Google updated its AI content guidance to require manual fact-checking before publication, Gemini links were found carrying UTM parameters for referral attribution, desktop click-through rates fell while mobile rose in Q2 2026, AI Mode information monitoring rolled out globally, and a federal judge dismissed antitrust suits from Penske Media and Chegg over AI Overviews.
Muck Rack's May 2026 study found earned media accounted for 84% of citations in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini answers, with paid content at 0.3%, and other trackers point the same way with different definitions. For agencies, press coverage now works as an input to AI answers, with recency, outlet choice and query type shaping what gets cited.
Seer Interactive's 2026 data shows organic click-through falls sharply when an AI Overview appears, with informational and comparison queries hit hardest, while G2 and BrightLocal surveys show buyers and local consumers turning to AI for shortlists. For B2B, professional-services and local businesses, the top of the funnel is shifting into Google's and chatbots' answers.
Google's Search Console now reports impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode for all sites, but no clicks or queries, leaving agencies to rely on prompt-tracking tools for share of AI voice. Research showing AI recommendations rarely repeat means those numbers need careful framing in client reports.
Google's 2025–2026 updates to Performance Max campaigns—including channel-level reporting, better brand exclusions, and improved coexistence with standard Shopping—have not quieted the debate over whether PMax is a smart AI-native format or an opaque budget drain. Here is what the evidence says for small and midsize ecommerce operators.
Rising ad costs on both Google and Meta are forcing ecommerce marketers to make harder allocation decisions. Benchmark data, Q2 2026 earnings disclosures, and industry reports suggest the two platforms serve different funnel stages — and that treating them as either/or choices consistently underperforms a coordinated strategy.
