Daily Search Forum Recap: August 25, 2026

Google Ads is testing loading sponsored results in mobile search with an animation that references Gemini, showing 'Evaluating sponsored results' with Google and Gemini logos. Separately, Google announced that starting October 1, 2026, Local Service Ads will charge for missed and subsequent calls, and Google's John Mueller stated there is nothing special needed for generative AI responses in search. Google is also displaying AI Overviews above stock charts for stock price queries and adding copyable emojis to AI Overviews.

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 Ads is testing using Gemini to load sponsored results in Google Search. Google says there is nothing special to do for generative AI search. Google to charge for missed and subsequent calls over LSAs after October 1. Google is showing AI Overviews above stock charts for stock price queries. Google said Googlebot does not parse JSON files, it just downloads it. Google is also showing copyable emojis to AI Overviews in the Google Search results. Search Engine Roundtable Stories: - Google Ads Tests Loading Sponsored Results Using Gemini With Animation https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-loading-gemini-41937.html Google Ads is testing loading the sponsored results in the mobile search results interface with an animation. It shows that Gemini is also involved by saying, "Evaluating sponsored results" and has a Google and Gemini logo as the ads load in. - Google: There Is Nothing Special To Do For Generative AI Responses In Search https://www.seroundtable.com/google-generative-ai-search-responses-todo-41916.html Google's John Mueller said on Bluesky that there is nothing special for one to do for generative AI responses within Google Search. He wrote, "from our POV there's nothing really special you need to do for generative AI responses in search." - Google To Charge For Missed & Subsequent Calls On LSAs https://www.seroundtable.com/google-lsa-missed-subsequent-calls-41940.html Google sent out emails to some advertisers notifying them that starting October 1st, Google Local Service Ads will charge for some missed and subsequent calls over the platform. "On October 01, 2026, we are updating how and when you are charged for call leads originating from Local Services Ads," the email wrote. - Google Shows AI Overviews Above Stock Charts For Stock Price Queries https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-overviews-stock-price-queries-41934.html Google seems to be showing AI Overviews at the top of the search results page when you specifically search for stock price queries - such as for GOOG stock or MSFT stock and so on. I was able to replicate this myself and it is just weird to show the AI Overview at the top for this queries and it seems to make the search results less relevant. - Google Says Google's Crawlers Don't Parse JSON https://www.seroundtable.com/google-crawlers-dont-parse-json-41936.html Gary Illyes from Google reiterated this morning that Googlebot, Google's crawler, does not parse JSON files. Instead, Googlebot just downloads the files and then the indexer does the rest. - Google Copyable Emojis In AI Overviews https://www.seroundtable.com/google-copyable-emojis-ai-overviews-41929.html About a year ago, Google added the ability to copy emojis directly from the search results in an answer box. Now, Google is also showing copyable emojis to AI Overviews in the Google Search results. - Google Cafe Painting https://www.seroundtable.com/photos/google-cafe-painting-41888.html We often share photos of cafes at Google in this section but here is a painting, art, of a Google cafe hanging in a Google office, probably near a Google cafe. Other Great Search Threads: Big drop for this site with the August spam update. Scaled to 1.3M urls... Looks heavily programmatic. https://x.com/glenngabe/status/2091861168923029859 , Glenn Gabe on X It may look like Google is indexing fewer pages when you show both not indexed and indexed. But if you just look at indexed, some are going up... https://x.com/rustybrick/status/2091873153563656227 , Barry Schwartz on X noticed even Perplexity is doing site: in fan outs now site: Australia AI SEO expert this chat https://x.com/gaganghotra /status/2091847766033224064 , Gagan Ghotra on X One of my favorite parts of Microsoft Advertising's AI Max is that it truly is opt in. