Google AdsCovered by 2 sources
- Starting October 1, Microsoft Advertising will remove Max CPC limits for new standalone automated bidding campaigns.
- The change affects Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, and Maximize Clicks strategies.
- Existing campaigns and portfolio bid strategies will retain their current Max CPC settings for now.
- Microsoft aims to prioritize conversion-based targets like tCPA and tROAS over manual click-cost caps.
Marketers must ensure their conversion tracking is highly accurate to prevent overspending, as they will lose the ability to set hard click-cost ceilings on new automated campaigns.
Search FeaturesCovered by 2 sources
- Google launched a 'Preferred Sources' button that publishers can embed to let users prioritize their content in search results.
- Users can now explicitly customize their Discover feeds by selecting specific topics to see more or less frequently.
- The Google News app for Android now features customizable audio briefings with clear source attribution and direct article links.
Publishers should implement the Preferred Sources button to build direct audience loyalty and increase their visibility in AI Overviews and Top Stories.
Search FeaturesCovered by 2 sources
- Google is introducing a 'Preferred Sources' button that allows users to prioritize specific websites in their search results.
- New natural language controls in Google Discover will let users refine their content feeds with specific text prompts.
- The Google News app is adding customizable audio briefings that allow users to choose specific topics and sources for spoken updates.
Marketers should focus on building brand loyalty and audience trust to ensure users 'prefer' their site, which could provide a significant ranking boost for those specific users.
Core UpdatesCovered by 2 sources
- Google completed the rollout of the August 2026 spam update on August 21, 2026.
- The update was a global rollout affecting all languages and locations.
- This was characterized as a normal spam update rather than a link spam or site reputation abuse update.
- Sites hit by the update may take several months to recover after correcting spam policy violations.
Marketers should review Google's core spam policies if they notice ranking drops, as recovery from these targeted refreshes can take months.
Google AdsCovered by 2 sources
- Microsoft Advertising is removing the Manual Max CPC bidding option for new non-portfolio campaigns starting October 1.
- Existing campaigns using Max CPC will not be affected immediately but cannot be reverted if changed.
- This shift forces advertisers toward automated bidding strategies like Enhanced CPC or Target CPA.
Marketers must transition to automated bidding models for new campaigns, losing granular control over individual keyword bid limits.
AI Search
- New research analyzes bot traffic data across hundreds of sites to identify how AI crawlers interact with web content.
- The data highlights the limitations of current AI search metrics and the challenges of tracking AI-driven referral traffic.
- Experts suggest new methods for utilizing first-party data to measure the actual impact of AI search on brand visibility.
Marketers must look beyond traditional analytics to understand how AI bots scrape their content and how that translates to non-click brand impressions.
Search Features
- Google updated the 'Preferred Source' button to keep users on the publisher's site after they subscribe.
- The feature allows searchers to star publications in 'Top Stories' to see more content from them in the future.
- Google reports over 600,000 unique sources have been selected by users, a 200% increase since May 2026.
- Preferred sources are now available globally and across all languages.
Implementing this button can increase your site's visibility in Top Stories because users who mark you as a preferred source are twice as likely to click your results.
Google Ads
- Meta AI now connects directly to Meta Ads and Google Workspace to analyze campaign performance and business data.
- The assistant can identify top-performing creative, flag audience trends, and suggest budget optimizations conversationally.
- Marketers can automate reporting by having the AI generate decks, docs, and spreadsheets from live campaign data.
Marketers can now use AI to automate manual reporting and creative analysis, though they should verify recommendations that encourage higher ad spend.
Industry News
- Google clarified that it only announces major search updates to help marketers distinguish between algorithmic shifts and site-specific technical issues.
- Microsoft Advertising has completed the global rollout of AI Max to all search campaign advertisers.
- Google is testing the return of 'people viewed' insights for Google Business Profile posts, a feature previously sunset in 2023.
- A significant spike in reports regarding missing favicons in search snippets suggests a potential Google-side technical bug.
