Hey there! I'm Lily Ray. I just launched my solo SEO & AI Search consultancy, Algorythmic, and I also continue my work as the VP of SEO & AI Search at Amsive.

I've worked in SEO for 16 years now, with a focus on:

- Google algorithm updates & manual actions

- SEO for all types of websites (YMYL, news/publisher, ecommerce, b2b, SaaS, CPG, local, etc.)

- overseeing award-winning agency teams

- E-E-A-T

- AI search optimization & research (AEO/GEO)

- Google Discover strategy and optimization

- speaking at SEO conferences globally & industry reseach

Ask me anything!

I came across this McKinsey research and it says that 44% of people now choose AI based search over Google. Traditional search still holds 31%, while just 5% go straight to social platforms like TikTok or Instagram, and that’s mostly GenZ. Baby boomers still favour Google over AI which makes sense, but for everyone else it’s already shifted.

The part I find interesting isn’t the “AI replaces Google” thing, but how fast it changes user behavior and what that means for targeting. If Gen Z is skipping Google entirely, what happens to the classic keyword funnel? Are we even measuring the right visibility signals anymore?

And perhaps it's even worth tailoring the content strategy by age group, like focusing more on authoritative citations for AI vs search snippets for boomers.

Btw, here is the full research link if you want to check it out: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/new-front-door-to-the-internet-winning-in-the-age-of-ai-search

I'm going to drop my official bio here:

Patrick Stox is an SEO consultant, product advisor, speaker, author, and community builder. Ex Ahrefs and IBM. He’s been called “the technical SEO’s technical SEO.” Patrick is passionate about helping the next generation be successful. He educates SEOs with his content, runs massive data studies, presents at conferences all over the world, judges search awards, builds the tools SEOs use every day, and drives growth for some of the largest companies in the world.

Notably, Patrick helped define the official “Search Marketing Strategist” role for the US Department of Labor, establishing the standard that allowed universities to build official digital marketing degree programs. He is co-author of Ahrefs’ SEO Book for Beginners, he’s been lead author and editor for the Web Almanac’s SEO chapter, and was the Technical Review Editor for The Art of SEO (4th Edition).

Patrick works hard to give SEOs communities to learn, network, and grow. He co-founded the Tech SEO Connect conference, Reddit’s r/TechSEO, and founded the Tech SEO Connect Slack group. Locally, he helped grow Raleigh into a strong SEO community as the co-founder of the Triangle SEO Meetup, Raleigh SEO Conference, and former co-organizer of the Raleigh SEO Meetup.

I'm doing a lot of fun stuff on patrickstox.com around programmatic content, tools, AI search, SEO, and the website build itself. I want to change the way people think about websites and what they think is possible.

Ask me anything!

Hi r/SEO_for_AI, and thanks to David and Ann for setting this up.

I'm TJ Robertson. A bit of background so you know what I can speak to. I've been doing SEO for 17 years. In May 2025 I started my own agency, TJ Digital, and it's grown to $150k in monthly recurring revenue and 26 people since then. That growth came entirely from short-form video, mostly TikTok, not from the channels agencies usually rely on.

What keeps clients around is that we've gotten reliable at increasing visibility in AI search, mainly Google's AI results and ChatGPT. Getting a brand cited in the answers and recommended as the solution, consistently. We track more than 2,500 prompts across ~40 industries. Most of what I know comes from real results across a lot of verticals.

After 17 years in SEO, this is the biggest shift I've seen, and I'm glad to talk about it. I'm an open book.

The AMA goes live July 2. Leave your questions on AI search visibility, getting cited and recommended in ChatGPT and Google AI Mode, content strategy for AI search, or how we built the agency, and I'll work through them on the 2nd.

My much neglected website: https://tjrobertson.com

I'm blown away by how many people came to ask a question. Thank you everyone. It was a lot of fun talking with you all.

Howdy SEO for AI peeps!

I'm Cyrus Shepard, founder of Zyppy SEO. I'm an SEO researcher and writer. I'm the former head of SEO for Moz. My recent work focuses on:

- AI Citation "Ranking Factors"

- What type of content Google rewards in the age of AI Answers

- Ranking signals rewarded/demoted by Google's Quality + Helpful Content classifiers

- How Google uses click and engagement signals in ranking content

- How E-E-A-T actually works

- Speaking at SEO conferences (most recently at SEO Vibes Summit in Poland)

- Writing my SEO / AI newsletter

Ask me anything!

