Glenn Gabe
@glenngabe.bsky.social
SEO Consultant at G-Squared Interactive.
It's rolling out now -> Google told advertisers that it is integrating direct shopping into Search's AI Mode and Gemini; users can now buy items from Etsy and Wayfair w/in Gemini
"UCP-powered checkout is rolling out now, letting US shoppers buy items from Etsy & Wayfair..."
"UCP-powered checkout is rolling out now, letting US shoppers buy items from Etsy & Wayfair..."
What to expect in digital advertising and commerce in 2026
Google VP Vidhya Srinivasan shares how Google is reimagining commercial experiences to be fluid, assistive and personal in 2026.
blog.google
February 11, 2026 at 4:38 PM
It's rolling out now -> Google told advertisers that it is integrating direct shopping into Search's AI Mode and Gemini; users can now buy items from Etsy and Wayfair w/in Gemini
"UCP-powered checkout is rolling out now, letting US shoppers buy items from Etsy & Wayfair..."
"UCP-powered checkout is rolling out now, letting US shoppers buy items from Etsy & Wayfair..."
Interested in ChatGPT Ads? Asad Awan, one of the ad leads for OpenAI, was on their podcast yesterday.
For example: What will the process look like down the line for companies trying to reach new audiences via ChatGPT? i.e. where is this headed for advertisers (and performance marketers)?
For example: What will the process look like down the line for companies trying to reach new audiences via ChatGPT? i.e. where is this headed for advertisers (and performance marketers)?
Episode 13 - The Thinking Behind Ads in ChatGPT
YouTube video by OpenAI
www.youtube.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Interested in ChatGPT Ads? Asad Awan, one of the ad leads for OpenAI, was on their podcast yesterday.
For example: What will the process look like down the line for companies trying to reach new audiences via ChatGPT? i.e. where is this headed for advertisers (and performance marketers)?
For example: What will the process look like down the line for companies trying to reach new audiences via ChatGPT? i.e. where is this headed for advertisers (and performance marketers)?
This is a big deal. Agents can bypass the UI via WebMCP -> Chrome Team announces WebMCP is available for early preview
"You tell agents how & where to interact with your site, whether it's booking a flight, filing a support ticket, or navigating complex data. This direct communication channel..."
"You tell agents how & where to interact with your site, whether it's booking a flight, filing a support ticket, or navigating complex data. This direct communication channel..."
WebMCP is available for early preview | Blog | Chrome for Developers
WebMCP aims to provide a standard way for exposing structured tools, ensuring AI agents can perform actions on your side with increased speed, reliability, and precision.
developer.chrome.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:53 PM
This is a big deal. Agents can bypass the UI via WebMCP -> Chrome Team announces WebMCP is available for early preview
"You tell agents how & where to interact with your site, whether it's booking a flight, filing a support ticket, or navigating complex data. This direct communication channel..."
"You tell agents how & where to interact with your site, whether it's booking a flight, filing a support ticket, or navigating complex data. This direct communication channel..."
Heads-up. Bing Webmaster Tools announced its new AI Performance reporting today. You can view total citations and cited pages. And then you can view "Grounding queries" and the number of citations per query. And there's a pages report broken down by citations.
blogs.bing.com/webmaster/Fe...
blogs.bing.com/webmaster/Fe...
February 10, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Heads-up. Bing Webmaster Tools announced its new AI Performance reporting today. You can view total citations and cited pages. And then you can view "Grounding queries" and the number of citations per query. And there's a pages report broken down by citations.
blogs.bing.com/webmaster/Fe...
blogs.bing.com/webmaster/Fe...
And it keeps dropping.
February 10, 2026 at 2:17 PM
And it keeps dropping.
Yep, it's Google results... again. ChatGPT Searches Google Shopping to Create its Recommendations
"After running the experiment 100X, we found the top ChatGPT product was included in Google Shopping’s first 3 results 75% of the time. There was also substantial overlap with the 2nd & 3rd results"
"After running the experiment 100X, we found the top ChatGPT product was included in Google Shopping’s first 3 results 75% of the time. There was also substantial overlap with the 2nd & 3rd results"
ChatGPT Searches Google Shopping to Create its Recommendations
Our experiment confirms that ChatGPT runs queries through Google Shopping. Here‘s what this means.
www.semrush.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Yep, it's Google results... again. ChatGPT Searches Google Shopping to Create its Recommendations
"After running the experiment 100X, we found the top ChatGPT product was included in Google Shopping’s first 3 results 75% of the time. There was also substantial overlap with the 2nd & 3rd results"
"After running the experiment 100X, we found the top ChatGPT product was included in Google Shopping’s first 3 results 75% of the time. There was also substantial overlap with the 2nd & 3rd results"
It's official. OpenAI just posted about this. Let the ads begin... openai.com/index/testin...
