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 Ads now uses your PMax campaigns for Waze ads. Google also expanded channel performance reporting to all PMax campaign users. Google Finance added a ton of new AI features. Google Merchant Center has new preferred audience targeting for promotions. Google Merchant Center also added a new content creative section. Google Discover has numerous ongoing tests. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Performance Max Gains Waze Ads & Channel Performance Reporting
  Google announced it has added Waze ads inventory to Performance Max for store goals campaigns and Channel performance reporting is now available in all Performance Max campaigns in Google Ads.
• Google Finance Gets Live Audio, Instant Transcripts & AI Insights
  Google has been adding AI features to Google Finance - like what can go wrong? Recently Google's Rose Yao announced Google Finance added live audio, instant transcripts and AI insights.
• Google Merchant Center Adds Creative Content Section
  Google added a new navigation button to Google Merchant Center labeled "Creative Content." I believe this is where you access Product Studio, and all your videos and assets for your Merchant Center campaigns.
• New Google Merchant Center Preferred Audience Targeting For Promotions
  Google added a new promotion targeting option to Google Merchant Center for audience targeting. The option is labeled "preferred audience" and is available when setting up a promotion.
• Google Discover Numerous Experiments Documented
  As VP of Engineering for Search at Google, Rajan Patel said months ago - "We're experimenting with various approaches to X in Discover." Google has been super busy with testing various approaches to Google Discover. Here are some of the more recent tests I found via Damien (andell) and Gagan Ghotra over the last few weeks.
• Halloween Decorations At Google Hong Kong Office
  Since we are still posting photos from the various offices from Google's Halloween parties and events. Here are some photos from the Google Hong Kong office of some of the office decorations for Halloween.
• Video: Google Drops Search Features, Tests AI Mode Responses, Ad Click Trickery & More
  Google dropped a number of search features and structured data types. Google is testing a new version of AI Mode. Google AI Mode gained three new agentic capabilities. Google AI Overviews continue to result in a drop in click-through rates...

Other Great Search Threads:

• "I don't care about how much content you produce or how quickly you can produce it, I care if people actually trust your brand.' Being visible in AI / search doesn't matter if 'nobody believes you.' @wilreynolds #mozcon, Lily Ray on X
• Another #MozCon, another killer keynote from @lilyraynyc '" demystifying #SEO vs. AI Search with the hilarious story of the SEO swamp. And of course, setting a new gold standard for keynote decks (again)., Romain Damery on X
• Using the house metaphor - build your house on a strong foundation, without it, no amount of design or tech will make it strong or useful.., Janet Bartoli on Bluesky
• A new kind of search to optimise for... But AEO is probably still just another flavour of SEO... probably, Andy Beard on X
• SEO Salt, when a client asks you to just add some SEO., John Mueller on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google expands PMax reach with Waze ads
• Google Ads pushes 'Investment Strategy' planning for budget-limited campaigns
• ChatGPT boosts brand mentions as Google AI Mode narrows focus: Report
• Exploring the real risk AI brings to the internet (and SEO with it)
• How to build authority when no one knows you yet
• 4 times PPC automation still needs a human touch
• Google's double-serving dilemma: Who really wins when one advertiser gets two spots?

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Google announces support for JSON Schema and implicit property ordering in Gemini API., Google Blog
• Microsoft Lays Out Ambitious AI Vision, Free From OpenAI, Wall Street Journal
• OpenAI unveils blueprint for teen AI safety standards, Axios
• The New Comet Assistant, Perplexity
• Towards Humanist Superintelligence, Microsoft AI
• 9 Ways You Can Use Google's AI to Give Your Learning a Powerful Boost, Google Blog

Analytics

• Google Analytics Adds Cross-Channel Budgeting Tools for Marketers, AdWeek
• User-provided data attribution improvement, Google Analytics Help

Industry & Business

• Google unveils Ironwood, seventh generation TPU, competing with Nvidia, CNBC
• Google's Ruth Porat on the Employee Habit That Drives Her Nuts, Wall Street Journal

Links & Content Marketing

• Audiences Moved. Has Your Distribution Strategy?, Content Marketing Institute
• What Happens when AI Content is Added with a Disclaimer?, Search Pilot

Local & Maps

• Google Maps could soon let you choose shady streets, literally (APK teardown), Android Authority
• Google Maps reveals trends data for navigating the 2025 holidays, Google Blog

SEO

• ChatGPT's Entity Update: Fewer Mentions, Tougher Competition, Profound
• From Found to Cited: Analysis of ChatGPT Ranking Factors (400K Pages), Sellm
• GEO, AEO, LLMO: Separating Fact from Fiction & How to Win AI Search, Amsive
• How to perform a technical SEO audit, Google Search Central YouTube
• Last-minute Black Friday SEO prepping for ecommerce stores, Yoast
• Traditional SEO vs AI SEO: What You Actually Need to Know, Semrush
• Why Sentiment Matters More Than Ever, Celeste Gonzalez
• AI answer engines: How brands are "hacking" zero-click search, Digiday

PPC

• 2025 Partner Awards: North America partner of the year winners announced, Microsoft Advertising
• 3 Holiday Tips with Google's Commerce Media Suite, Google Blog
• How to Know If Your Ad Traffic Is Low Quality (And What To Do About It), Adworld Experience
• New monetization and AI tools for publishers, Google Blog

Search Features

• Google's Preferred Sources Tool Is Jammed With Spam, Search Engine Journal

Other Search

• Google's November 2025 frauds and scams advisory, Google Blog

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News, add as a preferred source on Google and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or just contact us the old fashion way.

