Google has confirmed it has recently begun running a "small experiment" where it is serving regular pure Search campaigns with restrictive match types in AI Mode. Ginny Marvin, Google's Ads Liaison, told me, "This is a small experiment that recently kicked off."

This was first spotted by Anthony Higman who posted on LinkedIn, "Google is now serving regular pure search campaigns with restrictive match types in AI mode." He added that he "confirmed through multiple campaigns and tests on our side."

Ginny Marvin from Google told me, "This is a small experiment that recently kicked off."

She also posted in the comments on LinkedIn:

Exact and phrase match keywords are eligible to serve text ads in AI Mode. Note however that this is limited to cases where there is explicit and direct user intent. AI Max and PMax for Search are designed to capture complex conversational intent and access our latest ad formats (like Highlighted Answers).

It seems like the PPC industry is excited about this.

Again, I reached out to Ginny Marvin who confirmed this is a new limited experiment that the Google Ads team is running.

Anthony thinks this is more than just a "small experiment"...

But nah this one is! Others are also seeing it and it seems like they changed the rules on it now. Before this the ONLY way to show in those places was through ai max, p-max or broad and smart bidding.

Thats why its a big deal! and why her NOT saying "small test" also speaks'...

— Anthony Higman (@AnthonyHigman) September 4, 2026

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Google may have a bug with its job search feature because it is barely showing any new jobs within its search results. This has been happening for the past week and it is unclear why.

I mean, we know based on today's jobs report that there are plenty of jobs out there? Nonfarm payrolls jumped by 162,000 in August, well ahead of the consensus for 53,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, as expected, was reported.

But there are barely any new jobs being posted in job search.

Here is what filtering jobs within NYC for the past day looks like - nothing!

Here is a three day filter, which only shows a few jobs:

A Reddit thread asks, "Google Jobs feed drying up?" Here are some of the complaints in that thread:

I use saved Google Jobs queries to get potential job leads. Over the last few days, it appears that no new jobs are being generated. Queries still work, but only return old postings. Anyone else noticing this issue?

I noticed it several days ago. I look for all jobs in a city here and filter by last three days. It stopped showing anything, so I removed that filter to see what was up. The "x days ago" tag is missing from anything newer than 8 days ago. Well, I should say that there are many jobs missing the "x days ago" tag. I, obviously, cannot tell when they were actually posted without that date tag. I'm only assuming this is what's messing up my job search.

I've read elsewhere that, earlier in August, there was a time filter glitch/issue for regular search results and News articles. Maybe that's trickled over.

I am told it works better when searching like in London but I am not sure.

Is this a bug with Google job search?

Forum discussion at Reddit.

