Heyo!

Digital marketing news waits for no one — let’s get started!

• Anthropic asked the AI industry to hit the brakes – what does that mean for SEO and search marketers? This crazy hard truth was dropped by a company whose IPO is just about to hit the market. The premise of the AI industry halting development after one blog seems too far off to become reality. SEJ article’s “3 Things You Should Do Right Now” section echoes one of our pillars for SEO and SAIO success: “Build your authority on things AI cannot replicate” by leveraging content that demonstrates expertise and lived (i.e., human) experience.

• Google zero-click searches hit 68% in early 2026 — that sounds like a high percentage, but let’s add a little more perspective. The article includes data on zero-click searches from 2020 — pre-AI era — that showed 65% of Google searches ended with zero-clicks (so not that much has changed). The research focuses on the initial search and not follow-up searches in Google. Data on clicks from AI Overviews or AI Mode results are still not being parsed and factored. Finally, we do not know the search intent behind the searches. (Some searches are informational and don’t require a click for more information.) Still, we’re not ignoring the zero-click data and the importance of optimizing content to be referenced in initial answers and for the right keywords and prompts that will drive relevant clicks to your website when someone wants more info and clicks through. 

• A fresh look on how Claude and ChatGPT differ in their approach in retrieving answers to prompts. Some of the findings:
  • Claude only does web searches to find relevant information about 37% of the time compared with about 90% for ChatGPT. Of course, that number varies based on search intent.
  • Claude results overlay with Google rankings at a 64% rate (higher than ChatGPT).
  • Claude’s fan-out queries often include years as a way to discover recency factors.
  • Takeaways we have for consideration: 1. There continues to be a strong link between SEO and traditional search rankings as a necessary ingredient for AI citation success. 2. While the LLMs may differ in their approaches to answering prompts, there are enough similarities to warrant concentrating on a SAIO strategy that covers all vs. trying to game each individually.

• Get this… you can edit the elements of your ChatGPT-generated image in Canva!

• We knew it was coming… Instagram Plus is here with a subscription model. Features include extending visibility of your Stories, Stories insights, and a more custom bio.

• When your likeness can be cloned in seconds through AI, how do we moderate and protect creators and, well, everyone? Some celebrities are trademarking specific phrases and clips. Others are working with GenAI to develop these clones. I think regulations about AI cloning will be making their way across the bend soon.

We know that the mental illness crisis is widespread and needs support. The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is working to alleviate the suffering caused by mental illness. They have awarded 6,880+ grants to over 5,730 scientists leading breakthroughs in this area. Learn more: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.

Our President & CEO, Niki, shared a beautiful metaphor on the people in our lives in her latest Niki’s Notes newsletter:

“By framing our lives as theater productions, I saw these people on the stage with me in the story of my life—they were central characters. But in their life story, I wasn’t on the stage. In fact, I didn’t even rate a front-row seat. I was in the back of the theater handing out programs—somewhat useful, but not at all central to the play. 

And in realizing this, I had an “ah ha!” No more hurt feelings, no more misaligned expectations. I could choose to keep handing out programs, ask for a front-row seat or a part on the stage, or I could simply exit the theater. The choice was up to me.”

Some people will come in and out of your life, while some will stick around for the long haul. Don’t forget that you’re the casting director of your own show.

Take a deep breath. Hold it. Then, let it out slowly. You got this, my friends.

Natalie

Niki’s Notes has it all!

Hey y’all,

Here’s your digital marketing roundup with a little mindfulness sprinkled on top!

• 49% of US AI users say they’re likely/very likely to try a different brand if an AI assistant suggests an alternative. This in spite of lingering issues with AI as only 46% of shoppers fully trust AI recommendations and 86% still check AI information before buying.

• Our VP Marc Engelsman had a chat with Perplexity on Marketing and AI use. Catch some blatant contradictions and interesting insights on creating duplicative content, brand differentiation, and departmental silo mentality.

• Sharing is caring (is not what Google is saying right now). The EU may require Google to share search data with rival search engines, including AI chatbots, to “contest Google Search’s position.”

• ❓Did you know? Google gives users the option to select Preferred News Sources for Google to include in results. What’s even cooler is that news publishers can add those links to their website to make it easier for users to see their articles in results.

