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SEO + GEO

AI Mode Tracking in Google Search Console Confirmed, SEO Experiment Reveals

Brodie Clark dives into Google’s rollout of AI Mode tracking in Search Console, confirming that impressions, clicks, and positions from AI Mode are now measurable. He details the rollout timeline, Google’s documentation changes, and his experiment, which rallied hundreds of SEOs to test AI Mode searches for the same query. He found that AI Mode data is grouped with Web data in performance reports and the first tracked results appeared around June 13.

Google Updates Its URL Structure Help Documentation

Google has overhauled its URL structure documentation, making it sharper, easier to navigate, and packed with real-world examples. Barry Schwartz breaks down the shift from broad “best practices” to clear, prescriptive advice that leaves little room for ambiguity. Now you’ll find actionable tables showing what to do and what to avoid. It covers everything from descriptive URLs and encoding to handling parameters, hyphens, and case sensitivity.

Google Explains The Great Decoupling

Barry Schwartz unpacks “The Great Decoupling,” as AI Overviews in Google Search drive impressions up and clicks down. Martin Splitt from Google acknowledges the trend and confirms that, with AI surfacing more answers directly, traffic patterns are changing. You may see your impressions climb while clicks stay flat or even drop.

What I Learned From Analyzing Google’s AI Mode Patent

John Iwuozor breaks down Google’s AI Mode patent, revealing how search is evolving into a memory-driven, AI-mediated journey. The new system doesn’t just answer queries - it tracks context, generates synthetic follow-up searches, and adapts results based on your intent and familiarity. For SEOs, the old playbook is out. Now you need content that fits multi-step journeys, works for both literal and implied queries, and offers rich multimedia signals.

SEO + GEO Ripples

• Google released the new Search Live in AI Mode, you can now talk to Google like it’s your assistant, not a search engine. Ask a question while packing a bag or switching apps. It responds with spoken answers, shows clickable links, and saves your search history so you can pick up later. It’s powered by Gemini and uses a “query fan-out” system to give you broader, deeper results.

• Google just added practical troubleshooting steps for site owners who want to block their content from appearing in AI Overviews, AI Mode, or other AI-driven search features. Barry Schwartz explains how to check if your preview controls are visible to Googlebot, how long you might wait for changes to take effect, and when to request a recrawl. If your content is still showing up, Google now urges you to post in the Search Central Help Community for support. Take action now if you want to manage your visibility in Google’s new AI-powered results.

AI

Websites Using AI Content Grow 5% Faster, New Research Finds

Ryan Law from Ahrefs breaks down fresh data on how AI content is shaking up SEO. After surveying 879 marketers, the takeaway is that sites using AI content grew 5% faster than those relying solely on humans. AI and human content rank about the same, but human-written pages were slightly more likely to get hit by Google updates. Still, quality concerns and misinformation risks keep many wary of going all-in on AI.

Midjourney V1 Video Model

Midjourney unveils their first video model, opening up new creative playgrounds for everyone. Now you can turn any Midjourney image or upload your own into a moving scene with just a click. Tweak motion settings, use manual prompts, and extend your videos up to twenty seconds.

AI Ripples

• Claude rolled out voice mode in beta on the mobile app. It’s able to search your Google Drive and docs, and summarize your calendar.

• Google’s Gemini team just rolled out 2.5 Flash-Lite, their fastest and most cost-efficient model yet. Tailored for high-volume, latency-sensitive tasks like translation and classification. Alongside this, the stable versions of 2.5 Pro and Flash are now generally available for production use. Pricing is $0.10 input and $0.40 output per 1M tokens. Same as GPT-4.1 nano - which I still haven’t found a consistent use for.

• Alex Weprin reports that YouTube is about to supercharge Shorts by adding Google’s Veo 3, an AI tool that creates videos and sound from text prompts. Creators will soon be able to turn ideas into dynamic, cinematic clips faster and more easily. With Veo 3, Shorts can become mini-productions, with higher-quality visuals and audio, all within the app.

