At TMC, we love to share ideas, discuss the latest trends and connect with our local community.
October marked the first of our Marketing & PR Updates Lunch and Learn sessions. Here’s a quick round-up of the most significant developments and insights shaping the industry this month, along with the full video recording of our session.
Organic Search / SEO
SEO vs GEO – What’s the difference?
You might be seeing ‘GEO’ pop up a lot online lately. It stands for Generative Engine Optimisation and is the process of optimising content for AI-driven searches.
While SEO focuses on keywords, backlinks, and technical health, GEO looks at credibility, structured data, and citation quality. As AI-integrated search becomes mainstream, marketers need to think beyond Google and consider how their content is represented in generative environments.
SEO for Socials
Social platforms are becoming search engines in their own right.
These platforms are now appearing within searches as sources, thus optimising your profiles and captions with relevant keywords is now essential.
SEO is no longer confined to your website; it’s embedded in every digital touchpoint!
Advertising
Google introduces new global ‘Sponsored Results’ label
Google has rolled out a new “Sponsored results” ad label on its search pages, which groups all ads under a single, prominent header. Additionally, a new “Hide sponsored results” button lets users collapse the ad block with one click, allowing them to focus on organic results.
With the option for users to hide ads, the quality of ad creative and copy becomes more important to earn clicks.
Inactive Google Ads accounts to be deleted
Another update from Google; Ad accounts without active campaigns for over six months will be automatically deleted. You’ll get a 30 day warning via email before the account is deleted, so you can reactivate it if you need it.
This update is important for advertisers who may want to keep historical data or preserve account structure for future use. If you manage multiple accounts or seasonal campaigns, check your accounts and ensure key assets are backed up.
Social Media
TikTok posting frequency study
A recent study found that creators posting 2–5 TikToks per week see the highest growth in reach and engagement. This reinforces the need for consistent (but not overwhelming!) content output.
LinkedIn’s algorithm still prioritises engagement
LinkedIn has reiterated that thoughtful engagement with others’ content remains a powerful visibility driver. The more genuine your interactions, the more likely your own posts are to be surfaced to a wider audience.
Public Relations
AI’s rise in PR practice
75% of PR professionals report regularly using AI tools for writing, research, and media monitoring. However, it should be noted that while AI brings speed and efficiency, human touch – relationship building, empathy, and storytelling – remains a crucial differentiator.
PR has a natural advantage in GEO
AI systems tend to rely more on credible media, for example articles by journalists, those with research backing them up, and those that outline the date/author get shown.
This is exactly the type of coverage PR teams have always focused on earning. So when your brand gets featured in media outlets, your PR efforts now have double the impact: building both search rankings and AI citations.
AI
AI vs Traditional Content
Data suggests AI-generated content may bring short-term visibility spikes but struggles to maintain long-term traffic stability compared to well-crafted, human-written content. A reminder that whilst AI can assist, ensuring a human touch on the strategy, tone, and authenticity still wins long-term.
ChatGPT Atlas – The New OpenAI Browser
OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Atlas, a new browser-integrated experience designed to merge search and chat functionality. This move represents another step towards a fully conversational web experience.
It can do a whole host of things, one of them being ‘agent mode’. Using this mode, users can ask ChatGPT to complete small tasks in the browser on their behalf. OpenAI says it can research products, book appointments, or organise tasks inside your browser.
The company describes it as an early experience that may make mistakes on complex workflows, but is rapidly improving reliability and task success rates.
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