Our SEO expert, Jasmine Matar, shares the latest news and updates across SEO:
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đź›’ OpenAI Turns ChatGPT Into a Shopping Tool With Instant Checkout
OpenAI has launched Instant Checkout inside ChatGPT for U.S. users, letting them shop and complete purchases without leaving the chat. Powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) in collaboration with Stripe, it enables product discovery, recommendation, and one-click buying directly in-chat. Brands handle fulfillment and payments, while ChatGPT facilitates the transaction. Brands also pay a small transaction fee while shoppers pay no extra cost. Product rankings are based purely on relevance, not on payment or participation in Instant Checkout. Upcoming expansions include support for Shopify, multi-item carts, and global rollout.
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Why we care: This transforms ChatGPT from a discovery tool into a frictionless shopping platform, potentially bypassing traditional search and e-commerce flows. For brands, it introduces a new way consumers can find and buy products, making AI-native commerce a growing priority. Visibility in these experiences could soon be as valuable as SEO or marketplace listings.
🗞️ Google Confirms August Spam Update Is Complete
Google has finished rolling out its August spam update, which ran from August 26 to September 22. This update focused on finding and filtering out low-quality or spammy content, not boosting better content. It didn’t reshuffle rankings across the board – instead, it targeted pages that break Google’s rules. If a brand’s site saw a dip in traffic during this time, it’s likely because some content was flagged, not because competitors did better. Google recommends reviewing your content to make sure it follows its quality and spam guidelines, instead of trying to make quick fixes.
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Why we care: This update is about trust and content quality. If a site was affected, it likely means some pages were flagged as low quality or spammy. Fixing that means reviewing content for anything that could look misleading or overly aggressive. Clean, helpful, and honest content will continue to perform better as Google gets stricter about enforcing its rules.
🤖 Google AI Mode May Become Default Search Experience Soon as it Expands Beyond English, and is Coming to Chrome Browser
Google stated that AI Mode would become the default search experience soon . AI Mode is a new tab in Search that uses a “query fan-out” approach to gather and synthesise information across topics. In related developments, Google has already expanded AI Mode to non-English languages like Hindi, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese. It’s also coming into the Chrome browser, letting users query AI Mode directly from the address bar and ask questions on the page they’re viewing. Meanwhile, Apple is launching AI search for Siri in 2026.
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Why we care: As AI Mode becomes more central to Google Search, the way users interact with results is changing, favouring quick, AI-generated summaries over traditional blue links. This presents new visibility opportunities. Content that’s well-structured, credible, and rich in topical depth is more likely to be surfaced or referenced within AI-driven experiences.
🏬 Google Adds New Store Widgets For Your Website
Google now offers two additional store widgets (beyond its Top Quality Store widget) for e‑commerce sites: the Store Rating Widget (for stores with review ratings) and the Generic Store Widget (for stores without ratings). These help merchants display store quality, reviews, and service policies directly on their site. Google claims businesses using store widgets saw up to 8% higher sales within 90 days compared to similar businesses who didn’t use them.
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Why we care: These widgets give merchants a way to boost trust and visibility without relying entirely on external platforms. Displaying store reputation and policies in context can help reduce friction and improve conversions. Testing these widgets could provide a measurable lift in sales and reinforce brand credibility on your site.
