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.

OpenAI is testing ChatGPT ads maybe in the form of sponsored content in the AI responses. Google spoke about the biggest Google Ads launches in 2025. Google continues to test centered search results. Google said make sure to pick a reasonable site name that you can compete with. Microsoft Advertising says exact match trumps ad rank. And John Mueller was doing Google SEO support on Christmas day, like he has the past 18 years. I also posted the weekly SEO video recap this morning.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• ChatGPT Ads May Prioritize Sponsored Content In AI Responses
  A report from The Information outlined a number of avenues OpenAI is looking at for ad formats in ChatGPT. The main one that is reportedly being thrown around at the AI company is to show sponsored content within the AI responses given by ChatGPT.
• Google: #1 Google Ads Launches Of 2025
  Google has been publishing these videos from advertisers on the number one Google Ads launches of the year 2025. Bug Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, was asked and she picked PMax channel performance reporting as her number one feature release for Google Ads in 2025.
• Google: Pick A Reasonable Site Name To Rank For In Search
  Google's John Mueller said on Reddit that when picking a site name, make sure to pick something that you can reasonably expect to rank for. In short, don't go online and complain that your site is named Best SEO blog and you don't rank in the number one position in Google Search for [best SEO blog].
• Microsoft Advertiser: Exact Match Trumps Ad Rank On AI Surfaces & More
  Navah Hopkins, the Ads Liaison for Microsoft Advertising, made it crystal clear that exact match is prioritized even over Ad Rank. Navah Hopkins wrote on X and LinkedIn, "Exact match will get the priority if it's there, otherwise Ad Rank determines everything."
• Google's John Mueller Working On Christmas (2025 Edition)
  Every year, for the past 18 or so years, Google's John Mueller has been working on Christmas to provide support to those who need help with their Google Search ranking and SEO concerns. This year is no different; John Mueller has responded to several concerns on Reddit and other social media platforms today.
• Google Continues Centering Search Results Test
  Google is testing placing the search results in the center of the screen, instead of aligning it more to the left of the screen. This is an ongoing test we have seen on and off over many many years and it is still going on.
• Yahoo Bangalore Office Neon Sign
  Here is a Yahoo neon light up sign at the Yahoo office in Bangalore. I found it on Instagram and it caught my eye.
• Video: Google Core Update Status, News Publishers Traffic Distribution, Ads In AI Overviews Expand, ChatGPT Ads & Christmas
  This week in search, we covered an update on the Google December 2025 core update. Google Search traffic to news publishers continues to vanish, but there is Google Discover. A report shows Google has deleted a ton...

Other Great Search Threads:

• Yes! I think it's even more the case nowadays. Mainstream search engines have practice dealing with the weird & wonky web, but there's more than just that, and you shouldn't get lazy just because search engines can figure out many kinds of sites / online , John Mueller on Bluesky
• You can use AI Mode signed out or with Incognito in Chrome!, Robby Stein on X
• expanding my SaaS using multiple ccTLDs, Reddit
• Freaking travesty that Microsoft owns a browser and an OS and can't get usage to grow. Man this feels a lot like Bing. They just can't figure out how to take advantage of their entrenched real estate., Wil Reynolds on X
• Google SEO indexing conversion from PHP site to NextJS, Reddit

Search Engine Land Stories:

• OpenAI discusses an ad-driven strategy centered on ChatGPT scale and media partnerships
• Google lowers audience size limits across Ads

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Baker beware: How I was fooled by an AI-generated recipe, CNN
• Waymo is testing Gemini as an in-car AI assistant in its robotaxis, TechCrunch
• AI Minted More Than 50 New Billionaires In 2025, Forbes
• AlphaFold Changed Science. After 5 Years, It's Still Evolving, Wired

Analytics

• Entrances in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• Former Google engineer accused of stealing AI secrets faces US trial in January, MLex
• New York Times reporter sues Google, xAI, OpenAI over chatbot training, Reuters
• Google's Trajectory: 2026 and Beyond, DEJAN
• Google 'rolling out' option to change Gmail addresses, 9to5Google

Links & Content Marketing

• The Evolution of B2B Content: Stephanie Losee on Thought Leadership, Trust, and Experience, TopRank Marketing

Local & Maps

• Google's AI Route 66 Archive Features Santa Monica Endpoint, SMDP
• I tested the new Google Maps Power Saving Mode over 200 miles; here's what you need to know, Android Police
• The Big Feature That Made Google Maps the World's Top Navigation App, AutoEvolution

SEO

• How ClarityAutomate Helped an Enterprise Retail SEO Team Execute at Scale, seoClarity
• SEO 2025: What You Need to Know Moving Forward, Yoast
• What Server Logs Tell About LLMS.TXT, SEO Depths
• AEO vs. GEO explained: What marketers need to know now, Hubspot
• AI & SEO Bot Crawlability Tester, DEJAN
• GEO KPIs: How To Measure The Right GEO Metrics, Similarweb
• The Ultimate SEO Tutorial for 2026, Backlinko
• SEO Budgeting for Capacity: A Practical Framework for 2026, I Love SEO

PPC

• Open AI, Google, and the future of advertising, Fast Company

Search Features

• Android Auto may finally let you cast media from your phone, Android Central
• Google is fixing the Gemini overlay's biggest annoyance, Android Police
• Prominent Canadian Musician Says Gig Was Cancelled After Google AI Overview Wrongly Branded Him Sex Pest, Gizmodo

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.

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 lowers the active visitors lists to 100 for the Search Network and YouTube. Google Ads Advisor is showing up in the Google Ads reporting. Google Ads is working on fixing a bug with dynamic remarketing tracking and data. Bing wrote about how similar and duplicate pages blur signals and weaken SEO for AI and Search. And Bing is testing a more sources section. Finally, Google did not post its annual search result holiday decorations this year.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Ads Drops Active Visitors To 100 For Search Network & YouTube
  Earlier this year, Google lowered the size of your data segment customer lists to 100 active visitors for the Google Display Network. Now, Google updated that to also be 100 active visitors for the Search Network and YouTube.
• Confirmed Google Ads Dynamic Remarketing Tracking Reporting Bug
  Google has confirmed there is a bug with Google Ads dynamic remarketing tracking where the data is not flowing into the reporting. Adesh, from the Google team, responded that the Google "teams are actively reviewing this and working toward a resolution."
• Google Search Forgot The Holiday Decorations In 2025
  For the past 15 or so years, Google would post holiday-specific decorations at the top of its search results for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Well, this year Google did not. Google did post an Easter egg in the search results, which they do every year, and it posted the season's greeting Doodle, but not the holiday-specific decorations.
• Bing: Duplicate & Similar Pages Blur Signals & Weaken SEO & AI Visibility
  Fabrice Canel and Krishna Madhavan from the Microsoft Bing team posted a useful blog post named Does Duplicate Content Hurt SEO and AI Search Visibility? The short answer is yes, and the long answer is also yes.
• Google Ads Advisor Suggestions Within Google Ad Reporting
  Google is testing pushing advertisers to use Google Ads Advisor from within the Google Ads reporting section. Google Ads suggested questions and prompts at the top of the report, which it thinks you would find helpful to chat with an AI bot about.
• Bing Search Tests More Sources Section
  Microsoft is testing a "more sources" section within the Bing Search results. This seems to load a different user interface, with long card-shaped search results that you can slide through as a carousel.
• Christmas Tree At Google Bangalore Office
  Here is the pretty tall Christmas tree set up in the lobby of the Google office in Bangalore. Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate.

Other Great Search Threads:

• (1/8) What a year for Search! Our North Star has remained the same: helping you ask any question on your mind '" any way '" and connecting you with the most helpful info across the web. But 2025 transformed *how* we deliver on th, Robby Stein on X
• Are llms.txt files actually worth it for AI crawlers?, Reddit
• 'Can we scale?' Meanwhile search volume is down 55%. Sure. Right after Google gives the traffic back. Top-performing keywords search volume down by 25'"55% Thanks, AI Overviews, Govind Singh Panwar on X
• If we migrated the googlebot.json file to a new location with a 301 redirect, would that break your fetches? Or the fetcher would just follow the redirect, Gary Illyes on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• AI's impact on search isn't a secret (How to talk to execs about the new era of search)
• Why ad approval is not legal protection
• Google adds Maps to Demand Gen channel controls
• How vibe coding is changing search marketing workflows
• What successful brand-agency partnerships look like in 2026

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• AI Brand Impact: How to Measure Value Beyond Clicks, WordStream
• AI Models Provide Incorrect Phone Numbers 36% of the Time: Here's What You Can Do, Seer Interactive
• Google's and OpenAI's Chatbots Can Strip Women in Photos Down to Bikinis, Wired
• Where to use Google's image generator Nano Banana Pro now, Google Blog
• Google 2025 recap: Research breakthroughs of the year, Google Blog
• The Age of the All-Access AI Agent Is Here, Wired

Industry & Business

• Google hires firm to lobby on permitting, POLITICO
• Google Cloud chief reveals the long game: a decade of silicon and the energy battle behind the AI boom, Fortune
• Google Is Cornering the Market on Energy Wonks, Heatmap News
• Google started the year behind in the AI race. It ended 2025 on top., Yahoo Finance
• Google To Resume Green Card Sponsorship For H-1B Holders In 2026: Eligibility Details Inside, NDTV
• Purdue trustee committee OKs Google partnership for AI for nearly $15K, JC Online

Links & Content Marketing

• 7 Essential Templates to Boost Your Content Marketing Calendar Strategy, Small Biz Trends
• Top 5 Content Marketing Strategy Examples, Cita Directa

Local & Maps

• Gemini on Android Auto is an update drivers either love or hate, 9to5Google
• Google Quietly Working on a New Eye-Candy Android Auto Feature, AutoEvolution

SEO

• Google's Ranking Signals, DEJAN
• GSC Groups Keywords as AI Queries Expand, Practical Ecommerce
• How to Structure Content So AI Search Engines Use You as a Source, SEO dot co
• Looking back on 2025, what can we learn for 2026?, Oncrawl

PPC

• Google Tests Ad Formats That Push Experiences Bookings, Skift
• Why Every Google Ads Account Needs To Run Scripts, Search Engine Journal
• Google's shift to AI-generated ads: case study for marketers, Ad Age

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.

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 MMC accounts are starting to see channel performance reporting. Google Ads Demand Gen gains Maps channel. Google Search traffic dropped 25 points to news publishers based on the distribution of all Google Maps traffic. Google Search bar in Chrome teases AI Mode searches. Google Discover notifications push people to Google Discover.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Ads MCC Accounts With Channel Performance Reporting
  Some Google Ads MCC, Manager Accounts, are seeing channel performance reporting. This does not seem to have been rolled out to all advertisers yet, but Mike Ryan noticed it was rolling out on some of his MCC accounts.
• Google Ads Adds Google Maps Channel For Demand Gen
  Google Ads added a new channel control for Demand Gen to show ads in Google Maps. Some advertisers see the ability to select Maps as a placement in Demand Gen.
• Google Search Traffic To News Publishers Drops From 51% To 27%
  Google Search has been sending 25 percentage points less traffic to news publishers over the past two years, according to the folks over at Newzdash. In 2023, Google Web Search made up over 51% of traffic from Google surfaces to news publishers; that number is now down to 27%.
• Google Search Bar Tests Teases For AI Mode With Animation In Box
  Google is testing prefilling the search bar in a new Chrome tab, with teasers to encourage you to search deeper with AI Mode. Google is putting in the search box, "Research a topic," "Write something new," "Ask Google," and "Make a plan."
• Google Discover Notifications That Go AI Mode Responses
  Have you seen those Google Discover notifications that pop up and seem like news notifications from the Google app but what they do is drive you into Google AI Mode. I find them incredibly annoying, because every time I click on it, I think I am going to a news article but instead, I am given an AI-generated AI Mode answer.
• Google London Holidays Signage
  The entrance to the Google London office is ready for the holidays. You can see the signage is all dressed up for the holidays. And in some of the videos on Instagram, as you walk in, the lobby is all decked out as well.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Good Morning Google Land! This is the 12/22 edition of "Core Updates Notes". The Dec broad core update keeps rolling on... We saw the first tremor on Saturday (which I shared about) and we are about 1.5 weeks into the 2-3 week rollout. S, Glenn Gabe on X
• Quick reminder to Hotels NOT to try and sneak in a Special Offer into a post on their Google Business Profile. Google takes their OTA Ad revenue seriously!, Tim Capper on X
• Share of search traffic over time: ChatGPT: January - 78.59% November - 74.25% Gemini: January - 5.64% November - 14.95% DeepSeek: January - 12.79% November - 5.35% Grok: January - 0.02% November - 2.53% Perplexity: January - 2.96% N, Similarweb on X
• There's something you don't see every day... these 4 medical sites have generally grown over the last several years but are being hit hard by this current core update, Lily Ray on X
• This is circulating again. Pretty amazing to hear Larry Page predict what we are experiencing now with AI in Search. This was from 2000. "Artificial Intelligence would be the ultimate version of Google. So if we had the ultimate sea, Glenn Gabe on X
• You'll find even more of these in your server logs - lots of users who just don't update to something reasonable. Users? I meant scripts :-), John Mueller on Bluesky
• Image SEO in 2026 is about machine readability., Myriam Jessier on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• AI search is growing, but SEO fundamentals still drive most traffic
• Google expands Performance Max channel reporting to MCCs
• Why Google is deleting reviews at record levels
• Image SEO for multimodal AI
• How to build search visibility before demand exists

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• 60 of Google's biggest AI announcements and updates in 2025, Google Blog
• Caring for the Future: a Council of Europe expert reads 'The Future Report', Google Blog

Industry & Business

• Alphabet Announces Agreement to Acquire Intersect to Advance U.S. Energy Innovation, Alphabet Investor Relations
• Alphabet to Buy Data Center Partner Intersect for $4.75 Billion, Bloomberg
• Global AI Data Center Dominance Shifts Away From Big Tech, Bloomberg
• Google buys Mountain View building near tech titan's iconic office hubs, Mercury News
• OpenAI Is Getting More Efficient at Running Its AI, The Information
• OpenAI's Child Exploitation Reports Increased Sharply This Year, Wired
• Anthropic, Google, Meta Face More Writer Copyright Claims, Law360
• Nigeria in Advanced Talks With Google for New Undersea Cable, Bloomberg
• Phishing campaign leverages Google's no-reply emails, Cybernews

Links & Content Marketing

• 6 Common Content Marketing Mistakes To Avoid, Shopify
• Despite the hype, agentic AI isn't ready to take the controls just yet<< , Digiday
• Top 5 Content Marketing Strategy Examples, Small Biz Trends

Local & Maps

• I left Google Maps behind for a free alternative that doesn't track me (or drain my phone battery), ZDNET
• The Ugly Side of Google Maps: Thieves Use the App To Break Into Homes, AutoEvolution

SEO

• Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility, Ahrefs
• How to Audit E-E-A-T at Scale with Screaming Frog and OpenAI API - iansorin.fr, Ian Sorin
• The Semiotics of the Synthetic: A Comparative Analysis of Generative AI Search Interfaces and the Evolution of the Search Journey, I Love SEO

PPC

• Google ads funnel Mac users to poisoned AI chats that spread the AMOS infostealer, Malwarebytes

Search Features

• ChatGPT launches a year-end review like Spotify Wrapped, TechCrunch
• OpenAI says AI browsers may always be vulnerable to prompt injection attacks, TechCrunch
• Yandex Search Integrates AI into its Global Domain, Techloy

Other Search

• ChatGPT Is a Search Engine. Here's How It Works., QueryBurst
• Google AI Boss Demis Hassabis Is Working on the Next Killer App, Bloomberg
• Study: Bing search results suck in entirely new and profound ways, Mashable

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.

