Hi there,

Welcome back.

Today, I'm sharing our latest poll results (below).

But first…

Holy moly!

Google lost the antitrust trial! (Check the comments on my post).

Google will appeal, but I'll give you my opinion on the situation soon.

See you next time,
Nicole

P.S. Drop a question re the Google lawsuit on this post and I'll give you my thoughts in the next newsletter. Thank you!

Poll Results

Thanks for your feedback. I'll keep fine tuning your newsletter to match your preferences.

Insights

1. Earn media coverage on a budget
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Timing is everything when you engage in reactive digital PR.

This strategy involves quickly responding to trending topics and news stories to gain media coverage and build brand awareness.

But, you need preparation and speed to capitalize on these opportunities.

To implement reactive digital PR, you need to:

Monitor Trends

Monitor news and social media in real-time. Use tools like Google Trends or social media analytics to identify which topics are gaining traction.

Move quickly

Develop a content strategy and assets that can be quickly deployed. To achieve this, it's best to have a pre-approved content creation process.

Once you spot a trend, think creatively about how to connect it to your brand or message. This could involve developing or revamping content that addresses the trend or creating a campaign that ties into it.

Identify and pitch to journalists

Prepare an outreach list of journalists and media outlets that would be interested in your story.

Building relationships with journalists in advance means you can execute your PR strategy swiftly once an event occurs.

In essence, reactive digital PR allows you to:

• Capitalize on trending topics before they lose momentum
• Demonstrate your brand's relevance and thought leadership
• Gain media coverage and backlinks to improve SEO

Reactive digital PR has its challenges.

At the top of the list are:

• Identifying truly relevant trends to avoid appearing opportunistic
• Creating high-quality content and pitches under tight time constraints
• Securing media placements in a competitive environment
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To combat these challenges I suggest using two key tactics:

1. Always be prepared

Be prepared when you know what, but you don’t know how or when.

You know a major news event is guaranteed to occur.

It could be as simple as a quarterly earnings report.

Or, it may be something unique like Elon Musk buying Twitter, or the conditions of the River Seine during the current Olympic Games.

Find a data story to tell and prepare it prior to the event. Choose a narrative that is not only relevant but also unique, and use statistics, case studies, or expert opinions to bolster your story.

The benefit of extra time means you can go deeper into the analysis and prep your outreach lists to expect your input.

Then, when the news hits, so do you.

You'll be ready to distribute your prepared materials, ensuring that your brand is part of the conversation.

2. Create a trend

Another effective tactic is to create new trends based on existing ones.

Creating a new trend off the back of an existing one allows you to further extend your timeline.

When you already have relationships with journalists who cover your industry, this leads to more opportunities for distribution and collaboration.

Finally, always measure and adapt.

After executing your PR strategy, analyze the outcomes.

Determine how you will measure the success of each campaign you run. Your 'success KPIs' may include media placements, leads, social media engagement, or website traffic.

Use metrics to understand what worked and what didn’t, allowing for continuous improvement in future campaigns.

Additional resource

Search Engine Land goes into detail on how to share your expertise and experience with the press.

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​2. Generative Engine Optimization and its impact on search
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Move over SEO, there's a new kid in town.

Not so fast.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has arrived, but SEO and GEO share several key objectives and methodologies.

Among these are:

Visibility objectives: The goal is to increase the visibility of your content, and ensure it reaches your target audience.

Content quality and relevance: By concentrating on E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) principles, your content should address the needs of a user's search intent.

Authority building: SEO has always been about building authority through credible content and relationships. GEO also focuses on the elements of trust and reliability.

While SEO targets traditional search engines, GEO focuses on optimizing website content to raise visibility in AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.

How do we do that?

GEO is designed for 'answer engines.'

So, to maintain our visibility online, we need to combine the strengths of traditional SEO with what we know about GEO processes.

Emphasize the following to stay ahead:

Create comprehensive content: Develop in-depth articles that cover topics thoroughly. AI engines favor content that provides detailed answers, so aim for depth and breadth in your writing.

Incorporate citations and statistics: Use relevant quotes, statistics, and citations to bolster your content's authority. This not only enhances credibility but also increases the chances of being referenced by AI systems.

Monitor performance metrics: Track how your content performs in AI-driven searches. Focus on impression metrics, referral traffic from AI engines, and citation patterns to refine your strategies over time.

Adapt to evolving technologies: Stay updated on advancements in AI and search engine algorithms. Continuous adaptation is key to maintaining visibility in our rapidly changing search experience.

A recent study appears to confirm this approach.

(Statistics Addition and Quotation Addition show strong performance improvements across all metrics).
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While the method and conclusions of this research have faced criticism, the findings are in line with our results.

The very best practices for SEO are the same ones necessary for GEO: Clarity, conciseness, uniqueness, and information gain.