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/navahhopkins one-of-my-favorite-parts-of-microsoft-advertisings-ugcPost-7497315700496334848-a25-/ , Navah Hopkins on LinkedIn Phones aren't a requirement -- Passkeys can also be set up on computers as well as hardware security keys. More details on setup requirements here: https://t.co/O9AwZSWlN6. Existing Passkeys can be managed in individuals' Google Accounts Google Account settings Security https://x.com/adsliaison/status/2091875711019520312 , AdsLiaison on X Google just shipped its embeddable Preferred Sources button, and the SEO community immediately asked: "so it's the same as the Follow button on Discover?" No. https://t.co/yubm562BuL Google itself mixed the two in one announcement. We mapped every "follow" button in the https://x.com/1492 Vision/status/2091935375220515256 , 1492.Vision Service on X I mean if we’d known it was for sale, Barry and I …. : https://x.com/dannysullivan/status/2091999499266748666 , Danny Sullivan on X One of the more frustrating things about AI Overviews is when you're looking for the official source of something, the AI Overview often cites other sites "talking" about that thing, while the official source doesn't show until you scroll down to the regular organic results. https://x.com/lilyraynyc/status/2091876955645763676 , Lily Ray on X Search Engine Land Stories: ChatGPT Ads adds automated bidding, platform targeting https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-ads-adds-automated-bidding-platform-targeting-485707 Google expands Local Services Ads categories ahead of migration https://searchengineland.com/google-expands-local-services-ads-categories-ahead-of-migration-485695 How to build an AI content workflow from the ground up https://searchengineland.com/build-ai-content-workflow-from-ground-up-485565 Google unifies Google tag and Tag Manager, adds no-code event tracking https://searchengineland.com/google-unifies-google-tag-and-tag-manager-adds-no-code-event-tracking-485688 AI search is here, but marketers still call it SEO https://searchengineland.com/ai-search-marketers-call-it-seo-485574 Your Google Business Profile needs a business continuity plan https://searchengineland.com/google-business-profile-continuity-plan-485601 How to build content briefs around audience situations https://searchengineland.com/content-briefs-audience-situations-485558 Other Great Search Stories: AI & LLMs How Big Tech Captured American Schools https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/business/schools-big-tech-google-microsoft.html?unlocked article code=1.7lA.pt4L.zMFCj4l3Xj3r&smid=nytcore-ios-share , New York Times New York Times tests out AI-generated search summaries https://www.semafor.com/article/08/23/2026/new-york-times-tests-out-ai-generated-search-summaries , Semafor We Created a Public Research Repository. Minutes Later, Meta AI Found Us. https://netcontentseo.net/article/we-created-a-public-research-repository-minutes-later-meta-ai-found-us-20-422 , Net Content SEO Google prepares Gemini App for Avatars, Plugins and Gemini 4 https://www.testingcatalog.com/google-prepares-gemini-app-for-avatars-plugins-and-gemini-4/ , Testing Catalog A look at the winning entries from the Gemma 4 Good Challenge. https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/developers-tools/winning-entries-gemma-4-good-challenge/ , Google Blog Our OpenAI fanout data shows no rise in site: operator use https://dejan.ai/blog/site-fanouts/ , DEJAN How to Evaluate Live & Voice Agents in ADK https://developers.googleblog.com/how-to-evaluate-live-voice-agents-in-adk/ , Google Developers Blog Industry & Business Google's Bid for Spirit Airlines' Data Just Hit Two Major Roadblocks https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/08/googles-bid-for-spirit-airlines-data-just-hit-two-major-roadblocks.html , Android Headlines Aecom Denies Liability In $17M Google Center Design Claim https://www.law360.com/articles/2508707/aecom-denies-liability-in-17m-google-center-design-claim , Law360 Google plans to stop making Pixel products in China in 2027 https://asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/supply-chain/exclusive-google-plans-to-stop-making-pixel-products-in-china-in-2027 , Nikkei Asia Google Gobbles More Office Space, Consolidating in DC https://therealdeal.com/national/washington-dc/2026/08/24/google-gobbles-more-office-space-consolidating-in-dc/ , The Real Deal Search Engine Watch is back: a new independent chapter begins https://searchenginewatch.com/search-engine-watch-back/ , Search Engine Watch Nvidia Discusses Perplexity Investment at $30 Billion-Plus Valuation https://www.theinformation.com/articles/nvidia-discusses-perplexity-investment-30-billion-plus-valuation-considered-tech-licensing-deal , The Information Plaintiffs lawyers' fee slashed in Google privacy settlement https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/plaintiffs-lawyers-fee-slashed-google-privacy-settlement-2026-08-24/ , Reuters Google Wins Spirit Data Bid, Cumulus Gets OK On Transfers https://www.law360.com/bankruptcy-authority/articles/2517107/google-wins-spirit-data-bid-cumulus-gets-ok-on-transfers , Law360 Links & Content Marketing Chunkability: Why Some Content Gets Cited and Most Doesn’t https://www.lumar.io/blog/best-practice/chunkability-ai-search-visibility/ , Lumar The Prestige Trap: How B2B Influencers Extend