I Killed the Spreadsheet

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SEO + GEO

The State of SEO 2026: How to Survive

Katie Morton shares the 5th annual State of SEO report that offers key insights into how SEO professionals are adjusting. With AI tools becoming essential, many marketers are blending automation with human expertise. Some of the key takeaways:

• 66% of SEO professionals prioritize original content creation.

• 42.6% say content updates drive strong results.

• 42.3% highlight technical SEO improvements as key.

• 49% focus on investing in E-E-A-T next year.

• 58% of teams are using AI to complement human-created content.

• 77% are concerned that AI-generated content will reduce website clicks.

• 43% of teams are training staff on AI usage.

• 36% are teaching best SEO practices to staff.

• 65% of companies expect no SEO budget cuts in 2026.

Google Admits the Open Web Is in ‘Rapid Decline’

In a recent court filing, Google acknowledged that the “open web is already in rapid decline,” contradicting its earlier claims that the online ecosystem is thriving. The company argued that changes in digital advertising, such as the rise of non-open web formats like Connected TV, are accelerating this decline. Despite the challenge, Google maintains that it will not accept proposals to break up its advertising business, fearing it would worsen the situation

SEO + GEO Ripples

• Google's latest update to the Search Quality Raters Guidelines include AI Overviews, with new examples showing how raters should assess AI-generated content. The update also clarifies the YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) definitions, expanding them to cover sensitive topics like government, civics, and societal issues. The revised guidelines also fix minor typos and provide clearer examples of content evaluation. Download the new guidelines here.

• Google is testing the removal of the 100 search results parameter in Google Search, which allowed users to see up to 100 results per page. Currently, adding "&num=100" to the URL only works intermittently, depending on whether you're signed in or not. This change may impact rank tracking tools that rely on this parameter.

• Google created an unusual crawl loop by using 301 redirects for missing structured data documentation instead of the expected 404 errors. This tactic creates an infinite loop where the redirect leads back to a changelog, which then redirects back to the missing pages. While not a traditional soft 404, this behavior is odd for SEOs, as it doesn’t offer a useful replacement or clear signal to crawlers. The question is - did Google make a mistake, or is this a new approach?

AI

Anthropic to Pay $1.5 Billion to Authors in Landmark AI Settlement

Anthropic will pay at least $1.5 billion to authors whose books were used to train AI systems, resolving a class-action lawsuit. This is believed to be the largest-ever in a U.S. copyright case, offers authors roughly $3,000 per book. The settlement follows accusations that Anthropic used pirated works in its AI training. As part of the agreement, Anthropic will also delete any copies of the missing files.

My Take: It’s a good thing they raised $13 billion a week earlier.

1st n8n Agentic Arena

In the first ever Agentic Arena, YouTubers Nate Herk and Jack face off in an esports-like crazy contest to build the best AI agents, with a $10,000 prize on the line. Using n8n workflows, they build AI agents that answer trivia questions, tackling challenges like document analysis and trivia bot creation. The competition is fierce, showcasing how to develop efficient AI agents with complex workflows.

My Take: Over the top host and ref (Doctor Eval), and a robot. It’s always interesting to see how others use different tools.

OpenAI Comes for Hollywood with Critterz, an AI-Powered Animated Film

OpenAI is stepping into Hollywood with Critterz, an AI-driven animated film aiming to disrupt the industry’s traditional production process. Created on a budget of less than $30 million, Critterz leverages OpenAI’s tools, including GPT-5, to accelerate production and reduce costs. The film is set to premiere in 2026, with a debut planned for the Cannes Film Festival.

My Take: I used to work in animation and $30 million is definitely on the low end of budgets, but still not that cheap. It’ll be interesting to see where they spend that money.

AI Ripples

• Google Meet now translates speech in near real time, in a voice like yours. The team ditched the slow transcribe-translate-synthesize pipeline for a one-shot audio model that starts speaking back within two to three seconds. Already live in Italian, Portuguese, German and French. This is pretty slick. There’s a video showing it off on the page too.

• Claude can now create and edit Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint decks, and PDFs directly inside Claude.ai or the desktop app. Give it raw data and get back polished financial models, dashboards, or client-ready reports complete with working formulas and analysis. You can even upload a PDF and receive a formatted slide deck or spreadsheet in minutes.

• Google's Gemini app has introduced audio file uploads, a feature that many users had been requesting. Users can upload up to 10 audio files per prompt for analysis, summaries, and repurposed content, streamlining workflows and reducing the need for external transcription tools. Free users can upload up to 10 minutes of audio, while paid plans support up to 3 hours per prompt.

• Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster have filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI, accusing the company of plagiarizing their definitions and scraping their content without proper attribution. They say Perplexity's "answer engine" steals copyrighted material from the publishers’ websites. The lawsuit highlights the use of identical definitions, such as Merriam-Webster’s explanation of the word "plagiarize," and also claims trademark infringement.

CONTENT

New RSL Web Standard and Collective Rights Organization Automate Content Licensing for the AI-First Internet

The Really Simple Licensing (RSL) standard is revolutionizing content licensing in the AI era. Supported by major companies like Reddit, Yahoo, and Quora, RSL allows publishers to define how AI crawlers and agents can use their content and ensures fair compensation. By offering various licensing models - such as pay-per-crawl or pay-per-inference - it allows creators to secure proper royalties. This open, decentralized protocol builds on RSS, providing a scalable solution for millions of websites to protect and monetize their content. The RSL Collective wants to give creators a unified voice to negotiate fair compensation in the AI-driven web.

SOCIAL MEDIA

X (Twitter) has revealed what influences its “For You” feed, where most users discover content. According to X’s new documentation on Github, conversation is the driving factor. Key ranking factors include the likelihood of a user replying to a post and the engagement level of that reply. The more a post sparks a conversation, the more likely it is to appear on others' timelines. For brands and creators, the message is clear: to maximize reach, prioritize engagement and interaction over passive likes and retweets. Focus on dialogue, and the algorithm will reward you.

X user @aref_vc also put this comparison together:

NEWS

Ahrefs Acquires Detailed.com & SEO Extension; Founder Joins Company

Ahrefs has acquired Detailed.com and its popular SEO extension, known for its on-page auditing and competitive review tools. This acquisition brings Glen Allsopp, Detailed’s founder, into Ahrefs full-time, where he will focus on marketing and product strategy. The Detailed SEO Extension, with over 450,000 weekly users, will remain free for now, with no changes to its current features.

WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

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Marketing ideas for marketers who hate boring

The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it. That’s what The Marketing Millennials delivers: real insights, fresh takes, and no fluff. Written by Daniel Murray, a marketer who knows what works, this newsletter cuts through the noise so you can stop guessing and start winning. Subscribe and level up your marketing game.

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