Matt G. Southern, Author at Search Engine Journal

About

Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, Matt specializes in gathering details, checking facts, and making complex subjects easy to understand. In addition to writing articles, Matt oversees strategy development for SEJ’s news department.

Articles

News
SEO

Is SEO Still Relevant In The AI Era? New Research Says Yes

New study of 25,000 searches shows that top Google rankings still matter for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI search results.

4 min read
10K Reads
May 28, 2025

News
PPC

Google Claims AI Overviews Monetize At Same Rate As Traditional Search

Google claims that AI Overviews generate ad revenue equal to traditional search results. What this means for your marketing strategy.

7 min read
4.3K Reads
May 27, 2025

Google’s New AI Tools Promise Faster Ads, But Raise Control Concerns

Google AI agents can now modify campaigns automatically, but advertisers at Marketing Live raised control concerns.

5 min read
1.4K Reads
May 26, 2025

News
SEO

Google Claims AI Search Delivers ‘Quality Clicks’ Despite Traffic Loss

Google claims AI search delivers “more qualified clicks” despite traffic losses. Are these changes helping publishers, or boosting its ads business?

5 min read
4.1K Reads
May 22, 2025

Google’s Official Advice On Optimizing For AI Overviews & AI Mode

Google publishes blog posts with official tips to make your content perform well in AI search features like AI Overviews & AI Mode.

4 min read
14K Reads
May 21, 2025

Google Expands AI Features in Search: What You Need to Know

Google AI Mode rolls out in US Search with Gemini 2.5 integration, AI overviews expand to more languages. + more announcements from I/O.

5 min read
10K Reads
May 20, 2025

Google Gemini Upgrades: New AI Capabilities Announced At I/O

Google Gemini upgrades include Chrome integration, Live visual tools, and enhanced 2.5 models. Learn how these AI advances could reshape your marketing strategy.

4 min read
2.0K Reads
May 20, 2025

HTTP Status Codes Google Cares About (And Those It Ignores)

Google’s Search Relations team shares which HTTP status codes matter most for SEO. Learn how redirects, 1xx codes, and network errors impact your site’s performance.

3 min read
1.8K Reads
May 15, 2025

News
SEO

Google Clarifies: AI Overview Links Share Single Position In Search Console

Google clarifies that links in AI Overviews all share a single position in Search Console reports.

2 min read
5.8K Reads
May 14, 2025

Google Launches Generative AI Certification With Free Training

Google launches a generative AI certification with free training, focusing on Google’s tools. Is this credential worth adding to your resume?

2 min read
13K Reads
May 14, 2025

Google Links To Itself: 43% Of AI Overviews Point Back To Google

Google’s AI Overviews link back to Google 43% of the time, furthering its walled garden effect, according to new data.

3 min read
11K Reads
May 12, 2025

Google Updates Image SEO Best Practices: Use Consistent URLs

Google’s updated image SEO best practices recommend using consistent URLs for images across your site to preserve crawl budget.

2 min read
8.0K Reads
May 12, 2025

Google Reminds That Hreflang Tags Are Hints, Not Directives

Google’s John Mueller explains that Hreflang tags act as suggestions, not directives. Learn how canonical tags impact international SEO and what adjustments your strategy needs.

3 min read
1.3K Reads
May 12, 2025

How Google Protects Searchers From Scams: Updates Announced

Google’s AI-powered security now blocks 20x more scams in search results, Chrome, and Android.

3 min read
1.6K Reads
May 8, 2025

New AI Models Make More Mistakes, Creating Risk for Marketers

New AI systems are less accurate than older versions, with error rates up to 79%. Learn why this happens and how to protect your brand.

3 min read
1.3K Reads
May 8, 2025

News
SEO

Apple May Add AI Search Engines to Safari As Google Use Drops

Apple is exploring AI search engines like ChatGPT for Safari, signaling a shift from Google’s $20B deal. How will this reshape search competition?

3 min read
2.0K Reads
May 7, 2025

ChatGPT Leads AI Search Race While Google & Others Slip, Data Shows

ChatGPT leads the AI search market with an 80% share, while traditional search engine use reportedly declines.

2 min read
4.2K Reads
May 7, 2025

News
SEO

Google’s Walled Garden: Users Make 10 Clicks Before Leaving

A study analyzing Google vs ChatGPT traffic finds Google keeps users on its site longer, but sends the most traffic overall.

3 min read
5.0K Reads
May 5, 2025

Server-Side vs. Client-Side Rendering: What Google Recommends

Google’s Martin Splitt shares key JavaScript rendering insights. He discusses AI crawlers, SSR vs. CSR, and the impact of structured data.

4 min read
18K Reads
May 2, 2025

News
SEO

33% of Google Users Stuck with Bing After a Two-Week Trial: Study

Study reveals 33% of Google users stayed with Bing after trying it for two weeks. Is Google’s dominance driven by quality, or default settings?

4 min read
2.4K Reads
May 1, 2025

News
Tools

Google Lighthouse To Undergo Major Audit Overhaul: What To Know

Google Lighthouse audits are changing. Learn which tests are merging, disappearing, and how to prepare your SEO workflows before these changes take effect.

3 min read
2.3K Reads
May 1, 2025

Google AI Mode Expands Rollout, Adds Maps & Shopping Results

Google AI Mode is now available to all US users in Google Labs, offers new visual cards, shopping integration, and more.

4 min read
2.0K Reads
May 1, 2025

Google & Apple Maps: 20% of Local Searches Now Start Here

Map platforms like Google, Apple, and Bing Maps now drive 20% of local searches, according to new research.

4 min read
2.1K Reads
Apr 29, 2025

News
SEO

Google Discover Desktop Data Previously Trackable In Search Console

Google Discover desktop data was briefly accessible in Search Console. Though no longer available, the data provides insights ahead of the full rollout.