This month, Instagram and Meta introduced a paid, ad-free tier, a headline that might leave you thinking that’s it for Paid Social – but that’s not really the case. The debate of LLMs (both how to get in them and how useful their traffic is) rubbles on, with OpenAI even launching their own browser. As always, you can turn to the Dark Horse experts to sort the worthwhile from the hyperbole.
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SEO
1. E-Commerce study squashes claims that LLM traffic equals higher conversion rates
A new study using first-party data from 973 websites has found that widespread claims of LLM superiority are largely unfounded. You know the ones – the hastily edited LinkedIn screenshots declaring SEO dead and crowning ChatGPT the “new king.” Yak.
The research, which tracked more than 50,000 transactions over a 12-month period, shows that organic and paid Google search still deliver higher conversion rates and revenue per session than traffic referred by ChatGPT. That said, LLM-driven visits are growing fast, with ChatGPT’s conversion rates improving steadily.
Now isn’t the time to chuck your search strategy in the bin – or to ignore the potential of LLMs. The long-term winners will be those who balance traditional SEO with emerging LLM visibility.
Source: ‘ChatGPT Referrals to E-Commerce Websites: Do LLMs Outperform Traditional Channels?’
2. The overlap between AI overviews and organic search is increasing
New research from BrightEdge shows that Google AI Overviews now overlap with regular organic search results about 54% of the time, up from around 30% over the past 16 months.
Overlap is highest in sectors like healthcare (75.3%), education (72.6%), and insurance (68.6%), while e‑commerce is a notable exception at just 22.9%. BrightEdge notes that “Google appears to intentionally keep transactional queries separate from AI Overviews.”
For website owners, this means traditional search channels still matter, especially for e‑commerce. But in high-authority or YMYL sectors, understanding what Google surfaces in AI Overviews is increasingly important for visibility and strategy.
Source: BrightEdge
3. OpenAI have launched ‘Atlas’, their own browser
That’s right – the brains behind ChatGPT have created their own browser to rival Google’s Chrome. The browser itself launches a ChatGPT window by default, adding seamless OpenAI functionality wherever you are on the web and delivering an experience that becomes more personalised as you use it.
Currently available on Mac, the browser should be launching on Android, iOS, and Windows soon. This launch responds to a shift in search behaviour, blending AI with traditional browsing.
Source: OpenAI
4. Google roll out their new ‘brand profile’ feature to more store owners
Google recently released a new Brand Profiles feature in Merchant Center that lets you control how your brand appears in search results. Until now, Google pulled brand information from various sources across the web – which often meant inaccurate or outdated details could show up, sometimes from websites outside your control.
With Brand Profiles, you can now set your own description, along with images and videos. Early testing shows these updates typically appear in Google Search almost immediately when users look up your brand.
In October, Google began sending more invitations to business owners to edit their brand profiles, so it’s worth checking whether your Merchant Center account is eligible.
Note: you’ll need to have super admin rights to update your brand profile information.
Source: Google Support
5. Query groups are introduced in Google Search Console
Google has rolled out a feature that aims to make reporting on queries easier by grouping them together using AI. Query Groups do what they say on the tin – similar queries are bucketed together, surfacing metrics like ‘clicks per group’ and ‘impressions per group’. This makes it quicker and easier to identify clusters of queries and pick up on upwards/downwards trends.
What previously required manual tracking by SEOs can now be done directly within Search Console, saving time and streamlining reporting.
Source: Search Engine Journal
6. Voice search gets an upgrade
Tired of Google voice search not quite catching what you’re trying to ask it? Those days of repeating ‘Okay Google, give me directions to Tesco’ until you eventually give up and resort to angrily typing instead may soon be over.
Google has launched a breakthrough voice‑search system that aims to provide a richer voice experience. This marks a shift from converting spoken queries to text, to a new “speech‑to‑retrieval” (S2R) model that processes audio directly into vectors and matches them against documents.The change apparently equals faster, more accurate results. Google is calling it a new era for voice search.
Source: Search Engine Journal
Digital PR
1. AI isn’t taking over DPR… yet
Last week’s October BrightonSEO conference was so choc-full with valuable info on how to optimise for LLMs, we were surprised they hadn’t renamed the event BrightonAI. However, one key theme that stood out – at least amongst the DPR chatter – is that robots aren’t taking over our jobs just yet, and there’s a lot to be said for the human element that PRs bring to…well, PR.
