Daily Search Forum Recap: October 3, 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.

We have record-breaking Google search ranking volatility going into October. Microsoft Advertising streamlined its ad interface and added some new features. Google is testing search instead for sections. Google said SEOs can help shape policies and decisions around AI. Google Ads is testing swipable images to map. Bing celebrated the 14th birthday of BingBot. And I am offline, this content was pre-written and scheduled.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 
  Record-Breaking Google Search Ranking Volatility Continues Into October
  
  
  Surprise, surprise, the heated Google Search ranking volatility has continued into October. This is the longest ongoing period of heated Google Search ranking volatility we had ever recorded according to data provided…
• 
  Microsoft Advertising New Ad Experience, Diagnostics & Performance Snapshot
  
  
  Microsoft announced a new streamlined experience below Copilot’s organic response and two new capabilities, diagnostics and performance snapshot.
• 
  Google Testing Search Instead For Section
  
  
  Google is testing replacing the “People also search for” box with a “Search instead for” box. I think this is just a title change because the functionality looks equivalent to the previous version.
• 
  Google: SEOs Can Help Shape Client Policies & Decisions On AI Bots
  
  
  Google’s John Mueller said that SEOs are in a great place because they understand how crawlers work, how the controls work, and they can help their clients decide on their AI policies and decisions as they navigate this new era of AI bots.
• 
  Google Ads With Images & Map Carousel
  
  
  Google is testing an ad format for Google Ads where you swipe over a carousel of images, eventually leading to a map. When you click on the map, it takes you to the Google Business Profile in Google Maps.
• 
  Happy 14th Birthday BingBot
  
  
  Fabrice Canel from Microsoft posted on X this week that BingBot turned 14 years old. Yea, 14 years of crawling the web. Fabrice wrote, “Happy 14th Birthday, BingBot! You’ve been crawling…
• 
  Google Atlanta Poolside View
  
  
  Here is a photo, I guess of a hotel across the street from the Google offices in Atlanta. I think… So if you want to relax and go for a ***** swim, while checking your rankings, this might be a good place to do that.
• 
  Programming Note: Rosh Hashanah 5785 – Happy & Healthy Jewish New Year
  
  
  This is a programming note that Thursday and Wednesday are Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and I will be offline the next two days. I will be offline on Thursday and Wednesday, October 3rd and October 4th.

Other Great Search Threads:

Search Engine Land Stories:

Other Great Search Stories:

Industry & Business

Links & Content Marketing

Local & Maps

Mobile & Voice

SEO

PPC

Other Search

Feedback:

Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.

Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Rosh Hashanah.