Hey👋,
I'm Giacomo

⚠️ 5 billion visits. Gone.
Your website traffic isn’t dropping by accident, here's why 👇

Once upon a time, Google won by doing one thing faster than anyone else:
sending users away.

There was an unspoken deal with publishers and websites:
“I take your content for free. You get lot of qualified traffic in return.”

But unlike in fairytales, they didn’t live happily ever after. 😔

Today, Google keeps over half of searches inside its own ecosystem.

Google Maps, Google Hotels, Flights, Shopping etc.
And now, AI Overviews answer questions without even a click.

Turn it around and the picture is dramatic:

less than half of Google searches end in a website visit.
And this number is going down.

In September 2024, 49% of Google queries resulted in an outbound click.
In September 2025, that number dropped to 48%.

One percentage point doesn’t sound remarkable.
Until you look closer.

Google processes ~500 billion searches per month.
1% equals 5 billion searches.

That’s 5'000'000'000 potential visits websites lost.
In just one year.

💡 The uncomfortable takeaway for marketers:
Website traffic doesn't matter anymore. You need to find other levers.

If Google sent you zero traffic in 3 years, would you still survive?

My first GPT Shopping purchase is already here!

Please don’t tell my girlfriend I used ChatGPT for her Christmas gift!

See full story in previous post :)

Please don't tag my girlfriend in this post.
She thinks I spent weeks researching her Christmas gift. It took me 3 minutes while on the bus!

Like every year, I'm running late with Christmas gifts.
But at least this time I knew exactly what she wanted: a sushi rice maker.

Problem is,
I know nothing about sushi.
I know nothing about rice makers.

And I hate browsing 50 different tabs comparing specs I don't have time to understand. 😭

But I still tried.

I spent hours researching.
Too many options. Too little time.
I was burned out before I even clicked "add to cart."

Desperate, I tried the new ChatGPT Shopping Research.

I typed one prompt: "find a sushi rice maker under 100chf".

My mind was blown 🤯.

Instead of giving me a list of links, it acted like a sales consultant.
It asked me the questions:

Preferred capacity? (I clicked 1-2 cups).
Main features? (I clicked Non-stick & Quick cook).

In minutes, it gave me a single best recommendation.

One option. One price. One link.
Loved it 😍.

I clicked, paid via TWINT on mobile, delivery is already tomorrow.
Christmas is saved. 🎉

Thanks ChatGPT!

My takeaway as a marketer:

I usually avoid online shopping because of the "decision fatigue."
I really hate browsing products. It drains me.
I rather go to a physical shop and just ask the personnel.

But this time I didn't browse.
No reviews articles, no influencers videos. No links, no clicks.

I just asked. And GPT delivered. In minutes.

This is the future of eCommerce, and I’m never going back to browsing again.
Many others will do the same.

This changes everything in marketing, whether we like it or not.

And you, have you tried AI for holiday shopping yet, or are you still browsing with 15 tabs open? 👇

“I work during the week and live on the weekends.”
I keep hearing this. How sad. 😔

Does it really mean we spend over half of our awake-time not living?

Fortunately, this expression never resonated with me.
“Work-life balance” isn’t a thing for me.

Because it assumes there’s a moment when work ends…
…and life magically starts.

I don’t have two lives.
I have one.

Work is just part of it.
Just like training at the gym.
Like meeting friends.
Like playing music.
etc.

Sure, I practice work more actively during the week.
Just like I train mostly on weekdays.

Weekends are for quality time with loved ones.
But it doesn't mean I switch-off work and switch-on life.

In fact, some of my best ideas hit me during a relaxed Saturday.
An ad I see in the city, a random post on social media, a real-life experience, a conversation.

So when does “work” really end?

If work means being green on Slack, then yes, it stops on Friday also for me.

But when you truly love what you do, work is much more than a string of emails and notifications. In fact, they often disrupt the real work.

Now, I know I’m lucky.

- I’m an employee.
I can slow down outside office hours. Many self-employed people can’t.

- I love what I do.
If you hate your job, of course the weekend feels like freedom. I’m grateful I’ve never felt that.

- It never gets boring.
Ten years in the industry, and it still feels like day one.

Who else feels the same?

History runs in circle.

This article is from 2008.
Now replace Google with ChatGPT. Replace 2008 with 2025.

No difference.

AI bubble?

Maybe, but for now AI is pushing online ads revenue through the roof.

Quarter after quarter, all advertising giants keep growing ads revenue by double-digits.

‍

AI helps advertisers produce more assets for cheaper.

Plus, it drives better ads performance, with advanced audience matching etc.

