Bounce straight to examples of affected web sites.
Over the previous yr, one of the vital frequent ways for gaining visibility in AI search has been for firms to publish “listicle” content material on their very own blogs – rating the very best firms or merchandise of their area of interest and inserting themselves within the No. 1 spot.
There are variations of this method – the listicle would possibly comprise a listing of the very best firms, or it might additionally record the very best merchandise in a particular trade. The frequent thread is that the corporate publishing the weblog submit ranks itself, and/or its personal merchandise, within the high place.
It has additionally turn into more and more frequent for firms utilizing this tactic to collaborate with others in the identical trade, mutually selling each other of their respective listicles – a contemporary twist on reciprocal linking: you point out me, and I’ll point out you.
Over the previous yr or two, these self-serving listicles have confirmed to be efficient at influencing conventional search rankings – and, by extension, visibility inside LLMs that depend on retrieval-augmented era (RAG) – when customers seek for the highest firms, merchandise, or companies in a given area of interest.
For instance, should you kind “finest content material advertising and marketing businesses” into Google’s AI Overviews, you would possibly see a outcome like this:
While you dig into the listed sources, you’ll discover that the really helpful firms are utilizing listicle-style blogs to rank themselves because the No. 1 high content material advertising and marketing company (instance articles from Omniscient, Ten Pace, and Optimist are proven as sources above).
Search queries containing “finest” are likely to return current outcomes each within the search outcomes and inside LLM responses. For instance, when a person is on the lookout for the “finest accounting software program for small enterprise,” Google typically prominently ranks articles that had been printed or up to date inside the final yr, and ChatGPT additionally generates fan-out queries containing “2026” to make sure the person’s question pulls up current data:
Due to this fact, a part of this method is to make sure that the article is both lately printed, and/or lately up to date with the present yr within the title, to profit from the search outcomes and LLMs prioritizing current outcomes for these queries.
The Grey Space Of website positioning
I think about this tactic to fall into the “grey space” of website positioning. website positioning methods are sometimes labeled as “white hat” or “black hat”—shorthand for approaches that both adjust to search engine insurance policies or clearly violate them and are handled as spam. Some ways, nonetheless, sit in between: they aren’t unlawful or overtly malicious, and never essentially unethical, however they are often deceptive to customers. In lots of circumstances, they’re applied primarily for website positioning profit reasonably than to ship a genuinely helpful or genuine person expertise.
The idea of the “grey space” is one which website positioning skilled Glenn Gabe often references in his evaluation of Google updates. His definition intently aligns with mine: an area the place websites will not be explicitly violating Google’s insurance policies, however nonetheless lack robust high quality indicators or depend on dangerous ways – leaving them particularly susceptible to volatility as Google’s core programs evolve.
When evaluating the place a given tactic would possibly land, I typically check with Google’s suggestions about avoiding creating content material that’s written primarily for engines like google, not people. With this method, a number of of Google’s questions come into play:
- Does the content material present authentic data, reporting, analysis, or evaluation?
Though these pages typically declare in depth analysis, that credibility is undermined by constantly rating their very own firm first and by the implausibility that they’ve actually employed and evaluated the opposite rivals they rank within the listicle. Google has lengthy really helpful that evaluation content material accommodates actual proof of getting examined the reviewed services or products. These pages virtually at all times lack this proof.
- Does the title keep away from exaggerating or being deceptive?
Utilizing “finest” within the title implies an goal, impartial analysis. When an organization ranks itself No. 1 with out clear disclosure or clear methodology, that framing could be deceptive – even when the claims aren’t technically false.
- Does the content material current data in a means that makes you wish to belief it?
Articles that rank the writer’s personal firm as the very best firm introduce an inherent bias that undermines belief. With out third-party validation, reviewer credentials, or proof of impartial, goal testing, the data lacks the indicators customers (and Google) count on from credible opinions.
For these causes, I haven’t been recommending all these listicles as a sustainable technique for constructing long-term visibility in natural search or AI-generated solutions. They hardly ever present an sincere or genuine person expertise, and ways that sit within the grey space of Google’s content material and spam insurance policies have a protracted observe report of finally creating issues for web site homeowners over time.
It Works, Till It Doesn’t
The problem with website positioning ways that fall into the grey space is that they will undoubtedly drive robust outcomes – at the very least for some time. Moreover, with the rise of AI search, we’re seeing that LLMs like ChatGPT are actually vulnerable to spammy ways and at present lack Google’s degree of sophistication in detecting and countering manipulative website positioning approaches.
That stated, there’s a well-recognized line anybody who’s adopted my work has heard me say on repeat: It really works, till it doesn’t.
When a tactic proves efficient at driving website positioning visibility and turns into extensively adopted, Google (and different engines like google) virtually at all times develop methods to detect and suppress it. This sample is what I name “the cycle of website positioning” – an idea I explored in depth throughout my 2025 BrightonSEO keynote, proven under:
I shared a number of occasions all through 2025 that I consider the extreme use of self-promotional listicles might be a standard sample amongst web sites negatively impacted by upcoming Google core updates. I’ve additionally been theorizing that Google might develop new guide actions for this specific tactic (since it could be onerous to establish algorithmically). Right here’s a clip of me on the Profound Zero Click on Search occasion in NYC again in October, explaining how abandoning website positioning for GEO ways could be harmful.
