Andrej Karpathy just threw cold water on the entire “Year of AI Agents” hype. The former OpenAI and Tesla researcher says current AI agents “just don’t work” and that we’re looking at a decade before they deliver on their promises. Whoa.

Meanwhile, 92% of Fortune 500 companies have employees using AI tools. Some workers are saving 20+ hours per week.

So what’s actually happening here? The truth is somewhere in the middle.

There’s a disconnect between what AI was promised to do and what it’s actually doing to grow businesses. The hype said revolution. The reality is evolution. Here are three takeaways to consider:

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What you need to know:

42% of Businesses Still Operate Without Digital Marketing Strategy
Research shows 42% of businesses don’t have a digital marketing strategy despite actively doing digital marketing, a trend that has remained consistent for over 15 years. Across all pillars of digital marketing, around half of businesses rate themselves at lower maturity levels (1-2 out of 5), showing clear room for improvement and highlighting that lack of resources remains the top barrier. Read More

AI Max Goes Global: 27% Conversion Lift for Google Ads Campaigns
Google has rolled out AI Max worldwide in October 2025, giving advertisers one-click access to AI-powered campaign optimization that delivers 14% more conversions on average, with keyword-reliant campaigns seeing 27% increases. AI Max uses generative AI to create hundreds of ad variations tailored to different audiences and contexts, though advertisers lose some control over creative and targeting in exchange for automated performance gains. Read More

Google Adds “Hide Sponsored Results” Button – Ads Still Follow You Down the Page
Google introduced a collapsible ads feature allowing users to hide sponsored results, but the “Sponsored” label remains visible as you scroll, making ads more prominent even when collapsed. This change affects how advertisers think about ad visibility, with text ads now grouped under collapsible headers both above and below AI Overviews on desktop and mobile. Read More

Performance Max Gets Negative Keywords – Finally Gives Advertisers More Control
Google is rolling out campaign-level negative keywords to all Performance Max advertisers in October 2025, allowing up to 1,000 negative keywords per campaign using exact or phrase match. This addresses one of advertisers’ biggest concerns about Performance Max and should significantly improve campaign efficiency for those dealing with irrelevant traffic, working alongside existing brand exclusion lists. Read More

Google Local Services Ads Get Major October Update with Smarter Ranking
Google’s October 2025 LSA update introduces sophisticated ranking factors, new “Max Per Lead” bidding controls, and deeper AI integration with Google Maps and appointment booking. Responsiveness to leads is now critical for ranking, with the update rewarding active advertisers who respond instantly to calls and messages while expanding the program beyond simple pay-per-lead models. Read More

54% of AI Overview Citations Now Rank Organically – Healthcare Sees 70% Overlap
BrightEdge research shows that more than half (54%) of sites cited in AI Overviews also rank organically, up from 32% in early days, with healthcare, education, and insurance seeing 70%+ overlap. This means AI Overview visibility is becoming more closely tied to traditional SEO, and mainstream adoption is projected to hit the tipping point of 20% global users by April 2026—possibly as soon as December 2025. Read More

Meta Will Use Your AI Chats for Ad Targeting Starting December 16
Meta announced it will begin using conversations with Meta AI to personalize content and ads across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads starting December 16, 2025, with notifications beginning October 7. If you chat with Meta AI about hiking, you’ll see recommendations for hiking groups, trail posts, and ads for hiking boots—though conversations about religion, health, or politics won’t be used for ad targeting. Read More

Meta Tests Threads Video Ads – Three New Formats Rolling Out
Meta is testing three new ad formats for Threads: Carousel Ads, Advantage+ Catalog ads, and Advantage+ App ads, allowing brands without Threads profiles to advertise using their Instagram or Facebook accounts. With Threads hitting 400 million monthly users, this expansion gives advertisers access to a growing platform with less competitive ad inventory than established networks. Read More

Meta Launches Video Generation Beta – Turn Images Into Multi-Scene Videos
Meta’s new Video Generation feature, now in beta, uses generative AI to transform single-image ads into multi-scene videos complete with text and music. This tool allows advertisers to scale video content production quickly without extensive design resources, addressing the growing demand for video across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Read More

Just 33% of Marketers Understand GEO vs 72% for SEO – Gap Is Critical
Only 33% of marketers report good or expert understanding of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) compared to 72% for traditional SEO, yet 41% expect their companies to allocate more GEO resources next year. As AI-generated search summaries become common, brands that don’t optimize for visibility in answer-driven formats risk falling behind since SEO success alone won’t guarantee presence in AI results. Read More

Google Drops Reporting on Six Structured Data Types from Search Console
Google is removing six structured data types from Search Console, Rich Results Tests, and Search appearance filters by October 1, 2025, signaling a shift away from tracking these micro-level SEO elements. While Google says this won’t affect rankings, marketers will have less visibility into niche SEO tweaks, making authority, trust, and clear content more important than technical schema tags. Read More

LinkedIn Sees Record Engagement – Brands Shift to Authentic Over Corporate
LinkedIn has reached record engagement levels as brands shift from formal corporate content to more authentic, relatable posts that resonate with Gen Z entering the workforce. The platform is evolving beyond B2B networking into a powerful tool for brand awareness and website traffic, with marketers recognizing it as increasingly effective for driving results. Read More

Voice Search Optimization Critical as Gen Z Treats TikTok Like Google
Gen Z increasingly treats TikTok as a search engine rather than just entertainment, making visual search optimization essential for brand discovery. Marketers must optimize videos with keywords, hashtags, and spoken cues to ensure discoverability, treating social platforms as legitimate search engines alongside traditional SEO efforts. Read More

Creators Are the New Storefronts – Performance Partnerships Backbone of Social
TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn are accelerating shoppable features as likes and impressions are edged out by saves, shares, and direct purchases. Creators have become the new storefronts, with performance-driven partnerships forming the backbone of social strategy as platforms prioritize commerce integration over vanity metrics. Read More

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MARKETING STRATEGY

Clarity Breaks: Why Every Business Leader Needs Time to Think

If you’re anything like me, your calendar is a maze of deadlines, meetings, and back‑to‑back Q3 objectives—tasks that matter, but too often keep you lost in the weeds. The last thing you feel like doing is stepping away from it all. And yet, for over a decade—usually right at the start of Q3—I’ve given myself the gift of a one‑week clarity break. No slideshows. No fishing for “aha” moments. Just focused, uninterrupted time to read, explore, prototype, and rethink.

In EOS, it’s called a “Clarity Break.” Bill Gates famously labeled his version “Think Week.” For me, this isn’t a vacation—it’s a disciplined ritual: a chance to step out of execution mode and back into strategic leadership. Here’s everything I do, why I do it, and how I’ve fine‑tuned this practice into a catalyst for growth.

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SEARCH MARKETING

The Importance of Consistency in Online Listings for Local SEO

While a strong website and an active social presence are essential, one often-overlooked factor in local search engine optimization (SEO) is consistency in online business listings. Learn more about why consistency in online listings matters and how it can strengthen your local SEO strategy.

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STRATEGY

Grow Your Organization’s Revenue with a Comprehensive Digital Marketing Plan

Do you need a digital marketing strategy but you’re not sure where to start? Or maybe you’re unhappy with the results from your current plan? At Sanctuary, we focus on strategies that get results and help you grow your business. We’re leaders in marketing, and partners in growth. Learn more today!

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