Hi there,

May 1 is a public holiday just about everywhere, except North America.

If no one replies to your messages today, you know why.

In other news...

My content feed is overrun by AI-related themes.

On the bright side, I found an interesting AI framework to get feedback on my writing.

You'll find that in the "Quote-worthy" section below.

Thanks for being here and I'll see you next time,
Nicole

P.S. I love supporting my readers, i.e. you! If you have a useful resource or tip to share, hit the link in the box below and you might feature in my next newsletter.

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I'd love to support you by featuring you here. It's FREE!
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Smash the button and show me what you've got.

Insights

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LLM Optimization Services: A New Low

Over the past week, I've noticed several agencies and individuals offering "LLM optimization" services to the unsuspecting and gullible people of LinkedIn.

You might want to address the question of optimizing for LLMs with your clients.

Start by explaining that traditional SEO methods still get you most of the way to being cited in AI search engines.

If you want your content to appear in AI Overviews, ChatGPT citations, or other direct-answer features powered by large language models, how you structure it is key.

Think: clear headings, clean paragraphs, well-organized lists, logical flow, and consistent formatting.
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I wasn't surprised when Mark Williams-Cook posted a note on this shady practice.

Adapting to Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode

When users pose basic discovery questions, AI now guides their next steps automatically.

I see this across the funnel.

AIOs and AI Mode steer people towards comparing options, selecting services, or finalizing transactions.

What's the strategy for SEO?

As AI Overviews and AI Mode combine different search intents, your content strategy must pivot to cater to this.

My tips:

• Simply ranking for popular informational keywords is insufficient.
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  Your content needs to cover every angle of user intent: active, passive, and latent intent.
  If you don't satisfy intent, AI will fill the gaps with your competitors' content.
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• You need to check how AI processes your most important search terms.
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  Which follow-up questions does it incorporate?
  Is your website or your competitors' being cited for answers?
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• Look beyond search volume metrics.
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  Specific long-tail queries may generate less traffic but frequently match better with the content AI systems reference.
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  Format your content with distinct headers, bullet points, and straightforward, valuable information, because that's what AI models prefer to highlight.

Does that help?

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Spotted on LinkedIn:

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Related: 3 SEO priorities to win organic traffic in 2025​

Quote-worthy

In a podcast interview with Animalz, Nathan Baschez (CEO of Lex) shared a framework for getting feedback on your writing:
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The ABCD approach

Awesome, Boring, Confusing, and Didn't believe.

The next time I write an article, I'm going to drop my draft into Claude or ChatGPT and ask it for feedback using the ABCD framework.

If you try this, please reply and tell me if it helped improve your content.

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I hope these insights help. For more tips, follow me here​.​

Information

✶ Google's secret AI strategy came out in court

Testimonies from the ongoing antitrust trial disclose that Google has entered into agreements with companies like Samsung to make its AI assistant, Gemini, the default on their devices.

This mirrors past practices where Google paid to be the default search engine on various platforms.

Unlike competitors such as OpenAI and Microsoft, which have pursued licensing agreements with publishers, Google has largely refrained from compensating content creators for their material used in AI summaries.

Publishers and the media are rightly concerned about the sustainability of content creation and the potential monopolization of information sources.

✶ ​AI Overviews reduce clicks by 34.5%

This story got a lot of attention, but let's keep things in perspective.

Ahrefs analyzed 300,000 keywords and found that the presence of an AI Overview in the search results correlated with a 34.5% lower average clickthrough rate (CTR) for the top-ranking page.

Note that 99.2% of keywords that trigger AI Overviews are informational in intent. Those are the keywords Ahrefs focused on in their research.

An earlier study showed that AIOs only have a 10% chance of showing for commercial and transactional keywords.

Bear that in mind before you mess with the SEO basics.

✶ GPT-4o is a predator

Sam Altman announced that OpenAI officially rolled back GPT-4o following its sycophantic personality issues.

Broader fixes and findings are gradually being released.

The issues with GPT-4o took over discussions on social media and led to posts that were equally amusing and dystopian.

Zvi Mowshowitz also wrote an overview of the continuing update debacle.

