Nov 7 2024
Ask An SEO: Should I Point Guest Post Backlinks To Homepages Or Individual Ones? via @sejournal, @rollerblader

This week’s Ask An SEO question comes from Nazim from Islamabad, who asks:

“I have a price comparison/aggregator website with my country’s domain. I want to ask what type of backlinks/guests posts should I have (local/international).

Also, I should build backlinks to my homepage or category/individual pages, too? Besides are (name removed) and (name removed) authentic platforms for backlinks building?”

Great question, Nazim, and happy to help.

I’m breaking the answer into three sections: The first is guest posting in general, then the homepage or category and individual pages, and the last is where to get quality links.

The first two have a TL;DR if you’re short on time. Otherwise, there’s a longer explanation if you want the thoughts or SEO theory behind it.

I’d like to emphasize where to get backlinks before going into the rest of the post.

Where To Get Backlinks

If you want backlinks that can move the needle and build stability, it comes down to quality and natural backlinks. This means the website should:

  • Not list that they allow guest posting or advertorials anywhere (except in the case of mass media as advertorials are clearly marked).
  • Only allow vetted and knowledgeable contributors who are invited to write columns.
  • Have quality control policies in place, including using proper link attributes like “sponsored, nofollow, etc.”
  • Not link to topically irrelevant sites externally, and definitely not the big P’s (porn, payday, pills, personal loans, etc.) unless you’re in those industries.
  • Make it hard to get an actual link (social media, forums, and blog comments allow anyone to post, and many allow links, so they are not earned or hard to get).

You can get quality links from:

  • Local media sites and blogs for local businesses.
  • Industry and trade publications.
  • Niche websites and content creators.
  • National media in directly relevant and non-affiliate sections.
  • PR stunts and events that have direct tie-ins (not scholarships or grants) to your actual products and services (don’t do a surfboarding scholarship and expect to rank long-term).

Guest Posting For Backlinks

TL;DR: Guest posting has its place, but it should not be used to build backlinks because guest posts are not earned.

Guest posting can build trust in you as an expert or brand authority and drive an audience to your website who is interested in the content you produce, the products you sell, or the services you offer.

Guest posting should only be done on topically relevant websites with an active audience, where audience acquisition – not backlinks – is the goal.

When Not To Do Guest Posting

The first thing is that guest posting and link database providers, based on my experience, are red flags SEO-wise and should not be used.

That doesn’t mean good ones don’t exist. Think about it this way.

If you’re using the same systems as everyone else, and it’s the same sites, or there’s a low cost to entry, your links are likely going to be part of a PBN (private blog network, also known as link farms, link wheels, link exchange networks, etc.) or easily mapped network.

The search engines will ignore these links, and you will waste your time and money.  Other times, they could lead to an action against your website because they are not natural.

More importantly, if you can get into or see a list of them, do you think search engines cannot access them?

There are third-party tools like Majestic SEO that database and map these all the time.

If they’re able to find PBNs and guest posting rings as an independent company, Google, Bing, and giant corporations can likely do it at a much larger scale.

If these sites allow themselves to be listed in databases and actively allow guest posting or link selling because they make money from it, they’re likely going to be ignored or eventually cause a manual action for unnatural link building.

Instead, focus on links other sites do not have and that are not part of these systems or platforms.

Getting the links nobody else has from topically relevant websites and genuine non-pay-to-play websites helps move the needle, especially if the site is a trusted authority in your niche.

When To Guest Post

If you decide guest posting is part of your business plan, focus on websites that are topically relevant to your industry and have your users as subscribers.

The website should also have a readership base that comes back at least once a week to read new content that has been published.

Search Engine Journal is a good example.

I do not use it to build backlinks to my blog, but I do contribute because one of the services my marketing agency offers is SEO.

Marketers engage with SEJ’s webinars, podcasts, newsletter blasts, social media, and they check back for new content.

By contributing via the columns, I’m reaching an audience of marketers, which is my target audience.

Some of you also write and ask how to subscribe and get access as I publish new content (thank you, by the way; I let the editorial staff know).

Being a columnist allows me to build trust with the readership who checks back. I don’t do it for backlinks, and I don’t think I’ve ever sourced my site from one of my articles.

If there is a link, it was added by its editors because they thought my resource was high enough quality, and they didn’t have one of their own.

Linking To The Homepage Or A Category Page

TL;DR: Link to your homepage and not a category page.

Categories do not provide more information or value; category page links are used to game the system and work against you. Categories will rank naturally when the rest of the website is trustworthy.

For guest posts and backlinks to feel natural, you should be referencing your own brand and homepage.

The alternate is if you have a resource, and the site you’re pitching does not have an equal one, get the link to your resource as it is original and the only one available.

Longer Explanation

I always recommend homepage links off of the brand when it comes to link building, especially with guest posting.

Being a brand that people search sends a very strong signal you’re an authority to algorithms.

When people search for your site by name, they’ll likely also add modifiers to the query, such as colors, sizes, adjectives, brands, etc.

These modifiers signal why people go to your website.

It could be the best recipe for brownies for health conditions like diabetes, which color of paint makes sense for a contemporary living room, or the right brand of servers and racks are needed for a data center.

These modifiers with your brand let the search engines know that if they want the person searching to keep using their engine, they need to crawl and index more of your website to find the specific page or category their searcher was looking for.

If the search engine only had your homepage indexed, but the person wants a specific product line, the search engine makes their user work harder than other search engines by having users search for the pages.

Here’s an example. If you sell wall paint, and the search engines only had your homepage, they would give that result as people search for your company by name.

Suddenly, the color you developed became the color of the year; now, people are searching for your brand plus the name of the color or the numeric mix to find it.

By not crawling and indexing your site, it cannot surface that specific page, but other search engines do.

If other search engines surface that specific color, they win the user. When more users search because the engine has better results, the search engine can show more ads.

The more ads they show, the more money they make. So, build your brand + modifiers.

When someone adds your brand plus “blue,” “washable,” “kitchen,” and other modifiers, the search engine will know it needs to explore further to keep the searcher coming back.

In the above scenario, winning the award or recognition will naturally build backlinks because your product or service won something of value. The same with the photograph of the year, holiday toy of the year, etc.

There’s a lot more to it, and this is where branding comes into play.

Once you’re a known brand or destination site that consumers trust, there’s a better chance that bloggers, journalists, and others will link to your category, review, blog posts, and comparison pages naturally.

