Today's Marketing Pulse
McKinsey predicts agentic AI will power two‑thirds of marketing activities
McKinsey’s new report forecasts that agentic AI could drive up to two‑thirds of all marketing functions, shifting AI from a productivity add‑on to a core strategic engine. The analysis notes early adopters are using generative tools, while the next wave will involve autonomous agents that orchestrate decisions across workflows, guided by a five‑step implementation roadmap.
Experiential Marketing Trend of the Week: Tarot Card Readings
A Pew Research survey shows 30% of U.S. adults consult astrology, tarot or fortune tellers at least yearly, fueling a surge in experiential marketing that leverages cartomancy for personalization. Brands such as Netflix, Pandora and Hendrick’s Gin have turned tarot readings into immersive touchpoints—from an animatronic Teyana Taylor in Grand Central to an astro‑cartographer guiding jewelry picks and a “Giniverse” bar with tarot readers. These activations blend entertainment with data‑driven recommendations, delivering limited‑edition merchandise and deeper brand connections. The trend signals a broader shift toward mystic‑themed experiences that resonate especially with younger, female audiences.
Sitemaps Don't Guarantee Indexing Without Valuable Content
Sitemaps aren't a directive. You still need to prove a site's worth to Google... -> From John: "One part of sitemaps is that Google has to be keen on indexing more content from the site. If Google's not convinced that...
ByteBrew Launches AI-Powered Cross-Promotion Network to Scale App Portfolios
ByteBrew has introduced ByteBrew Ads, an AI‑powered cross‑promotion ad network that lets developers move high‑value users between apps in their portfolio. The service relies on Ctrl, the company’s proprietary AI engine trained on massive app data, to target users based...
Reddit Stock Slides as Search Traffic Shifts, Users Stagnate
And again, one turn of the knob by Google, and visits from Search plummets -> Why Reddit’s Stock Plunged 42% In Past Five Weeks "The number of Reddit daily users in the U.S. who are “logged in” to the service—meaning...
Google Ignores Sitemaps Lacking Fresh, Valuable Content
Google won't use your Sitemap file if it isn't convinced of new/important content says John Mueller of Google https://www.seroundtable.com/google-index-sitemap-content-40973.html #google #seo #googleseo #sitemaps
Google: A Spike In Impressions Doesn't Cause Problems For Search
Google Search Console users reporting sudden impression spikes were reassured by John Mueller that higher impression counts do not harm search performance. Mueller clarified that the increase is merely a visibility metric and not a ranking signal. The spikes can...
Weekly SEO Recap: Google Volatility, Review Disappearances, AI Updates
Catch up on last week with the SEO Video Recap covering the week long super heated Google volatility, Google reviews are disappearing again, links in AI Mode and AI Overviews are updated, Google Ads news and more https://t.co/e9yXgyFhbD
Google Admits Indexing Data Gaps Are Just Side-Effect
Google's @johnmu on the page indexing data missing issue - "just a side-effect" - story updated at https://t.co/y7yTnWMPqo https://t.co/Aa09Vs5Avg
Google Search Console Page Indexing Report Missing Data Prior to December 15
Google Search Console's page indexing report is missing data prior to December 15, a reporting bug that affects every user of the tool. The gap eliminates historic indexing metrics, making trend analysis impossible for that period. Google has not issued an...
Search Spikes Don’t Harm Google Search, Says John Mu
Google's @johnmu said a spike in search impressions does not cause problems with Search https://t.co/Gx8bDf2WoW https://t.co/cLxH8TBMF9
How AI Search Is Reshaping Visibility: From Rankings to Mentions
In this episode, host Jordan Cooney and Otterly AI CEO Thomas Paham discuss how AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are rendering traditional SEO metrics—rankings and clicks—obsolete, with the majority of queries now resulting in zero clicks. Thomas...
SEO Fundamental: Google Explains Why It May Not Use A Sitemap via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s John Mueller clarified why a technically valid sitemap can still show a fetch error in Search Console. He explained that if Google isn’t convinced the site offers new, important content, it may ignore the sitemap altogether. The Reddit user’s...
RevOps Roundup: Week 8, 2026
The RevOps Roundup for week 8, 2026 curates a suite of practical resources—from a guide on tracking outbound traffic in lead pipelines to AI workflow best practices and variance analysis techniques. It also highlights podcasts where CROs discuss scaling from $2 M to...
Vodafone Deutschland Cuts Netflix Subscription Prices by up to 40% for Customers
Vodafone Deutschland is offering a permanent €2 monthly discount on Netflix subscriptions for its internet, TV and mobile customers, cutting the ad‑supported Standard plan to €2.99 and reducing higher‑tier plans by the same amount. The discount applies to both new...
Post-Traumatic Growth, Creative Marketing, And Dealing With Change with Jack Williamson
Jack Williamson, a psychotherapist and former music‑industry executive, discusses how personal trauma can become a catalyst for creative growth and how indie authors can apply lessons from the music sector’s disruptive evolution. He outlines post‑traumatic growth strategies, warns against shiny‑object...
