The Digital Download
The Digital Download
October update.
October update.
Dan Ward
Digital Director
Dan Ward
Digital Director
Google has given advertisers more say over where budgets go, brightonSEO put AI visibility on the brand agenda, and Google moved closer to taking hotel bookings inside its own AI. With Black Friday a month away, we also look ahead. Here’s what matters, what we make of it and what marketers should do next.
Google has given advertisers more say over where budgets go, brightonSEO put AI visibility on the brand agenda, and Google moved closer to taking hotel bookings inside its own AI. With Black Friday a month away, we also look ahead. Here’s what matters, what we make of it and what marketers should do next.
Google has given advertisers more say over where budgets go, brightonSEO put AI visibility on the brand agenda, and Google moved closer to taking hotel bookings inside its own AI. With Black Friday a month away, we also look ahead. Here’s what matters, what we make of it and what marketers should do next.
1. More control over Google budgets. But where should you use it?
On 14th October, Google announced new budget controls that let advertisers prioritise channels such as Search Partners (partner websites) and Display (websites and apps) and limit the proportion of daily spend allocated to lower-priority channels, potentially to 0%.
These caps are best effort rather than guaranteed limits. In Performance Max, Google’s own channels, including Search, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps, remain grouped together. The changes will roll out over the coming months.
Our view
A useful change. Google says priorities on their own won’t change much when budget isn’t constrained, so the caps are what move the money.
We’d start with a capped test on Search Partners, judged on cost per booking, not clicks, and leave campaigns already hitting target alone, because restricting inventory can leave the system short of volume. We’ll be testing this on client accounts as it reaches them.
On 14th October, Google announced new budget controls that let advertisers prioritise channels such as Search Partners (partner websites) and Display (websites and apps) and limit the proportion of daily spend allocated to lower-priority channels, potentially to 0%.
These caps are best effort rather than guaranteed limits. In Performance Max, Google’s own channels, including Search, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps, remain grouped together. The changes will roll out over the coming months.
Our view
A useful change. Google says priorities on their own won’t change much when budget isn’t constrained, so the caps are what move the money.
We’d start with a capped test on Search Partners, judged on cost per booking, not clicks, and leave campaigns already hitting target alone, because restricting inventory can leave the system short of volume. We’ll be testing this on client accounts as it reaches them.
On 14th October, Google announced new budget controls that let advertisers prioritise channels such as Search Partners (partner websites) and Display (websites and apps) and limit the proportion of daily spend allocated to lower-priority channels, potentially to 0%.
These caps are best effort rather than guaranteed limits. In Performance Max, Google’s own channels, including Search, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps, remain grouped together. The changes will roll out over the coming months.
Our view
A useful change. Google says priorities on their own won’t change much when budget isn’t constrained, so the caps are what move the money.
We’d start with a capped test on Search Partners, judged on cost per booking, not clicks, and leave campaigns already hitting target alone, because restricting inventory can leave the system short of volume. We’ll be testing this on client accounts as it reaches them.
2. AI visibility is about reputation, not just rankings
A clear message emerged from brightonSEO: AI doesn’t form an opinion of your brand from your website alone.
PR coverage, social media, third-party sites, online conversations and your own content all help shape the answers AI gives. The challenge is no longer simply whether your brand gets mentioned, but how accurately it is represented, which sources influence that representation and what information may be missing.
Measurement remains imperfect. Many AI visibility tools assess individual prompts, while real users ask follow-up questions and refine their searches. Visibility scores are therefore useful signals, not definitive measures of performance.
And more content is not necessarily better content. Brands can differentiate themselves through insights competitors cannot easily replicate: customer conversations, first-party data, sales experience and genuine specialist knowledge.
Our view
AI visibility needs clear ownership, but it cannot sit with SEO alone. It now spans PR, social, content, CRM and the wider brand experience.
Start with a simple exercise: ask leading AI tools about your brand, products and competitors. Examine the answers, trace the sources and identify inaccuracies or gaps.
Then improve the information at source. You build a stronger digital reputation; you don't simply optimise.
A clear message emerged from brightonSEO: AI doesn’t form an opinion of your brand from your website alone.
PR coverage, social media, third-party sites, online conversations and your own content all help shape the answers AI gives. The challenge is no longer simply whether your brand gets mentioned, but how accurately it is represented, which sources influence that representation and what information may be missing.
Measurement remains imperfect. Many AI visibility tools assess individual prompts, while real users ask follow-up questions and refine their searches. Visibility scores are therefore useful signals, not definitive measures of performance.
