I feel attacked:

Jokes aside, here’s this week’s newsletter: 

📰 News & updates

CNET's AI Journalist Appears to Have Committed Extensive Plagiarism

Be careful using AI tools to create content—you could be plagiarizing others’ work.

Google Optimize to Sunset September 30, 2023

What it says on the can: Google Optimize is no more after September 30.

Report: Google Pushing Advertisers To Use Agencies & Third Party Resellers

Interesting development: With the mass Google layoffs, Google advertisers are being encouraged to work with third-party resellers, like agencies, directly as it seeks to reduce its overheads related to advertising services.

🔝 SEO

Steal Our SEO Specialist Resume Template

Make a copy of this resume template and follow the post to create a resume that stands out from the crowd.

International Link Building: 9 Aspects That Might Surprise You

Michal interviewed four SEO and link building experts who have worked across more than 20 global markets. Here’s a taster of these insights, starting with:

• Buying links is very common.

• Guest posting is often about buying the placement.

SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost in 2023? [Industry Research]

In November 2022, we surveyed members of the SEO industry to find out how much they charge for SEO services. Here are some takeaways (more in the article):

• 78.2% of SEOs charge monthly retainers for some or all of their services.

• $501–$1,000 is the most popular monthly retainer.

• $75–$100 is the most popular hourly rate.

How to Make Money With SEO (7 Ways + Examples)

From selling productized SEO services to consulting, here are the different ways you can monetize your SEO skills.

The $122Bn SEO Industry: 30 Success Stories (With Revenue Numbers) for 2023

I’m completely shocked by The Hoth’s numbers ($26.5M in annual revenue).

The State of Technical SEO Report 2023

To no one’s surprise, the biggest risk to technical SEO success is lack of resources. 

💻 Digital marketing

Quora Ads: Over $200K Spent. Here’s What I Learned

For Ahrefs, Quora ads have:

• 40–50% cheaper CPC than Facebook.

• 60–95% cheaper CPC than Google’s search campaigns.

They have some great targeting options:

Indirect Marketing: Definition, Types, & Examples

The best companies use both indirect and direct marketing to reach their target audience.

When a Channel Doesn’t Work, Leads Aren’t Converting, and There Are Problems With Your Funnel, They Aren’t the Real Issues

See how ConvertKit and Drip used positioning and messaging to skyrocket their growth.

Kevin Hart’s Comedy Tactic

When Kevin wants to hit you with a gut-punch idea, he starts with a joke. When he wants to make you laugh, he starts on a serious note.

The beginning of your story should be the opposite of the end. This creates a powerful “story arc.”

Trying to Move to a Head of Marketing/CMO Position

Peeps on r/marketing discuss how to get promoted to a CMO position. Lots of tips on how to progress in your marketing career.

Branding Principles I Know at 33, I Wish I Had Known at 21

Some important reminders for all of us marketers.

The Content Cyborg: How to Use AI Writing Tools in Content Marketing

The Content Cyborg is a blend of writer and AI. It uses the relative strengths of one to offset the weaknesses of the other.


Till next time ;)
Cheers,