Did the title draw you in?

I hope so, because that’s my best metaphor for this week’ s batch of digital marketing news.

• LLMs.txt is not about getting discovered by AI. Google’s John Mueller says that LLMs.txt can result in an untrustworthy assessment of a website’s content. Focus on HTML is still key for SEO and SAIO, folks, so make sure it’s efficient and clear!

• 80% of ChatGPT product recommendations change when search is enabled in the ChatGPT settings. While not discussed in this story, we think this dynamic represents the high degree of influence of search visibility on ChatGPT (and other LLMs), reinforcing the complementary strategy of SEO and SAIO. 

• Bing Webmaster Tools has updated query classifications! The AI Performance tab now has intent, topic, citations, and citation shares (clicks still are not yet available). Here’s the Bing Help page on it.

• AI is shifting how brand loyalty is earned. The trick is knowing “the signals AI systems use to evaluate trust and relevance.” CMO of Razorfish, Ryan Warren, states the signals AI use to evaluate brands are “how consistently they deliver, how clearly they communicate value, how well they align with a customer’s expectations across every interaction.” 

• seoClarity has an insightful, free AEO Certification Course. You’ll learn how LLMs work and how to approach content creation/implementation on your website.

• Rand Fishkin and SparkToro released some chin-scratching research on zero-click searches across 6 countries. The US and UK had higher rates of zero-click searches than other European countries included (Germany, Italy, and France). Is this because of the EU’s protective legislation? Maybe. Remember: even though zero-click searches are still helpful places to gain brand visibility, as long as your site is well optimized.

• I may have choked on some water while reading this headline: “Social media is the leading source of news, per Reuters.” Before we write this off as a total #YIKES, let’s overlay the pros and cons. Yes, social media is king at spreading misinformation and users can be manipulated by platform owners/algorithms. But, we are able to connect to stories we may have never seen on news channels or in the morning paper. Information runs wild and free in this era — we must parse through it to maintain our sanity.

Over 4 million young people in the U.S. won’t have a safe place to sleep at least one night this year. Covenant House provides immediate and long-term support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking. They are open 24/7 and provide help to young people in 34 cities across Canada, Latin America and the United States. Discover more: Covenant House.

I think the mixture of forgetfulness and time are some of the healthiest healers.

They provide space to let go of the grudges and repair the wounds that plague our consciousness.

There’s a reason why (most of us) can’t remember every word of a disagreement verbatim. Forgetfulness and time let us view life through a new lens — one endowed with wisdom to uncover happiness and forgiveness despite the troubles that once weighed us down.

¡Adiós, amigos!

Natalie

If you’re hosting a FIFA watch party or attending trivia night soon, here are some fun facts for your crew!