Nick Carroll

Notes

• 
  Nick Carroll · May 22

  Google's latest core update is rolling out now. Expect the usual 2-week completion window with ranking fluctuations during that time. If you've been following E-E-A-T best practices and publishing quality content, you should be fine. Worth monitoring your rankings closely over the next two weeks.

  

  Google Begins Rolling Out May 2026 Core Update

  Google began rolling out the May 2026 core update, the second broad core update this year. It may take up to two weeks to complete.

  Search Engine Journal
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 21

  HubSpot breaks down tools that track when AI systems cite your content. For attorneys building authority, knowing which AI engines reference your work (and which don't) is becoming essential for content strategy.

  

  AI citation tracking tools to monitor and increase visibility

  AI citation tracking tools monitor how brands appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. See the top eight citation tracking tools on the market.

  blog.hubspot.com
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 20

  Research shows most brands aren't showing up in AI search results at all, but traditional SEO fundamentals still drive AI citations. Good news for law firms that already have solid content foundations. And, an opportunity for those that don't.

  

  90% Of Brands Have Zero AI Search Mentions, New Study Finds 4 Key SEO Insights

  Explore this SEO study on the impact of AI mentions in search performance. Discover how traditional metrics correlate with AI visibility.

  Search Engine Journal
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 19

  Google just published official guidance on optimizing for AI Overviews and generative search results. They're debunking common myths and giving concrete direction on what actually works for GEO visibility.

  

  Google Publishes How To Optimize For Generative AI With Mythbusting

  On Friday, Google published a new help document named Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search. This document covers much of what Googlers have said over the years, including a myth-busting section that will trigger some in the industry.

  Search Engine Roundtable
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 18

  Step-by-step guide for WordPress author optimization that directly impacts how Google evaluates expertise and authority. Covers schema markup, author boxes, and profile linking that legal professionals need for topical authority building.

  

  How to Setup Author SEO in WordPress to Boost Your Google E-E-A-T

  Want to set up Author SEO in WordPress for Google E-E-A-T? Learn how to optimize your author profile and boost your credibility in search results using AIOSEO.

  WPBeginner
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 16

  This piece argues law firms should focus on building genuine expertise signals instead of churning out content. The shift toward E-E-A-T and topical authority is hitting legal harder than other verticals because Google's getting better at spotting thin legal content.

  

  The future of law firm SEO depends on authority, not volume

  Technical SEO and content still matter, but sustained visibility now depends on trust, recognition, and E-E-A-T signals across the web.

  Search Engine Land
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 15

  Smart breakdown of AI visibility challenges into three distinct layers: discovery, understanding, and citation. Each layer needs different optimization tactics. Useful framework if you're trying to get your content picked up by AI tools.

  

  Stop Treating AI Visibility As One Problem. It’s Actually Three, On Three Different Layers

  Each layer has different failure modes, different fixes, and different organizational owners. Most marketing teams are working hard on the wrong one.

  Search Engine Journal
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 15

  Google Analytics now tracks AI assistant traffic (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) as its own default channel group. You can finally see how much traffic comes from AI tools instead of guessing. Check your GA4 setup to make sure you're capturing this data.

  

  Google Analytics Adds AI Assistant As Default Channel Group

  Google Analytics now separates AI assistant traffic from referrals with a new default channel group for recognized chatbot referrers like ChatGPT and Gemini.

  Search Engine Journal
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 14

  Anthropic just dropped 20 legal connectors and 12 practice-area plugins for Claude. This is the biggest legal tech push from a major platform yet. Worth evaluating how these tools might fit your firm's workflow.

  

  Anthropic Goes All-In on Legal, Releasing More Than 20 Connectors and 12 Practice-Area Plugins for Claude

  Anthropic today took its biggest step yet into the legal market, releasing more than 20 new MCP connectors linking Claude to the software that law firms and legal departments run on, along with 12 new...

  LawSites
• 
  Nick Carroll · May 14

  Deep dive into how ChatGPT actually searches and picks sources. It uses something called 'fan-out queries' and a tool called 'web.run' to find content. Understanding this process helps you optimize for AI citation.

  Inside Chatgpt Search Web Run Fan Out Queries Ai Visibility

  searchengineland.com