Whatcha doin’?

Oh, you want to read the latest digital marketing news. Well, don’t let me stand in your way!

• The June 2025 Google Core Update led to traffic recoveries for some sites. Check out the chatter here.

• Got relevant, helpful content but looking for ways to improve your visibility? Take a gander at our Core Web Vitals infographic to find ways to improve your site!

• Conductor published their July AI Overview Analysis based on a review of 118M searches. In case you suffer for TL:DR overload, here are some findings that probably won’t be a surprise if you’ve been joining us each week: 1) only 18% of those searches generated an AI Overview 2) 61% of AI Overviews occur on desktop devices 3) Industries driving the highest percentage of AI Overviews include IT Services (38%), Healthcare Equipment & Supplies (36%), Life Sciences Tools & Services (36%), Education Services (35%), and Biotechnology (34%).

• Ten years ago, for every 2 pages Google scraped of a publisher’s site, it sent about 1 visitor. Now, the numbers have switched. For every 18 pages crawled, a site receives 1 visitor, as Cloudflare’s CEO Matthew Price states. If you’re a publisher, this could set off little alarms in your head. Cloudflare’s pay per click for AI bots seems to be an interesting solution. We’ll keep an eye to see how other software companies build walls for AI bots to scale.

• How long does it take SEO to work? According to Google’s John Mueller, “it depends.” Sounds a little wonky right? But it’s true. Simple on-page edits may see quicker improvements while larger strategic SEO efforts can take more time. That’s why we always counsel 3-6 months for SEO to take hold and monitor ranking progress closely from Baseline forward, though we often see results within 2 months.

• Is Grok the smartest AI bot on the block? That’s at least what X is saying with the bot being able to “solve difficult, real-world engineering questions where the answers cannot be found anywhere on the Internet or in books.” Personally, I think it is far too early to declare who is the smartest. I think human error permeates our creations more than we could ever deem possible.

• CTAs are leading the charge for email engagement. (Not surprising, right?) Well, keep prioritizing those clean CTA buttons to drive the most actions on your campaigns.

• It’s always interesting to see where CMO’s are allocating their budget, staff, and time resources. This chart shows more spending on “Brand” in 2025 than in 2024. And conversely, spending is lower on “Product & Demand” (although P&D is still the primary bucket).

Central Texas is experiencing major flooding right now. Instead of suggesting a specific charity, you can pick from this Charity Navigator list of organizations supporting those impacted by the disaster.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Have you heard of Non-Sleep Deep Rest (also known as Yoga Nidra)?

It’s a guided mindfulness practice that helps you relax deeply without falling asleep. If you’re looking for a way to settle down before bed or start the day refreshed, you can find free guided narrations on YouTube.

Best Wishes,

Natalie

As the days get shorter, let’s learn more about our only natural satellite, the Moon. Here’s some facts confirmed by NASA…

• Yes, the Moon is getting about an inch farther from us each year.
• Yes, the moon does have water
• No, the moon’s atmosphere is not strong enough to defend against asteroids or the Sun’s radiation.
• Check out more facts here.