A Little Clarity On SEO, GEO, And AEO
The debate over SEO versus AEO/GEO appears to be reaching a consensus.
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How Recommender Systems Like Google Discover May Work
An explainer of how recommender systems like Google Discover may work according to a classic research paper.
NotificationX WordPress WooCommerce Plugin Vulnerabilities Impact 40k Sites
A WordPress and WooCommerce plugin vulnerability enables unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts.
![What Profitable Google Ads Look Like in 2026 [Webinar]](https://cdn.searchenginejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/3-529-760x400.webp)
What Profitable Google Ads Look Like in 2026 [Webinar]
Join our webinar to discover effective strategies for automating Google Ads and mastering Performance Max Smart Bidding.
WordPress Advanced Custom Fields Extended Plugin Vulnerability
A vulnerability in an ACF addon plugin installed in 100k websites enables unauthenticated attackers to gain administrator privileges.
OpenAI Search Crawler Passes 55% Coverage In Hostinger Study
Hostinger analyzed 66.7B bot requests across 5M+ hosted sites and found AI training crawlers are blocked more often, while OpenAI’s search bot expands.
The Great Decoupling
AI search broke the link between traffic and revenue. This piece explains how SEO creates demand without page views.
How Recommender Systems Like Google Discover May Work
An explainer of how recommender systems like Google Discover may work according to a classic research paper.
NotificationX WordPress WooCommerce Plugin Vulnerabilities Impact 40k Sites
A WordPress and WooCommerce plugin vulnerability enables unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts.
WordPress Advanced Custom Fields Extended Plugin Vulnerability
A vulnerability in an ACF addon plugin installed in 100k websites enables unauthenticated attackers to gain administrator privileges.
OpenAI Search Crawler Passes 55% Coverage In Hostinger Study
Hostinger analyzed 66.7B bot requests across 5M+ hosted sites and found AI training crawlers are blocked more often, while OpenAI’s search bot expands.
Perplexity AI Interview Explains How AI Search Works
Interview with Perplexity AI offers insights into what makes AI answer engines different from regular search
Why Agentic AI May Flatten Brand Differentiators
The co-lead of the WordPress AI Team says some sites face a “more complex” future as brand differentiation gets flattened.
How Recommender Systems Like Google Discover May Work
An explainer of how recommender systems like Google Discover may work according to a classic research paper.
OpenAI Search Crawler Passes 55% Coverage In Hostinger Study
Hostinger analyzed 66.7B bot requests across 5M+ hosted sites and found AI training crawlers are blocked more often, while OpenAI’s search bot expands.
The Great Decoupling
AI search broke the link between traffic and revenue. This piece explains how SEO creates demand without page views.
Case Study: How Entity Linking Can Support Local Search Success
Understand why entity linking is becoming a strategic requirement for local SEO in AI search environments.
Perplexity AI Interview Explains How AI Search Works
Interview with Perplexity AI offers insights into what makes AI answer engines different from regular search
Data Shows AI Overviews Disappears On Certain Kinds Of Finance Queries
New data from BrightEdge shows which kinds of finance-related queries trigger AI answers and which kinds do not
What Profitable Google Ads Look Like in 2026 [Webinar]
Join our webinar to discover effective strategies for automating Google Ads and mastering Performance Max Smart Bidding.
How Much Of Your Paid Media Budget Should Be Allocated To Upper Funnel?
Learn how to balance upper and lower-funnel budgets across paid search and social, backed by research, frameworks, and practical strategies to drive long-term growth.
ChatGPT To Begin Testing Ads In The United States
OpenAI will begin testing ads for ChatGPT Free and Go users in the U.S., outlining strict guardrails around privacy, answer independence, and ad placement.
PPC Pulse: Total Budgets Expand, Direct Offers, & Shopping Promotions
PPC Pulse recaps Google’s latest budget controls, AI-driven offer testing, and expanded eligibility rules for Shopping promotions.
10 Remarketing Lists To Boost PPC Performance
Turn first-party data into measurable PPC gains using remarketing strategies built for real account management, not theory.
Why Paid Search Foundations Still Matter In An AI-Focused World
Foundational strategy remains the quiet force behind whether automated campaign models elevate results or compound inefficiencies.
AI-Generated Content Isn’t The Problem, Your Strategy Is
AI can accelerate content production, but removing human expertise undermines the strategic infrastructure brands rely on to be found and trusted.
Top 10 Emotionally-Engaging Holiday Ads Of 2025 (With A Bonus One)
An analysis of 2025’s most emotionally effective holiday ads shows why nostalgia, warmth, and human storytelling still outperform spend.
Ask An SEO: What Is The Threshold Between Keyword Stuffing & Being Optimized?
This week’s Ask an SEO addresses where keyword optimization ends and keyword stuffing begins in modern search and AI-driven systems.
The Future Of Content In An AI World: Provenance & Trust In Information
Learn about the future of search AI and trust in information in an evolving digital landscape focused on transparency and authenticity.
Five Ways To Boost Traffic To Informational Sites
Five expert strategies for increasing visitors to informational sites and outperforming competitors.
The Click Economy Is Over: How AI Search Is Forcing Publishers To Rethink Revenue
Publishers navigating the collapse of the search-to-traffic model need clarity on how emerging AI payment structures are reshaping value, leverage, and long-term strategy.
JANUARY EBOOK HIGHLIGHT
SEO Trends 2026
In this year's SEO Trends 2026, we've compiled expert advice and predictions on:
- How to build SEO strategies that outlast algorithm turbulence
- Why AI content quality, not quantity, now determines ranking success
- The new rules for gaining visibility in a zero-click search environment
- How to create audience-first content that earns trust and conversions
YouTube Expands Monetization For Some Controversial Issues
By Matt G. Southern
YouTube is updating advertiser-friendly guidelines so some non-graphic videos on “controversial issues” may be eligible for full monetization.
Social Media Trust Is Breaking Down (And How You Can Rebuild It)
By Donna Almonte
Bots, fake reviews, and undisclosed AI are eroding trust on social media, creating a competitive advantage for brands that prioritize authenticity and real human experience.
Reddit Introduces Max Campaigns, Its New Automated Campaign Type
By Brooke Osmundson
Reddit introduces Max campaigns, a new automated campaign type designed to simplify setup, improve performance, and provide deeper audience insight for advertisers.
Top 10 Emotionally-Engaging Holiday Ads Of 2025 (With A Bonus One)
By Greg Jarboe
An analysis of 2025’s most emotionally effective holiday ads shows why nostalgia, warmth, and human storytelling still outperform spend.
Do Faces Help YouTube Thumbnails? Here’s What The Data Says
By Matt G. Southern
A new dataset of 300K viral YouTube videos suggests that faces in thumbnails perform about the same as without them, with larger differences by niche.
Search & Social: How To Engineer Cross-Channel Synergy
By Chelsea Alves
Search and social now operate as a single ecosystem where shared signals, audience insights, and unified workflows drive stronger visibility and trust.