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.
The long-running Google September 2026 spam update is now complete. Is Google issuing more manual action penalties these days? Google has updated the how leads work help documentation within Local Service Ads with a lot more detail. Google updated its help document in Merchant Center to say that if a product changes more than once per day, it may be "disapproved instead of updated if we detect a mismatch." Google Ads is adding new AI Max related columns to the Google Ads reporting console. Google Ads now lets advertisers set up Conversion Lift measurement themselves.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google September 2026 Spam Update Has Finished Rolling Out
The Google September 2026 spam update is now done rolling out. It started on Thursday, September 28, 2026 at around 12:00 pm ET and completed on October 8, 2026 at 4:37 am ET. This was different from the previous few spam updates in that this one took two weeks to roll out whereas the others took only two days to roll out. -
Google Search Issuing More Google Manual Action Penalties?
Google may be issuing more manual action penalties over the past few weeks than it has over the weeks before that. The increase in manual actions seems to have started several weeks ago, but more so recently, according to some SEOs. -
Google Local Service Ads Expands How Leads Work Information
Google has updated the how leads work help documentation within Local Service Ads with a lot more detail. The changes are meaningful, including what counts as a billable phone lead and how Google handles lead quality/credits. -
Google Merchant Center May Disapprove Products That Change Frequently
Google updated its help document in Merchant Center to say that if a product changes more than once per day, it may be "disapproved instead of updated if we detect a mismatch." -
Google Ads AI Max Columns: Brand Inclusion, Commission, Locations Of Interest & Optimized Targeting
Google Ads is adding new AI Max related columns to the Google Ads reporting console. The columns include brand inclusions, locations of interest, commission and optimized targeting. -
Google Ads Self-Services Conversion Lift Measurement
Google Ads now lets advertisers set up Conversion Lift measurement themselves. Google updated its help documentation to say that you no longer need a Google Ads representative to set up Conversion Lift measurement; you just need at least 1,000 observed conversions and a $5,000 budget. -
Google Bubble Well & Giant Flowers
From that summer event, we now see these fake wells at the Google office that have bubbles floating out of them, surrounded by giant flowers.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Is this new in Bing translate? Voice button, image search, and keyboard button within translater.., Khushal Bherwani on X
- Over the years, the Search Central YouTube channel has published hundreds of videos across various series, from Search for Beginners and Ask Googlebot to Search Console Training and Search Off the Record. While our series structure works well for deep dives and episodic updates, we know that finding a clear, sequential learning path from scratch can sometimes be challenging., Google Search Central on LinkedIn
- Something I hear often: “Google has no way of figuring that out”, Lily Ray on X
- OpenAI is adding a new wording for the ad section, “This might also interest you.”, Radu Oncescu on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google September 2026 spam update done rolling out
- Google opens Conversion Lift to Search and Performance Max
- Google Ads adds new AI Max columns for deeper campaign analysis
- Google Ads tests new Direct Offer asset for AI Mode promotions
- 57% of beauty consumers don’t start with Google Search
- The top 10 tools for PPC management in 2027
- Breaking into SEO starts with creating your own opportunities
- Google Display migration to Demand Gen: How to protect your ad budget
- Stop letting AI make your marketing decisions
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Anthropic launches Haiku 5.5 at a much lower price, The New Stack
- Create custom games without coding on Playground, Google Blog
- Google's new SynthID website can identify AI-generated media, TechCrunch
- GPT-6 and Intelligent UI for everyone, OpenAI
- Musk Says SpaceX Will Sometimes Use Rival Models to Power Grok Bot, The Information
- What Does It Mean When An AI Cites Your Website?, SEO Theory
- Fired OpenAI Researchers Ask Company to Preserve Visibility Into AI Reasoning, Wall Street Journal
- Google expands SynthID Detector for AI content, Google Blog
- The Mathocalypse, Shtetl-Optimized
- Ethereum Researchers Warn AI Could Crack Crypto Before Q-Day, Coin Telegraph
Analytics
- How to test consent banners by location using Google Sheets, MeasureMinds
- Test GDPR & CPRA Exposure in Google Sheets with GA4 data, MeasureMinds
Industry & Business
- Federal Circuit Grants Google Mandamus Petition, Directs Transfer of Patent Case to Northern District of California, IP Watchdog
Links & Content Marketing
- Link Building & Outreach for AI Search, DEJAN
- Barry Schwartz Just Published His 50,000th Story. Congrats, Page One Power
Local & Maps
- Fuel prices added to Google Maps as petrol and diesel costs soar, BBC
- Sales of Garmin Smartwatches, Fish Finders, Dog Collars Propel It to Record High, Bloomberg
- Find UK fuel prices with Google Maps and Waze, Google Blog
Other Search
PPC
- More advertisers being blocked on iOS 27, fixes aren't soon, Apple Insider
- Competitive Analysis for Paid Media: How To Find the Broken Stage, Seer Interactive
- Google AI Mode now showing three ads at the bottom instead of two, Search Engine Watch
- Update to Prediction Markets For Connecticut (October 2026), Google Advertising Policies Help
- Updates to YouTube Masthead Ad Requirements (October 2026), Google Advertising Policies Help
- Google Ads Experiments Get AI-Powered Insights, PPC News Feed
- Overview Page Enhanced by Video Impressions and Performance by Stage, PPC News Feed
Search Features
- ChatGPT is getting a lot more visual, with the launch of a new interface, TechCrunch
- Voice search comes to Google app for desktop, Search Engine Watch
SEO
- Multi-location SEO: How to build a scalable strategy, Semrush
- The Generalist Renaissance: A Strategic Marketing Approach to AI Search, Advanced Web Ranking
- Yoast SEO vs All in One SEO: which WordPress plugin is right for you?, Yoast
- AI Visibility Tracking: An SEO’s Buyer’s Guide (From Someone Who Built One), Search Engine World
- How to track your AI citations and sources with Semrush, Semrush
- Grounding for AI Answers vs. Ranking for Traditional Search, JumpFly
Feedback:
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