Google is testing a new way for you to verify your Google Business Profiles with business photos. Google now allows Waze Ads outside of the United States. Google Ads is testing another variation of expandable sitelinks, where sitelinks are collapsed by default and a number indicator shows how many more are available. Microsoft is testing bolding the https portion of the URLs in the Bing Search results. Google Ads is now pushing notifications to advertisers for recommendations they have previously dismissed. We got a number of updates coming from OpenAI about ChatGPT Ads and the ChatGPT Ads Manager. And I posted the weekly SEO video recap.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• New Google Business Profiles Submit A Business Photo For Verification
  Google Business Profiles seems to be adding a fifth way to verify your business, this new method is by submitting a photo of your business location. The other methods are phone or text, email, live video call or a postcard in the mail.
• Google Expands Waze Ads Beyond The United States
  Google has expanded access to Waze Ads beyond the United States and to a total of 42 countries. Google updated the PMax help documents in the Google Ads help center with this new information. It now says, "Waze Ads are currently available across select global markets..."
• Google Ads Collapsing Sitelinks That You Can Expand
  Google Ads is testing another variation of expandable sitelinks, where sitelinks are collapsed by default and a number indicator shows how many more are available. You can then click to expand the sitelinks to show more.
• Bing Tests Bolded HTTPS URLs In Snippets
  Microsoft is testing bolding the https portion of the URLs in the Bing Search results. We've seen Microsoft test HTTPS labels in various forms over the years, including using lock icons. But here, Microsoft Bing is being more subtle about it by just bolding the HTTPS portion of the URL.
• Google Ads Pushing Dismissed Recommendations
  Google Ads is now pushing notifications to advertisers for recommendations they have previously dismissed. Google shows a message in the ads console that reads, "You still have dismissed recommendations for this campaign," which you can dismiss once again?
• ChatGPT Ads Manager Plugin, Audience Updates, Product Feeds & More
  We got a number of updates coming from OpenAI about ChatGPT Ads and the ChatGPT Ads Manager, we also suspect that the shopping results coming from ChatGPT only come from those who submit product feeds. The other updates include a plugin for integration with ChatGPT and/or Codex, custom audience improvements, conversion matching updates, ad unit formats, budget pacing, more conversion optimization options and expansion of the platform.
• Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Ad Tech Monopoly Won’t Be Broken Up, AI Mode Takes Over, Gemini Not Citing, AdSense Impression Changes & Bugs
  This week, we covered how Google for the second time dodged being broken up, this time over its ad tech monopoly. Google AI Overviews are expanding by default...
• View From Google's London Office
  Here is a photo from the rooftop of the Google London office looking out over London. I spotted this on Instagram.

Other Great Search Threads:

• 25th Anniversary, WebmasterWorld
• That this can happen is known, and to some extent, expected... different contexts of the same "words entered" can make something branded or non-branded. Eg: [polo], [subway], [patagonia], [visa], etc. Some sites rank both for the branded & non-branded versions, so ideally we'd list them both., John Mueller on Bluesky
• AdSense Earnings and Observations - September 2026, WebmasterWorld
• To make planning a lot more reliable, we’re launching WeatherNext 3 in Search today. Our newest, most accurate AI weather model from @GoogleDeepMind and @GoogleResearch brings a huge upgrade to forecasts whether you’re looking a few days out or planning for the weekend, Robby Stein on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Google to fix citation bug with Gemini 3.8 Flash in AI Mode
• SMX Now: Find the entity gaps holding back your content strategy
• The SEO warning signs before organic traffic falls
• 3 SEO priorities to win organic traffic in 2027
• What your Google Ads hour-of-day report doesn’t tell you
• AI works best when it removes work, not judgment

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are all down in confirmed outages, 9To5Google
• Gemini Spark rolling out Google Photos control for editing, sharing, 9To5Google
• Microsoft AI’s MAI-Transcribe-2 undercuts OpenAI, Google and ElevenLabs on price and speed, VentureBeat
• OpenAI Cut Off a Billion-Dollar Customer to Avoid Elon Musk, Wired
• OpenAI launches Astra, its powerful (and controversial) new model, TechCrunch
• OpenAI launches initiative to protect utilities from AI hacks, Axios
• Why Established Brands Aren’t Visible in AI Search (And How to Fix It), Jenny Munn
• Introducing GPT-6 Astra, ChatGPT Release Notes

Industry & Business

• Reddit Hit With Antitrust Counterclaims Over Google Data-Access Deal, Pymnts
• Google’s immunity to breakup is starting to feel inevitable., Digiday
• Reddit promised its users an open internet. Then it closed the door., SerpApi
• Google engineer unplugged every fiber they could see and – surprise! – took down a chunk of the G-Cloud, The Register
• Anthropic Splits From Google, OpenAI Over State AI Safety Bill, The Information

Links & Content Marketing

• AI Reawakens the Need for PR and Earned Media, Content Marketing Institute
• Content Strategy in the Age of AI: What to Keep in Mind, Cypress North

