SEO Tools and Resources

Organic and paid click-through rates (CTRs) are down – and Google AI Overviews are partially to blame. However, paid CTR declined regardless of whether AI Overviews were present. The new analysis of ~10,000 informational intent keywords ranking in the top 20 positions was conducted by digital marketing agency Seer Interactive. Organic CTR drop. For queries where AI Overviews appeared, organic CTR fell sharply – from 1.41% to 0.64% – year over year. But when AI Overviews were not present, organic CTR actually increased: Paid CTR drop. Paid CTR was down year over year regardless of whether AI Overviews were present: But. Paid and organic CTR a…

Welcome to our weekly Search Engine Land series, Everything you need to know about Google Ads in less than 3 minutes. Every Wednesday, I’m highlighting a different Google Ads feature, and what you need to know to get the best results from it – all in a quick 3-minute read. Today, we’re discussing Video View campaigns (VVC). I’ll break down what they are, how they work, and when to use them as part of your Google Ads strategy. I’ll cover: What are Video view campaigns in Google Ads? What is a view in Google Ads? How will your ads appear? Video view campaigns and Remarketing Audience targeting and Content targeting in Video view campaigns How to cr…

Choosing the right paid media channels is key to B2B advertising success. This guide covers the best PPC platforms – Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and more – plus expert tactics to reach decision-makers and drive results. 1. Google Search Google is an effective way to reach B2B decision-makers when they are actively searching. But how do you ensure you’re reaching someone truly looking for a food supplier for their restaurant and not just Joe Schmoe craving a steak dinner? The key is strategic targeting. Make sure to: Use keyword lists wisely Add negative keywords like “home” or “residential” to filter out non-B2B searches. If someone searches…

Google Search is now offering detailed shopping for product queries in the AI Overviews. Google will first give you a summary answer, which you can then expand, which will provide a super long and detailed breakdown comparison between the two products. What it looks like. If you search for [iphone 15 vs iphone 15 pro] Google will first give you this summary box: When you click on “see full comparison,” Google will then break down the very specific details (click to enlarge the image): More examples. I spotted this via Blair MacGregor who shared this example of Google comparing two bike models: Another example of an AI Overview Google's experimen…

Mentorship is a powerful yet often overlooked tool in the SEO industry. Whether you’re an industry veteran or an up-and-coming specialist, the mentor-mentee relationship offers countless benefits that can accelerate growth, refine skills, and build a stronger professional network. In an industry where algorithms, strategies, and best practices constantly evolve, having guidance from someone with experience – or offering that guidance to others – can be a defining factor in career success. Some think mentorship only benefits the mentee. But after being a mentor a few months ago, I found that simply wasn’t the case. I learned as much from them as they did from …

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…

Google streamlined the process for importing cost data into Analytics, reducing mandatory fields and offering more flexible reporting options. The big picture. Marketers can now import cost data with just three core requirements: source, medium, and date, eliminating previous constraints around campaign names and IDs. Key updates. Including the following fields allows for more detailed reporting. Without them, Google Analytics will report cost data in aggregate when dimensions like campaign name or ID are queried. Simplified required fields. You now only need three fields to import cost data: Source: Where the traffic originated. Medium: The type of traff…

Google revised its policy for dating and companionship advertisers, pushing back enforcement and clarifying certification rules for aggregators. Extension. The deadline for certification has been extended from March 4 to April 9. After this date, uncertified advertisers will no longer be permitted to run ads. Aggregator update. Aggregatoars promoting dating or companionship services will be eligible to serve restricted ads with proper certification, starting April 9. These ads will appear on Search with age and country restrictions. Certification for aggregators opens Feb. 25, while other advertisers can continue applying for certification. Why we care…

Education, technology, and software development websites have gotten a referral traffic boost from ChatGPT search – and ChatGPT sent more traffic to more than 30,000 unique domains by November. That’s according to new Semrush (disclosure: Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush) analysis of 80 million lines of global clickstream data from the second half of 2024. Search behavior changes. ChatGPT answered about 54% of queries with search turned off, with the remaining 46% of queries using search. The average ChatGPT prompt length was 23 words, with a high of 2,712 words. The average ChatGPT search length was much lower – just 4.2 words, with a high of 301 w…

Paid search audits are essential. But let’s face it: they can be a beast to do. It’s not just about understanding complex strategies; it’s about meticulously reviewing every setting, campaign, keyword, and ad, then translating all those details into actionable insights for stakeholders who may not be PPC experts. Before AI, I spent countless hours refining audit checklists and presentations, constantly second-guessing myself. Did I miss a crucial setting? Did I fully grasp the account’s nuances and how they align with business goals? I even resorted to downloading templates from other experts for reassurance. Now, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and G…

Super Bowl 2025 will be held on Sunday, Feb. 9. The “Big Game” will have around 50 minutes of TV commercials trying to change the hearts, minds, and actions of over 100 million viewers. However, many marketing executives ask, “Are Super Bowl ads effective?” And with a 30-second spot during the Big Game costing $8 million, some are also asking, “Are Super Bowl commercials worth it?” I asked Avinash Kaushik, who spent 16 years leading analytics at Google before becoming the chief strategy officer of Croud, to share the secret sauce for measuring Super Bowl ads. Below is an edited transcript of my questions and his answers. Are Super Bowl ads really effe…

Google resolved a six-month-long headache for online merchants by restoring filtered product download capabilities in Merchant Center Next, bringing the platform’s functionality back in line with its classic version. The context. In digital commerce, precision matters. Merchants often need to: Troubleshoot specific product listings. Optimize particular product categories. Analyze subsets of their inventory. The previous limitation essentially forced merchants to sift through massive, unwieldy files — like finding a specific book in an entire library by dumping all books on the floor. Why we care. The update allows merchants to export specific produc…

