Meanwhile, AI Search Results Are a Mess Google's Search team recently weighed in on the "GEO" conversation—that's Generative Engine Optimization, for those keeping score on marketing acronyms. Their advice? Stop chunking your content into bite-sized pieces for LLMs. Fair enough. But that guidance sidesteps a much bigger problem—and doesn't offer businesses much to work with. Here's the good news Unlike a year ago, you're not flying blind anymore. The tools to measure AI visib

Universal Commerce Protocol Google announced something at the National Retail Federation conference this weekend that deserves more attention than it's getting. They're calling it the Universal Commerce Protocol. It's an open-source standard designed to let AI agents handle shopping from start to finish; finding products, checking out, handling post-purchase questions, all within Google's ecosystem. Here's what that actually means and why it matters beyond retail. What Google

I'll say it again: we need to take a breath. Every few months, a new wave of articles warns that search has fundamentally changed and your entire strategy needs to pivot. This time it's "hyper-personalization"—the idea that no two users see the same results, so everything you know about visibility is obsolete. Google has used all of it since at least 2012 Except personalization has been baked into search for over a decade. Location, device, search history, language—Google has

We're heading into Q1, which means budget conversations are happening right now. Before you finalize spend on campaigns, content programs, or that shiny new martech platform, get the foundation right first. Your website excellence, your SEO, and your PPC form the base of your entire online presence. Everything else—social, email, ABM, events—builds on top of that foundation. If the base is shaky, nothing you stack on it will perform the way it should. And 2026 needs to be the

Google rolled out major AI-powered shopping features starting in mid-2025, and they're reshaping how shoppers discover and purchase products. If you're running a product-based ecommerce business—whether you're selling direct to consumers or to other businesses—this isn't another tech trend you can ignore. The fundamental mechanics of product discovery and online commerce are changing. Here's what's happening and what it means for your business. What Google Launched Google's n

I'm reviewing Q1 budget proposals from marketing leaders right now, and I keep seeing the same pattern: they're still funding SEO like AI discovery isn't fundamentally changing how buyers find information. Here's what I'm seeing in the data: Organic traffic patterns are becoming less predictable for many businesses AI Overviews are appearing in search results Zero-click searches are increasing And the traffic drops your team is attributing to seasonality? I think many of thos

How to Actually Measure AI Search Visibility When Your SEO Dashboard Stops Telling the Whole Story Earlier this week I wrote about where AI search is headed in 2026. I ended with this promise: "Next up: How to actually measure AI visibility when your SEO dashboard stops telling the whole story." Here's what's actually happening in most marketing departments right now: Traffic is down. Rankings look... okay-ish. Your SEO team is doing all the right things. But something feels

Just Build Trust That Actually Converts and It Will Happen Everyone's losing their minds about ChatGPT and how AI is "killing SEO." Meanwhile, I'm sitting here with 30 years in digital marketing watching business owners panic about the wrong things. Here's what's actually happening: Yes, AI tools are changing how people search. No, it's not the apocalypse the LinkedIn thought leaders want you to believe it is. And the solution isn't some expensive AI optimization service your

Look, I've been watching Google's AI rollout with the same healthy skepticism I bring to every "this changes everything" announcement in our industry. But when Google's VP of Product for Search, Robby Stein, starts confirming things I've been quietly seeing in client data for months? That's when I pay attention. Here's what he just said that should make every CMO and marketing leader rethink their 2025 budget allocation: The "old school" tactic of getting press mentions and t

I had a VP of Marketing ask me last week if they should "pivot away from evergreen content" because of what's happening with AI search. I asked her three questions: How much of your traffic comes from informational search queries? Could someone get the same answer from five different sources? Does Google distribution drive conversions, or just vanity metrics? She paused. "I... don't actually know those numbers." That's the problem. Everyone's panicking about publishers losing

Are You Still Optimizing For 2023? The Invisibility Problem Here's what's driving marketers crazy right now: your SEO metrics look great on paper. Position 3 for a high-volume keyword. Rankings holding steady. CTR... wait, what happened to CTR? Oh right. The searcher got their answer in an AI-generated box before they ever scrolled down to where your listing lives. Your content might be informing that AI Overview. Your site might be the source. But if the user gets their answ

I got a call last week from a contractor who'd been in business for 15 years. Great reputation. Solid work. Loyal customers who referred him constantly. But his phone wasn't ringing like it used to. "I don't get it," he said. "Our reviews are great. Everyone says we do excellent work. Why aren't we getting calls?" So I did what I always do. I pulled out my phone and searched "eco-friendly contractor [his city]." His business? Nowhere. Not in the map pack. Not on page one. Not

Let me be blunt: if you think SEO is still simple and easy, you're living in 2010. The search landscape has fundamentally transformed into something far more complex and challenging than most marketers realize. Gone are the days when ranking in first position guaranteed the most traffic. Today's search engine results pages (SERPs) are complex ecosystems featuring over 40 different elements competing for user attention—and now, AI-powered answer engines are reshaping how peopl

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