ChatGPT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

AI wants it all — but publishers are pushing back

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

ChatGPT

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

AI Disruption, App Store Power Moves, and Publisher Pressure Continues

From Apple’s updates for app marketers to the slow erosion of publisher traffic by AI, here’s what’s actually shaping business, marketing and tech this week.

ChatGPT

Digital strategy, flawed attribution, and sceptical thinking in the AI age

How to rethink marketing effectiveness, challenge assumptions, and use AI to ask better questions - not automate bad answers.

ChatGPT

Google just launched the FUTURE OF SEARCH with AI Mode and how to make your brand visible in ChatGPT 👀

Bonus edition of Franc Talking with Jon Earnshaw and Mccaine Chan of Pi-datametrics

Video

Technical SEO in 2025: Why site health is the foundation for AI success [VIDEO]

Franc Talking: A newsletter by Be Franc. Edition 15. Are we entering the golden era of Technical SEO?

Technical SEO

Is ChatGPT's global dominance slipping? What US tariffs mean for ad giants and do we need to rein in our own AI habits?

A break from our usual Franc Talking format....

ChatGPT

The future of search. Google in 2025, AI and SEO. [VIDEO]

Franc Talking: A bi-weekly newsletter by Be Franc. Edition 9.

Video

ChatGPT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 charts that prove AI search is reshaping the internet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AI wants it all — but publishers are pushing back

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

AI Disruption, App Store Power Moves, and Publisher Pressure Continues

Digital strategy, flawed attribution, and sceptical thinking in the AI age

Google just launched the FUTURE OF SEARCH with AI Mode and how to make your brand visible in ChatGPT 👀

Technical SEO in 2025: Why site health is the foundation for AI success [VIDEO]

Is ChatGPT's global dominance slipping? What US tariffs mean for ad giants and do we need to rein in our own AI habits?

The future of search. Google in 2025, AI and SEO. [VIDEO]

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