Google is going to phase-out third-party cookies in August 2024. Are you ready for it? Here are some key considerations that are important to start discussing now: Collect and Activate First-Party Data Strategies: -Focus on collecting and leveraging first-party data directly from your audience. Encourage your users to opt into data collection through transparent and valuable incentives. -Develop strategies to enhance your first-party data, such as implementing robust customer relationship management (CRM) systems, creating engaging content for data collection, and utilizing user accounts or loyalty programs. Test more Contextual Advertising now: -Shift and test contextual targeting, which involves displaying ads based on the content of the web page rather than individual user behavior. This is much more advanced now than it was back in the day. You can read down to the sentence level, detect images, and even read tone and sentiment. Stay on top of Privacy-Compliant Technologies: -Explore and invest in emerging technologies that respect user privacy while still allowing for effective targeting. Technologies like Privacy Sandbox by Google, which aims to provide privacy-friendly alternatives for targeted advertising, could be considered. Collaborate with Publishers and Suppliers: -Strengthen partnerships with publishers and other advertising partners to facilitate more direct relationships with your audience. -Work with publishers to understand their first-party data offerings or exploring new forms of partnerships. Measurement will change and you will need new benchmarks, understand the impact now: -If you are heavily reliant on Google platforms, opt-into enhanced automation. This will give your campaign aggregated training data for improved performance -Test optimized targeting now allows you to expand to audiences who you may otherwise miss with only manual targeting. We’ve tested this across many clients and we tend to see an increase in performance / ROAS / CPA or a decrease in cost to acquire new customers. -Try custom bidding; weighted conversions towards floodlight or even view vs clicks. Need a script, reach out, we can help write them. -Clean up your floodlight strategy: narrow it down to the top 5 that are most important across the customer journey. This will allow DV360 and the AI tools optimize better towards touch points that truly matter. Hot Tip, look to see how many conversions you have in a month, most of the time min is about 100 conversions. DM or comment because I want to hear your thoughts.

I, for one, am incredibly curious to understand exactly how IAS will deliver "tweet-level insights" for the on-platform content of X (TAFKA Twitter). Color me cautiously optimistic. Kudos to Jonathan Molina for always providing great perspective.

Brainlabs doing smart things with great clients - cheers to our programmatic team, our client Icelandair, and our great partners at SciBids!

"The great thing about AI is to allow us to get back to being marketers." The brilliant Alessandro Creso talks to Google at #AWNewYork23 about the power of Google Ads AI features - spot on!

Conversions API Gateway is a fantastic, foundational tool for driving success on Meta. But don't take my word for it - check out what Jonathan Molina has to say!

Amazon DSP is a powerful (and in my opinion, underutilized) programmatic solution. It can also be confusing - which is why Anjlee Majmudar put together this fantastic guide!

I’ve finally got a Threads account and here are my first observations: - Anonymity is no longer the default when it comes to a digital presence on the internet. Gen Z had it right with the invention of the finsta. Now I can’t trust active user counts in earnings calls. How many accounts will someone have? - I’m genuinely curious to see how Meta is going to commodify memeing and shitposting while mediating civility in a space that’s inherently chaotic? Twitter was never able to harness that part of the cultural zeitgeist - The first batch of available influencer and content creators able to be followed on platform are absolute garbage. A marketer’s dream in respect to brand safety, sure - but yaaaaaawn. - Haven’t seen anything yet, but please…for my own sanity - make the video player actually function. It was genuinely the worst part of Twitter and there was never a focus in improving it. Anyway, I guess you can follow me and let me know if you feel the same way.

So here's my hot take - it's not so much that there's eventually going to be a new placement (especially because its inevitable when it comes to the social space. Charity doesn't exist here.), but more so that expected monetization implies that there is validity in the concept and that Threads won't meet the same fate as Lasso/tbh/spool/ or other Meta owned properties. Validity not only in respect to ad space, but also as a potential source of consistently generated human-to-human discourse that can fuel the continued AI race that Meta has invested mountains of capital into. We look to integrate predictive AI solutions such as ASC and generative AI tools such as Standard Enhancements where it makes sense, but lack an area to influence emotive AI - until now. The concept of the "walled garden" isn't new to anybody in this space, but this new era Terrestrial Paradise begs the larger question of figuring out what will be left to control when we've given up so much in the name of performance. Shout out to Krystal Scanlon for allowing me to contribute to your piece!

Media buying teams can save a collective $22B. Wow. Supply path optimization is not new, its not fancy, nor is it the new shiny ad format, however, it is needed and required to reduce waste. I recommend using at least 1 years worth of data to start your analysis. Here is my recommendation: 1) analyze your supply (hot tip - you don't get value from all of them; likely 6 or 7 max), 2) develop strong partnerships with suppliers that yield efficiencies and performance and quality, 3) increase cost transparency by brokering deals upfront or receiving better reporting. Make your media dollars work for you! Great article, highly recommended reading. Need help, DM and I can help build out a framework

Google is going to phase-out third-party cookies in August 2024. Are you ready for it? Here are some key considerations that are important to start discussing now: Collect and Activate First-Party Data Strategies: -Focus on collecting and leveraging first-party data directly from your audience. Encourage your users to opt into data collection through transparent and valuable incentives. -Develop strategies to enhance your first-party data, such as implementing robust customer relationship management (CRM) systems, creating engaging content for data collection, and utilizing user accounts or loyalty programs. Test more Contextual Advertising now: -Shift and test contextual targeting, which involves displaying ads based on the content of the web page rather than individual user behavior. This is much more advanced now than it was back in the day. You can read down to the sentence level, detect images, and even read tone and sentiment. Stay on top of Privacy-Compliant Technologies: -Explore and invest in emerging technologies that respect user privacy while still allowing for effective targeting. Technologies like Privacy Sandbox by Google, which aims to provide privacy-friendly alternatives for targeted advertising, could be considered. Collaborate with Publishers and Suppliers: -Strengthen partnerships with publishers and other advertising partners to facilitate more direct relationships with your audience. -Work with publishers to understand their first-party data offerings or exploring new forms of partnerships. Measurement will change and you will need new benchmarks, understand the impact now: -If you are heavily reliant on Google platforms, opt-into enhanced automation. This will give your campaign aggregated training data for improved performance -Test optimized targeting now allows you to expand to audiences who you may otherwise miss with only manual targeting. We’ve tested this across many clients and we tend to see an increase in performance / ROAS / CPA or a decrease in cost to acquire new customers. -Try custom bidding; weighted conversions towards floodlight or even view vs clicks. Need a script, reach out, we can help write them. -Clean up your floodlight strategy: narrow it down to the top 5 that are most important across the customer journey. This will allow DV360 and the AI tools optimize better towards touch points that truly matter. Hot Tip, look to see how many conversions you have in a month, most of the time min is about 100 conversions. DM or comment because I want to hear your thoughts.

