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
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.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Semrush study: AI Mode vs Google Search
- AI Mode’s citation overlap with Google’s top 10 results is moderate, with a 54% domain and 35% URL match, suggesting it sources information more independently than traditional search.
- Reddit emerges as a leading citation source across all platforms, indicating the growing influence of user-generated content in AI search results.
- Commercial and transactional queries elicit longer responses, averaging twice the length of informational ones, highlighting the importance of detailed content for these query types.
- AI Mode’s response format typically includes a sidebar with links, featuring about seven unique domains, compared to three in AI Overviews, offering users a broader range of sources.
- Navigational queries in AI Mode show high overlap with traditional search results, with 89% domain and 80% URL match, indicating consistency in directing users to specific destinations.
- Read more
Cookies
Data privacy
Platforms
New consent signal ratings in Google Analytics
- Consent Signal Ratings in GA4: Google Analytics now assigns a 'Good' or 'Excellent' rating to each data stream, evaluating the implementation of Consent Mode.
- Impact on Ad Performance: A 'Good' rating may indicate incomplete or incorrect Consent Mode setup, potentially affecting ad performance and data accuracy, especially in regions with strict privacy regulations like the EU.
- Location of the Feature: The Consent Signal Rating can be found in GA4 under Admin > Data collection and modification > Consent settings.
- Importance of Correct Implementation: Proper implementation of Consent Mode is crucial, as Google may block conversion tracking for advertisers who don't comply, impacting measurement and targeting capabilities.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google testing AI Mode in Australia
- Google appears to be testing AI Mode in Australia.
- It was reportedly seen in a signed out experience in Google Search.
- Google has so far rolled out AI Mode throughout the US and India.
- Read more
Platforms
Google offering first-time customer promotions in Shopping Ads
- Google has introduced '1st Order Promotions' for Shopping ads, enabling merchants to automatically offer exclusive discounts to first-time customers.
- Exclusive Discounts for New Customers: Merchants can now offer either percentage or dollar amount discounts to first-time buyers directly within their Shopping ads, with no minimum spend required.
- Integration with Merchant Center: To utilise this feature, campaigns must employ the 'New Customer Acquisition Goal' and have promotions approved via the Merchant Center through the promotion feed, builder, or API.
- US-Only Rollout: Currently, this feature is limited to allowlisted merchants in the United States, indicating a phased rollout strategy by Google.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
AI Mode traffic now available in Google Search Console
- Google’s AI Mode traffic is now in Search Console – clicks, impressions and positions from the new AI-powered search experience are automatically counted alongside your regular organic search data.
- No separate breakdown available – Google lumps AI Mode metrics into the overall “Web” report, with no filter or tab to isolate them.
- Metrics align with standard rules – visits from AI Mode are counted using your usual impression, click and position calculations, including carousel and image blocks.
- Rollout timeline & impact on reporting – AI Mode data began filtering into reports around mid‑June, with Google updating documentation on June 17 to confirm the change.
- SEO implications – while no fresh schema is needed, marketers should monitor shifts in traffic and CTR carefully, since AI Mode could redistribute visibility across subtopics via “query fan‑out”.
- Read more
Platforms
WhatsApp introduces ads in “Updates” tab
- Brand-new ad rollout: WhatsApp has begun showing ads in its “Updates” (Status) tab—disappearing posts from friends will now include sponsored content from businesses.
- Privacy‑friendly targeting: Ads use minimal info—like country, city, language and activity—to personalise, but WhatsApp won’t tap into chats, calls, groups or phone numbers to target.
- Channels monetisation moves: Alongside ads, WhatsApp’s launching promoted Channels in the Explore tab and paid‑subscription options for exclusive content.
- Strategic pivot: Meta is positioning WhatsApp as a revenue powerhouse—echoing WeChat‑style super‑app ambitions—without compromising end‑to‑end encryption in private chats.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google launches “Search Live” in AI Mode within Labs
- Google has officially launched “Search Live”, a real‑time, voice‑activated conversational feature in its AI Mode within the Google mobile app for U.S. users who’ve opted into Labs.