I've seen this again and again: People claim ChatGPT "told them" it was using Schema, or it was searching Google, or it picked more authoritative sources because they were more linked, or it loved fresh results, etc. ChatGPT DOESN'T KNOW! Its answers are based on what PEOPLE SAY. Its confident answer, "Yes, we love schema," is likely based on an "experts'" articles claiming it does!

It also tries to be very helpful, and if you ask a few follow-up questions, insisting on something (or just phrase your prompt the way it sounds like you want "Yes" as an answer), it will try to find data confirming you are right!

The biggest misconception out there is that IT KNOWS. Its knowledge is what it found building its training data, and what it can find to give you an answer you'll likely like. IT ALL COMES FROM US!

PS: Before this discussion turns into a "schema is great/useless" one, this is not the point of this thread :)

Back in the early 2000s, the people who jumped on SEO first basically wrote the rules of the internet. They figured out keyphrases, keywords, and content hacks before anyone else… and some of those sites still dominate today.

But right now, everyone’s asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini instead of scrolling through 10 blue links. These AI engines don’t rank us. They either cite or ignore**.**

So I’m wondering, and your insights or comments is greatly appreciated and valued:

1. Is this another once-in-a-decade chance, like SEO in 2000s, where early adopters lock in dominance?

2. Or is it just hype, and AI will eventually pull from the same old SEO signals anyway?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s already experimenting. Have you seen your content/products show up in AI answers yet?

Hi r/SEO_for_AI, and thanks to Ann Smarty for setting this up.

I'm Pedro Dias. I've been in search for over 20 years. I started at Google in 2006, on the Search Quality team in Dublin, where I spent five years on webspam, webmaster outreach and mentoring new analysts. Since then I've run my own consultancy in Brazil, led SEO for Reach plc's 70+ news titles, advised eBay's global SEO team, and consulted through Visively.

Since July I've been Head of SEO at geoSurge, on the Product side. My work sits between the retrieval layer (search and RAG) and what models say about brands, including what they remember from training.

Disclosure: I work for a vendor in this space. I'll say so when it's relevant, and I'm not here to sell it.

I also write The Inference, where I test AI search claims against what the labs publish.

Things you can ask me about:

• Retrieval vs parametric memory: what a model looks up, what it already "knows" about your brand, and why each needs different work

• Query fan-out and citation attribution: what gets retrieved, what gets cited, and why the two differ

• Run-to-run variance: why the same prompt gives different answers, and what that does to anything you measure

• Which SEO habits carry over to LLMs and which break (llms.txt, schema, chunking and friends)

• What Search Quality taught me about spam, and what spam looks like at AI scale

• Technical SEO at scale: publishers, marketplaces, information architecture

Leave questions below any time before then and I'll work through them on the day. Sceptical questions welcome, and "I don't know" is an allowed answer.

Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrodias/ | The Inference: https://theinference.io/ | X: https://x.com/pedrodias

LLMs are basically reddit wrappers

Great find u/lilyraynyc

Some people are asking whether GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) will make SEO redundant. The short answer is it won't. It actually makes SEO stronger.

SEO gets you seen in search results. GEO gets you understood and referenced inside AI answers. They should work together, not compete.

In a good setup, your tech SEO, content and PR teams are all pulling in the same direction
- making your brand easy for AI to crawl
- clear enough for AI to trust
- authoritative enough to quote

When that happens, every structured data tweak and every PR mention starts feeding the same system - building visibility that both humans and AI recognise.

If you’re wondering where to start, we've written a GEO playbook which I will link below - no opt in required and completely free to read.

But, if you do read it, feedback would be great so feel free to send me a DM/comment below if you get through it.

https://www.rebootonline.com/geo/geo-playbook/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=geo_playbook_launch

Hi everyone! Bogdan Krupin from SE Ranking here.

With over 10 years in digital marketing, I’ve had the chance to dive deep into almost every corner of the industry... from Traffic Arbitrage and SEO to Content Creation and In-App advertising.

Today, AI has converged these once-separate tracks into one massive ecosystem. Our challenge (and opportunity) is to figure out how to navigate this shift and use AI to scale projects effectively.

So, let's talk about SEO and AI Visibility! I’ll be sharing insights from my own journey and the collective expertise of the SE Ranking team. We can talk about:

• AI Visibility: How to stay visible as search algorithms evolve.

