Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google updated its AI Overviews help documents to show how to use web only filters and how to submit feedback. Google blasted the concept of toxic links. Google Search Console links report may be showing fewer links again. Google Image search now shows “See exact matches.” Google mobile is testing a large blue visit button in search. And today is Memorial Day, so Google’s logo is grayed out.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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In Face Of AI Overview Backlash, Google Updates Docs With How To Show Web Only Results & How To Give Feedback
Google has updated its help documentation page on AI Overviews to tell searchers how to show only web results in its search results (not show AI Overviews, videos, image, etc), plus how to give feedback on the AI Overviews Google provides. This obviously comes based on the backlash Google has received on some of these AI Overviews. -
Google’s John Mueller Blasts The Concept Of Toxic Links, Again
Google’s John Mueller once again blasted the “concept of toxic links,” he wrote on Reddit, “The concept of toxic links is made up by SEO tools so that you pay them regularly.” As you know, John is not a fan of link selling, buying and removal services – including tools that tell you what to remove. -
Some Reporting Fewer Links Reported In Google Search Console
I am hearing numerous reports from SEOs that the link report within Google Search Console is showing drastically fewer links than it did a month prior. I am not sure if this is impacting all SEO, but there are a number of SEOs complaining about this. -
Google Images “See Exact Matches” Helps You Find Who Stole Your Images
Google Images lets you upload an image, and then it may show you an option to “see exact matches.” This essentially will show you all the locations where the image is found by Google across the web. Obviously, this can help you find out who stole your image, and then you can have fun trying to get them to take it down. -
Google Mobile Tests Large Blue Visit Button On Search Results
Google is testing a large blue visit button on its mobile search results interface. The button is hard to miss and shows up under the sitelinks for some searchers. Again, it is a test, so many of you will likely not be able to replicate it. -
Google Grayed Out Its Logo On Memorial Day Again
Google has grayed out, muted, its logo, for Memorial Day, again this year. It also applied an American flag under the search box with the message, “Honoring those who sacrificed.” That links to the search results for [Memorial Day] on Google Search. -
Cirque du Soleil In Google Parking Lot
Looks like Google had some circus act in the parking lot at the Googleplex, the Mountain View office. Satyajeet Salgar from Google posted a video on X of what he said was “Cirque du Soleil outside the office.”
Other Great Search Threads:
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
PPC
Search Features
- “Google is dead.” Google’s desperate bid to chase Microsoft’s search AI has led to it recommending eating rocks, Windows Central
- For some reason, Google lets AI “answer” medical questions in “Search”, The Decoder
- Glue on pizza? Google’s AI Overview shares wacky answers, Silicon Republic
- Google AI makes string of errors after relying on joke websites, Telegraph
- Google AI Overview Results Spread Conspiracy Theories, Pizza Glue Recipe, Rolling Stone
- Google AI Overviews keep making mistakes in ‘isolated examples’, 9to5Google
- Google AI Overviews Search Errors Cause Furor Online, New York Times
- Google criticized as AI Overview makes errors, like saying President Obama is Muslim, CNBC
- Google Is Playing a Dangerous Game With AI Search, The Atlantic
- Google promised a better search experience — now it’s telling us to put glue on our pizza, The Verge
- Google says the ‘vast majority’ of AI Overviews are good, 9to5Google
- Google Search Is Now a Giant Hallucination, Gizmodo
- Google’s AI Overviews Being Laughed at by CEO of Perplexity, Business Insider
- Google’s AI search tool produces flubs and fabrications, QZ
- Google’s AI faces social media mockery after viral errors, NBC News
- Google’s AI Keeps Hallucinating. Does Anyone Care?, Bloomberg
- Google’s AI Overview Appears To Produce Misleading Answers, Forbes
- Google’s AI search tool tells users to ‘eat rocks’ for your health, Financial Times (Sub)
- Shut it down: Google’s AI search results are beyond terrible, Android Authority
- The Reason That Google’s AI Suggests Using Glue on Pizza Shows a Deep Flaw With Tech Companies’ AI Obsession, Futurism
- What Is Google’s AI Overviews, and Why Is It Getting Things Wrong?, CNET
- Why Google’s AI search might recommend you mix glue into your pizza, Washington Post
- 17 cringe-worthy Google AI answers demonstrate the problem with training on the entire web, Tom’s Hardware
- Google is in damage control mode following AI Overviews fiasco, Android Police
- Google scrambles to manually remove weird AI answers in search, The Verge
- Google’s AI Is Churning Out a Deluge of Completely Inaccurate, Totally Confident Garbage, Futurism
- Can you trust Google AI search results? The internet is unconvinced., Mashable
- Google AI Overviews ‘disaster’: Add glue to pizza sauce, ‘health benefits’ of tobacco, NY Post
- Google AI search tells users to glue pizza and eat rocks, BBC News
- Google Search AI can be helpful, just not with Overviews, 9to5Google
- In our tests Google’s AI Overviews were faster, more bizarre, and sometimes just fine, Mashable
- Users Report Google’s AI Overview Thinks Tons of Fictional Characters Are Gay, Them
- What are Google’s AI Overviews good for?, TechCrunch
Other Search
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