SEO Tools and Resources

AI is changing how people find and engage with content – but the core signals that drive visibility haven’t changed. This article shows how search marketers can stay competitive by combining proven SEO and content strategies with AI-powered workflows to build authority, trust, and reach across platforms. Why authority still wins in the age of AI search If you work in marketing, you’ve probably heard the same questions repeated throughout the past year: “What’s AI’s impact on organic search?” “How can my brand appear in AI-driven search results?” “Is it safe to use AI in my content workflow?” While many agencies and experts are rushing to stak…

Google Ads quietly rolled out Tree Table Views within its reporting interface, offering advertisers a more structured way to analyze campaign performance data. The new view transforms traditional flat data tables into hierarchical layouts where dimensions are visually stacked and nested, creating clearer relationships between data points. The big picture. The Tree Table View offers several practical benefits: Organized hierarchy. Clearer visualization of multi-level dimensions Improved navigation. Faster insight discovery across nested segments Enhanced structure. Better organization for complex performance breakdowns For example, users can now easi…

Table of contents Why is driving traffic to your website important? Top 5 practical tips to boost website traffic Understand your target audience Focus on SEO basics Create quality content that provides value Leverage social media to share and increase the reach Keep your site fast & mobile-friendly Bonus tips for boosting traffic Build an email list Off-page SEO for link building Join online communities and forums Local SEO Ready to drive traffic to your website? Excited to launch your website, but how to drive traffic to your website? A beautifully designed site without visitors is like a shop with no customers; that’s why traffic matters. Wondering h…

Earlier this month, we reported that Google will be bringing Discover to the desktop version of Google’s home page. We don’t know exactly when that will roll out but Google has been testing it. Google Search Console has Discover performance reports that let you track how well your site is performing within Google Discover. And over the past day or so, there was a hack to see the Discover performance report broken out by desktop and mobile. But that hack was quietly disabled this morning. How it worked. Brodie Clark first spotted the hack and posted about it on LinkedIn, and then John Shehata shared some early data of mobile vs desktop Discover performance with t…

Did you know that even a one-second delay in page loading speed can cause up to 11% fewer page views? That’s right, you might have the best content strategy and a solid plan to drive traffic, but visitors won’t stay long if your site lags. Page speed is one of the biggest factors in keeping users engaged and converting. In this guide, we’ll uncover the most common causes of slow websites and explore proven ways to boost website performance. Whether your site feels sluggish or you simply want to make it faster, these insights will help you identify what’s holding it back and how to fix it. Table of contents What do we mean by ‘website performance’ and why is it i…

Google is crediting its AI advancement, such as Gemini, to help detect and remove fake reviews and listings within Google Maps. “AI has been a pivotal tool in helping us stop scammers in their tracks, and we’re now using it to scale our protections even more,” Google wrote. The metrics. Google shared these metrics for its battle over Google Maps spam: Google blocked or removed more than 240 million policy-violating removed more than 240 million policy-violating reviews from 2024. Google added that “the vast majority of which were removed before they were seen.” Google blocked or removed more than 70 million policy-violating edits to places on Google Maps. …

Relying solely on Google for search visibility is no longer viable today. Search behavior is diversifying, particularly among younger demographics. Gen Z is increasingly turning to platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, and Reddit for information discovery. This shift highlights the need for brands to embrace a total search strategy – an approach that integrates multiple search and discovery channels to create a more holistic and resilient search presence. The risks of Google dependency Google’s algorithm changes frequently, and core updates can significantly impact website rankings overnight. Over-reliance on a single search engine makes brands vulner…

Google Analytics real time reporting may be off this morning, at least based on a number of reports we are hearing about since earlier this morning. If you are noticing unusually low real-time counts in GA4, you are not alone. More details. I reported about the issue earlier today on the Search Engine Roundtable, quoting a number of complaints on social: Seeing this right now. Either the bottom just dropped out on traffic, or it's an Analytics issue. — wordmetrics (@wordmetrics) May 8, 2025 Looks like GA4 is on a coffee break today! Hope they get back to work soon. Not alone in this! — Chandan Kumar (@ImChandanKumar) May 8, 2025 Again real time numbers …

Search intent is easy to define but harder to truly understand. It’s more than just categories like informational or transactional. It’s about: What someone is trying to do in a moment. How that action fits into a larger journey. How your content and brand meet them there. If you’re still thinking in linear funnels or rigid personas, it’s time to go deeper. Rethinking the journey: Why search intent demands more nuance Before we dive in, let’s step back and ask a few questions: Do you have audience personas? A customer journey map? Funnels? And more importantly, are those tools still accurate? Are they as linear or predictable as the…

