Chris Green SEO
@chris-green.net
Technical Director (Torque Partners), experienced search trainer & mentor. #BeOnePercentBetter
We’re deep into the final edits of the SEO chapter for the Web Almanac of 2025 (nearly complete!), and it’s been a great learning experience.
I have had the opportunity to work alongside some really dedicated and talented SEOs, as well as the wider HTTP Archive team, who are incredible.
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I have had the opportunity to work alongside some really dedicated and talented SEOs, as well as the wider HTTP Archive team, who are incredible.
🧵 1/3
November 20, 2025 at 8:45 PM
We’re deep into the final edits of the SEO chapter for the Web Almanac of 2025 (nearly complete!), and it’s been a great learning experience.
I have had the opportunity to work alongside some really dedicated and talented SEOs, as well as the wider HTTP Archive team, who are incredible.
🧵 1/3
I have had the opportunity to work alongside some really dedicated and talented SEOs, as well as the wider HTTP Archive team, who are incredible.
🧵 1/3
E-commerce, listen up - how many of you have clocked this yet?
OpenAI’s developer docs for their merchant feed has this interesting attribute:
- q_and_a - A recommended (not required) attribute, with the simple description “FAQ Content”
buff.ly/BHwtyQE
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OpenAI’s developer docs for their merchant feed has this interesting attribute:
- q_and_a - A recommended (not required) attribute, with the simple description “FAQ Content”
buff.ly/BHwtyQE
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November 18, 2025 at 7:45 PM
E-commerce, listen up - how many of you have clocked this yet?
OpenAI’s developer docs for their merchant feed has this interesting attribute:
- q_and_a - A recommended (not required) attribute, with the simple description “FAQ Content”
buff.ly/BHwtyQE
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OpenAI’s developer docs for their merchant feed has this interesting attribute:
- q_and_a - A recommended (not required) attribute, with the simple description “FAQ Content”
buff.ly/BHwtyQE
🧵 1/4
Yass, a business-justifiable reason to visit Zurich! Coffee & hills, I'm coming for you (too!)
November 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Yass, a business-justifiable reason to visit Zurich! Coffee & hills, I'm coming for you (too!)
This diagram/process* is the way I’m making sense of things, at least now too. The fundamental thing you need to understand is: do the prompts you want to be present for (in ChatGPT) trigger a web search or not? Why does this matter?
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October 27, 2025 at 8:02 PM
This diagram/process* is the way I’m making sense of things, at least now too. The fundamental thing you need to understand is: do the prompts you want to be present for (in ChatGPT) trigger a web search or not? Why does this matter?
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Even if we’re not classifying the intent, if we’re analysing responses from AI search, we cannot just rely on the prompt, but the entire conversation.
> Looking at the topic breakdown (image 1) we can really see the diverse use cases ChatGPT has. Or, flipped for a marketing professional...
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> Looking at the topic breakdown (image 1) we can really see the diverse use cases ChatGPT has. Or, flipped for a marketing professional...
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October 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Even if we’re not classifying the intent, if we’re analysing responses from AI search, we cannot just rely on the prompt, but the entire conversation.
> Looking at the topic breakdown (image 1) we can really see the diverse use cases ChatGPT has. Or, flipped for a marketing professional...
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> Looking at the topic breakdown (image 1) we can really see the diverse use cases ChatGPT has. Or, flipped for a marketing professional...
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> “to discern the intent of a given message [...] we include the prior 10
messages in a conversation as context” - Understanding intent in AI search cannot just be limited to the prompt; the context of the conversation has to be taken into account, too.
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messages in a conversation as context” - Understanding intent in AI search cannot just be limited to the prompt; the context of the conversation has to be taken into account, too.
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October 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
> “to discern the intent of a given message [...] we include the prior 10
messages in a conversation as context” - Understanding intent in AI search cannot just be limited to the prompt; the context of the conversation has to be taken into account, too.
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messages in a conversation as context” - Understanding intent in AI search cannot just be limited to the prompt; the context of the conversation has to be taken into account, too.
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Do you dare to treat bots differently? Chances are, if you’re in SEO - or speak to your SEO team - the answer is “no”!