Missed Amazon Unboxed? Don't worry, here are some of the highlights from the event: 1) Prime Video and the NBA announce landmark 11-year global media rights agreement beginning in 2025 2) Amazon To Expand Prime Video Advertising To Brazil, India, Japan, The Netherlands & New Zealand In 2025 3)Three new Streaming TV ad formats: Shoppable carousel ads, Interactive pause ads, and Interactive brand trivia ads. 4) Multitouch Algorithms: helps you understand how your marketing works to drive conversions, going beyond last touch attribution to consider the relative contribution of each marketing touchpoint leading to a conversion. Advertisers can now view their top 5 paths in Ad Console across Sponsored Ads and Amazon DSP 5) AI for Creative Generation: Amazon expands the existing family of generative AI tools to include all media types, helping you create engaging content across images, video, and audio. #amazon #programmatic #amazonDSP #amazonunboxed #tech #media

Being a #modernmarketer today means leveraging data, #AI, and automation without losing sight of the human element. AI should enhance creativity, not replace it. I love the concept that AI is not coming for your job; it's coming for your tasks. In my role as a VP of Paid Search, it's about leveraging search data to not only capture existing demand but to understand evolving consumer intent and respond with agility. Watch the full discussion here: goo.gle/4dZS8HC Google, YouTube, Think with Google, Brainlabs

So a pretty big piece of news broke last night, after months of rumblings. The US Department of Justice ruled that Google acted illegally in maintaining a monopoly in online search. This is a very nuanced debate, but for me there are 3 main questions to unpack around the decision. 1. Does Google have a monopoly in online search? An unequivocal yes! It’s hard to argue against market shares of 90%. 2. Did Google abuse its power once it became a monopoly? Also yes. This has been well-documented, but plenty of evidence emerged during the hearing which detailed how Google artificially tweaked their auction with the intention of increasing the prices advertisers had to pay for clicks. The hearing found that, because of the lack of scale in alternative search engines, these price rises were indeed profitable for Google - ie advertisers tended to swallow these costs, rather than shifting ad budgets elsewhere. In Google’s defense, I do think this was a natural step for any share-value-driven organisation. That’s not to say price rises are a good thing for the digital economy - but if any other company had been in Google’s shoes, it's likely they'd take the same path. 3. Did Google act illegally to attain its status as a monopoly? This is what the ruling really hinges on... but for me, this is where things get a little fuzzy. I’ve seen good arguments in either direction, but if I were to give my by-no-means-legal-expert-opinion, I’d probably err on the side of “no”. The crux of the argument against is that Google pay a lot of money to the likes of Apple & Samsung to come pre-installed as the default search engine. That’s true, but that on its own is not sufficient for a guilty verdict - we have to ask whether the agreement is illegal. To me this feels within the realm of fair business practice – and feels like there are many analagous commercial arrangements which we wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at. FMCG orgs essentially pay retailers for distribution (in their case, shelf space) – and it’s often the case that the majority of brands on the shelf are manufactured by the same parent company. I may be overlooking some intricacy here, but other than the scale of the agreement, why is the deal between Google & Apple any different? It’s also worth noting that Google weren’t the only ones trying to establish these agreements - Microsoft went on record to say that they attempted similar conversations with Apple, but naturally, they weren’t able to place a bid as favourable as Google’s. What happens next? All we know for now is that Google will appeal the decision. Their initial response to the ruling is a very pointed one - but for the time being, I don’t think I disagree with it? 📣 “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available.”

Google may be the king of search, but they’re facing very real competition on two different fronts: transactional product searches and shifting consumer search habits. Google already has a strategy in place to compete with Amazon for these coveted transactional searches by creating a more appealing experience built for shoppers that pulls in reviews, filter functions, ”Buy on Google’ options, and more. Yet, these changes haven't seemed to sway searchers to Google for product searches. Simultaneously, Google faces another threat—changing search behavior. Behavior that favors video, images, and different ways of searching for information beyond Google’s traditional 10-blue links. Studies show a significant shift in online shopping behaviors, especially among Gen Z and millennials. Instead of Google, these young shoppers turn to social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest. The shifts triggered by Amazon and Gen Z have already impacted search and SEO strategies—and they will continue to drive change in the industry. Below are 4 ways SEO is changing and how you can return to marketing basics: know your audience (and where they're searching) inside and out. 👇 Keep an eye out for an in-depth article coming soon! #seo

ADWEEK asked for my view on SGE, and I had a brilliant conversation with Trishla Ostwal. Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) is still in beta, but it appears on 84% of search queries in its current format, according to BrightEdge. We see similar high numbers in our testing, and we've taken it one step further at @Brainlabs to model what this could mean for our client's organic performance. I am *not* an SGE doomsayer; in fact, I suspect it'll take a long time to roll out fully and will be tested with great intention—as any other SERP change—to ensure Google's monetization is secured and brands are not heavily impacted. All this said, we already know the winning recipe in marketing: focus on your audience! Discover what your audience is searching for and where, and build strategies to engage your community where they're at. Doing this gives SEO a seat at the omnichannel table, and you get a first-hand look at how your brand can be most helpful to your community. New career achievement unlocked...thanks, ADWEEK! ✅ #SEO #sge #generativeai

When I say, “Google looks more like Amazon than Google for transactional searches,” this is precisely what I mean. I’m with Kevin Indig on this—I think Google has no choice but to double down on making itself a desirable destination for online shopping. 🛒 As of now, it’s getting its lunch eaten by Amazon. Google has made substantial progress, and the e-commerce SERP looks dramatically different these days. To take advantage of these changes, SEOs need to make friends with their shopping feed friends. We’ve been working with all of our e-commerce brands on integrating feed optimizations into our work. I’ve often seen underoptimized feeds lacking product details and specifics, which help show the proper filters/searches. What are you doing to stay ahead of these SERP changes? #seo #ecommercemarketing

When I say, “Google looks more like Amazon than Google for transactional searches,” this is precisely what I mean. I’m with Kevin Indig on this—I think Google has no choice but to double down on making itself a desirable destination for online shopping. 🛒 As of now, it’s getting its lunch eaten by Amazon. Google has made substantial progress, and the e-commerce SERP looks dramatically different these days. To take advantage of these changes, SEOs need to make friends with their shopping feed friends. We’ve been working with all of our e-commerce brands on integrating feed optimizations into our work. I’ve often seen underoptimized feeds lacking product details and specifics, which help show the proper filters/searches. What are you doing to stay ahead of these SERP changes? #seo #ecommercemarketing

Rumor has it that OpenAI is eyeing a search engine to compete with Google. I spoke with Trishla Ostwal from ADWEEK as it rolled off the press. Here’s the reality: OpenAI isn’t the first to compete with Google and won’t be the last. But the truth is, it will take more than a better product to gain a significant share against Google. You don’t “search” for things, you “Google” them. Google sits at 85+% global market share for search, and even more in the US. Even if OpenAI has a better product, I suspect it’ll take loads of marketing efforts and/or generational turnover to outcompete Google. Explaining “a new Google” to my parents/grandparents seems incredibly difficult. In any world, it’s exciting to see competition and have companies motivated to create the next iteration of products. To me, the only way to unseat Google is to invent a new way to search entirely. #seo #genai #openai

This post is about something far more critical than SEO: the awful insurance and medical billing practices in America. A new report shows UCHealth, Colorado's largest NON-PROFIT hospital system, has sued 15,000+ people for payments when it had $800 MILLION plus in PROFIT. Not only did they sue, but they did so with unethical practices like shielding their name from the lawsuit through shadow companies, thereby making it almost impossible to untangle for patients. I’ve been on the hard side of UCHealth billing, even with robust employer insurance and getting surgical preapproval. It took over two years to resolve and over 40+ hours of phone calls. Most folks in America do not have those luxuries: robust insurance or time for phone trees. I’ve now learned to avoid doctors and hospitals at all costs and, when possible, to pay the out-of-pocket cash price because I’ve found that it is usually cheaper. Our future deserves a better way than this. At some point, all of us will require a hospital. When will we demand a better way? #colorado #insurance

