Search engines keep changing fast, and this week brought several updates that local business owners and SEO pros should know. From Google trimming structured data types to Microsoft improving its AI citations, these shifts all point to one thing: trustworthy, branded, and engaging content wins.
Here’s what stood out this week
Search Engine Roundtable
- Google says it will no longer support various structured data mark-ups (like “Practice Problems”, “Dataset”, “Nearby Offers and Events”, “Vehicle Listing”) because they were seldom used and added little value. This means you can check if you used those mark-ups and remove or ignore them — they likely won’t help with search results any more. Read more
- New data shows Google’s AI answers are causing a big drop in website clicks, with some sites seeing a 65% decline. This is happening even on searches where the AI does not show up, which means people are learning not to click on links anymore. This big drop in traffic is a major new challenge for any business that relies on Google. Read more
- Google is adding a new “Creative Content” section to its Merchant Center for product sellers. This new spot lets you upload videos and other creative assets to make your product listings look better. Google can even use AI to pull videos from your YouTube channel and automatically match them to your products. Read more
Search Engine Land
- Microsoft is updating its AI tool, Copilot, to be more friendly to websites. It will now show “prominent, clickable citations” to give credit and send traffic to the sources it uses. This is a big difference from other AI tools and is good news for websites that create content. Read more
- A new report shows Google and ChatGPT are using AI in different ways. Google is more stable and is using Reddit a lot more (up 75%) to find answers. ChatGPT is changing fast and using 80% more sources than before, but is using Reddit less. Read more
- To build trust with Google and users, you need to prove you are an expert, not just say it. Create “originality assets” like checklists, case studies, or local data that show your first-hand experience. Make sure your “About” page and author bios clearly show who you are, what you’ve done, and link to proof. Read more
Search Engine Journal
- Google is adding Waze ads to its “Performance Max” (PMax) ad campaigns for local stores. This means your store can show up as a promoted pin to people who are already driving nearby. You don’t need to make new ads for this, as Google will use your existing campaign information. Read more
- To show up in AI answers, you need to change your thinking from “keywords” to “topics”. Answer all the hidden follow-up questions a person might have, not just the first one. Getting your brand “mentioned” on other sites, like local forums or Reddit, is also becoming very important for AI to see you as an expert. Read more
- YouTube is finally separating “paid” and “organic” views in its analytics. This is great news because it means running ads will no longer make your organic channel stats look bad. You can now see what is really working for your regular videos versus your paid ads. Read more
Stay focused on accurate data, clear storytelling, and strong local signals, and you’ll stay ahead in this AI-driven search era.
