An Adobe analyst says ChatGPT referrals are being filed as direct traffic, and Google Ads is adding settings that decide which networks get funded first. Most of today’s items rest on a single report or an unconfirmed test, so each one calls for a check against your own data.
Where AI Traffic Goes: A Mislabeled Referral and a Sidebar Test
Two AI search stories hinge on what analytics and result pages actually show. Neither has been confirmed by the company involved.
- ChatGPT Visits Are Reportedly Hiding in Direct Traffic After GPT-6 Adobe’s Cedric Huesler says GPT-6 links no longer carry a utm_source tag or a referrer, so analytics files the visits as direct. His numbers come from about 500 pages that already leaned on ChatGPT, which makes it one sample rather than a verdict.
- Google tests its AI Mode sidebar on standard search results A screenshot shows AI Mode’s left rail on an ordinary results page, but the reporter who covered it could not reproduce the layout. That points to a limited test, and a screenshot of your own results now gives you a baseline if it spreads.
Who Gets the Budget: New Controls and a Bigger Bing Ad Unit
Paid search is changing how spend is steered across networks and how much room an ad takes. One change is rolling out, the other is only being tested.
- Google Ads Adds Channel Priority Tiers and Spend Caps for Lower Networks Channel Prioritization and Budget Allocation let advertisers fund preferred inventory first and set a percentage limit on lower-tier channels, though Google calls the limit best effort. A default shift for Search campaigns with Display enabled arrives in February 2027, so those accounts need an audit before then.
- Bing tests one large sponsored ad above its search results A spotted test shows a single image-led sponsored unit with a call to action button taking the top of the page. Microsoft has not been shown confirming it, and a wide release would push organic results lower.
Housekeeping That Pays: URL Habits and Feed Fields
One Google answer tells teams to stop fussing over slugs, while a Merchant Center change adds a field that feeds now need.
- Google Says URL Keywords Barely Count, Backs Hyphens and Allows Emoji Paths In the first episode of a new Search Central video series, Gary Illyes called URL keywords an incredibly small signal and repeated that hyphens beat underscores. Google offers no measurement behind the claim, but it matches earlier statements, so migrating working URLs for keywords buys little.
- Merchant Center Adds store_address for Local Inventory Feeds Products sent to Local inventory ads or Local free listings now need a store address attribute that ties each item to a physical store. The report gives no enforcement date, so multi-store feeds are worth auditing now.
Today’s Quick Hits
- OpenAI starts assigning human account managers to ChatGPT Ads A shared email offers advertisers a named rep and a recurring biweekly check-in, which leaves agencies to decide who owns that cadence.
- Google Ads Adds Prediction Markets to Its Main Policy Page The category now has a permanent spot in the core policies, with four conditions that all have to be met before ads can run.
- Google Ads Opens Beta of Automotive Model Feeds for OEMs The beta, formerly called Vehicle Top Ads, is limited to qualifying manufacturers, so dealerships should not assume they are eligible.