If you do it from a guest post, it may count for a while, but it will also likely backfire, as you are giving yourself a backlink, not something earned.

Linking off of your brand gets that branded search going.

Search engines make their money by selling ad space. They can only sell ad space if users are searching. If they give bad results, fewer people will continue using their search engines, which is why they need to focus on quality.

Guest posting for backlinks is a bad idea.

Yes, it works until you get caught, so if you’re doing it for backlinks, always have a second and third strategy to offset the guest posting links.

If you want to do a churn and burn site where you grow it to sell fast, guest posting and PBNs can be a great strategy for you, but it is at the buyer’s expense who will pay the price.

When you want a website that makes money and generates steady revenue, go with evergreen and quality links instead of gimmicks and easy-to-trace techniques like guest posting.

I hope this helps.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal 

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Nov 7 2024
Automattic Taunts WP Engine With Provocative Website via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Automattic appears to have created a site that draws attention to the number of customers that have left WP Engine for another web host. The site includes a searchable database of websites hosted on WP Engine that can also be downloaded as a CSV spreadsheet.

The name of the website is WP Engine Tracker, it features a prominent Automattic logo and a link to an associated GitHub  repository that shows an Automattic employee is the developer of the website.

Ongoing Dispute Between Automattic And WP Engine

The website is the latest escalation in a dispute initiated by Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-founder and CEO of Automattic, who argues that WP Engine’s contributions to WordPress development fall short. WordPress relies on contributions and sponsorships from volunteers, businesses, and individuals who benefit from the platform. The underlying principle is that the more everyone contributes the more the entire community benefits, strengthening WordPress’s position as the world’s most popular content management system.

The text of the website features a number representing the websites that have left WP Engine and an explanation:

“This is the number of websites that have left WP Engine and found a new home since Sep 21, 2024.

Search below to see if a site is still hosted by WP Engine”

Comments Left On WP Engine Tracker GitHub Repository

The website links to a GitHub repository that lists the author of the WP Engine Tracker website as being someone who works for Automattic.

Screenshot Of Author Listed On GitHub Repository

The Issues tab of the official GitHub repository contains critiques of the project and some criticism.

The first comment notes that the counter is incorrect because it claims to count websites that have left WP Engine but that it should be saying how many domains have left. The reason is because of the “websites” listed redirect to one domain, which means that the count is inflated.

Another person commented:

“It’s possible some folks have left WordPress as well, so saying sites have left WP Engine doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve gone to another web host that supports WordPress. This is a really tacky endeavor. I am not impressed at all.”

The latest comment calls the website “amateurish”:

“Also the check, if a domain is hosted by WPE, is quite amateurish.

https://github.com/wordpressenginetracker/wordpressenginetracker.github.io/blob/trunk/index.js#L118

missing dot at beginning for some
only checks subdomains
I’m not sure what the goal of this website is and what Matt tries to achieve. But the community is getting increasingly annoyed of such unprofessional behavior of Matt and in the security community some also think about dropping 0days for WordPress and related plugins / themes due to this whole situation.

The feedback under the tweet from the official WordPress account and in the reddit community shows, what most of us think.

The whole situation hurts everyone more than needed.”

Screenshot Of GitHub Repository For WP Engine Tracker

What Is The Point Of The Website?

It’s unclear what the purpose of the WP Engine Tracker website is other than the stated purpose of tracking sites that have left WP Engine.

The website draws attention to the specific domains of websites that have moved away from WP Engine but what purpose does that serve? Is the purpose is to draw attention to sites that could be solicited to move away from WP Engine? If so, there’s nothing on the website that encourages that use of the information.  The WP Engine Tracker website is silent about what site visitors should do with the data.

Visit the WP Engine Tracker site here

Visit the WP Engine Tracker GitHub Repository here.

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Wirestock Creators

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Nov 7 2024
Delivering the next-generation barcode

The world’s first barcode, designed in 1948, took more than 25 years to make it out of the lab and onto a retail package. Since then, the barcode has done much more than make grocery checkouts faster—it has remade our understanding of how physical objects can be identified and tracked, creating a new pace and set of expectations for the speed and reliability of modern commerce.

Nearly eighty years later, a new iteration of that technology, which encodes data in two dimensions, is poised to take the stage. Today’s 2D barcode is not only out of the lab but “open to a world of possibility,” says Carrie Wilkie, senior vice president of standards and technology at GS1 US.

2D barcodes encode substantially more information than their 1D counterparts. This enables them to link physical objects to a wide array of digital resources. For consumers, 2D barcodes can provide a wealth of product information, from food allergens, expiration dates, and safety recalls to detailed medication use instructions, coupons, and product offers. For businesses, 2D barcodes can enhance operational efficiencies, create traceability at the lot or item level, and drive new forms of customer engagement.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

An array of 2D barcode types supports the information needs of a variety of industries. The GS1 DataMatrix, for example, is used on medication or medical devices, encoding expiration dates, batch and lot numbers, and FDA National Drug Codes. The QR Code is familiar to consumers who have used one to open a website from their phone. Adding a GS1 Digital Link URI to a QR Code enables it to serve two purposes: as both a traditional barcode for supply chain operations, enabling tracking throughout the supply chain and price lookup at checkout, and also as a consumer-facing link to digital information, like expiry dates and serial numbers.

Regardless of type, however, all 2D barcodes require a business ecosystem backed by data. To capture new value from advanced barcodes, organizations must supply and manage clean, accurate, and interoperable data around their products and materials. For 2D barcodes to deliver on their potential, businesses will need to collaborate with partners, suppliers, and customers and commit to common data standards across the value chain.

Driving the demand for 2D barcodes

Shifting to 2D barcodes—and enabling the data ecosystems behind them—will require investment by business. Consumer engagement, compliance, and sustainability are among the many factors driving this transition.

Real-time consumer engagement: Today’s customers want to feel connected to the brands they interact with and purchase from. Information is a key element of that engagement and empowerment. “When I think about customer satisfaction,” says Leslie Hand, group vice president for IDC Retail Insights, “I’m thinking about how I can provide more information that allows them to make better decisions about their own lives and the things they buy.”

