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. We are seeing new Google…
Video: Google AI Systems Black Box, Links In AI, UCP Checkout Expands, ChatGPT Ad Manager, Ask.com Shutters & More
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
This week in search we covered more heated Google ranking volatility this morning, it seems big – so stay tuned. We also covered how Google spoke about how they try to isolate…
Google Search Ranking Volatility Heating Up May 8th
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Many of the third-party tracking tools, not all, but many, are showing some heated volatility this morning around Google Search’s ranking positions. I am also seeing some early chatter within the SEO…
Google Ads Journey-Aware Bidding, Expands Smart Bidding Exploration & Budget Pacing
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Google Ads announced it is expanding both Smart Bidding Exploration and budget pacing. Smart Bidding Exploration beta for Performance Max with product feeds and Shopping campaigns will launch in few weeks and…
Google May Adjust The Site Reputation Abuse Policy For EU News Sites
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Google proposed a number of changes to the EU in order to avoid fines from the European Union. One of those changes is around the site reputation abuse policy, which the EU…
Google AdSense Removes Back Button Trigger For Vignette Ads Over Hijack Penalty
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Google AdSense (and Ad Manager) will drop the browser back button trigger for vignette ads additional triggers due to the new Google search penalty for back button hijacking. Google AdSense will drop…
SEO Daily News Recaps for Thursday, May 7, 2026
SEO Daily News Recap for Thursday, May 7, 2026 Organic SEO & Search News LinkedIn partners with Amazon Ads – The collaboration will let advertisers buy CTV ads targeting professional audiences via…
Google Ads To Require Passkey For Certain Sensitive Actions
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Google sent out emails to advertisers that starting July 15, 2026 the Google Ads system will require the use of passkeys for certain sensitive actions. This is likely due to the spike…
Microsoft Advertising Custom Columns Works With All Conversion Metrics
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Microsoft Advertising custom columns now support all conversion metrics – instead of just specific conversion metrics. This gives advertisers more flexibility on tracking campaign performance.
Office Hours: Can You Actually Track AI Visibility? – SparkToro
Source: SparkToro
Source: SparkToro by Amanda Natividad. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Understanding AI Visibility and Consistency: Insights from Collaborative Research with Gumshoe This in-depth research reveals that AI-generated responses are highly…
How to Use Exploding Topics for Rapid Competitive Product Analysis
Source: Unknown Source
Learn how to use Exploding Topics to create an offer that beats your competitors’.
Microsoft Ads expands custom columns to include all conversion metrics
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Anu Adegbola. Read the original article Advertisers can now create more tailored metrics using full conversion data, aligning reporting with business goals.
Threads adds new posting options and animated mini stickers
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Threads Introduces Automated Text Splitting and Animated Stickers to Boost Engagement Threads now automatically splits…
Meta announces AI support for SMBs and rural companies
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Meta Launches New AI Programs to Empower Small Businesses in the U.S. Meta has introduced…
AI Max vs DSA: Advertisers question control as Google responds
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Anu Adegbola. Read the original article Advertisers are questioning AI Max’s lack of granular landing page control compared to DSA, as Google confirms some gaps still exist.
Audience Research Newsletter: How to Promote Stuff; Permissionless Co-Marketing; Instantly Get Better Content Ideas – SparkToro
Source: SparkToro
Source: SparkToro by Amanda Natividad. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Key Strategies for Audience Research and Content Marketing Success Effective audience research remains crucial for creating impactful marketing content. Permissionless…
TikTok users are motivated by affiliate links
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of TikTok Shopping Trends: Insights for Marketers to Boost Consumer Engagement TikTok shopping is rapidly growing,…
Meta challenges latest legal penalties
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Meta Challenges Legal Penalties to Limit Future Liabilities Meta is contesting UK regulator Ofcom over…
YouTube tests updated feed navigation
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of YouTube Tests New Mobile UI to Enhance Feed Accessibility YouTube is experimenting with a redesigned…
Linkedin partners with Amazon Ads
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of LinkedIn Expands Connected TV Advertising Through Amazon DSP Partnership LinkedIn has partnered with Amazon DSP…
Google AdSense removes browser back button trigger for vignette ads
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Barry Schwartz. Read the original article This is due to the new Google search penalty for back button hijacking.
How Does AI Get Its Information? Training Data, RAG, MCPs, and APIs Explained
Source: SEO Blog by Ahrefs
Source: SEO Blog by Ahrefs by Ryan Law. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Understanding AI’s Knowledge Sources: Training Data, Retrieval, and Tool Access AI knowledge originates from three key layers:…
Google adds AI-powered bidding and demand-led budgeting to Search and Shopping
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Anu Adegbola. Read the original article Google is aiming to help advertisers capture untapped demand and optimise spend in real time whilst reducing manual work.
5 JavaScript SEO lessons from top ecommerce sites
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Matt Hollingshead. Read the original article See how Chewy, Harrods, Under Armour, and more brands handle rendering, navigation, structured data, and scripts without hurting SEO.
