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SEO and AI Industry Update

Nick Shilton — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:02:22 +0000

SEO and AI Industry Update – March 2026

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What March’s Changes Mean for Your Visibility

March made one thing clearer: more of the search journey is now happening before the click. Google is expanding AI-led experiences, local discovery is becoming less predictable, and traditional rankings remain volatile. For brands, visibility now depends on more than where a page ranks. The practical challenge is understanding how your business appears across SEO, AI and local discovery.

In Short: What Matters This Month

AI Overviews are expanding and reducing direct clicks
Local visibility is becoming more important as AI changes nearby discovery
Google’s March update continues the volatile SERP landscape
Commerce and conversion are being pulled closer to the SERP and AI tools, but websites still convert best

For most brands, the takeaway is SEO is still vitally important, but it needs to connect more deliberately with AI visibility and local visibility.

Search Is Moving Closer To The Answer

Business Impact

Brands may lose traffic without fully losing visibility. Buyers are arriving more informed because more of their research is now happening inside Google and AI tools, and we are increasingly seeing that reflected in client conversations as well as rising referral traffic and conversions from LLMs. That means AI visibility is no longer just an emerging topic. It is becoming commercially relevant. Supported by March’s market data, AI Overviews are expanding across sectors and changing how users interact with search before they ever reach a site.

AI Overviews are expanding, and they are changing the click path

What happened

BrightEdge data reported that AI Overviews grew across nine industries, including healthcare, B2B tech, education, insurance, entertainment, travel, ecommerce, finance and restaurants. Search Engine Land also reported data showing organic clicks down 42% in Q4 2025 compared with the pre-AIO baseline. Separately, Chartbeat data showed search referral traffic down 60% for small publishers over two years, compared with a 22% decline for large publishers.

Why this matters

When Google answers more of the query inside the results page, fewer users need to click through. That shifts value away from rank alone and towards inclusion, citation and how a brand is framed before the visit. It also helps explain why some businesses are finding prospects better informed before the first call or enquiry. In plain terms, visibility now matters both before and after the click.

Google is testing more control over how content is presented

What happened

Google is testing AI-generated headline rewrites in Search after earlier experimentation in Discover.

Why this matters

Platforms are not just choosing which sources to show. They are increasingly shaping how those sources are presented. Even when your content is selected, you may have less control over the framing a user sees first. For publisher brands this is particularly sensitive, but it is also part of the wider trend towards platform-managed discovery.

What brands should be paying attention to

Look at whether your key pages are built to be understood and cited, not just clicked. Watch for signs that prospects are arriving with more pre-armed questions, stronger comparisons or clearer expectations. And make sure your content is clear enough to survive summarisation without losing the point.

Visibility Is Becoming More Volatile Across Google, AI and Local

Business Impact

Performance may change without a single obvious explanation. Brands that don’t monitor rankings and traffic in a holistic way risk missing what is really happening, especially as AI and local surfaces become more variable. March was a good example of that: many brands saw unstable rankings, even before you factor in wider changes to the SERP experience.

Google’s March updates kept traditional search unstable

What happened

Google launched its March 2026 spam update on 24th of March and said it was completed on the 25th leading to a peak of volatility. Google then began its March 2026 core update on the 27th of March, confirming on the 8th of April that the rollout had completed after 12 days. Independent tracking also showed ranking volatility staying heated through March.

Why this matters

Search performance can still move sharply because of core algorithm and quality-system changes. AI-led change is not replacing SEO volatility. Many brands are now dealing with both at the same time. That aligns with what we saw across client portfolios in March, where rankings fluctuated far more than usual. The practical lesson is simple: strong technical SEO, clear targeting and high-quality content still reduce risk.

Local visibility is becoming part of the wider AI search story

What happened

Search Engine Land’s March local analysis argued that AI is making local discovery less predictable and less repeatable than classic local rankings. Google is also testing AI-generated review replies in Google Business Profile.

Why this matters

A key part of local visibility is consistency of brand information across external sites, including profiles, directories, citations and review platforms. That aligns closely with how AI systems build entity understanding. If your business is described inconsistently across the web, it becomes harder for platforms to trust what you do, where you operate and when you are the right result to surface. That makes local visibility more than a map-pack issue. It becomes part of how search engines and AI systems understand the business itself.

What brands should be paying attention to

Track rankings, local presence and lead quality together rather than in isolation. Review whether your business information is consistent across external platforms. And pay attention to whether profile quality, review handling and local landing-page strength are strong enough to support trust, not just visibility.

Owned Platforms Still Matter, But The Route To Them Is Changing

Business Impact

More discovery and comparison is happening before users reach your website. Even so, websites still matter because conversion remains strongest in owned environments, where brands control messaging, reassurance and UX. At the same time, structured information is becoming more important because platforms increasingly rely on it to assemble answers, recommendations and shopping experiences.

AI commerce is growing, but websites still do the real conversion work

What happened

Google expanded its Universal Commerce Protocol guidance and described it as infrastructure for AI shopping experiences across Google surfaces. OpenAI also shifted its ChatGPT Instant Checkout plan towards connected retailer apps rather than handling everything natively in-chat. Walmart then said checkout through ChatGPT converted three times worse than purchases completed on its own website.

Why this matters

Platforms clearly want to keep more of the discovery and decision stage inside their own environments. But when users are ready to act, the brand’s own site still performs better because it offers more control over trust, UX and conversion flow. That principle extends beyond retail. The same thing applies to quote journeys, booking flows and lead-generation forms.

Structured data and page clarity are becoming more important visibility signals

What happened

Search Engine Land reported that AI Overviews now appear on 14% of shopping queries, up 5.6 times since November. Google also tightened its rules on out-of-stock product pages, requiring clearer alignment between the page experience and Merchant Centre feed status. Search Engine Land published a six-point scorecard for AI-ready product pages. Another study found that 83% of ChatGPT carousel products aligned with Google Shopping results.

Why this matters

AI systems and platform surfaces rely on information that is easy to parse and trust. For ecommerce, that means feeds, product data, imagery and product-page depth. For lead-generation brands, the same principle still applies through services pages, FAQs, trust signals, proof points and structured business information. Clean inputs are becoming part of modern visibility infrastructure.

What brands should be paying attention to

Make sure your website is strong enough to convert the demand created elsewhere. Check whether your most important pages make your offer easy to understand. And treat structured information as a visibility asset, not an admin task.

What to Watch Next

A March study estimated that AI assistants now handle 56% of the search volume of traditional search engines globally, though that figure should be treated as directional rather than definitive. Separately, a Google patent pointed to the possibility of AI-generated personalised pages being shown instead of the original page, though this remains a patent signal rather than a launched feature. Neither is the main March story on its own, but both reinforce the direction of travel: discovery is broadening, and platforms are experimenting with ways to keep users closer to the answer.

What March Tells Us Overall

March did not produce one single turning point. It produced something more useful: clearer evidence that search is becoming more layered. Google is still updating the systems that rank content, but it is also reshaping how content is surfaced, summarised and interacted with. Local visibility is also becoming part of that same picture, especially where external brand consistency helps platforms build confidence in the entity behind the website. That is why visibility now needs a broader view. The opportunity is not to replace SEO, but to connect it more deliberately with AI visibility and local visibility.

Need help?

If you are already investing in SEO or AIO, this is the moment to look wider at how your brand appears across search, AI and local discovery. The question is no longer only where you rank, but how your business is being understood before the click. That is where a more joined-up visibility approach starts to matter.

Nick Shilton

9-minute read

The post SEO and AI Industry Update appeared first on Fingo Marketing.

SEO & AI Industry Update

Nick Shilton — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:07:06 +0000

CHOOSE GREAT MARKETING

SEO & AI Industry Update

What January’s Changes Mean for Your Brand

January reinforced a clear pattern. AI-led discovery is becoming a productised infrastructure, not a novelty, and that changes what “visibility” means for brands.

Google and Microsoft are developing AI assistants that can browse products, compare options and even complete purchases. For retailers, this makes clear and accurate product and policy information a competitive advantage, not just good housekeeping.
At the same time, the set of websites AI tools rely on for information may not stay fixed. If publishers restrict how their content is used, the mix of sources cited in AI answers can change quickly, which can affect how brands are presented, even without movement in traditional rankings.
Rankings still matter. But they are no longer the full picture. AI-generated answers and search result layouts can vary depending on the query and context. That means brands need to monitor more than just positions, including mentions, citations, accuracy and overall sentiment.