Return on ad spend (ROAS) has been the default metric for evaluating Google Ads performance for years. It’s easy to calculate, works well with automated bidding, and provides a quick snapshot of efficiency. However, as ad costs rise and tracking becomes less reliable, relying solely on ROAS is no longer enough, especially for businesses focused on long-term growth and profitability. This article: Unpacks why ROAS can be misleading. Introduces better metrics to consider. Explains how to start moving toward a performance strategy that aligns with real business outcomes. Why ROAS can be misleading ROAS seems like the perfect metric. Spend $1, …

Google is investigating a data discrepancy issue affecting Google Ad Manager and Data Transfer reports stemming from an incident that began on May 2 at 14:00 UTC. The details. Users can still access the platforms, but reports for May 2 between 14:00 and 15:00 UTC may be incomplete. A filtration issue appears to have caused some data to be excluded from both Ad Manager reports and Data Transfer files. Discrepancies are possible between the two data sources. Why we care. Publishers may notice missing or inconsistent data in reports and Data Transfer files generated during a critical one-hour window, potentially affecting revenue tracking and campaign analysis. W…

If you’ve played around with audience targeting in a Demand Gen or Video campaign lately, you may have thought to yourself, “Um… does something look different here?!” It’s not just you. Audience Builder is the new workflow for audience targeting in Demand Gen and Video campaigns, and audience signals in Performance Max campaigns. This isn’t just a cosmetic change. Audience Builder brings different capabilities than those you may be used to. This Audience Builder breakdown will cover: What is Audience Builder in Google Ads? How is Audience Builder different from the old audiences workflow? Audience Targeting vs Audience Signals with Audience Bu…

Search industry experts are sounding the alarm over a growing Google experiment that’s creating a kind of “SERP Inception” — search results inside search results, with increasingly prominent Sponsored labels that don’t appear to be paid ad placements in the traditional sense. Driving the news. SEO consultant Glenn Gabe posted a screenshot on X showing a People also consider box labeled Sponsored. The twist? Clicking a link launches a new Google results page – complete with ads and another Sponsored box, perpetuating the loop. “They lead to a fresh SERP with more ads and yet ANOTHER ‘People also consider’ block that’s SPONSORED,” Gabe wrote. The backstory. …

SEO reporting and tracking are major sticking points for anyone in the industry. Data that you find important may be less valuable to C-suite executives. Or you may not have enough data to show growth, changes, and significant events clearly and concisely. Reports must tell a story. Without the right data, you’ll end up with a confusing plot that won’t be well-received. Before you can begin reporting and tracking data, you need to gather it, which requires using the right tools. SEO reporting and tracking tools Most SEOs use a combination of different tools to properly collect, track and report data. A few of the main ones include: Google…

Most advertisers will confidently tell you that the cost per click (CPC) on Google Ads rises year after year. But is that actually true? And if it is, how quickly are CPCs inflating? Surprisingly, there’s no simple answer. To get closer to the truth, we’ll explore three reliable data sources – and explain why this question matters more than most advertisers realize. The problem of CPC inflation If you advertise on Google, CPC inflation should be high on your list of concerns. Why? Because rising CPCs directly erode advertising performance. For example, if CPCs increase by 5% this year, your budget will deliver 5% fewer clicks – assuming all othe…

Negative reviews are more visible than ever. They can shape how thousands of potential customers see your brand. Responding to that kind of feedback has traditionally been a manual, time-consuming task, requiring emotional nuance and a strong grasp of brand voice. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing that. With smarter tools and more human-like language capabilities, brands can respond faster, more consistently, and with greater empathy. This article tackles how AI is transforming the way businesses handle negative reviews, focusing on three key areas: Empathy. Brand alignment. Scalability. The rise of AI in online reputation man…

Google Ads is introducing new user interface (UI)-only image optimization features, spotted last week, aimed at enhancing Performance Max campaigns, marking a shift in how advertisers can manage visual assets for better ad performance. What’s new? Landing page images: Google’s AI will now automatically pull relevant images from your ad’s landing page to dynamically insert into your ads. This aims to increase ad relevance and expand reach by tapping into more ad placements. Image enhancements: Google AI can smartly improve your uploaded images by cropping them into different versions to unlock additional ad inventory and boost campaign results. Future updates …

