Author Archives: SocialSignalCounter

Google today published new guidance on how to “succeed” in its evolving AI-powered search experiences. What’s new. The only real (sort of) news here is that Google has put into writing what Google’s Elizabeth Reid and others have said in recent months – that AI-driven searches are increasing engagement and creating higher-quality clicks. Also: Google said tools […]

Remember when “Just Google it” was the solution to all your search needs? Unfortunately, those days are changing fast. While Google remains the king of search, the ground beneath its feet is shifting as brands, marketers, and end users are noticing that there are some new sheriffs in town. The search ecosystem that puts all […]

Today’s Memo is an updated version of my previous guides on topical authority, one that takes the Google leaks, documents revealed in Google lawsuits, my recent UX study of AIOs, and the latest shifts in the search landscape into account. Image Credit: Lyna ™ I think this is one of these concepts that can fly under […]

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how marketing teams operate—but not through vague promises or futuristic scenarios. In 5 Ways Marketers Are Using AI to Increase Efficiency from Acoustic, marketers will find five tangible, proven ways AI is being applied to improve segmentation, enhance personalization, monitor performance, support content creation, and retarget audiences more effectively. This resource is designed […]

The twin forces of disrupted attribution and changing user behavior are reshaping how audiences discover brands. Google’s mass rollout of AI Overviews and its experimental AI Mode are not surface-level UX tweaks; they represent a fundamental transformation of the search experience – one that compresses the journey from query to answer. PPC is now a […]

Search marketer Michael Bonfils recently discussed how AI is disrupting search marketing and shared insights into what he feels is an appropriate response to one of the most difficult search environments he’s seen in his thirty years of experience. Michael Bonfils (LinkedIn profile) has worked in digital marketing since virtually the dawn of it all, […]

Google Ads costs surged across nearly every industry in 2025, with 87% of sectors seeing higher cost-per-click rates. But the pain is being offset by significantly better conversion rates — 65% of industries are turning more clicks into actual customers. That’s according to a LocalIQ analysis of 16,446 campaigns. Overall 2025 benchmarks: Average cost per […]

Google AI Overviews are now available in more countries and regions and in more languages. Google announced today at Google I/O that AI Overviews are now available in over 200 countries and territories and more than 40 different languages. AI Overviews for more Google searchers. Google said they have expanded access to AI Overviews within […]

Google AI Mode is now available to all U.S. searchers without having to opt into it within Search Labs. When Google announced AI Mode in March, it was only available to U.S. users to opt into via Search Labs, now you no longer need to opt into it. A new tab for AI Mode will […]

Google today announced Search Live, a new feature that lets users have real-time conversations with Search using their smartphone camera. The tool builds on Google’s work in visual search and AI, combining the capabilities of Google Lens and Project Astra. How it works. Users can tap a new Live icon in either Lens or AI […]