Feb 25 2025
Data Shows Google AI Overviews Changing Faster Than Organic Search via @sejournal, @martinibuster

New research on AI Overviews and organic search results presents a fresh view on how AIO is evolving and suggests how to consider it for purposes of SEO.

Among the findings:

  • Their research showed that the AIO they were tracking showed more volatility than the organic search results, that they were changing at a faster rate.
  • AIO volatility doesn’t correlate with organic search volatility
  • They conclude that AIO is replacing featured snippets or “enhancing search results.”
  • It was also concluded that, for the purpose of SEO, AIO should be considered as something separate from the organic search.
  • Generative text changed for every query they looked at.

That last finding was really interesting and here is what they said about that:

“As far as I can tell, the generative text changed for every single query. However, our measure was looking for meaningful changes in the generative text which might reflect that Google had shifted the intent of the original query slightly to return different generative ranking pages.”

Another interesting insight was a caveat about search volatility is that it shouldn’t be taken as a sign of a Google update because it could be the influence of current events temporarily changing the meaning of a search query, which is related to Google’s freshness algorithm. I don’t know who the Authoritas people are but hats off to them, that’s a reasonable take on search volatility.

You can read the AIO research report here, it’s very long, so set aside at least 20 minutes to read it:

AIO Independence From Organic SERPs

That research published by Authoritas got me thinking about AIO, particularly the part about the AIO independence from the search results.

My thoughts on that finding is that there may be two reasons why AIO and organic SERPs are somewhat decoupled:

  1. AIO is tuned to summarize answers to complex queries with data from multiple websites, stitching them together from disparate sources to create a precise long-form answer.
  2. Organic search results offer answers that are topically relevant but not precise, not in the same way that AIO is precise.

Those are important distinctions. They explain why organic and AIO search results change independently. They are on independent parallel paths.

Those insights are helpful for making sense of how AIO fits into overall marketing and SEO strategies. Wrap your head around the insight that AIO and Organic Search do different and complementary things and AIO will seem less scary and become easier to focus on.

A complex query is something AIO can do better than the regular organic search results. An example of a complex question is asking “how” a general concept like men’s fashion is influenced by an unrelated factor like military clothing. Organic search falls short because Google’s organic ranking algorithm generally identifies a topically relevant answer and this kind of question demands a precise answer which may not necessarily exist on a single website.

What Is A Complex Query?

If complex queries trigger AI Overviews, where is the line? It’s hard to say because the line is moving. Google’s AIO are constantly changing. A short TL/DR answer could arguably be that adding a word like what or how can make a query trigger an AIO.

Example Of A Complex Query

Here’s the query:

“How is men’s fashion influenced by military style?”

Here’s the AIO answer that’s a summary based on information combined from from multiple websites:

“Men’s fashion is significantly influenced by military style through the adoption of practical and functional design elements like sharp lines, structured silhouettes, specific garments like trench coats, bomber jackets, cargo pants, and camouflage patterns, which originated in military uniforms and were later incorporated into civilian clothing, often with a more stylish aesthetic; this trend is largely attributed to returning veterans wearing their military attire in civilian life after wars, contributing to a more casual clothing culture.”

Here are the completely different websites and topics that AIO pulled that answer from:

Screenshot Of AIO Citations

The organic search results contain search results that are relevant to the topic (topically relevant), but don’t necessarily answer the question.

Information Gain Example

An interesting feature of AI Overviews is delivered through a feature that’s explained in a Google Patent on Information Gain. The patent is explicitly in the context of AI Assistants and AI Search. It’s about anticipating the need for additional information beyond the answer to a question. So in the example of “how is men’s fashion influenced by military style” there is a feature to show more information.

Screenshot Showing Information Gain Feature

The information gain section contains follow-up topics about:

  • Clean lines and structured fit
  • Functional design
  • Iconic examples of military clothing
  • Camouflage patterns
  • Post-war impact (how wars influenced what men after they returned home)

How To SEO For AIO?

I think it’s somewhat pointless to try to rank for information gain because what’s a main keyword and what’s a follow up question? They’re going to switch back and forth. Like, someone may query Google about the influence of camouflage patterns and one of the information gain follow-up questions may be about the influence of military clothing on camouflage.

The better way to think about AIO, which was suggested by the Authoritas study, is to just think about AIO as a search feature (which is what they literally are) and optimize for that in the same way one optimized for featured snippets, which in a nutshell is to create content that is concise and precise.