• As someone who is responsible for proving the value of marketing, what actions do you take to show success?
  • Develop stronger marketing performance tracking
  • Demonstrate the financial impact of marketing
  • Demonstrate the value of brand and customer relationships
  • Collect competitive data
  • Run experiments
  • Collect customer data
  • Offer novel customer insights
  • Would it surprise you that the above list is ranked in order as captured from the latest CMO Survey? Jaw-droppingly, demonstrating the financial impact of marketing is actually ranked second!

• A different approach to demonstrating the value of brand marketing: leverage growth in branded Google Search data. Think with Google shared a case study on how this could work.

• Control of your Insta algorithm has now expanded to your Explore and Reels feed. The question is: will people actually use it?

• Google Looker Studio changed names… again. It’s now called Google Data Studio… again.

• Dynamic Search Ads will retire in September and transition to AI Max campaigns. If you want more control over targeting, creative, and landing page settings, it’s best to switch over now.

• Ready for something crazy? Meta is on track to overtake Google in global revenue.

There are too many wonderful causes to choose from, so we are supporting them all! Here are our favorite Earth Day charities!

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

The fact that we can type onto metal and plastic and those exact symbols can be read instantaneously across the globe… That children grow from microscopic particles into fiercely individual collections of 30 trillion cells by adulthood… That we mash, spin, and recycle ideas to create infinitely new possibilities.

Every breath, every heartbeat is miraculous.

Let’s give a moment (or many) to reflect on this.

Happy Earth Day! 🌎

Natalie

Did ya know the Great Barrier Reef is the only structure that can be seen from space?

How about that there are 400 trees for every person on Earth? (And can we make that number of trees grow?)

Today has some more fun facts for your perusal.

Hey!

Ready for some digital marketing tea?

• Let’s look at the difficulties of tracking AI traffic and aligning conversion attribution. This SEJ article notes the zero-click nature of AI traffic can be assigned as “Direct” traffic in GA4, hiding the conversion value of AI-driven visits to your website. To be fair, the author recognizes that attribution issues existed before AI and there’s a movement to look beyond the linear funnel and take a more holistic, multi-channel view of results. 

• … There are other ways to capture AI traffic data and conversion activity the SEJ author above does not mention. One is to create a custom channel for AI traffic in GA4 instead of using the default channel settings. The other is to create AI filters in your reporting tools. We use both approaches at DBE to report on SAIO success. The only AI traffic that is not yet filterable comes from Google itself as it combines AI Overviews and AI Mode data within the Organic Search channel. (Read our latest blog on how this is one of Google’s recent data double whammies.)

• No, really, you should read the new Google Double Whammies piece… it may change your mind on KPIs. Permanently. *shocking dramatic music plays*

• Your public Instagram posts will be made available for search engine indexing in more regions. In the past they’ve generally requested that search engines don’t show user photos and videos, but now public reels and posts uploaded from January 1, 2020 onward may be indexed. This means social SEO is increasingly more important, y’all!

• If you’re deep into Google Analytics set ups and management, Clickvoyant has a super helpful post on the making of clean data layers.

• Optimism About the Economy Among US Luxury Consumers Is Dropping Quickly is the headline for EMARKETER’s chart showing YoY and QoQ drops. This shouldn’t be a surprise if you manage SEO or PPC for a luxury goods company and you are tracking keyword search volumes regularly.

• Google has been pushing its Shopping agenda in SERPs for a while now. Clicks are surging, but get this — Amazon, Temu, and Shien slashed their Google Shopping ad presence. This means openings in Google Shopping auctions. 😲 Here’s your chance to support your ecommerce sites, friends!

The more you read about and spend time in nature, you realize how connected we are to the environment. There are so many ways to protect it. The Center for Biological Diversity is helping by guarding endangered species. From legislation to media outreach to scientific analysis, they have their hands in a slew of species conservation efforts. Learn more today: Center for Biological Diversity.

My dog, Reya, was in a cone the past two weeks. (Don’t worry, she’s fine, just some stitches.)

No, she does not like the cone. (Who would?) 

But she never cries or hides when it has to go back on after eating. She seems to trust me to know that it’s good for her (even though I swear it drains her energy.)

Zooming out, there are times when we have to place full trust in someone/something else. We can’t do everything ourselves. Giving and accepting support can help us all thrive.

Keep on keepin’ on!

Natalie

You made it to the end of this lengthy edition of PM! Go you! 🙌🎉🎊

Howdy friends,

Let’s get down to digital marketing business!

