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Daily SEO Brief

Friday, December 19, 2025

15 articles published

Final brief

What You Need to Know

On December 19, 2025, significant discussions in the SEO landscape revolve around Google’s legal challenges with SerpApi, content rights amid EU investigations, and evolving advertising rules. The impact of these developments on SEO practices, competitive dynamics, and AI integration highlights the ongoing transformation within the digital marketing space.

Must-Read Highlights

1

Google files a lawsuit against SerpApi for scraping and reselling Search data, potentially complicating access to SERP data for SEO professionals.

Google sues SerpApi over scraping and reselling Search data
2

The EU’s antitrust investigation into Google’s use of publisher content raises important questions about content rights and presents challenges for SEO in a post-click era.

Google vs. publishers: What the EU probe means for SEO, AI answers, and content rights
3

Google is updating its pharmaceutical advertising policy, which may lead to more pharma ads competing for visibility, impacting pricing and placement strategies for all advertisers.

Google to loosen pharma ad rules for AdMob authorized buyers
4

Microsoft outlines how duplicate content impacts AI search visibility, emphasizing the need for canonical tags and distinct intentions to improve content representation.

Microsoft Explains How Duplicate Content Affects AI Search Visibility
5

Google's AI Mode has reached 75 million users, which, along with the launch of Gemini 3 Flash, necessitates adjustments in SEO strategies to accommodate evolving query patterns.

SEO Pulse: AI Mode Hits 75M Users, Gemini 3 Flash Launches

All Articles from This Day

Google sues SerpApi over scraping and reselling Search data
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Danny Goodwin
CRITICAL UPDATE

Google sues SerpApi over scraping and reselling Search data

AI Analysis
  • ●Google has filed a lawsuit against SerpApi for allegedly scraping and reselling copyrighted content from Google Search results.
  • ●The lawsuit claims SerpApi circumvented Google’s security measures and used deceptive practices like cloaking and rotating bot identities.
  • ●If Google wins the lawsuit, access to reliable SERP data could become more challenging and expensive for SEO professionals.
Why it matters: The legal actions against SerpApi by Google could have significant implications on how SEO professionals access and leverage SERP data, making this a critical update.
GoogleSerpApiscrapingSEO toolslegal news
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Google vs. publishers: What the EU probe means for SEO, AI answers, and content rights
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Maryanna Franco
CRITICAL UPDATE

Google vs. publishers: What the EU probe means for SEO, AI answers, and content rights

AI Analysis
  • ●The EU's antitrust investigation into Google's use of publisher content for AI Overviews raises critical questions about content rights and attribution.
  • ●Publishers report significant traffic drops due to Google's practices which may create an imbalanced playing field favoring Google's AI features over organic links.
  • ●The evolving zero-click search landscape poses challenges for visibility, requiring new standards and fair compensation for publishers as the SEO community navigates a post-click era.
Why it matters: This article discusses a significant regulatory development that may impact Google's search algorithms and the overall landscape of SEO practices.
GoogleAntitrustAI OverviewsSEOContent Rights
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Google to loosen pharma ad rules for AdMob authorized buyers
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Anu Adegbola
High Importance

Google to loosen pharma ad rules for AdMob authorized buyers

AI Analysis
  • ●Google will update its Pharmaceutical policy for AdMob Authorized Buyers in January 2026, allowing more access to ads for prescription drugs in certain markets without requiring Google certification.
  • ●While expansion is happening, advertisers will bear greater responsibility for compliance, increasing the risk of policy violations if geo-targeting and ad content are not managed carefully.
  • ●Non-pharmaceutical advertisers should also be aware of potential impacts on ad pricing, brand safety, and overall placement strategies due to increased competition from pharma ads.
Why it matters: The article discusses a significant update to Google's advertising policy that impacts how pharmaceutical products are promoted, which is important for digital marketers, especially in the pharma sector.
Google AdMobPharmaceutical AdvertisingDigital Marketing PoliciesProgrammatic AdvertisingCompliance Risk
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Core Web Vitals Champ: Open Source Versus Proprietary Platforms via @sejournal, @martinibuster
SEJ
Dec 19, 2025•Roger Montti
High Importance

Core Web Vitals Champ: Open Source Versus Proprietary Platforms via @sejournal, @martinibuster

AI Analysis
  • ●The Core Web Vitals Technology Report ranks CMS platforms based on their performance, revealing significant gaps in scores, with Duda leading at 84.87% and WordPress at the bottom with 46.28%.
  • ●Core Web Vitals (CWV) metrics, created by Google, assess user experience factors like loading speed and responsiveness, which directly impact engagement and business outcomes.
  • ●The data combines real user performance metrics from Chrome users with lab-based performance tests, offering insights into how well different CMS platforms meet CWV standards.
Why it matters: This article highlights critical performance benchmarks that directly impact SEO strategies and user experience, making it a high importance read for SEO professionals.
Core Web VitalsCMS PerformanceUser ExperienceSEO MetricsWeb Performance
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PPC Pulse: More Apple Search Inventory, Exact Match Limits In AI Overviews via @sejournal, @brookeosmundson
SEJ
Dec 19, 2025•Brooke Osmundson
High Importance