AI shopping capabilities are expanding across major platforms

Impacts for brands

For e-commerce brands, visibility increasingly depends on how clearly AI systems can interpret product data. If details like availability, variants or delivery information are unclear, AI assistants may struggle to recommend your brand or transact with confidence. If you’re not e-commerce, treat this as signal of direction, not an immediate workstream.

What happened

Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), designed to help AI agents shop across retailers and platforms.

Google also published further details on AI tools for retailers, while Microsoft launched Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents, signalling similar ambitions.

Why this matters

If an assistant cannot reliably interpret product availability, variants, shipping or returns, it cannot confidently recommend or transact. This also has knock-on effects for reporting, as some journeys may begin or end inside AI-led flows rather than traditional clicks.

What you can do

Treat structured product data as core SEO infrastructure, not a back-office task
Run quality checks on product taxonomy, variants, pricing, delivery and policy clarity
Prepare reporting for more complex journeys, including assistant-led referrals and assisted conversions

Publisher opt-outs from AI features could change who gets cited

Impacts for brands

The set of websites AI tools draw from is not fixed. If publishers restrict access to their content, which brands appear in AI answers, and alongside whom, may shift over time, even without changes to your own site. Expect more churn in the set of citation sources, even without changes to your site.

What happened

Industry reporting suggested Google is exploring ways for publishers to opt out of AI search features. Polling indicated that a meaningful number of publishers would choose to block AI usage if given the option.

Why this matters

If more sites restrict AI access, the pool of available sources could narrow or skew, changing competitive dynamics and citation patterns inside AI answers.

What you can do

Expect churn in which domains get cited over time, rather than assuming stability
Make first-party content easier to trust and reference through transparent authorship, clear policies and unambiguous factual statements

Your brand’s appearance in AI-generated local and recommendation results can change day-to-day

Impacts for brands

For businesses that depend on local visibility or “best of” recommendations, AI-driven results can be unpredictable. Being included one day does not guarantee continued visibility, making traditional ranking-style reporting less reliable.

What happened

A 2026 report suggested that gaining visibility in AI-driven local results can be less predictable and less repeatable than classic local rankings.

Separate research found that AI recommendation lists rarely repeat, with less than 1% repetition across outputs.

Why this matters

Local and recommendation-based searches are often high-intent. If results vary significantly, a single snapshot is not a reliable performance indicator. This increases the importance of consistent business information that AI systems can confidently reuse.

What you can do

Increase monitoring of AI local prompts if relevant to your business, and treat outputs as probabilistic rather than fixed rankings
Invest in strong entity foundations: consistent business details, authoritative citations and structured data
Encourage customer reviews, particularly those that reference the location where the service area matters

More people are starting discovery inside AI tools, not Google

Impacts for brands

A growing proportion of customers may encounter your brand for the first time through an AI tool rather than a traditional search results page. That means early perceptions of credibility and relevance may form before someone ever visits your website.

What happened

A study reported that37% of consumers now start searches using AI tools rather than Google.

Why this matters

Even if Google remains dominant overall, early-stage discovery is fragmenting. That changes where brand awareness is built and where trust starts to form, often before someone reaches your website.

What you can do

Monitor how your brand appears in AI prompts for key searches and how competitors are positioned
Optimise content for extraction: clear headings, short definitions and specific, verifiable claims that AI tools can quote accurately

Algorithm updates can still reshape visibility across entire sectors

Impacts for brands

Brands that rely on being discovered through news, updates, guides or timely content can see sudden traffic changes, even when nothing on their website has changed. Visibility can rise or fall quickly if platforms reassess how and where that content is surfaced.

What happened

Reporting on Google’s December 2025 core update showed significant visibility drops for some news publishers, particularly across discovery-led areas like Top Stories and Discover. While some large publications saw only small dips, others experienced much larger declines.

Separate industry analysis also suggested publishers are preparing for long-term reductions in search referrals, with projections of a 43% drop by 2029.

Why this matters

For publisher-style businesses, or any site dependent on fresh discovery surfaces, performance can swing sharply without any obvious trigger. This reinforces that relying on a single traffic source, even Google, increases risk during periods of algorithm volatility.

What you can do

Reduce reliance on one channel by strengthening alternative discovery routes, including AI citations, third-party sites and social platforms
Strengthen visible trust signals such as clear authorship, sourcing and editorial standards, especially where content influences reputation or purchasing decisions
Keep technical foundations tight: clean templates, clear indexation controls and minimal technical drift are more likely to hold up when systems change

Bing is pushing AI assistance earlier in the discovery journey

Impacts for brands

AI-led discovery is no longer limited to one platform. Even where the overall market share is smaller, AI assistants are being positioned as the starting point for information and decision-making.

What happened

Bing tested a new homepage layout that gives Copilot more prominence, reinforcing its focus on assistant-led discovery.

Why this matters

While Bing’s market share is smaller, the direction mirrors wider platform trends: AI assistance is becoming the default entry point.

What you can do

Where audiences skew enterprise or Windows-heavy, include Bing and Copilot prompts in AI visibility and reputation monitoring

AI Overviews are increasingly shaped by core search signals and engagement behaviour

Impacts for brands

For many searches, the AI Overview is now the first thing a potential customer sees. How your brand is described, referenced or framed inside that answer can change over time, even if your rankings remain stable.

What happened

Google confirmed that AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on its core search ranking signals. At the same time, testing suggested that whether an AI Overview appears can vary by context and query, and doesn’t appear consistently every time.

Industry coverage also highlighted risks when AI Overviews misrepresent brands, particularly through opinions or discussions on forums such as Reddit and Quora. Third-party discussion can influence how brands are framed when authoritative first-party pages are thin or ambiguous.

Why this matters

If an AI Overview appears, it often becomes the primary source of information a user sees. Visibility is no longer just about where you rank, but whether your brand is included, accurately represented and framed credibly within that answer.

Engagement-based triggering also introduces volatility: search results can “look different” without a formal update.

What you can do

Monitor AI answers alongside rankings, including citations, tone, accuracy and brand mentions
When performance changes, check whether the search layout or AI Overview presence has shifted
Prioritise content that is easy to cite: concise factual statements, clear sourcing and supporting pages that demonstrate expertise and trust

What This All Means In Practice

Across all of these updates, the theme is consistency and trust. SEO is no longer just about ranking positions. It’s about being represented accurately inside answers, being understandable to AI systems, and having data and content that platforms can safely reuse.

For most brands, the priority is making information clear, verifiable and easy to interpret. That’s what allows both search engines and AI systems to recommend you with confidence.

Nick Shilton

8 minute read

SEO & AI Industry Update

Nick Shilton — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:40:30 +0000

AI, Digital Strategy, News & Insights, SEO

SEO & AI Industry Update

Home » Homepage

December Industry Update

December exposed the pressure points in modern search. Rankings shifted as Google completed its core update and confirmed that smaller, unannounced updates now run constantly. At the same time, AI Mode accelerated. More answers, more decisions, and more product evaluation now happen inside Google before a click.

The impact is clear. Visibility can change without warning. Traffic depends on how well your content and data perform across AI answers, local panels, shopping features, and traditional results. This update explains what moved in December, where risk is increasing, and what actions protect your visibility going into 2026.

The Completion of Google’s Core Update Rollout Means Your Rankings May Be Affected

What happened
Google confirmed that its December 2025 core update finished rolling out after starting on 11 December. Core updates adjust how Google evaluates and ranks content across the web. Google repeated its guidance that there is no single fix for ranking drops. Sites should focus on producing useful, people-first content that genuinely answers user needs.

Google also advised sites that lost visibility to recheck alignment with its helpful content guidance. This is already a standard approach we follow across our client work.

Why this matters
Core updates can reshape visibility across entire sectors, not just individual pages.
Ranking changes during core updates reflect how Google reassesses content quality, relevance, and trust. Drops do not usually point to technical issues or penalties. They signal that Google believes other content better meets user expectations.