AI content has one major flaw: it’s plagiarized 60% of the time. “Yes, but: "Our models were designed and trained to learn concepts in order to help them solve new problems," OpenAI spokesperson Lindsey Held wrote in a statement to Axios. "We have measures in place to limit inadvertent memorization, and our terms of use prohibit the intentional use of our models to regurgitate content."” In any world, I’ll state the obvious: AI content is not original content curated with the same effort or thought as human content. In some cases, that doesn’t matter; in others, that matters a lot. For now, as it turns out, turning a blind eye to AI output could put you at the same risk OpenAI is experiencing with lawsuits from the New York Times, authors, and songwriters. Writer and brands beware. #seo #chatgpt

Search Generative Experience (SGE) could be cool. It could make your search easier and even get you a better, more complete, and informed answer. But, like any featured snippet, it will always be at the mercy of its inputs. Determining those inputs is the most important part of search. In this example of SGE—yes, one that I was searching for—I discovered that you don't need clothes to put up Starlink. While not technically wrong—I suppose you *could* make do without clothes if you wanted—this doesn't seem helpful to include in the result. 😅 Following the link, you'll find an answer in a forum (starlinkforum.net) from the user omeSz, which is basically a nonsensical answer in the forum. I've rarely seen featured snippets pulled from forums—sometimes Quora forums—but forums are tricky beasts to moderate and trust. This result caused a laugh, but it did lead to frustration as I was actually trying to find answers to my questions. For other, more important results, this frustration could lead to desertion of the product. Will that frustration be at omeSz? Of course not. It will be at Google. This question of inputs, among many others, is a big one regarding SGE that doesn't have obvious answers. This is why I believe Google will proceed with SGE cautiously and slowly. #SEO #genai

"Handy in the same way that it might occasionally be useful to delegate some tasks to an inexperienced and sometimes sloppy intern." I've found that consistency with generative AI is a challenge, even with tighter and tighter prompts. Solutions are being built that improve context windows to improve consistency, but they are still far from perfect (or even, at times, helpful). Of course, there are use cases where it's extremely helpful—interpreting large datasets, summarizing meetings/notes, and inspiring ideas and written text. Nevertheless, as models continue to change and advance, continuous experimentation will be needed to determine generative AI technology's abilities and benefits. The future is bright! 🔆 #SEO

OpenAI held its hugely anticipated Spring Announcement today. It wasn't a search engine or a partnership with Apple. Instead, it was really cool upgrades to their existing tech, including a multimodal product, faster outputs, and a conversational app that can complete math problems, chat through code, and translate in real-time. While a search engine seems exciting to those of us in SEO...ChatGPT knows something that many other flopped search engines (yes.com, duckduckgo, etc.) haven't before: the only way to beat tech giants is to play a different game. A search engine is another iteration of something old. ChatGPT's tech is changing how people interact with technology to get answers, just like TikTok changed how people discover information through short-form videos. In the long run, this will prove more valuable than a search engine product with huge headwinds in a market dominated by a key player. #SEO #openai

OpenAI held its hugely anticipated Spring Announcement today. It wasn't a search engine or a partnership with Apple. Instead, it was really cool upgrades to their existing tech, including a multimodal product, faster outputs, and a conversational app that can complete math problems, chat through code, and translate in real-time. While a search engine seems exciting to those of us in SEO...ChatGPT knows something that many other flopped search engines (yes.com, duckduckgo, etc.) haven't before: the only way to beat tech giants is to play a different game. A search engine is another iteration of something old. ChatGPT's tech is changing how people interact with technology to get answers, just like TikTok changed how people discover information through short-form videos. In the long run, this will prove more valuable than a search engine product with huge headwinds in a market dominated by a key player. #SEO #openai

OpenAI held its hugely anticipated Spring Announcement today. It wasn't a search engine or a partnership with Apple. Instead, it was really cool upgrades to their existing tech, including a multimodal product, faster outputs, and a conversational app that can complete math problems, chat through code, and translate in real-time. While a search engine seems exciting to those of us in SEO...ChatGPT knows something that many other flopped search engines (yes.com, duckduckgo, etc.) haven't before: the only way to beat tech giants is to play a different game. A search engine is another iteration of something old. ChatGPT's tech is changing how people interact with technology to get answers, just like TikTok changed how people discover information through short-form videos. In the long run, this will prove more valuable than a search engine product with huge headwinds in a market dominated by a key player. #SEO #openai

BLAST OFF: AI Overviews (formerly SGE) is here! 🚀 I remember when featured snippets entered the game in 2014, and the buzz then was "how unreliable" and "awful" those results were. And don't get me wrong—Google didn't always get it right, even years later (see my search for putting a pizza box in an oven and Google's woeful answer in 2021! lnkd.in/dN89Rpnw). However, it made searching easier over time, leading to more searches and more people on Google. That's Google's same promise (and objective) today. 🤔 Contrary to many SEOs, I believe AI Overviews will be a better experience in the long run than the mishmash of entering slow, ad-bombarded sites for answers today. Featured snippets took years to fully "roll out," starting with only 4% of keywords, and I expect the same intentional approach from Google here for AI Overviews (source: lnkd.in/dUvE_Tyt), with the ability for many searchers to "generate an AI overview" so they opt-in to the experience. 📈 How can you prepare as a brand? 1. *Aim for AI Overview Slots* It's worthwhile for brands to take their shot at owning a spot in the AI Overview. Just like with featured snippets, this will be possible. And, I suspect, just like with featured snippets, many brands will sleep on it for years before realizing the influence they can have if they win top AI Overviews spots. Be a first-mover! 2. *Embrace Multimodal Content* The writing is on the wall: multimodal content and searches—of images, audio, and videos—will increase over time. This will be far less competitive in the short run, and we need to cozy up to our brand and social media friends to create robust strategies inclusive of multimodal content! 3. *Utilize all of Google's Features* Focus on all of Google's features available to you: local listings for brick-and-mortar, Google Shopping for retailers, Google Flights/Hotels for travel brands, and variations of schema to show your content and products better. 4. *Track & Forecast the Impact* Closely track impressions, clicks, and CTR through Google Search Console so you can understand the impact to specific keywords and pages on your site. ⁉ Questions remain: 1. If AI Overviews is the better experience, how can brands best take advantage of it? (We are currently engaging in testing to help answer this!) 2. If brands aren't rewarded for monetized site traffic (either through ads or affiliates), how does Google reward new content creation so its AI doesn't get dumber over time (as is typical of LLMs—lnkd.in/d6adAyBn)? 3. If AI pulls and fine-tuns the algorithm levers, how does Google maintain space for smaller brands or new entrants? Consider this a new era of SERPs. The only constant is change—now let's go SEO! 🧠

I have a totally different perspective on AI Overviews and Google’s massive product release facepalm. 🤦‍♂️ Other AI methods than LLMs produce better results for information retrieval. It took Google a long time to implement RAG (retrieval augmented generation) into AI Overviews—and it’s RAG with a low-quality quality algorithm when they’ve spent 25 years “improving” their search quality algorithm. It’s almost as if they couldn’t get two teams to work together. THAT is what is mind-blowing. 🤯 I know Google can do better than this. The minds there are some of the best in the world. But this isn’t about brains. Solving AI is about cooperation.

The Google Search API leak is precisely the validation I needed on a Tuesday. 😉 In all seriousness, it’s worth reading, and Rand Fishkin & Michael King have done a great job combing through it. It’s a great reminder of what we know—but now we can confidently say, “Google, you’ve led us astray, even lied to us at times.” Onward and upward to the SEOs who build for people & brands and don’t try to game the system. — Rand Fishkin’s leak overview: lnkd.in/g4EcDCqd Michael King's technical breakdown: lnkd.in/gM2U8tQ2 #seo #contentmarketing #google

MASSIVE news of an Apple & OpenAI partnership (from a credible journalist). Makes total sense: • Power up Siri. • Make device search & summary better, something Apple has already taken strides to do (thanks to search with Spotlight) • Apple avoids Google's PR mess, giving them time to work on their own model (good thought, Jeremy Hull!) • Buy time to see how the use cases, tech, industry—and, most importantly—audiences adapt to gen AI. Apple’s device data will be CRUCIAL for advancing the industry, thanks to their massive reach. Hate to break it to the skeptics, but Gen AI is here to stay. #seo #genai

🚨 Call history & metrics will be no more in Google Business Profile. This feels like a BIG change for local SEO that hasn't gotten a lot of buzz on my feed. Google's documentation doesn't provide a clear answer for why they're doing this (see comments). Is it privacy? Is it cost-saving? Is it something else? What do you think of this change?

