Daily Search Forum Recap: March 10, 2025

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 has plans to test ads within AI Mode. Google responds to publisher concerns around AI mode and links. Google expands some of its documentation around what actions to take when hit by the site reputation abuse policy. Google is testing knowledge panels with expandable places, local packs. Google now has larger fonts of knowledge panels. Google is also testing a "get tailored recommendations" quiz format in Google Search.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Responds To Publishers Concerns On AI Mode
  Google's VP of Product at Google Search, Robby Stein, has responded to concerns from publishers around the new AI Mode. Specifically, the concerns around this new AI search interface not being all that encouraging for users to click over to publishers' sites.
• Google AI Mode Ads Will Be Coming
  No surprise here - Google will be testing and experimenting with ads in Google AI Mode. Google told Adweek that they will be "explore bringing ads into" Google AI Mode.
• Google Expands Site Reputation Abuse Policy Manual Actions Next Steps
  Google has updated its manual actions documentation around site reputation abuse, to expand on the next steps and actions you can take if you receive this manual action. Google now more clearly says that you should not block that content with your robots.txt file, if you use the noindex rule.
• Google Knowledge Panel With Expandable Places Map
  Google is testing a knowledge panel that includes a places card that can be expanded to show a map and local pack results. I cannot replicate this, which makes me think this is a test. I do see the places section below the knowledge panel, but not one that you can click to expand.
• Google Search Knowledge Panels Larger Font
  Google is now using a much larger font for the knowledge panels shown in Google Search. The font size looks jumbo and it does not seem to be test, it seems to be live - I think.
• Google Get Tailored Recommendations Quiz
  Google Search is testing a feature to quiz you on the product you are looking for and then to give you more tailored recommendations for product suggestions. This box is titled "get tailored recommendations" and it reminds me of the AI powered recommendation ads, but these are different.
• The Beatboys Mx At Google Mexico
  The Beatboys Mx, a band of sorts, performed at the Google offices in Mexico. It looks like the band dressed up in Google colors for the event. And yes, it caught my eye, so that is why I am sharing this here.

Other Great Search Threads:

• AI Mode update: I've been heavily testing AI Mode since gaining access late yesterday. Here are some thoughts based on testing a number of queries across verticals. Then I'll share several videos of AI Mode in action (both desktop an, Glenn Gabe on X
• Anyone else go to the Shared Library (still) every time you need Shared Budgets?, Kirk Williams on X
• Don't worry folks, there is no 3 pack in AI Mode #AiMode #localseo, Andy Simpson on X
• One of the cool use-cases of modern, powerful LLMs it to convert complex files from one format to another, for example to take a 30 page PDF with train tickets, and create a CSV file of it, so I can do the taxes more efficiently., John Mueller on Bluesky

Search Engine Land Stories:

• TikTok’s $30B ad boom faces US uncertainty
• The latest jobs in search marketing
• Microsoft adds “Why This Ad?” feature to Bing search results
• ​12 tips to win more SEO clients
• Multilingual and international SEO: 5 mistakes to watch out for

Other Great Search Stories:

Industry & Business

• Dawn Anderson: How Search Is Changing This Year – IMHO, Shelley Walsh on YouTube
• Google removes 'underrepresented' language from its grant website, TechCrunch
• Vulnerability Reward Program: 2024 in Review, Google Online Security Blog
• DOJ reiterates that it wants Google to sell Chrome, more, 9to5Google
• Google scrubs mentions of 'diversity' and 'equity' from responsible AI team webpage, TechCrunch
• The Gender Gap In SEO Publishing In 2025, Lidia Infante

Links & Content Marketing

• Link Building 2025 – What’s Out, What’s Still In – What Needs Updated, Search Engine World
• The Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing for Law Firms in 2025, JDSupra

Local & Maps

• Android Auto update hints at temperature controls, 9to5Google
• Google Maps for iPhone gets sheet & directions redesign, 9to5Google
• Google Maps Timeline location history missing for some , 9to5Google

Mobile & Voice

• Apple Is Delaying the ‘More Personalized Siri’ Apple Intelligence Features, Daring Fireball
• Apple Delays Siri Upgrade Indefinitely as AI Concerns Escalate, Bloomberg
• Apple Glass still possible as Apple considers wearables plan, AppleInsider
• Apple's next big smart home device could debut in late 2025, AppleInsider

SEO

• Robots Refresher: robots.txt — a flexible way to control how machines explore your website, Google Search Central Blog
• Is SEO Still Worth It and Relevant for Small Businesses?, Dagmar
• Understanding the Potential of Avg Position in Google Search Console, Chris Green
• Programmatic SEO scales value, not content!, SEM King

PPC

• How Can VPNs Help PPC Advertisers with Geo-Targeting & Localized Ads?, PPC Hero
• Why PPC Trumps Other Marketing Channels When It Comes To BudgetEfficiency, PPC Live

Search Features

• Gemini preps a new model that can access to your Search history, Android Authority
• Let's Put the "Oh!" in Google's AI Overviews, SearchLab Digital
• Microsoft’s AI Guru Wants Independence From OpenAI. That’s Easier Said Than Done, The Information
• State-of-the-art text embedding via the Gemini API, Google Developers Blog
• 5 Early Observations about The New Google AI Mode in Test, Aleyda Solis
• Everything We Know About Google's AI Mode, Joe Youngblood
• I swapped Google Search with Perplexity AI for a week: Here's what I learned, Android Police

Other Search

• Is Google Search Cooked? + We’re Getting a U.S. Crypto Reserve? + What You’re Vibecoding, New York Times
• Microsoft Trains New In-House AI Models; Tests Out DeepSeek, Meta in Copilot, The Information
• The hidden world beneath the shadows of YouTube's algorithm, BBC News

Feedback:

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