I’m thrilled to share the latest from Goodie’s research—the fourth edition of the AEO Periodic Table. This comprehensive guide explores the 14 factors crucial for boosting brand visibility in AI-driven searches. We’ve sifted through an astounding 1.13 million prompts using platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Grok, Gemini, and Google AI Mode.
What’s new in V4? For starters, we’ve introduced explicit weights and two groundbreaking factors: Search & Fan-Out Rank and Originality & Information Gain. These additions bring fresh insights into the complex world of AI search.
A key takeaway that’s highly noteworthy is that off-site earned and social citations account for a whopping 22% of the total citation leverage. That’s even more influence than any single on-page content factor can muster!
Don’t miss your chance to claim the highest honor in search marketing. Let’s uncover what it takes to stand out among the best.
Since I started following the Search Engine Land Awards back in 2015, I’ve watched them recognize exceptional marketers for their outstanding work. The awards not only highlight achievements but also offer winners well-deserved exposure through coverage and interviews, celebrating them with the highest honor in search.
I’ve learned there’s no magic formula for a winning entry, but certain elements make an application truly exceptional. The best submissions tell a compelling story, provide context, showcase strategic thinking, and clearly communicate the significance of the work done.
Want some insider tips from the 2026 judges? I’ve gathered insights from them to help you craft a strong and captivating submission. From common pitfalls to avoid to the standout qualities they seek, these expert insights will guide you in building a compelling entry.
Keep reading for fresh insights from this year’s judges. (Check out the complete list of 2026 judges here!)
“A great entry is a story with a goal, an action, and a measurable outcome. Tell that story effectively, and include a deck illustrating your accomplishments.”
– Amy Hebdon, Founder, Paid Search Magic
“Explain your tactics. Go beyond mentioning ‘best practices.’ Describe how your unique processes led to success. Show your insights and creative problem-solving—this helps your entry shine and showcases your company’s edge.”
– Brad Geddes, Co-Founder, Adalysis
“I look for SAY, which stands for: Situation, Action, and Yield. Provide a clear example of the situation, the actions you took, and the measurable yield achieved over time.”
And there you have it! Submit your entry today to be considered by this year’s esteemed judges. Don’t wait, as Early Bird rates expire July 10!
Shopify has just launched Campaign Autopilot, an innovative tool powered by AI designed to streamline marketing efforts. By taking the reins of campaign creation, management, and optimization across various channels, it’s set to significantly ease my workload as a merchant.
Imagine having the power of Campaign Autopilot directly within the Shopify admin. This feature is in its early access stage but is already offering tremendous support in marketing automation.
What’s happening? With AI technology, Campaign Autopilot orchestrates marketing campaigns on my behalf across channels like Meta, Shop Campaigns, and email, enhancing my marketing strategy effortlessly.
Additional support is in the pipeline for platforms such as ChatGPT Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Snapchat—making it a versatile tool for future needs.
What makes this system stand out is its ability to autonomously handle campaign setup, financial planning, and constant adjustments based on real-time performance, leaving me time to focus on other aspects of my business.
Why I care. By simplifying the complex world of multi-channel marketing, Campaign Autopilot provides me with a user-friendly platform that traditionally relied on the expertise of agencies or specialized teams. Now, I can set my budget and objectives while Shopify’s AI takes care of the intricate details.
How it works. I decide on a monthly budget, select channels to collaborate with, and set guidelines. From there, Campaign Autopilot executes:
Creating and launching campaigns.
Distributing my budget across channels.
Adjusting expenditures based on feedback.
Suggesting automated email initiatives.
Evaluating and refining campaign effectiveness on an ongoing basis.
I have full control—approving or tweaking campaigns, modifying budgets, or halting actions whenever necessary.
How it stands out. Campaign Autopilot redefines contemporary campaign management by sidestepping traditional, more labor-intensive methods.
