SEO Tools and Resources

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…

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…

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…

Fair warning: This article may make some people who’ve been hyping AI visibility tools uncomfortable. After 18 years in the search industry, however, my professional integrity doesn’t allow me to stay quiet. I have zero agenda here. Many of the misconceptions discussed below actually benefit me, both as the co-founder of an AI visibility tool and as someone who offers GEO services. Over the past few months, many claims have been shared as facts that simply aren’t accurate. Let’s clear things up. 1. AI search didn’t kill Google search Quite the opposite. It doesn’t matter how many news sites publish clickbait headlines for traffic, how many VCs hype…

Google Ads is adding account-level placement exclusions, letting advertisers block unwanted inventory across all campaigns from a single setting. What’s new. Advertisers can now apply one exclusion list at the account level. Exclusions apply across Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, and Display campaigns. Previously, blocks had to be set at the ad group or campaign level. How it works. Once a placement is excluded at the account level, Google Ads automatically prevents spend on those websites, apps, or YouTube placements across all eligible campaigns. Why we care. Placement controls have long been fragmented. Managing exclusions campaign by campaign was…

You know that sinking feeling when you look at your organic traffic dashboard and see – nothing exciting. The line’s flat, and you’re dreading the conversation with your boss about why your SEO investment isn’t “working.” Here’s the thing: flat traffic doesn’t mean failure anymore. Some of the most successful SEO campaigns I’ve worked on recently had underwhelming traffic numbers but delivered incredible business results. Let me show you why that’s not necessarily a bad thing and how to communicate it effectively. Why flat traffic isn’t the red flag it used to be Last year, one of our clients in the home services space experienced organic traffic…

Google’s head of Search warned a federal court that forcing the company to share its search index, ranking data, and live results with competitors would cause “immediate and irreparable harm” to Google, its users, and the open web. The warning appears in a filed affidavit from Elizabeth Reid, Google’s vice president and head of Search, submitted with Google’s motion to pause key antitrust remedies while it appeals the final judgment in the DOJ search monopoly case. The filing spells out what Google sees as its most sensitive Search assets and why sharing them would expose proprietary systems, enable reverse engineering, and fuel spam. Disclosure of Google’s we…

AI Max is Google’s latest foray into semi-keywordless targeting. While you need keywords for the system to have a starting place, Google uses signals beyond keywords in deciding how to show ads to searchers. In accounts with a strong history of broad match success, AI Max can be highly effective at finding new conversions. If accounts are not well-optimized or have not been successful with broad match, AI Max can be a huge money pit. To clear up a rumor before we get into the data: you do not have to use AI Max to have ads appear in AI Overviews. Broad match keywords can show ads in AI Overviews regardless of your AI Max usage. We’re looking at…

We’re in a new era where web content visibility is fragmenting across a wide range of search and social platforms. While still a dominant force, Google is no longer the default search experience. Video-based social media platforms like TikTok and community-based sites like Reddit are becoming popular search engines with dedicated audiences. This trend is impacting how news content is consumed. Google’s current news SERP evolution is directly influenced by the personalization of query responses offered by LLMs and the rise in influencer authority enabled by social media platforms. Google has responded by creating its own AI-powered SERP features, such as AI …

Google Ads can now surface a recommendation to link your unlinked Google Analytics account to your Google Ads account. The neat part is that the linking of your Google Ads and analytics account can be done with a single click. How it works. Google will show this as a recommendation in the Recommendations section of the Campaigns page in the Google Ads console for eligible users. All you need to do is review the recommendation and click “Apply.” What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of the recommendation: Why we care. Google said advertisers “who link their Google Ads or Google Marketing Platform accounts to a Google Analytics property are correlated …

ChatGPT now processes 66 million “search-like” prompts per day, while Google still processes about 14 billion searches daily – roughly 210 times more. That’s the latest AI search reality check, via Rand Fishkin, CEO and co-founder of SparkToro. By the numbers. Google processes ~210x more searches than ChatGPT. Even DuckDuckGo outpaces ChatGPT in referrals, per estimates. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said ChatGPT handled 1 billion prompts per day in December. By July, that number was 2.5 billion prompts. Much of that growth comes from API calls (businesses plugging GPT into products). A Harvard/OpenAI study found 21.3% of prompts are “search-like.” That’s roughly …

Google Search Labs has a new experiment you can opt into that turns on some Agentic capabilities within AI Mode. This allows Google to help you make a reservation at a restaurant and will soon give you the ability to book local service appointments and event tickets. Agentic capabilities in AI Mode. The new labs feature works for users in the US who are signed into their Google account. You can opt in and review the features over here. AI Mode in Google Search now has agentic capabilities to help with your everyday local needs. “We’re starting with restaurant reservations, and expanding soon to local service appointments and event tickets,” Google wrote. This…

Google’s AI Max for Search campaigns is changing how we run search ads. Launched in private beta as Search Max, the feature began rolling out globally in late May, with full availability expected by early Q3 2025. But will AI Max actually drive incremental growth or simply take credit for conversions your existing setup would have captured anyway? This article: Breaks down the key metrics to track in AI Max. Shares early results from travel, fashion, and B2B accounts. Includes a Google Ads script to make analysis faster and easier. Understanding AI Max Think of AI Max as Google combining the best parts of Dynamic Search Ads and Performance…

Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) have been around for many years now, but for some reason, so many Google Ads practitioners still find them confusing. RSAs can be incredibly powerful if you know how to use them correctly. What is a Responsive Search Ad? A Responsive Search Ad, or RSA, is the default ad type for Google Search campaigns. When you create an RSA, you must provide three things: Final URL: The landing page where you want users to go after clicking on your ad. Headlines: The clickable part of your search text ad. Minimum 3, Maximum 15. 30-character limit each. I generally recommend having 8-10 headlines in your RSA. We previously covered ad headlines …

