Daily Search Forum Recap: September 16, 2026

Google Search Live is now powered by Gemini 3.8 Live, the latest AI model from Google, according to Search Engine Roundtable's September 16, 2026 recap. Google's John Mueller also said Search Console position and impression tracking for AI Mode, AI Overviews and Google Search will "evolve over time" as those products evolve. Google separately announced that AI performance insights in Google Merchant Center are now generally available, alongside simplified Universal Commerce Protocol integration, and added Ad Count, Ad Density, Ad Weight (Network) and Ad Weight (CPU) metrics to the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX).

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable https://www.seroundtable.com and other search forums on the web. Google said Search Console position reporting may change as Search, AI Mode, AI Overviews, etc. evolve over time. Gemini 3.8 Live is now powering Google Search Live. Google Chrome User Experience report added Ad Count, Ad Density, Ad Weight Network and Ad Weight CPU . Google Merchant Center's AI performance insights generally available, it has simplified Universal Commerce Protocol integration and more. Google Image Search lets you save images to collections and folders using AI. Google is now testing linking the product and shopping results within Google Search directly to the merchant or retailer website. Google posted another new help document on multi-source conversions beta . Bing is testing adding product/shopping related filters on the left sidebar of the search results. Google Ads is rolling out an update to the Spend benchmarks report that now shows you how your spend is comparable to businesses like yours. Search Engine Roundtable Stories: - Google: Google Search Console AI Position Reporting Will Evolve Over Time https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-console-ai-reporting-change-42099.html Google's John Mueller said that he expects the position and impression tracking for AI Mode, AI Overviews and Google Search to "evolve over time" as Google Search, AI Mode and AI Overviews "evolve too," he wrote. - Google Search Live Now Powered By Gemini 3.8 Live https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-live-gemini-3-8-42094.html Google Search Live is now powered by Google's latest AI model, Gemini 3.8 Live. Search Live has been around for a couple years now, both in audio only format and then video format. Search Live was released globally in March, and before that, it removed the opt-in requirements. - Google Chrome User Experience Report CrUX With Ad Metrics https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ad-metrics-crux-42093.html Google announced new ad metrics that are being tested within the Chrome User Experience Report CrUX . These metrics include Ad Count, Ad Density, Ad Weight Network and Ad Weight CPU . - Google Merchant Center AI Reports Live, Easier UCP & UCP Analytics https://www.seroundtable.com/google-merchant-center-ai-updates-42095.html Google has announced a number of updates to Google Merchant Center including the AI performance insights generally available, it has simplified Universal Commerce Protocol integration, and Google highlighted how using conversational and video attributes can help. - Google Image Search Collections Save To Suggested By Al https://www.seroundtable.com/google-images-suggested-by-al-42096.html Google Image Search lets you save images to collections and folders. Well, now Google will suggest new folders or collections using AI - it says "suggested by AI" with a Gemini icon over a folder. - Google Search Product Listings Tests Linking Directly To Merchant Site https://www.seroundtable.com/google-product-listings-direct-merchant-42089.html Google is now testing linking the product and shopping results within Google Search directly to the merchant or retailer website. This is instead of Google opening the side panel with more details about the product. - New Information On Google Ads Multi-Source Conversions Beta https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-multi-source-conversions-42080.html Google posted another new help document on multi-source conversions beta . Last month, Google reportedly renamed conversions with multiple data sources to multi-source conversions, but now there is this new help document as well. - Bing Tests Shopping Filters On Left Sidebar https://www.seroundtable.com/bing-sidebar-shopping-filters-42084.html Microsoft Bing is testing adding product/shopping related filters on the left sidebar of the search results. This makes the Bing all search tab look more like Google's all tab, when you search for product or shopping related queries. - Google Ads Spend Benchmarks Report Compares Your Competitors https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-spend-benchmarks-report-competitors-42097.html Google Ads is rolling out an update