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.

We had big Google search ranking volatility over the weekend, likely from the end of the December core update. Google sued SerpApi, which is super controversial. Google is pushing off Gemini replacing the Google Assistant. Google deleted more reviews this year. Google Ads it testing a learn more button in the ad text. Google expands ads in AI Overviews in more countries. OpenAI added local knowledge panels to the ChatGPT results.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google December 2025 Core Update Volatility On Saturday - December 20
  As you all know, Google announced the Google December 2025 core update on Thursday afternoon, December 11th, we saw some significant volatility hit early on December 13th and then it seemed to cool a bit towards the middle of the week. Now, I am seeing signs of more intense volatility hit on Saturday, December 20th.
• Google Sued SerpApi Over Scraping Search Results
  On Friday, Google announced it had filed a lawsuit against SerpApi for scraping the Google search results. Google alleges that SerpApi is running an "unlawful" operation that bypasses Google's security measures to scrape search results at an astonishing scale.
• Google Expands Ads In AI Overviews To More Countries But Not For Sensitive Verticals
  Google quietly updated its AI Overviews ad documentation to say that ads in AI Overviews are supported in Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, and US. Previously, it just said it was available in the US and "will expand to select English speaking countries soon."
• Report: Google Deleting Local Reviews More Than Ever
  GMBapi posted data that looks at tens of thousands of Google Business Profiles across multiple countries and showed that review deletions have increased significantly over the year, compared to previous periods.
• Google Pushes Timeline For Gemini Replacing Assistant Into 2026
  Anish Kattukaran, CPO at Google Home & Nest announced in the Google Gemini forums that Gemini will not be replacing Google Assistant by the end of 2025. He wrote, "We're adjusting our previously announced timeline to make sure we deliver a seamless transition, and will continue our work to upgrade Assistant users to Gemini on mobile devices into 2026."
• ChatGPT Gains Local Knowledge Panels
  OpenAI has added local knowledge panels to the ChatGPT results. When you ask for local information and then click on a business name, ChatGPT will load a local knowledge panel on the right side.
• Google Tests Learn More Links After Ad Text
  Google is testing appending "learn more" links to the end of the Google search ads text. So the Google Ad will have its normal ad description and at the end, Google is testing adding "Learn more" with an arrow to the right, in blue anchor underlined text.
• Live Hand Painting At Google Dublin
  Google had an event named the CE Awards 2025 at the Dublin office. And part of that was this live hand-painting setup. I am not sure on the details. Maybe this artist live painted the people there so they can take it home? I am not sure.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Always fun to catch up with @OfficialLoganK! This time Rhiannon Bell, VP of UX for Search joined us for another episode of Release Notes to talk Gemini 3 in Search and our new Generative UI capabilities., Robby Stein on X
• Happy Holidays to you! And to all the SEOs, GEOs, AEOs, LEOs, VEOs, YEOs'... basically every flavor of *EO out there who crushed it in 2025... and followed guidelines. May your rankings be high, your traffic, Fabrice Canel on X
• Tuesday, Dec 23, will be my last working day of the year. I'll be returning on Jan 6th . . . Thanks for all the engagement & feedback throughout the year. It was big one, and customer, AdsLiaison on X
• We're working on it. Any specific suggestions?, Rajan Patel on X
• What do they hope to achieve? The biggest value of a highly performant website is essentially that users can do more in the same amount of time (and then stay longer, do more). It seems like a fools errand to fake it, without actually making it better. Bu, John Mueller on Bluesky
• Huge shout out to @NBCNews for nationally airing our TV interview Friday warning about untested plagiarized Frankenstein AI recipes. Google needs to stop using our brand name to try to trick users into trusted them., Inspired Taste on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Microsoft launches asset-level ad reviews
• Google to loosen pharma ad rules for AdMob authorized buyers
• Google sues SerpApi over scraping and reselling Search data
• Microsoft Bing explains how duplicate content hurts AI search visibility
• Your next customer might not be human: Designing journeys for people and AI agents
• How to use broad match without losing control
• Google vs. publishers: What the EU probe means for SEO, AI answers, and content rights

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• 10 Gemini prompts to help you keep your New Year's resolutions, Google Blog
• Google Cloud's Business Trends Report 2026: Key findings, Google Blog
• Google Research 2025: Bolder breakthroughs, bigger impact, Google Research Blog
• New detailed characteristic controls, ChatGPT Release Notes
• OpenAI adds new teen safety rules to ChatGPT as lawmakers weigh AI standards for minors, TechCrunch
• Should You Invest in Growing Your AI Visibility?, Semrush
• How big are Google's grounding chunks?, DEJAN

Analytics

• An Overview of Florida Data Privacy Law: Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR), Measure Minds Group
• GA4 Email Tracking, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• Inside the Balancing Act Over Google's Compute Crunch, The Information
• Palo Alto Networks announces multibillion-dollar Google Cloud deal, CNBC
• Apple, Google tell workers on visas to avoid leaving the U.S., NPR
• OpenAI Is 'Definitely Not' Too Big to Fail, Economist Says, Bloomberg
• OpenAI Is Getting More Efficient at Running Its AI, Internal Financials Show, The Information
• Why Nvidia maintains its moat and Gemini won't kill OpenAI, SiliconANGLE

Local & Maps

• Hacking Engagement, Review Deletions, Maps' Economic Power, Real Estate Ads, Near Media
• Local Falcon Launches an Agentic AI for Google Business, Globe Newswire
• Local Services Ads - Frequently Asked Questions, Steady Demand

SEO

• Changelog 2025: AI Insights, Beta Features, and API Features, SISTRIX
• Everything You Need to Know to Paywall Your Content, Search Engine World
• Forget 'Google Zero.' We need to talk about 'People Zero.', Nieman Journalism Lab
• Does Duplicate Content Hurt SEO and AI Search Visibility?, Bing Webmaster Blog
• What Will Change in Google Discover in 2026? Everything That Was Said at Google Search Central Live in Zurich and That You Should Already Be Applying, Clara Soteras
• Understanding SEO: What Changes When the Marketing Team Gets It, Level343

PPC

• The GAM Changes On Publishers' Wish List, AdExchanger
• Hidden Media Settings Appear in Google Ads Location Manager, PPC News Feed
• New Auto Opt-In for Resized Videos in Demand Gen, PPC News Feed
• What Google's New Merchant Extortion Tool Means for Restaurant Operators, Restaurant Technology News

Search Features

• Gemini will replace Google Assistant on Android in 2026, 9to5Google
• Google Translate just added a feature that solves the tool's biggest problem, Android Police

Other Search

• Gemini for Home takes its first step outside the US, Android Police
• A DMCA "Bot War": Google Search Processed 5 Billion Takedown Requests in 2025, TorrentFreak
• TPU Mania, The Chip Letter

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.

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 said non-200 status code pages may not be rendered by Google if using JavaScript. Google has a bug with product retailer reviews that is kinda shocking. Google Search released some new sports search features. Google Ads video assets within Merchant Center. Google Business Profiles updated the verification issue form. Plus I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Core Update Status, Gemini 3 Flash In AI Mode, Optimizing For AI Search & Bug Fixes Galore
  This week, we have a status update on the ongoing Google December 2025 core update. Google also said it does not pre-announce core updates or quality updates. Gemini 3 Flash now powers Google AI Mode. Google Search...
• Google JavaScript Doc Now Says Non-200 HTTP Status Code Might Not Be Rendered
  Google updated its JavaScript SEO documentation for the third time this week, this time to say that "while pages with a 200 HTTP status code are sent to rendering, this might not be the case for pages with a non-200 HTTP status code."
• Google Product Reviews Bug On Product Detail Pages
  Google reportedly has a bug that displays incorrect product reviews in Google Search for a retailer. It is now pulling from text on the page that includes the Google Business Profile reviews, despite the product reviews not being there and not being marked up on the page.
• Google Business Profiles Verification Issue Support Form Updated
  Google has updated the Google Business Profiles verification issues support form. This makes it easier to pick a specific issue you had when trying to verify a business within Google Business Profiles.
• Google Ads Tests Video Assets From Merchant Center
  Google Ads recently added a beta to bring in videos from your social campaigns into your ad campaigns. And now, Google is testing bringing in videos in Merchant Center.
• Google Search Testing New Sports Features
  Google is testing a number of new sports-related search features within Google Search. These include a "What's new" section, "Discover more" section, a Play-by-play section, What people are saying and more. And some of these features, when clicked, take you into AI Mode.
• Dog In Nano Banana Costume
  Googlers love their dogs but they also love Nano Banana. So why not have both? Here is a photo of a Doogler in a Nano Banana costume. This was back during Halloween but hey.

Other Great Search Threads:

• SEO Predictions and expectations of +20 SEO specialists for 2026, Aleyda Solis on LinkedIn
• Thanks for bringing this up. We've introduced three modes in Gemini 3 to help you pick the right tool for the job. Fast is for quick answers, Thinking helps solve compl, Gemini on X
• To be fair people have been manually writing a ton of low effort junk too, but I'm always a bit shaken when I see sites publish this and act like it's good ("2-3k words! Unique!"). Building a business on a mountain of toxic content is not going to be stab, John Mueller on Bluesky
• My team is hiring a Senior Product Manager - MAI Platform to help drive the next generation of AI capabilities that power products and experiences used across Microsoft., Krishna Madhavan on LinkedIn

Search Engine Land Stories:

• New AI Visibility Awards spotlight brands thriving in AI-generated search results
• Google adds location targeting controls to Demand Gen campaigns
• AI Overview fan-out rankings boost citation odds by 161%: Study
• Google explains JavaScript execution on non-200 HTTP status codes
• How Bayesian testing lets Google measure incrementality with $5,000
• Apple will add more App Store search ads
• Why SEO annual plans fall apart '" and how to build one that holds up
• How to use AI to diagnose and improve search intent alignment

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• AI Release Notes podcast: Gemini 3 and Gen UI in Google Search, Google Blog
• Browser extensions with 8 million users collect extended AI conversations, Ars Technica
• Firefox is adding an AI kill switch, Coywolf
• GEO Metrics: How to Measure Visibility, Trust, and Brand Presence, Foundation Inc
• Introducing GPT-5.2-Codex, OpenAI
• Verify Google AI-generated videos in the Gemini app, Google Blog
• We Let Anthropic's Claude AI Run Our Office Vending Machine. It Lost Hundreds of Dollars., Wall Street Journal
• Which News Sites Block AI Crawlers in 2025? [New Data], BuzzStream
• With new Alexa website, Amazon's consumer AI vision finally comes together '" and it's actually useful, GeekWire
• Sam Altman on OpenAI's Plan to Win, AI Personalization, Infrastructure Math, and The Inevitable IPO, Big Technology
• Scraped AI Answers vs. API Results from LLMs. Is There a Difference? [AI Search Study], Surfer SEO

Analytics

• GA4's Advertising Snapshot shows why last-click attribution no longer fits AI-led journeys, MarTech
• Why Marketers are Shifting From Google Analytics to Independent Tools, Technology Org

Industry & Business

• How OpenAI's Organizational Problems Hurt ChatGPT, The Information
• Pa. high court rules that police can access Google searches without a warrant, The Record
• Schools Ink ChatGPT, Copilot Deals With Students Embracing AI, Bloomberg
• Why Google's AI Weakness Turned Out to Be a Strength, The Information
• OpenAI on Track to Top $13 Billion in Revenue, The Information

Links & Content Marketing

• Ecommerce Marketing amid AI 'Slop', Practical Ecommerce
• Four content marketing shifts brands need to prepare for in 2026, Marketing Mag
• Blogging Is Dead. Long Live the Blog., Web Designer Depot

Local & Maps

• How Does Yelp's Review Solicitation Enforcement Work? (2025 Update), Sterling Sky
• I recently discovered this hidden Google Maps feature, and now I use it every day, Android Police
• How to Diagnose and Fix Google Maps Ranking Drops, Moz

SEO

• How Are Brands Preparing for AI SEO?, BruceClay
• How to Do Content SEO Analysis in 5 Quick Steps, Search Atlas
• The Convergence of Brand Authority and Search AlgorithmsThe Structural Architecture (The "Where"), Advanced Web Ranking
• When SEO Lives Only in Marketing, Rankings Eventually Pay the Price, Search Engine World
• AI Search & SEO: Strategic Framework 2026, I Love SEO
• An introduction to CDNs: SEO benefits, SALT agency
• Goal and OKR setting for 2026, Product Led SEO
• How LLMs and RAG Systems Retrieve, Rank, and Cite Content, Visively
• How to Optimize for AI Mode: Google Visibility Matters 3x More Than Content, SE Ranking

PPC

• Microsoft Rolls Out Asset-Level Editorial Review, PPC News Feed
• The Hidden Power of Audience Segmentation in PPC Campaigns, PPC Hero
• Why Google Ads Makes Bad Recommendations: 7 Reasons, MarlinSEM
• Will Apple increase the number of ads on the App Store?, AppleInsider
• Ads in AI Overviews Now Live in 12 Countries, PPC News Feed

Other Search

• Google brings Gemini for Home to Canada in first global expansion, 9to5Google

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.

