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- Don't Feed The Algorithm: Issue 024
Don't Feed The Algorithm: Issue 024
The algorithm never sleeps, but you don’t have to feed it.
🐊 Editor's Note
Hey there,
Welcome back to another Don’t Feed The Algorithm, your weekly dispatch from Averi — where we explore the intersections of marketing, AI and the future of work.
SEO is changing faster than most teams realize. Ranking on Google isn’t the finish line anymore — being cited by LLMs is the new game. That’s why this week’s feature breaks down The GEO Playbook for 2026 — the complete guide on how to make your content the kind AI models pull from when customers ask the big questions.
We’re also digging into what it really takes to create at your best:
A deep dive into achieving creative flow state with Vibe Marketing, so your campaigns don’t just ship faster, they resonate deeper.
The 30-60-90 Day AI Marketing Implementation Framework, a roadmap to build AI into your stack without wasting time on overhyped tools that don’t deliver.
Because winning in 2026 isn’t about chasing the algorithm. It’s about building systems — for visibility, for creativity, and for execution — that the algorithm can’t ignore.
Let’s build.
— ZC & The Averi Team
📝 The Good Sh*t
The GEO Playbook 2026: Getting Cited by LLMs (Not Just Ranked by Google)
Your perfectly optimized content just got ignored by ChatGPT again.
Meanwhile, that scrappy competitor with half your domain authority keeps getting cited in AI overviews.
What the h*ll is going on?
Welcome to the post-PageRank era, where search volume is predicted to decline by 25% by 2026 as users shift to conversational AI interfaces.
The companies that master Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) won't just survive the transition, they'll dominate it.
You're in the right place to position yourself to win.
Achieving Creative Flow State with Vibe Marketing → Read online
The 30-60-90 Day AI Marketing Implementation Framework → Read online
🎉 This Week’s Wins
Every week we’re spotlighting three heavy hitters who did big things. Tap a win to work with them, or get matched to your perfect expert in Averi.
Aisha Malik — SEO Architect + Content Systems
Win (for a B2B SaaS scale-up): Aisha built a citation-first content engine that surfaced in LLM answers within 45 days. She combined technical SEO fixes with original data assets, driving a 2x increase in organic traffic and a 41% lift in qualified inbound leads.
Best for: SaaS and B2B brands ready to future-proof SEO with GEO, content clustering, and LLM discoverability
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Diego Martínez — Paid Media + Growth Ops Win (for a Series B e-commerce platform): Diego restructured campaigns around mid-funnel proof and intent-based GEO targeting. Within 30 days, ROAS increased 63%, CAC dropped 22%, and blended spend efficiency improved so much the team scaled budget by 40% without sacrificing margin. Best for: E-commerce and SaaS growth teams needing paid media efficiency, GEO-aligned funnels, and scalable growth ops | Jordan Wu — UX Researcher + Brand Storyteller Win (for a DTC wellness startup): Jordan re-mapped the brand’s funnel with narrative-driven proof points and user insights, cutting bounce on paid landing pages by 38% and boosting email CTRs by 52%. Campaign ROI doubled in under a month with storytelling embedded across ads, site, and nurture. Best for: DTC and consumer startups, narrative-led growth, UX + creative alignment |
🔥 In Case You Missed It…
USA Today launches DeeperDive, a generative-AI chatbot — Gannett rolled out DeeperDive in collaboration with Taboola to replace its search boxes. It summarizes journalism, answers factual questions, and recommends content across its network — all built on citation-based responses to stay ahead of AI Overviews that steal traffic. See what they’re doing →
Penske Media sues Google over AI Overviews traffic drops — Rolling Stone, Variety and Deadline’s parent company claims Google’s AI summaries are diverting referral traffic and using their content without proper licensing, hurting both reach and revenue. Read the lawsuit →
FTC opens inquiry into AI chatbots by Big Tech — Alphabet, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, xAI and others are under regulatory scrutiny. The FTC wants to understand how these chatbots measure engagement, handle user inputs, and monetize conversations. Explore the investigation →
Adobe expands its AEP agents suite to amp up CX + marketer workflows — Adobe’s Experience Platform unveiled new “agent tools” that help with audience targeting, experimentation, journey building, and site optimization — all AI-powered and context-aware. See what’s new →
Anthropic report shows uneven global adoption of AI — Their Economic Index finds enterprise and geographic disparities in using AI tools: some markets and sectors are embracing CLAUDE-powered workflows, others lag. Read the report →
Researchers warn LLMs still hallucinate citations — Despite recent improvements, AI models (including GPT-5) continue to invent or misattribute sources. Studies show they favor more recent works with fewer authors and simpler titles. See the findings →
“Most Cited Websites by AI Models” ranking unveiled — According to a study by Semrush, Reddit and Wikipedia lead the pack in the websites most frequently cited by LLMs for factual content. If your domain isn’t showing up among trusted sources, users might never see you in AI summaries. Check the ranking →
MarTech: AI tool launches & releases you should know — Adobe’s agents aside, new tools like Advice Local’s AI Presence Amplifier are helping businesses fix visibility issues in AI discovery, as calls grow to measure and automate more of marketing’s backend. Discover the tools →
🎮 Run This Play
This is where we hand you a ready-made growth move you can drop straight into Averi. No theory, no bs — just execution you can actually launch in minutes.
