Technology

AI: The Missing Link in AI Success: Smarter Processes

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Unlocking the Real Value of AI: Why Better Process Management Is the Transformation We’ve Been Waiting For.

Discover how AI-driven process management boosts efficiency, unifies workflows, and unlocks real ROI from digital transformation.

For all the breathless talk of digital transformation over the past decade, a sobering truth remains: many organisations still aren’t seeing the productivity gains they were promised. AI, automation, cloud platforms, dashboards, they’ve all been rolled out with gusto. Yet according to McKinsey, roughly 30 per cent of employee time is lost to non-value-added data work. That’s almost a third of the working week squandered on fiddly tasks, data clean-up, and administrative churn.

So where’s the disconnect? If the technology is so clever, why are teams still bogged down?

A recent Harvard Business Review webinar on AI-driven process management put the spotlight firmly on this question. The message was clear: AI won’t deliver unless the underlying processes are fit for purpose. It’s not the tools holding companies back, but the messy, silo’d, poorly designed workflows they’re bolted onto. The most successful organisations take a more holistic approach – one where people, processes, and technology are treated as a single, joined-up system.

Below are the four core methods highlighted for turning scattered tech deployments into genuine enterprise breakthroughs.

1. Uniting workflows across operations for exponential business gains

Most companies still run on disjointed workflows, marketing does things one way, operations another, service teams yet another. Systems don’t talk; data doesn’t flow. AI applied in isolation simply automates inefficiency.

A harder, organisation-wide look at how work actually moves is needed. When workflows are unified, not just patched together through software, but deliberately redesigned end-to-end, something striking happens: AI can amplify value across the entire chain, not just in pockets.

It’s the difference between fixing isolated tasks and streamlining the whole machine. Shared data standards remove rework. Clean handovers cut delays. AI then sits on top of this connected backbone, spotting opportunities, predicting bottlenecks, and enabling better decisions at speed.

The real gains don’t come from making one part of the process faster, but from making the whole system work together.

2. Continuously optimising processes with AI insights

Traditional process improvement is static – you design a workflow, deploy it, and revisit it from time to time. But organisations now operate in a constantly shifting environment of changing demand, new regulations, supply chain pressures, and evolving customer expectations.

AI allows for something far more dynamic. Rather than waiting for problems to surface, AI can monitor processes in real time, catching inefficiencies the moment they appear. It can flag duplicated work, highlight data anomalies, and even predict delays before they hit.

This represents a shift from project-based improvement to ‘always-on optimisation”. Process improvement becomes a living, continuous function rather than an occasional tidy-up. Companies that embrace this rhythm will be far better equipped to adapt and stay competitive.

3. Streamlining experiences for seamless service

Despite all the investment in digital tools, many organisations still deliver clunky, fragmented experiences. One system asks for information the last system already collected. A service rep spends ten minutes hunting for a record. The front end looks polished, while the back end lags decades behind.

Thoughtful process management is crucial here. When processes are designed from the user’s point of view rather than the organisation’s internal structure, the entire experience becomes smoother and far more intuitive.

AI then elevates this further. It can route requests instantly, personalise interactions, and adjust workflows to individual needs. It strips away friction so thoroughly that the technology becomes invisible, and users simply get what they need quickly and without fuss.

People aren’t asking for more AI, they’re asking for better experiences. Well-designed processes make that possible.

4. Maximising efficiency at scale with AI-powered workflows

Scaling efficiency has long been a stumbling block. A clever bit of automation may thrive in one department but collapse under the weight of enterprise-wide rollout.

AI-powered workflows offer a way around this. They adapt, refine, and improve as they encounter new situations. When these workflows sit on top of clean processes and trustworthy data, they can scale without the usual growing pains.

This isn’t about squeezing more work out of fewer people. It’s about freeing teams from drudgery so they can focus on the work that genuinely adds value, decision-making, innovation, and customer engagement.

The result is a modern operating model where efficiency becomes a compounding advantage rather than a one-off win.

The bottom line

Digital transformation hasn’t failed for lack of technology. It has faltered because the technology was placed on top of processes that weren’t ready for it.

By unifying workflows, embracing continuous optimisation, designing seamless experiences, and embedding AI-powered workflows throughout operations, organisations can finally unlock the productivity gains they’ve been chasing.

Get the processes right, and AI doesn’t just automate the present, it opens the door to a far more efficient and future-ready enterprise.

Steve Coulter is a working lifetime business owner, manager, director and marketer involved with digital marketing since 1999. Nowadays AI Search expert, digital marketing & AI thought leader and brand engagement strategist.

Author of; The Definitive Guide To Digital Transformation For Legacy Businesses, Ultimate GEO & NATO Spec: Elite Team Tactics for Business

AUTOMOTIVE: The Autotrader Deal Builder Double Whammy

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A sharp, forecourt-level look at how Autotrader’s Deal Builder and the rise of Zero Click behaviour are squeezing used car dealers from both sides, eroding autonomy, visibility and buyer engagement in a fast-shifting digital marketplace.

Autotrader Deal Builder


Autotrader’s Deal Builder isn’t just another product tweak. It’s a disruptive structural shift in how used cars are bought and sold online and dealers can feel the ground moving under their feet. For years Autotrader played a fairly neutral host, the marketplace where dealers paid increasingly handsomely for leads but kept ownership of the tango between buyer and seller. Deal Builder flips that. It pulls negotiations, finance steps, part-exchange valuations and the vital early dealer-customer chat into Autotrader’s own funnel adding a new commission to variable costs.

Dealers are no longer shaping the first conversation. They’re reacting to it.

At a glance that might simplify the process for the buyer – even more appealing to some? But for dealers it means the nuances that make a sale happen; gauging buyer intent, framing the value of the car, uncovering their real needs, building rapport, have already been flattened by a scripted online journey. Price becomes the headline act. Specification, condition and service history become afterthoughts. The sales wizard on the phone or forecourt who can turn a researching caller or hesitant browser into a committed buyer no longer gets to weave their magic until it’s far too late. Many dealers see that not as convenience but as a strangulation of their craft. No wonder this has become the straw that broke the camel’s back for already disgruntled dealers and Autotrader contracts have been cancelled.