I've heard my entire career that "voice search is the future," and almost 15 years later, that never happened. Anyone with Siri in their pocket knows it's not that helpful except for checking the weather, setting alarms, starting a text to friends, calling a loved one, or doing simple searches. Over the last year, I've read *so* many headlines touting that generative AI could finally make voice search helpful, better, and even "replace search engines" in their current form. But, as with most technology, maybe the adoption curve is as simple as shifting generational habits. Young kids are adopting smart speakers more than any other generation, and they're a part of their daily lives. It's their way of exploring the world. Only time will tell if this truly stands, especially once kids realize the limitations of current voice search and better alternatives (cough, cough...visual search engines). However, maybe—just maybe—this generational shift will coincide with an advancement in voice search, and it will be the best search tool out there. #seo #voicesearch #marketing

Video wins!! 📹 After analyzing the last year of data and the last 3 months of my top performing 50 posts—categorizing them into Text, Image, Link, and Video posts—video was the winner with average engagement per post. Video has higher engagement per post in every category: Text vs. Video: +13% Image vs. Video: +37% Link vs Video: +118% Impressions get a bit muddier, given that most of my posts are text and all of my pinned profile posts are text. Albeit, my dataset is small and skewed in some respects with a few outliers—but, directionally, this feels like an excellent opportunity to expand into a LinkedIn video strategy. Expect more videos from me in the future! 🧠 #creator #marketing

YouTube is testing user-generated notes added to videos. This feels like a Reddit x YouTube crossover, and I’m here for it. However, it could be a nightmare for brands to manage and ensure brand safety on their videos—ultimately leading to less content produced. It will be interesting to see the brand controls added and how this impacts video ranking (in SERPs and YouTube)!

After 5 mins of using SearchGPT, I already hate it. Right out of the gate, it appears that a kindergartener would be better at showing me a blue backpack than SearchGPT. Look—I suspect this type of search engine *will* be great one day. However, information retrieval is very different from information generation. Generative AI has its place in the world, but it's likely not a search engine.

This is a BIG change in how AIOs are sourced and appear, and Mark Traphagen is on the case. 💡 The good news is that the ranking algorithms seem to be better stitched at this point. This likely provides much more reliable results in AIOs, building on a tried-and-true ranking algorithm. It also provides better guidance on how SEO influences AIOs (in short, AI Overview Optimization = Google Optimization). The bad news: 1. SERPs become more redundant, potentially decreasing satisfaction. Google's initial statement, "We’ve found that with AI Overviews, people use Search more, and are more satisfied with their results." could be at risk. 2. This could dramatically change CTR curves (TBD on how). Google's statement, "And we see that the links included in AI Overviews get more clicks than if the page had appeared as a traditional web listing for that query. " could be at risk.

🎮 Some SEOs view their job as "gaming the system." 👊 Some SEOs view their job as "the ultimate competitive Google showdown." 📈 Some SEOs view their job as "showing results at all costs." 💙 I view my job as "helping people get the information they want/need as fast and easy as possible." The world is a better place when we view our role as helping each other, rather than taking advantage of each other. When I lead with this belief, I get better output—more thorough and accurate content, better technical implementation meant to guide the user journey, and I sleep better at night knowing my intentions are sound. Call me an idealist, but I'd rather that than the belief system of someone looking to win through unethical practices or tricks. In my experience, helping people naturally leads to high performance because you truly understand what they want. #seo #marketing

⑧ Black Friday / Cyber Monday tips & tricks you still have time for! 1. Optimize BFCM Pages with Relevant Keywords ➼ Make sure your pages target the right keywords, including brand keywords if you also sell on marketplaces like Amazon or Walmart. Many users search for deals on their favorite brands or a specific category! 2. Don’t Overlook Discount & Coupon Pages ➼ Shoppers are often looking for broad, deal-related searches like “best Black Friday deals” or “holiday discounts.” Make sure these pages are optimized for relevant search terms. 3. Keep the Page Live & Evergreen ➼ Avoid putting dates in your URL. Instead of /black-friday-2024/, use /black-friday-deals/ and keep it live all year long to build authority and traffic year after year (obviously while altering the content & deals). 4. Ensure Your Product Schema and Feed Are Spot-On ➼ Make sure your product schema is properly set up and your shopping feed is in great shape to help Google understand your products and promote them effectively in search results. 5. Create Best-Selling Guides ➼ Help shoppers find your top products with best-seller guides, including good complimentary products. These are great for SEO, drive up your AOV, and help users make faster decisions in a crowded marketplace. 6. Leverage Internal Linking ➼ Link your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from high-authority pages on your site, like the homepage, product pages, or even blog posts. This helps distribute authority and improve rankings for your BFCM pages. 7. Improve Site Speed to Critical Pages ➼ I typically wouldn't recommend taking on a site-wide site speed initiative this close to BFCM, but it does make sense to optimize your most critical pages for a smooth transaction experience. 8. Add Digital Wallet Compatibility ➼ Adding something like PayPal or Google Pay can provide an immediate benefit to the user's checkout experience, improve your conversion rate, and make it easier to capture folks who abandon their cart. What else would you add? #seo #blackfriday #cybermonday #bfcm

ChatGPT is now officially a SEARCH engine with a new web search function. They will be sunsetting SearchGPT in favor of this new ChatGPT feature. Important notes: 1. Don't let ChatGPT be grouped with your referral traffic! You deserve to count that as organic traffic. I'd recommend ensuring your reporting is up-to-date to capture AI Search Engines in your organic traffic bucket. (Thanks for chatting through this logic with me, Derek Hobson!) 2. Start testing! AI Search Engines are here to stay—especially with Google announcing in their recent earnings call that, "AI Overviews said to be getting similar CPCs as typical search – user engagement said to be strong, could help drive query growth." Now is your time to figure out how you can influence results, create a holistic search approach, and give people the results they deserve.

