📲 Washington State Digital Ads Tax Starts October 1

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📲 Washington State Digital Ads Tax Starts October 1

Washington’s new digital ads tax takes effect on October 1, 2025. It taxes a broad range of advertising services—from design to campaign planning and SEM—excluding certain traditional media like billboards and print. The tax reclassifies digital ads as retail transactions, bringing them under sales tax rules. Regulations are still evolving, raising concerns for both large and small advertisers.

Why it matters: This tax will directly raise the cost of digital advertising for businesses operating in Washington. Small advertisers may face higher financial pressure, while larger firms may rethink campaign allocations or even restructure operations. For marketers, it underscores the growing role of state-level regulation in shaping advertising strategies. Read more.

🤝 City of Sydney’s "Reboot" Webinar Series for Entrepreneurs

The City of Sydney has launched “Reboot” Series 2—free, live webinars aimed at helping small businesses gain practical digital marketing skills. Sessions run from September 9 to October 7 and include topics like SEO, Meta ads, content creation, AI hacks, and effective sales techniques. The series is supported by local digital experts and requires free registration.

Why It Matters
The program shows how public initiatives can provide real support for small businesses competing in a digital-first economy. For marketers, it highlights both the demand for accessible education and the opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs seeking practical, actionable strategies. Read more.

🚀 ProStar SEO Launches Advanced LLM SEO Services

ProStar SEO has introduced new SEO services powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). These services combine AI capabilities with SEO best practices to boost organic visibility, enhance user engagement, and deliver personalized content. The toolset offers insights derived from vast data sets—ideal for industries like e-commerce, health, gaming, and blogging.

Why It Matters
With AI-generated traffic growing faster than traditional search, marketers who adapt their strategies for AI-driven search will gain a competitive edge. Those who ignore this shift may see declining visibility as consumer behavior and search engine algorithms change. Read more.

💡 Today’s Insight

Amazon Resumes Google Shopping Ads

Amazon has restarted its Google Shopping ad campaigns—but only on its international domains. The U.S. market remains excluded. The move comes exactly one month after a deliberate pause, suggesting a calculated test of advertising channel effectiveness. When Amazon pulled its ads, competitors saw more clicks but lower return on ad spend (ROAS), highlighting Amazon’s role in stabilizing auction efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• Amazon’s withdrawal appeared strategic, not technical, likely to test channel impact.

• ROAS dropped for competitors during the pause, showing Amazon’s role in stabilizing ad efficiency.

• The U.S. gap offers a short-term opening for brands to capture market

• Advertisers should run trial campaigns now and study auction dynamics.

• Big players may replicate such tests; monitoring competitor behavior remains essential.

Click here to read this story.

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