We hope you are in good health. Here are some of the major SEO news updates of the week that you need to know:
Search Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
Google Rolls Out Redesigned Search Results Across the EEA
Google has rolled out redesigned Search results across the European Economic Area (EEA) for certain commercial queries, including hotels, flights, long-distance transport, and products, as part of its compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The new design introduces separate aggregator and direct supplier units, giving eligible comparison services their own Search placement while allowing direct providers to appear in a separate unit.
Google Says Old Low-Value Pages May Affect Site Recovery
Google’s John Mueller said that older, low-value programmatic pages may continue to influence how Google’s systems assess a website, even after the site has made changes. He explained that recovering trust and demonstrating genuine value can take significant time and effort, but did not provide a specific ranking system, recovery timeline, or threshold for when old pages stop influencing Google’s assessment.
Google Adds Post View Counts to Business Profiles
Google is rolling out post view counts globally in the Google Business Profile dashboard, giving businesses visibility into how often customers view individual posts. The reporting covers posts published within the past 18 months, including updates, offers, and events, with views from Google Search and Maps combined into a single count. The feature is currently not available through the API.
Google Says Traditional Search Positions Are Harder to Map
Google’s John Mueller explained that the traditional “position 1–10” model is becoming difficult to map meaningfully in modern Search. He noted that Search results now include many different interactive elements and formats, making a simple ranking position less useful for website owners. Google is currently tracking some newer Search features as a block, rather than assigning them a traditional position.
Google Business Profiles Adds Business Photo Verification Option
Google Business Profiles appears to be testing a new “Submit a business photo” verification option, giving businesses another way to verify their locations. The new method would complement existing verification options such as phone, email, live video, and postcard verification. Google has not yet added the option to its official documentation, so it may still be a test.
PPC Related News and Updates from Major Platforms
Google Expands Data Manager and Adds Data Strength Uplift Metric
Google is expanding Data Manager to Google Analytics and Display & Video 360, making it easier for advertisers to connect and manage first-party data across Google products. Google Ads is also introducing a Data Strength Uplift Metric, which estimates additional conversions recovered through improved first-party data and measurement setups.
Google Ads Introduces Local Customer Optimization for Performance Max
Google Ads is introducing Local Customer Optimization as a new campaign-level setting for Performance Max campaigns with store goals. The feature prioritizes consumers who are near or interested in a business location and appear ready to take an offline action, such as visiting a store, requesting directions, or calling the business. Google is also expanding Store Sales measurement in Data Manager to help eligible advertisers connect in-store transaction data with Google Ads for reporting and Smart Bidding.
Google Ads Introduces Automated Promotions From Website Offers
Google Ads has introduced Automated Promotions, a new account-level feature that automatically identifies active promotional offers from advertisers’ website landing pages and adds eligible promotions to ads. The feature applies to eligible Search and Performance Max campaigns with location assets when no manual promotions are running, giving advertisers an easier way to highlight offers such as percentage discounts directly in their ads.
Google Updates Location Asset Requirements for Google Ads
Google has updated its Location Asset Requirements documentation to improve terminology, readability, and troubleshooting guidance, while confirming that the update does not change policy enforcement. The revised documentation adds guidance covering tobacco, recreational drugs, and restricted targeting, while providing clearer steps for resolving location asset disapprovals through Google Business Profile and Google Ads.
Social Media Related News and Updates from Major Platforms
YouTube Expands Get Feedback Tool for Shorts Creators
YouTube is expanding its Get Feedback tool to creators in the U.S., allowing them to receive suggestions on their Shorts before publishing. The tool reviews elements such as the video’s hook, pacing, and visuals, then provides improvement suggestions without making changes to the video. The feature is optional and is currently available to eligible creators using the YouTube mobile app.
