Google is quietly attempting to reinvent how search works — again.

Their new experimental feature, Web Guide, organizes search results into topic-based clusters instead of just listing links or generating summaries. It’s a subtle shift, but one with major implications for marketers, content creators, and brand visibility.

Here are three takeaways worth paying attention to:

1. Discovery-Driven Search May Be a Thing
Web Guide turns broad queries into curated clusters — like “planning,” “costs,” or “recommended tools” — and then groups relevant results under each. I can see the value and potential of this approach for sure. It’s a step away from flat, linear rankings and a move toward exploratory, research-style navigation with structure. I love that. This rewards structured, in-depth content that answers multiple aspects of a topic in one place. Read More

2. Clicks Keep Dropping
According to Pew Research, only about 1% of users click on source links when AI Overviews are shown. Web Guide may not be quite as reductive, but it still shifts user behavior, especially if people rely on Google’s clustering rather than exploring the full list of links. CTR is no longer the leading indicator of visibility. Placement in thematic clusters could become one of the new metrics to watch. Read More Opinions

3. Search Is Becoming a Personalized, Multi-Mode Experience
From AI Overviews to Gemini-powered assistants and now Web Guide, Google is building a layered search experience. Depending on your query and preference, you might get summaries, link clusters, conversational agents, or visual product previews. This feels like visibility is now going to be distributed across formats. As marketers, we’ll need to show up clearly — and consistently — across articles, video, community content, structured data, and AI-friendly formats. Here’s a guide to getting started.

Final Thought: Search marketing is no longer just about individual keywords, isolated content, and rankings — it’s about context, structure, and adaptability. The way your content is presented may soon matter just as much as what it says.

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What you need to know:

Consumer Use of AI Tools Rising
Nearly 43% of consumers now use AI tools daily, with 75% using them more than a year ago. Trust in AI for brand decisions is at 62%, matching that of traditional search engines—but trust is lower for local research (19%) versus search engines (45%). Only 10% trust the top AI-generated result, and nearly half verify info across other sources. Read More

Short-form Video & Influencers on LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s insights for B2B brands stress short-form video and influencer partnerships to build trust. The platform advises brands to favor useful, educational content over overt promotions and to leverage creators for credibility. Read More

Justifying SEO Budgets
With nearly 59% of CMOs citing insufficient budget to execute strategy in 2025, it’s more important than ever to justify SEO spend. Focus on its long-term ROI, its ability to diversify traffic, and its impact during key customer decision points. Read More

Will Traditional SEO Become Obsolete?
Moz examines whether standard SEO is still relevant in an AI-first world. Consensus: traditional practices—keyword optimization, backlinking, high‑quality evergreen content—are still critical, though they must evolve to meet new discovery formats. SEO is not dead—it’s evolving. Strong content quality and expertise still win. Read More

Designing a Multimodal Search Experience: CMO Playbook
This playbook recommends building for multimodal search—voice, images, videos, and AI assistant interactions. It emphasizes cross-functional collaboration across marketing, SEO, design, and engineering with unified workflows and shared QA processes. Read More

The Great Decoupling: Search + Agentic Web
We’re entering an agentic era, where AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) act as intermediaries between users and the internet. Brands need to evolve visibility strategies to optimize for AI-readability and dynamic presentation rather than just URLs. Read More

Pinterest 2025 Holiday Marketing Trends
Pinterest’s 2025 holiday marketing guide highlights early shopping behaviors. Read More

Do AI Assistants Prefer Fresh Content?
A recent Ahrefs study shows that AI assistants tend to favor fresh, recently published content in responses. Marketers should ensure frequent content updates and relevance—not just historical SEO strength. Read More

Marketing Strategy in the Age of AI
AI enables teams to scale repetitive tasks, but high-impact marketing still comes from human-led storytelling, strategy, and creative differentiation. Successful companies will balance AI automation with human insight. Read More

Social Media Marketing Ethics
Sprout Social highlights the increasing importance of transparency, authentic engagement, responsible data use, and inclusivity in social media marketing. Ethical brands build long-term trust and loyalty while avoiding reputational risk. Read More

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What to Expect When You Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

Hiring a digital marketing agency is a strategic move that connects your business with experts who understand how to drive online growth. Whether you’re looking to increase online visibility, drive more leads, or boost conversions, partnering with a team of digital experts provides strategic advantage and access to specialized resources.  In this blog we will dive into understanding the process and benefits of hiring a digital marketing agency. 

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Do you need a digital marketing strategy but you’re not sure where to start? Or maybe you’re unhappy with the results from your current plan? At Sanctuary, we focus on strategies that get results and help you grow your business. We’re leaders in marketing, and partners in growth. Learn more today!

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