‍

So advertisers spend more in ads, across more channels.

As simple as that.

‍

And more players are joining the game.

‍

Look at Reddit, Inc., growing ad revenue by 74% YoY.

Pinterest by 17%.

‍

Sure, Google and Meta are still the king and queen.

But the media landscape hasn't been so fragmented in years.

‍

There's enough business for everyone!

*source: Q3 2025 earnings reports, chart by ChatGPT.

I finalised my media budget file for 2026.
It became a beast I cannot handle anymore!
It went from just a few lines ten years ago, to hundreds today.

What happened?

The last decade saw the rising of the advertising duopoly, Google + Meta.

Their market share grew constantly and peaked in 2019 at over 50% of the US online advertising market.

So my media budget file was very simple.
Row 1: Google
Row 2: Meta
That's it.

But now the duopoly is cracking.
Their market share is back to ten years ago.

Hence, my budget file had to expand to new channels.
Hundreds of rows!

Row 1: Google Search
Row 2: Google Demand Gen
Row 3: Google something else...
....
Row 4: TikTok
Row 5: Snap
....
Row 50: Reddit
Row 51: Disney+
...

So who is stealing market share from the two giants?

Mostly Amazon.
But also TikTok, Walmart, Pinterest, streaming giants (Netflix, Disney+, etc)
And Spotify, Reddit, Snap, even Uber... the list goes on.
OpenAI will join the party soon.

The media landscape has never been so fragmented!
It is a new reality for "young" marketers like me (I'm still trying to adapt!

What this means in practice:

1. Specialisation is gone.
You cannot be just a "Google Ads Specialist." You have to be "full-stack".

2. Good luck with measurement.
Which one of these new ad networks delivers the best ROI?
Good luck answering that.

3. Streamline streamline.
I'm looking for a tool to connect the dots from all different ad networks. Haven't found it yet. Any recommendations?

Welcome to a new era of online marketing!

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It helps me keep going and share more marketing insights like this.

Welcome to the agentic commerce!

Instacart is partnering with OpenAI to launch the first fully integrated grocery checkout inside ChatGPT.

"From meal inspiration to doorstep delivery without ever leaving the conversation."

The entire consumer journey, from discovery to final transaction, happens right there.

And the best part is that users don’t even need to mention Instacart. Conversations about food and recipes automatically trigger the purchase journey.

Imagine you ask: "Show me an apple pie recipe."

ChatGPT suggests the recipe. It lists the ingredients.
And it prompts you to buy them immediately via Instacart.

The definition of frictionless UX!

But...
What if you are an Instacart competitor?

How do you influence this purchase journey? How do you divert users to your platform instead?

These questions are at the core of the upcoming shift in online marketing!
From browsing to chatting;
From clicks and site visits, to mentions and product integration.

For now there are no clear answers.
Except striking a better deal with OpenAI, of course 😅

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Every day, I share insights into the new marketing in the age of AI, trying to help marketers and businesses leaders make sense of this revolution.

Everyone on LinkedIn: "Screw ChatGPT, I'm switching to Gemini."
Gemini: "Sorry, I'm at full capacity."

I guess LinkedIn people migrated all at once 😂

This is the first time I've seen such a message. Either on Gemini or ChatGPT.
And I’m on the paid plan for both.

Reality is I cannot choose one tool.
I need to constantly switch to ensure the best outcome for every specific task.

Whoever says one is better than the other is lying.

Spotify thinks I’m 82. I’m 36 😅

I nearly screamed at my screen, until the app clarified:
"Don't be upset, it's just a number."

Yes, exactly like the numbers we marketers use to make decisions every day!

Let me explain 👇

Why does the algorithm think I'm 82?
Because I spent this year listening to music from the 1950s.

But wait...
I don’t like old music.
My favourite music is 10 years old max.

I thought it was a bug.
Until I realised.

It’s the endless "smooth jazz" playlists I play in the background while cooking or doing chores!

I’m not particularly into jazz. Nor I know enough about it to choose the right artist or album.
I just want to relax while I’m at home.

So it dawned on me:

Behaviour ≠ Intent.

My behaviour: streaming 100 hours of 50s jazz.
My intent: white noise for cooking.

When marketers obsess over data, they often miss the context.
Numbers alone don't tell the full story.
Often, they even tell the wrong story! like in this case.

I’m now being targeted with ads for jazz gigs and ergonomic armchairs 😂
I am going to be a terrible ROI for those companies!

Rather, I should get ads for kitchenware. Cooking and chores was my "intent".

Data tells you what happened, but only context tells you why.

So,
trust the data, but don't switch off your brain. 🧠