There’s no denying the explosive rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. But the latest audience data from Similarweb shows that Google remains firmly in control of search behaviour.

In August 2025:

• 95.3% of ChatGPT users also visited Google
• Only 14.3% of Google users visited ChatGPT

So even as ChatGPT grows, people are still heading back to Google. The scale is even more striking when you compare traffic: ChatGPT had 5.8 billion visits in August, while Google had 83.8 billion.

In fact, there are early signs that ChatGPT referral traffic is dipping for some sites. Bing, surprisingly, is often proving to be a stronger driver of visits. That doesn’t mean you should ignore AI search, but it does mean it’s worth focusing time and resources where you can make the biggest impact.

How to best rank in ChatGPT

Optimising for ChatGPT and other AI-driven search tools is still new territory, but some best practices are already emerging:

• Focus on authority: AI models favour trusted, expert-led sources. Having clear author profiles and credentials helps.
• Be clear and structured: Content that directly answers questions in plain English is more likely to be surfaced.
• Cover topics in depth: Comprehensive content tends to be pulled into AI responses more often than thin pages.
• Build visibility across the web: AI doesn’t just read your site, it learns from the wider internet. Strong mentions in news, blogs, and forums all help.
• Keep content fresh: Regular updates signal relevance and improve your chances of being used in answers.

The takeaway

• Keep Google front and centre: It remains the heavyweight for driving traffic.
• Experiment, don’t overcommit: AI tools are growing fast, but their role is still evolving.
• Check your own data: Performance varies by industry and audience, so rely on your analytics, not just the hype.

AI isn’t killing search, it’s expanding it. For marketers, that means balancing curiosity about new tools with a clear focus on what’s already working.

Bias towards big brands by search engines has been a constant headache for smaller sites trying to grow their audience ever since the very beginning of SEO. Even in the earlier days of SEO, larger sites would dominate the SERP. As Roger Monti writes,

“During the early years of Google’s algorithm, it was obvious that sites with a lot of PageRank ranked for virtually anything they wanted. For example, I remember a web design company that built a lot of websites, creating a network of backlinks, raising their PageRank to a remarkable level normally seen only in big corporate sites like IBM. As a consequence, they ranked for the two-word keyword phrase, Web Design and virtually every other variant like Web Design + [any state in the USA].”

Google’s latest algorithm still seems to be favouring these big sites and this article will discuss what the factors are affecting this and how users can tackle these issues of big site bias.

Does Bias exist in Search?

Even though not explicitly stated by Google, we know that bias towards big brands exists in search because they use ranking factors such as topical authority which relies on sites being trusted by Google. Google identifies trustworthiness partially by the backlink profile of a site, and larger brands typically have stronger back link profiles than their smaller counterparts.

This means that despite the best efforts of some users to create high-quality, engaging content, quality content can only take you so far, as you are limited by how much of an authority Google sees you as. If Intelligency and Nike wrote content on the same sports topic and our article far outstripped Nike’s in terms of quality content and in-depth analysis, Nike would still rank higher than Intelligency because of their authority.

What’s causing low-quality content to rank?

As stated, Google will rank sites with more topical authority despite the level of content output coming from these brands but this is also because Google believes this is what users want to see. Google uses a Navboost Algorithm that interprets user engagement signals and these signals point to users wanting to see…big brands. People are familiar with these brands and will come to them for information as they believe them as trusted sources. See Roger Monti’s article on the topic discussing how familiarity bias affects Google’s rankings.

How you users combat bias in search

It’s important not to give up hope! Although, as we said it is difficult to compete with much larger brand, there are ways in which it can be done. Targeting more niche keywords to begin with that aren’t being targeted by your competitors but still showing potential is a great way to gain a foothold on search. Once you are ranking for more niche terms, you can build up to competing for more primary keywords in your industry. All the while building up your backlink profile and working on your digital PR should help to become a more reliable source of information within your industry.