As It Ramps up Push to Fund AI Bets, Meta Makes a New Play for Agencies
Meta has launched the Agency Growth Collective, a pilot program for independent agencies in the United States. The initiative replaces the traditional single Meta representative with a shared alias that routes communications to a rotating bench of specialists and offers...
I Asked The Question Because ...
A recent analysis shows that mailing catalogs to reactivation candidates is financially unsustainable. With a demand price of $1.30 per book and an advertising cost of $0.90, the profit calculation yields a $0.38 loss per mailed item, translating to a...
Building High-Impact Enterprise SEO Teams: Creative Roles & Personal Branding SEO
In this brief episode, host Tyson Stockton talks with Ahrefs' Patrick Stokes about building an effective enterprise SEO team from scratch. Stokes emphasizes hiring versatile, creative talent for technical, content, and especially video roles, and stresses the importance of personal...
Google Shifts to Continuous Core Updates, Boosting 2026 Volatility
I shared some thoughts yesterday about what we are seeing. Would be great if Google would provide some info... I feel like they are moving to continuous updating of systems (which would align with what they said about 'more core...
ChatGPT Ads Intrude, Miss Targeting, Threaten User Retention
More examples of ChatGPT ads in the wild. The experience didn't sound great for @EmilyForlini. And the targeting might be off -> I'm Seeing Ads in ChatGPT, and OpenAI Broke Its Promise. Here's What They Look Like From Emily: "On mobile,...
Standing Out in Enterprise SEO: Building Creative In-House Teams
In this episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton chats with Ahrefs expert Patrick Stokes about building creative, in‑house SEO teams that can stand out in the enterprise space. They discuss the challenges of scaling SEO internally, the importance...
Add Organization & WebSite Schema to All Homepages
SEO Tip: when it comes to using Schema for the homepage on a site, there are two types that I gravitate towards and recommend (especially for eCommerce stores). The two types are Organization and WebSite Schema, being tags that I see...
Own Your Digital Space: Keep a Website in 2026
It's the digital form of "Renting vs. Owning" :) Yep, you own it, you can do what you want with it, you can monetize how you want to, and you won't wake up one morning to find some network removed...
Differentiating Enterprise SEO Content & Teams
In this brief episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton chats with Ahrefs expert Patrick Stokes about how enterprise SEO content and teams differ from smaller-scale operations. They explore the need for strategic alignment, cross‑functional collaboration, and specialized content...
14 GEO Conferences to Attend in 2026
The 2026 GEO and AI‑Search conference circuit now features 14 dedicated events worldwide, from AEO Conf in San Francisco to GEO KNOW HOW in Berlin. These gatherings blend traditional SEO programming with new AI‑search tracks, showcasing speakers from OpenAI, Ahrefs, Moz, and HubSpot....
Celebrating 250 Years of America, From Its History to Its Future
Google and YouTube are marking the United States' 250th independence anniversary in 2026 with a year‑long campaign that blends historical storytelling and cutting‑edge technology. The companies will use their platforms to showcase iconic landmarks and cultural moments, while also promoting...
Bluesky Growth: Is Your Brand Ready for Decentralized Social Media?
Bluesky has surged to 40.2 million registered users, with 1.5‑3 million daily active participants, driven by event‑based spikes and its decentralized AT Protocol. The platform emphasizes community‑built feeds over algorithmic timelines, offering a niche but highly engaged audience. U.S. users account for...
Preparing for the Agent-Driven Future of B2B Marketing
Gartner’s 2026 strategic outlook warns that AI will move beyond acceleration to reshape B2B buying, with agents mediating up to 90% of purchase decisions by 2028. Marketing teams must treat AI fluency as a core competency, embedding prompting skills and...
Building a High-Impact Enterprise SEO Team
In this 1‑minute 42‑second episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton chats with Ahrefs expert Patrick Stokes about building a high‑impact enterprise SEO team. They discuss the evolving nature of SEO, the importance of giving back to the community,...
Lead Generation Statistics for 2026: Key Marketing Data
Lead generation remains a top priority for B2B marketers, yet 85% struggle to tie performance to revenue outcomes. Conversion challenges persist, with 79% of leads never converting without effective nurturing and inbound SEO leads achieving a 14.6% close rate versus...
The Best Social Platforms for Businesses in 2026, And How to Choose With Intent
Later’s 2026 guide argues that social‑media success hinges on intent, not platform hype. Brands should select a single "home base" platform for authority and one supporting channel for reach, avoiding the performance leak of platform sprawl. The article provides a...
The Creator Autonomy Paradox
The article argues that influencer campaigns deliver higher ROI when brands give creators genuine autonomy rather than rigid scripts. Data shows Gen Z audiences distrust brands that micromanage creators, and only 10 % of creators feel they have creative control despite 53 %...
Cold Email Statistics You Need to Know in 2026
Cold email continues to deliver the highest ROI among outbound channels, but success hinges on meeting 2026 benchmarks. Average reply rates sit between 3% and 5%, while top performers achieve 10% or higher. Personalization can lift replies by up to...
