SEO Tools and Resources

The start of the year is always a good moment to start or update your SEO roadmap. This is a structured collection of tasks you plan to do to enhance your site’s performance. If you already have one, great! If not, read this article to find out what you can do and why you need an SEO strategy. Table of contents What is an SEO roadmap? Why do you need an SEO roadmap for that? How to create an SEO roadmap Define your goals and priorities Audit your website Estimate time and resources Review and adjust A roadmap is the groundwork for SEO success What is an SEO roadmap? An SEO roadmap is a strategic outline for enhancing a website’s visibility in search eng…

Sticking to the same set of keywords in your paid search campaigns might feel safe, but it can limit your reach. Consumers search in countless ways, often using terms you may not have considered. To stay competitive – whether you’re scaling your budget, chasing growth goals, or trying to revitalize PPC performance – you must identify and fill keyword gaps. Here’s how. Keyword tools Google’s built-in Keyword Planner (and Microsoft’s equivalent product) provides a natural starting point for researching additional keywords. The tool can automatically filter out existing keywords in your account so you can easily see new suggestions. You can use Keywo…

Brands that have built success on Meta’s ad ecosystem have mastered the art of the thumb-stopping creative. However, as competition heats up and audiences saturate one PPC platform, acquisition costs typically go up. This is when social-first advertisers might start to explore a different channel, like Google Ads. Google’s advertising ecosystem is based on search intent, which fundamentally differs from Meta’s, built around behavioral and interest-based targeting. As people actively search for products, Google offers a massive advantage: It knows exactly what they want. Between legacy campaigns (like Search, Shopping, and YouTube) and newer technolo…

With so many PPC agencies claiming to be experts, how do you separate true performers from the ones who just talk a good game? This guide walks you through a no-nonsense evaluation process to find an agency that delivers real results. 1. Define your goals first Before reaching out to agencies, have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with PPC. Are you looking for lead generation, ecommerce sales, local service inquiries, or brand awareness? Knowing your objectives will help you ask the right questions and assess whether an agency is a good fit. Also, factor in your budget constraints and expected ROI. A good agency should work …

“Blocked by robots.txt.” “Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt.” These two responses from Google Search Console have divided SEO professionals since Google Search Console (GSC) error reports became a thing. It needs to be settled once and for all. Game on. What’s the difference between ‘Blocked by robots.txt’ vs. ‘Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt’? There is one major difference between “Blocked by robots.txt” and “Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt.” The indexing. “Blocked by robots.txt” means your URLs will not appear in Google search. “Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt” means your URLs are indexed and will appear in Google…

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…

Unassigned traffic in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a common headache for digital marketers. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces: your data is incomplete, making it hard to measure the success of your marketing efforts. This article covers the common causes of unassigned traffic in GA4 and tips to ensure your campaigns are accurately tracked and optimized. What is unassigned traffic? Unassigned traffic refers to web traffic that isn’t categorized under any of the traffic sources or mediums provided by Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Often, this arises when we use UTMs that reference traffic sources or mediums that GA4 doesn’t recognize. I…

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…

Generative AI is rewriting the SEO playbook. The days of simply ranking high and earning clicks are fading and being replaced by a zero-click reality where the search journey is fragmented across multiple touchpoints. Google still dominates the search market, but AI-powered answer engines have quickly emerged as alternative discovery tools. ChatGPT alone has seen impressive growth, doubling its users in the past six months alone. As of February 2025, it has 400 million weekly active users. Visibility now comes down to being a part of the answers users see – wherever they search – and whether or not they click. Some might say it’s time to prepare for th…

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 …

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…

Short-form videos may dominate social media, but long-form content remains essential – especially on YouTube. From in-depth tutorials to video podcasts, longer videos can drive engagement, build communities, and even get featured in Google’s AI Overviews. If you’re looking to make the most of long-form video in 2025, here are the key strategies you need to know. Why long-form videos still matter in 2025 Right now, three key shifts are reshaping YouTube: “Learning content” (how-to videos, travel hacks, DIY guides, and product reviews) averaged 15.2% more views than the YouTube platform-wide average in 2024, a Tubular Labs report found. More people now…

Performance Max (PMax) and search campaigns often trip over each other and make a mess out of your data and the customer journey. But it doesn’t have to be that way. At SMX Next, Brad Geddes, co-founder of Adalysis, dove deep into the data analysis of why you need to exert control over your search terms. He walked through the steps you can take to ensure these two campaigns aren’t fighting each other but working in tandem to improve your account performance. The core of the conflict: PMax and Search overlap Geddes set the stage by addressing the ongoing competition between PMax, search, and shopping campaigns: “Right now, the shift is PMax, search and shop…

