Daily Search Forum Recap: August 31, 2026

Google Search is testing fully expanded AI Overviews for some queries, pushing users into AI Mode without requiring a click on the 'Show more' button, and is now showing shopping ads in a carousel format inline within AI Mode results. Rajan Patel, VP of Engineering for Google Search, confirmed the search spam team remains well-resourced, while Microsoft Advertising previewed a redesigned platform and Microsoft began requiring login for Copilot, excluding Copilot Search answers in Bing.

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 Search is making AI Overviews fully expanded for some queries, making it more like AI Mode and pushing the core search results down. Rajan Patel, VP of Engineering for Google Search, has confirmed that the Google Search team is still well-resourced in its fight against search spam. Microsoft Advertising is previewing a new design and usability update for its ad platform. Google posted a note that it has made enhancements to the Merchant Center's Popular products reports. Microsoft is now forcing all users to log in before using Copilot, but this currently does not apply to Copilot Search answers within Bing Search. Google is now showing shopping ads in a carousel format and singular ad formats inline within AI Mode results. Search Engine Roundtable Stories: - Google AI Overviews Pushing Searchers Into AI Mode, Drops Show More Button https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-overviews-push-ai-mode-responses-41974.html Google Search is testing pushing searchers into AI Mode from the AI Overview by default, without having to click the "Show more" button. The new AI Overview experience that Google is testing shows a much fuller AI answer, like you'd get in AI Mode, and loads the follow up "Ask anything" box by default. - Google Confirms Search Spam Team Is Fighting & Well Resourced https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-spam-team-fighting-41980.html Rajan Patel, VP of Engineering for Google Search, has confirmed that the Google Search team is still well-resourced in its fight against search spam. The spam team continues to update its spam algorithms, such as the latest Google August 2026 spam update, to help reduce spam in Google Search results. - Microsoft Advertising New Updated Design Preview https://www.seroundtable.com/microsoft-advertising-updated-design-preview-41978.html Microsoft Advertising is previewing a new design and usability update for its ad platform. This update has a redesigned navigation and improved tables and layouts. This update should make managing your ad campaigns more efficient and intuitive. - Google Merchant Center Popular Products Enhanced Coverage & Insights https://www.seroundtable.com/google-merchant-center-popular-products-report-enhanced-41977.html Google posted a note that it has made enhancements to the Merchant Center's Popular products reports. Specifically, the coverage and insights sections were improved back in June of this year, but Google just posted about this information on this past Friday afternoon. - Microsoft Forcing Copilot Users To Login But Not For Copilot Search Answers https://www.seroundtable.com/microsoft-copilot-login-41975.html Microsoft is now forcing all users to log in before using Copilot, but this currently does not apply to Copilot Search answers within Bing Search. When you try to go directly to Copilot, even by clicking on the Copilot button on Bing's home page, you are asked to sign into your account. - Google AI Mode With Inline Shopping Carousel Ads & Single Ad Unit https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-mode-shopping-carousel-ads-41973.html Google is now showing shopping ads in a carousel format inline within AI Mode results. Plus, Google is also showing a similar ad unit at the bottom of the AI Mode results. We got a lot of ads in AI Mode now, and I guess Google is looking for more and more ways to monetize those ads. - Growing Organic Google Signage https://www.seroundtable.com/photos/growing-organic-google-signage-41930.html This Google signage, a super G logo, at the Google Sydney office caught my eye. It looks like the logo is growing organic stuff on it but it is just part of the design of the logo. Other Great Search Threads: Case in point - first 14 days of a new campaign Google Shopping and PMAX; home decor products with longer purchase cycle Screenshot 1 - day after 14 day period Screenshot 2 - 30 days later https://x.com/MenachemAni/status/2093331078261981435 , Menachem Ani on X Quick update - that Bing AI Perf. Report dip - seems to have recovered the 1/2 dozen sites I saw