Its unique approach taps into performance insights gleaned from millions of Shopify stores, offering data-driven enhancements and budget allocations.
Moreover, it functions separately from existing Meta or Shop ads, ensuring previously planned campaigns remain unaffected.
The bigger picture. Shopify is not just about ecommerce anymore. It’s now moving into the realm of growth and customer acquisition by embedding AI deeper within its merchants’ operations.
Industry trends show a shift towards autonomous marketing systems, which can run campaigns with minimal human intervention, constantly optimizing performance along the way.
What to keep an eye on. Shopify will be expanding its channel support further, potentially integrating with platforms like ChatGPT Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Snapchat.
There’s also the AI assistant, Sidekick, which I can use for reviewing recommendations, triggering actions, and keeping a close watch on campaign outcomes.
First spotted. This update came to my attention courtesy of Digital Marketing Consultant Susan Richards-Benson via a LinkedIn post, where she recommended it as a game-changer for smaller eCommerce brands.
I recently discovered that Cloudflare and beehiiv have teamed up to enhance how I control AI crawlers on my content, particularly newsletters. This latest addition to beehiiv’s platform provides me with the ability to effortlessly monitor, permit, or restrict AI bots directly from my dashboard as AI search evolves as a critical content discovery method.
The partnership integrates Cloudflare’s Crawl Control technology into beehiiv, announced just this past Tuesday. With this integration, I can decide how AI search engines and agents interact with my content. Whether I want broader exposure by allowing crawlers or aim to safeguard my archives for future monetization, the choice is entirely mine.
AI Bot Insights Made Easy. As a beehiiv user, I now have access to an intuitive on-platform dashboard. It displays which AI crawlers attempted to access my content, those that got blocked, and the amount of referral traffic they generated back to me. I love how it provides a clear overview of crawler activities, my blocking decisions, and any referral traffic resulting from AI interactions.
Simpler Publisher Controls. The system empowers me to either permit or block specific AI models with simple, one-click permissions. Plus, Cloudflare is committed to updating the system as new AI crawlers emerge, meaning I don’t need to fiddle with robots.txt files, firewalls, or code adjustments on my own.
What Industry Leaders Are Saying. According to Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, this partnership offers “transparency and control” for newsletter operators amid an ever-evolving internet landscape. Meanwhile, beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk emphasized the pressing need for publishers like me to have “real leverage” as AI transforms content discovery and consumption. Cloudflare’s announcement summarized:
“As AI models evolve to offer new forms of search and discovery, independent creators are looking for flexible ways to understand and manage how their content is accessed. This integration simplifies the process by letting beehiiv users manage their digital footprint through two clear choices: publishers can either opt-in to maximum discovery to allow AI search engines and agents to crawl their work freely for broader distribution, or choose content protection, blocking AI scraping to preserve their archives for future monetization and licensing opportunities.”
The Impact on Us. It remains to be seen if these controls will be widely adopted by publishers like myself once they are fully available. The rapid pace at which AI crawling is advancing has surpassed many content creators’ current management capabilities. The real test will be if these simplified controls are potent enough to alter my publishing strategies.
Rollout Begins. The rollout of these innovative controls begins through beehiiv’s standard dashboard settings. Every beehiiv user, myself included, will have beta access to AI Crawl Control, offering insights into AI crawler activity and traffic patterns. For beehiiv Max subscribers, the option to block AI crawlers will also be available.
Recently, I delved into Google’s updated AI Max reporting guidance, which sheds new light on the AI-driven future of Search campaigns.
Google has revitalized its AI Max for Search reporting documentation, offering advertisers fresh insights into performance reporting, optimization best practices, and significant timelines for Dynamic Search Ads (DSA).
What’s happening? Google has expanded its help documentation for AI Max for Search campaigns, enriching the guidance on reporting and offering more details on campaign performance evaluation.
Though it doesn’t introduce new products, it clarifies how Google intends for us, as advertisers, to manage and interpret AI Max campaigns in the future.
