Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
I posted the big Google webmaster report for January 2025, the past month was so insane, it is worth a review. Google Search Console's screenshot feature shows you what Googlebot sees. Google Local has this places people are talking about section. Google Ads asset library now lets you edit images with AI. Google Ads leads from messages conversion goals is out. And both Googlers and Bing reps were active over New Years.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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January 2025 Google Webmaster Report
Talk about a busy month - the last 30 days has been pretty wild. We had the November 2024 core update finish in December, then we had a new December 2024 core update start and finish, while also having the December 2024 spam update start and finish in December as well. -
Google Search Console Screenshot Is What Google Search Sees
Google's John Mueller was asked if the Google Search Console screenshot feature in the URL Inspection Tool is what Google Search sees. John responded saying, "For the most part, yes" and then added some caveats. -
Google Local: Places People Are Talking About
Google seems to be testing a new local search feature that is categorized as "Places people are talking about." It shows you local restaurants with social media information, like posts from Instagram and Facebook, in a carousel format. -
Edit Images With AI In Google Ads Asset Library
Google Ads launched a new beta to let you edit existing images in your Google Ads asset library. This was previously in Product Studio but according to Menachem Ani, a Google Ads professional, this is new to the Google Ads asset library. -
Google Ads Leads From Messages Beta Conversion Goals
Google Ads has a new conversion goal that is in beta named "leads from messages." Conversion goals labeled as account default will use data from all of your campaigns to improve your bid strategy and campaign performance, even if they don't seem directly related to sales, Google says. -
Massive Google Game Controller
Here is a photo from a Google event in the Brazil office where Google outfitted this large, massive, awkwardly too big, game controller with the Google logo on it. -
Google & Bing Search Team Activity On New Years 2025
Every year I report on how some Google representatives are active within the SEO communities, offering SEO support and encouragement of sorts, to the SEO community. This year is no different and we have numerous Googlers and Microsoft Bing representatives active on New Years Eve and New Years Day (the day is not over) online and active in the SEO communities.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Does any one of you use Perplexity or ChatGPT for local searches regularly as a close to daily habit? Is it giving you a value add over just directly using Google Maps, and reducing your Google Maps search usage? Comment with, Aravind Srinivas on X
- For what it's worth, I find the Bluesky "Discover" tab more useful than Twitter's "For You" ever was and Search / Discover New Feeds / Popular With Friends is an even better tool for finding good stuff for me. I'm optimistic about the platfor, Paul Haahr on Bluesky
- Google Search: are there any unbreakable locks? Google In Its Ai Era: Here are some stores with “are there any unbreakable locks?” Remember More Broad Match & PMax!! Bwhahahah, Anthony Higman on X
- Microsoft Calculator outranks Google Calculator I am seeing this first, Ganesh Shanmugam on X
- AdSense Earnings and Observations - January 2025, WebmasterWorld
- Traffic, Conversions, A New Era, 2025 and Beyond, WebmasterWorld
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Top 10 SEO expert columns of 2024 on Search Engine Land
- Top 10 PPC expert columns of 2024 on Search Engine Land
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Cox Automotive Dealer Support with GA4Dealer.com’s Google Analytics 4 Quick Reference Guide , Cox Automotive Retail
Industry & Business
- Mobvista Is Said to Weigh Mintegral Unit Sale Amid Bain Interest, Bloomberg
- Where Google Store Santa Monica will be located, 9to5Google
- Musk’s X, Google Yet to Apply for Malaysia’s New Social Media License, Bloomberg
Links & Content Marketing
- Benefits vs Features: Secrets to Conversion Oriented Copy, Marketing Aid
- How Generative AI Works To Create Content, BruceClay
Local & Maps
- 20 Points to Know about Each Customer Before You Ask for a Review, Local Visibility System
- Are Kiosks Allowed to Have Google Business Profiles?, Sterling Sky
- Apple fails to make its 2024 CarPlay promise, AppleInsider
Mobile & Voice
- Apple Previews iOS 18.3 and 18.4: New Siri Features, Priority Notifications, and More, Qrius
- Forget ChatGPT — Google Gemini is my favorite AI product of the year, Tom's Guide
- Gemini 2.0: Everything you need to know, Android Police
- How to Integrate ChatGPT with Siri on Apple Devices, Geeky Gadgets
SEO
- Generative AI and SEO: How to optimize content for Google search and LLMs with cosine similarity, Daniel K Cheung
- How I Accidentally Became an SEO Nerd and What I Learned About SaaS Websites, HackerNoon
- How to Optimize Your Website for AI Overviews? Google Cloud Case Study, Metehan
- More Than Half of All Google Search Takedowns Now Come from Link-Busters, TorrentFreak
- SEO updates from the 2024 Search Central Live event in Zurich, Vertify
- Why I Wouldn't Start Affiliate Marketing in 2025 (And What I'd Do Instead), Ahrefs
- How Factual Content Can Boost Domain Trust, Hill Web Creations
PPC
Search Features
- OpenAI failed to deliver the opt-out tool it promised by 2025, TechCrunch
- I used Google Gemini to understand the ingredients in the food I feed my family — here's what happened, Tom's Guide
Other Search
- I Made ChatGPT Search My Default Search Engine. I'm Ready to Switch Back., Business Insider
- Things we learned about LLMs in 2024, Simon Willison
- Silicon Valley stifled the AI doom movement in 2024, TechCrunch
Feedback:
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