Cybercriminals are exploiting Google Search ads to steal Microsoft advertising account credentials, revealing a sophisticated phishing scheme that has potentially been active for years. The big picture. Attackers created malicious Google ads mimicking Microsoft Advertising’s official platform. The campaign redirects users through complex networks to steal login information. Researchers discovered potential infrastructure dating back multiple years How it works. Hackers use a multi-step process to bypass security: Create sponsored search results that look like legitimate Microsoft ads. Implement cloaking techniques to evade bot detection. Use Cloudflare …

Brandon Saltalamacchia’s office, adorned with a dazzling collection of retro gaming paraphernalia, offers a glimpse into the passions that have driven his professional life. In this interview with Saltalamacchia, you’ll learn about his humble beginnings as an independent publisher to navigating the labyrinthine challenges of SEO in a Google world. The early days: A camper van and a dream Saltalamacchia’s foray into independent publishing began in 2017 while working full-time for Future Publishing. A self-described “newb” in SEO and content marketing, he channeled his love for camper vans into a small passion project — a website dedicated to van life. “It w…

Are you ready to take your SEO and PPC campaigns to the next level of success? Tackle the challenges of the New Year with actionable tactics, expert guidance, and the inspiration you need to succeed at the spring edition of the SMX Master Classes — happening live online this March. In-depth training. Actionable tactics. Invaluable Q&A. This spring’s lineup features seven outstanding courses tackling core topics critical to 2025 success: Your Training, Your Way. You asked, and we listened: For the first time ever, each Master Class will take place on different days, giving you the flexibility to attend multiple classes live and customize the perf…

Some things in life are constant – Google rankings aren’t one of them. If you’ve been paying attention (or just reading this website), you’ve likely noticed that rankings are becoming increasingly unstable. Industry veterans, with years of context, may feel this shift the most. That’s why I believe SEO is evolving into something new. What that means – and whether the industry is adapting well – is a discussion for another time (TL;DR: we’re not doing great, but we’re not failing either. Change is hard). One key driver of this shift is SERP instability. What I’d like to do here is explore that notion and give some concrete facts. The average level…

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…

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.” …

Google is rolling out one-on-one appointments with technical experts to help advertisers properly implement conversion tracking tags on their websites. Why we care. Accurate conversion tracking is essential for optimizing digital ad campaigns and understanding return on investment (ROI). Google offering appointments with experts to help advertisers implement Google tagging on their websites addresses a common pain point for advertisers who struggle with technical implementation of tracking tools, which can lead to unreliable performance data and wasted ad spend. What tagging does: ROI insights. Track valuable actions on your site to gauge ad effectiveness. …

Is your website traffic dropping, leaving you unsure of what went wrong? Every day without action means more lost rankings, leads, and revenue. This article outlines a seven-step framework to help you analyze the causes of your traffic drop and create an SEO plan to fix it. What’s causing your traffic to decline? Some website owners hope for a quick fix to restore traffic, but our analysis shows most drops are caused by one or more of the following: Changing search intent. User experience issues. New ads or Google SERP elements. Algorithm updates. Technical issues. Content changes Backlink decay. To fix the ranking drop and regai…

Google recently gathered influential voices in the food industry to unveil the latest trends shaping restaurant search and digital marketing. From skyrocketing search terms to drone deliveries and the power of YouTube Shorts, here’s everything you need to know from the Restaurant Industry Influencer Summit. Sizzling search trends: What’s cooking in 2025? Google’s latest search data offers a glimpse into what today’s diners are craving – both in terms of food and digital experiences. Here are some of the hottest trends shaping restaurant searches right now: “Hot honey pizza” is up 232% year-over-year (YoY). And if that doesn’t give you insight into the…

Meta is removing the Audience Types option from Advantage+ catalog ads that use the sales objective, pushing advertisers toward its AI-driven targeting tools. This change reflects Meta’s broader strategy of automating ad targeting, betting that its AI can better match products with potential buyers than manual audience selection. The big picture. While the change removes some manual controls, Meta’s automated targeting has been showing stronger performance metrics, according to their internal data, suggesting this could benefit advertisers despite the reduced direct control. Key details: Advantage+ catalog ads dynamically display products based on user be…

Google is launching a limited test using AI to automatically generate background images for Shopping Ad product listings. How it works. The AI system will: Generate contextual background scenes for existing product images. Maintain the original product appearance without alterations. Require human review and approval before ads go live. Why we care. This update represents a significant shift in how product photography can be handled in ecommerce advertising. Moreover, since product presentation directly influences consumer purchasing decisions, this automated enhancement could potentially improve conversion rates without requiring additional investment …

Google has launched a new Search Labs experiment named “Ask for me.” Ask for me lets you use Google AI to call businesses on your behalf to find out what they charge for a service and also to find out when it’s available. This can work for services like like an oil change from nearby mechanics or other services. How to use it. To access this labs experiement, go here and click on “join to try.” Then when you search for relevant and related queries, like “oil jobs near me,” Google will show you this “Ask for me” box. What it looks like. Here are some screenshots of this feature: More details. Rose Yao, VP of Search Product, Verticals & Internati…

Google today announced upcoming updates to its Demand Gen advertising platform. These include new controls over ad placement and enhanced creative tools, while setting a timeline to retire its Video Action Campaigns. The big picture. These changes represent Google’s push for advertisers to create more engaging visual content and better measure its performance against social media campaigns. The details: New channel controls (starting in March): Advertisers will be able to precisely choose ad placement across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. Specific targeting for YouTube Shorts will become available. Google Display inventory will be added, reaching over 9…