In this month’s Round-Up episode, we cover the biggest developments across SEO, AI, search, paid media, and digital marketing.

Hosted by Sean, alongside co-hosts Amanda Walls (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajwalls/) and Laura Iancu (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-iancu-seo/), we discuss Google's latest algorithm updates, AI search visibility, changing click-through rates, AI citations, reporting challenges, AI agents, and what these changes mean for marketers as search continues to evolve.

Key Themes:

Google Algorithm Updates & Search Manipulation

Google rolled out multiple updates including the May 2026 Core Update and June Spam Update. The team discusses the impact on paid links, mass AI content, and attempts to manipulate AI answers, while exploring why quality, usefulness, and genuine authority remain critical for long-term visibility.

AI Search Visibility & Reporting Challenges

Google has started providing more visibility into AI Overviews and AI Mode performance data within Search Console. The panel discusses what this means for SEOs, the limitations of current reporting, and why combining multiple data sources is essential when measuring performance.

SEO Tools, Data & Finding The Truth

The team explores the role of third-party SEO tools such as SEM Rush and Ahrefs, discussing why these platforms provide valuable insights but should not replace first-party data sources like Google Search Console and analytics platforms.

AI Citations, GEO & Multi-Channel Visibility

New research highlights the growing importance of building visibility beyond traditional rankings, with YouTube, Reddit, Wikipedia, and wider online mentions becoming increasingly important signals for AI systems. The discussion explores why brands need to build authority across multiple channels.

AI Overviews, Schema & Measuring Success

The panel discusses AI citations, schema markup, and the difficulty of measuring AI visibility as results continue to change rapidly. As AI Overviews evolve, marketers face new challenges around proving value and understanding success.

AI Agents, Commerce & The Future Of Search

ChatGPT and other AI platforms are moving beyond answering questions, with AI agents becoming increasingly involved in payments, shopping, and professional services. The team discusses the opportunities and risks of this shift.

AI Adoption, Security & Human Oversight

From AI helping with legal cases to concerns around security, autonomous systems, and AI development, the episode explores where AI can provide value while highlighting the importance of human judgement.

Technical SEO & Platform Changes

The discussion covers HTML vs Markdown for indexing, Google Business Profile data in GA4, AI traffic reporting, Lighthouse updates, and the growing need to prepare websites for an AI-driven ecosystem.

Paid Media & Changing Advertising Challenges

Amanda discusses the latest Google Ads updates, including advertiser verification, AI Max reporting improvements, and the ongoing challenges around transparency and attribution.

The Future Of Search & Changing Metrics

The episode closes with a discussion around declining organic click-through rates, changing client expectations, and why marketers need to rethink success beyond rankings and traffic as search becomes increasingly AI-driven.

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