Search Engine Roundtable Podcast

Today we covered Google saying they are going to fix the problem where Google Discover is showing fake AI spam in the feed. Google added more ways to communicate shipping and return policies outside of Merchant Center. Google Local Service Ads message leads has new value-based pricing.  Microsoft Clarity is now required for publishers to make money with Microsoft Advertising.

0:00 - Introduction

0:42 - Google Discover fake AI spam problem

1:58 - Google adds new shipping/return policy methods

3:16 - Google LSAs message leads value based pricing

6:45 - Microsoft Clarity mandatory for publishers

8:21 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered is testing carousel ads on image results, which is a big deal. Google launched new Waze ads powered by PMax.  Google adds asset-level reporting to Google Ads display campaigns  Google is not killing off schema. Google’s new extortion review scam form does seem to do the job.  Also, check out the presentation from Lily Ray - it is gold.

0:00 - Introduction

1:27 - Google testing carousel ads on image results

5:30 - Google PMax Waze ads

6:42 - Google asset-level reporting for display campaigns

7:40 - Google not killing off schema

8:27 - Google’s new review extortion form seems to work

9:03 - Lily Ray’s GEO/SEO golden alligator presentation

9:24 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google ranking volatility heating up for Movember. Google’s AI Opal tool touts creating optimized content in a scalable way. Many advertisers are saying Google’s new AI Max is underperforming. Google updated Google Finance with a lot of AI features. Plus, ChatGPT ads will be coming but they won’t look like Google Ads.

0:00 - Introduction

1:33 - Google Search ranking movement for Movember

2:27 - Google Opal touts creating optimized content in a scalable way

4:41 - Google AI Max ads are underperforming

7:46 - Google Finance big AI updates

9:06 - ChatGPT Ads are coming

11:06 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

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

Sponsor: BruceClay one of the founding fathers of the SEO space, doing search marketing optimization since 1996. Bruce Clay is big into SEO training, check out seotraining.com to learn more and check them out at bruceclay.com. Also, check out their new product, Prewriter.ai - this tool empowers writers to write better and more efficiently, so check it out.

0:00 - Introduction

0:57 - Google Drops Support For More Structured Data Types & Search Features

2:19 - Google Tests A New Version Of AI Mode

2:59 - Google AI Mode Gains 3 New Agentic Capabilities

3:28 - Report: Google AI Overviews Continue To Drive CTR Downwards

4:45 - Google Definitions Box Tests Swapping In AI Overviews

5:10 - Google PSA: Verify Your Hosted Cloud Provider Host In Search Console

5:46 - Google & Bing Are Indexing Grokipedia - AI Generated Wikipedia / Encyclopedia

6:28 - Google Search Tests Tinted Colored Background

6:54 - November 2025 Google Webmaster Report

7:09 - The New Google Search Ad Layout Is Causing Accidental Clicks

8:47 - Google Performance Max Gains Waze Ads & Channel Performance Reporting

9:23 - Google Ads Editor Version 2.11 Is Now Available

9:46 - Google Merchant Center Adds Promotions For Top Performing Products

10:08 - New Google Merchant Center Preferred Audience Targeting For Promotions

10:22 - Google Merchant Center Adds Creative Content Section

10:33 - Google Merchant Center Smart Cropping - You Can Opt Out

11:02 - Gemini Coming To Google Maps For Directions, Traffic & Places

11:49 - Google Reviews Updates Services Summary Box

12:08 - Reddit: Search Traffic Flat, AI Not Traffic Driver & 50% Of Traffic Is From Google

12:41 - Publishers Say Google Used Their Data to Cheat Them, Raptive Lawsuit

13:15 - Google Discover Tests Infinite Endless Scroll

13:30 - Google Discover Numerous Experiments Documented

13:50 - Conclusion 

Today we covered Google removing support for a number of search features, and some structured data. Google tints the search results page. Google swapping definitions box with AI Overviews.  Google Maps gets Gemini update. Google Merchant Center added creative content section.  Oh, Google Ads Editor version 2.11 is out.

0:00 - Introduction

1:47 - Google removes a number of search features

5:13 - Google tints the search results page

6:00 - Google swapping definitions box with AI Overviews 

6:30 - Google Maps gets Gemini update

7:40 - Google Merchant Center creative content section

9:33 - Google Ads Editor version 2.11 is out

11:22 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google testing new AI Mode version and launching three new agentic capabilities. Google AI Overviews results in a drop in CTR, a report says. Google Merchant Center promotions top performing products. Google locked the side bar on YouTube’s mobile ads.

