Howdy,

Welcome to the digital marketing rodeo where we lasso up only the best news for ya!

• While we will never know all the criteria and weightings for Google’s ranking algorithm, we continue to be grateful for the moments of transparency they provide around SEO best practices. This week’s example comes from the Updated Raters Guidelines defining “low quality content” as unoriginal in relation to competitors:
  • Content created with little to no effort
  • Contains little to no originality
  • Main content adds no additional value

While this is nothing new, it reinforces the value of creating relevant, helpful content that meets the needs of searchers.

• More news on AI Overviews’ impact from Search Engine Land’s coverage of Alphabet’s recent Q1 2025 earnings call. Here’s our take on the math presented: 
  • 2 billion people use Google search every day.
  • 1.5 billion Google search users are served AI Overviews every month.
  • 2 billion x 30 days = 60 billion every month. 
  • 1.5 billion AI Overviews served each month = 2.5% of the 60 billion users. 
  • Kinda makes AI Overviews seem less important to Google, no? Probably why they are working to get AI Mode up and running ASAP. 

• Maybe Bing isn’t that bad. That’s what some people said after participating in a study analyzing Google’s large search market share. After testing Bing for 2 weeks instead of Google,  the study found that, “After changing the default from Google to Bing, many users do not switch back, consistent with persistent inattention.” What does this mean? If Google is switched off as the default search engine, many folks may not even notice. This will become increasingly important as the DOJ decides how to remedy Google’s monopolistic practices.

• Think about the expansion of marketing platforms in the past few years alone.… HBR begs the question, “Does the Chief Marketing Officer Role Need an Update?” As digital channels and technologies continually emerge, the role gets increasingly more complex. This complexity calls for seamless customer experience across touchpoints and more cross-department collaboration.

• You may be seeing more video posts in your LinkedIn feed. You may even have noticed the video tab. To keep with the LinkedIn trend train, here are some tips on dimensions and requirements!

• Ann Handley (with inspiration from Avinash Kaushik) has an interesting way of looking at how big of a role AI should play in tasks. AI can play different roles: Utility Player (automation heavy), Wingperson (AI that works with you), Fairy Godmother (AI gives you a place to start), or as I like to call, the Benchwarmer (AI is there, but you purposely don’t use it). Plus, she gives a beautiful metaphor with her local library. Read up!

Feeding America is a national network of 200+ food banks and pantries with a goal of solving food insecurity.  They also work to implement policies that promote food security for all. Learn more about Feeding America.

Thanks to Niki Fielding for reminding me of this one!

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

I always knew there was a reason behind the songs that get stuck in our heads.

The Harvard Gazette points out some super cool reasons why:

• Repetitive songs with a longer duration of certain notes and small intervals between the notes tend to be in the defining song characteristics.
• Music and rhyming was used to remember and pass down oral histories, so we’re attuned to pick up tunes already!
• Songs associated with particular memories are especially prone to earworms.

Next time an earworm bounces around your brain, take note of the song and what it brings up. Maybe your mind is trying to tell you something (or not). You’ll never know if you don’t listen. 🙂

Have a mighty fine rest of your week!

Natalie

You might have guessed, but I’m a fiend for fun facts! This week, there’s no theme, just facts that make me chuckle. 😁

• Australia is wider than the moon.
• Allodoxaphobia is the fear of other people’s opinions.
• There were active volcanoes on the moon when dinosaurs were alive.