WordPress is forming an AI team to help with the development of AI products on the platform.

What is WordPress

WordPress is an open source content management system which allows users to create and manage websites including updating blogs, imagery, and customising UX. Users can use plug-ins which can be added to their site from WordPress extensive library which allow for enhanced customisation features and increased website functionality.

Why is WordPress forming an Open AI team

The open source nature of WordPress means that developers can create all manner of plug-ins and many have already begun to experiment with AI tools as current WordPress developers have published 660 different AI plug-ins for WordPress. 

The AI team will consist of James LePage, head of AI at Automattic, Felix Arntz and Pascal Birchel from Google, and Jeff Paul, director of Open Source at 10up and their role will be to oversee the development of AI tools. 

This is what WordPress Executive Director, Mary Hubbard, had to say in her latest blog post on why this matters, “Strategic focus: A unified team stewards AI development thoughtfully, avoids fragmentation, and ensures alignment with the long-term goals of WordPress.

Shared innovation: Contributors and companies are actively exploring AI across the ecosystem. This team provides a central place to collaborate, share ideas, and build together.

Rapid iteration: Like the Performance Team, we’ll take a plugin-first approach. Canonical plugins will allow us to move quickly, gather feedback, and deliver real value without waiting on the Core release cycle.”

Why is this important for SEOs

WordPress is the most popular CMS on the internet powering an estimated 43.4% of websites worldwide. Increased AI functionality within WordPress will be key for SEOs to enhance workflows and speed up functionality and processes of their site to increase workplace productivity. 

A Simpler Way to See What’s Working

Google Ads is testing a new layout that makes it easier for advertisers to track and
understand how well their ads are performing. The update is focused on what Google calls
“conversion goals” — the actions you want people to take after clicking an ad, such as filling
out a form, calling your business, or making a purchase.
With the new design, users can now click on a dropdown arrow next to each goal to get
more details without needing to dig through multiple menus. This new layout helps
advertisers quickly see which goals are active, how they are set up, and how they’re
performing — all in one place.

Easier Navigation and More Useful Information

Previously, Google’s conversion tracking could feel cluttered or confusing, especially if you
were managing several goals at once. This new test groups similar goals together and
provides a cleaner overview, making it easier to understand what’s going on.
For example, if you’re tracking both online purchases and phone calls, you’ll now be able to
see those separately but within a unified dashboard. Clicking on each goal shows more
specific setup steps and performance data, helping advertisers fix problems or make
changes faster.

Helping Businesses Make Smarter Decisions

This update is part of Google’s ongoing effort to make its advertising tools more helpful,
especially for small businesses or teams without dedicated marketing staff. By offering more
transparency and easier-to-read data, the redesigned interface should help users make
better decisions about where to spend their money.
Some advertisers have already spotted the change in their accounts as part of a limited test.
If it proves helpful, it’s likely Google will roll it out more widely soon. For now, it’s a
promising step toward making ad performance easier to understand — even if you’re not a
marketing expert.

In celebration of Brothers Day, we sat down with Intelligency’s Co-Founders and Directors, Sean and Liam, to talk about building a business together, not just as colleagues, but as siblings too. From their beginnings to their future ambitions, here’s what they had to say.

What was the process of beginning to work with each other?

Sean recalls: “Liam was working at the Telegraph at the time, and I was still working by myself. We got our heads together and thought that we could work together to build our social media vetting technology.”

Liam adds: “I had been working in London, but we’d always wanted to do something together, and the social media vetting was such a good idea, we thought, why not! Now we’ve grown and grown into Digital Intelligence, and I couldn’t be happier!”

What is the thing you’re most proud of in terms of your achievements as both brothers and Company Directors?

Without hesitation, Sean points to resilience: “I think surviving and working all the way through COVID, where other agencies and small companies were shutting down or having to go on furlough. We managed to grow the business and do so remotely with our clients. It was incredibly hard and challenging, but meant that the company survived and grew into what it is today.”

Liam echoes the sentiment, highlighting consistency: “That we’ve grown year on year! It’s such a difficult period for businesses, and the fact that we’ve been successful and are delivering exceptional results to our clients is something we are both so proud of!”

Working with family can be complicated. What challenges have you faced as siblings in business?

Sean laughs : “Other than an intense rivalry on the office ping pong table, mixing family and work can always be dangerous as it’s hard not to talk about work at family functions and let work life slip too easily into personal life. We’ve always done well to protect against this and try to keep the two separate.”

