Google’s John Mueller answered a question about an expired domain that was unable to rank for relevant search queries, including its own brand name. The answer sheds light on how expired domains are handled by Google after they are re-registered.

History Of Expired Domains And SEO

Buying expired domains for their link profiles was a quick way to rank a website about 25 years ago. In those days, it was possible to see the PageRank associated with a domain through Google’s browser toolbar. If the domain was penalized, the PageRank meter would show this with a completely zeroed-out PageRank value. Thus, an SEO could buy an expired domain, regardless of the topic associated with it, point it to their website, and experience a boost in PageRank and rankings.

The expired domain effect was not limited to actual expired domains. A little-known loophole was that links to non-existent domain names could also contain PageRank. For example, many SEO forums used to link to domains like example-domain.com during the course of their discussions. SEOs would purchase those domains and experience the benefit of the PageRank from all the websites linking to that domain.

Another related tactic was to crawl .edu and .org websites to identify domain name misspellings in (broken) links to external websites, register those domains, and within hours a site would have inbound links from authoritative web pages.

The expired domain loophole came to an end in the early 2000s after Google introduced domain PageRank resets. Interestingly, the domain reset also affected domain misspellings that had never been registered. So even that secret loophole was closed.

Google’s John Mueller, in his answer, seemed to provide some information about how the domain name reset works. Mueller specifically referred to the state of being a parked domain and then having that status removed internally within Google.

Expired Domain Is Not Ranking

A person posted about their expired domain issue on the SEO subreddit (r/SEO). They explained that they had recently launched a new website on an expired domain, and it was having trouble ranking for keywords, including its own branded keywords.

They explained:

“I launched a brand-new website on a new domain, everything looks solid:

Indexed in Google (shows up with site:domain).

No errors in Search Console.

Sitemap and robots.txt are clean.

Here’s the strange part: the site refuses to appear in SERPs for even the most basic branded queries. Not ranking for generic terms is one thing, but not showing up at all for my own company name (let’s call it Octigen GmbH)? That feels really odd.

Now, here’s the twist: this domain used to belong to a completely different company (also called Octigen) that went bust years ago. Old links still exist in forums, ecommerce sites, etc. I’m wondering if the domain’s past life could be holding it back — like a reputation penalty or some kind of lingering Google baggage.”

The person then asked the following questions:

• “Can an old domain history actively suppress visibility, even if it’s re-verified, re-indexed, and fully rebuilt?
• Is there a way to “reset” a domain’s reputation, or am I better off cutting losses and starting fresh?”

It Takes Time To “Shake Off” Old State Of Domain

Mueller answers the question with a reference to shaking off the previous “state” of a domain, which he describes as being unregistered or parked. Those are two different states of a domain.

Unregistered means that there’s nothing at a domain; it’s not registered by anyone, and it basically doesn’t exist, even if the domain was previously registered but now is not.

A parked domain means that the domain is registered and the DNS is pointing to a holding page, maybe even showing some advertising.

Mueller said it takes time for the state of that domain to change within Google:

“Sometimes it just takes a lot of time for the old state of a domain to be shaken off (sometimes that’s also the case when it was parked for a while), and the site to be treated like something new / independent.”

Expired Domain Name Reset

What Mueller is talking about sounds a lot like what we used to talk about over twenty years ago: an expired domain reset. The ways in which Google treats domains may have changed since then, so what Mueller is talking about could be related to a different process, like understanding where a site fits on the Internet.

Could this mean that a domain “state,” such as parked or expired, results in some kind of index notation at Google?

Mueller continued his answer by saying there’s nothing he can do to manually indicate the domain’s state has changed:

“There’s nothing manual that you can / need to do here.”

But he did recommend checking Search Console to make sure there are no penalties associated with the site:

“I would double-check in Search Console to make sure that there are no URL removal requests pending, and that there’s nothing in the manual actions section, but I’m guessing you already did that.”

What To Do If An Expired Domain Is Not Ranking?

At this point, most SEOs would not like to be told to sit tight and wait for Google to discover a new website. The natural inclination would be to increase natural links to a website and other promotional activities. Short of link building, that’s what Mueller advised.

He wrote:

“My suggestion for you specifically would be to keep using it, and to try to grow your visibility on other channels in the meantime. For example, it looks like you’re findable via your Linkedin page, which links to your domain name. If you’re active on Linkedin, and using that wisely to reference your domain, users can find it that way.

Similarly, you could be active in other places, such as YouTube or other social media sites (The YT video for your company name is currently on a private profile, which can be ok, but which you could also do on a company-branded profile. Or, of course, a Reddit profile)

In short, make it easy for people to find your content regardless of location when they search for it, especially for your company name. From there, expanding to the kinds of searches that could lead users who don’t yet know your company to your content, would be the next step — and even there it’s useful to be active on various platforms.”

Expired Domains Can Be Tricky

It’s clear that expired domains have, in the past, gone through a reset process where the link equity of a domain drops off and the domain essentially starts at position zero.

Google’s ranking algorithms can give a new site a temporary ranking boost. That makes it difficult to say with certainty whether a website with an expired domain is ranking because of the residual effects from the domain or because of Google’s new site ranking boost.

What’s important to keep in mind is that promoting a new website is essential, regardless of whether it’s built on an expired domain or one that’s never been registered.

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Andrii Iemelianenko

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-explains-expired-domains-and-ranking-issues/557283/

Brave is rolling out Ask Brave, a unified search tool that combines AI chat features with regular search results.

It’s accessible on all browsers via the Brave Search homepage.

Ask Brave offers detailed answers, along with interactive elements like videos, webpages, and product listings, all within a single interface.

What’s ‘Ask Brave?’

Ask Brave builds on the company’s existing AI Answers feature, which Brave claims produces over 15 million responses daily.

The initial AI summarization tool was launched in 2023 as “Summarizer,” then renamed “Answer with AI,” and is now called “AI Answers.”

Josep M. Pujol, Chief of Search at Brave, says:

While AI Answers give our users quick summaries, Ask Brave provides longer answers, follow-ups, and a chat mode enhanced with Deep Research, and most importantly, contextually relevant enrichments such as videos, news articles, products, businesses, shopping, and more – in the right place, at the right time. Search makes it possible, LLMs glue it together. We anticipate that Ask Brave will generate millions more daily AI-powered answers with this powerful combination of search and chat, and look forward to deploying more useful AI-powered search tools for our users.

The company positions Ask Brave as a solution to a common frustration: switching between traditional search interfaces and chat tools. You can now access both from one entry point.

Grounded In Search

Brave reports Ask Brave achieves 94.9% accuracy on SimpleQA, using grounding tech with its Search API.

It taps into over 35 billion webpages to base responses on web info, reportedly reducing hallucinations and irrelevant results.

The Deep Research mode issues queries and analyzes thousands of pages to identify and address blind spots, Brave says.

Privacy

Brave affirms that Ask Brave follows its privacy-first policy.

Questions and chats aren’t used for training purposes. Conversations are encrypted, automatically deleted after 24 hours of inactivity, and IP addresses aren’t stored.

How To Use It

There are several ways to access Ask Brave:

• Include double question marks (“??”) in queries when Brave Search is your default engine.
• Click the “Ask” button on search.brave.com.
• Choose the “Ask” tab on search results pages to switch traditional results to chat mode.
• Directly set the homepage to the Ask Brave interface.

Broader Context

Brave claims Brave Search is the third-largest independent global search engine, handling about 1.5 billion monthly queries. The Brave browser reports over 97 million monthly active users worldwide, according to the company.

The launch lands as major search engines continue integrating AI into core experiences. Google has rolled out AI Mode across Search, while Microsoft has integrated Copilot into Bing and Edge.

Brave also offers a Search API that provides real-time data to AI language models.

---

Featured Image: bangla press/shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/brave-introduces-ask-brave-a-unified-ai-search-interface/557191/

Google has launched a small-business resource hub, positioning it as a single starting point for setup, advertising, measurement, and support.

The page pulls together direct entry points for Business Profile, Merchant Center, Google Ads and YouTube Ads, plus a clear “get started” path into Google Analytics.

It also spotlights Workspace’s AI features and links beginner training and help resources in one place.

What’s In It?

The hub serves as a gateway to Google’s small-business tools.

You can claim a Business Profile, list products in Merchant Center, launch Google Ads or YouTube Ads, and activate Analytics.

