Search Engine Roundtable Podcast

Today we covered Google search ranking volatility over the weekend again.  Google reviews structured data has updated the guidelines for reviews snippets.  ChatGPT Ads has released some new features again. Google Ads Editor 2.13 is now out.  Google Ads has new household income exclusions. Google AdSense may be retiring the related search format on August 6th.

0:00 - Introduction

0:45 - Google Search ranking volatility over weekend

2:15 - Google review snippets guidelines updated

3:49 - ChatGPT Ads adds conversion bidding, geo exclusions and bulk campaign tools

5:25 - Google Ads Editor 2.13 brings AI Max support to Shopping campaigns

6:04 - Household income exclusions spotted in Performance Max campaigns

7:27 - Google AdSense retiring Related search format 

7:59 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

This week, we covered more Google Search ranking volatility. Google said it sends billions of clicks to websites every week through AI search. Large publishers are fed up and strongly considering blocking Google Search completely. Google Search is now using the latest Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite model. Google earnings were out, they made about $120 billion, with ad revenue up 14.5% and search up 17%. The European Commission fined Google $1 billion for being anti-competitive with Google Search and Google Play. Google’s lawsuit against SerpApi was dismissed because Google can’t copyright its search results. Google updated its crawl budget documentation. Google is sending email notices when review content is not posted. Google had another reviews bug, this time with review replies. Google is changing up the hotel search results over the DMA requirements. Google Local Service Ads are transitioning to Google Ads. Google Ads appeal limits are not 6 months. Google Ads AI Max for shopping campaigns is out. Google warned not to uninstall and reinstall the Google & YouTube Shopify sync app. Google comparison listing ads is changing to CSS product listing ads. Google AdSense related search format is to be retired August 6th. Bing is testing open sitelinks button in search. Bing is testing an image section for the shopping panel. ChatGPT is showing two ads from two different advertisers in the results. 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

0:42 - Google Search Ranking Volatility This Weekend - Around July 18th & 19th

1:27 - Google: We Send Billions Of Clicks To Websites Weekly Through AI Search

2:32 - Large Publishers Strongly Considering Blocking Google Search Completely

4:12 - Google Search Using Latest Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

5:00 - Google Ad Revenue Up 14.5% With Revenue Up 24% - Biggest Quarter Ever

5:42 - EU Fines Google $1 Billion Under DMA For Anti-Competitive Search Dominance

6:18 - Google Lawsuit Against SerpApi Over Scraping Search Results Dismissed

7:22 - Google Updates Its Crawl Budget Doc: Every Site Starts On Conservative Crawl

7:50 - Google Maps Review Not Posted Email Notice

8:17 - Another Google Local Bug: Google Local Review Replies Not Displaying

8:39 - Google Hotel Search Updates In EU Based On DMA

8:52 - Google Local Services Ads Transitioning To Google Ads Platform

9:57 - Google Ads Appeals Limits Set To 6 Months

10:13 - Google Ads AI Max For Shopping Campaigns Expands

10:25 - Google Warns Not To Uninstall/Reinstall Google & YouTube Shopify App

11:14 - Google Comparison Listing Ads Now CSS Product Listing Ads

11:35 - Google AdSense Related Search Format To Be Retired On August 6th

11:52 - Bing Tests Open Sitelinks Button In Search

12:14 - Bing Tests Image Section In Shopping Panel

12:23 - ChatGPT Showing Two Ads In Footer Of Results

12:35 - Conclusion

Today we covered  how major publishers are threatening to block Google Search. Google was fined $1 billion by the EU over anti-competitive practices in Google Search and Google Play.  Google seems to have made changes to hotel search for the DMA already. Google earnings were highest ever, hitting $119 billion for the quarter and ad revenue was up 14.5%, search revenue up almost 17%. Google now emails when your review content is not posted.  Google Ads API version 25 is now available. OpenAI added new conversion value metrics tooltips. 

0:00 - Introduction

0:52 - Publishers threatening to block Google

2:50 - Google fined $1 billion by EU commission

3:45 - Google hotel search has changes already for DMA

5:50 - Google earnings hit record with $119,8 billion

8:40 - Google emails when review content is not posted

9:53 - Google Ads API version 25 is out

11:12 - ChatGPT adds new conversion value metrics

11:34 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered how a judge dismissed Google’s lawsuit against SerpApi. Google Search now uses Gemini 3.5 Flast-Lite, but how.  Google updated its crawl budget documentation.  Google Ads moved the missed opportunities report from labs to the recommendations tab. Google Ads appeal limits now set to 6 months.

0:00 - Introduction

0:52 - Google lawsuit against SerpApi dismissed

3:33 - Google Search is now using Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite 

5:42 - Google updated its crawl budget docs

6:28 - Google Ads missed opportunities report moved

7:43 - 6 limit on appealing Google Ads violations

10:44 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google moving Local Service Ads to Google Ads.  Google confirmed Local Inventory Ads will be enabled by default. Google drops $50,000 spend requirement for lead form assets.  Google Ads has bulk linking for Google Analytics. Bing tests an open button for sitelinks.

0:00 - Introduction

1:20 - Google Local Service Ads migrating to Google Ads

5:18 - Google confirms Local Inventory Ads will be enabled by default 

6:58 - Google drops $50K ad spend requirement for Lead Form assets

9:12 - Google Ads with Google Analytics bulk linking

9:53 - Bing tests open sitelinks button

11:19 - NY Times Google article

11:36 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google’s Nick Fox saying AI Mode and AI Overviews send billions of clicks to websites weekly. We saw some big Google search ranking volatility this weekend. Google said not to uninstall and reinstall the Google & YouTube Shopify sync app, Google will resolve it.  Google opened a form to request an extension for the closure of the Content API. Google business data feeds are now in Demand Gen campaigns. 

