Another month, another batch of platforms deciding our digital destiny. We’re all in a brutal fight for attention where the goalposts are constantly moving. We’ve cut through all the noise to update you on the marketing news that actually matters and what it means for your marketing strategy and tactics. Ready for the highlights (and lowlights)?
The TL:DR you’ve been waiting for:
- ChatGPT is becoming a more self-contained platform with its own web browser, in-chat apps, and a new checkout feature to keep users from leaving.
- WARNING! Despite their growth, LLMs (like ChatGPT and Gemini) are still frequently wrong and deliver lower-converting traffic for websites compared to traditional search.
- LinkedIn is in its paywall era, locking competitor insights behind a pricey subscription and removing free features.
- Threads is quietly winning the race against X (Twitter) and experimenting with Snapchat-style disappearing posts.
- TikTok is fighting to keep creators happy with better revenue splits and doubling down on its role as a Gen Z search engine.
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SEO Updates
The land of SEO (and Google in particular) has been very noisy. Since AI LLMs shifted the way that people could search, the landscape has been in a moment of turbulence. This appears to be settling, however, new features and new discoveries are keeping us all on our toes. There has even been a new search platform, fighting for attention. Lore is designed for people to research and discover internet obsessions. The platform successfully raised $1.1M in pre-seed funding, so it could be one to watch out for.
Google updates for October
- Google Chrome will enable “Always Use Secure Connections” by default in October 2026, warning users before accessing public sites without HTTPS encryption.
- If your site isn’t already secure, it needs to be!
- Google announces Speech-to-Retrieval, an update to voice search, as voice search increases via Search Live and AI Mode.
- Since voice search was launched, there have been many brands and reports that claim “the future of search is voice” and “202X will be the year of voice search”. We are yet to see voice search fully take off, however, perhaps this is the start of the climb?
- Google tests AI-generated snippets that are unlabelled. We’ve seen this in the ‘discussions and forums’ feature, but it appears to be the first time Google is using AI summaries in search without declaring it as AI-generated.
- As AI becomes more embedded in everything we do, we’re likely to see it as a standard feature and less as a labelled “AI” part of a website.
- Google expands ads in AI Overviews beyond the US.
- Anyone managing multiple Google Business Profiles will be happy to hear that you can now share updates across multiple GBPs.
- Google’s ‘try on’ tools expand to new countries and categories, however, it’s yet to replace the experience of actually trying on a product.
- AI speeds discovery but adds steps, sending shoppers to retailers, search, reviews, and forums to verify details before buying.
- In case anyone still cares about meta descriptions… don’t. Google is now testing an AI Overview style description that links directly to the relevant on-page text.
- Blue links have re-entered the results… kinda. Google is testing sticky citations in AI Overviews, where the first citation in the AI summary will remain on screen as the user scrolls.
- We used to fight for the top 3 spots on a SERP, now we are fighting for the number 1 in AIO.
- Google added Query groups to the Search Console Insights report. Query groups similar search queries together so you can quickly see the main topics your audience searches for.
Bing updates for October
- Microsoft launches a new Bing Places for Businesses. The announcement was filled with Microsoft calling this an “evolution” and boasting about the “listening” they had done to their customers.
- Once you get through the propaganda that Bing is the best, we learnt this update includes an overhaul of the UI, faster imports from GBP, and a new Recommendations tool that ensures profiles are complete with important information.
- Bing has caught up with Google and now allows users to exclude content from being included in snippets and AI-generated answers.
- Bing displays when it is using your search history to provide results. This history section shows previous related searches and how many times you’ve searched for these topics.
Chat GPT & OpenAI updates for October
- OpenAI launches its own web browser, ChatGPT Atlas. This is meant to offer a more enhanced experience, as Atlas integrates ChatGPT into the browsing experience with memory and agentic features.
- ChatGPT is keeping users on-platform, as it allows them to use apps directly in the chat interface. The initial list of partner apps includes Spotify, Canva, Figma and Bookingdotcom.
- In case you needed another place to shop online, OpenAI launches Instant Checkout and Agentic Commerce protocol. Logged-in users (at the moment only US users) can now make direct purchases via partners such as Shopify and Etsy.
- This tool may be a way to help users shift from using AI for discovery and comparisons and move to using it as a final stop. At the moment, trust gaps come from consumers receiving broken/outdated links and mismatched specs, pricing, and availability.
