Search Engine Roundtable Podcast

Google's March 2025 core update finished yesterday, I have a standalone video on that, so check it out. The core update caused more volatility at the tail end of the rollout. Google said there is no specific date for when a specific site may surface better in Google Search, but they will continue to make changes in 2025. Google updates its spam help document, which may convey something. Google AI Mode has expanded to more users, it was a buggy expansion. Google AI Overviews now work in several EU countries. Google is promoting AI Mode with banner ads in its search results. Google shut down AI (SGE) while browsing. Google Business Profiles is still super delayed, a Google rep confirmed but later this week, it seems Google made some progress. Google launched AI Overviews for itineraries, Google Lens tour features, Maps with screenshots and hotel price tracking. Google Merchant Center click reporting to match Google Ads in April. Google Merchant Center lost conversion data in February. Google Ads search terms report now shows PMax terms. Google Local Service Ads tests removing the Google Screened green checkmark. Google Ads different auction locations may impact CTR and impression rates. Google said removing EU publishers did not impact its search ad revenue. Bing Ads can now show in featured snippets, they call it “you might also like.” That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

SPONSOR: This week's video recap is sponsored by Duda, the Professional Website Builder You Can Call Your Own.

0:00 - Introduction

0:50 - Google March 2025 Core Update Finished Rolling Out

1:23 - Google March 2025 Core Update Volatility Heats Up At Tail End Of Update

1:51 - Google Search: No Specific Date For Independent Sites Surface Better

3:01 - Google Goes After Spam Practices vs Spam Content - Doc Change

3:52 - Google AI Mode Access Roll Out Bug? Now Fixed.

4:28 - Google Expands AI Overviews To More EU Regions

4:41 - Google AI (SGE) While Browsing No Longer

5:01 - Google Promoting AI Mode With Banner Ad In Search Results

5:19 - Google Business Profiles Appeals Still Delayed

5:40 - Google Working Through Google Business Profiles Support Requests

5:58 - Google AI Overviews Itinerary, Lens Tour Guide, Maps Screenshot & Track Prices

6:23 - Google Merchant Center Click Reporting To Change Next Month

6:47 - Google Merchant Center Conversion Data Lost & Unrecoverable In February

7:12 - Google Ads Search Terms Report Gets PMax Terms

7:38 - Google Local Service Ads Tests Removing Green Screened Checkmark

7:59 - Google Ads Different Auctions Locations May Impact CTR & Impression Rates

8:28 - Google: Removing EU News Publishers Had No Impact On Search Ad Revenue

8:53 - Bing Puts Ads Within Features Snippets Named You Might Also Like

9:13 - Conclusion

Today we had breaking news with the March core update finishing, then we discussed how a former Google said traffic to publishers is a necessary evil.  Google made a minor tweak to its spam docs, but what does it mean.  Google has new event search interfaces and blue website buttons.  

0:00 - Introduction

0:26 - Google March core update just finished

0:56 - Google tweaks spam doc, what does it mean

2:20 - Google: Traffic to publishers a necessary evil

5:25 - Google event search updates

6:03 - Google knowledge panels with blue website buttons

6:59 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we discussed how the Google March 2025 core updates tail end is heating up.  Google expanded AI Overviews in more EU regions.  Google Ads new double serving test does impact CTR and impression reporting.  Google Ads is testing new call and support options. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:06 - Google March core update tail end volatility

1:54 - Google AI Overviews now in EU regions

2:28 - Google Ads double serving CTR and impression impact

3:54 - Google Ads new support options

5:20 - 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 discussed how Bing is stuffing ads into their featured snippets/answers. Google also tests dropping green checkmarks from LSAs. Google Merchant Center updated its click reporting to match Google Ads. Google is placing banner ads for AI Mode in Search.  Google AI Mode had a buggy expansion last night. Google Business Profiles has a creation bug. Google Search has a bug with pagination or maybe it is a test. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:22 - Google AI Mode promotions

3:07 - Bing stuff ads in featured snippets

4:57 - Google LSAs tests dropping green checkmark

7:20 - Google Merchant Center click reporting update

8:30 - Google AI Mode expansion and bug

11:29 - Google Business Profile creation bug

12:11 - Google Search pagination bug or test

12:52 - 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 discussed how Google spoke about who may recover and when from previous core updates, but can you believe it.  On Friday I reported on some core update volatility but said it might be confusion. Google Business Profiles appeal requests are delayed with no end in sight.  Google Ads search term report gains PMax terms. Google Merchant Center lost conversion data in February.  Google said it doesn’t make money on its EU news providers. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:44 - Google spoke about sites recovering from previous core updates

5:50 - Google March 2025 core update volatility or confusion

6:28 - Google Business Profiles appeal delays

7:34 - Google Ads search terms report adds PMax terms

9:11 - Google said it doesn’t make revenue on EU news providers

10:38 - Google Merchant Center lost conversion data

11:30 - 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.