And more content is not necessarily better content. Brands can differentiate themselves through insights competitors cannot easily replicate: customer conversations, first-party data, sales experience and genuine specialist knowledge.
Our view
AI visibility needs clear ownership, but it cannot sit with SEO alone. It now spans PR, social, content, CRM and the wider brand experience.
Start with a simple exercise: ask leading AI tools about your brand, products and competitors. Examine the answers, trace the sources and identify inaccuracies or gaps.
Then improve the information at source. You build a stronger digital reputation; you don't simply optimise.
A clear message emerged from brightonSEO: AI doesn’t form an opinion of your brand from your website alone.
PR coverage, social media, third-party sites, online conversations and your own content all help shape the answers AI gives. The challenge is no longer simply whether your brand gets mentioned, but how accurately it is represented, which sources influence that representation and what information may be missing.
Measurement remains imperfect. Many AI visibility tools assess individual prompts, while real users ask follow-up questions and refine their searches. Visibility scores are therefore useful signals, not definitive measures of performance.
And more content is not necessarily better content. Brands can differentiate themselves through insights competitors cannot easily replicate: customer conversations, first-party data, sales experience and genuine specialist knowledge.
Our view
AI visibility needs clear ownership, but it cannot sit with SEO alone. It now spans PR, social, content, CRM and the wider brand experience.
Start with a simple exercise: ask leading AI tools about your brand, products and competitors. Examine the answers, trace the sources and identify inaccuracies or gaps.
Then improve the information at source. You build a stronger digital reputation; you don't simply optimise.
Also, this month…
ChatGPT advertising: an emerging opportunity to watch
OpenAI is developing its advertising proposition, with a new visual format being tested alongside broader availability and measurement capabilities.
Our take: worth watching and, where appropriate, testing on a modest scale. Before committing meaningful budget, understand how your brand appears in ChatGPT, define what success looks like, and test against clear objectives.
Google’s spam update: investigate before drawing conclusions
Google’s September spam update finished rolling out on 8th October, after almost 14 days.
Our take: a drop in organic performance does not automatically mean the update is responsible. Check which pages changed position and when, then investigate content quality, particularly thin or heavily templated pages.
ChatGPT advertising: an emerging opportunity to watch
OpenAI is developing its advertising proposition, with a new visual format being tested alongside broader availability and measurement capabilities.
Our take: worth watching and, where appropriate, testing on a modest scale. Before committing meaningful budget, understand how your brand appears in ChatGPT, define what success looks like, and test against clear objectives.
Google’s spam update: investigate before drawing conclusions
Google’s September spam update finished rolling out on 8th October, after almost 14 days.
Our take: a drop in organic performance does not automatically mean the update is responsible. Check which pages changed position and when, then investigate content quality, particularly thin or heavily templated pages.
ChatGPT advertising: an emerging opportunity to watch
OpenAI is developing its advertising proposition, with a new visual format being tested alongside broader availability and measurement capabilities.
Our take: worth watching and, where appropriate, testing on a modest scale. Before committing meaningful budget, understand how your brand appears in ChatGPT, define what success looks like, and test against clear objectives.
Google’s spam update: investigate before drawing conclusions
Google’s September spam update finished rolling out on 8th October, after almost 14 days.
Our take: a drop in organic performance does not automatically mean the update is responsible. Check which pages changed position and when, then investigate content quality, particularly thin or heavily templated pages.
Looking ahead: what marketers should prioritise
Want a stronger January? Start building demand now
Black Friday, on 27th November, is an opportunity to convert people ready to book. January, however, is not won in a single sales weekend. Throughout autumn and the run-up to Christmas, potential holidaymakers research, compare, and form preferences. Brands that remain visible during this period can enter the peak booking season in a stronger position.
Our view
Black Friday and brand-building activity have different jobs, so they need different measures of success.
Judge Black Friday by bookings and commercial return. Assess the autumn build through indicators such as branded search demand and share of search, then evaluate how that activity contributes to January performance.
Put every pound behind short-term offers, and you risk disappearing between promotions. Expect brand investment to pay back over a single weekend and you risk undervaluing it.
The strongest January campaigns start working long before January.
Google AI Mode: from travel inspiration to booking
Google is moving AI Mode further along the customer journey, with hotel bookings now possible from conversation through to payment using Google Pay. It’s rolling out in the US in English, with partners including Booking.com, Expedia, Hilton and Marriott. A UK launch date has not been announced.
Our view
This could change more than the way people search for hotels. It could change where they make the booking.
If more decisions and transactions happen within Google, travel brands must look beyond driving visitors to their websites. Accurate representation at the point of decision is increasingly important.
