DBE Perspective… 💬

Google announced the long-awaited public release of its Search Generative Experience (SGE) last week. Except it’s no longer called SGE but rather AI Overviews (apparently, SGE was its experiment name). The search marketing industry is buzzing about the launch and its potential impact. So, we thought it might be good to add our perspective in the form of an FAQ from Marc Engelman, our VP of SEO & SAIO…

Stay tuned as we conduct our own research into the next phase of Google Search!

• Sites that suffered significantly from the “Helpful Content Update” can recover search traffic losses if they fix things, according to Google’s John Mueller. What specific things to fix is not known, but our advice is to start from your perspective. Would you actually find your content useful? Then, ask someone else or a group of people in your audience. What do they have to say? 

• Tired scanning through all the various search results (Images, Videos, News, etc.) that appear above the Google search text listing? Now you can use the “Web” filter to see those text links (and maybe some text ads). The problem is that it may be hidden in the filter bar so be sure to click “More” to find it. Here’s an example of the All view vs. the Web view (pardon Marc’s home team bias). The wanted result is in green.

• Perplexity is now delivering a daily digest to those interested. Thursday’s digest was on Apple and OpenAI nearing a deal for integrating ChatGPT technology into iPhones. Buried in the third paragraph of Perplexity’s writeup is word that Apple is talking with Google about licensing its Gemini chatbot. It’s nice to see this form of a digest with multiple link citations.

• I wonder how many boring ads we’ve seen in our lifetimes – ads that were so bad that they weren’t worth the mental storage. With the death of the cookie, ads have to be more memorable and relevant than ever. Because even the best targeting goes to waste if the ad stinks worse than a triathlon athlete after the big race. This Emarketer article says to experiment and set the creative bar high!

• Emarketer shares a Hootsuite survey showing that marketers have the greatest confidence that LinkedIn delivers a positive return on investment (70% agreed). Per an Emarketer forecast, LinkedIn U.S. ad revenues are expected to rise by 13.9% this year. LinkedIn has always had strong support from B2B marketers but now it appears B2C marketers are seeing the value, too. Interesting, and not surprising, is confidence in X/Twitter is only at 30%.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

You ever get that buzzy feeling – like your brain chugged too many cups of coffee. It feels impossible to sit and get one task done.

I’ve had that feeling lately and these things have helped during the workweek:

1. Acknowledging that I’m jittery (it happens and it’s okay)
2. Then, adapting my workday to fit where I am.
   1. Put the phone out of sight. 
   2. Raise the desk to standing mode and take walking breaks to work off the extra energy.
   3. Deepen the breath and imagine metaphorically “landing” on the ground.

We are conditioned to be busy all the time. If we think we’re not productive, feelings of unaccomplishment and boredom seep in. For me, the jitters arise from the stress of being too busy. It’s a warning sign to slow down.

Yesterday was World Meditation Day, and it’s a reminder to incorporate stillness in our lives. Enjoying food without distractions. Gazing out a window. Focusing on the breath. Stillness helps us reset and crystallize our intentions. It gives us pause to appreciate the path we’re on.

Best Wishes 🙂

Natalie

Jillian Pransky, renowned yoga teacher, has a beautiful way of simplifying the art of deep listening in her book, Deep Listening: A Healing Practice to Calm Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and Open Your Heart. Recommend checking it out if you’re interested!

Hiya!

Time to turn on the digital marketing thinking caps. We’re getting ready to dive in!

• ChatGPT-4o (o standing for “omni”) rolled out on Monday, and it’s getting closer to the robot assistants we see in the movies. Read a quick summary in The Verge and get the capabilities in the OpenAI ChatGPT-4o blog. Overall, it is faster, understands more (from languages to conversational cues), and is available to free users. Note: Free users still won’t have access to the internet browsing features that are included with ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

• Now consider this other OpenAI news: “OpenAI may be getting closer to launching its ChatGPT product that searches the web and cites sources when answering questions.” We’ve seen some elements of link citation use with ChatGPT Plus prompt responses. It seems like the difference between free and Plus users will be usage limits. Here is the ChatGPT response to our query regarding its search function.

