A Yorkshire-based logistics business that specialised in furniture retailer deliveries has appointed administrators, months after it ceased trading. Experts from business advisory firm Quantuma were appointed as administrators of Humber Services at the start of August 2025.
The WordPress trademark applications for “Managed WordPress” and “Hosted WordPress” were denied by the USPTO in a Final Office Action.
The post WordPress Trademark Applications Rejected By USPTO appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Navigate the 2025 AI SERP changes with strategies for local visibility, ensuring your business stands out in evolving search results.
The post 2025 AI SERP Changes: New Strategies To Gain Local Search Visibility appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Google’s John Mueller explained how Search Console handles sitemap uploads and said there’s no guarantees about URL crawling timeline
The post Google Says GSC Sitemap Uploads Don’t Guarantee Immediate Crawls appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Are you feeling the vibes yet?
“Vibe” has become the latest AI buzzword. Even more than “agentic,” which is saying a lot. While both terms are widely open to interpretation — and therefore ripe to be appropriated by anyone selling anything — vibe stands out for sheer weirdness.
The term originated with a post by Andrej Karpathy, one of the original co-founders of OpenAI, who described vibe coding as a new way of rapidly building software by simply conversing with an LLM-powered coding assistant. “I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works.”
I think of this as the next generation of no-code/low-code development, now turbocharged with AI. Which, hey, is awesome. “Power to the people” as they said in the 60’s.
I’m sure the “it mostly works” caveat is triggering to some. Critics of no-code have long argued that people who don’t know how to code have no business building their own apps. Taking a “just work around it or ask for random changes until it goes away” approach to fixing bugs would horrify them.
Andrej, however, is a world-class computer scientist who certainly knows how to code. Yet here he is advocating to give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists.
(As an aside: is “vibe” language a bizarre mashup of 1960’s counterculture with 2020’s techno-optimism, or what? I’m not saying that recreational drugs are involved. But if there were gummies other than Haribo next to the keyboard, I wouldn’t be shocked either.)
In recent months, vibe coding has become all the rage.
Jason Lemkin of SaaStr recently got in on the vibes, diving into a 100+ hours of vibe coding an app with Replit as a non-engineer — albeit with mixed results. He shared his joys and frustrations as he went along in a series of LinkedIn posts.
Afterwards, he wrote a great post about what kinds of apps make sense to be vibe coded by non-engineers, from safe “green light” apps such as internal dashboards or personal workflows to here-be-dragons “red light” apps, such as trying to rebuild Salesforce from the ground up. (I’m not sure if even Salesforce would attempt to rebuild Salesforce from the ground up.)
I converted this into a visual continuum that I call the Lemkin Scale of Vibe Coding, ranging from 1 (viable vibing) to 10 (unviable vibing):
Don’t read too much precision in this scale. It’s just a loose way to approximate the level of challenge a non-engineer would face in trying to vibe code a particular app. Comparable to when the doctor asks how much pain you’re feeling, on a scale of 1-10. (“Depends, doc. Ask me again after I see how much of my insurance actually covers.”)
Of course, the examples along this spectrum are only a snapshot of what’s easy or hard today. As these AI tools continue to improve at an impressive clip, we can expect more advanced app building to “shift left” to the green side of the scale over time. What’s a “7” today might be a “3” in a year from now.
With vibe coding sweeping social media and garnering so much attention and love — the startup to achieve the fastest growth to $100 million ARR, in just 8 months since November 2024, is a vibe coding platform literally called Lovable — it didn’t take long for marketers to jump on the bandwagon with “vibe marketing.”
I think Greg Isenberg gets credit as the first person to coin the phrase.
But what exactly is vibe marketing? Or what should it be?
Greg framed vibe marketing as a combination of vibe coding with AI agents and workflows that empowers individual marketers to achieve things that previously would have required a whole team of specialists. They can move faster and ship more ideas at a fraction of the cost. They can easily build or customize tools and systems tailored to their specific needs. Vibe marketers are übermarketers. (Even if they don’t work at Uber.)
(As an aside, this is kind of a cliché marketing move: if “vibe” is cool, and “agentic” is cool, then something that is both vibe and agentic has to be even more cool, right?)
If vibe coding is the next generation of no-code/low-code, this definition of vibe marketing seems like the next generation of growth hacking. Which, hey, is also awesome. Some folks are calling this the work of GTM engineers. (A marketing technologist by any other name would smell as sweet. Um, metaphorically speaking.)
But as enthusiastic as I am for marketers and marketing operations pros to be imbued with these AI superpowers, I feel like this framing misses the spirit of what vibe marketing really should be about. Production agents, apps, and automations don’t seem vibe-y to me. They seem more like your marketing operating system. You want it to be fluid and adaptable. But you also want it to be structured, reliable, and well-governed.
My interpretation is that Andrej’s good vibrations with vibe coding came from the freedom to think less about code and more about indulging one’s imagination to bring new ideas to life, even as imperfect prototypes. The “vibe” is human creativity unleashed.
