AI vs Traditional Search, Bluesky’s Growth, and YouTube Ads for B2B

The marketing landscape is evolving fast this November. From Google’s changing search behavior and ad layouts to social platforms experimenting with new features, every update carries an insight for advertisers. This week’s roundup breaks down what matters most and how to adapt your strategy to stay ahead.

Here’s what caught our attention.

1. Google’s Dual Search Behavior: AI Inspires, Search Converts

New data from BrightEdge shows a clear pattern: AI Overviews help shoppers research, but traditional search closes the deal.

In November, AI guides consumers through discovery and comparisons. By December, when buying decisions happen, shoppers return to regular search results.

What to do:

• Optimize for both: create content that answers AI-driven queries and maintain strong SEO for transactional intent.
• Review Google’s Holiday 100 list to align your seasonal keywords with rising product searches like movie projectors (+945%), crescent bags, and packing cubes.

⚠️ Heads up: Google’s new “Sponsored” ad layout may drive accidental clicks, inflating CPC and reducing ROI. Keep a close eye on your campaign performance.

Also, don’t forget to verify cloud-hosted content in Google Search Console using DNS CNAME to access full crawl and performance insights.

2. Social Media Shake-Up: Bluesky, Instagram, and Meta

Bluesky’s growth slows down.
The platform reached 40M users and is testing “dislikes” to improve post ranking. Still, user growth dropped from 5M to 1.4M per month a sign to watch before investing in community-building there.

Instagram’s new competitor insights tool now allows brands to compare follower growth and posting frequency with up to 10 other accounts. It’s handy for benchmarking but lacks engagement data, so use it for surface-level analysis only.

Meta’s AI misfires: Advertisers using Advantage+ report odd visuals (like models with backward legs). It’s a reminder that while automation can help, human review remains essential.

3. YouTube Ads: A Quiet Win for B2B Marketers

YouTube isn’t just for product demos or unboxing videos anymore. Melissa Mackey’s case studies prove that video ads can drive B2B conversions — even when they don’t show direct clicks.

Highlights:

• For one enterprise SaaS client, CPL dropped 25–30% after launching short explainer videos.
• A local B2B business saw brand search CPLs rise 47% after pausing video ads, then fall back once campaigns resumed.

Actionable tips:

• Build audiences from your best-performing search keywords.
• Keep videos short (15–30 seconds) and show your brand early.
• Use Target CPV bidding to keep costs below $0.01.
• Measure assisted conversions, not just direct ones.

4. Pitching Data to Journalists the Right Way

If you’re promoting research or insights, press releases still matter.
According to new data:

• 72% of journalists prefer formal news announcements.
• 57% want exclusives, and 55% value research reports.

Smart move: Combine your formats. Announce findings through a press release, then offer a short interview with your in-house expert. It’s a proven way to secure coverage and backlinks.

5. Quick Platform Highlights

• Meta: Rolling out value-based AI targeting for app ads, aligning attribution windows for cleaner tracking.
• Pinterest: Back-to-school campaigns already in planning — start early.
• Facebook: Group admins can now toggle between private and public without losing past privacy.
• X (Twitter): Introducing Grok AI to curate posts, semantic search, and a standalone chat app.

This month’s updates highlight a simple truth: automation can assist, but strategy converts.
AI will continue reshaping search and social behavior, but understanding timing, audience intent, and cross-channel influence is what keeps your campaigns profitable.