Google Confirms Smaller Unannounced Core Style Updates That Will Be Causing Drops In Your Visibility

What happened
Google confirmed that, in addition to large, named core updates, it frequently releases smaller improvements to its ranking systems without formally announcing them. These updates work similarly to core updates but are rolled out quietly.

We have long suspected this based on the high volatility events we observed throughout the year. Google’s confirmation now makes it clear that smaller, incremental updates are a normal part of how search is managed, rather than rare anomalies.

Why this matters
Search visibility can change at any time, not just during major updates. High volatility, sudden increases or drops in visibility, can happen without warning. For marketers, this explains why traffic and rankings sometimes fluctuate unexpectedly. It also signals that Google may rely more on continuous, smaller updates in the future, rather than only large, named core updates.

Gemini 3 Flash Becomes Default in Google Search AI Mode, Making Citations Harder to Win

What happened
Google announced that Gemini 3 Flash is now rolling out globally as the default model in AI Mode. This AI model handles complex search questions with faster reasoning and improved understanding. Essentially, it is the engine that powers Google’s AI responses, and becoming the default means it will be the main way users get AI-generated answers in search.

Why this matters
As AI Mode becomes faster and more capable, it is increasingly a credible first stop for discovery. Users may rely on AI answers before visiting websites, which increases competition for citations, as they are referenced in AI answers. Brands need to create content that is clear, structured, and “cite-ready” so AI systems reference your content in their answers and cite your website.

What you can do

Understand how your brand is being understood by LLMs through a dedicated platform, identifying AI-perceived strengths and weaknesses
Assess how your content is influencing these perceptions and what might need to be adjusted on-site to improve it.
Understand what external sites AI are leaning on the most to construct their answers, and look at how you can get a presence on their sites.
Our service Prism can guide you through all this

Your Landing Page Matters More Than You Think, As Google AI Mode Still Sends Traffic On Most Transactional Searches

What happened
Data shows that Google AI Mode sent users to websites on around 69% of transactional searches, queries where the user is looking to buy a product or service. Users also continued scrolling after clicking through from AI results, which suggests exploration and may indicate users want to validate options before committing.

Why this matters
High intent searches still drive traffic. AI helps users narrow options, but does not replace the need for strong landing pages. Users arrive later in the decision process and expect clear next steps. This challenges the idea that AI leads to “zero-click” searches where no traffic reaches brand websites. For high-intent searches, websites still play a critical role in the customer journey. Users rely on AI to shortlist options but still visit sites to make decisions, check details, or engage with the brand.

Google Tests Showing Full Property Listings in Search, Reducing the Need to Click Through and Increasing The Need For Accurate Listing Information

What happened
Google was spotted testing detailed for-sale property listings directly within search results. These listings show rich information about properties for sale, such as images, prices, and key features, without requiring users to click through to the website.

Why this matters
If this test expands, property discovery could become more “SERP-native,” meaning users may find most of the information they need directly on Google. This increases the importance of having complete and accurate property details on your site. Structured data, listing completeness, and consistent information across platforms will become critical, as Google may pull these fields directly into its own layouts.

What you can do

Ensure property pages contain complete and accurate details.
Maintain strong, structured data and schema coverage.
Keep listing information consistent across platforms.

Google AI and ChatGPT Cite Retailers Differently, Signifying the Need For Platform-Specific AI Strategies

What happened
BrightEdge research showed that Google AI surfaces cite retailer websites around 4% of the time for e-commerce style queries. ChatGPT cited retailer sites around 36% of the time for similar queries.

Why this matters
For brands, this highlights the need for platform-specific visibility strategies. Google AI tends to rely on third-party sources like editorial sites, forums, and videos rather than directly referencing retailer pages. ChatGPT is more willing to cite first-party retailer content. This divergence is important for e-commerce brands trying to maintain visibility in AI-driven discovery.

What you can do

Strengthen third-party coverage and brand mentions for Google visibility.
Ensure product and category pages are clear, factual, and easy to reference.
Treat AI optimisation as platform-specific rather than universal.

ChatGPT Adds Local Knowledge Panels, Making Data Accuracy a Visibility Issue Again

What happened
ChatGPT introduced local knowledge panels that appear when users click on a business name. These panels show business details in a right-hand layout similar to Google.

Why this matters
Local visibility now extends beyond Google Maps and business profiles. AI tools rely on consistent business data across the web. Incorrect or conflicting information can reduce visibility.

What you can do

Maintain consistent name, address, and phone details.
Keep opening hours, categories, and URLs accurate.
Use structured data to reinforce entity understanding.
Distribute your location data through your Google Business Profile to reinforce a single, accurate brand representation.
Consider using a managed distribution service to push accurate NAP data across the web. We offer this as a service to support long-term local and AI visibility.

Google Sues SerpApi Over Search Result Scraping Affecting the Reliability of Your Reporting Tools

What happened
Google filed a lawsuit against SerpApi, a company that automatically collects Google search results in large volumes and sells that data to other businesses. In simple terms, SerpApi uses software to repeatedly search Google, copy what appears on the results pages, and package that information for use in SEO and marketing tools.

This process is known as scraping. Scraping means using automated programs instead of a human to gather information from a website at scale. Google says SerpApi bypassed protections designed to stop this type of automated copying.

Why this matters
Google wants to control how its search results are accessed and reused. Many SEO tools rely on scraped search results rather than data that comes directly from Google. By taking legal action, Google is signalling that it plans to be stricter about how search data is collected and shared.

For brands, this does not change how Google ranks your site. The impact is indirect. Some reporting tools may become less reliable, update less frequently, or change how they collect data. This can affect competitor tracking, ranking reports, and visibility estimates.

This also reinforces an important point for marketers. Not all data sources are equal. Scraped data is an approximation. First-party data from Google itself is more stable and trustworthy.

Google Briefly Publishes LLMs.txt Then Removes It, Casting Doubt on AI Control Tactics

What happened
Google was briefly seen hosting a file called LLMs.txt on its official Search Central documentation site. LLMs.txt is a proposed standard that websites can use to signal how AI systems should access and use their content. This was notable because Google had previously said it does not use or support this file.

After the file was spotted and publicly flagged, Google removed it. No formal announcement or guidance followed.

Why this matters
This incident shows that there is still uncertainty inside Google about how AI systems should interact with website content. Despite public discussion around LLMs.txt, Google has not confirmed it as a supported or recommended approach.

For brands, the key takeaway is that LLMs.txt is not currently a recognised way to influence visibility in Google Search or Google’s AI systems. The file being removed suggests that it should not be treated as a best practice or priority.

More broadly, this highlights how quickly AI-related standards are changing. Not every emerging idea becomes an official ranking or visibility signal.

Google Expands Virtual Try On in Search, Letting Shoppers Decide Before Visiting Brand Sites

What happened
Google expanded its AI-powered virtual try-on feature to the UK and India. This feature allows shoppers to upload a single photo and see how clothing items might look on their own body. The experience sits inside Google Shopping and search results, not on the retailer’s website.

This means Google is moving beyond showing product listings and is now helping users make visual decisions before they ever visit a brand site.

Why this matters
For apparel brands, first impressions may now happen inside Google rather than on product pages. Google is positioning itself as a more complete shopping destination. Users can explore, compare, and visualise products without clicking through immediately.

Visibility and performance increasingly depend on the quality of product data rather than page design alone. Missing attributes, inconsistent sizing information, or low-quality images can limit how often products appear or how accurately they are shown in these experiences.

What you can do

Ensure product attributes are accurate and complete.
Use high-quality imagery of as many angles of the product as possible.
Maintain consistent structured data across product feeds.

Final Thoughts

Search visibility now spans many places. Traditional results, AI answers, local panels, and shopping features all influence how brands are discovered.

Search engines and AI systems rely on the same core signals to decide what to show. Clear content explains what you do. Accurate data confirms who you are. Strong structure helps systems read and trust your site.

Authority still matters. Links remain a key signal for SEO performance. Brand citations now play a similar role for AI visibility. Consistent mentions across trusted sites help AI systems validate your brand.

Teams that treat SEO as overall digital visibility, not rankings alone, stay more resilient as search behaviour and technology continue to change.

