Find Latest News and Updates About Digital Marketing.
Local Search Remains Strong Despite AI Dominance in Search
Generative AI is changing how people search online, providing instant answers through AI overviews, ChatGPT, and other tools. Many websites have seen declining click-through rates even as impressions rise.
However, local search remains an exception. Businesses focused on local intent are seeing steady performance, unaffected by the declining clicks affecting other categories.
Experts explain that AI tools struggle with local queries because they lack precise location awareness and do not provide rich, real-world information like Google Maps. Local searches often lead to phone calls, in-person visits, or service appointments, which AI cannot replicate.
Additionally, AI-generated responses still rely on structured data from Google Business Profiles, Yelp, and other platforms. This highlights the continued importance of local SEO fundamentals such as accurate listings, reviews, and complete profiles.
Local SEO also thrives in a fragmented search landscape, aligning naturally with how AI gathers and validates information. Businesses that maintain strong visibility across multiple platforms remain discoverable regardless of evolving search technologies.
Google Says Users Prefer AI Summaries Over Traditional Links
Google has acknowledged a significant shift in how people use search. Markham Erickson, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, told The Verge that users increasingly want AI-generated overviews and contextual summaries rather than the traditional list of links to publishers.
Despite this change, Erickson emphasized that Google will continue to provide links to maintain a healthy ecosystem for publishers. “The 10 blue links serve the ecosystem very well. We provided links that directed users free of charge to billions of publications around the world. We’re not going to abandon that model,” he said.
Erickson added that user preferences are evolving. Instead of just factual answers and standard links, users are now looking for contextual insights and summaries. Google aims to deliver these while continuing to drive traffic back to valuable content across the internet.
Industry experts note that this marks a shift in search behavior. As Glenn Gabe observed, Google is trying to balance user demand for AI summaries with the need to preserve traditional link-based traffic for publishers.
The move highlights how search engines are adapting to AI-driven expectations while attempting to maintain an ecosystem that benefits content creators and users alike.
AI Search Sending Users to Broken Pages Three Times More Than Google
A recent study by Ahrefs analyzing 16 million URLs reveals that AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT are sending users to 404 pages at a rate far higher than Google. According to the study, 1% of clicked URLs from ChatGPT result in broken pages, compared to just 0.15% from Google.
The issue arises because AI often generates URLs that seem logical but don’t exist, relies on outdated training data, and contributes to the proliferation of AI-generated content – 74% of new web content is now AI-created.
While AI currently drives only 0.25% of total website traffic, the problem is expected to grow with wider adoption. Website owners are advised to check analytics for AI referrals, create helpful 404 pages, set up redirects for invented URLs, and monitor server logs for suspicious patterns.
These steps can reduce frustration for users and ensure AI-driven traffic reaches the right content rather than dead ends.
OpenAI Releases Largest Study of ChatGPT Usage, Highlighting Economic Value
OpenAI has published the most comprehensive study yet on ChatGPT usage, analyzing 1.5 million conversations while preserving user privacy. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) working paper, co-authored with Harvard economist David Deming, reveals broad adoption and growing economic impact.
Gender gaps have narrowed significantly, with over half of new users now having typically feminine names, and adoption is expanding fastest in low- and middle-income countries. Most interactions focus on practical tasks such as seeking information, writing, and planning, with usage split into “Asking” (49%), “Doing” (40%), and “Expressing” (11%). About 30% of activity is work-related, while 70% supports personal productivity.
The study shows ChatGPT improves decision-making and everyday efficiency, creating value beyond traditional economic measures. OpenAI emphasizes that AI access should be considered a basic right, helping people unlock their potential in both work and life.
OpenAI Upgrades ChatGPT Search to Improve Accuracy and Shopping Recommendations
OpenAI has rolled out upgrades to ChatGPT search aimed at making the tool more accurate, useful, and user-friendly. The updates focus on three key areas: reducing hallucinations, improving shopping intent detection, and presenting answers in cleaner formats.
According to OpenAI, these changes will help ChatGPT provide more reliable information by producing fewer hallucinations, which has been a common concern with AI-generated answers. The search function is also now better at detecting when users are looking for product recommendations, ensuring results are aligned with shopping intent. Additionally, answers are formatted in a way that is easier to read and digest without sacrificing detail.
These improvements highlight OpenAI’s push to position ChatGPT search as a viable alternative to traditional search engines like Google. Despite the growth in AI-driven search tools, current adoption still drives less than 1% of referrals.
The upgrades were detailed in the ChatGPT changelog, showing OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to refine its search capabilities for both everyday users and businesses seeking AI-powered solutions.
