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Search Engine Roundtable

Search Engine Roundtable

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Daily search marketing roundup reporting on the most interesting discussions and trends in SEO and SEM forums. Barry Schwartz’s Search Engine Roundtable provides quick insights into what the search marketing community is buzzing about.

Recent Posts

Google Ads Product Campaign View Report Is Useful
News•Jan 26, 2026

Google Ads Product Campaign View Report Is Useful

Google Ads introduced a Product Campaign View report that consolidates performance metrics for individual products across all active campaigns. Advertisers can click a product title to see conversions, spend, and other key indicators broken down by each campaign, including Standard Shopping and Performance Max. The report helps identify where products drive revenue, where spend is inefficient, and where scaling opportunities exist. Early feedback from marketers highlights its value in eliminating guesswork around SKU performance.

By Search Engine Roundtable
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Search Double Heated, Personal Intelligence in AI Mode, ChatGPT Ads & Apple Siri Updates...
News•Jan 23, 2026

Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Search Double Heated, Personal Intelligence in AI Mode, ChatGPT Ads & Apple Siri Updates...

Google Search experienced renewed ranking volatility, though Google offered no confirmation. OpenAI announced a pilot of ads within ChatGPT responses, charging advertisers per impression rather than per click. Google rolled out Personal Intelligence in AI Mode and upgraded AI Overviews...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Falls Back To Featured Snippets When AI Overviews Don't Generate
News•Jan 23, 2026

Google Falls Back To Featured Snippets When AI Overviews Don't Generate

Google’s search team confirmed that when its AI‑generated Overviews cannot be produced, the engine falls back to traditional featured snippets. The fallback can look identical to an AI Overview, leading to user confusion. VP of Engineering Rajan Patel announced on...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Gemini Local Results Insights Into How Google Interprets Your Business
News•Jan 23, 2026

Gemini Local Results Insights Into How Google Interprets Your Business

Google is testing a Gemini-powered update to its local search results, introducing AI‑generated headlines and content sections for businesses. The new format surfaces information Google believes it knows about a company, such as services, hours, and unique selling points. By...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Secure Your Google Ads Account Against The Rise In Hijackings
News•Jan 23, 2026

Secure Your Google Ads Account Against The Rise In Hijackings

Google Ads account hijackings are accelerating, especially against agencies that manage large budgets. Attackers exploit weak login practices, phishing, and even Google Analytics or Tag Manager to bypass two‑factor authentication. Google’s official guide recommends HTTPS, verified @google.com emails, link scrutiny,...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Ads Posts New Call & Messaging Ads Terms
News•Jan 22, 2026

Google Ads Posts New Call & Messaging Ads Terms

Google Ads has introduced new terms for its call‑and‑messaging ad products, obligating advertisers to allow Google to record and monitor all associated phone calls, texts, and chat interactions. Acceptance transfers liability for any legal or compliance breaches to the advertiser,...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Search Makes Recipe Results More Publisher Friendly
News•Jan 22, 2026

Google Search Makes Recipe Results More Publisher Friendly

Google is rolling out a tweak to its search results that restores the traditional recipe carousel and demotes the AI Overview snippet for many cooking queries. The change follows criticism that the AI‑generated “Frankenstein recipes” blended content from multiple publishers,...

By Search Engine Roundtable
New GoogleBot: Google Messages
News•Jan 22, 2026

New GoogleBot: Google Messages

Google has introduced a new crawler called GoogleMessages, classified as a user‑triggered fetcher. The bot’s sole purpose is to generate link previews for URLs shared in Google Messages chats. It identifies itself with the User‑Agent string “GoogleMessages,” allowing site owners...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Search Ranking Volatility Heated Again January 21
News•Jan 21, 2026

Google Search Ranking Volatility Heated Again January 21

Google’s search algorithm exhibited renewed volatility on January 20‑21, following a previous spike reported on January 15. The fluctuations resurfaced after a brief lull over the weekend, causing noticeable position swings for many sites. Analysts observed that the volatility is...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Ads Still Not Coming To Gemini (Post ChatGPT Ads Announcement)
News•Jan 21, 2026

Google Ads Still Not Coming To Gemini (Post ChatGPT Ads Announcement)

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis confirmed at Davos that Google has no plans to introduce ads to its Gemini AI product, even as OpenAI announced upcoming ads in ChatGPT. The statement reiterates Google's December claim that Gemini will remain ad‑free,...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Adds "Answer Now" Button To Gemini App - If You Can't Wait...
News•Jan 21, 2026

Google Adds "Answer Now" Button To Gemini App - If You Can't Wait...

Google has introduced an “Answer now” button in its Gemini app, allowing users to halt the model’s ongoing reasoning and receive an immediate reply. The shortcut leverages the Gemini 3 Flash model, which prioritizes speed over the more nuanced answers generated by...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Local Service Ads Verified Section Details
News•Jan 21, 2026

Google Local Service Ads Verified Section Details

Google is trialing new verification fields in its Local Service Ads detail screen. The pilot adds “Passed License Check,” “Number of Recent Bookings,” “Passed Background Check,” and “Has Business Insurance.” The changes were first spotted by Anthony Higman, who posted...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Search Monopoly Appeal Legal Docs Mention Search Signals
News•Jan 21, 2026

Google Search Monopoly Appeal Legal Docs Mention Search Signals

Google has appealed the search‑monopoly ruling and filed affidavits arguing against court‑ordered data disclosures. The documents detail the proprietary signals—DocID mappings, crawl timestamps, spam scores, and device flags—that Google would have to share with qualified competitors. Google claims releasing this...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google AI Mode Fan-Out Prompts To Narrow Your Query
News•Jan 20, 2026