• Have you been following the US vs. Google antitrust trial? Danny Goodwin covers how the DOJ “hammered Google over search ad price manipulation” in its closing statement with 20 eye-opening slides. Read for yourself and let us know if this changes your attitude and/or investment in Google Ads.

• Here’s a head-scratcher: Search Engine Journal reports “Ex-Google CEO Implies AI Search Will Have No Links.” We’ve all seen how Google prefers to provide answers to queries without links to answers (e.g., the example for “what time is it in california” used in the article). And most of us can trust Google’s response to these simple, fact-oriented questions. But our testing of Gen AI has revealed some gaps in the accuracy of their responses that have not included source citations with links. At a time when expertise, authority, and trust (E-A-T) are touted by Google as helpful content quality signals, we don’t foresee a link-less Google AI search engine anytime soon.

• LinkedIn and Microsoft partnered to provide a new report on the AI landscape in the workforce. Unsurprisingly, 76% of global knowledge workers are using AI at work – 46% of them started using it in the past 6 months. Also, interesting to note that the top occupations using AI include content writers, graphic designers, and marketing managers. Here’s the Social Media Today overview and the full report on Microsoft.

• Skittles renovated a tiny apartment in NYC and is paying for one lucky raffle winner to live there for a year. If you haven’t seen the pics, you gotta check ‘em out!

DBE Perspective 💬

Our Director of SEO, Marc Engelsman, challenged Google Gemini, ChatGPT Plus, and Perplexity to a write-off… and even the winner had room for improvement.

Dive deeper into the findings, and read the full article: Ranking Gen AI Platforms on What They Know and How They Talk About SAIO.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

I was recently given a challenge.

Instead of the traditional “How’s your day going?” I was asked to start with “Tell me about your day.”

The traditional how’s-it-going banter consists of a yes or no answer. However, “tell me about your day” invites room for conversation – for connection. It gives an opportunity to know another on a deeper level. It goes beyond polite greeting and lets the other person know you care.

Try it sometime. You might be surprised with the responses you receive.

Keep on swimming, y’all! 🐟

Natalie

“94% of fish stocks in the US oceanic and gulf waters are not being overfished,” which is an all-time high according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration! Catch the story in Good News Network.

Howdy, friends!

January 24th is National Compliment Day, so here are some headed your way:

Good for you for expanding your knowledge and reading today. Think of 3 things you did well today. Now, out loud, give yourself a compliment for accomplishing them, no matter how big or small they are! Happy reminder that complimenting yourself is important, we believe what we hear ourselves say! 😊

Let’s hop into the digital marketing news, fellow marketing enthusiasts!

• You’ve likely heard about apps that let you take a picture of a plant and then identify it for you. Well, Google is adding those kinds of features to its search and Gen AI toolboxes. Our Head of SEO, Marc Engelsman, asked the question: Does this mean a picture is now worth a thousand keywords?! (ba-dum-tss)

DBE Perspective… 💭

Think with Google, with the help of The Behavioural Architects, has published its latest research on “how people decide what to buy while they’re in the messy middle of their purchase journey.” The research offers tips on how to boost consumer confidence (or should we say authority?) based on your website content.

For more on Brand Authority, check out our new blog post From Brand Authority to EEAT to SEO to SAIO.

DBE Perspective PART 2… 💭

Yes, there is a part 2 to your favorite segment of the WHW newsletter!

We know that SAIO and SEO work together, BUT they have different implementation strategies… one big difference is keywords. Instead of the SEO “one keyword per page rule, ”SAIO works with one topic and a few long-tail search terms. How does that work? Good question! Find out in “The SAIO Strategy: SEO Keywords vs. SAIO Topics.”