Google dropped a number of search features and structured data types. Google is testing a new version of AI Mode. Google AI Mode gained three new agentic capabilities. Google AI Overviews continue to result in a drop in click-through rates, a report says. Google is testing replacing the definitions box with AI Overviews. Google's John Mueller issued a PSA on verifying your cloud URLs with Search Console. Google and Bing are eating up Grokipedia. Google is testing a yellow-tinted parchment-like background for Google Search. I posted the monthly Google Webmaster Report. The new Google ads label is causing accidental clicks. Google ads Waze ads inventory to PMax campaigns and campaign reporting for PMax is fully available. Google Ads Editor version 2.11 is now out. Google Merchant Center added top performing products and audience targets for promotions. Google Merchant Center also added creative content section. Google Merchant Center has smart cropping, which you can opt out of. Google Maps added Gemini support to make it smarter. Google reviews is testing a new summary box. Reddit said its search traffic is flat, AI is not yet a traffic driver and Google makes up 50% of its search traffic. Raptive sued Google over using its data to cheat publishers. Google Discover is testing endless scrolling and I posted a number of ongoing Google Discover tests. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

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Search Topics of Discussion:

• 0:00 - Introduction
• 0:57 - Google Drops Support For More Structured Data Types & Search Features
• 2:19 - Google Tests A New Version Of AI Mode
• 2:59 - Google AI Mode Gains 3 New Agentic Capabilities
• 3:28 - Report: Google AI Overviews Continue To Drive CTR Downwards
• 4:45 - Google Definitions Box Tests Swapping In AI Overviews
• 5:10 - Google PSA: Verify Your Hosted Cloud Provider Host In Search Console
• 5:46 - Google & Bing Are Indexing Grokipedia - AI Generated Wikipedia / Encyclopedia
• 6:28 - Google Search Tests Tinted Colored Background
• 6:54 - November 2025 Google Webmaster Report
• 7:09 - The New Google Search Ad Layout Is Causing Accidental Clicks
• 8:47 - Google Performance Max Gains Waze Ads & Channel Performance Reporting
• 9:23 - Google Ads Editor Version 2.11 Is Now Available
• 9:46 - Google Merchant Center Adds Promotions For Top Performing Products
• 10:08 - New Google Merchant Center Preferred Audience Targeting For Promotions
• 10:22 - Google Merchant Center Adds Creative Content Section
• 10:33 - Google Merchant Center Smart Cropping - You Can Opt Out
• 11:02 - Gemini Coming To Google Maps For Directions, Traffic & Places
• 11:49 - Google Reviews Updates Services Summary Box
• 12:08 - Reddit: Search Traffic Flat, AI Not Traffic Driver & 50% Of Traffic Is From Google
• 12:41 - Publishers Say Google Used Their Data to Cheat Them, Raptive Lawsuit
• 13:15 - Google Discover Tests Infinite Endless Scroll
• 13:30 - Google Discover Numerous Experiments Documented
• 13:50 - Conclusion

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Google added a new promotion targeting option to Google Merchant Center for audience targeting. The option is labeled "preferred audience" and is available when setting up a promotion.

This promotion can be seen by customers who are new to your store or who are based in a certain location. There are two options, new customer and location.

• New Customers: These are customers that haven't interacted with your brand before. Note: The new customer audience type is exclusively for Shopping Ads. If you select both Shopping Ads and Organic options, it will only apply to Shopping Ads.
• Location: These are customers that you can target based on their location. They can be located in, are regularly in, or have shown interest in a specific region. Note: The location audience type is exclusively for Organic. If you select both Shopping Ads and Organic options, it will only apply to Organic.

This change was spotted by Emmanuel Flossie who wrote on LinkedIn and on his blog, "Is Google blessing us with another feature for promotions just in time for Black Friday? Yes they did!" He added:

It's great to see Google continuing to expand the promotional flexibility of Merchant Center. The ability to target specific customer groups opens up more strategic possibilities, especially when combining promotions with product-level performance data.

That said, it's somewhat puzzling why new customer targeting is only available for Shopping ads, while location targeting is limited to organic searches. Both options should be available across all listing types, especially when running region-specific campaigns or in-store promotions.

Still, these updates are a step in the right direction, giving advertisers more tools to personalize offers and reach customers in more innovative ways.

Here is a screenshot of this setting:

Here is a short video he made on it:

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Google announced it has added Waze ads inventory to Performance Max for store goals campaigns and Channel performance reporting is now available in all Performance Max campaigns in Google Ads.

Google said Waze ads inventory is now in Performance Max for store goals campaigns. This allows businesses to appear as a 'Promoted Places in Navigation' pin on a user's map. For U.S. advertisers using PMax for store goals, these ads are now fully available.

Performance Max will automatically use your existing assets to optimize for Store Visits, Store Sales, or Local Actions Directions.

Google said, "we are planning to expand Waze inventory to additional markets beyond the U.S. in 2026."

Of course, not all are happy Google is lumping Waze ads here...

Plus, Google said "Channel performance reporting is now available in all Performance Max campaigns." In the coming week, Google said you should be able to get specific reporting on search partners and access the channel performance report via manager accounts (MCC).

Here is a summary:

(1) Waze inventory is now in US Pmax for store goals campaigns
(2) Channel performance reporting is available in all Pmax campaigns
(3) More visibility is coming soon to channel performance reporting with Search partners & MCC support

ð'¡ð¯ ð-£ð-²ð-¿ð-³ð-¼ð-¿ð->ð-®ð->>ð-°ð-² ð- ð-®ð... ð'ð-½ð-±ð-®ðð-²ð:

ð ð-ªð-®ðð-² ð-¶ð->>ðð-²ð->>ðð-¼ð-¿ð is now in US Pmax for store goals campaigns
ð"ð--ð-µð-®ð->>ð->>ð-²ð-< ð-½ð-²ð-¿ð-³ð-¼ð-¿ð->ð-®ð->>ð-°ð-² ð-¿ð-²ð-½ð-¼ð-¿ðð-¶ð->>ð-' is available in all Pmax campaigns
ð' ð- ð-¼ð-¿ð-² ðð-¶ðð-¶ð-¯ð-¶ð-<ð-¶ðð ð-¶ð ð-°ð-¼ð->ð-¶ð->>ð-' ðð-¼ð-¼ð->>'... pic.twitter.com/8aInsvKA6g

'" Google Ads (@GoogleAds) November 6, 2025

Forum discussion at X.