There is a significant level of fear in some circles that serving different content to different users (i.e. search bots, Google, OpenAI, etc) is a complete “no-go”.
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There is a significant level of fear in some circles that serving different content to different users (i.e. search bots, Google, OpenAI, etc) is a complete “no-go”.
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September 30, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Do you dare to treat bots differently? Chances are, if you’re in SEO - or speak to your SEO team - the answer is “no”!
There is a significant level of fear in some circles that serving different content to different users (i.e. search bots, Google, OpenAI, etc) is a complete “no-go”.
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There is a significant level of fear in some circles that serving different content to different users (i.e. search bots, Google, OpenAI, etc) is a complete “no-go”.
🧵 1/7
This is one of the MOST interesting AI Search frameworks I’ve seen.
In an “eat your greens” type blog post (I.e. it is good for you, but not a quick-hit or easy to digest in one sitting), Gianluca provides a really detailed and compelling view of what a robust AI Search framework looks like.
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In an “eat your greens” type blog post (I.e. it is good for you, but not a quick-hit or easy to digest in one sitting), Gianluca provides a really detailed and compelling view of what a robust AI Search framework looks like.
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September 24, 2025 at 7:45 PM
This is one of the MOST interesting AI Search frameworks I’ve seen.
In an “eat your greens” type blog post (I.e. it is good for you, but not a quick-hit or easy to digest in one sitting), Gianluca provides a really detailed and compelling view of what a robust AI Search framework looks like.
🧵 1/2
In an “eat your greens” type blog post (I.e. it is good for you, but not a quick-hit or easy to digest in one sitting), Gianluca provides a really detailed and compelling view of what a robust AI Search framework looks like.
🧵 1/2
OpenAI, Google, and the search data question.
Rumours have been circling in SEO for weeks that OpenAI may be tapping into Google data to power its own search (and possibly SonicBerry).
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Rumours have been circling in SEO for weeks that OpenAI may be tapping into Google data to power its own search (and possibly SonicBerry).
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September 15, 2025 at 7:31 PM
OpenAI, Google, and the search data question.
Rumours have been circling in SEO for weeks that OpenAI may be tapping into Google data to power its own search (and possibly SonicBerry).
🧵 1/5
Rumours have been circling in SEO for weeks that OpenAI may be tapping into Google data to power its own search (and possibly SonicBerry).
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How should you chunk your content for AI? Here’s my take on it…
September 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
How should you chunk your content for AI? Here’s my take on it…
We should use Google Trends data more, as the rest of our click/attribution data will degrade because of AI search.
- Google Trends scales each query independently to 0–100. Compare up to 5 terms together, but anything more breaks down
- Introducing a workaround - Trend-Stitching (see link)
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- Google Trends scales each query independently to 0–100. Compare up to 5 terms together, but anything more breaks down
- Introducing a workaround - Trend-Stitching (see link)
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September 3, 2025 at 7:02 PM
We should use Google Trends data more, as the rest of our click/attribution data will degrade because of AI search.
- Google Trends scales each query independently to 0–100. Compare up to 5 terms together, but anything more breaks down
- Introducing a workaround - Trend-Stitching (see link)
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- Google Trends scales each query independently to 0–100. Compare up to 5 terms together, but anything more breaks down
- Introducing a workaround - Trend-Stitching (see link)
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Does it matter that AI search is fundamentally different to “traditional search?” Yes & no
First off, the more you understand about the underlying mechanism and methods, the better. I'm NOT putting people off learning more, and I’m not saying that those who have taken the time have wasted it
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First off, the more you understand about the underlying mechanism and methods, the better. I'm NOT putting people off learning more, and I’m not saying that those who have taken the time have wasted it
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August 27, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Does it matter that AI search is fundamentally different to “traditional search?” Yes & no
First off, the more you understand about the underlying mechanism and methods, the better. I'm NOT putting people off learning more, and I’m not saying that those who have taken the time have wasted it
🧵 1/5
First off, the more you understand about the underlying mechanism and methods, the better. I'm NOT putting people off learning more, and I’m not saying that those who have taken the time have wasted it
🧵 1/5
Does content substance impact rankings?
