Hello fellow digital marketers,

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• The latest Gemini 3.8 Flash model was buggin’ by not linking or citing sources in AI Mode. It’s hard enough to win citation visibility through relevant, helpful content but to not have it be rewarded due to a bug? That’s #SummertimeSadness fo sure.

• The state of AI in 2026: On the road to ROI. McKinsey’s AI survey impact report covers how larger companies are implementing AI and what has changed since last year. 80% of respondents report AI has improved their individual productivity and 50% report AI helps them make better decisions. This productivity has its downside as 39% of respondents expect AI-related declines in employment. One silver lining: the expected declines for last year were less than the actual declines. 

• Your SEO and PPC keyword data should not live in silos. Here are our thoughts on the strategy of not bidding on high-ranking organic keywords: Yes, you can save money. But Google research showed that when both a paid and an organic listing appear high in the results, 50% of the clicks on the paid ad are entirely incremental (i.e., clicks you would not have gotten). When you have both a paid and organic listing, there’s a double-exposure effect that reinforces the authority of your brand. The decision to implement this strategy depends on budget constraints and visibility goals.

• With so many versions of truth out there (e.g., an outdated PDF from 2014, an old executive bio page), it’s no surprise when AI cycles in misinformation. Publishing correct content now won’t fix it without addressing the older content too— it’s a matter of bridging old, incorrect content with new, updated content. Awesome summary video and article.

• Not surprising news: Google Search Console reporting is not entirely accurate for AI Overviews. You have to look at the data directionally and understand how it is filtered:
  • You get an Impression when your website appears on a page that got served (whether it was scrolled or not.)
  • You won’t get an Impression if your link appeared in a click-to-reveal section that wasn’t clicked.
  • When you appear in AI Overviews, the average position metric is based on the position of the AI Overview on the overall results page, not where your link was in the list of AI Overview links.
  • The real question we still have is…

• Breaking news for PPC: Microsoft Ads is removing Max CPC from new campaigns starting Oct 1. Microsoft wants advertisers to link performance more toward campaign outcomes and rely more on automated bidding systems. (What else is new?)

• Is mainstream culture still a thing? YouTube says yes. Even though culture is more fragmented, we still want to share experiences with each other. The big pull: fan engagement is crucial to cultural shifts, particularly with creators.

Sometimes charity seems overwhelming. Saving the world is a big task. Lasagna Love helps bring the world-changing to your kitchen. Lasagna Love volunteers sign up to cook a meal and deliver it to a family in need. That’s it. Just old-fashioned love spread through a warm, hearty meal. Learn more about their mission: Lasagna Love.

Shine on, you crazy diamonds 🤘💎

Natalie

No idea is truly unique.

Every single one was ideated from a scrapbook of experience.

Complete originality does not exist.

So we must celebrate inspiration — find joy in sowing creative seeds in the soil of the creations that came before.