Today's Digital Marketing Pulse
Accenture Song acquires creator agency Whalar to boost influencer capabilities
Accenture Song announced the acquisition of Whalar, adding a 170‑person global creator and social team while keeping co‑CEOs Emma Harman and Jo Cronk in place. The deal includes a three‑year strategic partnership that gives Accenture access to Whalar’s talent‑management, technology and venture assets, integrating the creator network with Accenture’s data and AI tools.
Google Confirms March 2026 Core Update Is Complete via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google confirmed that its March 2026 core update finished rolling out on April 8 after a 12‑day rollout that met its two‑week target and was faster than the December 2025 update. The update followed a rapid 20‑hour spam update and a Discover‑only core update, marking three major ranking changes within five weeks. Google described the core update as a routine effort to surface more relevant content but gave no detailed guidance. The completion allows webmasters to compare pre‑ and post‑update performance in Search Console.
Google Serves Spanish Snippets Despite English Query
There's a new one - Google is showing me a title and meta description *in Spanish* even though I'm searching in English from Brooklyn. The URL is zoom . us and the page content is in English. I was recently in...
GEO Was Invented On Sand Hill Road
The article exposes Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) as a venture‑capital‑driven hype rather than a genuine technological shift. Andreessen Horowitz’s May 2025 blog post seeded the term to promote portfolio tools, while fabricated memos and inflated statistics were amplified by engagement farmers....
Google’s March 2026 Core Update Rolled Out in 12 Days
OK, the March 2026 core update is complete. Now to assess the impact... From Google on X -> The rollout was complete as of April 8, 2026 (at 5:12 ET). So it was 12 days, 4 hours. https://x.com/googlesearchc/status/2041867321552027833
90% of Companies Use AI Agents. 6% Have Them Working.
New Martech research shows that while 90.3% of companies say they use AI agents, only 6.3% have fully integrated them into their marketing stacks. The gap mirrors earlier generative AI adoption patterns, where many firms claim usage but rely on...
Podscribe Announces SiriusXM Radio Airchecks, Podcaster Logins, and Automated Pixel Email Scheduling to Enhance Audio Attribution and Reporting
Podscribe unveiled three major upgrades—SiriusXM Radio Airchecks, automated pixel email scheduling, and podcaster‑specific logins—to tighten audio ad attribution and streamline reporting. The SiriusXM aircheck feature delivers verified, timestamped proof of ads on satellite radio, closing a long‑standing measurement gap. Automated...
Ausha Expands Its Growth Suite with Paid Visibility Ads on Spotify and YouTube – Open to All
Ausha announced the beta launch of Ausha Visibility Ads, a paid promotion tool that lets podcasters run campaigns directly on Spotify and YouTube. The solution builds on Ausha’s existing Podcast Search Optimization technology and incorporates Base for Creators’ ad‑tech platform....
Digible Teams with Engrain to Bring All‑In Pricing to Multifamily Ads
Digible, a leading multifamily marketing agency, and Engrain, a data‑visualization platform, announced an integration that feeds all‑in rent and fee data into paid media. The move gives renters clearer cost information and helps operators meet emerging transparency rules while preserving...
AI Is Changing Retail. Here’s How Businesses Can Keep Up.
Retailers must ensure their Google Merchant Center data is clean and complete to unlock AI-driven shopping experiences such as conversational commerce, virtual try‑ons, and shoppable CTV. In a recent Ads Decoded Podcast, Google’s retail product leaders highlighted that messy feeds...
The 10 Fastest-Growing U.S. Instagram Accounts of March 2026
March 2026 saw a surge of Instagram follower gains among U.S. celebrities and brands, led by Megan Fox’s 2.8 million new followers after a high‑profile comeback. Event‑driven accounts such as Jason Derulo, Alysa Liu, and “The Tonight Show” each added over a million followers,...
Earn a Social Media Marketing Certificate Starting April 29
Our 2026 Certificate in Social Media Marketing & Fundraising program starts April 29! https://www.nptechforgood.com/certificate-programs/earn-a-certificate-in-social-media-marketing-fundraising-from-nonprofit-tech-for-good/ The three-webinar program provides an honest, practical approach to using social media at a time when organic reach and engagement are at an all-time low. To earn the...
Matter of Fact: The Two Audience Problem
Brands targeting Gen Alpha now face a dual‑gatekeeping challenge: they must appeal to kids while satisfying parental safety concerns. Only 25% of Gen Alpha trust social‑media ads, yet 95% of parents first encounter new brands through their children. Gen Alpha directly controls about...
Lemme's Quietly Makes $60M, Coach Is #2, FIFA Is Coming, and McDonald’s Brand Integrity Problem
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to draw millions to North American host cities, brands are eyeing activation beyond stadiums. Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s wellness line Lemme quietly generated $60 million through a TikTok‑driven affiliate program involving over 15,000 creators, illustrating...
Beehiiv Article Links Missing Dofollow Attribute, Why?
I wrote articles on @beehiiv with links but they aren't dofollow backlink. Which is weird as I have seen many websites with dofollow backlink from beehiiv posts. Any idea why? Did I do something wrong?
Tired of Targeted Ads? This Simple iPhone Fix Stops App Tracking in Seconds.
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) lets iPhone users block apps from accessing the advertising identifier (IDFA) and other tracking data unless they explicitly grant permission. Users can disable tracking globally or per‑app via Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, turning targeted ads into generic ones....
Why Product Feeds Shouldn’t Be The Most Ignored SEO System In Ecommerce
Many ecommerce brands focus on category pages and backlinks while neglecting product feeds, which have traditionally been managed by PPC teams. Recent changes—Google Search Console’s Shopping report enhancements and OpenAI’s product‑feed specification—bring feed data into the core SEO ecosystem. Optimizing...
Silverpush’s Paul Briggs on Navigating YouTube and Using Contextual to Regain Visibility and Control
Silverpush’s Paul Briggs emphasizes that video now accounts for over 80% of internet traffic, making it a full‑funnel performance driver. He argues that contextual intelligence can map real‑time content intent to deliver ads at the precise moment of user engagement,...
Samba TV and TiVo Strike UK CTV Advertising Partnership
Samba TV and TiVo have launched a strategic partnership in the United Kingdom, effective April 1, to combine Samba's cross‑platform audience intelligence with TiVo's owned‑and‑operated CTV inventory. The deal makes TiVo Samba's preferred managed‑service advertising partner and positions Samba as the...
Sleepyhead Highlights Durability in BITE Sofa with Creator-Led Campaign
Sleepyhead introduced the BITE sofa, a compact, stain‑ and water‑repellent piece built with high‑resilience foam for everyday durability. The launch is supported by a creator‑led campaign featuring a music video starring artist Gandhar and dancer Piyush Gurbhele. Influencers extend the narrative...
Google Testing Jumping To AI Mode Directly From AIOs ON DESKTOP
Google is piloting a desktop version of its AI Mode that launches directly from the “Show more” button in AI‑generated overview (AIO) cards. The feature, previously limited to mobile, pulls users out of the classic SERP into an AI‑driven answer...
ÂJarvis Approachingâ: Google's Sundar Pichai Signals an Agentic, Multi-Threaded Future for Search
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told the Cheeky Pint podcast that Search will evolve into a Jarvis‑like, agent‑centric platform where multiple AI threads operate simultaneously to complete user tasks. He described future Search as an "agent manager" that orchestrates personal assistants...
Teads Expands Commitment to Inventory Quality & Safety Through Partnership with NewsGuard
Teads announced an expanded partnership with NewsGuard to apply the latter’s human‑vetted reliability ratings across its global ad marketplace. The move covers English, French, German and Italian‑language sites in key markets such as the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany and...
Major Brands Back Tesco Premium Video Ad Placements
Diageo and PepsiCo have endorsed Tesco Media's new premium video ad placements after successful trials, highlighting the formats' ability to drive brand awareness at a crucial consideration stage. The Grocery Homepage slot reaches over 12 million unique monthly visitors, while the...
The Trade Desk Disrupted?
