SEO Tools and Resources

Over the last few years, AI has upended many aspects of our world, including search. The rise of generative AI threw many of us for a loop. If you’re one of them, still scrambling to make sense of this new normal, you might be wondering: what matters most in SEO now? The answer may surprise you. It isn’t fancy new tricks – it’s mastering the fundamentals that drive traffic and rankings. As AI answer engines, like ChatGPT search and Google AI Overviews, become part of everyday life, they’re changing how people interact with search. But at their core, these tools rely on some principles that have guided SEO for years: A strong technical fo…

Using transition words in your writing can help you enhance the readability of your content. They help your text flow and show readers the relationship between phrases and paragraphs. That’s why the readability checks in Yoast SEO provide feedback on your use of transition words. But what are transition words, and why are they so important? And how should you use them? Table of contents What are transition words? Why you should use transition words Types of transition words Why are they important for SEO? What does the transition word check in Yoast SEO do? How to improve your usage Conclusion What are transition words? Transition words like ‘and’, ‘but’,…

SEO is widely recognized as a long-term investment, which creates pressure for businesses to translate performance into measurable revenue. Early on – or even over time – disconnects can emerge between expectations and actual ROI. One major disconnect lies in understanding what SEO truly means in terms of strategy and tactics. Another, often magnified if left unaddressed, is the time it takes to see meaningful results. If the goal of SEO (or any digital marketing effort) is to drive return on investment (ROI), then identifying and addressing the root causes of the SEO-to-ROI gap is critical. Failing to do so can lead to compounding issues, making it h…

WordPress offers two primary content types: Pages and Posts. Choosing the right format for your content can improve your website’s organization, user experience, and even SEO. But how do they differ – and when should you use one over the other? Let’s break it down. WordPress Pages Pages are best suited for static, “evergreen” content – information that doesn’t change frequently and forms the foundation of your website. Typical examples include: Home page. About us. Services or products. Contact page. Key features: Not time-sensitive. Not included in RSS feeds. Do not use categories or tags by default (can be implement…

Discord has started testing unskippable, reward-based video ads — marking its most aggressive move yet into monetization outside of its Nitro subscriptions. The ads pause if users tab away, guaranteeing full impressions for brands. Details. Discord has begun rolling out In-Game Rewards — branded video ads tied to game-related perks. While these ads appear for everyone, users can opt into more personalized promotions via their privacy settings. Discord originally gained traction as a “safe space” for gamers and niche communities. With over 200 million monthly active users, it has quietly become one of the largest social platforms. Until now, monetization was limite…

Google’s AI Overviews and large language models (LLMs) have severely eroded clicks, click-through rates, and organic traffic to websites. But a new Siege Media report may have found a silver lining: even if your sitewide traffic is down, your homepage may be increasing. By the numbers. For the websites examined in this study, homepage clicks increased: Overall: 10.7% B2C: 8% B2B: 15% Why we care. As the report put it: “The sky isn’t falling. It’s shifting.” Because homepage traffic tends to convert better, brands with strong visibility in AI Overviews and LLM-generated results can reap the rewards. Yes, but. Not all brands win. If your website isn’t…

For the first time, ads are appearing directly within Google’s AI Overviews on desktop search, marking a major expansion of monetization within generative search experiences. Driving the news. The Shopping ads, which appear within AI Overviews, Google’s AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of certain search results, were spotted and shared by independent SEO consultant Brodie Clark on LinkedIn. Hours earlier, Google announced ads would begin rolling out in both AI Overview and AI Mode. Why we care. This shift, confirmed at Google Marketing Live 2025, signals Google’s intent to fully integrate paid placements into its evolving AI search experienc…

The first core update of the 2025 year, the March 2025 core update, is now done rolling out and complete. It started on March 13, 2025 and completed about 7 days later on March 27, 2025. This update was a typical core update where Google updates its core ranking system to make search results more relevant and helpful. This update followed the December 2024 core update. It took a few months for Google to release a new core update despite expecting the core updates to be more frequent in 2025. What Google said. Google said about this core update: “The rollout was complete as of March 27, 2025.” What we saw. The initial rollout seemed to kick in within a …