Analyst Recognition into AI Search https://www.toprankmarketing.com/blog/prestige-trap/ , TopRank Marketing 10Xing Your Real Estate Content? Know the Risks https://www.seosavvyagent.com/blog/10x-content-know-risks , SEO Savvy Agent Local & Maps Google Maps bug won't show traffic data on Android Auto and more https://9to5google.com/2026/08/24/google-maps-traffic-data-broken-android-auto/ , 9To5Google Google’s AI Is Calling Businesses for Pricing. But Are Those Calls Really Leads? https://www.searchengineworld.com/googles-ai-is-calling-businesses-for-pricing-but-are-those-calls-really-leads , Search Engine World Waze alerts are coming to navigation in Rivian's electric vehicles https://9to5google.com/2026/08/24/rivian-adding-real-time-waze-alerts/ , 9To5Google Celebrate National Parks Week with Google https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/national-parks-week-google-2026/ , Google Blog Google Maps is running into another traffic-related problem https://www.androidauthority.com/google-maps-traffic-lines-android-auto-bug-3701930/ , Android Authority Other Search Selected iOS users get a Virtual Shopping Assistant from Apple https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/08/24/ai-assistant-is-rolling-out-to-the-apple-store-app-on-ios , Apple Insider Google stoops to showing Pixel product ads in notifications https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/08/google-stoops-to-showing-pixel-product-ads-in-notifications.html , Android Headlines New Apple HomePods with AI are coming. Everything we know. https://mashable.com/tech/apple-homepods-siri-ai-explainer , Mashable PPC Marketing Measurement: MMM vs Attribution vs Incrementality https://www.brainlabsdigital.com/marketing-measurement-mmm-attribution-incrementality/ , Brainlabs Google’s Smart Bidding Update: Why the Cheapest CPL Isn’t Always the Best Lead https://www.ppc.live/post/google-s-smart-bidding-update-why-the-cheapest-cpl-isn-t-always-the-best-lead , PPC Live Google Tests "Only Bid for New Prospects" in Performance Max https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-08/google-tests-only-bid-new-prospects-performance-max/ , PPC News Feed Event Section Added to Promotions in Merchant Center https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-08/event-section-added-promotions-merchant-center/ , PPC News Feed Stale Customer Data Is Hurting Your Google Ads Results https://hopskipmedia.com/stale-customer-data-in-google-ads/ , Hop Skip Media Unlock creative variety across YouTube & Google Ads with Gemini Omni https://business.google.com/us/accelerate/announcements/omni-in-google-ads/ , Google New AI Max tools can help you scale Search campaigns https://business.google.com/us/accelerate/announcements/make-ai-max-work-for-your-business-with-new-testing-and-planning-tools/ , Google Search Features SEO Google Patent: Listwise Learning to Rank Explained https://patentlyze.com/patent/google-listwise-learning-rank-explained/ , Patentlyze The Top 100 Domains in US Search https://www.sistrix.com/blog/top-100-domains-in-us/ , SISTRIX Google Discover Publishers ranking in July 2026 https://www.discoversnoop.com/blog/2026/google-discover-publishers-ranking-in-july-2026/ , DiscoverSnoop Trust the Log, Not the Chatbot: What AI Search Crawlers Actually Read https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/what-ai-search-crawlers-read , Advanced Web Ranking Collection descriptions are worth the effort https://www.ilanadavis.com/blogs/articles/collection-descriptions-are-worth-the-effort , Ilana Davis How to Explain SEO to Your Mom and Your Clients https://olgatsimaraki.com/blog/how-to-explain-seo-to-your-mom/ , Olga Tsimaraki Has Google demoted listicles? https://www.growth-memo.com/p/has-google-demoted-listicles , Kevin Indig SEO is the cleanup crew for organisational dysfunction https://www.jonoalderson.com/conjecture/organisational-dysfunction/ , Jono Alderson Feedback: Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick https://twitter.com/rustybrick/ or @seroundtable https://twitter.com/seroundtable , on Threads https://www.threads.net/@rustybrick , Mastodon https://c.im/@rustybrick and Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/rustybrick.com and you can follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/seoroundtable and on Google News https://news.google.com/publications/CAAiEGcxG7fAnv8WVJaUn-8kyrcqFAgKIhBnMRu3wJ7 FlSWlJ vJMq3?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen , add as a preferred source on Google https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=seroundtable.com and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/rustybrick?sub confirmation=1 channel, Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id284443003 , Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4tFYPk3RmdTfMKG6u074TS , or just contact us the old fashion way https://www.seroundtable.com/contact.php .