Local & Maps

• Organic Maps is a great offline Google Maps alternative, but it wasn't enough to make me switch, Android Police
• MapQuest tops Apple App Store after refusing to change Lake Ontario to "Lake America", CBS News
• MapQuest app downloads surge after Lake Ontario name change refusal, Boston Globe
• Rescued Hikers Blame Google's Gemini for Giving Bad Trip Advice, PC Magazine

PPC

• Google Tag Gateway for Advertisers Exits Beta on Akamai and Fastly, PPC News Feed
• Six holiday shopping trends in 2026, Microsoft Advertising
• Google Performance Max Channel Controls: What Advertisers Need to Know, Brainlabs
• Microsoft Advertising Adds Dual-ID Account Linking, PPC News Feed
• Update to Google Ads Personalized Advertising Policy (September 2026), Google Advertising Policies Help
• Klaviyo Added as Customer Data Source Partner, PPC News Feed
• App Campaigns Product Report Adds Cost and Conversions, PPC News Feed
• Help guide in the AdSense Help Center (Beta), Google AdSense Help

Search Features

• Microsoft cancels Edge feature that would have benefitted Google Search users, Neowin
• Gemini in Google Chrome now lets you upload files directly, Android Authority

SEO

• SEO Trends Ecommerce Brands Cannot Ignore, Assertive Media
• What's Limiting Your AI Visibility? Find & Fix Every Visibility Gap, WordStream
• Maggie Beer Holdings Posts $9.5M Loss After Website Migration, Inspirepreneur Magazine
• GEO, AEO Or AI Search Optimisation?, Koozai

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News, add as a preferred source on Google and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or just contact us the old fashion way.

This week, we covered how Google for the second time dodged being broken up, this time over its ad tech monopoly. Google AI Overviews are expanding by default, making them more like AI Mode. Gemini 3.8 Flash is now powering AI Mode but it seems it is not linking or citing much at all. Content is disappearing from the Google News tab for some reason. Google said it does not penalize for old crusty links that may later link to shady content. Google spoke more about using the disavow link tool. Google Search Console's AI performance reports and AI controls have been globally rolled out. Google confirmed its search spam teams are still actively fighting spam. Google Trends now lets you filter by pre-defined categories. Google is testing verifying searchers are human through a delayed continue button. Google Discover was not loading for a period of time this week. Google posted details on its European search dataset licensing program. I posted the monthly Google webmaster report. Bing is testing search results without site names in the snippet. Microsoft is forcing Copilot users to login, but not within Bing Search. Google is working on a fix for a Local Service Ads bug. Google AdSense will soon use Begin-to-Render impression measurements. Google Business Profiles test business photos for verification. Microsoft Advertising is rolling out a new design preview. Google Analytics was buggy as well, missing days of data. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

Sponsor: BruceClay ð"² one of the founding fathers of the SEO space, doing search marketing optimization since 1996. Bruce Clay is big into SEO training, check out seotraining.com to learn more and check them out at bruceclay.com. Also, check out their new product, Prewriter.ai - this tool empowers writers to write better and more efficiently, so check it out.

Make sure to subscribe to our video feed or subscribe directly on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favorite podcast player to be notified of these updates and download the video in the background. Here is the YouTube version of the feed. For the original iTunes version, click here.

Search Topics of Discussion:

