How a Beehiiv Update Turned My Emails Blood Red

Surfer Issue 235; SEO vs GEO; Evolution of SEO; AI Search Engines; Tracking AI Traffic; Using Positive Social Proof; Event Sponsorship; Creating Short Videos; and Much More!

Author

Yoyao
April 05, 2025 • Est. Learning Time: 17 minutes

In partnership with

FIRST …

Public Service Announcement for Beehiiv users:

They just released a new website builder for their Max plan customers (highest one). But one unintended consequence is that the background of my custom themes went red. Like this:

These were the things I checked and adjusted:

  • Check My Templates

    • Click the “ + ” button in the sidebar to get to the Post Template Library

    • Check your “My templates”

    • Select the “Edit Template →” option

    • Check your “Outside Background” color (like image above)

    • Check some of your latest posts and their “Outside Background” for red or another color

  • Check your Automations

  • Check your Welcome Email in Settings

So double-check some of your old posts for the background styling. Mine went all red.

AD

Focus on what really matters. SiteGuru runs weekly audits of your sites and gives you a prioritized SEO to-do list. Integrate it with Google Analytics and Google Search Console for step-by-step guidance on what you need to do to rank higher. Plus, keep an eye out for Google Updates and how they affect your sites on auto-pilot.

Forget clunky tools that add +10hrs to your workload. Optimize your sites instead.

SEO

Liv Day breaks down Google’s March core update and how it hit forums, AI-generated fluff, and low-value programmatic content hardest - while rewarding brands with strong authority and helpful, people-first pages. Sites heavily investing in digital PR and real expertise are seeing the biggest wins. He main takeaway - SEO isn’t dead, but lazy, search-first tactics are. The future belongs to brands that are trusted, cited, and built to serve humans—not algorithms.

Barry Schwartz also posted a poll to see the effects from the update:

Aleyda Solis brilliantly breaks down the key differences and overlaps between traditional SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO) for AI-driven search. She maps out how LLMs and Google interpret queries, what types of content each prefers, and which optimization levers still work across both. Aleyda outlines which KPIs matter most for each search type—from crawlability and brand sentiment to LLM-driven traffic and conversions. So start optimizing for mentions, citations, structure, and semantic clarity.

Roger Montti unpacks Danny Sullivan’s recent comments at Search Central Live NYC, where he clarified how Google handles sites that add entirely new topics. The good news is you won’t get penalized (so Danny says). But don’t expect to rank on reputation alone - Google may treat the new section like a “mini-site,” requiring it to earn trust and rankings independently. Expand thoughtfully, maintain topical consistency within site sections, and give Google the signals it needs to understand your structure. Diversification isn’t risky, just make sure it’s strategic.

My Take: Publishing topical silo-by-silo is one of the core principles of Topical Maps Unlocked for how content should be published. This method will help Google and other algorithms more easily understand your site’s structure, intent, and topical expertise.

Brodie Clark analyzes over 3,000 product queries to reveal how often Google’s five free product grids appear—and what it takes to rank in each. Popular Products dominates with 81.37% visibility, usually at position #1. But sleeper hits like Fast Pickup or Delivery and In Stores Nearby are powerful too, if you’ve got local feeds and competitive logistics. Brodie’s key takeaway is to optimize for grid eligibility, not just Product Listing Pages (PLPs).

Lily Ray shares her SEO time-travel tour - from keyword-stuffed cave drawings of the 1990s to today’s AI battleground. She breaks SEO history into seven eras, each packed with dominant tactics, major algorithm shifts, and real-world insights from seasoned SEOs. He key takeaways are to double down on E-E-A-T, avoid shortcuts, and diversify content distribution.

Vince Nero discusses how nearly half of SERP features now keep users on Google, He makes the case for future-proofing with digital PR: think data-driven studies, brand mentions in AI, and getting cited in forums, socials, and high-authority sites. He covers how traffic patterns are volatile, but building brand equity across multiple channels is your insurance policy.