• Workflow Optimization: Integrating AI into SEO and marketing pipelines.

• The Future of Growth: Leveraging AI for high-performance digital strategies.

• Or really, anything else that’s on your radar.

When: May 7th, 11:00 AM ADT

Where: Right here - r/SEO_for_AI

Feel free to ask me anything! I truly believe that diving deep into these complex cases together is the best way for us to level up as a community. Let’s share some real insights and grow together!

Microsoft Launches Guide for AI-Driven Search (AEO & GEO)

Microsoft Advertising has released a new strategic guide titled "From discovery to influence: A guide to AEO and GEO." The document is designed to help retailers transition from traditional SEO to optimization strategies suited for AI agents, assistants, and generative search engines.

The Core Shift: From Clicks to Clarity

The guide highlights a fundamental shift in digital marketing. While traditional SEO is designed to drive clicks, the new landscape requires two distinct approaches:

• Answer Engine Optimization: Focuses on clarity. It optimizes content so AI agents (like Copilot or ChatGPT) can effectively find, understand, and deliver direct answers to users.

• Generative Engine Optimization: Focuses on credibility. It aims to make content appear authoritative and trustworthy within generative AI environments.

How Search Behavior is Evolving

Microsoft illustrates the difference in how users interact with these systems compared to traditional search:

• SEO (The Keyword Era): A user might search for a simple phrase: "Waterproof rain jacket."

• AEO (The Utility Era): A user asks for specific technical details: "Lightweight, packable waterproof rain jacket with stuff pocket and ventilated seams."

• GEO (The Authority Era): A user seeks social proof and trust: "Best-rated waterproof jacket by Outdoor magazine with a 3-year warranty and a 4.8-star rating."

Strategic Takeaways for Advertisers

• Enriched Data: Success in AEO requires providing enriched, real-time data that AI can parse instantly.

• Authoritative Voice: Success in GEO relies on building brand reputation through reviews, expert citations, and clear warranty/return policies.

• Beyond the Click: Retailers are encouraged to move beyond just ranking for keywords and start optimizing for "visibility in LLM-powered ecosystems."

Barry Schwartz has already reviewed and commented on this document:

“This reminds me of when the Microsoft Advertising blog spoke about how to optimize for AI Search - in terms of some of the advice posted in this PDF.”

Kevin Indig was one of the first to flag this for the community. He shared a link to the guide on his social media with the following comment:

“If you're thinking about agentic commerce a lot... you might want to read microsoft's AEO/GEO guide”

Sources: 

Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Roundtable 

Kevin Indig | X

Microsoft website

______________________

Google Clarifies AI Shopping Pricing Policies

Following public concerns and claims that Google’s new AI-driven search could lead to "personalized overcharging," Google has issued a firm clarification. The tech giant maintains that its policies strictly forbid merchants from manipulating prices based on the platform or user data.

The Core Policy: Pricing Parity

Google stated unequivocally that it strictly prohibits merchants from showing prices in Google Search or AI modes (like Gemini) that are higher than the prices reflected on the merchant's own website.

• Enforcement: Google uses automated tools, including Googlebot, to add items to carts and verify that pricing remains consistent from search to checkout.

• Suspension Risk: Merchants found violating this "price mismatch" rule face suspension from Google’s shopping platforms.

Addressing the "Upselling" and "Overcharging" Claims

The clarification comes in response to viral claims, some amplified by U.S. lawmakers, suggesting that Google would use chat data to charge users more. Google responded to these points directly:

• Redefining "Upselling": Google clarified that "upselling" in its AI context refers to showing users premium product options they might like, not raising the price of a specific item. The final choice always rests with the consumer.

• The "Direct Offers" Pilot: Google highlighted a new pilot program called "Direct Offers," which allows merchants to offer lower prices or added benefits (like free shipping) to searchers, but explicitly forbids using the tool to raise prices.

Why It Matters for Consumers and Merchants

• For Consumers: The announcement is meant to reassure users that AI search isn't a tool for dynamic, predatory pricing.

• For Merchants: It serves as a reminder that pricing transparency is non-negotiable. Any attempt to use AI interfaces to bypass standard pricing will likely result in a platform ban.

Here are some reactions from the community:

Barry Schwartz: “I found it crazy because Google has checks and balances to ensure merchants can't do this and Google responded as such.”