• FINALLY, LinkedIn rolls out sponsored articles. (Woohoo!) In the past, there was the problem of LinkedIn not liking you leading people to your off-platform blog, but wouldn’t let you sponsor your LinkedIn article. This is an exciting new feature to get your thought leadership content out to more people!

• With the death of the cookie, marketers are finding ways to utilize 1st-party data (maybe zero-party and second-party) data in a privacy-centric way through AI. Marketing Dive points out that large companies with massive amounts of 1st-party data will have a leg up over smaller ones. A way around this could be “data co-ops that allow entities to share data that can be used to fuel generative AI efforts.” However, if enough companies share data on this large scale, it still looks suspiciously similar to third-party cookies. We’ll have to see how it all plays out.

• Google has laid off hundreds of people specifically in the advertising sector. Many believe the support experience is going to get worse and as an agency we can attest to this.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Home Sweet Hudson 🌟

Once a special needs person reaches the age of 21, they are disqualified for the IDEA (federal) services they’ve used throughout their life. Home Sweet Hudson helps ease the burden of this transition for caregivers and special needs people in the Hudson County area. Learn more about them here: Home Sweet Hudson.

Don’t forget… you’re awesome! 😎

Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day,

Natalie

Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys has been stuck in my head. 🎵

Did you know that high-pitched noise in the intro was created by an electric-theremin. Learn more about the song here.

And if you’re pickin’ up our good vibrations, share our WHW signup link to your buddies. 🏄

Howdy, Howdy!

Have you ever noticed how many hats we wear day-to-day? Sibling. Partner. Friend. Coworker. Volunteer. Parent. Athlete. Musician. They all could be full-time roles if we allowed them. First, give yourself a pat on the back for handling all those roles. Then, ask yourself… how’s the balance? Don’t forget about taking time for yourself to decompress. Much of the time, you can give yourself at least 10 minutes to reset (napping, taking a walk, etc.). If not, give yourself an elongated breath.

Now that we’re a little more centered, let’s put on our digital marketing hats, shall we? 🧙🏻🧙🏽‍♂️

• Search Engine Land covers Google’s new AI model “Gemini” that is being integrated with Search, Google SGE, Bard, and Ads. The article includes snippets of an interview with Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. Here’s one of the quotes we found interesting:

Pichai: “Our fundamental vision is that people come to search to experience the richness and the diversity of the web and the content ecosystem. So even though with search generative experience we can expand what we do, we’re actually designing the product in a way so that people can go explore. And I think that’s what users want. I view it as a fundamental value proposition of search, so that’d be part of our goal as we evolve the product.”

So it sounds like rather than being just an answer machine, Google is still looking to connect searchers to other websites as part of their search journey. We’ll be watching closely as this AI-driven story evolves.

• Speaking of AI (as we often do), here’s a warning about how using AI for automating prospecting emails can be counter-productive. Bottom line: whatever you are using AI for, best practice is to pay close attention to the output before releasing into the real world.

• Interested in seeing B2C Marketer’s Biggest Ethical Concerns with AI? Look no further as MarketingCharts has the results of a recent survey. Not a big surprise “privacy invasion” is at the top of the list but “biased content” at the bottom?

DBE Perspective… 💭

SAIO & SEO have more in common than they seem. Parts of the strategies are strikingly different (like keyword optimization), but they both help you reach a goal of increased visibility across organic channels. Marc Engelsman takes you through the best practices and effects of SEO/SAIO on each other in “The Yin and Yang of SEO and SAIO (or is it SAIO and SEO?).”

Do Good Spotlight
🌟Home for Good Dog Rescue🌟

Home for Good Dog Rescue has saved 10,000 dogs in 11 years! Think of how many games of fetch, dog piles, and doggie play dates were enjoyed because of their work. Home for Good Dog saves dogs from kill shelters in the South and places them with foster families until they get placed in forever homes. Check out their website and fall in love with their pups on socials. 💖

• We’ve talked about X’s Grok before. Did you know that it answers in a “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”- esque way… suggesting questions to ask and responding with hardy sarcasm, and real-time Tweets. Yes, this is cool, but X has its dark side of misinformation and bias. How will those play out in their new xAI?

