On this month's pod we cover the impact of AI on news and publishers and focus on SEO strategies, AI crawling, and protecting content.We'll also share insights on optimising for AI, handling AI bots, and industry collaboration. With the various algorithmic updates and AI policy changes there's a lot to catch up on, so let's dive in!

Key topics:

- AI impact on news and publishers
- SEO strategies for AI search
- AI crawling and bot behavior
- Content protection and regulation
- Industry collaboration and regulation

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to AI in News and Publishing
03:04 The Impact of Google's Core Updates
06:01 Back Button Hijacking and User Experience
10:05 AI Overview Accuracy and User Trust
17:12 AI Crawlers and Bots: Challenges for Publishers
30:09 Navigating AI Optimisation Strategies
31:53 The Value of AI Training Data
33:13 Challenges in AI Visibility for Brands
34:31 The Limitations of Prompt Tracking
35:47 The Importance of Collective Action in Publishing
37:41 Understanding the Low Value Exchange for Publishers
39:49 Optimising for AI Visibility in Direct Sales
41:32 The Dilemma of AI-Generated Content for Publishers
43:14 Technical SEO Strategies for AI Visibility
44:35 The Role of Semantic HTML and Structured Data
46:41 Chunking and Writing for AI vs. Humans
50:30 Crawlability and Internal Linking Strategies
53:20 Meta Tags and Open Graph Optimisation
54:12 The Future of LLMs and Markdown
57:11 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Resources
AIO accuracies
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/technology/google-ai-overviews-accuracy.html
https://algorythmic.co/opinions/my-response-to-googles-response-to-the-nyt-ai-overview-story/
Denmark's strategy to front run Europe on Big Tech deals: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/denmarks-strategy-to-front-run-europe-on-big-tech-deals/id1800563534?i=1000745426241
3rd party scrapers selling to AI companies: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7447249264881205249/
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Connect with Barry & Steve
SEO Summit 2026 - https://newsseo.io
Barry's Consultancy service: https://www.polemicdigital.com/
Steve's Consultancy service: https://www.stevenwilsonbeales.com/

In this episode, we explore the SEO strategies behind The Times of London's success, the impact of AI on news publishing, and how to build a resilient, value-driven newsroom. Guest Luke Halls, Head of SEO at The Times, shares insights on audience engagement, content innovation, and future trends.

Key Topics on the Pod!
- The Times' SEO strategy and audience growth
- Impact of AI on news content and search
- Building trust and loyalty through quality journalism

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:18 The Success of The Times in a Complex Market
01:05 Barry's Favorite Beers and Personal Stories
02:16 The Heritage and Reach of The Times
03:43 The Role of Search and App Engagement
05:49 Luke's Journey into Journalism and SEO
09:52 Luke's Role and Objectives at The Times
10:30 Using Data to Drive Loyalty and Subscriptions
12:07 Content Strategy and Audience Targeting
13:20 AI's Disruption and Opportunities in News
14:46 Topic Focus and Data-Driven Content Planning
15:34 Adapting to the AI and Search Landscape
16:37 Google Discover and Content Optimization
18:41 Creating AI-Resilient and Original Journalism
20:19 Live Coverage and Content Tree Approach
21:26 Balancing Breaking News and Quality Content
22:23 The Times' Approach to Paywalls and Subscription Models
28:29 Experimenting with Gift Links and Sharing
29:54 Content Experiments Without Targets
31:19 Monitoring Discover and AI Impact
33:12 Headlines, Headlines Optimization, and AI Tools
34:20 Headline Strategies for Discover and Search
36:12 Using Multiple Headlines and AI in CMS
38:00 AI for Menial Tasks and Content Automation
40:08 Google's Headline Rewrites and Search Impact
43:43 Future Trends in Search, Discover, and YouTube
45:30 Upcoming SEO Events and Educational Opportunities
47:35 Closing Remarks and Future Outlook


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Connect with Barry & Steve
SEO Summit 2026 - https://newsseo.io
Barry's Consultancy service: https://www.polemicdigital.com/
Steve's Consultancy service: https://www.stevenwilsonbeales.com/

In our latest discussion we've invited Nicola Agius (Director of SEO and Discover, Reach) to chat about three SEO-related news stories before we deep dive into Google Discover and its implications for publishers. We explore the recent core updates, the impact of AI on traffic, and the importance of maintaining a balanced SEO strategy. Apologies for a couple of connectivity issues - but we resolved them in the end!

Some takeaways...

The CMA's regulations may lead to more control for publishers over their content in AI-generated responses in Google.
AI tracking tools can provide misleading data; focus on quality content instead.
The volatility of Google Discover requires constant monitoring and adaptation.
Smaller and regional publishers are gaining visibility in Discover, challenging national publishers.
Quality and authority in content creation should not be compromised for short-term traffic gains.
Publishers need a diversified traffic strategy to mitigate risks associated with reliance on Discover.

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Connect with Barry & Steve

Barry's Consultancy service: https://www.polemicdigital.com/
Steve's Consultancy service: https://www.stevenwilsonbeales.com/