this same pattern on - all seem to have bounced back. https://bsky.app/profile/dan-lauer22.bsky.social/post/3mu5eb5f6mc2u , Dan Lauer on Bluesky Dreambeans Google Labs offers even more personalization within Google, and it can retrieve a YouTube video watched a few days ago for personalization within the prompts used to build the feed. See the prompts at the end of the tweet. This Google app is a daily drop https://x.com/AndellDam/status/2093735685748330755 , Damien Andell on X Two examples of the new expanded AIO when Google's systems determine that's helpful for users these are both YMYL queries . This can clearly cause big problems for sites that rank in the 10-blue links... You can't even see the end of the answer in my screenshots. And the 10- https://x.com/glenngabe/status/2093703425963729081 , Glenn Gabe on X Google Ads — Video Spark Beta https://www.linkedin.com/posts/arpan301 googleads-ppc-sem-share-7499699431563476992-1RoT/ , Arpan Banerjee on LinkedIn On my test sites the only crawlers who claim to accept markdown are SEO tools. Ymmv. https://www.reddit.com/r/TechSEO/comments/1w1mjvm/has anyone had any success providing markdown/ , John Mueller on Reddit Search Engine Land Stories: Google is dynamically expanding AI Overviews for some queries https://searchengineland.com/google-is-dynamically-expanding-ai-overviews-for-some-queries-486200 Greg Finn on 20 years of PPC: From exact match to AI Mode https://searchengineland.com/greg-finn-on-20-years-of-ppc-from-exact-match-to-ai-mode-486188 The latest jobs in search marketing https://searchengineland.com/latest-jobs-in-search-marketing-378959 Google says better YouTube creative can more than double ROI https://searchengineland.com/google-says-better-youtube-creative-can-more-than-double-roi-486180 Google announces October changes to Display & Video 360 API https://searchengineland.com/google-announces-october-changes-to-display-video-360-api-486175 More leads or better leads? Optimize for what your business needs https://searchengineland.com/more-better-leads-optimize-business-needs-486032 Use Claude for SEO. Don’t let Claude do SEO. https://searchengineland.com/use-claude-for-seo-dont-let-claude-do-seo-485931 7 ways to use AI for the SEO work that matters https://searchengineland.com/use-ai-seo-work-that-matters-485936 Other Great Search Stories: AI & LLMs Google Employees Are Already Testing the Next Gemini Flash AI Model https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-testing-next-gemini-flash-3-8-model-2026-8 , Business Insider Teamwork: When AI Becomes a Research Partner https://antigravity.google/blog/teamwork-when-ai-becomes-a-research-partner , Google Antigravity Blog South Korea’s ‘AI for All’ Push Gives Free Chatbot Access to Every Citizen https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/south-koreas-ai-for-all-push-gives-free-access-to-every-citizen-451f6b2c , Wall Street Journal How AI chatbots and AI overviews parse foreign propaganda https://www.npr.org/2026/08/30/nx-s1-5876436/chatbots-search-propaganda , NPR How Apple Stumbled Into AI Hardware Success With the Mac https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-stumbled-ai-hardware-success-mac , The Information When AI Has Nothing On Your Company, It Describes Someone Else. https://duaneforresterdecodes.substack.com/p/when-ai-has-nothing-on-your-company , Duane Forrester Decodes Anthropic warns infostealer malware is hijacking Claude sessions to drain usage https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/artificial-intelligence/anthropic-warns-infostealer-malware-is-hijacking-claude-sessions-to-drain-usage/ , Bleeping Computer How Salesforce Is Overhauling the Way It Charges for AI https://www.theinformation.com/articles/salesforce-overhauling-way-charges-ai , The Information OpenClaw 2.0, Accidentally https://openclaw.ai/blog/openclaw-2-accidentally/ , OpenClaw Blog Industry & Business US judge blocks Pentagon's Anthropic blacklisting https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judge-blocks-pentagons-anthropic-blacklisting-2026-08-28/ , Reuters Our decision on Cursor following its acquisition by SpaceX https://openai.com/index/our-decision-on-cursor-following-its-acquisition-by-spacex/ , OpenAI Grading to begin for Google Data Center Campus in Botetourt County https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2026/08/28/grading-to-begin-for-google-data-center-campus-in-botetourt-county/ , WSLS 'Exemplary Performance' Earns Google Users' Attys $146.8M https://www.law360.com/articles/2519282 , Law360 Apple’s New CEO John Ternus Takes Reins From Tim Cook, Focusing on AI https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-30/apple-s-new-ceo-john-ternus-takes-reins-from-tim-cook-focusing-on-ai?