I noticed a lot of discussion around Google's latest update to the Site Reputation Abuse Policy, so I wanted to share my understanding of what this actually means for website owners and SEOs. For a long time, we have seen websites build strong authority in one niche and then use that authority to publish completely unrelated content because the domain already has trust in Google’s eyes. For example: A website known for education suddenly starts publishing commercial pages about products, loans, coupons, or other unrelated topics — not because it helps their audience, but because the domain has ranking power. Google is now trying to reduce this type of manipulation. The interesting part of this update is that Google is not necessarily looking at the entire website. The focus is more on the specific sections that violate the policy. For users outside the EEA, affected sections can lose visibility in search results, while the rest of the website may continue normally. For users inside the EEA, Google may separate the affected section so it no longer benefits from the main website’s reputation. The bigger message for SEOs: A strong domain alone is not enough anymore. Google seems to be moving more toward understanding: - Why was this content created? - Does it match the website’s actual purpose? - Does it provide value to the existing audience? - Does the publisher have real knowledge about the topic? I don’t think this means guest posts, partnerships, or contributor content are dead. They can still work when they are relevant and properly reviewed. The problem is when a website becomes a place where anyone can publish anything just because the domain has authority. Going forward, I think the winners will be websites that focus on: ✅ Building real topical authority ✅ Creating content for users first ✅ Maintaining quality control ✅ Building trust around the brand SEO is changing, but the fundamentals remain the same — create something useful that deserves to rank.

I keep seeing people say “SEO is dead.” But I’m not convinced. Google Search is changing. AI Overviews and AI Mode are changing how people discover information, and Google is now explicitly talking about optimizing for its generative AI search experiences. At the same time, Google still says the fundamentals of SEO remain relevant. So maybe the real question isn't: “Is SEO dying?” Maybe it's: “Are we still doing SEO the way we did 5 years ago?” Keywords, backlinks and rankings still matter—but I think the bigger opportunity now is being the source that AI and search engines consider useful, trustworthy and worth mentioning. And there's another interesting shift: Google says AI-generated content isn't automatically against its rules, but using automation primarily to manipulate search rankings can violate its spam policies. Thin affiliate content and copied/recycled content are also specifically covered. That makes me wonder: Is the future of SEO less about “ranking a page” and more about building a brand/search presence that deserves to be discovered? I’d love to hear different opinions: 🔥 SEO is NOT dying — it's simply evolving. 🤔 Traditional SEO is becoming less important. 🚀 AI search will completely change SEO. Which side are you on—and what are you changing in your SEO strategy right now?