AI search is taking over

Hey Readers. Hope y’all are doing awesome. This edition is a rather chill one, with nothing too alarming. I hope y’all are having an awesome week. Let’s just jump straight into it now.

In today’s edition:

1. Google has updated its site reputation abuse policy

2. The future of AI search

3. Quick SEO win of the week

Google Updates Site Reputation Abuse Policy

What's happening? Google has strengthened its stance on site reputation abuse - focusing specifically on how websites use third-party content to gain ranking advantages.

They're now explicitly clear: using third-party content to exploit a site's ranking signals is a violation, regardless of:

• White-label agreements

• Licensing deals

• Partial ownership

• Any other business arrangements

Why this matters? Google's systems can now:

• Detect independent sections of your site

• Treat them as standalone properties

• Remove automatic benefits from main site's authority

• Measure their quality independently

What should you do?

1. Audit your third-party content

2. Review content partnerships

3. Focus on original content creation

4. Monitor Search Console for any manual actions

My take:

This is Google pushing hard against artificial ranking boosts. If you're currently relying on your domain's authority to rank third-party content, it's time to rethink that strategy.

The Future of Search: AI Takes Over

What's happening? Gen AI search (like ChatGPT's search and Google's SGE) is changing how people find information online. Instead of just showing you links, these AI systems now give direct answers while citing their sources.

Why this matters?

• Search is moving beyond traditional rankings

• AI systems are pulling info from trusted sources

• Content quality and authority matter more than ever

• Traditional SEO might not be enough anymore

Here's what's actually going on behind the scenes: When you search using AI, it uses something called "retrieval-augmented generation" (RAG). Think of it like having a super-smart assistant that:

1. Reads through trusted sources

2. Understands your exact question

3. Creates a custom answer just for you

4. Shows you where it got the info from

What should you do?

1. Focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content

2. Build presence on trusted platforms in your industry

3. Get mentioned by reputable sources

4. Make sure your content is factual and well-researched

My take:

The days of just optimizing for Google are ending. If you want to stay visible in this AI-first world, you need to think about how your content appears across all platforms, not just in traditional search results.

Quick SEO Win of the Week:

Use Search Console's New Crawling Tips 🔥

Here's a super actionable tip that's working great for us at Upsero:

Google just rolled out crawling recommendations right in Search Console. Instead of digging through reports, you get direct tips about:

• Crawling issues

• Indexing problems

• Technical fixes

Quick win:

1. Open Search Console

2. Look for the "Recommendations" tab

3. Focus on high-priority items first

4. Fix issues one by one

Pro tip: Don't implement these blindly. For example, if you run a news site and Google suggests product schema - that might not make sense for you. Trust your judgment!