What is a zero-click search?

A zero-click search is the term used for search queries that are answered without needing to select any links on the search engine results page (SERP).

This is usually down to three types of search results:

• AI Overviews – Google’s AI overviews collate the most relevant and useful pieces of content into a generated response. This is now displayed at the top of the SERP, and appears for approximately 18% of global searches.

• People also ask – This panel appears in Google and has a drop-down of relevant questions to the search query. This pulls an excerpt from a piece of content which Google deems to be of quality.

• Knowledge Panels – This is a type of panel we often see with films, celebrities, books and so on. This contains information about the content, and it dominates the page with it being positioned first or on the right side of the results page.

• Featured Snippets – Taking the top position or sometimes grouped with the ‘people also ask ‘section. This contains a description regarding the search; this may be seen for recipes, ‘how-to’ questions and ‘what is’ searches.

Do zero-click searches affect SEO?

Zero-click searches can negatively impact the SEO efforts of website owners. If content is not being clicked on, it directly affects the traffic volume content is receiving. This can be incredibly harmful for sites that are already lower in rank.

This can then ultimately impact overall performance metrics, even for those being displayed in AI overview, featured snippets and so on.

How to optimise for zero-click searches?

The way marketers and content creators produce content has to be adapted to accommodate the changes in user behaviour now that features deemed convenient are taking up SERP real estate.

Shift the focus from getting clicks to increasing your brand awareness and trust with Google. Getting content to rank higher will increase the probability of it being displayed in one of these various information panels. Which in turn increases your brand’s visibility with potential zero-click searchers.

You can achieve this by creating high-quality, informative content. Our guide to writing blogs, can help can help you with that process.

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Google has announced a significant update to its Google Ads API release schedule. From 2026, the API will move to a monthly release cycle, giving advertisers and developers faster access to new features, fixes and improvements.

More Frequent Releases and Longer Support

Currently, Google releases around three major versions of the API each year. Starting in 2026, this will increase to four major releases per year, complemented by several smaller “minor” updates in between.

Major releases will deliver more substantial changes and now remain supported for a full year after launch, reducing the number of version migrations required.

Minor releases will introduce smaller, non-breaking features and fixes more frequently, allowing teams to benefit from ongoing improvements without disruption.

This approach provides a steadier flow of enhancements and more predictable planning for advertisers and developers.

Tentative 2026 Release Roadmap

Google’s provisional schedule (dates subject to change):

• V23 (Major) – January 2026
• V24 (Major) – April 2026
• V25 (Major) – July 2026
• V26 (Major) – October 2026

Each major version will be followed by one or two minor updates, such as V23_1 in February and V23_2 in March. Older versions will gradually sunset: V19 in February 2026, V20 in June, V21 in August and V22 in October.

Why This Matters for Advertisers and Developers

If you use the Google Ads API – whether through in-house systems or third-party platforms – this change brings clear benefits:

• Faster access to new features
• More predictable support windows
• Less disruption from upgrades

Overall, the move to a monthly release cycle should make campaign management more efficient and give teams the confidence to adopt new capabilities as soon as they’re launched.

US District Judge Amit Mehta has announced a verdict in the longstanding antitrust case brought against Google. Mehat ruled that Google must end its use of exclusive contracts, such as its deal with Apple to monopolise search on iPhones, however Google will be able to keep Chrome.

Why was Google on Trial

Google has been fighting the Department of Justice since 2020 when charges were initially brought against them for monopolising the search market. The first trial in 2024 saw Amit Mehta rule that Google violated antitrust laws by monopolising search after they paid Apple $20 billion in 2023 to remain the default search engine on Safari. You can read more about this in the article I wrote at the time.

After the ruling decided that Google was monopolising the search market, the Department of Justice decided on some potential penalties to limit Google’s actions in April 2025. These included selling off Google Chrome, Google’s own browser and ending all exclusive contracts that help Google to monopolise the search industry.