Roblox unveiled a new immersive video advertising format on its platform and announced a strategic partnership with Google to expand its advertising business reach. Google will roll out these ads across AdMob and Ad Manager, creating significant new revenue opportunities for publishers while giving advertisers contextually relevant ways to reach engaged audiences. Big picture. The gaming giant is introducing rewarded video ads up to 30 seconds long that offer in-game benefits, marking a significant evolution of its business model beyond traditional gaming revenue. These ad formats are designed to blend seamlessly into virtual environments – appearing as billbo…

From answering complex queries to generating creative content, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others are becoming integral to how users seek and consume information online. This technology presents a paradox for brands and website owners: the potential for new avenues of traffic generation alongside the growing challenge of zero-click results. The initial excitement surrounding LLMs often focuses on their ability to simplify workflows and provide instant answers. However, for businesses that rely on website traffic for leads, sales, and brand visibility, the implications are far more nuanced. While LLMs can act as powerful referral…

Google’s web crawlers have come a long way in recent years in their ability to fetch and execute JavaScript. However, JavaScript integration remains tricky when setting up the front end of a web app. It requires extra network calls and processing time to load content, which increases browser CPU usage and page load times. A web app that relies entirely on client-side JavaScript can still exceed the capacity of Google’s Web Rendering Service (WRS), making it difficult for Googlebot to crawl and index content. JavaScript is still the backbone of the web – the only language that can run natively in the browser. At the same time, the rise of large langu…

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…

With customers now discovering content across traditional search engines, LLMs, social media, and beyond, the need for an integrated, omnichannel strategy is more important than ever. Relying on isolated channel strategies no longer works. Customers engage with brands across multiple touchpoints before making decisions, and they expect seamless, personalized experiences. An effective omnichannel approach aligns all marketing efforts – ensuring consistency, maximizing visibility, and driving meaningful interactions. As omnichannel marketing continues to evolve, integrating SEO across all channels is essential for sustained growth. This article explore…

YouTube has long been a go-to advertising platform for B2C marketers, but it’s often still a question mark for B2B brands. I often see B2B professionals on LinkedIn asking, “Has anyone had success with YouTube ads?” or “What’s the best way to approach video advertising for a B2B audience?” YouTube can feel like unfamiliar territory if you’re only used to advertising on Google or social platforms. But that’s starting to change. More B2B brands are waking up to YouTube’s potential, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve seen firsthand how YouTube can elevate brand visibility, drive engagement, and even accelerate the sales cycle for B2Bs. If you’re still…

Separate accounts, separate campaigns, or one shared setup? It’s often the first question marketers face when launching Google Ads in multiple countries or languages. The structure you choose lays the groundwork for how well you can: Localize ads. Manage regional budgets. Analyze performance by market. While consolidation simplifies PPC management, it can limit your ability to connect with diverse audiences. Full separation allows for maximum customization but can lead to administrative overhead and missed efficiencies. Striking the right balance is key to aligning effort with impact while maintaining centralized data. Effective loca…

Google announced it has refreshed and renamed the Search Console report now known as the Merchant opportunities report. Previously, this report was named the Search Console Shopping tab listings report, when it was introduced in November 2022. The Merchant opportunities report within Google Search Console can show you recommendations for improving how your online shop appears on Google. What Google said. Google posted on LinkedIn about this report saying: “Today we’re refreshing the Search Console Shopping tab listings report to also include details about payments methods and store ratings. To bring the report name in line with its functionality, we’re renami…

Google is directing its quality raters to flag pages with auto or AI-generated main content – and rate them as lowest quality, according to Google’s Senior Search Analyst and Search Relations team lead John Mueller, speaking at Search Central Live in Madrid. This was shared by Aleyda Solis today on LinkedIn: This change was part of the January 2025 update of the Search Quality Rater Guidelines. In case you missed anything else from that update, here’s a recap of the most significant changes from the latest version. 1. Google introduces a new definition: Generative AI With its latest Search Quality Rater Guidelines update, Google added a definition and f…