Marketers should check their Google Business Profile for returning post insights and monitor favicon display, while noting that unannounced ranking shifts are often intentional smaller core updates.
Google Ads
- Google Ads is rolling out 'enhanced matching' to help advertisers match their customer lists with publishers' consented user data.
- The feature works in cookieless environments but limits membership duration to 60 days compared to the standard 540 days.
- Initial advertiser feedback suggests the feature may lead to irrelevant search query matching when applied to existing campaigns.
Marketers can improve customer match rates in cookieless environments but should closely monitor search query reports for irrelevant traffic triggered by these expanded audiences.
AI Search
- Similarweb launched a new tool to track sponsored placements within ChatGPT and Google's AI search experiences.
- The data is collected from a panel of real users rather than synthetic prompts to show actual ad frequency and creative messaging.
- Initial findings show ads appear in 26% of ChatGPT responses and nearly 30% of ad-eligible Google AI Mode queries.
Marketers can now gain competitive intelligence on how and where rivals are appearing in AI-generated answers to adjust their own visibility strategies.
AI Search
- Traditional rank trackers focus on visibility, while citation tools in AI search focus on verified sources.
- The total number of keywords that truly drive value is smaller than traditional SEO tools suggest.
- SEO success is shifting toward being a cited source rather than just ranking in a blue link list.
Marketers should prioritize becoming a cited authority for core topics rather than chasing high volumes of low-value long-tail keywords.
Google Ads
- Google is testing a new visual style for mobile search results that applies a highlighted background color to the entire sponsored section.
- The test includes a background fill that extends from the 'Sponsored' heading through all ads in that block.
- This visual treatment aims to differentiate paid listings more clearly from organic results on smaller screens.
Distinctive background colors on ads could decrease accidental clicks and potentially lower organic click-through rates by drawing more visual attention to the top of the page.
Search Features
- Google is testing a new visual variation for featured snippets that displays text in multiple colors.
- This UI experiment aims to make snippets more eye-catching compared to standard black text.
- The test follows previous experiments involving colored background boxes and layout variations for snippets.
Visual changes to featured snippets could impact your click-through rates even if your organic ranking remains the same.
Technical SEO
- Identify cannibalization by checking if multiple URLs rank for the same keyword in Search Console.
- Use internal linking, 301 redirects, or canonical tags to signal a primary page to Google.
- Monitor performance after consolidation to ensure total traffic is preserved or improved.
Consolidating competing pages prevents ranking fluctuations and ensures your strongest content captures all available search traffic.
Google Ads
- Google Ads introduced a feature that automatically suggests sitelinks based on your landing page URL.
- Advertisers can review and approve these suggestions directly within the console.
- The tool aims to speed up ad creation by identifying relevant deep links like product pages or store hours.
Marketers can now quickly expand their ad real estate and improve click-through rates by leveraging automated sitelink discovery.
Industry News
- Information gain refers to the unique value or data a piece of content provides compared to other search results.
- The concept focuses on differentiation through first-hand experience, unique research, or original perspectives.
- While not a confirmed direct ranking signal, it aligns with Google's E-E-A-T and helpful content guidelines.
To compete against AI-generated content, marketers must include original data or personal insights that search engines cannot find elsewhere.
Core Updates
- Google only announces updates that are large enough to cause significant shifts in site metrics.
- Smaller, automated ranking adjustments happen continuously without public disclosure to avoid unnecessary panic.
- The goal of announcements is to help webmasters distinguish between algorithm shifts and site-specific technical issues.
Marketers should not panic over small fluctuations, as Google only flags major system changes that require broader attention.
Search Features
- Google Discover is adding a conversational search feature to customize feed content.
- Users can now use natural language via the three-dot menu to specify topics they want to see more or less of.
- The feed will adjust in real-time and remember specific user preferences to refine future content delivery.
Marketers should focus on niche, high-intent topics as this feature allows users to filter out generic content and specifically request the exact types of stories they want to follow.