0:00 - Introduction

0:42 - Google AI Search sends billions of clicks weekly

6:33 - Google search ranking volatility this weekend

7:17 - Google & YouTube Shopify Sync App update

8:25 - Google Content API deadline extension form

9:55 - Google brings business data feeds to Demand Gen campaigns

11:18 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

This week, we saw some Google Search ranking volatility around July 11th, so I called it the 7-Eleven update. Bing said it does not do one-off search penalties because it is not scalable. Google Images celebrated its 25th birthday with a brand new image search home page. Google AI Overviews will soon show AI-generated images in the responses. Google spoke about AI-generated content quality issues that cause indexing issues. Google said your are better off not using a lastmod date when it is going to be wrong. Google reaffirms to use self-referential canonicals. Google confirmed it is testing the hide/show sponsored products results in Google Shopping. Google Merchant Center is testing a new AI performance report. Google Ads says it is not making broader Smart Bidding updates but the PPC industry is not happy. Google Ads is turning on local inventory ads for Shopping campaigns in August. Google Ads PMax product reporting now uses all networks. Google Ads is asking for justifications when removing access from users. Google Ads conversion tracking statuses gain new options. Google Ads has new previews for assets, text customizations and final URL expansion. Google Business Profiles new Collected Info screen is live for some. Google’s reviews bug is being worked on and should be fixed soon. Apple Maps Ads prohibits home services ads, which is a big deal. ChatGPT Ads get location, audience and negative keyword exclusions. ChatGPT Ads also added new attributed sales value and sales ROAS metrics, plus a new product detail level screen. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

Sponsor: Yahoo Scout is an AI answer engine built for people who need answers. Ask about news, local recommendations, entertainment, technology, and more to get clear, trustworthy responses with transparent, cited sources and helpful visuals. Backed by 30 years of Yahoo Search expertise, Yahoo Scout makes it easier to find, understand, and act on information. Try it today at Scout.com.

0:00 - Introduction

1:07 - Google Search Ranking Volatility Around 7-Eleven

1:59 - Bing: We Do Not Do One Off Indexing / Ranking Penalties, It's Not Scalable

2:51 - Google Image Search Home Page Goes From Simple Search Box To Gallery

3:33 - AI Image Generation Now Within Google AI Overviews

4:20 - Google: Discovered vs Crawled Not Indexed Quality Issues & AI-Generated Content

5:13 - Google: You're Better Off Without Lastmod Dates When They Are Incorrect

5:37 - Google Reaffirms Include Canonical On Canonical Page Itself

6:05 - Google Confirms Testing Hide Sponsored Products In Shopping Results

6:35 - Google Merchant Center AI Performance Insights For AI Mode & AI Overviews

7:15 - Google Ads Making Broader Smart Bidding Updates? Google Says No.

8:17 - Google Ads To Turn On Local Inventory Ads By Default For Shopping Campaigns

8:50 - Google Ads Performance Max Product Reporting Now Uses All Networks

9:26 - Google Ads Asks For Justification When Requesting Removal Of Access

9:47 - Google Ads Conversion Tracking Status: Awaiting Conversions & Misconfigured

10:08 - Google Ads Previews For Assets, Text Customizations & Final URL Expansion

10:18 - Google Business Profiles New Collected Info (Visuals)

10:55 - New Google Reviews Bug: You Have No Reviews Yet

11:15 - Apple Maps Ads Bans Home Service Businesses With Updated Terms

11:55 - ChatGPT Ads Get Location & Audience Exclusion Controls

12:15 - ChatGPT Ads Manager Gains Attributed Sales Value & Sales ROAS & Products

12:32 - Conclusion 

Today we covered how Google spoke about indexing issues due to content quality, including AI-generated content. Google said not to use the lastmod date for sitemaps if the date is incorrect. Google gave us an update on the reviews bug.  Google Ads PMax product reporting has an update. Google Ads will turn on local inventory ads by default. Apple Maps banned home service businesses.  And Greg shared some news on smart bidding changes, specifically the impact on campaigns limited by budget.

0:00 - Introduction

1:02 - Google crawled not indexed AI-content quality issues

4:00 - Google lastmod dates should be accurate or not used at all

5:20 - Google reviews bug update

6:11 - Google Ads Performance Max product reporting update

7:46 - Apple Maps Ads bans home service businesses

9:30 - Google Ads turns on Local Inventory Ads by default

10:10 - Google Ads Smart bidding changes for limited by budget.

16:38 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered Google Image Search’s 25th birthday where a new gallery style home page will replace the clean search box.  Google AI Overviews will soon generate AI images to go along with AI answers.  Google is testing hide and show toggles for product ads in Google Shopping.  ChatGPT Ads got location and audience exclusions. OpenAI may miss its ChatGPT Ads revenue targets by 90%

0:00 - Introduction

2:54 - Google Image Search redesign for 25th birthday

4:27 - Google AI Overviews to gain AI generated images

6:52 - Google Shopping ads with hide and show product ads toggle

8:03 - ChatGPT Ads gets location and audience exclusions

9:50 - OpenAI’s ChatGPT ads may miss revenue targets by 90%

12:17 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.

Today we covered how Google Merchant Center has its own AI Performance report, for some. We saw Google search ranking volatility around July 11th. ChatGPT Ads has new metrics for Attributed Sales Value and Sales ROAS and added product level reporting.

0:00 - Introduction

0:50 - Google Merchant Center AI performance report

2:42 - Google 7-Eleven ranking update

4:32 - ChatGPT Ads gain Attributed Sales Value and Sales ROAS metrics and product level reporting

6:00 - 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, Mordy Oberstein of SE Ranking and Greg Finn of Cypress North (and Marketing O’Clock) and Barry Schwartz.