Welcome back!

I know you missed us last week * tear 🥹*. In recompense, we’ve got extra digital marketing tea for you to sip on this week!

• ⚖️ The DOJ ruled that Google operated an “illegal monopoly in the advertising technology industry.” Google’s prices were ruled anticompetitive. This is the second case lost in addition to the search antitrust monopoly. Stay tuned as the DOJ prepares remedies for both rulings.

• Testing is in full swing for Google AI Mode experiment in Labs. 🔬 As with previous Search Lab experiments, early access is given only to premium Google One subscribers and previous Labs contributors like DBE. As one of our first prompts, we asked AI Mode to provide points of differentiation between it and the other two Google AI models we look at for SAIO — Gemini and AI Overviews. Gemini is actually the AI brains behind both AI Mode and AI Overviews though they generate responses differently. Here’s a chart AI Mode created for us to show the strengths, weaknesses, and use purposes for all three. We’ll continue our research to determine if and how AI Mode impacts our SAIO strategy and keep you in the loop of new developments.
  

• Google is now linking “keywords” in its AI Overviews responses that point to its own traditional search results. Come again?! They say this is “to help people more easily explore topics and discover relevant websites.” Trade coverage of this development includes the opinion that this is an effort to monetize AI Overviews by moving searchers to Google’s more traditional results pages that have more ads to click on. 

• Navigating search intent in a sea of AI platforms and search engines is tricky. Get tips on how to optimize for both topic clusters and keywords in a comprehensive strategy.

• Anthropic has a fascinating blog on the “faithfulness” of reasoning AI models (like their Claude) and their “Chain-of-Thought” as they are working on their response to your prompt. Anthropic’s research shows “you can’t always rely on what they (the AI models) tell us about their reasoning.” Anthropic’s solution is to “work out ways to increase faithfulness” between the chain-of-thought and the response. Note: Anthropic only tested its own Claude AI models and DeepSeek models. If we wanted to be a little cynical, we could posit that Anthropic is leveraging this research to distinguish itself from DeepSeek.

• Google Engaged Audiences… 
  • What are they? They are a segment of users that have interacted with your website across Google platforms. 
  • Limitations? You can only have one per Google ads account. 
  • Who are they good for? Small business owners or those just starting out in Google Ads who are looking to remarket.

• Everyone may try to act cool, but who is actually cool? 😎 NPR poses a form of this question for brands. If every brand acts like the cool best friend (snarky like Wendy’s or trendy like Duolingo), everyone blends in. My thoughts: brands should take a hint from 80’s high-school movies and be themselves to stand out in the best way.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

You know how people always encourage you to “find your joy?”

.

What if we flipped it…?

What if we allowed joy to find us?

.

What if we allowed joy to meet us

like the rays of morning sun stream through a curtain?

.

What if we let joy entwine itself in every aspect of our day

as an infant does with every new toy they discover?

What if joy was never lost, but always following behind,

waiting, patiently, to be discovered.

Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

Gardening can pose its own challenges. But finding indigenous flowers to your region, well, that’s a whole new ballgame. Yet, the benefits outweigh the initial challenges. Learn more about indigenous wildflowers in your region with the World Wildlife Fund!

Hiya,

Ready for the digital marketing scoop?

• “Search is dead, long live search!” is Danny Goodwin’s amazing opener to this SEL article. Like the internet, search is going to continue to change. GenAI is allowing information to be synthesized instead of retrieved. The analogy Goodwin uses to describe SEO vs. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization, AKA Search AI Optimization or SAIO) is that of a car and a truck. They’re different, but both vehicles get you somewhere. We have to treat SAIO and SEO as separate strategies that work together to get brand visibility.

• Google is automatically subscribing to your email newsletters as of April 3rd. This will be done to help Google collect and display any relevant content in search results (unless you opt out). Although alarm bells always ring whenever I hear “automatically opted-in,” I think this will be beneficial to marketers. Google is going to better represent the content you’re putting out for the world. So, don’t forget to put your high-value keywords in your newsletters!

• Hey, do you have a blog? (I know many of you do.) Check out this super simple infographic to make sure you are optimizing your blogs for SEO!

• “Make it go viral” — the one phrase that will make every social marketer cringe. Going viral can be great (sometimes), but it should not be used as a sole social strategy. Okay, so how do you balance virality and reaching your target audience? Socialfly beautifully expands on the concept of “soft viral”, which is surpassing preset benchmarks of normal performance without driving to become a global sensation. This means consistently putting out relevant, high-quality content your audience is interested in.

