SEO Tools and Resources

Google will be replacing Google Assistant with Gemini later this year, this is across mobile phones, tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches and even some TV-connected devices. This comes as no surprise to most, because when Google launched Bard (the name Google used for Gemini early on), Google said it would bring Bard features to the Google Assistant. Then in early 2024, Google removed a ton of features on the Google Assistant. Impacted devices. Google wrote, “Over the coming months, we’re upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no…

SEO and PPC are two of the most important strategies for increasing your website’s visibility. While they both aim to attract more traffic, they operate differently. They also serve different purposes. Here, we’ll discuss SEO vs. Pay-per-click advertising and how to choose the best option for you. Table of contents Understanding SEO and PPC What’s the difference between SEO and PPC? Pros and cons of SEO Pros and cons of PPC Conclusion SEO vs Pay-per-click Understanding SEO and PPC As we all know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It consists of everything you do to get your site higher rankings in the original search results. Those tactics are th…

SEO is, for a large part, all about getting the right content in front of the right audience. When you’ve been doing that for a while, there comes a time when you want to scale content production. Scaling content creation means you aim to make more content to reach new targets. While that’s a good idea, you need to find a way to scale while keeping the same level of quality you’ve always had. Let’s go over how to scale your content production step by step, showing common problems and solutions. Table of contents What is content scaling? Why scaling content matters The biggest challenges in scaling content Building a repeatable content creation process Strategies to …

X launched two new features to help advertisers automate ad creation and analyze real-time ad campaign performance. The new features – Prefill with Grok and Analyze Campaign with Grok – are (as the names imply) powered by Grok, X’s AI assistant. Prefill with Grok. Enter your website URL and Grok will generate ad copy, imagery, and a call-to-action headline. You can tweak as needed. Here’s what it looks like: Analyze Campaign with Grok. Grok will analyze campaign data and offer insights and recommendations to optimize targeting and creative strategy. What’s next. The rollout, which began Feb. 21, will continue in phases to advertisers. Why we care. This…

Google is gearing up for its annual Google Marketing Live event, set to stream on Wednesday, May 21, at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT. What’s new: Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, announced the date on LinkedIn and encouraged advertisers to register for the event Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP of Ads, shared a letter previewing the company’s focus on reimagining ads across platforms like Search and YouTube. AI advancements will play a major role in helping advertisers create tailored experiences and improve business outcomes. You can register here. Why we care. Google Marketing Live is a key event for advertisers, offering insights into the company’s lates…

Google introduced a new prediction model to better evaluate the quality of landing page experiences for search ads. This update is designed to reduce frustrating ad experiences and make it easier for users to find the information they need without unnecessary backtracking. Driving the news. Google’s new model improves its ability to predict whether a landing page provides a seamless experience. The focus is on reducing “unexpected destinations” by evaluating whether pages offer easy navigation to relevant content. Ads leading to hard-to-navigate pages are now less likely to appear in search results. Why we care. This update encourages advertisers to prioritize…

Imagine this: You are a wealthy art lover seated in a room filled with beautiful paintings and surrounded by other art lovers. You have a numbered paddle in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other. You are at the center of an auction and about to bid against all the other people in the room for the artwork you want. Now imagine you are blindfolded! The auctioneer’s rapid-fire speech guides you as prices go higher and higher. You periodically raise your paddle to make a bid; you assume that those around you are doing the same. But what if they’re not? What if the joke is on you, and you’re feverishly raising your paddle again and again to win the auction w…

After 12+ years in SEO, selling to hundreds of clients – from small businesses to global brands – I’ve learned what works when it comes to landing and retaining SEO clients. While every client is unique, there are clear strategies that consistently lead to success. This article tackles my best advice for winning new SEO clients, along with insights from top industry professionals. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, these proven tactics will help you build a strong client pipeline. 1. Start small When building your SEO business, you can go after big clients (“whales”) or smaller ones (“rabbits”). While whales bring higher revenue,…

Today, we’re exploring Google Ads brand settings, specifically brand inclusion and brand exclusion for Search and Performance Max. We’ll cover: What is Brand Inclusion in Google Ads? When should you use Brand Inclusion for Search? What is Brand Exclusion in Google Ads? When should you use Brand Exclusion? How to create and manage brand lists for brand settings Should you use Brand Settings in Google Ads? What is Brand Inclusion in Google Ads? Brand inclusion is a setting that restricts your Search campaign to only show ads on searches for specific brands. In fact, it used to be called “brand restriction.” You can include your own brand…