• SEO is not dead but rather the 2015 version of SEO has died and has evolved into the AI-era, as WordStream states. (Note: we already covered this “evolution” story in our recent blog). Here are some of the trends Wordstream covered:
  • Answer engines may become top non-Google traffic sources.
  • Optimizing for sales in SEO will be more important (i.e., targeting lower funnel, conversion-oriented keywords).
  • First-hand experience is becoming a critical SEO trend in 2025. (It is one of the E’s in Google’s E-E-A-T good content quality rater guidelines.)

• Where E-E-A-T may be integral for SEO success, this article suggests “Relevance is the new ranking signal” for AI-driven search optimization. Maybe we should look at adding the “R” for relevance to make the acronym “E-E-A-R-T”? And given that the E for experience has always been seen as short-hand to demonstrate “human” experience, why not go all the way to “H-E-E-A-R-T”? Got to say, it has a nice ring to it — DBE H-E-E-A-R-T’s SEO! (Credit for this awesome acronym and proceeding pun are awarded to Marc Engelman. Well done! 👏)

• Why SEO ROI Feels Like a Mirage (And How to Prove It Anyway) is a must-read article from Stephan Bajaio, co-founder of Conductor and formerly on the SEMPO Board of Directors with our own Marc Engelsman. He points out that it is a mistake to look at investments and ROI from PPC and SEO the same way. “PPC is like daytrading. Whereas SEO is more of a 401K approach.” They have different timelines, goals, and require separate measurement strategies. If you’re responsible for demonstrating the value of your SEO initiatives, read and share this perspective to provide context for your results.

• Google officially launched its stand-alone AI Mode platform to much fanfare. Read perspectives on the announcement and its potential significance from a variety of sources. Even if you don’t read the stories, the headlines provide a good idea of where AI Mode is going and you can be sure we’ll keep you up-to-date on its progress:
  • Google: AI in Search: Going beyond information to intelligence
  • The New York Times: Google Unveils A.I. Chatbot, Signaling a New Era for Search
  • Wired: With AI Mode, Google Search Is About to Get Even Chattier
  • Search Engine Land: Google launches AI Mode to all U.S. searchers with new features
  • EMARKETER: Google’s new AI Mode aims to reshape the shopping experience from discovery to purchase
  • TechCrunch: Google’s AI Mode rolls out to US, will add support for deeper research, comparison shopping, and more

• Meta plans to have fully automated ad campaigns by next year. The company said human-created ads won’t be going away. Author Andrew Hutchinson leaves us off with, “Machines can create effective ads, yes, but they have no creative sensibilities, which is where real human input will remain critical.” Advertisers will have to learn how to best optimize these tools for the best results in budget.

• Have you heard of LinkedIn’s AI-powered Accelerate campaigns? Like Meta, LinkedIn is trying to automate its advertising process by predicting audiences, optimizing bidding, placements, and ad copy. While we see these campaigns boast 42% higher cost per action, note that you’re giving up brand control to see that result. It may be great for smaller businesses, but make sure you know what you’re getting into before you dive in.

The vision? Provide bags of essential items to underserved communities. Whether giving kids school supplies, new moms with necessities, or high school grads with what they need for their post-grad dreams, Bags Without Barriers serves underserved communities in a unique and loving way!

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Why does kindness feel like an all-or-nothing trait?

If we can’t totally dedicate ourselves to righteous causes and saving the world like the super kind people of the world, can we really own that trait?

I say yes. You may not be able to volunteer every week, but perhaps you can cook a meal for a loved one. Instead of donating hefty sums of money you may not have, maybe you donate some clothing. Viewing kindness as a near-unclimbable mountain is discouraging, so try approaching it like a series of small steps. I believe a lot of little acts of kindness will drive humanity forward faster than the gigantic one-off acts will.

Enjoy your week!

Natalie

On the note of kindness, have you read HumanKind by Brad Aronson? If you love hearing about the good being done in the world, this should be on your reading/listening list!

P.S. to the P.S. Stay tuned for a podcast on kindness from A Better Paradigm!

Don’t ask me how I got here….

Today is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day… and Bond with Your Dog Day… and National Dance Like a Chicken Day. Needless to say, I’m honored you took time from eating biscuits and chicken dancing with your dog to read this newsletter. You’re awesome. 😎

• In its continuing move toward providing results similar to Google, ChatGPT is now including product recommendations in its search. Here’s the example they showed with the announcement: 

 

Scroll to the bottom of the article to see a waitlist form and be notified when feed submissions open for merchants!