This week’s play is all about solving the consistency problem. Most teams know they need more content — but few have a system that can actually scale without burning everyone out. With the right setup, you can publish 15–20 pieces per week across 4–6 channels while spending only 3 hours of your own time.
Goal: Establish a repeatable content workflow that ships multi-channel weekly.
Outcome: 80% less time spent, 300% more output, and a content engine that compounds.
Play: Build My Content Engine
1️⃣ Find the Gaps — Run Averi’s competitive analysis to uncover missed opportunities and map where your content should play.
2️⃣ Define Your Pillars — Activate a strategist to build 3–5 content pillars tied directly to business outcomes (not just engagement).
3️⃣ Fill the Calendar — Use Averi to generate a 90-day keyword-mapped content calendar so you never run out of ideas.
4️⃣ Train the Engine… — Voice guidelines, visual templates, expert validations — this is where your workflow becomes scalable.
👉 That’s just the foundation. The full engine kicks in once production, optimization, and automation layers are live…
📺 The Algorithm Could Never
Gucci x North Face – “Off the Grid”
Gucci and The North Face teamed up for “Off the Grid”, a campaign shot in surreal treehouses and dreamlike landscapes. The collaboration blended luxury fashion with outdoor gear — two worlds that don’t usually intersect — and used bold, cinematic visuals to sell both escapism and sustainability.
Why We Love It:
Because it tapped into culture, not just commerce.
No algorithm would suggest: “combine mountaineering jackets with high-fashion tailoring and market it using fantasy treehouses.” It’s too contradictory, too risky, too niche. But Gucci and North Face knew that tension would spark conversation, cultural cachet, and relevance beyond standard ad metrics.
They weren’t just selling jackets. They were selling the idea that adventure and luxury can coexist — and that sustainability can be aspirational.
Do we dig it? |
Want to see more of the best marketed companies on the planet? 👇
🗓️ Make Friends
The AI Conference 2025 The AI Conference is a unique vendor-neutral event brought to you by the creators of MLconf and Ben Lorica, former Program Chair of The O’Reilly Artificial Intelligence Conference, the Strata Data Conference, and TensorFlow World.
| Leveraging AI to Supercharge Your Marketing & Close More DealsAn exciting event where we will dive into the world of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on marketing and sales. Discover how AI can revolutionize your strategies, boost your marketing efforts, and help you close more deals efficiently. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve in the competitive world of real estate!
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🦄 Averi Stories & Startup Spotlight
Supernormal: The AI Meeting Notes Platform Helping Teams Focus on the Work
Supernormal is transforming how teams capture and share knowledge by automatically generating high-quality meeting notes. With integrations across Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, the platform ensures nothing gets lost in translation — from action items to decisions — so teams can focus on execution instead of scribbling notes.
The Backstory: Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Stockholm and New York, Supernormal was created by former GitHub and Klarna executives who were frustrated by how much meeting context slipped through the cracks. They envisioned a tool that could blend AI transcription with structured note-taking to make collaboration seamless across distributed teams. Backed by Balderton Capital and EQT Ventures, the startup has raised over $10M to date.
Key Innovation: Supernormal uses advanced AI models fine-tuned for business communication to deliver meeting notes in seconds. Beyond transcription, it captures action items, assigns tasks, and integrates directly with productivity platforms like Slack, Notion, and Asana. The result? Meetings become lighter, follow-ups clearer, and organizational knowledge compounds without manual effort.
💡Ask Averi
AI + Human Marketing Tip
"Write for citations, not just clicks."
When you publish content, ask yourself: Would an AI model quote this?
Data, frameworks, and original insights are what get pulled into LLM answers — not fluffy copy or keyword-stuffed blogs.
Humans bring the taste and narrative, AI ensures the structure and discoverability. Together, you get content that’s built to last in both Google and generative search.
