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AI search may have had a quieter news week, but several updates from Google and Yahoo point to a bigger shift in how people discover information online.

Google is expanding personalization across Search and Discover, including new ways for users to choose the publishers they want to see more often. It's also bringing link carousels for developing topics into AI Mode, creating additional opportunities for publishers and brands to earn clicks from AI-generated answers.

Meanwhile, Google's John Mueller says there's still “nothing really special” websites need to do for generative AI responses in Search. I explain why I largely agree with that advice when we're talking about Google, and why marketers shouldn't apply it to the entire AI search ecosystem.

Plus, Yahoo is leaning into Yahoo Scout and its history as the original guide to the internet. Could AI give Yahoo another chance to become a meaningful discovery destination?

In this episode:

• How Google's Preferred Sources feature changes the conversation around brand authority
• Why Google's new AI Mode link carousels matter for marketers and publishers
• What John Mueller's latest comments actually mean for GEO and AI search optimization
• Why Yahoo Scout is worth watching as AI search continues to fragment
• What marketers should learn from Yahoo's broader push for users and relevance
• A quick update on Google's August 2026 spam update
• Why brands need to become sources that both people and AI systems want to find

Mentioned in this episode:

Google: New ways to personalize Search, Discover and Google News

Search Engine Roundtable: Google Says Nothing Special Needed for Generative AI Search Responses

Search Engine Roundtable: Google AI Mode Gets Link Carousels for Developing Topics

Yahoo Scout

I'm an AI search visibility consultant and a fractional content strategist for startups and enterprise brands. If that sounds like the kind of help you're looking for, email me at cassie@cassieclarkmarketing.com. 

Or request your AI Search Visibility Audit: https://cassieclarkmarketing.com/ai-search-visibility-audit/