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- 2026
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Martin Ashmere
Martin Ashmere has spent over a decade in the messy trenches of organic search from the days when an algorithm update meant frantically refreshing webmaster forums to the current scramble over AI-generated answers. At Search Engine Watch, he cuts through the noise to write about what actually happens when technical SEO meets the real world: crawling bottlenecks, quirky indexing bugs, and the shift toward Generative Engine Optimization.
Martin leans hard on server logs and real-world testing rather than industry speculation or “silver bullet” growth hacks. His goal is simple: translate complex search engineering into clear, sensible playbooks that digital teams, developers, and editors can actually execute without losing their minds.
When he isn’t diagnosing why an e-commerce site’s faceted navigation went rogue or testing how conversational engines cite sources, you’ll usually find him drinking too much espresso, debating site speed trade-offs, and championing the idea that great SEO starts with building things real humans want to read.
2026
Experts followed AI advice picked by a coin flip in an Anthropic study
The study tests who makes the judgment calls when an AI assistant helps analyze the data.
Reddit gives the communities you chose a feed of their own
Following keeps your chosen communities together, and Reddit remembers which feed you last used.
Microsoft tests a way to tell its AI what your ads should never say
The open pilot gives advertisers up to 40 instructions for generated copy. You still need to review it.
Google gives security teams first access to its bug-hunting Gemini
Security teams get Gemini 4 Carbon first. Google hasn't set a date for everyone else.
Microsoft lets your AI assistant trace changes to your ad budget
Read-only tools bring campaign edits and creative performance into connected AI assistants.
Google says pages meant only for sharing should stay out of search
Its updated spam guide asks platforms to separate sharing links from public search discovery.
Pinterest lets you buy ads through Google, Amazon and Yahoo
Selected display and video ads can join existing media buys in the Americas and Asia Pacific.
Discord could put your public messages in Google search from December
Community answers can reach the open web, but admins and members have different controls.
AccuRanker says bad Google data can make your rankings look worse
Its latest figures separate suspect search results from the data that reached customer reports.
Nearly 94% of ChatGPT visitors still visit Google, Similarweb finds
September's shared audience figures leave room for both services in people's browsing habits.