The search landscape is changing. With the rapid evolution of AI, the Google SERP is no longer a predictable grid of 10 blue links. This shift presents new opportunities for businesses, but it also creates new risks for your brand. Competitors, affiliates, and bad actors can now use sophisticated tactics to hijack your presence, mislead customers, and drain your budget. Your brand’s visibility is never fully secure, and these hidden threats don’t just waste money – they suppress your growth and limit your ability to acquire new customers. Protecting your brand isn’t a defensive chore; it’s a proactive strategy for unlocking budget and fueling your growth. …

Google is testing using AI to generate full search result descriptions and/or AI-summaries of your search result snippet, within the Google Search results. There are two variations of this; (1) fully replacing your description with an AI-generated version and (2) an AI-generated summary of the search result snippet. AI-generated description. Recently, both Paul Shaprio on X and Brodie Clark on X shared some screenshots of Google displaying AI-generated search result descriptions. They have a little Gemini logo next to them, which symbolizes it was generated using AI. Here are one of thoe screenshots: This is not just for Reddit results, by the way. …

The Justice Department and Google wrapped a two-week hearing over how to address Google’s illegal monopoly in online advertising technology, setting up a pivotal antitrust showdown that could reshape the digital ad industry. Driving the news. The hearing, held in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, concluded after testimony from more than two dozen witnesses – including Google executives, rival ad tech leaders, publishers, and expert economists. The Justice Department wants Google to sell off its ad exchange and possibly parts of its publisher tools to restore competition. Google argues that a breakup would disrupt publishers and adve…

Google today celebrated the 25th anniversary of its ad platform, first launched as AdWords in 2000. Now known as Google Ads, the platform remains the backbone of the company’s revenue engine. Over two and a half decades, Google Ads has evolved from a manually managed system to a sophisticated AI-driven advertising platform spanning Search, YouTube, Play, and the wider web. What Google is saying. Google is celebrating, with Vidhya Srinivasan, VP/GM of Ads & Commerce, sharing how AI is empowering us to rethink what’s possible’ and create a future of smarter, more helpful advertising. “Generative AI is transforming digital marketing, and I am so proud to see…

Google now lets merchants add their shipping and return policies to Google Search without having a Google Merchant Center account. You can do this within Google Search Console and/or by using new structured data. Google wrote: “We’re excited to announce that we’re now expanding the options for merchants to provide shipping and returns information, even if they don’t have a Merchant Center account. Merchants can now tell Google about their shipping and returns policies in two distinct ways: by configuring them directly in Search Console or by using new organization-level structured data.” Search Console. If Google determines that your site makes sense to add …

Custom annotations are finally live within Google Search Console’s performance reports. You can now annotate reports directly within Search Console to avoid forgetting important key events; such as coding changes, algorithm updates, bugs on your website or more. What are custom annotations. Google explained that custom annotations are “Notes you create yourself to mark important events specific to your property, such as when you launch a new feature, or fix a bug on your website.” Google began testing this feature back in May 2025 and it is now live. What they look like. Here is a screenshot of a custom annotation in Search Console: How does it work. Y…

Jonathon Heard, Industry Head, Insurance at Google, spoke at Simply Business headquarters in London yesterday and told the audience that Google Search will soon route complex queries entered into the Google Search box directly into AI Mode, bypassing Google Search completely. Plus, he also said that Google is indeed working on breaking out better reporting in Google Search Console for AI Mode and AI Overviews. Bypassing Google Search. Jonathon Heard said, “with Gemini 3, we’re gonna auto route complex queries through to AI mode automatically. So they’re live in the US at the minute they’re being tested.” An audience member then asked Jonathon Heard, “When you …

A three-year analysis of up to 6,000 advertisers shows that using Google’s seasonality bid adjustments during Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) consistently harms efficiency — even though the platforms keep recommending them. The big picture. Smart Bidding’s models are designed to anticipate predictable retail spikes. Optmyzr’s analysis of tens of billions of impressions across 2022–2024 found that advertisers who skipped seasonality adjustments consistently performed better on efficiency metrics. Without adjustments, Smart Bidding: Identified the BFCM conversion lift on its own Raised bids rationally Kept ROAS stable — even improving it in 2024 …

As shopping becomes more visually driven, imagery plays a central role in how people evaluate products. Images and videos can unfurl complex stories in an instant, making them powerful tools for communication. In ecommerce, they function as decision tools. Generative search systems extract objects, embedded text, composition, and style to infer use cases and brand fit, then LLMs surface the assets that best answer a shopper’s question. Each visual becomes structured data that removes a purchase objection, increasing discoverability in multimodal search contexts where customers take a photo or upload a screenshot to ask about it. Visual search i…

Google Ads is giving advertisers more flexibility with the Overview tab, allowing up to five custom views. This lets marketers tailor their dashboards to track the metrics that matter most to their campaigns. Driving the news. The update was spotted and shared screenshots on LinkedIn, highlighting that users can now add multiple tabs and fully customize Overview pages for their unique needs. What’s changing. Previously, the Overview tab had a fixed layout, limiting how agencies and advertisers could monitor performance. With custom views, teams can now organize metrics, charts, and reports in a way that aligns with their workflow, improving efficiency and …

PPC advertising for medical and mental health services comes with many restrictions, but it remains an effective way for practices to maintain a steady flow of new patients and clients. Whether you manage ads for clients, run them for your own practice, or are just getting started, these tips will help you launch or improve your campaigns. Choosing keywords for medical and mental health advertising Consider the three main ways potential patients tend to search on Google. Symptoms and treatments Many people search for symptoms or treatment options without naming the professional they need, such as “treatment options for depression” or “why does my ankle h…