// insights

Insights

Growth marketing, AI, paid media and measurement. Researched Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

What changed. Why it matters. What to do next.

Your working news desk for the whole growth mix: AI, search, paid media, lifecycle, conversion, tracking and analytics.

Three researched editions a week. Original sources, clear implications and practical next moves, so keeping current leads to better decisions.

Browse the latest Follow via RSS
On this pageStart with a question

Three useful places to begin, depending on the decision in front of you.

Independent by designinsights
Google Reshuffles AI Search Links and Adds Paid-Search Priority Controls
8 min read

Google Reshuffles AI Search Links and Adds Paid-Search Priority Controls

Google changed where links appear inside AI Search and added channel priority and budget allocation controls in Ads. Both move placement; neither vendor shows outcome lift.

SEOPaid searchGrowth briefing
read ›
Your AI Search Policy Is Only as Consistent as Its Exceptions
4 min read

Your AI Search Policy Is Only as Consistent as Its Exceptions

Google’s AI search controls allow child-property exceptions. Learn how to review overrides, assign ownership and keep visibility decisions accountable.

SEOAI SearchGrowth briefing
read ›
Google's Conversion Lift Expansion Should Change Budget Decisions
7 min read

Google's Conversion Lift Expansion Should Change Budget Decisions

Broader reported Conversion Lift access gives eligible Search and Performance Max advertisers a better question: what additional business did the ads cause?

MeasurementPaid searchGrowth systems
read ›
TikTok and Google Push Agentic Commerce Into the Ad Stack
8 min read

TikTok and Google Push Agentic Commerce Into the Ad Stack

TikTok adds in-feed checkout and AI agents while Google opens a Merchant Center UCP hub for agentic checkout. What growth leaders should test now.

Paid socialCommerce mediaGrowth briefing
read ›
OpenAI Puts Visual Ads in ChatGPT and Opens the Measurement Stack
8 min read

OpenAI Puts Visual Ads in ChatGPT and Opens the Measurement Stack

OpenAI announced a visual ChatGPT ad format plus conversion and attribution partners. Here is what growth leaders should test now and what to hold.

AIMeasurementGrowth briefing
read ›
Amazon Ads Agent Folds the DSP Into One AI Console as GA4 Adds App Conversions
9 min read

Amazon Ads Agent Folds the DSP Into One AI Console as GA4 Adds App Conversions

Amazon merges its DSP and ads console into Amazon Ads Agent with Full-Funnel Campaigns and DVA+, while GA4 brings app conversions into cross-channel attribution with real limits.

Commerce mediaMeasurementGrowth briefing
read ›
Search Console Adds a Multimodal Filter as Google Starts a Two-Week Spam Update
8 min read

Search Console Adds a Multimodal Filter as Google Starts a Two-Week Spam Update

Google shipped a Search Console multimodal filter for image searches and started the September 2026 spam update with a rare two-week rollout window.

MeasurementSEOGrowth briefing
read ›
OpenAI's ChatGPT Ads Pixel Can Behave Like a Cross-Site Tracker
7 min read

OpenAI's ChatGPT Ads Pixel Can Behave Like a Cross-Site Tracker

Independent research says OpenAI's ChatGPT Ads measurement pixel can act like third-party tracking. What that means for consent, tag governance and attribution.

MeasurementAIGrowth briefing
read ›
Cloudflare AI Crawler Defaults Just Flipped: The Access Decision You Did Not Make
6 min read

Cloudflare AI Crawler Defaults Just Flipped: The Access Decision You Did Not Make

The Cloudflare AI crawler defaults flipped on September 15: Training and Agent bots are now blocked on ad pages. Here is the access decision to make now.

AI SearchCrawler ControlTechnical SEO
read ›

// contact

Open a channel

Not taking on new clients right now, focused on the work in front of me. The best way to connect is LinkedIn, or a warm introduction from someone I already work with.

Carroll Consulting is the business entity behind my independent work.

connect on linkedin ↗NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS