This week, we had both Google I/O and Google Marketing Live, so we have a lot of news. Google launched a new search box it is calling the intelligent search box. Google also launched Gemini 3.5 Flash, which is now powering AI Mode. Google showed off information agents in search, expanded agentic booking capabilities, showed agentic coding directly in Google Search, expanded personal intelligence and the seamless AI Overviews to AI Mode experience went fully live. Also, Google showed off its new Universal Cart, which is neat. What would be a week without Google ranking volatility, we had that the morning of I/O and throughout. Google posted a new help document on how to optimize for generative AI. Google added markdown files to its help docs but says it is not for Search. Google is testing a preferred label in the AI Mode results. Google has two new ad formats, conversational discovery ads and highlighted answers, within AI Mode. Google AI Mode is gaining shopping ads, business agents for leads and direct offer for leads. Google is merging Ads Advisor and Analytics Advisor with Ask Advisor. Google Ads primary conversion actions may be used for enhanced conversions. Microsoft Advertising has an import center, cross-account portfolio bidding, and bidding strategy report. Microsoft Clarity added a new AI report, a citations report. OpenAI’s ChatGPT does have a web cache. OpenAI also released updates to ChatGPT Ad Manager such as daily budgets and geo-targeting and new CTA experiments to ChatGPT ads. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

SPONSOR: This week's video recap is sponsored by Duda, the Professional Website Builder You Can Call Your Own.

Note, I recorded this on Thursday and I am offline on Friday for a holiday.

0:00 - Introduction

0:38 - Google May 2026 Core Update Is Rolling Out - You Felt It

1:03 - Google I/O 2026 Search Ranking Volatility & Update

1:45 - Google's New Search Bar, The Intelligent Search Box

3:13 - Google Search Now Powered By Gemini 3.5 Flash With New Agentic Features

5:41 - Google Search On How To Optimize For Generative AI With Myth-Busting

6:36 - Google Adds Markdown Files To Help Docs But Not Used For Search

7:06 - Google Tests Preferred Sources Label In AI Mode Citations

7:30 - Google Tests Conversational Discovery Ads & Highlighted Answers In AI Mode

8:10 - Google AI Mode Shopping Ads, Business Agent For Leads & Direct Offers Coming