Google has been adding AI features to Google Finance - like what can go wrong? Recently Google's Rose Yao announced Google Finance added live audio, instant transcripts and AI insights. Plus, yesterday, Google announced deep search, predictions, live earnings, and more.

Here is a video of this in action:

Earnings season just got a major upgrade. We've launched a brand new earnings experience in the new Google Finance! Get live audio, instant transcripts and AI insights right when they matter. pic.twitter.com/gl8ic2mrAM

'" Rose Yao (@dozenrose) October 31, 2025

To access these features in Google Finance:

Browse the 'Upcoming earnings' calendar or choose a ticker from your watchlist and select the Earnings tab.

• Tune into a live audio stream when the call happens and get an instant transcript (also available after the call)
• Check out AI-powered insights under 'At a glance' - they'll update before, during and after the call based on news reports, market data and analyst reactions.
• See the latest quarterly metrics all in one place, with a comparison to past performance and EPS/revenue expectations.

These features are available in English in the US and you can opt into more experimental AI features in Google Labs.

And yesterday, Google added these new features:

Deep Search can help with your most complex questions:

• Advanced Gemini models will issue up to hundreds of simultaneous searches and reason across disparate pieces of information, to produce a fully cited, comprehensive response.
• Rolling out over the coming weeks in the new Google Finance, with higher limits for Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers. Get early access by opting into the Google Finance experiment in Labs.

• Users can ask questions about future market events'"like "what will GDP growth be for 2025?"'"directly from the search box to see current probabilities in the market and how they've changed over time.
• Rolling out over the coming weeks, starting with Labs users.

• Users can tune into a live audio stream with an instant transcript during the call. Below the stream, new AI-powered "At a glance" insights update to give a snapshot of key information across market data, news reports, and analyst reactions.
• Launched last week. Accessible via the 'Upcoming earnings' calendar or by selecting a ticker from a watchlist and tapping the new Earnings tab.

• Starting to roll out this week. Note: The latest capabilities (Deep Search, prediction markets, and earnings) are rolling out first in the U.S. We aim to bring them to more users over time.

Deep Search in Google Finance can help with your most complex questions. Just ask whatever's on your mind & select the new Deep Search option. Our advanced Gemini models will scour the web and financial datasets to produce a fully-cited, comprehensive response (while you get a'... pic.twitter.com/2qVgwsDQY8

'" Rose Yao (@dozenrose) November 6, 2025

Finally, we're bringing the new Google Finance to India, our first expansion beyond the U.S. This'll include support for both English & Hindi, helping even more people access AI-powered financial insights. Starting to roll out today.

'" Rose Yao (@dozenrose) November 6, 2025

Also, ICYMI last week, we just launched a new experience for corporate earnings that keeps you informed with live audio, instant transcripts, AI-powered insights and detailed financial metrics. https://t.co/8G3oplrwCq

'" Rose Yao (@dozenrose) November 6, 2025

To try out the new Google Finance in the U.S. or India, head to google.com/finance/beta on mobile or desktop and make sure you're signed into your Google account.

Forum discussion at X.

Google added a new navigation button to Google Merchant Center labeled "Creative Content." I believe this is where you access Product Studio or parts of it, and all your videos and assets for your Merchant Center campaigns.

This was spotted by Casey Gill who posted about it on LinkedIn - she wrote, "Video assets in new Google Merchant Center 'Creative Content' addition. This feature aims to enhance brand profiles and product listings across Google's paid AND organic placements. They'll also automatically appear in Google Ads asset library for linked accounts. If it's rolled out in your account, find it under Creative content > Video assets (directly under Product Studio)."

Here is her screenshot:

As you can see, the screenshot says:

Introducing Video assets in Creative content:

Google has surfaced your brand and product videos to help you engage more customers and increase conversions.

Engage more customers and increase conversions with your videos on Google.

In Video assets, Google brings together videos from your website and social channels as well as those generated by Al. You can manage how your videos are shown across Google in organic search results, your ad campaigns, and on your brand profile.

"One of the coolest features I'm most excited about is the ability to map the videos to product listings. There's also the ability to use AI-powered product mapping from your YouTube channel," Casie added.

Do you see this? I see it mentioned in the updated help documentation.

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

As VP of Engineering for Search at Google, Rajan Patel said months ago - "We're experimenting with various approaches to X in Discover." Google has been super busy with testing various approaches to Google Discover. Here are some of the more recent tests I found via Damien (andell) and Gagan Ghotra over the last few weeks.

Google Discover updated titles and images:

ð Another Google Discover update with titles in images, but also image format with rounded images that don't fill the entire screen.

Poke @gaganghotra_ @rustybrick https://t.co/tFkpAlGdHV pic.twitter.com/j4MA99epWI

'" Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) October 29, 2025

Google Discover cards with Twitter Post (X):

ðNew on Google Discover cards with Twitter Post (X)

You can see a multi-image carousel that you can swipe from left to right or tap the arrows to view all 3 images pic.twitter.com/FXADLZBWit

'" Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) November 5, 2025

YouTube Channel Posts In Discover feed:

ð YouTube channel posts now showing up in Google Discover - can't say if it's a test or a rollout cuz I have confirmed with Discover users from multiple countries & a lot of them are seeing these in their feeds starting yesterday.

These show up with the title "Post from channel'... https://t.co/IvPW0eoW1j pic.twitter.com/nsbkhCnZ8a

'" Gagan Ghotra (@gaganghotra_) October 21, 2025

Google Discover with Larger Publisher Icons:

Google Discover is testing larger publisher icons.

Comparing the favicons reveals several interesting points.

Google keeps both in its memory.

The first:

- Very lightweight, small PNG (originally 57x57 pixels, resized).

- Google serves the site's Apple Touch icon.
- Source:'... pic.twitter.com/6BZwqzO7Y1

'" Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) November 3, 2025

Google Discover Profile links on and off:

The profile link on Google Discover is back online.

It's working again as of today; you can click on the website name and access the publisher's Google profile link. https://t.co/cLS44JhP6r pic.twitter.com/OpnRrAWNls

'" Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) October 29, 2025

Disclaimer Changes:

A little info about Google Discover that went unnoticed.

