SEO News - December 2025

Google AI Mode sends traffic on 69% of transactional queries

Recent data shows that Google’s AI Overview results still drive traffic on 69% of transactional queries. Despite earlier predictions that AI would significantly reduce click-through rates, users do visit landing pages, especially when they need more detail before making a decision.

In the travel space, this behaviour makes perfect sense: holiday shoppers compare prices, inclusions, itineraries and value for money. Even when Google’s AI provides a high-level summary, users still click through to travel sites to validate information, explore packages, or check availability.

AI is also increasingly being used for trip-planning support (as highlighted by the BBC’s coverage of AI-generated itineraries). While many travellers will still enjoy researching trips manually, these tools make it easier to plan quickly, meaning travel brands must ensure their content is accurate, compelling and well-optimised so it can be included in AI-generated summaries.

Another factor influencing how travel businesses perform within AI tools and overviews is the strength of their reviews. Google’s AI systems draw signals from platforms like Trustpilot, Feefo and Google Business Profile, and strong social proof can help your brand surface more prominently within AI summaries. Positive reviews also increase the likelihood that users will click through once they see your brand recommended, which is vital in a competitive travel market.

Google Search Console adds custom annotations to reports

Google Search Console now allows custom annotations directly within its performance reports, an extremely useful update for SEOs and digital marketers.

For travel businesses, this means we can now log key dates such as:

• New holiday destinations going live
• Seasonal offers (e.g., Black Friday travel deals)
• New cruise routes or tour packages
• Website downtime
• Major PPC or email campaigns going live

These annotations allow us to directly compare performance changes against major travel-industry events or promotions. It becomes far easier to track which campaigns increased visibility, how Google updates impacted seasonal search trends and where to focus future strategy.

Google Search Console introduces brand and non-branded query filters

Branded queries include your company name (and variations or misspellings), while non-branded queries cover generic searches like 'luxury Greece holidays' or 'best adventure tours in Peru'.

This update allows us to separate the performance of people who already know the brand from people discovering it for the first time.

For travel companies, this is especially valuable because it helps:

• Identify how effectively your brand captures new demand
• Measure the impact of campaigns aimed at new audiences
• Understand how loyal customers behave differently from first-time searchers

Non-branded search growth is a core indicator of expanding reach, vital for travel brands wanting to compete for high-intent generic travel terms.

What ChatGPT Shopping Research means for ecommerce SEO

ChatGPT’s new Shopping Research feature allows users to describe what they need and receive curated product recommendations based on reviews, product data and user feedback. It effectively turns shopping into a guided conversation.

For ecommerce-driven travel brands, such as tour operators, ticketing companies, excursion platforms or travel gear retailers, this matters because:

• Well-optimised product descriptions increase the chance of being recommended
• High-quality images with strong alt text support discoverability
• Reviews across multiple platforms now play an even larger role in visibility
• AI-based referrals will likely grow, becoming an additional discovery channel

Although AI referrals are currently a small percentage of traffic, this feature is expected to expand as consumer trust in generative AI increases.

That's all for 2025 - see you in 2026 for more SEO news updates!