Struggling to keep up with Google's latest curveballs? CTR is tanking, AI Overviews are everywhere, and Reddit's gaming the systemβdive into the key u βΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝβΝΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒΒ
New SEO & AI updates inside, plus a gift for you (below).
I've gathered the week's best how-tos, research, tools, and articles from top SEOs.
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Free 30-Minute Google Ads Strategy Call
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Look, I know many of you run Google Ads alongside SEO. If you're burning budget without getting quality leads, Daniel Ostrzyzek is offering free 30-minute strategy calls that actually deliver value.
He'll audit your account, show you exactly what's killing your results, and give you a 3-step plan to fix it. No fluffβjust a fast-paced session focused on getting you real leads, not vanity metrics.
Daniel specializes in high-intent lead generation, and he'll walk you through his Conversion-First Ads method.
If your Google Ads need work (or you want a second opinion), grab this while you can. Free expert eyes on your account? That's worth 30 minutes of anyone's time.
It's stacked, it's easy to use, and yes⦠you'll be seriously impressed.
Top SEO & AI news
Google penalizes adult sites that hide videos from its crawler
βGoogle will now lower rankings for adult content sites that don't let Googlebot see their videos. The search engine also published new rules about how to handle explicit content properly.
β If you run an adult site, let Google see your videos or lose rankings. Even non-adult sites need to moderate user content better to avoid being flagged as explicit.
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Multiple sites report indexing drops starting May 27th
β Check your Search Console indexing reports for May 27-29. Could be a reporting change, algorithm update, or Google being more selective about what deserves indexing. Sites with thin content might be most affected.
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Google's AI assistant patent uses real-world context, not just keywords
βGoogle filed a patent for AI that considers your location, preferences, and conversation history to give better answers. Tell it you're hungry, and it'll suggest restaurants based on your favorite cuisines.
β SEO needs to think beyond keywords. AI assistants will soon answer based on user context, location, and personal dataβnot just what's typed in the search box.
Google's AI search optimization guide: Same rules, new format
βGoogle says optimizing for AI Overviews follows the same principles as regular SEO: create unique content, provide good page experience, and ensure technical accessibility. Users from AI results spend more time on sites because they arrive with more context.
β AI search users ask longer, more specific questions and follow-ups. Focus on comprehensive content that answers these deeper queries. Use preview controls like nosnippet to manage how content appears in AI results.
60+ video lessons with weekly updates (and new videos I'm recording now)
Private audit templates and checklists
Direct Q&A access with me
SEO community + certification
Lifetime updates (pay once, access forever)
Interesting stuff β
Norzer Local SEO Backlink Dominator AI Prompt
Ryan McCain shares the Norzer Local SEO Backlink Dominator AI Prompt, a ChatGPT prompt designed to find high-impact local backlink opportunities for any local business niche and location.
The prompt helps identify opportunities from community groups, sponsorships, local media, and directories, providing real URLs, contact details, and exact steps for implementation.
Check if your subdomain has a Google Search Console error issue!
My colleague Jakub Sawa discovered a specific Google Search Console bug affecting Polish .pl domains with exactly 5-character subdomains.
βοΈWhen adding a sitemap for subdomains like "test1.example.pl" to GSC, Google won't fetch the sitemap at allβno requests appear in server logs despite proper access.
The issue was tested across multiple domains and hosting providers, with various configurations, and only occurs with 5-character subdomains on .pl domains (not on .com or .net).
By the way, if you know Polish (or know how to use a translator π), I recommend checking Jakub's SEO newsletter. It's a good one!
How Googlebot crawls the web
In this episode of Search Off the Record, Martin and Gary from the Google Search Relations team take a deep dive into how Googlebot and web crawling workβpast, present, and future.
I'm getting back to working normally and I've finally resumed YouTube. Here are my latest two come-back videos. More cool videos to come soon (I have a brand new studio setup).
How to visualize your website structure in Screaming Frog (few SEOs do it)
In this video, I show you how to visualize website structure using Screaming Frog. β
SEO isn't deadβit's becoming more strategic. Google now reasons through pages instead of just ranking them, which makes our work more critical.
We're no longer optimizing for visibility. We're the bridge between brands and AI systems.