That is the vibe that marketers should embrace.
Better yet, marketers should be the “market whisperers” and “customer whisperers” who seek to tune into the vibes of their audience. If vibe coding delights developers — they’re the ones feeling the vibes — vibe marketing should focus on delighting customers.
Auomated content generation. Automated outbound emails. Automated data scraping. Don’t get me wrong, these are all useful AI-powered capabilities that marketers can and probably should implement in their operating system. But the mechanics of this aren’t the vibe. The real question is how prospects on the receiving end of that machinery feel about it. Are they humming The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations or Monty Python’s Spam, Spam, Spam?
To me, vibe marketing should be about experimentation.
Curious about a customer pattern? Use AI to mine your data lakes and warehouses for answers that previously would have required an analyst or data scientist — a high enough barrier that the vast majority of questions that popped into one’s head weren’t worth pursuing. But now? Let those “I wonder…” curiosity vibes flow.
Those answers lead you to a hypothesis? Compose a micro-campaign, using AI to develop the creative — which can be more ambitious app-like, multimodal, or dynamic concepts than were ever previously in reach for an individual marketer to whip up solo — segment a test population, deploy, monitor, and measure against your hypothesis. Most experiments should be quick, cheap, and low-risk. Iterate the promising ideas. Scale the proven ones. Jettison the duds.
Which experiments vibe with your audience? Those get promoted from vibe-land to a more polished production plateau.
If Big Data was about harnessing the volume, velocity, and variety of data, vibe marketing is Big Experimentation — harnessing the volume, velcoity, and variety of marketing experiments to out-innovate your competition.
Yes, there need to be guardrails. Proper permission management for data. Compliant respect for customer privacy and preferences. Adherence to brand standards. But this is increasingly manageable with professional AI martech tools. One of the greatest contributions marketing operations teams can make in this environment is setting up the scaffolding and safety nets for the rest of the marketing team to vibe more ideas to life.
Will the “vibe” language endure past this 2025 Summer of Vibes? Probably not. It’s a little hokey. But the creative power of Big Experimentation unleashed by a new generation of AI-empowered marketers is only going to grow — whatever label we stick on it.
For now though, enjoy the Good Vibrations of summer.
Another month, another round of shifts redefining what digital visibility means. From AI-driven SERPs to browser wars, TikTok engagement metrics to evolving influencer ecosystems, August brought real change, not just noise.
Here are the trends that actually matter for marketers, and what to do next.
AI and search engine experiences are evolving rapidly. This month highlighted how AI systems are reshaping SERPs and how marketers must adapt to maintain authority and traffic.
Google is testing a new way of displaying search results called Web Guide. Instead of a linear list of links, it organizes content into clusters based on different subtopics related to the query. The feature is powered by AI that expands on the original question using something called “query fan-out,” grouping results by intent.
Why it matters: This is a seismic shift. Traditional ranking signals still apply, but now, if your content isn’t aligned to the right subtopic or cluster, it could be buried. This raises the bar for topical depth and content structure.
What to do:
OpenAI is working on its own AI-integrated browser, while Perplexity AI announced its “Comet” browser to enhance how users interact with AI-generated content. These aren’t just tools, they’re building ecosystems that change how people discover and click.
Why it matters: LLMs already influence buyer behavior, but browsers like these will give users alternative pathways to discover content, bypassing Google altogether.
What to do:
What happened: Ahrefs analyzed over 600,000 ranking pages and found that content created with AI still performs well in search, as long as there’s a human editor in the loop. Fully AI-written content lacked depth and often failed to rank.
Source: Ahrefs
Why it matters: The message is clear: AI is a drafting tool, not a publishing engine. Without human oversight, your content will lack nuance, depth, and authority.
What to do:
What happened: A Surfer SEO study analyzing 1 million SERPs confirmed that content covering a broader range of subtopics consistently outperforms keyword-dense content.
Source: SurferSEO
Why it matters: Google now values topic completeness over keyword repetition. If your page isn’t the most comprehensive resource, it won’t win the top spots.
What to do:
What happened: Researchers dissected how Perplexity AI ranks sources and found that engagement signals, semantic depth, and real-time interest (like YouTube trends) influence results more than traditional backlink strength.
Why it matters: AI platforms prioritize content differently than Google. If you’re not adapting to these new ranking models, you’re losing visibility.
What to do:
Ad platforms continue to evolve their tracking and bidding capabilities. This month brought updates that offer new performance levers and visibility into campaign impact.
What happened: TikTok has added a new optimization option called Engaged View, which tracks sessions where users stay on your site for at least 10 seconds. And you don’t need a pixel to activate it.
Why it matters: This marks a shift from measuring volume (clicks) to measuring quality (attention). In early tests, this reduced cost per session by 46%.
