Glenn Gabe
@glenngabe.bsky.social
SEO Consultant at G-Squared Interactive.
Site surges recently but AFTER the broad core update ~1/3. Yep, it's hacked & ranks for 300K queries. When you visit the pages directly, you see the homepage of the site. When you visit via the SERPs, you are redirected to some ecommerce-like site. Here is the cloaked page and the site's visibility.
January 9, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Site surges recently but AFTER the broad core update ~1/3. Yep, it's hacked & ranks for 300K queries. When you visit the pages directly, you see the homepage of the site. When you visit via the SERPs, you are redirected to some ecommerce-like site. Here is the cloaked page and the site's visibility.
Wait, tuna chunking content isn't a good idea? :) Good episode of SOTR with John and Danny
From Danny about 'chunking' your content: "So, we DON'T want you to do that. I was talking to some (Search) engineers about that. We don't want you to do that. We really don't."
From Danny about 'chunking' your content: "So, we DON'T want you to do that. I was talking to some (Search) engineers about that. We don't want you to do that. We really don't."
January 9, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Wait, tuna chunking content isn't a good idea? :) Good episode of SOTR with John and Danny
From Danny about 'chunking' your content: "So, we DON'T want you to do that. I was talking to some (Search) engineers about that. We don't want you to do that. We really don't."
From Danny about 'chunking' your content: "So, we DON'T want you to do that. I was talking to some (Search) engineers about that. We don't want you to do that. We really don't."
Shocking :) I haven't found many people that have checked out via ChatGPT. Advantage Google -> OpenAI has been slow to expand in-app checkouts for ChatGPT as the startup and its partners Shopify and Stripe struggle to standardize merchant data
OpenAI’s Shopping Ambitions Hit Messy Data Reality
OpenAI’s efforts to turn ChatGPT into a go-to personal shopper are off to a slow start. Challenges with wrangling product data mean in-app checkouts aren’t yet widely available to the millions of shop...
www.theinformation.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Shocking :) I haven't found many people that have checked out via ChatGPT. Advantage Google -> OpenAI has been slow to expand in-app checkouts for ChatGPT as the startup and its partners Shopify and Stripe struggle to standardize merchant data
Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents -> Microsoft launches Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents
"Copilot Checkout allows shoppers to make purchases directly within Copilot without redirecting to external sites. This is done directly in the Copilot chat experience."
searchengineland.com/microsoft-la...
"Copilot Checkout allows shoppers to make purchases directly within Copilot without redirecting to external sites. This is done directly in the Copilot chat experience."
searchengineland.com/microsoft-la...
January 8, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents -> Microsoft launches Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents
"Copilot Checkout allows shoppers to make purchases directly within Copilot without redirecting to external sites. This is done directly in the Copilot chat experience."
searchengineland.com/microsoft-la...
"Copilot Checkout allows shoppers to make purchases directly within Copilot without redirecting to external sites. This is done directly in the Copilot chat experience."
searchengineland.com/microsoft-la...
AI Overviews are now in Gmail -> Gmail is entering the Gemini era
"Just like they do in Google Search, AI Overviews turn information into answers without the digging. When you open an email with dozens of replies, Gmail synthesizes the entire conversation into a concise summary of key points."
"Just like they do in Google Search, AI Overviews turn information into answers without the digging. When you open an email with dozens of replies, Gmail synthesizes the entire conversation into a concise summary of key points."
Gmail is entering the Gemini era
Learn more about the next era of Gmail, now using Gemini 3 and Personal Intelligence.
blog.google
January 8, 2026 at 1:59 PM
AI Overviews are now in Gmail -> Gmail is entering the Gemini era
"Just like they do in Google Search, AI Overviews turn information into answers without the digging. When you open an email with dozens of replies, Gmail synthesizes the entire conversation into a concise summary of key points."
"Just like they do in Google Search, AI Overviews turn information into answers without the digging. When you open an email with dozens of replies, Gmail synthesizes the entire conversation into a concise summary of key points."
Focus on health and medical? A huge heads-up -> Introducing ChatGPT Health
"We’re introducing ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience that securely brings your health information and ChatGPT’s intelligence together, to help you feel more informed, prepared, and confident navigating your health.
"We’re introducing ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience that securely brings your health information and ChatGPT’s intelligence together, to help you feel more informed, prepared, and confident navigating your health.
Introducing ChatGPT Health
A dedicated experience in ChatGPT designed for health and wellness.
openai.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Focus on health and medical? A huge heads-up -> Introducing ChatGPT Health
"We’re introducing ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience that securely brings your health information and ChatGPT’s intelligence together, to help you feel more informed, prepared, and confident navigating your health.
