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 released a new algorithm update, not a core update, but a spam update and this spam update will take two weeks, not two day to roll out. Google has new video structured data properties and updates. OpenAI has their own quality raters and they cheat. Google Local Service Ads and Business Profile phone numbers are not playing nice. Bing is testing editable/customizable icons in images. You cannot edit your Target ROAS while promotion mode is active in Google Ads. Google updated two of its Google Posts help documents to allow phone numbers in Google Posts only if they are verified contact information, but if it is unverified, it is not allowed. Microsoft is testing replacing or renaming the Copilot search tab in Bing Search with the name AI Mode. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap - I kind of rant a bit.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google September 2026 Spam Update Has Been Unleashed
Google has just announced the release of the September 2026 spam update and said it should take a couple of weeks to roll out. This is a global update and is expected to impact all languages. This only impacts sites that spam, but with any update... -
Google Video Schema Gets Creator Property & Updated interactionStatistic
Google has updated its video structured data documentation to support creator property and it has updated the interactionStatistic in VideoObject structured data. Google said these updates are to "to document support for the creator and author properties, and clarify supported interaction types for interactionStatistic in VideoObject structured data." -
Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google September 2026 Spam Update Is Here, Goodbye Discover Traffic, Multimodal Search Reporting & CrUX Ad Metrics In Page Experience
This week, Google announced yet another spam update, the fourth of the year, the September 2026 Google spam update. Prior to that, we reported on more Google Search ranking volatility. Google Search Console released multimodal search filters... -
OpenAI Has Quality Raters, AI Trainers, & They Cheated With AI
As you know, Google has thousands of quality raters they use to help test and improve the search results and AI results. OpenAI does the same thing, with AI trainers according to a report by 404 Media. -
Google LSAs Showing Google Business Profile Number, Not Google Ads Number
Google seems to have made a change in which phone number they use for tracking calls, even when you tell Google to use the Google Ads number, it is still using the Google Business Profiles phone number. I am told this is a confirmed change and Google still has not changed it back, and it is unclear if Google will change it back. -
Bing Testing Editable Labels On Images
Microsoft Bing is testing adding an editable icon in two formats on images within Bing Search that can be edited using Bing's AI image feature. -
Google Ads Disables Editing Target ROAS While Promotion Mode Is Active
Did you know that you cannot edit your Target ROAS while promotion mode is active in Google Ads? Google will display a notification that reads, "You can't edit your Target ROAS while promotion mode is active" and then gives you the option to edit the ROAS tolerance instead. -
Google Posts Cracks Down On Unverified Contact Information
Google updated two of its Google Posts help documents to allow phone numbers in Google Posts only if they are verified contact information, but if it is unverified, it is not allowed. -
Bing Tests Replacing Copilot With AI Mode In Search Tabs
Microsoft is testing replacing or renaming the Copilot search tab in Bing Search with the name AI Mode. AI Mode is the name Google uses for its AI search engine, Bing uses Copilot Search, but Microsoft is testing using Google's name here. -
Google Brick Wall Logo
I am a big fan of bricks, so when I saw the Google logo made up of a brick wall, you bet it caught my eye. I found this on the Google Students X account some time ago.
Other Great Search Threads:
- So the queries in the "searches breakdown" in GBP appear completely unrelated to your brand/services? It's actually fairly common - and can be caused by a few things 1) Being nearby & visible - your map pin shows up when a nearby business is searched. They were looking for, Joy Hawkins on X
- When you read a report with data from Chartbeat claiming that publishers’ Google traffic is down 40% year on year, I strongly recommend you take out a huge bag of salt and throw it all over that data. , Barry Adams on LinkedIn
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Conductor CEO Seth Besmertnik steps down after 20 years
- Google releases September 2026 spam update
- Generative engine optimization (GEO): How to win AI mentions
- 9 checks to audit your AI visibility without a paid tool
- 15 lessons from 15+ years in search
- Google’s /goto change: The latest challenge for third-party SEO data
- Google Search Console performance reports gets multimodal filter
- How to use Google Veo to create video ads for PMax and Demand Gen
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Google, OpenAI and Anthropic AI Safety Group Takes Shape, The Information
- Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar gives Google’s AI a face, The Verge
- Google tests letting Gemini call businesses for you, TechCrunch
- How Volatile Are AI Responses? (70K Answer, 28 Day Study), Detailed
- Health Guardian features go live in Google Health, Google Blog
- Two Ways to Use AI for Content (One Makes Readers Work Harder), ZATO Marketing
Industry & Business
- Google Is Sending an A.I. Data Center to Outer Space, New York Times
- Internal memos: Microsoft shakes up communications as Nadella makes a push to build in public, GeekWire
Links & Content Marketing
- 3 Changes To Make as AI Watermarks Emerge, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
Other Search
- Google Home gets a battery-saving widget and camera fixes, The Ambient
- 5 ways Google Chrome can help you ace the school year, Google Blog
PPC
- Customer Match Adds IP Address and Timestamp Matching, PPC News Feed
- Beyond Keywords: How ChatGPT Ads Fit Into the Modern Marketing Ecosystem, Amsive
- Microsoft Ads API Adds Search Term Landing Page Report and PMax Device Exclusions, PPC News Feed
- ChatGPT Ads expands to Southeast Asia and Taiwan, OpenAI
- Google Merchant Center Excluded Destinations: What They Are & How to Use Them, ZATO Marketing
- Turn discovery into action with September’s Demand Gen Drop, Google Blog
Search Features
- Google is working to fix two more frustrating Home bugs, Android Authority
- Now Google Chrome shares tabs to new devices that save where you were, The Verge
- Organize and edit photos with these Google Photos tools, Google Blog
SEO
- Google Announces New Query Fan-Out Framework: R4T-Diffusion, Search Engine Journal
Feedback:
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