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Sozina Kseniia

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Feb 25 2025
TikTok Ads Achieve Highest Short-Term ROI, Says Dentsu Study via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

A recent Dentsu study, in partnership with TikTok, shows that advertisers on the platform achieve strong returns on investment (ROI) for both short-term and long-term sales.

The analysis (PDF link) focused on 15 brands in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland and compared TikTok’s performance with other media channels.

Dentsu found:

“With a short-term ROI of 11.8, TikTok ranks among the most effective media channels for driving immediate sales, according to dentsu benchmark data. In practical terms, this means that advertisers generate nearly 12 times their initial investment in sales revenue within just six weeks—establishing TikTok as one of the strongest performance marketing channels available.”

In other words, advertisers gained nearly 12 dollars in sales for every dollar spent in six weeks or less.

For comparison, Dentsu measured the average short-term ROI from all media at 8.7.

Other top findings from the Dentsu study include:

  • 75% of advertisers found that TikTok provided the highest ROI compared to other channels.
  • All advertisers saw a substantial boost in short-term sales from TikTok.
  • To achieve the best short-term results, combine lower-funnel platforms with TikTok.
  • TikTok’s sales impact lasts 3 to 4 weeks after a campaign ends.
  • Advertisers with the best ROI stayed active on TikTok.
  • User-generated content featuring creators had the strongest sales impact.

What About Long-Term Impact?

The data indicates that, in addition to the 11.8 ROI achieved in the first six weeks, a 4.5 ROI is observed within 10 months after exposure.

This suggests that TikTok can function as a performance channel for immediate results and a tool for building brand equity over the long term.

However, as you can see in the chart below, several ad platforms achieve better results than TikTok in the longer term.

Screenshot from: From Storytelling to Sales: Short and Long-Term ROI of TikTok. A Marketing Mix Modeling Study By Dentsu. February 2025.

Storytelling Ads Perform Better

The study examined two main types of user-generated content (UGC):

  • Storytelling UGC: Content with a narrative focus and no direct promotional offers.
  • Tactical UGC: Content centered on pricing, sales promotions, or direct product calls to action.

Dentsu found that storytelling-based UGC drove stronger sales results than tactical promotions.

The narrative approach generated better audience engagement and recall, translating to 70% higher ROI than promotional content.

What This Means

Dentsu’s data shows TikTok can help meet both short-term sales goals and long-term brand goals.

Advertisers looking for quick sales and lasting brand impact could consider including TikTok in their media strategy.

Methodology

Dentsu used a three-step approach to measure TikTok’s full impact:

  • Short-Term Sales: Tracked direct revenue within 6 weeks of ads running while filtering out other market factors.
  • Brand Metrics: Measured how TikTok advertising shifted consumer perceptions.
  • Long-Term Sales: Connected those brand perception changes to additional sales 1-10 months later.

The study analyzed actual spending and sales data from 15 Nordic brands over 2-3 years. Statistical models isolated TikTok’s contribution from external factors like seasonality, competition, and other marketing channels.

This methodology captures both immediate performance and longer-term brand effects in a single framework.

Featured Image: Poetra.RH/Shutterstock

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Feb 24 2025
Mullenweg & Automattic Sued in Class Action Filing Over WPE Dispute via @sejournal, @martinibuster

A new lawsuit seeking class action status alleges that WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg and Automattic engaged in unfair business practices to harm managed WordPress web host WP Engine (WPE) and its customers.

According to the lawsuit:

“Plaintiff and the class seek equitable relief pursuant to Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17203 to end Defendants’ wrongful practices including requiring Defendants to cease its tortious interference with contract.”

…Plaintiff and the class also seek an order requiring Defendants to make full restitution of all monies it received through its wrongful conduct, along with all other relief permitted under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200 et seq.”

The lawsuit makes multiple claims against Mullenweg and Automattic:

  • That defendants interfered with access to WordPress resources, disrupting WPE customers.
  • Interfered with customers’ ability to manage their websites hosted on WP Engine (WPE).
  • The lawsuit claims that the actions were not legitimate trademark enforcement efforts but a pretext for degrading WP Engine’s services and pressuring customers to leave.
  • The complaint also accuses the defendants of monopolistic behavior, alleging that they wielded control over the WordPress ecosystem for financial gain, harming WPE customers.