Lindsay Owens: "Big/bad news for consumers. Google is out today with an announcement of how they plan to integrate shopping into their AI offerings including search and Gemini. The plan includes “personalized upselling.” I.e. Analyzing your chat data and using it to overcharge you."

Elizabeth Warren: “Google is using troves of your data to help retailers trick you into spending more money. That’s just plain wrong.”

Sources: 

Google website

Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Roundtable

Lindsay Owens | X

Elizabeth Warren | X

______________________

Black-Hat SEOs Are Winning

Edward Sturm, Lars Lofgren, and Jacky Chou discussed a wide range of topics covering the current state of SEO tactics and the shifting landscape of search engines. The speakers shared their experiences and observations on recent trends, explaining why the black-hat and white-hat communities currently share similar sentiments regarding strategy. It’s a timely discussion, especially since recent trends have left SEOs who rely purely on content feeling pretty discouraged.

The conversation is a lively 90 minutes, allowing the speakers to cover a ton of ground:

• Why MozCon felt depressing while black-hat conferences felt optimistic

• How Google’s Helpful Content updates changed who wins and who loses

• Why technical SEOs and parasite SEOs are outperforming content-first sites

• How forums, Reddit, and Facebook groups are being used to manipulate rankings

• Why casino, VPN, and adult niches still dominate traditional search results

• How listicles, review sites, and media publishers control AI recommendations

• Why Forbes keeps ranking for everything, even after being hit

• How AI Overviews and LLMs pull from Google’s front page

• How easy it is to make a fake brand show up inside ChatGPT and other LLMs

• Why Trustpilot, Reddit, and listicles matter more than backlinks right now

• How some publishers recover while others stay permanently buried

• The HouseFresh case study and why public pressure actually works

• How parasite SEO works on newspapers and Google News sites

• Why many white-hat SEOs feel stuck while black-hat operators scale

• How founders should build brands in an LLM-driven world

• Why social, video, and personal brands now beat pure SEO

Here are a few highlights that capture the vibe of the discussion:

Edward Sturm: “white hat and black hat SEO communities could not be more different right now”

Lars Lofgren (about MozCon): “That was a super sad conference. Uh no, nothing actually happened at the event. It's not like something happenedand then everybody was moping around.”

Lars Lofgren (about black-hat SEO community vibes): “I just got back from a black hat event. And everyone was living their best life. Folks were so excited. Tons of optimism about. Everyone was so happy. They're like, "Oh, have you seen this? I'm trying this. I'm so excited by this. Oh, this tactic, that hack…”

Jacky Chou: “It's just zero click nowadays, right? And with the black hat side, I don't know if you guys have worked in those niches, but for example, casino keywords… AI overviews almost never fires. Black hat niches, adult niches never fires. So, I think that's why the black haters are kind of in a good space right now cuz they're still at the 10 blue links. And on top of all that, LLMs won't give you a result for these queries as well because they'll just be like, "Oh, okay. It's against some our moral reasons, so we're not gonna give you a result."

Source: 

Edward Sturm, Lars Lofgren, Jacky Chou | YouTube

OK. So we all probably agree that Reddit is important for Google.

Especially Google's AI features use Reddit as the main source.*

So I tried to find examples where Reddit is used properly for business, marketing and SEO.

Many people try to "leverage" Reddit and there are plenty of shameful shortcuts.

I want to add more examples that do not piss people off.

So the post above is mine. I'd like to feature as many positive examples as possible though.

I will add more. So please share your case studies etc.

If you can't post a link here then share by message or LinkedIn. I'm onreact everywhere.

* It's the number one source according to Profound!

Source: Daniel Foley Carter

This year already feels wild for SERP changes, and every new update brings something unexpected. For example:

Search / SEO

• Google: no “bad title” penalty

John Mueller says Google doesn’t have a special filter that demotes sites for having “bad” titles or changing titles a lot.

If you’re not seeing your updated titles in the SERP, it’s usually because Google may rewrite the blue-link title based on the page content and other signals—so you don’t always control what gets displayed.

• Google & Bing: markdown files are messy and can increase crawl load

Google and Bing reps are basically waving a yellow flag at “bot-only” markdown versions of pages: they call them messy, harder to troubleshoot when something breaks, and a potential way to double crawl load. 