I’m a huge fan of anti/mindful-marketing. Automic Gold does this incredibly well with an “opt-out for the holidays” email. This drives improved forecasting, improved conversion, forces intention about their brand, and grows brand sentiment. Will I be opting out? No, because I want to see what other cool marketing they do this season! ☃️

Temu being the most downloaded app this year was NOT on my bingo card, but numbers 2, 3, & 4 are even more interesting: 2024 most downloaded apps: 1. Temu — coming for Amazon's lunch, Temu is growing at an exceptional speed while Amazon struggles to maintain its rapid growth. 2. Threads — the app that no one thought would take off has indeed taken off. Sure, BlueSky is growing fast but has a long way to go to catch Threads which is 1.5-5x larger than BlueSky on any given day. 3. TikTok — the golden child has been pushed aside and could be put in timeout here soon if it's banned in the USA. 4. ChatGPT — ChatGPT cracking the top 5 is impressive considering most of its traffic is desktop. This shows a lot of promise for AI Search Engines, especially as they integrate with IOS. I'd love to see these downloads by demographic detail if anyone can get their hands on that! #seo #marketing

Google is going to phase-out third-party cookies in August 2024. Are you ready for it? Here are some key considerations that are important to start discussing now: Collect and Activate First-Party Data Strategies: -Focus on collecting and leveraging first-party data directly from your audience. Encourage your users to opt into data collection through transparent and valuable incentives. -Develop strategies to enhance your first-party data, such as implementing robust customer relationship management (CRM) systems, creating engaging content for data collection, and utilizing user accounts or loyalty programs. Test more Contextual Advertising now: -Shift and test contextual targeting, which involves displaying ads based on the content of the web page rather than individual user behavior. This is much more advanced now than it was back in the day. You can read down to the sentence level, detect images, and even read tone and sentiment. Stay on top of Privacy-Compliant Technologies: -Explore and invest in emerging technologies that respect user privacy while still allowing for effective targeting. Technologies like Privacy Sandbox by Google, which aims to provide privacy-friendly alternatives for targeted advertising, could be considered. Collaborate with Publishers and Suppliers: -Strengthen partnerships with publishers and other advertising partners to facilitate more direct relationships with your audience. -Work with publishers to understand their first-party data offerings or exploring new forms of partnerships. Measurement will change and you will need new benchmarks, understand the impact now: -If you are heavily reliant on Google platforms, opt-into enhanced automation. This will give your campaign aggregated training data for improved performance -Test optimized targeting now allows you to expand to audiences who you may otherwise miss with only manual targeting. We’ve tested this across many clients and we tend to see an increase in performance / ROAS / CPA or a decrease in cost to acquire new customers. -Try custom bidding; weighted conversions towards floodlight or even view vs clicks. Need a script, reach out, we can help write them. -Clean up your floodlight strategy: narrow it down to the top 5 that are most important across the customer journey. This will allow DV360 and the AI tools optimize better towards touch points that truly matter. Hot Tip, look to see how many conversions you have in a month, most of the time min is about 100 conversions. DM or comment because I want to hear your thoughts.

I, for one, am incredibly curious to understand exactly how IAS will deliver "tweet-level insights" for the on-platform content of X (TAFKA Twitter). Color me cautiously optimistic. Kudos to Jonathan Molina for always providing great perspective.

Brainlabs doing smart things with great clients - cheers to our programmatic team, our client Icelandair, and our great partners at SciBids!

"The great thing about AI is to allow us to get back to being marketers." The brilliant Alessandro Creso talks to Google at #AWNewYork23 about the power of Google Ads AI features - spot on!

Conversions API Gateway is a fantastic, foundational tool for driving success on Meta. But don't take my word for it - check out what Jonathan Molina has to say!

Amazon DSP is a powerful (and in my opinion, underutilized) programmatic solution. It can also be confusing - which is why Anjlee Majmudar put together this fantastic guide!

I’ve finally got a Threads account and here are my first observations: - Anonymity is no longer the default when it comes to a digital presence on the internet. Gen Z had it right with the invention of the finsta. Now I can’t trust active user counts in earnings calls. How many accounts will someone have? - I’m genuinely curious to see how Meta is going to commodify memeing and shitposting while mediating civility in a space that’s inherently chaotic? Twitter was never able to harness that part of the cultural zeitgeist - The first batch of available influencer and content creators able to be followed on platform are absolute garbage. A marketer’s dream in respect to brand safety, sure - but yaaaaaawn. - Haven’t seen anything yet, but please…for my own sanity - make the video player actually function. It was genuinely the worst part of Twitter and there was never a focus in improving it. Anyway, I guess you can follow me and let me know if you feel the same way.

So here's my hot take - it's not so much that there's eventually going to be a new placement (especially because its inevitable when it comes to the social space. Charity doesn't exist here.), but more so that expected monetization implies that there is validity in the concept and that Threads won't meet the same fate as Lasso/tbh/spool/ or other Meta owned properties. Validity not only in respect to ad space, but also as a potential source of consistently generated human-to-human discourse that can fuel the continued AI race that Meta has invested mountains of capital into. We look to integrate predictive AI solutions such as ASC and generative AI tools such as Standard Enhancements where it makes sense, but lack an area to influence emotive AI - until now. The concept of the "walled garden" isn't new to anybody in this space, but this new era Terrestrial Paradise begs the larger question of figuring out what will be left to control when we've given up so much in the name of performance. Shout out to Krystal Scanlon for allowing me to contribute to your piece!

Media buying teams can save a collective $22B. Wow. Supply path optimization is not new, its not fancy, nor is it the new shiny ad format, however, it is needed and required to reduce waste. I recommend using at least 1 years worth of data to start your analysis. Here is my recommendation: 1) analyze your supply (hot tip - you don't get value from all of them; likely 6 or 7 max), 2) develop strong partnerships with suppliers that yield efficiencies and performance and quality, 3) increase cost transparency by brokering deals upfront or receiving better reporting. Make your media dollars work for you! Great article, highly recommended reading. Need help, DM and I can help build out a framework

Google is going to phase-out third-party cookies in August 2024. Are you ready for it? Here are some key considerations that are important to start discussing now: Collect and Activate First-Party Data Strategies: -Focus on collecting and leveraging first-party data directly from your audience. Encourage your users to opt into data collection through transparent and valuable incentives. -Develop strategies to enhance your first-party data, such as implementing robust customer relationship management (CRM) systems, creating engaging content for data collection, and utilizing user accounts or loyalty programs. Test more Contextual Advertising now: -Shift and test contextual targeting, which involves displaying ads based on the content of the web page rather than individual user behavior. This is much more advanced now than it was back in the day. You can read down to the sentence level, detect images, and even read tone and sentiment. Stay on top of Privacy-Compliant Technologies: -Explore and invest in emerging technologies that respect user privacy while still allowing for effective targeting. Technologies like Privacy Sandbox by Google, which aims to provide privacy-friendly alternatives for targeted advertising, could be considered. Collaborate with Publishers and Suppliers: -Strengthen partnerships with publishers and other advertising partners to facilitate more direct relationships with your audience. -Work with publishers to understand their first-party data offerings or exploring new forms of partnerships. Measurement will change and you will need new benchmarks, understand the impact now: -If you are heavily reliant on Google platforms, opt-into enhanced automation. This will give your campaign aggregated training data for improved performance -Test optimized targeting now allows you to expand to audiences who you may otherwise miss with only manual targeting. We’ve tested this across many clients and we tend to see an increase in performance / ROAS / CPA or a decrease in cost to acquire new customers. -Try custom bidding; weighted conversions towards floodlight or even view vs clicks. Need a script, reach out, we can help write them. -Clean up your floodlight strategy: narrow it down to the top 5 that are most important across the customer journey. This will allow DV360 and the AI tools optimize better towards touch points that truly matter. Hot Tip, look to see how many conversions you have in a month, most of the time min is about 100 conversions. DM or comment because I want to hear your thoughts.