Nick Shilton

5 minute read

SEO & AI Industry Update

Nick Shilton — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:58:40 +0000

AI, Digital Strategy, News & Insights, SEO

SEO & AI Industry Update

Home » Homepage

November Update

Search moved again in November. Google pushed harder into AI-led results, expanded answer-style summaries at the top of results pages, and caused some visible ranking swings as those systems were tuned in real-time search.

For most people, this still feels like “using Google as normal”. In practice, more of the early journey now happens inside AI answers that reference only a small set of sites. That changes how visibility works and why brands need an AI-aware approach alongside traditional SEO.

Below is a joined-up view of what changed in November, why that change matters, and where action is needed versus where the priority is awareness and planning.

Google Is Accelerating Its Shift Towards AI-First Discovery

Google Routes More Searches Into AI Mode With Gemini 3

What’s happening
Google has embedded the Gemini 3 model directly into Search AI Mode. Some complex queries now route straight into AI Mode, so users sometimes skip a traditional blue link results page for those searches.

In AI Mode, results appear as a single explanation with only a few sources cited. Classic results still sit underneath, but the first stage of research for some queries now happens in an AI interface.

Why it matters
Given the speed of the rollout and the deep link into core Search, AI Mode is shifting from experiment to a default layer for complex informational searches. That reduces the space where traditional rankings can show and raises the value of being named as a citation source. For clients, a growing share of early journey discovery now happens in AI interfaces, often without users noticing a switch.

“What to know” Panels Expand Into Standard SERPs

What’s happening
Google has rolled out “What to know” panels across standard results pages. These panels summarise context and key subtopics directly on the page and follow the same answer-first pattern as AI Mode.

Why it matters
Top of funnel information gains more weight. Sites that explain topics clearly and in a structured way are more likely to feed both these panels and AI citations. The real focus is simple, direct answers, strong coverage of key questions, and a predictable content structure.

A Necessary Clarity: AI Visibility Is Not The Same As Traditional Rankings

Although AI answers often draw from pages that rank well in classic search, the overlap is not exact. Some strong ranking pages remain absent from AI Mode, while other sources rise because they respond more clearly or more directly to the question.

Outside Google, the gap is even larger. Other AI tools do not use Google’s ranking systems. Those tools rely on their own retrieval, training data, and partnerships. Traditional SEO still matters, but no longer explains the full picture on visibility. Brands now need an AI-focused layer that aims to be selected and cited inside AI answers, not just listed below.

Market Shift Indicator: AI Mode Reaches Roughly 75 Million Daily Users

Google’s AI Mode Reaches Roughly 75 Million Daily Users

What’s happening
Google reported AI Mode reaching roughly 75 million daily users, with query volume doubling in Q3. AI experiences are now tightly integrated into core Search.

Why it matters
This points to a large behavioural shift towards AI-shaped results, even when people feel they are just “using Google”. It also shows that AI visibility stretches far wider than any one platform. ChatGPT is not the only environment that shapes discovery. Google’s AI layer already shapes how large audiences learn, compare, and shortlist.

This section is about readiness, not a long tactical list. Discovery is moving towards answer first experiences. SEO needs to protect classic demand and also evolve towards citation-focused optimisation, especially for informational and comparison-led journeys.

Volatility Suggests Live Tuning Of AI Triggers And Citations

Ranking Volatility Around Gemini 3 Rollout And Late-Month Waves

What’s happening
High levels of ranking volatility were observed around the Gemini 3 introduction, and another broad wave appeared around 24 November. No single public “core update” label explains the pattern.

The most likely explanation is live tuning of AI Mode triggers, citation choices, and blended layouts.

Why it matters
Monitoring now needs to look beyond classic rank movement and include AI Mode frequency, citation presence, and top of funnel click-through behaviour. Traffic and CTR can shift when AI layers change, even when rankings appear stable.

What marketing teams can do next
This needs clear monitoring, but most teams should not be running heavy manual checks week to week.

Light-lift internal step

Watch Search Console click-through rate and impressions for your priority informational themes. Treat this as an early warning system.

When to escalate

If CTR drops by a meaningful amount while rankings stay steady, use that as a signal to dig further into AI and panel presence.

What we handle for clients

We track AI Mode prevalence, citation visibility, and blended layouts on priority queries, then link performance shifts back to layout changes versus content issues.
We turn those findings into a monthly visibility summary with a short, prioritised action list.

Google Reiterated Quality Enforcement On Low-Value AI Content

The “Bad Site” Low-Trust State Is Hard To Reverse

What’s happening
Google has repeated that low-value AI content can push a site into a low-trust state across the full domain. Rewriting with human copy alone does not clear that state. Usefulness drives the signal, not whether a person or a model wrote the copy.

Why it matters
Recovery requires building genuinely useful, interesting, and differentiated content. For agencies and marketing teams, this means stricter editorial control on AI-assisted production, clearer content purpose, and more emphasis on original insight and evidence.

What marketing teams can do next
Two responses make sense. Create content safely. Then review the usefulness of what already exists.

Safe AI production rules

Only publish content with a clear user purpose, something that helps someone decide, plan, or act.
Ensure AI-assisted drafts meet a usefulness standard before they ship, not a volume target.

Usefulness assessment and triage

Start by removing, merging, or rebuilding the weakest 10-20% of content. Focus on pages that are thin, repetitive, or add no differentiated value.
Prioritise fewer, stronger pages over many shallow ones.

What we handle for clients

We run usefulness audits with clear “keep, merge, rebuild, remove” outcomes and help define safe operating rules for AI-assisted production.

AI Instruction Protocols Are Emerging As A New Visibility Lever

AI Crawling Permissions And Reuse Rights Mature

What’s happening
New protocols for AI crawling permissions and reuse rights are taking shape. These standards mirror robots.txt and meta directives, but for LLM ingestion and citation.

Why it matters
Clear use of these standards will matter for AI visibility. Brands that set permissions in a clean way and provide content that is easy to cite will stand in a stronger position to be indexed and referenced across AI search engines.

This topic sits in 2026 technical roadmaps rather than this quarter’s marketing to-do list.

AI Shopping Is Becoming More Advanced

OpenAI And Perplexity Push Further Into Shopping Experiences

What’s happening
OpenAI and Perplexity are rolling out more advanced shopping experiences. Their goal is to become the default place where users research and choose products, not just ask questions.

Why it matters
To compete in this environment, e-commerce sites need rich, machine-readable product data: complete specifications, availability, price clarity, reviews, and consistent product entities.

Schema and structured data quality will play a major role in gaining AI shopping citations and referral traffic.

What marketing teams can do next
This is actionable, but should be phased.

Light-lift internal step

Focus on your top revenue products or categories. A starting set of 20 products works well.
Check that core fields are accurate and consistent. Titles, specifications, price, stock status, and reviews.

Schema and structured data

Implement and validate Product, Offer, and Review schema so AI systems can reliably interpret the key fields.
Standardise attributes such as size, colour, material, and technical specs across ranges so products are easy to compare.

What we handle for clients

We audit structured data coverage, fix schema gaps, and improve product entity consistency across the catalogue.

Final Thought

November made one thing clear. Search is shifting from lists of links to answer first experiences shaped by AI, both inside Google and across other tools. Visibility now depends on whether these systems trust you enough to quote you, not only where you sit on a classic results page.

Usefulness and structure are the levers you can control. Thin or generic AI content risks a low trust label that is hard to shake. Clear, early journey content and clean structured data give AI modes and shopping journeys something safe, specific, and comparable to work with.

The response is not more manual checks for teams that already feel stretched. A more realistic plan is a dual lane approach to visibility. Protect classic SEO performance and, in parallel, build an AI-led strategy that focuses on being selected and cited.

If you want support to set an AI readiness baseline, strengthen early journey content that deserves a citation, or track AI visibility without extra manual work, contact Fingo about Prism at hello@fingo.uk.

Nick Shilton

9 minute read

SEO & AI Monthly Industry Update

Nick Shilton — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 14:08:08 +0000

AI, News & Insights, SEO

SEO & AI Monthly Industry Update

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Industry Update

Search continues to change fast. Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping visibility, businesses are racing to invest in AI SEO, and large language models are starting to influence conversions and commerce directly. Here’s what you need to know this month.