Why this matters. This update offers insight into Google’s long-term vision for AI Max and the impending phaseout of DSA. With automatic DSA upgrades set for early 2027, it’s crucial for us to anticipate the necessary evolutions in our Search strategies.
The headline change: Google has officially outlined the transition from Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max in the help documentation.
Per the updated guidance, DSA campaigns will undergo automatic upgrades to AI Max beginning in February 2027, as Google aims to broaden the adoption of AI-powered Search campaign formats.
What’s new in reporting: Google introduced new reporting views that let us evaluate performance across several dimensions:
Search terms.
Search terms and landing pages from AI Max.
Search terms from Dynamic Search Ads.
Search terms and landing pages from Dynamic Search Ads.
They’ve clarified that search term reports reflect user destinations post-ad click and introduced options for excluding underperforming search terms or landing pages with negative keywords and URLs.
New guidance for travel advertisers: Google also introduced a section specifically for Search Campaigns related to Travel.
This documentation helps us consolidate performance data into a unified view, crucial for evaluating search terms, inventory performance, and conversion outcomes. Travel advertisers can further dissect reports by ad format to compare performance across different types of ads like Travel Promotion Ads, Booking Links, and Travel Feed-based ads.
A shift in optimization philosophy: The latest best practices emphasize targeting based on intent rather than focusing strictly on keyword matches.
Google now advises us to:
Prioritize conversion goals over mere keyword relevance.
Regularly review search term and item group performance every one to two weeks.
Use negative keywords judiciously.
Avoid over-filtering traffic to exploit AI-driven intent matching benefits.
Bottom line:Google’s documentation update serves as more than just a guide for reporting; it lays out a strategic path for us to navigate an AI Max-centric future as DSAs near their fadeout.
I’m excited to share that Google is expanding its financial services ad verification across 24 European countries. As of this summer, financial advertisers in these markets will face new compliance checks to continue running ads in the European Economic Area (EEA).
Here’s the scoop: Starting July 23rd, Google’s new requirements for financial services advertisers apply to 24 EEA countries, including Austria, Belgium, and Sweden, among others.
As advertisers in designated financial categories, we must undergo verification when prompted by Google. This initiative targets financial fraud and aims to ensure ads are from genuine and regulated providers.
Why it matters: If I don’t complete this verification process, my ads may no longer run in these markets. This policy impacts not just banks and insurers but also the agencies that manage their campaigns.
The big picture: This is part of Google’s efforts to improve transparency and protect consumers. If notified, I’ll receive alerts on the Google platform indicating that ad performance could be impacted unless verification is completed.
Failing to comply means I might lose the ability to serve financial services ads in these countries. It’s crucial for continued campaign success.
How does verification work? I need to complete two steps: First, I’ll verify through G2, a third-party compliance partner. Next, I’ll submit Google’s financial verification application using a code from G2.
During this process, I’ll provide details about the services offered, regulatory status, and necessary evidence of authorization or exemption from a relevant financial regulator.
Agencies, beware: These requirements also apply to agencies like mine managing campaigns for financial services clients. We’ll need to pass compliance checks before continuing operations.
A key point to note: Third-party advertisers don’t have the same freedom. If I promote services approved by a verified institution but lack direct authorization, I must rely on them to submit verification requests on my behalf.
Depending on the financial services being promoted, such as banking or credit products, I might need to undergo this verification. Google can update its list at any time, so staying informed is crucial.
Stay vigilant: As a financial brand targeting European customers, I must ensure compliance now to avoid disruptions later. This could affect agencies handling multiple clients due to administrative demands.
Dig deeper: For more details on the new requirements, I can visit Google’s support page.
The job posting from Anthropic that everyone seems to be discussing is becoming the new standard. Companies who get this right are poised to quietly dominate the next decade.
The latest Anthropic job listing is causing a stir in the SEO community. They may as well have called it the Search Gawd position. To be honest, this is a reality across the board.
