Digital Digest
Marketing Intelligence Weekly
Weekly updates on the digital marketing news you need to know, including data reform, AI, cookie deprecation and platform updates.
AI in digital
Platforms
Google preparing to roll out ads in AI Mode
- Google is preparing a broad rollout of “AI Mode” ads before Q4, pitching brands and agencies on how they differ from traditional search, with placements in Google Search, Google Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns.
- Ads will be text and shopping formats, available in English in the US on mobile and desktop, and are still officially marked as an “experiment.”
- To run ads in AI Mode, AI-powered targeting tools are required, including broad match for Search, AI Max (beta), PMax, and Shopping Ads — with an emphasis on “feed hygiene” to keep product catalogues updated.
- Google says ad targeting will factor in both the user’s search query and the AI Mode’s generated content, offering potentially deeper contextual relevance.
- Contact us for more information.
AI in digital
Platforms
OpenAI launches ChatGPT-5
- GPT‑5 launched on 7 August 2025, replacing all earlier models like GPT‑4, GPT‑4.5, GPT‑4o, and the o-series—it's now the flagship model accessible via ChatGPT and API platforms.
- Unified system with built-in “thinking”: GPT‑5 employs a smart routing system that automatically opts for fast answers or deeper, “reasoning” responses depending on the task—no more manual model selection.
- Significant performance leap: Delivers PhD-level capabilities across writing, coding, health, reasoning, and multimodal tasks (text, code, images, even long‑context coherence up to 256K tokens).
- Mobile and cost‑efficient variants: Users can access scaled-down versions (GPT‑5‑mini, GPT‑5‑nano) that are cheaper and faster—Free, Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Edu tiers have different features or limits.
- Read more
AI in digital
Data privacy
Insights from IAB Australia’s Data State of the Nation Report 2025
- The majority of survey respondents said they were only “somewhat prepared” for tranche 1 Australian Privacy Act changes. Only 28% are “very prepared”.
- There are a range of changes companies are making because of the new or impending further changes to privacy legislation. The most common change respondents are making is increasing the emphasis on the use of first-party data and increasing the use of AI or machine learning solutions.
- Survey respondents from across ad buy and sell sides see new privacy legislation impacting some key aspects of advertiser media plans. Over 80% say the data mix and measurement approaches are aspects where there is at least some impact. 74% say these changes are having at least some impact on personalisation tactics.
- Contextual targeting, data clean rooms and DMPs are the most adopted tools already implemented to manage the changes from new privacy legislation. The implementation of data cleans rooms has increased significantly on last year.
- Only 32% of advertising decisions makers/ influencers surveyed have deployed AI in some use cases or have it fully operational. A further 51% are in exploratory or testing phase.
- Contact us for a copy of the report.
AI in digital
Citation volatility in AI search is massive
- Citation Drift is Massive – Each month, about 40–60% of the domains cited by AI platforms like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity change—even for identical questions from June to July 2025.
- Longer-Term Instability Grows Sharper – Comparing January to July, citation turnover balloons to 70–90%, illustrating that AI search patterns are even more erratic over time.
- Traditional SEO Tracking Won’t Cut It – Unlike standard search (which might see 4–5 core algorithm updates annually), the inherent instability of AI citation patterns renders one-off snapshots or monthly checks nearly meaningless.
- New Monitoring Mindset Required – To navigate this volatility, brands must adopt continuous data collection (daily or weekly), aggregate multiple data points for statistical significance, and emphasise tracking directional trends rather than chasing individual data points.
- Volatility is Built-In, Not a Flaw – The drift isn’t a glitch—it’s how probabilistic models operate. Embracing this volatility lets marketers uncover real patterns rather than fight noise.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Insights from 50M ChatGPT prompts
- Generative is Now the Dominant Intent: 37.5% of prompts are generative (e.g. “write X”), overtaking informational intent (32.7%). Users want direct outputs, not just answers.
- Collapse of Navigation, Rise of Transactions: Navigational intent drops from 32.2% (traditional search) to 2.1%. Users no longer “go” anywhere.Transactional intent rises from 0.6% to 6.1%, as users start and progress through purchase decisions inside AI chat.
- Emergence of ‘No Intent’ Searches: 12.1% of prompts are conversational, e.g. “thanks” or “make it funnier” — a new behaviour layer with no precedent in SEO.