Google AI Overviews Are Changing Search Traffic

What’s happening
AI Overviews now show up in around 50% of all Google searches and nearly 90% of informational queries. These summaries often appear above normal results and answer the user’s question directly.

Most citations come from Wikipedia, YouTube, Reddit, Amazon, and other Google pages. Even though Wikipedia appears in over 11% of Overviews, it has still lost about 8% of its traffic since the feature launched.

News sites have been hit hardest, seeing up to 55% fewer clicks. The click-through rate for the top result drops by 34% when an AI Overview appears.

Why it matters
People are finding what they need without visiting websites. If your content doesn’t appear in the Overview, users may never see your brand at all. This means ranking first is not enough to stay visible.

What you can do:

Identify which of your topics are triggering AI Overviews.
Review top-performing pages to ensure they are clear, factual, and structured.
Use Prism by Fingo to measure how your brand is cited across AI Overviews and LLMs, and compare how often competitors are chosen in AI results.

Businesses Are Increasing AI SEO Spend

What’s happening
A new survey shows 90% of businesses are worried about losing visibility as AI search grows.
Almost 86% are already investing in AI-focused SEO, and over 60% plan to increase their spending this year.

Why it matters
More investment means more competition. As businesses optimise for AI, search results will become more unstable. Those who delay risk losing ground to competitors who act faster.

What you can do:

Partner with Fingo to align your SEO and AI strategy with market trends and avoid falling behind faster-moving competitors.
Keep your SEO investment in line with market trends.
Build strategies for both search engines and AI systems.
Focus on content quality, structured data, and consistent updates.

Traffic from AI Tools Converts Differently

What’s happening
A new study shows that referral traffic from ChatGPT converts at lower rates than every major traffic source except paid social.

Google Search still delivers the most conversions overall. That said, conversion rates and revenue per session from ChatGPT are both improving. The average order value, however, is falling, meaning more users are buying but spending less per purchase.

Why it matters
This shows that users are beginning to act on AI-driven recommendations, but their intent is still lower than that of traditional search users. ChatGPT is influencing early purchase decisions, not closing them.

As AI assistants integrate shopping and product cards, this behaviour will likely shift further, making AI visibility an awareness and persuasion channel, not just a research touchpoint.

What you can do:

Request Fingo helps to analyse your AI referral traffic and strengthen the user journey so low-intent visits convert at a higher rate.
Track traffic and conversions from AI referrals separately from other channels.
Optimise AI-facing content to educate and build trust, not just push sales.
Strengthen post-click journeys to turn low-intent visits into high-quality leads.
Use structured data and clear product information to improve how AI tools present your brand in shopping and search results.

ChatGPT Shopping Is Now Live

What’s happening
ChatGPT has added shopping features that let users browse and buy products without leaving the chat. Product cards appear directly in conversations, and users can check out instantly or visit the product page.

Although these sessions are still less than 1% of traffic, they convert at almost 16%, compared to 1.8% for traditional search.

Why it matters
This marks the start of AI-driven commerce. As users grow comfortable buying directly in chat tools, e-commerce brands need to prepare for this new channel.

What you can do:

Let Fingo review your product data, schema, and descriptions to improve how AI tools present your products in shopping results.
Make sure your product data is accurate and uses structured markup.
Include clear titles, pricing, and high-quality images.
Optimise descriptions for natural, conversational language.

Google Is Testing AI-Written Meta Descriptions

What’s happening
Google is experimenting with AI-generated summaries to replace written meta descriptions. The AI uses on-page content to describe the page in search results.

Why it matters
This could improve visibility for pages with missing or weak metadata. But it also risks misrepresenting pages if the AI misunderstands the content.

What you can do:

Ask Fingo to audit your metadata and page content to ensure AI summarises your pages correctly.
Keep writing strong, clear meta descriptions manually.
Ensure your page content matches the message and keywords in your metadata.
Regularly review how your pages appear in search results.

Bing Reintroduces “Places for Business”

What’s happening
Bing has relaunched its version of Google Business Profile, called Bing Places for Business (BPFB). You can now import data directly from Google Business Profile.

Why it matters
Bing still holds a larger search share than AI tools, and many AI systems use Bing data to generate answers. Inconsistent information between GBP and BPFB can confuse both users and AI systems.

What you can do:

Allow our visibility team to sync your Google and Bing business listings.
Check that your contact details, hours, and categories match.
If Fingo manages your local SEO profile, this update will be handled for you.

Google’s October Ranking Outage

What’s happening
Between late September and early October, Google experienced technical issues with its ranking systems. These were resolved on 3rd October but caused temporary drops in visibility for some sites.

Why it matters
Algorithm updates and outages can happen without warning. This underlines the need for a diverse keyword targeting strategy to mitigate the effects of algorithmic or technical disruptions.

What you can do:

Collaborate with Fingo to expand your keyword coverage and mitigate the effects of ranking instability.
Diversify the topics and keywords your site targets.
Build steady visibility through ongoing SEO and fresh content.
Monitor ranking stability to spot sudden changes early.

Google Expands Virtual Try-On

What’s happening
Google’s Virtual Try-On feature, which shows how clothes look on users, is now live in the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Users can upload a photo and see how an item might look on them.

Early data shows users are 41% more likely to buy after using Try-On. Augmented reality (AR) ads also outperform static ads by 94%.

Why it matters
Visual commerce is growing fast. Brands that optimise product data and imagery for these formats gain an advantage in both visibility and conversions.

What you can do:

Use a complete product schema and multiple image angles.
Add clear sizing and product information.
Test AR ad formats if you run e-commerce campaigns.
Talk to us to optimise your schema, images, and product information for visual commerce performance.

AI Is Expanding “People Also Ask” and Voice Search

What’s happening
AI-generated “People Also Ask” results have nearly doubled in three months. Google has also announced a major update to voice search, making it more conversational.

Why it matters
Search is becoming more interactive. AI is starting to shape not only what appears on the results page but also how users ask follow-up questions.

What you can do:

Write content that answers questions directly and clearly.
Include short, factual explanations that can be used in AI responses.
Use Prism by Fingo to track whether your brand is being cited in AI-generated results.

Final Thought

Search visibility now depends on more than rankings. AI Overviews, voice search, and conversational tools are changing how users find and trust brands.

To stay seen, you need to understand how both search engines and AI systems represent your brand.

Prism by Fingo helps track where your business appears, how it’s being cited, and what AI is saying about you.

See what AI sees.

Nick Shilton

8 minute read

SEO & AI Monthly Industry Update

Nick Shilton — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:42:00 +0000

Digital, News & Insights, SEO

SEO & AI Monthly Industry Update

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Industry Update

September brought some of the biggest search and advertising changes we’ve seen all year, from major government rulings affecting Google to big updates in how websites are measured and ranked. If your business relies on Google for traffic or sales, these shifts will shape how people find and interact with you online.

Google Removes the “100 Results” Option

What’s happening:
Google stopped supporting a technical setting that let tools view 100 search results on one page. When this disappeared, SEO tracking tools suddenly showed big “visibility drops.” But this doesn’t mean fewer people are finding your site, the measurement method just changed.

Why it matters for your business:
If you noticed sudden declines in visibility reports, don’t panic. Your website may be performing the same as before, it’s the data view that changed, not your audience behaviour.

What you can do:

Treat September as a “reset month” for SEO reporting.
Focus on traffic, leads, and sales, not impression counts.

Expect tracking platforms to take a few weeks to stabilise their numbers.

Europe Fines Google $3.5 B for Ad-Tech Practices

What’s happening:
The European Union fined Google about $3.5 billion for unfairly favouring its own ad-selling systems. Regulators also warned that if Google doesn’t change its behaviour, it could face stronger actions in future. Google is appealing.

Why it matters for your business:
When regulators push for more fairness, it can lead to more competition and that might reduce ad costs over time. For now, expect little immediate change, but this signals that transparency and fairness in ad pricing are becoming more important.

What you can do:

Keep an eye on ad costs (CPCs and CPMs). If prices rise, it may not always be from competition; platform rules can influence it.
Don’t rely solely on Google Ads; test Meta, Microsoft, or other platforms too.

