Weekly roundup has some interesting new insights into AI Overview…
Google updates image SEO best practices to say use the same image URL for same image across your pages
Google has updated its image SEO advice, and it’s something digital marketers should take note of. The key takeaway is to use the same image URL whenever you’re showing the same image across different pages. This helps Google understand it’s one image, not a bunch of duplicates, which can boost how well it ranks in image search. Avoid changing image URLs too often, as that can mess with indexing and hurt performance. If you do have to change them, make sure you use redirects. It’s still very important to use clear filenames, alt text and structured data too.
Google Reminds That Hreflang Tags Are Hints, Not Directives
Google has reminded us that hreflang tags are more like helpful suggestions than hard rules. So even if you’ve set them up properly, Google might still show a different version of your page in the search results, especially if your regional pages are very similar. For example, if your French pages for France and Belgium are the same, Google might just pick one and treat it as the main version. To make hreflang more effective, try to give each regional page some unique content and keep an eye on which URLs are being indexed through Search Console. It’s also a good idea to test from different locations to see what users in each region are really seeing. Hreflang still helps, but it works best alongside clear content differences and a solid site structure thrown in for good measure.
Google Search traffic decline is inevitable, execs say
Google’s search traffic is changing, and it looks like a drop in clicks is becoming the new normal. Thanks to AI Overviews, which are AI-generated summaries shown at the top of search results, more people are getting the information they need without visiting websites. While search impressions have gone up by nearly 50 percent over the past year, click-through rates have fallen by around 30 percent. Some publishers, like MailOnline, have seen even bigger drops.
Inside Google, there is growing acceptance that this decline in traditional search traffic is probably inevitable, especially as more users turn to AI tools like Gemini or ChatGPT. Google says that AI Overviews can still improve the quality of clicks by sending users to more relevant sources. However, for publishers who rely on search traffic, the drop in clicks is a serious concern. This marks a major shift in how people are using search, and digital marketers and content creators will need to adjust their strategies.
Sources:
https://searchengineland.com/google-search-traffic-decline-inevitable-455345
See also: New Google AI Overviews data: Search clicks fell 30% in last year: https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-search-clicks-fell-report-455498
Most users only read a third of Google’s AI Overviews: Study
A recent study has revealed that users typically read only about 30% of Google’s AI Overviews, indicating that many do not scroll through the entire AI-generated summary. This behaviour suggests that while AI Overviews provide quick answers, they may not fully engage users or encourage them to click through to source websites. For digital marketers, this trend only highlights the importance of optimising content to capture attention early and ensuring that your key information is presented prominently. As AI continues to influence search behaviour, adapting strategies to maintain visibility and drive traffic remains crucial.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-user-behavior-study-455511
How to measure SEO success when AI is changing search
As AI transforms how people interact with search, traditional SEO metrics like click-through rate and organic traffic are no longer enough to measure success. Google’s AI Overviews are giving users quick answers directly on the search results page, which means fewer clicks to websites. For digital marketers, this shift calls for a broader view of SEO performance. Key indicators now include impressions, keyword rankings, engagement metrics such as time on page, and visibility within AI-generated content. Monitoring brand mentions is also becoming more important. The main takeaway is that measuring SEO success in the AI era requires adapting your strategy to focus on visibility and influence, not just traffic.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/how-to-measure-seo-success-when-ai-is-changing-search-455421
The Intersection Of Video SEO And Social Media: Tactics To Win
Online video is huge right now. To make the most of this, you need to mix video SEO with social media tactics. That means making sure your video titles, descriptions, and tags are spot on so they get found on YouTube and Google. Then, tailor your videos for each social platform by thinking about things like how long they should be and what format works best. Using features like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels can really help boost views and shares. Adding captions and transcripts also makes your videos easier to watch and more accessible. If you nail both SEO and social media strategies together, your videos will reach way more people and get better engagement.
Google Navboost Is Not A Machine Learning System & More DOJ Leaks
According to a recent article by Barry Schwartz, Google’s Navboost isn’t powered by machine learning like many assumed — it’s actually a massive database that tracks user clicks for specific search queries. Instead of AI, it works more like a lookup table that helps rank results based on what people click on most.
Dr. Eric Lehman, a former Google engineer, explained that while systems like RankBrain and DeepRank use machine learning, most of Google’s ranking signals are still manually crafted. Engineers review data and tweak signals using things like thresholds and scoring curves.
Google also has internal tools to view how each signal scores a result, in turn, helping them understand what’s influencing the final ranking.
Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-navboost-not-machine-learning-39400.html
Also Reading:
Site migration SEO guide
https://searchengineland.com/guide/ultimate-site-migration-seo-checklist
Google Launches Generative AI Certification With Free Training
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-launches-generative-ai-certification-with-free-training/546763/
Create Your Own ChatGPT Agent For On-Page SEO Audits
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/create-your-own-chatgpt-agent-for-on-page-seo-audits/546016/
Share of Search: How to Calculate, Use, And Improve It
https://ahrefs.com/blog/share-of-search/
15 AEO Tools That Will Help You Optimize for LLMs
https://ahrefs.com/blog/aeo-tools-optimize-for-llms/
Google tests replacing iconic ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ with AI Mode button
https://9to5google.com/2025/05/13/google-feeling-lucky-ai-mode-button-test/
The 18-Step SEO Audit Checklist on SEMRush (Basic)
https://backlinko.com/seo-site-audit