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's Danny Sullivan and John Mueller spoke about doing SEO for AI and how it is the same as for traditional search. Google Search Console's page indexing report is finally fixed. Google is rolling out Gemini 3 Flash to AI Mode and the Gemini app. Google fixed the two-month-long reviews-disappearing bug. Google added advice on setting a canonical link with JavaScript. Microsoft is testing underlines on Bing ads snippets.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google's Danny Sullivan & John Mueller On SEO For AI: It's The Same
  John Mueller from Google had Danny Sullivan from Google on the Search Off the Record podcast to talk about "Thoughts on SEO & SEO for AI." In short, they both said SEO for AI is the same as SEO for traditional search but then they got into it.
• Google Search Console Page Indexing Report Now Up To Date
  After almost a month delay with the page indexing report within Google Search Console, the report is now back to its normal timeframe. This morning it was reading that the last updated date was November 21st. Now, it is reading December 14th, which is a normal delay for this report.
• Gemini 3 Flash For Google AI Mode - Now Rolling Out
  Google is bringing Gemini 3 Flash to AI Mode, bringing much of Gemini 3's power without waiting too long - hence the "Flash" part of the name. Robby Stein from Google said, "Starting today, we're rolling it out globally in Search as the default model in AI Mode."
• Google Reviews Disappearing Bug Reportedly Fixed
  Back in October, many businesses reported that reviews left on their Google Business Profiles were disappearing. It wasn't happening to every business, but it was widespread. Last night, I was told the bug had been fixed and that the reviews should be returning.
• Google Updates JavaScript SEO Doc With Setting Canonical URL Advice
  Google updated its JavaScript SEO best practices document with a new section on how to set the canonial URL when using JavaScript. Google wrote, "The best way to set the canonical URL is to use HTML, but if you have to use JavaScript, make sure that you always set the canonical URL to the same value as the original HTML."
• Microsoft Tests Underlines In Bing Ad Description Snippets
  Microsoft is also testing underlining the text of the Bing Ads search snippets and descriptions. I am not sure if those underlined words are links or not but I assume so.
• Googlers Playing Mahjong
  Here is a photo of a bunch of Googlers playing Mahjong (Mahj) at the Boulder, Colorado office. It says it is the Boulder Women at Google group.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Good Morning Google Land! This is the 12/17 edition of "Core Update Notes". As of this morning, most impact has continued in the same direction across many sites I'm tracking that have been impacted, so I'm not seeing any reversals, Glenn Gabe on X
• I got to test some edge case behaviour and our infrastructure does what one would expect. This was a bit of detective work and figuring out how to test this scenario., Martin Splitt on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google fixed month-long delay with page indexing report
• Googlebot dominates web crawling in 2025 as AI bots surge: Report
• Proxies for prompts: Emulate how your audience may be looking for you
• LinkedIn opens up top-of-feed Reserved Ads to all managed advertisers
• Google scraps unified pricing rules in Ad Manager after antitrust pressure
• Google Search adds read more links to search result snippets
• Google adds animation and image editing tools to Merchant Center's Product Studio
• Google rolls out Gemini 3 Flash to AI Mode in Search globally
• Google's Danny Sullivan: SEO for AI is still SEO
• Google clarifies canonicalization with JavaScript
• How to use Google's Channel Performance report for PMax campaigns
• How conversational AI is changing the economics of paid search

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Apple punted on AI this year. Next year will be critical, CNBC
• Here are a16z's ideas for Congress on AI, Punchbowl News
• With freebies, OpenAI, Google vie for Indian users and training data, Reuters
• YouTube Tests AI Chatbots Based on Popular Creators, Social Media Today
• Developers can now submit apps to ChatGPT, OpenAI

Analytics

• Avinash Kaushik: 3 Insights on Data Puking, Last-Click, and Incrementality-Centric Marketing, Measured
• UTMs in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• Amazon AI chief Rohit Prasad leaving; Infrastructure exec Peter DeSantis to lead unified AI group, GeekWire
• Complying with the Mobile Software Competition Act, Google Blog
• Google sues Chinese scam ring over E-ZPass, USPS phishing texts, NBC News
• Google works to erode Nvidia's software advantage with Meta's help, Reuters
• OpenAI Has Discussed Raising Tens of Billions at Valuation Around $750 Billion, The Information

Links & Content Marketing

• Improve Any Link Building Strategy With One Small Change, Search Engine Journal
• How To Craft Prompts That Deliver High-Quality Content, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Google Maps isn't my navigator anymore, but I still can't remove it, Android Police
• The State of Local SEO in 2026, Sterling Sky

SEO

• Advanced SEO Guide to Rendering: How to Debug, Test & Control What Google Sees, Sitebulb
• AEO in Plain English with Lily Ray, Amsive
• Boost Author E-E-A-T: The jobTitle Schema Guide, Hill Web Creations
• LCP and INP are now Baseline Newly available, Web Dev
• Top SEO (and AI) Trends & Predictions for 2026, Ann Smarty
• Migrating more crawling documentation to a new location, Google Search Developers
• SEO and AI SEO: Stop selling it short, Grumpy Old SEO

PPC

• Demand Gen Campaigns Get Location Targeting Options, PPC News Feed
• Does AI Mean We Can Skip Keywords? [+ 5 Other Popular SEO Questions] (EP89), Compass Digital Strategies
• Google removes unified pricing rules that hit publisher ad yield, Press Gazette
• Secure Your Google Account Immediately: Phishing Attacks Are On The Rise & Able to Bypass Security Systems More Efficiently, JumpFly
• Three New Features Released In Google Merchant Center's Product Studio, PPC News Feed
• Content Targeting Now Available for Microsoft Audience Ads, PPC News Feed
• The Benefits (and Limitations) of Smart Bidding for Small Accounts, JumpFly Digital Marketing Blog

Search Features

• 'Google News Audio Briefing' rolling out on Android, 9to5Google

Other Search

• Alexa Plus' website is live for some users, The Verge
• Google adds a 'Free' content discovery tab on Android TV, 9to5Google

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.

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 Business Profiles review appeals are delayed. Google is testing super long expandable AI-generated search result snippets. Google clarified business owner review replies in the help documentation. Bing is testing the plus sign with search and image and make an image. Google Discover is rolling out Tailor your feed.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Business Profiles Review Appeals Are Delayed Before Holidays
  If you submitted a review appeal within Google Business Profiles it will likely take longer than normal to hear back. Google's review appeals are delayed and Google cannot provide a specific response timeframe for pending cases.
• Google Clarifies Business Owner Review Replies Expectations
  Google has updated its Manage customer reviews help documentation to expand and clarify the "Understand what happens to your replies" section. It now specifies why a business reply to a review may be hold, how long it takes and more.
• Microsoft Tests Search With An Image & Make An Image In Bing Search Bar
  Microsoft is testing the ability to upload an image directly within the Bing search bar. You click on a plus sign and Bing shows you "search with an image" and "make an image." I get the search with an image feature but why add generative AI features, like make an image, in this search bar?
• Google Tests Very Long Expandable AI-Generated Search Result Snippets
  Google is testing extremely long and expandable search result snippet descriptions in the search results. These are also AI-generated snippets, which we've seen before, but not this long. This goes on for eight lines of text.
• Google Discover Tailor Your Feed With Natural Language
  Google Discover is testing and maybe rolling out an option to "Tailor your feed." This allows you to tailor the feed with "Say in your own words what you want to see," and Google will try to figure it out.
• Massive Google Coffee, Milk & Sugar Cubes - AI-Generated
  At first, I thought this was a real photoshoot but it looks more AI-generated. If you look through the pictures on Instagram, you can tell by some of the wording on some of the photos. This has the super G Google log, with a massive coffee cup, milk cartoon and sugar cubes.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Introducing ChatGPT Images, powered by our flagship new image generation model. - Stronger instruction following - Precise editing - Detail preservation - 4x faster than before Rolling out today in ChatGPT for all users, and in the API, OpenAI on X
• We hear you (and the broader community) on engaging and sharing more about the work we're doing, features we're launching, feedback we're hearing and responding to, and the overall vision. We have plans to do just that in the coming year. As we've, Ginny Marvin on LinkedIn
• What are your biggest complaints about using the web right now?, Una Kravets on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google: Exact match keywords won't block broad match in AI Max
• Google AI Overviews surged in 2025, then pulled back: Data
• The enterprise blueprint for winning visibility in AI search
• When Google's AI bidding breaks '" and how to take control
• A 3-tier framework for Shopify integrations that drive conversions
• Google says doing optimization for AI search is 'the same' as doing SEO for traditional search
• Help us shape SMX Advanced 2026. You could win an All Access pass!
• Google fixes weeks-long Search Console Performance report delay

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Can You Fake Expertise in AI Search? We Tested 9 Models to Find Out, Authoritas
• CC from Google Labs helps you stay productive, Google Blog
• How CMOs Are Turning AI Optimism into Action, BruceClay
• Local Visibility in AI Search: Findings from 6.9M Citations, iPullRank
• OpenAI Rolls Back ChatGPT's Model Router System for Most Users, Wired
• OpenAI's ChatGPT Updated to Make Images Better and Faster, Bloomberg
• Perplexity AI Revamps iPad App to Deepen Focus on Research Tools, Bloomberg
• Senators Investigate Role of A.I. Data Centers in Rising Electricity Costs, New York Times
• The AI/LLM Data Flaw That's Killing Marketers, SEO for Lunch

Analytics

• Your Google Analytics (GA4) Is Lying About Your Organic Traffic - And It's Been Doing It For Ages, Nikki Pilkington
• How To Track User Journey In GA4 To Make SEO Wins More Visible, Search Engine Journal

Industry & Business

• Google AI summaries are ruining the livelihoods of recipe writers: 'It's an extinction event', The Guardian
• Google retains spot as world's most popular internet service, but AI is growing fast, CBS News
• OpenAI hires George Osborne to spearhead global 'Stargate' expansion, Financial Times (Sub)
• OpenAI in Talks to Raise At Least $10 Billion From Amazon and Use Its AI Chips, The Information

Links & Content Marketing

• Content Amplification Channels + Strategies for Ecommerce, Shopify
• Marketing budgets rise as accountability tightens, eMarketer

Local & Maps

• Why I stopped relying on Google Maps in Android Auto '" and the app I use now, Android Police
• Do Google Posts help with SEO?, SEO Savvy Agent

SEO

• A new<< SEO<< Task<< list<< to guide you<< inside Yoast SEO, Yoast
• Building A Web Strategy To Outgrow Google, SEO Theory
• How often should SEO be updated?, Ilana Davis
• Wix SEO & GEO in 2026: New features and releases, Wix SEO Hub
• SEOs Should Not Dismiss Geo for Being Low-Traffic, Moz
• What Are Google Web Guides And What They Mean For SEO?, Nikki Pilkington

PPC

• Google AI Ads Advisor: What You Need to Know, Hopskip Media
• Google Shares Key Demand Gen Tips for 2026 Campaigns, PPC News Feed
• How to Choose the Best PPC Automation Tool: 9 Top Picks for 2026, Optmyzr
• How To Set Schedules In Meta Ads and Google Ads Using Rules, Boggs Creative
• Top 12 PPC'ers to follow in 2026, PPC Live

Search Features

• Build mini apps with Opal in the Gemini web app, Google Blog
• Gemini Deep Research can now generate images, charts, 9to5Google
• Google updates AI Mode with new model switcher, greeting, 9to5Google
• A Guide to Web Guide: Our Hybrid Search Future, Moz

Other Search

• Updates to Meta AI Glasses: Conversation Focus, Spotify Integration, and More, Meta

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.

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's Nick Fox said standard licensing deals for publishers are not coming, and that optimizing for AI search is the same as optimizing for traditional search. Google warns not to use JavaScript for noindex tag. Google Ads exact match is not eligible to show ads in AI Overviews. Google Search Console average impressions are going back down. Google Search Console performance report is back up to date but not the page indexing report. Google search results gain read more links.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Won't Provide Standard License Deals For AI & SEO Is The Same
  Nick Fox is the SVP of Knowledge and Information at Google was interviewed again on the AI Inside channel by Jason Howel and Jeff Jarvin. He said a lot of interesting things but said no, Google won't be offering standarized licensing deals for all publishers. He also said that optimizing for AI Search is the same as what you do for web search and normal SEO.
• Google Ads Exact Match Can Not Show Ads In AI Overviews
  Google can not show ads in AI Overviews with the exact match type. This is a change from back in May, where Google said otherwise. Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, wrote on X, "We have since updated this."
• Google Search Console Average Impression Dropping Back Down
  Earlier this month, we documented that the average position sharply increased for many sites when Google made that num 100 change blocking a lot of automated queries. Well, for some sites, that number is dropping again, which may mean that there is a workaround for the blocking of those bots and automated queries.
• Google Search Console Performance Reports Finally Caught Up
  Google Search Console's performance report seems to finally be all caught up and up-to-date as of last night and this morning. I am seeing the normal two-hour or so delay, which has always fluctuated from an hour to five hours on a normal day.
• Google Rolling Out Read More Links Search Result Snippets
  After several months of testing, Google seems to be rolling out the "Read more" links at the end of some of the search results listings. We saw Google test variations of this back in July and it now seems to be live.
• Google Warns: Don't Use NoIndex Tags In Pages That Use JavaScript
  Google updated its JavaScript SEO documentation to warn against using a noindex tag in the original page code on JavaScript pages. Google wrote, "if you do want the page indexed, don't use a noindex tag in the original page code."
• Google For Startups Recording Booth
  Google's Tel Aviv, Israel office has a Google for Startups section where I think startup companies can leverage the workspaces and resources. This is the recording room, all set up with the proper equipment.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Sergey Brin admits Google messed up by under-investing in the transformer architecture it invented Google was too scared to release chatbots that "say dumb things", so it under-invested in scaling compute "we didn't take it very seriously.., Haider. on X
• Gemini Agent can help tackle all sorts of tasks. Even renting a car. Tell Gemini Agent your budget and it'll get to work comparing prices, gathering info from your inbox, and booking the car. Now available for Google AI Ultra users in, Gemini on X
• Google has introduced View-Through Conversions (VTC) optimized bidding for Android App campaigns, Rakshit Shetty on LinkedIn
• Sometimes robots.txt is complicated on its own, and sometimes you just "have to" make it more complicated, right?, John Mueller on Bluesky
• Weird that Google is discontinuing the dark web report from January 15, 2026, Gagan Ghotra on X
• You'll have a hard time tracking things & Google will have a hard time understanding your sites. My recommendation would be to clean it up properly as soon as you can. Even properly planned & executed site migrations can be hard, and this makes it much mo, John Mueller on Bluesky
• You're a power user on @GeminiApp. What else do you want to see? Top known requests: MacOS app, Projects, and Branching Chats., Josh Woodward on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Ads adds VTC bidding for App campaigns
• Sergey Brin: Google 'messed up' by underinvesting in AI
• Google says don't use JavaScript to generate a noindex tag in the original page code
• Why share of search matters more than traffic in the AI era
• Why click-based attribution shouldn't anchor executive dashboards
• How to build an effective content strategy for 2026

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• "I was forced to use AI until the day I was laid off." Copywriters reveal how AI has decimated their industry, Blood In The Machine
• 10 AI Fails & Cautionary Tales (+Tips to Avoid Them), WordStream
• AI image generators are getting better by getting worse, The Verge
• ChatGPT Query Fanout Analyzer (Bookmarklet), JC Chouinard
• Google's AI Playbook for Sustainability Reporting, Google Blog
• Human-Centered AI: Using Data Without Losing Perspective | Michelle RobbinsonSoft Skills and Linguistics in the AI Era, Advanced Web Ranking

Analytics

• How I Became a Digital Marketing Analyst with Zero Experience, KP Playbook
• When The Last Click Disappears: How AI Shopping Breaks Attribution And Rejuvenates Brand-Building, AdExchanger

Industry & Business

• Google considers data center in Valer, Norway, Data Center Dynamics
• Google To Retire 'Dark Web Report' Tool That Scanned for Leaked User Data, PCMag
• Google's AI deals repeat Showcase playbook, Press Gazette
• Publisher Plaintiffs Get Class Status in Google Ad Exchange Case, Bloomberg
• Sergey Brin Says Leaving Google Before Gemini Was a 'Big Mistake', Business Insider
• Why xAI Has an Uphill Battle Selling Grok to Businesses, The Information
• OpenAI's Chief Communications Officer Is Leaving the Company, Wired

Links & Content Marketing

• Your Next Launch Will Fail Without an Amplifier Strategy, SparkToro
• How To Settle the Content ROI Question, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• This upcoming Waze feature could pull users away from Google Maps, PhoneArena
• Waze is testing support for showing traffic lights along your route, 9to5Google

SEO

• How I Accidentally Triggered 125K Google Impressions Through LLM "AI News Today Recency" Bias, Metehan
• How Important Is AI for Technical SEO? A Reality Check for Ecommerce Brands, Analytics Insight
• How to Build an AI-Ready SEO Team in 2026: A Complete Guide, Backlinko
• Rendering, Style, and Layout: When Things Go Wrong, Merj
• Why 2026 Will Be the Best Year for Small Businesses in Search, Wix SEO Hub
• Why Google's Spam Problem is Getting Worse, Leadership SEO
• Why Your DIY SEO Didn't Work And What To Do Differently Next Time, Nikki Pilkington
• You Have These 6 SEO Problems (And How To Fix Them), Search Logistics

PPC

• Budgeting for Paid Media in 2026: A Guide for CMOs, Hallam
• Capture Last-Minute Shoppers with AI, Microsoft Advertising
• Google Ads API v19 sunset reminder, Google Ads Developer Blog
• New Generated Tab Enables AI Image Creation in Asset Explorer, PPC News Feed
• Why One RSA Per Ad Group is the Smart Play in Google Ads, Optmyzr

Search Features

• Are AI Mode and AI Overviews Just Different Versions of the Same Answer? (730K Responses Studied), Ahrefs
• Google letting you customize Discover using prompts with new Lab, 9to5Google
• Google Search adds John Cena and 67 Easter eggs, 9to5Google
• LG TV users baffled by unremovable Microsoft Copilot installation '" surprise forced update shows app pinned to the home screen, Tom's Hardware
• Voice on macOS desktop app is retiring (effective January 15, 2026), ChatGPT Release Notes

Other Search

• The 2025 Cloudflare Radar Year in Review: The rise of AI, post-quantum, and record-breaking DDoS attacks, Cloudflare
• 2026 Smartphone Shipment Forecasts Revised Down as Memory Shortage Drives BoM Costs Up, Counterpoint Research
• iOS 26.2's Home app has a new upgrade for adding accessories, 9to5Mac

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.

