Content Aware media news: May 11, 2023

Published: 12 May 2023

New Google Search revealed - here's what people are saying about it

The story of BuzzFeed, publishing vs AMP, and the next Google Search  - all in May 11th Content Aware media news highlights.

Corbidge comments on... clickbait and controversy
Some of the people behind phenomena such as BuzzFeed have started to tell their tales of clicks, cash, and controversy. Having seen first-hand the effect such operations caused, across the 'established' industry of publishing, and dare we say it on audience trust and valuation of much modern content, GPP headline hero Rob considers the impact of BuzzFeed.
https://www.gpp.io/news/click-factories-and-viral-news-publishers-plucky-underdogs-or-grossly-inflated-insiders-aiAUG7q46Hww

AMPd up
A warts and all look at the short and controversial history of Google AMP and everything it did to and for publishers. Extensive sources list includes GPP's nominated King of Publisher SEO Barry Adams, so it must be good.
https://www.theverge.com/23711172/google-amp-accelerated-mobile-pages-search-publishers-lawsuit

The battle ahead
One media titan says what many of the others are thinking: AI bots are backed by companies making a fortune, so they should pay for what they take from the industry of publishing.
https://pressgazette.co.uk/media_business/barry-diller-ai-news-corp-axel-springer/

Pulitzer's Politico snub
Post-awards snubs can become as well known as the award-winners themselves: we'd say they are rare in journalism and publishing but a right old row has kicked off over the 2023 Pulitzers.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/05/politico-pulitzer-prize

The next Google Search revealed
A privileged few have been given walkthroughs of the next gen of Google Search, built on AI and assumedly folding in new Alphabet business objectives. Read here how it currently looks, analysed from the perspective of an SEO expert, and try and work out how this will boost or blitz your business and how you might have to rethink your SEO strategies.
https://searchengineland.com/new-google-search-generative-ai-experience-413533

Verge sees it too
The Verge get a similar preview look, but ask question primarily from the perspective of a standard search user - a very different viewpoint. That is the measure of how noteworthy such Google Search changes are: we all know it will effect our own lives in some way, as well as that of readers, and the very businesses we work for.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/10/23717120/google-search-ai-results-generated-experience-io

IPTC issues guidance on AI images
The global standards authority on content metadata for publishers has released its guidance on what metadata and other information should be applied to generated imagery and 'synthetic media'.
https://iptc.org/news/iptc-publishes-metadata-guidance-for-ai-generated-synthetic-media/

News avoidance: a real thing?
You'll have heard the term, but is news avoidance a by-product of readers being turned off by bad news, or is it a conscious decision by those same readers? It may sound moot, but the rationale will dictate whether and how the news deficit can be addressed by better storytelling says Shirish Kulkarni.
https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/-audiences-are-making-a-rational-decision-not-to-consume-our-products-/s2/a1033678/

They did it so you don't have to
The Guardian held their breath and went surfing the list of 49 all AI-generated sites noted in last week's Content Aware. It wasn't fun.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/08/ai-generated-news-websites-study

Countdown to a new Core Web Vital
Any SEO expert knows the importance of Core Web Vitals as the measurements Google takes to form an opinion on your site and its experience for users. The currently critical First Input Delay is being superseded by Interaction to Next Paint which will become the measure of responsiveness that matters most. This will no doubt lead to recommendations in design and functionality changes for you to be aware of.
https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/05/introducing-inp?hl=en