SEO Tools and Resources

Advertisers can now tap into Promoted Pins on Maps as part of their Demand Gen campaigns. These pins leverage existing image assets and appear in key spots on Maps, like Browse, Directions, and Entity/Place Details modes. How it works. Existing image assets from campaigns can be repurposed for these pins. Pins show up in Maps when users browse areas, search for directions, or check out specific places. The move aims to increase visibility in these “browse-worthy” moments, helping to convert digital interest into physical visits. Why we care. Promoted Pins are designed to drive more foot traffic and in-store sales by putting businesses in front of users as …

Google withdrew its antitrust complaint against Microsoft after EU regulators opened a new probe into Azure under the bloc’s tough tech rules. Driving the news. Google pulled its 2024 complaint—centered on Microsoft’s allegedly anti-competitive cloud licensing practices—just as the European Commission launched fresh investigations into whether Azure and Amazon Web Services fall under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Google says the withdrawal doesn’t mean it’s backing down. What they’re saying. “We filed our antitrust complaint…to give voice to our customers and partners,” said Giorgia Abeltino, Google Cloud Europe’s head of public policy. She added that Google stil…

Google is expanding its customer lifecycle capabilities in Google Analytics, launching new audience templates and dynamic remarketing features designed to make high-value targeting and re-engagement easier for advertisers. Driving the news. Google has introduced two new suggested audience templates in GA to help advertisers instantly build lifecycle segments: High-Value Purchasers — powered by purchase count or lifetime value, with Google adding a new LTV percentile field so marketers can isolate their top-tier customers. Disengaged Purchasers — defined by days since last purchase, giving Google a built-in way to help brands re-engage lapsed buyers. Google…

Google Ads’ Demand Gen campaigns – once thought of as mid-funnel discovery tools – are evolving into full-funnel, conversion-focused campaigns, with YouTube at the core. Why we care. Marketers are under pressure to prove ROI across channels. Demand Gen now blends social-style ad formats with Google’s AI-driven targeting, giving advertisers new ways to drive sales, leads, and app installs from audiences they can’t reach elsewhere. What’s new: Target CPC bidding: Advertisers can now align Demand Gen with social campaigns for apples-to-apples budget comparisons. Channel controls. Run ads only on YouTube, or expand to Display, Discover, Gmail, and even Maps. …

Google is directing its quality raters to flag pages with auto or AI-generated main content – and rate them as lowest quality, according to Google’s Senior Search Analyst and Search Relations team lead John Mueller, speaking at Search Central Live in Madrid. This was shared by Aleyda Solis today on LinkedIn: This change was part of the January 2025 update of the Search Quality Rater Guidelines. In case you missed anything else from that update, here’s a recap of the most significant changes from the latest version. 1. Google introduces a new definition: Generative AI With its latest Search Quality Rater Guidelines update, Google added a definition and f…

Google rolled out brand inclusion controls for Standard Shopping campaigns, a long-requested feature that gives advertisers direct control over which brands appear in their Shopping ads — without the need for complex workarounds. How it works: The new feature lets advertisers add or remove brand lists directly within the ad group targeting section of both Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns. Marketers can now define exactly which brands to include or exclude, preview the setup, and apply changes — all within the Google Ads interface. Why we care. Until now, brand targeting tools were only available in Performance Max and AI Max, leaving Standard Sh…

Google introduced a new prediction model to better evaluate the quality of landing page experiences for search ads. This update is designed to reduce frustrating ad experiences and make it easier for users to find the information they need without unnecessary backtracking. Driving the news. Google’s new model improves its ability to predict whether a landing page provides a seamless experience. The focus is on reducing “unexpected destinations” by evaluating whether pages offer easy navigation to relevant content. Ads leading to hard-to-navigate pages are now less likely to appear in search results. Why we care. This update encourages advertisers to prioritize…

Google has released several new AI powered AI shopping search features across AI Mode, the Gemini app and Google Search. “Today we’re introducing a major AI shopping update across Google, just in time for this holiday season,” Google announced. What’s new. Here are quick bullet points on what is new: In AI Mode, you can describe what you’re looking for just as you’d say it to a friend and get an intelligently organized response that brings together visuals and all the details you need (like price, reviews and inventory info), helping you quickly and confidently decide what to buy. Simplify your shopping in the Gemini App . Now Gemini can brainstorm gift ideas,…

