SEO News Digest: OpenAI releases SearchGPT, new experimental feature in GSC, and more

It’s SEO news o’clock!

Take some coffee, here we go:

Updates

There aren’t any new updates on the Search Status Dashboard, but the search results are fluctuating as if something big is going on. Barry Schwartz reports that volatility "was bursting at the seams " last week.

Additionally:

• Google continues to combat deepfakes

In May, Google adjusted its algorithm to demote deepfake 18+ sites in search.

They have now updated the documentation to provide more explanations on how it works. In short: Instead of promoting deepfakes, they will promote trustworthy and high-quality sources, mostly news sites.

And Google now faces a "technical challenge for search engines": learning to distinguish real 18+ content with actors from deepfake videos.

They say they will rely on patterns in site signals. If a site previously had similar issues, policy violations, or harmful content, new pages on that site will likely be penalized as well.

GSC

• Recommendations: new experimental feature

That provides websites with optimization opportunities and suggests actions they can take to improve their presence on Google Search

The new section will appear on the Overview page, but the feature is currently experimental and not available to everyone. The full rollout will take several months, but even then recommendations will appear only if they are available for your website.

The kinds of recommendations for your site may include:

• Issues (something that could be fixed)
• Opportunities (something that could improve your traffic)
• Configuration (something that could make your work easier)

In its support , Google emphasizes that “recommendations are optional and you don’t have to resolve them”.

SERP Features

• (test) “Videos from” section in brand Knowledge panels

First spotted by Brodie Clark . Videos in this section are pulled from the social media accounts of brands: TikTok, Instagram, etc.

• (test) 'Hidden gem stores' in mobile search

Clicking the results displays a selection of merchant listing results for each store.

AI

• OpenAI released SearchGPT

An AI-based search engine. The tech company states that the new bot for this search, OAI-SearchBot, does not use your data for AI training. Quite a move.

• Google is "recruiting" users from Discover to AIOs

In other words, when you read news on a topic in Discover , you get an invitation to switch to classic search and get a summary of that topic from AIOs. Currently, all published examples are related to the Olympics.

Ecommerce

• AI-generated product images in Merchant Center

This is done through Product Studio. You select a product, specify your background preferences in a prompt, and get a unique visual for your store.

Local SEO

• Menu generation from GBP photos

You can use AI to quickly convert a photo of your menu into a detailed menu, including item names, descriptions, and prices.

To use this feature, you must agree to the Google Generative AI Additional Terms of Service.

The feature is experimental, currently available for selected locations and languages. For now, it only allows you to upload a single photo.

• Apple Maps launches on the web in new public beta

Click to read more .

Tech SEO

• Powerful research: how Google processes JavaScript

The result, in short : Google is now so powerful that most SEO horror stories about JS can be debunked.

After all, Google can easily render client-side JavaScript, and discovering new pages is NOT hindered if they are in the sitemap. At the end of the day, you just need to know how to work with it correctly.

By the way, the article received positive feedback from Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt from Google.

Tidbits

• Google was found guilty of unfairly monopolizing the search market

The landmark decision on Monday is a major blow to Alphabet, Google's parent company, and could reshape how technology giants do business.

However, how exactly this decision will affect Google's operations is not yet clear. Another hearing on advertising monopolization is scheduled for September.