February 9, 2026 at 7:24 PM
It's official. OpenAI just posted about this. Let the ads begin... openai.com/index/testin...
Today might be the day! -> OpenAI will reportedly start testing ads in ChatGPT today
"On Monday, OpenAI will officially begin testing ads within ChatGPT, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to confidentiality."
"On Monday, OpenAI will officially begin testing ads within ChatGPT, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to confidentiality."
Sam Altman touts ChatGPT's reaccelerating growth to employees as OpenAI closes in on $100 billion funding
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees that ChatGPT's monthly growth is back above 10%, as competition ramps up in generative AI.
www.cnbc.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Today might be the day! -> OpenAI will reportedly start testing ads in ChatGPT today
"On Monday, OpenAI will officially begin testing ads within ChatGPT, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to confidentiality."
"On Monday, OpenAI will officially begin testing ads within ChatGPT, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to confidentiality."
Re: the Google Grokipedia drop. I've explained if you drop in Google, you risk dropping in AI Search as well (since those platforms leverage Google results.) Well, Malte Landwehr dug in after seeing the Google drop, and yep, Grokipedia dropped in AI Search too.
www.linkedin.com/posts/landwe...
www.linkedin.com/posts/landwe...
February 9, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Re: the Google Grokipedia drop. I've explained if you drop in Google, you risk dropping in AI Search as well (since those platforms leverage Google results.) Well, Malte Landwehr dug in after seeing the Google drop, and yep, Grokipedia dropped in AI Search too.
www.linkedin.com/posts/landwe...
www.linkedin.com/posts/landwe...
Sounds like Bing nuked Neocities -> "We recommend using search engines other than Bing" — 1.5 million Neocities sites are blocked by Microsoft's search engine, and AI support bots aren't helping. It's still alive and well in Google.
Bing blocks 1.5 million Neocities sites, founder can't get past AI support
Neocities is a throwback to a simpler internet age, and Bing search apparently doesn't like that. The Neocities founder is having a hard time fixing the issue.
www.windowscentral.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Sounds like Bing nuked Neocities -> "We recommend using search engines other than Bing" — 1.5 million Neocities sites are blocked by Microsoft's search engine, and AI support bots aren't helping. It's still alive and well in Google.
In the race to Jarvis, Personal Intelligence might be coming to NotebookLM -> Google tests Personal Intelligence for NotebookLM conversations
"...suggests NotebookLM can learn from your chats to understand your goals, & it includes a custom prompt field that pre-fills a profile-like description."
"...suggests NotebookLM can learn from your chats to understand your goals, & it includes a custom prompt field that pre-fills a profile-like description."
Google tests Personal Intelligence for NotebookLM
Google is testing a “Personal intelligence” layer in NotebookLM, hinting at personalized responses and custom prompts based on chat history.
www.testingcatalog.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:50 PM
In the race to Jarvis, Personal Intelligence might be coming to NotebookLM -> Google tests Personal Intelligence for NotebookLM conversations
"...suggests NotebookLM can learn from your chats to understand your goals, & it includes a custom prompt field that pre-fills a profile-like description."
"...suggests NotebookLM can learn from your chats to understand your goals, & it includes a custom prompt field that pre-fills a profile-like description."
Heads-up. I have shared before how Grokipedia has surged like crazy in Google, but I also warned that might not stick (based on the 100% AI-generated content there). Well, that time may have come. Grokipedia has started to drop pretty heavily with the latest volatility. h/t @sistrix.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Heads-up. I have shared before how Grokipedia has surged like crazy in Google, but I also warned that might not stick (based on the 100% AI-generated content there). Well, that time may have come. Grokipedia has started to drop pretty heavily with the latest volatility. h/t @sistrix.com
For some sites with many self-serving listicles that dropped heavily based on the recent (possible) Google reviews update, I'm seeing a trend. Some are still showing up on page one, but in this section... They have to pay now to be there. Oof.
