SEO News
Google Clarifies: AI Overview Links Share Single Position In Search Console
Google clarifies that links in AI Overviews all share a single position in Search Console reports.
- All links in Google's AI Overviews share a single position in Search Console.
- Links in AIOs often show as "position 1" in Search Console.
- The lack of precise data makes it difficult to verify Google's claims.
Google shares 8 ways to be successful with AI Search experiences
Google today published new guidance on how to “succeed” in its evolving AI-powered search experiences.
What’s new. The only real (sort of) news here is that Google has put into writing what Google’s Elizabeth Reid and others have said in recent months – that AI-driven searches are increasing engagement and creating higher-quality clicks.
Paid News
Google expands ads in AI Overviews, AI Mode to desktop
Search and Shopping ads in AI Overviews are now rolling out to desktop users in the U.S., as announced today at Google Marketing Live 2025.
Driving the news. Starting today, desktop users in the U.S. will begin seeing Search and Shopping ads embedded within AI Overviews.
Google AI Max for Search campaigns: New insights from Ginny Marvin
Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin answered a slew of questions about the upcoming AI Max for Search Campaigns feature.
Here are the key insights and revelations about this significant update to Google’s advertising platform from the interview, which was conducted by PPC specialist Julie Bacchini, founder of Neptune Moon.
Studies & Data
Zero-Click Search and the Illusion of Growth: Insights from 2025 Data
Over the past year, there’s been a growing focus on how AI-generated summaries - commonly known as AI Overviews - are changing the shape of Google’s search results. Rolled out more widely throughout 2024, these summaries aim to deliver quick, concise answers directly on the results page. As a result, we’ve seen a clear increase in what are often referred to as zero-click searches: where users get the information they need without ever leaving Google.
Much of the early analysis around this trend has come from the US, with several large-scale studies pointing to a consistent pattern: rising impressions paired with falling click-through rates. For those of us managing websites in Australia and New Zealand, the natural question is whether we’re seeing the same kind of impact locally.
33% of Google Users Stuck with Bing After a Two-Week Trial: Study
Study reveals 33% of Google users stayed with Bing after trying it for two weeks. Is Google’s dominance driven by quality, or default settings?
- A third of Google users stuck with Bing after trying it for two weeks.
- Exposure to Bing improved users’ perceptions of its quality.
- Researchers believe people avoid alternatives because they haven’t given them a fair chance.
Guides & Recommendations
Revolutionizing online shopping: AI search meets agentic intelligence
The way consumers find and purchase products online has changed dramatically. AI is at the center of this transformation, enhancing digital marketplaces through advanced search and autonomous decision-making.
Beyond traditional search, agentic AI introduces self-optimizing systems that refine product recommendations, personalize search results, and anticipate customer needs before they are even expressed.
This article explores how AI-powered search and agentic AI reshape e-commerce, boosting product discoverability, increasing conversion rates, and driving business growth—essential insights for marketing teams and e-commerce leaders.
How does ChatGPT conduct local searches?
While Google still dominates local search, ChatGPT has made notable strides. Its local results, though not yet on par with Google’s, have improved significantly since we ranked it last among AI search tools less than a year ago.
The key change?
ChatGPT’s integration with Microsoft Bing’s search index last fall. While it now pulls web content from Bing, it applies its own algorithm to organize results. As a result, the best way to make your business visible in ChatGPT is to ensure it’s included in Bing’s index. However, ChatGPT processes local queries differently than Bing does.
Here are several key differences I uncovered by running side-by-side queries and digging into how ChatGPT compiles local results.
Thought Pieces
There is a growing spam problem in Google AI Overviews
For years, Google was known for crushing spam. Now, it's highlighting it in the most prominent position in its search results: AI Overviews.
A recent LinkedIn post highlighted that AI Overviews are easily manipulated, regurgitating content verbatim or hallucinating incorrect information, and that spammers are exploiting this to promote low-quality content.
The decline of ecommerce search ads: Are shopping campaigns to blame?
For years, search campaigns have been an imperative part of one’s PPC strategy. However, the landscape is shifting and Google is increasingly prioritizing shopping within the user experience, changing how users interact with the SERPs and how we as advertisers approach strategy for ecommerce clients.
With continued investment in AI-powered tools like Performance Max, which has absorbed much of what traditional search once offered, recent betas such as AI Max, and now Google testing a massive new carousel format for Shopping ads, the platform is clearly moving toward a Shopping-first ecosystem. As these changes roll out, traditional search ads are getting less visibility, less control, and arguably, less relevance – especially for ecommerce brands.
AI News
Google Gemini Upgrades: New AI Capabilities Announced At I/O
Google Gemini upgrades include Chrome integration, Live visual tools, and enhanced 2.5 models. Learn how these AI advances could reshape your marketing strategy.
- Gemini 2.5 models receive performance upgrades.
- Gemini Live now includes camera and screen sharing on Android and iOS.
- Google is integrating Gemini into Chrome browsers.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Confirms Planning Open Source AI Model
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently said the company plans to release an open source model more capable than any currently available. While he acknowledged the likelihood of it being used in ways some may not approve of, he emphasized that highly capable open systems have an important role to play. He described the shift as a response to greater collective understanding of AI risks, implying that the timing is right for OpenAI to re-engage with open source models.
The statement was in the context of a Live at TED2025 interview where the interviewer, Chris Anderson, asked Altman whether the Chinese open source model DeepSeek had “shaken” him up.
Other News
Google Marketing Advisor, an AI sidekick for advertisers, coming soon to Chrome
Google is launching Marketing Advisor, as announced today at Google Marketing Live 2025. Marketing Advisor is a new AI-powered assistant that lives directly in the Chrome browser and is designed to help advertisers manage marketing tasks across Google platforms and beyond.
TikTok Fined $600 Million For Illegally Sending European User Data To People's Republic of China 🇨🇳 | LinkedIn
TikTok has been fined $600 million by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) for failing to ensure that European user data transferred to China would not be accessed by the Chinese government.
The four year investigation found that the video sharing app’s data transfers to China puts users at risk of spying, in breach of strict EU data privacy rules.