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.
Google Search Console's validate fix does not speed anything up. Google spoke about what it means to lose links fast. Google is testing local pack ads without stars. Google Ads now lets you pause, enable and remove conversion actions on some campaigns at the asset level. Google updated its ads help document on ad scheduling, causing a lot of confusion.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google On Losing Lots Of Links Fast: SEOs Often Overestimate Links
What happens when you lose a lot of links really quickly, how might that impact your Google search rankings and SEO performance? Well, John Mueller of Google was asked that question and after much back and forth, he responded, "SEOs often overestimate links." -
Google Tests Local Pack Ads Without Review Stars
Google is testing showing local ads in the local pack without review stars. Normally you'd see review stars for the sponsored results in the local pack, but in some cases, Google is testing removing the reviews from the sponsored results in the local pack. -
Google Search Console Validate Fix Does Not Expedite Fixes
Using the "validate fix" button within Google Search Console to communicate to Google that you fixed an issue, does not signal to Google to expedite anything on its end. It just a reporting mechanism for you to track when Google recrawls the issue and for you to see if it was "fixed" according to Google or not but it does not speed anything up. -
Google Ad Scheduling & Smart Bidding Campaigns Doc Update Confuses
Google has updated one of its help documents to specifically say that ad scheduling isn't compatible campaigns that use Smart Bidding. The previous version of that page said, "Ad scheduling is not compatible with both Smart Shopping campaigns and App campaigns." This change to the help document is causing a lot of confusion but in all honesty, likely means nothing has changed. -
Google Ads PMax Pause/Enable/Remove Conversion Actions On Asset Group Level
Google Ads is testing allowing advertisers to pause, enable and/or remove conversion assets on the asset group level for Performance Max campaigns. Some advertisers are able to enable/pause/remove individual conversions within their Google Ads accounts. -
Googlers Year End Bobble Head Gifts
Google may have gifted some or many Googlers, Google employees, custom bobble head figurines of themselves. Here is one I found on Instagram where the Googler, who is based in the Chicago office, said, "I just received this at Google for end of year."
Other Great Search Threads:
- Almost every paid expertise call that "experts" charge obscene amounts of money without divulging non-public details, like $1000/hr, is just a few Perplexity Pro mode queries. And you get to do infinite such queries at ~8000x c, Aravind Srinivas on X
- It's hard to say much without examples. I tend to look at the impression/position count & guess whether that's a broad ranking or a limited one (country, language, or other personalization / time-quirks). Search Console doesn't differentiat, John Mueller on Bluesky
- This is an interesting case study in how HCU sites continue to be limited in which SERP features they are eligible for - even when their site goes viral on mainstream, high-authority sites. Music Mayhem Magazine broke this story, Lily Ray on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Reddit introduces business analytics tools and AMA ads
- Google drops ad scheduling for Smart Bidding campaigns?
- Automated bidding in Google Ads: How to get the best results
- 2025 predictions for top B2B paid media channels
- Google Search Console performance report 24-hour view now can be exported
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Report Snapshot in GA4, KRM Digital Marketing
Industry & Business
- Google Cloud Welcomes Farsad Nasseri as New Country Manager for Canada, Google Blog
- Google’s DOJ Antitrust Remedy Will Hurt the Economy in the Name of Competition, Barron's
Links & Content Marketing
- Get in the Flow: What’s Your Word for 2025?, Content Marketing Institute
- Don’t Count Out Human Writers in the Age of AI, Wired
Local & Maps
- Android Auto 13.5 debuts with improved support for more vehicles, 9to5Google
- What to Do When Your Google Business Profile Pin is Moved?, Sterling Sky
- This Quiet Android Auto Update Could Pave the Way for YouTube, Games, and Browsers, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- Build the future of home with Google Home APIs, Google Developers Blog
- Building a better smart home, Google Developers Blog
- Google Quick Share widely rolling out QR code sharing on Android, 9to5Google
SEO
- Navigating Travel SEO: 9 Strategies for Success, Semrush
- Negative SEO attacks: How to detect and counter SEO sabotage, Oncrawl
- The 8 SEO Trends That Will Shape Search in 2025, WordStream
- Web Vitals, World Wide, Tame The Bots
- Why SEO Must Be Involved From Day 1 in Website Migrations, Sitebulb
PPC
- Performance Max Experiments vs Dynamic Search Ads & Display Ads, PPC News Feed
- Top PPC Job Interview Questions, PPC Live
- Google Ads Budget Calculator: Find the Perfect Budget, Jyll Saskin Gales
- How to Run Multi-Location PPC in 2025: PPC for Multi-Location Companies, Pure Visibility
Search Features
- Google Chrome Link to Highlight feature tipped to be working with PDFs soon, Android Central
- Google Lens tips: How to use Google AI to search what you see, Google Blog
- Why OpenAI is Taking So Long to Launch Agents, The Information
Other Search
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.