I’ve penned this kind of job description multiple times and even interviewed for it myself. I’ll admit, I haven’t seen many of these roles actually filled, but I’ll touch more on that shortly.
Titles vary—from Head of SEO to Director of AI Search, and even VP of Search or Agentic Commerce GEO Consultant. Lots of titles, same core responsibilities: manage technical SEO, grasp paid search, direct content, collaborate with engineering, build metrics, prepare for AI discovery, and translate it all into growth.
It’s predictable that people think this sounds like several jobs rolled into one—a single employee carrying the weight of an entire agency. This might be a fair observation, but it misses the critical point.
Businesses have been on the lookout for such talent for years. The rise of generative search is now compelling action.
Publicis / Starcom: VP, SEO (Performance Content).
Accenture: Agentic Commerce GEO Consultant.
SailPoint: AEO/GEO Manager.
AirOps: Senior SEO Manager spanning SGE, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini.
Responsive: Senior Manager, Web Strategy — SEO, GEO, plus Next.js, React, Vercel, DNS.
Danaher, Experian Health, Amazon News: variations of SEO + AEO + GEO.
Anthropic: SEO Lead, $255K–$320K.
Diverse industries, varying salaries, yet they’re all unconsciously seeking the same elusive candidate.
Misalignment Between Titles and Responsibilities
Consider Agency X looking for a “Director, SEO/SEM,” whose job includes no SEO—just paid platforms, vendor management, and leading a team of seven.
Then there’s Consulting firm Y, seeking a “Director, SEO/AIO,” without clarifying what AIO entails. A smaller agency’s “VP/Director, SEO” asks for paid search, social, and pharma marketing as preferred skills.
A research firm is hiring a “Director, SEO & AEO,” which accurately reflects SEO and AEO duties—an unusual alignment worth highlighting.
If the company can’t settle on pre-defining the role, a candidate standing a chance seems improbable. The taxonomy says one thing, the JD another, the recruiter screens for something else, and the manager interviews for yet another role. Meanwhile, the applicant tracking system (ATS) disregards viable candidates.
In Search of the Missing Link
You’re searching for someone who can bridge technical search, content, PR, product, engineering, analytics, performance media, and brand—someone who knows these interactions are more intertwined than they appear on organizational charts.
Search highlights these intersections. Technical issues may seem like content issues, and content problems could stem from product issues. Visibility issues might be about authority, not just optimization. Paid search often uncovers messaging issues quicker than brand research does.
In the era of generative discovery, these connections can’t be ignored. When results provide answers, SEO shifts from being purely traffic-driven.
To sidestep into Yoda-speak to avoid AI jargon: information exists only if the infrastructure supports it. Content helps understanding, brand garners trust, and product transforms discovery into utility—or it doesn’t.
You’re not expecting one individual to tackle every task; rather, you want someone who understands the cohesion of these parts. That candidate exists, but traditional systems make it difficult to find them.
The Résumé Might Surprise You
The candidate you need won’t be evidently showcased by years with an SEO title or specific software lists. It’s about their judgment:
Identifying crucial technical issues versus distractions.
recognizing when content struggles require external resolution.
Knowing when to invest, automate, or pause, and when to advise leadership against certain actions.
This kind of discernment doesn’t easily translate onto a résumé. The right candidate might have navigated through various roles in agencies, publishing, product, consulting, and operations. Their career might not appear streamlined like a specialist’s, yet that very diversity equips them for this role.
Unfortunately, your ATS will likely disqualify them, while your recruiter labels them as “non-linear.” Your hiring panel might note they’ve never held the precise title before. But remember, this role didn’t exist before, and there’s no consensus on its name.
Clearly, this selection process is heading off-course.
The Alsotative Possibility
Some processes may be more about absorbing insights from interviewing candidates than actually filling the position.
