Built It Right. Now It’s Time to Promote It Right.

AD

How can AI power your income?

Ready to transform artificial intelligence from a buzzword into your personal revenue generator

HubSpot’s groundbreaking guide "200+ AI-Powered Income Ideas" is your gateway to financial innovation in the digital age.

Inside you'll discover:

• A curated collection of 200+ profitable opportunities spanning content creation, e-commerce, gaming, and emerging digital markets—each vetted for real-world potential

• Step-by-step implementation guides designed for beginners, making AI accessible regardless of your technical background

• Cutting-edge strategies aligned with current market trends, ensuring your ventures stay ahead of the curve

Download your guide today and unlock a future where artificial intelligence powers your success. Your next income stream is waiting.

Get Your Guide

SEO + GEO

AI Mode User Behavior Study [Part 2]

Kevin Indig returns with a breakdown of how brands show up in AI Mode and what’s worth chasing. Forget guessing at link icons or sidebar placements. Inline text links inside AI-generated responses drive 27% more clicks, while brand trust remains the single biggest factor influencing user decisions. His study also reveals that shopping tasks trigger external visits 100% of the time, but nearly none for informational searches. He also found users asking full questions are more likely to click out.

New Sponsored Results Label in Google Search

Google announced a new “Sponsored results” label that groups all text and Shopping ads under one persistent tag, visible as users scroll. The update looks to improve transparency and help users instantly distinguish paid from organic results (so they say). There’s now a “Hide sponsored results” toggle, letting you collapse ads entirely for a cleaner browsing experience.

My Take: Removing the individual “Sponsored” labels for each ad is just more of Google trying to make the ads seem like actual “results.” The “Hide sponsored results” toggle is nice, but everything between the top label and the button can easily be seen as regular search results. It’s great news for advertisers though.

Bing Introduces Support for the Data-nosnippet HTML Attribute

Bing now supports the data-nosnippet HTML attribute, so you can now block specific sections of your content - like paywalled copy, disclaimers, affiliate blurbs, or experimental test copy - from appearing in snippets and AI answers, without harming visibility or rankings. This means more control over how your brand shows up in Bing Search and Copilot, without giving up indexation. Google supported data-nosnippet since 2019 at least.

Google Says What Content Gets Clicked On AI Overviews

In a WSJ interview, Google’s Liz Reid says Google is no longer rewarding surface-level summaries or recycled SEO templates. The content winners are ones with depth, originality, and a clear human perspective. Reid revealed that Google is expanding its spam definition to include low-value regurgitation and is actively up-weighting content crafted with insight, experience, and care. If your strategy still leans on skyscraper cloning or generic AI output, it’s time to pivot. Unique thought and subject-matter craft aren’t just nice to have. They’re your new ranking factors.

Google’s Robby Stein on AI Mode, GEO, and the Future of Search

In this podcast interview, Google’s Robby Stein explains how AI Mode is making Search more conversational, visual, and multi-step. Google is processing more queries than ever, thanks to what he calls an “expansion moment.” Visual search via Lens is up 70 percent. The AI pulls queries, evaluates sources, and selects answers based on originality and usefulness. He advises to publish high-quality, intent-satisfying content that helps users solve complex problems.

Not too different from Liz Reid’s interview.

SEO + GEO Ripples

• John Mueller set the record straight on Google’s URL Removals Tool after a site owner struggled to clean up thousands of hacked pages still showing in search. He explains that the tool doesn’t actually delete URLs from Google’s index - it simply hides them from search results faster, usually within a day. Permanent removal happens only once Google re-crawls and confirms the pages are gone or blocked.

• Mark Williams-Cook shows jump in AI-generated “People Also Ask” results, now appearing in 38% of Google searches, up from 18% in July 2025. AI crafts these responses and how your content contributes will be critical to staying relevant as Google leans harder into automated, answer-driven search experiences.

• Google Discover now includes AI-generated summaries for trending topics, citing multiple publishers but giving users little reason to click through. A new “What’s new” feed in Search also delivers live updates and articles for teams and players. Both rollouts are designed to keep users engaged inside Google’s walls rather than driving them out.

