Topic: Implications for Advertisers and Publishers
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Google Tests AI-Powered Audio Overviews in Search Labs
Google is testing AI-powered audio summaries (Audio Overviews) in its Search Labs program, using Gemini AI to convert text search results into brief spoken clips for easier consumption. The feature, currently limited to English-speaking U.S. users in Search Labs, provides quick audio explanations...
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Outer Worlds 2 Director Explains $80 Game Pricing: 'We Don't Set Prices'
The debate over rising video game prices centers on publishers setting costs, not developers, creating tension between creative efforts and corporate pricing strategies. Adjusted for inflation, current $70–$80 game prices are modest compared to past decades, but wage stagnation and living costs m...
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Should Manufacturers Share in CTV Ad Revenue?
The battle over CTV ad revenue is intensifying as device makers and streaming platforms demand a larger share, while publishers resist, questioning their contribution beyond traditional ad breaks. CTV’s layered ecosystem introduces middlemen (device makers, OS providers) who claim revenue shares,...
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Google Tests Audio Overviews for Search Results
Google is introducing **Audio Overviews**, an experimental feature that provides spoken summaries of search results using **Gemini AI**, offering a hands-free alternative for users who prefer listening. The feature, available via **Google Labs**, includes an audio player with playback controls an...
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Google's AI Search Slashes Publisher Traffic
Google's AI-powered search tools, like AI Overviews, are reducing website traffic for news publishers by providing instant answers that bypass original sources. Referral traffic for major publishers like The New York Times has dropped significantly, with AI summaries replacing the need for in-dep...
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Game Freak Unveils New IP at Xbox Showcase
Game Freak announced Beast of Reincarnation, a new action-adventure game set in a dystopian Japan, releasing in 2026 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. The game, directed by Pokémon veteran Kota Furushima, follows protagonist Emma and her dog Koo in a story-driven combat experience. This project i...
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Google Search Console Discover Report Bug Explained
A technical issue in Google Search Console has caused unexpected data drops in Discover performance reports since June 5th, affecting news publishers with reduced or zeroed-out metrics. Google has acknowledged the system-wide reporting glitch, adding annotations to affected charts, but hasn't pro...
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Study: Google AI Overviews Prioritize Major News Sources
New research reveals that Google’s AI Overviews tend to favor major news outlets. 40% of media URLs mentioned in AI Overviews appear in the top 10 traditional search results for the same keywords. This means AI Overviews don’t just pull from the highest-ranking pages. Over 96% of New York Times citations in AI Overviews come from behind a paywall. See also: Google AI Overviews Appear in 18% Of Publisher-Related QueriesLooking AheadSE Ranking’s research shows that only 20.85% of AI Overviews refe...
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Game Companies: AI Insights from 1.5M Gamer Chats
Advanced AI analyzed 1.5 million online discussions to precisely understand gamer sentiment, using large language models (LLMs) to detect nuances like sarcasm and slang. External media, such as Netflix’s *The Witcher* series, significantly influenced gamer sentiment, showing entertainment adaptat...
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Desktop Google Discover Now Features RollerAds
Google Discover is expanding to desktop, offering publishers and advertisers new opportunities to reach broader audiences, given desktop's significant share of global internet traffic. RollerAds, a leading ad network, provides tools like push notifications and direct click campaigns to help publi...
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Sundar Pichai Stands by Google’s AI Search Vision
Google CEO Sundar Pichai asserts AI-powered search (like AI Overviews) won’t reduce web traffic, despite concerns from publishers and SEO professionals about declining organic visibility. Publishers and industry groups (e.g., News/Media Alliance) accuse Google of "stealing" content by displaying ...
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Google's AI Tools: The Hubris Behind Zero-Click Searches
Google's March 2024 core update significantly altered search results by prioritizing AI-driven responses, causing major traffic shifts for publishers and keeping users within Google's ecosystem. The update targeted spam and low-quality AI content but also harmed legitimate creators, with smaller ...
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Mail Online Loses 56% CTR as AI Overviews Slash Search Traffic
Mail Online's search traffic dropped by 56% when Google's AI Overviews appear, even with top organic rankings, as users rely on AI answers instead of clicking through. AI Overviews drastically reduce click-through rates (CTR), with desktop CTR falling from 13% to below 5% and mobile CTR from 20% ...
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Particle Launches AI-Powered Web News Reader
Particle.news has launched a web version offering AI-powered news summaries, curated headlines, and categorized browsing across topics like Technology and Politics. The platform emphasizes driving traffic to original publishers by linking to full articles and has strengthened partnerships with ma...
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Google Officially Introduces Links in AI Overviews to Its Own Search Results
Recently, there were reports of Google linking text within its AI Overviews back to its own search results. Today, Google has officially confirmed this as a new feature integrated into AI Overviews.
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Forget Just Searching: Google Wants Your Desktop Homepage to Be Your Newsfeed
For years, the Google.com desktop homepage has been the epitome of digital minimalism: a logo, a search bar, and a couple of buttons. It’s a tool, a starting point. But imagine scrolling down and finding a stream of articles, videos, and updates tailored specifically to you.
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"Stop Writing Articles!": Jono Alderson's Wake-Up Call for SEO in 2025
The digital marketing world is buzzing about AI, generative search, and the future of SEO. But while many are scrambling to adapt, technical SEO consultant Jono Alderson delivered a starker
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The 2024 Tech Stack: French Publishers Navigate Tech Complexity
A new study from Sciences Po pulls back the curtain on the digital toolkits of French publishers, revealing a vibrant but complex technology landscape. The 2024 Tech Stack Survey, encompassing…
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FAQ: 8 Key Questions for Modern News Publishers
Question 1: How has the rise of AI impacted journalism, and what are publishers’ main concerns? AI has introduced both opportunities and challenges for journalism. While publishers see potential in…
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Google’s 2025 Legal Reckoning: A Global Showdown with Publishers
In the narrative of digital dominance, Google finds itself at the center of a storm brewed from its interactions with news publishers globally. From courtrooms in the United States to regulatory bodies in Europe, Asia, and beyond, the tech giant is navigating a complex legal landscape that questions its market practices, its control over digital advertising, and its relationship with content creators.
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After All, Cookies are Staying: Google’s Reversal on Third-Party Cookies
In a surprising turn of events, Google has announced that it will no longer phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. This decision marks a significant shift from its previous plans to eliminate these cookies by 2025.
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Reuters Digital News Report: Analyzing Trends in News Consumption and Monetization
The Digital News Report 2023, published by Oxford University, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, provides a comprehensive analysis of the rapidly evolving digital news landscape across the globe...
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Google Search update: Clampdown on Spam with a Quality Boost
Google has recently unveiled a comprehensive strategy to elevate the integrity and relevance of its search results, aiming to significantly diminish the prevalence of low-quality, spammy content. This initiative reflects Google's commitment to refining its search ecosystem...
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