No Hacks: Optimising the Web for AI Agents

Google just made two massive moves in 48 hours, and together, they could reshape how AI interacts with commerce forever.First: the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that lets AI agents shop on your behalf. Discovery, checkout, payments, post-purchase, the whole journey, with one common language. Backed by Shopify, Walmart, Target, Visa, Mastercard, and 20+ others.Second: a multi-year deal with Apple. Gemini will power the next generation of Apple Intelligence, including Siri. That's Google's AI running on 2 billion Apple devices.In this episode, I break down what UCP actually is, how it works, why the Apple deal matters, and what this means for merchants, developers, and anyone building for the agentic web.CHAPTERS00:00 – The Anthony Joshua smile meme (and what it has to do with Google) 02:59 – The landscape: AI agents, fragmentation, and the assistant wars 06:36 – What is UCP? Universal Commerce Protocol explained 11:04 – Who's backing UCP and what it enables today 14:21 – The Apple-Gemini deal: what it means 17:55 – Why Apple chose Google (and what happens to OpenAI) 21:00 – Connecting the dots: Google's full strategy 24:00 – What this means for merchants and developers 26:30 – The bigger picture: who controls the agentic web? 29:07 – Closing thoughtsLINKSUCP Documentation: https://ucp.devUCP GitHub: https://github.com/Universal-Commerce-Protocol/ucpGoogle's UCP Announcement: https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/agentic-commerce-ai-tools-protocol-retailers-platforms/Google-Apple Joint Statement: https://blog.google/company-news/inside-google/company-announcements/joint-statement-google-apple/Shopify's UCP Deep-Dive: https://shopify.engineering/UCPKEYWORDS/TAGSGoogle, UCP, Universal Commerce Protocol, AI agents, agentic commerce, e-commerce, Apple Intelligence, Gemini, Siri, AI shopping, MCP, Shopify, OpenAI, retail technology---If you want to go deeper on this, I write about it weekly at No Hacks Substack. Subscribe!

Jono Alderson, a Technical SEO specialist known for his insights on content strategy and AI-driven web discovery, discusses the end of traditional digital marketing. He reveals that most websites are now 'zombies' with outdated content that AI finds worthless. Jono emphasizes the need for 'Upstream Engineering,' focusing on reputation and clarity instead of mere optimization. He warns against manipulative marketing tactics that AI filters out and explains why brands must adapt to a new landscape where identity is derived from various online signals.

If 2025 felt like a constant, high-pitched ringing in your ears, you aren't alone. We call it "Digital Tinnitus", the exhausting result of two years of AI hype, "pivot or die" mandates, and confident mediocrity.In this 2025 finale, let's shut off the noise.We look back at why "Fatigue" was the word of the year, and why the crash of the hype cycle is actually the best news for serious professionals. Sani breaks down why Deep Work is the only antidote to the chaos and reveals the massive strategic shift coming to No Hacks in 2026.The internet is changing. We are moving from an Attention Economy to a Utility Economy. And next year, we focus on one thing only: The Non-Human User.In this episode, we cover:The Hangover: Why 2025 broke us, and why the silence of 2026 is a gift.Deep Work vs. Shallow Hacks: Why "Vibe Coding" is a trap and true craftsmanship is the only moat left.The 82:1 Prediction: Palo Alto Networks predicts 82 AI agents for every 1 human online. What does that mean for your website?The 2026 Mission: Announcing the sole focus for next year: Optimizing the Human Web for Non-Human Users.Links:Connect with Sani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slobodanmanic/Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://nohacks.substack.com/See you in 2026.---If you want to go deeper on this, I write about it weekly at No Hacks Substack. Subscribe!