SEO is finally becoming a strategic function, not a marketing checkbox. The game is changing, but for SEOs ready to evolve, it's our biggest opportunity yet.
Brand Radar from Ahrefs [Sponsor]
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AI search is on the riseβis your brand keeping up?
β See how AI presents your brand in search results β Compare your brand's visibility against competitors β Identify key topics driving AI search traffic to your site
SEO, AIO, GEO, and more β
LLMS.txt guides AI to your best content for citations
βCarolyn Shelby explains LLMS.txt isn't robots.txt 2.0. It's a curated list telling AI systems which pages to cite when answering questions. OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity already use it.
β Create LLMS.txt with your best guides and resources. Structure content with clear headings and lists so AI can easily quote it. This is how you get cited in ChatGPT and AI search results.
Pages must be indexed to appear in Google AI mode and AI Overviews
βGoogle requires pages to be indexed before they can appear as supporting links in AI Mode and AI Overviews.
Google's documentation states that pages must be indexed and eligible to show in search with a snippet, with no additional technical requirements beyond standard search requirements. However, being indexed doesn't guarantee inclusion in AI results.
Dan Petrovic tested this and found evidence that Google's AI likely consults its index rather than making fresh HTTP requests to websites.
β This reinforces that basic SEO fundamentals remain critical even as AI features evolve.
AI can't see content hidden in JavaScript widgets
βWill Scott found companies buying ads for their own products because AI search engines can't read content in interactive widgets. His 30-minute fix: put key content in HTML, use proper headings, and add schema markup.
β If your content isn't in plain HTML, ChatGPT and Google AI won't recommend you. Interactive features are fine, but always include an HTML version for AI crawlers.
Google's AI patents reveal how search has fundamentally changed from deterministic to probabilistic
βMichael King analyzed six Google patents to explain how AI Overviews and AI Mode work, revealing that search now uses "query fan-out" (generating multiple synthetic queries from one search), passage-level reasoning comparisons, and user embedding personalization.
He argues against calling this optimization "just SEO" because it requires understanding dense retrieval systems and reasoning processes that most current SEO practices don't address.
β This shift means content must now support multi-step reasoning chains rather than just keyword matching.
140K Ranking Factors. Zero Guesswork. Meet Cora.
From brilliant SEOs β
Half your Google traffic is invisible in Search Console
βTomasz Rudzki tested Google Search Console and found it doesn't track conversational queries at all. About 50% of queries show as "anonymous" with no data about what people actually searched.
β Stop relying only on Search Console for keyword data. Create content for conversational queries even if you can't see them in reports. Track performance by page, not by query.
Google rewards "Top Quality Stores" with better rankings
βBrodie Clark explains Google's Top Quality Store rating system that most ecommerce SEOs miss. Stores need high-resolution images (1500x1500px), 5+ photos per product, proper return policies, and payment options like PayPal to qualify.
β TQS badge only appears in US, UK, AU, CA, IN, JP, and NZ, but quality signals benefit all countries.
Google cleaned house: Removed thin and paraphrased content from index
βMarie Haynes investigated the May 27th deindexing issue across 40 sites. Google removed old posts, thin pages, and content that just rewrites what's already online. Most sites didn't lose trafficβjust pages that weren't ranking anyway.
β If your "crawled, not indexed" pages are mostly old blogs or SEO filler, don't panic. But if they're pages you need indexed, it's time to add unique value to that content.
Track AI Overview traffic impact with third-party tools plus GSC data
βGlenn Gabe shows how to measure AIO impact by exporting AIO query lists from SEO tools, then using VLOOKUP to compare current vs. past GSC performance. Many queries show 20-50% CTR drops despite stable rankings.
β Google doesn't provide AIO performance data separately, so this manual process is the only way to measure impact. Best for sites with significant search visibility to get meaningful data.
That's all I have for you today!
See you in the next episode!
Best,
P.S. Do you want me to share a specific article or resource in the newsletter? Interested in sponsoring this newsletter? Let me know by replying to this e-mail!
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Quality Assurance (QA)
Every issue of this newsletter passes a strict quality and helpfulness inspection by my pigeon SEO assistant, Gerard. If you have feedback, Gerard and I are all ears (and feathers). Just hit reply!
(No pigeons were harmed during the making of this newsletter. Many treats were consumed.)
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