But Google removed the disclaimer message stating that the AI ''summary was generated by AI.

This reminds me of what @brodieseo saw on the Google SERPs.

You can see the flag: "disable AI summary disclaimer" = 1
And they'... pic.twitter.com/YF4XE3mWo1

'" Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) October 27, 2025

Explore Related & Explore Places:

In Google Discover, we saw "Explore Places," a Discover feed within a Discover feed.

Here are the "Explore Related" items in YouTube videos on the Discover feed.

When you click on a YouTube video card, you see the video, but below it, there's an "Explore Related" block that'... https://t.co/GExffBtr23 pic.twitter.com/Pu3m8Qh7Lm

'" Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) October 26, 2025

YouTube videos auto playing in Discover:

ð Google Discover now testing auto playing YouTube video as user scroll past ð' pic.twitter.com/7gDRTYDQWC

'" Gagan Ghotra (@gaganghotra_) November 5, 2025

AI Overviews in Discover:

The tweet below showed that Google had implemented AI Overview on Google Discover on desktop.

I noticed that Google has changed how these AI Overviews are displayed on Discover on desktop.

You now have to click on the sources to see the details of the articles cited as sources.'... https://t.co/KMs32Nq3Em pic.twitter.com/RiIxAHKC6n

— Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) November 7, 2025

With that comes bugs:

ð"¨Google Discover bug !

When you click on the source details of an AI Overview in Discover, if you then manipulate this new window, close it, and reopen it, the Discover feed of source details is broken. pic.twitter.com/p9UixApaV8

'" Damien (andell) (@AndellDam) November 3, 2025

Forum discussion at posts above...

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 a number of search features and structured data types, but Google did not give us the full list of changes Google Ads Editor version 2.11 is now out. Google Maps got a big update from Gemini. Google is testing AI Overviews in place of the definition box. Google is testing a yellowish tinted background color for the search results.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Drops Support For More Structured Data Types & Search Features
  Google's John Mueller announced Google is "simplify the search results page" by removing "some features that aren't being used very often and aren't adding significant value to users." This means more structured data types will be removed, but for some reason, Google did not specify exactly which ones are going away.
• Google Search Tests Tinted Colored Background
  Google is testing a tinted brownish/yellowish background color for the search results page. It turns the white background into a brownish/grayish/yellowish background and then the gray boxes into a darker color.
• Google Definitions Box Tests Swapping In AI Overviews
  Google is testing replacing the definitions box in the search results with AI Overviews. I am personally able to replicate this but this was posted in Reddit a couple of months ago - I didn't think it was new, but yea, this is been an ongoing test for some time.
• Google Ads Editor Version 2.11 Is Now Available
  Google has released version 2.11 of the Google Ads Editor, which includes over 15 new features and removes a couple of older features.
• Gemini Coming To Google Maps For Directions, Traffic & Places
  Google Maps is getting an update from Gemini where you can ask Google Maps questions about locations, where Google Maps can give you more human directions and Google Maps with Lens can tell you more about a store or location.
• Google Ads Fake Info For Advertiser Verification Programs Disallowed
  Google updated its Circumventing systems policy to add a new section for Advertiser verification. In short, and as Google wrote, "Providing false or fraudulent information as part of our Advertiser verification programs is not allowed."
• Powerpuff Girls At Google Hong Kong
  Here is a photo from a Halloween party at the Google Hong Kong office of some Googlers dressed up as The Powerpuff Girls. They wrote on Instagram, "Another year of Googleween with my cutest teammates."

Other Great Search Threads:

• Are 'Google Docs backlinks' a real SEO play? (came up in a Threads convo), Reddit
• How it works: It automatically delivers the most relevant ads and matches advertisers against additional queries they weren't reaching before. Rolled out globally in Sept & it's already unlocked billions in net new queries, Vidhya Srinivasan on X
• "Validate fix" for things like this is basically just a note for yourself. With structured data, it's possible to go from "invalid" to "valid" markup, but a 404 page isn't something you need to fix (if it doesn't exist). 5XX errors are a bit different, so, John Mueller on Bluesky
• If you work in eCommerce SEO, make sure you're getting the credit you deserve. Misattribution is common with free listings within Google Search due to sites misusing old tagging methods within their feeds. This can apply to feature, Brodie Clark on X
• No amount of technical work is going to make a website useful if none of the content is useful., John Mueller on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Merchant Center adds 'Creative Content' section with video assets
• Google to remove more search features including practice problems, nutrition facts, nearby offers and more
• How agentic AI threatens to upend OTAs' dominance in search
• How APIs extend data access and automation in Google Ads and Meta Ads

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• 1 million business customers: the fastest-growing business platform in history, OpenAI
• Apple Plans to Use 1.2 Trillion Parameter Google Gemini Model to Power New Siri, Bloomberg
• Gemini Deep Research can tap into your Gmail and Google Drive, 9to5Google
• Google is preparing Nano Banana 2 for the upcoming release, Testing Catalog
• Introducing Profound Index, Profound
• Threat actors misuse AI to enhance operations, Google Blog
• Microsoft built a fake marketplace to test AI agents '" they failed in surprising ways, TechCrunch
• The Hidden Entity Layer of ChatGPT: From Named Entities to Products, WordLift
• The History of Ecommerce: From Amazon to ChatGPT and Preparing for the Future, iPullRank

Analytics

• Using Attribution Paths To Transform Your Google Ads Strategy, Search Engine Journal

Industry & Business

• Exclusive | OpenAI Isn't Yet Working Toward an IPO, CFO Says, Wall Street Journal
• Google confirms it is behind data center plan in rural Morgan County, WRTV
• Google Hit With Patent Suit Over Phone, Smart Home Tech, Law360
• PTAB Upholds Shopping Patent After Google Challenge, Law360
• Snap Inks $400 Million Perplexity Deal to Add AI Search to Chat, Bloomberg
• Google Is in Early Talks to Deepen Its Investment in Anthropic, Business Insider
• Google planning powerful AI data centre on tiny Australian Indian Ocean outpost, Reuters
• Google to announce biggest-ever investment in Germany on Tuesday, Reuters
• Meet the power broker of the AI age: OpenAI's 'builder-in-chief' helping to turn Sam Altman's trillion-dollar data center dreams into reality, Fortune