But even with Deal Builder, removing yourself from Autotrader in 2025 is like stepping off the M25 at 8am weekdays and hoping the A-roads will deliver the same traffic. You cut yourself out of the busiest shop window in the country. That risk is amplified by the rise of so-called ‘Zero Click’ behaviour. To an increasing extent searchers are no longer hopping from platform to platform, comparing listings, digging into dealer sites or ringing up on a whim. They’re skim reading synthesised summaries generated by AI that sit above the results. If a car search query gets answered directly in a neat little paragraph; price ranges, typical condition, popular models, even directing them to the dealer with the greatest AI savvy, the user might never reach the listings at all.

This is the new hazard. It’s not simply that buyers won’t click through. It’s that discovery is now mediated by machines distilling the market down to a few tidy facts. Dealers who once relied on strong photography, punchy descriptions and a competitive price for that particular car now find their efforts abstracted into an AI-authored digest that doesn’t mention them, their car or their service. Even when shoppers do hit a listing page, in our ADHD world they’re being conditioned to make faster decisions with less context. Cars outside those first handful of ‘best fit’ results are ghosted before they’ve even had a chance.

Put Deal Builder and Zero Clicks together and the picture gets darker. Dealers leaving Autotrader lose control over a funnel they disliked, but they also lose access to the only marketplace still large enough to push past the AI summaries and land real eyes on stock. Meanwhile the secondary platforms they retreat to don’t have the critical mass to surface above the Zero Click fog. A dealer might regain their autonomy only to find there’s no-one left to talk to.

It isn’t terminal for the trade. Those who invest in their own digital presence; take social media seriously, craft richer websites and vehicle pages, create informative video walk-arounds, encourage reviews, restructure their websites to answer conversational searches, build first-party email lists and get serious about local search can carve out their own lane.

Community reputation, repeat custom and transparent after-sales support still matter in ways algorithms cannot capture.

But make no mistake. The combination of Autotrader centralising the sales journey and search engines becoming subordinate to AI search is a huge double whammy. Dealers will be squeezed from the marketplace side and the discovery side.

Navigating this reality will take sharper thinking than the industry has been asked for in years.

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Steve Coulter is a four decade Automotive Industry professional now running a creative agency specialising in AI Search, Digital Transformation and Brand Engagement.

BRAND POSITIONING: Ferrari’s Sweet Spot

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Ferrari stands apart in an industry obsessed with scale. While most manufacturers fight for volume, Ferrari has mastered a different discipline: limiting supply, elevating value and turning every car into a high-margin work of desire. This article explores how the company builds demand and preserves profitability, and what SME owners can learn from its approach.


How Ferrari Creates Demand and Delivers Exceptional Profitability.

Ferrari occupies a position in the automotive world that most manufacturers can only admire from a distance. While mass-market brands chase volume and market share, Ferrari has built an entirely different model: one centred on scarcity, high margins and the careful cultivation of desire. The result is an output that is small in number yet immense in profitability, with profit per car that vastly exceeds that of other manufacturers.

Ferrari’s approach begins with the most basic principle of luxury: make less than people want. The company has long limited production to preserve exclusivity. This is not an afterthought but an intentional design. By keeping supply below demand, Ferrari ensures that its cars retain their status and that waiting lists remain part of the experience. The company does not allow the market to dictate volume. It sets its own pace, and customers follow.

This scarcity underpins Ferrari’s pricing power. Other manufacturers often rely on discounts, incentives and high-volume strategies to keep factories running. Ferrari has no need for any of that. Its prices are high because the brand has earned the right to command them, and because customers know that owning a Ferrari is not simply about buying a car but joining a very particular world.

Personalisation plays a major part in this. Each car can be tailored to an extraordinary degree, through bespoke colours, materials and technical options. These additions are not mere extras. They contribute a substantial share of Ferrari’s margins, turning each vehicle into a highly profitable commission rather than a standard product rolling off the line.

Financial results reflect this model. Ferrari consistently posts operating margins that resemble those of luxury fashion houses rather than car companies. In recent years its operating margin has approached levels that other manufacturers would consider out of reach. On a per-car basis its profitability is exceptional, far above that of both mass-market and premium brands. Where many manufacturers make modest earnings on each unit and rely on scale to survive, Ferrari achieves remarkable profitability from a relatively small number of cars.

The strength of the brand is central to all of this. Ferrari has built a mythology over decades of racing heritage, iconic design and uncompromising performance. The emblem alone carries weight that few other marques can match. Customers are not simply purchasing horsepower or engineering. They are buying history, identity and the sense of belonging to a long-established tradition.

This strategy also brings resilience. Because the business is not dependent on huge volumes, it is less vulnerable to the fluctuations that affect the wider automotive market. The company generates strong cash flow, allowing it to invest steadily in new technologies while maintaining the exclusivity that supports its market position.

Ferrari’s success offers a clear lesson for other industries. Growth does not always require expansion in numbers. A tightly controlled supply, supported by a strong brand and meaningful personalisation, can create a more stable and profitable model than sheer scale. It is a reminder that in certain sectors, demand is not simply found. It can be cultivated through patience, discipline and a clear sense of identity.

The Lesson For Business… especially micro-business and SME is not to imitate Ferrari’s glamour but to embrace its discipline. Look closely at where your real value lies, raise the standard of what you offer and consider whether scarcity, specialisation or personalisation could work in your favour. You do not need thousands of customers. You need the right ones who recognise the worth of what you do. Now is the moment to review your positioning, refine your offer and build a business that commands respect rather than chases attention.

If you would like to explore how these principles can be applied to your own business, get in touch with me. I can help you refine your positioning, strengthen your value proposition and build a model that supports higher margins and stronger demand. Reach out and let us develop this further for your organisation.

