
Google to start flagging AI-generated images
Google will begin signposting images created by generative AI in the coming months. While the search giant has made artificial intelligence a cornerstone of its products and services in 2024, Google says increasing “transparency” is essential. This means images created or edited using AI tools will soon feature relevant labels in Search and Ads.
Threads increases image and video limit per post
Threads is raising its content limit to 20 images and videos per post. This change mirrors an identical update to Meta’s other social media app, Instagram, which rolled out last month.
Logged-in Google users see more AI overviews
Want to see fewer AI Overviews (AIOs) in Google search results? The solution is to sign out and browse anonymously, according to new research by SEO platform Bright Edge. AIOs are triggered 10% more across verticals when signed in.
Bluesky announces new safety features
Bluesky is testing a new system that will automatically detect fake and spam accounts. The decentralised microblogging platform aims to action flagged accounts within “seconds” with the help of moderation. Bluesky is also rolling out several other safety features, including a tool that detects “rude” replies and de-ranks them.
Google overhauls crawler documentation
Google has revamped its crawler documentation. The new hub now features a less exhaustive but more relevant overview “pillar” page and three new subtopic pages titled ‘common crawlers’, ‘special-case crawlers’, and ‘user-triggered fetchers’. The new information is targeted at advanced, technical SEOs, making the documentation more useful and easier to read.
YouTube rolls out paused screen ads
Not content with showing ads every few minutes on YouTube, Google is now targeting users who have paused videos. YouTube communications manager Oluwa Falodun says, “As we’ve seen both strong advertiser and viewer response, we’ve since widely rolled out Pause ads to all advertisers.”
X returns briefly in Brazil
Brazilians were able to access X this week, but only for a few hours. The platform was banned earlier this month after X failed to appoint a legal representative in the country. However, it accidentally circumvented the block order after updating its server settings. Access didn’t last long, as it was revoked several hours later. A Brazilian court has since fined X £695,000 for the breach.
Core Web Vitals make “users happier”
Google’s Martin Splitt says Core Web Vitals are not a vital ranking factor, but they do make “users happier”. In a new video published on the Google Search Central account on YouTube, Splitt urged SEOs not to overly focus on the vitals, which measure real-world user experience on web pages.
TikTok court case against US ban begins
TikTok began arguing its case against its US ban in court on Monday. The social media app’s owner, ByteDance, believes the ban would have a profoundly negative impact on free speech for users in the country. A judge responded by claiming TikTok is “subject to Chinese control”. If TikTok fails in its quest to repeal the decision, the app will be banned in early 2025.