Links & Content Marketing

• How Marketers Are Planning to Use AI, Influencers and More in 2026, Social Media Today
• Marketing 360 Launches Content Marketing Pro Plan, Yahoo Finance
• How to Optimize Content for AI Search Engines [2026 Guide], Semrush

Local & Maps

• Drive with 'Now You See Me' on Waze, Google Blog
• Multi-Location SEO: How to Scale Without the Chaos, Backlinko
• We Analyzed 8,186 Businesses in 200 Cities. Here's What Actually Gets You Ranking for 'Near Me' in 2025, Sterling Sky

SEO

• How Google is Integrating AI in Organic Search, Ann Smarty
• IndexWatch Q3 2025: UK Winners & Losers, SISTRIX
• SEO to AEO: What's Different and What's Stayed the Same, seoClarity
• Should You Keep Your Black Friday Pages Live All Year?, Koozai
• The Evolving Role of an SEO in the AI Era, StepForth
• Top 10 SEO mistakes agencies still make, Hallam

PPC

• Google Launches Help Pages for Video Assets in GMC, PPC News Feed
• Google Is Pushing Creating Investment Strategy in Ads, PPC News Feed
• Launching international paid search campaigns, PPC Live

Search Features

• AI Mode is easier to use in Chrome on iOS and Android, Google Blog

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News, add as a preferred source on Google and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or just contact us the old fashion way.

Google's John Mueller announced Google is "simplify the search results page" by removing "some features that aren't being used very often and aren't adding significant value to users." This means more structured data types will be removed, but for some reason, Google did not specify exactly which ones are going away.

Google did tell me features including 'Today's Doodle' box, nutrition facts, nearby offers and events, local bikeshare station status, and the TV season selector in Google Search are going away. I am surprised by the Doodles box and nutrition facts going away - also those nearby offers and events.

Plus Google said they will deprecate the practice problems structured data. Google also clarified that Dataset structured data is only used by Dataset Search, and not Google Search. Google also removed the deprecation banner from Book actions documentation, as there's still a feature using the markup in Google Search. That explains my question from September.

What is going away:

• Practice problem structured data types
• Dataset structured data types
• Today's Doodle box
• Nutrition facts
• Nearby offers and events
• Local bikeshare station status
• TV season selector
• and more small, organizational elements of the page that were rarely used and in many instances didn't have official names

Also, it seems Vehicles for Sales is being deprecated as part of this.

Google confirmed with me that this is definitely not an end to all structured data/rich results. I mean, we just lost several structured data types in June, with Search Console deprecating them in September but what more are we going to lose support for from this list.

So that is what is changing - what do you think?

Forum discussion at X.

Google is testing a tinted brownish/yellowish background color for the search results page. It turns the white background into a brownish/grayish/yellowish background and then the gray boxes into a darker color.

This was spotted by Khushal Bherwani who posted some screenshots on X - here is one of those screenshots:

This is how it compares to the normal background color:

The test kind of makes it look like your monitor colors are broken...

Here are more screenshots:

ð Google testing background color in whole serp. pic.twitter.com/751kvREDAH

'" Khushal Bherwani (@b4k_khushal) November 4, 2025

Jamie Press also shared some images of this in action:

Footer also:

for me footer is of this color
when I am using VPN to access UK results
but from AU IP its showing the same white one no background color pic.twitter.com/XcarOEniMG

— Gagan Ghotra (@gaganghotra_) November 6, 2025

Forum discussion at X.

Google updated its Circumventing systems policy to add a new section for Advertiser verification. In short, and as Google wrote, "Providing false or fraudulent information as part of our Advertiser verification programs is not allowed."

This new section was added over here and read:

Circumventing systems: Advertiser verification:

Not allowed Providing false or fraudulent information as part of our Advertiser verification programs is not allowed.

Examples (non-exhaustive):

If you violate Google Ads policies or provide false or fraudulent information during the verification program, you will not be verified or will lose your verified status, and your account will be suspended.

Why this isn't allowed:

• It's harmful to people: When advertisers hide their true identity, users can't make informed choices to avoid scams, misleading information, and dangerous products or services.
• It damages the overall advertising ecosystem: When people can't trust the verification status of advertisers, they become less likely to trust any ads, which hurts all advertisers. Google Ads wants to maintain a safe and transparent ecosystem for everyone.
• It has been used to attempt to evade policy enforcement: Everyone needs to follow the same Google Ads policies. Attempting to use false or fraudulent identity information to get around those policies is not allowed.

Best practices (non-exhaustive):

• Submit authentic government documents: If you're asked to submit a government-issued photo ID, registration or license, ensure the information is accurate and unmodified.
• Submit authentic business documents: If you're asked to submit business documents, such as information about your business relationships or the provider of the goods or services, ensure the information is accurate, and only hide or edit proprietary or personal information.

Tips for submitting your appeal:

• Explain your situation: Provide details about the form of identity you used as part of the advertiser verification program. If there's been a mistake, explain what happened.

Google said, "This clarification reinforces our existing policy that submitting false or fraudulent information through our verification programs is a direct violation of the Circumventing Systems policy and will result in account suspension. There is no change to enforcement of this policy."

Google also added another line to the overall policy that says, "Using appropriate click trackers and redirecting users is okay as long as you're not doing these things to try to hide that you're showing or doing anything that goes against Google Ads' policies."

You can compare the live page to the archived version if you want to see all the changes.

Forum discussion at X.

Google is testing replacing the definitions box in the search results with AI Overviews. I am personally able to replicate this but this was posted in Reddit a couple of months ago - I didn't think it was new, but yea, this is been an ongoing test for some time.

