Search Standards: Understanding The Rises In Search Advertising Trends

As Google users, publishers, and advertisers alike make sense of the brave new world we are all entering now that ads will be a part of AI Mode and expanding their reach in AI Overviews, it sure appears that the tech company is in no hurry to lose its search advertising crown.

And recent numbers back up why advertisers and small businesses in particular continue to pay their respects to the king, with LocaliQ finding the average click-through and conversion rates up YoY, as well as cost per click and cost per lead.

 

Study Finds Journalists Are On AI Frontline And Yet To Be Replaced By Tech

AI is already making its presence felt in newsrooms around the world but its negative impact may be less than feared, a new study has suggested. … The research found that journalists are already adopting AI tools in the newsroom, many with encouragement from their employers, but that AI has had no impact on earnings or hours recorded in journalism.

 

Reach For The Heart, Not For The Wallet: Emotions Rule Brand Loyalty

It may seem counterintuitive, but discounts are less important than emotional connections in creating brand loyalty, according to The Power of Trust and Emotions in Building Customer Loyalty, a study from Bloomreach conducted by EMarketer. Of the marketers polled, 58.4% say emotional connections — i.e., beliefs and values — are most important, while 41.6% claim that transactional incentives such as coupons, discounts and gamification rank first.  

 

The State of Personalized Marketing in 2025

Three-quarters of consumers are abandoning their carts because they feel overwhelmed by options. With growing competition and changing shopping behaviors, personalization is critical for success.

AI Trust, Human Oversight, And Publishing Responsibly With The Momentum

Last week, I wrote about AI’s growing role in the newsroom, paying particular attention to the team-leaders who set the tone on how AI is used as well as the staff applying those standards. 

For publishers, that human oversight feels like a necessity, particularly when its absence creates such horrific, lasting impressions.

A recent EY survey found that Americans are particularly negligent when it comes to checking AI-generated content, with only 24% saying they review or edit the text, images, or translations that AI produces (compared to 31% worldwide).

 

Why Popular Food Substack-Based Newsletter Vittles Has Launched A Magazine

… They’d seen the upfront costs associated with print, and weren’t convinced the magazine could be anything more than an occasional, loss-making pet project. But as they stayed on schedule, and didn’t go over budget, and didn’t find any hidden costs, [Jonathan] Nunn decided they should commit. 

 

AI In Content Creation 2025

AI is no longer optional. Across industries, AI has become foundational in content workflows. Over 80% of respondents use AI in some part of their creative process. Nearly 40% use it end-to-end, from ideation to final delivery.

 

Americans Are Among The Least Likely To Review Or Edit AI-Generated Output

A global survey from EY finds that while most people in the United States see artificial intelligence as useful, very few take the time to review or edit what it produces. According to EY’s “AI Sentiment Index 2025”, just 24 percent of U.S. respondents say they review AI-generated texts, images, or translations. That’s one of the lowest rates in the study, and well below the global average of 31 percent.

Team Effort: Strategies For Working With AI In The Newsroom

When looking at larger publishing trends as much as I do in my Magazine Manager blogs, it’s easy to get too focused on the numbers. 

Even as I opine and offer insights from years of first-hand publishing and software experience, much reverence is paid to the trending percentages and top-ranked considerations provided by large sample-sizes of survey respondents and data crunches.

So to tackle a case-study report on a mere 20 interviews of newsroom leaders, well, it better hit a particularly sweet spot. 

And EBU’s latest breakdown, which covers publishing and AI, absolutely ticks many of those sweet-spot boxes for me.

 

Publishers Will Lose Out If Generative AI Becomes Another Duopoly

Earlier this month, Google quietly announced that its Gemini chatbot (now described as an ‘AI Assistant’) would have access to a user’s search history in order that it can provide more tailored responses. This follows the launch (and enhancement) of ChatGPT’s memory functionality. Similarly, this allows it to provide personalised responses to prompts based on previous interactions.

 

From Ad Waste to ROI

58% of marketers agree that waste in B2B advertising is a significant issue, with over half estimating 16% to 45% of their ad spend is wasted on irrelevant accounts, according to a new EMARKETER survey created in partnership with Demandbase.

 

Marketers Claim a Broader Role and Increased Influence Amid Pressures

Marketing’s AI revolution continues, with artificial intelligence now powering 17.2% of marketing efforts — a remarkable 100% increase since 2022. Leaders project this integration will reach 44.2% within three years.

Overview Oversights: The Effect Of Google’s AI Overviews On Click-Through Rates

Last May, when The Verge interviewed Google CEO Sundar Pichai after the release of AI Overviews, the concern that publishers all shared about their traffic-driving URLs be buried under a block of AI-generated text at the top of Google’s search results was met with what felt like optimistic reassurances.

“If you put content and links within AI Overviews,” Pichai said, “they get higher clickthrough rates than if you put it outside of AI Overviews.”

Now, with a year of anecdotal evidence seemingly pointing to the contrary, publishers now have the receipts.

 

The Pulse of Performance Advertising: Diminishing Returns

Paid social is an essential part of the performance marketing mix, but scaling it efficiently has become a challenge. As budgets increase, advertisers are seeing diminishing returns — more spend isn’t necessarily translating to better results. Ad fatigue, competition, and platform changes are making it harder to sustain performance over time.

 

The Revenue Imperative: Overcoming Inefficiencies to Maximize Growth

Every department, from sales to finance, is intertwined with how revenue is managed, making it crucial to address any broken processes. That’s why triaging these inefficiencies is a critical first step toward tangible improvement. By identifying bottlenecks, automating workflows, and optimizing every stage of revenue operations through complete Revenue Lifecycle Management, organizations can ensure sustainable growth and smooth operations.

 

Bridging the Analytics Gap

Marketers today are drowning in data — but does it truly drive better decisions? Our 2025 Practitioner Survey uncovers the critical challenges marketing teams face when it comes to attribution, reporting, and proving ROI. It’s time to stop chasing reports and start making smarter, data-driven decisions that drive revenue.

AI In The Newsroom, As Perceived (And Preferred) By Audiences

A recent Pew Research survey of AI experts and the general public highlighted just how far apart those two factions were in terms of their optimism and concerns, respectively, regarding AI’s impact in the coming years.

One aspect that both were closer in agreement about was the job-reducing impact AI might have on careers such as software engineers, factory workers, and even journalists.

Further research recently released by Poynter and the University of Minnesota is helping to illuminate why the public may not be ready for AI in the newsroom, as nearly half of those surveyed said they don’t want news from a genAI chatbot, plain and simple.

 

AI At Work: Navigating Employee Backlash And Implementation Challenges

41% of C-suite executives said adopting generative AI (genAI) is tearing their company apart and creating power struggles, per Writer’s 2025 Generative AI Adoption in the Enterprise survey. 31% of employees admit to sabotaging their company’s genAI strategy, with higher percentages among younger workers, the survey found.

 

Email Marketing Statistics: survey results and insights

Most people check their inboxes because they use email at work. But 41% of our survey participants said they log into email to keep in touch with family and friends. Also, 41% of them are looking for discounts. While flooding your subscribers with emails isn’t a good idea, remember to send emails regularly.

 

On The Mark Martech: Enterprise Retailers Spell Out Specific Needs

Enterprise retailers need more than data to prevail in today’s environment, judging by a new study from MessageGears, conducted with Hanover Research. But they know it, and many have very clear demands when investing in martech technology. First is flexibility: 70% want to integrate additional components as the brand’s needs evolve — when they’re ready.

Positive AI Impacts: Bridging The Opinion-Divide Between Experts And The Public

Whether the criteria is “blogs devoted to the topic” or “tools built specially for publishers,” I’d like to consider myself high on both lists of AI-passionate and AI-empowering people out there.

And while that enthusiasm puts me in good company with the AI experts recently analyzed in Pew Research Center’s latest survey, it also puts me a ways away from the general public that the survey was rightfully using as its foundation.

According to the survey, 57% of AI experts — defined by Pew Research Center as “individuals whose work or research relates to AI” — believe AI will have a very or somewhat positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years, contrasted by just 17% of the general public it surveyed.

 

Navigating Google’s Cookie U-Turn: Where Do Publishers And Advertisers Go From Here?

Publishers have long followed the will they, won’t-they breakup drama between Google and its data-collecting cookies, and just as it appeared that the tech giant was ready to phase them out eventually, the company announced recently that, no, they’re canceling that phase-out plan and keeping them after all. 

Having a hard time keeping up? You’re not alone. 

If nothing else, just know Google has forever ruined the dessert’s good name.

 

Can GenAI Close The Gap Between Online and In-Store Experiences?

Shoppers want their online experience to feel as personal and intuitive as walking into their favorite store. GenAI holds massive potential to meet these expectations, but the secret to seamlessly integrating it into shopping experiences can still be a challenge … Still, our survey highlights that the appetite for GenAI is undeniable: 62% of shoppers are more likely to buy when guided by tools that help them find exactly what they need, and 61% would use a virtual assistant for instant answers.

 

Special Me: Consumers Expect More Tailored Experiences

Marketers can take heart in a new finding from Klaviyo — that 72% of consumers plan to increase or keep up their spending on personal or lifestyle purchases over the next six months. But there is one downside to this report: that while 74% of consumers expect more personalized experiences in 2025, only 34% have had one of these experiences in the past half year.

AI, Digital Advertising, And The Advantages Of Early Adoption

While it sure feels like everyone in publishing is using AI — and it absolutely feels like everyone in publishing is at least talking about their future alongside and with AI — it’s important to remember that it’s not yet completely omnipresent.

In fact, Interactive Advertising Bureau’s recent “State of Data” report found that 70% of agencies, brands, and publishers have not yet integrated AI fully into their campaigns.

Digital Publisher Display Revenues Stabilise For First Time In Two Years

There are tentative signs that publishers may soon be free from these revenue doldrums. In recent years, plummeting display advertising revenues have cancelled out growth achieved across other revenue streams but, in Q4 2024 — for the first time since Q1 2023 — they didn’t budge. Fingers crossed that this continues.

