Heya,

Summer’s flying at us fast and so is the digital marketing news!

• While we agree with the synchronicity strategy of looking at SEO and SAIO optimization as interrelated in this “keyword research meets prompt research” story, we don’t agree comparing keyword volume with prompt volume as a driver for that strategy. Prompt volumes are currently very volatile. We’re currently looking at overlaps between top organic search result pages and top pages for AI citations via Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to identify optimization synergies and gaps. Eventually, getting click data will take it a step further.

• AI responses are haunted. 👻 JK, but they are offering “ghost citations”. That’s when a brand is cited as a contributor to the prompt response, but the brand itself is not mentioned directly in the prompt response. The rate of ghost citations varies by AI platform, but it happens about 40% of the time on average. One solution is tying your brand name more explicitly to your citation-worthy content snippets. This can help prevent ghost citations and build your brand authority.

• Reddit’s CEO revealed the platform’s intent to show more evergreen content like recommendations and reviews. At the same time, it is working to make its search bar more engaging by integrating ad modules. It sounds like they want to cash in directly on their content rather than having it fuel AI results (and ad revenues) on other platforms like Google’s AI Overviews or ChatGPT.

• What metrics best demonstrate marketing’s impact? Marketing Charts shows the top 4 of 5 metrics mentioned were revenue-related. The fifth metric cited by only 3% of respondents was “Share of voice/brand equity.” The story behind the chart reveals there remains misalignment of KPIs between marketing teams and finance teams within companies that trickles over to their agency teams.

• Hyperlinks… in Google search ad descriptions? Oh yeah, it’s being tested now.

Most of us recognize that cute panda logo associated with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). For 60+ years, they’ve been spearheading conservation efforts worldwide. They work with local communities to conserve, advocate, protect, and restore natural resources. Learn more about them and their projects: WWF.

Keep kicking butt and takin’ names, y’all!

Natalie

When small things weigh you down, ask yourself:

Will this matter later?

Not every moment has to be treated with serious precision. 

In fact, sometimes, seriousness drains potential joy from the moment.

Here’s some other ways to help you view life more lightly.

Heya,

Digital marketing news never stops, so here’s your catch-up!

• Google’s May Core Update rolled out with significant ranking volatility. There’s no specific guidance with this one, but here’s a summary of Google’s previous advice. Pick your favorite source: Search Engine Land or Search Engine Roundtable. 

• (Almost) a hip-hip-hooray! 🎉 Google is introducing Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console. The “beta” version will only provide aggregate Gen AI (AI Overviews and AI Mode) Impressions data for pages — no Query, Clicks, CTR, or Position yet. (Not like Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance features that offer both Grounding Queries and Pages.) When will this new GSC feature be available to you? We’re still waiting to see AI Assistant as a default channel group in GA4, which was announced almost a month ago, so don’t hold your breath.

• ChatGPT early-access launched conversion ads on June 5th. NOTE: ChatGPT still says to treat their ads as a test channel rather than a performance one, soooo take this all as you will…. 

• Mini-dramas. That’s what TikTok’s new course is calling “a new program that will provide training on how to write short, episodic narratives, and tap into the key themes that make these short-form soap operas a hit.” Basically, you thought mini-series were too short, here come miniscule series on America’s favorite video-first platform. Here’s Social Media Today’s coverage.

• Speaking of series, Meta is testing a new Reels “Series” feature that lets select creators organize videos into episodes with a dedicated hub on their profile, mirroring TikTok’s functionality.

• People aren’t just typing keywords into Google anymore. Google Ads introduced AI Brief to allow advertisers to advertise based on a prompt instead of keyword lists. This, again, runs into the issue of trust and corporate AI usage rules. This may be a great feature for smaller businesses, but larger, stricter companies may have to wait until further testing is done to advertise.

• AI appears to be a double-edged sword when it comes to paid search hiring ads. It is cutting performance in two directions: 
  • First, AI is reducing headcounts (so less hiring and less need to market job openings). 
  • Second, traffic from GenAI sources to US retail sites surged 393% YoY in Q1 and apparently converted better than paid search and email (which may mean there may be less of a need to use paid search altogether).

Outright is fighting for the rights of LGBTIQ people everywhere. With staff in more than 12 countries, they partner with local organizations that work directly with the community to help push for change in governments globally. They even have a permanent presence in the UN in New York: Outright International. Happy pride, y’all!

Many kids pick up language before learning to walk.

As kids grow into adults, learning languages does not come as easily. (This is for a whole bunch of neurological reasons.) BUT DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL JUST YET!

Duolingo’s article points out a bunch of great tips to keep your brain learning, but my favorite is “willingness to make mistakes.”