Mastering user intent is all about putting yourself in your user’s shoes. It’s easier to do that if you know what kind of shoes they’re wearing and why. Create and incorporate user personas in SEO decision-making to create actionable insights in the best interest of your actual users. Build your search personas User personas can help you develop a more customized approach to applying user intent to a topic and to your specific users. You aren’t just selling a garden rake to someone in Indiana – you’re selling a metal rake to Gretel in Pawnee so she can get rid of slugs in her front yard. To develop your personas, make a list of your typical users base…

Remarketing campaigns can drive significant results when executed effectively. This article explores advanced strategies for setting up and optimizing your remarketing efforts for greater profitability and long-term success. Go beyond the basic remarketing setup By default, Google Analytics creates an “All Users” audience for website visitors over the past 30 days. While this basic audience may be useful for beginners, setting up advanced audiences can significantly improve campaign performance in the long term. Here are audiences to consider testing: Pre-built templates in GA4: Ready to use or customizable to fit your specific needs. Different…

As AI-driven search engines rewrite the rules of content visibility, one thing is clear: optimization isn’t dead — it’s evolving. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity AI don’t just retrieve web pages; they synthesize answers. And your content? It only gets included if it’s clear, relevant, and easy to extract. The good news? If you’re already using the Yoast SEO plugin, you have some of the most critical tools for this new era baked right into your workflow. Table of contents Learn how to structure content for AI What AI search wants from your content The Flesch Reading Ease score is more important than ever Don’t ignore those g…

Maximizing return on ad spend (ROAS) in Google Ads is crucial for driving profitability. However, without revenue data, PPC advertisers often default to focusing on cost per purchase – a strategy that can limit long-term growth. While ROAS optimization enhances ad spend efficiency, it falls short if it doesn’t account for customer lifetime value (LTV). To stay competitive, you must move beyond short-term returns and embrace LTV-based ROAS optimization. This ensures you’re capturing the full value of your customers over time. This article will break down how to: Shift from short-term ROAS to LTV-based ROAS. Use static conversion values to improve…

In 2025, my LinkedIn feed became flooded with SEO thought leaders scrambling to define and stake their claim on the future of consumer search: generative engine optimization (GEO). Yet, most industry experts face a stark reality – few truly understand how to influence brand visibility in AI-driven search platforms and large language models (LLMs), let alone explain what this shift means for search marketing or how brands can capitalize on it. This article unpacks the rise of GEO, debunks common myths, and outlines what businesses must do to adapt before they fall behind. AI search and LLMs: A new era of information discovery AI-driven search platforms, lik…

For the last three years, Google has been focusing on person entities. That just changed. Corporate entity knowledge panels recently received an upgrade with knowledge panel cards. These dominate the brand SERP because they appear right at the top, take up significant SERP real estate, and are colorful and highly visual. If your company doesn’t have these – or worse, don’t have a knowledge panel at all – you’re missing out on impressing your bottom-of-the-funnel audience with Google’s very visible stamp of approval on your brand SERP. Common knowledge panel elements for a corporation Google’s corporate knowledge panels include a variety of elements des…

An SEO audit is a health checkup of your site. It allows you to know what works and what does not, and it allows you to make improvements based on what you find. This can lead to improved performance — both on the search results pages and how visitors engage with your website. Table of contents What is an SEO audit? An SEO audit checklist Step 1: Preparing an SEO audit Step 2: User experience & content SEO Step 3: General on-page SEO Step 4: Site speed and engagement Step 5: Monitoring and tracking results Conclusion on doing SEO audits What is an SEO audit? An SEO audit looks at how well a website performs in search results to find areas that need wo…

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…

If you manage both SEO and PPC, striking the right balance is key to maximizing efficiency and ROI. When paid search campaigns compete with high-performing organic listings, brands end up spending more while gaining little additional traffic. Keyword cannibalization dilutes search performance, inflates costs, and reduces overall marketing effectiveness. This guide will help you recognize the warning signs of PPC cannibalization, test its impact, and implement strategies to ensure both channels work together for optimal results. Signs your PPC campaigns are cannibalizing your SEO rankings Declining organic click-through rates If your organic ranking…

Ever notice how website visitors rarely follow the exact path you’ve planned for them? You might build great landing pages for different customer types, but visitors have their own plans. They Google something random and land on your blog post. They click a link from social media that drops them into your resources section. Or they skip your homepage completely and jump straight to a product page. This creates a problem. How do you make sure your website works for all your target customers when they aren’t following your planned customer journeys? The answer is simple: Build your entire website, not just specific landing pages, with y…

To keep your Meta Ads performing at their best, it’s essential to regularly test new ad formats. This article explores the role of UGC and EGC ads – and how to effectively test them in your Meta campaigns. Understanding UGC and EGC ads User-generated content (UGC) refers to videos typically created by actual users of your product or service, often testimonials or a series of testimonials edited together. In some cases, UGC may even come from the company founder, recorded casually on a phone or using other non-professional methods. These videos are often recorded on a phone – or styled to look that way, even if professionally produced – to create an int…