April 2025 Google Webmaster Report

It's time for the monthly Google Webmaster Report - the April 2025 version. This month we had the Google March 2025 core update kick off and finish rolling out. Google launched AI Mode, AI Overviews are now powered by Gemini 2.0, we saw some weird AI search tests, expansion of AI Overviews and a whole slew of AI changes.

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Google To Allow Double Serving Ads In Different Ad Locations On Same Page

Well, it seems to be official now. Starting April 14, 2025 Google will update its Unfair advantage policy to say it is allowed to show the same ad, from the same company, going to the same page, as long as the ad is in a different ad location. Google was just experimenting with this earlier and now it is officially going to be allowed.

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Google News Fully Transitioned To Automatically Generated Publication Pages

Last month we reported that Google News Publisher Center changes are coming, well those changes should have happened and been fully completed by today. Google updated its help document on the topic to say "Google News is fully transitioning to automatically generated publication pages in late March 2025."

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Google Business Profiles Bug Resurfacing Old Fake Removed Reviews

Google confirmed it is fixing a bug where old, fake and previously removed reviews are resurfacing in your Google Business Profiles. It is unclear how many Business Profiles are impacted by this, but if you see more reviews pop up that were not previously there, this may be why.

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Google Business Profiles Your Edit Was Not Approved Glitch

Google Business Profile edits may have a bug or some sort of glitch. A number of local SEOs are reporting seeing the message, "Your edit was not approved" when trying to make simple edits to Business Profiles.

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Google Tests Contactless Label In Place Of Curbside Pickup

Google is testing a "contactless" label in place of the curbside pickup labels in the shopping search results. The curbside label became popular during COVID and has stuck around as a convenience factor for shoppers after.

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Google AI (SGE) While Browsing No Longer

19 months ago, Google released a feature named SGE while browsing, and later changed it to AI while browsing. Well, that feature is no longer - Google has deprecated it and put it in the Google graveyard.

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Google Tests Blue Website Button For Knowledge Panels

Google is testing replacing the low key website / URL button in the knowledge panels within Google Search, with a large blue button. I mean, this blue button makes it was more clickable, a much larger and more visible call to action, than the normal button you see in Knowledge Panels.

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Google Ads Support New Get A Call Option & Text Help

Google Ads has a new option for getting support, at least, for some advertisers. This option is named "Get a call," and it is addition to call us, chat or email support. Google is also trying a way to text for help.

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Google Tests Quick View Links On Hotel/Lodging Packs/Carousels

Google is testing a new quick view button/link within the Google Search results for hotel and lodging results. When you click on the quick view button you are taken to the Google Business Profile listing but when you click on the main result you are taken to the website directly (or maybe the other way, I cannot tell for sure).

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Google Promoting AI Mode With Banner Ad In Search Results

Google is promoting AI Mode in its search results with a large banner ad. The banner ad says, "New! Try Al Mode. Get Al-powered responses & ask follow-ups with a new experiment. Try now..."

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Google Merchant Center Click Reporting To Change Next Month

Google will change how it counts clicks in Google Merchant Center starting April 21, 2025. This change will make clicks count the same way Google Ads counts clicks. This means your current and historical reporting for clicks may change on April 21st.

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Google Search Pagination Bar Disappears For Some Searchers

For some Google searchers the ability to go to page two of the search results is simply not possible. The classic Google pagination bar is missing at the bottom of the results for some searchers.

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Google AI Mode Access Roll Out Bug? Now Fixed.

About 30 minutes ago, Google sent out a batch of invites to its new AI Mode. I was one who got that email but when I click on the "try now" button, it still tells me I am on the waitlist and I can't access it just yet.

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Google Business Profiles Appeals Still Delayed

A month ago, we reported that Google Business Profiles support was backlogged and delayed. Well, the delay is not getting any better. Victoria Kroll from Google posted an update on Friday afternoon in the Google Business Profiles to inform us that the delay is still there.

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Google: Stop Over Focusing On Tiny SEO Metrics

John Mueller from Google said on Bluesky that he sees some SEOs over-focusing on the tiniest SEO metrics and that they should spend their time focusing on more important things.

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My Takeaways From Google Search Central Live NYC 2025

Google hosts events around the world for SEOs, content creators, webmasters, site owners and marketers named Google Search Central Live. They've been doing it for years and I've attended many over the years. This is the first time the event was held in the new St. John's Terminal, which is made to impress - let me say.

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Google: If Searchers Don't Use Your Page In Search It May Be Removed

Google admitted in a video published on its own Search Central YouTube channel that if searchers do not use your page(s) in the search results, those pages may stop showing up in the search results. Martin Splitt said this in a recent YouTube short he posted where he said, "if pages fall off the index again... users don't really use them in search results."

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Bing Buy Now Button Goes Directly To Checkout

Microsoft Bing's shopping carousel results have a "buy now" button that now links directly to the checkout page of the merchant. So when you click on buy now, it adds that item directly to the cart of the merchant's website.

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Google Business Profiles Fixed The Reverification Bug

Last week, Google sent out a bulk load of reverification requests to Google Business Profiles. Well, according to Google's Rick Saxe, it was a bug and the bug should be fixed as of the past day or so.

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Microsoft Tests 9 Ads & Only Bing Free Search Results On Same Page

Microsoft was caught testing way too many ads on its Bing Search results page. I saw 9 ads and only two organic/free listings on the page for a query on [garage door repair].

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Google Tests AI Search Options Beyond AI Mode

Google Search seems to have accidentally leaked its various AI Search options and features, that go beyond just AI Mode, which it recently launched. 47 different AI Search options are shown including Info Sleuth, Allium, QTalk, MedExplainer, Fantasy Sports Researcher, Smart Kitchen and many more.

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Google Education Q&A Gains Spanish and Vietnamese Support

Google launched education Q&A carousel back in 2022 for English languages only. Now, Google has expanded support to include also Spanish and Vietnamese language. Spanish is supported in Mexico while Vietnamese is supported in all Google regions.

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Google Updates Googlebot's IP Addresses In JSON File Daily

Google has switched from updating its googlebot.json file, the file that contains the list of IP addresses Googlebot uses, from weekly to daily. Gary Illyes from Google said this was done based on feedback from the community.

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Google Brings Back Local Pack To AI Overviews

Google is once again showing a local pack in the AI Overviews, formerly known as SGE (Search Generative Experience). Google removed the local pack from those AI Overviews back in September 2023 after having a 5 pack during the early months of SGE. Now, I am seeing them return.

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