A lot changed in marketing over the last two weeks. Google started a core update, ads went live in AI Mode in Australia, ChatGPT opened verified business profiles, and the way brand searches look on desktop shifted.
None of these needs a panic response. But each one can affect your leads and sales heading into Black Friday and Christmas, so it pays to know what changed and what to check.
Here are the five changes, why each one matters to your business, and one thing to do about each.
1. Google's November Core Update Is Rolling Out
Google's November core update started on 10 November and can take up to two weeks to finish rolling out. Core updates change how Google weighs pages across search as a whole, so most sites see some movement while it runs.
Why it matters: your rankings could move around right before Black Friday and Christmas, when search traffic is worth the most to many businesses. A drop in the middle of a rollout isn't necessarily where things will settle.
What to do: don't react to the day-to-day swings. Wait a week after the rollout finishes, then compare your Search Console data with the week before 10 November. That gives you a fair before-and-after view instead of a snapshot of a moving target.
2. Google Ads Now Show Inside AI Mode in Australia
Search, Shopping, Performance Max and AI Max campaigns can now appear in AI Mode answers for Australian searchers. AI Mode is Google's conversational search experience, where people ask longer questions and get a written answer back.
Why it matters: you can't target or exclude AI Mode on its own. Your ads might already be showing there without you changing anything, and that traffic sits inside your normal campaign results.
What to do: check whether your campaigns use broad match, AI Max or Performance Max. Those are the ones that can show in AI Mode. If they do, keep a closer eye on search terms and lead quality over the next few weeks.
3. ChatGPT Now Lets Businesses Claim a Verified Profile
ChatGPT has opened verified business profiles in beta. Once you claim yours, you can update your business details and see how often ChatGPT mentions you, plus how many clicks follow.
Why it matters: more customers now ask AI tools for recommendations before they search. This is the first official way to see and correct how ChatGPT describes your business.
What to do: claim your profile and look at your mention data. Check that your details, services and locations are right, and note which questions you're showing up for.
4. Reporting Tools Are Starting to Make the Changes for You
Supermetrics launched Campaign Manager. It turns AI recommendations into campaign changes you approve in a chat, across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok and more.
Why it matters: reports are moving from "here's what happened" to "here's the fix". A person still approves every change, but the time between spotting a problem and fixing it is shrinking.
What to do: next time you read a report, write down the insights you never get around to acting on. That's the gap these tools are built to close, and it shows you where your reporting is costing you money.
5. Google Moved AI Overviews on Brand Searches
On desktop, a search for a brand name now often shows the AI Overview in the right-hand column, where the knowledge panel used to sit.
Why it matters: that spot is one of the first things people see when they search for you by name. If what Google's AI says about you is wrong or out of date, customers see it before they reach your site.
What to do: search your business name on desktop today and read what it says. If something's wrong, update the sources Google draws from: your website, your Google Business Profile and your listings on other sites.
Quick Check
Run through these four questions:
- Have you looked at Search Console since 10 November?
- Do you know if your ads are showing in AI Mode?
- Have you claimed your ChatGPT business profile?
- Do you know what Google's AI says about your brand?
If you said no to any of these, start there.
Want a hand working out which of these changes affects your business most? Talk to the BRIK Digital team on 1300 848 221 or get in touch here.
