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Nick Fox, the senior vice president of Knowledge and Information at Digital Phablet, recently shared insights during an interview on the AI Inside channel with Jason Howell and Jeff Jarvis. Fox highlighted that Google does not plan to implement standardized licensing agreements for all publishers. He emphasized that optimizing for AI search is essentially the same process as traditional SEO—focusing on creating high-quality websites and content.
In the discussion, Fox underscored that the true partnership with publishers revolves around driving traffic and clicks rather than establishing licensing deals. When asked about guidance for publishers wanting to participate in AI development, he responded that there are no special instructions—it’s about working collaboratively to meet user demands and support journalism.
Fox also addressed the credibility of click data from AI overviews and modes, stating that statistics vary across sites and some third-party studies are selectively cited or “cherry-picked.” Interestingly, some data even showed that AI-generated results can boost traffic to certain sites more than traditional search metrics.
Regarding SEO strategies for AI search, Fox reaffirmed that building great content and websites remains the best approach, aligning with standard SEO practices. He noted that recent user behavior insights reveal that people are asking more detailed questions, and adoption rates are particularly strong in early-launch markets. Additionally, regions with less web content in certain languages tend to prefer AI responses for their more satisfying answers, especially among younger users.
In social media reflections, Howell shared enthusiasm about the conversation, noting the depth of insights gained from the interview that delved into AI’s impact on search and publisher relationships.
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