AUTOMOTIVE: Porsche Profits Apply The Big Stoppers

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Porsche, once the golden child of German engineering and luxury performance, has hit an unexpected crisis in 2025. After years of record profits and unmatched prestige, the carmaker has reported a devastating fall in earnings, with operating profit plunging by more than 99 percent. The decline raises urgent questions about Porsche’s electric strategy, global sales slump, and future in an increasingly uncertain automotive market.

There was a time when the air in Zuffenhausen smelled of success and the confidence of endless growth. Porsche was the brand that never stumbled, the company that made perfection seem routine. Yet this year the balance sheets told a very different story.

For the first time in living memory, Porsche has posted a loss. Not a minor dip or a brief misfire, but a full-blown financial skid. In the third quarter of 2025, the company recorded an operational loss of nearly one billion euros. Across the first nine months of the year, profits collapsed from around four billion to just forty million. The figures landed like a crash through the guardrail at La Source.

The roots of Porsche’s decline lie in its costly electric gamble. Determined to lead the luxury EV revolution, the company poured billions into its own battery programme and an ambitious range of electric cars. The goal was clear: by 2030, eighty percent of new Porsches would run silently rather than roar. The market, however, had other ideas.

Buyers loved the Taycan’s design and speed, but hesitated at the price and limited range. High costs and lukewarm demand forced Porsche to retreat. The battery division was scrapped, new electric SUVs cancelled, and the firm took a three billion euro write-down. The pivot back to hybrids and combustion engines restored a little sanity, but the damage was done. Investors saw indecision. Customers saw confusion.

External pressures made things worse. In America, new tariffs on European luxury cars have already cost Porsche hundreds of millions of euros. Prices have risen, and demand has fallen. Across the Pacific, China’s once-booming market for Western prestige cars has cooled sharply. Sales dropped by more than twenty-five percent as domestic electric brands took centre stage.

Europe offered no comfort either. Economic fatigue and tighter emissions laws have hit the high-end market. Even the 911, the timeless heartbeat of Porsche, faces an uncertain future in a world determined to phase out petrol. Volkswagen Group, Porsche’s parent company, has reported its own steep drop in profit, much of it linked to this turmoil in Zuffenhausen.

The response has been fast and severe. Around four thousand jobs have already gone, and restructuring costs have topped three billion euros. Meetings that once celebrated lap times now focus on cost savings. Michael Leiters, Porsche’s new chief executive and a former McLaren man, has inherited the unenviable task of restoring confidence while steering a bruised and bewildered company back to growth.

Behind the scenes, engineers are refocusing. Porsche will rely on its most loyal strengths: craftsmanship, performance, and the feel of quality that no algorithm can reproduce. Future cars will blend petrol and electric power rather than replace one with the other. The idea is to rebuild gradually, balancing innovation with identity.

For decades, Porsche was defined by certainty. Every car, from the 911 Turbo to the Macan, carried the same message of precision and purpose. But the modern world is no longer so simple. Customers expect luxury, performance and sustainability in a single package. Governments demand cleaner cars. Markets demand profit. Somewhere in that storm, Porsche lost its footing.

Yet history suggests the brand knows how to recover. In the early Eighties, Porsche faced a similar reckoning. Sales were weak, costs were high, and purists feared the end of the 911. The company survived by listening to its engineers rather than its accountants. It rediscovered its essence. That may be the lesson Zuffenhausen needs again today.

If Porsche can blend its heritage with a clearer, more measured path to electrification, it could regain its balance. The 911 remains a global icon, and the Taycan, for all its struggles, proved that electric Porsches can still thrill. What the brand needs now is consistency and patience. The next great Porsche story will not be written in spreadsheets but in steering feel, design integrity and engineering bravery.

For now, though, Porsche’s halo has dimmed. The numbers are harsh, the markets unforgiving, and the pressure immense. Yet if any marque can turn a loss into a lesson, it is the one that made imperfection an art form.

What Porsche Could Do Next?

– Refocus the product line: Build hybrids and performance models that maintain the emotional core of the brand while easing customers toward electric power.
– Control production costs: Simplify supply chains, delay unnecessary launches, and invest only in platforms that deliver profit and flexibility.
– Strengthen brand storytelling: Reignite the emotional link between car and driver through heritage design cues and motorsport engagement.
– Win back key markets: Adjust pricing and marketing strategies in the United States and China to match shifting buyer sentiment.
– Prepare for the long term: Develop a steady, sustainable EV roadmap that doesn’t gamble the company’s identity on unproven demand.

If Porsche manages to balance its heart with its head, it will emerge stronger. The figures may be grim today, but the brand’s legacy of resilience remains intact. The brand is used to the smell of victory.

AI: Five Ways for SMEs to Protect Sales Leads and Marketing Efficiency in the Age of AI

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The rise of artificial intelligence and AI Search Summaries (Resulting in answers from Zero Clicks) is changing the way people find and choose businesses online. For SME owners, this shift means the traditional paths to generating sales leads and website traffic are under significant pressure. AI-driven search tools often provide direct answers without needing users to click through to websites. This can reduce the number of leads and enquiries your business may get from online marketing. But there are clear steps small businesses can take this week to adapt and safeguard their sales efforts.

Here’s five immediate moves you can make THIS WEEK. 


1. Optimise for AI-Driven Search

Simply relying on old-fashioned search engine optimisation is no longer enough. Generative AI and tools like Google’s AI Overviews pick and summarise information directly from websites. It pays to adapt your content and code with clear, authoritative answers to common questions your customers ask. Using structured data on your site helps AI systems extract your business information accurately, increasing the chance your company will be referenced and recommended even without a traditional link click.

2. Broaden Your Lead Generation Channels

With fewer website visits from AI summaries, it is wise to build leads through multiple channels. Boost your presence on LinkedIn, local business directories, review platforms, and relevant industry forums. Keeping these online profiles up to date ensures your company can be found through AI recommendations in different digital spaces, capturing customers who no longer start with a Google search alone.

3. Strengthen Trust and Credibility Signals

AI tools favour sources that demonstrate expertise and trustworthiness. Ensure your website clearly shows accreditations, client testimonials, and case studies. Keep your legal pages, such as privacy and terms, current and transparent – these may be automated using AI tools. These elements help build the confidence AI systems and your customers need to choose your business over others.

4. Focus on Direct Nurture and Retargeting

Since organic site traffic might drop, it is important to maintain contact with existing and potential customers through email newsletters, retargeting adverts, and downloadable resources. Collecting first-party data – for example, through newsletter sign-ups – with clear consent – means you can continue marketing directly to interested leads, even as search behaviours evolve. Building your own customer database and reviews away from major retail platforms like Autotrader and Right Move is vital.

5. Review Your Analytics and Tracking

AI search changes and stricter privacy rules may reduce the accuracy of traditional website analytics. Take a detailed look at your tracking and attribution methods. Consider tools that track referrals from AI platforms, branded searches, and mentions. Adjusting your measurement models allows better insight into where leads come from and how AI impacts your digital visibility. Also check typical searches on the major AI LLM apps like ChatGPT and Perplexity to see if you are included in citations – if not who is? What information is being picked up and can you emulate this?

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AI technologies are here to stay, but with the right approach, SMEs can continue to thrive. Taking these practical steps this week helps protect your sales pipeline and marketing success in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

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Too busy, or this is outside your level of expertise? Contact Me today for a conversation about how my agency might assist. 

DIGITAL MARKETING: AI-First SEO Era

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This paper presents the findings of a year-long study into how generative AI is disrupting the search landscape, marking a decisive shift from traditional SEO to a new era of AI-first discovery. Drawing on extensive research, expert insight and real-world testing, it examines the rise of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and outlines the strategies modern brands must adopt to remain visible, authoritative, and trusted in AI-driven search environments. A definitive guide for organisations seeking to understand and thrive in the rapidly evolving world of generative search.

FYI I have a draft book manuscript ‘Ultimate GEO’ which you are welcome to please contact me for a copy. 

The AI-First SEO Era: Navigating Generative Search

Executive Summary

Context: The rise of generative AI is transforming how people search, shifting from traditional keyword-based search to AI-first paradigms.

Thesis: SEO is no longer just about ranking, it’s about being cited and trusted by AI models.

Key Trends: Generative Search Engines (GSEs), multi-intent queries, AI citations, structured content optimisation, and the new metrics of search success.

Recommendations: Build content with topical authority; prioritise experience and expertise (E-E-A-T); measure AI visibility, not just click-through; invest in AI + human content workflows.

1. Introduction: The Generative Search Shift

Search is evolving: Platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and others are no longer niche — they are fast becoming primary touchpoints for information discovery.
Implication for SEO: Traditional SEO based on PageRank, backlinks, and keyword frequency is being disrupted. The new frontier is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
Users now expect concise, synthesized answers rather than lists of links.

2. Defining Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)

What is GEO?

GEO is the practice of optimising content so that generative AI models can:

 1. Understand it deeply (semantic meaning, entities)
 2. Cite it when constructing responses to queries
 3. Attribute it in generated answers (i.e., as a source)

Key components of GEO:
Topical authority: building deep, interconnected clusters of content.

Semantic relevance: using structured data, knowledge graph signals, clarity of entities.
Credibility signals: authored by experts, backed by data / research, with original insights.
Clarity and structure: FAQ format, schema markup, headings, concise summarisation.

3. Emerging Ranking Signals in the AI-Driven Search Landscape

These are the signals that matter more in a generative AI search context, compared to classic SEO:

1. Topical Depth Over Keyword Density

AI models reward content that demonstrates deep understanding.
Topic clusters (pillar pages + subtopics) perform better than isolated blog posts.

2. Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)

AI increasingly values real experience: first-hand case studies, expert authors, unique data.
Verified credentials, research, and transparency matter more than ever.

3. Semantic and Contextual Relationships

AI uses entity recognition and knowledge graphs to understand relationships between topics.
 Internal linking, co-occurrence of ideas, and concept mapping help AI navigate your content.

4. Behavioral / Predictive Signals

AI engines use predictive behaviour: they try to infer next user intent, not just respond to the query.
Content needs to anticipate multi-step journeys (e.g., compare → buy → research).

5. Structured Data & Schema

Use of schema (FAQ, Article, HowTo, etc.) makes content more machine-readable.
Structured content helps AI summarise and cite your page correctly.

4. The Impact on Search Behaviour

Zero-click Searches Surge: AI overviews and answer-generation mean many users get their answer without clicking through. 
Changing Click Patterns: Traditional CTR becomes less reliable; instead, visibility is measured via citations in AI-generated responses.
Multi-intent Queries: Search intent is more layered, users may be comparing, buying, exploring, or interrogating. AI helps surface richer, intent-aware responses.
Discovery vs. Engagement: The goal shifts from driving traffic to being used as a trusted source by AI.

5. Risks and Challenges

AI-generated content pitfalls: Generic content, without depth or authority, is penalised by AI models. 
Brand bias and big-brand advantage: Larger, well-known brands may be more likely to be cited by AI if they already dominate topically.
Transparency & Attribution Issues: If AI cites your content incorrectly, or without a link, how do you ensure fair use?
Analytics Blind Spots: Traditional tools like Google Analytics / Search Console may not capture AI-driven visibility. As Reddit conversations highlight, SEO pros are “checking Search Console way less” in an AI-first world. 
Over-optimization risk: There’s a balance to strike, too much structure purely for machines can make content robotic or disjointed for human readers.

6. Strategic Imperatives for Businesses

To win in the generative search era, brands should:

1. Build Topic Clusters with Authority

Map out core themes → subtopics → supporting content.
Publish long-form, data-rich content, not just shallow blog posts.

2. Elevate E-E-A-T

Leverage subject-matter experts, generate original research, and highlight first-hand experience.
Use author bios, credentials, and case studies.

3. Optimise for AI Appearance

Use schema markup (especially FAQ, Q&A) to make it easier for AI to parse.
Create summaries, intros, and structured sections in your content to improve scannability.

