It's been quite a week in the world of marketing, with plenty of intriguing developments to dissect.
This week, we'll be discussing Google's latest algorithm changes and what it means for online search, AI being brought up in the Supreme Court, and Bing’s new makeover.
And as if that's not enough, we’ll also touch on the Coronation Quiche from Charles III.
Confusing Google Changes
Google is known for constantly updating its search algorithms to provide better search results and enhance user experience.
However, a recent article from Search Engine Land has reported that Google has removed several search ranking algorithm updates from its ranking systems.
This unexpected move has left many SEO experts wondering about the significance of these updates and their impact on search rankings.
Why the change?
While Google has not provided any official explanation for their removal, it's possible that they have become outdated or irrelevant.
Google recently updated its guidance on helpful content to incorporate page experience, but concurrently eliminated aspects such as mobile friendliness from Google Search Console.
It’s a bit of strange decision.
In terms of SEO and rankings, although we may be able to reduce our focus on page experience, speed, and mobile-friendliness, and instead concentrate more on content and engagement, these are still crucial aspects for user satisfaction and usability.
Their removal suggests they were never particularly significant for rankings, or did not have the impact Google expected, which means we could see more websites that take longer to load and websites that are just, well, not good.
Regardless of the reasons behind their removal, it's clear that staying up to date with Google's ever-changing algorithms is crucial for businesses and people who want to maintain a strong online presence so that you and your business prioritise the areas that are going to have the most impact.
AI in the Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court has made a landmark decision by rejecting a lawsuit that sought to obtain patent rights for artificial intelligence (AI) systems' inventions.
This ruling has significant implications for patent law globally, as it signals that AI systems are not eligible for patent protection.
The case arose when the Artificial Inventor Project, created by a team led by Stephen Thaler, had two of its inventions denied patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The court declared that patent laws were designed to protect human inventors, not machines, and that AI systems cannot be regarded as inventors.
This ruling is expected to prompt global discussions on patent law regarding AI-created inventions, especially in countries where such laws are not yet established.
However, this decision leads on to an interesting topic.
Drake’s Fake Song
The recent release of a fake Drake song created with the help of an AI system has brought the debate over the ethics and artistic value of AI-generated music to the forefront.
The song, "Heart on My Sleeve" was created by a TikTok user, who used AI to analyse Drake's music and lyrics and create a new song in his style.
The release of the song has sparked a discussion on whether AI-generated music is an infringement of artistic freedom or a violation of the artist's intellectual property.
Can AI-generated music can be regarded as genuine art? Or is it simply a technical accomplishment?
The debate over AI-generated music highlights the complex relationship between technology and art and raises important questions about not only AI in music, but in general.
Bing’s New Look
Microsoft's Bing search engine has recently undergone a makeover, and users may have already noticed the changes.
In an effort to enhance the user experience, Bing search results now display site names and favicons. This move aims to give users more context when browsing search results and make it easier for them to identify the websites they want to visit.
The redesign brings Bing's search results layout in line with Google's, which already features favicons and website names. The update has been rolled out for desktop and mobile searches and is now live for all users.
With this redesign, Bing hopes to increase user engagement and make the search experience more intuitive and user-friendly.
Have you started to use Bing? One of our Marketing Executives at Optix uses it, and highly recommends it!
Interesting Times Ahead
There was a lot to talk about this week, and there’s even more discussed in the podcast!
So, if you want to keep up to date with all things digital marketing and more, check out our podcast, where you’ll be able to listen to a brand new episode every Friday.
You can access the podcast via these platforms:
· Spotify
· YouTube
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