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Daily SEO Brief

Monday, December 22, 2025

10 articles published

Final brief

What You Need to Know

On December 22, 2025, significant discussions in the SEO and digital marketing landscape highlight a critical vulnerability in a widely used WordPress plugin, emerging digital marketing trends for 2026, and important updates regarding Google's review moderation practices. Additionally, there are insights on optimizing for image search in the context of AI and the enduring importance of SEO fundamentals amidst the growth of AI-driven search.

Must-Read Highlights

1

A critical vulnerability in the Redirection for Contact Form 7 plugin can allow unauthenticated file uploads, impacting over 300,000 sites. Website owners are urged to update to version 3.2.8 to mitigate risks.

Redirection For Contact Form 7 WordPress Plugin Vulnerability via @sejournal, @martinibuster
2

The importance of conversational search for SEO and the need for brands to adapt to a privacy-first landscape are highlighted in the top 10 digital marketing trends for 2026.

The Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2026 via @sejournal, @gregjarboe
3

Google's increasing deletion of reviews, both positive and negative, is impacting local search visibility, with patterns varying significantly across different industries.

Why Google is deleting reviews at record levels
4

Image SEO must now focus on machine readability and pixel quality, with an emphasis on 'grounding' alt text to aid AI interpretation of images.

Image SEO for multimodal AI
5

Despite the rise of AI search, traditional SEO practices like content freshness and optimized title tags remain critical for driving traffic.

AI search is growing, but SEO fundamentals still drive most traffic

All Articles from This Day

Redirection For Contact Form 7 WordPress Plugin Vulnerability via @sejournal, @martinibuster
SEJ
Dec 22, 2025•Roger Montti
CRITICAL UPDATE

Redirection For Contact Form 7 WordPress Plugin Vulnerability via @sejournal, @martinibuster

AI Analysis
  • ●A critical vulnerability in the Redirection for Contact Form 7 plugin allows unauthenticated attackers to upload malicious files, affecting over 300,000 sites.
  • ●The flaw arises from a lack of file type validation in versions up to 3.2.7, potentially leading to arbitrary file copies on the server.
  • ●Website owners using this plugin are urged to update to version 3.2.8 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability.
Why it matters: The article addresses a critical security vulnerability in a widely used WordPress plugin, which poses a significant risk to website integrity and requires immediate attention from SEO professionals.
WordPressContact Form 7security vulnerabilityplugin updatecybersecurity
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The Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2026 via @sejournal, @gregjarboe
SEJ
Dec 22, 2025•Greg Jarboe
High Importance

The Top 10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2026 via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

AI Analysis
  • ●Emphasize the importance of conversational search for SEO by optimizing for intent and structuring content for answer-centered formats and zero-click scenarios.
  • ●Leverage the growth of video-commerce by integrating interactive elements into video content and measuring engagement through actionable metrics rather than vanity metrics.
  • ●Adapt to the privacy-first landscape by focusing on first-party data and consent-based profiling to gain a competitive advantage in digital marketing.
Why it matters: The article discusses emerging trends that are critical for future SEO strategies, especially the shift towards conversational search and video-commerce, making it highly relevant for SEO professionals.
SEO TrendsConversational SearchVideo CommerceDigital MarketingPrivacy First Data
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How to build search visibility before demand exists
SEL
Dec 22, 2025•Ashley Liddell
High Importance

How to build search visibility before demand exists

AI Analysis
  • ●Explore how Exploding Topics can help identify emerging trends and entities before they become prevalent in search demand.
  • ●Understand the shift from traditional keyword research to focusing on entities and relationships that are recognized by modern search engines and AI.
  • ●Use timely insights to create authoritative content that shapes narratives around new concepts, ensuring you're not late to market.
Why it matters: The article provides valuable insights on navigating emerging search trends and understanding entity-based SEO, which are crucial for staying competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
SEOTrending TopicsExploding TopicsEntity RecognitionSocial Search
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Image SEO for multimodal AI
SEL
Dec 22, 2025•Myriam Jessier
High Importance

Image SEO for multimodal AI

AI Analysis
  • ●Image SEO must now account for machine readability, focusing on pixel-level quality and clarity for AI systems.
  • ●Alt text should be reframed as 'grounding,' providing semantic context to assist AI in correctly interpreting images.
  • ●OCR failures can lead to misinterpretations by AI, emphasizing the need for high-resolution images and clear textual elements on packaging.
Why it matters: The article discusses significant developments in image SEO related to AI, which is crucial for SEO professionals adapting to the evolving search landscape.
Image SEOAIOCRAlt TextSEO Best Practices
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Why Google is deleting reviews at record levels
SEL
Dec 22, 2025•Michel van Luijtelaar
High Importance

