SEO Tools and Resources

Meta is encouraging advertisers to integrate Google Analytics with its ad platform, offering early access to ad system updates that have shown a boost in conversions. Details. Meta says setting up the connection takes just 5-10 minutes. Advertisers with a high-quality integration saw an additional 5% increase in conversions, according to internal Meta data. How it works: Advertisers must connect Google Analytics to their Meta ads account. Meta will roll out system updates first to those with established connections. Why we care. Advertisers who establish a strong connection between Meta and Google Analytics could see improved campaign performance, gain…

Google has begun showing the ‘Price at Checkout’ within Google Shopping listings, both for paid ads and organic results. Merchants who alter prices at checkout risk suspension from Google Shopping, but this new feature provides an added layer of clarity for users. The big picture: Google has strict policies against misleading pricing, and this enhancement aligns with its broader efforts to improve trust in Shopping listings. Transparency in pricing could also pressure retailers to maintain consistency between advertised and final prices. Why we care. Online shoppers often encounter price discrepancies between initial listings and final checkout prices, lea…

Adding both “Date published” and “Date updated” to articles can confuse Google, causing it to display outdated dates in search results. The impact? A 22% drop in CTR for one site, according to an SEO case study shared by SEO professional Abby Gleason on LinkedIn today. Why we care. Your position in the search results only matters if people click. Searchers may be less likely to click on your fresh content if Google displays an older publication date. What happened. Gleason shared this screenshot of an unspecified website and explained what happened: The site in question saw a sharp decline in CTR starting in late August, when “Date updated” was added…

Google’s AI-powered match type Search Max is rolling out to more accounts, bringing automated ad optimization to Search campaigns. How it works: Expanded search term matching. Google extends beyond existing keywords and match types, using landing pages, headlines, and descriptions to surface new, relevant searches. Text & URL optimization. Google dynamically selects the most relevant landing pages and pairs them with optimized headlines and descriptions. Automatically created assets. Search Max now incorporates AI-generated ad components, further streamlining ad creation. Why we care. Search Max aims to increase conversions by dynamically tailoring…

If you’re spending time and money adding keyword-rich content to your website, hoping to improve your Google Maps rankings, you’re wasting resources. Website content does not influence your visibility in Google Maps – but there are proven strategies that do. The SEO myth: Blogging and Google Maps rankings When Google Maps first launched, it appeared to pull keywords from local business websites to help match businesses with local searches. Because of this perceived influence, local SEO experts have long advocated for blogging and content marketing. However, this belief is based on incorrect correlations. Adding content to your website – if it is…

Optimized targeting is one default Google Ads feature that gets a ton of vitriol. Sure, it’s not the best choice for everyone. However, there are definite use cases for this automated targeting feature. Let’s explore: is optimized targeting your friend or foe in Google Ads? We’ll cover: What is optimized targeting in Google Ads? Which campaign types are compatible with optimized targeting? Which bid strategies are compatible with optimized targeting? Optimized targeting vs. Audience expansion Optimized targeting vs. Performance Max How to evaluate optimized targeting: is it working? Should you use optimized targeting? What is optimize…

As an agency owner, you need skills to write content that your clients and audiences will love. Luckily, you can learn how to do it with proper steps and helpful tools. Here, we’ll discuss how to plan, write, and optimize the content work for your clients. If you have your process down, you’ll easily create content that aligns with the client’s needs and brings in results. One of the tools we’ll use is the Yoast SEO plugin, which helps your content production. Table of contents Understanding what makes content valuable Strategic planning is the foundation Ideation and content planning Optimize your writing for readability Using Yoast SEO in your content process Ins…

When the rules change, smart players adjust their strategy. Google Ads has changed a lot since it first launched. But shifting PPC strategies isn’t always easy. What happens if the rules change and you don’t know about it? Or you’re too confused by the new rules to take decisive action? Here’s how to adapt to changes in Google Ads while keeping your competitive edge and sanity. Google Ads stacks the deck in its own favor Google Ads constantly makes changes to increase its revenue. If there were a Serenity principle for advertisers, it might be: “Grant me the clarity to accept the Google Ads changes I can’t control, the knowledge to push back on the…

For years, digital marketing has seen constant debates about the “death” of SEO. But as long as people search for information, products, and services online, optimization will remain essential. Search platforms may evolve – whether Google, social media, ecommerce, or AI-driven search – but the core principle stays the same: content must be optimized for discoverability. This article examines: Why optimization remains crucial across search platforms – from Google to social media, ecommerce, and beyond. The enduring relevance of SEO. Its evolution in an AI-driven landscape. Understanding SEO beyond Google SEO is often associated solely with …

Getting our SEO plugin up and running should be quick and stress-free. That is why we are introducing a simpler installation flow that takes just a few clicks. If you have ever felt confused about installing plugins, this new option is here to help you. Get started with the Yoast SEO Free installation: Go to our new Yoast SEO Free page Click the install button and follow the on-screen prompts Complete the setup, and you are all set Because everything is more user-friendly, you will save time and avoid the usual guesswork. This improved flow is perfect for new users and anyone who does not feel comfortable around zip files or manual uploads. Installat…

AI search engines and chatbots often provide wrong answers and make up article citations, according to a new study from Columbia Journalism Review. Why we care. AI search tools have ramped up the scraping of your content so they can serve answers to their users, often resulting in no clicks to your website. Also, click-through rates from AI search and chatbots are much lower than Google Search, according to a separate, unrelated study. But hallucinating citations makes an already bad situation even worse. By the numbers. More than half of the responses from Gemini and Grok 3 cited fabricated or broken URLs that led to error pages. Also, according to the study: …