Google announced the release of its latest AI model update, Gemini 3. “And now we’re introducing Gemini 3, our most intelligent model, that combines all of Gemini’s capabilities together so you can bring any idea to life,” Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai wrote. Gemini 3 is now being used in AI Mode in Search with more complex reasoning and new dynamic experiences. “This is the first time we are shipping Gemini in Search on day one,” Sundar Pichai said. AI Mode with Gemini 3. Google shared how AI Mode in Search is now using Gemini 3 to enable new generative UI experiences like immersive visual layouts and interactive tools and simulations, all generated completely on …

Google is overhauling its ad blocking controls in AdSense and Ad Manager, replacing the “Ad networks” option with a new “Authorized Buyers” control starting Nov. 6. This move seems designed to give publishers more transparency and control over who can bid on their inventory. The change modernizes Google’s brand safety tools to reflect the current programmatic landscape, shifting focus from traditional ad networks to authorized buyers, including DSPs and trading desks that programmatically access Google Partner Inventory. Driving the news. The new Authorized Buyers page lets publishers allow or block specific buyers from bidding on their inventory and view detailed…

Google acknowledged that Performance Max (PMax) campaigns can be controlled through API placement exclusions — contradicting months of its own documentation and support guidance, according to new research from ad tech firm Optmyzr. This revelation gives advertisers more programmatic control over their PMax campaigns than previously thought possible, potentially saving significant time and resources in campaign management. The big picture. Performance Max campaigns, Google’s AI-driven ad format, have been a source of frustration for advertisers seeking more granular control over where their ads appear. Lead up. Earlier this year we saw that despite Navah Hopkin…

Google is rolling out Preferred Sources globally after launching the feature in the US and India last August. Plus, Google announced a new feature Spotlighting subscriptions that highlights links from your news subscriptions within Gemini and will later come to Google Search via AI Overviewa and AI Mode. Preferred Sources. Preferred sources let searchers star sources within the Top Stories section of Google Search, and then Google will use that information to show more stories from that starred source. It was in beta in June and then rolled old in the US and India in August. It is now rolling out globally. Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search, wrote, “We’re n…

Searchers can now find out who paid for the ads they see, as Google is beginning to roll out its Ads Transparency policy. This update makes ad funding more visible to users. This new label could impact how consumers perceive and trust advertisements. Advertisers now have less ability to obscure financial relationships. What it looks like. Google’s My Ad Center now features a new transparency section labeled Ads funded by. Anthony Higman, CEO of ADSQUIRE, spotted the implementation and shared screenshots on LinkedIn. Why we care. Google’s new Ads funded by labels expose previously hidden agency-client relationships and parent company connection…

Google AI Overviews are now available in several new European regions today, after Google began testing them earlier this month. As a reminder, Google has expanded its AI Overviews within Google Search to over 100 different countries. This is up from just several countries last year, including the US, UK, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil. Then last October AI Overviews expanded to an additional 100+ countries. New regions. Google rolled out AI Overviews in these EU regions today: Germany (German and English) Belgium (English only at launch) Ireland (English) Italy (Italian and English) Austria (German and English) Poland (Polish and …

Google today began rolling out Gemini 3 Flash as the default model powering AI Mode in Search worldwide. The upgrade brings faster performance and stronger reasoning to AI-generated search responses, Google said. Why we care. With AI Mode, Google continues to transition toward an AI-first search approach. More queries could be answered directly in AI Mode, reducing reliance on traditional organic listings. Improved reasoning allows AI Mode to handle comparison and planning tasks, multi-intent searches, and research-style queries. What’s changing. Gemini 3 Flash now powers AI Mode in Search globally. It replaces earlier Flash-class models previously used in AI…

Google is globally launching a new “Sponsored results” label across desktop and mobile, grouping text and Shopping ads under a clearer header. The update marks one of Google’s most visible ad labeling changes in years. It allows users to hide groups of ads directly on the search results page. How it works. Text ads will now appear under a larger Sponsored results header. The same label will apply to other formats, like Shopping ads. Users can choose to hide entire groups of sponsored results for a more personalized browsing experience. Why we care. Clearer ad labeling and the option for users to hide sponsored results could influence ad visibil…

