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 dropped a number of search features and structured data types…

Google is testing replacing the definitions box in the search results with AI Overviews. I am personally able to replicate this but this was posted in Reddit a couple of months ago – I didn’t think it was new, but yea, this is been an ongoing test for some time.

Google updated its Circumventing systems policy to add a new section for Advertiser verification. In short, and as Google wrote, “Providing false or fraudulent information as part of our Advertiser verification programs is not allowed.”

Google is testing a tinted brownish/yellowish background color for the search results page. It turns the white background into a brownish/grayish/yellowish background and then the gray boxes into a darker color.

Google’s John Mueller announced Google is “simplify the search results page” by removing “some features that aren’t being used very often and aren’t adding significant value to users.” This means more structured data types will be removed, but for some reason, Google did not specify exactly which ones are going away.

Google Maps is getting an update from Gemini where you can ask Google Maps questions about locations, where Google Maps can give you more human directions and Google Maps with Lens can tell you more about a store or location.

Google has released version 2.11 of the Google Ads Editor, which includes over 15 new features and removes a couple of older features.

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 AI Overviews continue to shift click-through rates down…

Google added a new promotion method in Google Merchant Center for Top-performing products. This lets you just promote your best performing products in Google Shopping and Google Search.

Google is testing a new version of AI Mode responses in the wild, directly in the Google Search AI Mode interface. Google even tells the searcher, “You’re giving feedback on a new version of Al Mode. Which response do you prefer?”

Earlier this year, we covered that Google’s AI Overviews are killing click-through rates from the Google Search results. Well, Seer Interactive updated the numbers and that CTR decline has continued to decline and get even worse.

Google’s Robby Stein announced three new agentic capabilities within AI Mode – (1) booking event tickets (2) booking beauty appointments and (3) wellness appointments.

Google is testing an update to the reviews services summary box. We know Google does ask for services attributes and other attributes from both the business owner and reviewers but this review box seems newish.