Missed Amazon Unboxed? Don't worry, here are some of the highlights from the event: 1) Prime Video and the NBA announce landmark 11-year global media rights agreement beginning in 2025 2) Amazon To Expand Prime Video Advertising To Brazil, India, Japan, The Netherlands & New Zealand In 2025 3)Three new Streaming TV ad formats: Shoppable carousel ads, Interactive pause ads, and Interactive brand trivia ads. 4) Multitouch Algorithms: helps you understand how your marketing works to drive conversions, going beyond last touch attribution to consider the relative contribution of each marketing touchpoint leading to a conversion. Advertisers can now view their top 5 paths in Ad Console across Sponsored Ads and Amazon DSP 5) AI for Creative Generation: Amazon expands the existing family of generative AI tools to include all media types, helping you create engaging content across images, video, and audio. #amazon #programmatic #amazonDSP #amazonunboxed #tech #media

Being a #modernmarketer today means leveraging data, #AI, and automation without losing sight of the human element. AI should enhance creativity, not replace it. I love the concept that AI is not coming for your job; it's coming for your tasks. In my role as a VP of Paid Search, it's about leveraging search data to not only capture existing demand but to understand evolving consumer intent and respond with agility. Watch the full discussion here: goo.gle/4dZS8HC Google, YouTube, Think with Google, Brainlabs

So a pretty big piece of news broke last night, after months of rumblings. The US Department of Justice ruled that Google acted illegally in maintaining a monopoly in online search. This is a very nuanced debate, but for me there are 3 main questions to unpack around the decision. 1. Does Google have a monopoly in online search? An unequivocal yes! It’s hard to argue against market shares of 90%. 2. Did Google abuse its power once it became a monopoly? Also yes. This has been well-documented, but plenty of evidence emerged during the hearing which detailed how Google artificially tweaked their auction with the intention of increasing the prices advertisers had to pay for clicks. The hearing found that, because of the lack of scale in alternative search engines, these price rises were indeed profitable for Google - ie advertisers tended to swallow these costs, rather than shifting ad budgets elsewhere. In Google’s defense, I do think this was a natural step for any share-value-driven organisation. That’s not to say price rises are a good thing for the digital economy - but if any other company had been in Google’s shoes, it's likely they'd take the same path. 3. Did Google act illegally to attain its status as a monopoly? This is what the ruling really hinges on... but for me, this is where things get a little fuzzy. I’ve seen good arguments in either direction, but if I were to give my by-no-means-legal-expert-opinion, I’d probably err on the side of “no”. The crux of the argument against is that Google pay a lot of money to the likes of Apple & Samsung to come pre-installed as the default search engine. That’s true, but that on its own is not sufficient for a guilty verdict - we have to ask whether the agreement is illegal. To me this feels within the realm of fair business practice – and feels like there are many analagous commercial arrangements which we wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at. FMCG orgs essentially pay retailers for distribution (in their case, shelf space) – and it’s often the case that the majority of brands on the shelf are manufactured by the same parent company. I may be overlooking some intricacy here, but other than the scale of the agreement, why is the deal between Google & Apple any different? It’s also worth noting that Google weren’t the only ones trying to establish these agreements - Microsoft went on record to say that they attempted similar conversations with Apple, but naturally, they weren’t able to place a bid as favourable as Google’s. What happens next? All we know for now is that Google will appeal the decision. Their initial response to the ruling is a very pointed one - but for the time being, I don’t think I disagree with it? 📣 “This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available.”

Google may be the king of search, but they’re facing very real competition on two different fronts: transactional product searches and shifting consumer search habits. Google already has a strategy in place to compete with Amazon for these coveted transactional searches by creating a more appealing experience built for shoppers that pulls in reviews, filter functions, ”Buy on Google’ options, and more. Yet, these changes haven't seemed to sway searchers to Google for product searches. Simultaneously, Google faces another threat—changing search behavior. Behavior that favors video, images, and different ways of searching for information beyond Google’s traditional 10-blue links. Studies show a significant shift in online shopping behaviors, especially among Gen Z and millennials. Instead of Google, these young shoppers turn to social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest. The shifts triggered by Amazon and Gen Z have already impacted search and SEO strategies—and they will continue to drive change in the industry. Below are 4 ways SEO is changing and how you can return to marketing basics: know your audience (and where they're searching) inside and out. 👇 Keep an eye out for an in-depth article coming soon! #seo

ADWEEK asked for my view on SGE, and I had a brilliant conversation with Trishla Ostwal. Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) is still in beta, but it appears on 84% of search queries in its current format, according to BrightEdge. We see similar high numbers in our testing, and we've taken it one step further at @Brainlabs to model what this could mean for our client's organic performance. I am *not* an SGE doomsayer; in fact, I suspect it'll take a long time to roll out fully and will be tested with great intention—as any other SERP change—to ensure Google's monetization is secured and brands are not heavily impacted. All this said, we already know the winning recipe in marketing: focus on your audience! Discover what your audience is searching for and where, and build strategies to engage your community where they're at. Doing this gives SEO a seat at the omnichannel table, and you get a first-hand look at how your brand can be most helpful to your community. New career achievement unlocked...thanks, ADWEEK! ✅ #SEO #sge #generativeai

When I say, “Google looks more like Amazon than Google for transactional searches,” this is precisely what I mean. I’m with Kevin Indig on this—I think Google has no choice but to double down on making itself a desirable destination for online shopping. 🛒 As of now, it’s getting its lunch eaten by Amazon. Google has made substantial progress, and the e-commerce SERP looks dramatically different these days. To take advantage of these changes, SEOs need to make friends with their shopping feed friends. We’ve been working with all of our e-commerce brands on integrating feed optimizations into our work. I’ve often seen underoptimized feeds lacking product details and specifics, which help show the proper filters/searches. What are you doing to stay ahead of these SERP changes? #seo #ecommercemarketing

When I say, “Google looks more like Amazon than Google for transactional searches,” this is precisely what I mean. I’m with Kevin Indig on this—I think Google has no choice but to double down on making itself a desirable destination for online shopping. 🛒 As of now, it’s getting its lunch eaten by Amazon. Google has made substantial progress, and the e-commerce SERP looks dramatically different these days. To take advantage of these changes, SEOs need to make friends with their shopping feed friends. We’ve been working with all of our e-commerce brands on integrating feed optimizations into our work. I’ve often seen underoptimized feeds lacking product details and specifics, which help show the proper filters/searches. What are you doing to stay ahead of these SERP changes? #seo #ecommercemarketing

Rumor has it that OpenAI is eyeing a search engine to compete with Google. I spoke with Trishla Ostwal from ADWEEK as it rolled off the press. Here’s the reality: OpenAI isn’t the first to compete with Google and won’t be the last. But the truth is, it will take more than a better product to gain a significant share against Google. You don’t “search” for things, you “Google” them. Google sits at 85+% global market share for search, and even more in the US. Even if OpenAI has a better product, I suspect it’ll take loads of marketing efforts and/or generational turnover to outcompete Google. Explaining “a new Google” to my parents/grandparents seems incredibly difficult. In any world, it’s exciting to see competition and have companies motivated to create the next iteration of products. To me, the only way to unseat Google is to invent a new way to search entirely. #seo #genai #openai

This post is about something far more critical than SEO: the awful insurance and medical billing practices in America. A new report shows UCHealth, Colorado's largest NON-PROFIT hospital system, has sued 15,000+ people for payments when it had $800 MILLION plus in PROFIT. Not only did they sue, but they did so with unethical practices like shielding their name from the lawsuit through shadow companies, thereby making it almost impossible to untangle for patients. I’ve been on the hard side of UCHealth billing, even with robust employer insurance and getting surgical preapproval. It took over two years to resolve and over 40+ hours of phone calls. Most folks in America do not have those luxuries: robust insurance or time for phone trees. I’ve now learned to avoid doctors and hospitals at all costs and, when possible, to pay the out-of-pocket cash price because I’ve found that it is usually cheaper. Our future deserves a better way than this. At some point, all of us will require a hospital. When will we demand a better way? #colorado #insurance