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4ODEyMzY3MiwiZXhwIjoxNzg4NzI4NDcyLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUS0xQMDFLSUpIOEswMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDNEVEQ0FFMUZBMDU0MEJFQTI0QTlGMjExQzFFOTA4MCJ9.wriOmsDtkJHaUaImJsL5A2bRfmmr7PAEFdQSbFvG7kI&leadSource=article-gifting , Bloomberg Links & Content Marketing How to keep a crisis from defining your brand online https://martech.org/how-to-keep-a-crisis-from-defining-your-brand-online/ , MarTech How We Use AI for Every Article Without Making AI Slop https://ahrefs.com/blog/how-we-use-ai-without-making-ai-slop/ , Ahrefs Local & Maps 5 Google Maps Settings Drivers Should Enable https://www.bgr.com/2242473/google-maps-settings-drivers-should-enable/ , BGR How To Add An Intro To Apple CarPlay Using Shortcuts https://www.engadget.com/2244156/how-to-add-intro-apple-carplay-with-shortcuts/ , Engadget This former PG&E engineer is building a 'Google Maps for the underground' https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/27/this-former-pge-engineer-is-building-a-google-maps-for-the-underground/ , TechCrunch Lake Ontario Renamed Lake America: Google Maps Must Label Two Nations on One Lake https://www.techtimes.com/articles/325804/20260827/lake-ontario-renamed-lake-america-google-maps-must-label-two-nations-one-lake.htm , Tech Times Steady Demand Research Index - AI and GBP Stats 2026 https://www.steadydemand.com/steady-demand-research-index-ai-and-gbp-stats-2026/ , Steady Demand Google Reveals How ‘Lake America’ Name Change Will Appear on Maps https://www.newsweek.com/google-reveals-how-lake-america-name-change-will-appear-on-maps-12384897 , Newsweek How the GNIS Lake Ontario/Lake America name change in the U.S. will appear in Maps https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/gnis-lake-ontario-lake-america-name-change/ , Google Blog Other Search More compute flexibility in Gemini Notebook https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-notebook/new-flexible-usage-limits/ , Google Blog PPC Google Changed the Rules on tCPA and tROAS. The Auction Is Still Catching Up. https://www.amsive.com/insights/uncategorized/google-changed-the-rules-on-tcpa-and-troas-the-auction-is-still-catching-up/ , Amsive Microsoft Tightens Brazil Gambling Rules https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-08/microsoft-tightens-brazil-gambling-rules/ , PPC News Feed The Truth about Google Ads Reps And Why to Avoid Them https://marlinsem.com/google-account-strategist-reps/ , MarlinSEM Google Tests 'For You' Label in Dynamic Remarketing Ads https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-08/google-tests-for-you-label-dynamic-remarketing-ads/ , PPC News Feed Google Ads Enhances Creative Insights With A/B Testing https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-08/google-ads-creative-insights-ab-testing/ , PPC News Feed The Hidden API Problem in Google’s LSA-to-PMax Migration https://hackernoon.com/the-hidden-api-problem-in-googles-lsa-to-pmax-migration , HackerNoon Automatic and Manual Payments Renamed to Postpay and Prepay https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-08/automatic-manual-payments-renamed-postpay-prepay/ , PPC News Feed Google’s Bidding Change Proves Agentic Advertising Has An Agency Problem https://www.adexchanger.com/data-driven-thinking/googles-bidding-change-proves-agentic-advertising-has-an-agency-problem/ , AdExchanger Search Features ChatGPT and Codex now support multiple Gmail and Google Calendar accounts https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/28/chatgpt-and-codex-now-support-multiple-gmail-and-google-calendar-accounts/ , 9to5Mac Connect multiple Google accounts to ChatGPT https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes connect-multiple-google-accounts-to-chatgpt , ChatGPT Release Notes SEO Structured Outputs: Orchestrating AI Knowledge https://www.hillwebcreations.com/structured-outputs-for-precise-data-extraction/ , Hill Web Creations When SEO Best Practices Backfire https://www.searchpilot.com/resources/blog/when-seo-best-practices-backfire , SearchPilot A study of query fan-out in ChatGPT using brand searches https://www.mjcachon.com/en/blog/study-query-fan-out-chatgpt-brand/ , MJ Cachon AI Search Visibility for Ecommerce: SEO/GEO Case Study https://jennymunn.com/ai-search-visibility-ecommerce-case-study/ , Jenny Munn Buffer Teardown: SEO, AI Search, and Onboarding Analysis https://packted.com/buffer-onboarding-teardown/ , Packted 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 .