Many assume LinkedIn Ads is an easy-to-use platform: just set your budget, pick your audience, and let the leads roll in. But in reality, small mistakes can add up fast, costing your organization thousands with little to show for it. This article breaks down five of the most common LinkedIn Ads mistakes – from targeting missteps to overlooked settings – and how to fix them. 1. Using age as a targeting criterion You probably don’t remember this, but when you created your LinkedIn profile, you were never asked for your age or birth year. That means LinkedIn has no direct way of knowing how old you are (which, honestly, I don’t mind). Instead, it make…

Webpages are significantly harmed when excluded from Google’s AI Overviews, but benefit when included in AI Overviews. That’s according to a new study by Terakeet, a company that focuses on brand management for global brands. AI Overviews benefits. Webpages featured in Google’s AI Overviews benefit from increased traffic, regardless of their original ranking. Of note: Top-ranked (transactional queries): Webpages included in AI Overview had 3.2x as many clicks as pages that were excluded. Lower-ranked (informational queries): Webpages appearing in AI Overviews had 2x as many clicks compared to webpages that appeared on a SERP with no AI Overviews. Lower-rank…

Google announced the release of version 19 of its Google Ads API, introducing several new features and improvements for developers. What’s new. Google published the highlights of what is new and those include: Added support automatically generating enhanced video assets for Performance Max campaigns. Removed all feed-related entities from the Google Ads API like Feed, FeedMapping, FeedService, AdGroupFeed, feed_placeholder_view. Users should now use assets to achieve the same purpose. Demand Gen ads now support 9:16 portrait image assets. Use DemandGenMultiAssetAdInfo.tall_portrait_marketing_images to include these assets in your ads. Added more methods …

Meta ads are evolving, and understanding the right video formats can make a big difference in your ad performance. Here’s how 9:16 and 4:5 videos can help you get better results in Meta, and even across TikTok and YouTube Shorts. The power of Meta’s video innovation Many ecommerce brands have found success using Meta ads. However, many of these brands don’t understand the formatting details that, when used correctly, can drive better results. For context, Meta has undergone more changes than other platforms like Google Ads (which together form the digital advertising duopoly). While Google Ads is older, Meta continues to innovate. It first entered…

Google Ads is significantly increasing the negative keyword limit for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, raising the cap from 100 to 10,000 per campaign, aligning with Search campaigns. By the numbers: Previous cap: 100 negative keywords per PMax campaign New cap: 10,000 negative keywords per PMax campaign Rollout timeline: Next few weeks for all PMax advertisers Why we care. Advertisers had expressed frustration that the previous 100-keyword limit was too restrictive, limiting control over where their ads appeared. The update provides greater flexibility while maintaining campaign effectiveness. The big picture: Google Ads Liaison, Ginny Marvin s…

Search is evolving, and social platforms are now at the heart of discovery. Pinterest, in particular, has emerged as a powerful visual search engine, driving traffic and engagement for brands, bloggers, and businesses. Unlike traditional social media, which thrives on conversations and real-time interactions, Pinterest is built for intent-driven discovery – where users actively seek inspiration, ideas, and products. This presents a unique opportunity for search marketers. Pinterest users often arrive with high intent, making it an invaluable platform for organic visibility and referral traffic. To maximize discoverability, understanding how Pinterest…

The way people search for information is changing, and Gen Z is leading the shift. Instead of turning to Google, they’re searching on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, and Discord for everything from product recommendations to restaurant reviews and how-to guides. This isn’t just a trend – it’s a fundamental shift in digital discovery. Google usage among Gen Z has dropped by 25% compared to Gen X, a 2024 Forbes study shows. eMarketer reports that 46% of Gen Z and 35% of millennials prefer social media over traditional search engines. Why? They crave fast, visual, and community-driven content rather than sifting through traditional search resu…

Being great at PPC isn’t just about launching campaigns and optimizing bids. It’s about making an impact, proving your value, and building a reputation that accelerates your career. Whether you’re an in-house marketer, agency professional, or freelancer, standing out in the PPC world requires technical excellence and strategic visibility. After working at several agencies before starting my own, I’ve seen firsthand what separates top-tier PPC professionals from the rest. Success in this industry isn’t just about knowing the platforms. It’s about positioning yourself as an indispensable expert. While this playbook is built around PPC, the principles …