Google launched a beta integration for Google Tag Gateway that lets advertisers deploy it through Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using a new one-click workflow inside Google Tag Manager and Google tag settings. What’s new. The GCP integration uses Google Cloud’s Global external Application Load Balancer to route tag traffic through an advertiser’s own first-party domain before sending it to Google. The goal is to streamline deployment while improving data signal quality and resilience against ad blockers and technologies like Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention. Why we care. As browsers and platforms continue to limit third-party tracking, advertisers are loo…

Google’s long-awaited total campaign budget option is now appearing in Performance Max campaigns across non-U.S. This could be the start of a global beta rollout. What’s happening: The total budget option now appears alongside the traditional average daily budget in PMax. Google previously said the feature would expand to Search, Shopping, and PMax, and this rollout suggests that expansion is underway. Marketers in the field — including those flagged by Thomas Eccel and shared by Mohamed Hamed (Turki) — are already seeing it live. Why we care. Advertisers have spent years manually calculating average daily budgets from fixed totals — especially painf…

Google’s Nick Fox, the SVP of Knowledge and Information at Google, said in a recent podcast that doing optimization for AI search is “the same” as doing optimization and SEO for traditional search. He added, you want to build great sites, with great content, for your users. More details. This came up in the AI Inside podcast with Jason Howell and Jeff Jarvis interviewing Nick Fox. Here is the transcript from the 22 minute mark: Jeff Jarvis ask, “And is is there are there is there guidance for enlightened publishers who want to be part of AI about how they should view, should they view their content in any say differently no?” Nick Fox responded, “The short an…

Google has updated its JavaScript SEO basics documentation to clarify how Google’s crawler handles noindex tags in pages that use JavaScript. In short, if “you do want the page indexed, don’t use a noindex tag in the original page code,” Google wrote. What is new. Google updated this section to read: “When Google encounters the noindex tag, it may skip rendering and JavaScript execution, which means using JavaScript to change or remove the robots meta tag from noindex may not work as expected. If you do want the page indexed, don’t use a noindex tag in the original page code.” In the past, it read: “If Google encounters the noindex tag, it skips renderin…

Google said it is now able to catch 20 times the number of scammy pages within Google Search than it was previously. Google also said that it reduced the number of bad actors on the web impersonating airline customer service providers by more than 80% within Google Search. Google credits its AI and improved classifiers for these changes. The numbers. Google gave these two stats when it comes to improving the safety of the Google Search results: Google Search can “catch 20-times the number of scammy pages” Google Search has reduced fake phone number “scams by more than 80% in Search” AI and classifier improvements. Google credits these improvements to i…

John Mueller from Google posted an SEO tip and reminder for those who use cloud services, such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or others, to host images, videos or other content. John explained that you should probably verify those within Google Search Console. This will give you the ability to track the performance of those files in Google Search, including any debugging information when necessary. Of course, in order to do this, you need to be able to control the DNS and most give you the option to do that through DNS CNAME. So you can set up your DNS to control those files in that cloud environment. For examples, it can be images.domain.com or videos.domain.com and …

Google Ads is rolling out a major policy change around how advertisers can use prescription drug terms, marking one of the biggest shifts in healthcare ad regulation on the platform in years. What’s new. Starting Oct. 29, Google will restrict the use of prescription drug terms in ads, landing pages, and keywords, with different rules depending on location. In the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand: advertisers may promote prescription drugs if compliant with local laws. Certification is now required to keyword-target prescription terms, applying to online pharmacies, telemedicine providers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Everywhere else: Promotion of prescriptio…

Google unexpectedly decided not to implement a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies in Chrome, allowing ad tech companies to continue using this targeting technology in the world’s most popular web browser. “We’ve made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies,” Anthony Chavez, VP of Privacy Sandbox at Google, wrote in a blog post. Between the lines. While Google is stepping back from the cookie prompt, a third party consent mechanism first mentioned in February, it isn’t abandoning Privacy Sandbox entirely. The company pl…

Google has removed its long-standing unified pricing rules in Google Ad Manager, once again allowing publishers to set different price floors for Google demand versus other programmatic buyers. What changed. Publishers can now set bidder-specific floor prices in Ad Manager. For example, one buyer can be required to bid at least $5 while others compete at a lower $2 floor. Google has also rebranded “unified pricing rules” as simply “pricing rules.” The backstory. Before 2019, publishers often set higher floors for Google to counterbalance its data advantage. That flexibility disappeared when Google mandated uniform pricing across exchanges — a move later scrutinize…