- Conflicting reports on LLM traffic has got everyone questioning who to believe. A most recent report stated that LLM traffic delivers lower conversion rates and revenue per session than paid & organic channels. This disputed the common belief that LLM traffic has a high conversion rate
- One consistent with LLMs is that they are commonly WRONG.
- When looking at LLMs reporting on the news, a cross-market study of 2,709 AI-assistant responses found 45% had significant issues and 81% had some issues. Gemini had the most issues with sourcing.
Social Media Updates
This month’s social media updates are a mixed bag of feature paywalls, a full-blown video takeover, and discovering that the “social” in social media is increasingly algorithmically mandated. We also have BuzzFeed inviting users to join BF Island, a new AI social app where people can build and share image generators, filters, and challenges. From Instagram forcing Reels down our throats to LinkedIn locking features away, here’s what you missed.
Here are the updates from last month:
Instagram updates for October
- Reels over three minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences, and creators will see a warning message when uploading them, discouraging them from doing so.
- I remember when we used to upload content to social media platforms to share things that were happening in our lives, and as a place to look back and enjoy them. Now, everything we upload has to be in the mind of what the algorithm wants us to post.
- Instagram is making the app more enticing for creators with “sharable insights”, making it easier to understand their performance when collaborating, as they’ll be able to export data about their account and campaigns/posts/reels as a PDF via the Edits app.
- Move over carousels and pictures, Reels is being tested as the main feed. Adam Mosseri has stated that this is “opt-in” and that “photos will always be part of Instagram, and the platform will continue to understand people’s interests for those who want to see more photos.” However, my experience is that you can’t seem to avoid videos on IG, even some carousels are uploaded as Reels.
- The Instagram algorithm hasn’t changed, but they’re always trying to improve how they rank content.
- The platform is taking social media SEO more seriously, with Adam Mosseri confirming the platform is trying to improve its search capabilities
- You may soon be able to post a 20-image/video carousel.
- Instagram is testing Skippable Ads on Reels, much like you can on YouTube.
LinkedIn updates for October
- LinkedIn is pushing its (very expensive) subscription profiles by limiting free access to its Competitor Analytics tool from 15th October. Non-paying pages can compare with only one competitor, while Premium Company Pages (£99/month) keep full insights across up to nine rivals.
- LinkedIn has seemingly removed the ability to pin a piece of content to Company Pages.
- Who knows, maybe we will have to pay for this, too?
- LinkedIn video views are DOWN for many creators on the app after an algorithm tweak.
Threads updates for October
- Threads is on track to beat X (FKA Twitter) in daily active usage.
- Threads is testing “ghost posts” that disappear after 24 hours.
- I love the nod to the Snapchat ghost logo, as they were the innovator with disappearing content on social media.
TikTok updates for October
- TikTok is making it easier for creators to know what is happening in the platform and to come up with ideas. It has added trending topic insights into creator analytics, showing related searches, keywords, and demographics.
- TikTok is trying to establish (or buy back) its credibility with some of the creators who may have doubts after the uncertainty of the platform in the US, as it will now give US and Canadian creators up to 90% of subscription revenue.
- TikTok is taking social media SEO seriously, as it now shows creators the % of video views that came from a search query.
- This feature may be in response the the fact that 86% of Gen Zers now search on TikTok instead of traditional search engines.
Pinterest updates for October
- Pinterest seems to be taking a stand against AI-generated content, as they have introduced new settings that let users “dial down” AI-generated content in their feeds.
- Across retail, fashion and travel, brands are leaning into Pinterest and making the social site a bigger part of their marketing strategy.
Marketing Training Updates
- It’s time to get humble. In an era of intense scrutiny, the smartest move is admitting what you don’t know and asking for help.
- Marketing bosses have reported that real confidence isn’t faking it, it’s knowing your strengths and being secure enough to admit what you haven’t mastered “yet.”
- A whopping 76% of B2B marketers confirm the AI hype has officially exploded in their companies. So if you’re not on board, what are you even doing?
Stay Up To Date With Marketing
Digital marketing is ever-evolving, with new social media channels, new forms of searching for content and updates to algorithms and consumer changes. It’s important to stay up to date with the latest information to ensure your marketing is moving towards hitting your goals and targets.
There’s a lot to keep up with in marketing, which is why we offer a range of online and face-to-face marketing training courses and 1-2-1 consultancy packages that cover the latest trends and best practices that your organisation needs in order to succeed.
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