I am paying close attention to how Reddit conversations are shaping AI search, especially after Profound collaborated with Reddit to analyze how conversational data informs AI-generated answers.
What stands out to me is how much value AI systems can draw from real discussions, lived experiences, and community-driven context. Reddit’s conversational data helps reveal the kinds of answers people are looking for, the language they use, and the perspectives that can influence how AI-generated responses are formed.
I’m looking at a major ChatGPT response update that rolled out in mid-October, and the shift is clear: brand visibility inside AI-generated answers has become more competitive.
With this update, ChatGPT changed how brands appear in its responses, which means fewer easy mentions and a tougher environment for companies trying to show up in answer engines.
Using Answer Engine Insights, Profound analyzed millions of prompts across ChatGPT and other leading answer engines to understand what changed, where visibility moved, and how different categories were affected.
For me, the key takeaway is that AI visibility now depends on stronger entity signals, clearer brand authority, and a deeper understanding of how answer engines decide which names deserve to appear.
I use Query Fanouts in Profound to understand how Answer Engines turn a prompt into the search queries that shape AI-generated answers.
In this guide, I walk through Profound’s new Query Fanouts page step by step, focusing on how prompts are interpreted, which queries carry the most weight, and how those queries influence visibility inside AI answers.
For AEO teams, this view makes the optimization process clearer. I can see where an answer engine is looking for supporting information, identify the queries that matter most, and spot the strongest opportunities to improve content, authority, and brand visibility.
By expanding my analysis beyond the original prompt, I get a more practical view of the full search pathway behind an AI response. That makes it easier to prioritize the work that can actually improve performance in answer engines.
I’m excited to share that Profound has successfully completed an independent HIPAA compliance assessment conducted by Sensiba LLP.
For me, this is an important step forward for healthcare, pharmaceutical, and life sciences organizations that want to adopt Answer Engine Optimization without compromising regulatory requirements.
With this assessment complete, I can now support organizations in using AEO more confidently while maintaining the compliance standards that matter most in regulated healthcare environments.
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.
