Daily Search Forum Recap: April 11, 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 officially made AI Overviews text link back to more Google Search results, no…
Google Ranking Movement, Discover On Desktop, Linking To Self, Google Ads, Maps Bing & Apple News
This week, we covered yet again some more Google search ranking volatility. Google Discover will be coming to the desktop version of Google’s homepage. Google Search Analytics API now shows hourly data for the past ten…
Bing Answer Snippets Also Linking To More Search Results
Recently, I’ve been complaining that Google is linking many of its search features back to more search results, this is also includes the AI Overviews. Well, Bing Search is also doing this for some of their AI-based answer snippets.
Official: Google AI Overviews Link To More Search Results
A month ago, we reported that Google was testing linking words in the AI Overviews back to its own search results. We felt this set a horrible message but hey, Google did not, instead, Google made it an official feature of AI Overviews because it helps…
Google Ads More Button Overlays More Products In Hover
Google is testing a new ad format that overlays more product ads when you click on a “more” button. This is different from expanding a product carousel, in that this overlays on top of the current search results interface.
Google To Drop Reviews On School Business Profiles
Google will stop showing reviews and ratings on school listings in Google Search and Google Maps. Google Business Profiles said, “Starting April 30, 2025, your school’s associated Business Profile will no longer allow reviews and ratings.”
How Google Search Uses Your Feedback Submission
Google Search representatives often tell us to use the feedback link when we see something that is off or needs improvement with Google Search. Well, what happens when you use that feedback link?
Google Expands Availability For Structured Data Carousels (beta)
Google has expanded where the Structured data carousels (beta) search feature works and for what types of queries. When it first launched, about a year ago, it was available for flights queries in Germany, France, Czechia, and the UK. Now it is availa…
Google Search Ranking Volatility Kicks In April 9th & 10th
It’s been about a week since we reported on an unconfirmed Google search ranking update and well, now I am seeing multiple signs of an unconfirmed updates of sorts. I am seeing the third-party tracking tools showing volatility and I am also seeing a sp…
Google Ads PMax Campaigns New Lifecycle Goals & Image Controls
Google announced a number of new goals and image controls that are now available on Google Ads Performance Max campaigns. Google added customer lifecycle goals and reporting and additional image controls.
Google Tests More From Retailer Expandable Product Carousel
Google Search is testing a new expandable carousel that says “more from” a specific retailer. When it loads, it loads more products in a carousel beneath the search result snippet from that retailer.
Google Letting Merchants Manage Brand Profiles
Google sent out emails yesterday through Google Merchant Center inviting some brands to manage and edit their brand content on Google Search. I suspect this is the visual brand profile ads/pages but I am not sure.
Google Search Analytics API Hourly Data For Past 10 Days
Google has finally rolled out API access to its 24-hour data feed of Search Performance data. And it is two days more than we expected, with Google giving us this hourly data for the past 10 days, not the initial 8 days that Google promised us.
Google AI Mode Tests Anchor Text & URL Base Links
Google is testing various link formats in AI Mode. Initially Google launched AI Mode with those tiny paperclip links, but Google, like they’ve done in AI Overviews, is testing in AI Mode, anchor text links and URL links within the text of the AI response.
Google Discover Coming To Desktop After Years Of Testing
We’ve seen Google test showing Google Discover on the desktop home page for years now but Google has now confirmed it will be bringing Discover to its desktop Google.com home page in the future. When that will happen exactly, I don’t know, but Google d…
Google Business Profiles API Showing Driving Request For SABs?
I am hearing reports that Google is showing driving direction request data on the Google Business Profile API for Service Area Businesses (SABs). SABs do not get a directions button, because those addresses are hidden in Google Search and Google Maps …
Google Business Profiles Performance Messaging Clicks Report
Google seems to be rolling out a new metric in the Google Business Profiles performance report for “messaging clicks.” This was a feature we had in the old Google My Business reports in 2020 but it went away. But now it seems to be returning.
Google Knowledge Panel AI Overview With Reference Links
Google has been using AI to write parts of the knowledge panels for some time now. But now it seems, when Google does that, it will show references and link cards, like it does in the AI Overviews.
Google Ads: Ongoing Efforts To Improve Support Experiences
Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ads Liaison, said that the Google Ads team is working on improvement the advertiser support experiences and some improvements have been rolling out. “There are ongoing efforts to improve experiences and outcomes for the millions …
Google AdSense New Rewarded Ads Beta
Google AdSense has a new version of rewarded ads – not the Rewarded Ad Gate beta program that we covered in 2022 but the AdSense rewarded ad units beta program.