Facts, Stats: Latest News from the SEO, Search & Marketing Industry [October, 2025]

Facts

Google AI Mode in Greece & 200+ countries:

Google expanded AI Mode to 36 new languages and nearly 50 additional countries, including Greece[1]. AI Mode will now be available in more than 200 countries!

Ranking turbulence in early October:

Significant volatility was observed in search results around October 7–8, according to the SEO community[5]. Many are discussing a potential algorithm change these days, although there has been (so far) no official confirmation from Google.

Improved Voice Search with S2R:

Google upgraded its Voice Search to use the Speech-to-Retrieval (S2R)[8] model. In practical terms, Google can now answer spoken queries directly without first converting them to text, delivering faster and more reliable results in voice search[8].

Stats

11% trust in the #1 result:

According to new research (Yext), only 11% of U.S. users fully trust the first result they see when searching online[10]. In other words, nearly 9 out of 10 double-check or continue their search elsewhere[10].

Surge in the use of AI tools:

The same survey found that 73% of consumers have used AI search tools more over the past year, while about 45% now use them daily[11]. AI use in search is rising sharply, although for sensitive topics most people still prefer traditional search[12].

Record $253B in online holiday sales:

Online shopping during the 2025 holiday season in the U.S. is projected to reach $253.4 billion – a new record, up +5.3% vs. last year[14]. In the five-day Cyber Week (Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday) alone, revenue is expected to hit ~$43.7B (+6.3% YoY), while for the first time more than 56% of holiday online purchases will be made from mobile devices[15][16].

Other reads from Marketing & Business

How to become a resilient leader (and build a resilient team) in times of change

Every year brings new challenges – from economic uncertainty to AI reshaping roles and hybrid work[18]. Resilience is a critical leadership capability: leaders must stay calm under pressure, focus on what they can control, and build a culture of psychological safety so their teams can endure and adapt to change.

ChatGPT becomes an app platform – and a new marketing tool

OpenAI is transforming ChatGPT from a simple chatbot into an application platform. Users can now access popular apps within ChatGPT (e.g., Spotify, Canva, Zillow), paving the way for the chatbot to evolve into a new AI-powered “app store.” This development can also be leveraged in marketing, enabling new ways to drive engagement or purchases through conversational AI.

Virtual Try-On:

The Google AI Try-On feature that allows users to try on clothing digitally has now expanded to footwear and has launched internationally in new markets (Australia, Canada, Japan)[6]. With the help of AI, users can see how shoes look on them by uploading a photo – opening up new opportunities for personalized experiences for brands and e‑shops[7].

Sources:

[1] Google Rolls Out AI Mode Search Feature in Greece –

https://greekcitytimes.com/2025/10/08/google-ai-mode-greece/

[2] [5] Daily Search Forum Recap: October 9, 2025

https://www.seroundtable.com/recap-10-09-2025-40237.html

[3] Google August 2025 spam update done rolling out

https://searchengineland.com/google-august-2025-spam-update-done-rolling-out-461560

[4] October 2025 Google Webmaster Report: Spam Update, AI Mode, Num, Quality Raters & More

https://www.seroundtable.com/october-2025-google-webmaster-report-40193.html

[6] [7] Google’s virtual try-on adds shoes, expands internationally

https://searchengineland.com/google-virtual-try-on-shoes-expands-internationally-463158

[8] Google Voice Search Now Using Speech-to-Retrieval (S2R)