• The global advertising market is showing positive results despite the challenging year of inflation and conflict. The overall market is expected to improve in 2024, specifically around major events like the Olympics and the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.

• You may have seen these floating around LinkedIn… Collaborative articles are becoming increasingly popular (at least in my feed). Basically, a group of experts are invited to provide knowledge and insights on a general question. Anyone can view or interact with these articles. These are another great way to build up your LinkedIn thought leadership!

Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

Congrats for making it to the bottom of this longer issue!

What’s your reward, you say? 🏆

Here’s a beautiful signup link that you can send your friends!

Hey y’all!

I have a thought for you. Do you remember the last time you had fun while learning something? You probably had a feeling of awe or appreciation. What if we approached our daily routine with more of a beginner’s mindset? There’s always something different in each moment… something it can teach us. We just have to stay open and ready… maybe the beginner’s perspective might make the day a bit more enjoyable!

Now that you’ve got your good thought for the day, let’s jump in!

• What conversion model do you use: first-touch, last-touch, OR multi-touch? Apparently, 75% of companies reported using multi-touch attribution! It comes with its challenges though (like double-counting conversions #yikes).

• Google confirmed it is dropping 4 of its attribution models in Ads and Analytics. They are doing this due to “low adoption rates.” The AI powered, data-driven-attribution model will be the default with the last-click model still available as an option. The data-driven attribution model is supposed to evaluate the impact each touchpoint has on a conversion and has reportedly led to a 6% increase in conversions for paid search advertisers. However, the model is not transparent about how it scores individual touchpoints, so getting deeper attribution insights will be more difficult.

• Think with Google recently posted “What AI can and can’t do — and what that means for marketers.” We’ve already covered what it can do in previous WHWs. So let’s cover what the article says AI can’t do:
  • AI can’t see the big picture for your organization
  • AI can’t be creative like you
  • AI can’t empathize with people

Of course, Google is saying AI can help with these things but it’s good to know that AI isn’t the solution for everything. Yea, people power!

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Alex’s Lemonade Stand 🌟

This foundation is close to our teams’ hearts. The story behind the ALSF is remarkable: When Alex was 4 (she was diagnosed with childhood cancer just before her 1st birthday), she wanted to set up a lemonade stand and use the money she earned to help doctors find a cure. Her first “Alex’s Lemonade Stand,” raised $2,000 in one day. She continued to grow the program with the help of an amazing community of supporters. When she passed away at the age of 8, her stand and inspiration had raised more than $1 million. ALSF was started by her parents in 2005 to continue the work that Alex began. Their mission is simple: to change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer. We are inspired by Alex’s story and donated in memory of Ronald Hogas. Here’s where you can learn more and support a wonderful cause: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

• Meta and TikTok are exploring the possibility of ad-free subscription tiers in response to the EU data privacy regulations. It will be interesting to see what the future holds in the US if they roll out a similar version here.

• Did you know you can get verified on LinkedIn? Ya, it’s a thing!

• I’m a HUGE fan of the Duolingo marketing. Here’s their latest cleverness: a job listing for an Owl Trainer for their mascot, Duo the Owl. 🦉 The application process is intense – see below:

Hope you got some giggles out of that last bullet. 🙂 Enjoy your week!

Natalie

What’s cooler than being cool? 🆒😎

Sending your digital marketing friends this signup link to join the WHW party!

What’s up? 👋

I don’t know about you, but June flew faster than a peregrine diving down a cliff (~240mph). Just sending a gentle reminder to stay present and aware. There’s only one of every moment. Interpret that as you will.

