Welcome to this week’s edition of Katalys Connect – your shortcut to the latest in performance marketing!
[Read time: 4 minutes]
What’s in this issue? Each week, we pack the latest trends, actionable insights, and industry breakthroughs into a quick read – ensuring you’re not just keeping up, you’re staying ahead.
- Monetization: Learn how publishers are navigating the rise of AI Overviews, tapping into new referral tools like Bluesky, and pressuring Google to follow through on its promise of better visibility.
- Growth: Explore how Instagram’s new AI tools are changing brand-creator matchmaking, Best Buy is doubling down on retail media, and Perplexity’s browser is raising big questions for advertisers.
- The Future of Commerce: Explore how TikTok and Walmart are transforming social shopping, while space-based ads spark global debate about the future of the skies.
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💸 Monetization
Publishers Navigate AI Search Shift • Google’s AI Overviews now appear on nearly 19 million keywords – up 91% in six months – leaving publishers in the dark about whether they’re gaining or losing ground in organic search.
- Some publishers are seeing a surge in traffic, while others face declines, with keyword overlap and visibility in AI Overviews driving mixed results and no clear link to actual clicks.
- Since Google doesn’t provide separate data for AI Overviews clicks, publishers are stuck making best guesses from keyword data and click-through comparisons, even as Google expands features like AI Mode that further reshape traffic behavior.
Bluesky Enhances Referral Tracking • Bluesky has rolled out a new subdomain to help publishers accurately track referral traffic and better measure engagement from its platform
- Publishers previously struggled to see traffic from Bluesky due to technical limitations in analytics tracking, but the new redirect system solves that by tagging visitors with clear referral signals.
- The Boston Globe reports that Bluesky referral traffic drives 3x more visits and 4.5x more paid subscription conversions than Threads, highlighting the platform’s potential as a valuable driver of reader revenue.
Google’s Visibility Commitment • Google has set a public deadline of December 31, 2025, to enhance the search visibility of independent publishers, acknowledging their need for better support.
- During a recent exchange on X, Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, confirmed the commitment after publishers expressed frustrations over declining visibility and called for accountability.
- Sullivan clarified that improvements would be gradual and not guarantee that all sites would regain previous ranking positions, emphasizing the need for better guidance on content quality.
📈 Growth
Comet Advertising Incoming • Perplexity’s upcoming Comet AI browser faces challenges in establishing a viable advertising model due to potential ad-blocking features, concerns over bot-generated clicks, and other unknowns.
- Brands may struggle with ad visibility as Perplexity agents can be programmed to ignore ads, raising questions about the effectiveness of ad spend.
- The success of Perplexity’s ad business hinges on developing a transparent ecosystem for advertisers and leveraging unique user data to create compelling ad formats.
Best Buy Taps Meta Data • Best Buy is expanding its retail media business with a new tool, Social+, that lets advertisers target its customers on Facebook and Instagram using Meta’s AI-powered Advantage+ ad platform.
- The move builds on Best Buy Ads’ 2022 launch and mirrors broader retail media trends, with the company joining Amazon, Walmart, and others in turning first-party shopper data into ad revenue.
- With plans to expand beyond Meta and invest in self-serve tools and new ad formats, Best Buy is doubling down on media as a major growth play in 2026.
AI Influencer Matchmaking • Meta has added AI-powered discovery and content recommendation tools to Instagram’s Creator Marketplace, streamlining how brands find and evaluate influencers for partnership ads.
- New features in Ads Manager’s Partnership Ads Hub let brands search by keywords like “soccer moms with dogs,” filter by 20+ verticals, and assess creator affinity with brand insights and performance badges.
- Meta is also expanding Marketing API support to make it easier for brands to use existing Instagram posts in creator-led campaigns and integrate partnership ads with Advantage+ Creative and click-to-message destinations.
🚀 Future of Commerce
Walmart Eyes Social Checkout • Walmart is reportedly in talks with TikTok and Instagram to enable in-app checkouts, signaling a bigger bet on frictionless social commerce.
- The retailer aims to reduce drop-off by letting users complete purchases without leaving their favorite platforms, especially when discovering products through influencer content.
- While deals are still in discussion, Walmart’s move underscores growing pressure on retailers to meet consumers where they shop – inside social apps.
TikTok Shop Surge • US shoppers under 60 are increasingly turning to TikTok Shop, averaging $708 in annual spending, highlighting its growing role as a shopping platform – despite the app’s uncertain future.
- Nearly 90% of surveyed users engage with TikTok daily, with personal accessories and household items being the most popular purchases.
- Influencers significantly impact buying decisions, with respondents willing to spend an average of $95 on items they recommend, indicating a shift toward trust-based purchasing.
Space Ads Face Pushback • Private companies are pushing to launch satellite-powered ads into Earth’s orbit, but scientists warn this commercial intrusion could wreak havoc on astronomy, space traffic, and the skies themselves.
- Russian startup Avant Space and partner StartRocket have previously outlined intentions to launch hundreds of laser-equipped satellites to display logos and messages visible from Earth, raising alarms across the scientific community.
- U.S. law already bans launches intended for space advertising, but no international regulations prevent such displays from crossing borders – prompting astronomers to call for global standards before any such launches begin.