The Latest Verdict

Here is what the Department of Justice had to say in their latest ruling against Google.

“Google will not be required to divest Chrome; nor will the court include a contingent divestiture of the Android operating system in the final judgment. Plaintiffs overreached in seeking forced divesture of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints.”

Google will be barred from entering or maintaining any exclusive contract relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app. Google shall not enter or maintain any agreement that

• (1) conditions the licensing of the Play Store or any other Google application on the distribution, preloading, or placement of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app anywhere on a device;
• (2) conditions the receipt of revenue share payments for the placement of one Google application (e.g., Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app) on the placement of another such application;
• (3) conditions the receipt of revenue share payments on maintaining Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app on any device, browser, or search access point for more than one year; or
• (4) prohibits any partner from simultaneously distributing any other GSE, browser, or GenAI product search access point for more than one year; or (4) prohibits any partner from simultaneously distributing any other GSE, browser, or GenAI product
• Google will have to make available to Qualified Competitors certain search index and user-interaction data, though not ads data, as such sharing will deny Google the fruits of its exclusionary acts and promote competition.”
• “Google will not be required to share granular, query-level data with advertisers or provide them with more access to such data. Nor will it have to restore an ‘exact match’ keyword bidding option
• “Google will be compelled to publicly disclose material changes it makes to its ad auctions to promote greater transparency in search text ads pricing and to prevent Google from increasing prices by secretly fine-tuning its ad auctions.”

What this means for Marketers

While it is unlikely we will see any changes for a long time as Google are expected to appeal the case, the rulings around banning of exclusivity deals as well as having to share certain data with competitors, will hopefully create a landscape in search that allows for the growth of other search engines over time to rival Google, meaning marketers will need to be vigilant in future when it comes to optimising for multiple search engines, not just Google.

Apple is preparing a significant shift in how people will search for and receive information on their devices. According to Bloomberg, the company will launch its own AI-powered search engine, known internally as World Knowledge Answers, in 2026. This new system will be deeply integrated into Siri, Safari, and Spotlight on iPhones and other Apple devices. For marketers, it signals a change that could reshape the way people interact with brands online.

A new role for Siri

At its core, the upgrade will transform Siri from a voice assistant that handles simple fact-checking into something far more sophisticated: an “answer engine.” Instead of just retrieving information from a single source, Siri will be able to generate summaries that blend text, images, video, and even local results. In practical terms, asking Siri a question will no longer produce a list of links. Instead, users will receive a polished, multimodal response that feels much closer to having a conversation with a knowledgeable assistant.

Apple also plans to extend this capability into its Safari browser and Spotlight search function, making AI-driven answers part of people’s everyday digital habits rather than a separate app.

The technology behind it

Behind the scenes, Apple will partly rely on Google’s Gemini AI model, one of the most advanced large language models (LLMs) currently available. To put that in simple terms, LLMs are the “brains” behind modern AI assistants, trained on vast amounts of data to generate human-like responses. Apple has also been building its own features to improve planning, summarisation, and the conversational quality of Siri’s answers.

This combination will allow Apple to offer answers that go far beyond the short, factual responses Siri has been known for until now.

The wider AI landscape

Apple’s move comes at a time when the AI search space is heating up fast. Google has already rolled out AI Overviews in its search results, giving users summaries generated by Gemini.

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT remains the best-known conversational AI, used for everything from drafting copy to answering complex questions.
• Perplexity has emerged as a nimble new player, combining direct answers with linked sources for credibility.
• Microsoft has taken another route, embedding AI into Bing and across its Office tools under the Copilot brand.

Until now, Apple has been noticeably slower to enter this race. But with Siri already installed on hundreds of millions of devices worldwide, its arrival could instantly make AI search mainstream for everyday users.

Why this matters to marketers

The implications for marketers are significant. Visibility online will no longer depend solely on Google rankings. Apple’s system will decide how to summarise and surface content, which means brands need to think carefully about how their information is presented and whether it can be pulled into an AI-driven answer.

