Actionable SEO Trends & News for March

What happened in February, and what can you learn for March? Let's dive in...

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Overview

Just updated my guide on optimizing for LLMs like Perplexity - because this space is evolving fast, and staying ahead is key. I’ve been tracking how visibility works here long before it became a mainstream topic, and now that more people are joining the conversation, I’ve refined my insights to help you maximize your reach.

And if you’re serious about leveraging these platforms for engaged traffic, I offer AI Overview Visibility audits with tailored action plans to help you stand out where it matters.

This edition focuses on several critical developments requiring immediate strategic adjustments, including Google's unannounced ranking fluctuations, evolving E-E-A-T standards, and significant changes in indexing patterns. 

For premium members, I've expanded the resource library with new templates, scripts, a content tracker in Notion and more.

Additionally, the custom GPT has been updated with the latest insights from February's indexing research, allowing you to analyze specific technical SEO challenges and receive tailored recommendations for improving content indexation and preventing deindexing. 

The News

Google’s AI Mode Search 

Google is internally testing a new Search AI Mode that takes AI Overviews to the next level - essentially turning the entire search results page into an AI-curated experience. Instead of just listing links, this AI will break down articles, organize information, and provide structured insights, while still including links for deeper exploration.

What This Means:

• AI-driven summaries could become the default way users interact with search.
• Less direct traffic for websites that rely on traditional Google rankings.
• More competition for visibility, as AI extracts and presents key insights upfront.

It’s another step toward an AI-first search experience, and businesses, publishers, and SEO strategists will need to adapt quickly. Staying visible means understanding how AI pulls, ranks, and presents content—because the old "rank #1 and get clicks" model is gone.

SERP Volatility Alert

Search rankings have been all over the place this month - big spikes, sudden drops, and no confirmed core updates to explain them. According to tracking data, Google's SERPs have been fluctuating unpredictably, making it harder than ever to pinpoint stable trends.

This isn’t just a one-off. At the end of 2024, Google hinted that constant volatility could become the new norm, so if you’re still waiting for things to "settle," you might be waiting forever.

Action Items

• Regularly monitor volatility – Use multiple tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and independent trackers to spot ranking swings early.
• Have a volatility response plan – Create predefined actions for mild, moderate, and severe ranking fluctuations so you aren't scrambling last minute when people want a plan from you.
• Benchmark against competitors – Track competitor domains to see if changes are industry-wide or just affecting your site.
• Document everything – Take screenshots, export ranking data, and track shifts over time so you can detect patterns and make informed adjustments. You never know when these will come in handy for a slide presentation.

Noteworthy Updates in Search Quality

New research analyzing 16 million+ webpages confirms what many SEOs have suspected: Google’s indexing game has improved, but it’s still far from perfect.

Key Findings:

• 61.94% of pages remain unindexed (Google still isn’t seeing a huge chunk of the web).
• 93.2% of indexed pages get picked up within six months—which means patience is required.
• 21.29% of pages get deindexed later, with 1.97% disappearing in just 7 days.

Translation? Even getting indexed doesn’t mean you’ll stay that way.

What You Need to Do Now:

• Refresh your key content regularly – High-value pages at risk of deindexing need quality updates to reinforce signals to Google
• Monitor indexing trends – Use tools like Google Search Console to track which pages struggle to get or stay indexed.
• Prioritize evergreen content maintenance – Just because it performed well last year doesn’t mean it’s safe now. Keep it fresh.
• Reinforce authority signals – Internal linking, engagement metrics, and off-page signals all help prevent deindexing.

Google’s E-E-A-T Tightens the Reins on AI Content

Google has strengthened its E-E-A-T evaluation criteria, I am finding that the updates are showing stricter scrutiny of AI-assisted content. Google is making their stance on AI pretty clear - AI-generated content must be fact-checked, reviewed by credible experts, and provide genuine value beyond regurgitated information. This development aligns with Google's ongoing commitment to prioritize authentic expertise over mass-produced content. 