2D barcodes can help by connecting consumers to online content in real time. “If, by using a 2D barcode, you have the capability to connect to a consumer in a specific region, or a specific store, and you have the ability to provide information to that consumer about the specific product in their hand, that can be a really powerful consumer engagement tool,” says Dan Hardy, director of customer operations for HanesBrands, Inc. “2D barcodes can bring brand and product connectivity directly to an individual consumer, and create an interaction that supports your brand message at an individual consumer/product level.”

Download the full report.

This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Review’s editorial staff.

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Nov 7 2024
The US is about to make a sharp turn on climate policy

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.

Voters have elected Donald Trump to a second term in the White House.

In the days leading up to the election, I kept thinking about what four years means for climate change right now. We’re at a critical moment that requires decisive action to rapidly slash greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, transportation, industry, and the rest of the economy if we’re going to achieve our climate goals.

The past four years have seen the US take climate action seriously, working with the international community and pumping money into solutions. Now, we’re facing a period where things are going to be very different. A Trump presidency will have impacts far beyond climate, but for the sake of this newsletter, we’ll stay focused on what four years means in the climate fight as we start to make sense of this next chapter. 

Joe Biden arguably did more to combat climate change than any other American president. One of his first actions in office was rejoining the Paris climate accord—Trump pulled out of the international agreement to fight climate change during his first term in office. Biden then quickly set a new national goal to cut US carbon emissions in half, relative to their peak, by 2030.

The Environmental Protection Agency rolled out rules for power plants to slash pollution that harms both human health and the climate. The agency also announced new regulations for vehicle emissions to push the country toward EVs.

And the cornerstone of the Biden years has been unprecedented climate investment. A trio of laws—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into infrastructure and research, much of it on climate.

Now, this ship is about to make a quick turn. Donald Trump has regularly dismissed the threat of climate change and promised throughout the campaign to counter some of Biden’s key moves.

We can expect to see a dramatic shift in how the US talks about climate on the international stage. Trump has vowed to once again withdraw from the Paris agreement. Things are going to be weird at the annual global climate talks that kick off next week.

We can also expect to see efforts to undo some of Biden’s key climate actions, most centrally the Inflation Reduction Act, as my colleague James Temple covered earlier this year.

What, exactly, Trump can do will depend on whether Republicans take control of both houses of Congress. A clean sweep would open up more lanes for targeting legislation passed under Biden. (As of sending this email, Republicans have secured enough seats to control the Senate, but the House is uncertain and could be for days or even weeks.)

I don’t think the rug will be entirely pulled out from under the IRA—portions of the investment from the law are beginning to pay off, and the majority of the money has gone to Republican districts. But there will certainly be challenges to pieces, especially the EV tax credits, which Trump has been laser-focused on during the campaign.

This all adds up to a very different course on climate than what many had hoped we might see for the rest of this decade.

A Trump presidency could add 4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere by 2030 over what was expected from a second Biden term, according to an analysis published in April by the website Carbon Brief (this was before Biden dropped out of the race). That projection sees emissions under Trump dropping by 28% below the peak by the end of the decade—nowhere near the 50% target set by Biden at the beginning of his term.

The US, which is currently the world’s second-largest greenhouse-gas emitter and has added more climate pollution to the atmosphere than any other nation, is now very unlikely to hit Biden’s 2030 goal. That’s basically the final nail in the coffin for efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) over preindustrial levels.

In the days, weeks, and years ahead we’ll be covering what this change will mean for efforts to combat climate change and to protect the most vulnerable from the dangerous world we’re marching toward—indeed, already living in. Stay tuned for more from us.

Now read the rest of The Spark

Related reading

Trump wants to unravel Biden’s landmark climate law. Read our coverage from earlier this year to see what’s most at risk. 

It’s been two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed, ushering in hundreds of billions of dollars in climate investment. Read more about the key provisions in this newsletter from August. 

silhouette of a cow with letters C,T,G,A floating inside in brilliant orange light

MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW | GETTY

Another thing

Jennifer Doudna, one of the inventors of the gene-editing tool CRISPR, says the tech could be a major tool to help address climate change and deal with the growing risks of our changing world. 

The hope is that CRISPR’s ability to chop out specific pieces of DNA will make it faster and easier to produce climate-resilient crops and livestock, while avoiding the pitfalls of previous attempts to tweak the genomes of plants and animals. Read the full story from my colleague James Temple.

Keeping up with climate  

Startup Redoxblox is building a technology that’s not exactly a thermal battery, but it’s not not a thermal battery either. The company raised just over $30 million to build its systems, which store energy in both heat and chemical bonds. (Heatmap)

It’s been a weird fall in the US Northeast—a rare drought has brought a string of wildfires, and New York City is seeing calls to conserve water. (New York Times)

It’s been bumpy skies this week for electric-plane startups. Beta Technologies raised over $300 million in funding, while Lilium may be filing for insolvency soon. (Canary Media)

→ The runway for futuristic electric planes is still a long one. (MIT Technology Review)

Meta’s plan to build a nuclear-powered AI data center has been derailed by a rare species of bee living on land earmarked for the project. (Financial Times)

The atmospheric concentration of methane—a powerful greenhouse gas—has been mysteriously climbing since 2007, and that growth nearly doubled in 2020. Now scientists may have finally figured out the culprits: microbes in wetlands that are getting warmer and wetter. (Washington Post)

Greenhouse-gas emissions from the European Union fell by 8% in 2023. The drop is thanks to efforts to shut down coal-fired power plants and generate more electricity from renewables like solar and wind. (The Guardian)

Four electric school buses could help officials figure out how to charge future bus fleets. A project in Brooklyn will aim to use onsite renewables and smart charging to control the costs and grid stress of EV charging depots. (Canary Media)

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Nov 7 2024
Trump’s win is a tragic loss for climate progress

Donald Trump’s decisive victory is a stunning setback for climate change.

The Republican president-elect’s return to the White House means the US is going to squander precious momentum, unraveling hard-won policy progress that was just beginning to pay off, all for the second time in less than a decade. 

It comes at a moment when the world can’t afford to waste time, with nations far off track from any emissions trajectories that would keep our ecosystems stable and our communities safe. Under the policies in place today, the planet is already set to warm by more than 3 °C over preindustrial levels in the coming decades.