- SEO Metrics No Longer Apply: Clicks, traffic, and ranks are being bypassed. AI search happens within the interface, meaning landing pages and funnels are skipped entirely.
- New Strategic Focus: Citation over Ranking: Brands must shift from optimising for visibility to optimising for influence. Being cited and recommended by AI is now more valuable than ranking on Google.
- Urgency to Adapt: The shift is accelerating. Traditional SEO funnels are being replaced by AI-mediated discovery and decision-making. Delay means falling behind.
- Bottom Line: Search is the experience now. To stay relevant, brands must optimise for how AI references and recommends them — not how users click through search engines.
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Data privacy
Platforms
Advertisers targeting EU uers without Consent Mode V2 to lose tracking
- Google has begun strict enforcement of its EU User Consent Policy: as of 21 July 2025, any site or app targeting users in the EU that hasn't adopted Consent Mode v2 will lose access to conversion tracking, remarketing audience building, and both personalised and non‑personalised ads.
- Advertisers not implementing Consent Mode v2 are experiencing declining ad performance, as Google’s machine learning systems lack consent signals to optimise ad delivery.
- Consent Mode v2 enables continued measurement using aggregated modelling of conversions when users withhold consent, but not implementing it means you lose key performance insights.
- Read more
Data privacy
Platforms
Safari’s Advanced Fingerprinting Protection to be default, plus utm tracking disabled
- Safari’s Advanced Fingerprinting Protection will now be enabled by default for all browsing sessions, not just Private mode, making fingerprint-based tracking far less reliable.
- The browser injects benign noise and randomises key fingerprinting APIs (e.g. screen dimensions, Web Audio, canvas, CPU cores) per session and per site to thwart tracking efforts.
- Link Tracking Protection has been expanded: Safari will now strip out common tracking parameters (like utm_source, gclid, fbclid) from URLs and referrer data even during standard browsing.
- These changes significantly limit data brokers and advertisers from building persistent profiles or linking browsing behaviour to campaigns across platforms.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
AI Mode is now live in the UK
- AI Mode is now live in the UK, rolling out from 28–29 July 2025. Look for the “AI Mode” tab on desktop searches and in the Google app (Android & iOS).
- Powered by Gemini 2.5, this mode breaks down complex, multi-part queries using a “query fan‑out” technique and delivers conversational, structured answers instead of traditional link lists.
- Supports multimodal input—text, voice or image—and enables follow-up prompts so users can refine queries without starting over.
- UK regulators are watching closely: the Competition and Markets Authority may designate Google with “strategic market status” by October 2025, which could impact how AI Mode functions especially in relation to publishers.
- Read more
Platforms
TikTok now enables advertisers to track users on websites after clicking an ad
- TikTok has launched a new “Engaged Session” tool, allowing advertisers to track users who spend at least 10‑seconds on a website after clicking an ad—even without a pixel.
- Provides deeper post‑click insights, delivering metrics like Total Engaged Sessions and Cost per Engaged Session that align with Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics standards.
- Integrated within TikTok’s Traffic Objective, and available across all ad placements—including Search Ads—so you can activate it across your campaign mix.
- Read more
AI in digital
eCommerce sites need to test if they’re compatible with AI agents
- Google’s John Mueller suggests ecommerce sites need to be tested for compatibility with agentic AI agents—like ChatGPT—that shop on behalf of customers.
- A recent experiment evaluated the top 50 Swiss ecommerce stores and found most were accessible, but some were blocked by CAPTCHA, Cloudflare Turnstile, maintenance pages or bot‑defense tools.
- Mueller’s advice: “Pro tip: check your ecommerce site to see if it works for shoppers using the common agents…” as increasing numbers of customers may use agentic AI to shop.
- As agentic AI becomes more mainstream, brands risk losing sales if their sites block these agents—so testing now is vital for future‑proofing online performance.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Microsoft introduces Copilot Mode in Edge
- Copilot‑First Browsing Comes to Edge: Microsoft has launched Copilot Mode, an experimental AI‑driven interface in Edge that replaces the traditional new tab with a single input field merging chat, search and navigation—all with user permission.
- Context‑Aware Web Assistance: With user consent, Copilot can access open tabs to summarise content, compare options (like for shopping or research), and offer tailored suggestions across pages.
- Voice Control & Smart Actions: You can interact with Copilot using voice commands or typed prompts to perform actions like navigating videos, planning bookings, or converting data formats hands‑free.