As adults, we swerve to avoid making mistakes, but the best way to learn is after making them (research for my doubters).

More mistakes = better learn!

I mean, “learning.” 😉

Peace out rockstars, 🤘

Natalie

That’s how many days Duolingo and I have been tight… because one day I will speak conversational Russian with my fiance’s family. (How many nuanced endings can one noun have? Too many for one girl to keep up.)

*cue “Seasons of Love” from Rent for my folks who tried to sing the lyrics while reading “1,329 Days”… or was that just me?*

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! 🙌🎉🎊

Hey,

I heard it through the grapevine that you’re looking for digital marketing news. Hold on, I’m comin’ to give you the deets!

Musical Mischief 🎶: I’ve scattered seven soulful song titles throughout this edition of Perceptive Marketer (because, sometimes, I can’t help myself). Find ‘em all, and win bragging rights. 😁

• Search Engine Journal recently provided a deep dive analysis of studies by a wide range of SEO companies on The Impact of AI Overviews On SEO. It’s a 15 minute read, so we’ll spare you the TL;DR with this summary: The number of times AI Overviews is shown is less today than when it launched last May — way less (between 4.5% and 6.7% vs. 12.5% to 42% less). So, AI Overviews isn’t dramatically impacting SEO on Google. Still, there’s evidence that other AI platforms like ChatGPT/SearchGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, etc. are gaining traction as alternative search engines.

• In a related story, Search Engine Land reports that pages ranking as AI Overview citations are often different from Top 10 organic result pages. PLUS, pages in AI Overview citations are more volatile in their consistency of ranking visibility. We have two reactions from the SAIO perspective: 
  • This seems to indicate more of an opportunity to rank on a Google SERP that includes AI Overviews and
  • We’ve found our SAIO optimization strategy helps clients gain consistent visibility and traction across other AI platforms even when they don’t appear in AI Overviews (although they frequently appear there, too).

• “We’re so obsessed with replacing humans that we’re missing the chance to make them superhuman.” This quote from Leesa Soulodre’s LinkedIn article hit us — hard. Instead of being frightened of how AI can replace you, learn how AI can amplify your work. There’s no one way to do it, so use your creativity to carve your own path!

Podcast Alert! Raising ROI Through Wellness Programs

Did you know that companies gain around $6 for every $1 invested in workplace wellness programs? That was one of the jaw-dropping facts I learned while interviewing corporate wellness coach and Wellness Worx CEO, Christine Boucher. Discover how prioritizing employee well-being is a smart business decision in the latest A Better Paradigm Podcast (hosted by yours truly)!

• Paid search spend ($123.6 billion) accounted for the largest portion of total online media spend (34%) in 2024 — and is expected to increase by 12% this year. Learn more from the Winterberry Group’s US Online Media Spending Review for 2024 and Outlook for 2025.

• Google Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) were given more flexibility. What’s the twist now, you ask? Google is relying more on AI to serve or omit ad assets dynamically (such as putting a headline in a sitelink or omitting a description). This could help ads appear more relevant to searchers and potentially drive more clicks for campaigns.

• Live LinkedIn Events. How do you get people to actually come? The folks at Social Media Today tell it like it is with some great tips from LinkedIn Event Framework Guide including: why users go to LI events, how to prepare, and how to set them up.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

I’ve been hearing that 2025 has been a mountain of a year for some. No matter what has happened to you, let’s all remember this as we move forward:

You can’t change every wrong thing in the world,

but you can help change something.

This poem by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer says it best. Let’s see what a wonderful world this could be. 🙂 (Thanks Ray Graj and Niki Fielding for sharing!)

Before we hit the road Jack, don’t forget to come back for some more fun issues of Perceptive Marketer.

Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

Did you catch on to the melodies? Here’s the list o’ links for your listening pleasure:

• I Heard It Through the Grapevine
• Hold On I’m Comin’
• Can’t Help Myself
• The Twist
• Tell It Like It Is
• Wonderful World
• Hit the Road Jack

Hello and welcome!

In case you’re new here, this is your weekly dose of digital marketing news and data to help you make informed decisions. Stay tuned to the end for a dash of mindfulness to ease the stress of the day.

• 72% of respondents to a recent survey said AI-driven personalization and generative AI will affect their business the most in 2024. Here’s the scary part: “AI is also powering hyperpersonalization by using complex user data such as real-time browsing behavior and predictive digital preferences to create highly customized experiences.” What could go wrong with that? We should all be pondering the ethics of that question.

• What is a position-less marketer? According to Optimove, this marketer has a diverse skill set and can adapt and collaborate to drive business outcomes. Is this the direction marketing is going in the automated, AI-driven future? Our thought: AI still needs inputs and oversight from well-versed specialists in some of today’s key digital marketing roles – SEO, PPC, Data Analytics, etc.

