Blair MacGregor
@blairmacgregor.bsky.social
Independent search analyst. I help people navigate the SEO landscape in a post-AI world. 15+ year marketer. Long-suffering #isles fan. https://www.enduragrowthpartners.com
Of course what these elements do is keep people on the SERP. The sources *are* cited but there's so much accompanying information, I'd imagine not a lot of people are clicking through to the publishers.
February 4, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Of course what these elements do is keep people on the SERP. The sources *are* cited but there's so much accompanying information, I'd imagine not a lot of people are clicking through to the publishers.
Notice the flyout menus under each of these different points of comparison with long lists of specs. In this case, I'm not sure they add much additional value upon clicking. The fact that it's so spec-heavy makes me think of landing on an over-optimized product page.
February 4, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Notice the flyout menus under each of these different points of comparison with long lists of specs. In this case, I'm not sure they add much additional value upon clicking. The fact that it's so spec-heavy makes me think of landing on an over-optimized product page.
Another example of an AI Overview Google's experimenting with functionally taking up the whole SERP for a highly transactional "vs" keyword comparing two kids' bikes models.
February 4, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Another example of an AI Overview Google's experimenting with functionally taking up the whole SERP for a highly transactional "vs" keyword comparing two kids' bikes models.
Google wants (or says they want) to reward writers & publishers with domain expertise who know their subject inside out. E-E-A-T!
At the same time, journalism itself is getting squeezed; the ones that remain are spreading themselves thinner, working multiple beats.
Seems bad!
At the same time, journalism itself is getting squeezed; the ones that remain are spreading themselves thinner, working multiple beats.
Seems bad!
January 30, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Google wants (or says they want) to reward writers & publishers with domain expertise who know their subject inside out. E-E-A-T!
At the same time, journalism itself is getting squeezed; the ones that remain are spreading themselves thinner, working multiple beats.
Seems bad!
At the same time, journalism itself is getting squeezed; the ones that remain are spreading themselves thinner, working multiple beats.
Seems bad!
Oh *this* could be fun. 😈
January 28, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Oh *this* could be fun. 😈
I haven't tried DeepSeek yet (hopefully, I'll get a chance to play around with it today) but as of this second, I agree with this take: LLMs still aren't equipped to deal with tasks and workflows that require exact precision. But they're great for everything else. (And "everything else" is *a lot*!)
January 27, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I haven't tried DeepSeek yet (hopefully, I'll get a chance to play around with it today) but as of this second, I agree with this take: LLMs still aren't equipped to deal with tasks and workflows that require exact precision. But they're great for everything else. (And "everything else" is *a lot*!)
hUbSpOt's dYiNg!!! SeO iS dYiNg!!!!11
Oh wait. Actually, it looks like the main domain's traffic stayed relatively steady at the same time a bunch of ToFU content on the blog subdomain (that probably contributed zilch to pipeline/revenue) tanked. 🤔
Oh wait. Actually, it looks like the main domain's traffic stayed relatively steady at the same time a bunch of ToFU content on the blog subdomain (that probably contributed zilch to pipeline/revenue) tanked. 🤔
January 24, 2025 at 3:34 PM
hUbSpOt's dYiNg!!! SeO iS dYiNg!!!!11
Oh wait. Actually, it looks like the main domain's traffic stayed relatively steady at the same time a bunch of ToFU content on the blog subdomain (that probably contributed zilch to pipeline/revenue) tanked. 🤔
Oh wait. Actually, it looks like the main domain's traffic stayed relatively steady at the same time a bunch of ToFU content on the blog subdomain (that probably contributed zilch to pipeline/revenue) tanked. 🤔
This part caught my eye, although I'm sure this is just codifying publicly what they've already been doing. (Thread 🧵)
January 24, 2025 at 2:43 PM
This part caught my eye, although I'm sure this is just codifying publicly what they've already been doing. (Thread 🧵)
This is stupid, I'm sorry. I still want to know why *this* part, that Google has now emphasized in the documentation, matters at all. All it will do is have a chilling effect on freelance writers trying to find work as publishers get spooked off from hiring them.
January 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM
This is stupid, I'm sorry. I still want to know why *this* part, that Google has now emphasized in the documentation, matters at all. All it will do is have a chilling effect on freelance writers trying to find work as publishers get spooked off from hiring them.
Contrast this with HCU losses, which are punctuated by Keyword Total Losses (KTLs), aka complete wipe-outs (for beginners and non-SEOs, these show as "Lost" in your toolset). Complete category-wide demolition that indicates Google doesn't want your site ranking for this category of terms anymore.
