What happened in SEO this month?
Each month, Lumar’s in-house tech SEO experts hand-pick some of the SEO industry’s top news items from across the web to keep you up-to-date on all things SEO and website optimization.
This month, our SEO news roundup includes:
- Google’s market share drops below 90% for the first time since 2015
- Google Search now requires users to have JavaScript enabled
- The Associated Press signs a deal with Google Gemini to provide real-time information to the AI tool
- Google resists additional fact-checking demands issued in the EU
- DevTools replaces Web Vitals extension
- & more!
Now, let’s dig into the key SEO headlines from January…
Google’s search market share falls below 90% for the first time in almost a decade
The global search market share for Google fell below 90% for the final three months of 2024 – the first time it’s fallen below that line since 2015. While Google still dominates the market (by a lot), it’s an interesting development in light of the ongoing antitrust investigations — and the rise of AI search. (Only recently, the UK-based competition watchdog also launched its own investigation into Google’s perceived monopoly in search.)
( Source: Search Engine Land )
Google resists additional fact-checking measures despite change in European law
Google is resisting implementing additional EU-mandated fact-checking on its Search and YouTube platforms. Axios reports that Google’s Global Affairs President, reportedly told the European Commission’s deputy director general for its content and technology arm that fact-checking “isn’t appropriate or effective” for these products — and that Google’s existing moderation tools are robust enough to prevent the spread of misinformation via platforms like Google Search.
( Source: Search Engine Journal / Axios)
Google signs deal with the Associated Press to bring real-time information to Gemini
You don’t need to have spent much time using Google products recently to know they’ve been pushing Gemini in a big way. Now, Google has signed a deal with The Associated Press in a bid to “build a feed of real-time information” via Gemini Chatbot. Exactly what this will look like remains to be seen.
Microsoft accused of ‘tricking’ users into thinking they’re on Google
Users searching for Google via Bing were being shown a page that looks suspiciously like Google’s own Search homepage. Many accused Microsoft of using underhand tactics to keep users on the site for longer, and ultimately dissuade them from clicking away to Google Search.
DevTools officially replaces Google’s Web Vitals extension
Google’s Web Vitals Chrome extension has been officially retired, with key features now available directly within the DevTools Performance panel.
Updates to the panel in recent months include the ability to directly compare live metrics and field data, alongside detailed breakdowns and timings of the three CWV metrics, alongside TTFB and FCP.
( Source: Search Engine Journal )
Google advises sites to only accept ratings with written comments and author names
Google made an update to its Review Snippet documentation. It is now recommended that site owners only accept ratings on their site that are accompanied by a comment and/or author name. While this isn’t a requirement, it’s suggested that it can help contextualize the ratings for users and reduce the presence of ‘spammy’ or misleading ratings.
