Ascend 09: Google Is Giving Main Character Energy With the March Update

Okay, so remember how we were all side-eyeing Google for that March 2025 core update? Well, buckle up, buttercups, ’cause it’s officially DONE-DONE. Like, fully rolled out. 💅

Google basically tweaked its brain (the algorithm) to make search results chef’s kiss quality.

Google’s Having Its Moment ✨

• It’s over, bestie: The rollout is finito! What you’re seeing in search results now is the real deal.
• Quality over everything: Google’s always saying this, but these core updates are all about making sure the top results are actually good and trustworthy. Think: legit info, not sus stuff. 👀
• Rankings be wildin’: Some websites might be flexing their new top spots, while others might be feeling a little 📉. If your site’s acting differently, it’s probably the update.
• The vibe check was real: People online were definitely noticing the SERP chaos while it was happening. It was a whole mood. 😬
• No secret sauce, tho: Google’s not giving us a cheat sheet. The move is still to just make bomb content that people actually wanna see and trust. ✨

Your Moves When Google’s the Main Event 🎬

Keep putting out content that absolutely slaps, and you’ll be set. Watch your stats closely, and don’t trip if things look a little different. That’s just the algorithm doing its thing.😉

Source: searchengineljournal.com | seoroundtable.com | searchengineland.com

Level Up Your Local SEO: QR Codes Are in This Season 🏆

Google has rolled out a new feature for businesses to gather more customer reviews. Each Google Business Profile now has the ability to generate a custom QR code that directs customers straight to your business’s review page.

QR Codes, Not Just For Menus 😉

Boost local visibility: Customer reviews help your business rank higher in Google’s local map pack and SERP features.

Low-key way to get more reviews: Google’s a real one and making it super easy for customers to leave reviews – QRs sending them straight to the review page!!

Slap these QR codes everywhere:In-store, on receipts, and even your “thanks for buying” email.

Source: searchengineljournal.com

Remember Those AI Overviews? They’re Spreading in Europe

Have you been seeing these AI Overviews on Google? Well, they’re officially going global, especially in Europe!

Google’s AI Brain Explained 🧠

AI-generated summaries: Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) are AI summaries whipped up by AI. They grab their information from a bunch of different websites to give you the gist.

Top of organic search results: AIOs show up right above the regular organic search listings. They are not frequently shown alongside paid adverts, however, this is something Google has spoken about integrating along with organic search.

For the curious, not the buyers: You’ll mostly see these when you’re trying to learn something, not when you’re trying to buy something.

Quick answers for the win:These come in clutch when you need a quick answer without scrolling through a million links. Saves you the doom-scrolling, y’know?

Europe Is Getting the Upgrade

Only a few countries had AIOs before, but now a whole bunch more in the EU are getting in on the action, including:

• Germany
• Belgium
• Ireland
• Italy
• Austria
• Poland
• Portugal
• Spain
• Switzerland

Not all EU countries have the AIOs, but Google has announced that this is a big step to the larger expansion of these into those regions.

Why Should You Even Care?

As Google and the other search engines continue to innovate around AI and search, it’s important to see how these AI features, like AI Overviews, affect your website.

🔥 Important Note!Always write content for people over bots. Write content that your audience is interested in and provide them with some value. Never write for AIs and search engines first!

Source: searchengineland.com

Bing Uses Schema for its LLMs

So you know how AI is taking over everything? Well, even Bing’s Copilot is getting in on the action, and it’s using something called “schema” to better understand the websites.

What Even Is “Schema’?

Schema markup, also known as “structured data”, is a short snippet of code that can be added to your website to help search engines understand your content better. This can enable search engines to show more informative elements about your website within the search results, from star ratings, prices, availability, and even event details.

Low-Key Important Stuff

• Bing’s AI is a schema stan: Microsoft confirmed that Bing Copilot uses schema markup to understand what your content is actually about. Think of it as giving the AI a cheat sheet. 🤓
• Schema helps AI understand you: Basically, if you use schema on your website, you’re helping Bing’s AI (and maybe other AI engines) understand your content. This could help with how Copilot uses your info.
• Get those rich results: Schema also helps you get those fancy “rich results” in Google Search, which could make people wanna click on your site more. ✨
• Fresh content is key: Bing’s AI is all about the fresh content, so keep your site updated! You can even use IndexNow to tell Bing when you’ve updated something. 🔥

Why Should You Care? 🤔

If you want Bing’s AI to understand your content and maybe even show it off more, using schema is the move. It’s like speaking the AI’s language. 😉

Source: searchengineland.com