Why Google is deleting reviews at record levels

AI Analysis
  • ●Google is increasingly deleting both positive and negative reviews due to automated moderation and enforcement against incentivized reviews, affecting local search visibility.
  • ●Review deletion patterns differ by industry, with restaurants and home services seeing the highest volume of deletions, while medical services and beauty see far fewer.
  • ●The timing of review deletions varies; many negative reviews are removed within six months, while older reviews are removed in other categories, indicating ongoing adjustments in Google's moderation systems.
Why it matters: The article discusses critical implications of Google’s review moderation practices and trends, which significantly impact local business visibility and SEO strategies.
Google ReviewsLocal SEOReview DeletionsSearch VisibilityOnline Reputation Management
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Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility
GOOGLE
Dec 22, 2025•Mateusz Makosiewicz
High Importance

Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility

AI Analysis
  • ●Fresh content is essential for maintaining high rankings and visibility in search engines and AI assistants.
  • ●Google's QDF algorithm prioritizes recently updated pages, especially in time-sensitive queries.
  • ●Regularly updating specific types of content, such as breaking news, product recommendations, and evolving topics, can prevent ranking decay.
Why it matters: The article provides valuable insights on the importance of content freshness, which significantly impacts rankings and visibility in search results.
Content FreshnessSEO StrategiesGoogle QDFSearch RankingsAI Citations
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AI search is growing, but SEO fundamentals still drive most traffic
SEL
Dec 22, 2025•Rob Tindula
High Importance

AI search is growing, but SEO fundamentals still drive most traffic

AI Analysis
  • ●SEO fundamentals, such as optimized title tags and content freshness, still drive significant traffic despite the growing focus on AI strategies.
  • ●Simple and quick SEO updates can yield substantial improvements in rankings and click-through rates, exemplified by a recent success with a minor title tag adjustment.
  • ●Maintaining user experience is crucial for conversion rates, countering the notion that AI will replace traditional website optimization.
Why it matters: The article highlights significant insights about maintaining SEO fundamentals amidst AI advancements, making it important for SEO professionals to ensure they don't overlook essential strategies that drive traffic.
SEO FundamentalsAI in SEOTitle TagsContent FreshnessUser Experience
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Ironman, Not Superman via @sejournal, @DuaneForrester
SEJ
Dec 22, 2025•Duane Forrester
Good to Know

Ironman, Not Superman via @sejournal, @DuaneForrester

AI Analysis
  • ●AI in SEO should be viewed as a powerful tool with inherent limitations, not as a human-like collaborator.
  • ●Practitioners need to align their expectations with the actual capabilities of AI systems to avoid frustration and disappointment.
  • ●Understanding the differences between consumer and practitioner interactions with AI is crucial for maximizing its effectiveness in workflows.
Why it matters: While the insights into AI's limitations and user expectations are useful, they do not constitute a critical update necessary for immediate action.
AI in SEOLarge Language ModelsExpectations ManagementHuman-Computer InteractionSEO Tools
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Do Faces Help YouTube Thumbnails? Here’s What The Data Says via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern
SEJ
Dec 22, 2025•Matt G. Southern
Good to Know

Do Faces Help YouTube Thumbnails? Here’s What The Data Says via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

AI Analysis
  • ●The debate over YouTube thumbnails suggests that the effectiveness of using faces in thumbnails varies based on niche and audience, contradicting absolute claims about removing faces.
  • ●Data analysis from over 300,000 viral YouTube videos indicates that performance of thumbnails with and without faces is similar, with context such as channel size and niche influencing outcomes.
  • ●YouTube's algorithm prioritizes watch time over click-through rates (CTR), making it crucial for creators to balance attracting clicks and retaining viewers for overall video success.
Why it matters: While the article offers insights into thumbnail effectiveness and YouTube strategy, it does not present critical updates on search algorithms or changes that directly impact SEO professionals' strategies.
YouTube SEOThumbnail OptimizationVideo MarketingCTR vs Watch TimeContent Strategy
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Google expands Performance Max channel reporting to MCCs
SEL
Dec 22, 2025•Anu Adegbola
Good to Know

Google expands Performance Max channel reporting to MCCs

AI Analysis
  • ●Google has expanded the Performance Max Channel Performance report to MCC accounts, providing insights into spend allocation and performance across multiple accounts.
  • ●Agencies can now analyze Performance Max results across different channels (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.) without needing to log into each account, enhancing efficiency.
  • ●This update is a significant improvement in visibility for Performance Max, allowing better performance analysis for large advertisers and may lead to further enhancements in metrics and export options.
Why it matters: The update improves reporting capabilities for PPC managers, making it useful for efficiency and performance analysis, but it doesn't significantly impact SEO strategies directly.
Google Performance MaxPPC MarketingAdvertising InsightsMCC ReportingDigital Marketing Tools
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