Here is a side-by-side of a definition in Google Search powered by AI Overviews versus its normal system:

Here it is on desktop as an AI Overview:

Here it is on desktop as it normally is:

I spotted this on Tech Issues Today via @glenngabe.

I am pretty confident someone sent this to me earlier, I just can't find my coverage.

Forum discussion at Reddit.

Google has released version 2.11 of the Google Ads Editor, which includes over 15 new features and removes a couple of older features. The full list of features is below, as Google posted on its site.

Google Ads Editor is a free, downloadable application for managing your Google Ads campaigns. The tool aims to save time and simplify bulk changes to your Google Ads campaigns.

Google released version 2.10 in July 2025, then version 2.9 in March 2025, then version 2.8 in November 2024, then before that version 2.7 in June and Version 2.6 was released in March 2024 and version 2.5 was released in November 2023.

New features in version 2.11, so here they are:

Campaign-level negative keyword list in Performance Max

Take more control over your Performance Max campaigns by adding campaign-level negative keyword lists directly in Editor. This functionality gives you greater control over where your ads appear. By adding lists of negative keywords, you can prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant search queries, ensuring your budget is spent only on reaching relevant customers. Campaign-level negative keyword list ultimately improves campaign efficiency and return on investment, a level of control that is also available for Search and Shopping campaigns.

Search term report for Performance Max campaigns

Gain more valuable insights into which specific search terms are triggering your Performance Max ads. With this increased transparency, you can better understand customer search behavior, identify irrelevant queries to add as negative keywords, and ultimately optimize your campaigns for more relevant traffic and a better return on investment.

Scheduled link checks

This feature provides a simple, efficient, and automated way to find and fix broken links within your campaigns. The feature addresses the challenges of manually checking links, especially in large accounts, and to improve upon the existing functionality for link checking by offering a faster and more integrated solution.

Account-level placement and IP exclusions

Now you can ensure brand safety across your entire account with unprecedented ease. Account-level placement and IP exclusions allows you to centrally exclude content based on themes, keywords, and placements at the account level, eliminating the need for individual campaign adjustments. By consolidating these controls in one location, you will save significant time, prevent implementation errors, and guarantee your brand's suitability preferences are applied consistently and predictably across all of your campaigns.

Campaign selection in download dialog enhancements

This enhancement introduces an improved UI in the download dialog, making it more convenient for you to select and sync only the campaigns you need, which helps streamline your workflow and speeds up the syncing process for large accounts.

Enhancements to CSV import and export functionality

We have implemented several key improvements to the CSV import and export processes to provide users with greater efficiency and control such as running CSV operations across a larger volume of accounts directly within the account management interface and viewing import results and configuring account selection using manager account views of the affected accounts. We have also simplified export configuration into a single unified configuration dialog.

Smart Bidding Exploration

Smart Bidding Exploration is a new opt-in feature for Search campaigns that uses Google's AI to bid on potentially high-performing search queries. Google AI and flexible ROAS targets work hand-in-hand to fuel an advanced algorithm that captures new searches and secures additional conversions from the traffic you're already eligible for. The result is scaled performance and traffic diversity, meaning your impressions, clicks and conversions will be driven by more unique search term categories.

Editable lead forms

You can now edit your existing lead form assets directly, providing greater flexibility and efficiency for your campaigns. This saves you significant time, as you can easily make updates and corrections to your existing lead forms instead of creating an entirely new one each time.

URL settings for asset group

You now have more granular control over your ad tracking at the asset group level. URL settings for asset groups allow you to set a tracking URL template, a final URL suffix, and custom parameters for asset groups, ensuring accurate and consistent measurement for your automated campaigns.

Nudge to add Google Merchant Center feed to Demand Gen campaigns<< 

A new recommendation will now appear to nudge you to attach a Google Merchant Center feed to new Demand Gen campaigns, helping you get set up for optimal performance.

Support more ad types in ad previews

Ad previews now support more ad types, including Demand Gen and responsive video ads. Ad preview gives you a clearer and more accurate look at how your creatives will appear to users before they go live, helping you ensure optimal presentation and creative quality.

'Agency/Provider list' user list type

Google Ads Editor has added a new "Agency/Provider list" user list type, specifically designed to allow you to use third-party PII user lists from your data partners for targeting on Google's owned and operated surfaces. By leveraging curated user lists from your trusted data partners, you can reach highly specific and relevant audiences, potentially leading to more effective campaigns and a better return on investment.<< 

'TrueView' rename in certain stat names

Certain reporting metrics have been renamed to provide greater clarity and consistency. The terms "View" and "View Rate" are now labeled as "TrueView Views" and "TrueView View Rate" in some reports, aligning with our updated video campaign terminology.

NCA high LTV in Search campaigns

This feature allows New Customer Acquisition High Lifetime value for Search campaigns. It was previously allowed for Performance Max campaigns.

Video generation enhancement

You can now automatically create on-brand videos from your existing assets, like images and text, combined with your brand's colors and fonts. this can be easily enabled or disabled with a toggle in your ad group's "Asset optimization" settings. This feature is on by default and helps you get started with video advertising on YouTube by generating videos in all aspect ratios, expanding your reach and improving campaign performance.

Streamlined campaign construction flow for Search campaigns

The construction flow tool expands to include Search campaigns, giving you a simplified and accelerated process to create new campaigns from scratch. Follow the step-by-step process to build an optimized campaign and use the integrated GenAI tools to assist. You can access this streamlined experience directly from the "Add Campaign" menu, by selecting "Add Search campaign"

Here are the features going away:

To simplify and streamline your campaign management, Google has removed some ad types and manual CPV campaigns.

• Removal of ad types: Several legacy ad types, including App install ads and Image app install ads and Display ads have been removed. While existing ads of these types will still be shown in Editor, and you can delete, pause, and unpause them. However, you will no longer be able to create any new ads of these types or make changes beyond updating status and labels.
• Deprecation of manual CPV campaigns: Manual CPV (mCPV) bidding strategy is no longer supported for newly created mCPV campaigns. The replacement for mCPV campaigns are Video view campaigns (VVC) with Target CPV (tCPV) bidding, which leverages AI and multi-format ads to help drive more cost-efficient views and higher engagement. To simplify this transition, Google Ads Editor now includes a conversion tool that will guide you through upgrading your existing mCPV campaigns to the new and improved VVC format.

