Author Archives: SocialSignalCounter

Google Ads API tightens conversion data rules

Google Ads API tightens conversion data rules

The Google Ads API will no longer accept new adopters of session attributes or IP address data in conversion imports starting Feb. 2nd. Developers who already use these fields can continue for now, but Google is steering everyone toward the Data Manager API as the primary place to send complex conversion and user data. Zoom […]

Google Gemini Gains Share As ChatGPT Declines In Similarweb Data

Google Gemini Gains Share As ChatGPT Declines In Similarweb Data

ChatGPT accounted for 64% of worldwide traffic share among gen AI chatbot websites as of January, while Google’s Gemini reached 21%, according to Similarweb’s Global AI Tracker. Similarweb’s tracker (PDF link) measures total visits at the domain level, so it reflects people who go to these tools directly on the web. It doesn’t capture API […]

AI Overviews Show Less When Users Don’t Engage

AI Overviews Show Less When Users Don’t Engage

AI Overviews don’t show up consistently across Google Search because the system learns where they’re useful and pulls them back when people don’t engage. Robby Stein, Vice President of Product at Google Search, described in a CNN interview how Google tests the summaries, measures interaction, and reduces their appearance for certain kinds of searches where […]

Where affiliates can get traffic beyond Google search

Where affiliates can get traffic beyond Google search

Google’s AI Overviews frequently surface affiliate content without sending traffic or clicks back to publishers. The good news for publishers is that affiliate businesses do not need to rely on Google alone. To kick off the new year, here are other sources of traffic and ways to diversify income while sticking to what you do […]

Can AI Systems & LLMs Render JavaScript To Read ‘Hidden’ Content?

Can AI Systems & LLMs Render JavaScript To Read ‘Hidden’ Content?

For this week’s Ask An SEO, a reader asked: “Is there any difference between how AI systems handle JavaScript-rendered or interactively hidden content compared to traditional Google indexing? What technical checks can SEOs do to confirm that all page critical information is available to machines?” This is a great question because beyond the hype of […]

Being Right Isn’t Enough For AI Visibility Today

Being Right Isn’t Enough For AI Visibility Today

Bias is not what you think it is. When most people hear the phrase “AI bias,” their mind jumps to ethics, politics, or fairness. They think about whether systems lean left or right, whether certain groups are represented properly, or whether models reflect human prejudice. That conversation matters. But it is not the conversation reshaping […]

What actually works in 2026

What actually works in 2026

Limited search volume doesn’t mean limited opportunity. Your entire target market might only search for your solution a few hundred times per month. High-volume advertisers can test 50 headline variations in a week, while you’re still waiting for your tenth conversion of the quarter. Most niche advertisers try to use the same strategies that work […]

Why Your Business’s Google Visibility in 2026 Depends on AEO

Why Your Business’s Google Visibility in 2026 Depends on AEO

AI Assistants Decide Which Local Businesses Get Recommended In 2026, local visibility on SERPs is no longer controlled by traditional search rankings alone.  AI assistants are increasingly deciding which businesses get recommended when customers ask who to call, book, or trust nearby.  Tools like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Siri are shaping these decisions in ways […]

Most Major News Publishers Block AI Training & Retrieval Bots

Most Major News Publishers Block AI Training & Retrieval Bots

Most top news publishers block AI training bots via robots.txt, but they’re also blocking the retrieval bots that determine whether sites appear in AI-generated answers. BuzzStream analyzed the robots.txt files of 100 top news sites across the US and UK and found 79% block at least one training bot. More notably, 71% also block at […]

Why OpenAI paused ChatGPT ads to fight Google’s Gemini

Why OpenAI paused ChatGPT ads to fight Google’s Gemini

For years, OpenAI set the pace of the generative AI revolution with ChatGPT. Their partnership with Microsoft seemed unbeatable, coupling innovation and enterprise distribution. However, the lead they once held is now in the balance.  Faced with evidence that Google’s Gemini has not only caught up but surpassed capabilities in critical areas, OpenAI CEO Sam […]