Liam agrees: “You have to be able to communicate effectively and considerately, as well as ensure you can separate work from personal life. We’ve been really lucky that we’ve been able to merge our great personal relationship positively into running a business!”

What is something you each want to achieve within the business in the next 5 years?

Sean’s focused on expanding their impact: “I’d love to expand our team further and grow our digital intelligence business further. We’re great at helping clients solve issues with clients, and our digital audits and reporting technology are often transformational for clients. I’d love to see us do more of this work.”

Whilst Liam keeps it simple but powerful: “Same as the last 5 years, grow the company and staff whilst creating a culture where people enjoy coming to work every day!”

And finally, if you could summarise working with your brother in just 3-5 words, what would they be?

“Best business partner ever.” Whilst Liam said, “A brilliant brother & business partner!”

Women in Marketing

Women have made significant headway in marketing, a once male-dominated industry. In a 2022 study by Statista, it demonstrated a shift with a strong figure of 58% of marketers being female, and 42% made up of men (UK).

Women have made significant contributions to marketing over the last century, with some female leaders championing for equality within the industry.

As of 2024, the gender pay gap still exists, with a 7% pay inequality from a woman’s wage to their male counterparts. Signalling that despite it now being a female-dominated industry, men in the field are still valued more with a higher figure salary. This is likely due to the roles by women being typically ‘lower’ in the marketing pecking order, with a larger volume of men working in seniority roles, i.e. CEO’s, CFO’s, department leaders and so forth.

Historic female figures in marketing

The first female copywriter – Helen Lansdowne Resor

Helen Lansdowne Resor was the first female copywriter, working at J. Walter Thompson Co before rapidly progressing through their ranks becoming their first female Vice President. Reason spearheaded campaigns like her first “A Skin You Love to Touch” for Woodbury’s facial soap.

It’s known that Resor was able to run such successful campaigns because she was able to think like the buyers of the products she was selling. Her “A Skin You Love to Touch” campaign was of its time. She spoke to the women in the household through the campaign, acknowledging women were most likely to be the one making the purchasing choices at the time. This approach earned her the titles she came to bestow, demonstrating that women were more than capable of major success within marketing.

The first female CEO – Mary Wells Lawrence

Mary Wells Lawrence is an impressive woman, being the first woman CEO to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The feat came following a long career in advertising under companies such as Jack Tinker & Partners and Doyle Dane Bernbach, in roles such as copy chief, and senior partner.

Lawrence was the first woman to achieve CEO status on the New York Stock Exchange list, a huge feat for her as a pioneer of the time, in a completely male-dominated industry.

The first woman in marketing to found her own advertising company – Mathilde C. Weil

In 1882, America saw its first female-led ad agency, M.C. Weil Agency brought to life by Mathilde C. Weil, a German immigrant who recognised and capitalised on the growing necessity for ad space, her actions forging the path for many women in marketing.

What makes Weils story even more impressive, is she did all of this 80 years before all women in the US were given voting rights. Putting into perspective just how hard she would have had to work in order to gain the recognition she so rightly deserves.

The first art director – Nedda McGrath

A pioneer for female leadership, Nedda McGrath was the first female art director within advertising. McGrath’s career at Blackman Agency (1926) was one to marvel at. She stated in her excerpt from the Ad History Book “I was discouraged by everyone from making the attempt and had to work perhaps harder than a man.” Her words are a true testament to the hard work put in by women to be recognised as valued members of the workforce.

We’d be interested to know which woman in marketing you find inspiring!

Frequently asked questions are a necessity for any website. It compiles the most common queries put to a business, and sorts them into one accessible place, making it quick and easy for customers to seek out an answer.

Whilst FAQs will vary from site to site, depending on the business type and website functionality, there’s a primary purpose for every site to include FAQ and that is to: enhance the user’s experience.

Why should I use FAQs on a site?

There are definitely more than seven reasons why a website should include FAQs, however, we can boil it down to 6 core motivations:

Garnering positive customer sentiments

Including frequently asked questions on your website can improve audience sentiment, by making your site and content clear and user-friendly. Doing this will reduce customer frustrations by having any necessary and obvious information in a place that is easy to access.

Saving you and your reader time

Reduce the volume of customer service queries by placing the most common questions on an FAQ page. Saving them time from having to make contact to ask simple questions reduces the dissatisfaction felt over minor inconveniences.

Transparency and authenticity

Answering customer questions before they need to ask them shows a level of honesty from the company. The customer can rely on the fact your company has thought about their buying journey (should it be a service or product you’re selling).