Google doesnt say AI content as a whole is not allowed - but you should have a plan in place to start thinking of differentiation strategies. What unique value can you add to content that you scale with AI to add E-E-A-T criteria and showcase originality? Think about video demonstrations, proprietary data, quotes, and more.

As we look back to the Hubspot loss, we see a 58% drop in page 1 visibility. With this case study versus one for WetSuit Wearhouse's success with "62% higher conversions despite lower visibility." This example demonstrates that quality now definitively outperforms quantity in search rankings and conversion effectiveness.

Action items

• Develop an expertise matrix mapping subject matter experts to content topics for more authoritative content creation
• Implement structured content validation workflows where SMEs review content before publication
• Create detailed author profile pages highlighting credentials, experience, and topic expertise
• Establish a quarterly content audit protocol focusing specifically on E-E-A-T signals, especially for YMYL (Your Money Your Life) content
• Integrate case studies, original research, and data visualization to demonstrate topical authority

Pro Tip: Stay Organized & Proactive

Nice to Know

Video Isn’t the Future - It’s the NOW.

The latest February data confirms that video isn’t just growing - it’s dominating.

Key Stats

📹 78% of people prefer learning about products through short-form video.

📹 93% of marketers plan to maintain or increase video investments this year

.📹 Video drives 99% better product understanding, 96% higher brand awareness, and 82% more website traffic.

🎥 YouTube: 2.504 billion monthly users, averaging 49-minute viewing sessions.

What This Means for Your Strategy:

Platform-Specific Content is a MUST – YouTube’s long-form depth vs. X’s quick-hit engagement requires distinct video approaches

SEO Isn’t Just About Google Anymore – Visibility now depends on how well you optimize for social search & discovery

Short Video = Big Impact – If you’re not leveraging short-form video, you’re missing out on where audiences are actively engaging.

AI Overviews (AIO) & Search Visibility: What the Data Reveals

February has been packed with deep dives into AI Overviews, with multiple studies shedding light on their impact. Kevin Indig at the Growth Memo conducted a detailed analysis of how AIO affects search visibility, while Seer Interactive focused on CTR shifts, and Brightedge provided additional insights into emerging trends. These reports collectively confirm what many of us have been suspecting  - AI Overviews are changing how users engage with search results, and the ripple effects are massive.

💡One particularly useful discovery is that you can now send AIOs directly to Google Docs, making it easier to track and analyze AI-generated summaries. 

Stay tuned because I’m diving even deeper into these findings and building out a best practices guide along with a checklist for increasing AIO visibility.

Now for our premium members,  let’s break down these AI summaries, and then dive into advanced AIO optimization strategies, advanced link building tactics, and more…

Premium Section:

🔍Let’s dissect these studies in more detail, so you dont have to

AI Search Specialization by Industry

BrightEdge’s analysis highlights how ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AIO serve different industries with unique approaches:

SEO Impact of AI Overviews

Growth Memo’s meta-analysis of 19 studies found AIOs overwhelmingly dominate informational long-tail queries and dramatically impact CTR:

Query Types:

• 76-92% of AIOs appear for long-tail informational queries (5+ words, <1,000 monthly searches).
• Top categories: Health (23%), Science (20%), Tech (17%).

CTR Impact:

• Organic CTR drops ~50% when AIOs appear.
• Citations matter: Sites cited in AIOs increase CTR from 0.74% → 1.02%.

Ranking Dynamics:

• 52-80% of citations come from pages already ranking in the top 10 (median position: 4).
• YouTube, Wikipedia, and LinkedIn dominate citations.

CTR Collapse & Recovery Strategies

Seer Interactive’s year-long CTR analysis reveals a drastic shift in organic and paid search behavior:

Organic CTR:

• Dropped from 1.41% → 0.64% for AIO-covered queries.
• Increased for non-AIO queries, suggesting alternative ranking opportunities.

Paid CTR:

• Declined universally (e.g., 7.89% → 5.2% for retail).
• BUT: Brands cited in AIOs saw a paid CTR increase from 7.89% → 11% (due to trust boost).

AIO Visibility Advantage:

• If cited in AIOs, organic CTR increases 0.74% → 1.02%.
• If NOT cited, expect a steep traffic drop.

💡 Strategic Recommendations:

Shift focus to non-AIO queries – Rising CTR potential exists outside AI-dominated results

Leverage AIO appearances – Use SEO + PR integration to boost trust in paid & organic channels.

Reallocate budgets quarterly – SERP layouts are volatile; adapt ad spending accordingly.

🔍 Advanced AIO Optimization Strategies

Now that we’ve broken down how AI Overviews are impacting search, CTR, and industry-specific visibility, let’s go deeper into the strategies that will help you secure AIO citations and maintain traffic in the new world of AI.

How to Secure Citations in AIOs

AIOs don’t pull from every page on the web - they prioritize sources Google deems authoritative, clear, and structured for AI extraction.

💡 Key Strategies to Get Cited:

Structured Data Wins: Implement relevant schema like FAQ (note it doesnt impact search result features anymore, but can still help Google understand a page) Speakable schema, and other schema types to help AI recognize key takeaways.

Concise, Extractable Formatting: Use lists, subheadings, and one-paragraph summaries AI can easily scan

Enhanced Authority Signals: If Google trusts your expertise, you’re more likely to be cited. Build strong author pages and link to high-authority sources.

Monitor AIO Citations with ZipTie & SERP Scrapers: If Google is using your content in AI Overviews, but not linking back, track where your data is appearing and adjust accordingly.

Tip: Google over-represents LinkedIn, YouTube, and Wikipedia in AIO citations. Boost your presence there to increase the chances of AI recognizing you as a trusted source.

Reclaiming Clicks from AI

With organic CTR dropping ~50% when AIOs appear, you need to get strategic about reclaiming that traffic.

What’s Working Now?

• Branded Queries: When users search your brand alongside a topic, AIOs are more likely to cite you.
• Entity-Based Optimization: Use Google’s Knowledge Graph API to see how your brand appears in AI systems. Strengthen structured entity data across your website and Google Business Profile.
• “Own the Follow-Up” Strategy: AI Overviews often spark follow-up searches (e.g., “Best tools for X” after an AI summary). Target those next-step queries in your content.
• Turn Zero-Click Searches Into Conversions: Even if users don’t click your link, custom CTAs within AI-friendly content can drive action elsewhere (e.g., “Download our checklist” embedded in high-ranking pages).

💡 Tip: AI Overviews are biased toward recency. Publishing frequent, high-quality updates to key pages increases AI citation potential.

AI Search Isn't Just Google: How to Rank in Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Bing AI

Google isn’t the only AI game in town. Search behavior is fragmenting across multiple AI-driven platforms.

1. Perplexity: Prioritizes factual accuracy, bullet-point organization, and action-driven insights.
2. ChatGPT (OpenAI’s Browse with Bing): Prefers long-form, well-contextualized answers (optimized blog content wins).
3. Bing AI Chat (Copilot): Uses website engagement signals, meaning time-on-page and low bounce rates influence rankings.

💡 Tip: AI search engines are leaning toward real-world proof. Incorporate case studies, customer testimonials, and first-party data to improve AI selection probability.

Next Steps: I’m building out an exclusive AIO Best Practices Guide + Optimization Checklist. Premium members will get first access to this step-by-step playbook—stay tuned.

Advanced Link Building Tactics: Earning Natural Backlinks Without the Spam

Adam Riemer’s article, "Advanced Link Building Strategies For National, International & Local," lays out a smarter, more sustainable way to attract high-quality backlinks without spammy outreach.

The key takeaway? Stop chasing links—start creating content and experiences that naturally earn them. This aligns perfectly with Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, which prioritize expertise and organic authority signals over artificial link-building schemes.

