SODP Dispatch - 6 February 2025

Sponsored
Glide CMS Review for 2025

By Kamalpreet Singh

There’s a near-universal consensus among digital publishers today that specialized websites need specialized Content Management Systems. What is needed for a small B2B company will differ from that of a giant retail operation or a major media enterprise.

News and sports, for example, are two domains with unique and highly demanding needs. Things move extremely fast in these domains, stories often have short shelf lives, and content may need to be updated frequently.

💡 What you will learn:

• What Glide publishing platform is

• Its pricing and features

• How to get started

• What we love about Glide and where there’s room for improvement

Putting DeepSeek To The Test

By Simon Thorne

China’s new DeepSeek Large Language Model (LLM) has disrupted the US-dominated market, offering a relatively high-performance chatbot model at significantly lower cost.

ChatGPT developer OpenAI reportedly spent somewhere between US$100 million and US$1 billion on the development of a very recent version of its product called o1. In contrast, DeepSeek accomplished its training in just two months at a cost of US$5.6 million using a series of clever innovations.

But just how well does DeepSeek’s AI chatbot, R1, compare with other, similar AI tools on performance?

🎤 The Media Copilot

The Media Copilot is a newsletter and podcast that explores how generative AI is changing media, journalism, and the news. It offers weekly conversations with experts on AI's impact on the industry. You can gain insights into the evolving media landscape and the role of AI in shaping its future. See more ▸

🔍️ Hide Link Preview in Google Sheets

This extension will hide and disable the link preview when hovering over a hyperlink in Google Sheets. A tool for SEOs or anyone that works with Google Sheets and a lot of links and wants to stop the link preview from showing. The extension will be turned on once installed but can then be turned on and off as required. See more ▸

By Vahe Arabian

🚀 Evergreen content that ranks forever

Creating evergreen content is a strategic imperative for every digital publisher. It's the type of content that continues to drive website traffic for years with minimal upkeep, offering ongoing value and relevance to your audience. However, the process of creating and leveraging evergreen content can be challenging.

Here are seven practical tips to help you master the art of evergreen content creation and maximise its potential:

• Focus on Evergreen Formats: Start with proven evergreen content formats such as listicles, product reviews, ultimate guides, and how-to guides. These formats have a track record of delivering long-term value and remaining relevant over time.

• Go In-depth: Dive deep into your chosen topic to provide comprehensive and valuable information to your audience. Invest time and effort in research, and aim to create content that addresses all aspects of the subject matter.

• Use SEO Best Practices: Enhance the discoverability of your evergreen content by leveraging proven Google News SEO strategies. Conduct thorough keyword research, implement strategic internal linking, and cultivate a reputable backlink profile. Adhering to these tailored SEO practices will elevate your content's visibility and ranking, aligning it with the rigorous standards of news SEO.

• Trends, Avoid Fads: While tracking trends can be beneficial, focus on creating content that transcends temporary fads. Instead, tackle broader topics that have long-term relevance and appeal to your target audience.

• Use Multimedia: Incorporate various forms of media, such as images, videos, and infographics, to create engaging and visually appealing content. Multimedia not only enhances user experience but also increases the likelihood of social sharing and engagement.

• Remember to Update: Regularly monitor and update your evergreen content to ensure its accuracy and relevance. Refreshing your content helps maintain its visibility in search results and keeps readers returning for more. As list-based articles are updated, they must continue to build authority and gain traction in the SERP.

• Think of The Audience: Consider your audience throughout the content creation process. Avoid overly technical language, format your content for readability, and strive to provide value to your readers. By catering to your audience's needs and preferences, you can increase engagement and build brand recognition.

Incorporating these tips into your content strategy can help you create high-value, evergreen content that drives sustainable traffic and revenue. Remember to promote your evergreen content across various channels, repurpose it into different formats, and consistently follow best practices to maximise its impact.

Reposting vs. reporting: How Facebook groups are replacing shuttered rural newsrooms | Rocky Mountain PBS

Approximately 2.5 local newspapers close each week in the United States. Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism estimates that more than 200 counties in the United States are now in “news deserts,” or areas where there is limited access to reliable local news and information.
Read more ▸

AI Overviews Data Shows Massive Changes In Search Results | SEJ

Enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge published results on current AI Search trends, showing that Google AI Overviews (AIO) has expanded its presence by up to 100% in increasingly complex search queries. The changes suggest growing confidence in AI for search, with indications that Google is relying on authoritativeness and greater precision in context awareness for matching queries to answers, particularly in relation to content modality.
Read more ▸

ChatGPT growing as a traffic referrer, reshaping search behavior: Report | Search Engine Land

Education, technology, and software development websites have gotten a referral traffic boost from ChatGPT search – and ChatGPT sent more traffic to more than 30,000 unique domains by November.
Read more ▸

DeepSeek: The countries and agencies that have banned the AI company’s tech | TechCrunch

DeepSeek, the Chinese AI company, is raising the ire of regulators around the world. DeepSeek’s viral AI models and chatbot apps have been banned by a growing number of countries and government bodies, which have expressed concerns over DeepSeek’s ethics, privacy, and security practices.
Read more ▸

Financial Times’ AI-powered paywall boosts subscriber metrics despite conversion decline | FIPP

The Financial Times (FT) has seen positive developments in subscriber metrics following the introduction of its AI-powered paywall. The innovative paywall, which began its live rollout to 95% of global users in January this year, aims to improve the subscription model through enhanced user engagement and targeted offers.
Read more ▸