Facts, Stats & Latest News from SEO, Search & Marketing Industry [February, 2026]

February 2026 brings the hottest SEO news!

A new Discover update reduces clickbait and promotes more trustworthy content.

At the same time, AI Overviews are affecting an increasing number of commercial searches, reducing clicks to organic results, while SERPs that combine AI and ads are on the rise.

In an environment where e-commerce continues to grow dynamically across Europe — and is projected to keep growing through 2030 — SEO strategy requires adaptation, not just optimization.

 

The Facts

 

February 2026 Discover Core Update

The update prioritizes more "locally relevant" content, reduces sensational/clickbait material, and aims to highlight more original content from sites with expertise and experience.

In simple terms, this is the first core update focused exclusively on Google Discover rather than traditional search results. The rollout began on February 5 for U.S. users and will expand internationally in the coming months.

The goal is a feed with more useful, timely, and "local" articles, based on real topical depth rather than generic authority.

For publishers and brands relying on Discover, this means potential traffic volatility — but also a clear opportunity for those investing in depth and quality.

 

Discover Recommendations

The official "Get on Discover" guidelines state: avoid clickbait and sensationalism. They also recommend a strong overall page experience and set a clear threshold for large images (≥1200px) with max-image-preview: large.

Headlines should clearly describe the content without exaggeration, and practices such as withholding key information just to drive clicks are discouraged.

Google also requests high-quality visual assets — large, fast-loading images that are not simply the site's logo. Technically, this means proper max-image-preview:large, mobile-friendly layouts, and avoiding intrusive elements.

In short: serious headlines, clean UX, strong visuals.

 

Common Crawl Budget Killer

According to recent analysis, approximately 75% of crawling issues identified by Google stem from two main factors:

• Faceted navigation (e.g., filters in e-shops)
• "Action" parameters that only change page state (sorting, tracking, etc.)

These filters can generate nearly infinite URL combinations, trapping bots in endless loops and wasting valuable crawl budget.

 

The Stats (Recent Research & Data)

 

Ads + AI Overviews: +394% Increase in SERPs Featuring Both

According to data from Semrush:

• SERPs containing both ads and AI Overviews increased by more than 394% during 2025.
• The percentage of AI Overview SERPs that include ads rose from 5.17% to 25.56%.

The study analyzed over 10 million keywords and shows that Google is heavily experimenting with combining AI and advertising within the same result.

Ads appear in different positions (top, middle, or bottom of the SERP), but the most common layout is AI Overview followed by ads toward the bottom of the page.

For brands, this means traditional "blue links" are no longer the only touchpoint. A coordinated SEO and PPC strategy is now essential to gain visibility in SERPs filled with AI summaries and ads.

 

77% Growth in Fashion E-Commerce by 2030

Fashion e-commerce is projected to grow by 77% by 2030, reaching $233 billion, with online share approaching 30% of total fashion revenue.

The estimate is based on a report by Deloitte in collaboration with Google, focusing on the European fashion market.

The report predicts strong omnichannel coexistence — not the end of physical retail.

For fashion brands and retailers, the takeaway is clear: the online market is expanding and will reward those investing early in category-level SEO, expert-driven content, and technically robust e-commerce platforms.

 

AI Overviews Queries Analysis

AI Overview queries shifted significantly during 2025:

• January 2025: 91.3% informational queries
• October 2025: 57.1% informational

The remaining 42.9% now comes from commercial, transactional, and navigational intent.

This indicates a clear transition: AI Overviews are no longer limited to informational "how-to" searches but now cover the entire funnel — from product research and price comparisons to brand queries.

As commercial intent increases in AI Overview queries, Google has more room to integrate ads — explaining the strong growth of AIO SERPs with advertising.

For e-commerce sites, this means critical transactional pages may see fewer clicks, even if they maintain strong organic rankings.

 

New Study: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks to the #1 Result by 58%

A new analysis by Ahrefs (December 2025), examining 300,000 keywords, found:

• When an AI Overview is present, CTR for the #1 organic result drops by 58%.
• In absolute terms, CTR fell from 0.073% to 0.016% in queries with AI Overviews (December 2025 dataset).

Ahrefs conducted the same study earlier in 2025 and found a 34.5% reduction at that time. The December rerun shows a significantly sharper decline.

The methodology compared 150,000 keywords with AI Overviews against 150,000 similar informational keywords without AIOs, using aggregated Google Search Console data.

In simple terms: for every 100 clicks the top result used to receive, Google now retains more than half within its own interface.

SEO is increasingly about brand visibility and presence within AI Overview citations — not just ranking in the classic SERP.