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Daily SEO Brief

Thursday, January 15, 2026

10 articles published

Final brief

What You Need to Know

The latest updates from the SEO and digital marketing landscape indicate significant challenges ahead for publishers, including a projected decline in search traffic due to AI advancements. Publishers are pivoting towards original content and video formats as they adapt to changing consumer behavior and digital advertising dynamics.

Must-Read Highlights

1

Publishers expect search traffic to decline over 40% in the coming years as AI-driven content becomes more prevalent.

Survey: Publishers Expect Search Traffic To Fall Over 40%
2

SEO has evolved into a complex practice that integrates AI-driven content retrieval, requiring new strategies around chunk-level content architecture.

SEO Is No Longer A Single Discipline
3

AdSense publishers are facing revenue declines of 50% to 90% linked to recent changes in Google Search, raising concerns about ad delivery and inventory.

AdSense publishers report sudden revenue plunge — again
4

YouTube's new Promotions tool enables better ad targeting by leveraging aggregated user data, driving engagement and enhancing campaign performance.

YouTube gives creators smarter ad targeting
5

Google Ads introduces account-level placement exclusions to improve brand safety and streamline ad management across multiple campaigns.

Google Ads rolls out account-level placement exclusions

All Articles from This Day

Survey: Publishers Expect Search Traffic To Fall Over 40% via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern
SEJ
Jan 15, 2026•Matt G. Southern
High Importance

Survey: Publishers Expect Search Traffic To Fall Over 40% via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

AI Analysis
  • ●The Reuters Institute predicts a decline of over 40% in search engine traffic to news publishers in the next three years due to the rise of AI-driven answers.
  • ●Publishers are shifting focus towards original content and investigative reporting while scaling back on service journalism to differentiate themselves from AI-generated content.
  • ●There is a notable increase in investment in video and audio formats, alongside a growing interest in licensing deals and alternative revenue streams beyond display advertising.
Why it matters: The report highlights significant changes in search traffic trends and content strategy due to AI developments, making it crucial for SEO professionals to adapt their approaches.
SEOAIdigital mediacontent strategysearch traffic
Read Source
SEO Is No Longer A Single Discipline via @sejournal, @DuaneForrester
SEJ
Jan 15, 2026•Duane Forrester
High Importance

SEO Is No Longer A Single Discipline via @sejournal, @DuaneForrester

AI Analysis
  • ●SEO has evolved from a simple discipline into a complex practice influenced by changes in discovery and AI search systems.
  • ●The core principles of SEO—crawling, indexing, content accessibility, and user experience—remain essential, but are now complemented by the necessity of adapting to AI-driven content retrieval.
  • ●Modern SEO requires a focus on chunk-level content architecture, recognizing that fragments of content may be treated as competitive units in search rankings.
Why it matters: The article discusses foundational SEO principles while highlighting the significant impact of AI on search, making it crucial for SEO professionals to adapt to these changes.
SEO FundamentalsAI in SearchContent StrategyCrawling and IndexingCore Web Vitals
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AdSense publishers report sudden revenue plunge — again
SEL
Jan 15, 2026•Anu Adegbola
High Importance

AdSense publishers report sudden revenue plunge — again

AI Analysis
  • ●Publishers using Google AdSense are experiencing significant drops in eCPM and RPM, with declines reported between 50% to 90%.
  • ●This sudden revenue drop coincides with an unconfirmed Google Search ranking update, raising concerns over overlapping visibility and monetization issues.
  • ●Google has acknowledged systemic issues in Google Ad Manager, affecting ad delivery and inventory, leaving publishers uncertain about the causes of these revenue decreases.
Why it matters: This article addresses a significant issue affecting revenue for AdSense publishers, indicating potential systemic problems that could influence search visibility and monetization strategies.
AdSenseeCPMRevenue DropGoogle UpdateAd Manager Issues
Read Source
YouTube gives creators smarter ad targeting
SEL
Jan 15, 2026•Anu Adegbola
Good to Know

YouTube gives creators smarter ad targeting

AI Analysis
  • ●YouTube's Promotions tool now allows creators to target viewers based on interests, improving the efficiency of ad campaigns beyond traditional demographics.
  • ●Interest categories are informed by aggregated user signals like search behavior and viewing habits, enabling more precise targeting for content promotion.
  • ●The desktop-exclusive feature aims to enhance audience engagement for both emerging channels and established creators, with plans for a mobile rollout in the future.
Why it matters: This update enhances ad targeting capabilities and could improve promotional efficiency, making it relevant for those in digital marketing, but it is not a critical change that directly impacts core SEO practices.
YouTubeAd TargetingDigital MarketingPPCContent Promotion
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Google introduces total campaign budgets for Search
SEL
Jan 15, 2026•Anu Adegbola
Good to Know