For brands that depend on direct bookings, the preparation starts now. Review how your properties appear in relevant AI searches, and check that rates, availability and booking policies are accurate and consistent across your website and partner listings.
Want a stronger January? Start building demand now
Black Friday, on 27th November, is an opportunity to convert people ready to book. January, however, is not won in a single sales weekend. Throughout autumn and the run-up to Christmas, potential holidaymakers research, compare, and form preferences. Brands that remain visible during this period can enter the peak booking season in a stronger position.
Our view
Black Friday and brand-building activity have different jobs, so they need different measures of success.
Judge Black Friday by bookings and commercial return. Assess the autumn build through indicators such as branded search demand and share of search, then evaluate how that activity contributes to January performance.
Put every pound behind short-term offers, and you risk disappearing between promotions. Expect brand investment to pay back over a single weekend and you risk undervaluing it.
The strongest January campaigns start working long before January.
Google AI Mode: from travel inspiration to booking
Google is moving AI Mode further along the customer journey, with hotel bookings now possible from conversation through to payment using Google Pay. It’s rolling out in the US in English, with partners including Booking.com, Expedia, Hilton and Marriott. A UK launch date has not been announced.
Our view
This could change more than the way people search for hotels. It could change where they make the booking.
If more decisions and transactions happen within Google, travel brands must look beyond driving visitors to their websites. Accurate representation at the point of decision is increasingly important.
For brands that depend on direct bookings, the preparation starts now. Review how your properties appear in relevant AI searches, and check that rates, availability and booking policies are accurate and consistent across your website and partner listings.
Want a stronger January? Start building demand now
Black Friday, on 27th November, is an opportunity to convert people ready to book. January, however, is not won in a single sales weekend. Throughout autumn and the run-up to Christmas, potential holidaymakers research, compare, and form preferences. Brands that remain visible during this period can enter the peak booking season in a stronger position.
Our view
Black Friday and brand-building activity have different jobs, so they need different measures of success.
Judge Black Friday by bookings and commercial return. Assess the autumn build through indicators such as branded search demand and share of search, then evaluate how that activity contributes to January performance.
Put every pound behind short-term offers, and you risk disappearing between promotions. Expect brand investment to pay back over a single weekend and you risk undervaluing it.
The strongest January campaigns start working long before January.
Google AI Mode: from travel inspiration to booking
Google is moving AI Mode further along the customer journey, with hotel bookings now possible from conversation through to payment using Google Pay. It’s rolling out in the US in English, with partners including Booking.com, Expedia, Hilton and Marriott. A UK launch date has not been announced.
Our view
This could change more than the way people search for hotels. It could change where they make the booking.
If more decisions and transactions happen within Google, travel brands must look beyond driving visitors to their websites. Accurate representation at the point of decision is increasingly important.
For brands that depend on direct bookings, the preparation starts now. Review how your properties appear in relevant AI searches, and check that rates, availability and booking policies are accurate and consistent across your website and partner listings.
The digital landscape never stands still. But not every development deserves your budget or attention. If you’d like to understand which changes could make a meaningful difference to your business, speak to our Digital Director, Dan Ward, at Daniel.ward@accordmarketing.com
The digital landscape never stands still. But not every development deserves your budget or attention. If you’d like to understand which changes could make a meaningful difference to your business, speak to our Digital Director, Dan Ward, at Daniel.ward@accordmarketing.com
The digital landscape never stands still. But not every development deserves your budget or attention. If you’d like to understand which changes could make a meaningful difference to your business, speak to our Digital Director, Dan Ward, at Daniel.ward@accordmarketing.com
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Discuss your next project with us...
To learn more about what we can offer and how we can work together, we’d love to hear from you.
London
Accord Marketing,
1 Waterhouse Square, London EC1N 2ST.
South-West
The Node, 1 Enterprise Road,
Roundswell, Barnstaple,
Devon EX31 3YB.
All enquiries
020 7271 2481
Assume nothing.
Discuss your next project with us...
To learn more about what we can offer and how we can work together, we’d love to hear from you.
London
Accord Marketing,
1 Waterhouse Square, London EC1N 2ST.
South-West
The Node, 1 Enterprise Road,
Roundswell, Barnstaple,
Devon EX31 3YB.
All enquiries
020 7271 2481
Discuss your next project with us...
To learn more about what we can offer and how we can work together, we’d love to hear from you.
London
Accord Marketing,
1 Waterhouse Square, London EC1N 2ST
South-West
The Node, 1 Enterprise Road,
Roundswell Barnstaple,
Devon EX31 3YB
All enquiries
020 7271 2481