This month, we bring you some exciting developments and updates from the world of search, including new studies and industry developments.
Google has now expanded AI mode to 180 countries, which is a particularly large increase from the UK, US and India. New agentic capabilities, personalised responses and a new way to share AI mode responses have also been announced. Plus, Google has started testing AI mode in the European Union, so we can expect this to be launched in the coming months.
This month’s industry updates show a clear shift towards AI-powered features and a strong focus on local search. We’re seeing AI Overviews’ widespread impact on organic click-through rates, affecting both informational and commercial queries. Simultaneously, Google is enhancing its offerings for retailers, with new loyalty goals in Google Ads and Merchant Centre aimed at retaining high-value customers. This is paired with a new emphasis on local SEO, where discovery and a strong local presence are becoming more critical than ever. Overall, the industry is moving towards a more intelligent, localised, and conversion-focused search experience.
In other news, ChatGPT is referring to branded websites 52% less since July 21st. OpenAI now appears to be devouring ‘answer-first’ sites like Wikipedia or Reddit instead.
Allow our traffic light system to guide you to the articles that need your attention, so watch out for Red light updates, as they’re significant changes that will require you to take action. In contrast, amber updates may make you think and are worth knowing, but aren’t urgent. And finally, green light updates, which are great for your SEO and site knowledge, but are less significant than others.
Keen to know more about any of these changes and what they mean for your SEO? Get in touch or visit our SEO agency page to find out how we can help.
In this post, we’ll explore:
- Google AI Mode expands to 180 countries with new features
- AI Mode testing in the European Union
- Chat GPT is referring to branded websites 52% less
- Loyalty goal in Google Ads & more Merchant Centre loyalty offerings
- Google Search Console CTR analysis
- GEO x Local SEO: What it means for the future of discovery
In a significant move, Google has expanded its AI Mode to over 180 countries, following its initial launch in the US, UK, and India. This update introduces new “agentic” capabilities, allowing AI Mode to perform tasks like making restaurant reservations and providing more personalised responses based on user interests. A new sharing feature has also been rolled out, enabling users to share links to specific AI Mode conversations. This expansion reinforces Google’s commitment to making AI a central part of the search experience.
Following its recent expansion to over 180 countries, Google appears to be testing AI Mode within the European Union. Although the EU was not on the official list of supported regions, a user in Romania spotted and shared screenshots of “AI Mode teasers and tests” within their Google App. This observation suggests that a further rollout of AI Mode into Europe is likely in the near future. Here’s what the user saw:
A recent analysis of shared conversations from the ChatGPT platform shows that referral traffic to linked websites has drastically declined since Google began indexing these conversations. This drop is attributed to the fact that the conversational AI now provides more comprehensive answers directly, reducing the need for users to click on external links. For publishers and content creators, this reinforces the need to adapt their strategies in a world where AI is increasingly acting as a direct source of information.
Google has introduced new loyalty offerings in both Google Ads and Merchant Centre Next (GMC Next) to help retailers build lasting customer relationships and optimise for high-value shoppers. The new “Loyalty programs” and “Promotions” features in GMC Next provide e-commerce stores with increased visibility for discounts and deals, which can appear in free listings, brand profiles, and merchant knowledge panels.
Google Ads has also launched a new “retention goal in loyalty mode” to help advertisers optimise their budgets and bidding strategies for customers with high lifetime value.
Read more: Google Merchant Center – the new shipping tool for businesses explained
A recent analysis of over a billion search impressions revealed a significant decline in organic click-through rates following the rollout of AI Overviews. The study found that both informational and non-informational queries were heavily impacted, with desktops experiencing a particularly severe CTR drop of over 70% for informational queries. The decline directly correlated with each phase of the AI Overviews rollout, indicating a widespread impact on organic search visibility that goes beyond just answering simple questions.
A recent article from Search Engine Land highlights a significant shift in the future of local SEO: A move from simply ranking highly to a focus on being discovered. The blog emphasises that as Google’s algorithms become more sophisticated, they are prioritising content that is relevant to a user’s location and intent. This means that a business’s local presence and reputation are becoming more important than ever.
Before diving into optimisation tactics, understanding how AI systems see and describe your business is essential.
Set your parameters:
- Temperature: 0.0 (removes randomness)
- Top-p: 1.0 (doesn’t restrict vocabulary)
Test these core prompts:
- “[Your Business Name] is known for” → Reveals primary associations
- “[Your Business Name] compared to” → Shows competitive positioning
- “[Your Business Name] customers typically” → Exposes audience understanding
- “Best [your service] providers in [your city] include” → Tests market positioning
This analysis identifies the trust signals and business attributes that AI engines currently associate with your brand versus those of your competitors. Then, based on the information, you can develop a strategy to influence those descriptions. The key takeaway for SEOs is to focus on creating comprehensive, high-quality content that answers the user’s direct questions and to ensure that all local information, such as Google Business Profiles, is fully optimised and regularly updated. Local SEO and Generative AI development are long processes that require careful consideration of strategy. As local SEO experts, we can help you promote your business through the right channels and tactics.
