New Google Usage Data, Featured Snippets Decline & Why SEO Is Still Your Best Channel | HighDegree* - Issue 06
Fresh data reveals how Americans actually use Google, why featured snippets are vanishing, and why SEO remains your best marketing channel despite AI disruption. Plus: practical SEO LLM usecase!
Hello, HighDegree readers!
Today's newsletter dives deep into the evolving search landscape that's reshaping digital marketing before our eyes. From concrete data on how Americans actually use Google to the shifting balance between featured snippets and AI Overviews, we're tracking the changes that matter to your traffic and strategy.
The central theme emerging across all our featured research: search is transforming rapidly with AI integration, but opportunity remains abundant for those willing to adapt. Whether you're managing a major site or a small business blog, understanding these shifts will help you navigate what might otherwise seem like turbulent waters.
So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's explore how the search ecosystem is changing—and what it means for your digital presence.
BTW, did you miss Google’s latest update?
Here’s a deeper dive from Barry Schwartz you don’t want to miss.
➞ In this Week
The State of Search: New Data on How Americans Use Google
Featured Snippets on the Decline as AI Overviews Take Over
SEO: Downgraded from "Stupidly Great" to "Just Great"
Making LLMs Work for Your SEO Strategy
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➞ The State of Search: New Data on How Americans Use Google
Rand Fishkin and his team at SparkToro have released fascinating new research that finally puts concrete numbers to how Americans use Google. Working with Datos (a Semrush company), they analyzed hundreds of millions of searches to reveal that active American desktop web users perform an average of 126 unique Google searches per month, with a median of 53 searches.
What's particularly interesting is the distribution: about one-third of users search Google only 1-20 times monthly, another third perform 21-100 searches, and the final third are power users conducting 101-1,000+ searches each month. This distribution might explain why many digital marketers (who likely fall into that upper tier) sometimes misjudge how the average person uses search.
The research also breaks down usage of Google's various search verticals. Google Images accounts for about 1/8th of Google.com's volume, making it significantly important for content strategies. Meanwhile, Google's newer "Web" tab has the most dramatic usage pattern—a small group of people use it heavily while most ignore it entirely.
For context, Google recently announced they had "more than 5 Trillion searches in 2024," aligning closely with the research team's estimate of 5.9 trillion.
Read the full report on sparktoro.com ➞
➞ Featured Snippets on the Decline as AI Overviews Take Over
Glenn Gabe has spotted a concerning trend for SEOs: featured snippets appear to be declining across numerous verticals as AI Overviews increase. This shift has significant traffic implications since AI Overviews typically generate lower click-through rates than featured snippets.
Using data from Semrush and Ahrefs, Gabe documents substantial drops in featured snippet prevalence across multiple sites. One example showed a 35% decrease in queries yielding featured snippets between September 2024 and March 2025, while another revealed a staggering 57% drop in the same period.
This pattern makes logical sense as Google prepares to launch 'AI Mode' to search results. Having both featured snippets and AI Overviews would be redundant, so Google appears to be gradually phasing out the former in favor of the latter.
For website owners experiencing traffic declines, Gabe provides a detailed process for tracking featured snippet prevalence in your niche using Semrush and Ahrefs. This analysis could explain traffic losses and help you prepare for Google's continued AI integration.
Read the full report here on gsqi.com ➞
➞ SEO: Downgraded from "Stupidly Great" to "Just Great"
Ryan Law offers a refreshingly balanced take on the current state of SEO: while it's undeniably more challenging than before, it remains one of the best marketing channels available. Despite reports of websites losing 20-40% of their monthly search traffic, SEO still delivers extraordinary value compared to other marketing approaches.
Law frames the evolution by explaining that SEO was historically "stupidly great"—predictable, compounding in value over time, precise in targeting, and accessible with a low barrier to entry. Now, with generative AI increasing content supply while AI Overviews reduce demand, SEO has acquired some cons to balance its many pros:
SEO traffic remains predictable, but we should lower our expectations
SEO investments still generate more value over time, just more slowly
SEO targeting remains precise, but with increased competition
SEO still has a low barrier to entry, but the best results require more resources
The era of "easy SEO" and quick arbitrage (like affiliate marketing) may be over, but for most businesses, SEO will continue driving significant growth. The fundamentals—content, links, technical optimization—still work, even if they require more effort and sophistication to yield results.
