From the journal

What we are thinking about.

Notes from running 8 publications and building tools for them. Restaurant SEO, local marketing, the boring parts that move the needle.

SEO Agencies in 2026: The Same Old Grift, Now Drenched in AI Bullshit
ai-seo May 10, 2026

SEO Agencies in 2026: The Same Old Grift, Now Drenched in AI Bullshit

In 2026, over 85% of SEO agencies rely on AI content generators, doubling the amount of low-value output since 2023.

Read →
AI Content Detectors in 2026: The Inaccuracy Epidemic Wrecking SEO Workflows
ai-seo May 10, 2026

AI Content Detectors in 2026: The Inaccuracy Epidemic Wrecking SEO Workflows

By 2026, AI content detectors like OpenAI’s classifier and GPTZero are failing to correctly spot AI-written text over 60% of the time, fueling endless, pointless content wars.

Read →
Schema.org Adoption Gaps: How Lazy Marketers Leave Google AI Blind Spots
ai-seo May 10, 2026

Schema.org Adoption Gaps: How Lazy Marketers Leave Google AI Blind Spots

Over 70% of top-ranking sites still lack proper Schema.org markup in 2024, hobbling Google's AI overviews and screwing user experience.

Read →
B2B Marketing’s Humor Hang-Up Is Killing Its Own ROI — Stop Acting Like It’s Medicine on Pizza
ai-seo May 10, 2026

B2B Marketing’s Humor Hang-Up Is Killing Its Own ROI — Stop Acting Like It’s Medicine on Pizza

The fear of using humor in B2B marketing is outdated and harmful. Embracing sharp, strategic humor drives engagement and breaks the cycle of boring campaigns.

Read →
Keisha Taylor Starr Didn’t Just Play the Game—She Flipped the Women’s Sports Script at ION in Two Years
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Keisha Taylor Starr Didn’t Just Play the Game—She Flipped the Women’s Sports Script at ION in Two Years

Keisha Taylor Starr transformed ION’s women’s sports division into a revenue powerhouse in just two years by ditching feel-good fluff for financial discipline and creative audacity.

Read →
Fox News Launches Over-the-Top 250th Birthday Promo Campaign, Because Patriotism is a Ratings Game
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Fox News Launches Over-the-Top 250th Birthday Promo Campaign, Because Patriotism is a Ratings Game

Fox News has launched a bombastic promotional campaign for America’s 250th birthday, trading nuanced history for a ratings-driven spectacle. Fox Business joins in too.

Read →
Morning News Ratings Show Networks Still Battling for Relevance Amid Stale Format Clashes
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Morning News Ratings Show Networks Still Battling for Relevance Amid Stale Format Clashes

Morning news ratings for the week of April 27 show all three networks growing, but the real story is a tightening race amid stagnant format fatigue.

Read →
Marketing’s Pay Gap Paralysis and the Myth of Category Differentiation
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Marketing’s Pay Gap Paralysis and the Myth of Category Differentiation

Marketing’s pay gap is widening, and the obsession with category differentiation is mostly superficial noise. It’s time for real accountability, not buzzword bingo.

Read →
The New York Times' 32% Digital Ad Growth Is No Accident — Here’s the Brutal Truth You’re Ignoring
ai-seo May 8, 2026

The New York Times' 32% Digital Ad Growth Is No Accident — Here’s the Brutal Truth You’re Ignoring

The New York Times' 32% surge in digital ad revenue is a brutal reality check for lazy agencies and SEO grifters still peddling outdated tactics. Here’s the no-BS breakdown.

Read →
Marketers on the Move: GM, Old Navy, Canva Shake Up Their Leadership Amid Industry Turmoil
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Marketers on the Move: GM, Old Navy, Canva Shake Up Their Leadership Amid Industry Turmoil

GM, Old Navy, and Canva’s recent marketing leadership changes reveal a tired industry obsessed with optics over impact. It’s time to demand real results, not just press releases.

Read →
Amazon’s Data Grab Hits Netflix Ads in UK—CTV Advertising Just Got More Orwellian
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Amazon’s Data Grab Hits Netflix Ads in UK—CTV Advertising Just Got More Orwellian

Amazon is integrating its consumer data with Netflix’s UK ad inventory, escalating its control over connected TV advertising and privacy concerns alike.

Read →
Amazon’s Upfront Pivot: From Content Showcase to Ad Tech Power Play
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Amazon’s Upfront Pivot: From Content Showcase to Ad Tech Power Play

Amazon’s upfront event has evolved from a content showcase to a strategic pitch for its ad tech ecosystem, signaling a seismic shift in how advertising dollars are fought over.

Read →
Ads of the Week: Why Adidas, Canva, and Liquid Death Are Still Outpacing the Rest in an Oversaturated Market
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Ads of the Week: Why Adidas, Canva, and Liquid Death Are Still Outpacing the Rest in an Oversaturated Market

This week’s top ads from Adidas, Canva, and Liquid Death prove that authenticity and boldness still outshine the endless sea of generic agency fluff.

Read →
Adcolor’s 20th Anniversary: A Reality Check on DEI’s Shifting Terrain and What No One’s Saying
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Adcolor’s 20th Anniversary: A Reality Check on DEI’s Shifting Terrain and What No One’s Saying

Adcolor’s 20th anniversary isn’t just a milestone—it’s a wake-up call. With a revamped year-round program and a fresh awards approach, the organization confronts the tired, performative DEI playbook head-on.

Read →
WPP’s CEO Cindy Rose Scores a $14.8M Pay Package—While the Agency World Blinks in Disbelief
ai-seo May 8, 2026

WPP’s CEO Cindy Rose Scores a $14.8M Pay Package—While the Agency World Blinks in Disbelief

WPP’s approval of a $14.8 million pay package for CEO Cindy Rose exposes the agency industry’s obsession with executive excess amid stagnant growth and hollow innovation.

Read →
Memes Aren’t Just Funny Anymore: They’re Weaponized Marketing Tools — And We’re All Complicit
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Memes Aren’t Just Funny Anymore: They’re Weaponized Marketing Tools — And We’re All Complicit

A U.S. Special Forces soldier was indicted for insider trading on a prediction market — highlighting how memes and digital platforms have evolved from jokes to strategic weapons in marketing.

Read →
Unified Ad Platforms: The Ad Tech Mirage That Won’t Fix Your Fragmentation Problem
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Unified Ad Platforms: The Ad Tech Mirage That Won’t Fix Your Fragmentation Problem

Unified ad platforms promise to end ad tech chaos but often just repackage the same fragmentation under one roof. The industry’s latest grift benefits vendors, not buyers.

Read →
Cartier’s Panther Campaign Cuts Through Luxury Noise with Relentless Brand Clarity
ai-seo May 8, 2026

Cartier’s Panther Campaign Cuts Through Luxury Noise with Relentless Brand Clarity

Cartier’s latest OOH campaign proves that in luxury marketing, ruthless brand clarity beats flashy clutter every time. Their iconic panther motif drove standout success and won top honors in Kantar’s ‘The Works’ study.

Read →