Welcome to Part II of Edition No. 65 of my weekly newsletter, providing practical analysis in the world of digital content strategy.
Friday Five
I. Google: Bylines Aren’t Ranking Factors
II. Fox Aspires To Help News Outlets Monetize AI Bots
III. A New Way To Make Money from ChatGPT
IV. ChatGPT…For Teams
V. Report: TikTok, AI Tools Dominate App Usage
VI. Other Important Updates
I. Google: Bylines Aren’t Ranking Factors
“Author bylines aren't something you do for Google, and they don't help you rank better.” (Emphasis mine.) -Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan on X (formerly Twitter)
Responding to an article from the Verge that’s critical of how Google has shaped the internet, Sullivan shared information that surprised SEOs: bylines don’t help you rank well on Google.
In the preceding tweet, he went as far as to criticize the Verge for stating otherwise: “It is something I get that people can misunderstand, but not what I'd expect a news publication researching all this to misunderstand and assert in such a simple, almost quaint screenshot.”
He also clarified that you do need bylines on your content to be eligible for Google News, but they don’t help you rank better there, either.
-X
🛠 Why does this matter?
The A in E-E-A-T – Google’s quality rater guidelines – stands for “authoritativeness.”
It has long been assumed, if not accepted, that that authority of the creator of the content was a major factor in this point. That is, the byline of the person attached to a published article/blog post.
i.e. A byline of Walter Cronkite would hold more weight than that of Jane Smith
Should you include author bylines – of real people – on your content? Yes, whenever possible. But don’t expect to rank better for it.
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II. Fox’s New Tool Aspires To Help News Outlets Monetize AI Bots
Fox Corporation has launched Verify, a blockchain-based platform, to track the usage of its media content online and negotiate content licensing deals with AI companies.
Developed with Polygon Labs, Verify is designed to cryptographically sign media content, helping establish its origin and history.
The platform allows media companies to register their content, verify ownership and grant usage rights to AI platforms for training large language models like ChatGPT.
🛠 Why does this matter?
With Fox Corp's discussions to bring other media companies on board, Verify could set a precedent in the media industry for managing and protecting intellectual property.
Verify is a novel technology-based approach to content licensing negotiations, especially with AI firms, contrasting with traditional business agreements or legal actions.
This initiative signifies a broader application of blockchain technology beyond cryptocurrencies, demonstrating its potential in media authenticity and digital rights management.
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III. A New Way To Make Money from ChatGPT
OpenAI recently launched the GPT Store, a platform where users can discover and use a variety of GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers) created by community members.
The GPT Store is initially available to users with paid ChatGPT plans. OpenAI plans to introduce monetization options for creators of GPTs in the coming months.
This launch comes after a brief delay due to improvements made based on customer feedback and internal company developments, including the temporary ouster of CEO Sam Altman.
🛠 Why does this matter?
The monetization feature will give users incentive to build and share GPTs.
On the flip side, it’s sure to spark a flood of hastily-made, get-rich-quick inspired garbage that makes it difficult to separate the chaff from the wheat.
The most valuable GPTs will likely be the ones that rise to the top of OpenAI’s respective Featured and Trending sections, plus recommendations from trusted peers.
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IV. ChatGPT…For Teams
OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Team, a new self-serve plan following the launch of ChatGPT Enterprise. This plan is tailored for team collaboration and management.
ChatGPT Team features include access to advanced models like GPT-4, DALL·E 3, tools for data analysis, a secure workspace and the ability to create and share custom GPTs.
The service emphasizes data privacy, stating that OpenAI does not train on business data or conversations. Pricing is set at $25 per user per month when billed annually, or $30 per user per month when billed monthly.
🛠 Why does this matter?
I asked ChatGPT to help me with this section. Here’s what it said about its own product:
Enhancing Business Operations: The introduction of ChatGPT Team offers businesses enhanced AI tools to improve efficiency and productivity in various operations, from project management to data analysis.
Customization and Collaboration: The ability to create custom GPTs and the provision of a collaborative workspace cater to specific business needs, allowing for more tailored AI solutions.
AI Integration Impact: The adoption of ChatGPT Team by industry leaders like Block, Canva, and The Estée Lauder Companies indicates the growing impact of AI in redefining business processes and decision-making.
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V. Report: TikTok, AI Tools Dominate App Usage
A new report from data.ai focuses on app usage trends in 2023, highlighting a 6 percent increase in average mobile usage to five hours per day.
Indonesia leads all countries, followed by Thailand and Argentina
Key findings include a rise in spending on apps, surpassing $60 billion in 2023, with a significant increase in entertainment and social media app expenditures.
TikTok is the first app to reach $10 billion in all-time consumer spend.
There was a 1,500% increase in downloads for Microsoft's Bing search engine after incorporating ChatGPT elements.
-SocialMediaToday | data.ai (Original Report)
🛠 Why does this matter?
TikTok's financial milestone underscores its dominance and influence in the app market. The challenge for content creators is to generate content that resonates with this distinct audience without simply recycling posts from other platforms.
The surge in use of AI-based apps will push creators to adapt their content to these platforms, especially as they take usage share from more traditional platforms, like Google.
VI. Other Important Updates
“Today I wanted to share about the belief that there is some type of ‘perfect page’ formula that must be used to rank highly in Google Search. There isn't…”
“Creator rewards will increase significantly this year” -Elon Musk on X
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Any other important updates this week? Let me know in the comments.
This newsletter is self-edited, so please don’t be shy about emailing me if you spot a mistake.
See you next week for a practical tip and an in-depth analysis in the world of digital content strategy.