SEO 101 Ep 525: Google AI Mode Threatens Web Traffic and Publishers

In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte dive deep into AI-assisted SEO competitor analysis, the Ghost Citation Problem in AI search results, and evolving strategies for brand mentions versus citations. They also discuss Google’s “Read More” links, Bing Webmaster Tools’ new AI reporting features, click-through rates with AI overviews, and Google’s back button hijacking crackdown.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte cover the March 2026 Google Core Update, Google’s crackdown on back button hijacking, a Search Console impressions bug, changes to spam report policies, and quirky new review guidelines. They also discuss local SEO post updates, Data Studio’s rebranding, and the mysterious 418 "I'm a teapot" error.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte dive into the March 2026 Google core and spam updates, the surge of AI bot traffic, optimizing for AI agents, ChatGPT ad revenue, citation trends in AI search, Google’s crawling limits, Gemini-powered Ask Maps, location sharing features, and a new service to remove unfair Google reviews.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte dive into the decline of publisher search traffic, impacts of Google’s AI mode, ChatGPT ads management, Google cracking down on self-promotional listicles, and the ease of ranking misinformation. They also cover Google’s personal intelligence expansion and the removal of the "What People Suggest" health search feature.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte share a cautionary tale of SEO disaster during website redesigns, discuss new branded queries filters in Google Search Console, break down stats on AI assistant search volume, cover Amazon blocking Perplexity’s shopping bot, explore Google Maps’ new conversational AI feature, and highlight updates to AI-powered recipe results.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte discuss findings that 44% of ChatGPT citations come from the first third of content, review the strategies four sites used to recover from Google’s December 2025 core update, and share tips for Google Business Profile setup. They also discuss entity richness, content quality, and optimizing for AI citations.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of SEO 101, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte dive deep into AI's impact on SEO, the rise and fall of ads in AI platforms, and Google’s Discover Core update. They discuss significant changes to local search features, Bing AI performance reports, new Google Search Console updates, and examples highlighting the importance of expert-led SEO over relying solely on AI.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of the SEO 101 Podcast, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte dive into Google's AI Overviews, shifting search behaviors, and declining organic clicks. They discuss Gemini 3's global rollout, AI's growing influence on user queries, crawling and indexing challenges, Googlebot file limits, and potential crackdowns on self-promotional listicles, while emphasizing strategies for visibility amidst these major changes.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of the SEO 101 Podcast, Scott Van Achte covers the latest on ChatGPT paid ads, organic search traffic trends, and the impact of AI overviews; especially misinformation in health topics. He discusses local keyword search behavior in ChatGPT, core web vitals' limited effect on AI rankings, LLMs.txt usage, and key insights on impressions in Google Search Console.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of the SEO 101 podcast, Ross Dunn and Scott Van Achte review their 2025 SEO predictions, discuss Google's December 2025 core update, analyze the growing impact of AI on search and content creation, address local SEO challenges, the evolution of search layouts, and share key predictions and practical advice for thriving in the rapidly changing SEO landscape for 2026.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy