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Oliver Buchannon
Andy Francos

Co-founder of Obsero and founder of Be Franc. Writing on AI search, marketing and growth.


OpenAI hits “Code Red”: ads pushed back as Altman shifts priorities towards stabilising ChatGPT amid mounting pressure from Google and Anthropic

OpenAI hits “Code Red”: ads pushed back as Altman shifts priorities towards stabilising ChatGPT amid mounting pressure from Google and Anthropic

OpenAI has hit the brakes. A leaked memo reveals ads, agents and Pulse have been slowed as Sam Altman declares “Code Red” in response to Google’s rapid progress. Publicly, Nick Turley insists there’s no ad testing - yet strings in the latest beta point to search ads, carousels and monetisation features quietly being prepared.

Perplexity

+3

AI Search Intelligence is very much in vogue and Adobe’s SEMrush acquisition proves it

AI Search Intelligence is very much in vogue and Adobe’s SEMrush acquisition proves it

Adobe’s $1.9B move for SEMrush, Google’s release of Gemini 3 and the first ads appearing inside AI answers all point to the same thing: the industry is shifting from SERPs to AI-driven answer engines. Here’s why this week matters more than most.

Survey

+5

Google fires the next shot in the AI shopping war - changing how products are found, compared and bought

Google fires the next shot in the AI shopping war - changing how products are found, compared and bought

One thing is becoming clear: the fight for shopping isn’t happening on websites anymore - it’s happening inside AI assistants. Google’s latest update pushes the industry closer to a world where the buying journey is run by agents, not shoppers.

ChatGPT

+3

How to master ASO in 2025: AppTweak’s Simon Thillay on growth, data and AI discovery

How to master ASO in 2025: AppTweak’s Simon Thillay on growth, data and AI discovery

AppTweak’s Simon Thillay breaks down what’s driving app visibility in 2025 - from custom product pages and download velocity to AI’s role in discovery. Plus, inside: Apple’s $1B AI deal with Google, Perplexity’s clash with Amazon, and the rise of AI Search Intelligence platforms.

App marketing

+2

Which retailers won Halloween in AI Search and what Big Tech’s $400B AI bet means for brands

Which retailers won Halloween in AI Search and what Big Tech’s $400B AI bet means for brands

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft all reported earnings this week. Alphabet impressed with strong ad and cloud growth and saw its stock rise, Microsoft beat expectations but dipped on AI-driven cost concerns, while Meta’s revenue beat was overshadowed by soaring expenses and weak profit, sending its shares sharply lower.

Perplexity

+7

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Atlas as SoftBank backs $22.5B round - and why a 25% traffic drop isn’t worrying the CMO of a leading hotel group

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Atlas as SoftBank backs $22.5B round - and why a 25% traffic drop isn’t worrying the CMO of a leading hotel group

OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Atlas browser. SoftBank’s multibillion-dollar AI bet. And a 25% traffic drop that hasn’t dented revenue.

GEO

+6

AI search is rewriting the traffic playbook - even for retail giants

AI search is rewriting the traffic playbook - even for retail giants

AI-driven referrals are transforming how people discover and buy online. From Walmart’s ChatGPT partnership to Google’s ad shake-up, the shift toward conversational commerce is well underway.

Perplexity

+5

The next search revolution: Duane Forrester on the evolution of search in the AI era

The next search revolution: Duane Forrester on the evolution of search in the AI era

Search is changing faster than ever. As AI systems replace lists of links with direct answers, marketers face a seismic shift in how visibility is earned and measured. Drawing on decades at Microsoft and Bing, Duane Forrester explores how intent, context, and human understanding will define the next era of discovery - and what it really takes to stay visible when machines start thinking for themselves.

Perplexity

+8

5 charts that prove AI search is reshaping the internet

5 charts that prove AI search is reshaping the internet

From ChatGPT’s explosive growth to the rise in attribution mentions and ad budgets, the data paints a clear picture - AI search isn’t a side trend, it’s a structural shift. These five charts show how discovery, attention, and money are rapidly flowing toward conversational platforms - and what that means for brands preparing for this new era.

AI Search

+3

Walmart’s ChatGPT traffic climbs, Apple launches dev Siri, and OpenAI unveils ChatGPT Pulse

Walmart’s ChatGPT traffic climbs, Apple launches dev Siri, and OpenAI unveils ChatGPT Pulse

Walmart’s referral traffic mix is shifting toward ChatGPT, Apple is readying an LLM-powered Siri, and OpenAI has dropped Pulse. Three stories that show just how fast AI search is becoming the default discovery layer - and what brands should do about it.

Perplexity

+6

Google Search Console data changes, OpenAI poaches Apple talent and AI search keeps growing

Google Search Console data changes, OpenAI poaches Apple talent and AI search keeps growing

Google’s shutdown of the &num=100 parameter has hit Search Console data, raising doubts over reliability. Meanwhile, OpenAI and Jony Ive eye wearables and a browser, and the mainstream media is reporting more often on users turning to AI assistants over Google’s “10 blue links.”