The Trade Desk (TTD) remains the dominant independent demand‑side platform, offering the widest, high‑quality inventory across connected TV, audio, and mobile. Its new OpenPath feature connects advertisers directly with publishers, bypassing traditional SSP fees, while AI‑driven campaign setup lowers barriers...
Stensul’s 2026 MarTech Outlook on AI and Agency Spend: The Demand Gen Report Interview with Rachel Meranus
Stensul’s 2026 MarTech Outlook, shared in a Demand Gen Report interview with Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer Rachel Meranus, highlights a rapid AI‑driven transformation of B2B marketing. The report finds B2B firms are 64% more likely to increase automation spend...
HubSpot Renames Inbound Conference to "Unbound" To Spotlight AI Marketing
HubSpot announced that its flagship Inbound conference will be rebranded as "Unbound," reflecting a strategic pivot toward generative AI and broader product offerings. The change follows a steep stock decline and the rollout of 18 new AI agents, underscoring the...
ReelShort Teams with AIS to Offer $1.15 5G Video Add‑On Across Thailand
ReelShort has launched a co‑branded 5G add‑on with Thailand’s AIS for THB39 ($1.15) a month, giving subscribers ad‑free access to its 3,000‑title library. The partnership, AIS’s first telco deal with a short‑drama platform, positions ReelShort to expand across Southeast Asia’s...
Google Says It Can Handle Multiple URLs To The Same Content via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s John Mueller clarified that having multiple URLs point to the same content does not trigger a penalty or ranking demotion. The search engine will automatically choose a canonical version, but site owners can influence that choice with proper technical...
Tipping the Balance: Conquering the Ad Tech Ecosystem with Content Ignite
Content Ignite, founded by James Hanslip and Ben Spencer in 2014, offers the Fusion platform that lets publishers control their entire ad stack with a single tag. The agnostic marketplace aggregates multiple ad‑tech vendors, reducing integration costs and enabling direct‑sale...
Publishers Get a New Revenue Line as Brambles.ai and Shopnomix Bring AI Commerce Into Editorial Content
Brambles.ai and Shopnomix have partnered to embed conversational AI shopping directly into editorial content, allowing readers to discover and purchase products from over 50,000 brands without leaving the page. The integration combines Brambles.ai’s on‑page chat interface with Shopnomix’s product data,...
BIGO Ads Becomes a Registered Vendor Under IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF)
BIGO Ads, the programmatic advertising platform of JOYY Inc., has been added to IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) v2.2 vendor registry. The registration confirms BIGO Ads’ compliance with GDPR and ePrivacy standards, enabling it to operate across the...
The Publicis-Microsoft Deal Is Bigger Than You Think
Microsoft has appointed Publicis Groupe as its global media agency of record and simultaneously launched an AI partnership that will blend Microsoft’s tools, technology, and data with Publicis’s client capabilities. The agreement covers a media business segment valued at roughly $1.2 billion,...
Superdry & Co Picks Verde to Style New Online Strategy
Superdry & Co, fresh from a brand‑centric rebrand, has hired SEO specialist Verde Digital to revamp its digital marketing. Verde will lead technical SEO, on‑page optimisation and emerging AI‑driven search tactics, targeting non‑brand, category‑level queries. The agency’s audit revealed untapped...
![How To Turn AI Search Visibility Data Into a GEO Strategy That Closes Citation Gaps [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Hethr_campbell](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://cdn.searchenginejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/6-634.png)
How To Turn AI Search Visibility Data Into a GEO Strategy That Closes Citation Gaps [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Hethr_campbell
Search Engine Journal is hosting a webinar where Writesonic CEO Sam Garg will reveal how more than 500 million AI‑driven conversations expose the citation signals that power ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. Attendees will learn which content types and placements actually earn...
Replies Boost Followers: End Posts with a Question
We analyzed 21,864 Threads posts last month. Creators who got 500+ replies grew 10% in followers. Likes are nice. Replies move the needle. If your posts aren't getting replies, add a question at the end. Simple.
March Core Update Hits; Easter Traffic Skews Results
The March Core update has finished rolling out. Keep in mind when looking at your traffic that it included the Easter weekend which often causes seasonal changes for sites. I see a few sites with increases and a number with significant hits....