• As we expected, Google is rapidly expanding its testing of AI Mode with new features like “places” (aka Google Business-like listings), product cards, and a history panel of previous queries/conversations. Plus, there is no longer a waitlist if you want to explore the platform yourself.

• Google AI is putting on its Sherlock Holmes cape to crack down on scammers in Google Search. Their team states that they’ve reduced the number of scammy pages in Search by 80%. But, we know that there are smart people who work for Search as well as on the scammer end, so continue to stay vigilant, y’all.

• Get this… “ChatGPT now controls 80.1% of AI search traffic” while “traditional search engines like Google show a consistent decline in usage.” One could say ChatGPT’s dominance in AI search is like Google’s dominance in traditional search. We can hope that ChatGPT won’t also start showing ads, but there are reports they may be coming to the platform in 2026. *tear* 😢

• Want to feel like a real VIP on Instagram? How about with Unlockable Reels? Oh yeah, Insta was spotted testing the feature last month. It’s a fun way to spark up engagement for accounts with followers dedicated enough to find and enter a code.

• When can average be better than excellent? Matt Bowen claims that that is true of Google Ads Strength in SEL. To get an “Excellent” ad score, you have to unpin all your headlines in your ads. This could lead to “odd combinations – multiple keyword-stuffed headlines or a string of repetitive value propositions – resulting in ads that feel spammy, awkward, and robotic.” The data Bowen brings up shows higher Cost Per Clicks (CPCs) for the unpinned or excellent-rated ads. The takeaways: make sure your ads are relevant. For ad strength, don’t chase “Excellent,” but avoid “Poor” to ensure performance.

Home for Good Dog Rescue has saved over 12,000 dogs since 2010! Think of how many games of fetch, dog piles, and doggie play dates were enjoyed because of their work. Home for Good Dog saves dogs from kill shelters in the South and places them with foster families until they get placed in forever homes. Check out their website, and fall in love with their pups on socials. 💖

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

I have a Chinese Evergreen plant (Herman). 🪴

For a long time, I kept him in a south-facing window with ample sunlight, watered him weekly (even if the soil was wet), and kept him in a little pot I thought was cute.

😨 Eventually, Herman’s leaves started browning and new growth slowed. 

Then, I passed Herman’s thriving cousin plant, rooted in dry soil, in the low-lit part of a restaurant. 

When I got home, I placed Herman in a bigger pot, stopped watering him so much, and put him in a low-lit corner. His patterned leaves returned to a deep green and even sprouted a second stem next to the first (Hermine).

Moral of the story: You can’t assume you know what others need. Stay observant, ask questions, and listen.

Keep it groovy,

Natalie

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna mention biscuits and not give you a recipe! Here’s one from Sally’s Baking, and over here’s a gluten-free, vegan recipe from Just What We Eat.

Howdy,

What’s goin’ on in digital marketing? Well, let me tell you.…

• ⌛Quiz: What’s considered a “necessary evil” at Google? An ex-Google exec said that it’s sending Google users to other web publishers, and from the decisions being made at Google, it seems pretty obvious. Google wants users to stay on their pages because that means more moola in Google’s wallet. Yet, it lets down the publishers than put Google in power. Elizabeth Reed, Google’s Head of Search, confirmed that the Google Search Bar will be losing its prominence as voice and visual search grow in popularity. With Google trying to up its tech game, make sure your optimization strategies are primed for voice searches. More from Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land.

• ✅ The Google Core Update rollout is complete. It seems this didn’t affect as many sites as previous updates, but some sites that were affected were hit hard. Barry Schwartz from SEL recommends looking at the keyword ranking volatility within the update timeframe (3/13/25-3/26/25) and doing an analysis to see how you can improve your content in a meaningful way. Deleting content is a last resort. Reminder, if you make positive changes, it could take months to start seeing those reflected in Google results.

• What is the missed opportunity for not enacting Search AI Optimization (SAIO) strategies now? 37.5 million search-like prompts a day are conducted on ChatGPT alone. Want more proof that SAIO is worth it? Hear from our own VP of SEO & SAIO, Marc Engelsman: SEO & SAIO Should Come Together (Right Now): The GenAI Search Opportunity.