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.

We are starting to see big movement from the Google December 2025 core update. Google won't be pre-announcing core updates, despite what they told us in the past. Google is testing real estate property listings in the search results. Google is changing the Q&A feature with the new Ask button in Google Maps. Google Search Live conservational experience is more fluid thanks to Gemini. Bing is testing a more organic search results button.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google December 2025 Core Update Intense Impact Early
  Google announced the Google December 2025 core update on Thursday afternoon, December 11th, and it already has a significant impact on Google Search results. The most noticeable day of the impact was Saturday, December 13th, but there are plenty of signs it started to hit hard on Friday, December 12th.
• Google: Pre-Announcing Google Core Updates Isn't Possible
  Google's John Mueller said that it is impossible for Google to pre-announce quality improvements to Google Search, including core updates. He said, "having quality changes ready for a specific date/time is never a given, and pre-announcing for a fixed date isn't possible."
• Bing Tests See More Search Results Button
  Microsoft is testing a "see more" button in the Bing Search results, which, when you click on it, loads more search results in the middle section.
• Google Tests Property Listings In Search Results
  Google is testing showing full detailed property sale listings within the Google Search results. This is getting a lot of interest from those in the real estate business.
• Google Removing Q&A Feature In Google Maps For AI-Powered Ask Button
  Google confirmed it is essentially removing the Q&A feature within Google Maps, and instead, searchers can use the new AI-powered Ask button on a Google Business Profile to get the answers they are looking for.
• Google Search Live Gets Conversational Language Upgrade With Gemini
  On Friday, Google announced a number of updates around translation, language, audio, voice interactions and thus Search Live. Google said it released a more "fluid and expressive conversations when you go Live with Search."
• Video: Google Nap Room
  We have seen plenty of sleeping areas and nap areas at Google's offices. Well, here is a video of one of the nap rooms at a Google office.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Google's Hanukkah menorah is live but not the decorations yet. Chanukah is this coming Sunday night., Barry Schwartz on X
• Interesting on Google Discover: YouTube videos embedded on Google. You don't leave the Discover app, and you get a header with the publisher's name in addition to the YouTube video's iframe. Furthermore, there's also an "Exp, Damien (andell) on X
• Beyond excited about @MSFTAdvertising Audience ads bringing even more control to where ads serve! Make informed decisions about where you want your display, native, and videos ads to serve on our premium inventory, Microsoft Ads Buddy on X
• Google has release THREE new Built-in Variables (can't remember the last time this happened!)., Simo Ahava on LinkedIn
• Really interesting, and this will please the publisher on Google Discover. Google Discover is testing X cards (Twitter), but they link to the original article instead of the X post. Here's the post extracted by Google, Damien (andell) on X
• the less it thinks of that page in terms of quality Quality is just one aspect. It also depends on, for example, page change rate. You can have the highest quality page, say, your ToS, and Googlebot will (hopefully?) rarely revisit it... because why woul, Gary Illyes on LinkedIn
• Tired finding same issues on photography websites, Reddit
• Making this kind of content well (and the rest of the site) is often a lot of work, it can become hard to justify doing it as an unpaid hobby -- hence the monetization. The SEO comes from there being a lot of competition. I agree many go overboard, but mo, John Mueller on Bluesky
• This GA4 issue was escalated to Google via this Product Expert in forums and on 10th Nov communication from Google was - they have identified the cause and prepar, Gagan Ghotra on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Sophie Fell talks why double-checking campaign settings matters
• Doctor: Google's AI Overview made up career-damaging claims about me
• The latest jobs in search marketing
• Google Ads quietly unlocks Merchant Center videos for Performance Max
• What 15 years in enterprise SEO taught me about people, power, and progress
• The AI gold rush is over: Why AI's next era belongs to orchestrators
• What Black Friday reveals about how LLMs understand ecommerce
• How breakthrough TV ads trigger search spikes and conversions
• Search Engine Land celebrates its 19th birthday

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Ten years, OpenAI
• AI ChatGPT holiday shopping drives sales, Walmart, Target join in, CNBC
• AI Leaders Eye New Breakthrough to Build More Powerful Models, Bloomberg
• AI Mode, Content & Search Index, DEJAN
• Google AI Search Update: Completely New Grounding Format, DEJAN
• How user prompts shape your content visibility in AI search., DEJAN
• Microsoft's Mustafa Suleyman: 'AI Is Already Superhuman', Bloomberg
• Oops'" a hypo: AI conversion promises using unverifiable data, Not A Robot
• How AI Broke Search Trust and What Google Is Doing About It (Maybe), I Love SEO

Analytics

• I Set Up Google Analytics 4 on Many Websites, Here's What 90% of Business Owners Get Wrong., DataDrivenInvestor

Industry & Business

• Trump signs order aimed at curbing state AI laws, Reuters
• Google to build subsea cables in Papua New Guinea under Australia defence treaty, Reuters
• Google's Willow quantum processor will power cutting-edge UK research through the NQCC., Google Blog
• Two Approaches to Saving The Web. Only One Works., John Battelle's Searchblog
• North Weald Airfield Google data centre is approved, BBC
• OpenAI Ends 'Vesting Cliff' for New Employees in Compensation-Policy Change, Wall Street Journal

Links & Content Marketing

• A CFO Reveals What Finance Really Wants From Marketing, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Is Google's AI Calling Your Business? My Experience with AI Price-Checking for a Haircut, Sterling Sky
• 2025 Changed Everything in Local Search: Key Takeaways From Google's Restaurant Influencer Event and the Road Ahead for 2026, Claudia Tomina on LinkedIn

SEO

• Google December 2025 Core Update '" Information and Analysis, SISTRIX
• Level Up Your SEO Strategy with a Product Mindset, Moz
• Red Flags Your SEO Agency Is Wasting Your Money, Nikki Pilkington
• Reverse (Over-) Engineering Is a Hamster Wheel in Reverse | Notes on Search | mob!, MoB
• SEO - Hire In-house Or Outsource To An SEO Consultant?, Nikki Pilkington
• Top Brand Visibility Factors in ChatGPT, AI Mode, and AI Overviews (75k Brands Studied), Ahrefs
• How to Use Schema Markup Wisely in the AI-SEO Era, Audiencekey
• Stop Guessing Which Prompts to Track: Use Your GSC Data to Discover Where You're Already Visible in AI Search, Metehan
• The Fake 'GEO' Movement: How SEO Disinfo Campaigns Target Creators, Edward Sturm on YouTube
• Who Benefits When the Line Between SEO and GEO Is Blurred, Duane Forrester Decodes

PPC

• Future of LLM & AI Chatbot Ads, Brainlabs
• US state regulations messages update for Privacy & messaging, Google AdSense Help
• Google Ads Updates Dismiss Pop-Up for AI Max Recommendation, PPC News Feed

Search Features

• Gemini native audio model comes to Search Live, Google Blog
• Google Translate gets new Gemini AI translation models, Google Blog
• Google's Browser Of The Future Is Here: The Unique Web App You Need, When You Need It, BGR
• Google Enters the Portal Wars, Mike DelPrete
• How to Trigger the Secret 6-7 Trend Easter Egg on Google Search, Yahoo
• Kindle's New AI Feature Can Answer Questions About Your Books (Whether Authors Want It or Not), PC Magazine

Other Search

• Gemini 2.5 Native Audio upgrade, plus text-to-speech model updates, 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.

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.

It happened- Google released the December 2025 core update on Thursday afternoon. Gemini now shows local responses in a rich and visual way with data from Google Maps and Google Business Profiles. Google also is testing AI-powered article overviews in Google News. Google updated the Google Maps share button to remove X and replace it with Reddit and Facebook. Google Business Profiles notifications go out for removal of rating restrictions. Google spoke about how AI Max works differently and how Google will provide more transparency in the future. And I posted the weekly video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google December 2025 Core Update Is Rolling Out - You Surprised?
  Google officially announced the rollout of the December 2025 core update on Thursday at around 12:25 pm ET. This core update is expected to take up to 3 weeks to roll out. Google said this "is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites."
• Google Gemini Local Results In Visual Formats
  Google announced that Gemini can now respond to your local questions with local results in a "rich, visual format." Google will visually lay out the local results to include photos, ratings, and real-world info from Google Maps data.
• Google News AI-Powered Article Overviews Go Live For Some Publishers
  On Wednesday, Google announced a number of new AI features, which we covered (links below) but one other feature Google spoke about was "AI-powered article overviews." This is an experiment Google News is trying with a handful of publishers.
• Google On AI Max Inferred Intent vs Raw Text
  Brad Geddes dug into how he felt "AI Max can trump your existing exact and phrase match keywords and then claim credit for the conversions and revenue." And then Google's Ad Liaison, Ginny Marvin responded to those specific examples on why this happened and what Google is changing...
• Google Maps Share Button Drops X For Reddit & Facebook
  Google Maps is updating its share buttons by removing the options to share on X and adding the options to share on Reddit and Facebook.
• Google Notification For Reviews & Rating Restrictions Removals
  Google is now sending email notifications for when Google Business Profiles has removed the restrictions on your reviews and ratings. The email says, "Restrictions on your reviews and ratings have been removed" and it comes from the Google Business Profiles team.
• Video: Google December 2025 Core Update, Discover Alignment To Rankings, Search Console Features, AI Mode Updates & More
  In this week's recap, we covered that the Google December 2025 core update was unleashed. Google also said more core updates are definitely on their way and one should be coming soon Google also updated its...
• Googlers Getting Ready For Christmas
  Here is a photo I found the first week of December of a Googler already ready for the Christmas holidays. You got the Santa costume, the Christmas tree, presents and more.

Other Great Search Threads:

• : "The fabulous @adsliaison of Google Ads will be joining us for PPC Chat, live, on December 16th. Send in your Google Ads questions! We will cover as many as we can in the chat and I will also do a post with all the questions andT, Julie F Bacchini on X
• It goes to a mix of support & product teams, used to better understand where to improve the systems overall., John Mueller on Bluesky
• There is some AI Max confusion circulating this week that I want to clear up:<< [AI Max is] currently the only way for brands to get their paid messaging in front of AI Overview or AI Mode users, AdsLiaison on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google December 2025 core update rolling out now
• Bing tests Google-style 'Sponsored results' grouping
• LAST CALL: Want to write for Search Engine Land?
• From SEO to algorithmic education: The roadmap for long-term brand authority
• A dark landing page won our A/B test '" here's why best practices got it wrong
• How to use LLMs to humanize your content and scale your research
• Semify acquires Dragon Metrics to strengthen global SEO, AI reporting
• Shopify launches Product Network to blend items across merchants
• LinkedIn introduces Reserved Ads, ad personalization, new AI tools
• Google launches natural language Developer Assistant for Google Ads API
• Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool could boost discovery for brands

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• ChatGPT is Apple's most downloaded app of 2025 in the US, TechCrunch
• Gemini 2.5 Text-to-Speech model updates, Google Blog
• Introducing AI Search User Testing: Seer's Approach to Understanding Your Audience in an AI-First World, Seer Interactive
• It's About Time: The Copilot Usage Report 2025, Microsoft AI
• New OpenAI models likely to pose "high" cybersecurity risk, Axios
• AI companies want a new internet '" and they think they've found the key, The Verge
• ChatGPT's 'adult mode' is expected to debut in Q1 2026, The Verge
• Feeling Behind on AI Search? How to Catch Up in 2026, Semrush
• Google AI Studio's Interactions API for Gemini models and agents, Google Blog
• How AI Search Platforms Expand Queries with Fan-Out and Why It Skews Intent, iPullRank
• Introducing GPT-5.2, OpenAI
• Never Ask an AI Tool How It Came Up with That Answer, SparkToro
• OpenAI calls GPT-5.2 the best model yet for professionals, The Verge

Analytics

• Realtime Reports in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• Google Announces AI Partnerships Pilot with News Publishers, The Information
• Google faces fines over Google Play if it doesn't make more concessions, sources say, Reuters
• Google names new chief of AI infrastructure buildout, Semafor
• Google's French Assets Targeted by Its Defunct Russian Unit, Bloomberg
• Microsoft, Meta, Google and Apple warned over AI outputs by US attorneys general, Reuters
• AI to accelerate national renewal and growth as Google DeepMind backs UK tech and science sectors, GOV.UK
• Disney sends cease-and-desist letter to Google, CNBC reports, Reuters
• The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI reach landmark agreement to bring beloved characters from across Disney's brands to Sora, OpenAI

Links & Content Marketing

• 42 Experts Reveal Top Content Marketing Trends for 2026, Content Marketing Institute
• Why AI content strategies need to focus on tasks not transactions, MarTech

Local & Maps

• Google Maps Will Now Automatically Save Your Parking Spot on iPhone, Lifehacker
• Google's Latest Test Could Erode Travel Search Referrals, Skift
• Google Maps introduced one of its handiest features yet but it's not on Android, Android Police

SEO

• What we learned about AI, Discover and Shopping from Google during the Search Central Zurich 2025, Aleyda Solis
• 10 ChatGPT SEO Tools That Help You Rank Higher, Ahrefs
• SEO Hiring Trends: How Brands Are Building Winning Teams for the Future, BruceClay
• Why you need to use CAC for SEO, Product Led SEO

PPC

• 11 Biggest Google Ads Updates of 2025 (+How They'll Impact 2026), WordStream
• Update your PAL integration for new limited ads behavior, Google Ads Developer Blog
• As industry awaits AI search ads, buyers scrutinize Google's AI Max, Digiday
• Google virtual try on shopping feature adds new studio-quality images, Google Blog
• Shopify Launches A Product Network That Will Natively Integrate Items From Across Merchants, AdExchanger
• Why B2B Brands Are Shifting From Keywords to Performance Max, Group Twenty Seven

Search Features

• Chrome for iPhone rolling out built-in Gemini integration, 9to5Google
• Google Is Integrating Social Feeds Into The Search Results, Nectiv
• Google's Gemini AI comes to Chrome on iPhone and iPad, Engadget
• New in DiscoverSnoop: Track Social Posts in Discover, AI Summaries, New country & November Rankings, DiscoverSnoop

Other Search

• Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025, Pew Research Center
• Google Discover Publishers ranking in November 2025, DiscoverSnoop

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.

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 is rolling out updated and more clickable links in AI Mode and new contextual introductions. Google's preferred sources are now available globally, plus there are new spotlighting subscriptions in Gemini and soon to come to AI Mode and AI Overviews. Google Web Guide is now available in the all tab, officially but it is still a beta. Microsoft Advertising is testing grouping its sponsored search results with the hide/show button, like Google Ads launched two months ago. Google AdSense now has Offerwall optimization.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google AI Mode Links Updated & Adds Contextual Introductions
  Google announced it has updated the links in AI Mode to encourage searchers to click more. Google also introduced contextual introductions to embedded links in AI Mode responses.
• Google Preferred Sources Now Global & Adds Spotlighting Subscriptions
  Google announced that Preferred Sources is now rolling out globally, after launching just in the US and India in August, following its beta period in June. Plus, Google announced Spotlighting subscriptions are coming to Gemini, AI Mode, and AI Overviews. Google has updated the Google Business Profiles verification issues support form.
• Google Web Guide Expands To All Tab Officially (Opt In Still Needed)
  Google has officially expanded the Web Guide to the "All" tab. Originally, when it launched as a Search Labs beta, it was under the "Web" tab, but as we saw, Google began expanding it to the "All" tab.
• Bing Tests Hide Sponsored Results Button & Ad Grouping, Like Google Ads
  Microsoft is testing out the new Google Ads sponsored results label, ad grouping and hide button with its own Bing Search results ads. Microsoft Advertising search ads in Bing are testing grouping multiple search ads under one "Sponsored results" label, and then at the bottom, there is a "Hide" and then "Show" button.
• Google AdSense Offerwall Optimization: Automatic Enrollment
  In June, Google moved Offerwall out of its AdSense beta, making it available to all. Now, if you are using Offerwall, Google will opt you into Offerwall optimization.
• Google Sleep Nets At Zurich Office
  Google has these sleeping bed nets, hammock-like, at the Zurich office. This way, the Googlers can sleep on the job. We know Google loves its sleeping and resting areas.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Gemini in November 2025: - 1.351 billion visits - #26 website in the world (+4 spots from October), Similarweb on X
• Google: they don't think is true that GEO can be done without SEO. They don't think there's GEO without doing SEO fundamentals. #sclzurich, Aleyda Solis on X
• Great view from the #GoogleGBPSummitNYC Love hearing directly from PMs and other Googlers about how to effectively promote local businesses on Google., Joel Headley on X
• How critical is structured data for Gemini? It continues to be important. For every data for which it has authoritative meaning and regulatory information, like price in shopping'... it's very important. #sclzurich, Aleyda Solis on X
• Nothing to announce when it comes with breaking out AI Mode and AI Overviews in Google Search Console @JohnMu, Barry Schwartz on X
• Q to Google: What about LLMs.txt? They don't think they matter as much. But they won't cause any issue. It's just a text file. #sclzurich, Aleyda Solis
• SEO Tip: for large eCommerce domains, there are various ways of managing product variants. Here's an important aspect of the feed component: Within free listing surfaces, Google will often develop individual grid items for specific, Brodie Clark on X
• What was the #1 Google Ads launch of 2025? I wanted to know which tools and features stood out most to the people building them -> across Search, PMax, Measurement, Creative, and Bidding. In our year-end episode of Google Ads Decode, AdsLiaison on X
• It's generally fine (for example, some site moves keep the robots.txt on the old domain with "allow: /" so that all URLs can be followed). The tool does check for the homepage redirect though., John Mueller on Bluesky
• Spent the day at Google's NYC office for the Partners API Summit, and they hit us with multiple stats every brand should take to heart. A good reminder that keeping your GBP fresh is good SEO., Claudia Tomina on LinkedIn

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google rolling out Preferred Sources globally and announces Spotlighting subscriptions
• Google updates links in AI Mode and expands Web Guide test in all tab
• YouTube Shorts adds comments and creator links to ads
• The truth about Google Ads recommendations (and auto-apply)
• How Pinterest's ad formats work and when to use each one
• Google Discover now less aligned with search rankings
• Google's Local Pack isn't random '" it's rewarding 'signal-fit' brands
• GEO Rank Tracker: How to monitor your brand's AI search visibility
• Google confirms it releases smaller core updates it does not announce
• 65% of AI chats have no commercial intent, new analysis finds
• Google launches Data Manager API
• Google AI cites retailers 4% vs. ChatGPT at 36%: Data
• Mentions, citations, and clicks: Your 2026 content strategy
• How to evaluate your SEO tools in 2026 '" and avoid budget traps
• AI tools for PPC, AI search, and social campaigns: What's worth using now
• Think different: The Positionless Marketing manifesto
• Google Search Console performance reports adds weekly and monthly views

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• AI in 2025: gestalt, LessWrong
• ChatGPT Nears 900 Million Weekly Active Users But Gemini is Catching Up, The Information
• Donating the Model Context Protocol and establishing the Agentic AI Foundation, Anthropic
• How to meta prompt with Gemini for better Veo videos, Google Blog
• I analyzed 250M AI responses. Here is the uncomfortable truth about AI Search right now, Profound
• OpenAI co-founds the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation, OpenAI
• OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Agree to Develop Agent Standards Together, The Information
• Quantum Computing and AI: A Practical Look at the Future, Annielytics
• What Is Agentic Browsing and Why Are AI Browsers Not Replacing Chrome Yet?, Bloomberg
• Why The Economist Is An AI Outlier, AdExchanger
• How Fast Do AI Search Platforms Cite New Content?, Semrush
• I Ran an AI Misinformation Experiment. Every Marketer Should See the Results, Ahrefs

Industry & Business

• EU Opens Antitrust Probe into Alphabet's Google Over AI Use, Wall Street Journal
• Microsoft to Invest $17.5 Billion in India for AI Cloud Services, Bloomberg
• Microsoft to invest more than $5.4 billion in Canada to boost AI infrastructure, Reuters
• U.S. military to use Google Gemini for new AI platform, Axios
• Build the internet young people are asking for '" instead of simply banning them from it, Google Blog
• EU says easier iPhone-Android switching is proof the DMA is working, 9to5Mac

Links & Content Marketing

• 10 Best AI Content Marketing Tools for 2026 (Tried & Tested), Semrush
• Content Strategy Tips for Visibility in the Age of AI Slop, iPullRank
• The Most Undervalued Areas of Digital Marketing: What Experts Say, Koozai

Local & Maps

• Google Maps saves parking automatically, adds custom icons, 9to5Google
• Google Maps Brings Back Ski Trails and Lifts to its App, SnowBrains
• Google Maps Gets a Highly Anticipated Feature, Bad News for Android Users, AutoEvolution

SEO

• AIO/GEO: Separating Facts from Theories in AI Search, Women in Tech SEO
• Everything You Need to Know About E-E-A-T, JumpFly Digital Marketing Blog
• Instagram Is Generating Inaccurate SEO Bait for Your Posts, 404 Media
• Scammers are poisoning AI search results to steer you straight into their traps - here's how, ZDNET
• SEO Isn't Dead, It's Evolving: Insights from My GSC, Sara Taher
• Shopify SEO warning: your JavaScript might be costing you sales, Ilana Davis
• Sorry, SEO (or AI) Ain't Saving Your Business., SEO for Lunch
• The Biggest SEO Updates in 2025 (+What They Mean for 2026), WordStream
• What Are Entities & Why Do They Matter for SEO?, Semrush
• OpenAI Hires Slack CEO as New Chief Revenue Officer, Wired

PPC

• AI Summary Added to Store Quality in Merchant Center, PPC News Feed
• Data Manager API helps advertisers improve measurement and get better results from Google AI., Google Blog
• The Data Manager API is Now Generally Available, Google Ads Developer Blog
• Update to Gambling and Games Policy: Argentina (December 2025), Google Advertising Policies Help
• Why It's Time To Rethink Your Annual Planning Process, PPC Live
• Can AI Really Write Your Ad Copy? I Compared 5 Chatbots to Find Out, JumpFly Digital Marketing Blog
• Introducing the Google Ads API Developer Assistant v1.0: Interact with the API using Natural Language, Google Ads Developer Blog

Search Features

• Discover new outfits, try them on and shop from Doppl's new discovery feed., Google Blog
• Google Discover may borrow an experimental feature from YouTube, Android Authority
• Managing your Google Discover feed may soon become easier, Android Police

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.

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 updated its search documentation to state that it does smaller core updates more often without confirming them. Google Discover is now minimally aligned to search rankings, which seems like a change from earlier. Google Ads Advisor seems to be added to the Google Ads contact us support form. Google Shopping crawlers move too fast to consume dynamic JavaScript structured data. Bing is testing ad labels on the right of the ads.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Updates Docs: We Do Smaller Core Updates Without Announcements
  Google updated its core update documentation to say it does smaller core updates and does not announce those updates. This is not new; Google told us this back in 2019. What is new is...
• Google: Discover Minimally Aligned To Search Ranking
  Google has told us that core updates impact visibility within Google Discover, but that may have changed at some point. Andy Almeida from the Google Trust and Safety spoke about Google Discover and one of his slides wrote, "Minimal alignment to Search ranking..."
• Google Ads Contact Us Support Tests Integrating Ads Advisor
  Google is testing incorporating Ads Advisor into the contact us page for Google Ads support. Google was doing this for policy disapproval support requests as well.
• Google Shopping Crawlers Are Too Fast For JavaScript Generated Structured Data
  14 months ago, Google updated its documentation around its shopping related structured data warning not to generate your structured data dynamically through JavaScript. Yesterday, at the Search Central Live event...
• Bing Search Ads Tests Ad Labels On Right
  Microsoft is testing moving the ad labels in the Bing Search results from the left side of the ad to the right side of the ad. I am not sure which makes it harder to see the label or not but I assume Microsoft is testing this to see which will get more clicks.
• YouTube Panda Bear At Google France
  Pandas can be scary, especially for any SEO who reads this site. But here is a Panda bear from the Google France office wearing a YouTube shirt. So all is good, right?

Other Great Search Threads:

• "Key ingredients" in recipe search feature taking to AI Mode, Gagan Ghotra on X
• AI sessions are more conversational and personalized than traditional search. ChatGPT prompts average 60 words, which are far longer than Google's 3.4, reflecting how users add context and preferences for tailored responses., Similarweb on X
• Google Maps StreetView API + Nano Banana for making any location feel festive! Pictured below: the @Google offices in San Francisco (am now feeling serious FOMO RE: lack of twinkly lights and wreaths). And reall, Paige Bailey on X
• This week I'll be joining Microsoft Advertising/Microsoft AI PMMs for an off-site to brainstorm on how we can serve our customers better, innovate in more meaningful ways, and collaborate on cross-department initiatives., Navah Hopkins on LinkedIn
• Grokipedia is growing in Google Search. Now up to 650K urls indexed. And I'm seeing it rank in a number of knowledge panels (including for people). Very interesting. Will be interesting to follow., Glenn Gabe on X
• Ranking of leading Gen AI websites in the list of top-visited sites, November 2025: #5 ChatGPT (no change from October) #26 Gemini (+4) #91 DeepSeek (+1) #128 Grok (+27) #167 Perplexity (-26) #176 Claude (-11) #174 Character AI (+3), Similarweb on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Judge limits Google's default search deals to one year
• Google denies ads are coming to Gemini in 2026
• Google Shopping Ads now show merchant location labels
• What is AI, actually, and how is it affecting SEO?
• Why LLM perception drift will be 2026's key SEO metric
• OpenAI says ChatGPT 'ads' weren't ads

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• China's open-source AI is a national advantage, Financial Times (Sub)
• Sam Altman's Sprint to Correct OpenAI's Direction and Fend Off Google, Wall Street Journal

Industry & Business

• Google's 'TPU' chip puts OpenAI on alert and shakes Nvidia investors, Financial Times (Sub)
• Neal Mohan: CEO of the Year 2025, TIME
• Semify Acquires Dragon Metrics to Accelerate Global AI Optimization Capabilities and Expand International Market Reach, Semify
• Monopoly Force Google - Back to Business as Usual - Stronger than Ever, Search Engine World

Links & Content Marketing

• 5 Content Marketing Ideas for January 2026, Practical Ecommerce

Local & Maps

• Local Search in 2026 vs 2023: What Actually Matters Now, GMBapi

SEO

• 10 ChatGPT SEO Tools That Help You Rank Higher, Ahrefs
• 2026 Winter Olympics: Nine ways to improve your search strategy, SEO For Journalism
• Bridging Information Retrieval and SEO Practice | Dawn Anderson BlockRank and Misinterpreting Academic Papers, Advanced Web Ranking
• How To Create SEO Images At Scale With Screaming Frog + Nano Banana Pro, Nectiv
• Predictions for Journalism 2026, Nieman
• SEO for AI Agents:<< The<< Next Frontier of Search Visibility, seoClarity

PPC

• Google Ads Highlights of 2025, Google Ads Help
• Google Tells Advertisers It'll Bring Ads to Gemini in 2026, AdWeek

Search Features

• Gemini for Home working on some older Assistant speakers, 9to5Google
• Google details Gemini in Chrome's agentic browsing security, 9to5Google
• Google Glass is now real with Android XR glasses in 2026, 9to5Google
• Google Says First AI Glasses With Gemini Will Arrive in 2026, Bloomberg
• Samsung Galaxy XR Gets Realistic Face-Tracked 'Likeness' Avatars, UploadVR
• You can buy your Instacart groceries without leaving ChatGPT, TechCrunch

Other Search

• Google and Apple partner on better Android-iPhone switching<< , 9to5Google
• Watch our Year in Search 2025 film now., 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.

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 Google core update is still in the works and should be rolled out soon. Google Search Console launched weekly and monthly views for more granular data. OpenAI updated its ChatGPT bots and crawlers. Google won't be bringing ads to the Gemini app, Google executive wrote. New study on Google Ads AI Max talks about "Broad-Matchifies." Google updated the Business Profiles verification issue form. Google Ads Advisor can reference external, non-Google sources.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Search Still Working On New Core Update; Update Should Be Soon
  Google's John Mueller said at the Google Search Central Live event in Zurich today that Google is still working on the next core update. This update should be out soon, but it is unclear if it will happen in the next couple of days or after the holiday season.
• Google Search Console Adds Weekly & Monthly Views Granular Data
  Google announced today at the Search Central Live event in Zurich that Search Console is rolling out more granular data. Google launched weekly and monthly views in Search Console for performance reports.
• OpenAI Updates Its ChatGPT Crawler: OAI-SearchBot
  OpenAI has updated its spider/crawler it uses for ChatGPT, OAI-SearchBot. The AI company updated the description and details of the crawler information removing that it is used for links and to train OpenAI's generative AI foundation models.
• Google: Ads Are Not Coming To The Gemini App
  Google's Vice President, Global Ads at Google, Dan Taylor, said that there are no plans to bring ads to the Gemini app. This comes after AdWeek reported based on sources that ads will be coming to Gemini in 2026.
• Study: Google Ads AI Max "Broad-Matchifies" Exact Match & Phrase Match
  With Google Ads releasing AI Max globally back in September, more and more advertisers are trying it out. While some of the early data can show it underperforms, some are seeing success by using it for specific applications. That being...
• Google Ads Offline Conversion Uploads Bug Being Worked On
  Google has a bug with the Google Ads offline conversion uploads feature. Much, but not all, of the offline conversion data you upload is not being added to Google Ads. This obviously makes the reporting look off and bad for your ad campaigns.
• Google Ads Advisor References External Sources
  Google rolled out Ads Advisor and Analytics Advisor a few weeks ago and did you know that it can reference and cite third-party external sources, outside of just Google's own help documentation? Well, it does.
• Winter Clothing Drive At Google NYC
  Google held the annual winter clothing drive by Dudes For Dads at its New York City office the other week. They said, "This year, we were able to double the essential supplies going to Bowery Mission.