February 6, 2026 at 8:00 PM
For some sites with many self-serving listicles that dropped heavily based on the recent (possible) Google reviews update, I'm seeing a trend. Some are still showing up on page one, but in this section... They have to pay now to be there. Oof.
Amazon's ad business is still rocking -> Amazon reports Q4 ad revenue up 23% YoY to $21.32B, slightly above expectations
And remember, Prime Video now has ads by default (unless you pay extra). I hate that... but it's generating serious money for them.
And remember, Prime Video now has ads by default (unless you pay extra). I hate that... but it's generating serious money for them.
Amazon Powers Up Record Q4 Sales, Forecasts 50% Increase in Capex for 2026 to $200 Billion
Amazon raked in a record $213.4 billion in revenue for Q4 2025 but shares fell after the company forecast $200 billion in capital spending for 2026.
variety.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Amazon's ad business is still rocking -> Amazon reports Q4 ad revenue up 23% YoY to $21.32B, slightly above expectations
And remember, Prime Video now has ads by default (unless you pay extra). I hate that... but it's generating serious money for them.
And remember, Prime Video now has ads by default (unless you pay extra). I hate that... but it's generating serious money for them.
I'm sure Google is watching closely -> Reddit looks to AI search as its next big opportunity
"Weekly active users for search over the past year grew 30% from 60M users to 80M. Meanwhile, weekly active users for AI-powered Reddit Answers grew from 1M in Q1 to 15M by the fourth quarter."
"Weekly active users for search over the past year grew 30% from 60M users to 80M. Meanwhile, weekly active users for AI-powered Reddit Answers grew from 1M in Q1 to 15M by the fourth quarter."
Reddit looks to AI search as its next big opportunity | TechCrunch
During the company's fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday, it offered an update on its plans to merge traditional and AI search together and hinted that although search is not yet monetized, "it's...
techcrunch.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM
I'm sure Google is watching closely -> Reddit looks to AI search as its next big opportunity
"Weekly active users for search over the past year grew 30% from 60M users to 80M. Meanwhile, weekly active users for AI-powered Reddit Answers grew from 1M in Q1 to 15M by the fourth quarter."
"Weekly active users for search over the past year grew 30% from 60M users to 80M. Meanwhile, weekly active users for AI-powered Reddit Answers grew from 1M in Q1 to 15M by the fourth quarter."
Here's a side-by-side comparison. Beyond clickbait and related things to avoid, the Discover documentation now includes "Provide a great page experience" as well. So you know, watch overloading your page with annoying ads, auto-playing crap, and more. :)
February 5, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Here's a side-by-side comparison. Beyond clickbait and related things to avoid, the Discover documentation now includes "Provide a great page experience" as well. So you know, watch overloading your page with annoying ads, auto-playing crap, and more. :)
WTH is going on with this crap? "Negative citations"? Is that what some are doing to try & gain an advantage? I mean, not only could this get you in trouble SEO-wise (and AI Search-wise), but it could get you in trouble legally. Oof, come on people. Although I do want to meet "Marian" at some point.
Just got an alert for my name. Looks like this guy forgot to remove these LLM instructions from his “best geo influencer” list 🤣🤣🤣
TIL some of the nicest people I know in the community are “rude the SEO industry at large” 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
TIL some of the nicest people I know in the community are “rude the SEO industry at large” 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
February 5, 2026 at 6:17 PM
WTH is going on with this crap? "Negative citations"? Is that what some are doing to try & gain an advantage? I mean, not only could this get you in trouble SEO-wise (and AI Search-wise), but it could get you in trouble legally. Oof, come on people. Although I do want to meet "Marian" at some point.
A Discover Core Update!
*Showing more locally relevant content from websites based in their country
*Reducing sensational content and clickbait
*Showing more in-depth, original, & timely content from sites w/expertise in a given area, based on our systems’ understanding of a site’s content
*Showing more locally relevant content from websites based in their country
*Reducing sensational content and clickbait
*Showing more in-depth, original, & timely content from sites w/expertise in a given area, based on our systems’ understanding of a site’s content
February 5, 2026 at 5:16 PM
A Discover Core Update!
