Local SEO

Like it or not, we’re all at the mercy of Google’s ranking systems. Systems that reward some sites with high rankings. And wipe others off the SERPs overnight. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Google provides fairly detailed guidelines about the type of content it’s looking for: helpful content. We follow these guidelines here at Backlinko. For example, our SEO strategy guide dominates the search results. And ranks for more than 3.2K long tail keywords: But this wasn’t by luck. We aim for every article we publish to meet — or exceed — Google’s helpful content standards. And you can, too. After reading this article, you’ll have 10 Google-approved strategies fo…

Your sitemap is exactly what it sounds like: a map of your site’s pages. A good sitemap organizes all your most important pages logically, and it can help Google crawl and understand your site. Free template: Want to create your own visual sitemap like the example above? Download our free Canva template here. Below, I’ll go through 19 example sitemaps and explain the key best practices …

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most effective paid channels helping businesses increase visibility and build awareness. If you’d like to learn about the state of PPC in 2025, find the latest data on PPC usage, most used ad platforms, and PPC benchmarks, we’ve curated a list of 24 essential PPC statistics to help you answer these questions. General PPC Statistics Among surveyed pay-per-click (PPC) marketers, Google (98%), Facebook (76%) and Instagram (70%) are the most widely used advertising platforms (Statista) Here’s a full breakdown: Digital Advertising Platform Share of PPC Professionals Google (excluding YouTube) 98% Facebook 76% Inst…

The internet is full of recycled lists claiming to reveal the “most profitable blog niche ideas.” But most lack any actual data to back up their recommendations. That’s why we decided to do something different. We analyzed 100 blog niches using a comprehensive methodology to identify the top 25 opportunities based on cold, hard numbers. This included: Search volume data Keyword difficulty scores Average cost per click (CPC) Search intent Short- and long-term growth trends For each winning niche, we created a detailed scorecard that ranks its performance across three critical dimensions: Growth, monetization, and ranking potential. These metrics are presented on …

SEO reporting transforms raw data into actionable decisions. It shows clients and teams exactly what’s working — and what isn’t. But here’s the painful truth: You can waste hours each month collecting data from various platforms. Like copying numbers from Google Analytics, Search Console, and rank trackers into spreadsheets. Then struggling to make it look presentable. Oh, and this is for one website. If you’re managing many projects, reporting can get VERY tedious (and costly). That’s why I’ve handpicked a list of four dedicated SEO reporting tools that: Save time by automatically collating data from your favorite SEO and analytics platforms Help you build client-…

Similarweb is powerful for digital intelligence. But like any tool, it has limitations. You might want deeper insights into your competitors’ content strategies. Or need more reliable data for SEO planning. Or you’re simply looking for a more affordable solution. I’ve spent months testing and researching the best Similarweb alternatives to see how they compare. Four tools stand out as replacements. This guide covers the top options for: Market trends Advanced SEO analysis Ad intelligence Similarweb Limitations While Similarweb excels at competitor intelligence, it might not fit everyone. Here are some key limitations: Limited SEO and keyword research features: …

Want to know the most effective ecommerce growth strategy? I studied successful online stores to find out what works best. While every store’s path is unique, clear patterns emerged. Here are some examples: *All figures in USD Brand Annual Revenue Standout Strategy Hush Blankets $48M Product Validation Mid Day Squares $20M Content Marketing TBH Skincare $6.5M Content Marketing MX Store $65M Search Marketing Who Is Elijah $13M Operational Efficiency Whether your goal is to do $1M or $100M, it comes from executing the fundamentals. I’ve distilled this guide to the five most impactful growth strategies, including: Success metrics Real-world examples…

Ad intelligence software promises to show you everything your competitors are doing: their keywords, budgets, creatives, and landing pages. But many surface insights you could get for free. Meta’s Ad Library shows what advertisers are currently running. Google’s Transparency Center does the same for search and YouTube. TikTok’s Creative Center reveals top performers by industry. So, when does paid software earn its cost? You’re tracking multiple competitors across platforms and losing hours to manual checks You need historical data on which ads they tested and killed You rely on spend benchmarks and real-time alerts to catch shifts before your clients do That’s the …

There are many tools that let you schedule content across different social media platforms. But: Not all of them are built to match your unique workflow. Some focus on collaboration, others on planning. That’s why I’ve handpicked the best tools and highlighted the features that go beyond basic scheduling. Here’s an overview of the best social media management tools included in this article: Best for Pricing Buffer Content creators and small teams that need help generating content ideas and staying consistent Starts at $6/month per channel; limited free plan available Planable Marketing teams that need a centralized hub to collaborate on all types of conte…

Strategic ecommerce keyword research can help you reach the right audience and directly impact your bottom line. Just look at Cosmetify’s success. This beauty retailer was struggling with an all-too-common challenge: no traffic on its revenue-generating pages. The team identified and mapped transactional keywords to these money pages. Dorothy Edgar, SEO Manager at Cosmetify, shares more about her strategy: “We also created new money pages to fit customer needs and gaps in our current website hierarchy. For example, we segmented the fragrance category page into ‘women’s perfume …

Want more buyers and sellers from Google without relying on Zillow or Redfin? Or more leads for listings that support your cold-calling and door-knocking efforts? Then, become skilled at real estate SEO. SEO is about ranking your site in search engine results pages (SERPs). This will attract qualified buyers and sellers to your agency. Just look at Campion & Company, a small real estate agency in Boston. They outrank Zillow for high-value property searches like “Burrage Mansion.” And that’s just one keyword. This agency ranks for 19K different search terms on Google—all driving potential buyers directly to their listings. All thanks to SEO. In this guide, yo…

In the good ol’ days of blogging, traffic was the main goal, and it was relatively easy to get. Now, especially for ecommerce blogs, it’s getting harder to stay visible. The number of Google searches that end with a click is slowly decreasing, while the number of searches that end with no clicks has increased. While the number changes are small, they’re continuing to move in the direction of no-click searches. AI Overviews give people the answers they need at a glance, and website traffic is taking a toll as a result. Aside from these trends in Google search, ecommerce blogs also face an uphill battle against big players like Amazon or Walmart. With all of this in m…

You’ve likely invested in AI tools for your marketing team, or at least encouraged people to experiment. Some use the tools daily. Others avoid them. A few test them quietly on the side. This inconsistency creates a problem. An MIT study found that 95% of AI pilots fail to show measurable ROI. Scattered marketing AI adoption doesn’t translate to proven time savings, higher output, or revenue growth. AI usage ≠ AI adoption ≠ effective AI adoption. To get real results, your whole team needs to use AI systematically with clear guidelines and documented outcomes. But getting there requires removing common roadblocks. In this guide, I’ll explain seven marketing AI adop…

Many ecommerce websites obsess over flashy designs and trendy layouts. Big mistake. Instead, you should focus on conversion-centered design. That’s the blend of buyer psychology, user experience, and strategic design working together to turn visitors into customers. Doing this can get you: More sales Higher average order values Better conversion rates Below, I’ve handpicked nine effective ecommerce website examples that follow a conversion-focused design. Use them as a blueprint to create your own online store that converts. Crème de la Crème: Our Favorite Ecommerce Website Examples Short on time to review every ecommerce website example on this list? Focus on th…

Want to 2X, 3X, or even 4X your ecommerce sales? Start by diagnosing what’s working on your site and what isn’t. Then, apply targeted fixes based on real data. Not hunches. In this guide, I’m sharing my lessons and strategies from 10+ years in digital marketing. Plus, I interviewed four leading ecommerce website optimization experts for their best conversion-driving insights: Leigh McKenzie from UnderFit (also head of SEO @ Backlinko) Rishi Rawat from Frictionless Commerce Anna Bolton from Conversion Copy Co. Kurt Philip from Convertica Let’s start by identifying the biggest roadblocks standing between you and more revenue. Phase 1: Analyze and Diagnose Your Site…

Want more traffic to your Shopify store? Start a blog. Why? Look at Gymshark. Its blog ranks for over 174K niche-related keywords and brings in over 673.1K visitors every month. That’s high-value SEO traffic it can funnel to its product pages. All without relying on ads. And here’s the thing: If you’re not blogging, you’re missing more than search traffic. You’re walking away from opportunities to connect with your audience and position yourself as a leader in your industry. Let’s fix that. Here are 9 Shopify blog examples to inspire your own blog (plus practical tips to steal). 1. Gymshark – Health and Fitness Blog Gymshark’s blog, Gymshark Central, pairs high…

When a potential user asks ChatGPT, Google AI, or Perplexity for recommendations, does your brand appear in the answer? Not just cited — actually mentioned in the response? That’s a crucial distinction. Brands that AI systems mention with context and positive sentiment attract the most intent-driven traffic. Semrush research shows that visitors who find a brand in an AI answer are 4.4 times more valuable than those from traditional search. They’re pre-qualified. They’ve seen AI endorse your solution. And unlike SEO, AI doesn’t care about website authority. Most sources cited in AI responses don’t even rank in Google’s top 20. So if you follow best practices, your…

