Introducing News Content
Hey, everyone!
I’m testing out a new format: News. This is a quick roundup of digital marketing and technology news from the week so far.
I’ve worked in digital publishing and SEO for over a decade, including roles with Tribune Publishing and Upwork. During my time at Tribune, I collaborated on content for major publications, including the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. I’ve also written and managed data-driven marketing articles for brands like Upwork, blending editorial precision with performance-focused strategy. I also hold a degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, which has shaped my approach to combining editorial precision with data-driven marketing strategy.
As a digital marketer and SEO, staying current on industry trends is essential, but also time-consuming. The goal of this series is to filter through the noise, summarize the most relevant stories, and add professional commentary so you can focus on what matters for your business or creative projects.
Think of this as a curated digest of digital marketing, AI, and small business trends, complete with useful context and actionable insights.
To the headlines!
Today’s News
Relevant headlines from October 8, 2025
Deloitte Partially Refunding Australia After AI Errors
Deloitte to partially refund Australia for report with apparent AI-generated errors
Deloitte, one of the world’s largest financial services firms, will refund part of its $290,000 (AUD 440K) contract with the Australian government after delivering a report filled with apparent AI-generated errors.
Analysis: A good reminder that while AI can speed up research and drafting, skipping human review can lead to costly reputational damage.
AI Agent Behavior Report for Businesses
When AI agents do the shopping: Insights from 100 conversations with ChatGPT Agent mode
This article by Jes Scholz presents some excellent experiment results from using and monitoring ChatGPT’s Agent mode from a digital marketing perspective. Key pulls:
- Two different browsers. When using a text-based crawler, it ignores CSS, JavaScript, Schema Markup, and so on. When using a visual browser, it loads more and behaves more human-like.
- Poor crawl behavior. It’s not so great at crawling and navigating pages, reporting that “63% of first clicks immediately ended with the agent bouncing”.
- UX is important to AI: If ChatGPT can’t navigate the page, it will inform you that it’s having trouble using the site.
- Conversion friction: Agents abandon tasks requiring login or registration. In the “Site convertibility” section, Scholz details how ChatGPT was unable to send a contact inquiry because it required account registration. Lost leads!
- Agents accept cookies: ChatGPT accepted cookies on sites “78% of the time” in Scholz’s experiment. meaning AI browsing behavior can be tracked, though analytics support is still limited.
Analysis: Expect to see “agent optimization” become a new SEO subfield. Usability matters to both humans and AI agent bots.
News Catch-Up
Key stories from the week that still matter
ChatGPT Expanding Integrated App Support
Introducing apps in ChatGPT and the new Apps SDK
ChatGPT is rolling out integrations with popular platforms, including Canva, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow, with more on the way. OpenAI also announced a new Apps SDK, enabling developers to build and connect tools within ChatGPT.
For example, if you ask ChatGPT to make a playlist, it will generate a new one for you in Spotify. Gone are the days of manually copying and pasting potential bangers.
Analysis: Expect AI integrations to keep expanding as platforms compete for deeper productivity and creative workflows. If you have the development resources, exploring the upcoming SDK early could provide a strategic edge.
Shout out to Kansas City for the Zillow app mention! (Where I’m based.)
Google Testing AI-Generated Meta Descriptions
Google testing AI-generated descriptions for search snippets
Google is experimenting with replacing standard meta descriptions with AI-generated text and summaries in search results, marked by the Gemini sparkle icon.
Analysis: Expect a wave of think pieces asking, “Do meta descriptions still matter in 2025?” The answer is yes. A strong description still provides valuable fallback copy, not just for search engines, but also for social media shares and tools like Notion and WordPress that use metadata to generate link previews.
Signing Off
That’s all for today! Thanks for reading. I hope this roundup helped you catch up on the most relevant updates in digital marketing and AI. If you have feedback or questions, feel free to reach out via the contact page or the consulting inquiry form.
— Taylor