• 📺🧪 Previously, on The Big (TikTok) Ban Theory… The TikTok 75-day extension came to a cymbal-crash of an end where a deal was presented, then rejected by China. The deal proposed “TikTok America” would license the algorithm (instead of ByteDance being forced to sell it) and grant at least 50% of ownership to U.S. investors. In response to China’s rejection, President Trump extended the ban another 75 days on April 4. Get more details on the proposed deal in SMT and the extension in NPR.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Let’s take a second to review how far you’ve come.

⛰️ You’ve climbed your own mountains…

🛤️ Crossed vallies, hills, and rivers…

👟Traveling miles in worn shoes that may not have fit just right…

Considering the odds, you’re here. You’re breathing and reading this little section of a newsletter. Isn’t that something to be appreciated?

Remember to be kind to yourself as well as the others moving alongside you. You know not how worn their shoe soles are from their travels.

Have a mighty fine rest of your week, y’all!

Natalie

If you caught The Big Bang Theory reference, claps for you! Here’s a clip to lighten your mood.😊

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!

Hi! 👋🏼

I don’t know about you, but I love grabbing my laptop, setting up an umbrella, and working outside. There’s nothing like a face full of fresh air while you work. (I’m actually writing this edition on my deck.) If you have the ability, try changing up your workstation. Shifting the scenery is often refreshing for the brain and mindset. Anywho, let’s get to it!

• Want to take a peak at what the new AI-driven Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) will look like? For now, you will have to see it through screen captures from Search Engine Land and detailed explanations on how it will work.

• TikTok is at it again… trying hard to break into the search engine space. This time, it’s with a TikTok search widget. This is what I imagine whenever TikTok says it’s encroaching on Google search engine territory:

• eMarketer reports on a Razorfish survey on “Factors That Would Influence US Consumers To Gain Trust in a Company.” Their answers may surprise you as only 40% said “If I heard good reviews from other people” 🤔 while 66% said “If the company was transparent about how they use my personal data.” 👏🏼

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 One Tree Planted 🌟

Their goal is simple. Plant More Trees. One Tree Planted is a global organization focused on reforestation in North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. Every dollar is one tree planted. Check them out: One Tree Planted.

• You know when you said something funny, but then someone else reframed it slightly and got the whole room laughing? WELP, looks like something similar is happening to Bing. Bing’s efforts in obtaining search market share has backfired in Google’s favor.

• Not everyone has a super-rad, performance-based digital marketing agency (*cough cough* like us) in their back pockets. Sooo, if you need a little help with Facebook advertising, here’s a nice guidebook for ya!

May your successes be sweet, and may your workdays be smooth. Have a great rest of your week, y’all!

¡Adios!

Natalie

Here’s how to say ‘hello’ in 21 different languages: Babel.

You can use them as conversation starters for telling your friends about us. 😎

Send your buddies this signup link!

Welcome!

I don’t know about you, but April was beyond busy! Everyone in my friend circles agreed. It’s a new month though, so let’s wipe the slate. Take moments of pause when you need it. There’s wayyy too many studies proving breaks are healthy for you (including this one from the American Psychological Association). This is your opportunity to make sure you’re getting the mental, physical, physiological reprieves you need to keep being the best you possible.

Okay, now to the nitty gritty in digital marketing!

• “If SEO vs. PPC was a monster film (ala Godzilla vs. Mothra), we would have already had a ton of sequels but with no real plot twists.” ~ Marc Engelsman
  You can read the pros and cons for each OR you can fast-forward yourself to the happy ending that (spoiler alert!) SEO and PPC are better together in your marketing plan.

• Brendon Kraham, Google’s VP of search and commerce, discusses “How AI is helping marketers” and how Google Ads is using it. Of course, our readers need to read this with a critical eye as the examples he provides for using “broad match” and “Performance Max” settings cede more and more control to the machine. But we thought it is still worth your time to see Google’s perspective.

• Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, has some interesting viewpoints on growth and sustainability in today’s complex corporate environment (pun intended 🌍). Learn how business doesn’t have to be bad for the earth in this McKinsey interview.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Dress for Success 🌟

Since 1997, Dress for Success has been empowering women toward self-sufficiency by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools. This not-for-profit has chapters in communities across the globe and has helped over 1.3 million women. Learn about this organization and find ways to get involved: Dress for Success.

