Every week, I share newsworthy articles that have caught my attention.
Google’s Martin Splitt Explains How To Find & Remove Noindex Tags
For persistent noindex issues, Martin Splitt recommends a structured approach, which I’ve summarised here: start by checking the raw HTML source code, then inspect JavaScript files that might inject meta tags. Next, review third-party scripts—especially testing tools—followed by your CDN cache, which could be serving outdated content. Finally, double-check your CMS and SEO plugin settings, as these often have hidden options that can quietly add noindex tags.
7 AI Terms Microsoft Wants You to Know In 2025
Microsoft wants you to get familiar with a new AI workplace vocabulary. In its 2025 Work Trend Index, it introduced seven key terms that reflect how AI is reshaping work:
- Frontier Firms are leading the charge in AI adoption.
- Intelligence on Tap means easy, on-demand access to AI tools.
- The Capacity Gap highlights how AI fills the growing gap between workload and human bandwidth.
- Work Charts replace static org charts with fluid human-AI team structures.
- Human-Agent Ratio is all about finding the right balance between people and AI agents.
- Agent Boss refers to employees who manage AI agents like teammates.
- Digital Labor is AI-powered automation that scales the workforce.
It’s a preview of where the modern workplace is headed—smarter, faster, and AI-augmented.
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/7-ai-terms-microsoft-wants-you-to-know/545257/
New data: Google AI Overviews are hurting click-through rates
Google’s AI Overviews might be handy for users, but they’re not doing websites any favours. New data from Ahrefs and Amsive shows that when these summaries show up in search results, top-ranking pages get about 34.5% fewer clicks (reported in last week’s news roundup). For non-branded keywords, the drop is around 20%. Why? The AI Overviews push regular search listings further down the page, making them less visible. Branded searches don’t seem to suffer as much—some even see a boost, probably because people are actively looking for that brand. Google says the clicks that do happen are more meaningful, but for many publishers, it still means a noticeable decrease in organic traffic.
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-says-llms-txt-comparable-to-keywords-meta-tag/544804/
3 SEO priorities to win organic traffic in 2025
To win organic traffic in 2025, focus on building topic authority by creating in-depth, expert-led content backed by data and real-world use cases. The article asks us to embrace AI overviews by ensuring content aligns with E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), using factual sources, clear author profiles, and an objective tone. Optimise for non-Google platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and Quora to expand visibility and leverage authentic engagement through user-generated content, influencers, and employee voices.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/seo-priorities-win-organic-traffic-454482
The 8 Most Important PPC KPIs You Should Be Tracking
The article outlines the eight most crucial PPC KPIs marketers should track to gain a clearer understanding of campaign performance beyond traditional metrics like ROAS and CPA. Emphasis is placed on prioritising profit over ROAS, as well as measuring incrementality to assess whether ads truly drive conversions. Key indicators include Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and Cost Per Incremental Acquisition (CPIA), which offer deeper insights into long-term and new customer value. Traditional metrics such as Click-Through Rate (CTR), Conversion Rate, Cost Per Click (CPC), and Impression Share remain important for evaluating ad relevance, efficiency, and visibility. This approach ensures more strategic, business-focused PPC optimisation.
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ppc-guide/most-important-ppc-kpis-should-be-tracking
ChatGPT releases Memory with Search
OpenAI’s new innovative ‘Memory with Search’ feature in ChatGPT enables more personalised responses by incorporating user-specific details, such as past conversations and saved preferences, into search queries. For example, if a user is vegan and lives in San Francisco, ChatGPT can tailor a vague query like “restaurants near me” into a more relevant search like “good vegan restaurants San Francisco.” This enhancement aims to improve the relevance of AI-generated results, though users can control or disable the feature via Settings > Personalisation > Memory if privacy is a concern. However, all eyes on Gemini to see if Google follows up with its own personalised memory update.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-releases-memory-with-search-454465
Other reads
Google Business Profiles Video Interview On Verifications Must Knows
https://www.seroundtable.com/google-business-profiles-video-verifications-39301.html
LinkedIn Launches New Creator Hub With Content Strategy Tips
How to Create Quality Content (Follow Our 5-Level Framework) & The Long-Form Content Illusion: Why Longer Content Isn’t Better
https://ahrefs.com/blog/quality-content/ & https://ahrefs.com/blog/long-form-content/
What Is llms.txt, and Should You Care About It? https://ahrefs.com/blog/what-is-llms-txt/
Your Audience, Your Edge: Unpacking Zero-Click Marketing- https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/brand-building-and-zero-click-marketing
What is vector embedding for SEO: Insights from Mike King- https://www.wix.com/seo/learn/resource/vector-embedding-for-seo