Perplexity vs Google: AI search and GPT-5 SEO

At eTail Boston 2025, one topic dominated: AI is fundamentally changing search, discovery, and buying. From AEO to social search and shopping agents – how retailers are preparing.

The classic search funnel is disappearing – that is the clear message from retail executives at eTail Boston 2025. AI assistants and shopping agents are displacing keyword search. Those who do not optimize for answers instead of rankings risk invisibility in new discovery channels.

AI answers and zero-click search pull clicks from websites—up to 30 percent traffic is in discussion. At the same time, LLM citations become the new organic lever. The roundup shows what SEO teams should prioritize now.

Interactive tools extract more from organic traffic than static forms. The SEW newsletter covers implementation, AI search, and ten SEO priorities for 2025.

Google is trying shorter Discover profile URLs with @ handles instead of endless parameter strings. For publishers, that shifts branding, sharing, and monitoring—here is the overview.

Google is bringing the "1st order price" label back to shopping ads and highlighting first-order discounts directly in search. For merchants and SEA teams, this changes CTR, expectations, and feed maintenance.

Google Search Advocate John Mueller makes clear: Search Quality Rater Guidelines are not a blueprint for rankings. Why SEOs can still use them as a quality compass—without false expectations.

Google Ads adds Prospect Mode to new-customer acquisition, targeting users with no brand contact or prior site interaction. Here is how advertisers can position for cold prospects and what it means for paid search and the wider marketing mix.

Search News Buzz covers Google's May core update, strict warnings on AI brand mentions, and Preferred Sources in AI Overviews—plus indexing, ads, and local news.