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Category: News

Google Firmly Denies 2026 Ad Plans for Gemini AI

Recently, I stumbled upon claims that Google is planning to introduce ads to its Gemini AI chatbot by 2026. However, Google’s top executive has firmly denied these rumors.

The Buzz: According to AdWeek, Google supposedly informed major advertisers that Gemini is set to feature its own ad slots in 2026—distinct from AI Mode’s current ads. Could this mean something big is on the horizon?

On these calls, advertisers were curious but noted a lack of concrete details or prototypes.

Google’s Rebuttal: Dan Taylor, the VP of Global Ads at Google, took to X, flatly dismissing these claims. He insisted, “There are no ads in the Gemini app and no plans to change that.”

Why This Matters: As advertisers, we are on the edge of our seats, wondering how AI interfaces like Gemini might change the ad landscape. Could an ad-supported chatbot alter advertising strategies and user interactions dramatically?

Discussions are already underway about whether AI chatbots should solely serve as utility tools or evolve into revenue-generating platforms. Even whispers of ads in Gemini drive agencies to consider future possibilities.

Moving Forward: Google’s stance is clear; for now, Gemini remains ad-free. Yet with competitors exploring monetization avenues, we must watch this space closely. The conversation about ads in Gemini is far from over.

Read More: EXCLUSIVE: Google Tells Advertisers It’ll Bring Ads to Gemini in 2026

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 9, 2025
Google’s Search Deals Limited to One Year by Judge’s Order
I recently learned about a significant ruling that will impact Google’s longstanding agreements with tech giants like Apple and Samsung. This decision means that moving forward, Google will only be able to secure its place as the default search engine on devices for one year at a time. Despite this change, I’m not expecting a major shift in Google’s dominance over the search market anytime soon.

Here’s what’s driving the news: On Friday, Judge Amit Mehta described this one-year cap as a crucial step in enforcing antitrust measures. This follows his 2024 decision, which concluded that Google was unlawfully monopolizing the realms of search and search advertising. According to Business Insider, the requirement aims to enforce fair competition in the industry.

Additionally, Judge Mehta’s earlier ruling outlined restrictions for Google:
- Google must avoid any exclusive contracts regarding the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app.
- They cannot condition licensing agreements of the Play Store on the preloading of these applications on devices.
- Revenue sharing cannot be contingent on placing or maintaining these applications on devices beyond one year.
- Partners are free to distribute alternative GSEs, browsers, or GenAI products simultaneously.
Why I care: This landscape shift could mean that user searches originate from a wider array of platforms. If AI-powered competitors like OpenAI, Perplexity, or Microsoft make even modest advances, we could see a more diverse and challenging search terrain emerge.

Reality check: In my view, this is more of a bump in the road rather than a disruption. Google’s financial resources, brand strength, and user habits continue to provide significant leverage in annual negotiations.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 9, 2025
Unlock Insight with Google Search Console’s New Reports

I’m thrilled about the latest update from Google Search Console, which now offers both weekly and monthly views in their performance reports. This change allows me to dive deeper into the data, providing a more detailed analysis beyond the usual 24-hour view.

What it looks like. At the recent Google Search Central event in Zurich, I snapped some photos of the announcement. It was a fantastic experience to see these changes unveiled in real-time.

Why we care. These updates, though small, are invaluable for SEOs, publishers, and site owners like me. The granular data now available helps me investigate changes in performance more effectively, whether it’s over a specific month, week, or day.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 9, 2025
OpenAI’s ChatGPT ‘Ads’ Controversy: The Real Story

I recently came across a discussion where OpenAI needed to reassure us, their paying users, about some rather curious developments with ChatGPT.

To my surprise, images emerged of what seemed to be ads from big names like Target and Peloton. Understandably, this concern had me quite intrigued because OpenAI insisted these prompts weren’t actually ads.

What Happened. Many of us who use ChatGPT regularly shared screenshots that displayed prompts resembling promotional ads. One notable instance was a message encouraging shopping for home and groceries with Target.

OpenAI clarified that these prompts were merely recommendations for apps built on their platform, emphasizing that there was “no financial component” involved.