Google Confirms Login Pages May Harm SEO Rankings
Google’s Search Relations team has confirmed a common SEO problem: when multiple private URLs redirect to the same generic login form, search engines may index the login page instead of your actual content. This happens because Google sees these repeated login pages as duplicate content.
The consequence is serious. Users searching for your brand may land on a blank login page instead of the content they expect, reducing traffic and engagement.
To address this issue, Google recommends several best practices:
- Use noindex tags on private endpoints instead of hiding them in robots.txt
- Redirect logged-out users to a marketing page with clear context
- Add paywall structured data if restricted content should be indexed
- Include product descriptions or helpful content on login pages rather than leaving them blank
Site owners can quickly test this by opening an incognito window and searching for their brand. If login pages appear instead of meaningful content, immediate action is needed to prevent ranking losses.
Court Documents Expose Google Ranking Signals Publishers Need to Know
Recent antitrust court documents have shed light on how Google measures certain user engagement signals for rankings. The filings confirm that click-through rates (CTR), dwell time, and content freshness are factored into search results. For publishers and marketers, this is significant because it shows the importance of driving real user interactions beyond traditional SEO methods like backlinks.
The documents reveal that Google tracks user behavior through its Chrome browser to evaluate engagement signals. Features like AI-generated overviews are receiving higher clicks than standard blue links, which emphasizes the growing impact of AI on content visibility. The filings also indicate that sites with strong social signals and frequent content updates can gain measurable advantages in rankings.
SEO professionals are taking note of these findings. Publishers are encouraged to focus on strategies that improve CTR, encourage longer dwell times, and maintain fresh content. Creating Q&A-style content optimized for AI overviews is becoming an essential tactic to stay competitive in search.
Court Issues Ruling on Google Search Antitrust Remedies
In a recent development, a U.S. District Court has issued its decision regarding the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google. The court has mandated that Google must share online search data with its competitors to address competition issues in the general online search market. However, the court rejected many of the Department of Justice’s proposed remedies, including the divestiture of Google’s Chrome and Android businesses. CCIA
The ruling has significant implications for web publishers and content creators. The court acknowledged that generative AI technologies could harm publishers but stated that there was insufficient evidence presented to support specific remedies protecting publishers’ rights. This decision has left many in the publishing industry concerned about the future of their content in an AI-driven search landscape.
In response, publishers are exploring various avenues to regain control over their content. Some are considering legal actions similar to those taken by companies like Chegg and Penske Media, which have filed lawsuits against Google over its AI-generated summaries. Others are advocating for legislative measures to ensure that publishers have the ability to control how their content is used by AI technologies. Collectively, the publishing community is calling for stronger protections and more influence in negotiations with tech giants like Google.
SEO Alert: Massive GSC Data Shifts Reveal Potential Bot Activity
Over the weekend, significant fluctuations in Google Search Console (GSC) data caught the attention of the SEO community. Sites reporting rising impressions without a corresponding increase in clicks may be seeing the effects of an underlying issue initially linked to the AI overviews rollout.
Recent data shows desktop impressions for some sites dropping by as much as 200,000 overnight. This dramatic shift has caused average position metrics to align more closely with mobile data. While it may sound extreme, there’s growing evidence that bots and new AI analytics tools scraping search results could be inflating prior desktop impressions.
Traditionally, GSC records an impression when a page with a search result is loaded, even if the link is not scrolled into view. Loading the top 100 results at once can skew data and inflate average position metrics, making previous analyses less reliable.
Google has also disabled &num=100, which may reduce scraping but raises questions about potential motivations beyond protecting their systems. The so-called “great decoupling” theory may be part of a broader attempt to correct how search metrics are tracked.
SEO experts now caution that some longstanding assumptions about GSC data may need revisiting, particularly regarding desktop performance metrics, and stress careful interpretation of impression and position data moving forward.
SEO 2026: How Marketers Are Staying Ahead
SEO is changing fast, and marketers are finding new ways to keep up in 2026. Original content is still king, but creating it takes more time than almost anything else. Teams are handling it in three main ways: leaning on AI for automation, focusing on building authority with E-E-A-T, or combining AI with human expertise for the best of both worlds.
AI tools are everywhere, from writing assistants to analytics platforms, but there’s a real concern that AI answers could reduce website clicks. That’s why building trust and expertise remains a top priority. Companies are also paying more attention to structured content and topical authority, making sure their expertise shines online.
Even with all the changes, SEO still delivers results. Organic traffic, leads, and conversions are growing, which keeps budgets healthy. Whether you use AI heavily, focus on authority, or mix both approaches, the key is balancing speed, quality, and expertise to stay ahead.
