Step 1
The truth verdict is a human-reviewed record; the freshness verdict is computed by comparing the primary-source date against the AI Overviews launch date, never against Google's algorithm.
Public tool method · Version 1.0.0
SEO Stat Fossil Checker
Use this method when you need to answer: Is this search or SEO stat true, and is it still current after AI Overviews? It turns the evidence you supply into a Sourced truth and freshness verdict by applying explicit, versioned decision rules. The result is not a benchmark or certification. It shows the strongest evidence, riskiest input, next action, owner, and review date so another reader can inspect and challenge the decision.
Last material review 2026-08-08 · Next review 2026-11-06
Question answered
Is this search or SEO stat true, and is it still current after AI Overviews?
The Fossil Checker answers two independent questions about a stat: a truth verdict from one versioned claims dataset, and a freshness verdict that dates the stat's primary source against the May 14, 2024 US launch of AI Overviews.
Step 2
A stat sourced before the launch that describes the results page itself is a fossil, because it measured a page that structurally no longer exists; a ranking-factor or corporate fact is not dated out by the launch.
Step 3
A stat whose magnitude is disputed or superseded reads as contested, direction intact and specific number not.
Step 4
A stat with no matching record returns a Self-Date checklist rather than a fabricated verdict, and every verdict and freshness call is a versioned record reviewed at least quarterly.
Step 5
Record the required inputs and label missing or estimated evidence before classification.
Assumptions and limits
- The freshness rule dates the source, not the algorithm; it does not predict rankings, traffic, or performance.
- The dataset is a reviewed sample, so a no-match is a research lead, not proof a stat is false.
Usefulness hypothesis
A dated, twin-verdict check replaces stale SEO stats before they shape a budget decision.
Primary metric: Fossil check result view, verdict copy, or Claims Index deep-link
Worked example and modes
The same method, preserved entry intent.
- Id
- seo-is-dead
- Claim Text
- SEO is dead. AI Overviews killed organic traffic.
- Verdict
- CONTESTED
- Real Finding
- The click side is real. Zero-click is now 68% and AI summaries roughly halve the traditional result click rate (Pew: 8% with a summary versus 15% without). But dead is false. Alphabet Search revenue grew 17% to 63.3B in Q2 2026 and Google holds about 91% of search. Organic click-through is shrinking. The channel is not dead.
- Do Instead
- Separate the two claims. Report the click decline with its dated source, and report Google's revenue and share growth alongside it. Plan for fewer informational clicks, not a dead channel.
- Category
- Market Position
Distribution package
Use, embed, and share the instrument.
Blank CSV template90-second demonstrationThree share treatmentsPlain-language answer
Embed with canonical attribution
<iframe src="https://petrichorgrowth.com/tools/seo-benchmark-claims/embed.html" title="SEO Stat Fossil Checker" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="900"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://petrichorgrowth.com/tools/seo-benchmark-claims">SEO Stat Fossil Checker by Petrichor</a></p>Ownership and change control
Who keeps the result defensible?
Product
Petrichor product
Method
Petrichor strategy
Evidence
Petrichor research
Privacy
Petrichor operations
Security
Petrichor web platform
Distribution
Petrichor growth
Support
Petrichor client experience
A material method change requires a reason, impact note, fixture rerun, semantic-version increment, and public entry in the method change log.
Related decision methods
Continue through the evidence chain.
AI Skill Assurance and Deployment Readiness
Determine whether a bounded AI workflow has the evidence and controls required for qualified review.
Authority Ledger
Identify where authority is accumulating, drifting, or going uncited.
Category Evidence Builder
Determine whether a proposed category has observable demand and usable evidence.
Related plain-language answers
AI Skill Assurance answerAuthority Ledger answerCategory Evidence answer
Method questions
What another reader should know.
What does the SEO Stat Fossil Checker method produce?
A versioned Sourced truth and freshness verdict with visible reasoning, evidence status, next action, ownership, and review date.
What inputs does SEO Stat Fossil Checker require?
Only the structured decision evidence named by the instrument. Missing or estimated inputs remain visible in the result.
Does the method use AI or a cross-customer benchmark?
No. It applies deterministic rules to the user's inputs and does not compare one customer with another.
When is the method reviewed or changed?
The current method is reviewed at least every 90 days. Material changes require new fixtures, a version increment, and a public change note.
When should the artifact move into facilitated work?
When the unresolved decision requires team challenge, evidence reconciliation, dissent, ownership, and an organizational commitment.