Greetings!

Have you taken a moment to breathe deeply today? No? Try it.

Now that we’re a bit more centered, let’s see what’s going on in digital marketing.

• “Not all AI content is spam, but I think right now all spam is AI content.” This clever turn of phrase is from Jon Gillham, founder and CEO of AI content detection platform Orginality.ai. He cites that about 10% of Google results point to AI content and suggests Google’s “helpful content” algorithm updates aren’t keeping up with AI spam onslaught. As we have stated before, AI can be a good starting point for generating content but we highly recommend human review and editing to deliver the E-E-A-T SEO content quality signals that are key to success.

• Get ready for this laughably (and deliberately) bad example of spammy SEO content. This Verge article is optimized for “best printer 2024.” We checked and it’s actually ranking no. 1 in the organic SERP results (#Yikes). This proves Gillham’s point and supports our opinion that AI content needs to be curated. Shoutout to Marin Software for finding this one.

• Finally, long-time SEO-er Bruce Clay offers his guide on “How to survive the search results when you’re using AI tools for content.” It’s a decent treatise on the topic but his approach is all about how to leverage AI content for SEO rankings. The only thing it doesn’t bring up is the opportunity to gain visibility and links in the Gen AI results through Search AI Optimization (SAIO).

• What’s the deal with hyphenated domains now? John Mueller from Google states that, in the past, hyphenated domains may have been seen as “less serious” because the site owner wasn’t “able to get the domain name with fewer hyphens.” Now, Mueller says hyphens don’t matter as much as picking a domain with the most long-term relevance. You don’t want to be limited by the domain name you chose.

• What’s that new social media platform knocking on our door? It’s Airchat – a new text and voice social network. Most users are in the tech industry currently, and the platform founders want to be hands-off with content moderation. We’ll see if it can build off the shortcomings of X and Clubhouse.

• Reporters must have credible sources to create credible, informative articles. What if you could lend your expertise to them and get media coverage for your business/brand? Help Every Reporter Out (HERO) is working to continue this mission. You can sign up here!

• Not-related-to-digital-marketing-but-it’s-about-Earth-Day News: Europe is dismantling dams to save rivers across the continent! In 2023, 487 were removed, returning natural habitats back to animals and fish.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

We’re always looking to infuse inspiration into our lives.

How about instead of reaching toward inspiration, why don’t we let it come to us?

We don’t have to travel to unexplored places or do the riskiest thing we can think of — we can simply be receptive to the present.

The way the wind makes the trees dance…

The way tiny seeds unfurl into the most intricate patterns of petals and branches…

The way a child’s laughter can brighten the faces of those around them…

Inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere. 😊

May inspiration find you today and everyday,

Natalie

When was Earth Day founded?

Who founded Earth Day?

Why is it in April?

Learn the answer to these questions and more in this Time article!