Google releases August 2026 spam update: What marketers need to know
Google‘s August 2026 spam update finished rolling out on August 21. Learn what changed, what didn‘t, and how to read your data.
Industry News
Keep up with the latest trends and updates in digital marketing with industry news. Discover what’s new, what’s working, and what’s changing in the online world to stay ahead of the curve and grow your business.
Reddit's citations in ChatGPT fall from 3.8% to 0.5%
Promptwatch says Reddit‘s share of ChatGPT citations fell 86% in four days. OpenAI says it hasn‘t changed how it picks sources.
Microsoft Clarity adds an AI Scrape-to-Referral Ratio
Microsoft Clarity‘s AI Scrape-to-Referral Ratio compares what AI crawlers take from your site with what they send back.
How topical authority spreads (and where it doesn’t) in ChatGPT [Study]
Can authority in one ChatGPT topic help you win another? Our study shows where topical authority carries over — and where it stops.
Google Launches Open Knowledge Format, an AI Standard
Google‘s Open Knowledge Format standardizes knowledge for AI agents. Here‘s what that means for marketers.
Bot traffic now exceeds traffic from human users
For the first time, bots generate more web traffic than human users, and AI agents are driving the surge.
Why 62% of AI citations don’t lead to brand mentions [Study]
In partnership with Kevin Indig, we analyzed 3,981 domain appearances across ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode. The study reveals how AI engines treat citations and brand mentions differently, why “ghost citations“ are common, and what marketers can do to improve brand visibility in AI search.
Google launches Search Profiles for publishers and creators
Google‘s new Search profiles give publishers and creators a dedicated landing page in Discover. Here‘s what it means for brands.
Google adds a dedicated Agentic Browsing category to Lighthouse
Google Lighthouse now audits how ready your site is for AI agents. Here‘s what it means for visibility.
Google Search Console adds AI performance reports and blocking controls
Google is rolling out an AI performance report and a toggle to block content from AI responses in Search Console. Here‘s what it means for your visibility.