• 0:00 - Introduction
• 0:51 - Judge Rules Google Ad Tech Business Won't Be Broken Up
• 1:56 - Google AI Overviews Pushing Searchers Into AI Mode, Drops Show More Button
• 3:18 - Google Search Using Gemini 3.8 Flash In AI Mode
• 3:47 - Google AI Mode Gemini 3.8 Flash Not Link / Citation Friendly?
• 4:47 - Publishers Noticing Google News Tab Content Disappearing
• 6:06 - Google: We Don't Penalize For Old Outbound Links With Shady Content
• 6:59 - Google: The Disavow Tool Does Have Effects
• 7:38 - Global: Google Search Console AI Performance Report & AI Control
• 8:00 - Google Confirms Search Spam Team Is Fighting & Well Resourced
• 8:17 - Google Trends Explore Page Adds Category Filtering
• 8:53 - Google: Verifying Your Request To Continue To Search Results
• 9:19 - Google Discover Not Loading Or Loading Slowly
• 9:41 - Google European Search Dataset Licensing Program Details
• 10:07 - September 2026 Google Webmaster Report
• 10:20 - Bing Tests Search Result Snippets Without Site Names
• 10:30 - Microsoft Forcing Copilot Users To Login But Not For Copilot Search Answers
• 10:52 - Google Working On Fixing Local Service Ads Bug
• 11:25 - Google AdSense Begin-to-Render Impression Measurement Coming
• 11:57 - New Google Business Profiles Submit A Business Photo For Verification
• 12:15 - Microsoft Advertising New Updated Design Preview
• 12:38 - Google Analytics September 1 Data Missing
• 12:49 - Conclusion

Please do subscribe on YouTube or subscribe via iTunes or on your favorite RSS reader. Don't forget to comment below with the right answer and good luck!

Google Business Profiles seems to be adding a fifth way to verify your business, this new method is by submitting a photo of your business location. The other methods are phone or text, email, live video call or a postcard in the mail.

This was spotted by Ben Fisher who posted on LinkedIn saying, "We're now seeing 'Submit a business photo' appear as a verification option." He added, "This could be a pretty significant change in Google Business Profile verification."

Here is a screenshot of that option:

Google has not yet updated its documentation with this option, so this might just be a test? The live video option requires you to capture:

• Your current location: Show outside signs, nearby businesses, or a street sign that confirms your business location.
• Your business or equipment: Show your products, branded equipment, marketing materials, or tools you use to serve customers.
• Proof you manage the business: Show access to employee-only areas or items like a cash register, kitchen, storage room, or non-sensitive business documents. You can also use your keys to open your facility.

It is unclear what you need to take a photo of exactly, inside the location, outside, both? But I assume it is similar to the live video option.

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Update: The photo requirements are to show business name printed on permanent fixtures such as signboard and show your entire storefront in a single frame. This is also via Ben Fisher:

Google has expanded access to Waze Ads beyond the United States and to a total of 42 countries. Google updated the PMax help documents in the Google Ads help center with this new information. It now says, "Waze Ads are currently available across select global markets..."

The document previously said:

Waze Ads are currently available only in the United States through Performance Max for store goal campaigns bidding to Store Visits, Store Sales, or Local Actions Directions.

It now says:

Waze Ads are currently available across select global markets through Performance Max for store goals campaigns bidding on Store Visits, Store Sales, or Local Actions Directions. Supported countries are listed below:

Waze Ads first relaunched in the US back in July 2025 and in November 2025 they moved to Google Ads in PMax.

Here is a list of those countries:

• United States
• Canada
• Brazil
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Argentina
• Chile
• Australia
• Malaysia
• Israel
• United Kingdom
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

The section in red was updated:

Forum discussion at X.

Google Ads is testing another variation of expandable sitelinks, where sitelinks are collapsed by default and a number indicator shows how many more are available. You can then click to expand the sitelinks to show more.

This was spotted by Arpan Banerjee who posted about it on LinkedIn but I am able to replicate, so here is my screenshot:

This is how it loads by default:

Then if you expand them it shows them all:

Again, expandable sitelinks is not new but this format seems updated. Here are just some of those stories:

• Google Tests Sitelinks That Expand Out
• New Google Mobile Sitelinks That Expand & Collapse
• Google Tests New Expandable Sitelinks On Mobile
• Google Tests Expandable Sitelinks With Snippet Teasers
• Google Tests Sitelinks With Arrow Down To Show More
• Another Google Expandable Sitelinks Format

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Microsoft is testing bolding the HTTPS portion of the URLs in the Bing Search results. We've seen Microsoft test HTTPS labels in various forms over the years, including using lock icons. But here, Microsoft Bing is being more subtle about it by just bolding the HTTPS portion of the URL.