PPC Pulse: More Apple Search Inventory, Exact Match Limits In AI Overviews via @sejournal, @brookeosmundson

AI Analysis
  • ●Apple Ads will expand its inventory in the App Store starting in 2026, allowing ads to appear further down on the results page, enhancing visibility for advertisers.
  • ●Google has confirmed that exact match keywords won't be eligible for AI Overviews, affecting how ads are served and ultimately influencing PPC strategies.
  • ●Advertisers need to adapt their strategies as changes in keyword eligibility and ad placements may result in new traffic patterns and performance variability.
Why it matters: The article discusses important updates in major advertising platforms (Apple and Google) that can significantly impact PPC strategies for advertisers.
Apple AdsGoogle AdsPPC updates2026 inventory expansionAI Overviews
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How to use broad match without losing control
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Leigh Buttrey
High Importance

How to use broad match without losing control

AI Analysis
  • ●Broad match will become the default setting for new Google Search campaigns starting July 2024, promoting the use of Smart Bidding.
  • ●Google's 2024 updates have improved the performance of broad match campaigns by 10%, making it an integral part of the bidding process.
  • ●Advertisers must adapt their strategies to account for broad match's new capabilities and its role in optimizing conversion goals without losing control over relevance.
Why it matters: This article provides critical updates on the evolving use of broad match in Google Ads, impacting PPC strategies that SEO professionals need to understand for effective campaign management.
Broad MatchSmart BiddingGoogle AdsPPC StrategyDigital Marketing
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SEO Pulse: AI Mode Hits 75M Users, Gemini 3 Flash Launches via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern
SEJ
Dec 19, 2025•Matt G. Southern
High Importance

SEO Pulse: AI Mode Hits 75M Users, Gemini 3 Flash Launches via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

AI Analysis
  • ●Google's AI Mode has achieved 75 million daily active users, but promised personal context features are still undergoing internal testing, affecting how optimization should be approached.
  • ●Gemini 3 Flash, Google's latest AI model, has been launched, focusing on improved speed and efficiency, influencing the user experience in AI Mode and possibly future iterations of search.
  • ●SEOs should adjust content strategies to handle longer, more detailed user queries in AI Mode, reflecting a shift towards conversational search behavior.
Why it matters: The updates on Google's AI Mode and Gemini 3 Flash significantly impact content strategy and user experience, making this information crucial for SEO professionals.
Google AIAI ModeGemini 3Search OptimizationSEO Trends
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Your next customer might not be human: Designing journeys for people and AI agents
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Becky Simms
High Importance

Your next customer might not be human: Designing journeys for people and AI agents

AI Analysis
  • ●The evolution of customer journey design now recognizes the role of AI agents as significant influencers in decision-making, alongside human customers.
  • ●Marketers need to design strategies that address both the human journey, focusing on emotional and relational aspects, and the agent journey, which emphasizes structured data and logic.
  • ●Understanding the distinction between how humans and AI agents interact with content is crucial; failure to cater to both could result in losing visibility in search results.
Why it matters: The article discusses the emerging influence of AI agents on the customer journey and the need for marketers to adapt their strategies, highlighting an important shift in SEO that professionals should actively consider.
AI in SEOCustomer JourneySearch Engine StrategiesDigital MarketingSEO Best Practices
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Microsoft Explains How Duplicate Content Affects AI Search Visibility via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern
SEJ
Dec 19, 2025•Matt G. Southern
High Importance

Microsoft Explains How Duplicate Content Affects AI Search Visibility via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

AI Analysis
  • ●Microsoft highlights the impact of duplicate content on AI-powered search and how it affects which URLs are selected to represent content.
  • ●The article discusses how near-duplicate pages can dilute intent clarity and reduce visibility, recommending the use of canonical tags and meaningful differentiation for localized content.
  • ●Microsoft introduces IndexNow as a tool to speed up the indexing process after consolidating duplicate URLs, making it easier for search engines to recognize changes.
Why it matters: The article provides crucial updates on duplicate content management and AI implications, which are important for SEO professionals dealing with content optimization.
duplicate contentAI searchcanonical tagsIndexNowSEO best practices
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Microsoft Bing explains how duplicate content can hurt your visibility in AI Search
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Barry Schwartz
High Importance