Unfortunately, AI is still working on accuracy.
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Related discussion: Will Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) be a thing?​

Ross Simmonds @TheCoolestCool Create things worth distributing. 8:31 AM • Jul 31, 2024 1 Retweets 23 Likes Read 3 replies

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3. Google recommends making your Short ads 'blend in'
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From a cynic's perspective, Google’s suggestion to blend ads with surrounding content benefits them more than us:

Increased click-through rates

By making ads appear more like organic content, Google can improve user engagement, leading to higher click-through rates.

This approach allows advertisers to achieve better performance metrics, which in turn drives up ad spending, benefiting Google's revenue model based on pay-per-click advertising.

User retention and satisfaction

When ads are seamlessly integrated, users are less likely to feel disrupted by advertising, which helps maintain their satisfaction with the platform.

Retention is crucial for Google. A positive user experience keeps people returning to their services, ensuring a steady flow of traffic and, consequently, more ad impressions and clicks.
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4. Report: How often Google mixes ads into organic search results
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According to a recent report by Semrush, Google has been mixing ads into organic search results for several months now.

Google is showing more ads at the top of search results pages, pushing organic results further down the page.

The data shows that 0.31% of desktop SERPs and 0.001% of mobile SERPs have ads mixed into the organic results, with an average of two ads on desktop and one on mobile when this occurs.

Related: New Google Ads Format "For Your Consideration"​
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I hope these insights help. For more tips, follow me here.

New Poll: Please check a box

Information

✶ Update: X uses your data to train Grok

To turn off Grok's access to your data on X, follow these steps:

• Access Settings: Go to the web version of X and click on the three-dot menu
• Navigate to Settings: Select 'Settings and privacy'
• Go to Privacy Settings: Click on 'Privacy and safety'
• Find Grok Settings: Look for the 'Grok' option

Opt-Out: Uncheck the box that allows your posts, interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning purposes.

✶ Hubspot SERP secrets

Hubspot has evolved. And they bet you have to, too. We're all aware of the domain authority of the Hubspot Blog.

How did they overhaul their approach to content to combat search volatility and remain on top? They gave it the full E-E-A-T treatment.

Related: Google Search Ranking Volatility Bursting At The Seams​

Inspiration

✶ The importance of online reputation management

Check out this comprehensive guide from Ahrefs. They cover what online reputation management is, why it’s important, and how you can manage your business’s reputation effectively online.

✶ Don’t Start an Original Research Project Before Answering These 8 Questions

I talk about the advantages of original research a lot.

That's because it's one of the most powerful ways to establish and improve a brand's authority and trust online.

Unique data and insights differentiate you from the competition. Plus, a single report can be repurposed into various formats, maximizing its value and reach over time.

But, it's important to ask yourself the right questions first.

I want to share your:

Big news, latest resource, or outstanding results.
I'd love to support you by featuring you here. It's FREE!
​
Smash the button and show me what you've got.

Dates to watch

• Sept 2: Labor Day
• Sept 8: Grandparents Day
• Sept 11: 911 Remembrance
• Sept 17: Constitution Day
• Sept 18: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
• Sept 19-23: National Farm Safety and Health Week
• Sept 21: International Peace Day (UN)
• Sept 21: World Alzheimer’s Day
• Sept 22: Autumnal Equinox (date varies)
• Sept 25: National Food Service Workers Day
• Sept 25: World Pharmacists Day
• Sept 25: National Women’s Health and Fitness Day
• Sept 27- Native American Day
• Sept 28: Family Health & Fitness Day
• Sept 29: World Heart Day

September Monthly Events

• Sept 1-30: Baby Safety Month
• Sept 1-30: Food Safety Education Awareness Month
• Sept 1-30: Healthy Aging Month
• Sept 1-30: National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
• Sept 1-30: National Fruits and Veggies Month
• Sept 1-30: National Yoga Month
• Sept 1-30: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
• Sept 1-30: Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
• Sept 1-30: Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
• Sept 1-30: World Alzheimer’s Month

September Food Days:

• National Grits for Breakfast Day - September 2
• National Macadamia Nut Day - September 4
• National Food Bank Day - September 6
• Salami Day - September 7
• National “I Love Food” Day - September 9
• International Chocolate Day - September 13
• Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day - September 13
• National Guacamole Day - September 16
• National Apple Dumpling Day - September 17
• National Cheeseburger Day - September 18
• National Pecan Cookie Day - September 21
• National Ice Cream Cone Day - September 22
• National Quesadilla Day - September 25
• National Key Lime Pie Day - September 26
• National Coffee Day - September 29

September Fun Days

• Sept 9: Teddy Bear Day
• Sept 13: Positive Thinking Day
• Sept 14: Hug Your Hound Day
• Sept 15: Make a Hat Day
• Sept 27: Hug a Vegetarian Day

Keep in touch