*Showing more locally relevant content from websites based in their country
*Reducing sensational content and clickbait
*Showing more in-depth, original, & timely content from sites w/expertise in a given area, based on our systems’ understanding of a site’s content
*Showing more locally relevant content from websites based in their country
*Reducing sensational content and clickbait
*Showing more in-depth, original, & timely content from sites w/expertise in a given area, based on our systems’ understanding of a site’s content
If you're interested in the self-serving listicle situation, which I believe was part of a reviews update that Google released, then you should check out my latest video. I cover "Review Update Notes", including what I've been seeing while analyzing sites, I cover @lilyray.nyc's great post, and more
Did Google just publish a huge reviews update in Jan 2026? "Reviews Update Notes" with Glenn Gabe
YouTube video by Glenn Gabe
www.youtube.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:35 PM
If you're interested in the self-serving listicle situation, which I believe was part of a reviews update that Google released, then you should check out my latest video. I cover "Review Update Notes", including what I've been seeing while analyzing sites, I cover @lilyray.nyc's great post, and more
Gemini Rising -> Google says the Gemini app has 750M+ MAUs, up from 650M last quarter, and its first-party models process 10B+ tokens per minute via direct API use by customers
Google’s Gemini app has surpassed 750M monthly active users | TechCrunch
Google revealed a significant milestone for its Gemini app, announcing over 750 million monthly active users as it competes with ChatGPT and Meta AI.
techcrunch.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Gemini Rising -> Google says the Gemini app has 750M+ MAUs, up from 650M last quarter, and its first-party models process 10B+ tokens per minute via direct API use by customers
Anthropic said there will be NO ads in Claude -> "There are many good places for advertising. A conversation with Claude is not one of them. So we’ve made a choice: Claude will remain ad-free. Our users won’t see “sponsored” links adjacent to their conversations with Claude..."
Claude is a space to think | Anthropic
We’ve made a choice: Claude will remain ad-free. We explain why advertising incentives are incompatible with a genuinely helpful AI assistant, and how we plan to expand access without compromising use...
www.anthropic.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Anthropic said there will be NO ads in Claude -> "There are many good places for advertising. A conversation with Claude is not one of them. So we’ve made a choice: Claude will remain ad-free. Our users won’t see “sponsored” links adjacent to their conversations with Claude..."
@johnmu.com Hi John. Is there any way Google can share something about the latest volatility. It sure looks like a reviews update based on my analysis so far. I know those aren't announced anymore, but this seems bigger than usual. See my thread below. bsky.app/profile/did:...
Good Morning Google Land! This is the February 4th edition of "Reviews Update Notes". At least I *think* it was a reviews update. Google stopped announcing reviews updates a while ago... but said they might announce one if there were significant changes to the system. I think that's what happened.
a close up of a red light that is shining brightly
ALT: a close up of a red light that is shining brightly
media.tenor.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:31 PM
@johnmu.com Hi John. Is there any way Google can share something about the latest volatility. It sure looks like a reviews update based on my analysis so far. I know those aren't announced anymore, but this seems bigger than usual. See my thread below. bsky.app/profile/did:...
Good Morning Google Land! This is the February 4th edition of "Reviews Update Notes". At least I *think* it was a reviews update. Google stopped announcing reviews updates a while ago... but said they might announce one if there were significant changes to the system. I think that's what happened.
a close up of a red light that is shining brightly
ALT: a close up of a red light that is shining brightly
media.tenor.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Good Morning Google Land! This is the February 4th edition of "Reviews Update Notes". At least I *think* it was a reviews update. Google stopped announcing reviews updates a while ago... but said they might announce one if there were significant changes to the system. I think that's what happened.
Yes, IT'S HAPPENING! This is HUGE news. With the latest volatility, Lily saw a bunch of sites dropping, but it was their blog content (including many self-serving listicles). I have seen the same thing and have been digging in. Lily does a great job breaking everything down. Again, big news!
February 3, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Yes, IT'S HAPPENING! This is HUGE news. With the latest volatility, Lily saw a bunch of sites dropping, but it was their blog content (including many self-serving listicles). I have seen the same thing and have been digging in. Lily does a great job breaking everything down. Again, big news!
Heads-up: For sites dropping with the latest volatility, they are dropping in AIOs too. That makes complete sense since AIOs & AI Mode are extensions of Search. So if you are impacted by updates (like the latest), then you can drop in Search, AIOs, AI Mode, AI Search platforms leveraging Google.
February 3, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Heads-up: For sites dropping with the latest volatility, they are dropping in AIOs too. That makes complete sense since AIOs & AI Mode are extensions of Search. So if you are impacted by updates (like the latest), then you can drop in Search, AIOs, AI Mode, AI Search platforms leveraging Google.