SEO Daily News Recap for Friday, January 9, 2026
Organic SEO & Search News
Google tests expanded video limits in Performance Max – Google is experimenting with increased video limits in Performance Max, potentially offering advertisers more creative freedom while avoiding campaign fragmentation.
Microsoft expands search themes in Performance Max to 50 – Microsoft is enhancing control for Performance Max advertisers by broadening search themes to guide automation towards high-intent customers.
YouTube is no longer optional for SEO in the age of AI Overviews – With search evolving towards AI-driven answers, utilizing YouTube as a key source material has become imperative to maintain visibility.
Paid Search & Platform Innovations
Google launches A/B testing for Performance Max assets (Beta) – Google introduces a new Beta feature allowing Performance Max advertisers to conduct A/B tests on asset sets, expanding on last year’s retail experiment.
Microsoft Advertising Reminds Advertisers To Set Up Email Settings – Microsoft Ads emphasizes the importance of configuring email settings for receiving invoices, billing alerts, and performance tips.
Microsoft Introduces Copilot Checkout & Brand Agents – Microsoft unveils AI-agents Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents for seamless shopping experiences and AI-driven chat interactions on websites.
General Digital Marketing
Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days – Uncover the reasons behind the underperformance of traditional SEO audits and discover effective strategies for expedited execution.
How to Find Trends (Super Early) in 2025 – Learn alternative methods to identify trends early on, bypassing traditional time-consuming approaches like social media browsing and peer discussions.
Time Spent Using Smartphones (2026 Statistics) – Explore insightful statistics on smartphone screen time, including regional disparities and daily usage trends over time.
Dive into our detailed sections for more insights and updates.
Organic SEO & Search News
SEO Daily News and Algorithm Updates
Google AI Overviews are tested and removed based on engagement
Google tracks how users behave and only shows AI Overviews in Search when they actually add value, said Google VP Robby Stein.
Source:
Search Engine Land
Daily Search Forum Recap: January 9, 2026
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today…
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Search Engine Roundtable
Video: Google Volatility, Personalized Google AI Answers, Microsoft Copilot Checkout & More SEO & PPC News
This week, yep, we had another story on Google Search ranking volatility. I posted the Google webmaster report for January 2026. Google Discover seems to be showing too many…
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Search Engine Roundtable
Technical SEO
Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days
Big SEO audits look thorough but stall execution. Here’s why the audit-plus-retainer model underdelivers – and what works instead.
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Search Engine Land
SEO Tools and Data Analysis
Google launches A/B testing for Performance Max assets (Beta)
Google’s new Beta lets Performance Max advertisers A/B test asset sets, expanding last year’s retail experiment to all campaigns.
Source:
Search Engine Land
How to Find Trends (Super Early) in 2025
Most people find trends by scrolling social media and talking to friends. We found those strategies too time-consuming, so try these methods instead.
Source:
Unknown Source
Time Spent Using Smartphones (2026 Statistics)
A curated list of eye-opening smartphone screen time statistics, including regional differences and daily use over time.
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Unknown Source
Local SEO
Microsoft Bing Testing Retro Local Pack In Search Results
In September, we posted about a number of local pack design tests from Microsoft Bing. But now, Bing might be testing a more retro, older-looking interface for the local pack in the Bing search results.
Source:
Search Engine Roundtable
AI and Machine Learning in SEO
Microsoft Introduces Copilot Checkout & Brand Agents
Microsoft announced its AI-agents agentic experiences under the names of Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents. Copilot Checkout lets you shop and checkout directly in the Copilot chat experience and Brand Agents lets you add AI-chat experience to your site, and the AI is trained on your product data.
Source:
Search Engine Roundtable
Content Marketing and Strategy
YouTube is no longer optional for SEO in the age of AI Overviews
As search shifts to AI-driven answers, YouTube is becoming key source material. Brands that underinvest in video risk losing visibility.
Source:
Search Engine Land
Google doesn’t want you to create bite-sized chunks of your content
Despite what you think works well for LLM and AI Search mentions, Google said this is not a long-term strategy.