Moreover, I wasn’t the one one to warning towards self-promotional listicles. Over the previous yr, Wil Reynolds, founder and CEO of Seer Interactive, has warned in convention talks and different assets that this method lacks authenticity and dangers undermining viewers belief.
Equally, Glenn Gabe, who additionally focuses on Google core replace restoration, lately shared an instance of a web site doubtlessly shedding visitors because of extreme use of listicles. Glenn additionally cautioned towards this method in his 2025 December Core Replace article.
Nevertheless, many websites doubled down on self-promotional listicles as a result of, regardless of the dangers, they’ve confirmed extremely efficient at driving visibility in each natural search outcomes and AI solutions. Manufacturers featured in these self-serving listicles have clearly benefited in current months. However early indicators from a current Google replace recommend the window for this tactic could also be closing.
SearchingFor Clues After Google Rating Volatility
Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable reported vital Google rating volatility in January 2026, a pair weeks after the conclusion of the December 2025 Core Replace. When volatility like this surfaces, I evaluation affected websites to establish rising patterns – and this time, I used to be shocked to see sharp visibility declines throughout a number of giant manufacturers, all starting across the similar interval.
Whereas efficiency drops throughout confirmed and unconfirmed updates can stem from many elements, a number of patterns throughout lately impacted websites had been unusually constant this time. The primary development I observed is that a number of well-known manufacturers noticed substantial natural visibility declines starting round mid-to-late January. (I take advantage of the Sistrix U.S. Visibility Index to measure this.)
Primarily based on the kind of content material I noticed most closely impacted, it appears attainable this volatility displays ongoing refinements to Google’s opinions system, which has more and more targeted on detecting self-serving, biased, or low-evidence evaluation content material.
Generally, I additionally noticed that the weblog was the first driver of the visibility decline, accounting for the most important share of the losses, or an analogous content material hub containing articles or assets.
The visibility chart under reveals an instance of a well known $8B B2B model that noticed its natural visibility drop by a whopping -49% between January 21 and February 2, 2026.
Word: I’ve redacted firm names and branded product names from all of the screenshots under for the aim of defending the websites’ anonymity.
The corporate weblog makes up 77% of this web site’s visibility, and it reveals an enormous visibility decline since mid-January 2026:
Different subfolders and subdomains on the location confirmed a lot smaller declines, and even visibility positive factors, throughout the identical time interval:
I dug by means of the weblog articles to search for frequent patterns employed by websites negatively impacted by algorithm updates, and did see a number of the frequent culprits: highly-similar programmatic content material templates, extreme informational content material focusing on varied “who, what, when” search phrases, and over-use of ‘2026’ throughout titles, regardless of the yr being solely 4 weeks underway.
However one thing else stood out: the weblog contained dozens of self-promotional listicles. 191 of them, to be exact. By self-promoting listicles, I imply an article containing “finest” the place the corporate lists itself because the No. 1 finest. You possibly can simply detect this with the next search on Google (change along with your web site’s particulars):
web site:firm.com/weblog/ intitle:finest “1. firm”
or
web site:firm.com/weblog/ “finest” “1. firm”
Now, I have to level out that this firm’s weblog has ~30,000 articles listed on Google, so 191 is a drop within the bucket. That stated, producing 191 self-promotional listicle articles feels extra like an intentional technique than an accident.
Right here is one other instance of a SaaS firm that was hit onerous starting round January 19. The location dropped in general Google natural search visibility by -43% because the current rating volatility started.
Roughly ~85% of the location’s natural visibility stems from its /information/ folder, which noticed essentially the most vital visibility drop:
Trying by means of the /information/ folder reveals dozens of academic articles associated to the location’s choices – about 2,780 listed articles on Google. However trying once more at whether or not the /information/ folder makes use of self-promotional “finest” listicles the place the corporate ranks itself No. 1, lo and behold – there are 228 such articles:
The subsequent instance is a B2B/B2C SaaS firm that dropped by -42% visibility since mid-January 2026.
The overwhelming majority of the location’s visibility comes from its /tutorials/ folder, which noticed essentially the most vital visibility decline, dropping to a visibility degree the folder hadn’t seen since 2021:
Among the many 1,980 tutorials listed in Google’s outcomes, 76 of them are self-serving listicles, 38 of which have been up to date to incorporate “2026” within the title:
Now, right here’s one other instance of a B2B SaaS firm that misplaced -38% of its natural visibility because the rating volatility began:
About ~80% of this web site’s visibility stems from its weblog, which, as with different examples, noticed by far the best drop in visibility:
Among the many 2,790 listed pages on the weblog, 267 of them are self-promotional “finest” listicles the place the corporate ranks itself or its personal merchandise as No. 1. 76 of them use “2026” within the title tag, which might additionally increase some flags, given the present date.
