Faking Dates Won’t Save You - Or Will It?

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SEO + GEO

Optimizing Your Content for Inclusion in AI Search Answers

Krishna Madhavan, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft Bing, shares how content is being selected and included in AI-generated answers. AI assistants now parse content into smaller pieces to evaluate relevance and authority. Key takeaways:

• AI referrals to websites up 357% year-over-year

• Clear titles, descriptions, and H1 tags improve AI selection

• Structured headings (H2s, H3s) define content for AI

• Q&A formats can be directly lifted by AI assistants

• Lists and tables break down complex info for easy parsing

• Schema markup enhances AI’s understanding of your content

• Avoid long text blocks, keep answers concise and snippable

• Content should be structured, not just keyword-optimized

• Semantic clarity boosts AI’s ability to classify and rank content

• Avoid relying on hidden content like expandable menus or PDFs

Forget the Great Decoupling – SEO’s Great Normalization Has Begun

Gaetano DiNardi discusses AI-driven search and how SEO success hinges on intent-driven content, visibility, and proving business value. The focus has shifted from generating massive traffic spikes to creating content that directly aligns with user intent and conversion goals. Top-of-funnel informational pages are no longer as valuable as they once were, while bottom- and middle-of-funnel content that meets specific user needs and can stand out in AI search now leads the way. For businesses to thrive in the Great Normalization, content must be structured, intentional, and conversion-focused.

Researchers Fooled AI Models With Fake Dates To Boost Visibility

A new study from Waseda University reveals how adding fake 2025 dates to content boosted its visibility across top AI models like ChatGPT and GPT-4. The research showed that AI systems, including GPT-4 and LLaMA-3, favor recent content over relevance, causing older but highly authoritative content to lose ranking. This recency bias highlights a growing trend where AI prioritizes freshness, even when it undermines content quality. With this knowledge, marketers are now grappling with how to balance SEO practices with AI's evolving ranking criteria.

Google Tests AI-Generated Search Snippet Descriptions

Google is now testing a new feature where it replaces traditional search result descriptions with AI-generated summaries.

My Take: This is really helpful if they’re going to surface forums at the rate they do. Those don’t have traditional meta descriptions to work from.

3 Lessons Learned From Launching .google

Christina Yeh, from Google’s Registry Team, shares Google’s playbook of the ‘.google’ domain ahead of the 2026 TLD round. Some interesting tidbits about SEO and how they look at domains:

• Branded TLDs tighten security since only you can register under your extension.

• Consider HSTS preload and move marketing sites off your core domain to reduce risk.

• A migration will preserve SEO if you audit basics, mirror URLs, keep signals consistent, use 301 and 302 redirects, refresh canonicals, hreflang, XML sitemaps, and robots, then monitor errors on the old host.

• Helps with trademarked second-level domains like googleblog.com because anyone can register those for phishing.

SEO + GEO Ripples

• Google has introduced a new help document focused on how to handle negative review extortion scams targeting Google Business Profiles. These scams involve malicious actors leaving negative reviews and then demanding money or services in exchange for removing them. Google’s new document outlines essential actions for businesses, urging them not to engage with scammers or pay any money. Instead, businesses should gather evidence and report the scam using a specific form provided by Google.

AI

Introducing AgentKit and Apps in ChatGPT

OpenAI has rolled out AgentKit and a new generation of apps for ChatGPT, making it easier for developers to build, deploy, and optimize agents. With AgentKit, developers can now design workflows visually, integrate tools, and embed chat-based agent experiences using ChatKit. The Connector Registry simplifies data management across OpenAI products. The new Apps SDK enables developers to create apps that integrate into ChatGPT conversations, allowing direct interaction with tools like Canva, Spotify, and Coursera.

