In this month’s digital news, Google’s VP of Search explained that the definition of spam was extended and said what kind of content will get up-weighted. Online communities have infiltrated the internet, appearing at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) for most queries.
AI adoption is slowing outside tech and finance as businesses focus on scaling existing use cases. Ahrefs has gained dominance in AI search optimisation by turning its own company into a public case study for experimentation and product development.
YouTube has grown from a user-generated circus into the most powerful platform on Earth in two decades. Google’s new Demand Gen update will automatically turn image ads into videos, expanding reach and engagement across more channels.
Google says what content gets clicked on AI Overviews
Google’s VP of Search, Liz Reid, stated that content clicked on within AI Overviews is typically “richer and deeper,” demonstrating a unique perspective and expertise. Google is actively “up-weighting” this kind of content and is expanding its definition of “spam” to include low-value content that merely repeats what is already widely known.
The AI Overviews function as a qualifying filter. They provide the surface-level answer, meaning the user who clicks through to your site has higher intent and is actively seeking the unique human analysis, firsthand experience, or technical craft that your article provides beyond the summary.
Read more here.
Authority on online communities such as Reddit and Quora matters
Authority in online communities like Reddit and Quora is now essential. These sites frequently appear in the “Discussions & Forums” SERP feature and are heavily cited by AI Overviews (Quora is reported to be the most commonly cited source).
Building trust and authority on these platforms can strengthen your brand’s E-E-A-T signals. Through credible, real-world experience shared in a conversational format, creating valuable, long-term search visibility and what some are calling “Conversational Authority.”
Read more here.
Is AI adoption slowing down?
AI adoption is slowing outside tech and finance as businesses focus on scaling existing use cases. Retention is improving, but monetization pressures push companies toward last-resort strategies like social apps or niche content. In hiring, AI creates friction as candidates and employers battle automated resume scans. Growth for attention-driven channels like podcasts remains difficult because episodes rarely go viral. Listeners are highly selective, and discoverability outside major platforms is limited.
Read more here.
How Ahrefs is winning AI search
Ahrefs has gained dominance in AI search optimisation by turning its own company into a public case study for experimentation and product development. It used internal tests to boost its visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. While documenting results that informed both marketing content and its Brand Radar tool. Research findings, such as a 66.4% correlation between branded mentions and AI visibility. Directly shaped new features and drove further visibility. By sharing every experiment publicly. Ahrefs built credibility, created a data-driven feedback loop, and established itself as the industry standard for AI search optimisation.
Read more here.
YouTube just ate TV. It’s only getting started
YouTube has grown from a user-generated circus into the most powerful platform on Earth in two decades. The platform has become a dominant force in media. And there are signs the company is close to breaking through to the other hours people are spending on their TV sets. YouTube has paid out more than $100 billion to its creators, artists, and media partners over the past four years. Sports is in many ways the final frontier for YouTube to conquer.
Read more here.
Google Ads to auto-generate videos from existing Demand Gen image ads
Google is introducing a new Demand Gen feature that automatically converts existing image and text ads into videos across all formats, expanding reach on platforms such as YouTube, Shorts and Discover. The update applies to image-only ad groups made before 27 August, with videos beginning to serve after 31 October unless advertisers opt out. This tool enhances engagement and visibility without added production costs, though brands must review assets before activation to ensure alignment with their messaging. Overall, it offers broader exposure and creative flexibility but requires timely oversight to maintain brand standards.
Read more here.
For more information on any of these stories, or for support with ASK BOSCO®, please get in contact with our team, team@askbosco.com.