• Generative AI is a hot topic (still), but how are people actually using it? As a marketer, I found this interesting because “content creation & editing” was the second-most popular use. We go into this in our latest POV, but as a reminder: AI should be an assistant, not the sole writer.

• We all know social media shows us what we want to see. If Joe Schmoe engages with a video of monkeys doing the tango, naturally, the algorithm will show him more dancing monkeys. The day Joe takes a trip to the jungle, with the thought of seeing these hairy performers live, he’ll be in for a rude awakening. Now, this is a silly example, but the topic can be ANY topic. We need to be aware that social media algorithms silo our information. A way we combat this is through ethical marketing, based on the principles of transparency and accuracy. Get more about ethical marketing and disinformation from ClickZ.

• We’ve been talking about antitrust suits for Google, Meta, and Amazon, but what about Apple? U.S. regulators are now also targeting Apple for monopolizing the smartphone market. Are there other situations we take for granted that may be up for targeting by regulators?

Has Written Content Become the “Um Like” of Marketing? 💬

Um, like, I mean, you know, uh…

We are all familiar with these filler words…. We tune them out whenever someone is talking and just listen to the stuff that matters.

The same thing happens with poorly written content. Unless content is created with the audience in mind, it becomes as meaningless as the filler words peppering English sentences. Why has some written content become so boring, and how do we fix it? Read more in our latest POV: Has Written Content Become the “Um Like” of Marketing?

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Recently, I had a stranger treat me unkindly.

I didn’t respond and went on my way. It was a small interaction, but it made me think (as pretty much everything does). Maybe this person had a bad day or believes they’re stuck in an unhappy life path.

In a later conversation with Niki , our amazing CEO, she shed some light on these kinds of interactions. She said we have three ways to respond: 1. react with the same hostility, 2. pretend to ignore it, or 3. genuinely respond with civility.

When we choose the high-road option in #3, we surpass our own ego and show kindness to someone who may need it. Whether they rethink their actions is not up to us. But we all know deep down if we show more kindness and compassion, the world can be better.

Looking forward to seeing you here next week!

Natalie

Growing season is here 🌱

If you love to garden, here are some awesome hacks for you!

Hey-yaaa

Alright, alright, alright. We’ve got a jam-packed edition for all you curious readers out there. Ready? Let’s go!

• When are we not talking about TikTok and Gen Z these days? 📱🎵 This article helps make sense of it all. Gen Z seeks discoverability, interactivity, and authenticity. TikTok cracked that code to give just what was needed after a time of social disconnectedness and disingenuousness.

• Google Analytics 4 just added 12 new ecommerce metrics and dimensions. As if the sunsetting of Universal Analytics wasn’t enough to make the switch to GA4.

• On another social note, data.ai released a full report on the “State of Mobile 2023”. Social Media Today does a great job with the wrap-up. Some highlights below:
  • BeReal takes the cake for rookie app of the year with downloads reaching “5.3 million in August 2022.”
  • Instagram, WhatApp, Snapchat, and TikTok dominated the most downloaded app category in most regions.
  • Time spent on socials hiked up over 2 TRILLION hours in 2022.

• What is wrong with this picture from Marketing Charts of B2B ABM Marketers self-assessments of competency in critical tactical skills? 🤔 Could it be that they are most proficient at “Campaign planning and execution” and least proficient at “Data and analytics for ABM”?

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Solar Cookers International 🌟

You may be wondering… what are solar cookers? This charity’s name immediately got my attention because of it. According to their website, “3 in 7 people lack sustainable fuel to cook meals and make water safe to drink. So, Solar Cookers International provides cookers that use the power of the sun to purify water and cook food. To learn how you can help (and see what solar cookers look like), visit their website: Solar Cookers International.

• Here are some PPC marketing trends to note for 2023. Our paid search team thinks number 3 is the most important one, since we’ve seen great performance with Bing.

• Another day, (yet) another lawsuit for Meta, Alphabet, and other social media giants. Seattle schools “allege that “misconduct” by the Big Tech firms has been a large factor in the youth mental health crisis. Opinions are split. My question: how a lawsuit can aid in fixing a cultural issue. Stay on top of the news here.

• Econsultancy offers an ICYMI compilation of recent articles with experts’ takes on digital marketing innovation and trends to watch for in 2023. Topics range from Personalization to Search and SEO to Social Advertising and more. Check it out, y’all!

That’s it for this week. Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

What’s cooler than being cool? 🧊

Sending your friends this newsletter’s signup link!

