Search Engine Roundtable Podcast

Google had some more ranking volatility around the Super Bowl weekend. Reddit blamed Google for not meeting its expected user growth. Google Search is now faster for some users. Google had a reviews count bug that it later confirmed and later fixed. Google image search may be down ranking AI-generated images. Google Publisher Center changed to automatically generated publication pages. Google has a beta for membership loyalty pricing markup for Merchant Center structured data. Google Search can show future snippet dates. Google Search can now do AI organized local events. Google is testing filters on the latest posts carousel. Bing Webmaster Tools date selector was updated. Google LSA lead quality has dropped says advertisers. Google Ads customer match list will expire in 540 days. Google Ads posts a new brand guidelines update for March. Google Ads will update its gambling and games policy. Bing is testing and dropping its AI labels for AI answers. Yahoo Search is showing links in its AI Answers. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

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0:00 - Introduction

0:59 - Google Super Bowl LIX Search Ranking Update

1:39 - Reddit Blames Google Algorithm Change For Weaker Than Expected Growth

2:56 - Google Search Faster By About 60 Milliseconds

3:23 - Google Local Reviews Decreasing Over Past 24 Hours

3:35 - Google Confirms Review Count Issue - Working On Fix

3:47 - Google Review Count Bug Fix Rolling Out

4:11 - Is Google Image Search Down Ranking AI Images?

4:53 - Google Publisher Center Changes: Automatically Generated Publication Pages

5:42 - Google Merchant Listing New Membership Loyalty Pricing Property

6:10 - Google Search Snippet Showing Future Date: Bug Or Feature?

6:47 - Google Search AI Organized Local Events

7:11 - Google Tests Filters On Latest Posts Carousel

7:34 - Bing Webmaster Tools Updates Date Selectors

7:57 - Advertisers: Google LSA Lead Quality Drops After Auto Lead Credits

8:24 - Google Ads Customer Match Lists To Have 540 Days Expiration Date

8:44 - Google Ads Posts Notice For Brand Guidelines March 2025 Update

9:06 - Google Ads Gambling and Games Policy Update On April 14th

9:42 - Bing Tests Dropping AI Labels From AI Answers

9:55 - Yahoo Search AI Answers Now Showing Link Sources

10:15 - Conclusion 

Today we discussed the Reddit earnings and how they blamed Google’s search algorithm changes for not meeting their expected user growth.  Google Search is now a bit faster thanks to new tech.  Google is showing future dates on some snippets.  Google Ads customer match lists expire sooner now.  Google Ads search theme insights has live data.  

0:00 - Introduction

0:42 - Reddit blames Google

3:33 - Google Search gets faster 

4:24 - Google snippets are showing future dates 

5:56 - Google search theme usefulness indicator

6:30 - Google Ads customer match lists expiration date changes

7:49 - 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 discussed the Google reviews count bug being fixed. Google Image search may be down ranking AI-generated images.  Google Publisher Center has some changes coming. Demand Gen video ads are changing also.  YouTube made a series of interesting announcements.  Google Ads brand guidelines updates are around the corner.  And SEO advice on tabbed content and navigation. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:09 - Google Reviews count bug fixed

2:10 - Google Image search AI-generated images changes 

3:27 - Google Publisher Center publications automation 

5:07 - YouTube TV

5:45 - Videos in Demand Gen in Google Ads updates

6:33 - Google Search sends YouTube 1%

8:02 - Google Ads brand guidelines updates for March

9:05 - SEO for tabbed content and navigation

12:48 - 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 many advertisers are now happy with the LSA performance since after the automated credits process began.  Google is updating its gambling and gaming policy soon.  And Google confirmed the review count bug and is working on a fix.

0:00 - Introduction

1:04 - Poor Google LSA performance

3:50 - New gambling and gaming policy 

6:04 - Confirmed Google reviews bug

7:06 - 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 Mordy Oberstein of Unify Brand Marketing with Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we how tons of businesses are watching their hard earned reviews just disappear.  I am seeing a lot of chatter around Google search ranking volatility over the Super Bowl weekend.  Google is testing AI organized events.   Google Keyword planner gets AI smarts.  Google Ads is closer to deprecating its YouTube demand gen video campaign setting. 

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Google reviews go missing

2:23 - Google Super Bowl volatility 

4:40 - Google AI-organized events

6:20 - Gigue Ads keyword planner auto organized

8:19 - Demand Gen Video campaigns

9:16 - 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.