LLMs and AI tools have transformed nearly every industry, including marketing. We’ve become accustomed to AI’s ability to: Generate text, images, and video. Summarize articles. Transcribe audio. Write code. Access webpages. But as these models evolve, their capabilities are entering a new phase with the introduction of Model Context Protocol (MCP) – a development that will also reshape how we think about search visibility. MCP allows LLMs and AI systems to connect more easily to external data sources and tools, giving organizations a new way to deliver meaningful content to both AI systems and their users. What is Model Context Protocol? …

If you optimize your articles for similar terms, your rankings might suffer from keyword or content cannibalization: you’ll be ‘devouring’ your chances to rank in Google! Especially when your site is growing, your content could start competing with itself. Here, we’ll explain why keyword and content cannibalism can harm SEO, how to recognize it, and what to do about it. Table of contents What is keyword cannibalization? What is content cannibalization? Is cannibalization harmful? How to identify cannibalization issues How to fix cannibalization issues Preventive measures Common mistakes in addressing cannibalization Final thoughts on keyword and content cannibalizat…

Google’s AI Overviews appeared in 13.14% of all U.S. desktop searches in March, up from 6.49% in January. That’s a 102% surge in just two months, according to a new analysis of more than 10 million keywords by Semrush and Datos. Why we care. Google’s introduction of AI Overviews was the biggest shift since the arrival of featured snippets a decade ago. Google is forever changed and is becoming more of an answer engine than a search engine. That’s because AI Overviews generate answers rather than pointing searchers to websites, which studies have shown is impacting traffic and CTRs for many types of websites. Triggers. AI Overviews tend to appear for low-risk, fact…

Google is rolling out channel controls in beta for Demand Gen campaigns, giving advertisers more granular control over where their visual ads appear across Google’s ecosystem. The new controls, first announced in January and spotted in March, allow marketers to choose specific placements across YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and the Google Display Network — including the ability to target YouTube Shorts specifically. Between the lines. The beta release signals Google’s recognition that advertisers want more transparency and control over ad placements, especially as competition with social media platforms intensifies. The YouTube Shorts targeting option specifically app…

ChatGPT announced the addition of shopping features to search last week. But how exactly is ChatGPT search choosing products and ranking them? Here’s what you need to know from OpenAI’s documentation. How product results are selected. When ChatGPT detects shopping intent in a query, it selects products based on a mix of the following: User intent and context Based on the user’s current query (e.g., “funny dog costumes”). May include saved memory (e.g., past dislikes, such as “clowns”). May factor in custom instructions (e.g., preferences like “I want affordable options”). Structured third-party data. Product metadata such as: Price. Product des…

Google will be bringing Google Discover, the news feed, to the desktop version of the Google.com home page. Google Discover is currently available on the mobile apps and mobile version of Google.com, it has been since 2018. And soon it will come to the desktop version of the Google home page. More details. Clara Soteras on X and Gianluca Fiorelli on X posted the slides from a Googler announcing this at the Search Central Live event in Madrid this morning. Here is one of those slides that says Google Discover is “expanding surfaces” to “desktop Search.” Clara Soteras added, “Google Discover will be available for desktop! The Google team is working to exp…

Meta’s text-based social platform is now monetizing its 300 million monthly active users Meta’s standalone app Threads is beginning a global rollout of advertisements within its feed starting Wednesday, expanding beyond the limited testing that began in January. What’s happening: Image-based ads will appear between content in users’ Threads feeds. All eligible advertisers will gain access to Meta’s inventory filler. Ad placement on Threads will be a default for new campaigns using Advantage+ or manual placements. Advertisers can opt out through manual placement settings. Why we care. The move signals Meta’s confidence in Threads’ growth and v…

Could ChatGPT launch an advertising product within the next year? The answer seems to be yes, based on internal OpenAI documents. OpenAI appears to forecast a billion dollars in new revenue from “free user monetization” in 2026. That figure is forecast to grow to nearly $25 billion by 2029 of OpenAI’s total $125 billion projection. The chart. Here’s a chart (shared by Juan González Villa on X) of OpenAI’s projection of rising revenues that includes “new products (including free user monetization).” Yes, that means ads: Why we care. ChatGPT has an estimated 600 million monthly users. The ability for advertisers to reach ChatGPT’s users represents a signif…