👋 Welcome back Reader

This week in The Roundup we're discussing:

→ The impact of Google's new AI Mode
→ The latest social media news

Let's dive in...

🔥 Google AI Mode: What it means for your website

You might have seen the news that Google is rolling out something called "AI Mode" for Search. It’s a big shift in how search results look and work – and yes, it’s going to affect how people find and interact with your website.

So, what is AI Mode?

Google is now using its Gemini AI model to give users a quicker, more conversational search experience.

This new feature transforms the traditional list of blue links into a conversational, AI-powered experience, providing direct answers and personalised suggestions based on user behaviour and preferences.

It’s designed to answer questions directly, suggest follow-ups, and even help with more complex searches all without needing to click through to a website.

Impact on your website traffic

For small business owners and content creators, this has notable implications:

Less traffic from search
If Google’s AI is giving people what they need without them clicking on links, that could mean lower click-through rates and fewer visits to your site from certain types of searches.

Content quality matters more than ever
If you’re creating useful, trustworthy content that answers real questions, you’ve got a better chance of your info being included in those AI summaries (and still showing up elsewhere in results too).

Search is getting more personalised
Results are now more tailored to the individual (based on things like location, search history and preferences), which means content needs to be extra relevant to your ideal audience.

How to adapt your SEO strategy

1. Focus on E-E-A-T
Helpful, high-quality content that shows off your experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness is key.

2. Make it conversational
AI Mode loves natural, question-style content. So include FAQs, answer-based blog posts and human-friendly copy.

3. Mix it up
Consider using different content types like short videos, infographics, visuals or carousels that are easily shareable and engaging.

4. Leverage multiple channels
Diversify your traffic sources by utilising social media, newsletters, podcasts and other platforms.

5. Keep an eye on what’s working
Monitor your analytics to see how your traffic and user behaviour is changing and adjust your strategy accordingly.

This update can feel a bit daunting, especially when you’ve worked hard on your content. But with a few tweaks, there’s still plenty of opportunity to stand out.

The SEO Guide

📰 In the news

Instagram announce multiple messaging updates including transcription of voice messages in DMs.
Instagram will now automatically translate text and captions on Reels.
Instagram continue testing shared access, which allows you to add people to help manage your account without sharing your password.
Instagram is considering moving the Story tray to the Reels tab.
TikTok now lets users hide videos from their profile, while still visible on the "For You" page.
Meta AI Assistant rolls out across their platforms in Europe.
Mosseri says taking a month off Instagram will hurt your reach because they have less data about your content, it’s not intentional and they are trying to fix it.
Google is testing "Discussions" which would allow users to add comments directly within search results to create a more interactive and engaging search experience.