The “site:” search operator in Google/Bing has been the mainstay of SEOs wanting to check if a page is in a search index if they didn’t have access to Google Search Console or similar. So simple, so effective. Likewise, if you wanted to check to see if page content is indexed (or duplicated in the…
Organic traffic is declining, but conversions are proving more resilient. In Search Engine Journal’s survey of search professionals, 39% saw traffic decline or remain flat while leads and conversions held or improved. Only 15% lost both traffic and conversions. That split changes how marketers should evaluate search. Traffic still measures reach, but it no longer…
Google is paying some publishers when their content helps generate its AI answers. Barry Schwartz covered it at Search Engine Roundtable on September 14, following Digiday’s report that morning. Google confirmed the program to Digiday. It’s called the AI contribution pilot. Publishers who accept the terms get an earnings figure in Search Console each month.…
Google published a brand new guide that explains how to add a Search Profile badge to websites in order to help audiences find the Search Profile. The Google Search profile badges themselves are a symptom of and a reaction to the decline in search traffic due to Google’s AI Search. What Would Be Better What…
Brand protection in search and AI means finding where a personal brand, company, or product is represented incorrectly, confused with something else, impersonated, abused, misused, or used to intercept branded traffic. The goal is to correct what you can, report genuine abuse, and make accurate information and official channels easier to verify. It overlaps with…
AI citation clicks account for about 1% to 2% of calls for CallRail’s customers, a number that has roughly doubled since January. Sean McCrohan, CallRail’s VP of Technology, shared this figure during SEJ Live‘s second session on August 26, revising a slide that put growth at 65% over six months in his own presentation. He…
A spokesperson from Automattic has confirmed that Matt Mullenweg is back in charge of Automattic. The statement follows a period of days when it appeared that Mullenweg had gained access to the Automattic Slack account but not Automattic itself. Yet the statement itself reads as if it were dictated or authored by Mullenweg himself. Catching…
The next SEO For Paws will be held on Sept. 23, 2026. The live stream conference features a stellar speaker list that includes some of the industry’s best-known names in search, headlined by Barry Schwartz and Glenn Gabe. This year, the event leans into the question everyone in search is trying to answer: what happens…
If you manage PPC campaigns, you know the struggle behind this month’s question: “Every platform wants me to hand more of my account to automated campaign types. How do I keep enough visibility to know it is actually working?” Performance Max and AI Max have increased advertisers’ demand for reporting. Advertisers want to understand why…
Google is making several updates to Meridian, its open-source marketing mix modeling tool, with a bigger focus on incrementality and causal measurement. The biggest update is the global launch of Meridian GeoX, which moves from beta to general availability. Google is also adding new capabilities to Meridian that can help marketers build models and account…