Back to Calendar

Daily SEO Brief

Monday, December 29, 2025

6 articles published

Final brief

What You Need to Know

Today's digest highlights significant developments in SEO and Google algorithm updates from 2025, emphasizing the shift towards AI-driven strategies and the completion of the December core update. As search dynamics evolve, marketers and content creators are urged to adapt their approaches to remain relevant in a rapidly changing landscape.

Must-Read Highlights

1

Google confirmed three core updates and one spam update in 2025, reflecting trends of fewer updates but continued volatility in rankings.

Google algorithm updates 2025 in review: 3 core updates and 1 spam update
2

The rollout of the December 2025 core update is now complete, focusing on enhancing relevant content visibility without requiring extra actions from creators.

Google December 2025 core update rollout is now complete
3

SEO practices in 2025 have shifted towards GEO-specific solutions, with a strong emphasis on brand recognition to boost search visibility.

Review Of 2025: Highlights & Lowlights For SEO (& WordPress)
4

AI technology is now central to search, significantly influencing user experience and requiring SEO professionals to adapt through integration of AI tools.

Top 10 SEO news stories of 2025
5

The introduction of native shopping through ChatGPT indicates a transformation in digital commerce, compelling brands to focus on engagement and storytelling over traditional SEO.

The New AI Marketplace: How ChatGPT’s Native Shopping Could Rewrite Digital Commerce

All Articles from This Day

Google algorithm updates 2025 in review: 3 core updates and 1 spam update
SEL
Dec 29, 2025•Barry Schwartz
CRITICAL UPDATE

Google algorithm updates 2025 in review: 3 core updates and 1 spam update

AI Analysis
  • ●In 2025, Google confirmed four updates: three core updates and one spam update, indicating a trend of fewer confirmed updates despite ongoing ranking volatility.
  • ●March, June, and December saw core updates in 2025, each designed to enhance the relevance of search results; volatility following these updates was noted to be similar to previous years.
  • ●The August 2025 spam update was swift and impactful, with significant ranking fluctuations observed within 24 hours of its rollout.
Why it matters: The article discusses confirmed Google algorithm updates, which are critical for SEO professionals to understand in order to adapt strategies and mitigate ranking fluctuations.
Google Algorithm UpdatesCore Updates 2025SEO NewsRanking VolatilitySearch Engine Updates
Read Source
Google December 2025 core update rollout is now complete
SEL
Dec 29, 2025•Barry Schwartz
CRITICAL UPDATE

Google December 2025 core update rollout is now complete

AI Analysis
  • ●The December 2025 core update has been completed, following an 18-day rollout from December 11 to December 29, 2025.
  • ●Google emphasizes that this update aims to improve the visibility of relevant and satisfying content without requiring specific additional actions from content creators.
  • ●Site owners are encouraged to assess the impact of the update on their rankings and continue focusing on creating helpful, reliable content for users.
Why it matters: This article covers a significant Google core update that directly impacts how websites are ranked, making it critical for SEO professionals to understand.
Google Core UpdateSEO NewsSearch Engine UpdatesRanking FactorsContent Strategy
Read Source
Review Of 2025: Highlights & Lowlights For SEO (& WordPress) via @sejournal, @martinibuster
SEJ
Dec 29, 2025•Roger Montti
High Importance

Review Of 2025: Highlights & Lowlights For SEO (& WordPress) via @sejournal, @martinibuster

AI Analysis
  • ●The article highlights a significant shift in SEO practices towards GEO-specific solutions in response to AI Search demands.
  • ●WordPress updates, including new features like LLMs.txt generation, are being introduced to accommodate this evolving landscape, despite skepticism around their efficacy.
  • ●Google emphasizes the importance of brand recognition for improving search visibility, suggesting SEOs focus on differentiation to enhance their credibility in crowded markets.
Why it matters: The article discusses important developments in SEO tools and strategies influenced by AI, making it a significant read for SEO professionals navigating these changes.
SEOAI SearchWordPressBranded SearchGEO
Read Source
Top 10 SEO news stories of 2025
SEL
Dec 29, 2025•Danny Goodwin
High Importance

Top 10 SEO news stories of 2025

AI Analysis
  • ●AI is now central to search, transforming user experience and optimizing strategies.
  • ●New Google Search Console Query groups feature simplifies performance analysis by clustering similar search queries.
  • ●The decline in organic traffic for major platforms like HubSpot highlights the risks of low-quality content amidst evolving SEO standards.
Why it matters: The article addresses significant shifts in SEO practices driven by AI developments and highlights a major decline in organic traffic for a prominent platform, which is important for SEO professionals to understand.
SEO TrendsGoogle Search ConsoleAI in SEOContent QualitySearch Algorithms
Read Source
The New AI Marketplace: How ChatGPT’s Native Shopping Could Rewrite Digital Commerce via @sejournal, @gregjarboe
SEJ
Dec 29, 2025•Greg Jarboe
High Importance

The New AI Marketplace: How ChatGPT’s Native Shopping Could Rewrite Digital Commerce via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

AI Analysis
  • ●OpenAI's integration of native shopping into ChatGPT represents a transformative change in online consumer interactions, potentially eliminating traditional search and marketplace hierarchies.
  • ●The shift towards LLM-powered commerce requires brands to adapt their marketing strategies, focusing on engagement and storytelling instead of traditional SEO and ad spend.
  • ●As conversational AI reshapes product discovery and transactions, marketers must rethink their SEO strategies to prioritize context over keywords to maintain relevance.
Why it matters: This article discusses a significant shift in digital commerce due to AI developments, impacting how marketers must adapt their strategies for product visibility and engagement.
AI in E-commerceLLM CommerceDigital MarketingSEO StrategyConsumer Behavior
Read Source
Top 10 SEO expert columns of 2025 on Search Engine Land
SEL
Dec 29, 2025•Danny Goodwin
High Importance

Top 10 SEO expert columns of 2025 on Search Engine Land

AI Analysis
  • ●AI optimization is crucial for enhancing visibility in search; SEO professionals must adapt their strategies to integrate AI-driven tools and techniques.
  • ●The proposed standard llms.txt highlights the importance of AI content crawling, showcasing how AI models influence SEO relevance and ranking.
  • ●The top columns of 2025 emphasize the ongoing transformation of SEO, revealing critical insights on combining traditional SEO with emerging practices like GEO.
Why it matters: The article discusses significant trends and changes in SEO driven by AI, making it a high-importance update for professionals navigating the evolving landscape.
AI SearchSEO Trendsllms.txtGEO vs SEOContent Optimization
Read Source