- Privacy by Design, Opt‑In Trial: Copilot Mode is optional, free for now, and built with Microsoft’s privacy safeguards—data access is transparent and always requires permission. It may later shift to a subscription model.
- Read more
AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
Platforms
Top result in Google CTR has fallen 32%
- Top organic CTRs are dropping fast: Google's top result CTR has fallen 32% (from 28% to 19%) since AI Overviews expanded—showing users are clicking less on traditional results.
- Middle positions gaining ground: Positions 6–10 saw a 30.6% CTR increase, indicating users may be bypassing AI summaries to find more authentic sources further down the page.
- Ecommerce and publishers hit hardest: MailOnline reports CTRs plummeting up to 56% on desktop when AI Overviews appear; product-related widgets are also eating into ecommerce traffic.
- Read more
Platforms
Google launches Branded Searches as new conversion metric in Ads
- Google has launched “Branded Searches” as a new conversion metric, tracking how often users search for a brand on Google or YouTube within 30 days of seeing an ad.
- It’s available for YouTube, Performance Max (across YouTube, Discover and Gmail), and Demand Gen campaigns.
- This metric gives marketers a measurable signal of brand interest and consideration, bridging upper‑funnel ad exposure and consumer action.
- Right now it’s reporting‑only (not used for optimisation), though Google hints that optimisation via bidding strategies may be introduced later.
- Make sure your brand mapping is correctly set up in Ads to accurately attribute searches as branded conversions.
- Read more
AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
Platforms
Featured Snippets are disappearing thanks to AI Overviews
- Ahrefs has studied multiple SERP featured since AI Overviews was introduced in Google. Key findings:
- AI Overviews are booming, rising from 3.93% visibility in January 2025 to 27.43% by June—particularly common for informational keywords.
- Featured snippets are fading fast, down 64%, with data showing a strong negative correlation (-0.9) with AI Overview growth—suggesting AI is taking over their SERP space.
- Sitelinks are the biggest winner, jumping 906% in visibility and now appearing on 85% of SERPs, especially post-Google’s March update.
- Paid and Shopping features are declining, with Shopping down 68% and Paid Sitelinks down 55%, hinting at a changing commercial search landscape.
- Marketers should monitor AI Overview presence, especially as these results are increasingly driving zero-click searches and may replace other SERP formats.
- Read more
AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
Only 1 in 3 Aussie businesses have an AI plan
- Only 33% of Australian businesses have a clear AI deployment plan, and just 37% say they have the right talent to support it, despite 82% planning to invest in AI soon.
- Australia’s overall AI readiness score dropped from 46 to 35 out of 100 last year, reflecting declining preparedness across the corporate sector.
- Experts warn that fragmented approaches and siloed AI projects prevent organisations from scaling efficiency gains and productivity improvements.
- Not prepared? Download our AI Policy Template now. It's free!
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
AI-enhanced Google Shopping ads in the US
- AI Virtual Try‑On Goes Live (U.S. Only): Users can now upload a full-body photo in Google Search, Shopping, or Images to virtually try on clothes using AI. It simulates how fabrics behave on different body shapes for a more personalised shopping experience.
- New Colour-, Size- & Price-Specific Alerts: Enhanced price tracking allows consumers to set alerts for exact sizes, colours and target prices. Once a listed item in Google’s massive Shopping Graph matches, users are notified.
- AI-Driven Style & Room Inspiration Coming: Google will launch a generative-shopping experience in AI Mode. Shoppers type in a query like “green flowy dress” or “dorm room colours,” and get AI‑generated visuals matched to purchasable items from over 50 billion products.
- Implications for E‑commerce & Retailers: With more reliance on visuals and AI suggestions, brands need high-quality product imagery and rich metadata to stay discoverable. Competitive pricing will become even more influential as shoppers fine-tune alert thresholds.
- Read more
AI in digital
AI in travel
Platforms
Google’s ‘Web Guide’ in Search Labs
- Google's rolling out 'Web Guide' in Search Labs, an AI experiment that smartly organises search results to help users discover web content more easily.
- It uses a custom version of Gemini AI to interpret both queries and webpages more deeply, grouping results by themes or subtopics.
- The tool enhances search with ‘query fan-out’, firing off multiple related queries simultaneously to surface the most relevant info.
- Ideal for open-ended or complex queries, like travel planning or cross-time-zone family communication tools.
- Initially available via the Web tab for opted-in users, with plans to expand to other Search areas based on performance and feedback.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
ChatGPT goes all in on agentic AI
- ChatGPT just graduated to a proper “agent”: It can now research, browse, create slide decks, fill out forms, manage spreadsheets, and more, using its own virtual computer to take action from start to finish.
- Roll‑out limited to paid tiers (Pro, Plus, Team) for now: Pro users get priority access, with enterprise and education accounts coming soon.
- Security front and centre: Any sensitive step (like emails, purchases or financial moves) needs your thumbs up, plus safeties against prompt‑injection and shady actions have been added.
- Smart AI with human oversight: Designed to behave more like a teammate than an autopilot, it acts independently but will ask for approval and lets you pause, tweak or stop tasks mid‑flight.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Key findings from Semrush study on Google’s AI Mode
- AI Mode loves sidebars: 92% of its answers include one, usually linking to about 7 different domains. These match up with Google’s top 10 results around half the time.
- Organic links aren’t dead: When AI Mode adds extra links under its answers (in just 7% of cases), they align with Google’s top 10 results nearly 90% of the time.
- Reddit’s still the kingpin: It consistently shows up as a major citation source across all LLMs tested.
- What you're asking changes how much you get: Commercial queries get about twice the response length compared to straight-up informational ones.
- AI Mode feels more like ChatGPT than Google’s AI Overviews: It’s clearly built to go head-to-head with other big AI search tools, not just tweak existing Google features.
- Read more
AI in digital
40% rarely or never click on source links in AI
- Widespread scepticism: Around 82% of web users are at least somewhat sceptical of AI‑generated overviews, with only 8% always trusting them.
- Frequent errors: Over 42% have encountered inaccurate or misleading info in AI summaries, and nearly 17% received unsafe or harmful advice.
- Low fact‑checking: Despite doubts, more than 40% rarely or never click through to source links, with just 18% usually or always doing so.
- Convenience trade‑off: Most users recognise possible downsides but continue using AI summaries; only 37% would turn the feature off.
- Demand for better content: Over half of users are less likely to engage with content labelled as AI‑generated, and 74% want to see less AI‑created material moving forward.
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Platforms
Demand Gen ads appearing in Gmail Promotions tab
- Google is piloting a new “Demand Gen” ad format inside Gmail’s Promotions tab, transforming it into a mini e‑commerce storefront with rich product visuals, pricing, star ratings, and promo badges like “Free shipping”.
- Ads appear as visual hero units, which can expand into multi‑tile carousels directly within the inbox — enabling users to browse products without ever leaving Gmail.
- E‑commerce marketers stand to benefit, as this format combines Google’s Demand Gen targeting with Shopping‑style layouts — great for DTC and retail brands aiming to increase conversions in a non‑transactional space.
- Next steps expected: If testing goes well, this ad format could be rolled out more widely across Gmail and even into other Demand Gen surfaces like YouTube and Discover.
- Read more
Platforms
Google Ads Smart Bidding Exploration for tROAS campaigns
- AI-powered expansion within existing campaigns: This feature gives Google’s AI the flexibility to bid slightly below standard tROAS thresholds—without changing campaign structure or budgets—to uncover untapped but valuable search queries.
- Strong early performance signals: Internal Google data shows an average 18% uplift in unique converting query categories and a 19% increase in overall conversions during March–April 2025.
- Easy opt‑in at campaign or portfolio level: Advertisers can simply check a box in Google Ads settings to allow exploration with a configurable ROAS flexibility of 10–30%.
- Ideal for mature, high-volume campaigns: This feature works best in well-optimised, non-budget-constrained campaigns with stable conversion tracking, aiming to increase scale by trading slight efficiency for volume.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google Search can call local businesses for you with AI
- Google Search now lets users get AI to call local businesses on their behalf – ideal for pricing or availability enquiries (pet groomers, dry cleaners, auto shops). The AI transparently introduces itself and sends a summary via text or email.
- Everyone in the U.S. gets access, with Google AI Pro/Ultra subscribers enjoying higher usage limits; business owners can opt out if they prefer not to receive these calls.
- Read more
AI in digital
Content Independence Day: Cloudflare to automatically block AI crawlers
- Cloudflare just changed the default setting for the open web (overnight). Now, all new domains using Cloudflare will automatically block AI crawlers unless they explicitly opt in.
