Nội dung
- Google AI Mode: Google itself is also a heavily cited source
- Google is required to share anonymized search data with rivals in Europe
- Google removes the $50,000 spend requirement for Lead Form assets
- Google makes Local Inventory Ads enabled by default
- Google Tag Manager gets a new guided setup for Google Ads purchase tracking
- Brand Lift Studies expand with an enhanced measurement option
- AI search is becoming more personalized
- Local Services Ads come into Google Ads via Performance Max
- How to evaluate Google Ads creative before testing
- A perspective for the Vietnamese market
- References
The latest changes from Google and the search ecosystem show that SEO is no longer just a game of traditional rankings. For Vietnamese marketers, these updates directly affect how content is created, performance is measured, and SEO, paid media, and user data are coordinated.
- Key points:
- Google AI Mode is citing more and more sources, with Google itself ranking as the second most-cited domain in the published data.
- The EU is forcing Google to share anonymized search data with rivals, opening up new avenues of competition in search and AI.
- Google continues to loosen and expand many advertising, measurement, and conversion-tracking tools, showing that the line between SEO and paid media is getting thinner.
- AI search is becoming more personalized, making content strategy depend on user context rather than keywords alone.
Google AI Mode: Google itself is also a heavily cited source
New data from Search Engine Journal shows that in Google’s AI Mode, domains within Google’s own ecosystem are cited very frequently, with Google ranking as the second most-cited domain. This is a notable signal because it reflects how AI search is prioritizing sources that are systematic, verifiable, and closely tied to the search platform itself.
For SEO professionals, this shows that optimizing content for AI search is not just about “ranking at the top” in the old sense. Content needs a clear structure, consistent information, and, above all, to be built so AI systems can easily understand, cross-check, and cite it. In other words, trustworthiness and referencability are becoming part of modern search optimization.
Source: Search Engine Journal.
Google is required to share anonymized search data with rivals in Europe
The European Commission has approved binding decisions requiring Google to share anonymized search data with rival search engines, while also opening part of Android to competing AI assistants. On the search side, the shared data includes queries, clicks, views, and result positions.
This is a move that could have a major impact on the race to build future search and AI retrieval systems. When other platforms gain more search behavior data, they can improve ranking, intent evaluation, and model training. For the SEO industry, the competitive landscape is no longer centered only on Google but is expanding to include many emerging ecosystems.
Source: Search Engine Journal; European Commission.
Google removes the $50,000 spend requirement for Lead Form assets
Search Engine Land reports that Google has dropped the $50,000 spend requirement for Lead Form assets. This move makes it easier for more advertisers to access lead-generation formats, rather than reserving them only for accounts with very large budgets.
For marketers, this is a practical change: many small and mid-sized businesses can now test lead-capture tactics within Google’s ecosystem without being blocked by an initial budget barrier. Although this is not a purely SEO updates item, it is still highly relevant because it affects the entire conversion funnel and how organic content works alongside advertising.
Source: Search Engine Land.
Google makes Local Inventory Ads enabled by default
Google has confirmed that Local Inventory Ads will be enabled by default. This is especially important for retailers and brands with physical store presence, as local inventory ads can help connect online search with shopping demand near the point of sale.
Strategically, this update shows that Google continues to push ad formats tied to local purchase intent. For local SEO, that means businesses need to ensure store data, product catalogs, inventory status, and local signals are better synchronized so they do not miss valuable traffic.
Source: Search Engine Land.
Google Tag Manager gets a new guided setup for Google Ads purchase tracking
Google Tag Manager has added a guided setup process for purchase tracking in Google Ads. This is important news for marketing and analytics teams because purchase measurement is always the foundation for optimizing conversions and evaluating channel performance.
This change shows that Google is continuing to reduce the complexity of measurement setup. When tracking is easier to implement, marketers can better connect content, traffic, conversions, and actual revenue. It is also a necessary condition for doing SEO with a business-performance mindset, rather than looking only at visits or rankings.
Source: Search Engine Land.
Brand Lift Studies expand with an enhanced measurement option
Google is also expanding Brand Lift Studies with an enhanced measurement option. This allows advertisers to assess the impact of campaigns on brand awareness in greater depth, rather than looking only at clicks or conversions.
From an SEO and content perspective, this trend highlights a reality: marketing effectiveness should not be reduced to a single metric. In a context where users interact across multiple touchpoints, signals of awareness, consideration, and brand recall increasingly need to be placed on par with short-term performance metrics.
Source: Search Engine Land.
AI search is becoming more personalized
Search Engine Land describes a clear shift in search in 2026: the same query can produce different answers for different users. AI systems such as Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are all trying to understand both the searcher and the question they are asking.
This is changing SEO at the strategic level. Content no longer just needs to be “on topic”; it also has to be useful in many different usage contexts. Personalization means pages need to be clearer about audience, use case, depth, and information logic if they want a chance to appear in AI-generated answers.
Source: Search Engine Land.
Local Services Ads come into Google Ads via Performance Max
Google is bringing Local Services Ads into Google Ads through Performance Max. This is a sign that Google continues to consolidate many different ad formats into a more unified management environment.
For service businesses, this change could expand reach to potential customers in a more automated way. For local SEO professionals, it is a reminder that local search results are increasingly shaped by a combination of content, business data, and performance advertising.
Source: Search Engine Land.
How to evaluate Google Ads creative before testing
Search Engine Land introduces the MOCA framework for evaluating ads before testing: magnetic, obvious, congruent, and actionable. This approach emphasizes that creative quality should not be left entirely to the algorithm and the testing loop.
For SEO and content teams, the lesson here is clear: headlines, messaging, calls to action, and the consistency between ads – landing page – organic content all need to be viewed as one system. Good creative not only improves ad performance but also enhances the overall search experience.
Source: Search Engine Land.
A perspective for the Vietnamese market
For Vietnamese businesses, this series of updates shows one important thing: SEO is moving closer to a full “search visibility” model, where content, structured data, tracking, paid media, and AI are all connected. Businesses that only optimize articles for keywords while ignoring measurement, brand signals, and product data will increasingly struggle to compete.
In the short term, Vietnamese marketers should prioritize three things: standardizing website data and tracking; building content that is structured, in-depth, and easy for AI to cite; and aligning local SEO with ad formats and store information. In a landscape where AI search is becoming more personalized, the advantage will go to brands that understand their customers deeply enough to appear in the right context, not just for the right query.
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References
- Google Is AI Mode’s No. 2 Cited Domain, Data Shows
- Google confirms Local Inventory Ads will be enabled by default
- Google drops $50K ad spend requirement for Lead Form assets
- Google Must Share Anonymized Search Data With Rivals
- How to report PPC performance without lying to yourself (or your boss)
- Google Tag Manager adds guided setup for Google Ads purchase tracking
- Google expands Brand Lift Studies with enhanced measurement option
- AI-driven personalized search: A practical guide
- Local Services Ads come to Google Ads via Performance Max
- How to evaluate Google Ads creative before testing it
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