Google December Core Update Done, News Publishers Hit Hard, Frankenstein AI Recipe Horror & Happy New Year

Google completed the December 2025 core update this week and it hit some news publishers incredibly hard. I posted the annual Google algorithm update infographic. Google’s Frankenstein AI-recipes are a complete horror. Google questioned the need for ccTLDs for international SEO. Do not create multiple Business Profiles for each department listing on Google. Google AI Overviews is testing speaker icons in the US. Chrome is testing replacing the Gemini button with alternatives. Bing is testing expanding the people also ask on click. Microsoft Advertising added custom columns for advanced reporting and also added an all accounts tab. I posted the top contributors and the most commented on stories of 2025 to the Search Engine Roundtable. Google’s New Year’s Eve Doodle was still live on New Year’s Day. John Mueller and other Googlers were out there on New Year’s Day supporting SEOs. John Mueller posted his annual Mueller report of SEO memes. And sadly, we lost an experienced and friendly SEO, Andy Drinkwater. That was the search news this week at the Search Engine Roundtable.Sponsor: BruceClay one of the founding fathers of the SEO space, doing search marketing optimization since 1996. Bruce Clay is big into SEO training, check out seotraining.com to learn more and check them out at bruceclay.com. Also, check out their new product, Prewriter.ai - this tool empowers writers to write better and more efficiently, so check it out.0:00 - Introduction0:58 - Google December 2025 Core Update Has Finished Rolling Out2:03 - Some News Publishers Saw Big Declines With The Google Core Update2:43 - Google Algorithm Updates 2025 Infographics3:27 - Google's AI Frankenstein Recipes Are A Horror4:35 - Google Questions Need For ccTLDs For Some International Websites5:16 - John Mueller (Personally) On If Schema Helps With LLMs & Google5:52 - Google: Why 404s Don't Matter For SEO6:05 - Google Search Tests Blue Send Button In Query Box6:23 - Google AI Overviews Tests Speaker Play Button In US6:44 - Google Chrome Tests Replacing Gemini Button With Browse With AI Button7:10 - Bing Tests Expanding People Also Ask7:26 - Microsoft Advertising Adds Custom Columns For Advanced Reporting7:42 - Microsoft Advertising With All Accounts Tab7:58 - Top Contributors To The Search Engine Roundtable In 20258:40 - Most Commented Search Engine Roundtable Articles - 2025 Edition9:00 - Google Displays New Year's Eve Doodle On New Year's Day9:50 - (John) Mueller Report Of SEO Memes (2025 Edition)10:08 - Google's John Mueller Working On New Year's Day (2026 Edition)10:38 - The Industry Mourns The Loss Of Andy Drinkwater - Experience & Friendly SEO11:02 - Conclusion