- The feature lets you tap the new “Live” icon, speak your query, get an AI‑generated audio response, and follow up naturally—continuing hands‑free even while using other apps.
- Visuals such as transcripts and web link carousels appear alongside voice replies, empowering users to both listen and dive deeper with a tap.
- Under the hood, it’s driven by a custom Gemini model using a “query fan‑out” technique—pulling in diverse sources, ensuring grounded, citation‑backed responses.
- Google intends to expand Search Live, including adding real‑time camera-based visual search in the coming months, evolving it into a fully multimodal experience.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Midjourney releases V1 Video Model
- Launch of V1 Video Model (Image-to-Video): Midjourney now allows you to animate static images by clicking “Animate” on an existing creation. Choose automatic mode for simple movement or manual mode to input prompts that define the action. Users can also adjust between high motion for dynamic scenes and low motion for subtle animation.
- Flexible extension & uploads: Each generation creates four 5‑second clips, with the option to extend seconds in 4 s increments (up to four extensions). Uploaded images outside Midjourney can be animated by marking them as a “start frame” and adding a motion prompt.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Sam Altman talks ChatGPT-5 and ads
- GPT‑5 will arrive soon (no exact date yet), and promises a “materially better” leap over GPT‑4, according to early testers.
- Sam Altman hinted at introducing ads in ChatGPT, but stressed they’ll be kept separate from the AI’s outputs to avoid undermining trust.
- Any advertising must be high‑value and transparent—likely appearing in sidebars or footers—and never influence the AI’s responses.
- Read more
Data privacy
Marketing by numbers
Platforms
Instagram growing across Asia-Pacific as TikTok growth slows
- Instagram is gaining momentum across Asia‑Pacific, largely thanks to TikTok’s 2020 ban in India—with India’s Instagram user base forecast to grow by ~10% in 2025, and Japan projected to hit 44.4 million users .
- TikTok’s growth is cooling in several APAC markets; Australia’s growth forecast sits at just 1.1% over 2025–2029, stifled by new age‑restriction regulations.
- Instagram’s strength lies in localisation and feature innovation—Reels, shoppable posts, and broadcast channels are helping it resonate with Gen‑Z in India and visual‑first audiences in Japan.
- Regulatory pressures in countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan (and tighter online‑safety laws in Australia) are tilting the balance away from TikTok and towards Instagram.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google AI Mode rolled out to all US users and will be incorporated into the main search
- AI Mode is now available to all U.S. users, offering a conversational, chatbot-like search experience powered by Google's Gemini 2.5 model.
- For now there is still a separate tab for AI Mode on Google.com but in an interview with Pichai, he stated: that Google will "keep migrating it to the main page.”
- Google will be lumping the AI Mode data in with web search data in your Search Console reports so you can expect to see some differences in those reports.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google to roll out AI Max for all advertisers in early Q3
- Google is set to roll out AI Max for Search campaigns to all advertisers by early Q3 2025, following a limited beta phase.
- AI Max is a one-click feature suite that leverages Google's AI to enhance targeting and creative elements in Search campaigns.
- The feature includes search term matching, asset optimisation, and advanced controls such as geographic targeting and brand associations.
- Advertisers can opt in or out of specific features at the campaign or ad group level, providing flexibility in implementation.
- AI Max is part of Google's broader strategy to integrate AI into advertising, aligning with initiatives like Performance Max and AI Mode.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google testing Audio Overviews in Search Labs
- Google is testing a new feature called Audio Overviews in Search Labs, which transforms certain search queries into AI-generated podcast-style discussions.
- AI-Powered Audio Summaries: Users can now generate audio summaries for specific search queries, providing a conversational and engaging way to consume information directly from search results.
- Integration with Search Results: Users can click through to cited web pages directly within the audio player.
- Current Availability: The Audio Overviews feature is currently being tested in English within the United States, with potential for broader rollout based on user feedback.