Google confirmed that the volatility we saw prior to the core update was unrelated to this latest core update. I also posted status updates on the Google March 2025 core update. Google is testing AI Search features beyond the new AI Mode. Google is also testing linking its AI Overviews to its own search results. Google improves health AI Overviews, expands health knowledge panels and launches a new What People Suggest for health topics. Google is testing AI Overviews in the middle of the page. Google Assistant will be replaced by Gemini. Google dropped review counts on review starts for non-shopping search results. Google Search Console API now supports the 24-hour view. Google now updates its Googlebot JSON file daily. Google Business Profiles seems to be hijacking its restaurant booking system with Google Assistant. Martin Splitt from Google admitted if searchers don’t use your pages in the search results, when they rank, then Google may remove them. Google’s John Mueller said SEOs should stop over-focusing on tiny SEO metrics. I posted my takeaways form the Google Search Central NYC event. Microsoft’s Fabrice Canel said SEOS should focus on conversions and click values. He also confirmed schema is used in Microsoft Copilot LLMs. Bing Webmaster Tools rolled out the Copilot feature to all and also added a compare feature in the search performance reports. Bing search has buy now buttons for shopping results, and those immediately add the item to the retailer's cart and take you to the checkout page. Google Shopping Ads has a first-order discount label. Google is testing three rows of Shopping Ads. Google is testing a weird double-expand image in the ad carousels. Bing was caught serving 9 ads with only two organic results. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

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0:00 - Introduction

0:43 - Google Confirms Volatility Prior To March 2025 Core Update Was Not That Core Update

1:46 - Google March Core Update Volatility Status

3:03 - Google Tests AI Search Options Beyond AI Mode

4:00 - Google Tests Links In AI Overviews To More Search Results

4:50 - Google Expands Health Overviews & Adds What People Suggest In Search

5:54 - Google Tests AI Overviews In Middle Of Search Results Page

6:17 - Google Assistant To Be Replaced By Gemini

6:50 - Google Drops Review Counts For Non-Shopping Results

7:26 - Google Search Console API Now Supports 24-Hour Hourly View

8:15 - Google Updates Googlebot's IP Addresses In JSON File Daily

8:24 - Google Hijacks Restaurants Booking System Leading To No Available Reservations

9:30 - Google: If Users Don't Use Your Page Search They May Be Removed

10:28 - Google: Stop Over Focusing On Tiny SEO Metrics

10:40 - My Takeaways From Google Search Central Live NYC 2025

11:38 - Microsoft Bing: SEOs Should Focus on Conversions & Click Value

11:59 - Microsoft Confirms Schema Helps Its LLMs (Copilot) Understand Your Content

12:44 - Bing Webmaster Tools Copilot Feature Opens Up To All

12:53 - Bing Webmaster Tools Search Performance Reports Get Compare Filter

13:07 - Bing Buy Now Button Goes Directly To Checkout

13:29 - First Order Discount Label On Google Shopping Ads

13:52 - Google Tests Three Rows Of Google Shopping Ads

14:05 - Google Ads Images Double Expand Swipe Carousel

14:17 - Microsoft Tests 9 Ads & Only One Free Search Results On Same Page

14:34 - Conclusion 

Today we covered Google De indexing pages that are deemed not useful. The Reverification Bug for Google Business Profiles is fixed according to Google's Rick Saxe a BrightEdge Report shows that 82% of Google AI Overviews citations come from deep pages and Microsoft is enforce consent compliance for advertisers.0:00 - Introduction0:44 - Barry in a car1:00 - Reverification bug fixed2:00 - Barry Road View2:05 - Google De indexing pages that are deemed not useful4:46 - Microsoft Consent5:36 - Deep Pages and AIOs8:30 - Mordy's request

Today we discussed a Google leaking AI Search options beyond AI Mode.  Google confirmed the volatility before the core update was not related.  Google expanding health results for AI Overviews, knowledge panels and a new What People Suggest.  Google also testing AI Overviews in the middle of the page. Bing Webmaster Tools rolls out Copilot and also a comparison feature in the performance reports.  Bing has 9 ads on a single search results page.  And Google Ads is rolling out channel controls for Demand Gen.

Also, Greg got a new man bag. 💼

0:00 - Introduction

0:53 - Early Google volatility was unrelated to the March core update

2:30 - Google leaked AI Search features

4:13 - Google expands health results for AI Overviews, knowledge panels and a new What People Suggest

7:24 - Google AI Overviews in the middle of the page

8:35 - Bing Webmaster Tools gets a compare button

9:00 - Bing Webmaster Tools Copilot rolls out

9:54 - Bing with 9 ads and 2 organic results

10:35 - Google Ads channel control for Demand Gen 

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

Today we discussed a new test where Google’s AI Overviews link heavily back to its own search results - common Google. Google is testing triple stacked ads.  Google Ads has a first order discount label. Reddit 

0:00 - Introduction

0:50 - Google AI Overviews linking to Google Search results

2:39 - Google triple stacked ads

3:31 - Google Ads first order discount

4:56 - Reddit offers hide ads option

5:50 - 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 discussed Google March 2025 core update status.  Google Assistant will be replaced by Gemini. Google Assistant can hijack your restaurants reversion system. Google makes a statement on links within AI Overviews.  Bing says SEOs should focus on conversions. Google Ads now will ask you to confirm your phone number for account verification.  

Greg and Mordy go wild with Trump impersonations.

0:00 - Introduction

0:37 - Google March core update status

3:54 - Gemini to replace Google Assistant

5:00 - Google Assistant hijacking reservation booking links

6:03 - Google AI Overview links statement

8:54 - Bing says SEO should focus on conversions

11:16 - Google Ads phone number confirmation

11:50 - 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.