SEO Tools and Resources

Remember when a handful of links from sites in your niche could drive steady organic traffic? That era is over. Today, Google’s AI Overviews and the rise of answer engines like ChatGPT raise the bar. You have to do more to stay visible. Hiring an experienced link building agency is one efficient way to meet that challenge. It’s also one of the most important investments you’ll make. The right partner doesn’t just build links. They position your brand as a trusted, cited source in the AI era. So how do you choose the right agency for your company? While the interface has changed, the core ranking signals remain largely the same. What’s changed is their prio…

Yoast AI Brand Insights now lets you track how your brand appears in Google’s Gemini. You can see your Gemini data alongside ChatGPT and Perplexity, all in one dashboard. With a single analysis, you can see how different AI platforms describe your brand with the Yoast SEO AI+ plan. You’ll see which sources they use and how sentiment compares across the tools your customers use most. Why this matters AI platforms use different methods to answer questions about your brand, often leading to different results. Seeing these results side-by-side helps you spot gaps or missed opportunities in your brand’s AI presence. ChatGPT is designed as a conversational a…

The third and likely final core update of 2025, the December 2025 core update, is now rolling out and complete. It started on December 11, 2025 and was completed about 18 days and 2 hours later on December 29, 2025. Google called this update “a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites.” This December 2025 core update came after waiting five months since the previous core update, the June 2025 core update. That June update came a few months after Google’s first core update on the 2025 year, the March 2025 core update. In the coming days we will gather data on the impact of this update and share …

This first release of 2026 brings Site Kit by Google insights into your Yoast SEO Dashboard. After introducing the integration in phases throughout 2025, we are pleased to share that the rollout is now complete and available to all Yoast customers using WordPress. What you can see in your Yoast SEO Dashboard You can now view key performance data from Google Search Console and Google Analytics via Site Kit in your Yoast SEO Dashboard, without changing tools or tabs. These insights include search impressions, clicks, average click through rate, average position, and organic sessions, which are combined with your Yoast SEO and readability scores so you can better un…

Starting in March 2026, Google Merchant Center will enforce a new system for multi-channel products — items sold both online and in physical stores — requiring advertisers to use separate product IDs when those products differ by channel. What’s changing. Under the new approach, online product attributes will become the default. If a product’s in-store details differ, advertisers will need to create a second version with a distinct product ID and manage it independently in their feeds. What advertisers should do. Google has started emailing affected accounts, flagging products that need updates ahead of the March deadline. Retailers should review their product…

Google is updating its advertising policies to allow ads for Prediction Markets in the U.S. starting January 21st — but only for federally regulated entities. Who qualifies. Eligibility is limited to entities authorized by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) whose primary business is listing exchange-listed event contracts, or brokerages registered with the National Futures Association (NFA) that offer access to products listed by qualifying DCMs. Advertisers must also apply for Google certification to run ads in the U.S. Why we care. Prediction markets have long been restricted on Google Ads. This change opens a n…

The new year is here, which means it’s time to deliver your end-of-year (EOY) PPC report. But an EOY report isn’t just a longer version of your monthly performance check-in. It’s typically read by a different audience – often leadership teams who don’t see your regular reporting – and it needs to tell a different story. Done well, your year-end report sets the tone for 2026, earns buy-in for your strategy, and positions you as a strategic partner rather than just a campaign manager. Done poorly, it creates confusion and undermines confidence in your work. Here’s how to build an EOY PPC report that speaks to leadership and sets your work up for succes…

LinkedIn targeting in Microsoft Advertising exists to help brands message-map their best creative with the ideal audience. When approached thoughtfully, it allows you to apply professional understanding to intent‑driven inventory without breaking the bank. The key is knowing how the targeting methods work together across the various campaign types. What follows is a practical guide to using LinkedIn data inside Microsoft Advertising, including: LinkedIn in Search campaigns (includes Multimedia ads). Using LinkedIn insights to inform broader audience strategy. Performance Max targeting signals. Directional insights into audience reach and composi…

Google introduced Creator Search, which allows advertisers to discover YouTube creators using keywords or channel handles, then narrow results by subscriber count, average views, location, and contact availability. The update significantly reduces the manual work involved in creator research and outreach. Alongside search, Google added a new Management section that centralizes creator communications. Advertisers can now see creator names, inquiry status, subjects, latest updates, and respond-by dates in one place, with direct email access built in. Why we care. As creator-led campaigns become more central to media strategies, advertisers need better tools to f…