According to the legal filing:

“Defendants deliberately wielded their power over the WordPress.org website like a cudgel, not only blocking access to the website but stealing resources like the ACF plugin, forcing visitors to click a checkbox asserting they are not associated with WPE, publishing WPE customer website addresses in an attempt to pressure customers to leave WPE, and repeatedly threatening future consequences including the risk of additional service disruptions for class members who did not leave WPE. “

Why the Lawsuit Seeks Class Action Status

The legal filing asserts that the lawsuit qualifies for class action certification based on allegations that Mullenweg and Automattic engaged in conduct that harmed not just the plaintiff but a broader group of WP Engine (WPE) customers. The plaintiff contends that the defendants’ actions, including interfering with WPE’s services, blocking access to essential WordPress tools, disrupting and degrading service, and pressuring customers to leave WPE, resulted in harm that, according to the lawsuit, meets the criteria for class certification under Rule 23. The lawsuit claims that WPE customers faced service disruptions, financial losses, and potential security risks.

The justification for the class action is outlined in paragraph 58 of the lawsuit:

“Plaintiff brings this action as a class action pursuant to Rules 23(a) and 23(b)(1)-(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, on behalf of himself, his business and a Nationwide Class defined as:

All persons in the United States who had ongoing active WPE WordPress Web Hosting Plans on or before September 24, 2024 through December 10, 2024.”

The legal filing asserts that numerous public statements and court records, including filings related to WP Engine, support the allegation that the defendants caused harm to the plaintiff and the alleged class. It then details the plaintiff’s personal experiences as further evidence of the alleged harm.

Section III, ‘Plaintiff’s Experiences,’ outlines how the defendant’s actions harmed the plaintiff, Keller, including:

  • Service Disruptions
  • Business and Financial Impact
  • Personal Website Impact
  • Security Risks
  • Customer Relationship Concerns
  • Consideration of Alternative Hosting

The legal filing details the following:

“Defendants’ interference significantly impacted the business of Plaintiff Keller. While Plaintiff Keller was happy with WPE services and intended to continue using WPE services, the service disruption and degraded service, coupled with repeated public statements and threats made by Defendants, led Plaintiff to explore moving his website and all those operated by his business to another managed web host.

Plaintiff’s livelihood revolves around building and operating websites, and significant disruptions will impact his business including his own capacity to fulfill his contractual obligations to his own clients.

Plaintiff Keller’s websites were significantly impacted by outages despite WPE’s attempts to create workarounds.

Plaintiff Keller has had to spend significant time and expense responding to the service disruptions and degradations, preparing for moving his and his clients’ websites to a new host, and in investigating a new host environment after a long and successful prior partnership with WPE. He is not alone in the harm he has suffered.

Plaintiff Keller’s personal website was also significantly impacted. Access to the WordPress backend was available intermittently, and Plaintiff Keller received emails related to this downtime.

Plaintiff Keller pays WPE $3,300 per year for its “Scale Plan,” 2 additional websites, and GeoTargeting and Multi-Site services. Due to Defendants’ actions, Plaintiff Keller was unable to update his website in a standard marketing cycle adjustment. Plaintiff Keller had to spend time and expense to manage, update, and modify his website as a result of Defendants cutting off WPE
from the WordPress ecosystem and therefore, did not receive the benefit of his bargain with WPE as Plaintiff Keller had to do the work that he pays WPE for.”

A New Phase In Dispute Between Mullenweg/Automattic And WPE

This class action lawsuit is a new phase in the dispute between Mullenweg, Automattic and WP Engine. It expands the legal battle to include claims from individual customers. With allegations of unfair competition, monopolistic behavior, and deliberate service disruptions, the class action lawsuit adds another layer to a dispute that has led some in the WordPress community to call for a change in governance to the WordPress open source project.

Read the text of the lawsuit here: (PDF)

Featured Image by Shutterstock/BCFC

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Feb 21 2025
ChatGPT Referral Traffic To Publishers Remains Minimal via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

ChatGPT referrals to publishers increased with the introduction of web search, but remain a minor share of overall traffic.

  • ChatGPT referrals to publishers are growing eightfold but remain under 0.1% of total traffic.
  • The New York Post, The Guardian, and Forbes saw the most ChatGPT-driven visits.
  • Traditional search engines still drive majority of publisher traffic.
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Feb 21 2025
Google Faces EU Charges Over Alleged DMA Breaches via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

The European Commission is reportedly preparing to charge Google with not fully complying with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

According to sources, Google’s recent tweaks to its search algorithms haven’t satisfied regulators’ requirements, prompting the EU to step up its scrutiny.

Key Details

Under the DMA, tech companies are expected to offer a level playing field in the EU.