to the Spend benchmarks report that now shows you how your spend is comparable to businesses like yours. In short, it shows you if you are spending more, less or the same as your competitors on Google Ads. - Google Health Yoga Mats https://www.seroundtable.com/photos/google-health-yoga-mat-42036.html The other day we saw a close-up of these Google Health tote bags and yoga mats, but it seemed like Google had some sort of yoga practice at the event. Here are dozens of these Google yoga mats spread out at the Google London office. Other Great Search Threads: - Is topical authority still enough to rank in Google Search 2026? https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/is-topical-authority-still-enough-to-rank-in-google-search-2026.1848004/ , BlackHatWorld - Michael Lewis, 1999, on the Internet bubble: “With companies called Google going for $75 million… everyone else was already selling air.” Google was “selling air.” Worth remembering amid the AI boom. Predictions are hard. https://x.com/MParakhin/status/2099836494240162113 , Mikhail Parakhin on X - Microsoft and Bing have been leading on publisher choice and transparency in the era of generative AI. We were the first search engine to provide site owners controls over their content for AI training and grounding, and kept building on our transparency commitment with... https://x.com/JordiRib1/status/2099895315591581909 , Jordi Ribas on X - You never know when someone will be searching for "shoes" but "not for running", "not in green" - and ... in the category of "not suitable as rocket fuel" https://bsky.app/profile/johnmu.com/post/3mvkyrysqos25 , John Mueller on Bluesky - If you’re using WordPress, you can now see a report of important actions like cart checkouts or form submissions directly in your WordPress dashboard, thanks to Site Kit's new Site Goals feature. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/googlesearchcentral if-youre-using-wordpress-you-can-now-see-activity-7505593396275736577-2wFv/ , Google Search Central on LinkedIn - Are you an ecommerce seeing important YOY drops in organic search traffic from your top performing non-branded queries/topics even if you haven't actually decreased in real positions? It's not you, it's Google Just compare the SERPs from September 2025 vs the ones of 202… https://x.com/aleyda/status/2099915188690633060 , Aleyda Solis on X Search Engine Land Stories: Other Great Search Stories: AI & LLMs - UK sources of news: One in five use AI but BBC still dominates https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/uk-sources-of-news/ , Press Gazette - Google’s AI & Economy ATLAS: New insights https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/ai/ai-economy-atlas-september-2026/ , Google Blog - Build zero-trust AI agents that judge intent, not just syntax https://developers.googleblog.com/build-zero-trust-ai-agents-that-judge-intent-not-just-syntax/ , Google Developers Blog - Gates Foundation Pledges $1 Billion to Combat A.I. Inequality https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/technology/bill-gates-ai-foundation-funding.html , New York Times - Gemini 3.8 Live & Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/gemini-3-8-live-gemini-3-8-live-extended-thinking/ , Google Blog - How Google is building AI for societal impact https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/ai/ai-for-societal-impact/ , Google Blog - Bypassing inference bottlenecks: Accelerating complex AI search with Retrieve-for-Train https://research.google/blog/bypassing-inference-bottlenecks-accelerating-complex-ai-search-with-retrieve-for-train/ , Google Blog - Google: AI for everyone in every language https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/ai/ai-for-every-language/ , Google Blog - A.I. Is Unpopular With Voters, a New York Times/Siena Poll Finds https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/us/politics/ai-polls-midterms.html?unlocked article code=1.BVE.fhM9.BLmkdM3kKG84&smid=bs-share , New York Times - 4 tips for tackling household chores with Gemini https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-app/household-chores-tips/ , Google Blog Industry & Business - Google DeepMind Staffer Says AI May ‘Kill Us All’ in Exit Post https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-15/google-deepmind-staffer-says-ai-may-kill-us-all-in-exit-post , Bloomberg - AEO startup Profound hits unicorn valuation, raises $180M Series D 7 months after last round https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/15/aeo-startup-profound-hits-unicorn-valuation-raises-180m-series-d-7-months-after-last-round/ , TechCrunch - Google AI Overviews can defame https://www.courthousenews.com/google-ai-overviews-can-defame/ , Courthouse News Service - NY Judges Wary of Holding Meta, Google Liable for Mass Shooting https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/ny-judges-wary-of-holding-meta-google-liable-for-mass-shooting , Bloomberg Law News - OpenAI Says It’s Working With Anthropic, Google on AI Safety https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/openai-says-its-working-with-anthropic-google-on-ai-safety , Bloomberg Law News - OpenAI weighs funding round at $1.2tn valuation before IPO https://www.ft.com/content/27509db8-b032-4437-9b2a-e909f466022f , Financial Times Sub - OpenAI's Friar pushes for 'need to take safety seriously' on AI https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/15/open-ai-sarah-friar-safety.html , CNBC - Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders Demand Tighter Controls on A.I. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/us/steve-bannon-bernie-sanders-ai.html?unlocked article code=1.BVE.mt9g.fW2MONpQsanG&smid=nytcore-android-share , New York Times - Google contributes $10 million to Nevada’s Clean Energy Fund https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/infrastructure-and-cloud/global-network/nevada-clean-energy-fund/ , Google Blog Links & Content Marketing - Foundational Links: How to Build a Solid Link Foundation https://theupperranks.com/blog/foundational-links/ , The Upper Ranks - Why Marketers Should Speak Plainly: 3 Drills To Remove Jargon https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/training-education/marketers-speak-plainly-remove-jargon , Content Marketing Institute Local & Maps - I rely on Google Maps every day, but Apple Maps handles these key navigation details so much better https://www.androidpolice.com/google-apple-maps-comparison-navigation/ , Android Police - GM found the 'sweet spot' of Android Auto and CarPlay support https://9to5google.com/2026/09/15/gm-android-auto-carplay-support-2027-vehicles/ , 9To5Google - Google Maps on Android Auto is finally getting a speedometer that’s always on https://www.androidpolice.com/google-maps-on-android-auto-is-finally-getting-a-speedometer-thats-always-on/ , Android Police Other Search - Gemini Daily Brief could soon be actually useful all day long https://www.androidauthority.com/gemini-daily-brief-manual-refresh-apk-teardown-3711310/ , Android Authority - Gmail Search’s AI Overviews now available globally https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2026/09/gmail-searchs-ai-overviews-now-available-globally.html?m=1 , Google Workspace Updates - Meta to Launch Camera-Free Smart Glasses Amid Mounting Privacy Concerns https://www.theinformation.com/articles/meta-launch-camera-free-smart-glasses-amid-mounting-privacy-concerns , The Information - 2026 State of Ecommerce Report https://www.similarweb.com/corp/reports/state-of-ecommerce-2026/ , Similarweb PPC - Apple Maps Ads Are Here: Everything You Need to Know https://www.wordstream.com/blog/apple-maps-ads , WordStream - Google debuts new ad detection tools within iChrome https://digiday.com/media-buying/google-debuts-ad-detection-tool-letting-marketers-better-assess-ad-experiences-in-chrome/ , Digiday - Microsoft Merchant Center Store Renaming No Longer Affects Shopping Ads https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-09/microsoft-merchant-center-store-renaming-no-longer-affects/ , PPC News Feed - SEO vs. PPC for Ecommerce: When to Invest in Each https://intergrowth.com/seo/vs-ppc/ , Intergrowth - Google Is Not As Safe A Place To Advertise As TV, VAB Asserts https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/418041/google-is-not-as-safe-a-place-to-advertise-as-tv.html?edition=143845 , MediaPost - Merchant Center Expands Conversational Attribute Specs https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-09/merchant-center-expands-conversational-attribute-specs/ , PPC News Feed - Microsoft Expands Customer Match CDP Partners https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-09/microsoft-expands-customer-match-cdp-partners/ , PPC News Feed SEO - AI Search Questions We’re Solving for Top Brands https://terakeet.com/blog/ai-search-questions-solved/ , Terakeet - Google Discover, September 15, 2026: ten hours without fresh articles https://1492.vision/logbook/discover-freshness-drop-2026-09-15?lng=en , 1492.vision - Have it both ways: stay discoverable in search while disallowing AI training https://blog.cloudflare.com/accountable-mixed-use-ai-crawlers/ , Cloudflare Blog - The SEO Meta Study: 182 SEO tactics with evidence https://ovisy.hr/blog/seo-meta-study , Ovisy - The Trust Crisis: SEO Desperately Needs Accreditation https://www.seoforlunch.com/p/certification , SEO For Lunch - What is Information Gain Score in SEO? https://www.hobo-web.co.uk/what-is-information-gain-score-in-seo/ , Hobo - If You Were On Reddit Just For “GEO”, Your Strategy Was Doomed From the Very Start https://www.annsmarty.com/p/if-you-were-on-reddit-just-for-geo , Ann Smarty - Is Your "GEO" Just Another Name For Spam? https://ashla.ai/p/is-your-geo-just-another-name-for-spam , Joe Hall 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 .