Improving SEO efforts

Beyond the benefits to the customer, FAQs also allow you to include keywords for your business. This creates an opportunity to rank for your FAQ pages as well as other content on site.

More so, FAQs could be pulled onto the search engine result page under the “People also ask” section, demonstrating your business has the expertise to help.

Engagement

What better way to show you can engage and resolve any problems your reader or customer might have than to include FAQs? This shows your business is engaging in discussion with its audience.

Upselling opportunities for E-commerce

When it’s relevant, there’s an opportunity to upsell products. Providing useful links to products or services which would be relevant to the customer, can aid in propelling sales.

FAQs aren’t just a piece of content, they’re a strategic tool which can be used to build trust, aid in achieving your business goals and increase customer satisfaction. Whether its improving your SEO, creating a reliable reputation or taking the opportunity to upsell, FAQs are a win for your business and customers.

What is Long-form content?

Long-form content is typically over a word count of 1000 words, or in video format, the content is over a minute in length.

Long-form content takes longer for a reader or watcher to consume, which often requires a level of engagement that demands the audience’s focus. Certain platforms and types of content on websites will warrant long-form content. For instance, some examples of long-form content include:

• E-books
• Research papers
• Blogs and articles
• Videos and podcasts

When to use long-form content?

Long-form content is best used when there’s more information and details to be shared. Because of this, it tends to accrue higher levels of traffic in a longer period than short-form content.

Establishing the purpose of your content will ensure you can set measurable goals. This type of content is particularly helpful when a business wants to build its authority whilst educating or entertaining its audience.

Long-form content offers practical benefits to site owners, with the potential to have content rank for keywords. Another practicality is the re-usability of the content, this type of content is usually far easier to rejuvenate and repurpose for other platforms. Long-form content that demonstrates originality and high-quality content that provides value to the reader is more likely to draw in readers.

Factors to consider

1. Long-form content is ideal for when there are plenty of resources and budget (whether that’s time or money). If resources are limited, long-form content may not be the most practical style to produce.

2. Another factor to consider is the audience who will be digesting the content, if they have shorter attention spans, the content may not be suited to their watching preferences.

3. This type of content doesn’t garner high volumes of engagement.

4. Long-form content is suitable for websites, YouTube content, and even TikTok, with creators being able to post anywhere between 15 seconds to 10 minutes.

What is short-form content?

Short-form content is anywhere under a minute long or is roughly under 1000 words long. This type of content requires less attention and, therefore, tends to cater for those with little to no attention span with their content consumption. This type of content is typically seen in:

• Email campaigns
• Blogs and news articles
• Infographics
• Social media posts

When to use short-form content?

Short-form content is best used when there’s a minimal amount of information needing to be conveyed. This style of content is often more casual as a result, it requires less structure and is easier to create multiple because it typically requires less time and resources budgeted for it.

Short-form content is best suited to more casual forms of content consumption, like videos on TikTok or a thread on Reddit.  This often means the content is shared and engaged with in a more informal and real-time way.

Factors to consider

1. Short-form content needs forethought and planning, without it, content can become repetitive, lose its relevance or lack the substance needed to establish authority.

2. This style of content doesn’t have the same longevity that longer pieces of content have; this is down to the lack of information, and the type of content usually subject matter covered is commonly time-sensitive.

3. Because there are fewer words or seconds to work with, the subject matter is at risk of being oversimplified, limiting the depth of information being shared.

4. Short-form content is best suited to be on social platforms like YouTube shorts, Metas social platforms, LinkedIn, or Reddit.

Each type of content has its own unique benefits to offer, as well as applications. The key to success lies in understanding the purpose of the content, the audience and the resources available to be used. Aligning your content format with your business goals and the needs of the audience will allow you to make meaningful decisions around content production.

Measuring and analysing content performance is a key way to assess how suitable and successful the type of format chosen is for your business’s content strategy. If you’d like to explore how to optimise your content strategy further, reach out to us!

Recently, Google has updated its search ranking system to identify when parts of a website are distinct or noticeably different from its main focus. This adjustment helps Google highlight the most relevant and useful information for users, ensuring that the search results align with each site’s primary purpose.

A Google spokesperson explained that their system is now designed to detect when a portion of a website is “independent or starkly different” from the main content. This system has already impacted some larger websites, where sections unrelated to the core theme have experienced a drop in visibility on Google Search. Consultant Glenn Gabe noted declines for sections of prominent websites, and Google clarified that these changes aren’t due to a new “site reputation abuse” algorithm, which is only manually enforced at this time.