Forum discussion at X.

Google Maps is getting an update from Gemini where you can ask Google Maps questions about locations, where Google Maps can give you more human directions and Google Maps with Lens can tell you more about a store or location. This includes Gemini in navigation, landmark-based navigation, proactive traffic alerts and Lens built with Gemini.

I'll cover this in reverse order...

(1) Location/Places information via Google Lens:

Now you can point your phone at a physical place; store, cafe, shop, etc, and ask Gemini questions about it. Google said, by clicking on the camera in the search bar and hold your phone up to identify places like restaurants, cafes, shops or famous landmarks in your view. When you see pins, tap the mic to ask questions about the place, like you would a friend: 'What is this place and why is it popular?' or 'What's the vibe inside?' The powerful combination of Gemini capabilities and Google Maps' understanding of places around the world gets you the answers you need, helping you decide in a moment if a spot is worth the wait.

Here is a video of it in action:

Lens built with Gemini starts rolling out gradually later this month in the U.S. on Android and iOS.

(2) Proactive traffic notifications:

Google Maps can give you notifications about traffic and disruptions on the road ahead before you even start navigating.

Proactive traffic alerts are rolling out now in the U.S. on Android.

(3) Landmarks for navigation:

A lot of people don't like to hear, in 500 feet turn right. Some want to know that you should turn right after the Mobile gas station or specific landmarks. Now, Google can do that.

Google said, "Gemini does this by analyzing Google Maps' fresh, comprehensive information about 250 million places and cross-referencing it with Street View images to curate the most useful landmarks visible from the street, so guidance is accurate and helpful."

Landmark-based navigation is rolling out now on Android and iOS in the U.S.

(4) Gemini will power the assistant in Google Maps:

Google wrote, "We're bringing Gemini, your AI assistant, to our hands-free driving experience in the Google Maps app. That means it's even simpler to find places along your route, check for available EV chargers or on Android, share your ETA with friends. No fumbling required '" now you can just ask."

Here is a demo:

Gemini in navigation starts rolling out in the coming weeks on Android and iOS everywhere Gemini is available, with Android Auto on the way.

Forum discussion at X.

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 AI Overviews continue to shift click-through rates down, which is not a good thing. Google is testing a new version of AI Mode. Google Merchant Center promotion section added a top performing products option. Google is testing review summary box updates. Google AI Mode added three new agentic capabilities.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Report: Google AI Overviews Continue To Drive CTR Downwards
  Earlier this year, we covered that Google's AI Overviews are killing click-through rates from the Google Search results. Well, Seer Interactive updated the numbers and that CTR decline has continued to decline and get even worse.
• Google Tests A New Version Of AI Mode
  Google is testing a new version of AI Mode responses in the wild, directly in the Google Search AI Mode interface. Google even tells the searcher, "You're giving feedback on a new version of Al Mode. Which response do you prefer?"
• Google Merchant Center Adds Promotions For Top Performing Products
  Google added a new promotion method in Google Merchant Center for Top-performing products. This lets you just promote your best performing products in Google Shopping and Google Search.
• Google Reviews Updates Services Summary Box
  Google is testing an update to the reviews services summary box. We know Google does ask for services attributes and other attributes from both the business owner and reviewers but this review box seems newish.
• Google AI Mode Gains 3 New Agentic Capabilities
  Google's Robby Stein announced three new agentic capabilities within AI Mode - (1) booking event tickets (2) booking beauty appointments and (3) wellness appointments.
• Googleween - Videos & Photos From The Google Halloween Party
  Here are some photos and videos I found on Instagram from the big Google Halloween Googleween party. I'll just embed them below.

Other Great Search Threads:

• For quite a while, broad match was the thing everyone avoided. But Google's changed how it works, and it's finally getting better at understanding what people mean, not just what they type. That doesn't make it, Menachem Ani on X
• Let's hear it for lead gen! I got to chat with agency experts Pauline Jakober @GrpTwentySeven, Patrick Ortenzio @Tinuiti and Grace Mante @KeplerGrp about their top strategies for generating high-quality leads. * How to adapt tactics for, AdsLiaison on X
• Okay, heads up to those who are interested - Search Central Live is coming to Zurich again On December 9!, Martin Splitt on Bluesky
• [New data]: Traffic from ChatGPT keeps growing every month, while traffic from Google keeps falling. [Based on data from ~67k websites connected to @Ahrefs' free Web Analytics product '' chatgpt-vs-google(DOT)com] Don't g, Tim Soulo on X
• Strategic inputs are definitely important to optimize toward the conversions you deem valuable to your business. As Patrick says, "good data in, good data out" and Grace underscores the impo, AdsLiaison on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• YouTube locks sidebar on mobile ads, removing close option
• Google AI Overviews drive 61% drop in organic CTR, 68% in paid
• GEO startup Lorelight shuts down: 'The problem didn't need solving'
• Google's 'Smart Cropping' may be trimming your Shopping Ad images
• Aja Frost on AI search, content strategy, and AEO success metrics
• Social and UGC: The trust engines powering search everywhere
• 5 Google Ads tactics to drop in 2026

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Introducing MAI-Image-1, debuting in the top 10 on LMArena, Microsoft AI
• Introducing voice in Microsoft 365 Copilot: a more productive way to work on the go., Microsoft Community Hub
• People Inc. IAC Google AI Overviews Microsoft, Digiday
• The Nonprofit Feeding the Entire Internet to AI Companies, The Atlantic
• Shopify says AI traffic is up 7x since January, AI-driven orders are up 11x, TechCrunch

