IDEA EVOLVER

A study conducted by enterprise platform seoClarity across 36,000 keywords has revealed that over 99% of the time, at least one of the top 10 results in organic search is being used to generate AI overviews. This marks a major departure from AI overviews generated as recently as January, when an Authoritas study revealed that 94% of AI overviews cited sources that were OUTSIDE the top 10 - possibly contributing to some of the inaccuracy issues that plagued the feature in its early days. For our clients, this is an indicator that even in the age of AI overviews, a strong "traditional" SEO strategy will continue to be incredibly important for visibility in search, especially as the methods of attribution and citation for information used in AI overviews continues to develop. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/guYSDMvz

Doubts remain about the accuracy of AI chatbot provided information even as use for health related advice shows high adoption among younger users. About two-thirds of US adults have used or interacted with artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new survey conducted by non-profit KFF. A smaller share – about one-third – say they do so at least a few times a week. However, most adults (56%) are not confident that they can tell the difference between what is true and what is false when it comes to information from AI chatbots. More strikingly, about one in six adults say they use AI chatbots at least once a month to find health information and advice, rising to one-quarter of adults under age 30. And while the public trusts AI chatbot advice on other topics such as cooking and technology, only 29% have confidence that the health information provided by AI is accurate. As society wrangles with the risks and promises of AI, the healthcare sector has a ways to go, both in placing guardrails around unregulated use of AI for health advice and earning the public’s confidence. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eVNjrpdQ

AI-powered search engine Perplexity has announced its plans to launch an ad revenue-sharing program with publishers amidst a wave of accusations of plagiarism. A list of initial partners has already been announced, the first step in setting up long-term infrastructure for payouts on the platform. Monetary figures aside, our clients who work in sensitive subject matters like finance, pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing should take note - this represents the first major instance of a generative search engine offering publishers a degree of direct interface with their platform, compared to many existing models where the only possible input is to prevent these engines from crawling your site at all. As this develops, it's possible that more features will be added to enable publishers control over how their information is used, especially when it comes to sensitive subjects. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gfcU2GDp

After much speculation and anticipation, OpenAI has officially announced its entry into the search market with SearchGPT, an AI-powered search engine that offers AI summaries and insights alongside a list of relevant links you'd see in "traditional" search. The company has also stated that publishers will be given full attribution in generative summaries and the ability to opt out of "generative AI training" entirely, but that their sites can "still be surfaced in search results" if they do so. How this will play out is unclear, but it does address the pervasive criticism about content theft that has been faced by Google and AI search startups like Perplexity. SearchGPT is being dubbed a "prototype" as of now, and will be open for 10,000 test users. The criteria for joining these ranks is unknown, as is the timetable for a full launch, but a waitlist is available on OpenAI's site for interested users. If executed correctly, SearchGPT may present a truly credible threat to Google's dominance of the search market, especially after the rocky start that the search giant has had with its own AI integration. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g7u8aUZT

In a surprising reversal of course, Google announced on Monday that it is scrapping its plans to phase out third-party cookies from Chrome. The company has stated that they will instead introduce a "new experience" to allow users to make informed choices on their privacy in Chrome, while the Privacy Sandbox API's originally intended to replace cookies will continue to be developed as an alternative. This new plan is being discussed with regulators including the UK's CMA and ICO, the former of which previously blocked the deprecation of third-party cookies over concerns that privacy sandbox was not adequately addressing the issues at hand. The news likely comes as some relief to online advertisers, for whom there has been a lot of uncertainty since the deprecation plan was announced almost four years ago, only to be delayed several times amidst further confusion over how much functionality would be preserved. At the same time, this will surely raise additional concerns from privacy advocates and regulatory authorities, from whom Google has faced mounting criticism and scrutiny in recent years. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmpY6PqG

Data collected by BrightEdge has shown that Google's AI overviews in search are now appearing for less than 7% of all queries, down from 11% in mid-June. The most-impacted categories appear to be education, eCommerce and entertainment, with the latter seeing AI overviews disappear almost entirely. The study also noted that the pixel space occupied by these overviews is now 13% smaller on average, and the presence of user-generated content from sites like Reddit and Quora has also reduced to almost nothing. This new data comes in the wake of a streak of bad press for Google's much-promoted AI overviews in search, which have previously faced criticism for delivering inaccurate, potentially dangerous responses and relying too heavily on user-generated content, as well as the ethical debate on the use of information from other sites. While it does appear that Google is making an effort to respond to this feedback, the impact that it will have on overall response quality and user trust in AI overviews is yet to be seen. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gjBDyX9S

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called on Congress to mandate warning labels on social media platforms for their effects on the mental health of children and adolescents, much like the health warnings present on cigarette boxes. He describes social media as a "decades-long experiment" on children, and presents these key takeaways: - High Usage: 95% of teenagers use social media, with over a third using it almost constantly. - Mental Health Risks: Increased risks of depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders are linked to social media use. - Developmental Concerns: Adolescents are especially vulnerable due to critical brain development stages. - Evidence and Action: While there are benefits, the evidence shows significant mental health risks, urging proactive measures to create healthier online environments. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gHEP3X84

The FDA's proposal of ACNU is driven by a multifaceted approach to public health improvement, aiming to widen medication access for more people. By introducing a tech-assisted pathway, it tackles the dual challenges of current drug labeling limitations and the decrease in approved drug switches. This move aligns with the broader shift in US healthcare from acute care to focusing more on chronic condition management and self-care. Additionally, it addresses the changing landscape of patient care, characterized by a decrease in regular doctor visits and an uptick in virtual healthcare settings, ensuring medications are more accessible in the evolving healthcare paradigm. #acnu #digitalhealth #otcswitch #publichealth

Danny Sullivan from Google recently offered clarification on talking points surrounding the recent core search algorithm leaks, namely the ones involving Navboost and user interactions: - User Interaction Data: Aggregated and anonymized; not the sole ranking factor. - Quality Content is Crucial: Focus on creating valuable content rather than just SEO tactics. - New Sites Can Rank: Fresh content can still achieve high rankings. - Diverse Traffic Sources: Aim for broader content promotion and varied traffic sources. Sullivan's statements are the latest entry to a tumultuous dialogue between the SEO community and Google's own search team in the wake of these leaks, which some believe to contain information that is contradictory to previous public statements from the search team. While there's plenty to potentially learn from these leaks, there's just as much that we can't draw definite conclusions from without further context. In these recent statements, Sullivan reiterates the basics that we know to be true regardless of any leaks - that the best way to bring in traffic is to produce unique, worthwhile content that speaks to the needs of your audience. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ezq3vzFu