Mackerel Media’s Search and Digital Round-Up – July 2025
There have been some big changes in search this month as Google rolled out its July Core Update. Google described this as a regular update, focusing on page quality and ensuring that the most relevant pages are shown to users on search results. Whilst it is still early days, Core Updates can often lead to broad ranking changes across all types of content. Mackerel Media are on hand to assist our clients in reviewing their current site ranking performance, and ensure that content aligns with Google’s quality standards. Please contact us if you have any queries or concerns about your search performance.
AI Who? Google Is Still Thriving
Whilst many on LinkedIn and other business platforms are claiming that AI is killing Google Search, Google’s latest revenue report tells a very different story. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported a 12% year on year increase in search revenue, reaching a record-breaking $54.19 billion in Q2 2025. These figures reveal that users still depend heavily on Google, rather than using the latest AI platforms for seeking information. For now, Google’s performance shows it’s far more resilient to the rise of AI and maintaining its position at the forefront of search than many skeptics believed.
On the AI front, Google launched a new AI-powered ‘Try On’ feature. This allows users to upload full body photos and virtually try on clothes across Search, Google Shopping and even product results on Google Images. For online retailers, this new feature should help increase purchasing confidence and conversions and reduce the amount of store returns. Currently this feature is being rolled out in the US with other countries to follow, and is accessible via the Google app on both Android and iOS.
Cloudflare: No Bots Allowed!
Cloudflare has announced that they are now blocking all AI crawlers for new websites by default. As part of its Content Independence Day initiative launched on July 1st 2025, Cloudflare is aiming to give website owners greater control over how their content is used in AI training. This recent update includes verification requirements for crawlers, one-click crawler blocking and even a ‘pay per crawl’ programme on new setups, which charges AI bots per request. For website owners, this update means that your website can be protected from being used and duplicated by AI, helping to preserve your original content.
OpenAI has also revealed that they plan on taking a commission on product sales directly through ChatGPT. This monetisation strategy means that ChatGPT doesn’t have to rely on paid ads as its revenue source. Users can discover and purchase products directly from ChatGPT, reducing the need for users to visit external websites to buy. As AI continues to grow, brands should start considering whether they want to use ChatGPT as a viable ecommerce sales channel.
YouTube’s Keeping It Real
YouTube has emphasised this month that they will only monetise videos that use original content and real human voices. Whilst this isn’t a new policy, YouTube is making clear that any videos that use any AI generated voices or generated images and videos will not be eligible for monetisation. Creators who are using AI must now ensure their content is original, else they could risk losing access to the YouTube Partner Program.
Instagram Content Gets Famous on Google
Over at Instagram, content from businesses and creator accounts are now going to be indexed in Google Search. This means that Instagram reels, bios, posts and carousels will now appear in search results, applying to posts as far back as 2020. This means that brands must ensure that their posts are optimised with meaningful captions to capture related search terms, and that their profile and older posts are reviewed and updated to ensure they match their current website branding.