Join digital marketing strategist Joe Doveton, founder of GEO Jetpack, as he unpacks the seismic shifts in SEO caused by AI and zero-click searches. Discover the 'Crocodile Mouth' phenomenon where brands see clicks evaporate despite high impressions. Joe introduces essential new metrics like Generative Engine Optimization and stresses the importance of quality content. The conversation explores the decline of outdated metrics and highlights a return to meaningful customer engagement in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

There is a new user on the internet. It doesn't have eyes, it reads code, and it has zero tolerance for bad UX.In this episode, I sit down with Jes Scholz (SEO Futurist & Marketing Consultant) to discuss the "Great Correction" coming to our industry. We talk about why a decade of obsessing over short-term metrics has "corrupted" brand marketing, and why AI is finally forcing us to fix the fundamentals we’ve ignored for too long.Jes explains why AI agents are abandoning websites with messy HTML, why "entity optimization" is the real key to future visibility, and why the popular tactic of spamming Reddit to influence LLMs is a ticking time bomb for your brand.Topics Covered:Why short-term metrics broke modern marketing (and how to fix it).The "New User": How to optimize for AI agents that read code, not screens.Why "trash" code and interstitial popups are fatal for AI discovery.The "Reddit Spam" Rant: Why trying to hack AI will destroy your brand reputation.The #1 skill AI cannot replace in 2026.Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:02:07 - How Short-Term Metrics "Corrupted" Brand Marketing 00:03:59 - Why Marketers Must Relearn to Work Without Perfect Metrics 00:08:00 - AI Agents: Why They Fail on Bad UX & Messy HTML 00:17:52 - Beyond the Website: Why Entity Optimization is Key for AI 00:21:14 - Why Spamming Reddit to Influence AI Will Destroy Your Brand 00:27:23 - Final Advice: The #1 Skill to Keep & The #1 Habit to DropAbout the Guest: Jes Scholz is a global digital strategist and SEO futurist. Formerly the International Digital Director for Ringier, she has led digital transformation across 140+ media and e-commerce brands in Europe, Africa, and Asia. She is now an independent consultant helping enterprises adapt to the AI era.Connect with Jes:Website: jesscholz.comNewsletter: SEO Brief on SubstackLinkedIn: Jes ScholzConnect with Sani:LinkedIn: Slobodan (Sani) ManićWebsite: nohackspod.comNewsletter: No Hacks on Substack---If you want to go deeper on this, I write about it weekly at No Hacks Substack. Subscribe!

The promise is irresistible: generate anything you want, instantly, with zero effort. We’ve been told that AI is the great democratizer, but in this episode, we argue it’s actually the most catastrophic lie of the digital age.The truth is, this endless supply of cheap, fast content is fundamentally destroying value and driving the collapse of the internet as we know it. We're not seeing liberation; we're seeing an intellectual lazy river that's turning the web into a toxic digital swamp.In this episode, we break down the three deadly flaws of the zero-effort economy:The Dunning-Kruger loop: Why amassing "zero knowledge" before hitting 'generate' is so dangerous. We look at why amateurs, armed with powerful tools, lack the expertise to judge quality, creating a flood of confidently flawed content that only "kinda looks good."The meaning crisis & The Betty Crocker dilemma: If creation is instant, cheap, and disposable, why should you care? We dive into the psychology of effort and the IKEA Effect to explain why platforms had to force you to "add the human egg." The only way to save your work is to deliberately reintroduce friction.The platforms are killing at (the enshittification): This isn't just an accident; it’s calculated decay. We expose how platforms are actively boosting AI Slop (low-quality, high-volume garbage) to maximize their profits, directly crowding out genuine human creators. We reference Cory Doctorow's essential concept of Enshittification to explain how the entire internet is being systematically poisoned.The final warning: What happens when we keep chasing "more, more, more low-effort shit"? The existential threat of model collapse, where AI trains on its own garbage, fundamentally poisoning the source of all knowledge and accelerating us toward a "dead internet."The only way to fight back is to choose effort over ease.Find more No Hacks content: If you want to support the podcast, please subscribe, rate, and share this episode. You can also read more No Hacks content at nohacks.substack.com.---If you want to go deeper on this, I write about it weekly at No Hacks Substack. Subscribe!

Joining the discussion is Brent Csutoras, Founder of OGS Media and an expert on Reddit community engagement. He argues that the key to future-proofing brands lies in authentic human connections, rather than AI. Brent shares his insights on navigating Reddit's unique culture, detailing how genuine interactions can drive sales. He recalls a PR disaster that turned into a reputation win for REI, and emphasizes the importance of understanding real user problems. Brent also urges marketers to adapt their strategies in the AI era, focusing on meaningful engagement.