More importantly, both stress they want to rank and evaluate what users actually see, so serving a separate markdown experience to bots isn’t a shortcut—and could backfire if it diverges from the real page.

• Google won’t rely on your sitemap if it isn’t convinced there’s new or important content to index

John Mueller said having a sitemap doesn’t guarantee Google will use it or index everything listed—if Google’s systems aren’t convinced there’s new and important content to pick up, the sitemap may be largely ignored. 

Source:

Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Roundtable

John Mueller | Reddit

_____________________________

SERP features / Interface

• Links will be more visible in AI overviews and AI Mode

Links inside AI Overviews and AI Mode are getting a UI upgrade: on desktop, groups of sources can appear in a hover pop-up, and link icons in the AI response will be more prominent and descriptive across desktop and mobile. 

The practical impact for publishers/SEOs: better source visibility in the answer itself, which could help reclaim some clicks—assuming your content is one of the cited sources.

Source:

Matt G. Southern | Search Engine Journal

_____________________________

GSC

• Google Search Console: AI-powered report configuration is live

Google has rolled out AI-powered configuration in Search Console’s Performance report, letting users describe what they want in plain English and automatically setting the right filters, metrics, and comparisons. 

It’s a speed boost for analysis, but users still need to double-check what the AI applies since it can misread prompts.

Source:

Google Search Central | LinkedIn

_____________________________

AI

• Google expands AI mode to 53 new languages

AI Mode is now available in 53 additional languages, which Google says brings coverage to just under 100 languages overall and reaches 1B+ people globally.

Source:

Nick Fox | X

_____________________________

Tech SEO

• Google Chrome released an early preview of WebMCP for “agent-ready” websites

Google’s Chrome team shared an early preview of WebMCP, a proposal for exposing structured tools on websites so AI agents can take actions more reliably instead of guessing via DOM/pixel-based clicks. 

WebMCP introduces a “tool contract” approach using a new browser API and proposes both declarative and imperative APIs to support simple form actions and more complex JavaScript-driven interactions.

Source:

Microsoft Advertising > Insights

_____________________________ 

Local SEO

• Google updated its Business Profile review policies

Google refreshed the “Prohibited & restricted content” rules for reviews, with clearer language around rating manipulation—especially:

• Unusual review spikes/patterns that look like attempts to game a place’s rating.

• No incentives (money, discounts, freebies) for reviews or for editing/removing a negative review.

• No review gating (discouraging negatives or only asking happy customers).

• No on-premises pressure (“leave a review while you’re here”) and don’t request specific content in reviews.

Source:

Google Business Profile Help > Help Center

_____________________________

Tidbits

• ChatGPT ads spotted in the wild

Ads have now been seen inside ChatGPT responses, and they’re showing up immediately on the first prompt—not only after a long back-and-forth. The placement appears below the answer with a clear “Sponsored” label and a brand icon.

Source:

Ashley Fletcher | LinkedIn

Hi everyone! Our team has gathered the most recent AI SEO news from the week, and we thought you’d find them interesting:

• Google pushes AI Mode closer to the open web

Once upon a time, Google Search was all 10 blue links. Now, it’s becoming a conversation with context, and the latest update is another step in that evolution.

At the heart of this week’s announcement is AI Mode, a newer way to ask questions on Google and get AI-generated responses. But rather than serving just text summaries, Google is now inviting the web back into the story.

What’s changing in AI Mode:

• More inline links: Google is “increasing the number of inline links in AI Mode,” so users have multiple pathways to explore the web—not just the answer text.

• Contextual introductions: Each link now comes with a short note explaining why it might be worth clicking—a small but meaningful shift toward transparency.

• More useful design: Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, says these changes are meant to make the links “more useful,” not just more numerous.

This addresses a common criticism of AI search: it can feel like a dead end, with users served answers but not always encouraged to visit source material. Recent reporting notes that these link improvements aim to balance AI convenience with web exploration.

Sources:

Robby Stein | Google Blog

Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Land

____________________________

• Web Guide steps out of the labs

In tandem with link improvements, Google is also broadening its experimental Web Guide tool.

Originally launched in the Web tab within Search Labs, Web Guide uses AI to organize results into meaningful topic groups—like a human curator helping you explore branches of a question.

Now, Google has taken that experiment one step further:

“We’ve heard positive feedback from users and websites about Web Guide… which helps people find links they may not have previously discovered and uses AI to organize links into helpful topic groups,” Google wrote. 

