Weekly DIGITAL News Roundup #7 - David Chung Digital

Every week, I share newsworthy articles that have caught my attention over the past week.

Server-Side vs. Client-Side Rendering: What Google Recommends

Google’s Martin Splitt highlights that for marketing-led websites focused on content and visibility, server-side rendering (SSR) or pre-rendered static HTML is the preferred approach to ensure faster load times, a better user experience, and more reliable indexing by search engines. While Google can handle client-side rendering (CSR), it can lead to delays or performance issues, especially on slower devices. Structured data, though not a direct ranking factor, helps Google better understand and present your content in search results. In the end, delivering a strong user experience and aligning content with business objectives should take precedence over purely technical SEO tactics.

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/server-side-vs-client-side-rendering-what-google-recommends/545946

How ChatGPT search ranks products and merchants

ChatGPT being used in search shows a clear shift towards more conversational, AI-led ways of discovering content. Unlike traditional search engines, there are no ads in the mix, so organic content is now the main way to get noticed. That means brands need to double down on building authority, getting mentioned in trusted publications, and creating genuinely helpful content people want to engage with. It’s also worth making sure your content is properly indexed on Bing, since that’s what powers a lot of ChatGPT’s results. Getting ahead of these changes now will really help your brand stay visible as the way people search continues to evolve.

Source: https://searchengineland.com/guide/local-seo-audit

Google AI Overviews now show on 13% of searches: Study

A recent study by Semush shows that Google’s new AI Overviews are now showing up in around 13% of searches, mostly for informational queries, but they’re starting to appear more in commercial and navigational ones too. This shift suggests that AI is playing a bigger role in how people explore and get answers from search, which could mean less traffic going directly to websites. For marketers, it’s a reminder to adapt—focus on creating trustworthy, high-quality content that stands a good chance of being picked up by these AI summaries, and keep an eye on how your content shows up in search going forward.

Source: https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-13-searches-455057

Local SEO audit guide: How to improve local rankings

Search Engine Land’s Local SEO Audit Guide lays out a clear, practical process for improving how your business shows up in local search results. It highlights the importance of keeping your NAP details (name, address, phone number) consistent across all platforms, making the most of your Google Business Profile, and staying on top of local citations. Doing regular audits like this helps ensure your business stays visible, especially important now with AI-driven features like Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT playing a bigger role in search. For marketers, it’s a reminder that strong local SEO is still key to staying competitive.

Source: https://searchengineland.com/guide/local-seo-audit

Other reads

Want to beat AI Overviews? Produce unmistakably human content

https://searchengineland.com/want-to-beat-ai-overviews-produce-unmistakably-human-content-454901

Google hypes AI Overviews, refuses to answer CTR question

https://searchengineland.com/google-hypes-ai-overviews-refuses-to-answer-ctr-question-454637

Google changed 76% of title tags in Q1 2025 – Here’s what that means

https://searchengineland.com/google-changed-76-of-title-tags-in-q1-2025-heres-what-that-means-454847

US DoJ wants Google to sell two of its ad products

https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/06/us-doj-wants-google-to-sell-two-of-its-ad-products/

The Verge looks back on Skype

https://www.theverge.com/favorites/621864/skype-microsoft-goodbye