Senior candidates often diagnose: detailing function structure, identifying organizational weaknesses, outlining first-90-day plans, recommending tools, and highlighting tasks to abandon. By inviting numerous candidates, companies might inadvertently gather varied organizational strategies and priorities without making any hires.
Perhaps that wasn’t the original intent. But if roles remain unfilled for months, resurface repeatedly, alter their titles and scope, and produce interview-like advisory sessions, candidates are right to question what the company truly seeks: talent acquisition or strategic input?
Addressing the Real Issue
Narrowing the job description won’t eradicate the work needed. Focus on deciding the core requirement. Is it:
A specialist to execute tasks?
A leader to assemble a team?
An executive to integrate search, content, product, brand, and performance?
A consultant to advise on necessity?
These are distinct roles, and expecting them to merge into one is unrealistic.
A Final Thought
I’d excel at such a role, along with a few others who’d be filtered out for the same reasons.
Concerning the Anthropic opportunity, it isn’t materializing for me.
Five years under a nonexistent title from five years ago? My resume doesn’t show that. It matches the job spec — perfectly tailored for ATS rejection. It’s a straightforward system to manipulate, especially for those seasoned in the field.
The elusive talent is indeed genuine. Generative search only spotlighted the gap. Before your company finds someone to bridge these systems, ensure the capability to recognize, hire, and support them.
The companies that master the art of identifying the right candidate—and not just crafting an ideal job description—will take the lead in the coming decade. Meanwhile, others will continue LinkedIn debates about whether GEO is truly a word.
I’ve always been fascinated by how technology can change the way we interact with advertisements, and Amazon’s latest innovation, Alexa+ Agentic Ads, is a game-changer.
This incredible new format allows us to browse, inquire, and purchase products within the comforting interface of an Alexa conversation, dramatically simplifying the buying process.
Introducing Alexa+ Agentic Ads. Today, Amazon unveiled this forward-thinking advertising solution that seamlessly transitions users from viewing an ad to making a purchase, all without leaving the Alexa environment.
They’ve partnered with key players like Papa Johns for food orders and artists like Beck, Jill Scott, and Omar Courtz for concert ticket sales, making this experience accessible on Echo Show devices.
The Impact. By eliminating the typical handoff between an ad and a checkout page, Alexa+ Agentic Ads aim to enhance conversion rates and reduce drop-off. This could be especially beneficial for early adopters looking to engage high-intent customers right at their moment of decision.
How It Operates. Unlike traditional ads that redirect you to another platform, Alexa+ Agentic Ads maintain the entire purchasing journey within a dialogue.
With interactive capabilities, it enables us to ask questions, compare options, check availability, and finalize purchases through natural conversations with Alexa, minimizing friction between desire and acquisition.
Concerts and Culinary Delight. The format is initially being utilized for live events and dining experiences.
Imagine seeing an ad for a concert; you can inquire about show specifics, compare seat options, and buy tickets—all directly through Alexa. Tickets are then seamlessly added to your Ticketmaster account, bypassing the need for additional apps or sites.
Similarly, when pondering dinner plans, a Papa Johns ad may spark immediate ordering as Alexa+ employs past interactions and preferences to suggest your favorite toppings before completing the order—all within the same conversation.
Looking Ahead. As we witness the evolution of digital advertising through Alexa+ Agentic Ads, we’re glimpsing a future where AI assistants are pivotal commerce platforms, offering brands a revolutionary way to engage consumers right at the point of action.
When I first started looking at budget allocation, I was tempted to believe that every marketing channel followed the same path: spend a little, get a lot, but with diminishing returns.
Visually, it’s easy to assume all channels mimic this pattern.
The typical log-shaped curve illustrates that the first dollar you spend is often the most productive. With this mindset, spreading the budget across numerous channels seems like the go-to strategy.
However, I quickly learned not all channels conform to this model. Some require much more than just a sprinkle of funds to be effective. These channels start with a less efficient spend but eventually pay off if given time to warm up. This condition shifts away from the usual ‘test small, scale the winners’ strategy many marketers follow.