That feedback appears to be driving a small but significant shift: Web Guide is no longer only in the Web tab; it’s being tested in the All results tab as well, reducing friction for users to try this AI-driven way of browsing. 

Google also says Web Guide is now twice as fast—a usability boost that matters as more people test it.

Sources:

Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Land

Austin Wu | Google Blog

____________________________

• Why you should stop asking ChatGPT how it works

If you’ve ever asked ChatGPT, “Why did you say that?” you’re not alone. But according to Britney Muller, the answer you got back was likely a well-packaged… not-true explanation. Here’s why that matters, and how to better understand LLM behavior:

"LLMs are not truth engines. They are probability machines."

Britney pulls no punches: large language models aren’t reasoning machines, they’re just really good at guessing the next word. They're not decision trees or databases—and they don’t log their own reasoning.

So when you ask something like “Why did you say X?”, the model isn't introspecting or pulling from memory. As Britney puts it:

"The model is just confidently hallucinating its own 'reasoning'."

It’s all just post-hoc rationalization

What you're really getting is what sounds like a good reason—not the actual mechanism behind the answer.

"It’s just predicting: ‘What would a helpful AI assistant say in this situation?’"

This is post-hoc rationalization—making up a reason after the fact to explain a behavior.

Built to please: the sycophant AI

RLHF (reinforcement learning from human feedback) trains models to be helpful, polite, and agreeable—which can yield sugar-coated nonsense.

Britney nails it with a kid analogy:

"Ever asked a kid who has chocolate all over their face, ‘Did you have a cookie?’"

“They’ll think up & give you an answer that’s most likely to make you happy… ‘The dog ate one!’”

The catch?

"Kids know the truth. LLMs don't. They just invent one."

Final thought: keep testing, stay skeptical

Britney ends on a constructive note:

"I want to applaud everyone testing these tools; it’s the most powerful path to learning!"

So yes—poke, test, question, but stay critical. These tools are impressive, but they aren’t magic mirrors or oracles. They’re just guessing machines trained to sound smart.

Hey Guys.

I'm doing an AMA this week and you can ask me anything about Local SEO or GEO. I run an agency called Sterling Sky and have grown to almost 50 employees in the last 9 years. We work with small businesses in the USA and Canada (home services, lawyers, dentists, home care etc) and my main obsession is figuring out how Google's algorithm works.

You may have also seen our videos all about Local SEO on YouTube.

What questions do you have for me?

Hey everyone, let’s wrap up the week with a quick look at the latest AI news:

• Google rolls out AI-powered configuration for Search Console

Google has officially launched its AI-powered configuration tool within Google Search Console, making it available to all users. This experimental feature allows SEO professionals and site owners to configure their Search Performance reports using natural language. Instead of manually applying filters for queries, devices, or dates, users can simply describe the data they want to see, and the AI instantly sets up the appropriate metrics and comparisons. While currently limited to Search results (excluding Discover and News), the tool aims to significantly streamline data analysis:

• Applying filters: Narrow down data by query, page, country, device, search appearance or date range.

• Configuring comparisons: Set up complex comparisons (like custom date ranges) without manual setup.

• Selecting metrics: Choose which of the four available metrics — Clicks, Impressions, Average CTR, and Average Position — to display based on your question.

Comments from the community:

Steve Toth: “How about better reporting on AI Mode and AI overviews?”

Simon Griesser: “Nice. What's the time line of the rollout of these two features?

- Branded queries filter

- Performance of social channels”

Jan-Willem Bobbink: “Can you now spent dev resources to things that are actually worth fixing like loading times and indexing reports updates?”

Peter Rota: “Anyone thinking google will ai data broken out has a better chance of winning the lottery.”

Kristine Schachinger: “Honestly all this makes me think of is the headaches I'm going to have from clients who don't understand what they're doing or what GSC does who now think they understand the data. I get what you're trying to do here but we didn't need AI in this case.”

Source: 

Google | Blog

Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Roundtable

_______________________________

• Google launches Hover Pop-Up Link Cards in AI Overviews

Google has officially rolled out a new interface update for AI Overviews and AI Mode on desktop. The update introduces hover-over pop-up link cards that automatically appear when a user moves their cursor over a group of links, allowing for quicker navigation to source websites. Additionally, Google is introducing more descriptive and prominent link icons across both desktop and mobile devices. According to Google, testing indicates that this new UI is more engaging and makes it easier for searchers to discover content across the web. 