AI content has one major flaw: it’s plagiarized 60% of the time. “Yes, but: "Our models were designed and trained to learn concepts in order to help them solve new problems," OpenAI spokesperson Lindsey Held wrote in a statement to Axios. "We have measures in place to limit inadvertent memorization, and our terms of use prohibit the intentional use of our models to regurgitate content."” In any world, I’ll state the obvious: AI content is not original content curated with the same effort or thought as human content. In some cases, that doesn’t matter; in others, that matters a lot. For now, as it turns out, turning a blind eye to AI output could put you at the same risk OpenAI is experiencing with lawsuits from the New York Times, authors, and songwriters. Writer and brands beware. #seo #chatgpt

Search Generative Experience (SGE) could be cool. It could make your search easier and even get you a better, more complete, and informed answer. But, like any featured snippet, it will always be at the mercy of its inputs. Determining those inputs is the most important part of search. In this example of SGE—yes, one that I was searching for—I discovered that you don't need clothes to put up Starlink. While not technically wrong—I suppose you *could* make do without clothes if you wanted—this doesn't seem helpful to include in the result. 😅 Following the link, you'll find an answer in a forum (starlinkforum.net) from the user omeSz, which is basically a nonsensical answer in the forum. I've rarely seen featured snippets pulled from forums—sometimes Quora forums—but forums are tricky beasts to moderate and trust. This result caused a laugh, but it did lead to frustration as I was actually trying to find answers to my questions. For other, more important results, this frustration could lead to desertion of the product. Will that frustration be at omeSz? Of course not. It will be at Google. This question of inputs, among many others, is a big one regarding SGE that doesn't have obvious answers. This is why I believe Google will proceed with SGE cautiously and slowly. #SEO #genai

"Handy in the same way that it might occasionally be useful to delegate some tasks to an inexperienced and sometimes sloppy intern." I've found that consistency with generative AI is a challenge, even with tighter and tighter prompts. Solutions are being built that improve context windows to improve consistency, but they are still far from perfect (or even, at times, helpful). Of course, there are use cases where it's extremely helpful—interpreting large datasets, summarizing meetings/notes, and inspiring ideas and written text. Nevertheless, as models continue to change and advance, continuous experimentation will be needed to determine generative AI technology's abilities and benefits. The future is bright! 🔆 #SEO

OpenAI held its hugely anticipated Spring Announcement today. It wasn't a search engine or a partnership with Apple. Instead, it was really cool upgrades to their existing tech, including a multimodal product, faster outputs, and a conversational app that can complete math problems, chat through code, and translate in real-time. While a search engine seems exciting to those of us in SEO...ChatGPT knows something that many other flopped search engines (yes.com, duckduckgo, etc.) haven't before: the only way to beat tech giants is to play a different game. A search engine is another iteration of something old. ChatGPT's tech is changing how people interact with technology to get answers, just like TikTok changed how people discover information through short-form videos. In the long run, this will prove more valuable than a search engine product with huge headwinds in a market dominated by a key player. #SEO #openai

OpenAI held its hugely anticipated Spring Announcement today. It wasn't a search engine or a partnership with Apple. Instead, it was really cool upgrades to their existing tech, including a multimodal product, faster outputs, and a conversational app that can complete math problems, chat through code, and translate in real-time. While a search engine seems exciting to those of us in SEO...ChatGPT knows something that many other flopped search engines (yes.com, duckduckgo, etc.) haven't before: the only way to beat tech giants is to play a different game. A search engine is another iteration of something old. ChatGPT's tech is changing how people interact with technology to get answers, just like TikTok changed how people discover information through short-form videos. In the long run, this will prove more valuable than a search engine product with huge headwinds in a market dominated by a key player. #SEO #openai

OpenAI held its hugely anticipated Spring Announcement today. It wasn't a search engine or a partnership with Apple. Instead, it was really cool upgrades to their existing tech, including a multimodal product, faster outputs, and a conversational app that can complete math problems, chat through code, and translate in real-time. While a search engine seems exciting to those of us in SEO...ChatGPT knows something that many other flopped search engines (yes.com, duckduckgo, etc.) haven't before: the only way to beat tech giants is to play a different game. A search engine is another iteration of something old. ChatGPT's tech is changing how people interact with technology to get answers, just like TikTok changed how people discover information through short-form videos. In the long run, this will prove more valuable than a search engine product with huge headwinds in a market dominated by a key player. #SEO #openai

BLAST OFF: AI Overviews (formerly SGE) is here! 🚀 I remember when featured snippets entered the game in 2014, and the buzz then was "how unreliable" and "awful" those results were. And don't get me wrong—Google didn't always get it right, even years later (see my search for putting a pizza box in an oven and Google's woeful answer in 2021! lnkd.in/dN89Rpnw). However, it made searching easier over time, leading to more searches and more people on Google. That's Google's same promise (and objective) today. 🤔 Contrary to many SEOs, I believe AI Overviews will be a better experience in the long run than the mishmash of entering slow, ad-bombarded sites for answers today. Featured snippets took years to fully "roll out," starting with only 4% of keywords, and I expect the same intentional approach from Google here for AI Overviews (source: lnkd.in/dUvE_Tyt), with the ability for many searchers to "generate an AI overview" so they opt-in to the experience. 📈 How can you prepare as a brand? 1. *Aim for AI Overview Slots* It's worthwhile for brands to take their shot at owning a spot in the AI Overview. Just like with featured snippets, this will be possible. And, I suspect, just like with featured snippets, many brands will sleep on it for years before realizing the influence they can have if they win top AI Overviews spots. Be a first-mover! 2. *Embrace Multimodal Content* The writing is on the wall: multimodal content and searches—of images, audio, and videos—will increase over time. This will be far less competitive in the short run, and we need to cozy up to our brand and social media friends to create robust strategies inclusive of multimodal content! 3. *Utilize all of Google's Features* Focus on all of Google's features available to you: local listings for brick-and-mortar, Google Shopping for retailers, Google Flights/Hotels for travel brands, and variations of schema to show your content and products better. 4. *Track & Forecast the Impact* Closely track impressions, clicks, and CTR through Google Search Console so you can understand the impact to specific keywords and pages on your site. ⁉ Questions remain: 1. If AI Overviews is the better experience, how can brands best take advantage of it? (We are currently engaging in testing to help answer this!) 2. If brands aren't rewarded for monetized site traffic (either through ads or affiliates), how does Google reward new content creation so its AI doesn't get dumber over time (as is typical of LLMs—lnkd.in/d6adAyBn)? 3. If AI pulls and fine-tuns the algorithm levers, how does Google maintain space for smaller brands or new entrants? Consider this a new era of SERPs. The only constant is change—now let's go SEO! 🧠

I have a totally different perspective on AI Overviews and Google’s massive product release facepalm. 🤦‍♂️ Other AI methods than LLMs produce better results for information retrieval. It took Google a long time to implement RAG (retrieval augmented generation) into AI Overviews—and it’s RAG with a low-quality quality algorithm when they’ve spent 25 years “improving” their search quality algorithm. It’s almost as if they couldn’t get two teams to work together. THAT is what is mind-blowing. 🤯 I know Google can do better than this. The minds there are some of the best in the world. But this isn’t about brains. Solving AI is about cooperation.

The Google Search API leak is precisely the validation I needed on a Tuesday. 😉 In all seriousness, it’s worth reading, and Rand Fishkin & Michael King have done a great job combing through it. It’s a great reminder of what we know—but now we can confidently say, “Google, you’ve led us astray, even lied to us at times.” Onward and upward to the SEOs who build for people & brands and don’t try to game the system. — Rand Fishkin’s leak overview: lnkd.in/g4EcDCqd Michael King's technical breakdown: lnkd.in/gM2U8tQ2 #seo #contentmarketing #google

MASSIVE news of an Apple & OpenAI partnership (from a credible journalist). Makes total sense: • Power up Siri. • Make device search & summary better, something Apple has already taken strides to do (thanks to search with Spotlight) • Apple avoids Google's PR mess, giving them time to work on their own model (good thought, Jeremy Hull!) • Buy time to see how the use cases, tech, industry—and, most importantly—audiences adapt to gen AI. Apple’s device data will be CRUCIAL for advancing the industry, thanks to their massive reach. Hate to break it to the skeptics, but Gen AI is here to stay. #seo #genai

🚨 Call history & metrics will be no more in Google Business Profile. This feels like a BIG change for local SEO that hasn't gotten a lot of buzz on my feed. Google's documentation doesn't provide a clear answer for why they're doing this (see comments). Is it privacy? Is it cost-saving? Is it something else? What do you think of this change?

