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Will generative AI mean the end of internet search and SEO as we know it? Adobe Stock Generative AI could change the nature of internet search forever as more and more people choose to access information through tools like ChatGPT. Could internet search (as we know it today) die out altogether? And what does generative AI mean for the search engine optimization (SEO) industry, an industry worth approx. 68 billion dollars per year. Read on…

Google is rolling out restrictions for suspended Google Ads accounts, limiting the actions advertisers can take while their accounts are suspended. The restrictions will be implemented in June 2024. Why we care The restrictions could frustrate some advertisers who want full access during blackout periods. What’s new? Functionality for suspended accounts will be reduced to a few key areas such as billing, appeals/verification, security settings and account navigation. Other actions such as editing campaigns, creating…

Google’s Lizzi Sassman and John Mueller responded to a question about Content Decay, expressing confusion about the phrase because they had never heard of it. It turns out there’s a good reason: Content Decay is just a new name created to make an old problem seem like a new one. Googlers have never heard of content decay Google tech writer Lizzi Sassman started a Google Search Off The Record podcast by stating that they were…

In a recent Twitter exchange, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan provided insight into how the search engine handles algorithmic spam actions and ranking drops. The discussion was sparked by a website owner complaint about a significant loss of traffic and the inability to request a manual review. Sullivan clarified that a site could be affected by algorithmic spamming or simply not ranking well due to other factors. He stressed that many sites that experience ranking…

Google has clarified that a business’s proximity to a search engine is not a primary factor in ranking local service ads. This change reflects Google’s evolving understanding of what is relevant to users searching for local service providers. Chris Barnard, Local SEO Analyst at Sterling Sky, started the discussion by pointing out an update to a Google Help Center article. In a screenshot, it’s noted that Google removed the section stating that proximity is a…

ChatGPT announced a new version of ChatGPT that can accept audio, image and text input and also generate audio, image and text output. OpenAI calls the new version of ChatGPT 4o, with the “o” standing for “omni,” which is a compound word meaning “all.” ChatGPT 4o (Omni) OpenAI described this new version of ChatGPT as a progression toward more natural human-machine interactions that respond to user input at the same speed as human-to-human conversations. The…

When it comes to outdated web content, Google has warned against using certain redirects that could be perceived as misleading to users. The tip came during a recent episode of Google’s Search Off The Record podcast. In the episode, Search Relations team members John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman discussed strategies for managing “content decay”: the gradual process of website content becoming obsolete over time. During the conversation, the two Googlers addressed the practice of using…

New creative controls are being introduced for video ads that allow advertisers to dictate where their videos appear across Google’s various ad formats for Demand Gen campaigns. They have been released in beta. Why we care Assigning video assets to specific formats (for example, in-stream, in-feed or shorts) gives marketers more control over amplifying their brand’s narrative. It allows advertisers to select the best format for their brand. How it works. With flexible ad format…

Paid search advertising conversion rates have declined in almost every industry year over year. Meanwhile, the cost of generating leads through search ads continues to rise. Do you feel déjà vu? I sure did after reading LocalIQ’s annual Search Advertising Benchmark Report, which was released today. It’s basically more of the same story as 2023. The 2024 edition again includes data on average conversion rate, cost per lead (CPL), click-through rate (CTR), and cost-per-click (CPC)….

In April 2023 and December 2023, Google changed the way it ranks what it considers video pages. In short, the video on the page must be the main content for Google to show you a video thumbnail in the search results and display it in the videos tab of Google Search. In fact, at the end of December, many saw a huge increase in non-core video content for page ads in Search Console, including this…