8 GEO metrics to track in 2026
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Casey Nifong. Read the original article AI search is creating new visibility gaps for brands. These metrics help you track presence, influence, and inclusion across platforms.
How to use Google and LLM insights to improve international SEO
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Gianluca Fiorelli. Read the original article Turn Google and AI search signals into localized content structures that better match regional user behavior.
AI SEO punishes lazy marketing strategies
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Brick Marketing. Read the original article AI-driven search draws on broader signals, exposing gaps in fragmented campaigns and favoring brands with a consistent, cross-channel presence.
Daily Search Forum Recap: May 7, 2026
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Today’s Key Updates in Search and Advertising Platforms Google enhanced linking in AI Mode with five new…
Google Improves Links Within AI Mode & AI Overviews
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Google’s Five New Features Enhancing AI-Driven Web Linking Google has introduced five innovative ways to improve linking…
Bing On Search Indexing vs. Grounding Indexing
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Understanding Microsoft’s Approach to Indexing for Search vs. AI Grounding Microsoft Bing highlights the significant evolution from…
Google Ads To Add AI Max Content & Titles Related Exclusions On Account Level
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Google Ads AI Max to Introduce Account-Level Content and Title Exclusions Google Ads AI Max will soon…
SEO Daily News Recaps for Wednesday, May 6, 2026
SEO Daily News Recap for Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Organic SEO & Search News Meta is preparing to launch AI agents to undertake tasks for users – Meta’s agentic tools would introduce…
Bing Places For Business Now Mobile Friendly
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Bing Places for Business Finally Goes Mobile-Friendly in 2026 In 2026, Bing Places for Business has become…
Google Ads Call Recording To Default To Yes
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Google to Default Call Recording On for Advertisers Starting July 2026 Starting July 1, 2026, Google will…
Code with Claude: The 5 biggest updates explained
Source: Lenny's Newsletter
Source: Lenny’s Newsletter by Claire Vo. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Everything Anthropic Launched at Code with Claude Anthropic unveiled several innovative tools and updates at the Code with Claude…
Microsoft: AI answers need a smarter search index
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Danny Goodwin. Read the original article AI search is pushing indexes beyond relevance, with Bing focusing on facts, attribution, and confidence before answers are generated.
Snapchat usage declined in the US and EU in Q1
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Snap Inc. Q1 2026 Earnings Report: Mixed Growth Amidst Market Challenges Snapchat added 9 million…
Threads adds playable music stickers in-stream
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Threads Tests Playable Music Stickers to Boost In-Stream Engagement Threads is introducing playable music stickers…
Meta adds more insight tools to Edits to enhance video projects
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Meta’s Edits Video App Update Enhances Creator Insights and Editing Features Meta’s Edits app introduces…
LinkedIn launches Ad Agency Certification to showcase LinkedIn Ads knowledge
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of LinkedIn Launches Ad Agency Certification Program to Elevate Advertising Expertise LinkedIn has introduced an Ad…
Reddit shares key trends for in-app financial services research
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of How Reddit is Shaping Financial Services Marketing Trends Reddit has become a key platform where…
Agentic AI vs. Generative AI: What’s the Difference, and Why Does It Matter?
Source: General Marketing – SEO Blog by Ahrefs by Ryan Law. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Understanding the Real Difference Between Generative AI and Agentic AI for Marketing Generative AI…
Meta is preparing to launch AI agents to undertake tasks for users
Source: Social Media Today - Latest News
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of Meta’s Development of Agentic AI Tools for Automated Tasks and Shopping Meta is developing agentic…
Google Analytics Data API adds cross-channel conversion reporting (alpha)
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Anu Adegbola. Read the original article Developers can now access unified paid and organic conversion data programmatically, though the feature is still in limited alpha.
The real strategy behind negative keywords in 2026
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Sarah Stemen. Read the original article From match types to automation, learn how to make smarter exclusion decisions that align with account goals.
How to use Call assets, lead forms, and Message assets in Google Ads
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Jyll Saskin Gales. Read the original article Are you making it too hard for customers to reach you? Learn three essential ways to get more leads directly…
Your managed WordPress might be blocking AI bots and you can’t see it
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Will Scott. Read the original article Your SEO tools show nothing wrong. But platform-level limits may be quietly blocking AI systems from accessing and citing your content.
Google updates links within AI Overviews & AI Mode
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Barry Schwartz. Read the original article Google says these updates make it “easy for you to connect with authentic voices and explore useful information across the web.”
Why Facebook account lockouts are rising and what’s driving them
Source: Search Engine Land
Source: Search Engine Land by Heather Brousell. Read the original article AI moderation, stricter security signals, and platform scale are increasing false positives — often without meaningful human review.
Quests, token leaderboards, and a skills marketplace: The elite AI adoption playbook | John Kim (Sendbird)
Source: Lenny's Newsletter
Source: Lenny’s Newsletter by Claire Vo. Read the original article TL;DR Summary of How Delight.ai Transformed Into an AI-Native Organization John Kim, CEO of Delight.ai, has revolutionized his company by embedding AI…