Despite this, the presence of brand logos and calls to action led us to believe otherwise. It naturally felt like these were ads.

Not surprisingly, many of us weren’t thrilled about this. One user responded with palpable frustration, saying, “Bruhhh… Don’t insult your paying users.”

What OpenAI is Saying. OpenAI’s management was quick to address our concerns:

“No ads.” Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, insisted that there are currently “no live tests for ads.” He suggested that the screenshots we saw were “either not real or not ads.”

However, Mark Chen, the chief research officer, admitted that OpenAI “fell short” and any content that could be perceived as an ad should be “handled with care.”

Chen also mentioned the disabling of these app suggestions while they refine the model’s accuracy and build better controls for users to manage them.

Ads on Hold. Despite all the chatter about potential ads on ChatGPT, OpenAI has put a pause on their advertising ambitions. CEO Sam Altman issued a companywide “code red” to enhance ChatGPT’s quality, leading to a delay in several initiatives, including those related to ads.

Why We Care. Initially, it seemed like we were about to see the dawn of ChatGPT ads, but that isn’t the case. For now, we eagerly await the end of ChatGPT’s “code red” phase and look forward to a more refined and improved product experience.

More Coverage. Discover further discussions on this issue at Techmeme.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 8, 2025
Profound Leads as AEO Innovator in G2 Winter Report

I’m excited to share that Profound has been recognized as the definitive Leader in G2’s Winter Reports for the AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) category. This achievement highlights our continued dedication to innovation and excellence in AEO.
Our hard work and commitment to improving search optimization solutions have clearly paid off, reaffirming Profound’s position at the forefront of the industry. It’s rewarding to see our efforts acknowledged by such a respected platform.

Inspired by this post on Try Profound Blog.

December 5, 2025
Ignoring Google’s Warnings: A Costly Lesson in PPC Management

I recently had a thought-provoking conversation with Nils Rooijmans, a respected figure in the world of Google Ads and a top PPC influencer. He shared with me a critical experience that highlights the importance of not overlooking Google’s consent mode warnings.

On episode 333 of PPC Live The Podcast, Nils revealed how a seemingly small oversight led to a significant drop in conversions and traffic for one of his managed accounts. This experience serves as a stark lesson for all of us in the paid search industry.

The story began with a rushed account onboarding after Nils’ existing client acquired another company involved in airport parking services. The client sought to avoid additional fees for a proper onboarding process, setting the stage for future challenges.

Nils agreed to transition the account into their existing setup gradually. However, this compromise led them to neglect the new account, which soon proved to be an expensive mistake.

After six weeks of minimal oversight, clicks and conversions plummeted. Upon investigation, Nils found that Google had been sending warnings about incorrect consent management implementation, threatening to halt conversion tracking if unresolved.

Ignoring these emails, originally thought to be routine noise, allowed the issue to escalate. As Nils admitted, this oversight stopped Google from processing conversion data, leading their smart bidding algorithm to adjust bids, reducing traffic further.

The root cause was identified as a bypassed onboarding process. Without this critical step, the account missed essential safeguards, including monitoring scripts and regular health checks.

Breaking this news to the client was complicated, especially since the financial implications were severe. The CFO demanded compensation despite actual bookings continuing, demonstrating further complications from the original oversight.

Technically resolving the issue was also challenging. Although Google support was contacted multiple times, they couldn’t fix the flagged domain problem, necessitating a workaround.

This story taught several key lessons: never skip onboarding, monitor conversion tracking meticulously, and pay close attention to Google’s communications. These steps can prevent minor issues from becoming major problems.

In the broader picture, embracing mistakes as learning opportunities strengthens team dynamics and enhances PPC strategies. Nils’ experience is a testament to the value of maintaining vigilance and the power of systematic approaches in digital marketing.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 5, 2025
Cloudflare’s AI Defense: Blocking Billions of Bot Requests
Since July 1, I’ve been closely following Cloudflare’s battle against AI bots. Our CEO, Matthew Prince, recently shared that we have successfully blocked 416 billion AI bot requests for our customers during this time.