Other Great Search Threads:

• "Key ingredients" in recipe search feature taking to AI Mode, Gagan Ghotra on X
• AI sessions are more conversational and personalized than traditional search. ChatGPT prompts average 60 words, which are far longer than Google's 3.4, reflecting how users add context and preferences for tailored responses., Similarweb on X
• Google Maps StreetView API + Nano Banana for making any location feel festive! Pictured below: the @Google offices in San Francisco (am now feeling serious FOMO RE: lack of twinkly lights and wreaths). And reall, Paige Bailey on X
• This week I'll be joining Microsoft Advertising/Microsoft AI PMMs for an off-site to brainstorm on how we can serve our customers better, innovate in more meaningful ways, and collaborate on cross-department initiatives., Navah Hopkins on LinkedIn
• Grokipedia is growing in Google Search. Now up to 650K urls indexed. And I'm seeing it rank in a number of knowledge panels (including for people). Very interesting. Will be interesting to follow., Glenn Gabe on X
• Ranking of leading Gen AI websites in the list of top-visited sites, November 2025: #5 ChatGPT (no change from October) #26 Gemini (+4) #91 DeepSeek (+1) #128 Grok (+27) #167 Perplexity (-26) #176 Claude (-11) #174 Character AI (+3), Similarweb on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Search Console Insights integrating social channels
• How to use proxy metrics to speed up optimization in complex B2B journeys
• Elevate your expertise: Submit a compelling session proposal for SMX Advanced

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Demis Hassabis Says AI Scaling 'Must Be Pushed to the Maximum', Business Insider
• Exclusive: Google set to launch Gemini Nano Banana 2 Flash, Testing Catalog
• A mom thought her daughter was texting friends before her suicide. It was an AI chatbot., CBS News
• OpenAI Finds AI Saves Workers Nearly an Hour a Day on Average, Bloomberg
• OpenAI's Head of ChatGPT Envisions AI 'Superpowers', The Information
• The 2026 State of AI Search: How Modern Brands Stay Visible, Airops

Industry & Business

• Google hit with EU antitrust investigation over use of online content for AI
• OpenAI Pivots to Counter Gemini 3, The Information
• Tech SEO Connect 2025: Summary & Takeaways, Lily Ray
• How Google's AI Chips Stack Up to Nvidia's, The Information
• OpenAI rushes out new AI model after 'code red' declared, The Independent
• The power crunch threatening America's AI ambitions, Financial Times (Sub)

Links & Content Marketing

• AI Can't Kill Websites That Build Connections (Yet), Content Marketing Institute
• Why a Multi-Channel Visibility Strategy is Essential to Reach Today's B2B Buyers, TopRank Marketing

Local & Maps

• Gemini on Android Auto is the best place to use it yet, 9to5Google
• I stopped using Google Maps and this Android app made me love driving again, Android Police
• Top Phone Maker Found a Way To Hit Google Maps, Waze Users With "Useful" Ads, AutoEvolution

SEO

• Fourteen Things Executives and SEOs Need to Focus On in 2026, Duane Forrester Decodes
• Why integrated search strategies beat channel silos, Hallam
• AI's Impact on SEO Careers: What's Changing in the Job Market, The SEO Cube
• Stop Guessing: Content Gap Analysis for a Smarter SEO Strategy, leve

PPC

• OpenAI says it's turned off app suggestions that look like ads, TechCrunch
• Google's AI Imperative: A New Era for Advertisers Entering 2026, MediaPost

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.

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 is testing Search Live in AI Mode, which is kinda neat. We are seeing the start of even more Google ranking volatility. Google Search Console also added social reporting to the Insights report. Business Insider said it will use AI to write some quick news stories. Google is testing image animations for search ads. Bing is testing expandable favicons on cursor hover.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google AI Mode Tests Search Live (Voice) With Citation Cards
  Google is testing integrating Search Live (Gemini Live - voice search as you talk) in AI Mode. Plus, this version shows citation cards as part of the answer, as you are having a conversational search with AI Mode.
• Google Search Ranking Volatility Heated Over This Past Weekend
  It was a heated weekend, the Google Search ranking volatility was pretty heated and there was a lot of chatter within the SEO industry. Not all the tools are showing big swings but many are. And everyone is asking...
• Google Search Console Insights Adds Social Channels
  Google announced it is adding social channels within the Google Search Console Insights report. This "lets you review Search performance of social channels associated with your website directly within Search Console," Google wrote.
• Business Insider To Use AI To Publish Quick News Stories
  Business Insider posted a disclaimer about a new AI pilot where it will use "a custom GPT to help publish quick news stories." This custom GPT was trained on the style of how Business Insider journalists write and will all be edited by an editor at Business Insider.
• Google Tests Image Animation For Search Ads
  Google is testing an animation, where an image asset slides into the sponsored results listing. So it turns a pure search text ad into a text ad with an image that slides in from the right side of the screen.
• Bing Tests Expandable Favicon On Hover Over
  Microsoft is testing expanding the favicons in the Bing Search results interface when you hover your mouse cursor over the search result listing and/or ad.
• Google Soap Making Event
  Google had an event for some of its employees, a soap-making event. The event was at one of the Google offices, and it looks like they made holiday-themed shaped soaps.

Other Great Search Threads:

• I'm a PM on Nano Banana, let's just call me the Naina that goes banana over images. If you have any feature requests you find a-peel-ing or any big ideas you want to plantain into the team's brains, comment away! cc @nbri, Naina Raisinghani on X
• Lots of folks asking about this papercut - we fixed it. We added a 'new chat' button in @GeminiApp header on mobile. It's now easy to start a new convo from anywhere in the app without opening sidenav. Back to work on the many ot, Carlo Varrasi on X
• We have a bit of a rant. We are simply fed up seeing our recipes, as well as other trusted recipes from other sites, plagiarized in the form of branded AI Frankenstein recipes that are flooding Google search and other platforms., Inspired Taste on X
• We plan on it! We were surprised to learn that our quote from an interview we did with @gregfinn that @rustybrick discussed on Thanksgiving was picked up by lawyers handling the Penske vs Google lawsuit. Incre, Inspired Taste on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Nils Rooijmans speaks on when ignoring Google emails can cost you
• The latest jobs in search marketing
• Google tests regional member pricing in Shopping Ads
• Cloudflare: 416 billion AI bot requests blocked since July
• Ecommerce PPC: 4 takeaways that shape how campaigns perform
• What is off-page optimization?

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• 15 examples of Gemini 3's reasoning, coding and agentic capabilities, Google Blog
• AI Slop Is Ruining Reddit for Everyone, Wired
• Exclusive: Meta strikes multiple AI deals with news publishers, Axios
• Gemini 3 Pro: the frontier of vision AI, Google Blog
• Google announces higher Antigravity rate limits for Google AI Pro, Ultra subscribers, Google Blog
• Google fellow: AI doesn't pretend to be intelligent. It is., Big Think
• How do people use AI assistants?, DEJAN
• OpenAI is getting ready to launch GPT-5.2 soon, The Verge
• Titans + MIRAS: Helping AI have long-term memory, Google Research Blog

Analytics

• How to find revenue by channel in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• Google Asks 5th Circ. To Transfer Monopoly Suit To Calif., Law360
• Meta's Zuckerberg Plans Deep Cuts for Metaverse Efforts, Bloomberg
• Penske Media Slaps Google With Amended Antitrust Lawsuit, Digital Music News
• Google Search Judge Issues Finalized Antitrust Mandates, Law360
• Judge Orders Google to Limit Default Search Deals to One Year, Business Insider

Links & Content Marketing

• Marketers see big gains from content strategy overhaul, MarTech

Local & Maps

• Waze vs. Google Maps: I compared the two best navigation apps, and there's a clear winner, ZDNET

SEO

• EP 234 P#1 - Gemini 3, AI Mode & the New Search Reality: A Conversation with Jes Scholz, Near Media
• Inside Google Discover's New Internal Signals: Publisher IDs, Generative Retrieval & Persona-Based Ranking | LinkedIn, Damien Andell on LinkedIn
• AI Search for CMOs: Understanding the Why, How and What, I Love SEO
• Did We Pass Peak AIO?, Moz
• The Video Schema Results That Surprised SEO Experts, Search Pilot

PPC

• From PMax to AI Max: What to Consider Before Testing, Seer Interactive
• Should You Use WhatsApp as a Primary Conversion in Google Ads?, PPC Live
• OpenAI insists its shopping suggestions shouldn't be seen as advertising, The Decoder

Other Search

• Google is desperate for us to forget the simple joy of the original internet: Links, PC Gamer

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.

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 launched an AI-powered configuration tool that helps you build reports. Google Search Console's average position jumped up for many after the num 100 removal. Google's API doc leaks confirms that service area is not a local ranking factor. Google Merchant Center regional member pricing beta is out. Google Ads has a learn more extention at the top right. Plus, I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google API Doc Hints Service Areas Not A Local Ranking Factor
  Over the years, we have written that service areas are not used as a local ranking factor by Google Search. Well, the API leak document also implies this to be true.
• Google Search Console Performance Report Tests AI Powered Configurator
  Google is testing a new AI-powered configuration tool, as it calls it, to help you build instant reports based on your natural language questions. So basically Ads and Analytics Advisor but for Search Console, plus this just builds reports and doesn't do actions - yet.
• Google Search Console Average Impression Increased For Many
  If you look at some of the profiles/sites in your Google Search Console performance reports, you may notice a significant increase in the average position being reported. This happened when Google removed the num=100 parameter and is likely due to scrapers not messing up your data.
• Google Merchant Center New Regional Member Pricing (Beta)
  Google Merchant Center is now beta testing regional member pricing, where you can offer different member prices based on the shopper's regions. This will essentially override the member price in the regional inventory feed.
• Google Ads Learn More Button At Top Right
  Google Ads may be testing placing an ad extension button at the top right of the sponsored result on the desktop interface. This button, in this example, shows the text "Learn more."
• Hot Ones At Google
  Looks like Google had its own version of the popular YouTube show named Hot Ones. I am not sure on all the details but I spotted several photos on Instagram and you can learn more over there.
• Video: Google Search Volatility, AI Mode Taking Over Search, Search Console AI Configurator & 22 Year Anniversary
  This week, we, of course, covered the ongoing Google Search ranking volatility. Google is now blending AI Mode directly into AI Overviews. Google's home page search bar added a new upload feature to take you into AI Mode.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Gemini 3 Deep Think is now available for Ultra users, making available our IMO & ICPC Gold Medal-winning technology. Deep Think shows improved generalization on difficult benchmarks like ARC-AGI-2, and outperforms Gemini 3 Pro on HLE, Jeff Dean on X
• The share of traffic from ChatGPT didn't grow in November. (according to data from 71k+ websites, collected by @Ahrefs) ChatGPT might still be growing in daily active users, but definitely not in the amount of referral traffic th, Tim Soulo on X
• The spam on Google Discover isn't over and continues. Here are some stats from a site currently in English that has a lot of visibility on Discover. Over 1,000 articles in just a few days and very high visibility. That said, I', Damien (andell) on X
• This is not an ad. we've launched apps from some of our pilot partners since devday, including target, and have been working to make the discovery mechanism for apps more organic inside chatgpt. our goal i, Daniel McAuley on X
• Uh oh, Reddit spam has officially infiltrated the SEO community. /r/TheTopAgencies contains only "best agency" lists and is ranking for terms like "best geo agency.", Chris Long on X
• With no malice, I will say the common denominator between the vast majority of "SEO is dead, let me tell you how to GEO" people I have noticed is: they have zero professional SEO experience, Mark Williams-Cook on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google's ad tech fixes face EU market test
• Social media beats SEO as SMBs' top traffic source, survey says
• Google Search Console tests 'AI-powered configuration' to create dynamic reports
• How paid, earned, shared, and owned media shape generative search visibility
• Google Discover pushing users into AI Mode
• New AI models are worse at SEO: Benchmark shows sharp accuracy drop in Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT-5.1

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Gemini 3 Deep Think is now available, Google Blog
• Google rolling out Gemini 3 Deep Think to AI Ultra, 9to5Google
• LLMO/GEO Benchmark Study 2025, Digital Leverage
• The Evolution of Testing in AI Search: seoClarity's POV, seoClarity
• The Path to AI Citations: What the Top 100 Most Cited Websites are Doing Right, SISTRIX
• 'Godfather of AI' Says Google Is 'Beginning to Overtake' OpenAI, Business Insider

Analytics

• Run Server-side Google Tag Manager On Localhost, Simo Ahava's blog
• GA4 Ecommerce Data Now Powers Google Ads Remarketing, PPC News Feed

Industry & Business

• A.I. Deal Making Is Getting Faster, New York Times
• Bill Gates' Daughter Lands $30 Million for Star-Backed AI Firm, Bloomberg
• Chicago Tribune sues Perplexity, TechCrunch
• EU to Open Bidding for AI Gigafactories in Early 2026, Wall Street Journal
• Google helps University of Toronto create Hinton Chair, Google Blog
• Google's Proposals on Ad Tech Antitrust Compliance Tested by EU, Bloomberg
• OpenAI Goes on Defense as Google Gains Ground, Bloomberg
• OpenAI loses fight to keep ChatGPT logs secret in copyright case, Reuters
• Chatbots are now rivaling social networks as a core layer of internet infrastructure, The Decoder

Links & Content Marketing

• 7 Essential Content Schedule Templates to Enhance Planning, Small Biz Trends
• Purpose-Driven Brands Can Deliver Profitable Growth, Content Marketing Institute
• The Attention Economy is Burned Out (Now What?), Chris Green

Local & Maps

• 7 Local Search Ranking Factors That May Challenge Your Current Thinking, Whitespark
• This is the Most Searched for Bookstore of 2025, According to Google Maps, Travel and Leisure

SEO

• Analyzing performance on Google Search, Google Search Central YouTube
• Beefing Up Your Ecommerce Content Strategy for AI Agents, iPullRank
• Future takes action on 'Google Zero' as revenue declines, Press Gazette
• Google Search average ranking improvements are artificial. Here's why., Elie Berreby
• Is a Career in SEO Worth It in 2026? Let's Dive In, SEOjobs
• The Big SMB Website Trends Report: SEO, GEO, & the Future of Traffic, WordStream
• The New B2B Buying Journey: Why SEO Is Your Competitive Edge, BruceClay
• What is SEO 3.0? Preparing for the Next Wave of Search, WordLift Blog
• Cloudflare Has Blocked 416 Billion AI Bot Requests Since July 1, Wired
• Top Black Friday Organic Search Traffic Winners & Trends in 2025, Aleyda Solis

PPC

• Powering peak season success: Partner Q&A, Microsoft Advertising

Search Features

• Google executive sees AI search as expansion for web, Reuters
• 1-888-GPT-0090 - AI voice help over the phone (experimental), OpenAI Help Center

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.