Whether it’s building genuine, authentic relationships with journalists, showing sensitivity and understanding around delicate topics, or providing unrivalled insights from real human experts, it’s undeniable that journos still need us. And that’s not just what the data shows – we’ve heard it from journalists’ own mouths too.
So don’t feel pressured to rely on AI for that next press release…simply trust your intuition and let the human touch shine through.
Source: BrightonSEO
2. Digital PR will continue to play a crucial role in getting seen in LLMs
It’s always nice to have confirmation of your own importance. And DPRs are currently hearing just that.
Recent research suggests that 95% of AI-generated citations originate from PR-driven content, according to Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse analysis of over 1 million prompts (that’s earned media placements, press coverage, or executive thought leadership). Paid media barely registered (sorry pals). And 89% of those citations come from earned media, with 27% coming from journalistic content.
Meanwhile, a European Business Magazine study found that editorial media drives 61% of AI content about brands.
This is all just to say… Digital PR is having its moment, and now’s a pretty good time to invest if you want to grow your brand visibility across AI platforms.
Source: Muck Rack Generative Pulse
3. While AI overviews cause devastating drops in traffic for news publishers, press outlets aren’t massively changing their strategy or operation
Last month, when we mentioned that 49 of the top 50 English-language news titles had seen drops in traffic since the introduction of Google’s AI overviews, we all wondered where this seismic shift would lead, and how publishers would react.
But these devastating drops in traffic via organic search don’t seem to be fazing some of the biggest outlets, whose strategy and operations involve more than just SEO.
A BBC journalist has reported that “recent Google updates have not affected our editorial priorities, which are always to be fair, accurate and impartial while reporting stories that are in the public interest.” Meanwhile, a British Vogue journo said their focus is giving readers “what they’re not going to get if they went to our competitors”, leaning into original and first-person content wherever possible.
With many of the top media sources taking steps to build a loyal audience over the years, they aren’t solely reliant on one traffic source, such as SEO, which means they can confidently push ahead despite the search engine changes.
Source: BrightonSEO
PPC
1. Goodbye Call Ads, hello Call Assets
Google is officially pulling the plug on Call Ads. If you still rely on them, it’s time to switch to Call Assets within responsive search ads (RSAs). These assets let you keep those valuable phone leads alive, but now under Google’s ever expanding AI umbrella.
This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a survival notice. If your campaigns still run on Call Ads, they’ll stop serving soon. The silver lining? Call Assets play nicely with RSAs, so your phone leads can live on…just in a more automated, less controllable way.
Source: Google Ads Help
2. Search Ads start showing “People Also Search For”
Some advertisers spotted a new “People Also Search For” section creeping into paid results. It’s the same suggestion box you know from organic search, only now it’s showing up next to your sponsored text ads.
On one hand, this could boost discovery with related queries. On the other, it might send traffic skipping off to your competitors faster than you can say “broad match.” It’s another reminder that Google is blurring the line between organic and paid real estate. Keep an eye on your CTRs, because this “helpful” feature might be helping the wrong people.
Source: PPC News Feed
3. Demand Gen gets a heavy October upgrade
Google has dropped a major update for Demand Gen campaigns, bringing smarter bidding, AI-powered creative tools, and better YouTube integration. The key highlights include global rollout of New Customer Acquisition Goals (an average 11.5% lift in new customer ratio at a lower CPA), smoother app journeys via iOS deep linking, enhanced CPC bidding controls, AI video creation tools, and product feed integration that’s delivering up to 20% more conversions.
Demand Gen is quickly becoming Google’s golden child. Smarter tools and tighter automation make it harder to ignore, especially for brands leaning on YouTube and Discovery. Now is the time to test before CPCs start climbing. You can let Google “optimise” for you, or take control and actually make the tools work for you.
Source: PPC News Feed
4. Looker Studio adds new Google Ads metrics for reporting
Looker Studio has received a much needed reporting boost. The Google Ads connector now includes seven new metrics, including conversions by date, gross profit, and new versus returning customers. In short, you can finally ditch half your spreadsheets.
This update means you can track conversions by the actual day they happened and get a clearer view of profitability without endless data exports. It’s a small change that makes a big difference for anyone who lives inside dashboards.
Source: PPC Newsfeed
5. Google lets users hide sponsored results (after seeing them)
Google is giving users the option to hide ads in Search results. On the surface, it looks like more control for users, which sounds harmless enough. In reality, anyone who really wants to skip your ads will still do it, so don’t expect a huge drop in impressions. Marketers should keep an eye on engagement, but Google’s not about to ditch paid ads—they still want that revenue.