Introducing the Gemini 2.5 Computer Use Model

Google has launched the Gemini 2.5 Computer Use model, a tool to improve AI agents' ability to interact with web and mobile user interfaces. Unlike traditional models that rely on structured APIs, this model enables agents to navigate complex UIs, filling out forms, clicking buttons, and handling logins - just as humans do. By leveraging this model, developers can speed up workflows like UI testing and automate tasks across websites and apps with reduced latency. Available in public preview through the Gemini API, it promises to redefine how AI can automate everyday digital tasks. (Christina Yeh)

AI Ripples

• Claude Code can now bundle and share slash commands, agents, MCP servers, and hooks into lightweight plugins that install with a single command. Teams can standardize workflows for code reviews, testing, or DevOps, while open source maintainers can ship commands that help users adopt their packages correctly. Marketplaces make it easy to discover and share plugins, whether you’re connecting internal tools, automating documentation, or packaging custom frameworks.

• NotebookLM ignores the robots.txt protocol. Google’s recent update to the NotebookLM documentation confirms it. This means that while webmasters use robots.txt to block bots, NotebookLM, a user-triggered fetcher, bypasses these rules. The tool extracts content from websites to summarize and generate interactive mind maps based on the pages. To block NotebookLM, webmasters can create custom rules using plugins like Wordfence or .htaccess.

• DC Comics president Jim Lee recently announced that the company would never support AI-generated storytelling or artwork, emphasizing that the heart of DC's universe is rooted in human creativity. Despite past controversies over AI involvement in comic covers, he reaffirmed the commitment to authentic, artist-driven content. He argued that AI lacks the capacity to dream or feel, and thus cannot create art in the same way humans can.

MARKETING

Loop Marketing Strategy: A Framework for Stellar AI-Era Growth

Ramona Sukhraj outlines loop Marketing and how it offers a dynamic, four-stage approach - Express, Tailor, Amplify, and Evolve - that adapts in real time to consumer behavior. By combining human creativity with AI-powered insights, businesses can deliver personalized content at scale, optimize across channels, and iterate faster. The strategy emphasizes continuous learning, ensuring each campaign improves upon the last.

CONTENT

Content as a Service (CaaS): The Framework That Aligns Marketing With the Business

Amanda Natividad makes the case that content should no longer be treated as a mere output machine but as a service that solves business problems. By adopting the "Content as a Service" (CaaS) model, content teams align their work with the specific needs of sales, customer success, and other departments. This approach focuses on creating content that delivers measurable business outcomes, not just more content for the sake of it. CaaS treats each piece as a service helping other teams achieve their goals with clearly defined metrics for success.

How to Become a Better Copywriter: Advice I Wish I Had

Tim Stoddart offers insights on how to become a better copywriter by focusing on customer pain points, objections, and the language they resonate with. He emphasizes these tips:

• Understand customer pain points and objections.

• Learn from competitors’ successful copy.

• Build a swipe file of high-performing copy.

• Establish a writing process for consistency.

• Schedule daily writing practice to improve.

• Use AI tools to assist in content refinement.

• Master one platform for better ROI.

My Take: This is one of those “Yep, simple stuff” - but it’s also one that helps to remind / reinforce / learn from.

SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube Lets Some Terminated Creators Request A New Channel

YouTube is rolling out a pilot program called “Second Chances” for creators whose channels were terminated. After one year, eligible creators can request a new channel to rebuild their presence. This fresh start allows them to re-upload compliant videos and reapply for monetization. However, not all creators are eligible. Those who violated serious policies or deleted their accounts are excluded. The program aims to offer a path for creators who’ve learned from past mistakes while protecting YouTube’s community standards.

YouTube’s First Brand Pulse Report

YouTube just launched its first brand pulse report, giving marketers a clear view of how paid and organic content work together to drive brand impact. Powered by Google’s multi-modal AI, the report detects brand mentions in visuals and language across the platform, capturing everything from logos to offhand creator shoutouts. It introduces new metrics like “Total Unique Viewers” and “% Share of Watch Time,” and connects how paid ads boost organic video performance and search lift.

Finding and Sharing Reels on Facebook Just Got Easier and More Fun

Facebook is rolling out features to make discovering and sharing Reels even more engaging. The upgraded recommendation engine now delivers fresher, more relevant content, quickly learning your preferences. New friend bubbles show which Reels your friends like, making it easier to connect over shared interests. You can dive deeper into your favorite topics with AI-powered search suggestions on Reels, helping you explore more without leaving the app. Plus, Facebook’s Save feature now tailors recommendations as you save, creating a personalized experience that encourages more interaction and longer watch time.

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