Why content consistency matters for SEO

Consistency in a website’s content is essential for effective SEO. When a website maintains a clear, focused theme, search engines can better understand its purpose and rank it confidently for relevant search queries. A focused approach not only boosts visibility but also builds trust with users, who learn to expect a certain type of information. When a site introduces content that diverges from its main focus, it can confuse both search engines and visitors, potentially leading to a decline in rankings.

Examples of starkly different content and why it might happen

There are several reasons why a site might suddenly include content that doesn’t align with its primary focus:

• Affiliate partnerships: Many sites add sections focused on affiliate-driven recommendations for products or services to generate revenue. For example, a financial news site might introduce a section on “top gadgets” with affiliate links. While this may be profitable, it can seem disconnected from the site’s financial theme.
• Hosting third-party content: Some sites allow other brands to host content within their subdomains or folders. For instance, a health and wellness site might host fashion articles, creating a mismatch with its primary focus.
• Broadening content themes too quickly: Some businesses expand their content to attract new audiences. For example, a travel site might introduce financial advice. Without careful alignment, this new content can appear unrelated to both users and search engines.
• Content experiments: Sites sometimes test new types of content to see what resonates with audiences. For instance, an academic website might introduce entertainment news. These experiments, while insightful, may confuse search engines about the site’s primary purpose.

Why Google’s system recognises independent content

Google’s updated system reflects its guidance from 2019, which advised against allowing unrelated content within a site’s subdomains or folders without close supervision. Their latest recommendation is that websites create value-added, brand-aligned content. Google’s goal is to prioritise consistent, relevant information that accurately reflects each site’s brand and main theme, ensuring a more straightforward experience for both users and search engines.

What this means for marketers and how to manage different content on your site

For marketers, Google’s recent emphasis on content consistency highlights the need for a well-aligned strategy across all site content. If sections of a website stray too far from its main theme, they risk lower visibility in search rankings. Marketers should evaluate any content that may not fully reflect the brand’s core purpose and decide how best to integrate or adjust it.

If your site hosts different types of content—such as affiliate recommendations, third-party contributions, or experimental posts—consider these steps to keep it SEO-friendly:

1. Align content with your core theme: Review all sections to ensure they contribute to the brand’s main focus. If some content is notably different, try adapting it so it aligns with audience expectations and the site’s overall message.
2. Use clear and purposeful organisation: Structure distinct content in a way that doesn’t detract from the core purpose of the site. For instance, use a dedicated subdomain or clearly separated section, so both users and search engines recognise it as a supplementary offering.
3. Ensure relevance and quality control: Google values content that provides genuine value, so focus on quality even for topics that differ slightly from your main theme. Consistent quality across topics builds trust with users and search engines alike.
4. Monitor and adjust: Keep track of performance and user engagement for sections that diverge from the primary theme. If certain areas underperform or cause user confusion, consider realigning the content or removing it.
5. Communicate with third-party contributors: If hosting third-party content, set clear guidelines to ensure alignment with your site’s focus. This helps retain relevance and quality, ensuring all hosted content contributes positively to your brand.

By applying these strategies, marketers can maintain a cohesive, brand-aligned website that performs well in search results and provides a consistent experience for users. As Google’s algorithms continue to evolve, prioritising clarity and brand consistency will become even more valuable.

We are thrilled to announce that Intelligency, has been honoured with the prestigious Northern Enterprise Award 2023 for the Best International Boutique Marketing Agency. This accolade highlights our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in the dynamic world of marketing.

Intelligency has been extremely fortunate to enjoy working with a wide range of clients domestic and abroad. In 2023, we expanded our relationship with streaming giant ‘Viaplay’ which saw us roll out our venue finder for their Scandinavian markets.

What is the Northern Enterprise Award?

The Northern Enterprise Awards, hosted annually, celebrates the industriousness, creativity, and dedication of businesses located in the northern regions. It recognizes companies that have consistently demonstrated excellence in their sector, offering innovative solutions and outstanding customer service. Winning this award is a testament to a company’s exceptional performance, resilience, and contribution to the economy.

Continued success

Receiving the Northern Enterprise Award is a significant achievement for Intelligency. It places us among the great agencies in international marketing, acknowledging our unique approach, global reach, and the impactful results we deliver for our clients. This award is not just a recognition of our current success; it’s a beacon guiding us towards future innovation and excellence in the international marketing arena.