In short, no. Watch the video to find out why.
In short, no. Watch the video to find out why.
August 26, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Does content substance impact rankings?
In short, no. Watch the video to find out why.
In short, no. Watch the video to find out why.
Will GEO replace SEO?
Yes, I’m back with my “it depends” videos, and this is a timely one.
Yes, I’m back with my “it depends” videos, and this is a timely one.
August 19, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Will GEO replace SEO?
Yes, I’m back with my “it depends” videos, and this is a timely one.
Yes, I’m back with my “it depends” videos, and this is a timely one.
Everything in SEO feels uncomfortable right now. Or at least you'd be forgiven for thinking that - I’m quite enjoying it!
Ahrefs have clearly been having fun with the product roadmap and content recently, and this is possibly one of the most "SEOy" things I've seen recently.
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Ahrefs have clearly been having fun with the product roadmap and content recently, and this is possibly one of the most "SEOy" things I've seen recently.
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July 23, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Everything in SEO feels uncomfortable right now. Or at least you'd be forgiven for thinking that - I’m quite enjoying it!
Ahrefs have clearly been having fun with the product roadmap and content recently, and this is possibly one of the most "SEOy" things I've seen recently.
🧵 1/4
Ahrefs have clearly been having fun with the product roadmap and content recently, and this is possibly one of the most "SEOy" things I've seen recently.
🧵 1/4
“My Chat GPT rank tracker isn't accurate” is something I've been hearing, but it shouldn’t be that surprising
“Answers from LLMs are based on probability & creative variance (temperature) amongst other things. This means the same question from the same person can receive different answers”
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“Answers from LLMs are based on probability & creative variance (temperature) amongst other things. This means the same question from the same person can receive different answers”
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July 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
“My Chat GPT rank tracker isn't accurate” is something I've been hearing, but it shouldn’t be that surprising
“Answers from LLMs are based on probability & creative variance (temperature) amongst other things. This means the same question from the same person can receive different answers”
🧵 1/5
“Answers from LLMs are based on probability & creative variance (temperature) amongst other things. This means the same question from the same person can receive different answers”
🧵 1/5
Rankings are moving to answer synthesis - it sounds daunting if you've been heavily invested in rankings for the last 5,10,15+ years!
Dawn's SMX slides provide a (naturally) detailed and informative account of how we can make this transition.
Some of my notes/thoughts from it:
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Dawn's SMX slides provide a (naturally) detailed and informative account of how we can make this transition.
Some of my notes/thoughts from it:
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July 16, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Rankings are moving to answer synthesis - it sounds daunting if you've been heavily invested in rankings for the last 5,10,15+ years!
Dawn's SMX slides provide a (naturally) detailed and informative account of how we can make this transition.
Some of my notes/thoughts from it:
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Dawn's SMX slides provide a (naturally) detailed and informative account of how we can make this transition.
Some of my notes/thoughts from it:
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Are we generating a fluffy web?
Building off a recent blog by Dan (and playing with one of his trained models), I'm taking a look at how fluffy SERPs really are. It's not quite ready yet - but coming soon. If you're interested and want to take a look before I'm ready to publish, let me know!
Building off a recent blog by Dan (and playing with one of his trained models), I'm taking a look at how fluffy SERPs really are. It's not quite ready yet - but coming soon. If you're interested and want to take a look before I'm ready to publish, let me know!
July 15, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Are we generating a fluffy web?
Building off a recent blog by Dan (and playing with one of his trained models), I'm taking a look at how fluffy SERPs really are. It's not quite ready yet - but coming soon. If you're interested and want to take a look before I'm ready to publish, let me know!
Building off a recent blog by Dan (and playing with one of his trained models), I'm taking a look at how fluffy SERPs really are. It's not quite ready yet - but coming soon. If you're interested and want to take a look before I'm ready to publish, let me know!
The attached image shows the distribution of z-values from medical research. The drop in data in the centre of the graph shows that "scientists either didn’t publish results between these values or massaged their data until they cleared the threshold of statistical significance."