Source: Google Ads & Commerce
Paid Social
1. Facebook and Instagram to get £2.99 UK subscription fee to stop ads
Facebook and Instagram users will be offered a monthly subscription (around £2.99/month on web, £5 on iOS/Android) to remove personalised ads. Unlike in the EU where users may be offered non-targeted ads instead of payments, UK users will not be given an option to see non-targeted ads free of charge. This shift is influenced by regulatory scrutiny (by the UK’s ICO) about how companies use personal data and whether users should be forced to accept personalised ads.
If a portion of users opts into the ad-free tier, the pool of users available for targeted advertising shrinks, meaning CPMs might rise as competition for the remaining users increases. One of the most immediate impacts will be the shrinking of retargeting pools. Users who pay for the ad-free tier will no longer be trackable across Meta’s ecosystem, removing them from Custom Audiences, Lookalikes, and behavioural segments built from Meta Pixels.
Few users are likely to pay for Meta’s ad-free tier, and those who do will mostly be older, privacy-focused, and less responsive to advertising. In effect, the people opting out aren’t the ones most Paid Social marketers are trying to reach, so the overall impact on key commercial audiences will be limited.
Source: BBC
2. Meta Shares Holiday Marketing Tips
Meta’s updated Festive Season Guide emphasises that people are using Facebook, Instagram (and possibly other Meta platforms) well ahead of the holidays to plan purchases, so brands should align their content and ad strategies earlier in the calendar. The company places heavy focus on creative quality and diversity of formats, especially short-form video through Reels, as engagement shifts toward visual, mobile-first storytelling across Facebook and Instagram. Meta highlight the power of AI and automation in campaign performance, encouraging marketers to use tools like Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns and dynamic creative optimisations to maximise efficiency and adapt in real time during high-demand periods.
Because purchase planning begins early, marketers must shift their holiday campaign timelines forward. Waiting until the traditional “late November” or “Black Friday week” window may reduce effectiveness. Brands should begin preparing content, assets and tracking infrastructure now to capture pre-holiday intent.
The increased emphasis on Meta’s automation and data infrastructure tools means that marketers should ensure their technical setup (tracking, catalogue feeds, A/B testing frameworks) is holiday-ready. Inefficient or under-prepared setups may undermine performance when volume and competition increase.
Creative and format strategy will need to evolve: with Meta signalling that Reels and AI-driven ads are key, brands should optimise for short-form, mobile-first, visually engaging content and be ready to test newer placements or formats rather than relying solely on traditional static feed ads.
Source: Social Media Today
3. Threads Reaches 150 Million Daily Active Users
Threads has grown to 150 million daily active users, marking a major adoption milestone for Meta’s text-based social app. Meta is accelerating monetisation efforts on Threads, expanding ad inventory and formats as part of its broader revenue strategy. In Meta’s Q3 prepared remarks, Threads is explicitly cited as gaining traction, with work underway to optimise ad supply and integrate it into Meta’s advertising ecosystem.
Threads offers a valuable early-mover advantage. With 150 million daily users and relatively little ad competition, brands that begin testing campaigns now can capture attention at lower costs and establish a strong presence before the platform becomes saturated. The creative approach will need to evolve for Threads campaigns. Threads is primarily a text-based, conversational space, so ads that mimic the tone of organic discussions (short, engaging, and authentic) are likely to perform better than polished, visual-heavy creatives.
As Threads becomes more closely linked to Meta’s wider ad ecosystem, cross-platform audience management will become both easier and more difficult. Marketers will be able to run unified campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, but will need to manage overlap carefully to avoid wasted impressions and message fatigue.
Source: Social Media Today
4. Australia Launches Teen Social Media Restrictions
Australia is introducing legal requirements (effective December 10) for social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to block users under 16 from accessing their apps, strengthening enforcement of existing age limits. The law leaves flexibility in how platforms comply, which raises enforcement challenges and potential legal loopholes. Some platforms are objecting or resisting compliance (e.g. YouTube claiming it’s not a “social” app).
With under-16 users being blocked or filtered out, marketers targeting teens may see their audience sizes reduced or require alternate channels to reach that group.
The impact is unlikely to remain limited to Australia. Other governments, particularly in Europe and North America, are already exploring similar restrictions, and Australia’s legislation could become a model for how to enforce age-based digital access.
If more countries adopt this model, international campaigns will face volatility
Child focused brands may explore marketing in safe, supervised, or compliance-friendly youth environments (e.g. family apps, educational platforms) or invest in content and campaigns tailored to older teen segments less affected by restrictions.
Source: Social Media Today
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