Google Tests Loyalty Benefits Section In Merchant Knowledge Panels
Google is testing adding a “loyalty benefits” section to the merchant/retailer knowledge panels. This would show on the right side of the page, under the description of the retailer.
Microsoft Copilot Links Local Reviews To Bing Competitor Google Maps
It looks like Microsoft Copilot, formerly Bing Chat, is using Google Maps reviews for its local AI results. It also links directly to the Google Maps business profile listing when you click on the review stars and ratings from Copilot.
Case Study – Ai SEO Content Strategy with Northampton Ecommerce SEO Jamie Irwin
Disclosure: Hobo Web uses generative AI when specifically writing about our own experiences, ideas, stories, concepts, tools, tool documentation or research. Our tool of choice for this process is Google Gemini Pro 2.5, as it took notes during a recent…
Daily Search Forum Recap: August 14, 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.
Microsoft says SEOs need to do the click studies to see if AI search clicks lead to conversions or not…