I've heard my entire career that "voice search is the future," and almost 15 years later, that never happened. Anyone with Siri in their pocket knows it's not that helpful except for checking the weather, setting alarms, starting a text to friends, calling a loved one, or doing simple searches. Over the last year, I've read *so* many headlines touting that generative AI could finally make voice search helpful, better, and even "replace search engines" in their current form. But, as with most technology, maybe the adoption curve is as simple as shifting generational habits. Young kids are adopting smart speakers more than any other generation, and they're a part of their daily lives. It's their way of exploring the world. Only time will tell if this truly stands, especially once kids realize the limitations of current voice search and better alternatives (cough, cough...visual search engines). However, maybe—just maybe—this generational shift will coincide with an advancement in voice search, and it will be the best search tool out there. #seo #voicesearch #marketing

Video wins!! 📹 After analyzing the last year of data and the last 3 months of my top performing 50 posts—categorizing them into Text, Image, Link, and Video posts—video was the winner with average engagement per post. Video has higher engagement per post in every category: Text vs. Video: +13% Image vs. Video: +37% Link vs Video: +118% Impressions get a bit muddier, given that most of my posts are text and all of my pinned profile posts are text. Albeit, my dataset is small and skewed in some respects with a few outliers—but, directionally, this feels like an excellent opportunity to expand into a LinkedIn video strategy. Expect more videos from me in the future! 🧠 #creator #marketing

YouTube is testing user-generated notes added to videos. This feels like a Reddit x YouTube crossover, and I’m here for it. However, it could be a nightmare for brands to manage and ensure brand safety on their videos—ultimately leading to less content produced. It will be interesting to see the brand controls added and how this impacts video ranking (in SERPs and YouTube)!

After 5 mins of using SearchGPT, I already hate it. Right out of the gate, it appears that a kindergartener would be better at showing me a blue backpack than SearchGPT. Look—I suspect this type of search engine *will* be great one day. However, information retrieval is very different from information generation. Generative AI has its place in the world, but it's likely not a search engine.

This is a BIG change in how AIOs are sourced and appear, and Mark Traphagen is on the case. 💡 The good news is that the ranking algorithms seem to be better stitched at this point. This likely provides much more reliable results in AIOs, building on a tried-and-true ranking algorithm. It also provides better guidance on how SEO influences AIOs (in short, AI Overview Optimization = Google Optimization). The bad news: 1. SERPs become more redundant, potentially decreasing satisfaction. Google's initial statement, "We’ve found that with AI Overviews, people use Search more, and are more satisfied with their results." could be at risk. 2. This could dramatically change CTR curves (TBD on how). Google's statement, "And we see that the links included in AI Overviews get more clicks than if the page had appeared as a traditional web listing for that query. " could be at risk.

🎮 Some SEOs view their job as "gaming the system." 👊 Some SEOs view their job as "the ultimate competitive Google showdown." 📈 Some SEOs view their job as "showing results at all costs." 💙 I view my job as "helping people get the information they want/need as fast and easy as possible." The world is a better place when we view our role as helping each other, rather than taking advantage of each other. When I lead with this belief, I get better output—more thorough and accurate content, better technical implementation meant to guide the user journey, and I sleep better at night knowing my intentions are sound. Call me an idealist, but I'd rather that than the belief system of someone looking to win through unethical practices or tricks. In my experience, helping people naturally leads to high performance because you truly understand what they want. #seo #marketing

⑧ Black Friday / Cyber Monday tips & tricks you still have time for! 1. Optimize BFCM Pages with Relevant Keywords ➼ Make sure your pages target the right keywords, including brand keywords if you also sell on marketplaces like Amazon or Walmart. Many users search for deals on their favorite brands or a specific category! 2. Don’t Overlook Discount & Coupon Pages ➼ Shoppers are often looking for broad, deal-related searches like “best Black Friday deals” or “holiday discounts.” Make sure these pages are optimized for relevant search terms. 3. Keep the Page Live & Evergreen ➼ Avoid putting dates in your URL. Instead of /black-friday-2024/, use /black-friday-deals/ and keep it live all year long to build authority and traffic year after year (obviously while altering the content & deals). 4. Ensure Your Product Schema and Feed Are Spot-On ➼ Make sure your product schema is properly set up and your shopping feed is in great shape to help Google understand your products and promote them effectively in search results. 5. Create Best-Selling Guides ➼ Help shoppers find your top products with best-seller guides, including good complimentary products. These are great for SEO, drive up your AOV, and help users make faster decisions in a crowded marketplace. 6. Leverage Internal Linking ➼ Link your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from high-authority pages on your site, like the homepage, product pages, or even blog posts. This helps distribute authority and improve rankings for your BFCM pages. 7. Improve Site Speed to Critical Pages ➼ I typically wouldn't recommend taking on a site-wide site speed initiative this close to BFCM, but it does make sense to optimize your most critical pages for a smooth transaction experience. 8. Add Digital Wallet Compatibility ➼ Adding something like PayPal or Google Pay can provide an immediate benefit to the user's checkout experience, improve your conversion rate, and make it easier to capture folks who abandon their cart. What else would you add? #seo #blackfriday #cybermonday #bfcm

ChatGPT is now officially a SEARCH engine with a new web search function. They will be sunsetting SearchGPT in favor of this new ChatGPT feature. Important notes: 1. Don't let ChatGPT be grouped with your referral traffic! You deserve to count that as organic traffic. I'd recommend ensuring your reporting is up-to-date to capture AI Search Engines in your organic traffic bucket. (Thanks for chatting through this logic with me, Derek Hobson!) 2. Start testing! AI Search Engines are here to stay—especially with Google announcing in their recent earnings call that, "AI Overviews said to be getting similar CPCs as typical search – user engagement said to be strong, could help drive query growth." Now is your time to figure out how you can influence results, create a holistic search approach, and give people the results they deserve.

I’m a huge fan of anti/mindful-marketing. Automic Gold does this incredibly well with an “opt-out for the holidays” email. This drives improved forecasting, improved conversion, forces intention about their brand, and grows brand sentiment. Will I be opting out? No, because I want to see what other cool marketing they do this season! ☃️

Temu being the most downloaded app this year was NOT on my bingo card, but numbers 2, 3, & 4 are even more interesting: 2024 most downloaded apps: 1. Temu — coming for Amazon's lunch, Temu is growing at an exceptional speed while Amazon struggles to maintain its rapid growth. 2. Threads — the app that no one thought would take off has indeed taken off. Sure, BlueSky is growing fast but has a long way to go to catch Threads which is 1.5-5x larger than BlueSky on any given day. 3. TikTok — the golden child has been pushed aside and could be put in timeout here soon if it's banned in the USA. 4. ChatGPT — ChatGPT cracking the top 5 is impressive considering most of its traffic is desktop. This shows a lot of promise for AI Search Engines, especially as they integrate with IOS. I'd love to see these downloads by demographic detail if anyone can get their hands on that! #seo #marketing