All this and more in this week's edition of The Hypha Wire, from Hypha HubSpot Development.
Happy Friday! I hope it’s nice and sunny wherever you’re working from.
Life feels like it’s moving pretty fast lately, right? Or it always is, I suppose. But more so of late, especially with development after development in the tech world: Google this, AI that—and granted, I do talk about both later on.
It can feel really overwhelming in times like these because on top of general nonstop world news, we have industry developments that won’t slow and there’s no constant to be found.
I wanted to take a moment here to collectively breathe. Take a few breaths in, count to ten, or ground yourself. Things are not changing dramatically overnight.
There will be updates, yes, but we still have some reliables to count on.
Marketing still attracts people to your business. People will search for things. Sales will be made. Today is still today.
I will warn you: I do share a bit of a scary AI piece a little later down (sorry), but what I said still stands! We should prepare for the future, certainly, but try not to let it overwhelm you. And if all else fails, look around—your industry compatriots are there, fighting the battles alongside you. You’re not alone : )
-Sage Levene, VP of Marketing, Hypha HubSpot Development
Open Mic 🎤
SGE? AI Overlays? Should I Smash That Panic Button?
By Steve Mosco, Managing Inbound Content Developer, Hypha HubSpot Development
If you’re at a digital marketing agency, chances are you’ve heard the halting whispers about the end of SEO. Perhaps you’ve led a tense meeting or two, stared into the eyes of concerned colleagues and tried to assuage their fears about our untimely demise from page one of Google’s search results.
Are these the greatest of times to do what we do for a living? I mean, there’s an argument to be made that, no, it sure as heck isn’t. But is it the worst of times? The final lap of a long, prosperous road that ends with a cartoonish thud into a brick? Well, I can’t say I agree with that. From my vantage point, the road isn’t ending—instead, this is an exit ramp to a new way of doing what we do. OK, no more driving metaphors.
Let’s talk about Search Generative Experience (SGE) and AI Overlays. These are the latest stone tablets handed down from on high by Google. SGE, essentially, is Google’s attempt to create a search experience where every query is met with the most relevant and personalized answer possible. Matchmaker, matchmaker (Google), make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch (the perfect content).
As for AI overlays, those are the shiny extras that pop up on a search results page—answer boxes, knowledge panels, and interactive snippets. That’s Google’s way of giving you all the answers you need without a single click getting in the way of your busy schedule. This is where things get dicey for us. In doing away with the traditional “search and click” method, some might say, AI overlays torpedo our way of building authority through keyword-loaded (notice I didn’t say stuffed) content.
Now, a quick confession. I am not the most positive person. In fact, I tend to exist on a plane of general negativity. But I swear, I do not believe this is the end for us. High-quality, informative content written by people who know how to research and can turn a phrase will still win the day. You know about “Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness” (E-A-T)—well, writing with that as your north star, in a way that confidently says, “I know my stuff,” will break through. AI has to get its answers from somewhere, right? Why not you?
Think beyond keywords: Focus on topics, context, and comprehensively answering user questions.
Schema markup is your friend: It’s like giving Google a cheat sheet to understand your content.
E-A-T Up: Content that establishes your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness will be rewarded by Google’s AI overlords.
I’m not going to tell you not to panic. Because, well, some of us are at our best when our backs are against the wall. Who doesn’t love a good deadline? But use that panic wisely, as a motivator, to keep pace with the bots. Be tireless in your determination to be the best content creator you know.
This research underscores what I’ve been hearing anecdotally; social media search is becoming more and more prevalent. Google is certainly not going anywhere (despite its recent issues), but the study solidifies that diversifying your marketing efforts can only bolster their results. Here’s what the author of the Marketing Dive piece has to say:
“Gen Z users are primarily turning to social apps for fashion, beauty, food, and craft-related trends, more the type of stuff that’s about self-care and well-being, and D.I.Y. projects [but] they turn to Google for bigger purchases, as well as places to go and professional services.
“I guess, that’s not a big surprise either, but it is interesting to consider where people are looking, and how that relates to your own marketing efforts.”
Ooof. This piece honestly scared me a little bit. I talk about OpenAI a lot here, and it’s important to keep focus on the organization as it is currently the frontrunner in the race to artificial general intelligence. With 30 existing content and tech partnerships, the company has tabs on so many facets of our society—and if they’re not being careful with the byproduct of said partnerships, who knows what the cost will be... I mean, TIL that probability of doom “p(doom)” is a frequent topic of conversation in AI circles.
“A group of OpenAI insiders is blowing the whistle on what they say is a culture of recklessness and secrecy at the San Francisco artificial intelligence company, which is racing to build the most powerful A.I. systems ever created.
“The group, which includes nine current and former OpenAI employees, has rallied in recent days around shared concerns that the company has not done enough to prevent its A.I. systems from becoming dangerous.”
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