AI-powered search engines (e.g., OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Perplexity) are failing to drive meaningful traffic to publishers while their web scraping activities increase. That’s one big takeaway from a recent report from TollBit, a platform that says it helps publishers monetize their content. CTR comparison. Google’s average search click-through rate (CTR) was 8.63%, according to the report. However, the CTR for AI search engines was 0.74% and 0.33% CTR for AI chatbots. That means AI search sends 91% fewer referrals and chatbots send 96% less than traditional search. Why we care. This is bad news for publishers because it shows AI search won’t replace traditional search …

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…

Google is adding more engagement options to Performance Max campaigns, adding Message assets alongside those already available in Search campaigns. What’s new: The Message assets functionality, previously exclusive to Search ads, was spotted by digital marketer Emirhan Bayutmuş and is now available in Performance Max campaigns. This feature allows users to initiate conversations with businesses directly from ads, enhancing engagement. Google has updated their message asset help document to reflect this update. Why we care. The expansion gives advertisers another way to connect with potential customers directly through chat-based interactions, potenti…

Search has transformed. AI-powered results, featured snippets, “People Also Ask,” and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) are redefining how — and where — visibility happens. Join Wayne Cichanski, Vice President of Search & Site Experience at iQuanti for SEO Beyond Just the Ten Blue Links! He’ll share a data-driven SEO 2.0 framework designed to help brands systematically claim high-impact search shelf-space — and convert visibility into measurable results. In this live session, you’ll learn: How to analyze and win across modern SERP features A blueprint for aligning structured data, content, and intent Real-world strategies for navigating S…

Despite being a popular talking point, people aren’t (yet?) abandoning Google Search and using ChatGPT search or other AI chatbots. In fact, the number of Google searches increased year over year, and Google Search handles 373 times more searches than ChatGPT, according to a new analysis by SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin. Why we care. Many search marketers, users, and analysts have speculated that AI tools are reducing Google’s dominance in search. However, this research finds no evidence that vast numbers of searchers are abandoning Google for ChatGPT and other AI search engines and chatbot experiences. By the numbers. Even if all ChatGPT’s 1 billion messa…

ChatGPT Tasks might be the most underrated tool in SEO today. It can turn a single employee into a vast team – but only if you know how to use it. And in this article, you’re about to see the future of SEO. What is ChatGPT Tasks? ChatGPT Tasks is a tool within ChatGPT designed to automate various tasks, including those related to SEO, such as content generation, keyword research, and link building. This feature allows users to schedule tasks to run at specific times, either as one-time events or recurring actions, enhancing workflow efficiency and productivity. As of writing, it’s in beta and rolling out to users on the Plus, Pro, and Team plans. …

Have you been hit by a 5xx server error in Google Search Console? 500 errors are an HTTP status code that indicates you messed up something and need to start a late-night debugging session. 500 errors are offensive. I can only compare it to eating fermented shark in Iceland – something you’ll want to spit out almost immediately. 500 server errors create a poor user experience and can reduce your crawl budget. If they persist, Google may start ignoring your site altogether. Your website should be commitment-worthy. If you’re an SEO professional, you’ve likely stayed up until 3 a.m. with coffee and your DevOps team trying to fix a 500 error. You’ll want t…

In the last few months, I’ve seen a lot of confusion around Meta Ads’ health restrictions – frightened health marketers and scare tactics from some uncool people. This article aims to set the record straight. Meta Ads 2025 health restrictions: Context and regulations Meta is doing its best to comply with regulations (think HIPAA in the U.S., etc.) to avoid fines. Make sure you’re not sharing protected health information (PHI) directly or indirectly with Meta. First, let’s remember that ad networks have always scrutinized health-related advertisers—not just Meta Ads. Granted, they are not a Special Ad Category, but they’re close to it. The upsi…

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 confirmed to Adweek it will “explore bringing ads” to its new AI Mode search experience. The company will use lessons from ads already running in AI Overviews to inform its approach. Ad buyers warn that user behavior in AI Mode’s conversational interface could reduce ad effectiveness. Big picture. Google is looking to monetize its newest AI search experience, telling AdWeek it plans to “explore bringing ads” into AI Mode — the conversational search feature launched in beta this week. It executes multiple searches simultaneously to answer complex queries. While ads aren’t yet appearing in AI Mode, Google’s approach will be informed by what it learns from…

Google announced plans to update how Google Tag Manager (GTM) interacts with Google Ads to streamline data collection and improve tracking reliability. This change is scheduled for April 10. Key changes: Google tag loads first. GTM containers with Google Ads and Floodlight tags will automatically load a Google tag before firing events. Easier feature access. Users can turn on Enhanced Conversions, Cross-domain tracking, and Autoevents directly from Google tag settings. Smoother data collection. If Customer Data Terms of Service are accepted, User Provided Data collection will be enabled automatically across events. Why we care. This update aims to en…

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…

We’re all looking to improve our organic performance. We want the latest news, tips, and thought leadership to help push our website past the competition. That’s why we’re here! However, the less glamorous side of staying current in SEO is learning from others’ mistakes. This article looks at eight common mistakes you can easily avoid. 1. Treating organic traffic as the end goal It makes sense to use organic traffic as a key metric to measure SEO success. It’s one of the easiest to define. However, it’s not the reason your company employs you. Traffic doesn’t pay the bills. In reality, it costs money when you factor in hosting and tools. …

Google Ads scripts have long been a powerful way to automate account management, improve efficiency, and reduce manual work. Whether it’s managing search terms, optimizing bids, or generating reports, scripts allow you to scale your efforts while maintaining control over your campaigns. Now, with generative AI, particularly GPT, scripts are becoming even more accessible and adaptable. Advertisers no longer need to write every line of code manually or rely solely on predefined automation rules. GPT can generate, refine, and enhance scripts based on simple prompts, allowing even those with little coding experience to build powerful automation tools. A…