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 Ads again allows the same advertiser to show ads in the top ads and bottom ads positions and says it is not double serving. Google is testing a shaded blue gradient site name and favicons. Google local panels have a "get there" and "from your location" section. Bing Copilot answers test read more links. Google Ads PMax campaigns now show 90-character descriptions.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google To Allow Same Advertiser To Show Ads In Top Ads & Bottom Ads
Google Ads announced they will "now allow relevant Search ads from advertisers who showed amongst top ads to also participate in the bottom ads auction." Honestly, I thought this update happened last month when they started to allow double serving ads (well, Google now says it is not double serving, so maybe that is the announcement here...). -
Google Local Panel Tests Get There & From Your Location
Google is testing a newish section in the Google local panel to tell searchers how far that business is from your location. Google is testing adding either a "Get there" data point and/or a "From your location" data point. -
Bing Copilot Answers Tests Read More Link
Microsoft is testing adding a read more link to the Bing Copilot Answers in Bing Search. The read more link will expand the answer to show more content, generating a more detailed and longer answer for your query. -
Google Ads PMax Campaigns 90 Characters Of Text For All Descriptions
Google Ads has updated the number of characters you can add for the Performance Max campaigns descriptions to all be 90 characters long. Previously, there was a short description of 60 characters, but now they have all been updated to show 90 characters. -
Google Tests Shaded Blue Gradient Site Name & Favicon
About a year ago, we covered numerous tests with shaded site name and favicon sections of the snippet. Google continues to test this, but we're now seeing a blue gradient version of the style. -
Robot at Google Office
Here is a video I found on Instagram of a robot walking around at one of the Google offices. This was at the Google office in San Francisco, I believe.
Other Great Search Threads:
- I suspect you're trying to draw connections way past my post, but at the same time, if a page on a site doesn't provide enough textual context about Mercury "planet or element" then I don't think any amount of structured data will save it., John Mueller on Bluesky
- Google Is Back In Court After Breaking The Law Earlier today, I delivered a few remarks before the opening arguments in the Google Search Remedies Trial. Watch, Abigail Slater on X
- GSC with a small notification about this linking to their help doc. See screenshots below -> A quick update about 24-hour view in GSC (and hourly reporting with the API). As Google explained at the Search Live event in NYC, all GSC r, Glenn Gabe on X
- Deposition testimony from a Google engineer. Check the part about search signals and upweighting authoritative pages. Also, AIO model training -> Google Used Search Data To Train AI Models "In a separate internal email relating to tr, Glenn Gabe on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google Ads to show ads in the top ads position, also in the bottom ads position
- DOJ unveils plan to end Google’s illegal search monopoly
- New data: Google AI Overviews are hurting click-through rates
- Meta tags for SEO: What you need to know
- How to build a predictable lead gen system with digital ads
- Amazon advertising match types: What you need to know
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
- Track Your Website Success: Top Analytics Tools to Use, Analytics Insight
Industry & Business
- AI has transformed the tech industry, Google Blog
- DOJ: Google using AI to further monopolize search, Axios
- Google argues DOJ breakup could hurt U.S. economy in battle with China, CNBC
- Google Settles Android TV Case With Competition Commission, NDTV
- Google Trial: Company Paid Samsung ‘Enormous Sums’ for Gemini AI App Installs, Bloomberg
- Google, DOJ Go Back to Court to Fight Over Search Monopoly Fix, Bloomberg
- Judge Questions Chrome Divestiture Idea, The Information
- Justice Dept. asks judge to ‘thaw’ Google search monopoly by forcing Chrome sale, Washington Post
- SEO vs. PPC Career: Which Is Best? My Experience Working Both!, SEOjobs
- U.S. Asks Judge to Break Up Google, New York Times
- Why DOJ’s proposed remedies harm America, Google Blog
- Google signs first offshore wind agreement in Taiwan, Google Blog
- Perplexity AI to Testify in Google Antitrust Case, Says Consumer Choice Is the Fix, Decrypt
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
- Android Auto 14.2 starts rolling out, removes 'Glasses' hint, 9to5Google
- Google Maps Rival Gets Major Update With New Android Auto Features, AutoEvolution
Mobile & Voice
- Google TV's Gemini-powered News Briefs are now ready for you to try, Android Authority
- Google Trial: Company Paid Samsung ‘Enormous Sums’ for Gemini AI App Installs, Bloomberg
SEO
- Forums are dropping in search rankings (April 2024), Gagan Ghotra
- Risky SEO Tactics that Kill Your Search Engine Rankings, SEO dot co
- Your SEO content plan always has a gap, Hack the Algo
- Do SSL Certificates Boost Rankings? SEO Myths Debunked, Nikki Pilkington
- How to Audit and Optimize Your Brand in Search, Sara Taher
PPC
- How Wall Street Can Help to Evaluate Your Media Mix, Seer Interactive
- Shared Budgets in Google Ads: Everything You Need to Know, WordStream
- Automatically Created Assets For Images in PMAX, PPC News Feed
- Performance Max Q&A: Real answers to your PMax headaches, Smarter Ecommerce
Search Features
Other Search
- ChatGPT search is growing quickly in Europe, OpenAI data suggests, TechCrunch
- Earth Day 2025 Doodle, Google Doodles
- Former Google CEO Warns That AI Is About to Escape Human Control, Futurism
Feedback:
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