Here’s how to make it happen:

Hire or Offer Services for Publicity

Concept: Tap into audience aspirations/emotions through campaigns that media & bloggers want to cover.

Example: A travel company funds influencer trips, gaining backlinks from personal travel blogs and media features.

Implementation:

• Promote via email/SMS, social ads, and media-targeted ads
• Sponsor booths at industry events (e.g., TBEX for travel bloggers).
• List PR opportunities on job boards to encourage shares.
• Limitation: Requires follow-up engagement to sustain long-term link equity.

💡 Tip: Instead of just paying for influencer placements, offer unique, story-driven experiences that get covered organically by media outlets.

Host Offline Events for Local Links

Why It Works: Local events generate citations, press mentions, and social buzz—all link-worthy signals.

Examples:

• Medical clinics hosting free CPR or emergency injection training.
• Retail spaces offering weekly meetups (craft circles, study groups).
• Pop-up events like pet adoptions or local artisan showcases.
• Bonus: Partnering with local organizations (schools, charities, business groups) expands visibility and earns links from trusted local sources.

💡 Tip: Use Eventbrite, Meetup, and local Facebook groups to boost attendance and get listed on event directories—many of which offer high-authority backlinks.

Strategic Sponsorships for Natural Mentions

Concept: Sponsor niche events that create viral or media-worthy moments.

Examples:

• Dog races & drag competitions – Brand URLs on costumes, banners, sashes.
• Media-magnetic conference booths – Arcades, IV hydration stations, branded giveaways.

Execution:

• Target events aligned with your industry for relevant, natural backlinks.
• Create memorable brand activations that encourage organic media coverage.

💡 Tip: Instead of generic event sponsorships, craft interactive experiences that encourage UGC (user-generated content). The more people post, the more organic backlinks you attract.

Service Provider Listings & Local SEO Wins

Concept: Get listed in "near me" directories, event venue pages, and tourism guides.

Best Industries for This Approach:

• Restaurants & cafes – Get featured in theater, event, and hotel guides.
• Event services (photographers, DJs, caterers) – Partner with venues for recommended vendor lists.
• B2B providers – Secure directory backlinks from trade associations, convention centers, and industry publications.

Expansion Ideas:

• Build partnerships with local event planners, fan sites, and city tourism boards.
• Create venue-specific landing pages for better ranking on “best event spaces near X” queries.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t just apply for generic directory listings—contribute guest content, local guides, or special offers to make your link more valuable and permanent.

Quick Bites

Some extra fun and interesting links to round out your month, have something interesting to chat about at parties (if your parties are all kinda geeky), or send to your coworkers.

SEO:

Local SEO Weather Report

Google got Faster

Google Search just got a speed boost. Thanks to a new speculation rules API, Google is now prefetching the top two results, slashing load times significantly. The impact is clear: on Android, pages from Search load 67 milliseconds faster, and on desktop, 58.6 milliseconds.

For anything beyond the first two results, Google will prefetch if you hover over a link. Small change, big difference in speed. 

Originality

In a panel talk at SEOMOFO London, Google’s Gary Ilyes stated that “originality” is going to be an important focus of theirs this year.

What does originality mean to you? My take is that this means a focus on new and original content that they haven't seen before, New takes, original thoughts. This is probably a pushback to all the regurgitated AI content they mention in their quality rater guidelines.

Popular products

Google is now using AI to describe popular products. Potentially decreasing ranking opportunity from ecommerce sites to product pages. My guess is this will force more retail sites to pay for ad placement in Google.

Machine Learning and AI

Google will now use machine learning to estimate the age of its users

Open AI says that AI is the most powerful tool humans have invented.

Microsoft made a quantum computer breakthrough

Perplexity launched a deep research tool

Meta can now read thoughts without a brain implant.

And that's a wrap!

As always, feel free to send questions or feedback to me at rmay@marketingaid.io. I love hearing from you