MARKETING

Marketing Ripples

• YouTube’s latest move is the “open call” feature for brands and creators. Brands can now drop a creative brief into YouTube’s partnerships hub and instantly invite video pitches from creators across the Partner Program. No more slow, one-by-one deals. Just review submissions, pick your favorites, and amplify them with partnership ads.

• Reddit’s new Community Intelligence suite is about to change how brands tap into real human conversation. Reddit Insights puts twenty years of discussions at your fingertips for campaign planning, competitive intelligence, and product development, turning billions of posts into sharp, actionable data. The Conversation Summary Add-Ons feature brings authentic Reddit feedback straight into ads, boosting click-through rates and social proof.

CONTENT

The AI Search Content Optimization Checklist [With Google Sheets]

Aleyda Solis unveils a hands-on AI Search Content Optimization Checklist that’s a goldmine for anyone aiming to win visibility in AI-powered search results. She breaks down eight actionable steps, from optimizing content chunks for retrieval and crafting citation-worthy passages to supporting multimedia, signaling authority, and making your site indexable for AI bots. The checklist covers structuring topic clusters, formatting HTML for AI, and ensuring your brand stands out as trustworthy. Plus, she shares a free Google Sheets template, making it easy to put these tactics into practice. Written by Aleyda Solis.

Localization SEO That Works: 10 Real-World Lessons from 14 Markets

Mateusz Makosiewicz shares battle-tested localization SEO tips drawn from Ahrefs’ global expansion. Don’t just translate - localize with intent, starting in markets backed by real data. Run local keyword research, create content that feels native, and update older pages to boost visibility. Use automation wisely but keep humans in the loop to catch nuance. Keep your voice and terminology consistent across all languages, and sync content updates for every region. Finally, build a strong technical foundation with proper hreflang and site structure.

Leveraging E-E-A-T Signals: 5 Advanced Keyword Techniques for Establishing Expertise

Ashok Sharma shares tips for building real authority with Google’s E-E-A-T signals. Ditch generic long-form content. Instead, break topics into focused pages that match specific user intent. Boost trust with detailed author bios, credible outbound links, and natural mentions of well-known entities. Use semantic keywords to show depth, not just keyword stuffing.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Master the Art of Going Viral on LinkedIn With Hala Taha’s Four-Step Formula

Kipp Bodnar reveals how Hala Taha turns LinkedIn into a viral machine with her four-step playbook. Nail your first impression by avoiding spam triggers and keeping your copy punchy. Use engagement pods and interest-driven keywords to drive early momentum. Go for shares and DMs, since those signal real influence to LinkedIn’s algorithm. And shape your content to fit the topics editors love, like hiring or career wins.

Unlock Twitter Success: Copy-Paste These 15 Tweet Templates

Neal Schaffer breaks down the art of Twitter engagement with 15 ready-to-use tweet templates that take the guesswork out of posting. From sparking conversation with question tweets, to leveraging lists, polls, and storytelling formats, Neal gives you the blueprint to stand out and grow your audience on X. He explains why each template works and how to adapt them for your brand or niche.

Social Ripples

• TikTok gets a third 90-day extension, keeping the app live in the U.S. until September 17 as ownership talks drag on. Matt G. Southern urges brands to double down on TikTok for now, keep an eye on the September deadline, and line up backup strategies on other platforms. Public support for a ban is fading, so a deal feels likely, not a sudden shutdown.

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

What Are You Thinking, Yoast? Your AI Feature Leaves Tags in WordPress Content

Eric Shanfelt spotlights a troubling bug in Yoast’s AI feature for WordPress. When enabled, Yoast AI injects custom tags ( <p class="ai-optimize-36 ai-optimize-introduction"> ) right into your post content. Tags that stubbornly remain even after you turn off the feature or delete the plugin. The only fix is to remove them manually, often by editing your database.

WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

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Topical Maps Unlocked 2.0 - The blueprint for ranking dominance. Learn how to structure content the way search engines (and audiences) crave.

Topical Map Service - We handle the research, structure, and strategy. You get a custom topical map delivered that builds authority, so your content dominates its niche.

Content Strategy and SEO Consulting – No guesswork, no gimmicks, no generalizations. Just you and me, refining your personal strategy into a clear, proven roadmap for traffic, authority, and conversions.

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