The layout makes it easier to move a client from “claim your profile” to “list products” to “launch ads” without hopping sites.

How It Helps

For agencies and consultants, the practical use is straightforward: you can send new clients to a single URL for onboarding instead of assembling links across multiple Google properties.

It’s a navigational layer over tools you already use. What’s actually new is the packaging and emphasis.

Google has offered “Google for Small Business” destinations before, but this refresh lives on business.google.com, reflects today’s ads lineup, and puts AI-assisted workflows and starter website options in view.

That makes it more useful as a canonical link you can include in proposals, kickoff emails, and checklists.

Looking Ahead

The test for marketers is whether Google continues to keep this page fresh with the latest product updates, new partner offers, and up-to-date guides.

If it does, it can make onboarding smoother for small teams and give you more time to focus on strategy instead of worrying about URL management.

---

Featured Image: IB Photography/Shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-launches-new-small-business-resource-hub/557184/

Google rolled out AI Overviews to all U.S. users in May 2024. Since then, publishers have reported significant traffic losses, with some seeing click-through rates drop by as much as 89%. The question isn’t whether AI Overviews impact traffic, but how much damage they’re doing to specific content types.

Search (including Google Discover and traditional Google Search) consistently accounts for between 20% and 40% of referral traffic to most major publishers, making it their largest external traffic source. When DMG Media, which owns MailOnline and Metro, reports nearly 90% declines for certain searches, it’s a stark warning for traditional publishing.

After more than a year of AI Overviews (and Search Generative Experience), we have extensive data from publishers, researchers, and industry analysts. This article pulls together findings from multiple studies covering hundreds of thousands of keywords, tens of thousands of user searches, and real-world publisher experiences.

The evidence spans from Pew Research’s 46% average decline to DMG Media’s 89% worst-case scenarios. Educational platforms like Chegg report a 49% decline. But branded searches are actually increasing for some, suggesting there are survival strategies for those who adapt.

This article explains what’s really happening and why, including the types of content that face the biggest changes and which are staying relatively stable. You’ll understand why Google says clicks are “higher quality” even as publishers see traffic declines, and you’ll see what changes might make sense based on real data rather than guesses.

AI Overviews are the biggest change to search since featured snippets were introduced in 2014. They’re affecting the kinds of content publishers produce, and they’re increasing zero-click searches, which now make up 69% of all queries, according to Similarweb.

Whether your business relies on search traffic or you’re just watching industry trends, these patterns are significantly impacting digital marketing.

What we’re seeing is a new era in search and a change that is reshaping how online information is shared and how users interact with it.

AI Overview Studies: The Overwhelming Evidence

Google’s AI Overviews (AIO) have impacted traffic across most verticals and altered search behavior.

The feature, which was first introduced as Search Generative Experience (SGE) announced at Google I/O in May 2023, now appears in over 200 countries and 40 languages following a May 2025 expansion.

Independent research conducted throughout 2024 and 2025 shows click-through rate reductions ranging from 34% to 46% when AI summaries appear on search results pages.

Evidence from a variety of independent studies outlines the impact of AIO and shows a range of effects depending on the type of content and how it’s measured:

Reduced Click Through Rates – Pew Research Center

A study by Pew Research Center provides a rigorous analysis. By tracking 68,000 real search queries, researchers found that users clicked on results 8% of the time when AI summaries appeared, compared to 15% without them. That’s a 46.7% relative reduction.

Pew’s study tracked actual user behavior, rather than relying on estimates or keyword tools, validating publisher concerns.

Google questioned Pew’s methodology, claiming that the analysis period overlapped with algorithm testing unrelated to AI Overviews. However, the decline and its connection to AI Overview presence suggest a notable relationship, even if other factors played a role.

Position One Eroded – Ahrefs

Ahrefs’ analysis found that position one click-through rates dropped for informational keywords triggering AI Overviews.

Ryan Law, Director of Content Marketing at Ahrefs, stated on LinkedIn:

“AI Overviews reduce clicks by 34.5%. Google says being featured in an AI Overview leads to higher click-through rates… Logic disagrees, and now, so does our data.”

Law’s observation gets to the heart of a major contradiction: Google says appearing in AI Overviews helps publishers, but the math of fewer clicks suggests this is just corporate doublespeak to appease content creators.

His post garnered over 8,200 reactions, indicating widespread industry agreement with these findings.

More Zero-Click Searches – Similarweb

According to Similarweb data, zero-click searches increased from 56% to 69% between May 2024 and May 2025. While this captures trends beyond AI Overviews, the timing aligns with the rollout.

Zero-click searches work because they meet user needs. For example, when someone searches for “weather today” or a stock price, getting an instant answer without clicking is helpful. The issue comes when zero-click searches creep into areas where publishers used to offer in-depth content.

Stuart Forrest, global director of SEO digital publishing at Bauer Media, confirms the trend, telling the BBC:

“We’re definitely moving into the era of lower clicks and lower referral traffic for publishers.”

Forrest’s admitting to this new reality shows that the industry as a whole is coming to terms with the end of the golden age of search traffic. Not with a dramatic impact, but with a steady decline in clicks as AI meets users’ needs before they ever leave Google’s ecosystem.

Search Traffic Decline – Digital Content Next

An analysis by Digital Content Next found a 10% overall search traffic decline among member publishers between May and June.

Although modest compared to DMG’s worst-case scenarios, this represents millions of lost visits across major publishers.

AIO Placement Volatility – Authoritas

An Authoritas report finds that AI Overview placements are more volatile than organic ones. Over a two- to three-month period, about 70% of the pages cited in AI Overviews changed, and these changes weren’t linked to traditional organic rankings.

This volatility is why some sites experience sudden traffic drops even when their blue-link rankings seem stable.

Click-Based Economy Collapse For News Publishers – DMG Media

A statement from DMG Media to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority reveals click-through rates dropped by as much as 89% when AI Overviews appeared for their content.

Although this figure represents a worst-case scenario rather than an average, it highlights the potential for traffic losses for certain search types.

Additionally, there are differences in how AI Overviews affect click-through rates depending on the device type.

The Daily Mail’s desktop CTR dropped from 25.23% to 2.79% when an AI Overview surfaced above a visible link (-89%), with mobile traffic declining by 87%; U.S. figures were similar.

These numbers indicate we’re facing more than just a temporary adjustment period. We’re witnessing a structural collapse of the click-based economy that has supported digital publishing since the early 2000s. With traffic declines approaching 90%, we’ve gone beyond optimization tactics and into existential crisis mode territory.

The submission to regulatory authorities suggests they’re confident in these numbers, despite their magnitude.

Educational Site Disruption – Chegg

Educational platforms are experiencing disruption from AI Overviews.

Learning platform Chegg reported a 49% decline in non-subscriber traffic between January 2024 and January 2025 in company statements accompanying their February antitrust lawsuit.

The decline coincided with AI Overviews answering homework and study questions that previously drove traffic to educational sites. Chegg’s lawsuit alleges that Google used content from educational publishers to train AI systems that now compete directly with those publishers.

Chegg’s case is a warning sign for educational content creators: If AI systems can successfully replace structured learning platforms, what’s the future for smaller publishers?

Reduced Visibility For Top Ranking Sites – Advanced Web Ranking

AI Overviews are dense and tall, impacting the visibility of organic results.

Advanced Web Ranking found that across 8,000 keywords, AI Overviews average around 169 words and include about seven links when expanded.

Once expanded, the first organic result often appears about 1,674px down the page. That’s well below the fold on most screens, reducing visibility for even top-ranked pages.

Branded Searches: The Surprising Exception

While most query types are seeing traffic declines, branded searches show the opposite trend. According to Amsive’s research, branded queries with AI Overviews see an 18% increase in click-through rate.

Several related factors likely contribute to this brand advantage. When AI Overviews mention specific brands, it conveys authority and credibility in ways that generic content can’t replicate.

People seeing their preferred brand in an AI Overview may be more likely to click through to the official site. Additionally, AI Overviews for branded searches often include rich information like store hours, contact details, and direct links, making it easier for users to find what they need.

This pattern has strategic implications as companies that have invested in brand building have a strong defense against AI disruption. The 18% increase in branded terms versus a 34-46% decrease in generic terms (as shown above) creates a performance gap that will likely impact marketing budgets.

