Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article
TL;DR Summary of Google and Microsoft Search Industry Updates: Earnings, Policies, and Features
Google and Microsoft reported strong earnings with ad revenues up by 13% and 16% respectively. A persistent Disney Google sitelink hack remains unresolved. Google introduced promotion analytics in Merchant Center and updated its Ads gambling policy banning sweepstake casino ads. Bing is testing a country/region selector for search customization, while Microsoft Advertising’s web interface experienced downtime.
Optimixed’s Overview: Key Developments in Search Engine Advertising and Policy Updates
Strong Financial Performance and Advertising Trends
Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft both announced robust quarterly earnings, highlighting continued growth in digital advertising:
- Google’s ad revenue surged by 13%, reaching $74 billion in Q3 2025.
- Microsoft Advertising grew even faster with a 16% increase in ad revenue for Q1 2026.
Ongoing Security and Policy Concerns
Several security and policy issues surfaced across search platforms:
- The Disney account Google sitelink hack remains live, affecting search results for “disney account” with black hat SEO content.
- Google updated its URL case sensitivity guidelines, advising consistent URL usage to avoid indexing confusion.
- The Google Ads Gambling and Games policy now explicitly prohibits sweepstake casinos from advertising, clarifying distinctions with social casino games.
New Features and Service Interruptions
Google and Microsoft are enhancing their platforms with new tools and experiencing some technical issues:
- Google Merchant Center Next added new promotion analytics to track performance metrics over the last 28 days.
- Microsoft Advertising’s web user interface experienced downtime, though ad serving was unaffected.
- Bing is testing a country and region selector to better tailor search results based on location preferences.
Additional Industry Insights
Other notable points include:
- Google’s office in Germany features unique amenities like a putting green, reflecting company culture.
- Updates to YouTube thumbnail size limits enable higher resolution images, benefiting creators and advertisers.
- Ongoing community discussions and updates around AI, SEO best practices, and search experience improvements continue to evolve.
