AI Overview tracking can tell very different stories depending on the prompts, query types, and markets included in the sample. The post Google AI Overview Data Looks Different For Commercial Queries appeared first on Search Engine Journal

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…

Google brings Preferred Sources into AI Overviews and AI Mode, iPullRank measures Gmail’s pull on AI Mode brand visibility, and new ad formats arrive. The post Preferred Sources Expand, Gmail Brand Lift, Pichai On AI Overviews appeared first on Search Engine Journal

This week in search, we gave a status update on the Google May 2026 core update. Google strongly warned against buying mentions for AI or manipulating mentions for AI

Google Ads has expanded New Customer Acquisition with a new feature called Prospect Mode. Prospect mode also targets brand-unaware users, Google said. Those prospects who have not searched for, engaged with, or visited your site.

Google Ads has expanded New Customer Acquisition with a new feature called Prospect Mode. Prospect mode also targets brand-unaware users, Google said

John Mueller from Google said that the Google Search Quality Raters guidelines are not a guide for search rankings. Meaning, the content in those guidelines is not a blueprint on how to rank your website in Google Search.

Over a year ago, we saw Google testing a “First order” label on shopping ads within search. Now, we are seeing Google test a variation of that named “1st order price” on those same ads. It basically tells the customer that if this is their first order with this retailer, it is a special discounted price.

Google is testing short URLs with @handles for the Google Discover publisher profile pages. Instead of those long URLs that go on forever, Google is testing a format that uses the publisher’s handle.

Microsoft Bing is testing a new style of sitelinks for the search ads.