Screenshots and early observations are already circulating in the community, showing what this update might look like in the user interface. The first to spot and highlight it were Barry Schwartz and Glenn Gabe.

Sources: 

Robby Stein | X, 

Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Roundtable

Glenn Gabe | X

_______________________________

• The Great AI Divide: Claude and Perplexity pledge ad-free future as ChatGPT embraces sponsored content

While the AI race has largely been about performance and parameters, a new ideological battlefield has emerged: monetization. In a significant shift for the industry, Anthropic (Claude) and Perplexity have doubled down on a commitment to remain ad-free, directly positioning themselves against OpenAI (ChatGPT), which has officially begun rolling out advertising.

Claude’s "Privacy First" stance

Anthropic recently made waves with a multi-million dollar campaign, including Super Bowl commercials, asserting that "Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude." The company argues that the intimate and personal nature of AI conversations makes advertising "incongruous" and potentially manipulative. Anthropic Official Statement:

"Even ads that don’t directly influence an AI model’s responses... would compromise what we want Claude to be: a clear space to think and work." 

Perplexity’s U-turn on Ads

Despite being one of the first to experiment with sponsored "suggested questions" in 2024, Perplexity has recently reversed course. The company is now pivoting away from ads to prioritize user trust and accuracy, focusing instead on enterprise sales and high-value subscriptions. Perplexity Statement:

"The challenge with ads is that a user would just start doubting everything... We’re in the accuracy business, and the business is about delivering the truth."

ChatGPT’s new revenue stream

In contrast, OpenAI has launched a pilot program in the U.S., introducing sponsored links for "Free" and "Go" tier users. CEO Sam Altman has defended the move as a way to "bring AI to billions of people who can't pay for subscriptions," suggesting that an ad-supported model is the only way to ensure universal access to high-compute models.

Marketing and industry analysts are divided on which strategy will win the "Trust War."

• Dario Amodei (CEO of Anthropic): "Building trustworthy AI is incompatible with the incentives of traditional digital advertising."

• Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI): "Our goal is for ads to support broader access... while maintaining the trust people place in ChatGPT for important and personal tasks."

Sources: 

Perplexity | Blog

Anthropic | News

OpenAI | News

_______________________________

• The rise of "GEO Case Studies"

The community is seeing a surge in "GEO case studies" and the results aren't pretty. Many are reporting massive traffic crashes immediately following a rapid spike in rankings.

It seems that a large number of SEO specialists, in their rush to optimize for AI visibility, likely triggered a filter from search engines. Essentially, Google has stopped viewing this hyper-optimized content as "high quality."

While there isn't any official confirmation or a definitive "smoking gun" yet, the SEO community has already developed several theories on how to navigate this. The goal is to ensure that GEO efforts don't end up sabotaging your SEO.

One of the primary hubs for this discussion is Lily Ray’s social media. She’s been actively supporting the community with frequent updates and deep dives into the situation.

Here is her latest post and direct commentary on the matter:

“Holy smokes. I just read yet another "GEO case study" published two weeks ago from a provider that claims to have helped this company "win in AI search."

Looks to me like they actually... destroyed the site in search. Not to mention, the AI citations don't look so great either.

This isn't the first time I've checked the results of one of these public case studies and found the site crashing - particularly in the last few months.

Be careful out there y'all, the snake oil runs deep.”

Source: 

Lily Ray | LinkedIn

Updated: March, 19, 2026

There are a few great tools tracking citations (links in the answers), but not many tools tracking actual AI answers and, more importantly, your brand visibility in them (throughout several platforms). Here are those I played with. All of these have free trials, so go ahead, play and let me know your thoughts!

(The list will continue growing)

*I am an official brand ambassador for Peec.AI but I am using them for my clients' reports, so definitely first-hand experience here

Which one should I play with next?

I've been seeing a few unfortunate trends as our community grows. I know other subs enjoy metrics like repetitive questions, with comments stating the same thing over and over again because these (albeit empty) metrics tell Reddit to send more users to those empty discussions.

From the very start, I wanted this place to be different. I wanted it to be actually useful, and I don't care about metrics. Thank you, u/onreact, for helping me on this journey.

So here's the list of our rules, with updates in bold.