AI

Introducing Veo 3.1 and Advanced Capabilities in Flow

Google released Veo 3.1, you can now generate cinematic AI videos with lifelike textures, smoother transitions, and rich audio baked right in. The Flow tool lets you turn static images into dynamic clips, extend scenes seamlessly, and insert or remove objects with surprising realism. You control the narrative with starting and ending frames, and the new audio features turn visuals into full sensory storytelling.

My Take: I tested Veo 3.1 Fast in Flow and came up with the video you saw in the intro in one-shot. I uploaded the Floyi logo and an image of the wave. Then I used Gemini to generate a prompt following Google’s Veo 3.1 prompting guide based on this basic prompt:

Asian man is sitting on a surfboard typing on his laptop inside the barrel of a large wave. The barrel wave continues to flow over his head until he triumphantly emerges from the wave with the "Floyi" logo in the sky.

Using just the basic prompt, I got this video below. That’s how important prompting is - they didn’t get “Asian man” or the logo right:

In last week’s newsletter, Sora’s creation of a wave wasn’t that great. But Veo’s waves are heads and shoulders above Sora and other AI video tools I’ve used.

Introducing Microsoft MAI-Image-1

Microsoft dropped its first in-house image generator, and it’s already competing with the best. MAI-Image-1 earned a top 10 spot on LMArena by focusing on what creators actually need: photorealism, lighting detail, speed, and fewer cookie-cutter outputs. Instead of chasing bigger models, the team emphasized smarter training, fine-tuned with real creative feedback. It handles bounce light, textures, and landscapes better than many bloated competitors.

Introducing Claude Haiku 4.5

Claude finally updated Haiku 3.5 to 4.5. Anthropic says it delivers 90% of Claude Sonnet 4.5’s coding performance but runs 2 to 5 times faster and at one-third the cost. It’s priced at $1/M input tokens and $5/M output tokens - slightly higher than 3.5.

My Take: I haven’t had time to test it out yet, but I’ve always equated Haiku to GPT Mini models. GPT-5 Mini is much 2.5-4x cheaper ($0.25/M input, $2/M output). I’ll be interested to see what kind of output I get from Haiku 4.5.

Claude Skills: Customize AI for Your Workflows

Anthropic added the new Skills feature, so you can now train Claude to handle specialized tasks. Everything from spreadsheet analysis to branded document creation without constant prompting. Each Skill acts like a mini playbook containing instructions, scripts, and resources that Claude loads only when needed. You can build once and use it everywhere: in Claude.ai, Claude Code, or through the API.

Perplexity’s Comet Proves AI Browsers Can Work. Just Not Without Supervision.

Victor Schmitt-Bush put Perplexity’s new AI browser, Comet, through real SEO tasks. Comet handled content analysis and brief creation with ups and downs. But when it came to internal linking or multi-tab data research, it stumbled, hallucinated, and over-explained weak logic. His verdict: Comet is powerful but premature.

My Take: This is exactly why I built Floyi Content Briefs with multiple AI agents doing all the work. It’s a similar-ish process to what Victor followed here with the research, except Floyi also connects the brief to your brand, audience, and topical map. So no hallucinations with your audience and internal linking.

28 Expert-Level Prompt Examples and Templates for SEO

Search Engine Journal lays out 28 precise, structured, and role-specific prompts that turn AI into a reliable SEO assistant. Whether you need keyword clusters with opportunity scores, query fan-outs for content outlines, or SERP movement breakdowns, there’s a prompt for that. Worth bookmarking as it will be be continually updated.

AI Ripples

• Google added Nano Banana to Google Lens and AI Mode to let you edit images right from Search. Tap the new Create mode, describe your idea, and watch your photo change. You can also create images from scratch with text prompts or keep refining your edits in conversation. It’s rolling out now in the U.S. and India, with more countries on the way.

• NotebookLM got a double upgrade: 6 new video styles from Nano Banana and a new “Brief” format that delivers the main takeaways. You can get an anime-style explainer or a fast recap of a business plan’s cost analysis. You can choose the format, style, and focus. Pro users get it this week, with a full rollout coming soon.