- Read more
Platforms
Google adds new structured data for loyalty programs
- New structured data for loyalty programs: Google now supports structured data for loyalty programs, allowing businesses to display details like program name, points, and membership tiers directly in search results.
- Enhanced visibility in search: This markup enables loyalty program information to appear in Google Search, helping users identify and engage with programs more easily.
- Potential benefits for marketers: By leveraging this feature, marketers can improve customer engagement and retention by highlighting loyalty offerings in search listings.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Mistral introduces Magistral its new AI model with multilingual capabilities
- Introducing Magistral: Mistral's Magistral models employ chain-of-thought reasoning, enabling more logical and accurate responses. Magistral Small is open-source with 24 billion parameters, while Magistral Medium is a more powerful, proprietary version aimed at enterprise use.
- Multilingual Capabilities: Unlike many models that primarily operate in English, Magistral can process and reason in multiple languages, including French, Spanish, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese, offering a more efficient approach for global applications.
- European Alternative: Backed by Microsoft and the French government, Mistral is Europe's answer to AI giants like OpenAI and Google. Its commitment to open-source models sets it apart from the predominantly proprietary offerings of its American and Chinese counterparts.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Microsoft’s Copilot Vision launches on Windows
- Microsoft has officially rolled out Copilot Vision for Windows 10 and 11 users in the U.S., allowing the AI assistant to visually interpret shared apps or screens in real time.
- “When you choose to enable it, Copilot Vision can see what you see and talk to you about it in real time. It acts as your second set of eyes, able to analyze content, help when you’re lost, provide insights, and answer your questions as you go.” says the Copilot Team
- Users can activate the feature via a glasses icon in the Copilot app, selecting specific apps or windows to share—similar to screen sharing in Microsoft Teams.
- The feature is also accessible on iOS and Android devices through the Copilot app, expanding its usability across platforms.
- Copilot Vision is part of Microsoft's experimental Copilot Labs initiatives and is available for free, without requiring a Copilot Pro subscription.
- Read more
Help desk
Marketing by numbers
Results and our recommendations on the latest IAB Australia report for Q1 2025
-
Video advertising surged by 23.3%, reaching AUD $1.165 billion.
Recommendation: Focus on high-quality creative production and explore opportunities in connected TV and short-form video to maximise consumer engagement.
-
Search advertising reached an all-time high at AUD $1.896 billion (+10%).
Recommendation: Strengthen keyword strategies, utilise advanced bidding and audience targeting techniques, and prioritise search budget allocation to leverage immediate consumer intent.
-
Audio ad spend increased by 17.8% to AUD $77 million.
Recommendation: Test and scale podcast sponsorships and streaming audio ads to reach niche, high-engagement audience segments effectively.
-
Social display and video have grown to hold 16.9% of market share.
Recommendation: Optimise segmentation and targeting strategies across platforms like Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn to leverage precise audience targeting and drive higher ROI.
-
Classified ads showed steady growth (+7.8%) to AUD $660 million, notably in real estate, recruitment, and automotive sectors.
Recommendation: Integrate classified placements strategically within broader marketing initiatives, ensuring alignment with consumer journey stages.
-
FMCG notably advanced into the top five digital ad spending categories.
Recommendation: Explore innovative digital partnerships, increase investment in data-driven advertising, and align digital strategies with evolving consumer behaviour in FMCG.
- Get in touch if you'd like a copy of the report
AI in digital
Platforms
Meta to enable ads created and run entirely by AI
- Meta is set to revolutionise digital advertising by enabling brands to create and target ads entirely through AI by the end of 2026.
- Full AI-Powered Ad Creation: Meta plans to allow businesses to input their marketing objectives and budgets, with AI generating complete ad campaigns, including visuals, copy, and targeting, across Facebook and Instagram.
- Hyperpersonalised Targeting: Leveraging extensive user data, Meta's AI can deliver tailored ad variations based on individual user behaviours, such as age and engagement patterns, enhancing ad relevance and effectiveness.