4. Monitor AI Visibility, Not Just Clicks

Track citations in AI platforms (e.g., “Which sources did ChatGPT / Gemini / Perplexity cite?”).
Use tools that monitor generative engine visibility or build internal dashboards.

5. Adopt a Hybrid Content Workflow

Combine human expertise + AI drafting: AI can help generate first drafts, but humans should refine and fact-check.
Iterate based on how generative engines reference your content.

6. Prepare for Future Generative Search Modes

Voice, image, and even agent-based search (AI agents doing tasks) will become more common.
Make sure your content is multimodal-ready (e.g., alt text, conversational copy, structured data).

7. Case Studies & Examples (Hypothetical / Real)

Brand A (B2B SaaS): By building a deep topic cluster around “AI for Sales Automation,” they increased citations in AI overviews by 200% in six months.
Brand B (Health & Wellness): Expert-led content (doctors, nutritionists) was more frequently cited by generative models than competitor sites using generic AI content.
Brand C (E-commerce): Implemented FAQ schema on product pages and saw their pages being directly referenced in AI answer engines for common product questions.

8. The New SEO Tech Stack

To operate in this new era, businesses need a modern SEO stack:

AI Keyword & Topic Research Tools: For clustering by semantic meaning and intent.
Predictive SEO Platforms: That use forecasting to simulate how AI engines will respond to content.
AI Content Scoring / Quality Tools: To evaluate readability, topical depth, and authority.
AI Search Visibility Trackers: Tools specifically designed to capture how often your content is referenced or cited in generative AI outputs.
Automated Technical SEO Tools: For ensuring structured data, schema markup, fast-loading sites, and mobile readiness.

9. Future Outlook

Increasing dominance of generative search: As more users adopt AI for search, generative engines will capture a larger share of queries.
AI agents and multi-modal search: Autonomous AI agents (agents that search, compare, and transact) will create new demand for content structured not just for humans, but for other AIs. 
Evolving measurement frameworks: Traditional SEO KPIs (rankings, clicks) will be supplemented / replaced by “AI citations,” “answer appearances,” and “AI-engaged traffic.”
Ethical and trust considerations: Brands that provide transparent, trustworthy, expert-led content will be rewarded. Others risk being de-prioritised by generative engines.

10. Conclusion & Call to Action

The SEO landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation, not incremental change, but a structural shift.
Brands that adapt their content strategy to be “AI-citable” and demonstrate genuine expertise will thrive.
It’s time to rethink SEO: from chasing rankings to building authority in the eyes of generative models.

The question for every business: Are you ready to optimise for the AI-first search world, or will you get left behind?

For more information or explanation of anything in my GEO Industry report and how this affects your own business please contact me.

AUTOMOTIVE: Tesla In Reverse

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Tesla faces its gravest crisis yet with plummeting sales, legal battles, and brand toxicity. Can Musk’s desperate sales intervention save the company he built?

Tesla Sales Slump. A Company In Reverse.
The numbers tell a brutal story. Tesla’s second-quarter deliveries plummeted 13.5% year-on-year to just 384,000 vehicles, whilst European sales collapsed by as much as 45% in early 2025. Even in Tesla’s stronghold markets of China and the United States, rivals including BYD, Volkswagen, and Hyundai are systematically dismantling the company’s once-impregnable market position.

What began as isolated competitive pressure has metastasised into an existential crisis encompassing product stagnation, mounting legal challenges, and a brand toxicity that would have been unthinkable just two years ago. Elon Musk’s response – personally commandeering Tesla’s sales operations from the company’s headquarters – represents either inspired leadership or desperate theatre. The evidence suggests the latter.

Tesla’s troubles extend far beyond routine quarterly fluctuations. Industry analysts point to a fundamental product problem: the company has launched no genuinely new mainstream models since the divisive Cybertruck, leaving its core range looking increasingly antiquated. The Model S and Model X, now approaching their second decade, lack the technological edge that once justified premium pricing, whilst even the refreshed Model 3 and Model Y variants have failed to generate meaningful market excitement.

Manufacturing bottlenecks from Model Y production transitions have exacerbated inventory buildups, creating the paradox of falling sales alongside unsold stock. “Tesla is caught between worlds,” explains one former executive who departed the company last year. “They’re trying to maintain premium positioning whilst competing on volume, and it’s not working.”

The human cost of these missteps extends beyond shareholders. Recent months have witnessed an exodus of senior talent, including the head of North American sales and key battery engineering leaders, suggesting internal recognition that current strategies are failing.

Perhaps more damaging than operational setbacks is Tesla’s reputational crisis. Musk’s increasingly vocal political alignment, particularly his association with Donald Trump, has triggered what industry observers term a “consumer revolt” in traditionally progressive markets where Tesla once dominated.

The “Tesla Takedown” movement, documented across social media platforms, encompasses everything from organised boycotts to physical vandalism of vehicles. Resale values have declined accordingly, with specialist automotive data firms recording measurable drops in Tesla’s brand perception scores throughout 2025.

“We’re seeing something unprecedented,” notes Professor Sarah Davidson, who studies automotive consumer behaviour at Warwick Business School. “Political polarisation is directly impacting purchase decisions in ways we’ve never measured before. Tesla owners are reporting embarrassment about their vehicles.”

Tesla’s troubles extend into America’s courtrooms, where multiple high-stakes cases threaten both immediate operations and long-term viability. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles is pursuing a 30-day sales ban over allegedly misleading advertising of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capabilities, a move that would devastate Tesla’s largest single market.

Simultaneously, a wrongful death trial in Miami centres on Autopilot’s role in a fatal 2019 crash, with potential punitive damages that could establish precedents for autonomous vehicle liability. Legal experts suggest the outcome could fundamentally reshape how self-driving technologies are marketed and deployed. Tesla’s very own Trolley Car Problem.

Beyond these headline cases, Tesla faces a growing constellation of “phantom braking” complaints, quality control lawsuits, and antitrust challenges to its repair monopoly. Each represents not merely financial exposure but further erosion of consumer confidence in Tesla’s core technologies.