SEOs Struggle to Name AI Search Efforts as Industry Experiments With GEO and AEO
SEOs are rapidly adopting AI search tactics, including schema, structured data, citations, and FAQs, even as revenue impact remains minimal. According to a new survey of over 200 senior SEOs worldwide, 36 percent refer to it as AI search optimization, 27 percent stick with SEO for AI platforms, and 18 percent call it generative engine optimization. Nearly 91 percent of executives have asked about AI search visibility in the past year, yet 62 percent of SEOs report it drives less than 5 percent of revenue. Despite challenges in measurement and attribution, AI search is reshaping priorities across SEO teams and leadership.
Most Marketers Ignore Generative SEO Despite Growing AI Search Importance
Despite the rising importance of AI-powered search, most marketers are not prioritizing Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). According to a recent survey by Centerfield, 63% of companies are not dedicating time, budget, or staff to GEO.
On average, only 9% of marketing resources go to GEO, compared with 24% for SEO and 36% for social campaigns. Additionally, only a third of marketers feel confident in measuring traffic from AI search versus traditional search.
With 67% predicting that AI search visibility will be very or extremely important within the next two years, brands risk falling behind if they do not adapt strategies to optimize for AI-driven results. Companies that fail to prepare now may lose opportunities to be cited or featured in generative search summaries.
Google Ads AI Max Adds Expanded Keyword and Landing Page Metrics
Google Ads has introduced deeper reporting for Search AI Max campaigns, allowing advertisers to track traffic from AI-generated broad-match keywords and landing pages beyond their specified keywords. The new metrics, AI Max expanded matches and AI Max expanded landing pages, give advertisers better insight into how AI is driving incremental traffic and using existing assets. This update enhances transparency for PPC campaigns, helping advertisers evaluate the value of AI-driven clicks.
Google Removes Reporting for Six Deprecated Structured Data Types
Google has announced that reporting for six deprecated structured data types- Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, Special Announcement, and Vehicle Listing will be removed from Search Console, Rich Result Test, and the API. This follows their earlier decision to deprecate these data types entirely, as they were rarely used and added limited value to search results. Bulk data exports will also show these fields as NULL starting October 1, 2025.
Google Expands AI Mode to Five New Languages Including Hindi and Japanese
Google has expanded AI Mode to support Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese. The feature, now available in 180 countries and territories, allows users to access advanced AI-powered search results in these new languages. AI Mode combines multiple related searches into a single response, supporting text, voice, and image queries. Google says this expansion ensures AI-powered results are locally relevant and useful. This move reflects Google’s commitment to making AI Mode a key part of the search experience.
Google AI Mode May Become Default Search Experience Soon
Google’s Logan Kilpatrick, lead product manager, recently hinted that AI Mode could soon become the default search experience. AI Mode is a dedicated Google Search tab designed to provide deeper, AI-driven answers for queries that require reasoning, comparisons, and exploration.
The mode uses a “query fan-out” technique to pull results from multiple sources and subtopics and then synthesizes them into comprehensive responses. AI Mode supports text, voice, and image searches and allows conversational follow-up questions.
Google has rolled out AI Mode in 180 countries, including the US, UK, and India. While the data from AI Mode is logged in Search Console, it is combined with normal search data, which can make tracking challenging.
Robust SEO strategies and experimentation will be critical for marketers as AI Mode grows in prominence. However, Google later clarified that AI Mode will not necessarily become the default, emphasizing easy access for those who choose to use it.
Even ChatGPT Relies on Google’s Search Index
A new report reveals that OpenAI quietly used SerpApi, a Google Search scraping service, to power ChatGPT’s answers on real-time topics like news, sports, and finance.
Despite public claims that ChatGPT relies on Bing and licensed publisher data, evidence suggests Google’s index remains a critical backbone for AI-powered search. SerpApi reportedly listed OpenAI as a customer as recently as May 2024 before quietly removing the reference.
Why it matters: This underscores how essential Google’s search index still is, even for its biggest AI rivals. If ChatGPT needs Google results to stay accurate and relevant, SEO remains just as vital for businesses that depend on online visibility.
AI Overviews Disrupt Search: SEO and Paid Teams Must Unite
Google’s AI Overviews are changing search visibility in ways we’ve never seen before. They cut into clicks, shift ad placements, and leave both SEO and PPC teams with limited data.
Ad performance is harder to measure, while organic visibility is being reshaped into AI-generated summaries.
The path forward: alignment. SEO teams bring insights into how AI is shaping search. Paid teams bring agility to optimize spend. Together, they can bridge data gaps and adapt strategies around buyer intent and bottom-funnel wins.
Search has changed. Collaboration is no longer optional, it’s essential.