Google Discover & Store Updates

What’s happening:
Google Discover (the feed of recommended content on Android and Chrome) now lets users “follow” brands and creators. At the same time, Google launched new Store Widgets and smarter Performance Max options in Google Ads to help brands show more relevant products.

Why it matters for your business:
Google is blurring the line between search, social, and shopping. If your content and store details are fresh and visually appealing, you can appear in more discovery spots, even when people aren’t actively searching for you.

What you can do:

Regularly share high-quality images, posts, and updates.
Keep your product feed and Google Business Profile current, it feeds these new features.
If you run ads, test Performance Max’s “Smart Bidding Exploration” to find new conversions efficiently.

Major Spam Update Shakes Up Search Rankings

What’s happening:
Google rolled out a global “Spam Update” that hit low-quality and rule-breaking sites. Combined with other September changes, this caused huge ranking swings that many businesses felt in traffic reports.

Why it matters for your business:
If your website saw sudden drops, it might have been caught in this update. Google’s focus is now squarely on rewarding trustworthy, original, and experience-based content, not quick-generated or copied material.

What you can do:

Review your website for quality and accuracy.
Make sure all content reflects real expertise and value, not just SEO keywords.
If affected, expect a slow recovery; it can take months to regain trust once flagged.

Google Search “Live” Goes Live (U.S. Launch)

What’s happening:
Google has launched a new feature called Search Live in the U.S., which allows users to have real-time, conversational interactions directly with Google Search’s AI. People can now talk or type follow-up questions, and even use their phone camera so Google can “see” what they’re looking at and respond with tailored search results in real time.

This means users can, for example, show Google a broken appliance part or a product on a shelf and get immediate identification or purchasing options. The rollout is expected to expand globally in 2026.

Why it matters:
Search Live represents Google’s next big step toward interactive and AI-driven search. It changes how people find and evaluate products or services:

Users may rely less on clicking through multiple websites and more on instant AI-generated answers.
Google will pull heavily from structured data, product listings, Google Business Profiles, and reviews to generate responses.
Businesses with richer, verified information are more likely to appear in these live AI interactions.

For brands, this means visibility will depend even more on how complete, accurate, and AI-readable your online data is, not just how well you rank organically.

Action steps:

Review and enhance your Google Business Profile. Add detailed descriptions, photos, FAQs, and up-to-date opening hours.
Ensure your website uses structured data (schema) to help Google interpret your products or services correctly.
Maintain a consistent review strategy, and positive, recent feedback will play a growing role in how AI surfaces your brand.
Think beyond clicks: treat Search Live visibility as brand exposure, similar to appearing in a recommendation or local list, rather than a traditional visit.

Search Live is still in early rollout, but it signals where search behaviour is heading, toward AI-driven discovery experiences that reward clarity, credibility, and structured brand data.

New Google Ads Policy on Honest Pricing

What’s happening:
From October 28, Google Ads will enforce stricter “truth in pricing” rules. Advertisers must clearly show all fees, subscriptions, or extra costs before purchase, no hidden charges or vague pricing allowed.

Why it matters for your business:
If your ads or landing pages aren’t fully transparent about pricing, Google could block or suspend your campaigns. This is especially important for subscriptions, memberships, or services with recurring payments.

What you can do:

Double-check your ads and pages for clear pricing and terms.
Be upfront about all costs, even optional ones.
Review everything before the October 28 enforcement date to stay compliant.

Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Adds an Ad-Free Subscription in the UK

What’s happening:
Meta will let UK users pay for an ad-free experience. Those who subscribe won’t see ads at all.

Why it matters for your business:
People who choose the ad-free option are likely higher-income users who value privacy. That means your ad reach could shrink slightly in premium audiences, while everyone else still sees ads as normal.

What you can do:

Keep an eye on audience size in Meta Ads Manager.
Balance your social ad spend with other relevant channels like Google, LinkedIn, or TikTok.
Adapt creative messaging for more engaged, opted-in audiences.

How Big Is AI Search Really?

What’s happening:
AI-driven search is already reshaping customer behaviour. Tools like ChatGPT handle an estimated 66 million “search-like” prompts daily. Google still dominates with ~14 billion queries, but with AI Overviews and “AI Mode” now embedded in search, the share of AI-influenced results is much higher than headline numbers suggest.

Why it matters for your business:
The way people discover, compare, and evaluate products is evolving faster than most businesses realise. Even if AI search looks “small” today, the change in search behaviour is already significant. The real question isn’t if customers will use AI-driven results, but how quickly and whether your brand is being surfaced in those answers.

Where Prism comes in:

Prism by Fingo helps you see, measure, and optimise your brand’s visibility across AI and search. It shows you where your brand is cited (or missing), how AI engines describe you, and where competitors are already shaping the conversation. It’s not just a dashboard, it’s a strategy engine that future-proofs your discoverability.

What you can do:

Don’t abandon Google, but understand that generative search is rewriting the rules of visibility.
Optimise for AI citations to create structured, factual, answer-ready content that models can quote.
Use Prism to benchmark your presence, control your narrative, and make sure you’re visible in both search engines and AI-driven answers.

Discover Prism by Fingo.

U.S. Court Ruling Changes Google’s Default Search Deals

What’s happening:
A U.S. judge ruled that Google can’t keep signing exclusive deals that make it the default search engine on devices like iPhones or browsers like Chrome. Google must also share some search data access with approved competitors, but it doesn’t have to sell or break up any of its main products, such as Android or Chrome.

Why it matters for your business:
This means Apple or other tech companies might soon offer more choice in which search engine appears by default. In time, that could slightly spread traffic across more search engines, not just Google. Your customers may start finding you from a wider range of search tools.

What you can do:

Keep your online presence strong on all major search and map platforms, not only Google.
Make sure your business info, reviews, and product listings are accurate everywhere.

Looking Ahead

September proved that Google and the wider search industry are entering a new era of transparency, fairness, and quality control.

Regulators are challenging old habits.
Google is recalibrating data and enforcing clearer rules.
High-trust, clear, and useful content is the new differentiator.

For business owners, the best next step is simple: stay transparent, stay active, and stay informed. Make sure your website tells the truth, your data is up to date, and your content reflects real expertise. That’s what both customers and algorithms are looking for.

If you’d like to discuss how these changes affect your visibility or strategy, please contact hello@fingo.co.uk.

Nick Shilton

8-minute read

Google’s AI Mode Goes Mainstream

Nick Shilton — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:08:25 +0000

Digital, News, SEO

Google’s AI Mode Goes Mainstream

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Nick Shilton

If you’ve searched for something on Google lately, you might have spotted a new option: a little prompt that says “Dive deeper in AI Mode.”

This isn’t just a flashy extra button. It’s part of a major shift in how Google works and how people find information online.

The short version?

Google is moving from searching for links to directly giving answers, using artificial intelligence (AI) to pull those answers from across the internet – and that changes the game for every business with a website.

What Exactly is AI Mode?

To understand AI Mode, you first need to understand Google itself. Google’s sole focus is the user. Not businesses. Not advertisers. Their mission is laser-focused on making life as easy as possible for the person searching. Every update, every new feature is built to serve the user, not the other way around. That ruthlessness is what drives AI Mode.

Traditionally, when you searched for something on Google, you got a list of links (the “blue links”), ranked in order of what Google thought would help you most. You had to click through to learn more.

Then in 2023, Google started experimenting with AI Overviews, short AI-written summaries that appeared at the top of the results, giving you a quick answer without clicking anywhere.

AI Mode takes that further.
Instead of giving you one quick AI summary, it turns search into an ongoing conversation.

You can ask a follow-up question without starting over.
You can search with images or voice, and AI will still understand.
It can break your question into subtopics and show you a series of AI-generated answers.

For example, if you search “Best ways to reduce energy costs for a small bakery”, AI Mode might first show you:

An overview of common energy-saving measures for businesses.
Links to relevant industry articles.
Suggestions for follow-up questions like “Which commercial ovens use the least power?”

If you click one of those, you stay in AI Mode and get another custom AI answer, without ever leaving Google. These query examples perfectly illustrate how Google has evolved: ten years ago, users would have to guess the right keywords to find an answer. Today, Google focuses on how people actually search, anticipating their needs and delivering answers in the most intuitive, effortless way possible.

