Here's your roundup of the key search industry developments from January 2025 and how they impact publishers and advertisers alike.
Google Search
The Associated Press to feed real-time data to Google Gemini
In mid-January, Google signed a deal with the Associated Press (AP) to grant Gemini access to AP’s content. This should improve the Gemini’s responses on current and unfolding events, reducing the chances of generating misinformation.
For publishers...
This highlights the growing importance of trusted, authoritative sources and currentness in AI-driven search results. Producing timely, accurate content could help your site remain competitive as engagement shifts from traditional SERPs to AI interfaces.
Google's market share falls below 90% for the first time since 2015
Despite efforts to tighten its chokehold on the search market with expedited Gemini innovations, it was reported in January that Google’s market share dropped below the 90% mark for the first time in 7 years.
These lows were recorded throughout Q4 of 2024.
The biggest share loss occurred in Asia, with many other regions showing relative stability. According to Statcounter data, ex-google users are primarily defecting to Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex — although it’s likely some are opting instead for AI search platforms like ChatGPT Search and Perplexity.
For publishers...
While Google remains dominant, the growing traction of Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, and AI-driven search platforms means publishers should consider broadening their search optimisation strategies beyond Google alone.
To stay ahead:
- Monitor traffic sources to identify shifts in search engine referrals.
- Optimise for alternative search engines, particularly Bing, which benefits from AI-powered enhancements.
- Explore AI search visibility, as platforms like ChatGPT Search and Perplexity reshape how content is surfaced and engaged with.
Google SEO
Local search rankings see a spike in volatility
In early January, SEOs began reporting significant local ranking fluctuations. Some think this could have been the result of an unconfirmed bug, while others wonder if it could be a sign of another core update on the way.
For publishers...
Keep a close eye on local search performance and monitor any unusual fluctuations. It’s a good time to reassess local SEO efforts, ensuring your content is optimised for local search signals.
To blog or not to blog?
Google’s John Mueller was asked via Reddit if new websites in 2025 will need a blog. He replied that no, including a blog on your website is not a requirement. In other words, your standard web pages can still rank well whether you have a blog or not.
According to various Google spokespeople, you should launch a blog for your website if you:
- Have in-depth knowledge of the intended blog focus
- Are passionate about the focus area
- You have something ‘unique and interesting to say, and you think your existing customers would find it useful’
- The focus area isn’t already overly saturated
For publishers...
We’d take this advice with a pinch of salt — especially from an SEO perspective.
While it’s true that having a blog isn’t a must for ranking, blogs give you the opportunity to target a wider range of relevant keywords that might not fit naturally into your other site content. They’re also a great way to engage early-stage prospects, guiding them toward your more commercial pages.
What’s more, research shows that all major AI search tools primarily cite informational web pages — even for mid-to-late funnel stage queries. A blog allows you to build a robust informational resource that can contribute towards AEO/GEO, building visibility in generated results.
As for the idea that highly competitive or “saturated” topics should be avoided — don’t be discouraged. Saturated topics may be competitive, but if you know your stuff and present your ideas well, there’s no reason you can’t build authority in your niche and rise through the ranks — especially if you partner with expert digital strategists.
Google recommends using reviews with author names and comments
Publishers can mark up review content on their website for inclusion in rich results. These can improve SEO, help grab user attention, and build interest in your brand.
However, Google has updated their review snippet guidance to strongly recommend only using reviews with an author name attached — as well as author comments.
For publishers...
To be clear, this isn’t a requirement, but it seems as though Google is suggesting fully formed reviews increase the chances of inclusion in rich snippets — making it a worthwhile implementation.
Google updates manual action policy violations for News & Discovery
Google has updated the manual action policy violations for News and Discovery websites. Sections on artificial freshening and adult themes were cut from the guidelines, replaced by several new entries on deceptive practices.
Here are the key takeaways:
- Content on your website shouldn’t attempt to ‘conceal or misrepresent the site ownership or purpose’.
- Content on your website shouldn’t appear to represent unaffiliated entities.
- Publishers should not attempt to conceal the entity that created a piece of content.
- Content on your website should not misrepresent the providing entity.
- Content on your website should not attempt to ‘misrepresent or conceal the financial or editorial relationships of the content producers.’
- Your content should not attempt to ‘misrepresent or conceal the country of origin of the website.’
Google takes longer to process content mergers than site moves
John Mueller recently explained via Bluesky that it’s trickier for Google to process content mergers than site migrations, stating, ‘Merging is always a bit more challenging than a simple site move.’
By ‘merging’, Mueller is referring to the process of consolidating content spread across multiple URLs into fewer URLs.
For publishers...
Patience is key — ranking fluctuations may occur before Google fully processes your changes. Prepare for this in advance by scheduling your merger for low traffic periods, and, if possible, between Google core updates.
To help things along, you should also ensure that:
- 301 redirects are correctly implemented
- Internal links are updated to reflect the new structure.