"We’re introducing ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience that securely brings your health information and ChatGPT’s intelligence together, to help you feel more informed, prepared, and confident navigating your health.
Press Gazette covering the news publisher volatility (with a focus on UK publishers). Yep, it was a huge update.
"In percentage terms, more than half (39) of the sites analysed saw double-digit declines in their visibility scores."
pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...
"In percentage terms, more than half (39) of the sites analysed saw double-digit declines in their visibility scores."
pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...
January 7, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Press Gazette covering the news publisher volatility (with a focus on UK publishers). Yep, it was a huge update.
"In percentage terms, more than half (39) of the sites analysed saw double-digit declines in their visibility scores."
pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...
"In percentage terms, more than half (39) of the sites analysed saw double-digit declines in their visibility scores."
pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...
Updated the news publisher section of my December broad core update post with information about the September 2022 broad core update. Major news publishers also tanked then, only to recover weeks later AFTER the core update completed (which looked like a correction).
'The Core Before Christmas' - Google's December 2025 Broad Core Update - Analysis and Findings From The 18 Day Rollout
Glenn Gabe covers the December 2025 Google broad core update, a huge algorithm update that rolled out right in the middle of the holiday season.
www.gsqi.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Updated the news publisher section of my December broad core update post with information about the September 2022 broad core update. Major news publishers also tanked then, only to recover weeks later AFTER the core update completed (which looked like a correction).
Interesting, will OpenAI acquire Pinterest (for shopping data + ad revenue)?
"According to The Information, OpenAI may be considering making a move on Pinterest in order to lock up more human-generated data insights, particularly around product searches."
"According to The Information, OpenAI may be considering making a move on Pinterest in order to lock up more human-generated data insights, particularly around product searches."
Reports Suggest That OpenAI May Be Looking to Acquire Pinterest
Rumors are swirling that OpenAI may be looking to make a move on Pinterest.
www.socialmediatoday.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Interesting, will OpenAI acquire Pinterest (for shopping data + ad revenue)?
"According to The Information, OpenAI may be considering making a move on Pinterest in order to lock up more human-generated data insights, particularly around product searches."
"According to The Information, OpenAI may be considering making a move on Pinterest in order to lock up more human-generated data insights, particularly around product searches."
1) Wouldn't shock me, we have seen this before. 2) The links report in GSC isn't super useful and hasn't been for a long time. Google is never going to show all of your links due to spammers. 3) third-party tools can provide much more data but don't get sucked into the "toxic links" situation.
Google Search Console showing fewer links, is the report missing data? www.seroundtable.com/google-searc... via @vijaychauhanseo.bsky.social
#googlesearchconsole #google #googlelinks #links
#googlesearchconsole #google #googlelinks #links
January 5, 2026 at 6:07 PM
1) Wouldn't shock me, we have seen this before. 2) The links report in GSC isn't super useful and hasn't been for a long time. Google is never going to show all of your links due to spammers. 3) third-party tools can provide much more data but don't get sucked into the "toxic links" situation.
Grab a pot of coffee, it's a beast. I apologize in advance for the length but it was a huge update. My latest just went live -> ‘The Core Before Christmas’ – Google’s December 2025 Broad Core Update – Analysis and Findings From The 18 Day Rollout
www.gsqi.com/marketing-bl...
www.gsqi.com/marketing-bl...
'The Core Before Christmas' - Google's December 2025 Broad Core Update - Analysis and Findings From The 18 Day Rollout
Glenn Gabe covers the December 2025 Google broad core update, a huge algorithm update that rolled out right in the middle of the holiday season.
www.gsqi.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Grab a pot of coffee, it's a beast. I apologize in advance for the length but it was a huge update. My latest just went live -> ‘The Core Before Christmas’ – Google’s December 2025 Broad Core Update – Analysis and Findings From The 18 Day Rollout
www.gsqi.com/marketing-bl...
www.gsqi.com/marketing-bl...
Reddit Advertising News -> Reddit Takes on Google and Meta with New AI Media Buying Tool
"Reddit is rolling out its own AI-powered media-buying tool aimed at wooing performance advertisers—and tackling transparency complaints that have plagued similar tools from competitors."
"Reddit is rolling out its own AI-powered media-buying tool aimed at wooing performance advertisers—and tackling transparency complaints that have plagued similar tools from competitors."
Now in Beta: Max Campaigns for AI-Powered Ad Performance and Unique Audience Insights
Now in Beta: Max Campaigns
redditinc.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Reddit Advertising News -> Reddit Takes on Google and Meta with New AI Media Buying Tool
"Reddit is rolling out its own AI-powered media-buying tool aimed at wooing performance advertisers—and tackling transparency complaints that have plagued similar tools from competitors."