This test was spotted by Sachin Patel who shared a screenshot of this on X and Search Engine Watch - here is that screenshot:

As you can see, these are on the sponsored results but I assume they will also apply to the organic results - maybe?

I tried to replicate this but I cannot.

Forum discussion at X.

Google Ads is now pushing notifications to advertisers for recommendations they have previously dismissed. Google shows a message in the ads console that reads, "You still have dismissed recommendations for this campaign," which you can dismiss once again?

This was spotted by Julie Bacchini who wrote on X, "First time seeing this in a Google Ads account... Google is getting pushier on recommendations."

She shared this screenshot:

Google Ads does say in its documentation:

Dismissed recommendations can surface again after a preset amount of time that varies by recommendation if the campaign is still eligible.

So I guess this happens?

Forum discussion at X.

We got a number of updates coming from OpenAI about ChatGPT Ads and the ChatGPT Ads Manager, we also suspect that the shopping results coming from ChatGPT only come from those who submit product feeds. The other updates include a plugin for integration with ChatGPT and/or Codex, custom audience improvements, conversion matching updates, ad unit formats, budget pacing, more conversion optimization options and expansion of the platform.

The first item is different from the rest, because everything but the first item is from an email OpenAI sent me.

• Shopping results powered by product feeds: ChatGPT shopping results are now only from brands that send it product feeds, says analyst Juozas KaziukÄ-nas, on LinkedIn
• ChatGPT Ads Manager plugin: Create, manage, and analyze campaigns from ChatGPT or Codex. Use plain language to turn a website or brief into ready-to-launch ads, create variants, update campaigns, troubleshoot delivery, review performance, and get prioritized recommendations. The plugin previews recommended changes and asks for confirmation before applying them. To get started, add ChatGPT Ads Manager from Plugins, connect your account, and start a conversation.
• Custom audience improvements: You can add, remove, or replace members without recreating an audience, mix identifier types in the same request, use audiences below 25K matched users for exclusions, build audiences beyond 5M members, see more granular audience-size ranges, and use Google Advertising ID (GAID) as a supported identifier type.
• New ads conversion matching fields: We added more fields to help improve conversion matching across the Measurement Pixel and Conversions API. Pixel now supports hashed phone, first name, last name, region, and postal code; Conversions API supports plural list fields for hashed email, phone, external ID, first and last name, country, city, region, and postal code, and Android GAID for mobile.
• Carousel ad unit format insights: When a product feed campaign serves in the multi-product carousel ad unit format, reporting now includes carousel card impressions and clicks in Ads Manager reporting, along with product-level fields in the public Insights API. A carousel card impression is counted when an individual product card becomes viewable. Carousel card impressions are separate from billable ad impressions and are not included in billable impression counts. Complete data is available beginning August 20, 2026, on a rolling 30-day basis.
• Campaign total budget pacing: Campaigns with total budgets now have pacing to help spread spend more evenly over time. Actual spend may still vary day to day based on available delivery opportunities.
• More conversion optimization options are coming soon: We will be introducing a new conversion optimization model that optimizes through the inclusion of view-through conversions. This model allows for optimization based on conversions from both ad clicks and ad views. With this campaign type, billing is impression-based while delivery optimizes toward your selected conversion goal. More details will be shared as this campaign type rolls out more broadly.
• ChatGPT Ads are live in Europe, India, the Middle East, and North Africa: Starting this week, we are rolling out ChatGPT Ads to select countries in Europe, India, the Middle East, and North Africa, expanding reach for advertisers with business in those markets.

Forum discussion at LinkedIn and X.

