Is Google Search thriving or dying? How is AI eating your PPC lunch, and why won’t Google make up its mind?

This week, we cover trending topics including Google’s expanded AI mode for multi-lingual search, Reddit’s sneaky push for publisher power with brand new Pro Tools, and the surprising court ruling that lets Google keep Chrome… while also sharing some of its special sauce (most likely a can of Ragu). You’ll hear how shifting digital consumer behavior (think: the Four S’s—searching, scrolling, streaming, shopping) is making marketers rethink their omnichannel strategies, and why social media optimization keeps creeping into every SEO conversation.

Plus, Cindy Krum shares fresh holiday search trends and reveals why TikTok Shop might outpace traditional ecommerce. We even poke fun at Google’s “reality”—the web’s apparently booming and crumbling at the exact same time, depending on who’s asking.

News from the EDGE:

• [00:02:24] BrightonSEO Tickets!
• [00:05:33] Google expands AI Mode beyond English
• [00:10:04] Reddit launches Pro tools for publishers
• [00:12:46] EDGE Sponsor: Site Strategics
• [00:14:09] Judge lets Google keep Chrome, but says it must share search data with rivals

SEO News Segment:

• [00:21:16] Holiday shopping: Unlocking the modern consumer’s new value equation
• [00:29:43] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: WAIKAY
• [00:31:30] Are Google’s AI Overviews eating your PPC revenue?
• [00:35:53] Google can’t decide if the web is thriving – or dying

Thanks to our sponsors!

• Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site
• Inlinks WAIKAY https://edgeofthewebradio.com/waikay

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• X: @ErinSparks
• X: @Suzzicks
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Google’s AI is poised to wipe out half of news publishers’ traffic, but Barry Adams isn’t here to panic—he’s here to bring the hard truths (with a side of hope). On this week’s EDGE of the Web, we dive deep into how Google’s relentless AI advancements, from overviews to the new AI mode, threaten the very foundation of news publishing.

Join host Erin Sparks and News SEO specialist Barry Adams as they break down the seismic shifts hitting news publishers: AI overviews stealing clicks, Top Stories boxes protecting (for now), and why AI mode is a technological hand grenade waiting to go off. Barry shares what’s working, what’s not, and why keeping up with Google’s user experience data from the Chrome browser is harder than ever. We cover how publishers can future-proof themselves—think personalization, paywalls, and bundling—before Google fully flips the AI switch.

Side quest: Ever wondered how to train your audience to pay for news in a world where everything’s free (thanks, Google)? Barry makes a compelling case for why quality, unique journalism is more vital than ever—even if it means surviving on half your pie.

Wrap up by buckling in for the impending Google traffic apocalypse, arming yourself with Barry’s don’t-panic (but have your towel) wisdom, and getting the inside scoop on what grows in the new AI-powered world of news.

Key Segments:

[00:04:44] Current Status on News SEO: Minimal Impact

[00:06:46] "AI Mode Simplifies Web Browsing"

[00:15:00] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: PreWriter.ai

[00:17:12] AI Mode Impact on Google Traffic

[00:22:31] Google Outlasts ChatGPT: Future Forecast

[00:30:18] Stand Out or Fade Away

[00:33:25] News Industry Consolidation Trends

[00:34:33] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Inlinks (WAIKAY)

[00:37:10] Thriving Small Publishers Need Uniqueness
[00:39:58] Balancing Integrity and Audience Appeal

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

PreWriter.ai: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/prewriter

Inlinks/WAIKAY: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/waikay

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryadams/

Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/polemicdigital.com

Meta’s got its eyes (and algorithms) locked on unoriginal content, and that’s just the tip of the AI-powered iceberg. This week, EDGE of the Web is knee-deep in septic tank puns and even deeper into breaking news shaking up AI, SEO, and the future of web browsing.

Hosts Erin Sparks and guest Crystal Carter wade through Meta’s latest moves to curb content farms and content theft, Google’s new AI-generated shopping and search experiments, and the shocking rise of AI-powered browser contenders. Plus, the crew gets real about how AI Overviews are cannibalizing clicks, what “agentic AI” means for your future shopping sprees (and your calendar), and why being authentic is still your best bet in the SEO cesspool.

In a particularly cheeky side note, Erin and Crystal dissect the subtle strategies hidden in Google’s virtual try-on images—are those AI-generated smiles a sly tactic for boosting conversions? Spoiler: Someone’s always a little happier in new clothes.

Don’t panic (and always carry a towel): EDGE of the Web keeps you prepared and laughing through the chaos of AI, changing SERP landscapes, and the not-so-glamorous world of digital marketing. Smash that play button for smart analysis, sharp takes, and the kind of SEO news you actually want to share—even if you promise to quit the septic tank jokes… eventually.

News from the EDGE:

[00:00:21] Try PreWriter.AI

[00:00:44] BrightonSEO 15% Off Tickets

[00:05:16] Meta Follows YouTube In Crackdown On Unoriginal Content

AI / SEO News Segment:

[00:10:47] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: PreWriter.AI

[00:11:57] OpenAI And Perplexity Set To Battle Google For Browser Dominance

[00:22:06] Google launches AI shopping tools with virtual try-ons and smarter price alerts

[00:29:00] Google Web Guide for AI-organized search results

[00:34:34] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: WAIKAI

[00:36:01] Google’s AI Overviews are hurting clicks: Pew study

[00:44:17] Google Says AI Won’t Replace The Need For SEO

Thanks to our sponsors!

PreWriter.AI: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/prewriter

Inlinks WAIKAY https://edgeofthewebradio.com/waikay

Follow Us:

X: @ErinSparks

X: @CrystalontheWeb

X: @TheMann00

X: @EDGEWebRadio