And now we have the Kwanzaa decorations live in the Google Search results. Just search for [Kwanzaa] to see them. Google also went live with the Christmas decorations today and the Hanukkah decorations last week.

Christmas is around the corner and Google finally posted its Christmas decorations in Google Search today. We already have the Hanukkah decorations live and now we have the Christmas decorations - we are now waiting on the Kwzanzaa decorations.

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today...

Google has finished rolling out the December 2024 core update, it finished super fast and was incredibly volatile. The volatility started over the weekend but lasted throughout the whole update. Google then released the December 2024 spam update...

Google has released the December 2024 spam update one day after the December 2024 core update was completed and just days before the big year-end holiday break. This release likely surprised most of us, but at this point, I guess nothing should surprise us.

Google is testing a new style of sitelinks again (I cover these way too often). This one turns the sitelinks into shades / gray buttons.

Google Search will roll out an 'AI Mode' within Google Search that will look "nearly identical to its Gemini AI chatbot" according to some reports. We also saw sources post screenshot of early tests of AI Mode within the Google App and on Android devices.

Google seems to be testing adding buttons/links to nearby hotels and restaurants directly at the top of a Google Business Profile listing. This may be related to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules in European regions or it might just be some sort of other test.

Microsoft has this "studies of" carousel in the Bing Search results. It can help you find content that helps you prepare for a specialized exam or course, of sorts.

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today...

The Google December 2024 core update quickly and brutally finished rolling out yesterday at around 2:00 PM ET. It took just over 6 days to roll out, starting on December 12, 2024 at 10:45 am and finishing on December 18, 2024 at 2:00 pm. This update finished fast, but it seems quick and mighty (or fast and furious).

There are a number of reports of Google Business Profile listings in Google Maps coming up broken. Google seems to be showing half of the listing, with flickering maps portions, missing business names, blue maps and more issues.

Google's John Mueller said, "It makes no sense to block" privacy, disclaimers, or other legal types of pages from your site. He added on Reddit, "They don't cause a 'duplicate content issue'."

The folks over at GMBapi have put together a large study on the topic of how and why Google removes reviews from Google Business Profiles. It looked at nearly 5 million reviews across 78 countries and over 19,000 locations.

Google Merchant Center now lets merchants specify which payment methods and options they offer customers. Google would normally handle this in an automated way but now Google is letting you override those payment options, in case Google is getting it wrong.