February 2026 highlights how AI is rapidly reshaping search, discovery, jobs, monetisation, and digital trust.

In this episode of The Round-Up, we look at the biggest developments across SEO, AI search, robotics, and the evolving digital ecosystem.

From Google’s transition toward conversational AI search and agent-driven web interactions, to new monetisation models emerging across OpenAI, Meta, and Google, this month confirms one thing: AI is no longer an add-on to the internet — it’s becoming its operating layer.

Key Themes Covered

- The Transformation of Search & Discovery

YouTube emerging as the #1 cited source in Google Gemini

AI visibility shifting from rankings to relevance and expertise

Zero-click behaviour and changing traffic expectations

Dynamic AI Overviews and measurement challenges

Google’s new Web MCP protocol enabling AI agents to act on websites

- The Rapid Growth of the AI Workforce

AI roles dominating job growth across London

The evolving SEO job market in an AI-integrated world

Why SEO professionals are moving closer to strategic decision-making

- AI Monetisation & Platform Economics

OpenAI introducing advertising modelsPremium AI subscriptions across Meta platforms

AI-powered shopping and checkout directly inside search

Google reducing crawl limits and reshaping technical optimisation

- Trust, Safety & RegulationDeepfake fraud and AI likeness protection

Government responses to AI and social media risks

AI hallucinations, misinformation, and accountability challenges

Expanded tools to monitor and remove personal data online

- The Future of AI IntegrationPersonal AI tutors and guided learning systems

Robotics and physical AI advancements

AI companions and changing human–technology relationships

Welcome to Search With Sean: Weekly News – your concise roundup of the key stories shaping SEO, AI, search, digital PR, paid media, and digital strategy this week.

Co-Hosts:Nicola Agius – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-agius-8b330956/

Amanda Walls – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajwalls/

Stanislav Farkas – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanislav-farkas-fastraveller/

This week, we covered a wide range of hot topics in SEO, AI, and digital strategy.

Top Stories 📰

In this week’s news episode, the top stories we cover include Google’s February Core Update, which focuses on Google Discover and aims to provide more locally relevant, original, and timely content, while reducing sensationalism and highlighting the growing importance of user experience; the ongoing debate surrounding AI-driven ads, sparked by OpenAI’s integration of ads in ChatGPT as the Super Bowl approaches; Google’s crackdown on self-promotional listicles, targeting manipulative SEO tactics and reducing bias in rankings; and the rise of AI agents on Maltbook, raising concerns about AI becoming sentient as these agents interact in increasingly human-like ways.

Top Videos 🎥

In this week’s video discussions, we covered the recent Google Discover update, which emphasizes localized content and how this shift could present opportunities for niche publishers, with localized content potentially becoming the key to success in Google Discover moving forward, as highlighted in a video by Glenn Gabe; a video on Pepsi’s clever use of the Coca-Cola polar bear mascot to take playful jabs at their competitors in the Super Bowl ad space, exploring how brands are capitalizing on this high-profile marketing event; a deep dive into a study on AI overviews, revealing a significant reduction in CTR, now up to 58%, and the implications this shift will have on traditional SEO as brands need to adapt to the evolving search landscape; and the launch of ChatGPT’s new cancer-related advert, which explores the potential benefits of AI in helping patients prepare for appointments and navigate treatment, marking a significant step in AI's role in healthcare marketing.

Top Social Posts 📲

In this week’s social media discussions, we covered Lily Ray’s post highlighting the growing concern about self-promotional listicles in SEO, where companies manipulate rankings in their favour, and how Google’s new stance on this matter could signal the end of these outdated tactics, with many marketers calling for more transparency and genuine content creation; a follow-up on Ryan Law’s AI Overview study, revealing a significant increase in AI-driven traffic and a sharp decline in traditional search traffic as AI overviews continue to evolve, urging brands to rethink how they approach visibility in an AI-dominated future; as well as insights from Marie Haynes about Google’s Q4 earnings call, revealing Gemini’s impressive growth, higher engagement per user, and Google’s focus on YouTube as a premier shopping destination.

Welcome to Search With Sean: Weekly News — your concise roundup of the key stories shaping SEO, AI, search, digital PR, paid media, and digital strategy this week.

Co Host:Amanda Walls – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajwalls/

Top Stories:In this week's top stories, ChatGPT unveils its new premium-priced ads, marking a big shift from traditional cost-per-click models to a cost-per-view approach. But with limited data and no clear ROI on conversions, how will advertisers adapt? The conversation continues with concerns over the growing dominance of YouTube in AI health-related searches, which raises red flags for trust and accuracy in medical information. Meta’s move to test paid subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp also makes waves, potentially reshaping how we engage with social media. Lastly, Google's new user intent extraction method shows a deeper focus on behavior-driven search predictions, highlighting the growing role of AI in personalizing the search experience.

Top Videos:The video roundup includes Dan Petrovic’s insightful chat on The Future of AI Search, where he discusses how AI models will revolutionize SEO and content formats. The talk emphasizes clarity, entity signals, and the need for succinct content in an AI-driven world. Also featured is futurist Ray Kurzweil’s bold prediction on AGI in a Moonshots podcast, where he suggests that AI could surpass human intelligence by 2029, blending human capabilities with machines. Yuval Noah Harari’s presentation at the World Economic Forum adds to this by discussing the impact of AI on communication and society, warning that AI might soon surpass human control.

Top Social Posts:Social media has seen some important conversations this week. One stand-out post comes from Marie Haynes, who shared insights from Sam Altman’s OpenAI town hall. Altman raised alarms about AI’s potential to concentrate power and wealth, with the fast-paced advancements in AI outpacing governance. Meanwhile, a post about Google’s Gemini 3 integration into Chrome piqued interest across the digital marketing world. This new AI feature embedded in Chrome will automate everything from comparing products to scheduling appointments, directly competing with OpenAI’s offerings, and changing the way we interact with browsers.

View all stories + more here - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRgApI9fMAMVswEIcS8iz2HXYpWXPlA2hjHZs8B9stlS6s8mvX-cAkHydCWW2yvca6Jv2sn0xu6w4Eg/pubhtml