Weekly roundup: SEO tips from Neil Patel, MOF's AI blunder and more

It has been a big week for the world of AI with ads sparking outcry and spiking discussions on experimentation with new tools and where we should draw the line. 

If you need a quick summary, welcome to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's weekly roundup, a podcast and article feature in which we take you through the biggest stories of the week and take a deep dive into trending topics we've seen in the industry. 

Don't miss: Do brands need to be transparent with consumers when using AI content?

1. Ad folks on Ministry of Finance’s AI-generated ads stirring up conversations

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has generated a significant amount of chatter online after it released a series of three AI-generated images to bring awareness to its enhanced Assurance Package, a scheme meant support Singaporean families with financial aid.

In the images, MOF shared two pictures of families with children and one with an elderly couple. 

What got netizens talking though was that the images sprouted some errors when looked at too closely. For example, in one of the images, the woman sports six fingers on one of her hands. If you zoom in, you can also see a man in the background with an extra toe. 

Netizens were quick to criticise the image with some asking why real images of Singaporeans were not used and with some saying it looked "scary" and like a "scam".

Read more here.

2. Dear Sydney: Google lands itself in hot water over AI-driven Olympics ad

Google has drawn heavy criticism after the release of a new Olympics commercial that features its AI programme Gemini, according to media intelligence firm Truescope. 

The ad, titled "Dear Sydney", showcases a young runner aspiring to be like American hurdler and Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. When the girl's father turns to Gemini to craft a fan letter to the Olympian, things start to seem a little off.

Read more here.

3. 5 search tips by Digital Marketing Asia opening speaker Neil Patel

In the ever-changing digital marketplace, standing out can seem impossible. Yet, one strategy consistently proves to be a game-changer and that is the optimisation and use of search engine optimisation (SEO).

According to Neil Patel, a digital marketing expert and co-founder of Neil Patel Digital, SEO isn't just about getting to the top of search engine results—it's about ensuring your business can thrive in a competitive landscape.

Patel who will be the keynote speaker at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Digital Marketing Asia conference said that SEO is usually the biggest source of traffic for most brands. It also doesn’t depend on continual reinvestment such as paid marketing.

Here, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE shares some of his best tips and tricks straight from Patel's blog.

Read more here. 

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