"Reddit is rolling out its own AI-powered media-buying tool aimed at wooing performance advertisers—and tackling transparency complaints that have plagued similar tools from competitors."
Shocking :) -> Reddit surpasses TikTok as the fourth most-visited social media service in the UK, likely driven by changes to Google's search algorithms and AI deals
Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z
Platform is now Britain’s fourth most visited social media site as users seek out human-generated content
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Shocking :) -> Reddit surpasses TikTok as the fourth most-visited social media service in the UK, likely driven by changes to Google's search algorithms and AI deals
How much is Google Discover stuffing X posts and YouTube videos in the feed? This morning I had 34 X posts and about 12 YouTube videos in my feed. That's insane and Google needs to refine that... Also, there are hybrid X posts + links to articles, which is really weird. See final screenshot...
January 3, 2026 at 3:07 PM
How much is Google Discover stuffing X posts and YouTube videos in the feed? This morning I had 34 X posts and about 12 YouTube videos in my feed. That's insane and Google needs to refine that... Also, there are hybrid X posts + links to articles, which is really weird. See final screenshot...
As OpenAI works to challenge Apple (yes, Apple) here's a look at ChatGPT Apps & how they are falling short so far -> Comparing ChatGPT's mini-apps w/native iOS apps: some like Uber, OpenTable, & TripAdvisor fell short with frequent error messages, but Instacart did well www.wsj.com/tech/ai/open...
OpenAI Is Taking On Apple’s App Store. It’s Got a Long Way to Go.
ChatGPT apps are a key piece of OpenAI’s long-shot bid to replace Apple. Many aren’t yet useful.
www.wsj.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:14 PM
As OpenAI works to challenge Apple (yes, Apple) here's a look at ChatGPT Apps & how they are falling short so far -> Comparing ChatGPT's mini-apps w/native iOS apps: some like Uber, OpenTable, & TripAdvisor fell short with frequent error messages, but Instacart did well www.wsj.com/tech/ai/open...
Ecommerce alarms going off at OpenAI, Gemini, Perplexity, and others. Amazon's AI Assistant Rufus has been triggering by default for me when visiting Amazon.com. It's a shopping assistant that can answer questions via AI right in the ecommerce SERPs. Could keep people on Amazon and off AI tools...
January 2, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Ecommerce alarms going off at OpenAI, Gemini, Perplexity, and others. Amazon's AI Assistant Rufus has been triggering by default for me when visiting Amazon.com. It's a shopping assistant that can answer questions via AI right in the ecommerce SERPs. Could keep people on Amazon and off AI tools...
Jarvis approaching. Let's hope it's not a pen as previously covered :) -> OpenAI is taking steps to improve its audio AI models, in preparation for its AI-powered personal device, which is expected to be largely audio-based
OpenAI Ramps Up Audio AI Efforts Ahead of Device
OpenAI is taking steps to improve its audio AI models, in preparation for its eventual release of an AI-powered personal device, said a person with knowledge of the effort. The device is expected to b...
www.theinformation.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Jarvis approaching. Let's hope it's not a pen as previously covered :) -> OpenAI is taking steps to improve its audio AI models, in preparation for its AI-powered personal device, which is expected to be largely audio-based
Good set of bullets from @johnmu.com. Remember, 404s are NOT a sign of low quality. Also, John's comments about redirects & soft 404s are good for site owners to understand. I published a case study years ago about how redirects to non-relevant pages are handled by Google. Also, the UX can suffer.
Google On Why 404s Don't Matter For SEO
Google has been saying that 404 error codes are a normal part of the web, that 404s are not a low quality signal and that they don't use up your crawl budget. Now, John Mueller of Google explained wh...
www.seroundtable.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Good set of bullets from @johnmu.com. Remember, 404s are NOT a sign of low quality. Also, John's comments about redirects & soft 404s are good for site owners to understand. I published a case study years ago about how redirects to non-relevant pages are handled by Google. Also, the UX can suffer.
A pen? That better be one amazing pen :) -> OpenAI’s First Device Could Be An AI Pen... And Not A Wearable (but you can wear a pen I guess...)
"Earlier this year Altman had said that the AI device will be “the third core device a person would put on their desk after a MacBook Pro and an iPhone.”
