Stay ready for the big changes coming from all sides for SEO, AI, ads, and more. We’ve got the latest news for you in one place.
First, you’ll learn about a major ruling against Google that found it to have an illegal ad tech monopoly. Then, you’ll see some of the latest research on how AI overviews affect your clicks, and find out what the new launch of AI mode for all searchers means.
After that, you’ll catch up on the most interesting arguments from the SEO community this month. Is Google stealing your traffic? Is the new ad double-serving policy what it seems? Are those changes really worth A/B testing? The pros have opinions!
Then, there’s even more, because this was a huge month for most major platforms. YouTube has launched a slew of new updates, and there are new tools to explore in Google AdWords, too. Let’s start with the one that may someday change the face of search ads forever.
U.S. Judge Finds Google Holds Illegal Online Ad Tech Monopolies
U.S. judge finds Google holds illegal online ad tech monopolies
CNBC news gives you this report on a shocking judgment against Google. According to a recent judge’s ruling, Google illegally dominates two markets for advertising technology.
The DOJ accused Google of maintaining this monopoly by eliminating competitors through acquisitions, locking customers into using its products, and controlling how transactions occurred in the online ad market.
In the complete ruling, found here, monopolies were found to have been acquired and maintained for the markets of publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. Google was also accused of having a monopoly over advertiser ad networks, but beat that claim in court.
This ruling follows another court decision that found Google had an illegal monopoly on search.
What this means for Google’s ad services customers is not immediately apparent. The company claims they are appealing the ruling, so it’s possible that the real outcome may not be decided for a long time. If the ruling does stand, the entire landscape of search and ads could be changed.
These two judgments may force the company to sell large parts of its ad business, spinning off competitors who will have completely different incentives when dealing with ad buyers. What it may need to give up will be discussed at later hearings.
That’s all we know for now. Next, there’s some very fresh research on the impact AI overviews are having on clicks (it’s bad).
AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 34.5%
https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks/
Ahrefs brings you this comprehensive data study into Google’s AI overviews and clicks. As they remind you at the start, Google has claimed that AI overviews increase clicks. This new research seems to suggest the exact opposite.
The study looked at 300,000 keywords from the Ahrefs Keywords Explorer database. The test was split between 150,000 keywords with an AI Overview present and 150,000 keywords with informational intent and no AI Overview present.
The team focused on informational keywords because almost 100% of keywords that trigger AI overviews are currently informational.
This follows chatter from across the internet that popular sites have seen clicks reduced by 20-40% with the rollout of AI overviews.
The research doesn’t end on a high note. The writers guess that these diminished numbers will probably represent the highest CTRs that will ever be rather than a low point.
The next piece certainly makes the case that we’ll be seeing more AI from Google rather than less.
Google Launches AI Mode to All U.S. Searchers With New Features
https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-mode-us-searchers-455654
Google has officially launched its AI Mode. While this mode was originally only available to those who opted in from Search Labs, this new mode is available to all US searchers automatically.
This new mode appears just under the search bar and grants users a new way to search through AI prompts. Its launch came with the announcement of several updates to the new mode, including Deep Search, data visualization, and AI shopping.
Deep Search is one of the most interesting features of this new AI mode. This feature provides long responses to queries formatted like reports with expert citations. Google claims you will be able to use it to generate complex reports on any subject in minutes.
Another prominent feature of the mode is an AI agent. During demonstrations, Google revealed how this feature could be used to find affordable tickets to sports games and perform other tasks like a personal assistant.
Check out the complete article to learn more about the features coming with this new mode, including personal context searches that consider your past preferences and Gemini 2.5. For now, you’re ready to hear why one SEO thinks Google is stealing your search traffic.
Google is Stealing Your Traffic (New SEO Plan)
Google is Stealing Your Traffic (New SEO Plan)
Nathan Gotch brings you this response to Ahrefs’s data reporting, which you read about just above. He takes the next step by speculating how SEOs can respond to these click losses and start doing better with what he calls “omnipresent SEO.”
He describes this optimization strategy as one that focuses on your complete web presence (even outside of Google properties) rather than just search engines. He shows examples of how even successful organic page results are easily drowned out by features.
Nathan has many ideas about what might work now, starting with flipping the script on how you approach visitors with the marketing funnel. As opposed to the old strategy of targeting unaware buyers with encyclopedias of content, he recommends targeting the most aware buyers first.
The problem with the traditional funnel, he argues, is that it requires you to focus time and effort on keywords that don’t even convert for you. You are also likely to lose out massively to LLMs, which have already become the first resource for basic research.
He recommends a strategy of “topic domination” that involves owned (e.g., your website), earned (e.g., PR), paid (e.g., ads), and rented (e.g., Social media profiles) assets combined. He argues that all these assets should be centered around delivering people to the assets you truly own.
