Welcome to the February 2025 edition of the Marketing Miner newsletter, where we bring you the latest and most important SEO news you need to know to stay ahead of the game. Let’s dive in!
Google’s New “Diversity Update”
There has been a change in Google’s algorithm that is significantly affecting traffic for many businesses. Joy Hawkins analyzed the impact of a new Diversity Update on local rankings. The update demotes organic rankings for businesses that already rank in the local pack, aiming to reduce the duplication of results. As a result, businesses that previously dominated both the local pack and organic search saw a drop in organic traffic.
Image source: www.sterlingsky.ca/googles-new-diversity-update/
To fix this, businesses should change the page their Google Business Profile links to, as linking to the wrong page can cause a drop in organic rankings. Testing showed that by linking to a different relevant page, businesses could improve both their local and organic rankings. If you’ve noticed a drop, revisiting the linked page could help recover your rankings.
Google Search now uses Speculation Rules API to make search faster
Google has implemented the Speculation Rules API to enhance navigation speed from search results to selected links. By prefetching the top two search results, users experience faster load times, with improvements in Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of 67 milliseconds on Android and 58.6 milliseconds on desktop. This change aims to create a faster, smoother browsing experience that drives more users, increases traffic, and ultimately leads to higher conversions.
Google starts testing new Search ‘AI Mode’ internally
Google is testing a new "AI Mode" in Search, aimed at improving responses for open-ended and exploratory questions. Powered by Gemini 2.0, this mode offers AI-generated breakdowns of information, replacing traditional search results with more in-depth, conversational responses. The new experience is designed for queries that require follow-up questions or comparisons, such as:
“What do I need to get started with aquascaping?”
a follow-up:
“What are some nearby stores to buy supplies?”
Image source: https://9to5google.com/2025/02/05/google-search-ai-mode-testing/
Google employees are currently testing it, with the potential for a public launch later in 2025. The interface features a chatbot-like design and offers links for deeper exploration, without the usual blue links.
Microsoft Bing testing Copilot Search
Microsoft Bing tests Copilot Search mode ahead of Google Search’s AI Mode. This new mode uses Copilot AI to provide a unique style of search results, with Copilot being the updated name for what was once Bing Chat.
This new interface is different from traditional Bing Search, existing Copilot features, and Bing’s generative search. It’s part of Microsoft’s efforts to bridge the gap between traditional search and AI-generated answers, competing with platforms like ChatGPT. Microsoft doesn’t plan to make AI Search the default mode, reflecting the ongoing race among tech giants and startups to shape the future of AI-driven search.
OpenAI has introduced GPT-4.5
OpenAI has launched GPT-4.5, its most advanced AI model yet, which is now available to ChatGPT Pro users. It offers better understanding, improved world knowledge, creativity, and more natural conversations. This new version excels at writing, problem-solving, and following user intent more accurately.
As OpenAI states, it produces more accurate responses and hallucinates less compared to its previous models. Users can now access up-to-date information, upload files and images, and work on writing or code more efficiently. It will be rolled out to more ChatGPT users in the coming weeks.
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SEO reads
The impact of AI Overviews on SEO - analysis of 19 studies
What 19 studies tell us about the state of AI Overviews? Kevin Indig dives into the data to analyze how Google's AI overviews impact SEO, CTR, and organic traffic. Read more to discover how you can rank in AI Overviews or how you should rethink content creation for this new search landscape.
ChatGPT Search by the Numbers: How is it Performing in the Search Space?
ChatGPT Search has grown significantly since its launch, with its user base doubling from early 2024 to early 2025. Teresa Lee’s analysis explores how SearchGPT drives traffic, revealing Amazon as the top destination and electronics as the most popular e-commerce category. However, despite this growth, data shows that SearchGPT has not significantly impacted Google or Perplexity’s user base, suggesting it complements rather than disrupts traditional search engines.
Using Search Console and Google Analytics data for SEO
We found a useful Looker Studio template by Google that allows you to connect and visualize both Search Console and GA4 data in one dashboard. This template helps you monitor and compare key organic search metrics, like clicks, sessions, and engagement, across both platforms. By combining data from both tools, you can better understand how your audience finds and interacts with your site. It’s a great tool for SEO professionals to analyze traffic patterns and troubleshoot discrepancies between the two data sources.
SEO depreciation - what would happen if you did nothing?
What would happen to your website’s organic traffic if you stopped all SEO efforts? Will Critchlow ran an experiment showing that neglecting SEO can lead to a 10-20% decline in traffic per year, as competitors continue to invest. His findings highlight how performance naturally declines without ongoing SEO efforts.
