Monday, May 18

🔥 Want Client-Ready Copy Without Hiring?

Most agencies understand the importance of quality-checking copy before it goes live, but don’t have the budget to hire a professional.

Proofed meets you where you’re at, with pricing tiers that cater to every budget:

✅ An on-demand option designed for one-off content projects

✅ A flex option ideal for fluctuating content volumes

✅ A subscription option for predictable amounts of volume

No more overspending. Just quality work, every time. Try Proofed free for 30 days →

⚡️ Today’s Headlines ⚡️

📊 Microsoft rolled out the Citations dashboard within Microsoft Clarity. The Citation dashboard shows how your content is referenced in AI-generated answers across supported AI experiences by summarizing and aggregating citation activity across various areas.

🚨 Meta Ads Plateauing? At $10M ARR, branded ads slow you down. Grapevine pairs UGC + landing pages to cut CPAs 20%+ and do the creator work for you. Start with 1 free creator.

🎥 YouTube announced ad updates at its 2026 Brandcast Event. The new updates include AI-enabled Custom Sponsorships, new CTV options, an Affiliate Partnerships Boost, and integrated shopper data from Costco and Dollar General.

🙉 Your Buyers Aren't Listening. Neuroscience-backed messaging tips from PROOF Positioning's Grant Gooding. May 20 | 12PM CST. Join Free →

🛒 Reddit published a new report on how CPG brands can reach target audiences. With the app seeing a 40% year-over-year increase in the number of high-intent shopping conversations on the platform, brands have even more opportunities within subreddit communities.

💡 Today’s Insight 💡

Google’s guide on optimizing for generative AI features

🗞 TL;DR - Google has released its first official guide for optimizing content for AI-powered search experiences like AI Overviews and AI Mode, and the biggest takeaway is surprisingly simple: AEO/GEO is still SEO.

💡 Insight - Google explicitly says its generative AI features are powered by the same core Search systems and ranking signals used in traditional search, meaning brands don’t need entirely new “AI SEO” playbooks. Instead, visibility in AI search depends on the same fundamentals:

• Helpful, original content

• Strong technical SEO

• Crawlability and indexing

• Demonstrated expertise and usefulness

The guide also debunks several popular “GEO hacks.” Google says you do not need:

• LLMS.txt files

• AI-specific schema

• “Chunked” micro-content

• Special AI-only writing styles

• Artificial brand mentions across the web

Instead, Google emphasizes creating “non-commodity” content, aka information that is unique, experience-driven, and difficult to replicate. Generic, AI-generated summaries are less likely to stand out in AI Overviews.

Another important insight: AI search uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), meaning AI systems pull directly from Google’s indexed content. If your pages aren’t ranking, crawlable, or trusted in Search, they’re unlikely to appear in AI-generated responses either.

🙇 How Can I Help You This Week?

😤 Been burned by a marketing agency before? Same story I hear every week. That’s why this month I’m making warm introductions to agencies I’ve personally vetted & trust with my own money. Let me help you find the perfect agency 100% free here →

🤖 Not sure where to use AI in your business? Very few entrepreneurs I speak to have identified exactly where AI actually saves them the most time or money. I had Nathan audit my businesses, identify the highest-ROI AI automations, and build them end-to-end. We now save hours every week across onboarding, reporting, and client comms. See if you qualify for the same free strategy session with him here →

📳 Want more sales calls? My personal growth team builds the trust engine that warms leads up and books calls on autopilot. Get More Quality Leads Here →

📣 Wanna get in front of 200,000 B2B decision makers? We’ve delivered hundreds of thousands of leads, clients, customers, & users. Get in touch here →