In this week’s digital news, Google have a released further Demand Gen updates aimed at boosting their performance. Google has officially begun the rollout of its March 2026 core update, marking the first broad adjustment to its search algorithms this year.
Google has announced the global expansion of “Search Live,” bringing its advanced conversational search tool to over 200 countries and territories. Reddit is expanding into shopping as consumers increasingly use it to research and validate purchases.
Google have a released further Demand Gen updates aimed at boosting their performance. Demand Gen has now been enhanced with AI-powered tools and creator solutions. You can now generate video variations from images using Veo to improve ad strength and performance. There is also the option to collaborate with YouTube creators through Google Ads to produce authentic content delivering around 30% higher (according to Google) conversion lift on Shorts. Google is leaning heavily into YouTube as a platform and these continued releases aim to push marketers in this direction.
Google has officially begun the rollout of its March 2026 core update, marking the first broad adjustment to its search algorithms this year. The update, which started on 27 March, is expected to take approximately two weeks to complete as it recalibrates how the search engine assesses content quality and relevance across all languages and regions globally. As usual, the primary goal is to better surface satisfying, original content while demoting pages that merely rehash existing information or fail to provide genuine value to searchers.
This significant change arrives just days after the completion of the March 2026 spam update, a remarkably swift 20-hour purge that targeted manipulative link schemes and low-quality AI-generated content. Importantly, industry professionals are advised that this official rollout is distinct from the “Jon Goodey experiment” seen earlier in the month, in which a fabricated core update report was successfully used to test the vulnerability of AI Overviews to misinformation. Website owners are encouraged to focus on long-term quality signals rather than reacting to temporary fluctuations during the two-week deployment period.
Google has announced the global expansion of “Search Live,” bringing its advanced conversational search tool to over 200 countries and territories. This wide-scale release is powered by the newly debuted Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, a high-quality audio and voice model designed for low-latency, real-time interactions. By leveraging this technology, the search giant aims to transform the traditional search experience into a more fluid, multimodal dialogue where users can engage with information using both their voice and their device’s camera.
The new 3.1 Flash Live model introduces several key enhancements. Including improved tonal recognition that allows the AI to detect nuances such as user frustration or confusion. It also boasts a significantly expanded context window. Enabling the assistant to maintain the thread of a complex conversation for twice as long as previous versions. Available in nearly 100 languages. The update allows users to point their cameras at real-world objects or ask spontaneous questions aloud, receiving instant, natural responses that bridge the gap between digital search and physical reality.
Reddit is expanding into shopping as consumers increasingly use it to research and validate purchases. At Shoptalk 2026, it launched new Dynamic Product Ad tools. Including Collection Ads and overlays highlighting community signals like top picks and discounts. Shopping conversations have risen 40% year on year, with 84% of users feeling more confident after researching on the platform. This trend is strong among Gen Z and millennials, especially in beauty, where discussions have grown 60% as users seek detailed, personalised advice. Brands are beginning to adapt their marketing to align with this more intentional, research-driven behaviour.
Apple will let Siri use AI services other than ChatGPT as part of the iOS 27 update. The approach will help Apple generate more revenue from third-party subscriptions through the App Store. It will mean Apple can add more external AI services without entering business discussions. The change is separate from Apple’s work with Google to rebuild Siri using Gemini models.
Read more here.
AI search ads will expand quickly but lack clear measurement and brand safety standards, which raises risks for marketers. Platforms like OpenAI and Google are testing ads, but early ROI data will be limited and controlled by the platforms. Experts recommend a “trust but verify” approach as marketers wait for better metrics and third-party validation. There are also significant brand safety concerns due to sensitive topics, misinformation, and the personal nature of chatbot conversations. Performance measurement may shift away from clicks toward actions like being recommended or chosen, though early tests show that clickthrough rates lag behind traditional search.
Read more here.
For more information on any of this week’s stories or for support with your digital marketing efforts. Our friendly team would be more than happy to discuss your requirements. Drop us an email at team@modo25.com