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July 7, 2025 at 7:21 PM
The attached image shows the distribution of z-values from medical research. The drop in data in the centre of the graph shows that "scientists either didn’t publish results between these values or massaged their data until they cleared the threshold of statistical significance."
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Working in search and unsure what job title you want in 2025 and beyond? I have you covered.*
*Just a bit of fun, it's still all SEO really!
*Just a bit of fun, it's still all SEO really!
July 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Working in search and unsure what job title you want in 2025 and beyond? I have you covered.*
*Just a bit of fun, it's still all SEO really!
*Just a bit of fun, it's still all SEO really!
Have SEOs really made the web a better place? I'm not punching up or down here, but sometimes I really wonder.
NOT because I think that some well-meaning SEOs aren't doing the right thing - we are! - But the web is huge and the SEO industry is tiny.
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NOT because I think that some well-meaning SEOs aren't doing the right thing - we are! - But the web is huge and the SEO industry is tiny.
🧵 1/5
June 26, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Have SEOs really made the web a better place? I'm not punching up or down here, but sometimes I really wonder.
NOT because I think that some well-meaning SEOs aren't doing the right thing - we are! - But the web is huge and the SEO industry is tiny.
🧵 1/5
NOT because I think that some well-meaning SEOs aren't doing the right thing - we are! - But the web is huge and the SEO industry is tiny.
🧵 1/5
A decade is a long time in Digital.
Over 10 years ago, we were suffering another panic moment in SEO, following the clampdowns of Penguin and the soul-searching for how SEO became effective again. One of the places we turned was to was content marketing.
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Over 10 years ago, we were suffering another panic moment in SEO, following the clampdowns of Penguin and the soul-searching for how SEO became effective again. One of the places we turned was to was content marketing.
🧵 1/8
June 25, 2025 at 7:06 PM
A decade is a long time in Digital.
Over 10 years ago, we were suffering another panic moment in SEO, following the clampdowns of Penguin and the soul-searching for how SEO became effective again. One of the places we turned was to was content marketing.
🧵 1/8
Over 10 years ago, we were suffering another panic moment in SEO, following the clampdowns of Penguin and the soul-searching for how SEO became effective again. One of the places we turned was to was content marketing.
🧵 1/8
Is this another opportunity for us to stuff EXIF with our keywords to try and fool AI chatbots?
Possibly not, but we've seen a few examples where EXIF data could be being used to add context to some image description work
Possibly not, but we've seen a few examples where EXIF data could be being used to add context to some image description work
June 12, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Is this another opportunity for us to stuff EXIF with our keywords to try and fool AI chatbots?
Possibly not, but we've seen a few examples where EXIF data could be being used to add context to some image description work
Possibly not, but we've seen a few examples where EXIF data could be being used to add context to some image description work
What if we think AI Mode as web scrapbooking?
A thoroughly "offline" way to think about the future of search, but somehow - for my brain at least - this makes the whole thing more real and tangible.
www.chris-green.net/post/ai-mode...
A thoroughly "offline" way to think about the future of search, but somehow - for my brain at least - this makes the whole thing more real and tangible.
www.chris-green.net/post/ai-mode...
June 9, 2025 at 10:15 AM
What if we think AI Mode as web scrapbooking?
A thoroughly "offline" way to think about the future of search, but somehow - for my brain at least - this makes the whole thing more real and tangible.
www.chris-green.net/post/ai-mode...
A thoroughly "offline" way to think about the future of search, but somehow - for my brain at least - this makes the whole thing more real and tangible.
www.chris-green.net/post/ai-mode...
"What if truly “great content” isn’t something the industry has in its toolbox?"
This is something I wrote back in 2023, but has been suspected by other adjacent industries (journalists, designers for example) for much longer.
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This is something I wrote back in 2023, but has been suspected by other adjacent industries (journalists, designers for example) for much longer.
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June 3, 2025 at 7:06 PM
"What if truly “great content” isn’t something the industry has in its toolbox?"
This is something I wrote back in 2023, but has been suspected by other adjacent industries (journalists, designers for example) for much longer.
🧵 1/2
This is something I wrote back in 2023, but has been suspected by other adjacent industries (journalists, designers for example) for much longer.
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