The shift towards “answers rather than clicks” also means fewer people may visit a website if Siri provides the information directly. That makes it vital to ensure brand mentions, authoritative sources, and locally relevant details are present and easy for AI to access.

Voice search, which has been a slow-burn trend for years, could finally become a major part of how consumers engage with brands. If Siri becomes a genuinely helpful research tool, content written in natural, conversational language will have a better chance of being surfaced. Local businesses should also be alert, as Apple’s integration of location-specific results will make strong local optimisation just as important as it is with Google today.

Marketers’ next steps

To prepare for Apple’s launch in 2026, marketers should start considering AI search visibility alongside traditional SEO. That means reviewing how well your content answers questions directly, whether it can be easily summarised, and if it’s written in a natural, conversational tone. Building authority and credibility in your niche will also be key, since AI tools tend to favour trustworthy, recognisable sources.

Local businesses should audit their presence across Apple’s ecosystem – not just maps and listings, but also how easily discoverable their content is in Safari and Spotlight. Finally, keep a close eye on the evolving AI landscape. Apple’s entry will not replace Google overnight, but it will add a new battleground for attention, and marketers who adapt early will be the ones best placed to benefit when World Knowledge Answers goes live.

Google Ads automation is powerful, but it’s not always right. Tools like Smart Bidding, Performance Max (PMax), and Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) can improve efficiency, but only if they’re learning from the right signals. Left unchecked, automation can drift – raising costs, wasting budget, or driving poor-quality leads. The key is knowing when automation is helping, and when it’s steering you off course.

When Automation Goes Wrong

Performance Max Cannibalisation: PMax often takes credit for branded searches you already would have captured with Search campaigns. Even with brand exclusions, it can still show against these queries, giving the illusion of strong results while draining budget from your Search activity. If your Search campaigns show rising “Lost Impression Share (rank)” while PMax spend climbs, that’s a red flag.

Auto-applied Recommendations (AARs): Google can automatically “optimise” campaigns by adding broad match keywords or changing targeting. While positioned as helpful, these changes often expand far, leading to irrelevant clicks and higher CPAs. Always review and opt out of auto-applied changes you don’t want.

Modelled Conversions: Sometimes Google reports more conversions than you see in your CRM. That’s because it fills tracking gaps with estimated data. If left unchecked, Smart Bidding may optimise toward inflated numbers rather than actual leads or sales. The fix is to import offline or qualified conversions, so Google optimises for what truly matters.

When It’s Just Limited

Not all warnings mean failure. Sometimes automation is simply restricted by your setup:

Limited Status: A red label often means your targets are too strict or budget too low. A yellow label usually just signals low volume or “learning mode.”

RSAs: Too few headlines limit learning, while too many spread thin data across combinations. Match the number of assets to your budget (around 8–10 headlines, 2–4 descriptions).

Conversion Lag: Google records conversions by click date, not completion date. This can cause reporting delays but it doesn’t mean automation is broken.

How to Keep Automation Honest

Use impression share metrics, bid strategy reports, and simple scripts to monitor automation. Scripts for anomaly detection, budget pacing, or poor query themes can flag issues before wasted spend builds up.

The Bottom Line

Automation won’t always fail dramatically – it usually drifts. Your role is to guide it: set clear goals, track real results, and step in when it veers off course. With the right guardrails, automation becomes an asset instead of a liability.

Google has announced its latest spam update, called the August 2025 spam update. It began rolling out this week and will take a few weeks to complete.

This is the first spam update in eight months (the last was December 2024) and the first time Google has adjusted its spam filters this year. For marketers and business owners, that means search results may shift – some websites could see traffic drop, while others may rise as low-quality competitors are pushed down.

What is a spam update?

When Google talks about “spam” in search, it doesn’t mean junk emails. In this context, spam refers to low-quality or manipulative websites that try to cheat their way into higher rankings.