Microsoft is testing a new version of Bing named Copilot Search, where it uses Copilot AI to provide a different style of search results. It looks different from the main Bing Search, it looks different from Copilot and it looks different from the Bing generative search experience. More details. The folks over at Windows Latests reported, “Microsoft is testing a new feature on Bing called “AI Search,” which replaces blue links with AI-summarized answers. Sources tell me it’s part of Microsoft’s efforts to bridge the gap between “traditional search” and “Copilot answers” to take on ChatGPT. However, the company does not plan to make “AI search” the default search mode.…

A Position 1 ranking only matters if your result resonates with users and earns clicks. That’s why optimizing your click-through rate (CTR) is just as crucial as climbing the search results. By analyzing your current performance and making strategic improvements, you can turn rankings into real traffic. This article provides actionable tips to boost CTR, attract more clicks, and maximize your SEO efforts. Understanding the role of CTR in SEO CTR is a crucial SEO metric that’s often overlooked. For years, it was considered an indirect factor, but the antitrust trial against Google revealed that CTR is used as a ranking signal. Regardless of its…

Join experts from OneTrust and Snowflake for an exclusive look into how modern organizations are integrating privacy and consent management into their data ecosystem. In this session, Snowflake and OneTrust will share real-world use cases and insights into how organizations are activating consent for marketing purposes, all while streamlining compliance at scale. Tune in on March 4 to learn about: The intersections between consent, privacy, and data governance How enterprise brands integrate privacy and consent management with Snowflake OneTrust’s new Native App for accelerating compliance workflows within Snowflake This session is perfect for marketers…

LinkedIn introduced two new features aimed at helping marketers optimize their campaigns and prove their impact: the Conversions API (CAPI) and the Revenue Attribution Report (RAR). Driving the news: Conversions API (CAPI). Enables marketers to securely connect first-party online and offline data to LinkedIn. Tracks conversions from website actions, phone sales, and in-person events. Sends marketing data directly from a server to LinkedIn to measure campaign performance. Helps optimize campaigns using LinkedIn’s analytics. Revenue Attribution Report (RAR). Connects CRM data to LinkedIn campaigns for long-term tracking. Extends review periods up…

SEO isn’t what it used to be. With AI-driven search results, increasing zero-click searches, and more competition for user attention, ranking on Google is tougher than ever. But search is still a major traffic driver – if you adapt. The key? Treat SEO as part of a broader, integrated marketing strategy. This article breaks down a simple framework to align SEO with your overall marketing funnel, ensuring you reach, engage, and convert your ideal customers effectively. The evolving SEO challenge: Why optimization alone isn’t enough Nowadays, it’s not enough to have a well-optimized and search engine-friendly website. The modern SERP is a …

If you noticed that your local business listing on Google is showing fewer reviews, you are not alone. Since Friday, tons of reviews have been disappearing from the local listings within Google Search and Google Maps. More details. On Friday, I reported on the issue on the Search Engine Roundtable, not knowing if it was a bug or a feature. I noticed dozens and dozens of complaint threads popping up in the Google Business Profiles forums from concerned small businesses and local SEOs. Some businesses say they lost only a few reviews, while others say they lost dozens of positive reviews. Some say the count of reviews is not adding up and the reviews themselves …

Google Product Studio is now available within Google Business Profiles. This allows you to edit the background scenes of your products within your local listing using Google’s AI features. Product studio is already available within Google services including Google Merchant Center and Google Ads, and is now available within Google Business Profiles. More details. Google community manager, Kara, posted about this news in the Google Business Profile forums and wrote: “We’re excited to announce that you can now change the background scene of your product with Product Studio, a generative AI tool which helps you create engaging imagery to showcase your products.” …

OpenAI’s ChatGPT search had 41.3 million average monthly users across the EU between October and March. That’s nearly 4x growth from the prior six-month stretch, when it reported having 11.2 million users. Why we care. Brands and businesses need to understand how (or whether) their content is being surfaced in AI-generated responses. ChatGPT search is nowhere near replacing Google Search, but it is an emerging channel for visibility and discoverability. What ChatGPT reported. According to OpenAI’s EU Digital Services Act (DSA) page: “For the six-month period ending 31 March 2025, ChatGPT search had in combination approximately 41.3 million average monthly act…