Read the full article here on Ahrefs.com ➞
➞ Making LLMs Work for Your SEO Strategy
Aleyda Solis provides practical guidance for integrating large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT into your SEO workflow without compromising quality. Her approach focuses on three key integration methods while maintaining necessary human oversight.
The first method, effective prompting, uses the 5Ws and H framework (What, Where, Who, When, Why, and How) to create detailed queries that generate precise outputs. For example, instead of vaguely asking for "title tag ideas," you'd specify the page type, audience, purpose, character constraints, and other relevant details.
Creating prompt libraries forms the second approach. By developing, categorizing, and sharing reusable prompts for recurring tasks like metadata creation or content outlines, teams can maintain consistency and save significant time.
Finally, Solis highlights several tools that connect SEO platforms directly to OpenAI's capabilities:
SEOTesting.com for content optimization and reporting
Horseman SEO crawler for technical auditing and content recommendations
Numerous.ai for bulk operations in Google Sheets
Most importantly, Solis emphasizes that human validation remains essential. While LLMs excel at streamlining workflows, they require expert oversight to ensure brand alignment, ethical standards, factual accuracy, and originality.
Read the full analysis on MOZ.com ➞
➞ From Google
Everything from Google search this week —
→ Google’s New “Diversity Update”: How to Fix Your Ruined Rankings (sterlingsky.ca)
→ Gemini Deep Research is now available (x.com)
→ Is Google Image Search Down Ranking AI Images? (seroundtable.com)
→ New Gemini 2.0 updates for developers: you can use Gemini Code Assist for free in your favorite IDE (x.com)
→ How Google and AI are Killing Travel Blogs Like Mine (dangerous-business.com)
➞ AI + Social
Find out what’s happening in the social media and artificial intelligence world —
→ This Game Created by AI 'Vibe Coding' Makes $50,000 a Month. Yours Probably Won’t (404media.co)
→ Do you need to consider BlueSky in your Marketing Strategy? Click here to find out. (adamconnell.me)
→ Must click: Two AI agents on a phone call realize they’re both AI and switch to a superior audio signal ggwave (x.com)
→ Highly Realistic Alibaba GenVid Models Are Available for Free (etcentric.org)
→ AI Agents as Business Lead Magnets (simple.ai)
→ Become a Social Media Creator in 2025: Your 9-Step Plan (buffer.com)
➞ Worth Reading
These are the articles that will help you refine your marketing knowledge —
→ 5 Reasons Why You Should Count Queries in Search Console (seogets.com)
→ Pinterest SEO: Your guide to brand discovery (searchengineland.com)
→ How I Turned My Side Hustle Into A $1 Million SEO Freelance Consultancy (Moz.com)
→ Brand mentions are the new backlinks in the age of AI search (x.com)
→ How Google REALLY ranks news sites (substack.com)
→ Using Gemini to get insight into Your E-E-A-T (mariehaynes.com)
Until Next Time: Adapt and Thrive
As we wrap up this issue, remember that search evolution is nothing new - we've weathered algorithm updates, mobile-first indexing, and countless other changes over the years. The AI revolution represents another significant shift, but the fundamentals remain: create value, understand your audience, and adapt your tactics as needed.
I'd love to hear your experiences - are you seeing traffic impacts from these shifts? Have you found effective strategies for maintaining visibility?
Drop me a reply or share your thoughts. Your insights might just feature in our next issue!
Optimistically yours,
Nishat,
Editor, HighDegree*
➞ Who is Nishat Shahriyar?
I am a Digital Marketing Strategist, doing this since 2007. Now working as a Product Marketing Lead at Fluent Forms (The best lead generation tool for WordPress), Previously at Fluent Support (The best WordPress Helpdesk Plugin).
Connect with me, if you are not connected through my LinkedIn or Follow me on — X/Twitter - @rednishat