Why This Matters For Your Brand

A new Pew Research study found:

Only 9% of searches with an AI summary result in a click on a website.
Only 1% of people click a link inside the AI summary itself.
Over a quarter (26%) end their search without visiting any website at all.

That means your website could still be used as a source in Google’s AI answers, but many people will read the answer without ever visiting your site.

For businesses, this creates a new challenge:
It’s not just about ranking high on Google anymore; it’s about being the trusted source AI chooses to quote.

You might be asking yourself: if fewer people are clicking through to websites, why does it matter if my brand is quoted? The answer is brand recall. When someone sees your business name cited in multiple AI Mode answers, you’re building trust and recognition, even if they don’t click through immediately.

This “silent branding” can influence future decisions and still lead to sales later, particularly for big-ticket or trust-based purchases.

How to Stay Visible In AI Mode (and why each step matters)

Here’s how you can adapt your strategy so AI Mode works for you instead of against you:

1. Go deep on topics you know best
Google’s AI Mode looks for content that explains things fully.

If you’re a financial adviser, a “Top 5 savings tips” blog is fine, but a 2,000-word guide to “How to build a savings plan for retirement in your 40s” is far more likely to be pulled into an AI summary.
The more thorough and specific your content, the more likely you are to be the one AI trusts.

2. Use cognitive empathy and write for real people’s questions, not just keywords
Old-school SEO was about matching the words people typed. Now, it’s about matching the questions they ask out loud, because AI Mode understands natural language.
Instead of just optimising for “cheap wedding photographer London,” you might write: “How to find an affordable wedding photographer in London without compromising on quality.”

3. Keep your site technically healthy
Even though AI Mode uses AI, it still draws heavily from Google’s normal ranking rules:

Mobile-friendly design.
Fast page loading times.
Clear, structured headings and schema markup so AI understands your content.

4. Use visuals and multimedia
AI Mode is starting to integrate with image search and Google Lens. That means product images, infographics, and charts can increase your chances of being included in a result.

Where We Come In…

At Fingo, we help businesses not just cope with changes like AI Mode, but actually leverage them.

Here’s how we can support you:

AI Mode Optimisation – We’ll identify the topics where your business can realistically become an AI-cited authority and create content that meets Google’s new depth and trust standards.
Structured Content Strategy – We’ll design content that answers your customers’ real questions, in the formats most likely to be picked up by AI Mode.
Technical SEO & Schema – We’ll make sure your site is lightning fast, mobile-perfect, and tagged in a way AI understands instantly.
Brand Visibility Playbook – Even when clicks are low, we’ll keep your brand visible and memorable in search results so customers think of you first when they’re ready to act.

Our goal is simple: make you the business Google’s AI wants to quote, again and again.

Contact the Fingo team today to start building your AI Mode advantage.

The post Google’s AI Mode Goes Mainstream appeared first on Fingo Marketing.

SEO Roundup: Artificial Intelligence In The Digital World

Nick Shilton — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 13:38:00 +0000

DIGITAL, SEO, NEWS

SEO Roundup: Artificial Intelligence In The Digital World

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Nick Shilton

AI is having a major impact worldwide but especially in our industry. In the world of SEO, though, AI is transforming how search engines are being used and is resulting in six times the number of daily searches. However, these searches are seeing a 60% decrease in click through rate (CTR) due to Google’s AI overview answering their query on the search page. This is predicted to lead to a 30% total fall in organic traffic.

Due to the scale of content on the internet, Google’s data centres are unable to index everything. Add to this the huge volume of AI-written content and this problem becomes even harder.The result of this is Google deciding that any site that is rapidly producing content with a low trust rating will be seeing a reduced crawl budget.

This effectively means that Google will no longer crawl your site fully and will only check low crawl depth pages. More than that, though, if you are mass-producing unchecked and low-quality AI content, Google may stop indexing your site altogether. All content written exclusively by AI may be flagged as unoriginal and your site will be penalised.

How Can I Leverage AI?

AI can be used to help ideate content, check and edit content and rapidly draft a structure. However, it should not be used to write any content directly and no AI content should be uploaded without broad human intervention.

Whilst AI search is being used in Google AI overviews, SearchGPT (ChatGPT’s search engine) and Perplexity still provide links to sites that have useful information related to the query. This means that high-quality, well-optimised pages will see raised CTRs as they will be one of only three options for AI results.

Writing better quality, well-targeted content for your audience is going to be much more successful than asking a Large Language Model (LLM) to provide a thin piece of content written from a prompt that your competitors could also write.

AI Overviews (AIO)

Having been rolled back following a rocky launch, AI Overviews have been rolled out again and are now being seen in a wider selection of search results across more users and across more countries. Updates to AIO appear to be aligning sources with search result ranking and improving AI overview quality.

Google has stated that AIO-featured links have increased click-through rates, however, independent research challenges this assertion as AIO answers the search query and reduces user motivation to click for further information. Product searches have seen increased clicks, whilst informational searches are seeing reduced clicks. Further independent research is ongoing, and our assessment of it will be available as more data is procured by independent researchers.

Google August Core Update

Google has released another Core Update; this update started on the 15th and is expected to last up to 1 month. The Core Update is “designed to continue [their] work to improve the quality of search results by showing more content that people find genuinely useful and less content that feels like it was made just to perform well on search.” This backs up the assessment that “audience first” content is much more important than volumes of basic content with minimal and poor targeting.

Google goes on to explain that prior updates appeared to prioritise larger brands over smaller businesses and this update aims to make sure that independent and smaller sites creating original and useful content can still connect to their audience through relevant searchers. Google has stated that this continues to be a major priority and whilst we are yet to have solid data on the performance of this update, it is a good direction for many of our clients.

Google Ranking Glitch

There was a ranking glitch in August that lasted from the 15th of August to the 20th which Google stated was unrelated to the core update. This glitch caused rapid changes in ranks for a variety of different search terms but is now over. We have seen some fluctuations across accounts however with performance levelling, it is not a cause for concern.

Google News

On the 5th of August Google was ruled an illegal monopoly by the US DOJ. Whilst this is being appealed by Google and no punitive action has occurred, regulators and competitors are discussing what should be done. This could be as little as a fine and a ban on buying default search contracts (agreements for browsers to use Google as a default search engine and the basis of the antitrust case), however, competitors and regulators are discussing breaking Google into its separate divisions: search, Chrome, advertising and Android. Google argues that this would simply increase cost to the user, the threat of any of this, however, and the growth of new competitors such as Perplexity highlights the fact that optimising just for Google may not be the only way forward in the future.

Despite all this Google still maintains around 82% global market share, 94% in the UK and 87% in the US, still making it the best game in town.

The post SEO Roundup: Artificial Intelligence In The Digital World appeared first on Fingo Marketing.

Google Search API Leak: What Do We Know?

Nick Shilton — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:27:46 +0000

News, SEO

Google Search API Leak: What Do We Know?

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Nick Shilton

Imagine you walk into a restaurant and, instead of a menu, you are given a list of all the ingredients that the kitchen uses. You know what could be going into the meal but you don’t exactly know what the recipes will be. This is essentially what has happened with the recent leak of Google Search’s Content Warehouse API documentation. Google has stated, though, that there is a lot of missing context from this leak.

For many SEO professionals, much of this leak does not come as a huge shock but rather confirms what was already believed including. There are, however, a number of things that directly contradict what Google have previously communicated.

By and large, the information leaked has helped reinforce our approach and strategy but there have been some key learnings that came as a surprise to the SEO world.

Google’s Sandbox

For a long time, it was believed that Google may suppress the rankings of new websites, keeping them in a metaphorical sandbox until they establish trust and credibility. Google’s position on this has consistently been that a sandbox does not exist and that all websites are treated equally in its search algorithm.

This leak has brought to light the apparent existence of a sandbox mechanism that Google employs to control the visibility of a new website within its results. It essentially acts as a probationary period for websites to avoid low-quality or spammy websites quickly achieving high visibility and cluttering the results pages. While the intention is to limit low-quality websites and pages, it has a knock-on impact on and poses a challenge to new websites looking to build their brand.

