Google SEO News
Google Confirms Audio Blog Versions Don’t Directly Improve SEO
Google’s Martin Splitt clarified that adding audio versions of blog posts does not directly impact search rankings. However, audio can improve user experience and accessibility, benefiting listeners who prefer spoken content. While not an SEO factor, better engagement may lead to increased shares, links, and time on site—factors that can indirectly support SEO. The key takeaway: prioritize audience experience over algorithmic gains.
SEO Recommendations by Jason
Creating multiple formats of content has proven to improve organic visibility, not because of the format in such but other contributing factors that signal relevance, authority, and trust to the search engines. As Google points out, an audio version of the blog “in a silo” won’t improve your SEO, but it could potentially have a positive impact on engagement rates, and this could produce positive results from search engines. If a user lands on a page and there is an audio version of the content, they may be more inclined to stay and consume the content vs. bounce and search for something else. Avoiding bounce rates and increasing time on site can improve long-term organic visibility.
General Search Marketing News
Musk’s xAI Unveils Grok 3, Claims It Outperforms Rivals
Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, has launched Grok 3, its latest AI model, asserting it surpasses competitors like OpenAI and DeepSeek in early testing. The model will be available to premium X subscribers and through a separate web and app subscription. xAI also introduced "Deep Search," a next-generation search engine. Musk emphasized Grok 3’s advanced reasoning and self-improvement capabilities, calling it "scary smart." The company has doubled its GPU cluster for training, signaling an aggressive push in the AI race.
WordPress Introduces 100-Year Domain Registrations for $2,000
WordPress.com now offers a standalone 100-year domain registration for $2,000, separate from its $38,000 hosting-inclusive plan. Available for .com, .org, .net, and .blog domains, the service ensures long-term security, eliminating renewal concerns and accidental ownership changes. Domains are managed through a trust account controlled by the registrant. This update provides a cost-effective option for individuals and businesses seeking long-term domain stability.
SEO Recommendations by Jason
This is a great option for businesses wanting to preserve the long-term availability of their domains, avoiding ad-hoc renewals, etc, or worse, potentially forgetting to renew and losing the domain to a competitor waiting to poach a well-maintained and authoritative domain.
LinkedIn Report: 72% of B2B Marketers Feel Overwhelmed by AI
A new LinkedIn report finds that while 66% of B2B marketers are integrating AI into their workflows, 72% feel overwhelmed by its rapid evolution. Key concerns include skills gaps, data privacy, and the loss of a “human touch” in AI-generated content. The study also highlights the dominance of short-form video, with 55% citing it as the top ROI driver. Meanwhile, marketing budgets are rising, and CMOs are gaining greater strategic influence. The report underscores the importance of balancing AI efficiency with human-driven creativity.
SEO Recommendations by Jason
Like anything “new,” the push to adopt and learn comes at a cost. Often, business leaders or senior marketing executives encourage adoption without actually understanding the use case of AI technology. This is especially true when it comes to content and SEO; with our experience onboarding users to our Learn AI for SEO program, businesses need to adopt new technologies at a sustainable rate, with the right enablement or guidance in their adoption journeys. Marketers rush to adopt AI for SEO, and often the results are lacking. Poor content, lack of content utility, and “vanilla” tasting copy lead to an all-around negative SEO situation.
Businesses need to adopt AI, but they need to align this transformation, considering sustaining it in time and not rushing into using technology blindly without the necessary support or coaching.