The PPC landscape in 2025 shifted faster than ever, with updates arriving at a pace unmatched in the industry’s 20-year history. At SMX Next, a panel of industry experts broke down what’s working, what’s failing, and what advertisers should prepare for in 2026 and beyond. The state of PPC The panelists agreed that 2025 marked a major shift, especially in how quickly Google responded to advertiser feedback. Ameet Khabra, founder of Hop Skip Media, called the year “interesting” and said he was genuinely surprised by Google’s willingness to listen to advertisers, especially on channel reporting for Performance Max. “It was really cool to see the people wh…

Advertisers digging through Google Ads change history often lose time hopping between reports, campaigns, and ad groups. A new “Go to…” button cuts out those extra clicks — a small UI tweak that can save meaningful time during audits and troubleshooting. What’s new. Google has added a “Go to…” dropdown in the Change history report. Advertisers can now jump directly from a logged change to the relevant campaign or ad group. The feature is especially useful when reviewing bulk edits, script-driven changes, or updates made in Google Ads Editor. How it works: Select one or more changes in the Change history report. Use the “Go to…” dropdown to navigate str…

Remember when link building was all the rage in SEO? While it never disappeared, its role evolved as Google introduced clearer guidelines and placed greater emphasis on quality, relevance, and intent. Today, as AI search reshapes the organic landscape, link building has shifted into a closely related – and increasingly prioritized – initiative: brand mentions. You might think of brand mentions as “citations,” but in the context of AI search, citations describe how brands are referenced by LLMs. Brand mentions are the input that leads to those citations. To avoid confusion, this article uses brand mentions to describe the tactic itself. Beyond their r…

SEO now sits at an uncomfortable intersection at many organizations. Leadership wants visibility in AI-driven search experiences. Product teams want clarity on which narratives, features, and use cases are being surfaced. Sales still depends on pipeline. Meanwhile, traditional rankings, traffic, and conversions continue to matter. What has changed is the surface area of search. Pages are now summarized, excerpted, and cited in environments where clicks are optional and attribution is selective. When a generative AI summary appears on the SERP, users click traditional result links only about 8% of the time. As a result, SEO teams need a clearer playboo…

Google is testing showing a blue “Send” button in the search box as you begin to type your query. The AI Mode button, which now shows at the right side of that search box disappears as you type your query and is replaced by this Send button. What it looks like. Shameem Adhikarath spotted this and posted a video of it on X: As you can see, as you begin typing your query, the AI Mode, Lens and Microphone buttons all disappear and is replaced by this blue Send button. That plus sign still remains, so that was not removed. Why we care. Firstly, this is just a test but if this launches, this may send fewer people to Google’s AI Mode and more searchers to Go…

PPC didn’t stand still in 2025. It adjusted. These articles resonated because they answered the real questions advertisers are asking: how to stay competitive, cut wasted spend, work with automation instead of against it, and prepare for what’s next. Below are links to the 10 most-read Search Engine Land PPC columns of 2025, written by our exceptional subject matter experts. 10. Can small businesses compete on Google Ads anymore? With the right strategy, even the smallest business can stand out, win customers, and make a lasting impact. Here’s how. (By Sophie Logan. Published Sept. 16.) 9. Google Ads optimization: What to stop, start, and continue in 2025 …

Writing strong page titles is one of the simplest and most impactful SEO optimizations you can make. The title tag is often the first thing users see in search results, and it helps search engines understand the content of your page. In this article, you’ll learn what SEO page titles are, why they matter, and how to write titles that improve visibility and attract clicks. Key takeaways Crafting a strong page title is vital for SEO; it attracts clicks and helps search engines understand your content An SEO page title appears in search results and browser tabs, serving as the first impression for users To optimize your page title, include relevant keywords an…

Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing in 2025 moved fast and grew more complex. Google drove many of the year’s most consequential changes, from deeper Search automation with AI Max and ads inside AI Overviews to long-awaited gains in transparency and control for Performance Max. At the same time, updates to Google Tag Manager and conversion tracking changed how advertisers collect and trust data. Policy shifts, automatic content extraction, and pullbacks from Google Shopping by major advertisers like Amazon and Temu also disrupted auction dynamics, exposing growing tension between platform power, advertiser control, and market stability. As 2025 winds down, let’s lo…