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 rankings are volatile again and heating up. Plus, the Search Console performance report and page indexing reports are still delayed. Google Ads now supports WhatsApp support notifications. Google Discover added summarize, follow up, and dive deeper with AI Mode links. Microsoft is testing a new search bar with advanced tools.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Search Ranking Volatility Heats Up December 3rd & 4th
  I am seeing some signs of a Google Search ranking update and intense volatility that kicked in late yesterday. The SEO community started chattering about it over the past several hours and some of the tools are showing a spike in volatility with the Google search rankings.
• Google Search Console Performance Reports & Page Indexing Delayed Again
  I know, we just reported the page indexing report within Google Search Console is very delayed, about two weeks. Well, it is still delayed two weeks, I thought it would catch up by now, but it only got three days of data and then stalled again. And the performance reports are now 32 hours behind, when it is normally just a few hours behind.
• Google Discover Gains AI Mode Features
  Google is adding more AI features to Google Discover, specifically pushing people from articles in Google Discover into Google AI Mode. When you click on an article from Google Discover and then click on the three dots at the top right of the screen, you are given three options to go into AI Mode.
• Google Ads WhatsApp Support Notifications
  Google Ads may be testing the ability to subscribe to support updates via WhatsApp. Google has rolled out a new option to get real-time support case updates directly on WhatsApp, at least some folks are seeing this.
• Bing Tests New Search Bar With Advanced Tools Menu
  Microsoft is testing a new search bar with a more powerful tools menu button. This tools menu is larger, has a plus sign and gives you options to click search with your voice, search with an image and even make an image.
• Jukebox At Google Office
  At the Google Bayview office, Google had/has this jukebox there. It might be a prop for an event or maybe something Google just has. Hard to tell these days with the amount of disposable income Google has.

Other Great Search Threads:

• There are now a number of "llms.txt directory" sites now, so search engines & other crawlers will find them and crawl them as random text files. Looking at log files won't tell you if they're used as more than a random text file. It's tricky nowadays., John Mueller on LinkedIn
• Publisher profiles are back in one of my accounts! After going missing for a while, I can tap on the publisher name and favicon in Discover to visit their profile. You can then follow that publisher, view their socials, read about them,, Glenn Gabe on X
• As a child, it was my dream to grow up to create content for Google to use in AI answers for free so they could sell ads, Cyrus SEO on X
• Small Business Bulletin - December 2025 - Finish Strong, Plan Big, Google Business Profile Community

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google's Year in Search 2025: These trending topics spiked big
• Google AI Mode sends traffic on 69% of transactional queries: New data
• Meta: Native Reels ads can lift purchase intent 5.3x
• AI Max undermines match-type control
• Google home page search bar upload feature goes directly to AI Mode results
• Google Daily Hub: Anatomy of an overambitious system shaping the future of search
• How to plan and manage paid media budgets in an AI-driven world

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• ChatGPT Search Queries Have Tripled In Length, Nectiv
• Silicon Valley Builds Amazon and Gmail Copycats to Train A.I. Agents, New York Times
• A Pragmatic Vision for Interpretability, AI Alignment Forum
• ChatGPT's weakness in AI search, SISTRIX

Analytics

Industry & Business

• Google Wants Justices To Pause Petition Pending Epic Deal, Law360
• OpenAI's Foundation to Donate $40.5 Million in Grants to US Nonprofits, Bloomberg
• We're announcing new health AI funding, while a new report signals a turning point for health in Europe., Google Blog

Links & Content Marketing

• How To Innovate Without Self-Destructing, Content Marketing Institute
• Signal Vs. Noise: Predicting Future Impact Of Content Marketing, Search Engine Journal
• Digital PR in 2026: Why it's more important than ever, Hallam

Local & Maps

• Drive with 'SpongeBob' on Waze, Google Blog
• This free navigation app works offline better than Google Maps ever did, Make Use Of

SEO

• How Google's August 2025 Spam Algorithm Update Impacted Local SEO [Case Study], Sterling Sky
• How to Score Entry-Level SEO Jobs with No Experience, SEOjobs
• Networking in SEO Means Building Real Relationships, The SEO Community
• Which AI Visibility Tracker is right for me? The AI Search Maturity Model, Seer Interactive
• Why is technical SEO still important?, Blue Array SEO
• Do Self-Promotional 'Best' Lists Boost ChatGPT Visibility? Study of 26,283 Source URLs, Ahrefs
• SEO Skills You'll Need in 2026 [Survey Results], Lumar SEO Industry Report

PPC

• Case Study: How We Maximized Google LSA for Service Brands, Location3 Media
• Google Ad Buyers Are (Still) Being Duped By Sophisticated Account Takeover Scams, AdExchanger
• How to Fix Keyword Cannibalization and Stabilize Rankings, Audience Key
• Price Competitiveness Insights & Advanced Price Filters by smec, Smarter Ecommerce

Search Features

• Gemini gets web redesign with new dark theme, 'My Stuff' folder<< << , 9to5Google
• How to stop internet results in Search for Windows 11, Windows Central

Other Search

• Year in Search 2025: What and how we searched this year, 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.

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's upload file feature on the desktop home page now goes directly to AI Mode. Google added an LLMs.txt file to the Search Central portal. Google Ads is rolling out channel reporting for PMax with search partner network details, for some. Google Ads launched "products at this location" links. Microsoft Advertising ads disapproval now on the asset level and there was a conversion data update.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Search Bar Adds Upload Image/File That Goes To AI Mode
  Google is pushing even more ways directly into AI Mode from the main Google home page's search bar. Now when you select to upload an image or file, it will take you into AI Mode by default.
• Google Adds LLMs.txt To Search Developer Docs Portal
  Google has been saying that no one uses the LLMs.txt file, that Google won't use it, that it can be useless, and you probably should noindex it if you do use it. Well, Google itself uploaded an LLMs.txt file for the Google Search Central portal.
• Google Ads Launches Products At This Location Link Unit
  Google has launched a new link on some search / sponsored ads named "Products at this location." Google confirmed this "relatively new feature" and can show up on listings for service businesses and other types of businesses.
• Google Ads Channel'¬'­ Reporting For PMax Rolling Out To Some
  Back in May, Google said it will be giving advertisers more visibility into the search partner network with channel reporting for Performance Max campaigns. Well, now some are seeing it live in their accounts for some of the campaigns they manage.
• Microsoft Ad Disapprovals On Asset Level & Conversion Reporting Update
  Microsoft Advertising reportedly made two updates to its ad platform recently. One on how ad disapprovals work and the other on the time it takes to see a conversion be recorded in the ad reporting interfaces.
• OpenAI Token Award Plaque
  OpenAI, a few weeks ago, began sending out plaques and recognition awards for customers who have used a considerable amount of API tokens. Different colored plaques were reserved for different levels of token usage.

Other Great Search Threads:

• I've seen an uptick in companies reaching out after dropping heavily with the November volatility we have seen. Taking a closer look, there are some big drops and surges as well. And then some that dropped in October that are surging bac, Glenn Gabe on X
• Prep for peak holiday traffic with our Google Analytics Bingo board. See how many squares you can complete as you explore tools and insights that support seasonal performance. Build your GA confidence on Skillshop, Google Analytics on X
• Today we're rolling out new visual search capabilities to help you spot scammy messages on your Android and iOS devices. Get a suspicious text? Use Circle to Search on Android or Lens in the Google app to check it. Our system, Rajan Patel on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Black Friday 2025: More expensive, still engaging
• ChatGPT is currently down for many
• Google pushes deeper into lifecycle targeting with new GA audience templates
• Google adds Search Partners segment to PMax reporting
• OpenAI hits pause on ChatGPT ads as CEO declares a 'code red'
• Google to sunset ads developer support forums in 2026
• Why PPC tests in 2026 call for nuance, not winners
• Why every AI search study tells a different story
• Why advanced semantic techniques still matter in PPC and SEO

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Google, Nvidia, and OpenAI, Stratechery
• LLM Seeding: An AI Search Strategy to Get Mentioned and Cited, Semrush
• Measure AI Visibility: 5 Metrics That Prove Impact, Brainlabs
• Trump's push to overrule state AI regulations stalls, Axios
• New Research: What We Learned From Analyzing 60K+ Google Fan-Out Queries, Nectiv

Industry & Business

• Google faces patent claims, Courthouse News Service
• The 2025 State of Digital Agencies: it's still rough out there, but slowly improving; and is AI really a threat?, SparkToro
• AI legal rulings around the world, Press Gazette
• Sam Altman and OpenAI's biggest fears: Money, safety, Google Gemini, Axios

Links & Content Marketing

• LLM-Friendly Content: 12 Tips to Get Cited in AI Answers, Onely
• Collaborate With Influencers for Better Content Results, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• EU to Target Apple Maps and Apple Ads Next, MacRumors
• Google Maps Alternative Now Freemium: Here's What This Means vs. Google Maps, AutoEvolution

SEO

• B2B SEO: The Complete Guide, Onely
• Getting started with Search Console Insights, Google Search Central YouTube
• Keyword density tools create busy work, Ilana Davis
• Optimizing for AI Search: Why Classic SEO Principles Still Apply, Onely
• The Evolution of SEO: A Conversation with Josh Squires, Amsive
• Updated Google Read Aloud user agent page, Google's Crawling Documentation Changelog
• New to AI Brand Insights: Scan your brand visibility in Perplexity, Yoast
• Our Favorite AI-Powered Semrush Features Released in 2025, Semrush
• Short vs. Long Content in AI Overviews: The Data Says Both Work, Ahrefs

PPC

• How to Control AI Generated Ad Copy for PPC Success, Hopskip Media
• How to Use the Google Power Pack for Max Results, WordStream
• Optmyzr Sidekick: A PPC Agent Built for Your Workflow, Optmyzr
• The Importance of Asking the Right Questions During PPC Client Onboarding, JumpFly

Search Features

• Detect scams using Circle to Search and Google Lens, Google Blog
• Google is experimentally replacing news headlines with AI clickbait nonsense, The Verge
• Virtual apparel try on comes to the UK and India, Google Blog

Other Search

• New on Android: Call Reason (in beta) and more, 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.

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.

Today is the 22nd year anniversary of the Search Engine Roundtable - check out the post to see the most important stories of 2025 and future thoughts for 2026. Google expanded Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro to more countries within AI Mode. Google also began testing blending AI Mode in AI Overviews. Google's John Mueller said 100MB video files won't impact the page in Google Search. Google Ads disallows the promotion of online horse race gambling. And I posted the December 2025 Google Webmaster Report.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 22 Years Covering The Search Industry
  Today marks the 22nd anniversary of when I started this site, the Search Engine Roundtable. I was 23 years old when I started this site, compiling what the search community and search industry was talking about and for almost half of my life now, I've been still doing the same thing, day in and day out.
• Google Officially Tests Blending AI Mode Into AI Overviews
  Back in October, we saw Google testing having the "Show more" button in the AI Overviews within Google Search jump you to AI Mode with follow-up questions. Well, Google's Robby Stein announced on X yesterday that this is being tested (after it was tested already) in the mobile search results.
• Google Rolls Out Gemini 3 & Nano Banana Pro In AI Mode To More
  Google's Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro is now available in AI Mode in 120 countries and territories in English. This expands it from Gemini 3 in AI Mode's initial launch just a couple of weeks ago.
• Google: 100MB Video Won't Have A Noticeable Effect On Your SEO
  Google's John Mueller said having a 100MB video file on your home page won't have a noticeable SEO effect. This was his response on a Reddit thread to the concern of having such a weighted-down file on your home page.
• Google Ads No Longer Allows Online Horse Racing Betting
  Google Ads updated its gambling policy to disallow all promotion of online gambling-promoting content for horse racing targeting the United States. Google said this goes into effect as of December 1, 2025.
• December 2025 Google Webmaster Report
  It is already December, can you believe it and even crazier, I've been doing this for 22 years! Where does the time ago. In any event, we had some serious Google ranking volatility this month, especially over the Thanksgiving week/end. Google released...
• Tiny Google TPUs
  Google designs TPUs for mobile devices, like phones. It is not just the large ones that Google develops for servers. Here is a photo of one from Paige Baily from Google, she posted it on X.

Other Great Search Threads:

• 90% of SEO wins come from knowing what NOT to do., Ryan Jones on Bluesky
• AdSense Earnings and Observations - December 2025, WebmasterWorld
• Over 2 million products within this Google Merchant Center account, yet the average image count is only 1. This is a surprisingly common issue that I regularly come across for eCommerce stores, being a significant missed opportunity, Brodie Clark on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google unveils 'Partner Match' for YouTube targeting
• Microsoft Ads introduces asset-level disapprovals
• Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro expanding to more searchers
• Google tests pushing searchers from AI Overviews with follow up questions to AI Mode
• ChatGPT ads: Android code reveals OpenAI's plans as user reports first ad
• Google pulls EU antitrust complaint against Microsoft
• Shopify hit by login outage on major sales day
• Google Ads tests new 'Website Optimizer' Tool
• Google Demand Gen campaigns: When to use them and best practices (with examples)
• How to run compliant, effective medical and mental health ads
• Robots.txt and SEO: What you need to know in 2026
• Google Search Console Index Coverage report delayed

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• AI Search, hreflang, and translated content. How do ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Claude handle multilingual queries?, GSQI
• Apple AI Chief John Giannandrea Retiring After Siri Delays, MacRumors
• One of Google's biggest AI advantages is what it already knows about you, TechCrunch
• Why IBM's CEO doesn't think current AI tech can get to AGI, The Verge

Analytics

• Introducing our GCP Integration for Agent Analytics, Profound
• New suggested audience templates for customer lifecycle goals, Google Analytics Help
• What is a session in Google Analytics, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• AWS and Google Cloud collaborate on multicloud networking, Google Cloud Blog
• Apple's artificial intelligence chief is stepping down, company says, CNBC
• Farewell for now, Chrome., Addy Osmani
• Google delays opening of 'landscraper' London HQ until 2026, The Times
• Google deletes X post after getting caught using a 'stolen' AI recipe infographic, Bleeping Computer
• Google Narrows VirtaMove Software Patent Lawsuit in California, Bloomberg
• N.Y. Law Could Set Stage for A.I. Regulation's Next 'Big Battleground', New York Times
• OpenAI Takes Stake in Thrive Holdings, a Buyer of Services Firms, New York Times
• Sergey Brin Gifts $1.1 Billion in Alphabet Stock After AI Rally, Bloomberg
• News Not Slop campaign launched after Politico AI errors, Press Gazette
• OpenAI's Altman Declares 'Code Red' to Improve ChatGPT as Google Threatens AI Lead, Wall Street Journal

Links & Content Marketing

• Baby Chaos, Client Signals, And Your Backlink Health, Nikki Pilkington
• Why content-driven branding is the real fix for zero-click traffic loss, MarTech
• Why Gratitude Beats AI Pressure in Content Marketing, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Google Maps And Waze Share One Big Problem, BGR
• Google Maps is great, but I wish its route options were smarter, Android Authority

SEO

• As AI Eats Web Traffic, Don't Panic'"Evolve, Kellogg Insight
• From SEO to GEO: Why AI Search Rewards Consensus Over Keywords, Reputation Arm
• GEO vs. AEO vs. AI SEO vs. LLMO: What These Terms Actually Mean, Onely
• How to Get Your Product Discovered by ChatGPT, Onely
• How To Rewrite an Old Blog for Better AI Ranking, Onely
• Niche Down: Your Guide to Specializing in SEO, SEOjobs
• The Ultimate GEO Checklist: 12 Steps to Optimize Your Brand, Onely
• What the enshittification of the internet means for SEO, Alice Rowan
• Why Your Content Team Needs to Think Like an SEO Analyst, BruceClay
• Decoding Google's Updates: What Truly Drives Visibility Today | Cyrus ShepardCorrelation Studies: What Google is Prioritizing Now, Advanced Web Ranking
• Should Your Resume Mention AI? Integrating AEO Skills Into Your CV, SEOjobs

PPC

• Auto-Mine Negative Keywords in 15 Minutes (2025), AdAI
• Commerce Chronicles - Meta, TikTok, Google: Where Are Brands Investing Their Ad Dollars?, Bluetuskr
• Google Flags Small Images as Ineligible for YouTube Shopping Ads, PPC News Feed
• Sunsetting Google Ads API, Google Ads Scripts, and Campaign Manager 360 API Developer Support Forums on Google Groups, Google Ads Developer Blog
• 5 Reasons Why Businesses Should Be Cautious About Hiring International Digital Marketing Agencies, JumpFly
• The hidden challenges of AI Max search term reporting, Adalysis

Search Features

• Apple Glasses could be next year's most attention-grabbing product, 9to5Mac
• Google search turns upside down for Netflix's 'Stranger Things', The Economic Times

Other Search

• Google teases 'exciting' Android XR updates for glasses on Dec 8, 9to5Google
• Google teases the Future of Android XR, with Gemini giving main character energy, Android Central

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.