The probe on Google focuses on whether the company is pushing its services, such as Google Shopping, Flights, and Hotels, over competitors.

Regulators are concerned that by giving these in-house services a leg up, Google could be stifling competition.

Failure to adhere to the DMA rules could cost a company up to 10% of its global annual revenue, which shows how significant the potential penalties could be.

Google’s Response

In response to regulatory pressure, Google has gradually changed its European search results.

These adjustments address complaints from price-comparison sites, airlines, hotels, and small retailers.

Google details the changes it’s made in response to the DMA in a blog post. Key changes include:

  • Greater Visibility for Comparison Sites: Google says it’s made over 20 changes to increase the visibility of comparison sites for flights, hotels, and shopping.
  • Balanced Search Options: Google has introduced new units that let users choose between results that lead to comparison sites or those that go directly to supplier websites.
  • New Ad Options for Competitors: Google has launched new ad formats for comparison sites. These allow them to directly show more detailed information, like prices and images, in search results.
  • Testing Simpler Search Formats: Google tested simpler search formats in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia. They removed features like hotel location maps and returned to a basic list of ten links to see how users reacted.

However, these measures have been criticized as not going far enough to level the playing field.

Google’s EMEA competition director, Oliver Bethell, has stated that the company is working toward a balanced solution with the Commission. However, he warned that further changes might negatively impact the search experience.

This investigation isn’t only targeting Google. The EU is casting a wide net over major tech companies, with similar DMA probes against companies like Apple and Meta.

Broader Context

These potential charges come amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Europe, adding another layer to the situation.

U.S. President Donald Trump has openly supported American tech giants, arguing that fines imposed by the EU are essentially a disguised tariff. This political pressure has raised concerns about how external influences might impact regulatory decisions.

The upcoming months will be crucial for Google and other tech companies under the EU’s scrutiny. Stay tuned as we monitor this evolving story and its implications for the SEO community.

Featured Image: Ivan Marc/Shutterstock

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Feb 21 2025
Hostinger Horizons Enables Anyone To Build Web Apps With AI via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Hostinger announced a new service called Hostinger Horizons that allows anyone to build interactive online apps (like an AI-based website builder) without having to code or hire programmers. The new service allows users to turn their ideas into web applications by prompting an AI to create it.

AI Democratizes Entrepreneurship

In the early days of the Internet it seemed like people with backgrounds from Stanford University and Harvard Business School had access to the resources and connections necessary to turn ideas into functioning web apps. Over time, platforms like WordPress lowered the barrier to entry for starting and running online businesses, enabling virtually anyone to compete toe to toe with bigger brands. But there was still one last barrier and that was the ability to create web apps, the functionalities that power the biggest ideas on the Internet. Hostinger Horizons lowers that barrier, enabling anyone to turn their idea into a working app and putting entrepreneurial success within reach of anyone with a good idea. The significance of this cannot be overstated.

AI Powered Web App Builder

Hostinger Horizons is an AI-powered no-code platform created specifically for individuals and small businesses that enables them to create and publish interactive web applications without having to use third-party integrations or requiring programming knowledge.

The new platform works through an AI chat interface that creates what users are asking for while also showing a preview of the web app. A user basically prompts what they want, makes feature requests, tells it what to change and preview the results in real-time.

Hostinger Horizons speeds up the time it takes to create and deploy a functioning web app. Hosting and all other necessary services are integrated into the service, which simplifies creating web apps because there’s no need for third party services and APIs. Once an app is created an online a user can still return to it, edit and improve it in minutes. It promises to be a solution for fast prototyping without the technical and investment barriers that are typically associated with translating a good idea to deployment on the web.

The Hostinger announcement noted that simple web apps only takes minutes to create:

“Early access trials show that simple web apps, such as a personal calorie tracker, a language-learning card game, or a time management tool, can be built and published in minutes.”​

How Hostinger Horizons Works

The new service combines AI-powered chat, with real-time previews and the ability to instantly publish the app to the web.

Hostinger provides all the necessary elements to get the work done:

  • Domain name registration
  • Email services
  • Multilingual support (80+ languages)
  • Supports image uploads
  • Supports user-provided sketches and screenshots
  • Voice prompting
  • Web hosting

Giedrius Zakaitis, Hostinger Chief Product and Technology Officer, offered these insights:

“Web apps have turned ideas into million-dollar startups, but building one always required coding or hiring a developer. We believe it is time to change the game. Just like Hostinger AI Website Builder introduced a new kind of site-building experience, Hostinger Horizons will democratize web apps so that anyone can bring their unique and exciting ideas online…”

Hostinger Horizons is an AI-powered no-code platform that is specifically designed to enable individuals and small businesses to build and publish fully functional web apps with no coding experience or external integrations needed. Users can just prompt what they want through an AI chat interface with real-time previews. It even allows uploading screenshots and sketches.

