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 says URLs do not need to be lowercase but they should be consistent. Google Local Service Ads for tax specialists drops a bunch of features and auto-credits. Google Ads updated its political content policy for California residents. Google Search is testing a sticky share button on the product details view. Google has this weird cookie notice on its home page in some European countries. Plus, I posted the SEO video recap.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Local Ranking Bug, Reddit Drops, Microsoft Fools Searchers & More SEO, PPC & Local
We had this weird Google local ranking bug that seemed to happen over last weekend but resolved itself by around Tuesday. Then, the other day, we noticed that Reddit may be seeing a decline in Google Search traffic and visibility, but it might... -
Google: URLs Don't Need To Be Lower Case For Search
Google's John Mueller clarified once again that your URLs do not need to be lowercase, they can be uppercase, it really doesn't matter. But he did say, pick either lowercase or uppercase, just be consistent. -
Google Local Services Ads For Tax Specialist Drops Auto Credits & Features
Google has turned down some features for the tax specialist vertical in Google Local Service Ads. The big one is that there is no auto-crediting for this vertical. Also, Google removed message leads, booking and all recording for the Tax Specialist vertical in Google LSAs. -
Google Ads Updates Political Content Policy For CA Residents For Deepfakes
Google has announced it has updated its Google Ads political content policy this month for to include a form related to California restrictions. "California residents may use this form to report ads that may violate California Elections Code Division 20, Chapter 7," Google said. -
Google Search Product Detail View Tests Share Icons
Google is testing adding a share icon to the product detail view within the search results. This comes up at the top of the panel, after you click on a product from the popular products section of the search results. And as you scroll, the share and other icons stick to the top. -
Google Tests Super Long Cookie Notice On Home Page
Google is testing writing out a 57 words, 364 characters, notice on its home page, about its cookie usage and data usage. It is super weird to see three lines of legal text right below the Google search box on its home page. -
Upside Down Rainbow Umbrellas At Google Mexico City
Google has these upside down rainbow umbrellas hanging in ther Mexico City office. Google posted this on the Life at Google social channel and wrote, "Looking for a new career path? Discover career opportunities at our Mexico City office!"
Other Great Search Threads:
- coming up on a year after launch, Google's AI search junk is still delivering all-timers, Samantha Cole on X
- Interesting. Reddit is seeing its first big visibility drop in a long time. It doesn't look like much, but it dropped about ~100 @sistrix visibility points in 2 days. For context, the websites Kayak, Getty Images, and Goodreads ha, Lily Ray on X
- It's bacckk... -> I previously shared about a site surging like crazy starting in the spring of 2023 that was pumping out tons of AI-generated content (millions of pages). They even say it's AI content on the site. Then the site got, Glenn Gabe on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google search rankings correlate with ChatGPT mentions: study
- Amazon opens advertising to other retailers
- Microsoft expands retail media with two major ad offerings
- Google Ads scripts: Everything you need to know
- Mobile-first indexing: Everything you need to know
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Ingest data from Google Analytics 4 and Google Sheets to Amazon Redshift using Amazon AppFlow, AWS Big Data Blog
Industry & Business
- Google donates $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, CNBC
- Google folds more teams into DeepMind to 'accelerate the research to developer pipeline', TechCrunch
- Texas Loses Suit Against Google, KLVI AM 560
Links & Content Marketing
- AI SEO Copywriting: What Entrepreneurs and Marketing Teams Need to Know (and Ways to Succeed!), SuccessWorks
- How SEO Training Can Transform Your Content Strategy, BruceClay
- How To Promote Your Research for Maximum Press Coverage, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- Perplexity partners with Tripadvisor to source hotel info from real people, The Verge
- Latest Android Auto Update Could Be Bad News for Some Google Maps Users, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- Google starts rolling out Gemini overlay redesign on Android, 9to5Google
- First Chromecast with Google TV update of 2025 rolling out, 9to5Google
SEO
- 2025 News SEO Survey: Industry Insights into Emerging Trends and Challenges, NewzDash
- Future of SEO in 2025: The AI-Driven Search Overviews, Analytics Insight
- The Pareto Principle of SEO, Intergrowth
- The Verge Says Pubs Need To Get Real About Google's Search Changes, AdExchanger
- Travel SEO Industry Report 2024, Screaming Frog
- Adapting SEO Performance Metrics in the Age of AI-Generated Summaries, Location3 Media
- What questions should I track in LLMs for AI brand monitoring?, Seer Interactive
PPC
- 7 PPC Skills for the SEO World, JumpFly
- Amazon to expand ad unit by letting retailers use ad tools on stores, CNBC
- Digital Marketing Trend Predictions for 2025, Cypress North
- How SEO and PPC Work Together to Boost E-Commerce Results, Bluetuskr
- Microsoft Advertising's new commerce media innovations unlock growth for brands and retailers, Microsoft Advertising
- Placement Exclusions Series Part 2: Filters to Apply for Placement Exclusions, Clix Marketing
- Google Ads Bidding: Maximize Conversions vs. Target CPA, Jyll Saskin Gales
Search Features
- Announcing Supporters of Chromium-based Browsers, Chromium Blog
- Google's AI Overview Tells Adults to Use 'Magic Wand' With Kids, 404 Media
Other Search
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