Here’s the 411 on the latest digital marketing dirt:

• Many marketers are not ready for the “UApocalypse” – the sunsetting of Google Universal Analytics on July 1st. Over 3.4 million sites use UA in the U.S. vs. 2.4 million using GA4. Marc Engelsman, our VP of SEO, says: “Clearly those of you in the latter group (like our clients) can party like it’s 1999 while the rest are going to have to hope the impact on their analytics is more like the projected Y2K bug.

• Social Media Today does not seem happy about LinkedIn’s live test of generative AI posts. And TBH, I’m not disagreeing. If all socials are generated by AI, then it’s just gonna be a bunch of robots talking to each other through our profiles. (The Twitter fights would be UNREAL… and very entertaining.)

• Microsoft releases predictive targeting for all advertisers. It’s similar to optimized targeting but it helps marketers that use the Microsoft Audience Network by using a combination of existing advertiser assets and Microsoft Audience Intelligence. Learn more.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 The Access Fund 🌟

If y’all haven’t heard, I am a huge climber and nature-lover. The Access Fund is an advocacy organization for both. They are working for sustainable access to climbing areas across the nation, while educating others how to advocate. If you’re all about nature and vertical adventure, check them out: Access Fund.

Fun tidbit: My college climbing club supported this organization by selling pet rocks…. You’d be surprised how many adults filled a pet-rock-shaped hole in their lives.

• Think with Google offers “3 compelling use cases for AI, according to creative leads.” Embedded in the use cases (and called out by Google) are these interesting takes on AI:
  “We must always remember to place the human truth at [our campaign’s] core.”
  “At the heart of our business are the principles of empathy and reason. We try and build those into everything.”
  “AI is not just about ethics; it’s literally a business problem for us. If we’re not using AI the right way, it could lead to bias because of the training samples.”

• Looking to expand your ever-developing knowledge of social media? Cool, cool, cool. Search Engine Journal has got a nice list of courses for you to explore.

Don’t forget to live for the moment y’all!

Natalie

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, digital marketing goes on, yeah

That’s why you should tell your friends to join our newsletter. Send ‘em this awesome link!

Greetings 🤖

All the world’s been talking about is AI. It’s not just a workplace conversation anymore. It’s spilled over into family dinners and everyday living. If you are looking for an escape from the AI action… you’re definitely not going to find that here. (Almost gotcha there, huh?) Yeah, we’re all tuned in to the digital marketing intelligence news, and we’re ready to share it with you.

• Updates on the head-to-head AI showdown between Google and Bing:
  • Bing has been gaining some traction in the search market.
  • Google’s releasing new features for Discovery Ads.

• Think with Google’s Future Ready Video Series with host Katie Couric interviewed Google’s SVP of Technology and Society on the impact of AI for businesses. While it is a little basic it also includes the recognition that there will be some jobs lost due to AI efficiencies but there will also be some job gains and, certainly, job change

• Speaking of AI (and who isn’t these days?) eMarketer makes the excellent point that AI-generated content needs to be reviewed by human editors, as AI is prone to inaccuracy and plagiarism. This is especially true for optimized search engine content where Google is now looking for human Experience and Expertise as part of its Double-E-A-T guidelines we’ve been covering.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Sightsavers 🌟

Sightsavers’ vision is “a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes and where people with disabilities can participate equally in society.” This organization works in 30+ countries treating eye conditions like cataracts, improving local health and wellness services, and advocating for rights of people with disabilities. Learn more about them and how you can help: Sightsavers.

• Break in the AI action: LinkedIn’s got a helpful explanatory page on A/B Testing. Worth a read for learning and refreshing!

Just some thoughts… 💭

With the removal of the previous legacy checkmark program, this question becomes ever more looming (almost scary): Should I be paying for a Twitter checkmark? In addition to Twitter Blue, released in December, Twitter has implemented a Verification for Organizations/gold checkmark. In this Twitter Checkmark POV, we’ve laid out the facts and give our thoughts on the blue bird’s latest release.

Until next time,

Natalie

This is what I imagine AI is really thinking… 🧠

Tell your buddies about us!