The brand advantage extends beyond direct brand searches. Queries combining brand names with product categories show smaller traffic declines than purely generic searches. This suggests that even partial brand recognition provides some protection against AI Overview disruption. Companies with strong brands can leverage this by ensuring their brand appears naturally in relevant conversations and content.

This brand premium creates a two-tier internet, where established brands flourish while smaller content creators struggle financially. The impact on information diversity and market competition is troubling.

Google’s Defense: Stable Traffic, Better Quality

Google maintains a consistent three-part defense of AI Overviews:

• Increased search usage.
• Improved click quality.
• Stable overall traffic.

The company frames AI Overviews as enhancing rather than replacing traditional search, though this narrative faces increasing skepticism from publishers experiencing traffic declines.

The company’s blog post from May, introducing the global expansion, stated:

“AI Overviews is driving over 10% increase in usage of Google for the types of queries that show AI Overviews. This means that once people use AI Overviews, they are coming to do more of these types of queries.”

Although this statistic shows a rise in Google Search engagement, it’s sparked intense debate and skepticism in the search and publishing worlds. Many experts agree that a 10% boost in AI Overview-driven searches could be due to changes in user behavior, but also warn that higher search volumes don’t automatically mean more traffic for content publishers.

A number of LinkedIn industry voices have publicly pushed back on Google’s 10% usage increase narrative. For example, Devansh Parashar writes:

“Google’s claim that AI Overviews have driven 10% more searches masks a troubling trend. Data from independent research firms, such as Pew, show that a majority of users do not click beyond the AI Overview— a figure that suggests Google’s LLM layer is quietly eating the web’s traffic pie.”

Similarly, Trevin Shirey points out concerns about the gap between increased engagement with search queries and the actual traffic publishers see:

“Although Google reports a surge in usage, many publishers are experiencing declines in organic click-through rates. This signals a silent crisis where users get quick answers from AI, but publishers are left behind.”

Google’s claim about increased usage needs to be read carefully. The increase is only for certain types of queries that show AI overviews, not overall search volume.

If users have to make multiple searches to find information they could have gotten in one click, their overall usage might go up, but their satisfaction could actually decrease.

In an August blog post, Google’s head of search, Liz Reid, claimed the volume of clicks from Google search to websites had been “relatively stable” year-over-year.

Reid also asserted that click quality had improved:

“With AI Overviews, people are searching more and asking new questions that are often longer and more complex. In addition, with AI Overviews people are seeing more links on the page than before. More queries and more links mean more opportunities for websites to surface and get clicked.”

A Google spokesperson told the BBC:

“More than any other company, Google prioritises sending traffic to the web, and we continue to send billions of clicks to websites every day.”

Google’s developer documentation states:

“We’ve seen that when people click from search results pages with AI Overviews, these clicks are higher quality (meaning, users are more likely to spend more time on the site).”

Publishers are understandably concerned and question the differences between Google’s description of stability and the actual data showing otherwise.

Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next, notes:

“Since Google rolled out AI Overviews in your search results, median year-over-year referral traffic from Google Search to premium publishers down 10%.”

Kint’s data shatters Google’s carefully crafted image of stability, exposing what many publishers already suspect: The search giant’s promises are increasingly at odds with the realities reflected in their analytics dashboards and revenue reports.

The argument that higher-quality clicks are more valuable doesn’t provide much comfort when revenue is falling short. Even if engagement increases, losing such a large portion of clicks is a serious challenge for many ad-supported businesses.

Echoing these concerns, SEO Lead Jeff Domansky states:

“For publishers, AI Overviews are a direct hit to traffic and revenue models built around clicks and pageviews.”

Although Google claims that AI Overview clicks are of higher quality, many industry experts are skeptical.

Lily Ray, Vice President, SEO Strategy & Research at Amsive, highlights the lack of quality control on Google’s end:

“Since Google’s AI Overviews were launched, I (and many others) have shared dozens of examples of spam, misinformation, and inaccurate, biased, or incomplete results appearing in live AI Overview responses.”

And SEO specialist Barry Adams raises concerns about the quality and sustainability:

“Google’s AI Overviews are terrible at quoting the right sources… There is nothing intelligent about LLMs. They’re advanced word predictors, and using them for any purpose that requires a basis in verifiable facts – like search queries – is fundamentally wrong.”

Adams highlights a philosophical contradiction in AI Overviews: By relying on probabilistic language models to answer factual questions, Google may be misaligning technology with user needs.

This range of voices highlights a growing disconnect between Google’s hopeful engagement claims and the tough realities many publishers are facing as their referral traffic and revenue decrease.

Google hasn’t provided specific metrics defining “higher quality.” Publishers can’t verify these claims without access to comparative engagement data from AI Overview versus traditional search traffic.

Legal Challenges Mount

Publishers are seeking relief through regulatory and legal channels. In July, the Independent Publishers Alliance, tech justice nonprofit Foxglove, and the campaign group Movement for an Open Web filed a complaint with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. They claim that Google AI Overviews misuse publisher content, causing harm to newspapers.

The complaint urges the CMA to impose temporary measures that prevent Google from using publisher content in AI-generated responses without compensation.

It’s still unclear whether courts and regulators, which often move at a slow pace, can take action quickly enough to help publishers before market forces make any potential solutions irrelevant. A classic example of regulation trying to keep up with technological advancements.

The rapid growth of AI Overviews suggests that market realities may outstrip legal solutions.

Publisher Adaptations: Beyond Google Dependence

With threats looming, publishers are rushing to cut their reliance on Google. David Higgerson shares Reach’s approach in a statement to the BBC:

“We need to go and find where audiences are elsewhere and build relationships with them there. We’ve got millions of people who receive our alerts on WhatsApp. We’ve built newsletters.”

Instead of creating content for Google discovery, publishers need to develop direct relationships. Email newsletters, mobile apps, and podcast subscriptions provide traffic sources that aren’t affected by AI Overview disruptions.

Stuart Forrest stresses the importance of quality as a key differentiator:

“We need to make sure that it’s us being cited and not our rivals. Things like writing good quality content… it’s amazing the number of publishers that just give up on that.”

However, quality alone may not be enough if users never leave Google’s search results page. Publishers also need to master AI Overview optimization and understand how to make the most of remaining click opportunities.

Higgerson notes:

“Google doesn’t give us a manual on how to do it. We have to run tests and optimise copy in a way that doesn’t damage the primary purpose of the content.”

Another path that’s emerging is content licensing. Following News Corp and The Atlantic partnering with OpenAI, more publishers are exploring direct licensing relationships. These deals typically provide upfront payments and ongoing royalties for content usage in AI training, though terms remain confidential.

What We Don’t Know

There are still many uncertainties. The long-term trajectory of AI Mode, for example, could alter current patterns.

AI Mode

Google’s AI Mode may pose an even bigger threat than AI Overviews. This new interface displays search results in a conversational format instead of 10 blue links. Searchers have a back-and-forth with AI, with occasional reference links thrown in.

For publishers already struggling with AI-powered overviews, AI Mode could wipe out the rest of their traffic.

International Impact

The international effects outside English-language markets remain unmeasured. Since AI Overviews are available in over 200 countries and 40 languages, the impact likely varies by market. Factors like cultural differences in search behavior, language complexity, local competition dynamics, and varying digital literacy levels could lead to vastly different outcomes.

Most current research focuses on English-language markets in developed economies.

Content Creation

The feedback loop between AI Overviews and content creation could reshape what content gets produced and how information flows online.

If publishers stop creating certain types of content due to traffic losses, will AI Overview quality suffer as training data becomes stale?

Looking Ahead: Expanded AI Features

Google intends to continue expanding AI features despite mounting publisher concerns and legal challenges.

The company’s roadmap includes AI Mode international expansion and enhanced interactive features, including voice-activated AI conversations and multi-turn query refinement. Publishers should prepare for continued evolution rather than expecting stability in search traffic patterns.

Regulatory intervention may force greater transparency in the coming months. The Independent Publishers Alliance’s EU complaint requests detailed impact assessments and content usage documentation.

These proceedings could establish precedents affecting how AI systems can use publisher content.

Final Thoughts

The question isn’t whether AI Overviews affect traffic. Evidence overwhelmingly confirms they do. The question is how publishers adapt business models while maintaining sustainable operations.

The web is at a turning point, where the core agreement is being rewritten by the platforms that once promoted the open internet. Publishers who don’t acknowledge this change are jeopardizing their relevance in an AI-driven future.