Trump could push the globe into even more dangerous terrain, by defanging President Joe Biden’s signature climate laws. In fact, a second Trump administration could boost greenhouse-gas emissions by 4 billion tons through 2030 alone, according to an earlier analysis by Carbon Brief, a well-regarded climate news and data site. That will exacerbate the dangers of heat waves, floods, wildfires, droughts, and famine and increase deaths and disease from air pollution, inflicting some $900 million in climate damages around the world, Carbon Brief found.

I started as the climate editor at MIT Technology Review just as Trump came into office the last time. Much of the early job entailed covering his systematic unraveling of the modest climate policy and progress that President Barack Obama had managed to achieve. I fear it will be far worse this time, as Trump ambles into office feeling empowered and aggrieved, and ready to test the rule of law and crack down on dissent. 

This time he’ll be staffed all the more by loyalists and idealogues, who have already made plans to force out civil servants with expertise and experience from federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency. He’ll be backed by a Supreme Court that he moved well to the right, and which has already undercut landmark environmental doctrines and weakened federal regulatory agencies. 

This time the setbacks will sting more, too, because the US did finally manage to pass real, substantive climate policy, through the slimmest of congressional margins. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated massive amounts of government funding to accelerating the shift to low-emissions industries and rebuilding the US manufacturing base around a clean-energy economy. 

Trump has made clear he will strive to repeal as many of these provisions as he can, tempered perhaps only by Republicans who recognize that these laws are producing revenue and jobs in their districts. Meanwhile, throughout the prolonged presidential campaign, Trump or his surrogates pledged to boost oil and gas production, eliminate federal support for electric vehicles, end pollution rules for power plants, and remove the US from the Paris climate agreement yet again. Each of those goals stands in direct opposition to the deep, rapid emissions cuts now necessary to prevent the planet from tipping past higher and higher temperature thresholds.

Project 2025, considered a blueprint for the early days of a second Trump administration despite his insistence to the contrary, calls for dismantling or downsizing federal institutions including the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That could cripple the nation’s ability to forecast, track, or respond to storms, floods, and fires like those that have devastated communities in recent months.

Observers I’ve spoken to fear that the Trump administration will also return the Department of Energy, which under Biden had evolved its mission toward developing low-emissions technologies, to the primary task of helping companies dig up more fossil fuels.

The US election could create global ripples as well, and very soon. US negotiators will meet with their counterparts at the annual UN climate conference that kicks off next week. With Trump set to move back into the White House in January, they will have little credibility or leverage to nudge other nations to step up their commitments to reducing emissions. 

But those are just some of the direct ways that a second Trump administration will enfeeble the nation’s ability to drive down emissions and counter the growing dangers of climate change. He also has considerable power to stall the economy and sow international chaos amid escalating conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. 

Trump’s eagerness to enact tariffs, slash government spending, and deport major portions of the workforce may stunt growth, drive up inflation, and chill investment. All that would make it far more difficult for companies to raise the capital and purchase the components needed to build anything in the US, whether that means wind turbines, solar farms, and seawalls or buildings, bridges, and data centers. 

view from behind Trump on stage election night 2024 with press and crowd
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at an election night event in West Palm Beach, Florida.
WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES

His clumsy handling of the economy and international affairs may also help China extend its dominance in producing and selling the components that are crucial to the energy transition, including batteries, EVs, and solar panels, to customers around the globe.

If one job of a commentator is to find some perspective in difficult moments, I admit I’m mostly failing in this one.

The best I can do is to say that there will be some meaningful lines of defense. For now ,at least, state leaders and legislatures can continue to enact and implement stronger climate rules. Other nations could step up their efforts to cut emissions and assert themselves as global leaders on climate. 

Private industry will likely continue to invest in and build businesses in climate tech and clean energy, since solar, wind, batteries, and EVs have proved themselves as competitive industries. And technological progress can occur no matter who is sitting in the round room on Pennsylvania Avenue, since researchers continue striving to develop cleaner, cheaper ways of producing our energy, food, and goods.

By any measure, the job of addressing climate change is now much harder. Nothing, however, has changed about the stakes. 

Our world doesn’t end if we surpass 2 °C, 2.5 °C, or even 3 °C, but it will steadily become a more dangerous and erratic place. Every tenth of a degree remains worth fighting for—whether two, four, or a dozen years from now—because every bit of warming that nations pull together to prevent eases future suffering somewhere.

So as the shock wears off and the despair begins to lift, the core task before us remains the same: to push for progress, whenever, wherever, and however we can. 

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Nov 7 2024
Charts: Global Ecommerce Trends Q3 2024

The internet is connecting the world. As of July 2024, 5.45 billion people —  67.1% of the global population — were internet users. Among them, 5.17 billion (63.7%) were active on social media.

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Worldwide retail ecommerce growth through 2029 will fluctuate, with the overall trend being positive, according to Statista. The food segment will experience the highest revenue, reaching an estimated $1.23 trillion by the end of the period.

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In addition, Turkey will experience the most retail ecommerce growth from 2024 to 2029, with a compound annual growth through 2029 of 11.6%. India and Brazil are also among the world’s fastest-growing ecommerce markets, each projected to have a CAGR exceeding 11%.

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Moreover, during Q2 2024, online shoppers worldwide spent an average of approximately $2.78 per visit across all categories. Health and beauty led in spending per visit at $3.27, followed by home furniture at $3.09 per visit.

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Nov 6 2024
App store optimization: A guide to enhance your app’s visibility

App store optimization (ASO) helps your app stand out in busy marketplaces. It’s about making your app more visible and increasing downloads. This guide will provide strategies for both Google Play and Apple App Store, perfect for those starting or looking to improve.

Table of contents

What is app store optimization?

App store optimization is an important process for app developers and marketers. It is a way to make your app more noticeable in a crowded online environment. The primary aim of ASO is to enhance your app’s visibility so that potential users can find it easily among millions of other apps.

Visibility is the first step to success. When your app ranks higher in search results, more people will see it, which can lead to more downloads. But ASO doesn’t stop there. It’s also about attracting the right users — those likely to engage with your app and find value in it.

ASO involves several strategies to achieve these goals. These include selecting the right keywords, writing engaging descriptions, and making sure your app’s visuals appeal. Each element makes your app appealing to both the app store algorithms and potential users.

In short, ASO is about optimizing all aspects of your app’s listing to improve its chances of being discovered and downloaded. App store optimization can significantly impact your app’s success in the marketplace.