January 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Contrast this with HCU losses, which are punctuated by Keyword Total Losses (KTLs), aka complete wipe-outs (for beginners and non-SEOs, these show as "Lost" in your toolset). Complete category-wide demolition that indicates Google doesn't want your site ranking for this category of terms anymore.
In other words, a steep traffic loss but it's also far more indicative of a standard, run-of-the-mill Core Update:
-Site maintains first-page visibility even for most terms experiencing the heaviest traffic losses.
-Site maintains the same (or better) position for other keywords in the category
-Site maintains first-page visibility even for most terms experiencing the heaviest traffic losses.
-Site maintains the same (or better) position for other keywords in the category
January 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
In other words, a steep traffic loss but it's also far more indicative of a standard, run-of-the-mill Core Update:
-Site maintains first-page visibility even for most terms experiencing the heaviest traffic losses.
-Site maintains the same (or better) position for other keywords in the category
-Site maintains first-page visibility even for most terms experiencing the heaviest traffic losses.
-Site maintains the same (or better) position for other keywords in the category
This is one of the more significant drops I've personally seen after the consecutive Nov/Dec '24 Core Updates, with an estimated 56% loss (a consumer-focused health app and content site).
It's interesting that they've suddenly been hit with this. 🧵
It's interesting that they've suddenly been hit with this. 🧵
January 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This is one of the more significant drops I've personally seen after the consecutive Nov/Dec '24 Core Updates, with an estimated 56% loss (a consumer-focused health app and content site).
It's interesting that they've suddenly been hit with this. 🧵
It's interesting that they've suddenly been hit with this. 🧵
Dotdash Meredith's Jon Roberts on just how closely they're working with OpenAI and how it helps feed D/Cipher, their internal ad-targeting tool
January 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Dotdash Meredith's Jon Roberts on just how closely they're working with OpenAI and how it helps feed D/Cipher, their internal ad-targeting tool
Running some query tests and got......whatever this is for a keyword comparing two kids' bike trailer/stroller products from the same manufacturer.
A side-by-side "comparison" followed by an AI overview that didn't populate above the actually good organic results that follow.
Not great!
A side-by-side "comparison" followed by an AI overview that didn't populate above the actually good organic results that follow.
Not great!
January 15, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Running some query tests and got......whatever this is for a keyword comparing two kids' bike trailer/stroller products from the same manufacturer.
A side-by-side "comparison" followed by an AI overview that didn't populate above the actually good organic results that follow.
Not great!
A side-by-side "comparison" followed by an AI overview that didn't populate above the actually good organic results that follow.
Not great!
Going back to read some stuff I had bookmarked over the holidays. These 3 companies from @viperchill.bsky.social's latest Gaps report are attacking the issue of publisher compensation from LLMs from a few different angles. For my publisher friends, might be worth checking out: gaps.com/nov-2024/
January 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Going back to read some stuff I had bookmarked over the holidays. These 3 companies from @viperchill.bsky.social's latest Gaps report are attacking the issue of publisher compensation from LLMs from a few different angles. For my publisher friends, might be worth checking out: gaps.com/nov-2024/
According to this study, aggregators of local businesses/services like Thumbtack, Angi, Justia and even some of the more prominent travel aggregators (Expedia, Booking .com) are being nudged out of search-enabled ChatGPT sources in favor of direct links to merchants/providers.
January 3, 2025 at 8:32 PM
According to this study, aggregators of local businesses/services like Thumbtack, Angi, Justia and even some of the more prominent travel aggregators (Expedia, Booking .com) are being nudged out of search-enabled ChatGPT sources in favor of direct links to merchants/providers.
Oh. And the responses were probably written by AI, per Copyleaks.
Cool beans.
Cool beans.
January 2, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Oh. And the responses were probably written by AI, per Copyleaks.
Cool beans.
Cool beans.
The LinkedIn Pulse "collaborative article" driving the highest amount of traffic in the /advice/ sub-folder is this one, ranking #1 for the long-tail term "cat5e vs cat6" which is its highest driving organic keyword.
A collaborative article with all of the responses curiously selected from one guy.
A collaborative article with all of the responses curiously selected from one guy.
January 2, 2025 at 10:42 PM
The LinkedIn Pulse "collaborative article" driving the highest amount of traffic in the /advice/ sub-folder is this one, ranking #1 for the long-tail term "cat5e vs cat6" which is its highest driving organic keyword.
A collaborative article with all of the responses curiously selected from one guy.
A collaborative article with all of the responses curiously selected from one guy.
“We try to avoid updates dur….”
December 12, 2024 at 5:30 PM
“We try to avoid updates dur….”
"Subcrible Now"
(btw it's ranking #1 for very ToFU, unlikely-to-convert financial terms but financial terms nonetheless 🙃)
(btw it's ranking #1 for very ToFU, unlikely-to-convert financial terms but financial terms nonetheless 🙃)
December 8, 2024 at 11:13 PM
"Subcrible Now"
(btw it's ranking #1 for very ToFU, unlikely-to-convert financial terms but financial terms nonetheless 🙃)
(btw it's ranking #1 for very ToFU, unlikely-to-convert financial terms but financial terms nonetheless 🙃)
I appreciate the feedback I've gotten on this piece and thanks to everyone who took the time to read or share it.
Special thanks to @rustybrick.com for including it in the SER daily roundup yesterday. That's some company to be included in. ❤️
Special thanks to @rustybrick.com for including it in the SER daily roundup yesterday. That's some company to be included in. ❤️
December 5, 2024 at 3:54 PM
I appreciate the feedback I've gotten on this piece and thanks to everyone who took the time to read or share it.
Special thanks to @rustybrick.com for including it in the SER daily roundup yesterday. That's some company to be included in. ❤️
Special thanks to @rustybrick.com for including it in the SER daily roundup yesterday. That's some company to be included in. ❤️
Anyone remotely involved in SEO has had to recognize, at some point, that it's not an even playing field. Like life in general, it isn’t always fair.
Yet it’s now reached a point where so much of what's happening in the SERPs is inconsistent & unreliable in ways that aren't logically explainable.
Yet it’s now reached a point where so much of what's happening in the SERPs is inconsistent & unreliable in ways that aren't logically explainable.
December 3, 2024 at 3:43 PM
Anyone remotely involved in SEO has had to recognize, at some point, that it's not an even playing field. Like life in general, it isn’t always fair.
Yet it’s now reached a point where so much of what's happening in the SERPs is inconsistent & unreliable in ways that aren't logically explainable.
Yet it’s now reached a point where so much of what's happening in the SERPs is inconsistent & unreliable in ways that aren't logically explainable.
I like that more niche HARO alternatives have popped up in recent years.
But some of them need infinitely more vetting.
And not just for sources, but those requesting them as well.
But some of them need infinitely more vetting.
And not just for sources, but those requesting them as well.
November 25, 2024 at 5:42 PM
I like that more niche HARO alternatives have popped up in recent years.
But some of them need infinitely more vetting.
And not just for sources, but those requesting them as well.
But some of them need infinitely more vetting.
And not just for sources, but those requesting them as well.
-Discussions/Forums snippet for this KW I last checked in May is still present but further down the SERP thankfully.
-The low-value Reddit posts that were live in May are gone.
-The first Quora post in the D&F snippet has one reply that (I'm assuming) is factually accurate but it's AI-generated. 🙃
-The low-value Reddit posts that were live in May are gone.
-The first Quora post in the D&F snippet has one reply that (I'm assuming) is factually accurate but it's AI-generated. 🙃
November 25, 2024 at 3:22 PM
-Discussions/Forums snippet for this KW I last checked in May is still present but further down the SERP thankfully.
-The low-value Reddit posts that were live in May are gone.
-The first Quora post in the D&F snippet has one reply that (I'm assuming) is factually accurate but it's AI-generated. 🙃
-The low-value Reddit posts that were live in May are gone.
-The first Quora post in the D&F snippet has one reply that (I'm assuming) is factually accurate but it's AI-generated. 🙃
This is also why I have zero sympathy for Forbes. This page about smartest dog breeds was folded under pet insurance.
What does this have to do with pet insurance?
What does Forbes have to do with pets generally?
The very definition of "writing content just for search engines."
What does this have to do with pet insurance?
What does Forbes have to do with pets generally?
The very definition of "writing content just for search engines."
November 21, 2024 at 3:31 PM
This is also why I have zero sympathy for Forbes. This page about smartest dog breeds was folded under pet insurance.
What does this have to do with pet insurance?
What does Forbes have to do with pets generally?
The very definition of "writing content just for search engines."
What does this have to do with pet insurance?
What does Forbes have to do with pets generally?
The very definition of "writing content just for search engines."