Yep, we are seeing more Google search ranking volatility mid-week. I posted the monthly Google webmaster report for February. Google Ads has a new quality update that accounts for user navigation experience. Google AI Overviews has these super detailed comparison modes. Google AI Overviews seem to be killing click-through rates for organic and paid results. Google’s updated quality raters guidelines mentioned generative AI a bunch and also mentioned significant scrolling for recipes blogs. We have more details and screenshots of Google’s AI Mode. Gary Illyes from Google said we need to focus on originality, he also said don’t update your lastmod date for copyright date changes. Google says that people know when you write bio pages for SEO purposes. Google Business Profiles now added product studio AI to help with your product images. Google is testing AI generated background images for your shopping ads by default, you would need to opt out. Microsoft Advertising has a bunch of new PMax and feature updates. Yahoo Search AI features may be powered also by Microsoft Copilot. ChatGPT Search no longer requires a login, Gemini 2.0 is open to all and Microsoft’s Think Deeper in Copilot is now free. The Head of Search at Microsoft touted Bing’s growth. Google also released its earnings report, and ad revenue was up. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

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0:00 - Introduction

1:00 -Google Search Ranking Volatility Hits February 4th & 5th

1:42 -February 2025 Google Webmaster Report

1:59 -Google Ads Update Takes Into Account Quality Of User Navigation Experience

3:13 -Google AI Overviews With Detailed Comparison Mode

3:50 -Report: Google AI Overviews Are Killing Click Through Rates

4:39 -Generative AI Mentions In Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines

5:20 -Google Guidelines Warns Of Significant Scrolling On Recipe Blogs

5:50 -More Details & Screenshots Of Google's AI Mode

6:08 -Google's Gary Illyes: Focus On Originality In 2025

6:35 -Google: Don't Update Lastmod Date With Copyright Date Changes

6:52 -Google Says People Know When Author Bios Are For SEO Purposes

7:22 -Google Business Profiles Edit Products Feature Gains Product Studio AI

7:50 -Google To Test AI Generated Background Images For Your Shopping Ads

8:22 -Microsoft Advertising Lists Performance Max & Feature Updates

8:56 -Yahoo Search AI Features Powered By Microsoft Copilot?

9:23 -ChatGPT Search More Open; Google Expands Gemini 2.0 & Microsoft Think Deeper in Copilot

9:46 -Head of Search at Microsoft Touts Bings Growth & Power Of LLMs

10:14 -Alphabet Google Ad Revenue Up 10% Again, Hitting $72.5 Billion

10:49 - Conclusion 

Today we covered the new Google Ads update where it will show fewer ads that offer a poor user navigational experience.  Google’s updated quality raters guidelines talks about having to scroll to much for recipes.  Google’s Gary Illyes said originality is important for this coming year.  Also, don’t change your lastmod date just for copyright date changes.  ChatGPT Search no longer requires a login, and Google launched Gemini 2.0 to all and Microsoft Think Deeper is out to all.  

0:00 - Introduction

0:52 - Google Ads user navigational experience update

3:59 - Google on recipe blog scrolling fluff

5:46 - Google says originality is important

8:03 - Google on when not to change the lastmod date

9:03 - ChatGPT Search, Gemini 2.0 and Copilot Think Deeper

10:36 - 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 may bring ads to Gemini.  Google also posted its earnings report.  Google AI Overviews now have these detailed comparison shopping views. AI Overviews are having a negative impact on click-through rates.  We are seeing new ranking volatility.  Microsoft Ads has a bunch of news and features. 

0:00 - Introduction

0:48 - Google Gemini to get ads

2:03 - Google Earnings report

4:15 - AI Overviews detailed comparisons

6:25 - CTR impact of AI Overviews  

7:14 - Google ranking volatility

8:03 - Microsoft Ads news

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

Today we covered how Google is expanding Demand Gen ad tools before video action campaigns sunset.  Google is prompting advertisers to schedule tag appointment consults.  Has Google’s volatility been higher in 2024 than this year.  Google updated its quality raters and mentioned generative AI numerous times in it for the first time.

0:00 - Introduction

0:38 - Google Demand Gen Tools

3:09 - Tag Appointments

4:40 - Google Volatility Review

6:54 - AI in Quality Raters Guidelines 

7:48 - 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 Microsoft advertisers were phished with malicious Google ads. Google is testing new product filters and shopping refinement UIs. Google is testing Ask for me in Search Labs.  Plus some more news…

0:00 - Introduction

0:50 - Microsoft advertisers phished Google Ads

2:29 - Google Shopping refinement tests

4:50 - Google Ask for me

6:19 - More search news 

7:52 - 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.