"Earlier this year Altman had said that the AI device will be “the third core device a person would put on their desk after a MacBook Pro and an iPhone.”
a person 's hand is reaching out towards a metal pole
ALT: a person 's hand is reaching out towards a metal pole
media.tenor.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:06 PM
A pen? That better be one amazing pen :) -> OpenAI’s First Device Could Be An AI Pen... And Not A Wearable (but you can wear a pen I guess...)
"Earlier this year Altman had said that the AI device will be “the third core device a person would put on their desk after a MacBook Pro and an iPhone.”
"Earlier this year Altman had said that the AI device will be “the third core device a person would put on their desk after a MacBook Pro and an iPhone.”
Really cool that Barry puts this together. Great to be on the list again. Now let's see what 2026 brings us! :) -> The top contributors (most cited) SEOs and SEMs on Search Engine Roundtable in 2025
Based on the most cited X/Twitter and Bluesky handles in Barry's stories for 2025.
Based on the most cited X/Twitter and Bluesky handles in Barry's stories for 2025.
December 31, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Really cool that Barry puts this together. Great to be on the list again. Now let's see what 2026 brings us! :) -> The top contributors (most cited) SEOs and SEMs on Search Engine Roundtable in 2025
Based on the most cited X/Twitter and Bluesky handles in Barry's stories for 2025.
Based on the most cited X/Twitter and Bluesky handles in Barry's stories for 2025.
Focus on Local? Colan Nielsen says it's more about the "Service Area Overlap" Trap -> The Google Business Profile 2-Hour Rule is a Myth: Why Your Google Verification is Actually Failing
"Google’s algorithm does not strictly enforce a “minimum distance” between business locations..."
"Google’s algorithm does not strictly enforce a “minimum distance” between business locations..."
The Google Business Profile 2-Hour Rule is a Myth: Why Your Google Verification is Actually Failing - Sterling Sky Inc
The "2-hour driving guideline" is one of the most persistent sources of confusion for Service Area Businesses (SABs) on Google Maps. If you are struggling to
www.sterlingsky.ca
December 30, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Focus on Local? Colan Nielsen says it's more about the "Service Area Overlap" Trap -> The Google Business Profile 2-Hour Rule is a Myth: Why Your Google Verification is Actually Failing
"Google’s algorithm does not strictly enforce a “minimum distance” between business locations..."
"Google’s algorithm does not strictly enforce a “minimum distance” between business locations..."
Heads-up! Like I thought might happen early this week, the December 2025 core update has completed rolling out. It was a big update causing a lot of volatility across sites, verticals, and countries. I'll have more to share about the update soon.
Google December 2025 Core Update Done Rolling Out
Google's December 2025 core update is now done rolling out, it took 18 days and 2 hours to complete. The core update started on December 11, 2025 at around 12:25 pm ET and ended on December 29, 2025 ...
www.seroundtable.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Heads-up! Like I thought might happen early this week, the December 2025 core update has completed rolling out. It was a big update causing a lot of volatility across sites, verticals, and countries. I'll have more to share about the update soon.
I've helped a lot of companies over the years that expanded to a number of ccTLDs. It's important to understand that the other sites are still *different sites*. They need to build their own signals and power over time, so just setting up a bunch of ccTLDs does not mean you will be successful...
Google Questions Need For ccTLDs For Websites To Go International
Google's John Mueller questioned the need for all websites to use ccTLDs, different domain names, to take their websites international. He said on Reddit, "you both make things harder on yourself, but...
www.seroundtable.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I've helped a lot of companies over the years that expanded to a number of ccTLDs. It's important to understand that the other sites are still *different sites*. They need to build their own signals and power over time, so just setting up a bunch of ccTLDs does not mean you will be successful...
Good Morning Google Land! This is the 12/29 edition of "Core Update Notes". The update is nearing completion and it wouldn't shock me to see Google officially say it's done early this week. Other than the 12/20 tremor, most sites are still moving in the same direction impact-wise.
a neon sign that says attention on a black background
ALT: a neon sign that says attention on a black background
media.tenor.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Good Morning Google Land! This is the 12/29 edition of "Core Update Notes". The update is nearing completion and it wouldn't shock me to see Google officially say it's done early this week. Other than the 12/20 tremor, most sites are still moving in the same direction impact-wise.
It's like the industry's version of spotting Bigfoot :) -> I spotted another ad in AIOs the other day. You don't see them often... so I always try to screenshot them when I do. It's like having my own version of the Patterson-Gimlin film of Bigfoot.
December 28, 2025 at 2:45 PM
It's like the industry's version of spotting Bigfoot :) -> I spotted another ad in AIOs the other day. You don't see them often... so I always try to screenshot them when I do. It's like having my own version of the Patterson-Gimlin film of Bigfoot.