Search results look a lot different than they did even six months ago. Google keeps testing new AI-powered features, click patterns are shifting, and plenty of business owners are asking the same question: does my website still show up when it matters? That’s exactly why we’re back with our September Digital Marketing Agency Updates, a monthly look at what’s changing and what it means for your business.
That’s where we come in. Tandem Interactive is a full-service agency based in Las Olas, in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, offering search, paid ads, social media, and creative design under one roof. Our CEO, Joe Larato, just got back from brightonSEO San Diego, and we’ll dig into what he learned a bit later. Every month, we open the curtain and share what each department learned, tested, and shipped for our clients. Here’s what our teams worked on last month.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) had a busy month. Google rolled out several changes that affect how businesses show up online, and our team tracked every one of them closely.
Google Gave Search Console a New Report
Google announced a new multimodal Search performance report inside Search Console.¹ The report shows how a page performs in searches that start with an image instead of typed words, covering tools like Google Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads, and Chrome’s “Search this image” feature. That matters because customers don’t always type a question into Google anymore. Sometimes they snap a photo or circle something on their screen instead. Our SEO team is already using this report to see how well our clients’ pages show up in these image-first searches.
AI Overviews Keep Growing
Google’s AI Overviews now appear in 39% of desktop searches in the United States, up from just under 26% a year ago.² That’s a massive jump in a short window. Interestingly, the same report found that ChatGPT’s share of AI prompt volume slipped from 70% down to 50%, while Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude both gained ground. Search is splitting across more tools than ever, and a smart digital marketing agency has to track all of them, not just Google.
That growth connects directly to a trend Semrush flagged last month: zero-click search.³ When an AI summary appears above the results, only about 8% of users click through to a website, compared with 15% when no summary shows. Consequently, businesses can’t rely on rankings alone anymore. Content also needs to answer the question directly enough that AI tools want to cite it. Our team is folding this thinking into client content plans so pages earn visibility even when a user never clicks.
What Joe Learned at brightonSEO San Diego
Our CEO, Joe Larato, spent a few days at brightonSEO San Diego last month, and he came back with a clear message: AI search is moving fast, and the numbers prove it.¹³ One case study presented at the conference tracked a brand’s visibility across AI tools over just one month. Google AI Mode visibility jumped 114%, ChatGPT jumped 83%, and Microsoft Copilot gained 17%. Oddly, visibility inside Google’s AI Overviews actually dropped 37% over that same window. That’s a reminder that different AI tools can move in opposite directions at the same time.
So what actually moves the needle in AI search right now? According to an Otterly representative who spoke at the event, press release distribution, schema markup built for Google’s AI Overviews, YouTube optimization, and an active Wikipedia or Reddit presence all still help. However, tactics like llms.txt files, markdown variant pages, and schema markup built specifically for ChatGPT or Gemini haven’t shown real results yet. Joe’s biggest takeaway: a smart digital marketing agency has to test these channels individually instead of assuming one tactic works the same way everywhere.
Pay-per-Click (PPC)
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising saw several platform tests last month that could change how ads look and perform. Google pushed updates on two fronts at once: how advertisers track conversions, and how ads actually appear to shoppers in search and AI results. Our team dug into both so client campaigns stay ready no matter which test rolls out first.
Google Tests New Ways to Track Conversions
Google Ads introduced a multi-source conversions beta that lets advertisers upload offline customer data, like emails or phone numbers, to fill in gaps in conversion tracking.⁴ Better data means better measurement, and better measurement means smarter budget decisions.
Google Tests New Ad Formats Across Search and AI Mode
Google is also testing a “More From Advertiser” headline paired with an advertiser’s icon on sitelinks, which could change how extra links appear underneath a search ad.⁵ On top of that, Google is experimenting with new ad formats inside AI Mode, including text-anchor links that look like organic results and ad descriptions that give shoppers more context before they click.⁶ Our paid media team is watching all three tests closely so client campaigns are ready the moment any of them roll out more broadly.
Organic Social Media Management (OSMM)
Organic social media management (OSMM) also had a notable month. Google and Instagram each rolled out changes that help our team measure performance and reach audiences without spending on ads. Neither update makes headlines on its own, but together they change how we report on and grow organic reach.
GA4 Makes It Easier to Track Organic Social Traffic
Google Analytics 4 makes it easier to separate organic social traffic from paid campaigns, using a default Organic Social channel group that tracks visitors from unpaid posts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.⁷ This gives our team a clearer view of how content, not ad spend, drives people to a client’s website. Social traffic typically converts at a lower rate than search traffic, since those users are usually earlier in their buying journey. However, this data helps us set fair expectations and prove organic social’s real value.
Instagram Lets Creators Swap Music on Old Posts
Instagram rolled out a new “Replace Audio” tool that lets users change the music on any published feed post or carousel, without deleting and reposting it.⁸ The update keeps a post’s existing likes, comments, shares, and reach, so creators and brands don’t have to choose between protecting their engagement and keeping content current. Whether a song falls out of trend or someone just wants to refresh older content, the swap can happen anytime. Instagram framed this as part of a bigger push to give creators more control over their own content.