Is it hot in here? 🥵

You bet it is. What’s Hot Wednesday just hit your inbox so obviously. Find the latest in digital marketing while it’s still piping hot!

• Accessibility has had more visibility than ever before. It’s time to embrace accessibility as a “gateway to creativity”, as AdWeek says.

• Google has updated its EAT standards. No, not for food, but for website quality rating. The full saying includes Experience, Expertise, and Authoritativeness are essential for establishing Trust as a site.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Home for Good Dog Rescue 🌟

Home for Good Dog Rescue saves dogs from high-kill shelters and places them in loving homes. They save over 1,000 furry lives a year. Doesn’t that warm up your heart? Learn more about them and their impact: Home for Good Dog Rescue.

• LinkedIn’s got lots going on. Here’s the sitch:
  • LinkedIn has had document posts as a close alternative to carousels, but it looks like they’re finally jumping on the bandwagon! It’s not rolled out everywhere yet, but we’re looking forward to it. (Really excited about not having to switch my pngs to PDF.)
  • A short while ago, we discussed Instagram SEO. Now, here’s some LinkedIn SEO for ya.
  • LinkedIn AI assistant for conversation starters, recruitment ads, AND writing profiles? Woah, that’s a lot. If you have a premium account, definitely check it out!

Why We 💗 What We Do…

Stacy, our fantastic Office Manager, and I teamed up to pull together our favorite company benefits from DBE to inspire other outstanding leaders. With everything from wellness reimbursement to flexible schedules, we hope more companies start offering benefits like these to show they care about their employees. Read on… Benefits & Beyond.

• Bing Chat is making its appearance in Bing search results. See what it looks like in the Search Engine Land article.

📢 What’s all this brouhaha?

It’s the digital marketing news bursting out of this edition. Better hurry up and get readin’!

• AI isn’t taking our jobs (yet). Turns out some AIs still have a lot of kinks to iron out before they could ever think and sound like us. Check out this Futurism article to see how CNET’s article-writing AI fared against critical gaze.

• LinkedIn has a lot going for it. According to LinkedIn’s Alexandra Rynne, “59 million companies have a LinkedIn Page,” and year over year in 2022, members viewed “22% more Feed Updates” and had “25% more public conversations on LinkedIn.” With stats like that, it’s a good time to think about how you’re managing your LinkedIn marketing. (There is even a fun infographic!)

• Hey, here’s a good reminder for ya of the importance of strategic analysis as part of effective ongoing paid search management. Check out this “Efficiency vs. volume in PPC: 4 tips to strike a balance in incremental conversions” article.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 The Parks System 🌟

I’ve been involved in my parks system for a while now. If I’ve learned one thing, park workers, rangers, and volunteers are truly devoted to park preservation.

Did you know one of the main causes of trail weathering is water? (I had thought the stamping of human feet was the main problem, but flowing water can erode a trail very quickly!) Trail maintenance teams create water bars, redirect weathered trails, and more to preserve the trails and the nature around them.

If you’re looking for a green way to donate time or resources, try the U.S. National Parks System or help support our buddies at the Monmouth County Parks System.

P.S. If you haven’t followed the National Parks Service on LinkedIn, you should. Your spirits will be lifted by animal memes and educational fun facts.

• Google’s making moves on the technological chess board…and much of it ties back to ChatGPT. Several projects are in the works for their own chatbot, and possibly a demo in the works this year. See more in The New York Times and The Verge.

• To be a ranking factor or not to be a ranking factor? That is the question many ask about Google’s mysterious ranking algorithm. Take a look at all the “known, confirmed, rumored, and absolute myth-level Google ranking factors” to test your knowledge of SEO best practices.

Annnnnnddd that’s it for this week! Looking forward to our next chat ☕

Natalie

Fun Fact: Chickens and ostriches are the closest modern relatives to the T-rex. 🐓

Funner Fact: You can invite your friends to join our DINO-mite newsletter with this link!