Hey Reader,

Just when you thought you'd got a handle on email updates, Google drops a nice little surprise...😳

Generative AI in your inbox, aka AI Inbox.

While this is only applicable to Gmail users right now (both personal and Google Workspace emails), it's highly likely that other providers will follow suit.

So what the heck am I talking about?

Well, you've likely already started seeing it in Google search results... AI summaries and recommendations at the top of Google search results.

In your Gmail inbox, you're now going to see something similar, along with the ability to interact with your inbox in much the same way that you might be using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini etc.

As a user, this means that you'll be able to ask your AI Inbox questions like "when was the last time I got an email from lise@hustleandgroove.com?" or "find my login details for Hustle & Groove's Heartbeat community".

This is very helpful, no?

It will also create a VIP section at the top of the inbox (like you see the AI summary at the top of Google search results).

It sounds intimidating, but think of it less like a "gatekeeper" and more like a really efficient personal assistant for your subscribers.

This new update (powered by Gemini) is designed to help people manage the noise by summarizing threads, prioritizing "VIP" emails, and making the inbox less overwhelming.

In summary, here's what's coming:

1. AI Overviews: Automatically summarizes email threads and lets users ask natural language questions about their inbox
2. Smart Features: Enhanced writing assistance and suggested replies
3. AI Inbox Filtering: Prioritizes important messages and filters out "noise"

But let's flip things around.

What does this mean for you and I as business owners? 🙋‍♀️

Well, with over 1.8 billion Gmail users worldwide, I can guarantee that part of your audience is using Gmail.

And... Google is also saying that 60-70% of those users will likely not turn this feature off.

Much like we're now shifting SEO to also include being discoverable for AI tools, we need to optimize our emails for AI Inbox too.

How?

By following these simple steps (starting today):

Step 1: Optimize for "The Skim" (AI Edition)

The new AI Overviews feature summarizes long emails and threads so users can get the gist without reading every word.

If your email is just one big image (like a flyer), the AI can't "read" it effectively to summarize it.

• Your Adjustment: Ensure your emails have actual text content. If you use beautiful graphics (which I know we love!), make sure the core message, offer, and dates are also typed out in the body or widely used in Alt Text.
• Action Item: Review your email template(s). Are your key points trapped in a JPG? Type them out. Make it easy for the AI to say, "Lise sent a guide on human design," rather than "Lise sent an image."

Step 2: Become "Ask-able"

One of the coolest features is that users can now ask their inbox questions in natural language, like "Who sent me that quote for the bathroom reno?" or "Did [Brand Name] send a coupon code?"

• Your Adjustment: You need to be memorable and clear. Vague subject lines like "You won't believe this…" might hurt you here compared to "Your 50% discount code is inside." This is one of the BIGGEST changes we all need to make (myself included). I'll personally be moving away from curiosity or question-style subject lines to more direct "what's inside" subject lines that are keyword driven.
• Action Item: Be specific in your subject lines and pre-header text (if you're not using pre-header text, now's the time to start). Use keywords your audience would actually search for. Think: "If my subscriber asked her AI to find this email later, what words would she use?" The first 100-200 characters are now critical because Gmail's AI uses them for summaries - put all the important stuff first.

Step 3: Ditch "No-Reply" Forever

The AI Inbox looks for relationships. It prioritizes emails from people the user actually interacts with. A "noreply@yourwebsite.com" address tells the AI, "This is a robot, not a relationship."

• Your Adjustment: Encourage replies! The more people hit "Reply" to tell you something, the more Gmail sees you as a friend/colleague rather than a marketer.
• Action Item: Check your sender address. Make sure it's a real inbox you check. Put your main CTA at the TOP of your emails (above the fold) and end your emails with a reason to reply. Personally, you're going to start seeing me encouraging interaction a lot more over the next few weeks... pay attention to see how I do it!

Step 4: The "Safe Sender" Hustle

The AI Inbox view creates a section called "Suggested to-dos" for high-priority items (like bills or critical updates) and "Topics to catch up on" for the rest. We want to stay out of the "clutter" pile that gets hidden.

• Your Adjustment: Signals like being in the user's Google Contacts or having a history of opens/replies are huge indicators for the AI.
• Action Item: Add a small P.S. to your welcome sequence asking new subscribers to "Reply with 'Hi'" or "Add me to your contacts so you don't miss the freebies." It sounds old school, but it’s now a technical SEO strategy for email. This is also why I teach the "Hey" email strategy inside The $1K Lab... it ensures that more people see your emails (and engage with them) once it's implemented.

Step 5: Scrub Your List (Seriously!)

Gmail’s AI learns from negative signals, too. If you’re sending to thousands of people who never open your emails, the AI notices the pattern: "People generally ignore Roe." Taking the "quality over quantity" approach is now essential. Gmail now shows subscribers exactly how many emails they get from you. We want to avoid landing in the "sending too much" category.

• Your Adjustment: High engagement rates tell the AI your content is valuable. Dead weight drags down your "reputation score."
• Action Item: Run a re-engagement campaign for anyone who hasn't opened in 90 days. If they don't bite? Delete them. It hurts the ego, but it helps your deliverability. Give people the option to opt-out of emails. Personally, I'll be adjusting my welcome sequence to ask people if they want to hear from me daily, 3 x a week, or once a week.

I know this feels like a lot... but most of this is good practice and easily implementable.

Question: Would a live workshop to walk through all these changes and implement them be something you'd want?

Hit reply and tell me "yes" or "no".

Take care

Lise xoxo

PS: Tomorrow I'll be sending out an email where you can opt-out of the daily emails etc. Keep an eye on your inbox for the subject line "Choose your email frequency"