• This may seem like a “no-duh” statement: 90% of consumers use social media to keep up with trends and cultural moments. Did you know that they use it overwhelmingly more than relying on friends and family, TV/streaming, digital media, podcasts, and print media? Stay vigilant knowing the algorithms serve things they know you will interact with.

• 41% of brands are using AI for video. That’s up 18% from last year. This is amazing for brands needing to make video content to compete while on a budget. Yet, if you are using AI for video, check the little details. (If Santa is missing fingernails, maybe it’s not ready for primetime just yet.)

• FINALLY, Insta is putting in a re-post feature!

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

❤️ People simply want to be seen and heard.

❤️ Small interactions make lasting impressions.

❤️ Genuine connection creates company cultures where both hearts and minds can thrive.

These are some of the spectacular insights gained from interviewing Jennifer Eisenreich, professional speaker and founder of Shift Show Communication, on the A Better Paradigm Podcast. Listen in to learn how you can inspire your teams to move beyond compliance to commitment.

Has anyone told you that you’re awesome recently? Well, here it is: you’re awesome! 😎

Happy Wednesday,

Natalie

We know Canva is normally packed in the busy marketer’s toolbox. If you want to make your designs *sparkle*, check out the Design with Canva channel on YouTube. Channel hosts Ronny and Diana break down interesting design features for every skill type.

Hiya!

📢 Who’s ready for some digital marketing?

Alright, alright, hold the applause everyone. I know — it’s exciting, but we need quiet to read!

• “One of the biggest misconceptions in marketing is the belief that organic visibility will remain steady without ongoing SEO investment. In reality, the opposite is true. Neglecting SEO leads to declining organic visibility, a trend that has only accelerated with recent developments” in AI Search Platform usage. This Search Engine Land article says SEO is as much a defensive tactic as it is a growth tactic. At DBE, we see SEO as a growth strategy first while ongoing services both protect gains and expand visibility to drive exponential growth. 

• Domain Authority is considered an influencing factor for citations in GenAI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, according to SEJ and XFunnel. What drives increased Domain Authority and visibility? 🤔 Ding, ding, ding — it’s SEO!
  
  The article and report support the complementary mix of SEO and SAIO strategies we’ve discussed before. Namely, user-generated content citations in AI often come from platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn. We found this link early in our AI platform research and have been recommending leveraging these channels for SAIO ever since.

• Are Google Search results getting worse? We see 42% of people say Google Search is becoming less useful. This seems to be, in part, a by-product of the distrust of large tech companies in general. Some people seem to be flocking GenAI chatbots to avoid cluttered Google results, but we know that each engine offers their own perks. I think we are going to get better at finding the best search engine for our queries.

• ⚠️ Lawsuit Alert: Chegg vs. Google AI Overviews. Chegg, the online education company, is the first known company to file against Google AI Overviews for stealing content and posting unverified answers. The questions are: how will students creatively use AI to help them with their studies and how may it hurt their learning?

• Will Instagram and Reels break up? 💔 Insta has been flirting with the idea of launching its own TikTok-inspired Reels app, separate of Instagram. Social Media Today thinks this may be too big a risk for Meta to take… and I agree with them. They shifted to a Reel-dominant platform, despite negative feedback. Now, the app’s audience is accustomed to the short videos flooding their feeds. Changing it again will definitely draw a negative clapback.

• More Meta news… Meta fired about 20 employees for leaking information about unannounced product plans and internal meetings. There are a wide range of perspectives on this situation, including whether this was considered whistleblowing. Learn more from LinkedIn.

• The Marketoonist created this “AI Low Hanging Fruit” cartoon influenced by Gartner’s 2024 Hype Cycle finding that GenAI has passed the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” phase and is now entering the “Trough of Disillusionment.” Be sure to read or scroll through the story behind the cartoon to see other AI cartoons that may provide a moment of relief from hype.

• What is connected commerce? Think of it as integrating technology for a seamless online and offline shopping experience. It requires stealthy creativity. How can you push the boundaries of traditional retail without being extraordinarily invasive? It’s a great question that every retail brand should be asking.

• 🏈 Superbowl ads with characters performed better than celebrities for customer appeal, brand recognition, and commercial impact. Isn’t that a fine kettle of fish? I don’t know about you, but a character provides so many possibilities. They are whatever you make them. Sappy. Sassy. Scintillating. Check out this cast of characters that are rockin’ brand trust and building brand engagement.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Is there something boring plaguing your life?