Google Confirms AI Content Must Be Human Reviewed
Google’s Gary Illyes has confirmed that AI-generated content is acceptable for search, provided it is reviewed by humans.
In an interview with Kenichi Suzuki, Illyes stated that “human curated” is a more accurate description of Google’s policy than “human created.” He emphasized that content quality, originality, and factual accuracy are the critical factors.
Illyes also warned that while the search index is not endangered by AI content, large language models risk entering a “training loop” if they learn from AI-generated text without filtering.
The takeaway: publishers can use AI to generate content, but human oversight remains essential to ensure accuracy and avoid duplication.
GEO isn’t a buzzword. It’s already happening.
Carolyn Shelby recently wrote on SEJ: “Stop trying to make GEO happen. It’s not going to happen.”
With respect, GEO has already arrived.
“Generative Engine Optimization” was introduced in a research paper in December 2023 and is already being discussed at conferences, in academic circles, and among practitioners.
Language evolves, and tech has always redefined words: cloud, cookies, spam. GEO is no different. It’s not about whether the acronym is perfect. It’s about whether the concept reflects reality.
GEO gives us a chance to reframe SEO’s reputation for the AI era. It acknowledges that optimization evolves with technology and signals a fresh opportunity for our industry to be recognized for the value it brings.
The question isn’t whether GEO will stick. It’s whether you’re ready to be ahead of the curve.
Google Wants To Show More Links In AI Mode
Google says it’s expanding how links appear inside AI Mode. The changes include embedded carousels on desktop, smarter inline links, and an expanded Web Guide.
- Embedded carousels now surface multiple source links within AI answers, starting on desktop.
- Smarter inline links are placed by models that predict when users are most likely to click.
- Web Guide, powered by a Gemini model, groups links by topic and is expanding beyond the “Web” tab.
Why it matters: how links appear in AI Mode directly impacts how users navigate and how publishers receive traffic. Expect more testing around density, placement, and labeling in the months ahead.
Google’s Danny Sullivan: “Good SEO is good GEO”
At WordCamp US, Google’s Danny Sullivan reinforced that the fundamentals of SEO still apply, even in the age of AI-driven search. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and other emerging acronyms all come back to the same principle: create unique, valuable content for people.
Sullivan acknowledged publisher concerns over declining clicks since AI Overviews launched but emphasized that Google continues to reward high-quality content and support the open web.
Key takeaways:
- Good SEO = good GEO (or AEO, or whatever acronym comes next)
- CTR challenges are real, but Google says user value remains the priority
- AI Overviews have driven a 10% increase in searches in the U.S. and India
Study Finds Google AI and ChatGPT Disagree on Brand Picks Nearly Two-Thirds of the Time
A new BrightEdge analysis shows that Google’s AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT recommend different brands in response to the same queries nearly two-thirds of the time (61.9%). Only 17% of prompts produced the same brand across all three platforms. The findings highlight a fractured AI search landscape where brand visibility is inconsistent and unpredictable.
The Future of Search Value: LLMs Projected to Drive 75% of Revenue by 2028
Semrush’s latest study suggests a major turning point in digital marketing: by 2028, Large Language Model (LLM) search will drive 75% of search value and revenue, surpassing traditional Google search.
The report analyzed 500+ high-value SEO and marketing topics, showing how platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s Gemini are reshaping user behavior. AI-driven search is already reducing clicks, with users increasingly satisfied by AI Overviews and direct answers instead of visiting websites.
But the findings aren’t all grim for businesses. Visitors who arrive via LLM search are 4.4x more likely to convert than traditional organic visitors, since LLM responses pre-qualify users with richer, context-driven answers.
The research highlights the urgent need for marketers to adapt: structuring content for AI, optimizing for question-based prompts, and strengthening digital footprints to build brand authority across AI-driven platforms.
Cloudflare Data Shows AI Bots Crawl More, Click Less: The Growing Crawl-to-Click Gap
Cloudflare’s latest data highlights a widening imbalance between AI bot activity and real user traffic. In the first half of 2025, AI and search bot crawling surged 24% year-over-year, with training-related activity driving nearly 80% of AI crawls. At the same time, referral traffic to publishers dropped, especially from Google, where news site referrals fell ~9% between January and March.
AI crawlers like OpenAI’s GPTBot and Anthropic’s ClaudeBot are consuming more content than ever, but the number of actual users clicking through to publishers remains low. Anthropic, for example, crawled 38,000 pages for every visitor it sent in July. Meanwhile, Google’s AI Overviews and other generative features are reshaping how people access news, with fewer users clicking links.