Examples include:

• Sites stuffed with keywords but offering no real value.
• Pages made purely to generate ad clicks.
• Dodgy sites spreading malware, scams, or fake content.

A spam update is when Google improves its SpamBrain system – an AI tool that detects these tactics. SpamBrain gets smarter over time, and when Google rolls out an update, it applies those improvements across search results worldwide.

Why does this matter?

If your website is built for real people – with useful, original, and trustworthy content – you’re unlikely to be penalised. In fact, updates like this can work in your favour, since spammy competitors may lose visibility.

On the other hand, if your site uses shortcuts like low-quality AI-generated articles, old expired domains filled with weak content, or “parasite SEO” (hosting third-party content that exploits your site’s reputation), you may see rankings drop.

How long will it take?

Google describes this as a “normal spam update.” That means:

• It’s routine maintenance rather than a major shake-up.
• The rollout will last a few weeks.
• It applies globally, across all languages and regions.

Google will confirm completion on its official Search Status Dashboard.

How does this fit into other updates?

The last major update before this was the June 2025 core update, which was broader and affected many types of websites. Core updates are like overall system tune-ups, while spam updates are targeted clean-ups that specifically filter out manipulative practices.

The December 2024 spam update was considered more volatile (with bigger swings in rankings) than the June 2024 update. It’s still too early to know how disruptive this August update will be.

What should you do now?

1. Monitor your analytics – Watch for changes in traffic and rankings over the next few weeks.
2. Review your content – Make sure it’s user-focused, not written just for search engines.
3. Avoid shortcuts – Stay clear of tactics like keyword stuffing, mass-produced AI content, or hosting low-value third-party pages.
4. Be patient – If your site is impacted, recovery can take time. Fix issues based on Google’s spam policies and wait for future system refreshes.

The August 2025 spam update is Google’s latest round of “housekeeping” for search results. If your site is genuinely helpful, you should be fine – or even gain ground. But if you’ve relied on questionable tactics, expect Google to tighten the net.

What is a guest post on a blog?

A guest post is when you—or another website’s content creator—produce content to be published on a different company’s blog or website. The goal is usually to build links, authority, and visibility.

For this to work, the content must align with the host website’s audience and be relevant to its theme. Guest posts often come from industry experts who collaborate with companies in their sector, offering unique insights and an authoritative perspective.

Benefits of Guest Posting for SEO and Brand Growth

Absolutely, guest posts can be an incredibly useful tool within your content strategy. Some of these strategic advantages include:

Content versatility – Keeping your content fresh, adaptable, valuable and unique is a prime reason to incorporate guest posting into a content strategy. It helps to diversify the opinions, experiences, and expertise reflected on the site.

Building authority and trust – Authority factors into how Google ranks content; having better authority improves the chances of being displayed higher on the SERP. Authority ultimately reflects on the trust established by Google and the audience.

Increased referral traffic – If backlinks are established, it can be a great way to improve referral traffic on a website.

Raising brand awareness – If you’re creating content for another site, or vice versa, it can be useful for promoting your brand and raising awareness through sharing expertise with a new audience.

How to create opportunities for guest posts

The best approach to seeking out guest post opportunities is to identify 2 things: the figure of authority you’d like to create content for, or a hosting site which is relevant to the topics being discussed.

Creating a guest blogging strategy will help you anticipate any potential collaboration. It serves as a framework to ensure the output from the content is optimised for your business.

If you are the writer

1. Establish a website that is aligned with the type of content you create. It’s important that your content fits the destination it will be published to.
2. Create a content proposal outlining: the subject matter, the style of content, the length, keywords and structure.
3. Approach the website with your content proposal and wait for the go-ahead.

If you are the hosting website

If you are the host of the website where you’d like a guest post to be featured, there are a few ways to create opportunities for guest content. The first aspect of finding a creator to produce a guest post is to establish an appropriate voice for your content.