Google AI Mode Fan-Out Prompts To Narrow Your Query

Google is extending its AI Mode shopping experience with a "query fan‑out" feature that asks users clarifying questions to narrow product results. The system runs multiple simultaneous searches based on the user’s input, then surfaces the most relevant items in a...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Search Team Does Not Endorse LLMs.txt Files
News•Jan 20, 2026

Google Search Team Does Not Endorse LLMs.txt Files

Google’s Search team clarified it does not endorse the LLMs.txt files appearing on some Google properties. The files were introduced through a recent CMS update and added to developer documentation, but the Search team later removed them while other product...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Poll: More Advertisers To Add Microsoft Advertising To Marketing Mix?
News•Jan 20, 2026

Poll: More Advertisers To Add Microsoft Advertising To Marketing Mix?

A LinkedIn poll of over 200 advertisers asked whether Microsoft Advertising will be part of their 2026 marketing mix. Results show 42% already include it, 36% plan to add it, and 23% will not. The poll’s respondents are likely skewed...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google AI Mode Shows Product Inventory & Pricing In Light Font Color
News•Jan 20, 2026

Google AI Mode Shows Product Inventory & Pricing In Light Font Color

Google AI Mode now displays product inventory and pricing in a much lighter font color, setting it apart from the standard Google Search interface. The change was first identified by Brodie Clark, who posted screenshots on X and SERP Alerts....

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google: Comments Link Spam Has No Effect On SEO/Search
News•Jan 19, 2026

Google: Comments Link Spam Has No Effect On SEO/Search

Google’s John Mueller confirmed on Bluesky that links placed in comment sections have no effect on Google Search rankings, neither boosting nor harming a site. This clarification reiterates Google’s long‑standing position that comment spam is ignored by its algorithm. Webmasters...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Search Ranking Volatility Hits January 15-16
News•Jan 16, 2026

Google Search Ranking Volatility Hits January 15-16

Google’s search algorithm showed noticeable volatility on January 15‑16, flagged by a suite of third‑party ranking tools. The fluctuation follows earlier unconfirmed spikes on January 6 and 12, as well as the December 2025 core update. No official Google statement has been released,...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google To Prioritize Removing Prediction News Content From Search & News
News•Jan 16, 2026

Google To Prioritize Removing Prediction News Content From Search & News

Google announced it will prioritize changes to its search and news ranking algorithms to remove prediction‑type articles that masquerade as factual news. The move follows complaints that sports‑trade speculation pieces appear in top‑stories without clear labeling, misleading readers. VP of...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Microsoft Advertising Adds Share Of Voice Metrics, Asset Group-Level URL Options, Customer Acquisition Goals...
News•Jan 16, 2026

Microsoft Advertising Adds Share Of Voice Metrics, Asset Group-Level URL Options, Customer Acquisition Goals...

Microsoft Advertising unveiled a suite of enhancements, launching an open‑beta for customer‑acquisition goals and introducing Share of Voice (SOV) metrics that surface impression and click share data. Asset‑group‑level URL options and tracking templates now let advertisers tag performance at a...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Ads Manual CPC Bid Selection Streamlined
News•Jan 16, 2026

Google Ads Manual CPC Bid Selection Streamlined

Google Ads has moved the Manual CPC bidding option into the Conversions goal section, now labeled “Manually set bids.” Previously, advertisers had to navigate to the “Select a bid strategy directly (not recommended)” area to use Manual CPC. The UI...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google Ads A/B Tests Product Titles & Images For Shopping Ads
News•Jan 16, 2026

Google Ads A/B Tests Product Titles & Images For Shopping Ads

Google Ads has begun a limited rollout allowing select merchants to conduct A/B tests on product titles and images within Shopping Ads. The test, announced by Google Ads liaison Ginny Marvin, will provide performance data after three to four weeks....

By Search Engine Roundtable
Daily Search Forum Recap: January 15, 2026
News•Jan 15, 2026

Daily Search Forum Recap: January 15, 2026

Google rolled out “Personal Intelligence” in the Gemini app, unifying Gmail, Photos, YouTube and Search with a single tap, and announced its upcoming arrival in Google Search AI Mode. The company also clarified that the new Universal Commerce Protocol will...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google's John Mueller Says Universal Commerce Protocol Won't Kill SEO
News•Jan 15, 2026

Google's John Mueller Says Universal Commerce Protocol Won't Kill SEO

Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that lets merchants sell products directly through AI experiences like Gemini and AI Mode. The announcement sparked concern among SEO professionals who feared the protocol could sideline traditional search optimization. Google...

By Search Engine Roundtable
Google: Favicons In Search Not Impacted By Google Core Updates
News•Jan 15, 2026

Google: Favicons In Search Not Impacted By Google Core Updates

Google clarified that favicons displayed in search results are not affected by core algorithm updates. While rankings, Discover placements, and Top Stories can shift after a core update, the presence or absence of a site’s favicon remains independent. John Mueller...

By Search Engine Roundtable
New Google AI Mode Ads: Explore Guides and Articles
News•Jan 15, 2026

New Google AI Mode Ads: Explore Guides and Articles

Google has introduced a new ad format in its AI Mode search results that showcases "Explore guides and articles" alongside existing Direct Offer ads. The format was first spotted by analyst Glenn Gabe, who shared a screenshot of a guide‑type ad...

By Search Engine Roundtable

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