This insight sheds light on Google’s significant advantage in AI. They’re currently capable of viewing 3.2 times more web pages than OpenAI, underlining the challenge smaller AI companies face.

Why this matters. The flood of AI systems consuming vast amounts of web content is concerning, especially without a mechanism for publishers to counteract this. Our statistics at Cloudflare show just how aggressively these AI bots are searching for data.

The current scenario. Ever since we launched our pay-per-crawl initiative on July 1, our clients have been automatically blocking AI crawlers. At the recent WIRED Big Interview event, Prince highlighted that so far, 416 billion AI bot requests have been turned away.

Analyzing Cloudflare’s data reveals that Google sees:
- 3.2 times more webpages than OpenAI.
- 4.6 times more than Microsoft.
- 4.8 times more than Anthropic or Meta.
As Prince mentioned, Google enjoys “this incredibly privileged access.”

The bigger picture. As it stands, Google offers publishers a difficult choice: either block AI training and risk disappearing from Google Search or allow it and accept AI scraping.
- Prince said, “You can’t opt out of one without opting out of both, which is crazy. You shouldn’t get to use your monopoly of yesterday to secure a monopoly of tomorrow.”
The AI landscape. Prince believes:
- AI signifies a major shift in platforms that could reshape the web’s business model.
- Cloudflare aims to prevent market consolidation, ensuring the web remains open while assisting creators and businesses in adapting to this shift.
- Encouragingly, publishers that already block AI crawlers report positive results, Prince noted.
Looking ahead. As AI models pursue superior training data, the worth of “creative, original human thought” will climb, potentially leading to opportunities in paid licensing, Prince forecasted. Meanwhile, Cloudflare is advocating for AI giants, particularly Google, to distinguish between search and AI crawling.
- Prince asserted, “Google is the problem here. It is the company that is keeping us from going forward on the internet, and until we force them – or hopefully convince them – that they should play by the same rules as everyone else and split their crawlers up between search and AI, I think we’re going to have a hard time completely locking all the content down.”
The story. To explore further, check out WIRED’s article on Cloudflare Has Blocked 416 Billion AI Bot Requests Since July 1 (subscription required).

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 5, 2025
Unlock Regional Shopping Deals with Google’s New Ad Feature

I’ve recently discovered that Google is testing an intriguing beta feature in Shopping ads, which allows merchants to offer region-specific loyalty prices. This innovation can help retailers tailor their promotions to local audiences more efficiently.

Personally, I find this feature fascinating because it provides a fresh opportunity for merchants to customize pricing based on regional markets. By highlighting loyalty benefits directly within the ads, there’s potential for increased conversions and more sign-ups.

Here’s how it works: Merchants need to participate in Google’s loyalty add-on, define regional settings within the Merchant Center, and incorporate loyalty_program attributes — such as program label, tier, and price — into their regional inventory feeds.

As someone who’s been following this development, it’s important to note that when a shopper clicks on an ad, Google adds a region ID to the URL. Consequently, the merchant’s landing page must dynamically showcase the appropriate member price.

However, the caveat is that this feature is still in beta, with limited visibility, and is only accessible in markets supporting both RAAP (regional availability and pricing) and loyalty programs.

In my opinion, enabling regional member pricing empowers retailers to localize incentives and distinguish value across various markets without needing to create separate promotions for each region. It seems to be a clever strategy for reaching customers at a local level.

If you’re interested, you can find out more about how to set up regional member pricing from Google’s official announcement.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 5, 2025
Google’s Ad Tech Dilemma: EU Market Test Unfolds

I’ve been following Google’s plan to address its ad tech issues closely, and now their proposed solutions are under the spotlight of an EU ‘market test.’ This is a critical step to ensure they truly bring back fair competition in the industry.

The European Commission is actively seeking feedback from industry leaders, and I’ve noticed that they have reached out to a significant group of stakeholders, including publishers, advertisers, and rival ad tech firms, to gauge their reactions to Google’s latest proposal.

Officials are emphasizing that the feedback gathered will play a key role in determining if Google’s commitments will really ensure fair play in the EU’s digital ad market.

