Hi there,

Did you see this?

Sam Altman was ​asked​ whether ChatGPT would replace Google as the primary search engine.

Altman responded, “Probably not.”

I'm not surprised by his answer because who's capable of indexing the entire web at scale?
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You'll find useful data, thoughts on AI, and the results of my ChatGPT experiment below.

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

P.S. Is a lack of brand visibility holding you back? I've helped brands achieve a 400% increase in organic traffic, boost purchases by 30%, and create millions of dollars in extra traffic revenue. ​Reach out to me if you want similar results.​

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Smash the button and show me what you've got.

Insights

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What the data says: Google vs. ChatGPT

“Do users click away because they distrust AI answers?”

This was one of the questions asked in a report on click-through traffic prepared by Momentic Marketing. (Note: Data in the report came from Similarweb).

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Momentic's answer:

This response captures part of the dynamics at play but misses some key context to understand what's really going on.
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My breakdown of their answer

Claim: "Users click away because they distrust AI answers"

Partially true.

Yes, skepticism drives some users to verify what an AI says, especially when it references or summarizes third-party content.

But this behavior is also about curiosity, the need for deeper context, or wanting the full source (e.g., the entire blog post or study).
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Claim: "Google hides links behind AI Overviews"

Accurate.

AI Overviews summarize information without immediately surfacing links prominently.

You often have to expand a dropdown or scroll to reach source links. This reduces organic click-through rates (CTR), especially for publishers and content creators.
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Claim: "ChatGPT shows links inline"

Mostly true (with caveats).

In environments like ChatGPT with web browsing or link cards (like with Bing/ChatGPT integrations), sources are often embedded or linked directly.

But not all responses include links, and ChatGPT doesn’t always cite unless asked or configured to do so.
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Claim: "This faith-check behavior amplifies ChatGPT’s per-person referral rate"

Speculative.

I can't find public data comparing referral rate per user session between ChatGPT and Google.

It's plausible that when ChatGPT does include links, users are more likely to click them because they’re more visible and contextual.

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What I'd add

Context matters:

Not all queries generate the same behavior.

For “how-to” or “quick fact” searches, users often don’t want to click at all. But for health, legal, or B2B decisions, users tend to dig deeper, and that’s when click behavior matters most.
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​SEO implication:

If Google continues to prioritize AI Overviews without visible links, publishers may lose out on traffic (it's happening).

The people whose content helped power the answers are now struggling to stay visible in Search.

In contrast, ChatGPT’s inline citation format may preserve or even increase referrals when it includes sources.
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The new battlefront:

The real competition is shifting toward how well those AI tools share credit with the original sources.

When I say “share credit,” I mean:

What do you think?

How AI engines prioritize sources

Three days ago, Search Engine Land published an article exploring citation data across the leading AI engines.

It provides an excellent breakdown of each search engine's preferences and how they prioritise which sources to cite in their answers.

The author discussed the link between web presence, search visibility, and AI citations and noted these key takeaways for SEO:

• Double down on foundational SEO.
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• Improve your organic footprint through high-quality, deep content and authoritative mentions across the web (third-party blogs, news, trusted forums, relevant directories).
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• Think of AI optimization as an outcome of excellent SEO, not a separate discipline. AI citations mirror your overall web authority.

You might want to bookmark the findings if you aim to feature as a source in a particular AI engine.

AI content tools decline in popularity

In my last newsletter, I predicted a growing backlash against AI-generated content and a swing towards human-led publishing.

The evidence is beginning to support my theory.

Take a look at the recent usage metrics across AI writing tools:

The data shows a consistent downward trend, with an overall 12% decline across the category.

The initial efficiency gains that drove adoption appear to be giving way to more nuanced considerations about content effectiveness and audience response.

Obviously, LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude aren't included here, but I believe they face similar challenges.

LLM challenges

1. As AI-generated content becomes widespread, it creates a two-sided problem. When everyone uses similar tools the resulting content lacks distinctiveness, which diminishes its value.
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2. Major search engines continue refining their ability to identify and prioritize content demonstrating genuine expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (Yes, E-E-A-T). This development favors human-led content with real-life perspectives.
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3. Consumer ability to detect AI-generated content is improving rapidly, leading to reduced engagement when readers suspect a machine wrote the content.
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4. With 81% of consumers reporting that brand trust drives purchasing decisions, the perceived authenticity of communications becomes a critical business consideration beyond mere production efficiency.

These trends don't signal the end of AI assistance in content production but rather a pivot in how these tools are used.
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Smart marketers use hybrid approaches

Marketers are leveraging AI for research and drafts, while ensuring human expertise guides strategy, provides unique insights, and maintains brand voice integrity.

We don't need to view them as substitutes for one another.

As long as we aim to create content worth consuming, we'll all win.

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Similarweb: Global Sector Trends on Generative AI [PDF]

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

Information

✶ Google news updates

1. Google just announced a major expansion of its AI assistant, with plans to bring Gemini to more Android devices and platforms like smartwatches, TVs, cars, and upcoming XR headsets.

2. Ahead of its annual developer conference, Google is reportedly set to reveal an AI agent for software development at I/O 2025.

For the interested: Explore what's in store at Google I/O 2025​

✶ ​Get your products on ChatGPT Shopping

OpenAI announced it is considering a product feed submission feature which I'm guessing might be similar to Google Shopping.

The post also provided a form to receive notifications when it goes live.

If you or your clients are in e-commerce, you might want to sign up now to become early adopters. Perhaps you'll beat more well-known brands to the punch.

✶ How marketers feel about AI

Stacked Marketer collated data from several sources to create this useful report on AI in marketing.
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Consumers are concerned about AI-generated content. They're also concerned about how you use AI in your marketing campaigns.

Desire for laws to control AI:

Inspiration

My ChatGPT Experiment

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I decided to test how ChatGPT represents my brand by entering a basic prompt:

"What can you tell me about North Star Inbound?"

The results were eye-opening.

While ChatGPT pulled some case studies directly from our website, much of the business overview cited links from Datanyze and FlexJobs—not our site.

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Like many B2B companies, we've skipped publishing an FAQ page.

Our reasoning has always been sound:

• Our services are too complex for simple Q&As
• We prefer direct conversations that build relationships
• Creating and maintaining FAQs requires ongoing resources

But, perhaps we should rethink this?

By directly addressing the questions your audience asks, you help steer the search narrative in your favor.
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FAQs for AI visibility

Here's how a strategically designed FAQ page could increase your chances of being cited by AI search engines:

• The direct question-answer format mirrors how users prompt AI tools, making your content the ideal citation source
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• AI systems prioritize clear, factual statements from authoritative sources when constructing answers
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• FAQ schema markup explicitly signals to AI systems that your content contains definitive answers about your brand
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• The structured Q&A format creates perfect "snippable" content blocks that AI engines can easily extract and attribute
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Tips on making FAQs work for B2B

Effective FAQs need to strike a balance:

1. Address both basic and complex queries. Include straightforward questions for AI systems to easily reference, but also tackle more in-depth questions that demonstrate your expertise.
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2. Align with the buyer's journey. Structure questions to support both early-stage awareness and later-stage decision-making, making your FAQ serve dual roles in SEO and client attraction/conversion.
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3. Focus on technical execution. Use clear headings, concise answers, factual language, and proper FAQ schema implementation to ensure search engines and AI systems clearly understand your content.
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While FAQs won't replace our in-depth content or personal contact with potential clients, they could be a valuable tool for controlling our brand narrative in AI search results.

What do AIOs and AI search engines say about your brand?

Try the experiment yourself and let me know what you discover.​
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I'll see you again on May 29.

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