- Web publishers now have control. New Cloudflare customers must choose whether to allow AI crawlers, with “block by default” as the starting point.
- AI companies must identify and justify crawler use (e.g. for training, inference, or search), supporting transparency and fair use.
- This addresses a broken value exchange. Previously, AI crawlers scraped data without sending referral traffic or revenue to creators.
- Cloudflare powers 20% of global web traffic and has already seen over 1 million customers opt to block AI crawlers since introducing the feature in 2024.
- This is part of a broader shift toward sustainable monetisation and licensing models for publishers and creators, including Cloudflare’s upcoming “Pay Per Crawl” model.
- This shift is being described as a Content Independence Day, aimed at restoring balance between creators, AI companies, and Internet users.
- Read more
Platforms
Core Update: Google Search June 2025 Core Update
- Google has released a Google Search Core Update on 1st July 2025 (to those of us in Aus), called the June 2025 Google Core Update.
- Google Search Central posted about the update on LinkedIn, stating: This is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites.
- You may see your rankings fluctuate more than usual over the coming three weeks as a result.
- Contact us if you have any questions or concerns
AI in digital
Platforms
Cloudflare introduces Pay Per Crawl for AI bots
- Monetisation Model Introduced: Cloudflare's "Pay Per Crawl," currently in private beta, allows publishers to charge AI bots for content access, offering an alternative to unrestricted access or complete blocking.
- Flexible Access Controls: Publishers can set site-wide rates and choose to allow, charge, or block specific AI crawlers, providing nuanced control over content access.
- Technical Framework: The system utilises HTTP status codes, notably reviving the 402 "Payment Required" response, to manage and signal payment requirements for AI crawlers.
- Default AI Crawler Blocking: Cloudflare now blocks known AI crawlers by default for new domains, addressing concerns over unauthorised content scraping by AI entities.
- Industry Support: Major publishers, including The Associated Press and Stack Overflow, are participating in the initiative, highlighting a collective move towards fair compensation for content used in AI training.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Study: ChatGPT appears to have switched from using Bing Search to using Google
- ChatGPT appears to have switched from using Bing Search, to using Google.
- In a study by Alexis Rylko from iProspect France, he concludes: “With all the examples I've studied, there's no doubt that SearchGPT today uses search results from Google and not Bing.”
- The study showed the similarity rate between SearchGPT URLs and Bing URLs is only 30%, while the similarity rate between SearchGPT URLs and Google URLs was 90%.
- ”That is to say, 9 out of 10 pages retrieved by SearchGPT from an external search engine are found among the first results of Google.”
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Platforms
New Google Search Console Insights Report
- New 'Search Console Insights' Report: Google has introduced a new report in Search Console that provides a streamlined view of your site's performance on Google Search.
- Key Metrics at a Glance: The report highlights essential metrics such as clicks, impressions, click-through rate (CTR), and average position.
- Simplified Data Presentation: Designed for clarity, the report presents data in a user-friendly format, making it easier to interpret and act upon.
- Accessible to All Users: The new report is available to all Search Console users, ensuring widespread access to these valuable insights.
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AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
Platforms
Study: Zero-click searches have risen from 56% to 69% (YOY)
- Zero-Click Searches Surge: Since the introduction of Google's AI Overviews in May 2024, zero-click searches have increased from 56% to 69% by May 2025, indicating users are finding answers directly on the search page without clicking through to websites.
- Decline in News Site Traffic: Organic traffic to news websites has dropped significantly, from over 2.3 billion visits in mid-2024 to under 1.7 billion in May 2025, largely due to the rise in zero-click searches.
- ChatGPT Referrals Increase: While Google referrals have declined, ChatGPT has become a growing source of traffic for news publishers, with referrals increasing 25-fold year-over-year.
- Google's Stance: Google maintains that the web is thriving and questions the methodologies of studies highlighting the decline in clicks, though it hasn't provided detailed breakdowns of impressions versus clicks from AI Overviews.
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AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
AI bots scraping more but sending less traffic
- Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has raised the alarm on how AI bots are reshaping web traffic—and not in publishers’ favour.
- Google now crawls 18 pages for every visitor it sends to a publisher (up from 2:1 a decade ago). OpenAI’s ratio is 1,500:1, and Anthropic’s is a staggering 60,000:1.
- With Cloudflare handling approximately 20% of all internet traffic, this is worth a listen.
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