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 is working on a huge Gemini UX update. Google Search Console annotations now supports current dates. Google Search Console's page indexing report is delayed over two weeks. Google Discover tests top searches widgets leading to AI Mode. Google Ads may bring back website optimizer. Google AI Mode tests hover style inline links.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Search Console Annotations Now Allows Current/Future Dates
  As you know, Google finally launched custom annotations within the Google Search Console performance reports. Well, one issue we noticed is that it does not allow for adding annotations for data it does not have yet, like for today. Today, Google rolled out support for current/future dates.
• Google Search Console Page Indexing Delayed Two Weeks
  Google Search Console's page indexing report is delayed again, stuck at two weeks ago, November 17, 2025. This is a much longer than normal delay for this page indexing report, but it is just a reporting issue and it does not mean your site has any issues with indexing.
• Google AI Mode Tests Hover Style Inline Links
  Google is testing using inline, hover-style links for citations in the AI Mode results. When you hover your mouse cursor over the link card, it will hover the link card sources over the answer.
• Google Ads To Resurrect Website Optimizer?
  Google Ads published new documentation on a tool called "Website Optimizer." Now, some of you OGs may remember Website Optimizer from 2008 or so. Well, it was renamed to Google Optimize and then sunset on September 30, 2023. Google Ads may be bringing it back or making something new within Google Ads named Website Optimizer.
• Google Discover Tests Top Searches Widget Leading To AI Mode
  Google is testing a new widget at the top of the Google Discover feed. It is called "Top Searches," and it will randomly show some of the top searches across Google Search. And guess what, when you click on them, it takes you into AI Mode, not Google Search.
• Google Investing In Big Gemini App User Experience 2.0 Update
  Google is reportedly working on a new Gemini App user experience, which it is calling 2.0. The company is putting "huge investment" into this update of the Gemini user experience but we are not sure when this new look and experience will be released.
• Google Seasonal Holidays 2025 Doodle Live
  Google just posted its annual Seasonal Holidays Doodle, Google logo, for the 2025 holiday season. We have Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa coming up really soon now and since it is December 1, Google posted the Doodle.
• Massive Google Pop Star Badge
  If you've ever been to a Google event, they give the attendees these plastic badges they can where to get into the event. Well, this badge is jumbo-sized. I assume it is used for signage but these two attendees are holding it instead.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Did you ever use the feedback links? (I can't reproduce it either) If you click on "more", then thumbs-down, and "report a problem" you can give more context., John Mueller on Bluesky
• New on Google Discover and AI Overview. Google is testing titles below the image/video and just above the AI-generated text. Generated titles are now larger than before. I should point out that before, the title was right n, Damien (andell) on X
• Another variation of the 'Ask anything' unit on desktop. This time featuring the coloured animation for the AI Mode text that has appeared in the past for other related features, along with the more descriptive title, SERP Alert on X
• This is funny. It seems that @GoogleAds doesn't know that selling links formally is not compliant with @googlesearchc anti spam policies, Gianluca Fiorelli on X
• Another day, another non-Google property owning the top position for the name of one of Google's own systems., Lily Ray on X
• TIL Wikipedia moved to shared desktop/mobile website URL pattern, no more m-dot URLs. If you're curious about the behind-the-scenes work (site migrations! everybody's favorite, right?!):, John Mueller on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Gemini 3 now used for some queries in AI Mode
• Google Ads' Nano Banana Pro AI get rigorously tested
• Google Ads overview tab now supports custom views
• Google expands custom segments for restricted Display Campaigns
• Google Ads search terms report: 5 tips for better results
• Beyond SERP visibility: 7 success criteria for organic search in 2026
• How AI answers are disrupting publisher revenue and advertising
• Want to write for Search Engine Land?

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Reverse-Engineering Google AI Mode: What Discovery Engine Reveals About Google's AI Search Architecture, Metehan
• The Impact AI is Having on the Marketing Ecosystem, Leadership SEO
• Black Friday: AI agentic shopping comes with its own perils, CNBC
• What's next for AlphaFold: A conversation with a Google DeepMind Nobel laureate, MIT Technology Review
• ChatGPT and OpenAI Still Have a Winning Edge Over Google Gemini, Bloomberg
• ChatGPT launched three years ago today, TechCrunch
• Qwen3-VL can scan two-hour videos and pinpoint nearly every detail, The Decoder

Analytics

• Pages and Screens Report in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing

Industry & Business

• Baidu to lay off staff across divisions after Q3 losses - report, Seeking Alpha
• EU says Apple Ads and Maps likely qualify as gatekeepers, Apple disagrees, Reuters
• Google Withdraws EU Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft After New Probe Launched, Wall Street Journal
• OpenAI partners amass $100bn debt pile to fund its ambitions, Financial Times (Sub)
• OpenAI's lead under pressure as rivals start to close the gap, Financial Times (Sub)

Links & Content Marketing

• 7+ Brands Adopt Give-Back Strategies [Examples], Content Marketing Institute
• A Content Marketing Cheatcode - Using Customer Conversations As Your Editorial Calendar, Forbes
• How AI Is Transforming Search Engine Optimization and Content Marketing, Techloy

Local & Maps

• How to Repurpose Reviews Across Marketing Channels, BrightLocal
• 6 ways I use Google Maps even when not navigating, Android Authority
• Apple CarPlay getting a couple of new features soon '" some already have them, T3
• Google Maps Power Saving mode rolling out to Pixel 10, 9to5Google

SEO

• GEO vs SEO: What's The Difference, Onely
• How Ecommerce Brands Actually Get Discovered In AI Search, Backlinko
• Inside adidas: How a Global Brand Builds an Insight-First SEO Program, Search Pilot
• Is SEO a Stressful Career? Let's Be Honest About It, SEOjobs
• Avoid These 10 Resume Pitfalls When Applying for SEO Agency Roles, SEOjobs
• How to Rank in Google AI Overviews, Onely
• Top 5 Best Technical SEO Agencies to Improve Your Site in 2025, Onely
• Traffic Is Down'"Now What? Marketing Success In the Age of AI, Semrush
• AI Search & E-commerce: Optimize AI Visibility by Feeding the Machine, Elie Berreby
• How to Rank on Perplexity: The Complete Guide, Onely
• The New Structure of AI Era SEO, Duane Forrester Decodes

PPC

• Text Guidelines Now Fully Documented by Google, PPC News Feed
• Google Launches "Partner Match" for YouTube Targeting, PPC News Feed
• Google Pushes Year-End Spend With <<£400 Bonus Credit, PPC News Feed
• OpenAI plants testing ads in ChatGPT Android app, Testing Catalog

Search Features

• This underrated Google feature helped me match jobs to my skills, Android Police

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.

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.

We had a lot, I mean, a lot of Google search ranking volatility this week - a Thanksgiving Google update. Gemini 3 is now used, automatically, for some types of queries on AI Mode. John Mueller said rewriting AI content by humans won't result in a Google recovery. Google Ads Advisor may take context from your other clients in your MCC account. Google AI Overviews is testing direct event display. Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, monitors X for product feedback. OpenAI is scaling up its crawlers and bots. Plus, I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Thanksgiving Google Search Ranking Update Volatility
  Google may have pushed out a Google search ranking update over the past couple of days. Although the chatter was somewhat quiet, it picked up today and some of the tools are also picking up on an update. I suspect the update and volatility started a couple of days ago, maybe on Monday, November 24th.
• Gemini 3 Now Powering Google AI Mode For Some Queries, Automatically
  I know Google said on November 18th that Gemini 3 was "shipping in Search on day one." But no, it shipped on November 26th instead. Nick Fox, SVP at Google, said on X, "We've just shipped intelligent automatic model routing to Gemini 3 Pro for your toughest questions in AI Mode."
• Google: Rewriting AI Content With Human Content Won't Lead To Recovery
  Google's John Mueller said that rewriting AI content by a human won't change the site's ranking in Google by default. Instead, he said, you need to rethink your whole content strategy and the purpose of the site.
• Google AI Overviews Showcases Events With New Results
  Google has updated how it shows events within AI Overviews. It can now show the direct display of events, instead of an event summary. It is also a bit buggy, but here is how it looks.
• Google Ads Advisor May Take Context From Other MCC Client Chats
  Google rolled out Ads Advisor, its AI-based chatbot for Google Ads, a couple of weeks ago. But some are noticing that if you have an MCC account, where you manage multiple advertisers under one account, the Ads Advisor responses can mix advice from one chat you had about one client account, to a new chat on a totally different client's account.
• Google's Sundar Pichai Monitors X On Launch Days For Feedback
  The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, said he spends time on X on launch days to monitor how real people are using, interacting, and experiencing new Google product releases. He said he is "pretty active on launch day trying to understand what's working."
• OpenAI Scales Up Crawling & Bots For The Holidays
  OpenAI is reportedly scaling up its crawling infrastructure for the holiday shopping season. The folks at Vercel noticed OpenAI adding a lot of new IP ranges for its bots and crawlers.
• Clicking Google's Thanksgiving Doodle Goes To AI Mode
  Google uploaded its Thanksgiving Doodle to the Google Search home page, google.com. It is a typical and expected cute Google Doodle - more on that later. But when you click on it, you are not taken to the Google search results page, instead you are taken directly into AI Mode.
• Video: Google Ads Account Hijacks, Thanksgiving Google Volatility & Web Guide For All
  We are seeing volatility in the Google search results this week, Thanksgiving week. Google Ads accounts are being hijacked and it is super concerning. Gemini 3 now powers Google AI Mode for more complex queries...
• Google Nano Banana Party Stand
  Here is a photo from a Google party for the Nano Banana team. You can see, this is of the Nano Banana stand that has a yellow banana theme with real bananas, fake ones, banana cups and more.

Other Great Search Threads:

• Bing changed the design of the bottom search suggestions., Sachin Patel on X
• "People also search for": A carousel at the top lists similar properties, including the Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando - Disney Springs Area (the first item), Brad Brewer on X
• Ask anything in AI more. New interface in SERP. after clicking from here, it appends my old search with the new search and generates results. 'I am searching for 'events in Chicago today' and have a follow-up query, Vijay Chauhan on X
• Perplexity now remembers your threads and interests to provide smarter, faster, and more personalized answers. Memory recall works across all models and search modes, even allowing you to continue conversations with full context wee, Perplexity on X
• Google seems to be testing (or introducing) a small variation in their image SERPs. When you hover over one of the search suggestions, the image fades., Frank Sandtmann on LinkedIn

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Gemini 3 now used for some queries in AI Mode
• Google Ads' Nano Banana Pro AI get rigorously tested
• Google Ads overview tab now supports custom views
• Google expands custom segments for restricted Display Campaigns
• Google Ads search terms report: 5 tips for better results
• Beyond SERP visibility: 7 success criteria for organic search in 2026
• How AI answers are disrupting publisher revenue and advertising
• Want to write for Search Engine Land?

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• Do AI Assistants Link When Mentioning Brands? For Ahrefs, Only 28% of the Time, Ahrefs
• Google could be secretly training Gemini to focus on user 'Projects', Android Central
• Initial Research: Gemini 3 Query Fan-Outs, Seer Interactive
• How AI Search Works: The Complete Guide, Onely
• MIT study finds AI can already replace 11.7% of U.S. workforce, CNBC

Analytics

• How to run a Google Tag Manager (GTM) Audit, Measure Minds Group

Industry & Business

• Deepening our AI research partnership with Tel Aviv University, Google Blog
• Google launches AI-powered cultural learning experiments, Google Blog
• Google's Vertical Assault on the AI Market, The Information
• What to know about a recent Mixpanel security incident, OpenAI

Links & Content Marketing

• How Brands Can Combat Misinformation in AI Search, TopRank Marketing
• The Inevitability of Reciprocal Linking, The Upper Ranks
• How to Adopt AI for Content Marketing, Onely
• Site Explorer: Advanced Query Filters BETA part 3, Majestic

Local & Maps

• Google Maps starts rolling out Gemini for all navigation modes<< , 9to5Google
• Google Maps gets a smarter way to save battery on Pixel 10, Android Police

SEO

• AI SEO Myths, Debunked: A No-BS Guide For Marketers, Backlinko
• Speed-to-Meaning: Technical & Measurement Blueprint for AI Search, Sitebulb
• The 3 New KPIs for AI Search: How to Measure Brand Performance in the Age of LLMs, Seer Interactive
• What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and How to Do It, Onely
• 13 of the Best SEO Blogs (Beyond the Usual Suspects), Ahrefs
• Advanced Prompting Techniques for AI SEO, DEJAN
• How To Rank in AI Search Results, Onely
• How to Write Job Descriptions That Attract Top SEO Talent, SEOjobs
• What Is an MCP Server, and Why Should Marketers Care?, Ahrefs

PPC

• Can Performance Max Work for Lead Generation? A Google Ads Expert Put It to the Test, PPC Live
• Custom Date Ranges Now in Google Ads Transparency Center, PPC News Feed
• Nano Banana Pro in Google Ads: The Good, Bad, and Weird, Hopskip Media
• Why Product Feeds Deserve More Love (Beyond PPC), Women in Tech SEO

Search Features

• Are Local Websites at Risk? Insights from the AI Mode Analysis, Visibility
• Google adds interactive images for learning in Gemini app, Testing Catalog
• Google is integrating Nano Banana right into its app's search bar, Android Authority
• Shopping That Puts You First, Perplexity
• Alibaba Releases Quark Smart Glasses With Its Qwen AI Built In, Bloomberg
• Circle to Search follow-ups switching to AI Mode with bottom search bar, 9to5Google
• Google is bringing Circle to Search to the Gemini overlay, Android Police

Other Search

• Scholar Labs: An AI Powered Scholar Search, Google Scholar Blog
• What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and How to Do It, Onely
• Google Turned Search Into an AI Agent. What Happens Next?, Limitless Podcast on YouTube

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.