There are new reports that a booking/appointment system run by Thumbtack, a local search service, is automatically adding its booking links and service to Google Business Profiles. Well, you can opt out, if you don’t want it. But I am sure most businesses will have no clue this was added to their local listings in Google Search and Google Maps.

To opt out, you need to fill out this form. This is from the Thumbtack help page – so check there if the form no longer works, maybe there will be an updated link.

The book now button looks like this:

As reported to me by Colan Nielsen on X and posted in the Local Search Forum, this business does not want the book link to go to Thumbtack, but it does – at least when I wrote this.

Colan wrote, “Looks like Thumbtack is automatically adding booking links to Google Business Profiles.”

We saw this happen a lot over the years, we even called it hijacking appointment links in Google – including with Postmates.

The Thumbtack help document says, “we’ve automatically added a Thumbtack booking option through your Google Business Profile. No further action is needed from you.” So this is not an opt in thing, rather an opt out thing – which is not good.

So please be aware of this and be on the look out for changes to your booking link.

Forum discussion at Local Search Forum.

For the original iTunes version, click here.

This week, guess what, we had more volatility over the weekend and also a blip in the middle of the week. Google also had another indexing bug that lasted only about an hour. Google Search Console had a bug with new owner notifications. Google Search Console now lets you enter your shipping and return policies in settings. Google said it found the feedback it collected on the last core update really helpful. Google updated its URL best practices document to say don’t use fragments to change content on the page. Google Search will now extract composite images with trained algorithmic media types, i.e. AI. Google said if you are ranking for unrelated keywords in search, maybe try to make your content clearer. Google is testing country label tags in the search results. Google is testing auto-playing videos in the search results. Google is also testing thin video snippets. Google Ads enabled broad match by default for new search campaigns. Google Ads confirmed ads can show below featured snippets as part of its dynamic ad placement evolution. Google Ads is testing double row carousel shopping ads. Google Ads is testing people also browsed carousel.s Google Maps said it is not testing “add stop” ads. Bing is testing nutrition labels in the image results. Google Business Profiles added a consumer alerts page. Thumbtack is automatically adding its booking links to your Google Business Profile. YouTube shared some YouTube SEO advice and tips That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.

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Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

Google Search Console now lets you add your shipping and return details in the interface. Google confirmed ads can show below featured snippets as part of “dynamic ad placement.” Bing is testing a voting feature in search. Google is maybe testing auto-playing video thumbnails. Thumbtack is adding booking links to your Google Business Profiles without you knowing. I also posted my SEO video recap today, so check it out.

Search Engine Roundtable Stories:

• 
  Google Confirmed Ads Below Featured Snippet As Part Of Dynamic Ad Placement
  
  
  It is not news that Google now mixes in ads within organic results, but I have to say it still feels super icky to me that Google does this. Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, confirmed that search ads can appear directly below organic featured snippets, as part of Google’s “ongoing evolution of dynamic ad placement on search.”
• 
  New: Google Search Console Let’s You Add Your Shipping & Return Information
  
  
  Google has added a method in Search Console settings to add your shipping and return information. This should make it easier for some merchants to specify their shipping and return details to Google Search, so that information can be shown in Google Search.
• 
  Remove Thumbtack Book Links In Google Business Profiles
  
  
  There are new reports that a booking/appointment system run by Thumbtack, a local search service, is automatically adding its booking links and service to Google Business Profiles. Well, you can opt out, if you don’t want it. But I am sure most businesses will have no clue this was added to their local listings in Google Search and Google Maps.
• 
  Bing Search Tests Voting On Search Results
  
  
  Bing is testing a voting feature in the Bing Search results. You can vote up or vote down specific search results in the search results page. It even shows you the percentage of votes for those who voted it up versus voted it down.




• 
  Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Volatility, Indexing Bugs, Google Ads Broad Match Default & YouTube SEO Tips
  
  
  This week, guess what, we had more volatility over the weekend and also a blip in the middle of the week. Google also had another indexing bug that lasted only about an hour. Google Search Console had a bug with new owner notifications. Google Search Console now lets you enter your shipping…





• 
  Google Search Tests Autoplaying Video Thumbnails In Results?
  
  
  Google may be testing auto-playing the video thumbnails it has within its search results page. I am not sure if this is some sort of browser bug or something else, but Google may auto-play the video thumbnail without sound in the search results.
• 
  Prabhakar Raghavan With Japan’s Minister Taro Kono
  
  
  Here is a photo of Google’s Senior Vice President, Prabhakar Raghavan, meeting with Taro Kono, the Japanese Minister for Digital Transformation, a few weeks ago.

Other Great Search Threads:

Search Engine Land Stories:

Other Great Search Stories:

Analytics

Industry & Business

Links & Content Marketing

Local & Maps

Mobile & Voice

• Google celebrates 10 years of Android expanding to auto, TV and more, Google Blog
• 4 updates Google announced at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked, Google Blog
• All of the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 rumors and leaks so far, The Verge
• Apple seeks ‘killer app’ for its $3,500 Vision Pro headset, Financial Times (Sub)
• Apple Vision Pro Launches in UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia, MacRumors
• Google Gemini can now do more without Assistant’s help, SamMobile
• Google Resets Its Ambitions for AR Glasses to Make up Lost Ground, Business Insider
• How Apple Intelligence will change how you use Siri on your iPhone, TechCrunch

SEO

• 131: Bias in SEO, Overconfident SEO Case Studies, Google’s SERP Struggles w/Sarah Presch, Evolving SEO
• A Brief Meeting With Google After The Apocalypse, Brandon Saltalamacchia
• How EquipmentShare Doubled Organic Traffic with SEO, Foundation Inc
• How SEOs Use AI: Boosting Efficiency and Productivity in 2024, BruceClay
• Insights from “Back to Basics for RAG w/ Jo Bergum” for SEO Today, Ethan Lazuk
• Removing “Compare” from title tags, Search Pilot
• Rendering JavaScript for Google Search, Search Off the Record
• What is Search Intent in SEO?: A Comprehensive Guide, Go Fish Digital

PPC

Search Features

Other Search

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