Google Play and Apple’s App Store are the biggest marketplaces for apps

ASO vs. SEO

App store optimization and search engine optimization aim to improve visibility, but they operate in distinct environments. ASO is specific to app stores like Google Play and Apple App Store, while SEO focuses on Google Search and other platforms where users search for information. Understanding the differences and similarities between these two can enhance your app’s strategy.

One key difference is the platform. ASO deals with app-specific factors like app titles, keywords, ratings, and reviews. In contrast, SEO involves optimizing website content, backlinks, site structure, and more.

User intent also varies. App store users typically search for specific functionalities, games, or entertainment, whereas web searchers often seek commercial insights, general information, or answers to specific questions. Of course, there are instances where an online store offers both a good mobile experience and an app in various stores. It all depends on the strategy.

Despite these differences, ASO and SEO share some common ground. Both rely heavily on keywords to improve search rankings. In ASO, keywords help your app rank higher in app store search results, just as they do for web pages in SEO. Quality content is crucial in both areas. For ASO, this means clear app descriptions and engaging visuals, while SEO involves well-written, relevant website content. User engagement plays a vital role, too. High engagement, such as time spent on the app or positive user ratings, can lead to better rankings in app stores and search engines.

google result of a search for writing apps for ipad showing the ulysses app
Google indexes app listings, so you can also use your SEO tactics to help rank these

What does app store optimization focus on?

Understanding the main components of app store optimization is essential for improving your app’s visibility and attracting more downloads. Each element is important for how the app store’s algorithms work and how potential users perceive your app.

Keyword research

Keywords are at the heart of ASO. Selecting the right keywords can increase the chances of your app being discovered. Start by identifying terms that potential users might use to search for apps like yours. Use tools to analyze keyword popularity and competition. Updating your keyword research regularly is important to adapt to changing trends and user behavior.

App title and subtitle/short description

Your app’s title is one of the first things users see. It should be catchy and include important keywords. The subtitle or short description allows you to highlight key features or benefits. A compelling title and subtitle can make your app more appealing and improve its search ranking.

app store listing for ulysses showing the title and subtitle
The title of the app tells you the most important things, while the subtitle expands on that

App description

Your app description needs to be informative and engaging. It should clearly explain what your app does and why it’s valuable to users. Use this space to incorporate keywords naturally, but avoid keyword stuffing. The goal is to provide enough information to convince users to download your app.

an app listing for ulysses in the apple app store showing the description
Well-written descriptions help your app rank better and attract more users

App icon and screenshots

Visuals play a significant role in attracting users. Your app icon should be simple, memorable, and convey the essence of your app. Screenshots offer a glimpse into the app’s features and functionality. They should be high quality and highlight what makes your app unique. These visuals can influence a user’s decision to download your app. If it makes sense, you could also add a short highlight video.

the mobile listing for duolingo showing the famous owl logo
A very recognizable logo, right? And the app title tells you what it does in just two words

Ratings and reviews

User ratings and reviews impact your app’s reputation and ranking. Encourage satisfied users to leave positive feedback. Responding to positive and negative reviews shows that you value user input and are committed to improving the app. Addressing user concerns can improve ratings and boost user trust.

App updates

Regular updates are crucial for maintaining your app’s relevance and performance. Updates can include new features, bug fixes, or improvements. Communicating these updates clearly to users can enhance their experience and keep them engaged. Consistent updates can also positively affect your app’s ranking in the app store.

Platform-specific ASO strategies

While the core principles of app store optimization apply across platforms, the Google Play and Apple App Stores have unique characteristics that require tailored strategies. Understanding these nuances can enhance your app’s visibility and success on each platform.

Google Play Store

The Google Play Store uses a distinct algorithm for ranking apps. Keyword usage, user engagement, and app performance play significant roles. The Google Play Console offers features that can help you optimize your app’s presence. Include relevant keywords in your app’s title and description, which are crucial for search rankings.

User engagement metrics, such as downloads and active users, also affect your app’s visibility. Encouraging users to interact with your app and leave positive reviews can boost your rankings. Additionally, Google Play allows for A/B testing of your app’s listing, enabling you to experiment with different visuals and descriptions to see what resonates with users.

Google Play Console has tons of features to help you grow your app

Apple App Store

The Apple App Store has its own ranking factors and review processes. Unlike Google Play, Apple emphasizes the app’s metadata, such as the title, subtitle, and keyword field. It’s vital to use these fields wisely to ensure your app is discoverable. The App Store Connect platform provides insights into your app’s performance and user engagement.

Regularly updating your app with new features and improvements can enhance its appeal and ranking. Apple’s review process is more stringent, so make sure your app complies with their guidelines to avoid delays. Encouraging users to leave ratings and reviews can significantly impact your app’s reputation and visibility.

Measuring ASO success

Tracking and measuring success is essential to ensuring the effectiveness of your app store optimization efforts. This involves monitoring key performance metrics and using analytics tools to refine your strategies.

Key metrics to track

One of the primary metrics to monitor is the number of app downloads. This indicates how well your app is attracting new users. Look for trends or sudden changes in download numbers, as these can signal the impact of your ASO efforts. Another crucial metric is the conversion rate, which measures how many users download your app after visiting its page. A high conversion rate suggests that your app listing is appealing and effectively communicates the app’s value.

User engagement is another important area to track. Monitoring how often users open your app, how much time they spend on it, and which features they use can provide insights into its effectiveness and user satisfaction. High engagement levels often correlate with better rankings in app stores, as they indicate a valuable app experience. Ratings and reviews also offer valuable feedback. A steady flow of positive reviews can boost your app’s reputation and visibility. Keep an eye on the average rating and the number of reviews to ensure you meet user expectations.

Tools for analyzing and improving ASO strategies

Several tools can help analyze your ASO performance. Platforms like App Radar and Sensor Tower provide detailed analytics on app store performance, including keyword rankings and competitor analysis. These tools can help identify which keywords are driving traffic and where adjustments might be needed. Google Play Console and App Store Connect offer built-in analytics that provide insights into user behavior and app performance.

Use these platforms to track metrics like user retention, download source, and geographic distribution, which can inform your ASO strategies. Regularly reviewing these metrics and using analytical tools will help you understand what’s working and what isn’t.

the app analytics section in apple app store connect
Apple’s App Store Connect has many options to see how users interact with your app

App store optimization mistakes to avoid

App Store Optimization (ASO) is crucial for boosting your app’s visibility and downloads, but common mistakes can undermine your efforts. Avoiding these pitfalls can significantly enhance your app’s performance.

Neglecting keyword research is a frequent error. Keywords are vital for discoverability. Use research tools to find relevant, high-volume keywords that match your app’s features, and update them regularly to align with market trends.

Another mistake is underestimating the importance of visuals. Your app icon, screenshots, and promotional videos are the first impressions users get. Poor-quality visuals can deter downloads, so invest in professional design to make them attractive and cohesive. Highlight key features and benefits in your screenshots to set clear user expectations.

Ignoring app reviews and ratings can harm your app’s reputation and ranking. Encourage users to leave reviews and respond to feedback promptly. Constructive responses to negative reviews show commitment to user satisfaction and can improve your app’s image.

Not updating your app regularly is also detrimental. Updates keep your app relevant and improve its performance. Include new features, bug fixes, and enhancements, and communicate these updates to keep users engaged.

Finally, avoid keyword stuffing in your app description. While keywords are important, overuse can make descriptions hard to read and lead to penalties from app stores. Focus on clear, engaging, and informative descriptions that naturally incorporate keywords.

Improving in-app purchase

After successfully working on your ASO, you can also improve paid in-app purchases — if you have these — to maximize revenue. Start by analyzing user behavior to identify popular features and potential purchase opportunities, using tools like Google Analytics for insights.

Communicate the value of in-app purchases. Highlight benefits with compelling descriptions and visuals, and ensure pricing reflects the perceived value. Make the purchase process smooth and intuitive to prevent user drop-off. Consider prompts for users who show interest but don’t complete purchases.

Personalize offers to align with user interests, using data to create targeted promotions. Limited-time discounts or bundles can encourage purchases and enhance user satisfaction. Regularly update your app with fresh content to maintain engagement and create new purchase opportunities.

User feedback is invaluable for refining in-app offerings. Address common concerns and implement suggested features to boost satisfaction and purchase rates. Conduct A/B testing on pricing and promotions to find what works best with your audience.

Conclusion

App store optimization is an ongoing process that is vital to your app’s success. Focusing on keyword research, engaging visuals, and user feedback helps to improve your app’s visibility and appeal. Tailoring strategies to specific platforms like Google Play and Apple App Store helps maximize reach.

Consider your monetization strategy as well. Whether through in-app purchases or ads, align these with user experience to boost revenue without disrupting engagement. Personalization and strategic ad placement can improve outcomes.

Integrating ASO with effective monetization and engagement strategies ensures your app attracts and retains users. Adjust to algorithm changes and user preferences to position your app for long-term success. Continuously optimizing your approach will drive downloads and revenue, making ASO an essential tool for success in the app marketplace.



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is an experienced strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he worked for a top-tier web design magazine, where he developed a keen understanding of how to create great content.

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Nov 6 2024
YouTube Launches ‘Data Stories’ For First-Day Video Metrics via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube’s latest update introduces experimental features to enhance creator analytics and community engagement,

Additionally, YouTube is rolling out improvements to brand collaboration.

Key Updates

Data Stories

YouTube is testing a “data story” feature in its Studio mobile app that helps creators understand their video performance.

This tool provides a visual breakdown of the first 24 hours’ metrics, making it easier to identify key performance drivers.

Screenshot from: YouTube.com/CreatorInsider, November 2024.

Data stories transform YouTube’s analytics for creators by offering a narrative format instead of the traditional multi-tab dashboard.

“Most Relevant” Filter

YouTube recently rebranded its Comments tab to “Community” and is now introducing a “most relevant” comment filter.

This new feature, currently being tested with a select group, analyzes a channel’s comments to highlight potential engagement opportunities, such as viewer questions.

Screenshot from: YouTube.com/CreatorInsider, November 2024.

The introduction of the “most relevant” filter in the Community tab is timely, as YouTube aims to reinforce its position against competitors like TikTok and Instagram.

This feature:

  • Utilizes AI to pinpoint valuable comments throughout a creator’s entire channel
  • Prioritizes viewer questions and fosters meaningful interactions
  • Assists creators in managing engagement more efficiently on both mobile and desktop platforms

Video Linking

YouTube is allowing eligible creators to initiate video linking requests with advertisers.

This option is available to YouTube Partner Program members with more than 4,000 subscribers and focuses specifically on Shorts content.

Screenshot from: YouTube.com/CreatorInsider, November 2024.

Previously, only advertisers could start video linking requests sent through emails and YouTube notifications. The new system empowers creators to proactively connect with brands, as YouTube suggests tagged content to potential advertisers.

Once approved, these links enable advertisers to access organic video performance data through Google Ads and establish clear content reuse rights between creators and brands.

Looking Ahead

As YouTube continues to roll out these features, here’s what you need to know:

  • Data stories are in beta – most creators won’t have access yet
  • The new comment filter should help spot meaningful viewer interactions faster
  • To use the brand linking tool, you’ll need 4K+ subs and YPP status

YouTube’s collecting feedback on all these features, so expect tweaks and updates. Keep an eye on your Studio dashboard for when these roll out to your channel.

See the full news update below:

Featured Image: JarTee/Shutterstock

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Nov 6 2024
AI-Enhanced Keyword Selection In PPC via @sejournal, @brookeosmundson

Let’s be honest – PPC keyword research can be tedious.

Sifting through search terms, analyzing performance data, and trying to predict what people will type into the search bar next feels like an endless puzzle.

This is where AI can enter the game.

This isn’t just about adding another buzzword to your marketing toolbox – AI can actually save you time and give you insights you might miss on your own.

In this article, we’ll explore how AI can take the grunt work out of your keyword strategy.

Whether you’re hunting for new keywords, optimizing your existing campaigns, or cleaning up your negative keyword lists, AI offers real, actionable solutions.

Let’s break down exactly how you can use AI to level up your PPC keyword game without the headaches.

Why AI Matters For PPC Keyword Selection

Before we jump into how to use AI to enhance your keyword strategy, it’s worth understanding why AI is a game-changer for PPC.

AI tools can process vast amounts of data faster than any human ever could. They identify patterns, analyze search behavior, and even predict trends, giving you insights that are both actionable and timely.

Instead of spending hours combing through search terms, competitor ads, or campaign performance reports, AI does the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on higher-level strategy.

