August 2026 Newsletter

Hi Friends,

The digital landscape keeps changing, but keeping up doesn't have to mean chasing every update, algorithm rumor, or shiny new tool that comes along.

This month, we're focusing on the changes and questions that can help you make more informed decisions about your digital presence.

We're talking about new ways to understand how people find and interact with your business online, putting a popular piece of LinkedIn advice to the test, and looking at what to consider when your website isn't working the way you want it to.

We're also looking ahead to fall, with fresh content inspiration, a little planning nudge for Q4, and a new idea we're exploring to make digital strategy even more accessible to small businesses.

Let's get into it!



What Changed in August & How Small Businesses Can Apply It

Google is Giving Searchers More Control Over Their Sources

Google is expanding its Preferred Sources feature, which allows people to select websites and publishers they want to hear from more often. Content from those sources may then appear more prominently in Top Stories and Google's AI-powered search experiences.

If your business regularly publishes blogs, articles, industry updates, or other fresh content, you can take advantage of this too.

Google gives website owners a few options. You can add Google's official "Add to Preferred Sources" button to your website, create your own button, or use a simple direct link that takes readers to Google with your website already selected.

That direct link can also be shared in your newsletter or on social media, giving the people who already value your content an easy way to tell Google, "I want to hear more from this source."

Google notes that Preferred Sources is intended for websites that publish fresh content regularly, so it's most useful if you're already investing in a blog or other ongoing content.

This isn't an SEO shortcut, but it is another way to get more value from content you're already creating and strengthen the connection between your business and the audience that wants to hear from you.

Not sure how to add the button or create the link? We're always happy to lend a hand or show you how to do it yourself so you feel confident making updates like this going forward.

Google Analytics Is Getting Easier To Talk To

If opening Google Analytics makes you immediately wonder what you're supposed to be looking at, some recent updates may help.

Google is adding more AI-powered capabilities to Analytics, including summaries and the ability to explore information using natural-language questions.

In other words, instead of knowing exactly which report, metric, or filter you need, we're moving closer to being able to simply ask what you want to know.

That could make website data much more accessible to small business owners who want to understand what is happening on their website without becoming analytics experts.

The technology may be changing, but the important part remains the same: your data is only useful if you can understand it and use it to make better decisions.

Meta Is Bringing More AI To Small Businesses

Meta is introducing new AI tools specifically designed to help small businesses make sense of their digital performance.

The new capabilities allow Meta AI to work with Facebook and Instagram analytics, Meta Ads, and even Google Workspace to help identify what's working, find opportunities for improvement, and provide insights about your business.

This follows a larger trend we're seeing across digital platforms: your analytics tools increasingly don't just show you the numbers. They're trying to help you understand what those numbers mean.

For small businesses without a dedicated marketing or analytics team, that could make valuable information much easier to access.



As with any AI-generated analysis, don't assume every recommendation is automatically the right one for your business. Use these tools to ask better questions and uncover things worth investigating, then apply your own knowledge of your business, customers, and goals before deciding what to do next.

Top Questions Answered:
Does LinkedIn Penalize Posts With Links?

You've probably heard some version of this advice:

Never put a link in a LinkedIn post. Put it in the comments instead or LinkedIn will tank your reach.

More recently, we've even heard claims that putting the link in the comments can hurt your reach too. They say this is because LinkedIn wants you to stay on its platform.

Similar rumors about external links have circulated around other social platforms.

So, what's actually true?

We don't really know.

There has been third-party testing suggesting LinkedIn posts with external links can perform differently, but LinkedIn itself has not confirmed that simply including an external link triggers an automatic reach penalty. It also hasn't confirmed that moving your link to the comments is a reliable workaround.

What LinkedIn has said about its current feed is that it considers things like relevance, professional interests, and how people interact with content, while working to reduce low-quality content and engagement bait.

That means there's a lot more influencing your reach than where you put a link.

If your goal is to get people to your website, making it harder for them to get there just to satisfy an unconfirmed algorithm rule may work against what you're actually trying to accomplish.

The takeaway: Be cautious when algorithm advice gets repeated as fact. Some comes from legitimate testing, some may work for certain accounts, and some may be based on how a platform worked several updates ago.

Focus on creating useful content, make it easy for your audience to take the action you want them to take, and use your own analytics to learn what actually works for your audience.

This Month's Featured Blog: Does Your Website Need a Redesign or a Rebuild?

Let's say your website isn't working the way you want it to.

Does that mean it's time to tear everything down and start over?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes a strategic redesign can solve the problem without rebuilding the entire website. Other times, the limitations go deeper than how the site looks.



In this month's featured blog, we're breaking down the difference between redesigning and rebuilding a website, signs that can help you decide which approach makes sense, and why changing website providers can sometimes affect that decision too.

September's Something To Celebrate Every Day Calendar

Coming up with something to post about isn't always easy. Sometimes you just need a starting point.

That's why we created Something to Celebrate Every Day, a monthly content inspiration calendar filled with awareness days, holidays, observances, and some wonderfully random reasons to celebrate.

The goal isn't to post about every day on the calendar or force an observance to fit your business. It's to look for the moments that connect naturally with your business, your people, your audience, your community, or your story and use them as a jumping-off point for content.

September’s monthly observances include Hispanic Heritage Month, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Library Card Sign-Up Month, and World Alzheimer’s Month.

A few individual days that caught our eye:



• Labor Day | Sept. 7
• Swap Ideas Day | Sept. 10
• Tradesmen Day | Sept. 18
• Autumnal Equinox | Sept. 22
• AI In Work Day | Sept. 30

Don't overlook the seemingly random ones! Maybe your team has a weekly bowling league, your office runs on chai, or your customers would get a kick out of knowing you have very strong feelings about guacamole.

The best content connection isn't always the most obvious one. Sometimes it's the one that gives people another reason to know, remember, and connect with the humans behind your business.

Looking Ahead

Start Thinking About Q4

October might not feel particularly close yet, but September is a great time to start thinking about the final few months of the year.

You don't need a fully developed Q4 marketing strategy by September 1.

Start with what you already know.

Are you running a fall promotion? Participating in an event? Changing your hours around the holidays? Planning a year-end giving campaign? Offering a seasonal service? Thanking clients? Preparing people for an important year-end deadline?

Pick three things you already know you'll need to communicate between October and December and put them on your calendar now.

Future you will be glad you did.

Getting More Involved

Since joining the Rockville Chamber of Commerce this summer, we've been getting out into the community, attending events, meeting other local business owners, and having some great conversations about the challenges small businesses are facing.

We're looking forward to continuing to get involved, make new connections, and find more ways to bring accessible digital strategy into our community.

Digital Strategy Coffee Hour

We're also exploring a new way to make digital strategy a little more accessible: free, virtual Q&A sessions for small business owners.



We're working out the details now. Stay tuned!