Check out the complete video to learn how he thinks you can adapt your strategies to the end of traditional SEO. He covers a lot of territory, including what kind of content to build for the most aware customers, and how to make it.
SEO isn’t the only area where the pros say the old rules don’t apply. Google Ads’ new double-serving policy has many PPC influencers calling “bullsh*t.”
Google Ads Double Serving Policy
Google Ads Double Serving Policy – Why This Rule Is BS (Don’t Believe It) ??
The Guaranteed PPC channel brings you this look at one of Google’s ad rule changes, and why ad veteran Corey Ziemen thinks the rule is just BS now.
Corey’s argument? Google does not care if you run more than one ad for your company on the same search page, even if they claim they do.
He claims his firm has been putting this assumption into practice for years by letting clients run their internal PPC campaigns alongside the campaigns they hired him for, with both ads appearing together.
Even if you are scared about a crackdown on this practice, he says there are now apparent loopholes in the rules that allow you to double serve legitimately.
If you want to run multiple ads without violating Google’s loosely enforced rules, you can create as many LLCs as needed to run the ads you want. Google doesn’t even have a rule against running campaigns.
He describes several strategies his firm has used to stay within the rules while running multiple ads for his clients. Selling products at different price points with a slight change in packaging is another easy strategy for placing ads next to one another.
Check out his complete insights on the new rule and learn some new tricks by checking out the full video. Next, you’ll get a fresh perspective on data, specifically when you don’t need it.
No, I Will Not A/B Test That
https://sparktoro.com/blog/no-i-will-not-a-b-test-that/
Amanda Natividad brings you this fresh perspective on A/B testing. Her experience increasingly tells her that it is a waste of time, and she lays out her arguments for why in this piece.
First, she says it is a practice that only has value at a scale most website owners won’t approach. She argues that you won’t get statistically significant data unless you have a site with hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Furthermore, she argues, holding things up for A/B testing can drain your budget and make you lose out on opportunities. Testing has costs after all, and those costs are largely indefensible if the data isn’t even good.
While waiting for a test to conclude, your competitors may be learning from experience. If they lose less money on a few wrong attempts than you lose running a test, they’re getting ahead of you in the race.
Amanda does defend the use of A/B testing when it’s appropriate. Check out the complete article to find out where this kind of testing is likely to have the most value.
For now, there are massive changes to YouTube that no online marketers should miss.
YouTube Launches Loads of Updates
YouTube Launches Loads of Updates… Confusingly Cutting Edge!
Rob Wilson of VidIQ provides this comprehensive review of YouTube’s latest update, focusing on how it will affect creators on the platform.
The first big feature Rob covers is the new button that lets viewers hide end screens in YouTube videos. This feature will prevent content creators from promoting additional videos to viewers who have activated it.
Next, YouTube is introducing a feature that will allow video creators to see the identities of users who subscribe to their channels. However, you’ll only be able to see this for users who choose to leave their identities public.
YouTube creators will also now have access to a new “Take a Break” button. When you click this button, they can set a timer for 1, 3, or 5-minute intervals. During the intervals, you can set ads to play to eligible viewers or offer options such as an “away” slate or an auto-play feature for a video from your library.
In response to AI concerns, this update also invites select creators to participate in the creation of new protection tools. YouTube is asking creators to register for a new program to track and respond to the use of their AI-generated likenesses without permission.
That’s just the beginning of a massive update that includes new features like an inspiration tab, YouTube shopping expansion, longer shorts, new communities, hype features, and more.
Youtube isn’t the only platform with new features. Google Adwords quietly added one recently, and you’ll learn how to use it in the last piece of the month.
Performance Max on Google Adwords
Performance Max on Google Adwords
Craig Campbell brings you this look at the Performance Max Campaign option that is now part of your AdWords dashboard.
If you’ve seen this option appear, you’ll know it bills itself as a tool to “reach audiences across all of Google with a single campaign”. Craig looks into what that means in practice.
He takes you screen-by-screen through the options you’ll see when setting up a campaign using these options. You’ll learn how to apply your focus goal, set a cost per action, and how to understand all of the location and audience settings.
Craig highlights a new feature Google has added to automatically create assets for your ads from the existing content it knows about online. It will gather information from landing pages, domains, and past ads to generate these text assets, and can be set to exclude certain URLs.
You’ll be able to add all your own assets rather than let Google generate them, of course. Craig shows you a number of options you can select to closely control what Google uses for your max campaign.
Check out the complete video for a straightforward look at how to use these tools. That covers the month of news for now. Make sure to check back next month for fresh news on search, AI, the big court cases and even more.