Perhaps it’s a part of your job or chores at home. Whatever it is… think about what makes it boring. Then flip it… what could make it better? 

Can you put a reward in place? Gamify the task? Do the work in chunks and take mental breaks between? Experiment, because there might be something fun hidden in the task that you may not see yet.

Have a nice week, y’all!

Natalie

Singing doesn’t have to be conscripted to musicians and Will Ferrell in an elf costume…. It can be for anyone who wants stress relief.

No, you don’t have to sing for an audience. Your venue can be your car or your room by yourself. Doesn’t matter if you think you’re good. In fact, it’s more fun when you let go of what you think is supposed to sound like!

Read the benefits of singing in Healthline. 🎶

Howdy,

It’s the last week of January, but doesn’t it feel like months have passed since we celebrated the New Year? Digital marketing has been on a wildly-whippy, unpredictable ride so far!

• Last week during SEO armageddon 😱, some SEOs panicked as SEO ranking tools crashed. Instead, our VP of Strategy and SEO/SAIO, Marc Engelsman, had a different approach. See post below…

• New Google Search Quality Raters Guidelines were released. Changes focused on spam, expanding guidance, and making minor clarification changes. Get more details in Search Engine Roundtable.

• Brands are seeing valuable visits from citation links in GenAI platforms like ChatGPT search and Google Gemini. Their story also points to how brands are starting to use some basic techniques to improve their AI visibility. If you want more details on Search AI Optimization, you can always visit our SAIO Insights page.

• My favorite take away from Senthil Ayyappan’s MarketingProfs article discussing the battle between AI and authenticity in marketing: “Decide what authenticity means for you. Is it strictly human? Is it only results-based? Your answer will guide your implementation decisions.”

• Is Perplexity your favorite GenAI tool? If it is, there’s a new Perplexity Assistant for Android phones.

• The most dramatic ban — then un-ban — in history mirrored some top rom-com tropes. This “we were on a break” did not take long to turn around before we boarded the plane to other platforms. TikTok is BACK… for now. If we’ve learned anything (besides don’t put all your eggs in one basket), it’s not to react too quickly and roll with the changes as they happen.

• Instagram’s Adam Mosseri released a new series on how to leverage the platform. Here are the videos: the first is on ranking and the second is on maintaining your content eligibility for recommendations. Then, we got a shock to the system when Insta launched a new tall profile grid.

• Google Ads Performance Max (PMax) is getting a makeover. Here are things that are set to change in 2025:
  • More focus on brand consistency in ad placements
  • Negative keywords will be added to PMax campaigns
  • Video action campaigns will become Demand Gen campaigns which allow “serve personalized, visually engaging ads across YouTube, Discovery, and Gmail”
  • Full integration with GA4 for measurement across the funnel
  • More details in the Search Engine Land article.

• Econsultancy published “Eight digital and marketing trends for 2025” with detailed explanations for each. Issues covered include “marketers do less with less” (AKA staying strategic in tough times), “brands get built in fragments” (think multi-channel synergies), and “soft skills in vogue” (especially with AI taking the lead on some of the hard skills). After reading, you will get a bigger sense of how all these trends are interconnected.

• In-person marketing conferences are coming back! Think with Google offers this guide with AI-powered tips on how to maximize your time on site whether it’s to learn something, do something, meet someone, or follow-up.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Are your shoulders climbing up to your ears?

Is your back rounded toward the screen?

Are you clenching your jaw?

We all have tension-building habits. The big question is: how aware are we of their causes and impacts? Do your shoulders climb up to your ears when you realize you’re behind on work? Are you slouching because you’re tired? Do you clench your jaw as a nervous tick?

Awareness of these habits can help us uncover how we’re actually feeling and make choices that will help us thrive.

Enjoy the last few days of the first month of 2025!

Natalie

When you stretch before exercising, your muscles retain their strength at longer lengths, but the effect will be gone after 10 minutes of inactivity! 

What does that mean, Natalie?

Learn how stretching changes your body in this 5-minute clip!

(Ted-Ed releases digestible, animated knowledge tidbits, so I also recommend subscribing.)

Howdy!