Hostinger Horizons promises to dramatically simplify the process of turning an idea into a working business by bundling hosting, domain registration, and email services into one solution.

Four reasons that make this a breakthrough service:

  1. Rapid Prototyping: Create, modify, and deploy interactive apps in real-time, including rapid revisions after the app is published.
  2. Integrated Services: Hosting and other essential tools are built in, eliminating reliance on third-party providers.
  3. Democratized Development: Hostinger Horizons enables anyone to turn their ideas into an online business without technical barriers.
  4. Supports 80+ languages

Creating Complex Websites With AI

What can you do with Hostinger Horizons? It seems like the right question to ask is what can’t you do with it. I asked Hostinger if the following applications of the technology was possible and they affirmed that the short answer is yes but that some of the ideas that I suggested may not be 100% straightforward to implement but that they were indeed possible to create.

Money makes the web run and I think applications that many would be interested in are ways to interactively engage users by enabling them to accomplish goals, capture leads, product comparison, improved shopping experiences and follow-up emails.

Since Hostinger Horizons handles hosting, domain registration, and email in a single platform, entrepreneurs and businesses can build these kinds of web pages by describing it to the AI chat interface, iteratively improving it and then publishing the finished project when it’s ready.

This could be useful to a restaurant, a law office, or a product review site, for example. Here are examples of the kinds of things I’d like to see it do.

Restaurant:

  • Reservation & Loyalty App
    Allows users to sign up and reserve tables and receive follow up reminders and offers.
  • Interactive Menu Explorer
    Can enable users to browse a menu according to dietary preferences and capture contact information for special offers.

Legal Office

Could be used to generate questionnaires and streamline the intake.

Product Reviews

  • Can encourage users to provide their requirements and preferences and then generate a summary of product reviews with quick links to where to purchase them.
  • Interactive Comparison Tools with links to where to purchase

Read more:

Prompt, refine, go live: We are set to disrupt the web app market with a fully integrated no-code solution — Hostinger Horizons

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Feb 21 2025
Google Responsive Search Ads Just Got More Flexible via @sejournal, @brookeosmundson

Google Ads just rolled out an update to Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), and while it may not seem groundbreaking at first glance, it could have a noticeable impact on how advertisers optimize their campaigns.

This update focuses on how Google assembles ad assets, giving marketers more control over messaging while still leveraging AI-driven automation. If you’ve ever been frustrated with how Google randomly mixes and matches your headlines and descriptions, this change is worth paying attention to.

Here’s what’s changing, why it matters, and how it could impact PPC performance.

What’s Changing With Responsive Search Ads?

In the announcement from Google, there’s one main component of how RSAs are changing.

Before diving into the update, it’s important to note the change that Google implemented last year. In February 2024, Google updated Responsive Search Ads to be able to show only one headline if it was predicted to improve performance.

Now, they’re building off that update with these key aspects.

New Ways To Use Headline Assets 

Previously, Google’s approach to Responsive Search Ads was all about maximum automation—headlines and descriptions were combined dynamically, sometimes in ways that didn’t make complete sense.

With this update, Google is adjusting its system to create more cohesive and logical ad combinations.

Starting now, up to two (2) headlines are eligible to serve in previously reserved spaces for sitelinks – if they’re predicted to improve performance.

Below is an example Google provided on what this change could look like:

Image credit: Google, February 2025

If a user clicks on any of those allocated headlines, they’ll be directed to the ad’s final URL.

While the specifics of Google’s algorithm tweaks aren’t spelled out, the general goal is clear: ads should make more sense contextually.

Advertisers won’t have to worry as much about disjointed messaging or assets being strung together in ways that feel unnatural to users.

Asset Pinning and Reporting Expectations

Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin took to LinkedIn to provide a clear, thought-out update regarding how asset pinning and combination reporting would be affected.

Per Marvin’s post, existing asset pinning will be respected. If headlines are pinned in positions 1 or 2, and if descriptions are pinned in position 1, those will still serve in those dedicated positions.

As for combination reporting, advertisers will still be able to see the most commonly served combination of headlines and descriptions. In this update, it will also show which headlines served as a sitelink.

