The SEOFOMO Newsletter​

January 11, 2026
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Your weekly SEO & AI Search News to Stop the FOMO, read by +40,500 SEOs.
Today's sponsor is Profound. Want to advertise? Ask here.​

Agentic Commerce coming to AI Mode & Gemini

​Google is launching UCP, a new open standard for agentic commerce and AI tools​

Vidhya Srinivasan / Google

• UCP will soon power a new checkout feature on eligible Google product listings in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, allowing shoppers to check out from eligible U.S. retailers right as they’re researching on Google.
• Google work with retailers to expand globally and add more capabilities, like discovering related products, applying loyalty rewards, and powering custom shopping experiences on Google.
• Google is also introducing Direct Offers: A new Google Ads pilot that allows advertisers to present exclusive offers for shoppers who are ready to buy, directly in AI Mode.

This announcement is not surprising after OpenAI's own announcement of Instant Checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol last year. Google also has an important advantage with its product shopping graph and existing integration with online retailers and brands.

• Related: Earlier this week, Microsoft also announced Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents.

Designed to support, not replace, medical care

​OpenAI introduces ChatGPT Health​

OpenAI

OpenAI introduces ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience that securely brings health information and ChatGPT’s intelligence together: "You can securely connect medical records and wellness apps to ground conversations in your own health information, so responses are more relevant and useful to you."

Gemini promotion is paying off

​Google Gemini Gains Share As ChatGPT Declines In Similarweb Data​

Matt G. Southern / Search Engine Journal

A year ago, Similarweb estimated ChatGPT accounted for 86% of worldwide traffic among tracked chatbot sites. Now, that figure is 64%. Over the same period, Gemini rose from 5% to 21%.

These blocks are often IP-based and difficult to reproduce

​Google’s Mueller Explains ‘Page Indexed Without Content’ Error​

Matt G. Southern / Search Engine Journal

John Mueller said "Page Indexed without content" errors typically indicate server or CDN blocking of Googlebot, not JavaScript issues.

This is the second part of their AI SEO conversation

​SEO, AIO, GEO, your site, & third-party support to optimize for LLMs, Part 2 [Video]​

John Mueller, Danny Sullivan / Search Off the Record Podcast

John Mueller and Danny Sullivan talk about AI Search: “The practicalities of hiring an SEO professional in the age of AI”, “Why creators shouldn't rush to break their content into 'bite-sized chunks', and more.

• Related: Google: Don't Turn Your Content Into Bite-Sized Chunks by Barry Schwartz​

Consider "the full picture" and prioritize accordingly

​Google’s Mueller Weighs In On SEO vs GEO Debate​

Matt G. Southern / Search Engine Journal

He noted that terminology doesn't matter but thinking about how your site's value works alongside AI is worth the time.

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Automate Content Operations With Profound Workflows

Workflows lets teams codify their best practices into automated checks, analyses, insights, and actions. With a few clicks, marketers can build repeatable processes that:
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• Automatically refresh content to better perform in AI search
• Generate research-backed content briefs and outlines
• Produce ongoing reports on content health, performance, or gaps

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Should Publishers Optimize for LLMs, and How?

​2026 News SEO Trends & Predictions: Insights From 20 Global Experts On What’s Next​

John Shehata / NewzDash

John shares the takeaways of 18 global News SEO experts on 2026 priorities: AI Mode and AI Overviews, LLM visibility, Discover, video, evergreen strategy, and what to do next.

Large publisher networks were heavily impacted

​‘The Core Before Christmas’ – Google’s December 2025 Broad Core Update – Analysis and Findings From The 18 Day Rollout​

Glenn Gabe

Glenn covers Google’s December 2025 core update: heavy YMYL impact, AI Overview and AI Mode impact, major news publishers dropping, forum impact, and more.

It's revenue

​What metrics should you use for SEO/AEO?​

Eli Schwartz

Eli explains why the foundation of organic search traffic, whether from traditional search or LLM measurement, should be revenue attribution, and how this is hard, but not impossible.

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What correlates with AI visibility

​How Do Technical SEO Factors Impact AI Search? [Study]​

Nitin Manchanda / Semrush

Nitin analysis of 5 million cited URLs reveals a clear pattern: AI platforms consistently cite pages that tend to have strong technical foundations, many of which are associated with traditional SEO success.

Learn how to analyze the SERPs for Fan-Out Queries

​Query Fan-Out in Practice: Turning One Search into an Omnimedia Content Plan​

Francine Monahan / iPullRank

Francine explains how to map out fan-out queries, analyze what actually ranks and gets cited by AI (including which formats and sources dominate), and build an omnimedia content plan in this step-by-step guide.

Domain-level authority signals likely play

​The Hidden Authority Signal: Why Your CC Rank May Matter More for AI Visibility​

Metehan Yesilyurt

The Common Crawl debate isn’t just about copyright and paywalls. It’s about understanding the foundation of AI’s knowledge and potentially, its tendencies toward certain sources. Metehan developed a comprehensive research to better understand its role.

Understanding NLP for AI brand Visibility

​AI Brand Visibility Guide​

Waikay

An in-depth resource designed to help you understand how LLMs like Gemini, ChatGPT, and others represent your brand in their responses to users, and how to measure and strengthen that visibility over time.

The template is a thinking framework, not a writing shortcut

​Free AI / LLM SEO Content Template​

Mike Ginley

Use this free AI/LLM SEO Content Template to think deeper about writing for your users.

• ​SEO, GEO & Content Strategist at Stratabeat​
• ​Global Search Marketing Specialist at Crayola LLC​
• ​SEO Specialist at Amplifyed​
• ​Editorial Strategist, SEO & Content at BetterHelp​
• ​SEO / GEO Strategist at Everything Bagel​
• ​SEO Specialist at LeadVenture​
• ​Senior SEO Analyst at Siege Media ​
• ​SEO Manager at Big Health​

VisiSummit 2026: Advanced SEO Conference now in Dubai (Feb 4-5)

Join the top 12 Global SEO experts from US, Europe, Australia and Turkey.

Learn advanced SEO for Search, AI Platforms, Videos, Commerce, and more.

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