On April 15th, 2025, ​WordPress 6.8 was released. This release, named Cecil, is aimed at bringing more control when it comes to the design of your website. It also comes with features that improve performance and enhance security for users and developers. Let’s dive into a few of the highlights in this latest release. The Style Book for Classic themes The Style Book, previously exclusive to block-based themes, is now accessible for Classic themes that have editor-styles or a theme.json file. It also comes with a new look and a few new settings to play around with. You can find this feature, or see if you have access to this feature, by going to Appearance > Desi…

Google Gemini is an advanced, deeply integrated AI model that can help you reshape how you approach content creation, technical audits, reporting, and beyond. Gemini is built into Google Search and Google Workspace (including Docs and Sheets). It reflects Google’s evolving approach to understanding, ranking, and displaying information, especially in an AI-dominated search landscape. As zero-click searches become more common and traditional blue links get pushed further down the page, Gemini offers a powerful opportunity: real-time guidance from within the ecosystem you’re optimizing for. While tools like ChatGPT remain highly capable, Gemini’s integration…

Google officially announced the deprecation of Structured Data Files (SDF) v7. The legacy version will be sunset on Nov. 4. Key changes post-deprecation. SDF v7 will no longer be supported; the default version will shift to v7.1 for all users. Any sdfdownloadtasks.create API requests referencing SDF_VERSION_7 will return a 400 error after November 4. Why we care. Advertisers and partners using SDF v7 must migrate to v7.1 or higher before the deadline to avoid service disruptions in Display & Video 360 workflows. What to do. Review the v7.1 release notes to understand differences from v7 and plan your migration. Need help? Use Google’s new Display & Vid…

Generative AI is changing how people search. The most effective SEO strategies aren’t just AI-enhanced – they’re AI-native. Many SEO teams are moving away from manual tasks and siloed tools toward intelligent, automated systems that learn from data and scale performance across every stage of the search journey. From content creation to site architecture and real-time monitoring, AI is now deeply embedded in many winning SEO strategies. Here are 10 cutting-edge ways to leverage AI for enterprise-level SEO success in 2025 – and stay ahead in a game that’s changing faster than ever. 1. Automating SEO tasks with AI agents AI in SEO is no longer just a…

More than a third of consumers – including nearly 4 in 10 Gen Z users – have ditched Google Search in favor of Pinterest’s visual-first search experience, according to a new Adobe survey. And businesses are following their lead to capture traffic and engagement. By the numbers. Thirty-six percent of consumers said they start searches on Pinterest instead of Google. That includes 39% Gen Z users. Other findings: 39% of consumers use Pinterest as a search engine. 24% of business owners use Pinterest – and nearly a quarter of those businesses plan to boost ad spending on Pinterest this year. 80% of businesses say Pinterest drives more engagement than other sea…

Google updated its Ads Transparency policy to show more detailed information about the entities funding ads – a move aimed at increasing accountability in digital advertising. Driving the news. Starting today, Google is displaying the payer name – drawn from an advertiser’s payment profile – if it differs from their verified advertiser name. For agency accounts, the client’s payment profile will be used as the payer name when applicable. This information will appear in the My Ad Center panel and the Ads Transparency Center. Why we care. This update increases public visibility into who is actually funding ads, which can impact brand perception, trust, and comp…

Google unexpectedly decided not to implement a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies in Chrome, allowing ad tech companies to continue using this targeting technology in the world’s most popular web browser. “We’ve made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies,” Anthony Chavez, VP of Privacy Sandbox at Google, wrote in a blog post. Between the lines. While Google is stepping back from the cookie prompt, a third party consent mechanism first mentioned in February, it isn’t abandoning Privacy Sandbox entirely. The company pl…

When it comes to keyword research, SEO professionals often rely on expensive tools to find the right keywords. However, Google Search Console (GSC) provides a completely free way to access insights straight from Google itself. GSC is a powerful and often underused tool that shows exactly what is working on a site and where improvements can be made. Unlike other keyword research tools that provide generic suggestions and estimated data, GSC delivers real-life search data based on actual searches leading to a website. It can often uncover interesting insights. Here’s how to use GSC to find valuable keyword opportunities and improve rankings. Why use Goo…