Personally, I’m intrigued by the background of this situation. Google was hit with a hefty fine of €2.95 billion and was instructed to cease favoring its own ad tech services. In an effort to resolve these issues, Google has suggested several changes, which include allowing publishers more control over setting minimum bid prices in their Ad Manager platform.

They also promise improved interoperability between their tools and those of competitive ad tech providers, along with broader choices and flexibility for advertisers and publishers alike.

Why does this matter to me and you? The unfolding ‘market test’ could significantly influence how Brussels approaches Google’s offer, potentially ending a pivotal tech rivalry case. If Google’s suggestions are approved, we could see fairer auctions that provide better returns on investment and reduce Google’s inherent advantages in their ad tech operations.

Reading between the lines, this market test represents a potential turning point. If it goes well, the EU could be on the brink of concluding the case, relieving Google of prolonged regulatory pressures. However, Thursday’s developments also highlight the EU’s broader mission to regulate major tech giants while dealing with external pressures from U.S. authorities.

Meanwhile, I’ve noticed that the EU is also setting its sights on Meta, as they’re starting a new examination of its AI features within WhatsApp and examining whether these might skew the competition.

It’s crucial to remember that antitrust breaches can incur penalties up to 10% of global revenue, although such severe fines are uncommon. Meta is now under pressure to present solutions, although WhatsApp insists that the concerns are unwarranted.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

December 4, 2025
Social Media Overtakes SEO as SMBs’ Leading Traffic Source
I’ve discovered that social media is now a more significant driver of traffic to small and medium-sized businesses than search engines. This shift has also made us aware of the growing importance of AI in our referral tracking. Many of us, including myself, see our competitors appearing in AI summaries as a potential threat. This insight comes from the latest survey data shared by WordStream by LocaliQ.

Why this matters to me. As a small business owner, these AI summaries are becoming an essential part of my strategy. They play a crucial role in influencing buyers’ initial decisions, and there’s a clear opportunity to steer them toward my products instead of competitors’. The AI referrals are also trackable, pushing me to optimize for these new channels.

The decline in Google traffic. About 40% of us SMBs have noticed a loss in traffic due to recent Google updates and AI-driven search adjustments. Larger companies among us have felt this impact most, with almost half admitting to seeing declines. Yet, a significant portion of us (72%) still believe in the effectiveness of our SEO efforts.

Social media leads the way. An impressive 64% of us list social media as our main traffic driver, surpassing organic search, which stands at 52%.
- Solo entrepreneurs and small businesses like mine found social media to be the top source of traffic.
- Interestingly, 35% of businesses without websites find that social channels and marketplaces bring in enough leads to forego having a website.
AI’s growing influence. Though AI search isn’t yet the top traffic source, it’s certainly on my radar and that of fellow SMBs:
- Half of us monitor AI referrals and mentions.
- Among the larger SMBs, this number climbs to 70%.
- There’s a rising awareness of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) across businesses of various sizes.
The greatest frustration for me, and many others, is when competitors appear in AI summaries over our businesses. However, there’s an upside: these AI models pull from sources beyond Google’s typical top search results, presenting a rare chance for visibility.

Importance of key webpages. For those of us tracking AI-driven traffic, the most important pages are:
- Homepages (57% of us rely heavily on these)
- Product or service pages (48% highlight these)
- Contact pages (34% consider these crucial)
Our adaptation strategies. In my quest to boost AI visibility, I’ve noticed that the top strategies align with SEO basics:
- Using clear, descriptive headlines (35% of us are doing this)
- Improving readability (a focus for 26%)
- Addressing technical factors like speed and mobile performance (24% are prioritizing this)
- Larger SMBs focus on building external brand mentions (33%) and adding structured data (30%)
About this data. This insight comes from a WordStream by LocaliQ survey, conducted with over 300 U.S. small businesses in 24 industries. It includes responses from various business sizes, from sole proprietors to companies with up to 100 employees.

The full report. You can explore the complete findings in The Big SMB Website Trends Report: SEO, GEO, & the Future of Traffic.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
December 4, 2025

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