Daily Search Forum Recap: April 4, 2024 -

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 may charge for some AI features in its search results, maybe. Google Search Console had a reporting bug with image results again. Google Ads is testing an ad carousel slider. Google Ads is labeling some ads as “related to your search.” Google again says sharing IPs or hosts is fine and doesn’t hurt you SEO.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

Report: Google Considers Charging For AI Search Features Like SGE AI Overviews

A report from the Financial Times (subscription required) says that Google is considering charging for some of its AI-related search features, such as the Search Generative Experience (SGE) and AI overviews. This is likely because of the cost to serve AI search results and because the SGE interface would severely impact ad revenue.

Google Search Console Reporting Bug With AMP Pages & Web Stories In Google Images

Google has posted yet another reporting and data logging issue with Google Search Console. This one occurred between March 28, 2024 through April 2, 2024 and impacted reporting on AMP pages and Web Stories in Google Images. This was just a reporting issue and did not impact real traffic.

Google Tests Search Ads Carousel Slider

Google is testing a new format for search ads, the ads go in a slider or carousel that let you swipe through various ads, instead of scrolling past them. I kind of like this but I assume advertisers will not like it.

Google Ads With Related To Your Search Label

Google is testing showing a label on some search ads that reads “Related to your search.” I am not sure why Google needs to label the search ads as being related to your search, I mean, I’d hope the search ads shown from your query is related to your search. But yet Google is testing the label.

Google: Sharing IP Addresses On Shared Servers Is Normal & Fine For SEO

Google’s John Mueller for the umpteenth time said that sharing IP addresses and/or having your site on a shared server and/or using a CDN that does all of that, is fine for Google Search, SEO and ranking. In fact, he said it is “normal” for sites to do this.

Wooden Google Paddle Board

We’ve seen Google surfboards before, but here is a shorter, I think they call it, paddle board with the Google logo on it. This is from the Google office in Munich, Germany. I found this photo on Instagram.