Paid Social Media Management (PSMM)
Paid social media management (PSMM) had two platforms make headlines last month. Meta and Snapchat both expanded what paid social ads can do, from richer subscription tools to more shoppable ad formats. Both updates give our team new levers to pull for clients who want to reach buyers where they already spend time.
Meta Launches Paid Tiers With Deeper Insights
Meta launched Meta One for Business, a set of paid subscription tiers that add AI-powered tools, deeper audience insights, and competitor research across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.⁹ Higher tiers even let brands compare Instagram performance against up to ten competitors.
Snapchat Expands Shoppable Ads Inside Chat
Snapchat expanded Dynamic Product Ads into Sponsored Snaps, letting retail brands show catalog-based product recommendations directly inside Snapchat’s Chat feature.¹⁰ Snapchat reports that Sponsored Snaps already drive 22% more conversions than other formats, so this expansion gives retail clients another place to meet shoppers where they’re already talking.
Creative Services
Creative services spent last month testing new tools rather than chasing platform news. Our designers split their time between a major software update and an early, experimental AI workflow. One is ready for client work today. The other still needs guardrails before it earns a spot on live projects.
Affinity Adds New AI-Powered Editing Tools
Affinity’s latest update, part of the new Canva ProSuite bundle, added several features worth knowing about, including an AI tool that splits flattened images back into separate, editable layers and a new blend tool for building smoother transitions by hand.¹¹ Our designers are testing these tools now to see where they fit into client work, from social graphics to full brand campaigns.
Testing an Early AI and Blender Workflow
Our team also looked into a workflow that pairs OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra with Blender, letting a designer direct a 3D scene in plain language instead of clicking through menus.¹² It’s an early, experimental approach, and one worth watching. However, the source we reviewed flagged a real safety concern: Blender’s connection to these AI tools can run code without built-in safeguards. So, we’re only testing this in a separate, disposable project space for now, not on any live client work.
Your Digital Marketing Agency Is Ready for What’s Next
Search is changing fast, and it isn’t slowing down anytime soon. However, that’s exactly why we publish updates like this each month. If any part of our September Digital Marketing Agency Updates made you wonder how your own marketing stacks up, contact us today. We’d love to talk through what’s working, what’s shifting, and where we can help next.
Related Readings
- August 2026 Digital Marketing Trends & Updates: Last month’s roundup of what our departments tracked across search, paid media, and social.
- Digital Marketing Update: July 2026: A look back at July’s platform changes and what they meant for our clients.
- Local SEO & Google Maps Marketing: See how local SEO and Google Maps optimization help nearby customers find your business first.
References
- Google Search Central Blog. Announcing web multimodal Search performance reporting in Search Console. Google for Developers. Published September 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/09/web-multimodal-in-sc
- Search Engine Land. Google AI Overviews now appear in 39% of U.S. desktop searches. Published September 22, 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-share-us-comscore-490381
- Semrush. Zero-click marketing. Semrush Blog. Published September 11, 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.semrush.com/blog/zero-click-marketing/
- PPC News Feed. Offline uploads can now fill missing user data. Published September 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-09/offline-uploads-can-now-fill-missing-user-data/
- PPC News Feed. “More from Advertiser” title tested on sitelinks. Published September 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-09/more-from-advertiser-title-tested-sitelinks/
- PPC News Feed. AI Mode tests text-anchor ads & descriptions. Published September 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://ppcnewsfeed.com/ppc-news/2026-09/ai-mode-tests-text-anchor-ads-descriptions/
- GA4.com. Track your organic social traffic in GA4. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://ga4.com/organic-social-ga4
- TechCrunch. Instagram now lets you swap out the music in your old posts. Published July 21, 2026. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/instagram-now-lets-you-swap-out-the-music-in-your-old-posts/
- Social Media Today. Meta launches Meta One for Business add-on packages. Published September 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-launches-meta-one-for-business-add-on-packages/830469/
- Social Media Today. Snapchat expands Dynamic Product Ads to Sponsored Snaps. Published September 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/snapchat-expands-dynamic-product-ads-to-sponsored-snaps/830124/
- Creative Bloq. Affinity’s 100 new features. Published September 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.creativebloq.com/design/design-software/massive-canva-update-aims-to-automate-the-tedious-keep-the-craft
- Mitchell C. GPT-6 Astra + Blender: build a real 3D agent workflow. Medium. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://clairemitchell10.medium.com/gpt-6-astra-blender-build-a-real-3d-agent-workflow-9eebfa7d1f65
- Peham, T. I ran 30+ GEO experiments so you don’t have to: What 200M AI citations say actually works [Conference presentation slides]. brightonSEO San Diego. Speaker Deck. Published September 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026. https://speakerdeck.com/thomaspeham/i-ran-30-plus-geo-experiments-so-you-dont-have-to-what-200m-ai-citations-say-actually-works
