Google's 2025 Creator Summit Takeaways, JavaScript Rendering Need to Knows & The Power of Free Shipping in Ecommerce
SEO TL;DR #70 12/05/2025
A warm welcome to the 24 new subscribers who subscribed last week - it’s great to have you here! Another AI-heavy news week, with Google signing a deal to help develop three new advanced nuclear reactors to help keep up with the demands of their energy-hungry data centres.
This image, posted by Mark Williams-Cook sums up the current state of the AI hype train, which doesn’t look to be losing momentum...
SEO X AI
Google Launches Gemini-Powered “Simplify” Tool on iOS
Google’s new “Simplify” feature on iOS uses Gemini AI to rewrite complex web text into something more readable - without needing to leave the page.
Research from Google shows the feature significantly improves comprehension, especially for high-stakes content like medical, legal and financial writing.
In a 4,500-person randomised study, Gemini-simplified text led to higher quiz scores, better short-term memory, and more confident answers.
💡 Takeaway: This is a powerful accessibility move, but could also influence how users interact with dense content. For SEO and content creators, it’s a reminder that simpler, more digestible copy (especially for YMYL topics) may gain an edge.
Google is investing in features that reward clarity, not just authority - write like a human, not a textbook.
SEO X AI
AI Blocks 20x More Scammy Pages
Google also announced that it’s blocking 20x more scammy pages, cutting down these types of results by over 80%. This follows improvements to its AI-powered scam detection systems, which can now better spot coordinated campaigns and impersonation attempts, especially around things like fake customer support numbers.
💡 Takeaway: hopefully these advances help protect more people from phishing attempts and as Google’s detection systems continue to develop, content that feels suspiciously thin, misleading or too salesy will hopefully get nuked.
With your own content, focus on prioritising transparency, credibility and user trust - especially on pages where users are encouraged to take action or share personal information.
SEO X AI
Gemini 2.5 Pro Gets Major Upgrade for Interactive Web App Building
Google has dropped an early preview of Gemini 2.5 Pro, with major improvements for developers building rich, UI-driven web apps.
This version significantly boosts Gemini’s ability to handle complex coding tasks like web UI creation, code editing, transformation, and agentic workflows.
It also scores best-in-class on video understanding, making it one of the strongest all-rounders for devs building multimodal AI experiences.
🔗 Try it out via Google AI Studio
Technical SEO
JavaScript Rendering in AI Search: What You Need to Know
Google's AI crawler, Google-Extended, which powers Gemini and other AI services, has again been confirmed to render JavaScript similarly to Googlebot.
Both utilise the same Web Rendering Service (WRS), enabling Gemini to access and interpret content generated by modern JavaScript frameworks.
However, not all AI agents have this capability. Some of the major AI crawlers out there like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity do not execute JavaScript. While they may fetch JavaScript files, they don't render them, meaning content generated client-side may be invisible to these crawlers.
📺 Learn more about JavaScript SEO in this interview with Martin Splitt:
💡 Takeaway: To ensure your website is accessible and indexable by both traditional and AI-driven search engines:
Implement server-side rendering (SSR) where you can: deliver fully rendered HTML to crawlers to ensure content visibility.
Avoid relying solely on client-side rendering (CSR): content that loads exclusively via JavaScript on the client side may not be seen by non-JavaScript-rendering crawlers. Client-side rendering typically only makes sense for interactive tools where you want ot give the best UX.
Leverage dynamic rendering solutions: tools like prerender.io can serve pre-rendered content to crawlers while maintaining dynamic functionality for users.
By ensuring your content is accessible without relying solely on JavaScript execution, you enhance your site's visibility across a broader range of search platforms, including emerging AI-driven search tools.
General
Google Searches Down in Safari but up Overall
Apple and Google shared conflicting search usage data in a rare public contradiction. Apple’s Eddy Cue claimed that Google searches via Safari declined last month for the first time in 22 years, suggesting a shift in behaviour due to rising interest in AI-powered alternatives. That news sent Google’s stock tumbling 8%.
But Google quickly responded, saying that overall search queries from Apple devices are actually up, highlighting that users are searching via the Google app, Chrome, voice, or Lens, not just Safari.
Content SEO
Feedback From Google’s 2025 Creator Summit
At the 2025 Google Creator Summit, a small group of content creators spent three days inside Google HQ getting honest answers about traffic drops, AI Overviews and how search is changing.
The verdict? Stop writing for algorithms, and start writing for people.
One of those people was Tomiko Harvey, who outlined the takeaways in her blog Google Business Summit Review: AI & SEO Shifts.
💡 Takeaway: Google knows its systems have favoured big sites and long, keyword-stuffed content, and they’re trying to fix it. But it’s on the creators to adapt.
SEO now hinges on user satisfaction, not word count, so to stay visible:
Cut the fluff - write clearly and solve the user’s problem fast
Show your face – Shorts, Reels, and TikTok now rank in Search
Diversify traffic – Pinterest, YouTube, email and social are essential
Be original – “gap filling” content that mimics competitors won’t cut it (read how the skyscraper technique leads to low-quality content)
Serve experience – first-hand knowledge wins in YMYL spaces
Google isn’t promising creators traffic. They’re promising users the best result. If your post doesn’t deliver, AI Overviews might just replace it. Many creators are already seeing the impact. But as Tomiko’s brutally honest write-up shows, the solution isn’t always to bash Google; it’s to pivot.
Ecommerce SEO
67% of US Shoppers Add Items to Unlock Free Shipping
YouGov’s latest ecommerce report reveals how customer expectations are shaping online shopping in 2025, and the pressure is on for retailers.
Key findings:
67% of US shoppers add items just to qualify for free shipping
35% expect delivery in two days or less
49% worry about package theft
53% are unlikely to buy from a retailer that doesn’t offer free returns
💡 Takeaway: Delivery and return policies are key conversion levers. If you run an ecommerce store, especially on Shopify, make sure your PDPs communicate shipping thresholds clearly, offer returns reassurances and optimise for speed where possible. If they don’t, you risk losing the sale before the checkout.
PS: I’m running free 20-minute discovery calls for anyone who wants to talk SEO and get my advice on what to focus on in 2025. Use the link below and book a time slot: