SEO Tools and Resources

Remember when meta keywords were all the rage? Fast forward to 2025, and while search engines have evolved dramatically, meta tags remain crucial building blocks of your SEO foundation, just not the ones you might remember. You’re juggling countless priorities, so it’s tempting to view meta tags as “set it and forget it” HTML snippets. But here’s the truth: properly optimized meta tags are still conversion-driving assets that both search engines and potential customers use to understand your content. This guide cuts through the noise to spotlight the meta tags that actually move the needle – on rankings, click-through rates, and visibility. Before we …

Most marketers know the abbreviation ABC – “always be closing.” In SEO, there’s an even more important one – ABT, or “always be testing.” The more you test your theories about what works for your users, the more you’ll learn new strategies to optimize and improve your site. And testing is always valuable, even if your tests aren’t always winners (and they definitely won’t all end up the way you predict). One of the most interesting tests I’ve ever run was actually a failure. Our testing team developed some new CTA button copy, backed by user testing and keyword research, that we hypothesized would improve conversion rate. After testing our new …

As AI-powered SEO platforms evolve, they’re rewriting the economics of search engine optimization. This transformation threatens to upend the traditional agency model in three ways: Dramatically lower costs. Automate technical capabilities. Provide unbiased, data-driven decisions. Yet, this disruption might lead to industry consolidation and expansion as fewer but larger agencies emerge to serve an expanding market of SEO adopters. This article looks at how to survive the new agency economics. The economics of disruption Today’s SEO agency model typically involves monthly retainers ranging from $2,000 to $20,000, depending on the scope and co…

A little over a year ago, I wrote an article titled “The future of SEO in an AI-powered world.” I wanted my opening line to be dramatic, so I wrote “The Google interface we know today will be gone in less than three years.” At the time, this line sounded outlandish. Could the world’s most popular website, with close to 2.5 billion daily users, just vanish? It’s a year later, and I find myself overwhelmingly turning to LLMs over Google for all kinds of information. In my case, the prediction of three years was an understatement. I suspect the same is true of many of you reading this. Is Google dead? Not quite. To paraphrase Mark Twain, news of Go…

Calling it “inevitable,” Google executives expect Search to lose traffic to Gemini or rival AI answer engine ChatGPT, according to an internal document from October. Why we care. Google generated nearly $200 billion in revenue from Search in 2024. However, Google launched many new AI features and products (e.g., AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini) in the past two years that have radically changed search as we’ve known it for more than two decades. Now it’s confirmed that Google executives think it’s “inevitable” that Google will lose search traffic due to AI. ChatGPT’s impact. An internal summary of takeaways from a meeting with top execs – including Liz Reid, Vidhya S…

Once upon a time, search engine optimizers (SEOs) and search engine marketers (SEMs) conducted keyword research before every new project or pay-per-click (PPC) campaign. They believed, “To reach your target audience, you need to know what words they use.” SEOs were advised: “Use words that people would use to look for your content, and place those words in prominent locations on the page, such as the title and main heading of a page, and other descriptive locations such as alt text and link text.” SEMs were told: “Choose words that are relevant to your product or service to target users making searches using those same terms.” But this fairy t…

Google today expanded its Checkout on Merchant feature to Demand Gen campaigns serving on YouTube In-stream inventory. Previously available only for Performance Max campaigns and organic shopping results, this update brings the streamlined checkout experience to more advertising channels. By the numbers. Advertisers providing checkout URLs have seen an average 11% increase in conversion value at similar CPA in their Demand Gen campaigns, according to Google data. How it works: Checkout on Merchant creates an accelerated path from product discovery to purchase. Users can quickly add products to cart or proceed to checkout on merchant websites. Merch…

AI-powered agentic tools is being rolled across Google Ads and Google Analytics to give marketers hands-on help with campaign creation, optimization, and analysis, as announced today at Google Marketing Live 2025. These tools act more like expert collaborators than passive software. They can suggest, implement, and troubleshoot campaign elements in real time, Google said. Driving the news. Two years after launching its conversational experience in Google Ads, which has been used by more than 500,000 advertisers, Google said it’s ready to go further. New AI agents in Google Ads will provide personalized campaign recommendations, like keyword and creative ideas…

