🏛️ Judge Rules WHAT NOW?!

+ more SEO news for August ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( [Log in ▸]( This month's newsletter practically wrote itself—like literally zero slow news days. I've got Google antitrust drama, algorithm core update releases, and the usual AI developments. Here’s your monthly "just in case you missed it" SEO roundup. Judge Rules Google is a Monopolist The news is out: Google is (allegedly) a monopolist. Shocking, I know. Judge Amit Mehta sided with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), declaring that Google has achieved and actively maintained a monopoly in the search and advertising markets. You see, the DOJ accused Google of using its vast resources and questionable tactics to stifle competition. Google, naturally, is singing a different tune. They claim their dominance is simply a result of having a superior product and that users have the choice to switch search engines. True or untrue, Google is looking to appeal the case. Want to read more? The Verge has done great coverage on this thing. Read more [here](. New GSC Features I covered this a few weeks back, but for those who missed it, Google Search Console (GSC) is getting some upgrades. Could this be in response to the feedback Google has been receiving from creators and the SEO communities recently? It's a good possibility. So, what are these new GSC features? They're called Search Console Recommendations, and according to Google, they're designed to "provide websites with optimization opportunities and suggest actions they can take to improve their presence on Google Search." The recommendations cover everything from sitemaps to structured data, helping you prioritize your SEO efforts and make data-driven decisions. Sounds promising, right? FYI: The upgrades are currently in "beta" and will be rolled out to more users over time. Read about it [here](. SparkToro Says AI Isn't Killing SEO Rand Fishkin recently shared some fascinating insights from a Sonata Insights and Datos study. The study analyzed clickstream data to see how AI search engines compare to Google. The results? While AI search engines like Perplexity are showing some growth, they're still a long way from dethroning the, uh, monopolist. (Can I say that now?) Takeaways: - Despite the rise of AI search, Google's desktop visits have actually increased slightly. - While platforms like Perplexity are seeing growth, it's not exactly explosive. - 99% of AI platform users continue to use traditional search engines. So, what does this all mean for SEO? As Rand Fishkin wisely advises, "Go where your customers are. Market to them in the places where they pay attention." I couldn’t agree more. Want to read Rand’s take for yourself? [Here’s a link](. OpenAI's SearchGPT Last month, [OpenAI announced]( its latest prototype: SearchGPT. I put my hand up to test it but got rejected. *Signs in I’m clearly not important enough.* Some people have been lucky enough to get their hands on it, though, including Ananay. He offered his experiences on [Twitter (X)](. According to Ananay, it's not exactly groundbreaking. For one, it insists on showing you 20 images for each search, whether relevant or not. And if you try to search for anything even remotely controversial, it just shuts the convo down. Like, won’t respond at all. Ananay's verdict? "Overall, you're not missing out on anything without SearchGPT. I'm sticking to Perplexity…" Ouch. To be fair, though, it's still early days, and OpenAI is known for iterating and improving its products. Until then, I'll stick with my trusty old search engines. And that’s a wrap! As always, reach out if you’ve got any questions about this month’s topics or just want to chat. Adam Steele Partner & COO / [loganix.com]( Your premium SEO partner for agencies & in-house teams. [Book a Strategy Call](  Choose from over 15+ services (starting from just $7), [place your order now]( >> Not interested in this email? [Click here]( to let us know your email preferences or [unsubscribe](. Loganix, Inc., 13110 NE 177th Pl, Woodinville, Washington 98072, United States