Those who understand the impact, invest in brand building, and diversify traffic sources will be best positioned for success.

More Resources:

---

Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/impact-of-ai-overviews-how-publishers-need-to-adapt/556843/

Black Friday 2024 rewrote the playbook for holiday retail, setting new sales records, ushering in mobile-first shopping, and unleashing bold, creative campaigns from leading brands. With the 2025 planning window about to close, brands must analyze the critical data, emerging trends, and strategic lessons learned from last year to build effective campaigns that maximize reach, engagement, and revenue.

Below, discover the stats and strategies shaping this year’s Black Friday – and examine the innovative approaches of Amazon, Walmart, and Target to inspire your brand’s success.

Record-Breaking Sales: The New Holiday Landscape

Black Friday 2024 was nothing short of historic. U.S. online spending surged to $10.8 billion, marking a 10.2% increase over 2023, while global sales soared to $74.4 billion in just 24 hours – a year-over-year gain of 5%. Cyber Monday followed suit, hitting $13.3 billion in online sales, up $0.9 billion from the previous year, and driving the overall Cyber Week total to $241.4 billion.

This growth is driven by a combination of shifting consumer behaviors, expanded shopping timelines, and elevated digital experiences. But while overall spending is up, signals of caution in consumer sentiment suggest 2025 may see strong – if more moderate – expansion. According to NRF forecasts, holiday sales growth is expected to land between 2.7% and 3.7% this year, a step down from the boom in 2023–2024.

Key Data Highlights

• 87.3 million U.S. consumers shopped online on Black Friday 2024.
• 81.7 million visited physical stores, underscoring the persistent relevance of in-person shopping – even as online dominates.
• Mobile purchases comprised 69% of global Black Friday spending and 57% on Cyber Monday.
• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) spending hit $686 million on Black Friday alone and $18.2 billion for the season, up nearly 9% year-over-year.

Market Trends: The Era Of Mobile, Social Video, And Early Shopping

Mobile-First Shopping

Digital’s dominance was overwhelming in 2024. The majority of Black Friday’s action has shifted to mobile devices, forcing brands to rethink the digital shopping experience from the ground up. Mobile optimization is no longer optional – every touchpoint, from landing pages to checkout, must be frictionless and designed for mobile screens.

The Rise Of Social Video And Live Commerce

Social video emerged as one of the most compelling drivers of traffic and conversion. Short-form, vertical video formats – think Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts –proved highly effective at reaching mobile-first audiences. Leading brands leaned into shoppable videos, influencer partnerships, and real-time live shopping events to create urgency and authentic engagement.

Strategic tactics include:

• Leveraging in-app shopping directly from video content.
• Integrating polls, quizzes, and interactive features.
• Harnessing influencer and user-generated content (UGC) for social proof.
• Hosting live streams to humanize the brand and create urgency.

Extended Promotions: The Multi-Week Holiday

Holiday shopping is no longer a one-day rush. In 2024, nearly two-thirds of consumers started shopping before Black Friday, with many beginning as early as June or August. The trend towards extended promotional periods means that brands must capture attention early and sustain momentum through Cyber Week rather than concentrating efforts on a single moment.

Supporting data:

• 32% of shoppers planned to start between July and October.
• 92% researched products well in advance of the holidays.

Changing Consumer Behaviors: Caution, Value, And Big-Ticket Shopping

While online spending and average order values climbed in 2024, consumer caution emerged. Economic uncertainty, inflation, and tariffs are driving buyers to hunt for authentic deals, focus on higher-value purchases when deep discounts are available, and rely on BNPL options for larger buys.

• 75% of consumers say they’ll spend the same or more in 2025, but discretionary categories like apparel are cooling, with higher growth forecasted for electronics, toys, and experiences.
• Toys experienced a 680% surge in Cyber Monday sales compared to October averages.

Generational Divide

While Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers are poised to maintain or boost their spend, Gen Z may pull back due to heightened economic pressures. Brands must refine their segmentation and message accordingly.

The Black Friday Campaigns: Amazon, Walmart, And Target

Some of the most valuable lessons for 2025 come directly from the creative marketing strategies deployed by major retailers.

Amazon: Storytelling, Discovery, And 5-Star Ratings

Amazon’s “5-Star Theatre” campaign, starring Adam Driver, exemplified the move away from pure price messaging. Instead, it drew shoppers into a narrative of product discovery and elevated everyday products via dramatic storytelling.

Emphasizing the expansive selection and the importance of customer reviews, Amazon positioned itself as the ultimate holiday shopping destination – not just a place for deals, but a one-stop discovery platform.

 Strategic features:

• Extended 12-day promotional calendar, capturing early and late shoppers.
• 60%+ of holiday sales through independent sellers, boosting marketplace growth.
• Significant investments in AI-powered shopping assistants to enhance conversion rates.
• Strong focus on mobile commerce, reporting nearly 55% of purchases from phones or tablets.

Walmart: Entertainment, “Deals Of Desire,” And Marketplace Growth

With its episodic “Deals of Desire” mini-series, Walmart turned deal-hunting into entertainment. The campaign’s soap opera vibe – filled with drama, humor, and nostalgia – created memorable experiences, using thematic storytelling and celebrity partnerships (e.g., “Mean Girls” reunion) to connect with broad audiences and drive both online and in-store traffic.

Notable tactics:

Target: Simplicity, Clarity, And Social Influence

Target’s “Black Friday Deals” campaign cut through ad clutter with a direct, transparent promise: great deals, presented simply and boldly. The campaign championed clarity, leveraging Target’s reputation for curated selections and an omnichannel approach (online, in-store, and convenient pickup options). Target also used exclusive merchandise, like a Taylor Swift book, to boost store traffic and foster intentional, budget-conscious purchases.

Critical success factors:

• Large jump in in-store traffic (+17% year-over-year), even as basket sizes became more restrained.
• Heavy investment in influencer marketing, with micro- and macro-influencers driving brand awareness.
• Extended pre-event promotions (e.g., Circle Week) to sustain engagement, with deal-driven consumer behavior dominating non-promotional periods.

Tactical Playbook For 2025: Actionable Steps

Winning Black Friday in 2025 requires starting early and sustaining promotions well beyond the traditional shopping window.

Brands should launch teasers as early as October – or even sooner – and use countdown timers and flash deals to build urgency. Extending offers into Cyber Week ensures that cautious, value-driven buyers have multiple opportunities to engage, while pre-Black Friday content with deal countdowns primes audiences for action.

Success will hinge on mobile-first, social-driven experiences.

Every aspect of digital commerce, from site speed to checkout design, must be optimized for mobile. Social platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts should serve as the primary stage for vertical, shoppable video content. Interactive tools such as polls, quizzes, and live streams can deepen engagement, while keeping shoppers entertained and invested.

Influencer and user-generated content (UGC) will remain essential for authenticity and reach.

Integrated influencer campaigns – ranging from niche creators to broader personalities – can deliver credible product storytelling. At the same time, encouraging customers to share their own experiences with branded hashtags and spotlighting top submissions helps strengthen trust and build powerful social proof.

Artificial intelligence offers another critical edge.

AI-driven chatbots, personalized recommendation engines, and targeted messaging can create individualized shopping journeys that boost conversion. Personalized videos, demographic-based segmentation, and behavioral targeting allow campaigns to resonate across generations. Promoting BNPL options alongside transparent, value-focused deal messaging makes bigger-ticket items more accessible and appealing.

Finally, economic pressures mean brands must emphasize genuine value.

Shoppers in 2025 will reward authenticity, gravitating toward clear savings rather than inflated discounts. Careful inventory planning is crucial, with stronger focus on proven categories like electronics, toys, beauty, and experiences. Messaging should adapt to highlight budget-conscious solutions, experience-based gifts, and flexible payment options – all while maintaining trust and loyalty.

Market Outlook: Anticipated Shifts For Black Friday 2025

• Sales growth should remain strong but more measured, with NRF projecting a 2.7 to 3.7% rise.
• Mobile and social commerce will drive the lion’s share of purchases, especially among Gen Z and Millennials.
• Value-driven and cautious shopping will dominate, shaping the communication and promotional tactics brands deploy.
• Experiences over possessions: Expect spending on restaurants, travel, and entertainment gifts to grow, especially among Millennials and Gen X.
• Consumers will shop early and over longer stretches, moving away from single-day shopping frenzies.