Microsoft Bing explains how duplicate content can hurt your visibility in AI Search

AI Analysis
  • ●Duplicate or similar content can confuse AI search engines about your site's intent, leading to lower visibility.
  • ●AI systems can group near-duplicate URLs, potentially selecting outdated or less relevant versions, decreasing intended page highlight chances.
  • ●To mitigate duplicate content issues, implement strategies such as using canonical tags, asking syndication partners for modifications or noindexing, and ensuring distinct intent for individual campaign pages.
Why it matters: The updates from Microsoft on how duplicate content affects visibility in AI search are crucial for SEO professionals to adapt their strategies in an evolving search landscape.
duplicate contentAI searchMicrosoft BingSEO best practicesintent signals
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From SEO to GEO: How marketing leaders stay visible in AI-driven search by Contentful
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Contentful
High Importance

From SEO to GEO: How marketing leaders stay visible in AI-driven search by Contentful

AI Analysis
  • ●Shift your SEO strategy to focus on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) by prioritizing entity recognition rather than just traditional page ranking.
  • ●Enhance your content's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to improve visibility in AI-generated results.
  • ●Utilize structured data and optimize your site's technical structure to facilitate better understanding from AI crawlers.
Why it matters: The article discusses a significant shift in SEO focus due to generative AI influences, which is crucial for SEO professionals to adapt to changing landscapes.
GEOAI SEOE-E-A-TStructured DataSEO Strategy
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Microsoft launches asset-level ad reviews
SEL
Dec 19, 2025•Anu Adegbola
Good to Know

Microsoft launches asset-level ad reviews

AI Analysis
  • ●Microsoft Advertising introduces asset-level editorial review for ad components, allowing compliant assets to run even if some are disapproved.
  • ●Advertisers can now review and identify issues with individual headlines, descriptions, and images, reducing the need for complete ad resubmissions.
  • ●This update minimizes campaign disruption and speeds up the approval process, empowering advertisers to maintain control over their ads.
Why it matters: While the update to Microsoft Advertising's ad review process is beneficial for advertisers, it is a minor tool update rather than a critical change affecting broader SEO practices.
Microsoft AdvertisingPPCAd ReviewsDigital MarketingCampaign Management
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Search & Social: How To Engineer Cross-Channel Synergy via @sejournal, @rio_seo
SEJ
Dec 19, 2025•Chelsea Alves
Good to Know

Search & Social: How To Engineer Cross-Channel Synergy via @sejournal, @rio_seo

AI Analysis
  • ●SEO and social media teams must collaborate to enhance search visibility and brand recognition, as their functions are interconnected.
  • ●Social media acts as a catalyst for product discovery, often influencing search behaviors, particularly among younger demographics.
  • ●Integrating social insights into SEO strategies allows marketers to capitalize on trending topics, optimize relevant content quickly, and sustain long-term search rankings.
Why it matters: The article provides valuable insights on the synergy between SEO and social media, though it lacks urgent updates or critical changes to algorithms that would demand immediate attention.
SEOSocial MediaMarketing StrategySearch VisibilityCollaboration
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Google Says Ranking Systems Reward Content Made For Humans via @sejournal, @martinibuster
SEJ
Dec 19, 2025•Roger Montti
Good to Know

Google Says Ranking Systems Reward Content Made For Humans via @sejournal, @martinibuster

AI Analysis
  • ●Danny Sullivan emphasized that despite advancements in AI search, SEO professionals do not need to change their optimization strategies significantly.
  • ●Google's ranking systems are designed to prioritize content that is human-centered, rather than optimized solely for search algorithms or AI.
  • ●Content created for humans is central to successful SEO, and the focus should remain on delivering value to users.
Why it matters: While the article addresses important insights regarding AI and content optimization, it does not present crucial updates or changes that necessitate immediate attention from SEO professionals.
SEOAI in searchGoogle algorithmscontent optimizationuser experience
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Sam Altman Explains OpenAI’s Bet On Profitability via @sejournal, @martinibuster
SEJ
Dec 19, 2025•Roger Montti
General

Sam Altman Explains OpenAI’s Bet On Profitability via @sejournal, @martinibuster

AI Analysis
  • ●Sam Altman discusses OpenAI's current financial struggles due to rising training costs that exceed revenue growth, potentially impacting profitability timelines.
  • ●He emphasizes that while compute expenses are high, they believe in strong revenue growth from both consumer and enterprise sectors, dependent on solving compute limitations.
  • ●Efforts are ongoing to become more efficient in compute usage, with plans for new business launches that could enhance profitability.
Why it matters: The article primarily discusses OpenAI's financial challenges without offering actionable insights for SEO professionals, making it optional reading.
OpenAIAI profitabilitytraining costscompute efficiencySam Altman interview
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