This imbalance poses a growing challenge for publishers: contributing to AI training and summaries while seeing declining traffic, ad revenue, and subscriptions. Cloudflare Radar’s new AI Insights tools provide deeper visibility into these trends, showing how training dominates AI bot activity and how referral patterns are shifting across platforms.
Google Updates Guidance on Paywalled Content and JavaScript Issues
Google has updated its documentation to address problems with JavaScript-based paywalls. Many publishers use interstitials to block non-subscribers while still serving the full content in the code. This practice makes it harder for Google to recognize what’s paywalled. The updated guidance now recommends that publishers only serve full content once a user’s subscription status is confirmed, instead of hiding it with JavaScript. The change was added as item 10 in Google’s “Fix Search-related JavaScript Problems” page.
Google Roasted on X After Spam Update: “AI Overviews” Called Out for Breaking Google’s Own Rules
Minutes after Google unveiled its August 2025 spam update, Nate Hake posted on X with a critique that quickly went viral:
“I’d like to report a spammer called ‘AI Overviews’
It’s coming up #1 for a ton of queries & violates all these Google policies:
- No first hand experience
- Uses extensive automation
- No expertise
- Primarily summarizes what others have written”
Hake’s post included screenshots of Google’s own guidelines, making the irony hard to miss. The timing was striking, as Google had just announced a global spam crackdown while its own AI feature was being accused of breaking the same rules.
Why This Matters
Since AI Overviews launched, many publishers have reported a significant drop in organic search traffic. This has been called the “decoupling of search,” where impressions rise but actual clicks decline. For publishers, this has real business consequences.
The Bigger Picture
AI Overviews have long faced criticism for accuracy, originality, and their impact on publishers. By pointing to Google’s own policies, this viral post highlights a larger issue: Google holds websites to strict standards while its own tools may not follow them.
AI Tool Adoption Jumps to 38%, But Search Engines Still Rule at 95%
AI adoption in the U.S. continues to rise but shows signs of slowing, according to new data from Datos and SparkToro. While 38% of Americans now use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot, traditional search engines remain dominant.
The report found that 21% of Americans are “heavy” AI users, meaning they access these tools at least 10 times a month. Yet 95% of Americans still rely on search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo each month, with Google heavy usage climbing to 87%, up from 84% in 2023.
Interestingly, AI adoption doesn’t appear to replace search but rather complements it. SparkToro’s findings show heavy AI users are also more active on Google. This aligns with a Semrush study suggesting ChatGPT users tend to search more, not less.
The takeaway: AI is growing, but it isn’t dethroning search engines. Instead, the two are becoming intertwined, with AI enhancing search rather than replacing it.
What To Do When the Click Disappears: Surviving SEO in the AI-Driven SERP
Organic clicks are vanishing. With over 58% of searches ending without a click, AI summaries and overviews now rewrite the rules of SEO. Rankings alone are no longer enough; brands must focus on citations, mentions, and visibility within AI-generated answers.
Key Points
- Google AI Overviews appear in 11% of searches, pulling content into summaries.
- Content often fuels AI answers without driving traffic back to sites.
- Success now means being cited, not just ranked.
- New metrics: brand mentions, branded search volume, and conversion assists.
- Strategies: AI-friendly content (FAQs, lists, schema), original research, and multi-platform presence.
Billions of Entities Removed From Google’s Knowledge Graph in June 2025
In June 2025, Google’s Knowledge Graph experienced its largest contraction in a decade, shrinking by 6.26% in just one week. That equals more than 3 billion entities removed in two updates, on June 13 and June 20.
Researchers tracking the Knowledge Graph since 2015 have called this “Google’s great clarity cleanup.” The cuts hit three areas hardest: events, ambiguous “thing” entities, and person entities with multiple classifications.
This strategic contraction signals a shift toward higher-quality, unambiguous data. It shows how Google is reshaping the Knowledge Graph to support its AI-powered search features.
Google Rolls Out August 2025 Spam Update
Google has begun rolling out its August 2025 spam update, the company confirmed today at 12:05 p.m. This is the first spam-related algorithm update in eight months and the first of the year, following the December 2024 update.
Google described the release as a “normal spam update” that will take a few weeks to complete. The update is rolling out globally and in all languages.
The last spam update was launched on December 19, 2024, and finished on December 26. Before that, the previous spam update occurred in June 2024.
This is also the first algorithm change since the June 2025 core update. Google hasn’t specified what type of spam the August update is targeting. Site owners who notice ranking or traffic shifts in the coming weeks may want to monitor performance closely, as the rollout continues.
AI Traffic Surges 527 Percent as SEO Landscape Rapidly Evolves
According to the 2025 Previsible AI Traffic Report, traffic from AI platforms is growing at an unprecedented rate. In just five months, AI-driven sessions across 19 different Google Analytics 4 properties increased from 17,076 in January to 107,100 in May 2025. That is a staggering 527 percent rise.