Subsequent up is a well-liked SaaS product that dropped by -34% complete visibility because the volatility began. On this case, the location had really seen substantial website positioning progress all through 2025 and into early 2026, however the web site is shortly reversing course during the last two weeks:
This firm’s weblog additionally represents about ~90% of its complete visibility, containing 7,700 listed articles on Google. The weblog additionally significantly contributed to the location’s fast progress in visibility during the last yr:
Digging into the usage of self-promotional articles on this web site’s weblog, it seems the location has 340 such articles on its weblog that record its personal firm or its merchandise because the No. 1 finest within the house:
The subsequent web site is a software program firm that seems to have launched its firm weblog round July of 2025. The weblog represents about 93% of the location’s general website positioning visibility. Beneath is a view of the total web site’s visibility trajectory:
And under is a view of simply the weblog subfolder’s visibility. For this web site, the drop seems to have began throughout the December Core Replace, and was exacerbated by motion in current weeks:
Trying on the 1,420 articles on this firm’s weblog, 61 of them (4%) are self-promotional listicles:
Lastly, right here is an instance of one other SaaS firm and digital advertising and marketing supplier that misplaced -29% of its natural visibility since mid-January, 2026:
The /weblog/ folder on this web site represents over 90% of the location’s natural visibility in Google search, containing 1,700 listed outcomes on Google:
This web site had solely 10 self-promotional listicles, a particularly small quantity general. Even so, if pages like these are actually contributing to the visibility decline, it underscores how closely Google could also be weighting them in its evaluations.
Frequent Developments Amongst Affected Websites
It’s necessary to notice that self-promotional listicles are just one tactic amongst many utilized by these websites of their content material methods, alongside different approaches that could be perceived by Google as prioritizing website positioning over “useful, dependable data that’s created to profit folks.”
That stated, there are another commonalities amongst these websites which can be value stating:
- All of those websites are within the SaaS house, which might recommend that they’re prone to be paying shut consideration to current website positioning/GEO traits.
- Lots of the blogs and useful resource facilities really contained particular steerage round GEO and AI search.
- Many of those websites had lately scaled content material shortly, which might be a sign that they’re utilizing (or over-utilizing) AI to shortly scale content material, maybe with inadequate human oversight.
- I dropped a number of of those articles into originality.ai’s AI detection instrument, and all returned a 100% confidence rating that the textual content is AI-generated.
- The blogs had been utilizing different ways I’ve seen get websites in bother with throughout Google’s algorithm updates: synthetic refreshining (together with current dates when the article was not considerably up to date); Schema.org violations, equivalent to misusing AggregateRating Schema throughout ineligible pages; extreme informational/definition-based content material, content material that’s overly salesy and/or strays from the principle function of the location, and heavy automation/programmatic templates scaled throughout tons of or hundreds of pages
It’s additionally necessary to notice that I discovered examples of some websites that noticed heavy efficiency declines of their blogs, however weren’t over-utilizing self-promotional listicles of their content material. That stated, they had been utilizing different ways that might have an effect on efficiency, typically tied to evaluation articles and different articles leveraging highly-similar. programmatic web page templates:
Self-promotional listicles might solely inform one a part of the story. That stated, provided that this method was frequent amongst all the businesses with the most important drops (and different firms not included on this article), it seems to be to me like a main probably wrongdoer value contemplating when evaluating the general high quality of those blogs and useful resource facilities.
The Impression Of Declining website positioning Visibility On AI Search
website positioning and AI search efficiency are intently tied collectively, particularly Google’s AI search outcomes and different LLMs that scrape Google. I spoke to Glenn Gabe, who has additionally been monitoring the identical websites, seeing declines, and he simply shared this text right this moment displaying how these 4 websites are quickly shedding visibility in AI Overviews. Word that every one 4 of those websites had been included within the examples proven all through this text:
Presumably, these drops in Google natural outcomes may even impression visibility throughout different LLMs that leverage Google’s search outcomes, which extends past Google’s ecosystem of AI search merchandise like Gemini and AI Mode, however is additionally prone to embody ChatGPT.
I’ll dig into these outcomes as a lot as attainable within the coming days and share what I discover.
Wrapping Up
Self-promotional “finest” listicles have confirmed to be an efficient shortcut to visibility in each conventional search and AI-generated solutions (GEO) – however new knowledge means that shortcut could also be contributing to efficiency declines in website positioning.
Word: Sure, it’s nonetheless attainable to search out examples of this method working. Like all website positioning hacks, it might take some time for Google to demote the tactic throughout the board, and the outcomes will not be at all times excellent. Some listicles will certainly proceed to carry out.
However as Google continues to refine the way it evaluates high quality, intent, and belief – particularly in review-style content material – ways that prioritize self-promotion over real analysis seem more and more dangerous.
Whereas these pages should still drive short-term positive factors and have proven success in AI search, the current volatility indicators that long-term visibility in each natural search and AI programs is extra prone to favor content material grounded in real-world expertise, clear methodology, and demonstrable worth to customers. As with many website positioning traits earlier than it, what works right this moment might quietly turn into a legal responsibility tomorrow.
Extra Assets:
This submit was initially printed on Lily Ray Substack.
Featured Picture: Tetiana Yurchenko/Shutterstock
