The other day, I reported that Google was testing replacing the 3D label with a 360 label. Well, I may have been wrong because 360 and 3D may be different and not the same. We are now seeing Google show both 3D and 3560 labels on product listings in the same product grid, which means to me, they are different.

Khushal Bherwani spotted this and posted a screenshot of this on Twitter – here it is, showing both the 3D and 360 label on the product image:

So maybe 3D is the augmented reality version where 360 just lets you see the image itself in a 360 degree view?

Forum discussion at Twitter.

Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Shavout.

The other day, I reported that Microsoft was sending invites to relaunch and expand Microsoft pubCenter, Microsoft’s AdSense alternative. So I signed up and was given access the other day and I wanted to share some screenshots of the screens.

The first thing you get is an email saying “You’ve been selected from the waitlist.” You then click over from the email to sign up with their form. After you sign up, you immediately have access to the new pubCenter at next.pubcenter.microsoft.com as opposed to the old one at pubcenter.microsoft.com. So I guess this new version is named Microsoft pubCenter Next?

You are asked to set up your payment settings, which I did not do yet, but you can imagine that it asks for your bank details, tax ID and so forth. Here is a screenshot of the welcome screen:

I then entered my business information, which I did not screenshot for you.

After that, I went to set up my ad unit. I was asked to pick a layout, a template and an ad unit type (there is only one offered but “search” and “other” are coming soon). Then I was able to copy and paste the code snippet into my site.

Here are those screenshots:

What is interesting is that when you click on the reports within pubCenter next, I guess that is what they are calling it? You are taken to a notice that says “Reports aren’t available in the latest version of pubCenter yet. To access reports through the previous version, click Go to reports.”

You are able to control ad units, sites that show your ads, block ads, see reports and manage your account.

I am not sure when my pending status will be removed but below this paragraph I’ll embed an ad, when the ad shows, that means it is active:

Forum discussion at Twitter.

Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Shavout.

The all-new and exciting Google Search Generative Experience is now rolling out as a labs experiment to some early waitlisted users. I should have access by now, but I am offline, I wrote this yesterday before I was able to play with it (which is why this news is not in my video, which I recorded earlier yesterday).

Google announced yesterday, a bit after 11 am ET, that it has begun to invite waitlisted users to try to new Search Generative Experience. “Today, we’re starting to open up access to Search Labs, a new program to access early experiments from Google,” Google wrote. “If you’ve already signed up for the waitlist at labs.google.com/search, you’ll be notified by email when you can start testing Labs experiments, like SGE (Search Generative Experience),” Google added.

I spent most of the day refreshing to see if I could play with it before I go offline for the holiday, but I did not gain access. Google did tell me I would likely be offline by the time I get access. So I will play a lot with it on Monday and hopefully report on what I see. But I embedded a lot of videos and screenshots below from others.
Note at around 5 pm ET I gained access, so I scrambled to do some queries and posted a Twitter thread, I embedded those tweets below over here.

I keep refreshing to see when I will see it today, I am offline starting tonight, so eager to see it before i go offline for two days https://t.co/4QSi87Fp5W pic.twitter.com/lX6SzCXQIS

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

Here are lucky users who received access an hour or so after Google announced it opening up:

I received an email around noon ET saying “It’s your turn to try Search Labs”. Following the link took you to a page to turn these options on.

— Andrew (@spacerobot5) May 25, 2023

You can check to see if you have access by checking your email or going to labs.google.com/search, that is the screenshot above in my tweet.

Here are some screenshots and commentary for some who had early access:

From Andy Simpson – just look at all the clickable links:

My first SGE had to be local 😏 pic.twitter.com/aU9FNcByHf

— Andy Simpson 🇬🇧 (@ndyjsimpson) May 25, 2023

Some queries (long-tail / questions) it will autogenerate the SGE results. Shorter queries give you a button to generate. Example, “what is SEO?” vs. “SEO”. pic.twitter.com/cQGE30sX0C

— Andrew (@spacerobot5) May 25, 2023

pic.twitter.com/AaOh5UJI4l

— Andrew (@spacerobot5) May 25, 2023

buy a surfboard online pic.twitter.com/9IK4nG6PmB

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

Google SGE is out in Beta – You better watch out….. pic.twitter.com/KH7ZoM45TY

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

Who is Ron Desantis pic.twitter.com/Hc4uanKHkt

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

pic.twitter.com/lVxRplDKKi

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

PIzza 10019 pic.twitter.com/XaocOXGfZ9

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

Not all local results link to Google.com

Plumber near me pic.twitter.com/vqtNLS3w7v

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

Reebok Sneakers pic.twitter.com/YaUYOAIZjW

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

Local results show links to Google Business Profiles on Google.com

What are the best bars in amsterdam pic.twitter.com/flzZ76T6Az

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

How can I solve a rubik’s’ cube? pic.twitter.com/FzGpk4o9ua

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

Here is when Google won’t show an AI-generated answer:

Not really showing up for News related stories or Politics and not available on Mobile search as of yet. pic.twitter.com/NE8lGouD4B

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

I would like to visit Isreal with my family where should we stay and where should we visit? pic.twitter.com/7yZvws9AS5

— Brendan OConnell (@BrendanOConnel) May 25, 2023

wow… pic.twitter.com/ymLKy1Klr6

— Andy Simpson 🇬🇧 (@ndyjsimpson) May 25, 2023

If I do get access before I go offline, I’ll post some quick screenshots on Twitter @rustybrick and try to embed them below this. It is the best I can do with having to turn off everything for the holiday.

Google said, “Once you’re in, the new generative AI powered Search experience will help you take some of the work out of searching, so you can understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights and get things done more easily. So instead of asking a series of questions and piecing together that information yourself, Search now can do some of that heavy lifting for you.”

To see my deep-dive on the Google Search Generative Experience announcement, read over here.

My Really Quick Review

Then at about 5pm ET I gained access and I really don’t have time, so I did a Twitter thread which I am embedding here. I will say that I am very impressed with the clickability of the results, I do think it will drive clicks to publishers:

Here we go, let’s get started pic.twitter.com/nEvvKn9xos

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

When does my holiday start, it is not giving me the time but I do like how you can expand the answers and look at all those snackable organic/free links you can click on pic.twitter.com/yjhNsXwCdY

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

I should get a haircut but I honestly don’t pay more than $20-25 in my area, not sure what this is about. I do like the 5 pack (no longer a 3 paack) pic.twitter.com/YWVWbrOEs0

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

Here are some “how to” queries pic.twitter.com/WXAZYtATNY

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

More health/medical queries where Google is happy to give generative AI answers pic.twitter.com/iKz5AwZSjW

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

Let’s do some sports questions pic.twitter.com/yr6Du9laUO

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

Asking for marriage’ish advice 🙂 pic.twitter.com/654BmHOkLO

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

Politics and news – not much here pic.twitter.com/tvudZjynbg

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

More financial queries, super limited in generative AI pic.twitter.com/eWjYLoLbFe

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

More mobile pic.twitter.com/mLQ3Zw8OzU

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

Here are real estate results and the second part shows that Google still shows featured snippets:

Going offline soon, but I found featured snippet still do show up. pic.twitter.com/d4xro2bHFl

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

People also ask also…

Trying to bring up some recent stories I wrote… pic.twitter.com/Y4lxDsKozH

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) May 25, 2023

Happy futuristic searching folks!

Forum discussion at Twitter.

Note: This was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today, I am currently offline for Shavout.