In this week’s digital news to watch, Google is investigating a bug causing local business reviews to vanish or be paused, which is hurting local SEO and consumer trust; a new LQ Digital report shows AI overviews and organic search often cite completely different sources, meaning brands need separate strategies (including video) to be visible in each; Google’s Liz Reid has defended search personalisation, arguing it helps small publishers get discovered rather than drowning them out, though she offered no supporting data; Google Ads’ third-party “book a call” emails have quietly gained an unsubscribe link after complaints about spam compliance; Google is testing AI-generated summaries beneath search ad descriptions to see if they help users make more informed decisions; and TikTok Shop is reshaping product innovation for food and beverage brands like PepsiCo, Mars and Hershey, with visually striking products and creator-led content driving fast commercialisation cycles and strong sales growth.
Google investigates missing and paused reviews on local listings
How brands can improve chances of showing up in AI search overviews
A new LQ Digital report, based on over 8,000 citations and 700+ responses, finds that AI overviews and organic search results often surface completely different sources: over 40% of brand citations in organic results don’t show up in AI overviews for the same query, and 28% of brands cited by AI don’t appear in organic results at all. Query type matters a lot: category questions are the most brand-friendly, showing brands 63.9% of the time in AI overviews versus 55.7% in organic, while how-to and evaluation queries tend to favour publishers and other content types instead. YouTube content punches well above its weight in AI overviews (4.3x more likely to be cited there than in organic search), while Reddit performs better in traditional organic results (3.9x more likely). The upshot for marketers is that ranking well in traditional search no longer guarantees visibility in AI-generated answers, so brands need distinct strategies (including video content) to be discoverable in each format.
Google’s Liz Reid claims personalisation can benefit small publishers
Google Ads reps gain opt-out link after years of spam complaints
Google Ads third-party “book a call” emails, sent by contracted firms operating under Google branding, have quietly gained an unsubscribe link. The change was spotted by Google Shopping specialist Emmanuel Flossie on 30 June 2026, roughly seven weeks after he publicly raised a CAN-SPAM compliance concern directed at Google’s Ads Product Liaison. The opt-out appears limited to third-party contractor emails and not those from Google’s own direct reps. Flossie also noted it likely operates on a per-account basis, meaning agencies managing multiple accounts may need to unsubscribe repeatedly. Google has not publicly confirmed or explained the change.
Google Ads tests AI generated summaries under descriptions
Google is running a small experiment adding AI-generated summaries directly within Search ad results, appearing below the ad description. The test was spotted by Darcy Burk on X, with the ads carrying a disclaimer noting that AI responses are generated independently and may contain errors. Google confirmed it is a limited test “to see if adding AI-generated context to Search ads helps people make more informed decisions.” The development mirrors a similar test Google has run on organic search snippets. No further details on rollout plans have been shared.
How TikTok Shop is changing innovation for food and beverage brands