AI is already reshaping how buyers discover and choose brands. When someone asks ChatGPT or Google AI Mode about your category, two things happen: Brands are mentioned in the answer Sources are cited as proof Most companies get one or the other. Very few win both. And that’s the problem. According to the latest Semrush Enterprise AI Visibility Index, only a small fraction of companies appear in AI answers as both seen (mentions) and trusted (citations). That gap is the opportunity. We’re proposing the Seen & Trusted (S&T) Framework — a systematic approach to help your brand earn mentions in AI answers and citations as a trusted source. Do both, and you …

Marketers are making bold statements about AI SEO every day. The problem? Most of them are half-right at best. “SEO is dead.” “Long-form content is pointless.” “AI SEO is just good SEO.” Here’s the truth: When it comes to AI, the answer is rarely that simple. Are you trying to show up in ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews? Do you want the AI to recommend your brand or cite your content? Is the model pulling from training data or live web results? Each of those questions has a different approach. Trying to generalize only causes confusion. So, let’s skip the hype and get specific. This guide tests today’s biggest AI myths in SEO to uncover what’s true, what’s …

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is one of the most important topics in search right now. It’s about making sure your brand shows up inside AI-generated answers — not just on traditional SERPs. As large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity reshape discovery, AEO ensures your content gets mentioned and cited where buyers are asking questions. But here’s the bigger truth: AEO is just one piece of a larger shift. We’re entering the era of Search Everywhere. Discovery no longer happens in a single Google results page. It’s happening across AI chat, overviews, forums, video, and social. And new data shows just how fast this shift is accelerating.…

If I had a dollar for every time someone said “know your audience,” I could retire from marketing altogether. And yet, most teams are completely winging it. Too often, marketers equate audience research with half-baked customer relationship management (CRM) data, some social media metrics, and a few buyer interviews. But that’s just organizing information you already have. Real audience research means discovering what you don’t know yet. It’s the exact words people use when they’re frustrated. The solutions they’ve already tried and dismissed. The moment they decide to trust one source over another. When you get this right, you move from guessing what might work to …

Substack was initially released in August 2023 as a graphic design platform. Within its first year since release, Canva hit a milestone of 600 thousand users. Now, over 220 million users create designs in Canva and the company hit $3 billion in annualized revenue. Canva Statistics (Top Picks) Canva has 220 million active users worldwide. Canva has 21 million paying users. Substack hit $3 billion in annualized revenue. Around 5000 employees work at Canva. Canva Monthly Active Users According to the company update shared in December 2024, Canva has over 220 million monthly active users. That’s up from 200 million active users in October 2024. Canva grew its monthly a…

ChatGPT recommends products — complete with photos, pricing, and purchase links — to its 700 million weekly users. And now customers can complete purchases without leaving the chat. BIG deal. But will ChatGPT recommend your products? That’s not automatic. And you can’t pay for placement. What you can do is optimize your site so ChatGPT understands what you sell, trusts your brand, and surfaces your products when buyers search. This guide shows you how. You’ll learn the eight-step framework for getting featured in ChatGPT Shopping. I also spoke with Leigh McKenzie, Backlinko’s Head of Growth and founder of the ecommerce brand UnderFit, to get his insights on what’s …

Claude is an AI chatbot developed by Anthropic, a popular alternative to ChatGPT. Launched in March 2023, Claude quickly attracted a multi-million user base. Today, Claude has 18.9 million monthly active users worldwide. From the number of Claude users to Claude user demographics, you’ll find the latest data about Claude on this page. Key Claude Stats Claude has 18.9 million monthly active users worldwide. Claude app has 2.9 million active users accessing the app at least once a month. The US and India are the 2 major markets for Claude, accounting for 33.13% of the total user base. In January 2025, Claude app downloads reached an estimated 769.6 million. Anthropic c…

With AI tools at everyone’s fingertips, what does “great” content writing mean in 2026? Content writing is about using words and psychology to deliver value, earn trust, and move readers toward action. It includes blog posts, social media content, newsletters, and white papers. Or it can be scripts for video, podcasts, and presentations. Content Type Purpose Key Characteristics Blog posts Educate; build brand awareness and authority In-depth, structured, research-backed Social media posts Engage, entertain, build community Conversational, visual, platform-specific Email newsletters Nurture relationships; drive action Personal tone, value-driven, scannable …