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Welcome to Volume 255 👋
Happy Thursday!
In this week’s newsletter, we cover:
- 🚨 Google Announces August 2025 Spam Update
- 📃 How to Write a GEO RFP
- 👀 The Latest in B2B SaaS This Week
- 🧠 This Week’s Brain Food
- ➕ The Best Content Across the Web
Let’s get into it.
🚨 Google Announces August 2025 Spam Update
The SERP chaos continues. Google has started another spam update.
On Wednesday August 26, the Google Search Central team spread the word on social media about their latest attempt to penalize websites that violate their spam policies.
According to their Status Dashboard, the latest spam will take “a few weeks to complete” and will apply globally across all languages.
This is raising flags for many of the seasoned SEOs out there because the last spam update (December 19th-27th, 2024) ended up being quite volatile.
Of course, no one out there reading this would ever dream of running up against Google’s full list of spam policies, but if you’re looking for a little refresher, the list includes things like:
- Cloaking: Presenting different content to users and search engines to manipulate rankings and mislead users.
- Doorway abuse: Creating sites or pages to rank for specific, similar queries that lead to intermediate pages less useful than the final destination.
- Expired domain abuse: Purchasing expired domains and repurposing them primarily to manipulate search rankings with low-value content.
- Scaled content abuse: Generating many pages primarily to manipulate rankings without helping users, often using AI tools or scraping.
- Site reputation abuse: Publishing third-party content on established sites mainly to benefit from the host’s ranking signals.
Make sure you take a close look at those SEO metrics over the next few weeks.
📍 Local SEO Matters More Than Ever: Learn How to Dominate
Local search is exploding.
Nearly 800 million searches every month include “near me” in the US alone, and 92% of searchers pick a business from the first page of local results.
If you’re not ranking near the top, you’re practically invisible.
Ross’s latest HubSpot Marketing video cuts through the noise and shows you how to win local search in the AI era. He walks through 10 strategies most businesses overlook, from optimizing your Google Business Profile to using AI to fuel content creation, so you get found before your competitors do.
He covers strategies like NAP consistency, review management systems, local keyword research, technical SEO essentials, and how to measure your impact. Plus, discover how to use AI tools to scale your local SEO efforts without sacrificing quality.
Ready to turn your local presence into a competitive advantage? Check out the full HubSpot Marketing video to learn the updated playbook for local SEO success in 2025.
📃 How to Create a Generative Engine Optimization RFP
While most brands are still optimizing for Google rankings, over 38% of Americans now use AI search tools monthly.
And that number is climbing fast.
When someone asks ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity about solutions in your category, the AI synthesizes information from dozens of sources to create comprehensive answers.
So now, your brand’s visibility depends on two critical factors: inclusion (are you mentioned at all?) and placement (do you rank in the top 3 mentions that dominate AI responses?).
That means you need an updated strategy and new KPIs.
The complex nature of GEO demands a sophisticated approach to strategy and execution and, therefore, vendor selection. Yet most agencies are just repackaging existing services with AI terminology.
Here’s what you’ll learn from our comprehensive GEO RFP framework:
- Strategic evaluation criteria that separate genuine expertise from repackaged SEO
- Specific RFP questions to identify partners who understand query fan-outs and citation weighting
- Budget structuring approaches across foundation, growth, and acceleration tiers
- Team composition requirements for editorial outreach, community engagement, and technical implementation
- Deliverable templates with acceptance criteria and quality standards
- Timeline frameworks that balance quick wins with long-term authority building
Without the right partner, you risk becoming invisible in AI responses despite strong traditional rankings — a dangerous blind spot that standard metrics won’t reveal.
Ready to build an RFP that attracts genuine GEO expertise? Check out the most recent post on the Foundation Lab.
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👀 What’s the Latest in B2B SaaS This Week? 👀
💰 Here are the 33 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2025 | TechCrunch
🤖 Report: ChatGPT Using SerpApi To Scrape Google Search Results | Search Engine Roundtable
📱 TikTok lays off hundreds of content moderators, replaces them with AI | Tech Spot
🚨 New Podcast Alert: Scaling Influence From Creator to Industry Leader🚨
Building real influence is about more than viral content and follower counts. It requires shifting from getting attention online to earning genuine recognition and driving action in your niche.
In the latest episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross breaks down what it really takes to transition from content creator to respected industry leader. He explores the frameworks that separate those who get likes from those who drive meaningful change.
The conversation reveals strategies for building long-term authority, leading important conversations, and creating real impact with your online presence. Here’s what you’ll discover:
- Build depth, not just reach – Authority comes from repetition, storytelling, and action — not virality
- Show, don’t tell – Why specialization matters more than dabbling across multiple niches
- Create signature evergreen assets – Move beyond short-form content that disappears in the scroll
- Consistency as the currency of trust – How delivering value beats asking for attention
- Connect with other leaders – Why influence multiplies with strategic associations
Ross emphasizes that true influence equals outcomes, not impressions. The episode covers why vulnerability and authenticity build trust, the importance of creating conversations rather than just content, and how to commit deeper while building lasting impact.
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcast or Spotify to learn the frameworks for scaling from creator to industry leader.
🧠 This Week’s Brain Food 🧠
This week I learned about the concept of ikigai — a Japanese term that translates to “that which makes life worth living” or “reason to live.”
Sounds very philosophical, and it is, but I came across it in an article discussing how it may play a role in one of the world’s most famous “blue zones” in Okinawa. Blue zones are regions where people live exceptionally long, healthy lives. While many assume Okinawan longevity stems from diet — sushi, green tea, smaller portions — researchers have found something more fundamental at work.
Instead of finding the one true passion people often look for, Ikigai sits at the intersection of four elements: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be rewarded for. This framework helps people discover a purpose that transcends daily routines.
It also works alongside practical habits. Okinawans practice hara hachi bu — eating until 80% full rather than completely satisfied. This simple practice helps maintain a healthy weight and reduces chronic disease risk. They also stay active through daily walks, gardening, and spending time on floor mats, which improves strength and balance.
Fascinatingly, Okinawans don’t “retire” in the Western sense. They continue pursuing their ikigai well into their 90s, whether that’s tending a garden, mentoring young people, or maintaining family traditions.
Want to sponsor our next issue? Reply to this email, and we’ll share how you can reach more SaaS founders and marketers today.
🏅 Reddit Post of the Week
I analyzed 1000+ viral hooks and found some patterns not enough people talk about In r/content_marketing
🎖️ LinkedIn Post of the Week
Lots of people have already debated whether SEO and GEO/AEO are the same thing By Pieter Verschueren
🤳🏽 Nice Finds You Should Binge
💻 Job Postings Worth Checking Out
Looking for a new opportunity? Here’s a round-up of some exciting job openings in the B2B SaaS space.
- Foundation: Reddit Specialist
- Foundation: B2B Content Marketing Strategist
- Foundation: Content Creator
- Foundation: Content Marketing Manager
- Foundation: Applied Research Specialist
- Foundation: Director of Digital Marketing
Want us to include your job postings in our next issue? Reply to this email, and we’ll share how you can reach more SaaS professionals today.
🎧 What We’re Wired Into This Week
Clock Out Boogie // 1982 VaporFunk, Chillwave, Vaporwave, Synthwave, Retro Funk Groove Playlist
This SaaS news smattering is brought to you by Ethan Crump!
If you have any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you want to see in this newsletter, feel free to email Leigha Henderson at leigha@foundationinc.co. We’re always looking for ways to improve and provide the best B2B SaaS marketing resources.
Have a great weekend!