The key take-away from this is that it highlights the importance of patience and consistency when launching a new website, allowing time for Google to thoroughly assess your website’s credibility and value to a user. We have been strong advocates for consistent and regular publishing of high-quality content, building reputable backlinks and engaging with your audience to effectively demonstrate Google’s core ranking factors: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

Domain Authority

SEO professionals have looked at domain authority as a way to assess a website’s overall strength and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

Google, however, has consistently denied that domain authority is part of its algorithm and instead emphasised a more holistic approach to ranking, focusing on factors like content quality, relevance and user experience. This stance has led to a perception among SEO professionals that Google’s algorithms are much more complex and nuanced than simply assigning a single number website’s authority.

In the leak, though, we can see a metric called “siteAuthority.” This metric, similar in concept to domain authority, suggests that Google assesses a website’s overall authority and credibility when determining its rankings in search results and then factors it in down the line. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing as it is aimed at ensuring the best user experience when searching different queries, however it is another hurdle that new websites will have to overcome.

Chrome Data Controversy

Google has faced scrutiny over its handling of user data and the extent to which it influences search rankings.

The crux of the issue lies in Google’s potential utilisation of Chrome to track user behaviour beyond traditional cookies. While user behaviour has historically influenced Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) through cookie consent, the concern appears to be Google’s exploration of methods beyond cookies within Chrome to monitor user activity, potentially impacting search outcomes.

Click Count Contradiction

Google has consistently maintained that clicks are not a direct ranking factor in its search algorithm, instead emphasising the importance of high quality and relevant content as well as other on-page and off-page factors for determining search rankings. The leak has, in fact, revealed a system known as NavBoost, which seems to contradict these claims.

NavBoost is described as a mechanism that leverages click-driven measures to influence search rankings, suggesting that user behaviour plays a role in determining which websites appear at the top of search results.

It categorises clicks into “badClicks” (bounces), “goodClicks” (engagement), and “LastlongestClick” (dwell time). The idea here is that user behaviour (how long someone stays on a page for, for example), can impact rankings which is a contradiction of Google’s previous statements that their algorithm doesn’t factor in clicks. It instead raises the question: to what extent does user behaviour shape search results?

Authorship

As mentioned, there is not much of this leak that comes as a total shock. The importance of authorship, for example, was already known in most SEO circles; it is the A in Google’s E-E-A-T ranking factors that they have encouraged for years.

What the leak has shone a light on, though, is just how valuable these measurements are. Google is believed to assess the credibility and expertise of content creators, using authorship signals to evaluate the trustworthiness and relevance of web pages. The suggestion here is that recognised authors and their previous work can influence search rankings.

In the world of SEO and digital marketing, this is all quite interesting and somewhat revelatory. But to suggest that it is a ground-breaking, stop-the-presses scoop that changes everything would be a touch dramatic. If it has revealed anything, it is that much of our beliefs were in fact right from the outset: produce content that is aimed to generate good quality clicks, building and demonstrating authority is only a good thing and that being consistent and patient will pay dividends down the line.

If you want to know more about what this API leak means for you or how we can help you with your SEO, please contact hello@fingo.co.uk.

The post Google Search API Leak: What Do We Know? appeared first on Fingo Marketing.

GA4 Has Landed! So What?

Nick Shilton — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:32:00 +0000

DIGITAL, NEWS, ANALYTICS

GA4 Has Landed! So What?

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Nick Shilton

OFor years, marketers have used Google Analytics to monitor and measure performance of their websites. Universal Analytics (UA) provided insight into web traffic, demographics, user behaviour – just about everything businesses wanted to know.

If you’ve been living in a Barbenheimer haze for the past few months, you may not be aware that the 1st July saw the closing down of the old Universal Analytics. However, if you are still wondering what this switch has meant for you, your data and your business, we have you covered.

Google describes GA4 as ‘the next generation of Analytics, which collects event-based data from both websites and apps’. The platform has a stronger focus on the user journey and on-page user behaviour than UA as well as offering other benefits such as additional privacy controls.

So why was this switch good for your website?

What are the Advantages of GA4?

GA4 brought a host of benefits that enhanced the world of analytics such as:

Increased Accuracy on Tracked Metrics:

Under the old Universal Analytics (UA), data was pulled at the end of a user’s session, but GA4 pulls data as it occurs in real-time, resulting in more data points for significantly improved accuracy.

Clearer Understanding of User Behaviour:

With GA4’s event-based approach (in contrast to UA’s session-based system), businesses can now gain access to more detailed information about user activities on their websites. This new perspective not only enhances measurements but also entirely new metrics. The platform offers valuable insights into video engagement, scrolling behaviour, outbound clicks, and more.

Cross-Platform Tracking:

GA4 adopts a user-focused model, enabling marketers to track users across multiple platforms seamlessly. Whether a user first visited the site on their laptop and then later on their phone, GA4 provides greater visibility into the user’s complete journey across different devices.

Challenges of the Migration to GA4

Unfortunately, this migration did pose a few challenges, but for every hurdle you may still be facing, we have an answer.

Loss of Old Metrics:

The biggest challenge we faced with the migration was that many metrics we had been reporting on for years disappeared. More accurately, they were replaced or reimagined as something new. Initially, this seemed like an issue, but we understood that the metrics GA4 prioritises are the most relevant for a site’s growth and continued performance. Moreover, we realised that many of the metrics set to be phased out could still be calculated due to the immense customisation available on the new platform.

Change of Standard Reporting:

For many biddable campaigns (or other campaigns spread across multiple channels), many acquisition reports like source/medium and channel no longer operate in the same way. However, there are workarounds involving custom reports that allow us to extract the exact data we wanted to see.

A knock-on effect of these changes is that our way of reporting on web performance has changed. Along with the migration, we are rolling out new-look SEO reports that focus on the data that matters most to your business.

Already Seeing Benefits

GA4 is already bringing about tangible benefits for our clients. One noteworthy improvement is the heightened accuracy of user data through the enhanced tracking of goals and events. This valuable data allows deeper insights into user engagement, identifying areas that are performing well and others that require optimisation, ultimately creating more successful website strategies and campaigns.

We are Here to Help!

We’ve successfully migrated all of our clients over to GA4, and we have spent months gleaning insights and data. If you’d like us to help you set up tracking with GA4, get in touch today at marketing@fingo.co.uk so that we can help.

The post GA4 Has Landed! So What? appeared first on Fingo Marketing.

Digital Marketing Agency In Epsom, Surrey | Fingo Marketing

SEO and AI Industry Update

SEO and AI Industry Update – March 2026

What March’s Changes Mean for Your Visibility

In Short: What Matters This Month

Search Is Moving Closer To The Answer

Business Impact

AI Overviews are expanding, and they are changing the click path

What happened

Why this matters

Google is testing more control over how content is presented

What happened

Why this matters

What brands should be paying attention to

Visibility Is Becoming More Volatile Across Google, AI and Local

Business Impact

Google’s March updates kept traditional search unstable

What happened

Why this matters

Local visibility is becoming part of the wider AI search story

What happened

Why this matters

What brands should be paying attention to

Owned Platforms Still Matter, But The Route To Them Is Changing

Business Impact

AI commerce is growing, but websites still do the real conversion work

What happened

Why this matters

Structured data and page clarity are becoming more important visibility signals

What happened

Why this matters

What brands should be paying attention to

What to Watch Next

What March Tells Us Overall

Need help?

SEO & AI Industry Update

SEO & AI Industry Update

What January’s Changes Mean for Your Brand

AI shopping capabilities are expanding across major platforms

Impacts for brands

Why this matters

What you can do

Publisher opt-outs from AI features could change who gets cited

Impacts for brands

What happened

Why this matters

What you can do

Your brand’s appearance in AI-generated local and recommendation results can change day-to-day

Impacts for brands

What happened

Why this matters

What you can do

More people are starting discovery inside AI tools, not Google

Impacts for brands

What happened

Why this matters

What you can do

Algorithm updates can still reshape visibility across entire sectors

Impacts for brands

What happened

Why this matters

What you can do

Bing is pushing AI assistance earlier in the discovery journey

Impacts for brands

What happened

Why this matters

What you can do

AI Overviews are increasingly shaped by core search signals and engagement behaviour

Impacts for brands

What happened

Why this matters

What you can do

What This All Means In Practice

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