Perplexity

+7

AI Search is shifting fast; Ahrefs’ Louise Linehan shows why data, visibility and core SEO matter

AI Search is shifting fast; Ahrefs’ Louise Linehan shows why data, visibility and core SEO matter

AI search is upending the SEO industry, with many publishers worried about how they can grow their audience without customer acquisitions costs spiralling out of control. Louise Linehan of Ahrefs shares how brand visibility, content, and strategy must evolve as clicks decline and AI answers rise.

Video

+2

US lets Google off lightly as Europe fines €3.45bn, OpenAI hires content strategist and AI search reshapes traffic

US lets Google off lightly as Europe fines €3.45bn, OpenAI hires content strategist and AI search reshapes traffic

US regulators go soft on Google as Europe fines €3.45bn. OpenAI turns to a human strategist, underlining the value of expertise even in the AI age. Meanwhile, AI search is continuing to eat clicks and reshaping the web’s traffic model.

ChatGPT

+5

Obsero: The AI Search Intelligence Platform

Obsero: The AI Search Intelligence Platform

I’m delighted to introduce Obsero - the AI Search Intelligence platform that shows brands how they perform in AI Search and, more importantly, what actions to take.

Obsero

Elon Musk sues Apple and OpenAI for allegedly colluding to favour ChatGPT whilst Perplexity launches publisher revenue-share

Elon Musk sues Apple and OpenAI for allegedly colluding to favour ChatGPT whilst Perplexity launches publisher revenue-share

Elon Musk takes Apple and OpenAI to court over alleged App Store bias, Perplexity offers publishers a new revenue lifeline, and media groups brace for “Google Zero” as AI Overviews reshape traffic. Here’s what matters, and why.

ChatGPT

+4

Shifts in search behaviour, Google’s Gemini push and OpenAI’s scraping strategy

Shifts in search behaviour, Google’s Gemini push and OpenAI’s scraping strategy

From shifting search behaviours to Google’s Gemini push into the home and OpenAI’s behind-the-scenes data sourcing, here are the key stories shaping AI and search this week.

Meta

+4

Affiliate marketing in 2025: AI, SEO shifts, and the strategies redefining success

Affiliate marketing in 2025: AI, SEO shifts, and the strategies redefining success

Affiliate marketing is shifting fast. With AI search, zero-click answers, and new performance metrics, the affiliates playbook is changing.

Video

+3

From “SEO is dead” to GPT-5 and Grok AI ads - the week that shook search

From “SEO is dead” to GPT-5 and Grok AI ads - the week that shook search

This week saw a headline that rattled SEOs, a major leap forward for AI capabilities, and a signal that advertising will soon be integrated into the very fabric of AI responses. Here’s what it means for your strategy - and the conversations you’ll need to have in the boardroom.

GEO

+5

Google expands AI Mode, Figma’s IPO soars, and Anthropic closes in on OpenAI

Google expands AI Mode, Figma’s IPO soars, and Anthropic closes in on OpenAI

Google expands AI search to the UK. Figma lights up Wall Street. Anthropic's revenue surge puts OpenAI on notice. This week, we’re tracking AI Search expansion, platform disruption, and why the AI battleground is far from settled.

Reddit

+5

GEO vs SEO: how generative engines are changing the rules of search

GEO vs SEO: how generative engines are changing the rules of search

What GEO means for organic performance, how it differs from SEO, and what actions marketers should take now.

Perplexity

+3

The Real Power of Native Advertising: Insight, Control, and Smarter Spend

The Real Power of Native Advertising: Insight, Control, and Smarter Spend

Inside Dianomi’s approach to context-first advertising, cookieless targeting, and smarter campaign control.

Video

+5

From search box to smart browser: Why Perplexity’s Comet is a big deal

From search box to smart browser: Why Perplexity’s Comet is a big deal

Perplexity's Comet just redefined what a browser can and will do - Google should take note.

Perplexity

+4

AI wants it all — but publishers are pushing back

AI wants it all — but publishers are pushing back

From pay-per-crawl debates to plummeting traffic, the battle lines are being drawn.

ChatGPT

+3

Fintech, Focus, and the Fight to Win: Inside a leading Global Growth Playbook

Fintech, Focus, and the Fight to Win: Inside a leading Global Growth Playbook

Lessons in growth, focus, and discipline from the marketing lead who helped scale a global trading platform across the US, Europe, and Japan.

Video

+3

Want to see how ChatGPT thinks? There’s a hack for that....

Want to see how ChatGPT thinks? There’s a hack for that....

This little-known workflow reveals the logic, links, and sources behind any ChatGPT reply.

ChatGPT

+2

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