More importantly, AI tools learn and adapt over time, becoming smarter with each data point they analyze.

That means your keyword research and selection process becomes not just automated, but also continually improving.

Using AI For New Keyword Research

One of the most significant ways AI can enhance your PPC strategy is by discovering new keywords.

Traditional keyword research relies on manual tools and processes, but AI tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, other third-party tools, and AI-powered tools like ChatGPT’s keyword analysis capabilities take it up a notch.

These tools don’t just spit out related search terms – they can provide context, trends, and relevance scores based on real-time data.

How AI Tools Find New Keywords

AI-powered keyword tools analyze search patterns across millions of queries, detecting emerging trends, consumer interests, and semantic relationships that would otherwise go unnoticed.

For example, if you’re managing an ad campaign for a fitness brand, AI might detect an uptick in searches for [home workout routines for busy moms] or [low-impact exercises for seniors].

Even more powerful is AI’s ability to consider user intent.

AI doesn’t just give you a list of keywords – it provides context, predicting whether a user is more likely searching for information, looking to buy, or wanting to compare products.

This helps you create campaigns that align closely with user intent, which is critical for achieving higher quality scores, leading to better ad placement.

Tools And Tactics For AI-Driven Keyword Discovery

  • Google’s Keyword Planner (AI-driven recommendations): Google’s own AI-backed keyword tool not only suggests keywords but prioritizes them based on real-time search trends.
  • ChatGPT or Jasper for idea generation: These tools can help brainstorm new keyword ideas based on competitor campaigns, product descriptions, or industry trends. Just input your product or service, and these AI systems will offer insights on relevant keywords, often from angles you hadn’t thought of.

Adding Keywords To Existing Campaigns

Once you’ve got a solid list of new keywords, it’s time to put them to work.

AI isn’t just great at discovering keywords – it’s also incredibly useful for helping you refine your existing campaigns.

This is especially important if your campaign has been running for a while and might need some fine-tuning.

AI For Keyword Expansion

AI can help you intelligently expand your keyword lists by finding closely related keywords, synonyms, and long-tail variations.

For example, if you’ve been running ads for a local bakery using keywords like “best bakery near me,” AI tools might suggest adding longer variations like “best custom birthday cakes in pittsburgh.”

These expanded keywords help you reach more specific audiences who are ready to convert.

Leveraging AI For Semantic Keywords

Semantic keyword matching is another area where AI shines.

Unlike traditional keyword match types, AI doesn’t rely strictly on exact keyword matches.

Instead, it understands the broader meaning behind search queries, enabling you to target more relevant searches.

Google’s AI algorithms, for instance, now consider the overall intent of a search query, offering a more nuanced keyword match than we had a few years ago.

This makes adding keywords to your campaign not just about volume but relevance and intent alignment.

Optimizing Existing Campaigns With AI Tools

  • Google Ads Recommendations: Google’s built-in AI will continuously monitor your campaign and suggest keyword additions based on ongoing performance and search trends.
  • AI-Powered Keyword Expansion in Optmyzr: Tools like Optmyzr integrate AI and machine learning to suggest keyword expansions and bid adjustments in real time.
  • Microsoft Ads AI Integration: Microsoft’s platform offers AI-based keyword suggestions, making it easier to add or remove keywords from your existing campaigns, ensuring your ad stays relevant.

How AI Helps With Negative Keyword Selection

A successful PPC campaign isn’t just about the keywords you include – it’s also about the keywords you exclude.

This is where negative keywords come into play, and AI can help you refine your negative keyword strategy like a pro.

Common Mistakes With Negative Keywords (And How AI Can Help)

One of the most common mistakes PPC marketers make with negative keywords is not updating them regularly.

It’s easy to set a few negative keywords at the start of a campaign and then forget about them.

But search behaviors change, new trends emerge, and without adjusting your negative keyword list, you might start showing ads for irrelevant searches.

For example, a brand selling high-end outdoor gear might inadvertently show ads to people searching for [cheap camping supplies], which dilutes the brand image and wastes ad spend.

Another mistake is being too broad with negative keywords. While you want to exclude irrelevant searches, casting too wide of a net can accidentally block valuable traffic.

For instance, adding “free” as a negative keyword could prevent your ads from showing to users looking for “free delivery” or “free returns,” which are often associated with ready-to-buy customers.

This is where AI can step in and save the day.

AI tools can analyze search queries in real-time, identifying irrelevant traffic while being nuanced enough to avoid overly broad exclusions.

They allow you to add negative keywords that prevent wasted ad spend without cutting off relevant users.

AI can also spot trends in what kinds of queries lead to bounces or low engagement, helping you automatically refine your negative keyword list with precision, based on performance data.

Identifying Irrelevant Traffic With AI

AI excels at spotting patterns and trends that humans might miss.

By analyzing search terms that trigger your ads but don’t lead to conversions, AI can suggest negative keywords that will help you avoid wasted spend.

Let’s say you’re running a campaign for luxury watches, and your ads are being triggered by search terms related to “cheap watches” or “free watch giveaways.”

AI tools can analyze the performance of these search terms and suggest adding them as negative keywords.

AI can even analyze the context of negative keywords, understanding when a specific word or phrase is irrelevant in one campaign but useful in another.

This level of nuance helps ensure your ads aren’t being wasted on the wrong audience while still reaching relevant customers.

AI Tools For Managing Negative Keywords

  • Google Ads Search Query Report (AI-Enhanced): Google Ads provides search query reports, and its AI-powered suggestions will flag irrelevant search terms for potential negative keyword additions.
  • Custom AI Algorithms for Negative Keyword Mining: Some marketers are using AI tools like Python with machine learning libraries to automate the detection of irrelevant terms that are draining budgets.

Making AI Work For You: Practical Tips

While AI tools are incredibly powerful, the best results come from combining AI’s capabilities with human expertise.

Here are some practical tips for making AI-enhanced keyword selection work for you:

  • Regularly Update Your Keyword Lists: AI tools provide real-time insights, but the digital landscape is always changing. Review and update your keyword lists at least once a month to stay ahead of emerging trends.
  • Refine Your Negative Keywords Consistently: Just like with regular keywords, your negative keyword list needs to evolve. AI tools can help you keep this list up to date without much manual effort.
  • Experiment with Different AI Tools: No single tool will give you everything you need. Experiment with different AI-powered platforms to find the ones that best fit your workflow.