Conclusion: Building Your 2025 Black Friday Strategy

Black Friday is no longer a single point in time – it’s a season, a landscape, and an ongoing digital battleground. The strongest brands will start early, focus relentlessly on mobile and social video, and build authentic narratives that cut through the noise. By learning from the dramatic successes (and stumbles) of Amazon, Walmart, and Target – while harnessing AI, influencer power, and real-time interactivity – brands can not only capture sales but foster lasting loyalty and multi-channel engagement.

Data-driven, creative, and mobile-first strategies will be the signature of Black Friday 2025’s winners. Start planning now and let the lessons of 2024’s record-breaking weekend power your next campaign.

More Resources:

---

Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/black-friday-strategies-learning-from-last-year/555711/

Pinterest has introduced new ad products focused on visual search, highlighted by ‘Top of Search’ ads.

Currently in beta across all monetized markets, these ads can appear within the first ten search results and in Related Pins, targeting users as they begin discovering products.

Why This Matters For Search Marketers

Pinterest is a search platform where users arrive with shopping intent, much of which remains unfulfilled.

According to the company’s data, 45% of clicks occur within the first ten results, and 96% of top searches are unbranded. That makes Top of Search placements ideal for category discovery through paid ads.

For advertising teams, this creates a new SERP-like space to compete in, combining search intent with visual creative.

Additionally, Media Network Connect integrates retailer first-party audiences and conversion data into Pinterest Ads Manager via partners such as Kroger Precision Marketing and Instacart Ads, making measurement and incrementality testing more feasible than before.

Early Results

Pinterest reports that Top of Search ads have a 29% higher average CTR compared to typical campaigns and are 32% more likely to attract new customers.

These results are based on platform data and may differ depending on the category and creative used.

Additional Updates

Local Inventory Ads Expanded

Pinterest has expanded Local Inventory Ads in shopping markets, providing real-time prices for in-stock items within a shopper’s nearby store radius.

Retailer Data In Ads Manager

A new self-service feature, Media Network Connect, allows media networks to share first-party audiences, product catalogs, and conversion data directly with advertisers within Pinterest Ads Manager.

Early U.S. partners include Kroger Precision Marketing and Instacart Ads, with additional partners upcoming.

Christine Foster, Senior Vice President at Kroger Precision Marketing, said:

“This new capability empowers advertisers with faster decision-making and control, while using purchase-based audiences direct from the retailer.”

Looking Ahead

Competition for commerce search is expanding across social media and retail platforms. Pinterest emphasizes unbranded, visual discovery and stronger retailer data integrations.

If you’re already using Pinterest Shopping or Catalog campaigns, trying the beta, despite limited inventory, can help you identify where search-related visual placements could integrate into your marketing strategy.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/pinterest-launches-top-of-search-ads-in-beta/557053/

Marketing professionals face one of the highest levels of potential AI disruption across all occupations, with 69% of marketing job skills positioned for transformation by generative AI, according to new data from Indeed.

The analysis evaluated nearly 2,900 work skills against U.S. job postings and found that marketing is the fourth most exposed profession, trailing only software development, data and analytics, and accounting.

The Shift From Doing To Directing

Indeed’s GenAI Skill Transformation Index groups skills into four levels: minimal, assisted, hybrid, and full transformation.

For marketing professionals, the majority of affected skills fall into hybrid transformation, where AI handles routine execution while humans provide oversight, validation, and strategic direction.

Indeed writes:

“Human oversight will remain critical when applying these skills, but GenAI can already perform a significant portion of routine work.”

That covers tasks AI can complete reliably in standard cases, with people stepping in to manage exceptions, interpret ambiguous situations, and ensure quality control.

What Marketing Skills Are Most at Risk?

Administrative, documentation, and text-processing tasks show high transformation potential, where AI already performs well at information retrieval, drafting, and analysis.

Communication-related work sits in the hybrid zone for many occupations. In one example from the report, communication skills appear in 23% of nursing postings and are classified as “hybrid.” This illustrates how routine language tasks are increasingly AI-assistable while human judgment remains essential.

How the Study Scored Skills

The study used multiple large language models and based its ratings on consistent results from OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4, noting that model performance varies.

The team evaluated each skill on two dimensions: problem-solving requirements and physical necessity. Marketing scores high on problem-solving and low on physical necessity, making many skills strong candidates for AI transformation.

A Change From Previous Research

Earlier Hiring Lab work found zero skills “very likely” to be fully replaced by GenAI.

In this update, the report identifies 19 skills (0.7% of the ~2,900 analyzed) that cross that “very likely” threshold. The authors frame this as incremental progress toward end-to-end automation for narrow, well-structured tasks, not broad replacement.

The Broader Employment Picture

Across the labor market, 26% of jobs on Indeed could be highly transformed by GenAI, 54% are moderately transformed, and 20% show low exposure.

These are measures of potential transformation. Actual outcomes depend on adoption, workflow design, and reskilling.

The report notes:

“Any realized impacts will depend entirely on whether and how businesses adopt and integrate GenAI tools…”

Marketing vs. Other Professions

Software development tops the list with 81% of skills facing transformation, followed by data and analytics (79%) and accounting (74%).

On the other end, nursing shows 33% skill transformation, with core patient-care responsibilities remaining human-centered.

Marketing’s position reflects its reliance on cognitive, screen-based work that AI can increasingly assist.

Not All AI Models Are Equal

The report emphasizes that model choice matters. Different models varied in output quality and stability, so teams should test tools against their own use cases rather than assume uniform performance.

Looking Ahead

The report’s authors, Annina Hering and Arcenis Rojas, created the GenAI Skill Transformation Index to reflect the level of transformation rather than simple replacement.

They advise developing skills that complement AI, such as strategy, creative problem-solving, and the ability to validate and interpret AI-generated outputs.

The timeline for these changes will differ depending on the size of the company, the industry, and how digitally advanced they are.

But the overall trend is clear: roles are evolving from hands-on task execution to overseeing AI and developing strategies. Those who stay ahead by adopting hybrid workflows will likely be in the best position.

---

Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/marketing-is-4th-most-exposed-to-genai-indeed-study-finds/556911/

Let’s talk about an agentic future. As task-completing agents move from concept to adoption, their impact on how we discover and transact online will be significant. Websites won’t vanish, but in many cases, their utility will shrink as agents become the new intermediary layer between people and answers. Domains will still exist, but their value as discovery assets is likely to erode. Building and maintaining a site will increasingly mean structuring it for agents to retrieve from, not just for people to browse, and the idea of domains appreciating as scarce assets will feel less connected to how discovery actually happens.

The growth trajectory for AI agents is already clear in the data. Grand View Research valued the global AI agents market at USD 5.40 billion in 2024, with forecasts reaching USD 50.31 billion by 2030 at an annual growth rate of about 45.8%. Regionally, the Asia-Pacific market was USD 1.30 billion in 2024 and is projected to expand to USD 14.15 billion by 2030, with China alone expected to grow from USD 402.6 million to USD 3.98 billion over the same period. Europe is following a similar path, climbing from USD 1.32 billion in 2024 to USD 11.49 billion by 2030. Longer-term, Precedence Research projects the global agentic AI market will rise from USD 7.55 billion in 2025 to nearly USD 199.05 billion by 2034, a compound growth rate of 43.84%. These forecasts from multiple regions show a consistent global pattern: adoption is accelerating everywhere, and the shift toward agentic systems is not theoretical; it is underway. These figures are about task-completing agents, not casual chat use.

Do We Still Need Websites In An Agentic World?

It’s easy to forget how limited the internet felt in the 1990s. On AOL, you didn’t browse the web the way we think of it today. You navigated keywords. One word dropped you into chat rooms, news channels, or branded content. The open web was technically out there, but for most people, America Online WAS the internet.

That closed-garden model eventually gave way to the open web. Domains became navigation anchors. Owning a clean .com or a trusted extension like .org or .gov signaled legitimacy. Websites evolved into the front doors of digital identity, where brand credibility and consumer trust were built. Search rankings reinforced this. An exact-match domain once boosted visibility, and later the concept of “domain authority” helped indicate who showed up at the top of search results. For nearly three decades, websites have been the central hub of digital discovery and transactions.

But we may be circling back. Only this time, the keyword is no longer “AOL Keyword: Pizza Hut.” It’s your natural-language intent: “Book me a flight,” “Order flowers,” “Find me a dentist nearby.” And instead of AOL, the gatekeepers are LLMs and agentic systems.

