Every week, I share newsworthy articles that have caught my attention. These news stories cover 31st to 4th April 2025.
Google Confirms: Structured Data Still Essential In AI Search Era
On the tail of Microsoft’s announcement that CoPilot was using structured data for its AI , Google made a similar announcement on the topic. What’s clear is that there’s no need for other unique on-page or technical optimisation required. The content will be enough if it adheres to E-EAT and is not spammy. Google recommends to keep using schema that it approves of.
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-confirms-structured-data-still-essential-in-ai-search-era/544141/
How to Close the Gap Between SEO Recommendation and Execution
Some important points highlighted in this article are all sadly too familiar to some campaigns I have worked on in the past. The worst one mentioned is poor communication between stakeholders and SEO teams. It is easily resolved, but it is also easy for stakeholders to adopt an attitude of ‘just let SEOs do what they do”. This misses the point about a central principle of marketing, which is clear communication. The channel will become useless if it is not aligned with business objectives and if there is no collaboration. Of course, there’s a way for SEOs to make clear what they need, but it’s also important for clients to be involved in the in-depth discussions around organic performance.
Source: https://moz.com/blog/seo-recommendation-execution
When Links Go Wrong: Why News and Media Publishers Need To Embrace Earned Links And Ditch Nofollow [Publisher FAQs]
SEO expert Glenn Gabe is calling out a frustrating trend: some news sites are either skipping links to original sources or using “nofollow” tags (to stifle trust SEO signals), even when those sources genuinely deserve a ton of credit. This kind of behavior goes against the whole idea of the web being a network of useful, connected content. Gabe’s main point? If a source is solid and earned the mention, give it a proper link. It’s better for trust, fairness, and the health of the internet overall.
Source: https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/news-media-publishers-link-out-ditch-nofollow/
Google quality raters now assess whether content is AI-generated
In its January 2025 update, Google made it clear that AI-generated content without much originality, effort, or value is getting the lowest quality rating from its human reviewers. The new guidelines even define “Generative AI” and tweak the spam rules to crack down on mass-produced, low-effort stuff. Bottom line: Google wants content that actually helps people—not just ‘AI slop’.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/google-quality-raters-content-ai-generated-454161
Human-First Content Strategy in a Machine-First World | Purna Virji
In her chat on The Search Session, Purna Virji makes one thing clear: even with all the AI tools out there, great content still needs to feel human. She points out that marketers shouldn’t just crank out tons of content for the sake of it—instead, focus on content that’s thoughtful, relatable, and useful. Building a strong, memorable brand matters more than ever, especially when people have limited time and lots of choices.
Virji also reminds us that today’s audiences can spot lazy or generic AI content a mile away. To really connect, marketers need to be intentional and authentic. She suggests using what she calls the “Four R’s”: Reach, Reaction, Resonance, and Return to gauge how well your content is doing—not just by clicks, but by making a real impact. Let AI help out, but keep the heart of your content human.
Source: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/content-marketing-strategy-insights-from-purna-virji
Other reads
10 New YouTube Marketing Strategies With Fresh Examples For 2025
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-marketing-strategies/481139
Optimizing for AI Overviews — Whiteboard Friday
https://moz.com/blog/ai-overviews-optimization-whiteboard-friday
GEO, LLMO, AEO… It’s All Just SEO
https://ahrefs.com/blog/geo-is-just-seo
How to Track and Analyze Your AI Traffic
https://ahrefs.com/blog/track-analyze-ai-traffic
SEO ROI calculator tool to make use of
https://www.brightedge.com/resources/organic-search-roi-opportunity-calculator