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3 best WordPress themes for SEO you can use for free
A shortlist for blogs and business websites, with a closer look at free layout controls, paid upgrades and the checks to make before switching.
AI visibility tools need to explain what we’re paying for
I want Search Engine Watch to appear in AI answers. I’m less convinced that a visibility score should decide where the money goes.
Bing Images now shows Editable tag on AI-generated images
Bing Images is now showing an 'Editable' tag on AI-generated images that lets users view and modify the original prompt a sign Bing may…
3 Copyscape alternatives worth considering before you switch
Choose a plagiarism checker for the work you do: reviewing drafts, handling multilingual submissions or checking copy inside your editor. The cheapest option changes…
Google AI Overview now showing more external links within content
Google has significantly increased the number of external links shown within AI Overview answers since September 11, according to data shared by Malte Landwehr.
Google Native Checkout now available to more users
Google's Native Checkout feature is expanding to more merchant accounts, letting users complete purchases directly through Google via UCP integration and Google Pay.
Google AI Mode now shows a login popup by default in Incognito mode
Google AI Mode is now showing a default login popup in Incognito mode, adding to a pattern of sign-in prompts we've seen across AI…
Bing tests new Member price tag on Shopping ad results
Bing is testing a new 'Member price' tag on Shopping ad results, likely showing discounted pricing for paid membership or subscription-based websites.
Google AI Mode Shows Sponsored Ads as Conversational Follow-Ups
Google AI Mode is showing sponsored product recommendations as conversational follow-ups to users’ informational queries.
Why Amazon is blocking Meta’s Muse shopping agent
An assistant can have a shopper’s permission and still face a retailer’s block. Amazon’s advertising business helps explain the commercial stakes.
Firecrawl wants to pay publishers when AI agents use their content
A $75 million funding round will help expand its data partnerships, while new contributors must join a waitlist for the planned self-service payment system.
From Search Engine Strategies to Answer Engine Strategies
Search Engine Watch’s new online series brings experts together around a real business, competing plans and a public follow-up on what happened.
Google tests new user perspectives results in AI Mode
Google is testing a 'user perspectives' section within AI Mode, pulling mostly from Reddit to surface community-driven content alongside AI-generated answers.
Google tests new sitelink design for both organic and ad results
Google is testing a new sitelink design appearing across both organic and ad results, expanding beyond the sponsored-only sitelink tests seen recently.
Here’s why Google’s contentEffort is not a confirmed ranking factor
Google’s quality guidelines explicitly allow high-effort work made with generative AI, while the leaked field leaves its ranking role unexplained.
Google AI Mode now shows product comparisons
Google AI Mode is now showing side-by-side product comparisons with images and reviews, giving users a deeper way to evaluate options before buying.
Google AI Mode now shows long summaries for brand ads
Google AI Mode is now showing a longer summary above brand ads specifically, a shift from the shorter summaries previously seen below ecommerce ads.
Google’s own NotebookLM becomes a target for parasite SEO
An SEO practitioner reports an AI Overview citation from a public notebook. Another SEO practitioner has since highlighted more promotional pages indexed on Google’s…
Google says page errors could explain cross-domain canonical mix-up
Google’s documentation already describes how identical error pages can make unrelated websites look like duplicates.
Grok 4.7 launches as xAI switches X Search to per-post billing
Developers will pay for each post retrieved through the API, including parent and quoted posts returned with a thread.