Some SaaS websites and high-authority publishers are now seeing more than 1 percent of their total traffic coming from AI tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. The top five industries benefiting the most from this surge are Legal, Health, Finance, Small Business, and Insurance. These sectors together account for 55 percent of all AI-generated traffic.
This marks a significant shift in the way SEO is evolving. Unlike traditional search engines that depend on indexing and rankings, large language models surface content based on clarity, trustworthiness, and immediate usefulness.
For marketers and content creators, the message is clear. The key is to produce high-quality content that solves real problems and builds credibility. In the era of AI-driven discovery, helpful content can now get surfaced even before it ranks in search engines.
Google Supercharges Search: AI Mode Gets Smarter with Video, Canvas, and File Uploads
Google has rolled out a range of AI-powered enhancements to its AI Mode and Search Live, aimed especially at students and lifelong learners preparing for the new school season. Here’s a breakdown of the key updates:
Search Live Now Supports Video Input
- Search Live with video is now available, building on the audio-only version launched last month.
- Integrated with Google Lens, users can open Lens in the Google app, tap the Live icon, and engage in real-time conversations using their camera feed.
- It provides explanations for visual content such as diagrams, formulas, or moving objects.
- Rolling out this week on mobile in the U.S. for users enrolled in the AI Mode Labs experiment.
Upload Images and PDFs to AI Mode
- Users can now upload images and PDF files to AI Mode and ask questions related to the content.
- AI Mode analyzes the file and cross-references it with web data to deliver contextual answers.
- Image uploads are rolling out on desktop now; PDF support will arrive in the coming weeks.
- Support for additional file types and integration with Google Drive is expected in future updates.
New Canvas Feature in AI Mode
- The Canvas panel allows users to organize ideas and plans alongside AI conversations.
- Useful for studying, research, and trip planning.
- Activated by tapping the “Create Canvas” button to open a side panel.
- Rolling out in the coming weeks on desktop in the U.S. for users in the AI Mode Labs experiment.
Lens in Chrome Gets Smarter with AI Mode
- Users can now ask follow-up questions via AI Mode after using Lens in Chrome.
- New shortcuts like “Ask Google about this page” appear in the Chrome address bar.
- These enhancements bring a deeper level of interaction with web page content.
These features demonstrate Google’s continued investment in making AI Mode a practical tool for exploration, learning, and productivity, especially as students head back to school.
Google Launches AI-Powered Search Feature in the UK, Raising Concerns Among Businesses
Google has officially rolled out its AI-powered search feature, AI Mode, in the UK, marking a major shift in how users interact with the world’s most used search engine.
Instead of the traditional list of blue links, AI Mode delivers answers in a conversational, summary format, powered by Google’s Gemini AI. The company says it is responding to a trend where users ask more complex and natural language queries.
While this feature is optional for now, it may significantly reshape online traffic patterns. Businesses and publishers who rely heavily on Google for web traffic fear that fewer links in AI-generated summaries will reduce click-throughs and advertising opportunities.
The Daily Mail claims traffic from Google has dropped nearly 50% since the introduction of AI Overviews. A Pew Research study also suggests users are clicking links far less often when AI summaries are shown.
Google says the tool is still evolving, and advertising models for AI Mode are yet to be finalized. But concerns remain high among media and retail businesses whose visibility may decline as user engagement shifts to within Google’s own results page.
The feature has already launched in the US and India, and will now reach UK users in the coming days. For now, it is not available in the EU due to regulatory restrictions.
As AI integration continues, questions grow over data accuracy, traffic loss, and sustainability, issues that Google says it is addressing while reshaping how the world searches.
ICICI Prudential Sees Major Gains from AI-Driven SEO in AI Overviews, Voice Search, and LLMs
AI is reshaping the SEO landscape, and forward-thinking enterprises like ICICI Prudential Life are already seeing significant results.
By adopting AI-driven SEO strategies, ICICI Prudential reportedly achieved over 1,100 AI Overview optimizations. These efforts increased the company’s visibility in AI-generated search results, voice assistants, and large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. The enhancements are particularly impactful in the highly competitive term life insurance space.
This transformation is part of a broader trend. Across industries like banking, insurance, eCommerce, and travel, over 45,000 AI Overview optimizations have been executed. These optimizations include structured content, real-time audits, topic clustering, and internal linking improvements – all tailored to how AI systems interpret and deliver information.
Unlike traditional SEO, which focused heavily on keywords, AI-driven SEO emphasizes aligning content with the way AI models summarize and rank information. The result is improved visibility not just in standard search engines but also in AI-generated answers, voice queries, and search generative experiences.