Google Ads introduced customer lifecycle features in Performance Max, which will let you bid more aggressively for lapsed customers and track acquisition costs more precisely. PMax is also getting new image tools to boost creative flexibility. Customer Lifecycle management expands. Retention goals are now widely available, giving you the power to bid more strategically for lapsed users. For former customers: You can identify high-value former customers and prioritize who sees your ads and when. For new customer acquisition: In “new customer only” and “new customer value” modes, you will see a dedicated column in campaign reporting that displays customer acquis…

Google has released a detailed Q&A for advertisers to clarify how its new AI Max tool works, addressing key questions around performance, control, and automation in search advertising. With the rollout of AI Max, a suite of ad tools powered by generative AI and search intelligence, the company is pitching it as the future of automated, performance-driven search advertising. What it does AI Max uses Google AI to: Match your ads with more relevant searches – even ones you aren’t bidding on. Customize ad copy dynamically based on user intent. Send users to your most relevant landing pages automatically. Questions asked by advertisers, answered b…

Google is facing a potential €2.97 billion ($3.3 billion) antitrust lawsuit in Italy, accusing the tech giant of stifling competition through anticompetitive practices. The lawsuit, filed by Moltiply Group, claims Google used its dominance in the search engine market to undermine the growth of its rival price comparison platform, Trovaprezzi.it, operated by Moltiply subsidiary 7Pixel. Key allegations. Moltiply argues that between 2010 and 2017, Google prioritized its own Google Shopping service over competitors, suppressing other comparison websites’ visibility. The lawsuit leans on a significant 2017 ruling by the European Court of Justice, which fined Goo…

The world of generative AI is evolving rapidly, with breakthroughs in image and video generation, multimodal capabilities, and – crucially for marketers – data analysis. For PPC professionals, these tools offer a new level of speed and depth in uncovering insights and optimizing performance. One standout capability is ChatGPT’s Advanced Data Analysis, which allows users to upload raw data, ask natural language questions, and receive clear, actionable insights – fast. What once took hours can now happen in minutes. Advanced data analysis in ChatGPT: Access and availability Originally launched in July 2023 as a beta feature for Plus and Enterprise user…

Fueled by “impressive YoY growth,” paid search advertising revenues hit a new high in 2024, according to a new report. In total, search accounted for $102.9 billion of a record $258.6 billion in U.S. digital advertising revenues, according to the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024, conducted by PwC. That is a $14.1 billion increase compared to 2023. Why we care. Paid search becomes more expensive and challenging every year, with less transparency. But advertisers continue to pour money into paid search because it drives results for brands and businesses. Paid search is still king. Search continues to own the largest market share of adverti…

SEO is all about optimizing for, well, search. In 2018, I defined SEO as: “The art and science of persuading search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, to recommend your content to their users as the best solution to their problem.” In 2025 (and beyond), we can define search, answer, and assistive engine optimization as “The art and science of persuading recommendation engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Siri, Alexa, and Copilot to recommend your solution to their users as the best in the market.” The aim is the same – get the conversion. The difference? We have more engines. The recommendation is often further…

Google will now allow relevant Search ads from advertisers who showed amongst top ads to also participate in the bottom ads auction. As a reminder, the definition of top ads changed about a year ago, as Google began mixing ads in various organic positions throughout the search results. With this change, Google also reminded us that it updated its unfair ads policy (i.e. double serving) to say this is not double serving. Google added the words, “in a single ad location,” as an exception to the policy last March after Google was caught double serving ads under its old definition. What Google said. Google wrote: Today, we’re sharing more about a recent change we…

Google updated its Google Tag Manager (GTM) conversion tag, removing the ability to configure user-provided data for Enhanced Conversions directly in the tag. What’s new. The Enhanced Conversions setup option has been removed from the standard Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag in GTM. Instead, Google has introduced a dedicated tag specifically for Enhanced Conversions for Google Ads. The big picture: The move separates the main conversion tracking functionality from Enhanced Conversions, likely to streamline setup and reduce confusion. Why we care. Enhanced Conversions help advertisers improve conversion measurement by sending hashed first-party custo…

Google Analytics just made it easier to get quick insights and more accurate attribution. The Reports snapshot section now includes pre-built templates focused on user behavior, sales and revenue, and marketing performance. That means less time building custom reports and more time actually using the data. Alongside the templates, the card library has been updated, making it easier to browse and add the visualizations that matter most to your business. These templates help users quickly surface relevant insights without needing to manually create or configure reports. On the attribution front. Google Analytics will now use aggregate identifiers to att…

