Daily Search Forum Recap: March 19, 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 confirms the volatility we saw prior to the announcement of the March 2025 core update is unrelated to that core update. Google leaks other AI Search modes that we have not seen before, almost 50. Google is testing AI Overviews in the middle of the page. Google Search expanded health related AI Overviews, improved medical knowledge panels and launched "What People Suggest." Bing Webmaster Tools fully rolls out Copilot and also launched a compare feature in the search performance reports. Bing is testing 9 ads and 2 organic results, how crazy.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Google Confirms Volatility Prior To March 2025 Core Update Was Not That Core Update
  Google has confirmed that the volatility we all saw prior to the official announcement of the Google March 2025 Core Update was not related to the March 2025 Core Update. This is something we expected Google to confirm, as I've asked Google this question numerous times and got the same answer each and every time.
• Google Tests AI Search Options Beyond AI Mode
  Google Search seems to have accidentally leaked its various AI Search options and features, that go beyond just AI Mode, which it recently launched. 47 different AI Search options are shown including Info Sleuth, Allium, QTalk, MedExplainer, Fantasy Sports Researcher, Smart Kitchen and many more.
• Google Expands Health Overviews & Adds What People Suggest In Search
  Google said it is expanding its AI Overviews and Knowledge Panels to offer more medical and health related answers. Plus, those are being expanded in more counties and languages. Also, Google launched a new "What People Suggest" search feature that shows you what other people are saying on the web about those topics.
• Google Tests AI Overviews In Middle Of Search Results Page
  Google is testing moving the AI Overviews from the top position of the search results page (also known as position zero), to the middle of the search results page. We saw Google test this with featured snippets over the years, so it makes sense Google would test this with AI Overviews.
• Bing Webmaster Tools Copilot Feature Opens Up To All
  Microsoft has opened access to the Copilot feature within Bing Webmaster Tools. I played a lot with it when I was in the limited beta in December and it is a cool nifty feature to use, but I am not sure how critical of a feature it is.
• Bing Webmaster Tools Search Performance Reports Get Compare Filter
  You can now compare date ranges of data directly in the Bing Webmaster Tools Search Performance reports without having to export it to a third-party tool.
• Microsoft Tests 9 Ads & Only Bing Free Search Results On Same Page
  Microsoft was caught testing way too many ads on its Bing Search results page. I saw 9 ads and only two organic/free listings on the page for a query on [garage door repair].
• Google CEO Dog (Canine Executive Officer) In Conference Room
  We've seen plenty of Dooglers, Google dogs, over the years and even a number of them in conference rooms, working or napping. But here is the Canine Executive Officer, CEO, in a conference room.

Other Great Search Threads:

• We use RSS XML feeds like sitemaps - you can even add them into Search Console. Here's an older (but still relevant) blog post, John Mueller on Bluesky
• Bing test surrounded links below Copilot's answer, which redirect to Bing's new search section., Sachin Patel on X
• Good Morning Google Land! This is the March 18 edition of "Core Update Notes". Like I said yesterday, the update is really showing itself now. This morning I ran the visibility numbers for over 700 sites impacted by reviews updates, Glenn Gabe on X
• I'm gonna be in Bangkok for the IETF 122 meeting from 19 to 22 of March. If you are in the Marquis Queen's park area, and wanna grab a coffee and chat about the technical aspects of search, leave a comment and we'll set something up., Gary Illyes on LinkedIn

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google Ads rolls out channel control for Demand Gen campaigns
• Bing pushes ad-heavy search results with 7+ sponsored listings
• Google AI Overviews caught linking back to its own search results
• Bing Webmaster Tools Copilot feature now available to all users
• Bing Webmaster Tools Search Performance reports gains comparisons
• No rookies. No fluff. Just the most advanced SMX agenda ever.
• 4 SEO practices with diminishing returns
• Bluesky for PPC: What you need to know
• How to use Google Search Console for keyword research

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

• Google’s Privacy Sandbox continues in limbo, Digiday
• Why E-Commerce Businesses Need More Than Just Google Analytics to Fix Website Issues, Bright Side of News

Industry & Business

• Google and NVIDIA at GTC this week, Google Blog
• Google announces agreement to acquire Wiz, Google Cloud Blog
• Google moving into Austin's sail tower later this year, KVUE
• Google parent Alphabet agrees to buy cyber security group Wiz for $32bn, Financial Times (Sub)
• Moscow Court Reduces Google Penalties Over YouTube Blocks, The Pinnacle Gazette
• Why Google Wanted Wiz So Badly, The Information

Links & Content Marketing

• Duda revolutionizes client content collection with an embedded AI-powered solution, Duda
• Why (and How To) Write a Strategy for Your Cause-Related Marketing, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Helpful content tip for Local SEO: shop by symptom, SearchLab Digital
• Apple Maps in iOS 18 got a new feature that’s been on my wishlist for years, 9to5Mac
• Google Previews Google Maps Feature That'll Make You Dump Waze and Apple Maps, AutoEvolution

Mobile & Voice

• Apple loses German antitrust appeal, opening door for greater controls, Reuters
• Global VR Market Declines 12% YoY in 2024; ‘AR+AI’ Smart Glasses to Take Centre Stage in 2025, Counterpoint Research

SEO

• Bad SEO Advice: 4 Tips to Ignore, Practical Ecommerce
• Case Studies Showing The Power of Canonical Tags, Sitebulb
• On the Page SEO with AI – Masters of Traffic Part 5, Search Engine World
• A guide to Semantics or how to be visible both in Search and LLMs., I Love SEO
• Keywords can help publishers see Google's AI Overviews impact, Digiday

PPC

• Call Bid Adjustment Moves from Campaign Level to Call Asset Level, PPC News Feed
• The State Of Performance Max: How To Optimize Google Ads In 2025, Search Engine Journal

Search Features

• 6 Google Health AI updates from The Check Up event 2025, Google Blog
• How Is AI Changing Search?, John Battelle's Searchblog

Other Search

• New Gemini features: Canvas and Audio Overview, Google Blog
• Rise of the Half Moon March Doodle, Google Doodles
• Watch Google Researchers Announce an AI Co-Scientist, Bloomberg
• YouTube Is Website Most Likely To Crash This Year: Report, MediaPost

Feedback:

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