Hello Reader,

Did you hear the news?

I know, that's a loaded question. But I'm specifically talking about the news that came out this week about the ongoing US Government vs. Google case.

This is something I've been tracking for a while. Here's the LinkedIn post I made breaking it down, and my reaction to the verdict last year that ruled Google is indeed a monopoly.

When that verdict came out, I got my hopes up. The judge had yet to determine exactly what the punishment would be, and had dropped a few hints that he was even considering forcing Google to break up into multiple companies.

I thought that perhaps it was a sign that things in the search industry were finally changing...

I was cautiously hopeful that Google's stranglehold on Search might finally be loosening...

I was wrong. Sort of.

The final ruling amounts to little more than a slap on the wrist for Google.

They will have to share their search data with competitors --- that's a good thing, in my book. It levels the playing field some, and certainly will make it harder for Google to compete against the new breed of competitors, AI search.

But even this part of the ruling, which is arguably the "worst news" for Google, is pretty tepid. From the New York Times:

Big whoop. The government had requested that they share everything, not just the top-level stuff. This information will no doubt reveal some very interesting information about Google, but to again quote the NYT: "It's not the secret sauce."

How AI changed this whole thing

What's most interesting to me about this case is the way that AI interrupted the process.

When this all started, AI wasn't a real threat to Google's search dominance. The whole idea behind the original suit was that Google had far too much control over search.

But by the time the second ruling came out, it was very clear that first the first time in history, Google's control over the search playing field was actually under threat.

It's not clear whether this shift changed the judge's ruling, but the arrival of AI certainly shifted the tone of everything we do in search.

What I'm doing about it

For a long time now, I've been anxiously watching all of this unfold.

I've been waiting to see how this case would shake out...

I've purchased new tools to help me understand how AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Claude and Gemini work...

I've been watching very closely to see if I could figure out where all this was headed...

And now, with this case resolved and some very clear indications from Google about where they plan to take search in the next year, I think I'm finally ready to say what's been on my mind.

See, I haven't written to you about SEO in a few weeks, because I've been working on something new. It's a new four-part strategy I've put together, based on all of my research and analysis of where the AI field is heading.

I call it my Search Evolution Strategy, and I'm rolling it out next week.

It's a four-phase approach that helps businesses decide what the $!&U#* they should do about AI and the evolution of search.

It's solid, flexible, and actionable, and I've crafted it specifically for businesses that have noticed a drop in traffic and clicks from AI search but aren't sure what to do or how to get it back.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing a lot more details about how this works, what it costs, and who it's designed for.

But if you want a sneak peek at the full strategy before I roll it out publicly, just reply to this email and ask for it. I'll send you the complete breakdown.

Talk soon,

Liam