Search Engine Roundtable Podcast

This week, we covered yet again some more Google search ranking volatility. Google Discover will be coming to the desktop version of Google’s homepage. Google Search Analytics API now shows hourly data for the past ten days. Google refreshes its Merchant opportunities report in Search Console. Google Search is showing more AI Overviews. Google AI Mode now supports images and tests anchor text and URL-based links. Google made it official, AI Overviews can link to its own search results. Google Things to Know and People Also Ask are linking back to its own search results. Bing is also linking back to its own search results in its answers. Copilot Search in Bing is finally officially live. Google is testing “relevant topics” in search. Google Maps shared how Gemini is helping fight spam but does it mess up. Google Business Profiles performance messaging clicks report seems new. Google will remove reviews and ratings from school listings. Google now lets merchants manage their Brand Profiles. Google updated some of its Merchant Center product specifications. Google Ads clarified a number of its suspension policies. Google Ads PMax campaigns has new lifecycle goals and image controls. Google Ads will improve its customer support experiences. Google Search has video ads. Google Ads has this overlay hover product format. Google AdSense new rewarded ads beta. Apple Intelligence raters guidelines were leaked. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

Sponsored by Similarweb, Similarweb created an SEO benchmark report, analyzing organic traffic of 10,000 websites in 10 industries to help brands understand what 'good' looks like in their industry. The key metrics include (1) monthly visits (2) Website engagement metrics and (3) SERP metrics including AI Overview presence, zero-click searches, and organic difficulty. Also, well known SEOs such as Aleyda Solís, Barry Adams, Sophie Brannon and Fabrizio Ballarinis contributed to the report. I linked to the report in the description below at bit.ly/4h4v4ZP.

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Google Search Ranking Volatility Kicks In April 9th & 10th

1:58 - Google Discover Coming To Desktop After Years Of Testing

2:47 - Google Search Analytics API Hourly Data For Past 10 Days

3:20 - Google Refreshes Its Merchant Opportunities Report

3:38 - Google Search With More AI Overviews

3:57 - Google AI Mode Gains Search With Image Multimodal Capabilities With Lens

4:16 - Google AI Mode Tests Anchor Text & URL Base Links

4:42 - Official: Google AI Overviews Link To More Search Results

5:15 - Google Things To Know Also Linking Back To More Search Results

5:42 - Bing Answer Snippets Also Linking To More Search Results

5:56 - Copilot Search in Bing Now Officially Live

6:23 - Google Search Relevant Topics

6:33 - Google Maps Blocked 240 Million Fake Reviews, 70 Million Edits, 12 Million Fake Listings In 2024

7:12 - Google Business Profiles Performance Messaging Clicks Report

7:26 - Google To Drop Reviews On School Business Profiles

8:00 - Google Letting Merchants Manage Brand Profiles

8:22 - Google Updates Some Merchant Center Product Specs

8:37 - Google Ads Adds Clarifications To Its Suspension Policies

9:00 - Google Ads PMax Campaigns New Lifecycle Goals & Image Controls

9:28 - Google Ads: Ongoing Efforts To Improve Support Experiences

9:52 - Google Search Video Ads

10:09 - Google Ads More Button Overlays More Products In Hover

10:20 - Google AdSense New Rewarded Ads Beta

10:36 - Apple Intelligence Raters Guidelines Leaked

11:10 - Conclusion

Today we covered how Google Ads has new goals and image controls for PMax campaigns.  Google Brand profile management is coming.  Google AI Mode is testing new links. Google Search ranking volatility heats up.  Google Search Analytics API finally gets hourly data. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:19 - Google Ads PMax goals and image controls

2:54 - Google Brand profile management

5:18 - Google AI Mode link tests

6:50 - Google Search ranking volatility

7:21 - Google Search Analytics hourly API data

8:08 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered how Google confirmed it will be bringing Google Discover to its desktop home page.  Google Ads Demand Gen Platform comparable metric is available for conversion activity.  Google Ads is working on improving its support. Google Merchant Center updated some of its product specifications. Google Business Profiles has a new messaging clicks report and some wonky driving direction API data.

0:00 - Introduction

1:00 - Google Discover on desktop

3:07 - Google Demand Gen Platform Comparable metric

5:25 - Google Ads support to improve

7:38 - Google Merchant Center product spec updates

8:30 - Google Business Profiles messaging clicks report

9:40 - Google Business Profiles weird API data

10:32 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google AI Mode gaining image uploads and multimodal capabilities. Google Maps blocked tons of spam, but was it too much.  Google’s things to know and people also ask linking back to itself.  Google Search Console updates the merchant opportunities report.  Google AI Overviews growth across all tracking tools.  Advertisers are pulling back from TikTok. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:36 - Google AI Mode images

2:14 - Google Maps spam report

3:47 - Google things to know and PAA linking to itself

4:51 - Google Merchant opportunities report

5:15 - Google AI Overviews continues to grow

7:41 - Advertisers pull back from TikTok

9:00 - More Semrush data on ChatGPT

9:49 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered the Apple Intelligence quality raters guidelines document leak. Google is now also able to use your content in your emails for Google Search.  We also spoke about Google testing relevant topics in the search results.  Google is testing video ad formats in Google Search.  Google Ads demand gen seen more.  TikTok sale was extended yet again.