From Navigation To Answers

The rise of agentic systems collapses the journey we’ve been used to. Where discovery once meant search, scanning results, clicking a domain, and navigating a site, it now means describing your intent and letting the system do the rest. You don’t need Expedia or United.com if your agent confirms your flight. You don’t need to touch OpenTable’s site if a reservation is placed automatically for tomorrow night. You don’t need to sift through Nike’s catalog if new running shoes just arrive at your door.

In this flow, the answer layer replaces the click, the task layer replaces the browsing session, and the source itself becomes invisible. The consumer no longer cares which site delivered the data or handled the transaction, as long as the result is correct.

Proof In Practice: WeChat

This shift isn’t hypothetical. In China, it’s already happening at scale. WeChat introduced Mini-Programs in 2017 as “apps within an app,” designed so users never need to leave the WeChat environment. By 2024, they had become mainstream: Recent reports suggest there are between 3.9 and 4.3 million WeChat Mini-Programs in the ecosystem today. (3.9m source, 4.3m source), with over 900 million monthly active users. And while Mini-Programs are closer to apps than actual AIs, it’s all about task completion and consumers adopting layers of task completion.

In food and beverage and hospitality, over 80% of top chain restaurants now run ordering or take-out flows directly through Mini-Programs, meaning customers never touch a separate website. International brands often prioritize Mini-Programs as their Chinese storefronts instead of building localized websites, since WeChat already handles discovery, product listings, payments, and customer service. Luxury brand LOEWE, for example, launched its 2024 “Crafted World” exhibition in Shanghai entirely via a WeChat Mini-Program, offering ticketing and interactive digital content without requiring users to leave the app.

For many domestic Chinese businesses, this has become the default strategy: their websites exist, if at all, as minimal shells, while the real customer experience lives entirely inside WeChat. And it’s worth keeping in mind, we talked about WeChat serving over 1 billion monthly active users. ChatGPT currently sees over 800 million a week, so roughly three times WeChat’s volume on a monthly basis. An agentic era of direct-to-consumer facilitated by platforms like ChatGPT, WeChat, Claude, Gemini, and CoPilot could bring a massive shift in consumer behavior.

Western Parallels

Western platforms are already moving in this direction. Instagram Checkout allows users to buy products directly inside Instagram, without ever visiting a retailer’s website. Shopify details this integration here. TikTok offers similar flows. Its partnership with Shopify enables in-app checkout so the consumer never leaves TikTok. Even services like Uber now function as APIs inside larger ecosystems. You can book a ride from within another app and never open Uber directly.

In each case, the website still exists, but the consumer may never see it. Discovery, consideration, and conversion all happen inside the closed flow.

The AOL Parallel

The resemblance to the mid-1990s is striking. AOL’s big push came in that period, when its “Keyword” model positioned the service as the internet itself. Instead of typing URLs, people entered AOL Keywords and stayed inside AOL’s curated walls. By mid-1996, AOL had roughly 6 million U.S. subscribers doing this, representing about 13% of the nation’s estimated 44 million internet users at the time.

Today, the “keyword” has become your intent. The agent interprets it, makes the decision, and fulfills the request. The outcome is the same: a closed environment where the gateway controls visibility and access. Only this time, it’s powered by LLMs and APIs instead of dial-up modems.

This is not an isolated evolution. There’s mounting evidence that the open web itself is weakening. Google recently stated in a legal filing that “the open web is already in rapid decline … harming publishers who rely on open-web display advertising revenue.” That report was covered by Search Engine Roundtable.

Pew Research found that when Google displays AI-generated summaries in search results, users click links only 8% of the time, compared to 15% when no summary is present. That’s nearly a 50% decline in link clicks. Digital Content Next reported that premium publishers saw a 10% year-over-year drop in referral traffic from Google during a recent eight-week span.

The Guardian covered MailOnline’s specific case, where desktop click-through dropped 56% when AI summaries appeared, and mobile click-through fell 48%. Advertising spend tells a similar story. MarketingProfs reports that professionally produced news content is projected to receive just 51% of global content ad spend in 2025, down from 72% in 2019. Search Engine Land shows that open-web display ads have fallen from about 40% of Google AdWords impressions in 2019 to only 11% by early 2025.

The story is consistent. Consumers click less, publishers earn less, and advertisers move their budgets elsewhere. The open web will likely no longer be the center of gravity.

If websites lose their central role, what takes their place? Businesses will still need technical infrastructure, but the front door will change. Instead of polished homepages, structured data and APIs will feed agents directly. Verification layers like schema, certifications, and machine-readable credentials will carry more weight than design. Machine-validated authority (how often your brand is retrieved or cited by LLMs) will become a core measure of trust. And partnerships or API integrations will replace traditional SEO in ensuring visibility.

This doesn’t mean websites vanish. They’ll remain important for compliance, long-form storytelling, and niches where users still seek a direct experience. But for mainstream interactions, the website is being demoted to plumbing.

And while design and user experience may lose ground to agentic flows, content itself remains critical. Agents still need to be fed with high-quality text, structured product data, verified facts, and fresh signals of authority. Video will grow in importance as agents surface summaries and clips in conversational answers. First-party user-generated content, especially reviews, will carry more weight as a trust signal. Product data like clean specs, accurate availability, transparent pricing will be non-negotiable inputs to agent systems.

In other words, the work of SEO isn’t disappearing. Technical SEO remains the plumbing that ensures content is discoverable and accessible to machines. Content creation continues to matter, both because it fuels agent responses and because humans still consume it when they step beyond the agent flow. The shift is less about content’s relevance and more about where and how it gets consumed. Web design and UX work, however, will inevitably come under scrutiny as optional costs as the agent interface takes over consumer experiences.

One consequence of this shift is that brands risk losing their direct line to the customer. When an agent books the flight, orders the shoes, or schedules the dentist, the consumer’s loyalty may end up with the agent itself, not the underlying business. Just as Amazon’s marketplace turned many sellers into interchangeable storefronts beneath the Amazon brand, agentic systems may flatten brand differentiation unless companies build distinctive signals that survive mediation. That could mean doubling down on structured trust markers, recognizable product data, or even unique content assets that agents consistently retrieve. Without those, the relationship belongs to the agent, not you.

That potential demotion for websites carries consequences. Domains will still matter for branding, offline campaigns, and human recall, but their value as entry points to discovery is shrinking. The secondary market for “premium” domains is already showing signs of stress. Registries have begun cutting or eliminating premium tiers; .art, for example, recently removed over a million names from its premium list to reprice them downward. Investor commentary also points to weaker demand, with TechStartups noting in 2025 that domain sales are “crashing” as AI and shifting search behaviors reduce the perceived need for expensive keyword names.

We’ve seen this arc before. Families once paid hundreds of dollars for full sets of printed encyclopedias. Owning Britannica on your shelf was a marker of credibility and access to knowledge. Today, those same volumes can be found in thrift stores for pennies, eclipsed by digital access that made the scarcity meaningless. Domains are on a similar path. They will remain useful for identity and branding, but the assumption that a keyword .com will keep appreciating looks more like nostalgia than strategy.

Defensive portfolios across dozens of ccTLDs will be harder to justify, just as stocking encyclopedias became pointless once Wikipedia existed. Websites will remain as infrastructure, but their role as front doors will continue to shrink.

Marketing strategies must adapt. The focus will move from polishing landing pages to ensuring your data is retrievable, your brand is trusted by agents, and your authority is machine-validated. SEO, as we know it, will transform from competing for SERP rankings to competing for retrieval and integration into agent responses.

Another underappreciated consequence of all this is measurement. For decades, marketers have relied on web analytics: page views, bounce rates, conversions. Agentic systems obscure that visibility. If a customer never lands on your site but still books through an agent, you may gain the revenue but lose the data trail. New metrics will be needed. Not just whether a page ranks, but whether your content was retrieved, cited, or trusted inside agent flows. In that sense, the industry will need to redefine what “traffic” and “conversion” even mean when the interface is a conversation rather than a website.

The Fear And The Possibility

The fear is obvious. We’ve been here before with AOL. A closed gateway can dominate visibility, commoditize brands, and reduce consumer choice. The open web and search engines broke us out of that in the late 1990s. No one wants to return to those walls.