Central to Tesla’s current predicament is a business model that once represented revolutionary thinking but now appears increasingly anachronistic. The company’s rejection of traditional franchise dealerships delivered early advantages in pricing control and customer experience, yet state-level dealership protection laws have created a patchwork of legal restrictions that limit Tesla’s expansion opportunities.

More problematically, Tesla’s insistence on controlling all aspects of vehicle servicing has created what consumer advocates term a “repair monopoly.” Owners face extended delays, higher costs, and limited alternatives when vehicles require maintenance, issues that traditional franchise networks handle through distributed infrastructure and competitive pricing.

“The direct-to-consumer model worked brilliantly when Tesla was a premium niche player with devoted customers,” observes automotive retail consultant James Morrison. “But mass-market consumers expect convenience and choice that Tesla’s current structure simply cannot deliver at scale.”

Industry data supports this assessment. Whilst traditional manufacturers leverage dealer networks to manage demand fluctuations and regional variations, Tesla must shoulder these burdens independently. The resulting bottlenecks in service capacity and inventory management become particularly acute during periods of market stress.

Reports from Tesla’s Fremont headquarters suggest Musk has resumed the hands-on approach that characterised the company’s early years, reportedly employing Musk’ peculiar trademark of sleeping at the facility whilst personally directing sales strategy. The company has rolled out aggressive incentive programmes including discounted financing, complimentary software trials, and targeted offers for military veterans and educators.

These measures represent classic demand stimulation tactics, designed to shore up quarterly numbers ahead of Tesla’s earnings announcement. However, automotive industry veterans express scepticism about their long-term effectiveness.

“Incentives are a sugar rush,” explains former General Motors executive Patricia Williams, now an independent consultant. “They can mask underlying problems temporarily, but they don’t address fundamental issues of product competitiveness or brand perception. Tesla’s challenges are structural, not tactical.”

Stock market analysts echo this assessment, noting that Tesla’s current crisis encompasses precisely the factors that discount-driven sales campaigns cannot address: ageing product lines, manufacturing inefficiencies, legal liabilities, and consumer sentiment.

Tesla’s recovery requires acknowledgement that its original advantages have largely evaporated. The company’s technological lead has narrowed considerably, with competitors matching or exceeding Tesla’s capabilities in areas from battery range to autonomous features. Meanwhile, manufacturing cost advantages have disappeared as established automakers achieve economies of scale in electric vehicle production.

Perhaps most critically, Tesla must confront the limitations of its direct-to-consumer model. Industry experts suggest hybrid approaches, incorporating elements of traditional franchise or agency partnerships, could address current bottlenecks whilst maintaining some operational control.

“Tesla needs to swallow its pride about the dealership model,” argues automotive strategist David Chen. “The best aspects of direct-to-consumer can be preserved whilst addressing the very real scalability and service issues that are alienating customers.”

Similarly, product renewal cannot wait for revolutionary technologies. Tesla requires incremental but meaningful updates to its existing range, coupled with genuinely new models that recapture market imagination.

Where is the Tesla equivalent ‘Dolphin Surf’ or WuLing Baojun’s funky “Yue Ye” a Suzuki Jimny impersonator, on price and desirability?

Tesla’s current predicament represents more than routine corporate turbulence. The company faces simultaneous challenges across every aspect of its operations, from product development to legal compliance to consumer perception. Musk’s personal intervention in sales operations, whilst symbolically significant, addresses none of these fundamental issues.

The electric vehicle market Tesla created has matured beyond recognition, populated by government funded capable competitors offering consumers genuine alternatives. Tesla’s survival depends not on charismatic leadership or promotional campaigns, but on systematic operational reform that acknowledges this new reality.

Whether Musk and his leadership team possess the humility to undertake such reform remains the critical question facing Tesla shareholders, employees, and customers. The company’s next chapter will be written not in boardrooms or Twitter feeds, but in the quotidian work of building better products and serving customers more effectively than increasingly capable rivals.

The Tesla revolution may be ending. What comes next depends entirely on the company’s willingness to evolve beyond the mythology that created it.

AUTOMOTIVE: China Crisis?

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China’s electric vehicle sector has emerged as one of the most significant industrial transformations of our time, fundamentally reshaping global automotive markets through strategic state investment and genuine technological innovation. From Manchester offices to Berlin showrooms, Chinese EVs are capturing consumer attention with competitive pricing and advanced features, whilst raising important questions about trade fairness, data security, and technological sovereignty. This comprehensive analysis examines how coordinated industrial policy, supply chain integration, and genuine market innovation have enabled Chinese manufacturers like BYD and NIO to challenge established Western competitors, exploring both the legitimate security concerns and economic opportunities presented by this automotive revolution.

The rise of Chinese EV Around The World Security Threat

A sleek electric vehicle charges quietly outside a Manchester office block. In Berlin, a young professional considers a Chinese-made EV for half the price of its German equivalent. Across Southeast Asia, affordable electric cars are transforming urban transport. These scenes reflect one of the most significant industrial shifts of our time, driven by China’s remarkable rise in the electric vehicle sector.

This transformation raises important questions about trade, technology, and national security that deserve careful examination beyond the headlines about trade wars and technological threats.

China’s dominance in electric vehicles did not emerge by accident. Following decades of playing catch-up in traditional automotive manufacturing, Beijing identified electric mobility as an opportunity to leapfrog established competitors. The timing was astute: Western manufacturers were still heavily invested in combustion engine technology, creating space for new entrants.

Between 2009 and 2023, the Chinese government invested approximately $230 billion in subsidies across the EV supply chain, from battery research to charging infrastructure. This approach enabled companies like BYD, NIO, and CATL to achieve scale and vertical integration that would have taken decades through market forces alone.

However, this state support, whilst substantial, occurred alongside similar programmes in other nations. The United States has committed over $100 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act, whilst the European Union has allocated €3 billion specifically for battery manufacturing. The difference lies not in the presence of state support, but in its coordination and timing.

China’s approach also reflected genuine domestic priorities. With 70% of oil imports traversing potentially contested sea lanes, electric vehicles offered a path towards energy security that aligned with both economic and strategic interests. This convergence of commercial and security considerations helped sustain long-term investment even when short-term returns remained uncertain.