Analytics

• How GA4 records traffic from Perplexity Comet and ChatGPT Atlas, MarTech

Industry & Business

• Alphabet Sells $25 Billion of Corporate Bonds in US, Europe, Bloomberg
• Amazon Demands Perplexity Stop AI Agent From Making Purchases, Bloomberg
• Google transfers ownership of new aquifer storage and recovery facility to The Dalles, Columbia Gorge News
• Google: DOJ bows to industry with 'unprecedented' breakup demands, Global Competition Review
• Perplexity AI accuses Amazon of bullying with Comet legal threat, CNBC
• The DOJ And Google Sharpen Their Remedy Proposals As The Two Sides Prepare For Closing Arguments, AdExchanger
• Epic and Google agree to settle their lawsuit and change Android's fate globally, The Verge
• Google Clears DOJ Antitrust Hurdle for $32 Billion Wiz Deal, Bloomberg

Links & Content Marketing

• How Moorings Park Used AI and SEO to Strengthen Content Strategy, seoClarity
• GitHub Cracks Code With Fresh Twists for Corporate Blog, Content Marketing Institute
• Why student influencers are reshaping brand marketing, Content Grip

Local & Maps

• Google Maps Alternative Gets Big Update With Three New Features, AutoEvolution
• Google Maps, Polestar introduce live lane guidance, Google Blog
• Some Android Auto users report issues after updating to Android 16, 9to5Google

SEO

• Duplicate meta titles or meta descriptions in Shopify, Ilana Davis
• Is Schema Any Good for SEO? (And Why), Sara Taher
• Managing faceted navigation at scale, Oncrawl
• Rethinking YouTube SEO: Winning Visibility in Google's AI Overviews, JumpFly
• How LLMs Learn from Structured Data '" and Why Schema.org Matters for AI SEO, GPT Insights

PPC

• Merge Google Ads Campaigns for Better ROAS, Practical Ecommerce
• The Difference Between Search and Display Campaigns (and Why It Matters), JumpFly

Search Features

• Google's Search Live could soon stop listening when you want it to, Android Authority

Other Search

• Alexa+ comes to the Amazon Music app, TechCrunch
• Exploring a space-based, scalable AI infrastructure system design, Google Research Blog
• Goodbye, Assistant: Google prepares to make Gemini your only option, Android Authority
• Google Removed 749 Million Anna's Archive URLs from its Search Results, TorrentFreak
• How Does Social Media Traffic Compare to Organic and AI in 2025?, SE Ranking

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News, add as a preferred source on Google and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or just contact us the old fashion way.

Earlier this year, we covered that Google's AI Overviews are killing click-through rates from the Google Search results. Well, Seer Interactive updated the numbers and that CTR decline has continued to decline and get even worse.

The updated data shows that there is a decline with and without AI Overviews on the page, and year-over-year date shows a 65% CTR decline in organic search when AI Overviews are on the page and you're not cited, a 78% CTR decline in paid search when AI Overviews are on the page. When AI Overviews are on the page and you are cited in the AI Overview, there is a 49% CTR decline in organic search and a 54% decline in paid search. Now the banger, when there are no AI Overviews on the page, there is still a decline in CTR; 46% drop for organic search and 20% for paid search.

Here is the updated charge, broken down by month - you can see the decline month-over-month over the past several months:

There are tons of caveats based on the type of search, etc. - so check out the Seer Interactive report in detail. But these trends are not looking good. One note, the num 100 parameter change may have some influence on this data.

Forum discussion at X.

Google is testing a new version of AI Mode responses in the wild, directly in the Google Search AI Mode interface. Google even tells the searcher, "You're giving feedback on a new version of Al Mode. Which response do you prefer?"

In the test, Google shows two different AI Mode responses, side-by-side, and asks the searcher to specify which response is preferred.

This was spotted by Len on X who shared this screenshot:

Google is moving fast with changes to AI Mode, so this is not a surprise. But this is the first time I've seen Google test AI Mode responses in the wild. At least, side-by-side, like this...

Forum discussion at X.

Google added a new promotion method in Google Merchant Center for Top-performing products. This lets you just promote your best performing products in Google Shopping and Google Search.

This addition was spotted by Emmanuel Flossie who wrote about it on his blog and on LinkedIn - he said, "Google just launched a new feature for promotions in Google Merchant Center, anyone want to target top performing products?"

"Google has now introduced a more strategic option: you can choose to apply your promotion only to your top-performing products, rather than all products or specific product filters," he added.

Here is a screenshot of this:

He also posted a more detailed video walkthrough:

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Google is testing an update to the reviews services summary box. We know Google does ask for services attributes and other attributes from both the business owner and reviewers but this review box seems newish.

This was spotted by SEO Mada on X who wrote, "Google reviews is inserting this Service section, and I am pretty sure it's inserting the "Great Price | $100-200."

Here is that screenshot:

I asked a number of local SEOs and most said it was new including Mike Blumenthal, Tim Capper and others.

Joy Hawkins explained "(see services attributes section) - not new but they might be on more categories before that didn't have them."

That being said, something is a bit new with this reviews box and I figured I'd document it.

Forum discussion at X.

Google's Robby Stein announced three new agentic capabilities within AI Mode - (1) booking event tickets (2) booking beauty appointments and (3) wellness appointments. This comes a few months after Google added restaurant reservations in AI Mode and now we have three more options.

To be clear, this is an opt in feature, so you need to opt in to this Search Lab.

Robby Stein wrote on X, "New agentic capabilities are launching in AI Mode: you can now get help booking event tickets or beauty & wellness appointments. This is available to all users opted into Labs in the U.S., with higher limits for Google AI Pro & Ultra subscribers."

Glenn Gabe played with it and shared screenshots on X - Glenn also wrote, "I asked AI Mode to help with finding concert tickets in NYC. It took about 8-10 minutes to research and then provided the concerts with pricing and links to buy those tickets across platforms like Ticketmaster and StubHub."

New in Labs: You can now use AI Mode in Search to secure event tickets and book beauty or wellness appointments. This is available for everyone in Labs the U.S., with higher limits for Google AI Pro & Ultra subscribers. Search can now take action for you, looking across local'...

— Rose Yao (@dozenrose) November 5, 2025

Forum discussion at X.