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Worry no longer — Perceptive Marketer is back with updates to keep you sharp!

• We don’t often get opportunities to talk about SEO Technical Audits, so we’re offering this: Google Warns Against Relying On SEO Audit Score Tools. We only wish they added “solely” to the headline. Our SEO Tech audits use a variety of tools to gather data. We then evaluate in context of our client’s website in comparison with competitive websites and our own expert scoring analyses. So, yes, we agree context is an element in SEO Tech audits.

• This article on the impact of Google AI Overviews leads with headline data showing significant drops in Organic Click-Thru Rate (CTR) and Paid Ads CTR when AI Optimization (AIO) is present on the Google Search results page. Somewhat buried in the story is this interesting tidbit: “Organic CTRs for queries without AI Overviews perform better (1.62%), but that’s still down 41% year-over-year.” (We want to add the emphasis on “without AI Overviews.”) So why aren’t as many people clicking on Google Organic results? Could it be that they are reviewing the results and then moving on to AI search options like ChatGPT or Perplexity? Or are they doing searches on AI first and just Googling the results for validation? Either way, our previous notes on the complementary use of AI and traditional search may be playing out in these results.

• The Dead Internet Theory 💀, as defined by Cindy Krum in SEL, is when “real human content, conversations, and interactions get de-prioritized or drowned out in favor of the more engaged and productive bots.” We can’t assume everyone is playing fairly in the game of AI in SEO and content creation. All we can do is keep providing helpful content for our audiences and obeying Google’s policies that crack down on unhelpful content.

• Reddit is suing Perplexity (and 3 other platforms) for scraping info for AI use. Nothing new there, but it’s a reminder to use AI carefully when developing apps, especially in consumer interfaces. Test and test and test again!

• How can your brand stand out in the AI age? Domain authority is one way. It’s your first impression — your key differentiator in the AI search citations.

• Social media in 2025 — what has evolved according to the professionals that run the social show? Here are my highlights:
  • Social media impacts business outcomes more than ever. People get turned off from stale content faster than these monkeys can steal your phone. (Thank you to Niki for sharing in Niki’s Notes.)
  • You should be automating some tasks. Remember that AI is not a cultural pro; it’s a probability machine. Use humans to interpret trends and write sensitive content. Don’t you dare automate audience engagement. That can be a recipe for disaster.
  • REPURPOSE YOUR CONTENT. Not everyone saw it the first time a year ago. I promise. Do it.

Our CEO & President and I learned about Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents during a presentation called Living a Legacy of Kindness by Jenny Haase and Brad Aronson. It was started 7 years ago by a young girl named Ruby Kate Chitsey. Saddened by the lack of resources for residents of a nursing home, she purchased simple personal items they needed. Ruby has gone on to grow an amazing not-for-profit, and she is still a teen. Need to be reminded there’s a tremendous amount of good in the world? Here you go, read about Ruby and her phenomenal successes on behalf of others.

As the words flurry onto this document, a gentle breeze hits my face and reminds me of the idyllic view from my hotel balcony in the Caribbean. This view makes me grateful for the people and forces working with me in my life.

It’s also times like these that remind you of the blessings in your daily routine — the people, places, and moments you miss when they aren’t there. Notice the tiny miracles: your dog running to greet you, the vibrant fall leaves lining the streets, sunlight streaming through your bedroom window.

Join me in thanking the universe for the magical forces that brighten our lives. ☀️

Don’t forget to thank the universe!

Enjoy the week, mis amigos. ✌️

Natalie

My familiarity with the Spanish language is elementary-level at best. (A tentative conglomeration of random vocab words and a hazy memory of verb conjugations.) 

My fiancé and I used ChatGPT to translate and learn more during our trip. Telling you this as a travel tool for your back pocket. AI is super helpful when your familiarity with a foreign language extends to your name and “Where’s the bathroom?” (¿Dónde está el baño?).