0:00 - Introduction

0:50 - Google testing AI Mode versions

2:52 - Google AI Mode new agentic capabilities. 

4:11 - Google AI Overviews leads to drop in CTR

7:15 - Google Merchant Center top performing products promotions

8:41 - YouTube locks sidebar on mobile ads

9:33 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google Merchant Center smart cropping and how to opt out.  Grokipedia and how Google and Bing are indexing it. Endless Google Discover scroll is being tested.

0:00 - Introduction

2:38 - Google Merchant Center smart cropping

4:45 - Grokipedia in Google and Bing

6:00 - Endless Google Discover scroll

8:59 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google Ads not going away according to Google executive.  Google’s new ad layout tricks savvy searchers into clicking on ads. Google spoke about doing SEO for AI Mode and AI Overviews. Reddit announced earnings and they said search traffic is flat, AI is not driving traffic and 50% of the traffic they get is from Google.

0:00 - Introduction

0:57 - Google Ads not going away

2:10 - Google Ads tricks savvy searchers to click

4:11 - Google on how to do SEO for AI Mode

6:03 - Reddit said search traffic is flat and more

10:05 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

This week, we covered more Google Search ranking volatility mid-week. Google Search Console launched query groups reports. Disney’s sitelinks in Google Search seemed to have been hacked. Google reminded us about case sensitivity with URLs in Google Search. John Mueller spoke about the best content management system for SEO. Robby Stein from Google spoke about doing SEO for AI Mode. Google rolled out early access to Gemini for your home voice assistant. Google reviews started to go missing and we don’t know why. Google Business Profiles is testing a way to schedule Google Posts. Google Business Profiles expanded the What’s Happening feature. Google Ads has campaign-level audience exclusions for PMax. Google Ads has a new investment strategy recommendation page. Google is launching Merchant Center for agencies. Google Merchant Center Next added new promotion analytics and a new preferred audience for promotion restrictions. A judge did not rule in favor of Google in the ad tech monopoly case. Google made over $100 billion in revenue according to its earnings report and Microsoft had a great quarter too. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

SPONSOR: This week's video is sponsored by Semrush. Did you know Semrush launched Semrush One. This new solution unites traditional SEO and AI Search into a single offering to help brands measure and grow performance across virtually every search – from Google to AI discovery engines, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other major large language models (LLMs).

0:00 - Introduction

0:54 - Google Search Ranking Volatility Around October 28th

1:19 - Query Groups Report Comes To Google Search Console Insights

2:09 - Disney Google Sitelinks Blackhat SEO Hack Still Live

2:42 - Reminder: Google On Case Sensitivity For URLs

3:35 - Google's John Mueller On Best CMSs For SEO

3:56 - Google's Robby Stein On SEO For AI Mode & AI Overviews

4:31 - Google Rolls Out Early Access To Gemini For Home Voice Assistant

4:50 - Reviews Disappearing Within Google - Google Fixing

5:22 - Schedule Google Posts In Google Business Profiles Tests

5:51 - Google Business Profiles What's Happening Feature Expands

6:12 - Google Ads Campaign Level Audience Exclusions To Performance Max

6:36 - Google Ads New Investment Strategy Recommendation Page

7:03 - Google: Google Ads Not Going Away With AI Mode As The Future

7:30 - Google Launching Merchant Center For Agencies

7:48 - Google Merchant Center Next Adds Promotion Analytics

8:12 - Google Merchant Center Preferred Audience For Promotions Restrictions

8:34 - Ad Tech Monopoly: Judge Rules Google Can't Relitigate Core Antitrust Facts

9:10 - Google Ad Revenue Up 13% & Bing Ads Revenue Up 16%

9:56 - Conclusion 

Today we covered the Google and Microsoft earnings report, and how well they did with ad revenues.  Disney’s Google sitelink seems like it was hacked with black hat SEO.  Google Merchant Center added new promotion analytics. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:10 - Google and Microsoft earnings and ad revenues

4:53 - Disney Google black hat sitelinks hack

6:40 - Google Merchant Center promotions analytics

8:19 - Conclusion

A daily recap video summarizing a few of the top search marketing headlines covered at the Search Engine Roundtable.

This recap is called It's New - A quick, daily dose of the latest in SEO with Anu Adegbola of Search Engine Land and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.