Source:
Search Engine Land
Career Development and Industry Trends
Google On Hiring A GEO/AEO/SEO & Buying AI-Optimization Tools
Google’s Danny Sullivan and John Mueller spoke on the Search Off the Record podcast about whether hiring an AEO/GEO or buying an AI-optimization tool is any different than hiring an SEO or buying an SEO tool. In short, the advice is the same – both Googlers said.
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Search Engine Roundtable
Anthony Higman shares a PPC redemption story
Anthony Higman’s journey from a law firm mailroom to PPC CEO shows how learning from mistakes, can turn early missteps into lasting success.
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Search Engine Land
User Experience and SEO Optimization
Google Says Don’t Turn Your Content Into Bite-Sized Chunks
Google’s Danny Sullivan said on the Search Off the Record podcast that was published yesterday that Google does not want you to turn your content into bite-sized chunks to rank well in LLMs. He said, "we don’t want you to do that" and he even spoke to Google engineers about this.
Source:
Search Engine Roundtable
Paid Search & Platform Innovations
Paid Search and Advertising
Google tests expanded video limits in Performance Max
Google’s apparent expansion of video limits in PMax could give advertisers more creative flexibility without forcing campaign fragmentation.
Source:
Search Engine Land
Microsoft expands search themes in Performance Max to 50
Microsoft is giving Performance Max advertisers more control by expanding search themes to better guide automation toward high-intent customers.
Source:
Search Engine Land
Why Demand Gen is the most underrated campaign type in Google Ads
Looking for growth beyond Google Search? Demand Gen pushes your ads to the right audiences across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
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Search Engine Land
Microsoft Advertising Reminds Advertisers To Set Up Email Settings
Navah Hopkins, the Microsoft Ads Liaison, posted a reminder on LinkedIn, encouraging advertisers to ensure the email settings are all configured properly. You can get monthly invoices, billing alerts, account notifications, ad and keyword rejection notices, optimization and performance tips and more.
Source:
Search Engine Roundtable
Job Postings
Job Postings
1/9/2026
SEO Specialist at weCreate ~ weCreate ~ $20-$25/hr. ~ In-office (USA) ~ Erie, PA, United States
Job Description weCreate Website Design and Marketing is a rapidly-expanding full-service marketing agency located in Erie, Pennsylvania. We are currently looking to hire a part-time SEO specialist, with opportunities to move into full-time employment in the future. The ideal candidate should have expertise in: On-page SEO Off-page SEO Google Analytics/Adwords The website design and marketing […]
Source:
SEO Agency Jobs – SEOjobs.com
Job Postings
1/9/2026
SEO & PPC Expert ~ Preferred Care at Home – Corporate ~ In-office (USA) ~ Knoxville, TN, United States
Job Description Preferred Care at Home – Corporate is seeking an SEO & PPC Expert to join our team in Knoxville, TN. Responsibilities: Develop and implement SEO strategies to improve organic search rankings Create and manage PPC campaigns to drive traffic and conversions Conduct keyword research and optimize content for search engines Analyze website performance […]
Source:
Mid Level SEO Jobs – SEOjobs.com
Job Postings
1/9/2026
In-House SEO Specialist ~ HVAC Comfort Inc ~ $50,000-$85,000 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Clarkston, MI, United States
Benefits: 401(k) 401(k) matching Company parties Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Training & development Vision insurance HVAC Comfort Inc is a fast growing locally owned heating and cooling company serving Clarkston and surrounding communities. We’re hiring an In-House SEO to own our organic search presence and help is dominate local search results. This […]
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In-house SEO jobs – SEOjobs.com
Job Postings
1/9/2026
Sr. Content Marketing Manager, Business Networking ~ TP-Link Systems Inc. ~ $150,000-$210,000 ~ In-office (USA) ~ Irvine, CA, United States
Job Description Headquartered in the United States, TP-Link Systems Inc. is a global provider of reliable networking devices and smart home products, consistently ranked as the world’s top provider of Wi-Fi devices. The company is committed to delivering innovative products that enhance people’s lives through faster, more reliable connectivity. With a commitment to excellence, TP-Link […]
Source:
In-house SEO jobs – SEOjobs.com