Link building is often 40% of an SEO budget – sometimes more in competitive industries. But here’s the problem: most companies aren’t calculating ROI before building links. That’s a fast way to burn through your budget without knowing what you’re getting in return. If you spend $5,000, $10,000, or even $50,000 a month on link building, you should know what kind of return to expect. This guide will show you how to calculate link building ROI before sending a single outreach email. We’ll cover how to assess a page’s revenue potential, estimate the cost of link building, and determine whether the investment pays off. You’ll know exactly how to forecast ROI, avoid…

Shopify is changing how it handles checkout. If you’re running Google Ads or Analytics, you’ll need to act soon. Key deadlines. Shopify Plus merchants must migrate by Aug. 28, 2025. Non-Plus merchants have until Aug. 26, 2026. Missing these dates could result in a total loss of conversion tracking on your Thank You and Order Status pages. The fix. Use the Google & YouTube app. The Google & YouTube app, developed by Google for Shopify, is now the go-to way to handle all things measurement, ads, and analytics. Why migrate now? No code hassle: Easy, direct integration with Google Ads, Analytics, YouTube, and Merchant Center. Future-ready: Support…

Bring your Shopify products to life in Google searches. Highlight product variants that shoppers care about—color, size, pattern, material and audience demography—and watch your clicks and sales soar. Why you and your customers will love it Attract more shoppers Make it easier for Google to show exactly what customers are searching for. Stand apart Richer product details and search snippets help you outshine competitors. Confidence and clarity Easily check your structured data in the Schema tab—no more confusion. No extra cost Available immediately for all Yoast SEO for Shopify users. Here’s how to try it: To access the Yoast …

Google Ads launched four new tools to help improve first-party data use and better measure app performance – especially in the face of evolving privacy standards and complex user journeys. Driving the news. Google today announced a slate of updates aimed at strengthening measurement and data capabilities: Google tag gateway for advertisers: A simplified way to upgrade tags so they serve from the advertiser’s own server, improving signal reliability and data control. Google plans to add confidential computing by default for enhanced security and transparency. New diagnostics for data quality: You can now access diagnostics across Google Ads products to t…

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how marketing teams operate—but not through vague promises or futuristic scenarios. In 5 Ways Marketers Are Using AI to Increase Efficiency from Acoustic, marketers will find five tangible, proven ways AI is being applied to improve segmentation, enhance personalization, monitor performance, support content creation, and retarget audiences more effectively. This resource is designed for marketing professionals seeking to reduce manual workload, streamline campaign execution, and deliver more relevant, timely experiences—without compromising quality or oversight. Download the guide to explore how AI is being used to make everyda…

For years, search campaigns have been an imperative part of one’s PPC strategy. However, the landscape is shifting and Google is increasingly prioritizing shopping within the user experience, changing how users interact with the SERPs and how we as advertisers approach strategy for ecommerce clients. With continued investment in AI-powered tools like Performance Max, which has absorbed much of what traditional search once offered, recent betas such as AI Max, and now Google testing a massive new carousel format for Shopping ads, the platform is clearly moving toward a Shopping-first ecosystem. As these changes roll out, traditional search ads are getting less…

Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin answered a slew of questions about the upcoming AI Max for Search Campaigns feature. Here are the key insights and revelations about this significant update to Google’s advertising platform from the interview, which was conducted by PPC specialist Julie Bacchini, founder of Neptune Moon. Rollout timeline and availability AI Max for Search Campaigns will begin rolling out globally at the end of May, with the complete rollout expected by early Q3. This optional suite of AI-powered features aims to enhance existing search campaigns rather than introduce an entirely new campaign type. Keyword strategy and keywordless target…

Most people stop reading a Google AI Overview after skimming the top third of an AI-generated answer – the median scroll depth is just 30%. That’s one of many insights from a new UX study conducted by Kevin Indig and Eric van Buskirk. By the numbers. The study confirms what many SEOs have suspected and/or feared: AI Overview citations get few clicks: Just 19% of mobile searchers and 7.4% of desktop searchers clicked on a citation. AI Overviews decrease clicks to websites: Desktop CTR drops in half when an AI Overview is present; mobile clicks fall by a third. Skimming rules: The median scroll depth inside AI Overviews is 30%; most users never read past the…