I recommend you bookmark it for weekend reading, as the ramifications are deeper than you think:

[ If you're really in a hurry, go to the last section: Patch On, Patch Off ].

Inspiration

The AI Content Backlash Is Coming

Like it or hate it, AI-generated content is taking over our content feed.

Everywhere I look (ad copy, blogs, social media), I see content with the distinct odor of 'AI-made.'

The image below demonstrates the second-order effects of AI, and I believe we've just reached the fourth rung of this ladder:

This doesn't particularly concern me because I'm already noticing a clear counter-trend.

Data and the AI backlash

​Research shows that emotionally driven messages penned by AI reduce positive word of mouth and customer loyalty.

We've also seen consumers actively push back on AI-only campaigns, e.g. Coca-Cola's series of AI-generated commercials, and people disengaging when they suspect a bot wrote the copy.

At the same time, trust remains the cornerstone of effective communication—81% of people say brand trust drives their purchasing decisions.

So, how will human perspectives rise above the AI noise?

The examples below are just a few of the trends I see gaining traction.
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1. Direct-to-audience platforms

Paid newsletters and other direct-to-audience models are growing in scale as readers pay for unfiltered, human-led ideas and opinions.
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2. AI-free and “human-first” branding

Brands will increasingly adopt “AI-free” sub-brands or product lines. Storytelling becomes your competitive edge.
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3. Multimedia storytelling

Podcasts are morphing into TV-style shows on YouTube, spotlighting the unfiltered personalities behind the mic and satisfying audiences’ desire to connect with real people.
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AMAs, live streams, and “behind-the-scenes” sessions will give audiences direct access to creators. These formats reinforce the value of human spontaneity.
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4. Community-driven validation

User-generated testimonials, video reviews, and community-led endorsements will become central trust signals. These formats are still difficult for AI to replicate convincingly.
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Users will self-moderate their social media time and head to tight-knit online groups. For example, Discord servers, Slack groups or Skool communities will curate human content and sideline generic AI feeds.

What does this mean for your content marketing efforts?

Prioritize real stories

Sharing behind-the-scenes content, discussing both successes and challenges, and being open about business practices humanizes brands.

Overly polished content is sometimes less believable.

Leverage user-generated content (UGC)

Encourage your clients and customers to share their interactions with your products or services. This helps build community and provides credible content that potential customers can relate to.

Engage in niche communities

Tailoring content to align with the values and interests of these groups can lead to deeper connections and grow brand loyalty.

By 2027, I predict our online presence will look more hybrid.

The evidence will be in the numbers.

But, we'll have to wait a bit to collect the data on paid subscription growth, engagement rates on 100% human-led channels, and “AI-free” badging.

Do you agree with my observations?

Hit reply and tell me which human-led trend you think will grow the fastest.

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I'll see you again on May 15.

In the meantime, feel free to ask me a question, send an interesting link, or tell me what's on your mind. I read all your emails!

Dates to watch

June Monthly Observances

• LGBTQ Pride Month
• Caribbean-American Heritage Month
• Great Outdoors Month
• Men’s Health Month
• National Safety Month
• National Zoo and Aquarium Month

Weekly Observances

• June 1-7: National Garden Week
• June 1-7: National Headache Awareness Week
• June 9-15: National Men’s Health Week
• June 15-21: National Roller Coaster Week

Days

• June 1: Global Parents Day
• June 1: Shavuot
• June 5: Hot Air Balloon Day
• June 5: World Environment Day
• June 6: D-Day
• June 7: Belmont Stakes
• June 8: World Oceans' Day
• June 8: National Best Friends' Day
• June 8: Tony Awards
• June 9: Donald Duck Day
• June 11: Kamehameha Day
• June 12-15: Bonnaroo Music Festival
• June 12-15: U.S. Open PGA
• June 14: National Flag Day
• June 15: Trinity Sunday
• June 15: Father’s Day
• June 19: Juneteenth
• June 21: Summer Solstice
• June 23: International Widows Day
• June 30: International Asteroid Day
• June 30-July 13: Wimbledon

Keep in touch