But the possibility is also real. Businesses that adapt to agentic discovery (with structured signals, trusted data feeds, and machine-recognized authority) can thrive. The website may become plumbing, but plumbing matters. It carries the flow and information that powers the experience.

So the real question isn’t whether websites will still exist. Ultimately, they will, in some format. The question is whether your business is still focused on decorating the door, or whether you’re investing in the pipes that agents actually use to deliver value.

More Resources:

---

This post was originally published on Duane Forrester Decodes.

---

Featured Image: Collagery/Shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/when-agents-replace-websites/556461/

ChatGPT adoption is accelerating at a scale rarely seen in technology.

By mid-2025, around 700 million people worldwide were using it every week, sending 18 billion messages, which is roughly 10% of the global adult population. For a new technology, this speed of adoption has no precedent.

Yet if you look at your analytics dashboards, you will not see a corresponding surge in referral traffic from ChatGPT. That is because adoption does not always translate into clicks or visits. In today’s AI-driven environment, adoption itself is value. It changes how people learn, shop, and make decisions, often long before they interact with your brand through search, social, or direct channels.

A new study from OpenAI and Harvard sheds light on how people are actually using ChatGPT. The findings identify shifts in consumer behavior, productivity patterns, and global reach. All of these carry implications for CMOs, CEOs, and CFOs.

Work Vs. Non-Work Usage

By mid-2024, ChatGPT was being used almost equally for work and non-work purposes. A year later, non-work usage had surged to nearly three-quarters of all activity, with work-related conversations accounting for around a quarter. This was not only the result of new users joining for personal use, but also due to the increasing popularity of the platform. The data shows that existing users themselves were evolving their habits, leaning more heavily on ChatGPT in their personal lives.

For a CMO, this signals that consumers are weaving AI into their daily routines in ways that reshape how they discover products and services. For a CEO, it underscores that ChatGPT is not confined to the office and is becoming a mass-market behavior that seamlessly integrates into everyday life. For a CFO, the message is that non-work adoption has significant economic value, with researchers estimating consumer welfare gains of $97 billion annually in the United States alone.

Core Use Cases: Guidance, Information, And Writing

The vast majority of ChatGPT usage falls into three categories:

• Practical guidance.
• Information seeking.
• Writing.

Practical guidance includes tutoring, teaching, how-to advice, and creative ideation. Information seeking often looks like a direct substitute for web search, as people ask ChatGPT about current events, products, or factual queries. Writing encompasses the production and improvement of emails, documents, summaries, and translations.

At work, writing dominates. Four in 10 work-related messages concern writing tasks, and most of these are not new generation but rather editing or improving text that users bring to the model. Education is also a notable use case, with roughly 1 in 10 messages asking for tutoring or teaching support.

This matters to the CMO because it indicates that brand discovery is increasingly occurring through AI chat, rather than traditional search result pages.

It matters to the CEO because it demonstrates that AI is becoming a decision-support and creativity tool, not just a way to automate repetitive tasks. And it matters to the CFO because writing and editing at scale represent measurable efficiency gains, translating into more output per worker.

Lesser Use Cases: Coding And Companionship

Some use cases that have attracted outsized attention turn out to be smaller in reality. Only 4.2% of ChatGPT conversations are about programming, a far lower share than rival tools like Claude, which report one-third of their work-related conversations tied to coding. Companionship and emotional support are even less common, accounting for under 2% of ChatGPT usage.

For a CMO, this highlights that ChatGPT is primarily a tool for mass consumer behavior, rather than a niche coder’s tool or a therapy companion.

For a CEO, it confirms that ChatGPT’s role in the market is broad and mainstream.

For a CFO, it suggests that monetization does not hinge on high-value enterprise niches but is instead driven by widespread consumer engagement.

Who Uses ChatGPT: Demographic Shifts

The study also tracks striking demographic changes. In its early months, ChatGPT’s user base skewed heavily male, with around 80% of active users having traditionally masculine names.

By mid-2025, that imbalance had disappeared, with usage now at parity and even slightly higher among women. Age is another clear factor: Nearly half of all adult messages come from users under 26, though older users tend to use ChatGPT more for work-related purposes. Growth is fastest in low- and middle-income countries, indicating that adoption is spreading well beyond the wealthy, early-adopter markets. Among professions, highly educated workers lean on ChatGPT more at work, often using it as an advisor or research assistant.

These findings should capture the CMO’s attention because they indicate a widening and diversifying audience, with younger generations incorporating ChatGPT into their habits in ways that could last a lifetime.

The CEO will see opportunities in emerging markets and among new consumer segments as global adoption accelerates. The CFO can take confidence in the fact that adoption is broad-based across demographics, reinforcing the case for long-term subscription models and monetization strategies.

Interaction Styles: Asking Vs. Doing

When people interact with ChatGPT, about half the time, they are seeking advice, guidance, or information. Around 4 in 10 conversations involve asking ChatGPT to complete a specific task that can be slotted into a workflow. The remainder are less clearly defined.

Asking has grown faster than doing, suggesting that users increasingly see ChatGPT as a partner in thought rather than simply a tool for execution.

For the CMO, this means consumers are engaging in dialogue with AI at the very moment of intent, making it vital to anticipate how brand messages surface in those exchanges. For the CEO, it highlights a shift in how knowledge work is done, with AI shaping decision-making as much as task performance. For the CFO, the implication is that the value of ChatGPT lies not just in time saved but in the quality of decisions it helps users make, which is a less tangible but no less significant form of productivity.

Why This All Matters For The C-Suite

The rise of ChatGPT is not just about referral traffic or attribution models. It represents a new layer of consumer and worker behavior that is already reshaping how decisions are made, how information is accessed, and how productivity is achieved.

For marketing leaders, this means rethinking brand visibility in AI-mediated discovery.

For CEOs, it means recognizing ChatGPT adoption as a mainstream societal shift, not a side experiment.

For CFOs, this means expanding the measurement of value beyond clicks and conversions to include consumer surplus, efficiency, and global market potential.

In short, we now operate in an AI-first world where adoption itself is the signal, not the click.

Editor’s Note: Any data mentioned above was taken from the OpenAI study unless otherwise indicated.

More Resources:

---

Featured Image: Collagery/Shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-people-use-chatgpt-what-it-means-for-the-c-suite/556639/

All businesses, large or small, must establish a level of authority for the products and/or services they offer in the minds and hearts of their target audience if they expect to convince them to engage and buy.

This universal marketing truth plays out daily for small businesses looking to capture the attention of local customers through a variety of local SEO strategies.

Authoritativeness is the “A” in the much-heralded E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) found in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

In short, a business or organization needs to prove its authority to Google, and all other search engines, to be considered worthy of visibility in search engine results.

The authority of a local business can be established in a few different ways, but most notably:

• Via the helpful, high-quality, well-structured content it creates for its target audience/customers.
• Through validation of its offerings via industry-specific backlinks it maintains to its primary product, service, or other relevant content.
• Via the engagement of its content.
• Through validation of its “localness” via its local existence, appearance, community participation, and engagement.

We are obviously going to focus here on the fourth, often underestimated and overlooked, aspect of local business authority.

However, you’ll see that experience, expertise, and trustworthiness are also prominently referenced here, as all can be boosted via solid partnerships.

It only stands to reason: If a business wants to be visible locally, it needs to truly be visible in the community, with the digital local community merely being an extension of the real world.

While traditional SEO techniques like keyword optimization, content marketing, and link building are still essential, savvy business owners and digital marketers will look beyond these tactics to stand out from the local competition.

Leveraging local business partnerships and collaborations to build your local online authority and extend your web presence will most certainly help increase your visibility.

In this post, we’ll explore the power of forging partnerships with other local businesses and organizations to extend reach, build trust, and drive growth.

Building Authority and Trust Through Partnerships

Authority in the digital realm refers to your brand’s credibility, trustworthiness, and expertise in your industry and/or your location.

For small, local businesses, all this matters.

A business needs to convince its customers and Google, by extension, that it is the definitive local source of answers to their questions about its products and services. In other words, it is not the only game in town, but the primary one.

Partnering with other reputable, authoritative businesses effectively gets those businesses to validate your existence, expertise, and authority.

Google and other search engines consider authoritative websites more relevant and rank them higher in organic search results and local map packs.

Here’s how forging reciprocal local business partnerships can help build authority:

Co-Branding And Trust-Building

Partnering with reputable local businesses and organizations can create a co-branding effect.