A word from Sean Walsh, Co-Director at Intelligency;

“I am incredibly proud of our team for achieving this remarkable feat. Winning the Northern Enterprise Award for Best International Boutique Marketing Agency is a significant milestone in Intelligency’s journey. This accolade is a reflection of our team’s hard work, creativity, and relentless pursuit of marketing excellence.

Our approach has always been client-centric, focusing on delivering tailor-made, impactful marketing strategies that drive success. This award strengthens our resolve to continue pushing the boundaries and setting new benchmarks in the marketing industry.”

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate this achievement, we remain committed to upholding the standards that earned us this award. Intelligency will continue to innovate, inspire, and lead in the international marketing landscape, delivering exceptional services to our clients worldwide.

Thank you to the Northern Enterprise Awards for this honour, and a huge thank you to our clients and partners for their ongoing support and trust in Intelligency.

After years of deliberation, Google has begun its mission to remove tracking cookies in Chrome. These tracking cookies are also known as third-party data and play an instrumental role in monitoring user behaviour in digital marketing campaigns.

What are third-party cookies and why is it important?

Third-party cookies follow users across the internet and allow marketers to gather an understanding of user behaviour. The cookie data is sent to third parties who then leverage this in digital advertising campaigns. It is suspected that over 80% of marketing agencies use this type of data in their campaigns. Third-party data can be particularly effective in retargeting users who have visited a site with follow-up emails (such as cart abandonment) or new products.

Why does Google want to remove third-party data?

Google initially suggested the phasing out of cookies in 2019 however the implementation date has been pushed back multiple times before its launch this year. Only 1% of Chrome users will be affected primarily, but Google hopes that it can phase out cookies entirely by the end of 2024. The company claims that the removal of third-party data will improve user experience, by providing more privacy and security.

What strategies should agencies implement moving forward?

Most of the marketing community agrees that first-party data needs to be at the forefront of any 2024 marketing strategy. First-party data is data that a company owns such as email addresses. Brands should utilise existing data for any future campaigns and build their current data segments. The larger the data pool, the more effective their digital marketing campaigns will be. There will be challenges ahead though as many online users are often unwilling to hand over their data without serious consideration.

What’s next?

Google’s action has massively changed the marketing landscape and consequently, the ad ecosystem will have to adapt quickly. Google is offering support via a yet-to-be-released Privacy Sandbox which could potentially help businesses. Furthermore, some marketeers could move towards redistributing their budgets into walled gardens such as Amazon or Facebook – these companies have a strong well of data from users who have logged in.             

2024 has started with a seismic shift to the marketing world and everyone should dutifully be prepared for even greater changes to come.

On January 8th, 2024, Google announced that its adjustable speed limiting tool for its
Googlebot crawler has been removed.

In the statement, Google addressed that the tool was no longer needed as the crawler has
evolved, whilst still providing site owners with a plethora of adjustable tools.

Google Crawler aims to work through a few pages on a server at a time, to not use all the
bandwidth. For sites undergoing rigorous crawling on a significant number of pages, servers
may not have the capability to handle users accessing the page. The adjustable speed tool
allowed site owners to slow the crawler and allow user traffic to return to normal.

Why?

The adjustable function removal comes amid the crawler’s capability to slow itself. Google
has stated that its algorithm can acknowledge when a server has come to its limit. Its ability
to recognise when a server’s aptitude is hindered, results in the crawler slowing to
accommodate the server’s user volume.

Google previously noted that the usage of the tool was somewhat limited, those who were
using the feature would put it to the lowest setting.

Google bot’s crawler has been set to crawl at a slower speed than it previously was,
enabling site servers to not reach capacity. This differs significantly from when the tool was
first introduced in 2008 as a solution for publishers when the bandwidth was maxed.

What does this mean for site owners?

For site owners who are still facing issues after the removal of the feature, Google has
provided a document on reducing the Googlebot crawl rate. When users try to access the
tool, Google redirects to a page signposting that the tool is offline.

Users are still able to limit the crawl rate in urgent situations, this is done through a limited
amount of time, typically lasting between a few hours to 1-2 days.

This can be done by responding to crawl requests with 503,429 or 500 instead of 200 on the
HTTP status code. It is worth noting these codes should be used for a brief period. If Google
bot recognises the code has been there for an extended period (more than 2 days) it runs
the risk of the URL being removed from Google’s index.

Google has stated if your site is being crawled too fast, it is likely to be indicative of a
problem with the infrastructure of the website.