• As competitors ramp up to become Twitter alternatives, they’re running into a few snags. Challenges like the complexity of decentralization for some users are at the top of the list.

• Hey, are you looking for some positive, cool, science news. (I’m sure you are.) Sooo, check out this volcanic microbe that is very hungry for CO2. It’s a potential solution to the over-abundance of carbon in the atmosphere!

Hope you have a shimmery, beautiful spring month. Remember to slow down when you need it.

Toodles!

Natalie

It’s the third of the month, and do you know what that means?

Time for you to invite your friends to join our club!

How do you do? 🤠

It’s 2/22/23. That’s a lot of twos.

Hey, this rhyming game is keeping me amused.

Stay tuned for lots of great news!

• Will Chat GPT replace Google? 🤔 Moz is saying no. Why? ChatGPT is more of a “robot friend” who answers your questions, while Google has a leg up on attribution, giving people more context (which ultimately makes it more credible).

• What moments in the Super Bowl generated the highest volume of discussion? What were the top 10 ads for delivering the highest purchase intent? Martech has the scoop here.

• Oldie but a goody: Instagram has been trying on the search engine outfit since mid-2022. To gain reach and visibility overall, most people used to think: #HASHTAGS#. But, actually, keyword-rich, SEO-optimized captions are the way to go.

• eMarketer uses a chess graphic to show how generative AI is changing the game between Google and Microsoft. Don’t miss the small text at the bottom that references other players who are lining up to play, including Amazon, Meta, IBM, Watson, and more.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Charity Navigator 🌟

Ever get a little sketched when looking at a charity’s website? Hey, that’s natural. You want to make sure your support is going to the right place. Charity Navigator helps you find reputable charities you’re passionate about. Let’s give them a hand and support them, too: Charity Navigator.

• Is an Apple Search Engine already here? 😲 I know we talked about this last year in another WHW, but it turns out with the iOS 14 update, Siri started drawing on Apple’s web index instead of Google’s.

• Is that another annoying spam Instagram comment? *shakes head in disappointment* No worries, there’s a way to block annoying spam comments through your settings. Check it out!

• QUICK ⏲ Who makes more money per post: Instagram or TikTok influencers? The answer may surprise you!

Happy last full week of February! I hope you are ready to spring into March!

Natalie

I don’t know if you knew,

But I’d love to see more people in our crew.

Send them this link, okay, now I’m through. 🙂

What’s groovin’?

Another week with more juicy content to share. 🧃 Let’s dive in!

• Think with Google is out with their Year in Search 2022 trends and insights. Here’s the low-down:
• Their intro summary is “From redefining value and shifting priorities to reflecting on our identities and seeking ways to help others, people are turning to Search to answer questions big and small in uncertain times.”
• The report explores 3 overarching trends: “Value, reevaluated”, “Aid and allyship”, and “Revising priorities.”
• Here’s a nugget from the report that reminds us search should be used at different stages of the customer acquisition journey: “You cannot expect to have someone move directly from ‘I know you’ to ‘I buy you’ without all the steps that are required in between.”

• Speaking of search, there is a lot of buzz around Yahoo getting back into search including some teaser tweets like “Just popping in to remind everyone that we did search before it was cool. BRB making it cool again.” But don’t hold your breath as it might be a while….

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Episcopal Community Services Philadelphia 🌟

Episcopal Community Services Philadelphia aims to transform communities by helping people improve their lives and achieve economic independence. Some of their impactful programs include programs for kids after school, rapid re-housing, and health and wellness. See their impact: Episcopal Community Services Philadelphia.

• Snap has been losing its credibility with advertisers, and Q4 results back up that claim. 👻 Many marketers have viewed the platform for more top-of-the-funnel advertising than a conversion strategy. As advertiser budgets shrink, what platform do you think will be the first to go? See more.

• Google has been testing out a new look for search with AI answers in response to competition against chatbot services. Yeah. I know. Everyone is hopping on the AI train now. It’s, like, so last year….

Why We 💗 What We Do…

Have you heard through the grapevine? Our one-of-kind, master-networker CEO & President, Niki Fielding, is starting the Philadelphia chapter of The Connective. Check out the story!

• Some Fun for You 😄 If you’re up for some marketing humor, check out Tom Fishburne’s Marketoonist depiction of the “evolution of smart products” using a toaster as an example. It’s funny but also a little scary.

Natalie

What’s that?

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