Google Disputes News That Search Engine Use Is Falling
Google pushed back against news reports of shrinking Search demand, pointing to “overall” search query growth and feature adoption
About
I have 25 years hands-on experience in SEO, evolving along with the search engines by keeping up with the latest research, patents and what’s happening in the search results.
Need a consultation? Contact me at roger@martinibuster.com or use the contact form at: Martinibuster.com
I recently presented at Pubcon Vegas in October and March 2024, and over the past 20 years have presented at search conferences across the United States: Pubcon, SMX, Affiliate Summit & SES (Search Engine Strategies) and have served as a Head Judge at the U.S. Search Awards .
Articles
WordPress WooCommerce Bug Causing Sites To Crash
A WordPress bug is causing fatal errors on WooCommerce sites, resulting in widespread outages.
Google’s Updated Raters Guidelines Target Fake EEAT Content
Google has expanded its Quality Rater Guidelines to help identify more deceptive SEO tactics and misleading web content
Google Shares Insight About Time-Based Search Operators
Google’s “before:” and “after:” operators let you filter by date, but they’re still in beta
Reddit Q1 Report: What It Means For Digital Marketing And SEO
Reddit expanded its global reach in Q1 2025, with logged-in and logged-out user activity growing sharply in both the U.S. and international markets
Google Expands AIO Coverage In Select Industries
Search visibility is shifting as AI Overviews replace organic listings across a growing number of industries.
Google Is Launching Search Central Deep Dive Events
Google announced a new series of multi-day events called Deep Dive for in-depth coverage of the technical and marketing sides of SEO
Reimagining EEAT To Drive Higher Sales And Search Visibility
You can’t add EEAT to a site, but you can create the conditions that lead to the signals Google equates with it
WordPress Jubilee Of Forgiveness Continues
WordPress posted a reminder that the WordPress Jubilee, in which previously blocked community members are unblocked, is still ongoing.
Google’s Updated Raters Guidelines Refines Concept Of Low Quality
Google’s recently updated Search Quality Raters Guidelines reflect Google’s search ranking priorities
Google Answers Why Landing Page Ranks For An E-Commerce Query
Google’s John Mueller answers why a landing page about a domain migration ranks for an e-commerce search query
SEO Rockstar Names 7 SEO Fundamentals To Win In AI Search
SEO legend Todd Friesen names seven SEO fundamentals for winning in AI search, and it’s still called SEO
GoDaddy Is Offering Leads To Freelancers And Agencies
GoDaddy’s Agency Program offers a high-intent source of leads for freelancers and web agencies
Google On Diluting SEO Impact Through Anchor Text Overuse
Google’s John Mueller answers a question about diluting the impact of anchor text by using it sitewide.
Google Clarifies Googlebot-News Crawler Documentation
Google updated the Googlebot-News documentation to remove wrong information
Reddit Mods Accuse AI Researchers Of Impersonating Sexual Assault Survivors
Reddit moderators accuse AI researchers of psychological manipulation and ethical breaches in an AI persuasiveness study
Google Updates Gemini/Vertex AI User Agent Documentation
Google’s updated guidance clarifies that Google-Extended does not affect search inclusion, nor is it a ranking signal
Google: How To Remove Site From Search Without Verifying Ownership
Google’s John Mueller explained how to remove a site from the search results without Search Console ownership verification
Google Quietly Ends COVID-Era Structured Data Support
Google quietly announced it will be ending support for a COVID-era structured data type
Wix Announces Adaptive Content For Driving Higher Sales & Engagement
Wix announced an adaptive website personalization feature that enables users to personalize website content for visitors
OpenAI Expresses Interest In Buying Chrome Browser
OpenAI may seek to acquire Chrome if it’s split from Google in the ongoing antitrust proceedings.
AI Overviews Glitch May Hint at Google’s Algorithm
Hallucinations in Google’s AI Overviews offer insights into how the ranking algorithms understand search queries and choose answers
SEOFOMO Survey Shows How Ecommerce SEOs Use AI In 2025
Survey shows increasing integration of AI into ecommerce workflows for wins in conversion optimization, content, and technical SEO
Google Says LLMs.Txt Comparable To Keywords Meta Tag
Google’s John Mueller critiqued the use of LLMs.txt and compared its utility to the useless keyword meta tag
Google Confirms That Structured Data Won’t Make A Site Rank Better
Google’s John Mueller explains that structured data won’t make a site rank better.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Confirms Planning Open Source AI Model
Sam Altman confirmed that OpenAI is preparing to release an open source AI model with capabilities close to the most advanced available today
Marketing To AI Agents Is The Future – Research Shows Why
Researchers test AI agents from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google to learn what makes them interact with advertising and other content
Google Updated Documentation For EEA Structured Data Carousels (Beta)
Google updated the documentation for their structured data carousels (beta) that are available in the EEA
Wix’s New AI Assistant Enables Meaningful Improvements To SEO, Sales And Productivity
Wix’s new AI assistant enables users to improve SEO, streamline how they work, and use tools more intuitively to grow their business.
Google Files New Patent On Personal History-Based Search
Google’s new patent enables users to search their personal history, like web pages or emails, using natural language queries.