ICICI Prudential’s progress demonstrates that AI-enhanced SEO is no longer experimental, it is a performance-driven necessity. Brands that embrace these strategies early are gaining long-term resilience and a competitive edge in organic discovery.
In an era where search is becoming more conversational and AI-assisted, the move to AI-first SEO isn’t just a smart choice, it’s an essential one.
Google’s Project Mariner Is Here to Work the Web for You – Literally
At Google I/O 2025, the company showcased a significant advancement in its AI agent strategy with the broader rollout of Project Mariner, a DeepMind-powered AI agent designed to browse websites and complete web-based tasks on users’ behalf.
Initially introduced in late 2024, Mariner began as a Chrome-based agent that simulated user actions like moving the cursor, clicking buttons, filling forms, and navigating websites. Early iterations were limited to one active browser tab and did not allow the user to interact with the device during operation.
The latest version, revealed in May 2025, now runs on cloud-based virtual machines. This upgrade enables Mariner to perform up to ten tasks simultaneously, operating in the background without interrupting the user’s work. A new feature called “Teach and Repeat” allows users to demonstrate a task once, after which Mariner can repeat the task autonomously whenever needed.
Currently, Mariner is available to subscribers of the Google One AI Premium plan in the United States. Broader international access is expected later in 2025. Google is also working to integrate Mariner into the Gemini API, Vertex AI, and eventually into AI Mode in Google Search and Agent Mode in the Gemini app.
Use cases include booking travel, shopping, scheduling appointments, filling out forms, and gathering research — all without the user needing to interact with individual websites manually. In a live demo, a user requested affordable tickets to a baseball game, and Mariner completed the entire booking process without further input.
Though still in its early stages, Project Mariner represents Google’s move toward an agentic future, where AI not only suggests actions but takes them on behalf of the user. Challenges remain in terms of accuracy, safety, and user control, but the potential is groundbreaking.
Key Takeaways from Day 2 of Google Search Central Live APAC 2025
Google Search Central Live APAC 2025 continues to provide essential insights for SEOs, developers, and webmasters across the region. On Day 2, the sessions focused heavily on how Google evaluates content, handles links and schema, and continues evolving its systems for indexing, spam detection, and AI interaction. Below are the highlights from the second day of the event.
Major Announcements and Insights
Google Trends API (Alpha) Launched
- Announced by Daniel Waisberg and Hadas Jacobi
- Offers non-recalibrating interest data over a rolling 5-year window
- Enables regional segmentation and aggregation by week, month, or year
Links Remain Crucial
- Cherry Prommawin reaffirmed that links are still an important part of the web
- Google uses links for content discovery, understanding site structure, and ranking
Schema Clarifications
- Gary Illyes emphasized that excessive or redundant schema markup can bloat pages
- Schema is not a direct ranking factor but helps content become eligible for enhanced search features
Google’s View on AI-Generated Images
- Ian Huang stated that AI-generated images are acceptable as long as they convey the intended message
- Minor visual imperfections are tolerated, especially when the image is not the core content
Understanding Robots Rules
robots.txtdetermines what gets crawledmeta robotstags (likenoindex,noimageindex,notranslate) control post-crawl behavior- Explained the
unavailable_aftertag for time-sensitive content
Main Content Area Matters
- The placement of important information in the main content section improves its visibility in search
- Google looks at where content appears on the page and prioritizes information that adds user value
Google’s Tokenization System and Thin Content
- Google still relies on a tokenization method developed in the early 2000s
- Thin or low-quality pages are flagged as “soft 404s” and may be excluded from indexing
Canonicalization and Duplicate Handling
- Google clusters duplicates based on content, redirects, and user intent
- Permanent redirects influence canonical selection; temporary redirects typically do not
- User experience is central to determining which version of a page is indexed
Geotargeting and Localization
- Signals like ccTLDs, hreflang, server location, and local currency help reinforce regional relevance
- Localized content is preferred over hidden duplicate content
Signals and Structured Data Processing
- Structured data and media are evaluated after deduplication
- Google still uses PageRank internally as part of its broader ranking system
- On-page signals (e.g., relevance) and off-page signals (e.g., backlinks) are both taken into account
Spam and E-E-A-T
- Google flags more than 40 billion spammy pages per day using its SpamBrain system
- E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is not a direct ranking signal, but part of internal quality assessment guidelines
What Gets Indexed
- Pages with
noindex, soft 404s, expired content, or spam are removed from the index - Improving internal linking can help, but ultimately, content quality remains the most important factor
Conclusion
Day 2 of Google Search Central Live APAC made it clear that while technologies like AI and structured data are evolving, Google’s priorities remain consistent: relevance, clarity, crawlability, and user-first content. As search evolves, these principles will continue to guide web visibility and SEO success.
You Can Now Talk to Google Analytics Like a Human — No Reports Required!
In a significant step toward making data analysis more intuitive, Google has launched an open-source tool that allows large language models like Gemini to interact directly with Google Analytics through natural language queries.
Announced by Matt Landers, Head of Developer Relations at Google Analytics, the tool uses a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to bridge LLMs and analytics data. Now, instead of building custom dashboards or digging through reports, users can ask questions like “What were my top products last month?” and receive answers in plain English.
The tool supports integration with Gemini CLI and is now available on GitHub. It taps into the Google Analytics Admin and Data APIs to provide access to account details, run reports, and even fetch linked Google Ads data.
In a demo, Landers showed how the Gemini CLI could return real-time insights, refine follow-up queries, and even help build budget-based marketing strategies. With just a few commands, he retrieved product performance data and got AI-generated suggestions for allocating a hypothetical $5,000 budget.
The tool is still in development, and Google is inviting feedback from users and developers via GitHub and Discord. For marketers and analysts looking for quicker insights or developers aiming to simplify workflows, this new capability offers a glimpse into the future of AI-assisted analytics.
Google Search Console Logo Changed
Google has quietly rolled out a new logo for Search Console, aligning it with its refreshed design language across other tools like Google Analytics and Ads.
The new icon features a simplified design with modern colors, reflecting Google’s Material Design principles. While the core functionality of Search Console remains the same, this update signals continued investment in the tool as search evolves with AI and new ranking systems.
Users will now see the new logo across the dashboard, browser tabs, and mobile app shortcut (if installed).
Google Experiments with “More Filters” and “Show More” in Search Results
Google is currently testing a change to the familiar “More” button that appears under the search bar on its results page. In its place, users are seeing variations like “More filters” and “Show more”, depending on the test group.
This small but significant tweak suggests Google is exploring ways to better guide users through increasingly complex search journeys—either by offering additional filtering options or simply expanding visible content.
While it’s unclear if this change will roll out widely, it reflects Google’s ongoing efforts to refine user experience and intent-driven discovery.
Stay tuned as we track more updates from the SERP front.
Google’s Top Organic CTR Drops 32% After AI Overviews Rollout
A new study by GrowthSRC Media shows that SEO performance metrics are shifting dramatically:
• Top result CTR fell from 28% to 19% after the widespread rollout of Google’s AI Overviews
• Position #2 saw an even steeper drop—down 39% YoY
• Study analyzed 200,000+ keywords across ecommerce, SaaS, B2B, and EdTech
• CTRs increased by 30% for positions 6–10, suggesting users are scrolling past AI summaries
• Major publishers like MailOnline report CTRs dropping below 5% when AI Overviews appear
Other trends noted:
• Product Widgets (like “Popular Products”) now dominate ecommerce SERPs, diverting clicks
• CTR declines averaged 17.92% across positions 1–5
👉 What does this mean for SEOs?
It’s time to rethink traffic KPIs. Focus on:
• Branded search growth
• Social/distributed content reach
• On-site conversions and leads
• Mentions in LLM outputs and zero-click visibility
As Google evolves into an answer engine, ranking #1 might not mean what it used to.
Google Enables 24-Hour Comparison in Search Console
Google has introduced a powerful new comparison mode in its Search Console, allowing site owners to measure recent performance on an hourly basis directly within the platform.
Now, users can
• Compare the last 24 hours against the previous 24 hours
• Compare the last 24 hours to the same day in the previous week
The feature provides hourly data breakdowns for clicks, impressions, click through rate, and average position, and is available across Search, Discover, and News performance reports.
Rolled out globally on July 16, 2025, this enhancement builds on the recent performance dashboard introduced in December 2024. It answers the long standing need among SEO professionals for more immediate insights.
Why It Matters
• Real time monitoring: Spot dips, surges, or trends within hours
• Quick impact analysis: Evaluate algorithm updates or marketing campaigns instantly
• Native functionality: No need for external tools or manual exports
Experts have welcomed the update, describing it as a timely and valuable addition, especially useful during core updates or after launching major site changes.
Pro tip: Use the 24 hour comparison to monitor new content launches, track the impact of Google algorithm updates, or respond quickly to performance shifts. Hours matter.
Jayveer Indori
View More PostsI’m Jayveer Indori, Senior SEO Manager at SEO Knot, with over 11 years of experience in the SEO industry. I specialize in Local SEO, technical audits, and creating content strategies that are built to perform and last.
