A well-rounded view on search engines and search engine marketing from five segments of the Web population represented by senior members of the major SEO/SEM forums on the Internet.https://www.seroundtable.comen-usBarry SchwartzMon, 31 Aug 2026 12:13:00 -0400en-usnoSearch Engine Roundtablesearch,search,engines,google,yahoo,ask,com,microsoft,live,com,adcenter,adwords,adsense,ypn,barry,schwartz,search,engine,roundtableThe Pulse with Barry Schwartz and co-hosts Ben Pfeiffer and Chris Boggs covers search topics that receive the most buzz from within the search community. Each Tuesday, The Pulse will recap those important search topics in a roundtable style format, allowing the hosts to debate and argue some of the latest trends and stories in the search industry.Search Pulse from the Search Engine RoundtableBarry Schwartzbarry@rustybrick.comBarry Schwartzhttps://www.seroundtable.com/google-european-search-dataset-licensing-program-41986.htmlMon, 31 Aug 2026 12:13:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-european-search-dataset-licensing-program-41986.htmlGoogle has updated its Google European Search Dataset Licensing Program page with details on the program. Google has been designated as a "gatekeeper" under the DMA and is thus legally required to share its search data with competing search engines to foster fair competition.Googlebarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/recap-08-31-2026-41981.htmlMon, 31 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/recap-08-31-2026-41981.htmlHere 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...Search Forum Recapbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/microsoft-advertising-updated-design-preview-41978.htmlMon, 31 Aug 2026 07:51:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/microsoft-advertising-updated-design-preview-41978.htmlMicrosoft 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. Bing Adsbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-merchant-center-popular-products-report-enhanced-41977.htmlMon, 31 Aug 2026 07:41:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-merchant-center-popular-products-report-enhanced-41977.htmlGoogle 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.Google Adsbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/microsoft-copilot-login-41975.htmlMon, 31 Aug 2026 07:31:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/microsoft-copilot-login-41975.htmlMicrosoft 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.Bing Searchbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-spam-team-fighting-41980.htmlMon, 31 Aug 2026 07:21:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-spam-team-fighting-41980.htmlRajan 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.Google Updatesbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-mode-shopping-carousel-ads-41973.htmlMon, 31 Aug 2026 07:11:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-mode-shopping-carousel-ads-41973.htmlGoogle 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.Google Adsbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-overviews-push-ai-mode-responses-41974.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 13:30:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-overviews-push-ai-mode-responses-41974.htmlGoogle 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.Googlebarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/recap-08-28-2026-41971.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/recap-08-28-2026-41971.htmlHere 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. A first, Google won't enforce a spam policy within the European region...Search Forum Recapbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/video-08-28-2026-41963.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 08:01:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/video-08-28-2026-41963.htmlAnother week, more volatility within the Google Search results. Google is also swapping out direct links to go-to URL redirect links in its search results to protect...Search Video Recapsbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-book-buttons-41964.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 07:51:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-book-buttons-41964.htmlGoogle is expanding the book button through Reserve with Google partner integration to Google Ads Search and Performance Max campaigns. Previously, I believe, this was only available on Google Local Service Ads and maps ads.Google Adsbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-announces-search-updates-41969.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 07:41:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-announces-search-updates-41969.htmlGoogle's John Mueller said Google "primarily" announces search updates to provide "transparency for site owners." He added that when Google publishes blog posts, updates policies, and help center documentation, that is an actionable announcement site owners could use. Google Search Engine Optimizationbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-preferred-sources-tailor-your-feed-41965.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 07:31:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-preferred-sources-tailor-your-feed-41965.htmlGoogle has two, well, maybe three, features that are being confused as one. The preferred sources, the tailor your feed and also search profiles. All kind of customize what you see across Google Search features including Google Search, AI Mode, Discover and so on. But they are all different features.Googlebarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-update-alcohol-advertising-policy-41966.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 07:21:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-update-alcohol-advertising-policy-41966.htmlGoogle will be updating its alcohol advertising policy on September 30, 2026. The update "revises country-specific guidelines, expands allowed advertising locations, and provides clearer details on specific advertiser requirements and responsibilities," Google wrote.Google Adsbarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-indexing-issues-41972.htmlFri, 28 Aug 2026 07:15:00 -0400https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-indexing-issues-41972.htmlGoogle Search seems to be having indexing or serving issues in the past hour or so. New content from the past hour doesn't seem to be showing up in Google Search results. Content from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNN and other news sites that post content constantly are not showing much or any new pages in the Google search results.Googlebarry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz)