Creative Agencies Are Ditching SEO—Here’s What’s Next | ClickZ Indie Agency News

PLUS: Agencies Aren’t Buying Google’s AI Sales Tactics

Author

Zihan Lyu
April 02, 2025

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Welcome to ClickZ Indie Agency News, your essential newsletter for marketing agencies and eCommerce professionals.

Editor’s Pick 🌟

📣 Shoptalk in Five Headlines

From marketplace breakthroughs to AI-driven growth, this year’s Shoptalk brought bold predictions and big product reveals. Here are five key headlines shaping the future of retail and eCommerce:

🧠 AI Moves From Buzzword to Bottom Line
Whether driving smarter search or streamlining supply chains, AI was everywhere—and brands are getting serious about turning innovation into efficiency.

📈 Fospha Launches Halo to Measure DTC’s Impact on Amazon
At Shoptalk, Fospha announced the release of its Halo measurement product, bridging the gap between DTC and marketplace attribution. For the first time, marketers can accurately measure the halo effect of their DTC ads on Amazon sales—unlocking new ways to optimize full-funnel performance.

🛍️ Ulta’s Digital Transformation Is Just Getting Started
Ulta Beauty revealed plans to launch a new marketplace and double down on personalization, backed by Adobe and powered by first-party data from its 44M+ loyalty members.

💎 Pandora Reinvents Modern Luxury
From lab-grown diamonds to in-store storytelling, Pandora is redefining what “premium” means—shifting focus from status to personal meaning.

🌐 Marketplace Momentum Is Rewriting the Growth Playbook
From Walmart to Wayfair to startups, everyone’s betting big on marketplaces to drive assortment expansion, experimentation, and new revenue streams.

Sector Spotlight 🎥

CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

Adam&EveDDB has strengthened its creative leadership by appointing Mark Shanley, Matt Gay, and Katherine O’Brien as Executive Creative Directors. This strategic move follows a series of new business wins, including accounts with Disney and Puma, highlighting the agency's growth and adaptation in a competitive environment.

AI MARKETING DYNAMICS

Google's intensified AI ad tools pitch is leading to friction with agencies, who feel pressured as Google reps bypass them to clients, sometimes contradicting strategies and sowing confusion. Agencies criticize Google's direct approach and misalignment with client objectives, suspecting sales targets drive reps' aggressive tactics. Despite Google's claims to optimize ad processes, agencies persistently face challenges with increased rep interactions.

AI MARKETING TRENDS

In 2025, marketing agencies are leveraging AI to enhance user-centric strategies, diversify content channels, and automate tedious tasks, thereby maximizing client visibility and engagement. Additionally, the rise of AI-driven interfaces demands adaptation in SEO strategies, while no-code platforms offer avenues for developing customer-centric tools. These strategies position agencies to meet evolving client needs and industry shifts effectively.

CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHT

Ogilvy One has been named the Customer Engagement Agency in Campaigns' Agency of the Year 2024 due to its effective blend of data-driven insights and creative strategies. By winning 11 new clients, including Lloyds Banking Group and Formula 1, with an impressive 90% pitch success rate, Ogilvy One has demonstrated creativity as a cornerstone of customer experience.

LLM-DRIVEN SEARCH

Agencies are shifting from traditional SEO to a new focus called generative engine optimization due to the impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) on search. This shift has significant implications for media, agencies, and brands as they adapt to these technological advancements to stay competitive and deliver tailored experiences. The change emphasizes strategic adaptation and staying informed about evolving industry trends for marketing professionals.

Influencer Corner 📢

Escapism is the new marketing currency.

Relatable content isn’t cutting it. The brands breaking through are building full worlds—complete with lore, characters, rituals, and places for people to escape into.

Start with repeatable micro-stories. Layer in short-form content. Then expand with smart collabs and real experiences.
It’s not content for content’s sake. It’s a system.

Canvas and agentic AI capabilities for marketers
| Dennis Yao Yu

ChatGPT with Canvas

Imagine crafting product descriptions that don’t just describe an item, but tell a story tailored to specific audience segments with Canvas in ChatGPT.

Instead of relying on generic, one-size-fits-all messaging, marketers can use this tool to transform basic product details into compelling, conversion-driven narratives for more personalized content that engages customers and drives sales.

Canvas also shines when scaling content production. With ChatGPT’s capabilities, teams can generate diverse marketing assets—emails, social posts, promotional copy—faster and with greater consistency. Less time spent on repetitive tasks and more focus on strategy and creativity.

Agentic AI

Agentic AI takes things to the next level by acting as an autonomous decision-maker. This is more about executing strategies.
AI systems integrate advanced learning algorithms and data-driven insights to analyze situations, make informed decisions, and even take action without constant human intervention.

Optimization Hub ⚙️

MARKETING STRATEGIES

April marketing optimizes SMS and email strategies to enhance conversion rates with targeted campaigns around holidays like April Fools, Easter, and Earth Day. Personalized customer experiences and storytelling cultivate loyalty, as AI-driven insights suggest engagement opportunities. Marketers are urged to continuously test and refine messaging.

AI SHOPPING INNOVATIONS

Amazon's new AI-powered Interests feature allows select U.S. customers to receive personalized product updates tailored to their preferences, showcasing a shift towards proactive eCommerce interactions. Using large language models, it promises a more efficient shopping experience by continuously scanning for relevant products and deals. This initiative highlights an evolving landscape where AI tools streamline consumer engagement, offering marketers insights into enhancing customer personalization.

RETAIL MEDIA EXPANSION

Best Buy, Instacart, and DoorDash are enhancing their Retail Media Networks to attract advertisers seeking transparency and accountability. Best Buy utilizes first-party data for targeting on social platforms, Instacart offers in-store advertising through Caper Carts, and DoorDash introduces post-purchase ads and sponsored placements. These developments highlight the shifting priorities in retail media, emphasizing the growing importance of integrated advertising solutions across digital and physical channels for marketing professionals.

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