How AI engines decide who to recommend.
Short, specific notes on digital authority: what ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and the press look for, and how to become the answer. Every post opens with the direct answer.
Google's site reputation policy now depends on where the searcher is. What the EEA split changes
Since 30 August 2026 Google's site reputation manual action no longer affects results in the EEA. What changed, what did not, and an eight-step audit.
→ 2026.10.07 · 8 MINCreator handle or brand handle? Who should publish the collab post and run the ad
The same creator video can run from the creator's handle or yours. What two 2026 datasets show for Instagram collab posts, partnership ads and Spark Ads.
→ 2026.10.07 · 8 MINChatGPT now searches brand domains directly. A readiness audit for your own pages
In August 2026 ChatGPT began scoping many background searches to named domains. What the trackers agree on, where they differ, and a seven-step audit.
→ 2026.10.06 · 8 MINSearch Console now counts camera searches. How to act on a report with no queries
Search Console's multimodal filter shows pages but no queries. A decision table and a seven-step method for reading Lens and Circle to Search data.
→ 2026.10.06 · 9 MINLinkedIn qualified leads optimisation. Which CRM stage should you send back?
LinkedIn now accepts MQL and SQL events for its qualified leads goal. A formula, a stage table and a worked example for choosing the stage to optimise on.
→ 2026.10.06 · 8 MINBot clicks in email. Which funnel decisions can click data still support?
Published bot click shares run from 16% to 87%. How to reconcile them, measure your own, and decide which email funnel decisions a click can still drive.
→ 2026.10.05 · 8 MINThe 3-second hook rule, traced. What TikTok and Instagram measure and which statistics have no source
The 3-second rule is three different metrics. What Meta, TikTok and Instagram count, which hook statistics trace to a study, and how to read your own numbers.
→ 2026.10.05 · 8 MINDoes changing the date get a page cited by AI? What counts as an update
AI engines cite recently updated pages, not new ones. What the date-only experiments show, what counts as an update, and how often to review each page type.
→ 2026.10.05 · 8 MINGoogle moved your Search campaign to AI Max. Which of the three settings should stay on?
AI Max is three settings, not one. A decision table, a conversion-sized read rule and a seven-step method for campaigns Google migrated in September 2026.
→ 2026.10.04 · 8 MINWhich AI crawlers to allow, which to block, and what each choice costs
AI crawler access is decided in three places, and robots.txt is the weakest. A bot by bot decision table and a seven step audit.
→ 2026.10.04 · 8 MINDid the September 2026 spam update hit your site? How to tell from Search Console
A traffic drop after 24 September is not proof of a spam update hit. Here is how to read the dates, page groups and queries before you change anything.
→ 2026.10.04 · 8 MINHow many ad concepts can your budget honestly test on Meta and TikTok?
Count concepts, not ads, and size the count by conversions. The arithmetic, a decision table and a weekly creative testing method for Meta and TikTok.
→ 2026.10.03 · 3 MINWhat is digital authority?
Digital authority is how much publications, search engines and AI engines trust a brand. It decides who gets recommended when a buyer asks a question. Here is how it is measured and why it now matters more than rankings.
→ 2026.10.03 · 8 MINMeta incremental attribution or 7-day click? What to optimise to and what to report
Meta's incremental attribution now beats standard windows in independent tests, but only for some brands. A decision table and a five-step reporting method.
→ 2026.10.03 · 8 MINHow to measure AI visibility when the answers keep changing
AI answers change between runs. Here is how many questions, engines and repeat runs you need before an AI visibility number means anything.
→ 2026.10.03 · 7 MINGate the guide or leave it open? A break-even test for lead magnets
Gated vs ungated content is an arithmetic question. Compare what a form lead is worth with what an open reader is worth, then decide asset by asset.
→ 2026.10.02 · 3 MINHow ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews choose which brands to name
AI engines do not rank pages. They retrieve a short list of sources they trust, read them, and name the brands those sources agree on. Here is what that means for how you earn a mention.
→ 2026.10.01 · 4 MINHow to get your brand cited by AI: the five-pillar checklist
A practical checklist for becoming the brand ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews recommend. Ordered by effort and payoff, with what to fix first.
→ 2026.09.30 · 3 MINWhat a DA 90+ placement actually does for AI visibility
High-authority placements are the fastest way to move both the press and AI pillars of digital authority. Here is what they change, what they do not, and how to pick the right publication.
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