At the core of this difference lies a fundamental question: Is the response curve C-shaped or S-shaped?
Understanding the shape of the response curve can drastically change how I conduct channel testing and measurement, especially with Google’s increasing inclination towards S-shaped campaigns.
Let’s delve into what these two curves signify and why they are crucial.
Response curves plot conversions or revenue against spend. Typically, we encounter two main types in marketing.
A C-shaped curve means diminishing returns kick in from the first dollar spent. Meanwhile, an S-shaped curve starts slow, becomes steep at the inflection point, and finally leads to saturation.
This insight is crucial for allocation because the marginal curve—the derivative—guides budget decisions. Here, shapes diverge with significant implications.
For a C-shaped curve, the highest marginal return is from the first dollar, decreasing thereafter. Conversely, for an S-shaped curve, the initial return is low, increases up to a peak, and then declines.
This aspect of increasing marginal returns is pivotal. It’s what differentiates channels with productive small budgets from those that seem inefficient but could perform better when scaled correctly.
Mainstream marketing campaigns exhibit this principle clearly. For instance, if your CPA goal is $50, the way the S-shaped channel behaves under scaling tells a critical story.
A preliminary $10,000 test may misleadingly suggest failure, but at $20,000-$25,000, the channel might be your most cost-effective choice. Small trials in the warm-up phase mislead the eventual conclusion.
This common misconception arises as many automatically rely on ‘test small, scale what works’. Yet, without sufficient testing past the warm-up phase of an S-curve, we risk dismissing channels that could have been game-changers.
For allocation logic, in C-shaped channels, going wide is beneficial. One global optimum dictates that spreading your budget thinly across many channels generally works.
But with S-shaped channels, a small budget is inadequate. Either commit enough budget to surpass the inflection point or don’t invest at all. There is a true minimum budget to ensure viability.
In marketing, determining whether a channel requires breadth or depth is critical. Channels historically leaned towards a concave shape, although modern platform dynamics have blurred these lines.
The differences are increasingly relevant with AI-driven campaigns. For example, ‘AI Max’ necessitates sufficient conversion data to learn effectively, affirming the concave-to-sigmoid shift. Campaigns like PMax blend both response types, initially concealing inefficiencies through promising headline numbers.
The key is recognizing the harvest versus create dichotomy. Harvest channels, like branded searches, display fast saturation and diminishing returns. Still, creating new demand—especially through platforms like Meta or YouTube—demands investment beyond superficial trials for truly incremental growth.
In conclusion, understanding whether to expand broadly or concentrate deeply in a specific channel can transform the efficiency of a marketing strategy.
I’ve noticed something exciting happening with Google Search Console lately. The AI performance reports are becoming accessible to a wider audience, and it’s a game-changer for those of us eager to see how our content performs in Google’s AI environments.
John Mueller from Google recently shared on Bluesky, “We’re just rolling these out incrementally to sites, and reviewing the feedback along the way. I know everyone wants the new shiny thing immediately… but first, patience.” It’s like waiting for a gift you’ve been longing for!
AI performance report. These reports offer insights into how well our content and websites are featured in AI-driven searches, showcasing metrics such as impressions, pages, countries, devices, and dates. Although it doesn’t yet track click data, it’s still a significant step forward.
Expanding access. Earlier today, I spotted several SEOs sharing that these reports are now available beyond the UK! They’re able to access reports for sites in the US, India, Switzerland, and more.
As John mentioned, Google is gradually rolling these updates out to more sites, listening to feedback, and hopefully moving towards a global release.
What it looks like. Here’s a snapshot of the report:
Why we care. As someone deeply invested in how content is presented, I find this development thrilling. Publishers and site owners like me have long wanted more control over Google’s AI features. The speed at which Google has rolled this out is impressive—just within 20 days of its initial release!