Happy 2023 🎈🎉🥳

Welcome to another year of kicking butt and taking names, digital marketing friends. I hope you had some time to relax and are getting H-Y-P-E for the year to come. Let’s get this party started!

• New year – new best times to post and social media image sizes. You’re welcome. 😁

Why We 💗 What We Do…

You may have heard, but our phenomenal President & CEO, Niki, appeared on TWO podcasts this year (already). If you haven’t checked them out, you need to. Like, now. 🎧

INspired INsider hosted by Dr. Jeremy Weisz

The Limitless podcast with Johanna Buchweitz

• Start with this article from McKinsey that opens with ChatGPTs response to the prompt about writing the opening paragraph about how transformative generative AI will be for business…. It’s pretty amazing.

• Next, for more about potential applications and disruptions ChatGPT could cause in the search world, check out Search Engine Journal’s ongoing news story.

• And Search Engine Land just weighed in with this about Microsoft adding ChatGPT features to Bing Search. It includes their take that maybe Google isn’t in a “code red” situation.

• (And, no, this segment of WHW was not generated by ChatGPT – all human-generated content here at DBE.)

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Evidence Action 🌟

Evidence Action’s goal is “[r]educing poverty and spurring growth in developing countries requires strategic, high-value investment of scarce resources, whether they come from donors, governments, or communities.” Some of their initiatives include delivering safe water and providing treatments for parasitic infections. See how you can help: Evidence Action.

• Like good wine 🍷, TikTok is maturing 🎶. There is a wealth of ad formats for advertisers to choose from now, and TikTok advertising spend is going up for many companies. Get the deets on DigiDay.

• Speaking of advertising $$$, Google and Facebook are losing advertising market share as TikTok, Amazon, and others grow.

We wish you smooth sailing as you get into ya 2023 groove. 🕺🏿💃🏼

Keep rockin’ it!🎸

Natalie

Not sure if you heard yet,

But all your digital marketing buddies are invited to join our club… ♣

Send them this signup link!

Hiya!

Fun fact: Wednesday is one of the most misspelled words in the English language. (Makes sense with such a sneaky silent letter!) Anyway, here is some digital marketing news to start your Wenesday off right! 😁

• Calling all PPC professionals 📞 Looking for a way to level up your PPC knowledge AND have a beach view in Palermo, Buenos Aires? The [Exact Match] Conference is exactly what you need. Check out the one-pager and the website!
• We all know the marketing “funnel”. What about the marketing “möbius strip”? Delve into the increasingly complicated customer journey with this LinkedIn article.
• Metaverse Meddling
  • As a digital metaverse, it looks like Roblox has it all… or do they? 🤔 Amidst all the brand partnerships, you’d expect to see higher revenues. Read how the gaming platform is really doing.
  • “Virtual worlds, real money” sums it up nicely for this McKinsey chart on metaverse spending. Their recent survey found consumers are already spending more money each year on digital assets (e.g., NFTs) … and they expect to be spending more in years to come. 🌐💰
  • Check out this “reality check” from Econsultancy as it looks at consumer attitudes toward this new realm. It includes a wide range of data on feelings regarding both the perceived benefits, the potential drawbacks, and general confusion about joining the metaverse.
• As you have heard us say frequently, “real” SEO requires the strategic planning and tactical implementation of a variety of best practices. Search Engine Watch offers an overview of one of those practices in this article on “How to write effective title tags in 2022“. In short, keep the title tag relevant and short while putting the target keyword phrase first.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Heroes to Heroes 🌟

Heroes to Heroes provides emotional strength, spiritual healing, and peer support for Combat Veterans of all conflicts and all faiths who have attempted suicide or are on a path to self-destruction due to moral injury/PTSD. Heroes to Heroes’ coaching, events, and programs have helped countless veterans and their families. Learn more about this organization: https://heroestoheroes.org/

We’d like to thank Michael Haltman for showing us this impactful organization.

If you have an organization you’d like us to feature and donate to, just reach out!

• This is probably not a surprise, but Gen Z is using Facebook less and less. TechCrunch notes that the population views the platform as a “utility and an obligation” rather than a new, exciting platform of choice. Pew reports that Gen Z’s attention is mainly drawn to YouTube. Only the future knows what the platform will become!
• Speaking of generational differences in the digital world, have you heard of the “millennial pause?” Apparently as millennials age (it happens to the best of us), Gen Zs are finding some of Gen Y’s habits hysterical. This fun read from The Atlantic may create some entertaining conversations for you.
• Looking to spice up your short-form content game? Check out these interactive tips from Facebook! 🎦

Sending positivity your way while wishing you have a great day! 😊

Stay cool 😎

Natalie