0:00 - Introduction

1:00 - Apple Intelligence raters leak

2:30 - Google using your email content

4:48 - Google testing relevant topics in search

6:55 - Google Search video ad format

8:15  - Google Ads Demand Gen screenshots

9:52 - TikTok sale deadline extended again

10:33 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

This week, we covered some more Google Search ranking volatility, post-core update. I also posted some polls on the Google March 2025 core update. Google said they do not have a brand ranking system. Google is ranking AI-translated Reddit results, like crazy. Google can now also use your email content, not just website content, for its search results. Google News should be fully transitioned to the automatically generated publication pages. Microsoft’s Bing Copilot Search seems to be fully live. Google will officially allow for double-serving ads. Google Local Service Ads went down on Wednesday for most of the day. Google local questions and answers feature seemed to mostly disappear. Google AI summaries are showing up on some local knowledge panels. Google AI Overviews test showing “check important info” as a disclaimer. Microsoft Advertising pushed out a number of ad updates. Google agreed to settle for $100 million over an old ads geo-targeting class action lawsuit. 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

0:50 - Google April Post Core Update Ranking Volatility Heats Up

1:30 - Google March 2025 Core Update Impact Multiple Poll Results

2:05 - Google: We Don't Have A Brand-Ranking System But...

3:00 - Google Ranking Reddit AI Translated Pages Too Well

3:55 - Google To Subscribe To Your Emails To Find Marketing Content For Your Listings

4:56 - Google News Fully Transitioned To Automatically Generated Publication Pages

5:14 - Microsoft Bing Copilot Search Now Live

5:42 - Google To Allow Double Serving Ads In Different Ad Locations On Same Page

6:25 - Google Ads Tests Show More Overlay To Load More Ads

6:45 - Google Local Service Ads Advertisers Console Down All Day

7:14 - Google Responds To Comprehensive PMax Report

7:41 - Google Local Questions & Answers Feature Gone?

8:11 - Google AI Summaries Now In Local Knowledge Panels

8:35 - Google AI Overviews Tests Check Important Info Disclaimer

9:11 - Microsoft Advertising Updates For Shopping Campaigns, Audience Ads, PMax & More

9:26 - Google To Pay $100 Million To Settle Old Ad Lawsuit On Clicks Outside Geo Target

9:37 - Conclusion 

Today we covered the post Google core update volatility we are seeing. Google wants to show you more ads in search. Google is showing AI summaries in the local panel.  Everyone is bidding on TikTok.

0:00 - Introduction

0:28 - Google ranking volatility post core update

1:58 - Google wants to show you more ads

3:19 - Google local panels with AI summaries

4:50 - Everyone is bidding on TikTok

7:00 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered what Google said most recently about brands and its search ranking system.  Google’s local Q&A feature is dropping off many businesses.  Microsoft Bing Copilot Search seems to be rolling out more.  Microsoft Advertising has a slew of update announcements.  Google is powering ads in Roblox.

0:00 - Introduction

0:43  - Google on brands as a ranking system

3:07 - Google Local Q&A feature disappearing? 

4:00 - Bing rolling out Copilot Search?

4:43 - Microsoft Advertising announces a number of new features

6:38 - Google powers video ads in Roblox

7:55 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered how Reddit’s AI-translated content is surging in Google Search.  Google is testing a disclaimer in its AI Overviews.  Bing Copilot Answers can show image and video buttons.  Bing is testing shadows for its snippets.  And Reddit Ads rolls out new small business tools.

0:00 - Introduction

1:16 - Reddit AI-translated content surging in Google

2:55 - Google AI Overviews tests disclaimers 

5:46 - Bing Copilot Answers with links to video and images

6:51 - Bing testing shadows and new designs

9:00 - Reddit Ads rolls out new small business tools

9:26 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered a Google Ads policy change over the weekend around double serving.  Google will pay $100 million for an old ad lawsuit settlement.  We posted some Google core update polls.  Google Business Profiles has bugs with reviews, edits and more.  Google AI Overviews itinerary, Google Lens tours, Google Maps screenshots and more.

0:00 - Introduction

0:44 - Google Ads to allow double serving

2:35 - Google to pay $100 million in ad lawsuit settlement 

4:07 - Google core update polls

5:18 - Google Business Profile Bugs with reviews and edits

6:07 - Google AI Overview itinerary, Google Lens Tours and more Maps changes

9:40 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.