In this week’s news roundup, we review Google’s Search Quality Guideline update targeting AI spam, its latest clampdown on removing fake UK business listing reviews, the launch of Google Meridian, which helps advertisers track the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, and the UK Public Interest News Foundation’s suggestion that Google owes £2.2bn to UK news publishers for using their content.
From around the web, Brooke Osmundson writes about Google’s new enhancements to its Demand Gen campaigns, and Roger Montti reviews a survey that shows AI Overviews is now answering more complex queries and rewarding context-appropriate content.
Google Search Quality Rater Guideline Update Targets AI Spam
Google updated its Search Quality Rater Guidelines to define low-value scaled content, AI spam, and site and domain reputation abuse, warning publishers not to overuse AI to create content.
Key takeaways:
- Google made its first update to its Search Quality Rater Guidelines after releasing it in March 2024, focusing on scaled content abuse, low-quality content, and AI-generated spam.
- The new guidelines define how Google evaluates spam content and confirms it will reward high-quality publications.
- Google’s new guidelines allow AI-generated content, but it must be unique, high-quality, and serve the reader’s needs.
- The tech giant warns content creators against using AI to mass-produce scaled content for ranking.
- According to the new guidelines, site owners without ad blockers must evaluate their web pages to ensure that ads don’t diminish visitors’ experiences.
Google Announces Clampdown On UK Fake Reviews
Google and the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced they are working to remove fake reviews on UK business profiles and implement sanctions against repeat offenders.
Key takeaways:
- The CMA confirmed that Google would begin displaying warnings on UK business listings that use fake reviews to increase their star ratings.
- CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said: “The changes we’ve secured from Google ensure robust processes are in place, so people can have confidence in reviews and make the best possible choices.”
- Google confirmed business reviews on Google Maps and Search would be affected. However, the update does not apply to product reviews.
- Google said the changes align with the company’s efforts to remove fake reviews from its platforms.
Google’s Meridian Open-Source Marketing Mix Model Now Available To Everyone
Last week, Google launched Meridian, an open-source marketing mix model tool that helps advertisers track the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, optimize ad budgets, and compete in the new AI era.
Key takeaways:
- Google said it opened Meridian to everyone after testing it with hundreds of brands.
- Google wrote upon the release: “Today, we’re launching Meridian, the open-source marketing mix model (MMM) built by Google, available to all marketers and data scientists.”
- New users can take advantage of Google’s partnership program, which includes 20 certified agencies trained in Meridian best practices to assist with implementing and optimizing their advertising campaigns.
- Google’s new open-source marketing mix model can measure digital and AI-powered advertising campaigns and provide crucial search data and video metrics, making it an essential tool for modern marketing.
Google Denies It Owes UK News Industry £2.2bn
The UK’s Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) says Google should pay UK news publishers £2.2bn for the privilege of using their content. Google said the claim is baseless as it doesn’t profit from most news searches.
Key takeaways:
- The PINF’s recent survey questioned 1,484 UK internet users about their browsing habits. Of these, 82% said they use search engines to find news articles, and most use Google.
- The PINF claims that Google is now the go-to platform for news articles and should split its profits with the original content creators 60-40, with Google getting the lion`s share.
- Google responded by saying, “This study is misleading, and similar studies in other countries have been debunked.”
- The company preferred to focus on how it helps UK news publishers rather than on the £2.2bn the PINF said it should pay.
- A Google spokesperson wrote, “Google Search creates enormous value for news publishers, driving more than 24 billion visits globally to their sites each month.”
From around the web:
Google Demand Gen Campaigns Just Got A Major Update
Search Engine Journal’s Brooke Osmundson reports on Google’s new enhancements to its Demand Gen campaigns, which include AI-powered creative updates, expanded channel controls, and improved retail features.
Key takeaways:
- Starting in March 2025, Demand Gen campaigns will have additional placements and provide vertical video formats for YouTube Shorts.
- Brooke says, “Google’s Demand Gen campaigns are getting a facelift as Google doubles down on this campaign type.”
- The new Demand Gen campaign product feeds will begin in the coming weeks, providing users with more profound product discovery.
- Osmundson states, “These updates make Demand Gen more competitive with paid social platforms by offering precise placement controls, AI-powered creative enhancements, and robust shopping integrations.”
AI Overviews Data Shows Massive Changes In Search Results
Roger Montti reviews a report by Enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge, which claims its data shows AI Overviews is now answering more complex queries and rewarding context-appropriate content.
Key takeaways:
- Enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge’s recent survey results on AI Search trends claim that Google AI Overviews now has a significant presence in complex search queries.
- Bright Edge’s report suggests that Google’s confidence in AI for search results is growing, and the tech giant increasingly relies on authoritativeness to match users’ queries with answers.
- The data also suggests that AI Overviews is evolving from the original short snippet answers into a tool that can handle complex long phrase search queries.
- BrightEdge reports that while four-word search phrases continue to populate most AIO results, the number of longer, precise keyword results has grown by 25%.
- Montti says, “A way to make sense of the data is that Google AI Overviews appears to be increasingly relying on the authoritativeness of the content as the stakes go higher with more complex search queries.”
