SEO never takes a holiday. Just when you thought you had things figured out, the search world threw a few year-end surprises! In December 2025, we saw Google shake up its algorithm again, a major SEO tool get snapped up by a tech giant, and an experiment that revealed AI can be a bit of a gossip. If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Grab a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa) and let’s break down the biggest SEO news from last month in a friendly, no-nonsense way.
Google closed out 2025 with a major “Core Update” that left many websites watching their rankings like kids tracking Santa’s sleigh. Google launched its December 2025 Core Update on December 11, and the rollout finished about 18 days later, just before the new year searchengineland.com. This was the third (and final) core algorithm update of 2025, following earlier updates in March and June searchenginejournal.com. As with all core updates, Google’s goal was to “better surface relevant, satisfying content” across the web. In plain English, Google tweaked its secret recipe to make sure searchers get the tastiest results.
So what did this mean for website owners? In the days after the update, some sites saw their traffic spike or tumble (early chatter noted ranking volatility around December 13 and again around the 20th). Many others saw little to no change – which is totally normal during these broad updates. Google itself reminded everyone that a core update isn’t about penalizing anyone for “naughty” behavior, but rather about reevaluating which pages best answer users’ queries. If your rankings dipped, it doesn’t necessarily mean you did anything wrong. In fact, Google gave the same advice it always does: there’s no specific “fix” for a core update drop, other than to keep making your site helpful, relevant, and people-first cjadvertising. Think of it like a routine tune-up of a car: you can’t control exactly how the engine is tweaked, but if you’ve been taking good care of it (high-quality content, good user experience), you’re set up for the long haul.
Bottom line: Don’t panic. These core updates happen multiple times a year now, and they’re Google’s way of continuously improving search. The best strategy is to stay focused on quality content and user intent. As Google’s documentation and experts reiterate, sites that offer genuine value to readers tend to ride out the algorithm storms just fine. In the SEO world, slow and steady (plus helpful!) wins the race.
Adobe’s surprising holiday shopping spree: it’s acquiring SEMrush, an SEO platform, and putting a $1.9 billion bow on it. One of the biggest business headlines in December was Adobe announcing a deal to acquire SEMrush – yes, the popular SEO and digital marketing toolset – for a hefty $1.9 billion in cash news.adobe.com. If you primarily know Adobe for Photoshop or PDFs, this might sound like an odd pairing. But there’s a method to the madness. Adobe isn’t just a creative software company; it also powers marketing and analytics for tons of enterprises (Adobe Experience Cloud, anyone?). By bringing SEMrush into the fold, Adobe aims to give marketers a holistic view of brand visibility across both traditional search and emerging AI-driven search channels. In Adobe’s words, as consumers turn to chatbots and AI assistants (think ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini) for answers and recommendations, brands need to be present there too – and that means doing what some call “Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)” in addition to classic SEO.
For businesses, this move underscores just how critical search data and SEO tools have become. A tech giant like Adobe spending nearly $2 billion is a loud endorsement of the value of SEO insights. (Fun fact: Adobe noted that traffic from AI sources to U.S. retail sites jumped 1200% year-over-year in October – talk about a trend!) The SEO community largely cheered the news, seeing it as a milestone in SEO’s evolution in the AI era searchenginejournal.com. It highlights the growing need for robust data to navigate an online landscape where AI is changing how people find information. There’s also chatter that Adobe might orient SEMrush more toward big enterprise clients, which could open the door for other tools (like Ahrefs, now the largest independent SEO suite) to shine with small businesses. We’ll have to wait and see how that plays out.
What it means for you: SEO is no longer a niche technical task—it’s mainstream marketing. Your content strategy and visibility in search are so important that even Adobe is doubling down on it. We can expect faster innovation and integration between SEO tools and other marketing platforms. In the long run, businesses might get more seamless insights – imagine your content management, analytics, and SEO research all connected under one roof. For now, it’s a reminder to pay attention to your SEO data (things like what keywords you rank for, where your traffic comes from, how you stack up to competitors). Those insights are gold for marketing, and big players know it.
Can AI spread rumors? Ahrefs’ experiment suggests: absolutely, if you don’t set the record straight. In a fascinating (and slightly cheeky) experiment, the team at Ahrefs tested how AI platforms handle misinformation. They invented a fake brand – a luxury “paperweight” company that doesn’t actually exist – and seeded the internet with a few conflicting, made-up stories about this brand ahrefs.com. Then they asked various AI search tools and chatbots questions about the company. The result? Almost every AI confidently repeated the fake stories, sometimes even embellishing them. As Ahrefs put it, “in AI search, the most detailed story wins, even if it’s false.” In other words, if you (the brand) don’t provide a clear, truthful story about yourself, AI might grab whatever story is out there – true or not – and run with it.
This study coined the term Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to describe optimizing for AI-generated answers, and it’s something businesses should take note of. It turns out AIs can be a bit like that overly chatty neighbor: they’ll spread whichever story has the most detail and drama. A brand with little online presence or authority might get overshadowed by louder voices, even if those voices are wrong. Ahrefs’ fake brand had no official website history or real citations, so the AI models had no solid “truth” to anchor to – they filled the gap with the fiction that was available. 🤖💬 Cue the gasp!
Why should you care? This experiment is a friendly wake-up call for business owners. It’s no longer enough to quietly run your business in the real world and assume the online world accurately reflects your reputation. You need to actively manage your digital presence. Make sure your website, social media, and listings tell your story clearly and consistently. If there are common questions about your industry or brand, consider addressing them on your site (so the AIs find your answer, not a random Reddit thread). As AI search tools become more common, think about what answers they might generate about your business. Are they pulling from your content or someone else’s? The more authoritative, detailed content you publish about your company and expertise, the less likely an AI is to get the story wrong. In short: don’t let the internet write your narrative—take charge of it.
We’ve covered a lot of ground, from Google’s algorithm antics to big corporate moves and AI oddities. Here are the main takeaways to keep your SEO strategy strong moving forward:
We know all this rapid change can feel overwhelming. The good news is, you don’t have to navigate it alone. At Strottner Designs, we stay on top of these SEO developments so you can focus on running your business. Whether you’re confused by a traffic drop or curious how to get your site showing up in AI-driven searches, we’re here to help. SEO in 2026 and beyond is sure to keep evolving, but with a friendly expert in your corner, you can turn these shifts into opportunities. Feel free to reach out to us anytime – we’d love to chat about how to keep your business shining online no matter what the search engines (or robots) throw our way!
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