- Duplicate or thin content is removed to avoid confusion.
Bing Search
Bing tests publisher-friendly attribution in AI answer boxes
Bing has been tinkering with their AI answer boxes, seemingly to draw more attention to cited websites in order to offset the inevitable dip in organic traffic.
Links to cited websites now show domain names in full, alongside website favicons. This is instead of a simple superscript citation number.
Not only does this grant more screen real estate to sources, the favicons can help to catch user eyes and encourage a website visit or build some brand awareness among those who are not familiar with the brand.
For publishers...
This means you shouldn’t underestimate the power of your favicon. They may be a minor aspect of your digital branding, but a clear and unique design may well help you generate traffic from AI search.
Yahoo Search
Yahoo enters the AI search arena
Yahoo is the latest search engine to throw its hat into the artificial intelligence arena, releasing an AI chat feature that was swiftly followed by integrated AI search results, similar to AI Overviews.
These AI facilities are reportedly powered by OpenAI — unsurprising considering Yahoo Search relies on Bing to serve search results, and Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI is well documented.
For publishers...
This means more engagement will move from traditional SERPs to new AI-driven venues. Optimising for visibility in these spaces is becoming more critical by the day. Learn more in our guide.
Paid media
Google Ads phishing scam spotted
A Google Ads phishing scam was reported in January. Presenting as a sponsored link in search, the phishing attempt directs users to a Google Sites web address that isn’t affiliated with Google — in order to steal login information.
There were two giveaways that advertisers thankfully noticed when faced with this scam. Firstly, the blue link did not feature the Google Ads favicon. Secondly, when users clicked the ‘Start now’ button, the login page had a suspicious URL.
For advertisers...
The issue was reported to Google, but be vigilant; you may come across similar threats in the future. It’s easy to go into autopilot on the SERPs, clicking on the first thing that resembles what you’re looking for, however, it pays to be mindful during navigation.
Always look for some form of confirmation of authenticity, especially before typing any login credentials.
For more security insights, check out our guide to granting access to your marketing products securely.
Google Search Max might be on the way
In January, some noticed Search Max appearing in the Google Ads match type report.
Not much is known about Search Max at this point, but according to Adrian Dekker, it ‘combines Search Term Matching and Text & URL Optimisation to help marketers broaden their reach, improve user relevance, and drive higher conversions.’
For advertisers...
Keep an eye out for updates and be prepared to test this feature when available. It may offer a way to reach more users while maintaining relevance to search intent.
If you want to take your paid media strategy to the next level, ask about our PPC services. We can help you optimise campaigns, track performance, and ensure your paid ads are working effectively to drive results.
Google adds source column for PMax campaign reports
Google has introduced a new "source" column in the search terms insights report for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. This column provides more transparency by showing where search traffic and conversions are coming from. It can include different sources like:
- Search themes (general topics users are searching for)
- URLs (specific web pages where interactions happened)
- Creative assets (ads that contributed to clicks/conversions)
For advertisers...
This update helps you better understand what’s driving performance in your PMax campaigns, allowing for more informed optimisation decisions that maximise the impact of your PPC budget.
You can check that this new column is appearing in your Google Ads account via Campaigns / Insights and reports / Insights / Search terms insights / Search category.
Weekly spend fluctuations down to market conditions
In a conversation on X, Google Ad Liasion Ginni Marvin explained that ad spend reacts to market conditions in real-time, which is why you might see spend fluctuations in your Google Ads account despite not changing anything:
‘Weekly spend fluctuations are typically due to changing market conditions (weather events, industry trends, etc.) and/or any recent budget changes in the campaign.
While the average weekly spend can fluctuate up/down with changing marketing conditions, campaigns won’t exceed their monthly spend limit. We’ll also notify advertisers around mid-month if your LSA campaign does exhaust its monthly budget.
You may also be more likely to experience this when the campaign has limited flexibility to meet and/or adjust to shifts in demand throughout the month.’
Google being more transparent about search term attribution
Google has introduced a new “private search term” category in the search terms insights report for Performance Max campaigns. This label applies to search queries that have been used by fewer than 50 unique users over the past 90 days.
The search terms insights report helps advertisers understand which searches triggered their ads and led to clicks or conversions. While PMax campaigns don’t use traditional keyword targeting, this report provides a valuable look at how Google’s AI is matching ads to real user searches.
The addition of the "private search term" label helps advertisers see where Google is limiting data visibility while still offering insight into campaign performance.
For advertisers...
If you're running Performance Max campaigns, continue monitoring your search terms insights to understand how your ads are matched to user searches. Even without full visibility, these insights can help refine your ad creative, landing pages, and targeting strategies for better results.
Stay current with TDMP
Staying informed is the first step to staying competitive! If you need help navigating these industry changes and optimising your digital strategy, contact TDMP today.