SEO Ripples

  • If you’re mass-producing AI content for search traffic, Google’s not impressed. Roger Montti reports on Danny Sullivan’s take: it doesn’t matter if scaled content is human, automated, or AI - if it’s unoriginal and adds no value, it’s flagged. Google’s updated Quality Rater Guidelines now classify low-effort AI content as “Lowest” quality.

  • Google’s John Mueller also warns that filler content can tank your page quality, so avoid those bloated intros and vague tangents meant to pad word counts. In the latest Quality Rater Guidelines update, Google singles out low-effort content that clutters above-the-fold space and frustrates users. Put your most helpful content front and center. Supporting info can come later, but don’t bury the lede. Recipe bloggers, take note: if users need a “skip to recipe” link, you’ve already lost them. Focus on clarity, not quantity, and remember - SEO starts with respecting your reader’s time.

AI

Yevheniia Khromova breaks down how today’s AI search engines actually perform by comparing 2,000 queries across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot. The research covers answer quality, objectivity, length, vocabulary, and citation sources. Some of the key results:

  • ChatGPT delivered the most comprehensive responses (and the most links)

  • Bing served up the shortest, simplest answers

  • Perplexity was the most subjective

  • Google leaned on old, trusted domains

The Bing Team is betting big on the future of search and it looks a lot like a conversation (Google’s AI Mode?). Copilot Search in Bing is a hybrid model that merges traditional search with generative AI. Copilot delivers fast, summarized answers with clear citations, layered context, and clickable follow-ups, all in one fluid interface. Bing now guides you through a multi-turn journey of discovery.

Louise Linehan shows how to pinpoint AI-driven traffic using regex-powered custom reports in GA4 and real-time dashboards in Ahrefs Web Analytics. She covers how to identify your top AI traffic sources (think ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot), measure the performance of AI-cited content, and benchmark growth against other channels.

NotebookLM has a new tool that turns it into your AI research assistant. With just a few words describing your topic, the Discover button surfaces a curated list of 10 web sources - each summarized and ready to import into your notebook. From there, spin up Briefing Docs, FAQs, or audio summaries.

OpenAI has quietly launched a game-changer: OpenAI Academy. It’s a free, hands-on learning platform offering livestreams, demos, and workshops led by the OpenAI team. From prompt engineering to building with GPT APIs and RAG pipelines, it’s built to take you from curious to capable fast.

My Take: This is obviously centered around OpenAI products, but still applies to many other LLMs.

AI Ripples

  • Anthropic’s new “Claude for Education” program delivers AI tools tailored for students, faculty, and administrators. There’s a new Learning mode that emphasizes critical thinking by guiding students instead of handing out answers. Partnering with institutions like Northeastern, LSE, and Champlain College, Claude is now embedded in everything from feedback on thesis drafts to automating enrollment analysis.

MARKETING

Jon Dykstra shares lessons from a year of running a B2C email newsletter post-SEO apocalypse. His #1 blunder? Chasing subscriber count over open rates - until poor deliverability nearly tanked everything. The fix? Ruthless scrubbing, a 5-day welcome sequence to filter dead weight, and simplifying emails to text-only links. Now he’s pulling 36–40% open rates and solid revenue from Mediavine ads. He warns against contracts with monetization partners and reminds us: email’s not passive, not for every niche, and not plug-and-play - but when it works, it scales like wildfire.

Phill Agnew flips the script on one of marketing’s most trusted tactics - social proof. Using real-world examples from anti-drug ads, the NHS, and Nationwide, he reveals how negative social proof (“only 2% donate”) can decrease conversions by making the wrong behavior feel normal. Want fewer missed appointments? Say “most show up.” Want more sales? Say “best-seller.” It’s a good read on persuasion psychology and writing CTAs, running campaigns, or when you’re wondering why your brilliant copy is falling flat.