The stats will be reported at the headline and not the sitelink level, per user feedback in initial testing.

How Does This Impact Advertisers?

This update isn’t just a behind-the-scenes tweak—it has real implications for how advertisers structure their ads and optimize ad performance. Here’s why:

  • More Consistent Messaging = Better Engagement. Disjointed or awkward ad combinations have long been an issue with RSAs. By improving how assets are paired, Google is helping advertisers deliver messages that feel more natural and cohesive, which could lead to higher click-through rates (CTR).

  • Stronger Brand Control. While RSAs are still dynamic, this update reduces the likelihood of brand messaging getting lost in automation. Advertisers can have more confidence that key value propositions and calls to action will appear in logical combinations.

  • Improved Performance Insights. With better visibility into how Google structures ad assets, advertisers can make more informed decisions about which headlines and descriptions to test, adjust, or remove. This leads to more efficient A/B testing and better data-driven optimizations over time.

  • Potential for Higher Quality Scores. If Google’s adjustments result in more relevant ad combinations, it could improve expected CTR, which is a major factor in Quality Score. Higher Quality Scores can lead to lower cost-per-click (CPC) and better ad placements.

Wrapping Up

Google’s update to Responsive Search Ads is a step toward more intelligent automation, helping advertisers maintain better messaging consistency while still benefiting from AI-driven optimizations.

While this won’t eliminate the need for careful asset planning, it does make RSAs a more reliable tool for brands that want to scale their search campaigns efficiently.

If RSAs have frustrated you in the past, now might be the time to revisit them.

With better asset pairing and improved visibility into ad assembly, this update could give advertisers a bit more control—without taking away the automation that makes RSAs so powerful.

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Feb 20 2025
Does Google Traffic Affect YouTube Recommendations? What To Know via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

In a recent social media discussion, Rene Ritchie, YouTube’s Creator Liaison, addressed questions about how Google traffic affects YouTube recommendations.

The conversation centered on whether brief view durations from Google Search referrals could negatively impact a channel’s performance.

There is concern that if viewers only watch a video for a short time, this behavior might lead YouTube to recommend the video less frequently.

The question comes from the account @AdventureCrews on X, who write:

“if a channel gets massive external views from Google Search and the viewer only watches for < 2min, does this negatively impact the video or can YouTube decipher this? The content is adventure travel.”

YouTube’s Response

Ritchie explained that viewership data is important, but the effect of traffic mainly comes from where it originates.

This means the algorithm looks at watch time differently depending on how users find the content.

For example, videos clicked from the YouTube homepage are assessed differently than those accessed through external sources like Google Search.

He states:

“Traffic sources primarily affect the same traffic source. So the recommendation system (Browse > Home Page), for example, will look at watch time for the video when it’s clicked on from the Home Page, not from external sources, Sub feed, etc.”

What This Means

This clarification offers reassurance to creators.

Even if a video gets many views from outside searches, having a shorter watch time from that traffic doesn’t decrease its chances of being recommended by YouTube.

The platform mainly uses engagement metrics; like watch time from within YouTube, to decide what to recommend.

For more about how YouTube’s recommendation system works, see:

Featured Image: Danille Nicole Wilson/Shutterstock

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Feb 20 2025
WordPress Offers New 100-Year Domain Name Registrations via @sejournal, @martinibuster

WordPress.com updated their 100-year domain and hosting plan, unlocking the opportunity to secure a domain name for a one hundred year period for only $2,000.  The new service is a breakout from the 100-year plan which is another offering that includes hosting and other benefits for $38,000.

100 Year Domain Name Registration

The new domain name registration is available for .com, .org, .net, or .blog domains and is managed in a trust account controlled by the person registering the domain. This service was previously available as part of a 100-year plan that came with hosting at a price of $38,000. The domain registration fee of $2,000 is more affordable and a good value for those who require the security of knowing the domain isn’t changing hands by mistake.

WordPress.com offers the following benefits:

  • No expiration surprises.
  • No lost domains due to admin mistakes.
  • No stress about renewals—ever (or 100 years, whichever comes first).
  • A full century of security for your domain.
  • One setup. 100 years of ownership.

They’ve also reimagined their 100-year plan so that it comes with numbered trust accounts controlled by the owner of the domain and hosting plus contingencies that guarantee the continued web presence should anything happen to WordPress.com or Automattic.

Read more about the new 100-year domain name registration:

Secure Your Domain For the Next Century

Featured Image by Shutterstock/gcafotografia

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