Google introduces total campaign budgets for Search

AI Analysis
  • ●Google has introduced total campaign budgets for Search and Shopping, allowing marketers to set a budget over a defined period without constant adjustments.
  • ●This feature helps optimize spending efficiently, reducing the risk of overspending while enabling marketers to focus more on strategy.
  • ●A real-world example shows that a UK retailer achieved a 16% increase in website traffic using this feature during promotions.
Why it matters: While the new campaign budget feature enhances PPC management, it is not a critical update affecting broader SEO strategies or major algorithm changes.
Google AdsPPC MarketingCampaign ManagementDigital MarketingBudget Optimization
Read Source
The social-to-search halo effect: Why social content drives branded search
SEL
Jan 15, 2026•Stephanie Wallace
Good to Know

The social-to-search halo effect: Why social content drives branded search

AI Analysis
  • ●Social media content can significantly influence branded search, creating curiosity that leads to increased search volume for brands and products.
  • ●Measuring the social-to-search connection helps identify early intent signals and optimizes collaboration between SEO and social teams for better marketing attribution.
  • ●Branded search patterns following social media engagement indicate demand and trust, requiring SEO professionals to integrate social insights into their reporting.
Why it matters: While the insights on the social-to-search connection are useful for SEO professionals, they don't constitute a critical update impacting search engines or algorithms directly.
SEOSocial MediaBranded SearchMarketing AttributionHalo Effect
Read Source
Microsoft adds new customer acquisition goals and deeper visibility to PMax
SEL
Jan 15, 2026•Anu Adegbola
Good to Know

Microsoft adds new customer acquisition goals and deeper visibility to PMax

AI Analysis
  • ●Microsoft Advertising's latest updates enhance Performance Max capabilities with new customer acquisition goals and improved visibility metrics.
  • ●Advertisers can now prioritize net-new customers and assign higher conversion values, focusing on long-term growth.
  • ●The updates include smoother imports from Google, expanded audience targeting options, and enhanced creative automation for improved campaign performance.
Why it matters: While the updates provide valuable insights and features for advertisers, they are not critical changes that would necessitate immediate reading by SEO professionals.
Microsoft AdvertisingPerformance Maxcustomer acquisitiondigital marketingpaid search
Read Source
Building A Brand Is Not A Strategy, It Is A Starting Point via @sejournal, @TaylorDanRW
SEJ
Jan 15, 2026•Dan Taylor
Good to Know

Building A Brand Is Not A Strategy, It Is A Starting Point via @sejournal, @TaylorDanRW

AI Analysis
  • ●SEO professionals need to understand that brand building is not just a buzzword; it's a strategic process that requires consistent visibility over time.
  • ●Search is primarily a demand capture channel, so SEO should focus on increasing mental availability by creating repeated brand touchpoints through high-intent, non-branded queries.
  • ●Incorporating strong technical SEO foundations with content and digital PR can enhance visibility and contribute to effective brand building.
Why it matters: While the insights on brand building and search demand are useful, this article does not present urgent or actionable updates that directly impact SEO practices or tools.
SEO StrategyBrand BuildingDigital PRContent MarketingSearch Visibility
Read Source
Google Ads rolls out account-level placement exclusions
SEL
Jan 15, 2026•Anu Adegbola
Good to Know

Google Ads rolls out account-level placement exclusions

AI Analysis
  • ●Google Ads now allows advertisers to set account-level placement exclusions, streamlining the process of blocking unwanted inventory across all campaigns from a centralized location.
  • ●This update facilitates better management of brand safety by enabling advertisers to enforce exclusions consistently and efficiently, especially beneficial for large accounts.
  • ●Advertisers are advised to review and consolidate existing exclusion lists, as overly broad exclusions could negatively affect ad reach.
Why it matters: While the update improves efficiency and brand safety in advertising, it doesn't directly impact SEO practices or major algorithm updates.
Google AdsPPCDigital MarketingBrand SafetyAdvertising Update
Read Source
Why the shakeout effect matters in CLV modeling
SEL
Jan 15, 2026•Ben Vigneron
General

Why the shakeout effect matters in CLV modeling

AI Analysis
  • ●The shakeout effect in CLV modeling highlights the importance of analyzing customer behavior over time, as it shows how early churn can lead to a more stable group of higher value customers.
  • ●Marketers should account for varying customer qualities to avoid overestimating CLV and effectively target their core loyal segment, which can significantly impact profitability.
  • ●Using ranked cross-correlation analysis (RCC) allows businesses to explore CRM data to identify features that drive higher CLV, such as purchase frequency and engagement with newsletters.
Why it matters: The article focuses on customer lifetime value dynamics, which, while relevant, does not address critical updates or changes directly impacting SEO practices or strategies.
Customer Lifetime ValueCLV AnalyticsChurn AnalysisMarketing StrategiesCRM Data
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