• California just passed a law that gives chatbots a name tag. Senate Bill 243 now requires developers of “companion AI” bots to disclose when users are talking to machines, not humans. If a user could reasonably mistake the bot for a person, the law mandates obvious disclosure. Bots interacting with vulnerable users must report on safeguards related to suicidal ideation. These rules kick in next year and hint at the regulatory wave coming for AI.

CONTENT

Content Briefs That Win AI Search and Google: Competitor Insights, AI Overview, and Smart Linking

Most content briefs are just basic outlines (H2 lists) with a few keywords thrown in. But that’s not enough to rank or get noticed in AI search.

This is a video on Floyi Content Briefs, but it’s still important to see how I break down the key differences between generic content briefs and the powerful, strategy-driven briefs that are writer-ready.

From analyzing competitors’ content thoroughly - headers, keywords, entities, internal and external links - you can uncover content gaps and opportunities for information gain. You also select buyer personas, and manually or have AI generate internal and external link suggestions.

Check out the full video to see what should be in a content brief, because it’s not just a list of H2/H3 headers copied from competitors.

LINK BUILDING

Do Backlinks Still Matter in AI Search? Insights From 1,000 Domains [Study]

Margarita Loktionova shares Semrush’s latest study of 1,000 domains showing backlinks still matter in AI search, but quality rules over quantity. AI systems reward authority, diversity, and credibility. High-authority domains with diverse referring sources show the strongest visibility in AI-generated answers, while image links and even nofollow links perform nearly as well as traditional ones. The key is to build backlinks from trusted, topically relevant sites, and invest in shareable visual assets. In AI-driven search, sustained authority beats volume. It’s not about having more links, but better ones that truly earn their place.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Meta’s new Facebook feature helps you share the best moments in your camera roll by using AI to suggest creative edits, highlight standout photos, and stitch together shareable collages. It’s opt-in, fully private, and only shows you the suggestions. You’re always in control of what gets shared, but the heavy lifting is handled by AI. It’s already live in the US and Canada, with more countries on the way.

• Reddit announced that it is expanding its AI-powered search experience to five new languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. With this expansion, the feature is now available in countries like Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, and Italy.

• Pinterest just gave users a way to take back control from the flood of AI-generated “inspiration.” Users can now adjust how much AI content appears in their feeds, with new controls under “Refine your recommendations.” You can filter out AI imagery in categories like fashion, art, and home décor, and even flag AI-heavy Pins as you browse. Pinterest is also making its AI labels more visible.

CASE STUDY

The Story of Codesmith: How a Competitor Crippled a $23.5M Bootcamp by Becoming a Reddit Moderator

Lars Lofgren tells a jaw-dropping story about how one Reddit moderator - who also happened to be a competing founder - used control of a key subreddit to systematically destroy Codesmith, a $23.5M coding bootcamp. Through daily attacks, post deletions, and subtle narrative manipulation, he tanked the company’s reputation across Reddit, Google, and even ChatGPT outputs. That led to an 80% revenue collapse, layoffs, and the founder’s resignation. A single person with control over digital gatekeeping platforms can quietly ruin your brand.

My Take: I don’t know anything about the two coding bootcamps (other than just knowing the Codesmith name), but I feel for Codesmith. I’ve had false accusations thrown around about me, but not at the scale of what the Formation founder did as the Reddit moderator.

WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

Floyi - The only AI-powered tool that builds 4-level topical maps. Don’t just plan your content strategy - make it unstoppable.

TopicalMap.com Service - Let us do the heavy lifting. We handle the research, structure, and strategy. You get a custom topical map designed to boost authority and dominate your niche and industry.

Topical Maps Unlocked 2.0 - Unlock the blueprint to ranking success. Master the art of structuring content that search engines (and your audience) love - and watch your rankings soar.

AD

Attention spans are shrinking. Get proven tips on how to adapt:

Mobile attention is collapsing.

In 2018, mobile ads held attention for 3.4 seconds on average.
Today, it’s just 2.2 seconds.

That’s a 35% drop in only 7 years. And a massive challenge for marketers.

The State of Advertising 2025 shows what’s happening and how to adapt.

Get science-backed insights from a year of neuroscience research and top industry trends from 300+ marketing leaders. For free.

👉 Get the free report