Trust Is Not Enough: German Supreme Court Tightens Liability for Google Ads
The German Supreme Court reversed lower‑court rulings and held that a retailer can be liable for unlawful Google Ads under §8(2) of the Act against Unfair Competition (UWG). The court reasoned that the retailer’s cooperation agreement with Google constitutes an...
Build New Relationships to Unlock LinkedIn’s Reach
Why “developing new relationships” is the only sustainable way to force the Linkedin algorithm to show you to new audiences https://t.co/OJa5Sg1oQj via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Marketing #MarketingSuccess #MarketingStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence
5 Years of SaaS SEO Secrets Unlocked
Reverse-engineered 5 years of SEO knowledge in the SaaS industry to bring you this article 👇🏼
Liquid Death Lets Incrementality Decide What Tactics To Kill And What To Keep
Liquid Death, the metal‑themed canned water brand, has adopted Ibotta’s LiveLift platform to measure the incremental sales impact of its promotions in near real time. By comparing shoppers exposed to offers with a control group, the brand can identify which...
Meta's New Attribution Inflates Conversions by 30‑35%
Meta’s over attribution over performance the last 2 weeks has been absolutely horrendous. Some of the worse case brands are showing 30-35% more conversions on Meta than is being shown on Shopify. Truly feels like they broke something when updating the attribution.
Do Chinese OEMs' Gonzo Instagram Reels Actually Convert?
Has anyone written about whether the gonzo marketing tactics of small Chinese contract manufacturers on Instagram Reels “works” or whether it just makes for amusing content. Like that company that sells charging cables.
Who Needs ‘Corrosive Intermediaries’ Anyway?
The Ozone publisher alliance, founded by UK titles such as The Guardian and The Telegraph, is tackling the broken programmatic supply chain by pooling inventory and data to push back against what its COO Danny Spears calls “corrosive intermediaries.” Spears...
Avoid Manual Triggers That Cause AI Content Spikes
Scaling AI-generated content for AEO/GEO purposes? "Mt. AI" can result from an algorithmic drop or a drop from a manual action. See below what the manual action could look like. You don't want this. You really don't want this. :)...
ChatGPT Introduces Ads to Fund Free Service
ChatGPT has announced the introduction of advertisements within its platform, marking a significant shift in its user experience. This new revenue model aims to balance free use with sustainability. Read more: https://t.co/UgTEWz3Z1Y @wearetenet
Who Needs ‘Corrosive Intermediaries’ Anyway?
Publishers are confronting a "perfect storm" of macroeconomic pressure, traffic declines, and AI‑driven search changes that threaten programmatic revenue. Ozone, a coalition of UK news brands such as The Guardian and The Telegraph, aims to counteract platform dominance by pooling...
Low Ad Strength Delivers Highest ROAS, Ignore Metrics
It’s eye-opening to see that 'Poor' Ad Strength ads actually yielded the best ROAS (327.65%) in this study of 20,000 accounts. Don't let Google's structural completeness metrics distract you from real bottom-line efficiency. #DigitalMarketing #PerformanceMarketing https://t.co/BQDpHJJtWL
The Creativity Trade-Off: What Marketers Risk Losing In The Age Of AI
AI has become ubiquitous in advertising, with 83% of ad executives now using it in creative workflows, up from 60% in 2024, and 86% of video‑ad buyers planning AI‑generated content. While generative tools accelerate idea prototyping, studies from Wharton and...
Who Is OpenAI’s Global Head of Ads, David Dugan?
David Dugan, a veteran of Meta’s advertising empire, has been appointed OpenAI’s global head of ads. His résumé includes leading Meta’s worldwide agency partnerships, selling BzzAgent to Tesco, and steering Havas Arnold Worldwide. OpenAI, which is burning cash as it...
Volkswagen Picks Agency to Lead Global Social Media Strategy
Volkswagen has selected Jung von Matt SPREE as its global social‑media lead agency, covering platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads and Facebook. The agency will advise the brand communications team, run headquarters’ channels, build communities, launch campaigns and...