In a captivating discussion, Bryan Eisenberg, a pioneer in marketing and conversion-rate optimization, shares insights from his 30-year career. He emphasizes empathy as the cornerstone of effective marketing. Bryan explains why storytelling transcends tools, revealing how a press release influenced AI's perception of truth. He critiques over-reliance on technology, advocating for authenticity and listening to customers. His reflections on personal challenges and the importance of community connections provide a roadmap for thriving in the AI era.

Welcome to No Hacks, the podcast that cuts through the noise to reveal the truth about the future of work and the impact of AI. In this episode, we're taking a look into the phenomenon of "vibe coding" – the idea that you can simply describe an app to an AI and have it magically built.Is Vibe Coding the shortcut to tech success, or just another false promise?Sani argues that the hype around pure vibe coding mirrors the deceptive playbook of dropshipping gurus: selling a dream that ultimately profits the platform, not the aspiring creator. We break down the seductive promises, expose the harsh realities, and reveal the catastrophic failures that occur when the "vibes turn bad."What you'll learn in this episode:What Vibe Coding Really Is: Understand the difference between responsible AI-assisted development and "pure" vibe coding, where code is accepted without full understanding.The Anatomy of a Hype Cycle: Discover the striking parallels between the vibe coding phenomenon and the dropshipping course industry, from their sales pitches to their hidden realities and who truly profits.A Catalogue of Catastrophes: Hear real-world horror stories of instantly hacked startups, data deletion disasters, and AI models that "lie"—illustrating the dangers of relying on AI without deep technical oversight.The 80/20 Trap: Explore why AI can get you 80% of the way to a prototype, but that crucial final 20%—security, scalability, and integration—requires uniquely human skills.The "No Hacks" Skills for the AI Era: We conclude by revealing the four critical, future-proof skills that will define the next generation of builders and leaders in technology: Systems Thinking, Problem Decomposition, Architectural Integrity & Security, and Expert Curation.Don't fall for the illusion of "irrational confidence" in tech. Tune in to understand why deep, durable skills, not magic, are the real path to success in the age of AI.Important links from the episode:https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/1jmyk5k/seems_like_the_guy_who_invented_the_vibe_coding/https://www.finalroundai.com/blog/vibe-coding-failures-that-prove-ai-cant-replace-developers-yethttps://www.louisbouchard.ai/genai-coding-risks/https://medium.com/@lars_13145/system-thinking-and-ai-redefining-software-product-development-a193a08119bchttps://instil.co/blog/critical-thinking-in-the-age-of-ai-and-why-it-still-matters/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_StephensonComparison table---If you want to go deeper on this, I write about it weekly at No Hacks Substack. Subscribe!

The world of work is changing faster than ever, and AI is leading the charge. What does this mean for industries like SEO, marketing, and content? And more importantly, what does it mean for your career?In this episode of No Hacks, I’m joined by Olga Andrienko, a marketing leader who transitioned from VP of Brand Marketing into AI operations. Her journey is the perfect case study for how professionals can adapt when the ground shifts under their feet.We start with Olga’s “lightning bolt moment” at an AI course that showed her the power of automation and AI agents. From there, we explore:The future of SEO and search: why Google’s AI Overviews are disrupting traffic, how “search everywhere optimization” is replacing traditional SEO, and what it means for attribution.AI business models and big tech: the economic reality behind AI tools, the competition between Google and OpenAI, and why Olga switched from iPhone to Google Pixel for integrated AI features.Practical automation in marketing ops: real workflows Olga and her team automated, how to identify the right tasks to start with, and what role AI workflow architects play.The jobs of tomorrow: emerging roles like Heads of AI Ops and AI workflow specialists, why community and events still matter, and how to stand out in a flood of AI sameness.Human creativity in an AI-first world: why now is the easiest time to stand out online, and why clumsy, authentic writing can be a feature, not a bug.This conversation is not just about AI tools. It is about how work itself is being reshaped, what skills will still matter five or ten years from now, and how you can adapt your career for long-term success.👉 If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss what’s next. And join the Substack, where I share deeper insights, notes, and resources to help you navigate the future of work. Episode links:No Hacks SubstackHow to start in any brand role (Olga's LinkedIn post)---If you want to go deeper on this, I write about it weekly at No Hacks Substack. Subscribe!