Google has dodged being broken up for a second time on its monopoly ruling, this time over ad tech. Some publishers are noticing their content is disappearing from the Google News tab. Google released Gemini 3.8 Flash for AI Mode but it seems it is not link or citation friendly. Google Merchant Center has expanded the AI performance insights. Google Ads re-review status is showing up. Google Ads has new information on phone call conversions and offline conversions.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• Judge Rules Google Ad Tech Business Won't Be Broken Up
  A federal judge in Virginia ruled against breaking up Google's ad tech business after Google was found to be a monopoly over its ad technology platforms. The judge ordered Google to end its practices that depress ad rates for web publishers, but declined to order divestiture of Google's ad exchange and other technology.
• Publishers Noticing Google News Tab Content Disappearing
  Over the past several days, I have been hearing from some publishers that while their content is being crawled, indexed, and served in Google Search results, some of it is missing from the news tab. It may then later show up in the news tab, much later. I was able to replicate this but it seems completely random.
• Google AI Mode Gemini 3.8 Flash Not Link / Citation Friendly?
  As you know, Google rolled out Gemini 3.8 Flash for subscribers to AI Mode and some have started to play with it. And the early feedback is that AI Mode running Gemini 3.8 Flash is not link or citation friendly. Meaning, AI Mode with Google's latest AI model is less likely to cite sources and link to sources than previous models.
• Google Search Using Gemini 3.8 Flash In AI Mode
  Google's Robby Stein, VP of Product at Google Search, said on X, "Gemini 3.8 Flash has landed in Search." This comes only a couple of weeks after Google brought Gemini 3.7 Flash to AI Mode within Google Search.
• Google Expands Merchant Center AI Performance Insights
  In July, Google began to roll out AI performance reports within Google Merchant Center to United States based merchants. Google said the AI reports are now available to merchants within Australia, Canada, India & New Zealand as well.
• Google Ads Under Re-Review Label Status
  Google Ads is showing under the status of your ads a label that says "Under Re-Review." It says the ad is eligible but limited and "this ad is serving to a limited audience." It then breaks down where the ad may not be serving.
• Google Ads New Phone Call & Offline Conversions Details
  Google added some new nuggets to its Google Ads help documentation on about conversion measurement, specifically on phone call conversions and offline conversions.
• Google Unpacking Numerous Webby Awards
  Here is a photo of Googlers, including Josh Woodward, unpacking numerous Webby awards. I see at least six of them but I am sure there are more.

Other Great Search Threads:

• If you search 'messi' you will see this tag line., Alif Shorif on X
• And check the Gen-AI reporting to see that surge, Glenn Gabe on X
• Strengthen Your Ads Account Security: Protect Against Account Takeovers, Google Ads Community
• Great! Schema.org has now added “AI Preview” to its website. This could be an interesting step toward making structured data more relevant for AI-powered search and previews., Punit on X

Search Engine Land Stories:

• Gemini 3.8 Flash rolling out in Google Search
• Google avoids AdX breakup in ad tech antitrust case
• Lily Ray on why shortcuts rarely win in SEO or AI search
• Evolving SEO for 2027: What still needs to change
• Creative targeting is quietly fragmenting your Meta audiences
• Google Trends adds category filters
• What makes a good listicle?
• Google Analytics showing zero traffic on Sept. 1
• How to prove paid social drives paid search demand

Other Great Search Stories:

AI & LLMs

• 27% of U.S. adults turn to AI for personal, emotional, social queries, Washington Post
• Siri AI won't be your friend, and here's why that really matters, 9to5Mac
• Why humanoid robots won’t catch up to human workers any time soon, Understanding AI
• Agentic Search Readiness Audit Framework + Free Skill, Orit Mutznik
• Google AI Mode shows the same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search [Data Study], Productrise
• The Semantic Data Layer: Building a Brand AI Can Understand, Advanced Web Ranking

