SEO Weekly News Roundup [January 13 to 17, 2025]

This week’s news roundup includes a Google policy violation update, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority investigation into Google’s search dominance, a groundbreaking deal that brings real-time news to Gemini AI Chatbot, and Google’s refusal to comply with the new fact-checking EU rule. 

From around the web, we look at Roger Montti’s post about a Google update requiring JavaScript to block scrapers when searching.  

Search Engine Land’s Anu Adegbola reviews Microsoft Clarity’s integration with Google Ads, which allows marketers to track user interactions. 

Google Updates Manual Action News & Discovery Policy Violations

In October 2024, Google silently updated its News and Discovery manual action violations list, removing one deceptive practice, adding several new ones, and changing the names of others. 

Understanding the update is essential for content creators and publishers to avoid policy violations that could risk their site’s rankings on Search. 

Key takeaways:

  • Between October 10 and November 27, 2024, Google updated its Manual Actions list for News and Discovers.
  • The primary update to News and Discover policy violations includes several new deceptive practices. 
  • Google also changed the term Hateful content to Hateful content News and Discover.
  • Publishers who violate the updated manual action violations list risk losing rankings or, at worst, their listing. 

Google Faces Investigation By UK Antitrust Regulator

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has begun investigating Google’s search dominance to establish its impact on consumers and news publishers. 

Key takeaways:

  • The CMA (UK’s antitrust regulator) is investigating Google’s search and ad business under a new Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act that came into play last week. 
  • The CMA said it would assess Google’s position in search to establish if the tech giant has “strategic market status” (SMS) under the new DMCC act. 
  • The investigation will also review whether Google’s use of UK publisher content was fair.  
  • The CMA’s decision could significantly affect Google’s UK search dominance, where the tech giant controls 90% of the UK’s search market and has over 200,000 advertisers.
  • Google confirmed it would collaborate with the Competition and Markets Authority and comply with the new Competition and Consumers Act to allow everyone to benefit from its cutting-edge services. 

Google And AP Deal Brings Real-Time News To Gemini AI Chatbot

Google and the Associated Press struck a groundbreaking deal to provide real-time news to the Gemini AI Chatbot, but the partnership raises more questions than answers.  

Key takeaways:

  • Google said its Gemini AI Chatbot needs a reliable news story source to provide accurate and credible real-time reports.
  • Jaffer Zaidi, Google’s VP of Global News Partnerships, said, “AP will now deliver a feed of real-time information to help further enhance the usefulness of results displayed in the Gemini app.”
  • Whilst the deal will provide credible news to Gemini Chatbot, publishers worry about their intellectual property, the influence of AI on journalism, and whether Google will credit and link to the original source. 

Google Refuses To Comply With New EU Fact-Checking Law

Google said no to a new EU disinformation code of practice law requiring it to fact-check content on Search and YouTube, following a growing trend of non-compliance by other tech giants.

Key takeaways:

  • Axios (an American news website) said it received a copy of a correspondence that Google’s global affairs president, Kent Walker, sent to the EU’s deputy director general, saying Google would not commit to the new rule. 
  • According to Axios, Walker said, “The Commission’s new Disinformation Code of Practice simply isn’t appropriate or effective for our services.”
  • Walker told the EU that the company’s YouTube contextual notes feature has “significant potential.”
  • And “Google will pull out of all fact-checking commitments in the Code before it becomes a DSA Code of Conduct.”

From Around The Web

Confirmed: Google Is Requiring JavaScript To Block SEO Tools

Search Engine Journal writer Roger Montti writes about Google’s recent change in how it serves its search results, confirming that JavaScript is now required to block scrapers and bots. 

Key takeaways:

  • Google’s search box update requires users to turn JavaScript on when searching. 
  • The change in how Google serves its search results will also protect against scrappers and bots. 
  • Montii also discusses the effects the update could have on SEO tools and if it will make them more expensive. 

Microsoft Clarity launches Google Ads integration

Search Engine Land’s Anu Adegbola reports on Google Ads and Microsoft Clarity’s new integration, which gives marketers visibility into post-click behaviors and enables them to track user interactions.

Key takeaways:

  • The integration enables site owners to connect user behavior with campaign performance. Anu says it bridges the gap between engagement metrics and ad spending. 
  • Site owners can now see their paid traffic and website interactions, which could improve their ROI. 
  • The integration includes a new dashboard that provides visibility into engagement metrics for all your Google ad campaigns and shows user behavior in real-time. 
  • Anu Adegbola says the deal makes Microsoft Clarity a serious competitor in analytics because it enables advertisers to optimize their Google Ads campaigns.
Picture of Gordon Meagher

Gordon Meagher

Gordon is the VP of SEO Strategy at uSERP. Bringing over 10 years of experience at the cutting-edge of SEO in highly competitive markets, he helps lead SEO strategy development for uSERP clients that deliver 10x results. After his family, his two biggest loves in life are Arsenal football club and his cat Chilly. You connect with Gordon on LinkedIn

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