 

The State Of Marketing And AI

The impact of AI goes beyond saving time. 82% of marketers say it frees them to do more exciting work. But the bigger shift is in how teams now approach their craft — finding new ways to be creative, plan campaigns, and work alongside AI to get better results.

 

55% of Americans Say the Way They Search for Information Online Has Changed Over the Last Five Years

Nearly half of consumers (44%) discover new products or bands through online ads and one-third (33%) discover new products through search engines — representing an opportunity for brands to use open web channels to capture the attention of additional consumers.

The Future With AI, According To Media Unions

When thinking about AI in publishing, most of my focus is on the potential that AI tools have for all all departments. Even editorial departments, full of journalists that audiences count on to be professionally skeptical, can find value in the technology’s capabilities to complement the hard work they do.

A recent Digital Journalism article took a closer look at the messages that news media unions are sending about genAI, ultimately finding what authors Mike Ananny and Jake Carr break down as “six areas where news media unions are focusing their generative AI attention and concern — and, notably, two areas where they’re not.”

 

AI + Humans > Teams? New Harvard Study Shows GenAI Can Be Your ‘Cybernetic Teammate’

You’ve heard of work wives and work husbands, but what about work AIs? A fascinating new Harvard study suggests your AI assistant might be just as valuable as that coworker who always brings snacks to meetings (if not more so).

 

AI In Ecommerce: Shoppers Want Help – Not Decisions Made For Them

AI shopping assistants are popping up everywhere. One minute, you’re browsing for sneakers, and the next, a chatbot is insisting you need five different pairs. Cool tech? Sure. But do shoppers actually trust AI to make decisions for them? Our latest findings reveals that while consumers appreciate AI-driven recommendations and discovery tools, they’re still skeptical about trust, data privacy, and the overall effectiveness of AI’s role in their shopping experience. 

 

2025 Global Customer Engagement Review

When you first meet someone, the conversation is often superficial because you don’t yet know them well. But even small talk — when carried out by an active listener — can lead to deeper insights and more fulfilling conversations. The same is true of customer relationships. As users engage over time, they reveal their true selves to brands that pay attention, supporting enhanced relevance through individually tailored experiences. That, in turn, enables more efficient growth and stronger business outcomes.

Taking On Big Tech: Publishers Raising Red Flags On AI Theft Concerns

With genAI spending expected to increase 76.4% this year to a total of more than $640 billion worldwide, there really is no way to undersell the impact that the technology is already having across every industry. 

Publishing, of course, is no exception, with focus toggling between the AI tools that publishers are already using in many departments to the emerging, even existential concerns about AI’s effect on attribution, search, and the industry in general.

And it’s from that side of the table that news publishers from The New York Times to The Washington Post launched a coordinated ad campaign this week, calling on lawmakers to “make Big Tech pay for the content it takes to run its AI products.”

 

Ex-Google Exec: Giving Traffic To Publishers ‘A Necessary Evil’

Google has been increasingly focused on keeping users inside Google properties, reducing the need to click through to external sites. A former Google senior executive told Bloomberg that supporting publishers was incidental to Google’s larger aims: “Giving traffic to publisher sites is kind of a necessary evil. The main thing they’re trying to do is get people to consume Google services.”

 

The State of AI In Marketing 2025

AI is no longer a futuristic concept, but a necessary tool for marketers to achieve success. From content creation to customer insights, AI’s impact is both broad and deep, promising to change how we approach marketing challenges and opportunities.

 

Online, Offline And Everywhere: Retailers Turn To Connected Commerce

Connected commerce is a hot buzzword in retailing. In 2024, 90.7% of retailers increased their spending on it, and 92.5% expect to allocate more in 2025, for a total of $112 billion, according to a new study from Winterberry Group.

Personalized Advertising, Ad-Blockers, And How Publishers Can Better Handle Both

Publishers are all too familiar with the rock, the hard place, and the struggles of being caught between both.

The rise of ad-blockers has presented one such unwelcoming surface, and a new YouGov study has examined the relationship between that technology and ad personalization.

The “Ad-Verse Reactions” report found that more than half of the Americans surveyed (54%) are creeped out by personalized ads, with 44% of those creeped out taking action by running an ad blocker at all times, no matter what site they visit. 

It’s a “situation that should alarm publishers … not to mention advertisers,” according to MediaPost’s Ray Schultz.

 

A First-Ever Study On Prompts

Wharton researchers just released a fascinating study that questions everything we thought we knew about prompting AI. Spoiler alert: Being polite to Claude or ChatGPT doesn’t always help — and sometimes, it actually hurts.

 

Safety First: Consumers Say A Reputation For Security Helps Them Decide To Use A Brand

Consumers are more worried about online safety — so much so that 86% say an online platform’s reputation for safety and security is key to their deciding to use it, according to a recent study from Trua titled The State of Trust And Safety In Online Marketplaces. 

But it varies by generation. Among the Baby Boomers polled, 93% are likely to agree this is very important, and Millennials and Gen X are also concerned, Gen Z less so.

 

Consumers Swap Brand Loyalty For Product Experimentation

70% of consumers worldwide have switched brands because they enjoy experimenting, according to a January 2025 Capgemini report.