Analytics

• Marketing metrics you can trust to steer your campaigns, Google Blog

Industry & Business

• Google inks 396MW geothermal PPA with Fervo in Utah, Data Center Dynamics
• OpenAI Lawsuits Mount Over Canadian School Shooting, Wall Street Journal
• Google partners on West Virginia energy storage project, Google Blog
• MrBeast partners with Gemini and Google Health, Google Blog
• Google, the Linux Foundation building a more private digital world, Google Blog
• Russia Fines Google, Telegram, Pinterest Over Non-Compliant Content, Kyiv Post
• Suit Alleges Athletico Gave Patient Data To Google Without OK, Law360
• Entergy loses bid to block Google deal reporting, Axios
• Google starts September with AI momentum after long losing streak, CNBC
• Google to grow office space in Taiwan by 60%, Taipei Times

Links & Content Marketing

• 4 Blockers Standing Between You and Content That Converts, Content Marketing Institute

Local & Maps

• Google Maps in Android Auto could soon get new, darker colors, Android Authority
• A Foxhole View on Local SEO in 2026: Interview on the Legal Late Night Podcast, Local Visibility System
• People are sharing how navigation looks on Apple Maps vs Google Maps and say there's 'no competition' over which is best, Super Car Blondie
• Should You Let AI Manage Your Google Business Profile?, Koozai

Other Search

• About half of Americans say they spend too much time on their phone. Some are trying to cut back, Pew Research Center
• Microsoft Defender flags legitimate Google search links as malicious, Bleeping Computer
• Google's AI Mode Is Ripping Shoppers Off With Vastly Higher Prices, Study Claims, Futurism

PPC

• Optimize for the Next Query: Building Informational Content Around Search Journeys, Not Single Keywords, JumpFly
• AI Agents in Google Ads: Is Read-Only Access Safe?, Hop Skip Media
• Bumper Ads Redefined as 5 to 6 Seconds Long, PPC News Feed
• Hotel Campaigns Can Now Target Regions and Cities, PPC News Feed
• What’s a Good ROAS for Google Ads in 2026? Here's What the Data Says by Vertical and Spend Tier, Optmyzr
• Google LSAs Get Even Worse for Real Estate Agents, SEO Savvy Agent
• Announcing the 2026 Microsoft Advertising Partner Awards Finalists: EMEA and LATAM, Microsoft Advertising
• Getting a Pipeline Number You Can Defend to Finance, PPC Hero
• Google Ads API v22 sunset reminder, Google Ads Developer Blog
• YouTube Creator Partnerships Analytics Adds Reach Metrics, PPC News Feed

SEO

• How to prepare your site for AI agents, Semrush
• The Dynamic SERP Update: How the May 2026 Core Update Changed SEO, Sterling Sky
• What's new in Yoast SEO 28.4: find, fix, and generate at scale, Yoast
• Falsely Fast Websites: How Lighthouse Scores Are Hacked, PageSpeed ONE
• Google Spent 2026 Targeting Content Volume, Not AI Content, Nikki Pilkington

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News, add as a preferred source on Google and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or just contact us the old fashion way.

Over the past several days, I have been hearing from some publishers that while their content is being crawled, indexed, and served in Google Search results, some of it is missing from the news tab. It may then later show up in the news tab, much later. I was able to replicate this but it seems completely random.

I asked Google about this last night on Bluesky but I did not hear back. My question was:

Why would a page from WSJ show in the All tab but not News tab?

Here is that example - showing on the web search results:

But it is not showing in the news tab:

I found this for many sites, both large and small publishers. Then later, I even spotted it for my site:

Web search results:

Missing in the news tab:

But this morning, it now shows up:

Again, this is just a couple of examples, but I can replicate this randomly for new publisher content showing up in the web search results but not showing up in the news tab. I cannot figure out a pattern or anything on why this might be happening.

Any ideas? We have seen Google News visibility issues and serving issues before but this feels different...

I want to thank Mayank Parmar from Windows Latest for his help on this.