When consumers (or search engines) see your business/brand associated with other businesses they already trust, it naturally enhances credibility, trustworthiness, and authority.

Local business organizations like Chambers of Commerce, Business Network International (BNI), and many others have been established, at least in part, to help small local businesses extend their reach, build trust, and, thereby, earn authority.

Many of these organizations have categorized online directories, content distribution opportunities (e.g., email newsletters or blogs), and business awards. They also have staff responsible for helping local business partners take advantage of these programs.

All local businesses should inquire, sign up, and take advantage of what these important local groups offer.

Maintaining listings, content, or recognition here provides search engines with potentially powerful local and topical signals.

Basic membership is important, but the more a business owner can do to boost their local offline and online profile through active engagement, the better.

Expertise And Resource Sharing

Collaborating with local, like-minded businesses will enable you to demonstrate your experience and expertise, along with your partner’s, and then showcase it on each other’s platforms.

This can be accomplished through guest blog posts, joint webinars, offline events, or social media takeovers – all of which can enhance your reputation as a trusted local information contributor.

One of the challenges of content marketing, especially for small local businesses, is simply having the time to create the content.

Thoughtful partnering with other business owners provides a viable means to share this burden of feeding the content machine.

For example, a local tax lawyer may partner with a local bookkeeping service or tax preparation firm to create a monthly tax tips newsletter or annual tax prep checklist, to which both firms can contribute.

Content Syndication And Social Collaboration

Similarly, two businesses that choose to share each other’s content on their respective platforms expose each other’s brands to a wider audience and can establish each as a go-to source for local information.

The key is to identify topics and content that will be relevant and interesting to each other’s audience.

While social signals, such as likes and shares, are not Google ranking factors, having partners occasionally like, share, and effectively validate any of your content will certainly extend its potential audience, where it will perhaps again be read, liked, and shared.

Content will typically only be shared once it has been validated by trustworthy sources, which your partner becomes on your behalf.

An example here may be a local auto body shop sharing car maintenance tips from a local mechanic via a customer newsletter. Meanwhile, the mechanic shares paint and detailing information through a series of Google Business Profile or social media posts.

Content sharing, depending on where and how it’s done, may result in the creation of valuable local backlinks and citations.

Backlinks

Backlinks remain valuable in SEO because search engines interpret them as votes of confidence.

Where possible, these links should be put in the proper context relative to your partnership and the related products or services offered.

For example, a local auto body shop might establish a partnership with a local full-service mechanic. Each could link to the other’s respective service pages as a reference for those customers looking for a trusted referral.

However, even a non-service-specific link for a local partner can be beneficial, too – as it is at least a local, if not topical, validation.

And yes, Google’s algorithm is sophisticated enough to identify when one local business has linked to another.

All backlinks (except for those without any relevant value) contribute to authority.

Supporting Local Organizations And Events To Gain Citations

Another aspect of growing local trust and authority is becoming involved in local service organizations, sports teams, clubs, or local events.

Whether you provide monetary or volunteer support, most organizations have websites or social media presences where a logo, contact info, perhaps a short business overview, and preferably a link can be shared.

These types of mentions, with a link or not, are considered citations and can have significant value.

These types of relationships serve to bolster localness online and provide more evidence of your business’s role as a contributing, engaged member of the community.

Furthermore, if approved by the supported organization(s), who are no doubt also looking for any positive local exposure, content and links to their websites, programs, events, etc., should be published on yours.

Typically, this is done in the “About Us” section or perhaps on a page dedicated to your business’s community support initiatives.

Local Competition And Content Differentiation

Depending on your location and level of competition, establishing local partnerships and collaborations may simply be a way of differentiating your business from all others when competitors don’t have the time, resources, or foresight to leverage this important opportunity.

The introduction of generative AI used to produce content has raised fears in some circles around the potential for a lack of “unique” informational content, as some marketers, while not advisable, will post what AI has generated verbatim.

Local collaborations can be a great way to complement what AI has to offer by injecting local partner contributions into standard service-related blog posts and FAQs.

A Local Collaboration Case Study: Fitness Food

Here’s a quick example of a local business partnership scenario and some of the potential benefits to be realized.

The Collab

A local fitness studio partners with a healthy café, offering a stay-fit meal deal to gym members.

The café provides fitness class discount vouchers with qualifying fitness-focused meal purchases, which are prominently promoted on the homepage of their websites while linking to each other.

They also collaborate on a weekly Fitness Food blog post with reciprocal links, which they publish and share on their respective websites and social media platforms.

Lastly, they create a health challenge and contest on social media for their customers, where participants are asked to share their fitness and nutrition journeys – again, cross-promoted.

The Results

• Combined, the businesses positioned themselves as leading community advocates for healthier lifestyles, reinforcing their authority as wellness experts.
• Blogs linked to their offers and primary service pages, shared via each other’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, trigger a boost in each business’s service page rank in organic search and, subsequently, organic search traffic and conversions.
• The program attracts local influencers who post user-generated content with links to their offers and blog posts, further enhancing their reach and authority.
• The health challenge and contest become a trending topic on local social media platforms, leading to likes and shares and thereby attracting a broader audience.
• The partnership created a mutually beneficial cycle – as more people joined the fitness studio, they frequented the café, and vice versa.

Practical Steps To Building Local Business Partnerships

With the potential benefits of local business partnerships outlined above, here are some practical steps to establishing and maintaining effective relationships:

Identify Compatible Businesses Or Organizations

Seek out local businesses and groups that ideally complement your products or services and share your target audience, as shown above with tax, automobile, and wellness-related businesses.

Ensure their values and marketing goals align with yours. This will form the foundation of a successful partnership.

You will naturally want to identify a business whose online presence reflects its understanding and commitment to this important marketing channel.

A few quick Google searches should quickly reveal solid prospective partners who can be easily found via organic search.

Develop A Clear Value Proposition

Clearly define what each party brings to the table and what outcomes are possible.

Consider how you can benefit each other, whether through collaborative content creation and distribution, co-promotion, shared events, or other tactics.

Create A Partnership Agreement

Consider putting a written agreement in place outlining the terms and responsibilities of each party.

This document should include details like the duration of the partnership, resource/time contributions, content ownership considerations, and any other mutual expectations.

Leverage Both Online And Offline Channels

Promote your partnership through various channels, both online and offline.

Depending on the promotion and budget, utilize your website, social media platforms, email marketing, or pay-per-click advertising, as well as in-store physical signage or offline documents, to showcase your collaborations.

Collaborate On Content

Partnering on content creation, such as blog or social media posts, is an excellent way to leverage each other’s expertise and resources.

If the plan is to create a joint blog post or email newsletter per week or month, alternate scheduling can be used to spread out the workload.

This will no doubt resonate with most local business owners who are generally taxed for time.

Monitor, Measure, And Adjust

Any good digital marketing campaign should be monitored and measured to see what’s working and what isn’t, i.e., messaging, channels, etc.

Part of your campaign planning should include a determination of what to measure and the goals you both hope to meet.

Start small with simple metrics both parties can easily obtain, such as newsletter signups, website traffic, or campaign-specific measurements.

Analyze organic search results, website traffic (and particularly referral traffic from your partners or other local sites), social media engagement, and sales at regular intervals to gauge impact.

Consider creating unique branded campaign URLs or QR codes to differentiate traffic or business received via the partnership.

With smaller businesses, it may be simple enough to measure new social media followers or shared content anecdotally.

Analytics is meant to be actionable, so be ready to suggest and adjust if something isn’t working as expected.

Ultimately, analytics will help you determine where to focus your attention, especially if one channel or source produces noticeable results.

Plan, Engage, Collaborate, Grow

Growing your business in your local community is all about extending your reach to the broadest audience possible.

Partnering with like-minded, non-competitive businesses and organizations is a quick and effective way to amplify your message – online and offline.

When done purposefully and properly online, the result is a boost in your all-important local and perhaps topical authority.

Consumers, particularly local consumers, buy from businesses they know and trust.

We all ask our friends, family, and those we do business with for advice or references when we need certain products or services.

Well-established partners can become trust proxies to bring in customers you might otherwise not have access to.

In short, building local online authority and trust boils down to being a highly visible and sincerely engaged member of your broad community that Google cannot ignore.

More Resources:

---

Featured Image: SvetaZi/Shutterstock

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/rundowns/get-found-without-paying-ads/