Chinese EVs succeed internationally because they offer genuine value to consumers. Modern Chinese electric vehicles combine competitive pricing with advanced features, often incorporating software capabilities that rival Silicon Valley products. The price advantage, typically 30-50% below Western equivalents, reflects not just subsidies but also manufacturing efficiencies and supply chain integration.

European consumers increasingly choose Chinese EVs based on practical considerations: lower purchase prices, competitive range, and modern infotainment systems. This market response suggests that Chinese success stems from meeting consumer needs, not merely undercutting competitors through state support.

Yet this consumer appeal operates within a broader industrial context. Chinese manufacturers benefit from controlling much of the battery supply chain, from lithium processing to cell production. This vertical integration creates cost advantages that would be difficult to replicate quickly, regardless of subsidy levels.

The data collection capabilities of modern electric vehicles do raise genuine privacy and security concerns. Contemporary EVs function as mobile data centres, gathering information about location patterns, driving habits, and even conversations through voice assistants. Under China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, domestic companies must cooperate with intelligence gathering when requested.

These concerns apply broadly to connected vehicles regardless of origin. Tesla vehicles collect extensive data, as do European manufacturers increasingly reliant on Chinese components. The issue is not unique to Chinese brands, but rather reflects the broader challenge of data governance in an interconnected automotive sector.

Security analysts have identified potential vulnerabilities in vehicle connectivity systems that could theoretically enable remote interference. However, documented cases of such interference remain limited, and automotive cybersecurity standards are evolving to address these risks across all manufacturers.

The more immediate concern may be economic rather than directly security-related. As Chinese companies gain market share, they increasingly influence technical standards for charging protocols, battery interfaces, and vehicle software. This standardisation power could create long-term dependencies that extend beyond individual purchase decisions.

The rapid expansion of Chinese EV exports has created significant pressure on established automotive manufacturers. In 2023, Chinese firms exported 1.5 million electric vehicles, compared to fewer than 200,000 three years earlier. This growth has coincided with mounting challenges for European manufacturers, from Volkswagen’s plant closures to Ford’s restructuring plans.

However, attributing these difficulties solely to Chinese competition oversimplifies complex market dynamics. European manufacturers also face regulatory pressure to accelerate electrification, supply chain disruptions, and changing consumer preferences that favour software-defined vehicles over traditional automotive engineering.

Some European companies are adapting by forming partnerships with Chinese firms or sourcing Chinese components whilst maintaining design and assembly operations in Europe. This approach suggests that the relationship need not be purely adversarial, though it requires careful management of technological dependencies.

Western governments are implementing various measures to address the challenges posed by Chinese EV expansion. The United States has imposed tariffs exceeding 100% on Chinese electric vehicles and restricted federal subsidies for vehicles containing Chinese components. The European Union has launched anti-subsidy investigations and is considering additional trade measures.

These responses reflect legitimate concerns about fair competition and technological dependency. However, they also risk delaying the transition to electric mobility and increasing costs for consumers. The challenge lies in balancing security considerations with the benefits of technological competition and innovation.

More constructive approaches might focus on strengthening domestic capabilities whilst maintaining open markets. This could include accelerating investment in European and American battery manufacturing, developing robust cybersecurity standards for all connected vehicles, and creating reciprocal market access agreements that ensure fair competition.

China’s success in electric vehicles occurs within a larger context of technological competition between major powers. Similar dynamics are visible in renewable energy, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. The question is not whether such competition will occur, but how it can be managed constructively.

The electric vehicle sector demonstrates both the benefits and risks of economic interdependence. Chinese innovation has accelerated global EV adoption and reduced costs for consumers worldwide. Simultaneously, the concentration of production capabilities raises questions about supply chain resilience and technological sovereignty.

China’s rise in the electric vehicle sector represents a significant shift in global industrial capabilities that reflects both strategic planning and genuine technological achievement. Whilst legitimate concerns exist about data security and market dependencies, addressing these challenges requires nuanced policies that distinguish between different types of risks.

The success of Chinese EVs demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated industrial policy combined with genuine innovation. Rather than simply restricting market access, Western nations might focus on strengthening their own capabilities whilst developing frameworks for managing technological interdependence constructively.

The electric vehicle revolution will continue regardless of trade disputes or security concerns. The question is whether this transformation can occur in ways that benefit consumers whilst addressing legitimate national security considerations. This balance requires sophisticated policy responses that move beyond simple narratives of technological conflict towards more constructive approaches to managing global industrial competition.

The Chinese EV challenge is real, but it is also an opportunity to develop better frameworks for technological cooperation and competition in an interconnected world. How we respond will shape not just the automotive sector, but the broader relationship between economic integration and national security in the twenty-first century.

AUTOMOTIVE: Enter The Dragon

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China’s EV brands are conquering the UK market faster than Japan did in the 1970s. How BYD, MG, and others are reshaping British motoring through technology, pricing, and perfect timing.

Chinese EV Surge In U.K.

How China’s U.K. EV Assault Surpasses Japan’s Seventies Invasion.

There’s a familiar tremor running through the British motor trade. A certain déjà vu. The showroom floors, now electrified with pixel-heavy infotainment and suede-trimmed crossovers bearing names like BYD, Omoda and Jaecoo, are humming not just with battery current – but with history. We’ve seen this play out before. Back in the oil-slicked, strike-riddled 1970s, when Japanese badges like Datsun and Toyota crept into British driveways while the unions down at Cowley and Longbridge were still arguing over tea breaks.

But here’s the kicker: this isn’t just a rerun with better batteries. It’s something bigger, bolder, and infinitely faster.

Let’s rewind to the early 1960s. Britain was still clinging to its imperial swagger, and its car industry was a global heavyweight. We were second only to the Americans in output, churning out Cortinas, Minxes and Victors at a blistering pace. But beneath the bonnet lay a wheezing, smoke-belching machine that hadn’t seen a proper rebuild in decades. Chronic underinvestment, fractious management, and mass walkouts meant the rot was deep-set long before anyone uttered the word “Datsun”.

By the close of that decade, Japan had quietly overtaken us, not with muscle cars or motoring romance, but with small, efficient, no-nonsense machines that started every morning and didn’t eat their own gearboxes. British Leyland, our great white hope, was a bureaucratic Frankenstein built to paper over the cracks. The Japanese, meanwhile, had mastered kaizen, built factories that ran like Swiss watches, and tapped into a global shift toward smaller, thriftier motoring just in time for the 1973 oil crisis.

Now? Britain’s car industry still exists, but mostly as an assembly annex for global players; Jaguar Land Rover (Indian-owned), Mini (German), Nissan (Japanese). There’s no national champion, no coherent industrial policy, and certainly no answer to what’s happening in 2025.

If the Japanese invasion of the Seventies was a creeping tide, China’s EV offensive is a tsunami and it’s already at the top of the high street.

Brands like BYD aren’t interested in mimicking Europe. They’re not building cut-price Golfs or knock-off 3 Series. They’re building next-generation tech ecosystems, cars integrated with their own batteries, software, semiconductors and AI platforms. Vertical integration gives them control over cost, quality, and pace that would’ve made Soichiro Honda weep with envy.

MG, once the darling of leafy Home Counties motoring is now a Chinese spearhead, its ZS EV undercutting legacy rivals by thousands while offering more kit, more range and fewer reasons to say no. Omoda and Jaecoo, still unfamiliar to British tongues, are bringing cars that wouldn’t look out of place in a Mercedes showroom but cost the same as a base Focus.

Unlike the Japanese back in the day, these newcomers don’t need to earn trust through decades of reliability reports and mechanically sound mediocrity. They’ve entered a market that wants disruption. Today’s car buyer shops online, trusts tech reviews more than showroom patter, and is more concerned with charging speed and infotainment updates than whether the badge has a Le Mans win.

The Seventies were no picnic; oil shocks, inflation, a government more concerned with surviving until Thursday than with industrial strategy. But crucially, consumers shifted toward Japanese imports because of price and economy. The Datsun 120Y, the darling of driving school cars, wasn’t just cheaper, it went further on a gallon, didn’t need fettling every weekend, and looked vaguely modern compared to a Maxi.

Today, the driver isn’t petrol prices, it’s policy. The UK’s net-zero mandate has lit a fire under EV adoption, and with the 2030 ICE ban looming, demand is being turbocharged not by market whim, but by regulation.

The Chinese have timed it to perfection. While European and Japanese marques scramble to electrify ICE platforms and untangle semiconductor bottlenecks, Chinese firms are shipping fully electric, ground-up platforms by the boatload. And they’re doing it without the millstone of legacy dealerships or brand baggage.

The UK, still licking its post-Brexit wounds, has kept tariffs off the table. Although just this week has excluded Chinese EV from the £3750 EV Subsidy redux. Unlike the EU, which has slapped Chinese EVs with duties up to 45% and minimum pricing, Britain remains wide open. The logic? Lower prices accelerate EV adoption. There’s no domestic champion to shield, and Downing Street would rather see a car plant in Swindon even if it flies a red star than an empty field.

In the Seventies, faced with growing Japanese dominance, the UK government tried the polite approach: voluntary export restraints, 20% tariffs, and veiled threats in Hansard. It didn’t work and by the time ministers finished their brandy, Nissan was already laying foundations in Sunderland.

This time, we’re not even pretending to resist. Open markets, loose regulation, and generous tax incentives make the UK a Chinese dream. While Brussels rattles sabres, Whitehall rolls out the red carpet.

Strategically, it’s a gamble. We’re hoping that in return for market access, Chinese brands will localise production, build battery plants, and create jobs. It’s industrial policy by osmosis. If it works, we’ll get investment without picking winners. If it doesn’t, we’ll be left with a forecourt full of imports and no local stake in the future of motoring.

Let’s put it in context. Japanese brands took a decade to crack the UK market. Chinese brands have done it in less than five years. BYD sells more EVs than Volkswagen globally. Their battery division, CATL, probably supplies half the industry. This isn’t incremental progress it’s industrial domination.

Technologically, the difference is night and day. Japan gave us better-built Escorts. China is giving us cars that update over-the-air, offer Level 2 autonomy, and come with smartphone apps that track your tyre pressure from Tenerife, they’re also safe with the top 5 Star NCAP safety rating. The EV isn’t just a new drivetrain – it’s a software platform, and China with 1.5 Billion inhabitants to test new tech on is miles ahead on that front. They can launch in foreign markets with proven new tech.

British car buyers in the 1970s were brand-loyal, suspicious of imports, and only changed their tune after being burned too many times by dodgy electricals and engines that were engineered to throw con-rods for fun at sixty five thousand miles (cough Ford). Today’s buyers are patently open to new brands and don’t care where a car is built – they care if it syncs with Spotify and charges in under 30 minutes.

Younger buyers, the key demographic for EVs, have no nostalgic attachment to Ford or Vauxhall. They trust influencers more than dealers. They’re digital natives in a world where Tesla has already redefined what a car can be and how it’s sold. Chinese brands, with their TikTok-savvy launches and online sales funnels, get this. The legacy players mostly don’t.

Will Chinese EVs kill off what remains of the British car industry? Unlikely, it’s already on life support. But they will dictate the pace, the technology, and the price point of Britain’s motoring future. That, more than anything, is the lesson we should have learned in the Seventies.

Then, we tried to shield British brands behind tariffs and pride. Now, we’ve flung the gates open and invited the dragon to dinner.

POSTSCRIPT:

In the Eighties, the Japanese built factories here. They hired local. They became part of the landscape. The Chinese? That’s still up in the air. The smart money says we’ll see BYD or Chery setting up UK operations soon – if not for patriotism, then for EU access via a tariff-free back door.

And when they do, remember this: we weren’t conquered. We just let them in. Smiling, silent, and WiFi-enabled – and that, is another story.