Issue 22

Thought Pieces

The Generative AI Con

I get it. I get that there are people that use LLM-powered software, and I must be clear that anecdotal examples of some people using some software that they kind-of like is not evidence that generative AI is a sustainable or real industry at the trillion-dollar scale that many claim it is.

Is Google really getting worse? (Actually, it’s complicated)

Google is getting worse – or at least, that’s what “we” say.

The contradicting reality: Search remains the dominant channel for web traffic.

The complex truth: The truth resists easy categorization.

Events

[May 15 Webinar] Prepare Your Website for the EU Accessibility Act 2025

(Free Upcoming Webinar) Get your website ready for new accessibility rules — the EU Accessibility Act goes into effect in June 2025!

[May 21 Webinar] SEO for LLMs - Adapting to the AI-first Web

Aleyda Solis & Ray Grieselhuber discuss with Patrick how we can direct and track LLM crawlers, plus tactics for helping them find & understand content better.

Studies & Data

CPC inflation: How fast are Google Ads costs rising?

Most advertisers will confidently tell you that the cost per click (CPC) on Google Ads rises year after year. But is that actually true?

And if it is, how quickly are CPCs inflating?

Surprisingly, there’s no simple answer.

To get closer to the truth, we’ll explore three reliable data sources – and explain why this question matters more than most advertisers realize.

Survey: 42% of people say Google Search is becoming less useful

Google continues to lose ground among younger generations, with 61% of Gen Z and 53% of Millennials using AI tools instead of Google or other traditional search engines. That’s according to a new Vox Media survey.

Why we care. We continue to see early signs that Google search may be starting to slip – from Google’s market share dropping below 90% for the first time since 2015 to other surveys indicating searchers are frustrated with search quality. Things are changing rapidly – from the rise of AI answer engines and generative engine optimization, to the growth of social platforms for discovery (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest). Many brands and marketers are still adjusting to these shifts.

Guides & Recommendations

Decoding the AI Index (+ JavaScript LLM Struggles)

AI gatekeepers have marketers shaking in their boots—and for good reason: you spend years creating helpful content only to see it vanish from top SERPs and go unnoticed by AI platforms.

It’s important to note that AI-driven search doesn’t diminish traditional SEO; it simply demands we rethink how content is structured for both types of search: training data and search data.

When Help Documentation Is Wrong: PMax API Placement Exclusions Do Work Despite Google Claims

When ad platforms provide guidance, it is often taken as absolute truth. The expectation is that their help documentation and support channels offer accurate, actionable advice.

However, despite providing clear guidance after reviewing the findings from Optmyzr’s experiment, Google spent months telling advertisers PMax exclusions would not be respected if they came from the API.

SEO News

Google's Updated Raters Guidelines Target Fake EEAT Content

A major update to Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines (QRG) clarifies and expands on multiple forms of deception that Google wants its quality raters to identify. This change continues the trend of refining the guidelines so that quality raters become better at spotting increasingly granular forms of quality issues.

Google Maps Gets An Upgrade To Combat Fake Reviews

Google Maps content moderation now uses Gemini to detect fake reviews and suspicious profile edits. Learn how these new tools protect businesses.

Google Gemini detects and removes fraudulent reviews.
Gemini now blocks suspicious Business Profile changes.
Audit Business Profiles and reviews to align with Google’s updated policies

Paid News

It's Official: Google Launches AI Max for Search Campaigns

Google introduces AI Max for Search, expanding query reach, adaptive creative, and better controls to boost performance while maintaining transparency for advertisers.

Google's 'People also consider' sponsored format raises concerns

Search industry experts are sounding the alarm over a growing Google experiment that’s creating a kind of “SERP Inception” — search results inside search results, with increasingly prominent Sponsored labels that don’t appear to be paid ad placements in the traditional sense.

AI News

AI Crawlers Are Reportedly Draining Site Resources & Skewing Analytics

AI bots from OpenAI and others consume massive bandwidth, affecting analytics and server resources for websites worldwide.

AI crawlers significantly impact website bandwidth and can skew analytics data.
Bot traffic can cost websites thousands in unnecessary server expenses.
Tools like Google-Extended help balance search visibility with crawler management.

ChatGPT Expands Memory Capabilities, Remembers Past Chats

ChatGPT's enhanced memory remembers your preferences across conversations, giving more personalized responses without repetition.

ChatGPT's new memory features let it remember your preferences and past conversations.
You maintain control with options to delete memories or turn off the feature.
Currently available to Plus and Pro subscribers

Other News

HubSpot Announces 200+ Features At Spring Spotlight 2025

HubSpot unveils AI agents, new Workspaces, and key upgrades to Marketing Hub Enterprise in its Spring 2025 release, focused on speed and scale.

HubSpot launched four AI-powered Breeze Agents to streamline work across marketing, sales, and support teams.
Marketing Hub Enterprise received upgrades including Lookalike Lists, Journey Automation, and Multi-Account Management.
New AI Workspaces were introduced for sales, success, and support teams to prioritize tasks and take action from a single view.

Apple's Preference Ranking Guidelines: Leaked doc reveals scoring system for AI-generated responses

Apple’s internal playbook for rating digital assistant responses has leaked — and it offers a rare inside look at how the company decides what makes an AI answer “good” or “harmful.”

The leaked 170-page document, obtained and reviewed exclusively by Search Engine Land, is titled Preference Ranking V3.3 Vendor, marked Apple Confidential – Internal Use Only, and dated Jan. 27.

It lays out the system used by human reviewers to score digital assistant replies. Responses are judged on categories such as truthfulness, harmfulness, conciseness, and overall user satisfaction.

The process isn’t just about checking facts. It’s designed to ensure AI-generated responses are helpful, safe, and feel natural to users.