What to do:
What happened: Meta’s Value Rules now allow advertisers to adjust bids based on user characteristics like age, device, or location, and align spend with expected customer value.
Why it matters: You can now shift budgets based on segments that produce better LTV or ROAS, making every dollar more efficient.
What to do:
What happened: Meta is continuing its automation push by fully rolling out Advantage+ Sales campaigns, merging manual setups into a single, AI-driven format.
Why it matters: Campaign managers now need to think more like strategists than technicians. The real advantage lies in your inputs.
What to do:
This month proved that content performance depends on more than just reach. Authenticity, interactivity, and strategic testing now shape social success.
What happened: Instagram rolled out new analytics that show you exactly when you gained or lost followers, down to the content that triggered the shift.
Source: Social Media Today
Why it matters: For the first time, you can directly connect individual posts to retention or churn, giving you a roadmap for what works.
What to do:
What happened: Reddit is consolidating its traditional search functionality and Reddit Answers into a single, robust search-first experience, positioning itself as the Google alternative for peer-reviewed insights.
Why it matters: Reddit is already influencing Google results. Now it wants to be the source.
What to do:
What happened: ShopMy, the platform built to help creators monetize recommendations, now allows influencers to create “Circles“: always-on storefronts that showcase curated product collections in a searchable, shoppable format.
Why it matters: Influencer marketing is shifting from one-off promotions to persistent product discovery. These Circles allow creators to turn past content and ongoing product picks into revenue-generating hubs. It’s not just a link in bio anymore; it’s a branded shopping experience with real conversion potential.
What to do:
What happened: Faith-based influencers are gaining real traction, not just with religious audiences, but across lifestyle, parenting, and wellness spaces. Their content blends day-to-day authenticity with values-driven storytelling, creating deep community trust.
Why it matters: This is a prime example of the broader trend toward micro-communities and purpose-driven branding. Audiences are gravitating to creators who reflect their core beliefs and lifestyles.
What to do:
What happened: Pinterest has rolled out a formal guide to growing engaged audiences, emphasizing consistent posting, trend-driven content, and SEO-friendly pins.
Why it matters: Pinterest users are planners with high intent. The platform remains underutilized despite offering low competition and high-conversion potential. With a structured strategy, marketers can unlock traffic that actually drives action.
If you’re optimizing for visibility, searchability now includes platforms like the App Store, AI tools, and LLMs. August brought new signals to track and new boxes to check.
What happened: Apple is bringing more search functionality to the App Store by indexing keywords inside Custom Product Pages (CPPs). Until now, CPPs were primarily used for personalized ad targeting. Now they’re organic content.
Source: 36 KR Europe
Why it matters: This gives mobile marketers a new way to win App Store traffic organically, especially for segmented use cases or campaigns that aren’t covered in your main listing. With the right keyword targeting and design strategy, CPPs can pull double duty, supporting both ASO and ad performance.
What to do:
What happened: Apple also announced it’s now indexing the text that appears in App Store screenshot captions. That means every piece of visual creative now contributes to your keyword strategy.
Why it matters: Screenshots were already important for conversion. Now they matter for discoverability too. Keyword-rich visuals give Apple more content to crawl and understand—especially for users browsing visually.
What to do:
AI tools, platform automation, and saturated SERPs are raising the bar. Authority has to be earned, proven, and distributed consistently. These updates reinforce that your brand’s visibility will hinge on your credibility.
What happened: Press releases are making a comeback, but not in the way you think. Structured announcements are increasingly picked up by LLMs and surfaced in AI-generated summaries. Tools like Gemini and Perplexity favor the clarity and authority of press releases over less structured blog content.
Why it matters: This gives you a new reason to invest in PR distribution. The right release can now earn brand visibility in traditional news cycles and AI-driven discovery.
What to do:
What happened: Twitch isn’t just for gamers anymore. More creators in beauty, fitness, lifestyle, and music are building loyal communities through live content.
Why it matters: Twitch combines community, interactivity, and long-form attention, all ingredients for meaningful brand connection.
What to do:
AI is changing how search works. Platforms are changing how campaigns run. And users are shifting how they discover, evaluate, and engage with brands.
To win in this new era, your strategy needs to evolve:
Want help navigating all of it? Let’s talk about how we can help.
LinkedIn reports that professionals trust their networks more than AI or search engines for work advice, with spending shifting to creators and community content.
The post LinkedIn Study: Professionals Trust Their Networks Over AI & Search appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
Google launches Merchant loyalty offerings, bringing member pricing and shipping into Shopping ads and free listings while adding a loyalty goal in Google Ads.
The post Google Brings Loyalty Offerings To Merchant Retailers appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
If you’re looking to build no-code or low-code automation, you may have stumbled upon Make and Zapier. Both are popular in our Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) category, and while they may seem similar at first glance, they serve slightly different user needs.
See how advanced users are unlocking Semrush’s full potential—from defending SEO in court to building scalable AI workflows and reporting systems.
