Welcome to edition 10!…Weekly roundup has some interesting new insights…
Google’s Sundar Pichai Doesn’t Think Web Publishing Is Dead
Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-sundar-pichai-web-publishing-ai-39491.html
Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the web is very much alive, noting a 45% rise in human-created content over the past two years. He emphasised Google’s commitment to supporting the open web and directing traffic to publishers, even with the rise of AI. Pichai explained that Google’s AI features are designed to enhance the user experience while still benefiting content creators, and reiterated the company’s role in maintaining a healthy web ecosystem. I am of the opinion that Google will still damage the web in a way that publishers will hold back on creating content online. It will also mean that online content will be less comprehensive, and quality will ultimately suffer.
Google: Ads Can Show Above/Below or Within AI Overviews But Not Both At Same Time
Source: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-ai-overviews-timing-39508.html
Google’s Ads Liaison, Ginny Marvin, has clarified that advertisements can appear either above/below AI Overviews or within them, but not in both positions simultaneously. In cases where both exact and broad match keywords are eligible, the ad will prioritise placement above or below the AI Overview, with exact match keywords taking precedence over broad match in the auction process.
Google Search Console to show AI Mode performance but you won’t be able to break it out
Google is set to introduce AI Mode performance data into Search Console reports, allowing website owners to see how their content performs within AI-generated search results. However, this data will not be broken out separately, meaning impressions and clicks from AI Mode will be integrated into existing metrics without distinct labelling. This lack of granularity has raised concerns among publishers and SEO professionals, who argue that the inability to distinguish AI-driven traffic hampers their ability to assess the impact of AI features on their websites.
Global PPC and SEO co-optimization: How to audit for multinational success
Source: https://searchengineland.com/global-ppc-seo-co-optimization-456181
A recent article on Search Engine Land highlights the importance of co-optimising global PPC and SEO strategies. It advises auditing for language inconsistencies, geographical targeting errors, and misaligned paid-organic strategies. The article also recommends fostering collaboration between PPC and SEO teams to enhance overall search performance across international markets.
AI Content Marketing 101: Strategies from Someone Who Lives It
Source: https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-content-marketing
Ahrefs’ guide on AI content marketing offers practical insights from a marketer who has integrated AI into their workflow for over two years. The article highlights how AI tools can enhance content creation by generating ideas, refining topics, and streamlining repetitive tasks, leading to significant cost savings. AI-generated content is approximately 4.7 times cheaper than human-produced content. Quality is debatable. The author emphasises that while AI can handle routine aspects of content marketing, human intervention remains crucial for originality and depth. The key takeaway is that embracing AI tools is to staying competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
I’ve also been reading…
Mike King on relevance engineering and the end of SEO as we know it
https://searchengineland.com/mike-king-smx-advanced-2025-interview-456186
Generative Engines Are Breaking Web Analytics and Hurting Their Future
https://ahrefs.com/blog/generative-engines-are-breaking-web-analytics
An Analysis of AI Overview Brand Visibility Factors (75K Brands Studied)
https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overview-brand-correlation
Building A Practical UX Strategy Framework
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/05/building-practical-ux-strategy-framework
Data Vs. Findings Vs. Insights In UX
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/05/data-vs-findings-vs-insights-ux