- Read more
Platforms
Google rolls out clearer reporting for PMax campaigns
- Google is rolling out channel-level performance reporting for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, offering advertisers deeper insights into how their ads perform across Google's various platforms. Here's what you need to know:
- Enhanced Visibility Across Channels: Advertisers can now see detailed performance metrics for each Google channel—Search, Display, YouTube, and more—within PMax campaigns, enabling more informed optimisation decisions.
- Improved Asset and Search Term Insights: The update includes better asset relevance data and search term analysis, helping marketers identify underperforming creatives and eliminate wasted spend
- Beta Rollout Caveats: As this feature is still in beta, some users may experience incomplete data or reporting gaps as Google continues to refine the rollout.
- Strategic Implications: This move marks a significant step towards demystifying PMax's "black box," allowing advertisers to tailor strategies more effectively across different channels.
- This development is a notable shift towards greater transparency in Google's advertising tools, offering marketers more data to refine their campaigns strategically.
- More to come. Stay tuned.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google and Bing integrate short videos in AI search results
- Short Videos in AI Results: Both Google and Bing now feature short videos (similar to YouTube Shorts) within AI-generated search summaries, offering users quick, visual insights alongside text-based answers.
- Enhanced User Engagement: This multimedia approach aims to boost user engagement by providing diverse content formats, potentially increasing time spent on search platforms.
- Implications for Content Strategy: Marketers should consider incorporating short-form video content into their SEO strategies to align with these evolving search result features.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
TikTok announces slew of new AI tools for advertisers
- New AI Tools for Advertisers: TikTok introduced the Search Ads Center, providing keyword suggestions, creative previews, and negative keyword filtering to help brands optimise campaigns.
- Market Scope Dashboard: This visual analytics tool maps user journeys—awareness, consideration, conversion—allowing brands to tailor strategies effectively.
- Enhanced AI Integration: Smart+, TikTok's automated media buying tool, now integrates with Symphony, enabling AI-driven video creation and real-time localisation. Combined with Catalog Ads, brands can turn product feeds into shoppable ads targeting ready-to-buy users.
- Read more
Marketing by numbers
Platforms
Social media overtakes Google for Gen Z product discovery
- Among Gen Z (ages 18–27), Instagram (30.4%) and TikTok (23.2%) are the top platforms for finding new products, surpassing Google (18.8%) and YouTube (14.5%) .
- Short-form content drives engagement: Gen Z prefers the easily digestible, short-form content on Instagram and TikTok, which blends seamlessly into their feeds, making product discovery feel organic and less like traditional advertising.
- Influencers hold significant sway: 60% of Gen Z trust influencers more than friends or family for product recommendations, valuing shared lifestyles and niche expertise over follower counts
- Older generations stick with Google: Millennials (42.4%), Gen X (41.1%), and baby boomers (55.9%) still rely primarily on Google for product searches, highlighting a generational divide in discovery habits.
- Social commerce is growing: While Gen Z leads in product discovery via social media, millennials are more likely to make purchases through these platforms, with 42% buying through social apps at least once per week compared to 38% of Gen Z.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google resolves bug that showed AI Mode traffic as “Direct” in Analytics
- Google has resolved a bug that misattributed AI Mode search traffic as “direct” instead of “organic” in Google Analytics, potentially skewing marketers' data.
- The issue stemmed from Google adding a rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute to AI Mode search result links, which blocked referral data, causing traffic to be misclassified as “direct” in analytics platforms.
- The misattribution may have affected traffic data for several days, potentially skewing conversion tracking, budget decisions, and SEO performance assessments.
- Recommended Actions: Marketers should audit recent traffic data for unusual spikes in direct traffic, document the affected dates, adjust reporting accordingly, and prepare for accurate tracking of AI Mode traffic moving forward.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google Ads can appear above, below, or within AI Overviews but not simultaneously
- Google Ads can appear either above/below or within AI Overviews, but not simultaneously in both positions. This ensures a singular ad placement per query.
- Exact match keywords are prioritised for placements above or below AI Overviews. Broad match keywords may trigger ads within AI Overviews, but if both match types are eligible, the exact match takes precedence.