In Summary: AI As Your PPC Keyword Sidekick

AI is not here to replace PPC marketers – it’s here to make us more efficient, more strategic, and ultimately, more successful.

By leveraging AI to enhance keyword research, optimize existing campaigns, and refine negative keyword strategies, you can free up time for more creative and strategic tasks.

The key to success is combining the power of AI with your own expertise and instincts.

After all, while AI can analyze data, it’s the human touch that ultimately connects with customers and drives results.

So, dive into AI-enhanced keyword selection and start reaping the benefits of smarter, more efficient PPC campaigns.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Sammby/Shutterstock

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Nov 6 2024
How ChatGPT search paves the way for AI agents

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here.

OpenAI’s Olivier Godement, head of product for its platform, and Romain Huet, head of developer experience, are on a whistle-stop tour around the world. Last week, I sat down with the pair in London before DevDay, the company’s annual developer conference. London’s DevDay is the first one for the company outside San Francisco. Godement and Huet are heading to Singapore next. 

It’s been a busy few weeks for the company. In London, OpenAI announced updates to its new Realtime API platform, which allows developers to build voice features into their applications. The company is rolling out new voices and a function that lets developers generate prompts, which will allow them to build apps and more helpful voice assistants more quickly. Meanwhile for consumers, OpenAI announced it was launching ChatGPT search, which allows users to search the internet using the chatbot. Read more here. 

Both developments pave the way for the next big thing in AI: agents. These are AI assistants that can complete complex chains of tasks, such as booking flights. (You can read my explainer on agents here.) 

“Fast-forward a few years—every human on Earth, every business, has an agent. That agent knows you extremely well. It knows your preferences,” Godement says. The agent will have access to your emails, apps, and calendars and will act like a chief of staff, interacting with each of these tools and even working on long-term problems, such as writing a paper on a particular topic, he says. 

OpenAI’s strategy is to both build agents itself and allow developers to use its software to build their own agents, says Godement. Voice will play an important role in what agents will look and feel like. 

“At the moment most of the apps are chat based … which is cool, but not suitable for all use cases. There are some use cases where you’re not typing, not even looking at the screen, and so voice essentially has a much better modality for that,” he says. 

But there are two big hurdles that need to be overcome before agents can become a reality, Godement says. 

The first is reasoning. Building AI agents requires us to be able to trust that they will be able to complete complex tasks and do the right things, says Huet. That’s where OpenAI “reasoning” feature comes in. Introduced in OpenAI’s o1 model last month, it uses reinforcement learning to teach the model how to process information using “chain of thought.” Giving the model more time to generate answers allows it to recognize and correct mistakes, break down problems into smaller ones, and try different approaches to answering questions, Godement says. 

But OpenAI’s claims about reasoning should be taken with a pinch of salt, says Chirag Shah, a computer science professor at the University of Washington. Large language models are not exhibiting true reasoning. It’s most likely that they have picked up what looks like logic from something they’ve seen in their training data.

“These models sometimes seem to be really amazing at reasoning, but it’s just like they’re really good at pretending, and it only takes a little bit of picking at them to break them,” he says.

There is still much more work to be done, Godement admits. In the short term, AI models such as o1 need to be much more reliable, faster, and cheaper. In the long term, the company needs to apply its chain-of-thought technique to a wider pool of use cases. OpenAI has focused on science, coding, and math. Now it wants to address other fields, such as law, accounting, and economics, he says. 

Second on the to-do list is the ability to connect different tools, Godement says. An AI model’s capabilities will be limited if it has to rely on its training data alone. It needs to be able to surf the web and look for up-to-date information. ChatGPT search is one powerful way OpenAI’s new tools can now do that. 

These tools need to be able not only to retrieve information but to take actions in the real world. Competitor Anthropic announced a new feature where its Claude chatbot can “use” a computer by interacting with its interface to click on things, for example. This is an important feature for agents if they are going to be able to execute tasks like booking flights. Godement says o1 can “sort of” use tools, though not very reliably, and that research on tool use is a “promising development.” 

In the next year, Godemont says, he expects the adoption of AI for customer support and other assistant-based tasks to grow. However, he says that it can be hard to predict how people will adopt and use OpenAI’s technology. 

“Frankly, looking back every year, I’m surprised by use cases that popped up that I did not even anticipate,” he says. “I expect there will be quite a few surprises that you know none of us could predict.” 

Now read the rest of The Algorithm

Deeper Learning

This AI-generated version of Minecraft may represent the future of real-time video generation

When you walk around in a version of the video game Minecraft from the AI companies Decart and Etched, it feels a little off. Sure, you can move forward, cut down a tree, and lay down a dirt block, just like in the real thing. If you turn around, though, the dirt block you just placed may have morphed into a totally new environment. That doesn’t happen in Minecraft. But this new version is entirely AI-generated, so it’s prone to hallucinations. Not a single line of code was written.

Ready, set, go: This version of Minecraft is generated in real time, using a technique known as next-frame prediction. The AI companies behind it did this by training their model, Oasis, on millions of hours of Minecraft game play and recordings of the corresponding actions a user would take in the game. The AI is able to sort out the physics, environments, and controls of Minecraft from this data alone. Read more from Scott J. Mulligan.

Bits and Bytes

AI search could break the web
At its best, AI search can better infer a user’s intent, amplify quality content, and synthesize information from diverse sources. But if AI search becomes our primary portal to the web, it threatens to disrupt an already precarious digital economy, argues Benjamin Brooks, a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, who used to lead public policy for Stability AI. (MIT Technology Review) 

AI will add to the e-waste problem. Here’s what we can do about it.
Equipment used to train and run generative AI models could produce up to 5 million tons of e-waste by 2030, a relatively small but significant fraction of the global total. (MIT Technology Review) 

How an “interview” with a dead luminary exposed the pitfalls of AI
A state-funded radio station in Poland fired its on-air talent and brought in AI-generated presenters. But the experiment caused an outcry and was stopped when tone of them  “interviewed” a dead Nobel laureate. (The New York Times) 

Meta says yes, please, to more AI-generated slop
In Meta’s latest earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said we’re likely to see 
“a whole new category of content, which is AI generated or AI summarized content or kind of existing content pulled together by AI in some way.” Zuckerberg added that he thinks “that’s going to be just very exciting.” (404 Media) 

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