Kath Pay makes the case that interactive email is the secret weapon smart brands are using to beat inbox fatigue. From embedded quizzes and carousels to hover effects and gamification, interactive emails turn passive readers into active participants that boost clicks, conversions, and customer delight. Kath urges marketers to lead with strategy: start with your goal, then choose the right interactive tool. She shares real-world examples from Dior, Kate Spade, BBC, and more.

Si Quan Ong pulls back the curtain on how Ahrefs evaluates, negotiates, and maximizes event sponsorships. If you’re looking for sponsors, ditch the fluff and give them what they want: hard data, audience fit, and flexible packages. He shares what makes a proposal irresistible, why smaller events often win over big ones, and how Ahrefs decides whether to come back next year.

My Take: I’ve only really started thinking about this myself since launching Floyi, so some good insights here. I used to be the one chasing sponsorships when I was organizing sports leagues, so I’m on the other side now with looking for opportunities.

CONTENT

Andy Crestodina lays out an 8-point checklist to future-proof your website for AI visitors. He covers everything from making your service pages detailed and crawlable to creating comparison pages, AI training hubs, and even tweaking your contact form to track AI referrals. AI reads every word, so ditch vague copy and show your credentials, geographies, services, and client types in clear, extractable text.

According to Matt G. Southern, two new studies show that most consumers can spot AI-generated content - both text and images - with accuracy. Over 70% correctly identified fake images, and 82% said they notice AI-written copy. Half would think less of writers who use AI, and 40% would judge the brand. But all isn’t lost, AI still has a place behind the scenes. Use it for research, editing, or brainstorming, but let real humans steer the storytelling if you want to build trust that lasts.

SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube Shorts has five slick new tools including a revamped editor with precise clip timing and previews, beat-syncing that auto-matches video cuts to music, and smarter templates that now support your own photos and effects. Express yourself even further with image stickers pulled from your gallery or go full AI and generate custom stickers with just a text prompt.

Tamilore Oladipo shares a bunch of actionable tips in this hands-on guide to TikTok editing. You’ll learn how to trim clips, split scenes, master TikTok’s built-in editor, and use tools like CapCut for polish. She dives into what hooks viewers in those critical first three seconds, how to pair structure with sound, and why trending audio, snappy captions, and subtle effects can transform casual scrollers into loyal fans.

Mary Keutelian at Sprout Social analyzed data from 30,000+ accounts to reveal the sweet spots for YouTube and Shorts in 2025. Timing your uploads just right can be the difference between crickets and clicks. The gold standard is to post at 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Want even more traction? Wednesdays and Thursdays show extra engagement with bonus peak hours at 10 a.m. She breaks it down by industry and offers tailored guidance for education, healthcare, travel, and more.

NEWS

Matt Mullenweg just cut 16% of Automattic’s workforce. Not due to crisis, but to sharpen profitability and free up capital for future bets. In Roger Montti’s breakdown, this isn’t a panic move but a strategic pruning. Despite healthy revenue growth, the WordPress parent is tightening up to stay competitive in a fast-moving tech world.

NEWSLETTERS TO FOLLOW

The SEO Newsletter (aka Rank Theory) from Sean Markey

I enjoy reading Sean’s emails because of his insights and straight-forwardness. He gives his thoughts without sugarcoating anything. Gotta love his style.

The SEO Newslettera daily SEO newsletter: subscribe >> rank things.

WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

Floyi - The only AI-powered tool that builds 4-level topical maps, so your content strategy isn’t just planned - it’s unstoppable.

Topical Maps Unlocked 2.0 - The blueprint for ranking dominance. Learn how to structure content the way search engines (and audiences) crave.

Topical Map Service - We handle the research, structure, and strategy—delivering a custom topical map that builds authority, so your content dominates its niche

Content Strategy and SEO Consulting – No guesswork, no gimmicks—just you and me, refining your strategy into a clear, proven roadmap for traffic, authority, and conversions.

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