Brand-agency partnerships look very different today than they did even a few years ago, and by 2026 that gap will only widen. Internal marketing teams are more sophisticated, digital channels are more specialized, and the role agencies play is no longer one-size-fits-all. As a result, the companies that get the most value from agency relationships aren’t always the biggest spenders. They’re the ones that are clear about what they need and what they don’t. That clarity starts with understanding the true role an agency should play inside your organization. Too many partnerships struggle because expectations and responsibilities were never properly al…

Most business owners assume that if an ad is approved by Google or Meta, it is safe. The thinking is simple: trillion-dollar platforms with sophisticated compliance systems would not allow ads that expose advertisers to legal risk. That assumption is wrong, and it is one of the most dangerous mistakes an advertiser can make. The digital advertising market operates on a legal double standard. A federal law known as Section 230 shields platforms from liability for third-party content, while strict liability places responsibility squarely on the advertiser. Even agencies have a built-in defense. They can argue that they relied on your data or instructi…

Google expanded Demand Gen channel controls to include Google Maps, giving advertisers a new way to reach users with intent-driven placements and far more control over where Demand Gen ads appear. What’s new. Advertisers can now select Google Maps as a channel within Demand Gen campaigns. The option can be used alongside other channels in a mixed setup or on its own to create Maps-only campaigns. Why we care. This update unlocks a powerful, location-focused surface inside Demand Gen, allowing advertisers to tailor campaigns to high-intent moments such as local discovery and navigation. It also marks a meaningful step toward finer channel control in what has tra…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8AfAJUDFWY Search marketers are starting to build, not just optimize. Across SEO and PPC teams, vibe coding and AI-powered development tools are shrinking the gap between idea and execution – from weeks of developer queues to hours of hands-on experimentation. These tools don’t replace developers, but they do let search teams create and test interactive content on their own timelines. That matters because Google’s AI Overviews are pulling more answers directly into the SERP, leaving fewer clicks for brand websites. In a zero-click environment, the ability to build unique, useful, conversion-focused tools is becoming o…

Google appears to be rolling out the Performance Max Channel Performance report at the MCC level, giving agencies and large advertisers a long-awaited view of channel-level performance across multiple accounts. What’s new: The Channel Performance report, previously limited to individual accounts, is now surfacing in some manager (MCC) accounts. Google had previously confirmed the feature was coming, but this marks one of the first confirmed sightings in live environments. Why we care. MCC-level visibility allows agencies to analyze how Performance Max allocates spend and drives results across channels—Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Shopping—wit…

In 2025, Google is removing reviews at unprecedented rates – and it is not accidental. Our industry analysis of 60,000 Google Business Profiles shows that deletions are being driven by a mix of: Automated moderation. Industry-wide risk factors. Increased enforcement against incentivized reviews. Local regulatory pressure. Together, these forces have significant implications for businesses and local search visibility. Review deletions are on the up globally Data collected from tens of thousands of Google Business Profile listings across multiple countries by GMBapi.com show a sharp increase in deleted reviews between January and July 2025. …

I get it, these are uncertain times. Organic traffic is dropping like a rock, and new referral traffic coming in from LLMs like ChatGPT barely scratches the surface of what’s been lost. The narrative of “traffic is simply coming from a new source” is not accurate. Search and engagement are happening in new ways, but CTRs are dropping significantly across nearly all industries. It’s no surprise that many in the industry are feeling anxious about the future of SEO and whether AI might eventually render their roles obsolete. Bringing this up with your C-suite team might feel like the last thing you want to do. But here’s the reality: Now is exactly the time to …

Generative AI is everywhere right now. It dominates conference agendas, fills LinkedIn feeds, and is reshaping how many businesses think about organic search. Brands are racing to optimize for AI Overviews, build vector embeddings, map semantic clusters, and rework content models around LLMs. What gets far less attention is a basic reality: for most websites, AI platforms still drive a small share of overall traffic. AI search is growing, no question. But in most cases, total referral sessions from all LLM platforms combined amount to only about 2% to 3% of the organic traffic Google alone delivers. Despite that gap, many teams are spending more …