Forum discussion at Bluesky.

Update: I figured I'd watch this specific story and at first it showed in the news tab and all tab, but then it went missing:

Even this story, it was first in the news tab and now it is gone. Ill add this to the story but this is just so weird @rajanpatel https://t.co/V7o13YsRpy https://t.co/oxZ74npvjQ pic.twitter.com/8VIU2i3Lcm

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) September 3, 2026

Update 2: As of about 4pm ET, it began showing up again in the news tab:

It is showing up again, as of a few hours ago

[image or embed]

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick.com) September 3, 2026 at 6:33 PM

As you know, Google rolled out Gemini 3.8 Flash for subscribers to AI Mode and some have started to play with it. And the early feedback is that AI Mode running Gemini 3.8 Flash is not link or citation friendly. Meaning, AI Mode with Google's latest AI model is less likely to cite sources and link to sources than previous models.

Gagan Ghotra posted numerous examples of searches he conducted in AI Mode for top-of-the-funnel queries, and none of them showed any links or citations.

Here are some of the screenshots he posted on X:

More examples from Glenn Gabe:

Whoa, Gagan is right. See below between default model and 3.8 Flash. What is going on here? First is 3.8 Flash and second is default model. @rmstein @rajanpatel https://t.co/EH958CMDOn pic.twitter.com/VIY201Mbva

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) September 3, 2026

I am not sure why this would be and I hope this is something that Google can fix soon.

Forum discussion at X.

Update: Google's Robby Stein responded on X saying, "Hey -- thanks for flagging. This isn't working as intended, and we'll roll out a fix soon."

Hey -- thanks for flagging. This isn't working as intended, and we'll roll out a fix soon.

— Robby Stein (@rmstein) September 4, 2026

Update 3: The following morning the issue is resolved:

OK, looks like Gemini 3.8 Flash is now providing links. When it first rolled out, there was a bug and there were barely any links being provided. @gaganghotra_ was the first to report that and I saw that as well (and shared some screenshots). Here is what the AI Mode response'... https://t.co/gaa8QFFvYJ pic.twitter.com/tOzCylXV8Z

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) September 4, 2026

In July, Google began to roll out AI performance reports within Google Merchant Center to United States based merchants. Google said the AI reports are now available to merchants within Australia, Canada, India & New Zealand as well.

Google updated the help document to say "AI performance insights are currently available for English-language queries for Merchant Center accounts in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the United States." Previously, it said it was live just for the United States and would be expanded to more countries in the coming months.

Google also made numerous changes to the help document, so it is worth reviewing.

The Google Merchant Center AI performance insights report provides a view of how your brand is discovered across Google's generative AI ecosystem, specifically revealing your performance for conversational queries with shopping intent on AI Mode and AI Overviews. "With these insights, you can better understand how your brands show up in conversational queries, evaluate your visibility across different shopping stages, and view trends to help optimize your product data," Google wrote.

Forum discussion at X.

Google Ads is showing under the status of your ads a label that says "Under Re-Review." It says the ad is eligible but limited and "this ad is serving to a limited audience." It then breaks down where the ad may not be serving.

This was spotted by Anthony Higman who posted the screenshot below on LinkedIn and wrote, "New One For Me! Under "Re-Review"?"

Here is the screenshot:

I know the terminology "Re-review" is not new to Google Ads, just do a Google Search for it. I mean, I covered it over five years ago related to a Google Ads ad status. But the screenshot then of the ad status did not explicitly read "Under Re-Review." Also, Google's ads policies specifically mention re-review - it says:

Google reserves the right to prioritize ad reviews or re-reviews to ensure the overall stability of system operations, or temporarily restrict ad serving to ensure policy compliance.

Here is that screenshot from the ad status from five years ago, it does say "re-review" in the description but not directly in the status?

Is this new?

Forum discussion at LinkedIn.

Update: Google told me this is several years old...