- Strategic Implications: Marketers should consider their keyword match strategies carefully, as they directly impact ad visibility within the evolving AI-enhanced search landscape.
- Read more
AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
Platforms
Study of 75,000 brands shows what influences Google’s AI Overviews
- Off-site mentions are key: Branded web mentions had the strongest correlation (0.664) with AI Overview visibility, outperforming backlinks and other traditional SEO metrics.
- Hyperlinked brand mentions (branded anchors) and branded search volume: These also showed significant positive correlations (0.527 and 0.392 respectively), indicating that both the presence of your brand online and the public's interest in it matter.
- Traditional SEO metrics like backlinks and domain rating: These showed weaker correlations (0.218 and 0.326 respectively) with AI Overview visibility, suggesting that off-site factors may play a more significant role in AI-generated content.
- Paid search efforts: Factors such as branded ad traffic and ad cost exhibited weak correlations (0.216 and 0.215 respectively) with AI Overview mentions, indicating limited impact from paid campaigns.
- Brand visibility disparity: Brands with the most web mentions received up to 10 times more AI Overview mentions than those in the next quartile, while 26% of brands had zero mentions, highlighting a significant visibility gap.
- Read more
Platforms
New Promoted Pins ads in Google Maps
- Promoted Pins now available in Demand Gen campaigns: Advertisers can leverage Promoted Pins on Google Maps within Demand Gen campaigns to increase visibility and drive foot traffic to physical store locations.
- Utilises existing image assets: These pins repurpose existing image assets from campaigns and appear in key spots on Maps, such as Browse, Directions, and Place Details modes, enhancing visibility during “browse-worthy” moments.
- Aims to convert digital interest into physical visits: By appearing when users explore locations and businesses on Maps, Promoted Pins help convert online engagement into in-store visits, blending digital advertising with real-world outcomes.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google says ad revenue from AI Overviews is on par with traditional search
- Google asserts that AI Overviews generate ad revenue on par with traditional search results, based on A/B testing comparing identical queries with and without AI Overviews.
- AI Overviews have expanded globally, now reaching over 1.5 billion users monthly across more than 200 countries, indicating rapid adoption and user engagement.
- Advertisers are provided with flexible ad placement options within AI Overviews, including positions above, below, or integrated within the AI-generated content, adhering to Google's quality guidelines.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Key stories and quick summaries from Google I/O 2025
- Search is now an AI conversation: With the full US rollout of AI Mode and the global expansion of AI Overviews, Google Search is becoming a dynamic, conversational partner. Powered by Gemini 2.5 expect users to ask longer, more complex questions.
- Features like Deep Search for in-depth reports and Search Live for real-time visual queries will transform user interaction.
- Performance marketing gets an AI co-pilot: Google is integrating ads directly within these new AI experiences, including AI Overviews and soon, AI Mode. The global rollout of “AI Max for Search Campaigns” aims to leverage AI for smarter ad matching, text customisation and URL expansion.
- E-commerce & “Agentic AI” - search that does things: New features like AI-powered “Try it on” for fashion are set to revolutionise online retail. Beyond that, Google showcased “Agentic AI” (Project Mariner) capabilities where Search can complete multi-step tasks for users, like booking reservations or handling aspects of online checkout.
- AI-driven creativity & the evolving measurement landscape: Google unveiled powerful new generative AI tools like Veo 3 for video, Imagen 4 for images, and Flow for AI-assisted filmmaking.
- Read more
AI in digital
Platforms
Google AI Mode reporting coming to Search Console
- AI Mode data is coming to Search Console: Google has confirmed that reporting for AI Mode will soon be available in Search Console, allowing marketers to track performance metrics related to AI-generated search results.
- Data will be integrated under 'Web' search type: AI Mode impressions and clicks will be grouped within the existing 'Web' search category, rather than having a separate filter or category.
- Limited granularity in reporting: As with AI Overviews, there may not be a dedicated filter to isolate AI Mode data, potentially making it challenging to assess its specific impact on traffic and engagement.
- Read more