Strategy You Can Steal
The “Data-First Content Loop”
Most teams brainstorm topics, then figure out how to wedge in keywords. That’s backwards. The smarter move is to start with data that others will cite — then build content around it.
Here’s how:
1️⃣ Mine the data — Run a simple survey, pull insights from your product usage, or compile industry stats into a fresh dataset.
2️⃣ Package it — Turn those insights into a clear, visual format (chart, infographic, or framework).
3️⃣ Seed the loop — Publish the content with structured Q&A and schema markup so Google and AI models know how to reference it.
4️⃣ Repurpose everywhere — Break out highlights for LinkedIn posts, threads, or short videos, always pointing back to the source piece.
You don’t just publish another blog. You create a citation magnet that both humans and LLMs want to reference — fueling backlinks, brand authority, and discoverability.
— Averi
This Week’s Prompt Highlight
“Rewrite this blog post as if it were a conversation at a dinner party with a skeptical VC, a curious customer, and an AI researcher. Each should add their perspective — but keep the vibe on-brand.”
This team wanted a blog that felt like you were a part of dinner party banter.
Averi blended tones, viewpoints, and contexts, making the content both dynamic and citation-worthy.
🏆 Expert of the Week
 | Caleb Thornton: Funnel Engineer Who Treats Growth Like Game Design🌎 Background: Former indie game developer turned growth strategist, based in Portland, Oregon — Caleb is known for designing marketing funnels with the same precision and creativity he once brought to building immersive gameplay loops. ⚡ Achievement: Built a conversion system for a SaaS startup that turned trial signups into paying users at a 62% higher rate by mapping customer journeys like “levels” and layering in Averi-powered personalization at each stage. 🪩 Quirk: Keeps a shelf of vintage board games in his office and insists every funnel should be “as intuitive as Monopoly, but as addictive as Mario Kart.” |
💼 Don’t Let AI Replace You
Meta
Position: Product Marketing Manager, Business AI Solutions
Location: Remote, USA
Meta is looking for someone to drive go-to-market plans for its Business AI offerings — creating messaging, enabling sales, and coordinating cross-functional launches. → Apply here
Cisco
Position: Senior Product Marketing Manager, AI Canvas
Location: San Francisco, CA / Hybrid
Be part of the team defining strategy, messaging, and go-to-market execution for Cisco’s flagship “AI Canvas” project, taking it from reveal to mass adoption. → Apply here
OpenAI
Position: Product Marketing Manager, ChatGPT Business
Location: Remote / USA
Lead positioning, feature messaging, and GTM assets for the ChatGPT Business product line. Ideal for someone who already uses AI tools for rapid content and sales motion. → Apply here
Apollo.io
Position: Senior Manager, Marketing Operations (AI‐focused)
Location: Remote, USA
Improve marketing efficiency by owning tech setup, optimizing process flows, and enabling campaign teams to leverage AI tools for performance gains. → Apply here
Dropbox
Position: Product Marketing Director, Data Science/AI/ML
Location: Remote or Hybrid, USA
Drive GTM strategy for Dropbox’s Data Science & AI/ML products — positioning, market research, competitive differentiation, and close cross-team collaboration. → Apply here
Grammarly
Position: Director, Marketing & Product Operations
Location: San Francisco, CA or Remote
Oversee product & marketing operations for AI features, mentor teams, and ensure tools & processes support scalable content, product releases, and GTM efforts. → Apply here
Snap Inc.
Position: Global Business Marcomms Manager
Location: Seattle, WA / Hybrid
Lead product + brand communications globally, build narratives around AI / ML initiatives, and drive visibility for Snap’s business messaging. → Apply here
Built In NYC / A.Team
Position: Product Marketing Manager – AI
Location: New York, NY / Hybrid
Define positioning, craft narratives, and enable sales coverage for A.Team’s AI solutions; work closely with technical stakeholders and product leadership. → Apply here
Luma AI
Position: Senior Product Marketing Manager
Location: Remote (United States)
Details: Luma AI is looking for its first PMM to define positioning, launch AI-driven products, and craft narratives that resonate with both technical users and executives. You’ll own go-to-market strategy for new features, work closely with product and growth teams, and create sales tools and customer → Apply here
Looking to fill an open role on your marketing team? Averi can help!
We have access to the best marketers in the world at our fingertips.
Fill out the form below and we’ll work with you to find great candidates for your roles.
Did You Know? — 68% of marketers say they’re still optimizing only for Google search, while less than 20% have a strategy for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — making sure their content is surfaced and cited by AI tools and LLMs.
The gap is your opportunity.
Til next time,
DFTA
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