Is ChatGPT Becoming Google? (554)

Three stories about platforms, advertising, and control. Are tech companies doing anything surprising, or are marketers simply expecting these platforms to act against their own interests?

1. ChatGPT Expands Advertising Angle: Are we making too big a deal about AI advertising?

Google already mixes AI recommendations with advertising. Consumers seem comfortable with it. Why should ChatGPT be different?

Do people see ChatGPT as a trusted adviser or simply another search engine?

The YouTube strategy: Could advertising intentionally make the free experience less attractive so more people upgrade?

Question: Is ChatGPT advertising a threat to trust, or just the next version of Google Search?

2. Google Changes Its Content Guidance Angle: Visibility is the new traffic.

Marketers are realizing that appearing in Google doesn't necessarily mean getting a click.

Content discovery is becoming a brand play, not just a traffic play.

The challenge is measurement. How do we demonstrate value when people see our brand but never visit our website?

Question: If nobody clicks, how do we know our content marketing is working? And does it matter?

3. Meta Bans TikTok Advertising Angle: Why should Meta promote its competition?