SEO/GEO newsletter issue #502
Simon Schnieders
Founder of the UK's largest specialist SEO & generative engine optimisation (GEO) agency | B Corp
Editor's notes
Google has introduced an experimental "AI Mode" in its search engine, aiming to provide more comprehensive and nuanced responses to user queries, taking on the likes of ChatGPT search and Perplexity.
This feature is likely to be carefully watched by Google as it plays the long game, ultimately transitioning users into Agentic AI.
Currently, AI Mode is available to Google One AI Premium subscribers in the U.S. through the Labs section of Search.
See a preview here (via Glenn Gabe).
Simon Schnieders
Blue Array
Founder and CEO
Organic Search News ???
Google now sees more than 5 trillion searches per year
*Summary: Google has confirmed it now processes over 5 trillion searches per year, more than doubling the last reported figure of 2 trillion in 2016. The company also noted a rise in commercial queries, though it didn’t provide specific data. This growth highlights Google’s dominance in the search space and the increasing role of AI-driven search experiences.
Read more by…
Danny Goodwin on Search Engine Land or follow him on X
Google Search's new 'AI Mode' lets users ask complex, multi-part questions | TechCrunch
*Summary: Google has introduced an experimental "AI Mode" in its search engine, enabling users to ask complex, multi-part questions and receive comprehensive, AI-generated responses. This feature, powered by Google's Gemini 2.0 model, offers detailed answers, including product comparisons, and allows follow-up queries via text, voice, or images. Initially, AI Mode is available to Google One AI Premium subscribers in the U.S. and select testers, with plans for broader rollout.
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Aisha Malik on TechCrunch
DOJ reiterates that it wants Google to sell Chrome, more to address search monopoly?
*Summary: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has reiterated its stance that Google should divest its Chrome browser to mitigate its search monopoly. The DOJ believes this action would foster competition by allowing a new rival to operate a significant gateway to internet search, free from Google's control. Additionally, the DOJ has withdrawn its earlier proposal requiring Google to divest its artificial intelligence investments, acknowledging that such a restriction could have unintended consequences in the evolving AI landscape.
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Abner Li on 9to5Google
Google 'Astra' ready to launch as it joins the main Gemini team alongside new VP
*Summary: Google's Project Astra team is integrating with the main Gemini app team to transition Astra from a research prototype to a consumer-ready product this March. This move aims to accelerate development and enhance the Gemini Live experience. Additionally, Chris Struhar, formerly of Meta, has been appointed as the new Vice President of Product for the Gemini app, bringing extensive experience in product development.
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Abner Li on 9to5Google
Advanced SEO/GEO Industry News ??
Google Testing AI Overviews In Germany, Switzerland, Italy & More
*Summary: Google is testing its AI Overviews feature in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. Users in these countries have reported seeing AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, indicating a potential broader rollout in the future. Currently, these countries are not officially listed as supported regions for AI Overviews.
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Barry Schwartz on Search Engine Roundtable or follow him on X
Google Updates Robots Meta Tag Document To Include AI Mode
*Summary: Google has updated its robots meta tag documentation to help publishers manage how their content appears in AI Overviews and the new AI Mode. The 'nosnippet' directive now prevents content from being used in these AI features, while 'max-snippet' limits the amount of content that can be included. These updates provide publishers with greater control over their content's visibility in Google's AI-driven search results.
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Matt G. Southern on SEJ
Google Drops Page Annotations Feature
*Summary: Google has discontinued its Page Annotations feature, which automatically inserted links into website content viewed through the Google App's iOS browser. This feature highlighted specific terms within a webpage and linked them to Google Search results, often without the website owner's consent. The removal follows criticism from publishers concerned about user experience and potential traffic diversion.
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Barry Schwartz on Search Engine Roundtable or follow him on X
Robots Refresher: robots.txt — a flexible way to control how machines explore your website
*Summary: Google's recent blog post emphasises the importance of the robots.txt file in managing how search engine crawlers access website content. This flexible tool allows webmasters to control crawler traffic, ensuring that only desired parts of a site are indexed. The post also highlights Google's commitment to transparency by open-sourcing its robots.txt parser and formalising the Robots Exclusion Protocol, providing clearer guidelines for webmasters.
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Google Search Central on X
Are Featured Snippets Losing Their Feature? How To Track Featured Snippet prevalence over time (as AI overviews take over)
*Summary: Glenn Gabe observes that Google's AI Overviews are increasingly replacing traditional featured snippets in search results, leading to potential traffic declines due to lower click-through rates. He advises marketers to monitor this shift by analyzing SERP feature trends over time, as the absence of distinct data in Google Search Console complicates tracking. Understanding this transition is crucial for adapting SEO strategies effectively.
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Glenn Gabe on G-Squared Interactive or follow him on X
Blue Array News ??
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*Article summary text’ is generated by AI and human vetted. Copyright ? 2025 Blue Array Ltd, All rights reserved.