Google Ads is folding brand inclusions and exclusions into its AI Max framework for all new Search campaigns. This shift makes AI-powered features the default gateway to core targeting controls. Driving the news. Brand targeting settings now live within the AI Max settings panel during new campaign creation. This actually started May 27, although an […]
I’ve spent years working with Google’s SEO tools, and while there are countless paid options out there, Google’s free toolkit remains the foundation of my optimization workflow. These tools show you exactly what Google considers important, and that offers invaluable insights you can’t get anywhere else. Let me walk you through the five Google tools […]
Google’s June 2025 Core Update just finished. What’s notable is that while some say it was a big update, it didn’t feel disruptive, indicating that the changes may have been more subtle than game changing. Here are some clues that may explain what happened with this update. Two Search Ranking Related Breakthroughs Although a lot […]
Perplexity has launched a web browser, Comet, offering users a look at how the company is evolving beyond AI search. While Comet shares familiar traits with Chrome, it introduces a different interface model. One where users can search, navigate, and run agent-like tasks from a single AI-powered environment. A Browser Designed for AI-Native Workflows Comet […]
OpenAI announced a new way for users to interact with the web to get things done in their personal and professional lives. ChatGPT agent is said to be able to automate planning a wedding, booking an entire vacation, updating a calendar, and converting screenshots into editable presentations. The impact on publishers, ecommerce stores, and SEOs […]
Google Ads introduced a new reporting segment that gives advertisers more visibility into how AI Max campaigns are matching queries to landing pages – an important step toward greater transparency in AI-driven automation. Driving the news. A new option, Search terms and landing pages from AI Max, is now available in the Search terms report […]
A former Google Search engineer is betting on the end of traditional SEO, and building tools to help marketers prepare for what comes next. Andrew Yan, who left Google’s search team earlier this year, co-founded Athena, a startup focused on helping brands stay visible in AI-generated responses from tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. The company […]
Google Ads fully launched Smart Bidding Exploration for campaigns using Target ROAS (tROAS), giving advertisers a new lever to unlock more conversions without changing campaign structure or increasing spend. Driving the news. Advertisers can now enable Smart Bidding Exploration at both the campaign and portfolio level. The feature provides Google’s AI with more flexibility to […]
In a recent installment of SEO Office Hours, Google’s John Mueller offered guidance on how to keep unwanted pages out of search results and addressed a common source of confusion around sitelinks. The discussion began with a user question: how can you remove a specific subpage from appearing in Google Search, even if other websites […]
The second core update of the 2025 year, the June 2025 core update, is now done rolling out and complete. It started on the last day of June, June 30, 2025 and completed about 16 days and 18 hours later on July 17, 2025. Google called this update “a regular update designed to better surface relevant, […]