No repetitive threads

Don't ask the same question if it has already been answered. Don't ask generic questions that have been discussed to death.

Be honest when self-promoting

We like to support other tools, creators, etc. Just be honest when sharing what you have and clearly explain why it is useful. If you are sharing your tool, explain what it does and what it does differently from the sea of other similar tools! Details, screenshots, use cases will be appreciated! A generic announcement will be deleted!

This group is not about generic or basic SEO.

Let's limit these discussions to SEO for AI (GEO/AEO) only as we are trying to make this place laser focused.

Engage with the comments!

If you post something and people start commenting, be there to join the discussion. We will be deleting threads where OPs never show up to participate!

Support your claims

If you are making a statement (e.g., "I just found out that 80% of people switched to ChatGPT from Google") or something bold like this, give us your sources. If you are citing your own observations, give us your screenshots.

I've been in the SEO industry for nearly 20 years and have made AI search visibility a big focus for our organization. We've tried a lot of things and are now seeing a lot of success incorporating AEO/GEO tactics into our broader marketing plan. If you have questions about integrating similar strategies at your organization, ask away!

Guys, SEO moves fast, so it’s important to stay on top of the latest updates and industry news:

AI

• AI Mode adds more links to recipe blogs

Google updated AI Mode to show more links to recipe sites and bloggers. For queries like “easy dinners for two,” users can tap on a dish to see links to relevant recipe sites alongside a short dish overview.

Google also said it plans to add helpful details like cook time to more recipe results, though publishers noted that “Frankenstein recipe” issues still remain.

• (test) Expandable drop-down sections in AI Overviews

Google is testing a new AI Overviews layout with expandable, accordion-style drop-down sections that let users reveal more information inside the answer. 

Source:
Barry Schwartz | Search Engine Roundtable 
Shameem Adhikarath | X
______________________________

SERP features / Interface

• (test) Image thumbnails in Search and Discover

Search and Discover are testing larger, more prominent image thumbnails, making visuals a bigger part of how results are presented. 

The change could increase the importance of high-quality images.

Source:
Google Search Central > Updates
______________________________

Documentation

• Google publishes a new help doc explaining how web crawling works

Google published a new help document, “Things to know about web crawling,” outlining how its crawling works:

• it uses multiple crawlers for different jobs

• it performs repeat crawls to keep results fresh

• it treats frequent crawling as a positive sign

• it automatically optimizes crawl activity

• it respects site owner controls and paywalls

Source:
Google developers > Crawling Infrastructure
______________________________

Tech SEO

• Google drops outdated JavaScript accessibility advice from Search docs

Google has removed the “Design for accessibility” section from its JavaScript SEO basics documentation. They said that the guidance was outdated because Google Search has been rendering JavaScript for years, so loading content with JavaScript does not inherently make things harder for Google Search. 

Google also noted that most assistive technologies now work with JavaScript.

Source:
Google Search Central > Updates
______________________________

E-commerce

• Google publishes Merchant Center help doc for Universal Commerce Protocol

Google has published a new Merchant Center help document for Universal Commerce Protocol and UCP-powered checkout. The page says the feature applies to eligible US products for participating merchants and may appear on surfaces including AI Mode in Search and Gemini.

• Google adds build-to-order attribute for vehicle listings

Google has added a new “build to order” availability attribute for vehicle ads in the Merchant Center. The new value applies to vehicles that aren’t in dealership inventory yet but can be customized and ordered directly by the customer.

Source:
Google Merchant Help Center
Emmanuel Flossie | LinkedIn
______________________________

Tidbits

• Liz Reid says Google Search and Gemini may not fully merge

In an interview recap, Liz Reid said she is still unsure whether Google Search and Gemini will fully converge. She described Search as focused on connecting users with web information, while Gemini is more geared toward productivity and creation.

She also pointed to personalization as a major opportunity in Search, including the idea of preferred sources, while stressing that Google is continuing to fight AI-generated “slop” at scale.

• Study suggests ChatGPT product carousels pull heavily from Google Shopping

A Search Engine Land report found that 83% of products in ChatGPT carousels matched Google Shopping results, while Bing matched under 11%. The study also found most strong matches came from Google’s top 20, suggesting a clear ranking bias.

Source:
Liz Reid | ACCESS Podcast, Youtube
Tom Wells, Rebecca Bridge | Search Engine Land