We hope you are in good health. Here are some of the major SEO news updates of the week that you need to know:
Search Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
John Mueller: Background Videos That Load After Content Won’t Hurt SEO
Google’s John Mueller says a large background video (even ~100MB) is unlikely to negatively impact SEO as long as primary content and images load first and the video continues loading in the background. This approach aligns with Google’s guidance on lazy loading: treat the video as non-critical, use preload=”none”, and rely on a poster image or similar placeholder. The key is to protect Core Web Vitals (especially LCP) and ensure users quickly see and interact with the main content.
Thanksgiving 2025 Triggers Fresh Wave of Google Search Ranking Volatility
Around November 24–26, 2025, SEOs began reporting sharp changes in Google rankings, traffic, and conversions, pointing to a new unconfirmed search ranking update just ahead of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Community chatter and multiple tracking tools (Semrush, Mozcast, Sistrix, and others) all show elevated volatility starting a couple of days before the holiday, suggesting a meaningful adjustment to Google’s search results.
Google Brings ‘What to Know’ to Product Panels in Core Web Search
Google is now showing the “What to know” section directly in the product summary bar on the right side of standard web search results, not just in AI Mode. This appears when users click on a product and offers an expanded, structured overview, but so far it only seems to be live for some users and can’t be widely replicated yet, suggesting a limited test or gradual rollout.
Gary Illyes: AI-Driven Search Changes Are ‘Hard to Accept,’ But SEO Will Coevolve
Google’s Gary Illyes said that even for him, the shift toward AI-driven search is “hard to accept,” reacting to a Bing Webmaster Blog post on how AI search is changing conversion measurement. He acknowledges that search is evolving for a new generation of users with different behaviors but stresses that SEM and SEO will continue to coevolve with these changes and that “SEO is not dead.
Google’s John Mueller Jokes About Future ‘GEO-Detox’ SEO Services
John Mueller joked on Bluesky that after the current hype around GEO, SEO agencies will soon be billing clients for “GEO-Detox” work, calling it part of the “cycle of ‘SEO’ life.” The comment riffs on a familiar pattern in the industry, where agencies first sell services like link building or content creation and later sell corresponding “detox” or pruning services once those tactics fall out of favor or cause issues.
PPC Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
Google Ads Adds Facebook Messenger & Zalo as Message Extensions
Google Ads is expanding its message extension options beyond WhatsApp by rolling out support for Facebook Messenger and Zalo within the ad console. This lets advertisers add more popular messaging apps as direct communication channels from their ads, improving reach in key markets like Vietnam where Zalo is widely used.
Microsoft Advertising Mobile App to Be Retired by January 2026
Microsoft is retiring the Microsoft Advertising mobile app, removing it from the Apple App Store and Google Play in November 2025 and fully discontinuing functionality in January 2026. Existing users can keep using the app with security updates until retirement, after which campaigns must be managed through the Microsoft Advertising web interface or other tools. The app previously allowed advertisers to monitor campaigns, adjust budgets and bids, receive alerts, view performance visuals, and contact support on the go.