Finding the content creator should begin by researching experts within the field or on your topic. This will help you identify the key authoritative voices that are more likely to have an impact on creating content.

Approach the creator with the concept of the content, outlining any of the key points that will help to ensure your brand is reflected within the content. Consider outlining the following areas to make creating content a bit simpler:

• The tone of the piece
• The subject matter
• The style
• The length
• The topic being covered

Guest posting works best when it’s relevant, authoritative, and mutually beneficial. Whether you’re contributing to another blog or inviting writers to yours, it’s a proven way to strengthen SEO, build trust, and expand your brand’s reach.

Sustained momentum of campaigns is more prevalent now than ever, with the release of GTA VI and Battlefield 6, amongst other fan favourites, capitalising on the cultural impact the pre-release campaigns have.

Content Eco-systems

Content ecosystems adopt the approach of staggering content related to the games, so that the conversation stays alive. In contrast to historic campaigns, where print media and digital would run set ad campaigns to promote the upcoming releases of games.

This method garners public discussion, improves search visibility, drives pre-release sales and increases the social impact of a game, before it’s even rolled out to the public. The approach to drip-feeding teaser trailers and stills of in-game shots further fuels the hype around the games. This particular method of running a campaign has so far proven effective at keeping the conversation going.

Rockstar released the second GTA VI trailer in May, and a peak of searches is noted by Google Trends, but instead of seeing a natural decline, the search volume has continued on an upward trajectory.

Social Eco-systems

Another unique approach to marketing video games is to create content and conversation across social channels known to be home to communities of avid gamers. These include Twitch, Discord, Reddit, YouTube and TikTok.

Companies creating games like Battlefield 6 and GTA VI do well to tap into these communities to generate excitement around the game’s release. This is particularly effective as a strategic shift, as it utilises the voices of real people, whose personal experiences can drive conversion rates. User-generated content has been known to be an effective sales tool, as it authentically portrays the gaming experience through the amplification of discussion.

Experimental Marketing

Experimental marketing techniques break the mould of print and digital campaigns, instead offering value to the audience before the game releases with beta codes for demo plays, early access collaborations with established gaming influencers, and augmented reality experiences of the game.

We see this technique embraced by Epic Games for Fortnite, with influencer collaborations and custom skins which allow fans of the game and influencers to modify their avatars. It shows audiences that these companies are also socially aware, tapping into internet culture to create another point of connection with their customers.

All of these techniques, compounded with traditional methods, make for a really effective sales technique. Creating conversation and drip-feeding the experience keeps the fans wanting more.

How can we as marketers capitalise on these eventised campaigns

Pre-launch

Brands and content creators often fail to create content that meets the potential long-tailed search queries of anticipatory fans. Pre-launch business can capitalise on the buzz around the topic, to create unique content which expands on topics beyond the common search terms like “release date”, “game map” and “trailer.

Instead, pre-launch, brands should create content which focuses on speculative content, which further fuels the excitement, intrigue and curiosity around how the game will function.  An example of the type of content that could feed into this includes…

• GTA VI Map leak & predictions
• GTA VI Pricing Predictions
• Fact or fiction: another delay on release dates

These types of topics feed into the intrigue around products and allow fans to voice their opinions with a different approach to the overall subject. Anticipating the searches before the game drops ensures you’re one of the few people delivering the answers that companies like Battlefield Studios and Rockstar aren’t going to willingly give out.

Post-launch

Creators and companies alike can use the post-launch period to create content that is going to be useful to novice players. Creating content such as guides, play-throughs, commentaries, tips and tricks, and how to use mods.

Creating content that adds value to the reader is guaranteed to drive traffic. More so, this type of content even leads to conversions, as it may be the push that a person needs to validate their purchase.

Campaigns for games and media continue to transfigure. The landscape is shifting, and the tools marketers have expanded, allowing for a more holistic approach to marketing these types of products.