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 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajwalls/) and Laura Iancu (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-iancu-seo/), we unpack key updates from Google, ChatGPT developments, AI’s impact on search behaviour, and new paid media strategies.

Key Themes:

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.

Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome & Overview
05:00 – Core Updates & Search Ranking Shifts
15:00 – AI’s Influence on SEO & Click-Through Rates
30:00 – AI’s Impact on Generative Engine Optimisation
40:00 – Paid Media, Ads, and ChatGPT Revenue
47:00 – Local Search Shifts & AI Discoveries
50:00 – Wrap-up & Key Takeaways

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/

Watch / Listen on Spotify: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/S9IZwMz4P2b

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

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