Create Studio-Quality Marketing Assets with Photoshoot in Pomelli
Google Labs launched Photoshoot, a new feature in its free Pomelli platform that transforms basic product photos into studio‑grade marketing images. The tool leverages Business DNA and the Nano Banana image‑generation model to apply brand‑specific aesthetics automatically. Users select a...
New Meridian Tool Puts MMM Insights Directly in Marketers' Hands.
A recent Harvard Business Review Analytic Services survey found that nearly 40% of marketers struggle to translate Marketing Mix Model (MMM) outputs into concrete business decisions. Meridian, an open‑source MMM platform, has responded by launching Scenario Planner, a no‑code interface...
Protecting SEO Budgets in a GEO Era
In this brief episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton and Ahrefs expert Patrick Stokes discuss the biggest upcoming challenge for SEOs: proving their value and protecting budgets amid a shift toward geo‑targeted strategies. They highlight the tension between...
Why Your SEO Tickets Get Ignored
In large organizations SEO recommendations often sit idle because developers view them as low‑priority maintenance. The article argues the root cause is a translation gap: SEOs speak traffic and rankings, while engineers prioritize user experience, technical debt, and feature delivery....
Every Trend Looks the Same in a Dashboard (Until You Zoom Out)
The article argues that standard post‑level dashboards flatten very different content behaviors—short‑term spikes, campaign arcs, and compounding formats—into identical metrics, leading marketers to chase fleeting reach. By grouping content by theme, intent, or format and evaluating it over weeks or...
Ahref's State of SEO
In this episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton talks with Ahrefs senior leader Patrick Stokes about the rapidly evolving SEO landscape, especially the impact of AI and automation. Stokes shares his mixed feelings—excitement for faster content creation but...
12 Content Marketing Conferences to Attend in 2026
The 2026 content marketing conference calendar features twelve flagship events across North America and Asia, ranging from intimate workshops like Content Jam to large‑scale gatherings such as Content Marketing World. Organizers are emphasizing AI‑focused tracks, small‑group interaction, and hybrid formats...
25 SEO Conferences to Attend in 2026
The 2026 SEO conference roundup lists 25 events across North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific and the Middle East, detailing dates, venues, ticket tiers and headline speakers. Highlights include SMX Munich’s AI‑focused sessions, the massive BrightonSEO gatherings, and region‑specific meetups such as...
Introducing Later 360: One View for All Your Influencer Marketing Data
Later 360 launches as an enterprise‑grade reporting suite that consolidates organic influencer metrics, paid amplification data, and commerce outcomes into a single, real‑time dashboard. Built on a dataset exceeding $2 billion in verified influencer‑driven purchases and 130 billion annual impressions, the platform uses...
Episode 134 - The Freelancer Niche Explosion
Superpath’s latest podcast, Episode 134, spotlights the rapid expansion of the freelancer niche market. The episode draws on insights from Ryan Sargent of Verblio, who explains how to break through the content echo chamber, and John Collins, who shares his customer‑obsessed...
From Pilot to 6,000 Users: How to Scale Enterprise AI Agents
In mid‑2025 Snowflake rolled out its GTM AI Assistant to roughly 6,000 sales and marketing users, handling over 330,000 questions by year‑end. The project grew from a single data scientist to a multi‑disciplinary team, using a phased launch that prioritized...
A Shift in Leadership
The author reflects on a fifteen‑year evolution from abundant, often chaotic leadership in early retail to a modern landscape dominated by charismatic thought leaders. He argues that figures like Seth Godin have reshaped marketing rhetoric, favoring flashy, low‑effort advice over genuine...
Special Report – The Future of Media Buying
AI is reshaping media buying as Meta and Google report massive ad‑revenue growth driven by proprietary AI tools. The surge forces agencies and publishers to confront a widening data and automation advantage held by big‑tech. Publicis suggests agencies can stay...
How to Have Influence without Traffic or Readers
Influence in content marketing no longer depends on massive traffic; it can be built through strategic internal positioning and content operations. By aligning content with stakeholder priorities, marketers can shape decisions, secure resources, and drive product direction without a large...
Episode 130 - The 7—No, 8!—Skills Content Marketers Need to Thrive
Episode 130 of Superpath’s podcast outlines eight core competencies content marketers must master to stay competitive, adding a newly‑identified skill to the original seven. The episode highlights AI‑driven brief‑to‑post automation, data‑centric performance analysis, SEO, storytelling, project management, cross‑team collaboration, audience research,...
Episode 131 - 2026 Content Predictions
Superpath’s latest podcast, Episode 131, outlines key content trends expected to shape 2026, highlighting AI‑driven creation, immersive formats, and evolving privacy norms. The episode references a prior Zapier interview where Lane Scott Jones demonstrated a 454% content ROI, underscoring the financial...
![[Playbook + Case Study] How to Build a Media Brand for a Company](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62c1fa6dc46ace67f7f60440/67d0c4e097b44f8ab9a6b52d_photo-1495465798138-718f86d1a4bc.avif)
[Playbook + Case Study] How to Build a Media Brand for a Company
Superpath released a playbook and case study outlining how companies can build a media brand that fuels growth. The guide walks readers through defining audience personas, creating a content engine, and measuring impact across channels. Real‑world examples illustrate how consistent...