In this week’s episode, we cover major developments in digital marketing, from AI, Google, and search news to structured data, local SEO, and international SEO insights.

We start with Conde Nast’s bold move to deprioritise search traffic and what this signals for SEO strategy in an AI-driven landscape. Next, we discuss the Oscars’ AI actor rules and the balance between human creativity and AI-assisted content.

On the AI front, we cover Project Suncatcher, a collaboration between Google and SpaceX for orbital AI data centers, and discuss AI infrastructure, ROI, and OpenAI’s expansion of paid advertising. We also share real-world cases of AI psychosis, mobile AI assistants, and the potential impact of AI on work and decision-making.

In the news roundup, we highlight Botify’s analysis of OpenAI web crawl growth, Anthropic’s Project Deal pilot testing AI agents in marketplaces, and international SEO insights from Aimee Jurenka. We also cover structured data and FAQ-rich results research, local SEO updates, and GA4 AI Assistant channel developments.

Thank you to our partner, SEO Gets, the easy-to-use analytics and reporting tool for your GSC & GA4 data. Check out the tool and use code search10 for 10% off: https://seogets.com/

Welcome to Search With Sean: Weekly Digital Marketing News – your go-to roundup of the latest trends in SEO, AI, digital marketing, and content strategy.

Co-Hosts:

Stanislav Farkas – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanislav-farkas-fastraveller/

Laura Iancu – https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-iancu-seo/

In this week’s episode, we cover the latest developments in digital marketing, from BrightonSEO insights to AI, Google, and emerging trends in search and content strategy.

First, we recap BrightonSEO, including the best way to access speaker decks via SEOFOMO, and highlight key talks on AI, tech SEO, and marketing strategies.

We also cover Google’s recent AI Mode tests, search volatility, and evolving approaches to agentic search, including Sundar Pichai’s vision of Search as an agent manager.

On the AI front, we discuss the balance between automation and human oversight, the rising costs of AI token usage, and Salesforce hiring 1,000 graduates to support AI projects. We also examine the long-term economic implications of AI, comparing it to the Industrial Revolution and considering sustainability challenges.

In the news roundup, we look at Google Discover traffic growth, Search Console impression bugs, and AI misinformation risks highlighted through Lily Ray’s research. We also share top digital marketing videos and social posts, including humorous and educational takes on ChatGPT and AI tools.

Thank you to our partner, SEO Gets, the easy-to-use analytics and reporting tool for your GSC & GA4 data. Be sure to check out the tool and use code search10 for 10% off: https://seogets.com/

In this month’s Round-Up episode, we look into the latest SEO, AI, and digital marketing trends shaping the industry. Hosted by Sean with co-hosts Amanda Walls and Laura Iancu, we unpack key updates from Google, ChatGPT developments, AI’s impact on search behaviour, and new paid media strategies.

Key Themes Included:

SEO & Search Engine Updates:

- March 2026 Core Update shook rankings; we discuss its impact on the top 3 positions and more.

- Google confirms continuous smaller core updates and back-button hijacking as a spam violation.

AI’s Role in SEO:

- 48% of searches now feature AI Overviews — but with a major drop in organic CTR.

- Businesses adapt their strategies, with 85% planning to boost AI-focused SEO budgets.

Generative AI & Search Optimisation:

- How focused, shorter content is winning AI citations over long-form guides.

- The role of third-party platforms like Reddit and YouTube in AI citation sources.

Paid Media & Advertising:

- Google Ads updates, including AI Max’s product feed optimisation across multiple platforms.

- OpenAI's $100M annual ad revenue growth and future projections.

Local Search Insights:

- GBP activity ranks among the top 5 local ranking factors.

- Google Ask Maps introduces AI-generated local recommendations.

Sources Used -

- March 2026 Core Update completes (12-day rollout) — Search Engine Land / Search Engine Journal

- Smaller core updates now rolling continuously — Search Engine Journal

- Back-button hijacking now a spam violation — Search Engine Journal

- First Discover-only Core Update rolls out — Search Engine Land

- AI Overviews in 48% of queries, CTR at 0.61% — Search Engine Land / Seer Interactive / ALM Corp

- US organic traffic down 2.5% YoY — Search Engine Land

- Google Cloud AI director: rethink SEO for AI agents — Search Engine Land

- AI-optimised sites report 320% more visits — TechRadar

- 85%+ of businesses adapting for AI search — Search Engine Land

- Narrow focused content wins AI citations, not long guides — Search Engine Journal / Search Engine Land

- Reddit, LinkedIn & YouTube top AI citation sources — Search Engine Land / Verkeer

- Domain authority & backlinks still lead GEO signals — Seer Interactive

- AI only cites HTML, ignores Markdown files — OtterlyAI

- Gemini citation rate drops from 99% to 76% in one month — Position Digital

- Agentic Search Optimisation (ASO) emerging as next framework — TechRadar

- ChatGPT ads hit $100M annualised revenue in 6 weeks — Search Engine Land / OpenAI

- OpenAI projects $2.5B ad revenue in 2026, $100B by 2030 — MarketingProfs

- ChatGPT triggers live search on only 34.5% of queries — Semrush / Ahrefs

- ChatGPT adds location sharing & workspace analytics — OpenAI

- LLM bots now crawl sites 3.6x more than Googlebot — Search Engine Journal

- Dynamic GBP activity now a top-5 local pack ranking factor — Verkeer

- Google Ask Maps reshaping local discovery — Search Engine Land

- Product feed optimisation now spans AI search & YouTube — Search Engine Journal

- Google Ads offline conversion upload bug confirmed — Search Engine Roundtable

- Threads overtakes X in mobile daily active users — B2The7

- Adobe launches CX Enterprise Coworker AI agent — WSJ

- 21% of YouTube Shorts now AI-generated — Search Engine Journal

- Search Console adds weekly/monthly views & AI report builder — Search Engine Land / Search Engine Roundtable

- Search Console jobs report showing zero data since 16 April — Search Engine Roundtable

- HTTPS at 91%, title tags at 99% per Web Almanac — Search Engine Land / Web Almanac

- John Mueller: you can make SEO mistakes and still do OK — Search Engine Roundtable

- News publisher search referrals facing structural decline — Search Engine Land

- Users increasingly starting queries in AI tools, not search engines — Search Engine Land

Thank you to our partner, SEO Gets, the easy-to-use analytics and reporting tool for your GSC & GA4 data. Be sure to check out the tool and use code search10 for 10% off: https://seogets.com/