We’re happy to see the sun after a week of rain on the East Coast. Luckily, our newsletter is weather resistant – you can read us anytime, rain or shine. 😄

• It’s hard to believe that “92% of SEOs suspect their competitors buy links,” according to editorial.link’s survey. Another stat of interest: “71.1% believe that it is possible to rank high on Google solely through quality content, without relying on backlinks.” On the plus side, 67.3% named digital PR as the most effective link-building tactic – that’s one of our recommended best practices too. Unfortunately, the survey does not include any mention of leveraging social media posts for authority signals which is also one of our proven link strategies.

• Quick Study recently released an article called, “The Busywork Economy Comes for Marketing,” and it hits you flat in the face with truth. We live in a world of clutter distraction. Prioritizing business and marketing efforts that are valuable over busywork can make or break your efficiency. I.e., Could that meeting have been an email? Do we need to create another unoriginal blog with an unoriginal spin? Is having more social channels than we can handle truly worth our time? Check out the rest of the article for insights!

• EMARKETER has a Daily Quiz for its newsletter subscribers that is a fun way to keep up with digital trends and data nuggets. Here’s a sampling of questions from three days last week:
  • ChatGPT’s mobile app saw a big revenue spike after launching GPT-4o. How many active users will ChatGPT have in the US by the end of the year?
  • X is suing an ad industry coalition and its members, including CVS, Mars, and Unilever (learn more about that further down in this newsletter). What percentage of US social network ad spend will go to X this year?
  • True or false? Some 99% of those using AI platforms for search are still using traditional search engines as well.
  • For answers to these and many more interesting factoids, check out EMARKETERS Big Answers page or check out the PS at the bottom for the three answers.

• I remember when the Snap Map came out. It released a plethora of drama in high school and college. People could see other’s locations and spread gossip far more easily than before. So, naturally, Instagram has launched a test of a similar feature called, “Friend Map.” Instagram is trying to be cautious, but there are many privacy concerns with this. Is it truly the time to launch such a feature? We’ll see….

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Continuing on the busywork culture outside the business realm…

Are we filling up our time with social media, events, and hobbies for the sake of being busy? A lot of us feel better, more useful, when we’re busy, which is 100% understandable. However, doing too much (in a backwards way) means missing out. We miss out on opportunities for spontaneity and discovery. If we focus on the other commitments coming up, we lose our sense of now. We become so wrapped up in the future that we forget the present.

The point is… don’t fill your schedule to capacity. Allow space for your life to breathe.

Thank you for reading – you’re pretty great! Enjoy your week,

Natalie

Interest piqued? See the answers to the quiz questions above!

1. 68 million
2. 1%
3. True. Which is another reason why you should be leveraging DBE’s dual SEO/SAIO strategy.

Hey-O

It’s the day-O for your favorite digital marketing newsletter! And have we got neeeewwwwss for you!

• We’ve seen Google Ad’s exact match go from super-strict-to-the-keyword to a relevancy-schmelavancy technique. As Search pulls us more into a “keywordless” world, keyword match types are still a key way to hold onto highly relevant search terms. Search Engine Journal has the story.

• Not sure you’ve seen, but Think With Google has a new sub-topic category in its nav bar – Automation. This month’s entry is “Does our marketing have the essentials to succeed with AI?” Here’s a key takeaway if you’re strapped for time: “AI is capable of multiplying business results and growth, but only when it’s paired with human expertise.”

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Firefighters Without Borders 🌟

The whole world has been impacted by the wildfires in Canada. Firefighters Without Borders is helping to equip firefighters with emergency response training and fire response equipment across Canada and the world. See what they do here: Firefighters Without Borders.

• The Search 🔎 Wars: “Is Google past it’s search advertising prime?” This eMarketer chart shows Google’s share of non retail search spend has declined since 2021. Don’t fall for the clickbait headline though.
  Yes, Google’s share is down a tad since 2021…and, yes, Microsoft and Apple are on the upticks,…BUT Google still captures ~70% of the search spend. So to paraphrase a lotto motto, you still gotta be in it to win it.

• You might have seen auto-reply messages in Instagram, but do you know how you can set them up? HootSuite shows us how to do it directly on Instagram and if you’re a paying HootSuite user, how to set up auto-replies on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. That’s not the only cool thing about the video… It’s also narrated by a dog. 🐕 It’s a fun watch!

Wishing you a healthy and happy week!

Natalie

You know the Day-O (Banana Boat) song I mentioned at the beginning?

Turns out, it is based on a Jamaican work song.

To share more interesting facts and news with your buddies, send them this signup link!