Daily Search Forum Recap: January 23, 2026

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 launched Personal Intelligence in AI Mode within Google Search. Google will fallback to featured snippets when AI Overviews cannot be generated. Google Ads for PMax has a bug with editing asset groups in the web interface. Gemini local results can show you what Google thinks of a local business. Also, there are some details on how to secure your Google Ads account…

Source:
Search Engine Roundtable

Video: Google Search Double Heated, Personal Intelligence in AI Mode, ChatGPT Ads & Apple Siri Updates Coming

This week, we covered the doubly heated Google Search ranking volatility, but nothing was confirmed by Google. OpenAI will soon test ads in ChatGPT responses and they will charge on an impression basis…

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Search Engine Roundtable

Gemini Local Results Shows How Google Interprets Your Business

Google’s Gemini may be rolling out new local results, it may be new, I am not sure. But the details it shows may give you insight into how Google understands and interprets your business. Gemini gives new headlines and sections about your business based on what it thinks it knows about it.

Source:
Search Engine Roundtable

A smarter way to approach AI prompting

Prompts describe tasks. Rubrics define rules. Here’s how rubric-based prompting reduces hallucinations in search and content workflows.

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Search Engine Land

Google Falls Back To Featured Snippets When AI Overviews Do Not Generate

Google will sometimes fall back to showing featured snippets when it is unable to generate AI Overviews for a query. And when that happens, it sometimes looks like an AI Overview, but it is not an AI Overview, it is a featured snippet.

Source:
Search Engine Roundtable

Personal Intelligence Now In Google AI Mode In Search

As expected, but sooner than I thought, Google has brought Personal Intelligence to Google Search within AI Mode. This first launched last week in the Gemini app and is now rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in English in the U.S.

Source:
Search Engine Roundtable

What is ChatGPT Atlas?

What is ChatGPT’s Atlas? Charlie Marchant explains OpenAI’s new AI-powered browser, its "Agent Mode" capabilities, and the pros and cons of using it.

Source:
moz (en-US)

Vibes Meet Facts: Write Like the Smart Human You Are, Not the LLM Making Stuff Up Again – SparkToro

If you were to perceive the world based on a skim of my Threads feed this morning, then you would be convinced that absolutely everyone is engrossed with

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SparkToro

TikTok launches U.S.-controlled joint venture to meet national security rules

TikTok’s new U.S.-controlled joint venture could determine whether the app survives in America and reshape how foreign-owned tech is regulated.

Source:
Search Engine Land

Apple Ads adds more ad slots to App Store search results

Apple is adding more ad slots to App Store search results, creating new install opportunities while increasing competition for high-intent searches.

Source:
Search Engine Land

The URL mistake that killed Black Friday ft Nick Handley

One early-career PPC mistake nearly took campaigns offline on Black Friday, but it became a defining lesson in staying calm, & owning errors.

Source:
Search Engine Land

Google Ads bug removes notes option for some advertisers

A Google Ads bug is causing the option to add account notes to disappear for some advertisers, complicating change tracking and documentation.

Source:
Search Engine Land

Google Ads bug blocks edits to Performance Max asset groups

A new Google Ads bug is preventing some advertisers from editing PMax asset groups, forcing teams to rely on Ads Editor as a workaround.

Source:
Search Engine Land

How To Secure Your Google Ads Accounts Amongst The Account Hijacks

For the past year or so, I’ve seen a growing number of complaints about Google Ads accounts being hijacked. It seems to be getting worse, even after we covered the Google Ads account hijacks last November. So how do you reduce the chances of your Google Ads account being hijacked?

Source:
Search Engine Roundtable

Google Ads Performance Max Asset Group Editing Bug

Google Ads currently has a bug where if you try to edit your asset groups within your Performance Max campaigns in the web user interface, it simply won’t work. Google is reportedly aware of the issue and is telling advertisers to use Google Ads Editor or the API as a workaround for now.

Source:
Search Engine Roundtable

Agentic AI and vibe coding: The next evolution of PPC management

Agentic AI and custom-built tools are changing how PPC accounts are run – and what marketers need to focus on next.

Source:
Search Engine Land

Google: Forced syndication would permanently expose its ad systems

Google warns that a court-ordered ad syndication could expose its ad algorithms, increase click fraud, and deliver less relevant traffic.

Source:
Search Engine Land

SEO Manager ~ iPullRank ~ $80,000-$95,000 ~ Remote (USA) or Hybrid (New York, NY, United States)

iPullRank is a ten-year-old digital marketing remote agency based in New York City, founded by industry trailblazer Michael King. We’re not here to follow trends—we set them. Our team blends technical expertise with creativity to deliver SEO, Content, and Generative AI services that drive results. We work with some of the biggest names across eCommerce, […]

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SEO Agency Jobs – SEOjobs.com

SEO Strategist ~ Sosemo ~ $55,500-$72,500 ~ Hybrid (New York, NY, United States)

We are a distinguished agency that specializes in strategic media planning, purchasing, and campaign management. Our excellence is widely acknowledged in the digital realm, particularly in serving pharmaceutical and consumer brands. Our dedicated team leverages the potential of key digital channels, including search marketing (SEM/SEO), social media, display advertising, and programmatic strategies, to amplify brand […]

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SEO Agency Jobs – SEOjobs.com

Email Outreach Assistant ~ Humble Echo LLC ~ 800-1200 USD ~ Remote (WW)

Focus: Find contacts → send outreach → track replies → keep key details clear so decisions stay fast and confident Timezone: Any, but must overlap 3–4 hours with Singapore time Salary: $800 – $1,200 per month (Full-time) What This Job Is About (Simple) Your job is to: Find contact emails or contact forms Send 1–3 […]

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SEO Agency Jobs – SEOjobs.com