SEO Tools and Resources

Google is beta testing Creator Partnerships in Google Ads. This new feature lets advertisers find and promote high-quality YouTube Shorts featuring their brand. How it works: Advertisers can discover Shorts videos from YouTube creators that mention their brand or products. The feature is powered by BrandConnect, Google’s creator marketing platform. Once enabled, Creator Partnerships can be accessed under the Tools section in the Google Ads interface. Why we care. This tool enables brands to leverage user-generated content (UGC) and creator collaborations more effectively, potentially boosting ad performance and reach. Between the lines. This move al…

As of a few days ago, Google now allows advertisers to use fingerprinting to track users across devices and websites, collecting data points like IP addresses, operating system details, and screen resolution. Why we care. Google’s decision to permit fingerprinting, a powerful user-tracking technique it banned in 2019, raises significant privacy concerns and has already drawn regulatory scrutiny. By allowing fingerprinting, Google gives advertisers a powerful way to track users across devices without relying on cookies, potentially improving ad personalization and attribution. However, the move also raises legal and ethical concerns, as regulators, especially in th…

Advertisers can now compare two sets of assets while keeping “common assets” consistent across both versions. Tests can be set up from the Experiments page under the Assets sub-menu, allowing marketers to see which creative combinations perform best. Google previously launched a similar experiment type for retail campaigns last year, and this expands the capability to all Performance Max campaigns. Why we care. Performance Max campaigns rely heavily on automation, which has historically made testing specific creative assets tricky. This new feature gives advertisers more control over asset-level performance insights without disrupting the overall campaign. Th…

Google AI Mode is now available to all U.S. searchers without having to opt into it within Search Labs. When Google announced AI Mode in March, it was only available to U.S. users to opt into via Search Labs, now you no longer need to opt into it. A new tab for AI Mode will appear under the search bar on Google.com and in the Google Search apps for US searches this week. Google did say recently they have begun testing AI Mode in the wild, without opting into it. But starting today, as announced at Google I/O, AI Mode in the US no longer needs you to opt in to see it. AI Mode has “graduated” Search Labs. Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, said at Google I/O that AI…

Google is rolling out two new AI-powered assistants — Ads Advisor and Analytics Advisor — built on its latest Gemini models to help advertisers manage campaigns and uncover insights faster. The tools, which begin rolling out to all English-language Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts in early December, are designed to turn complex campaign management and data analysis into simple, conversational experiences. Ads Advisor: optimization and automation in one place. Ads Advisor serves as an in-platform AI partner that helps advertisers manage, troubleshoot, and scale their campaigns. It learns from user interactions to deliver increasingly personalized …

Google today rolled out a new feature that automatically uses businesses’ marketing content to enhance their visibility across Google products. All merchants will be automatically enrolled in the marketing content usage program. You can opt out at any time through Merchant Center settings. How it works. Google will extract marketing information in two ways: Automatic signup to businesses’ marketing communications. Direct submission when merchants add Google’s dedicated email address (marketingemailtogoog@gmail.com) to their marketing lists. Why we care. Google can now extract and display information about your promotions, new products, and social media…

Google is rolling out a new Data Manager API designed to help advertisers more easily connect their first-party data to Google’s AI-powered ad tools — aiming to boost measurement, targeting and performance without the complexity of juggling multiple systems. Why we care. The Data Manager API makes it easier to feed high-quality first-party data into Google’s AI, which directly improves targeting, measurement, and bidding performance. By replacing multiple APIs with one streamlined connection, it reduces engineering work and speeds up how quickly insights flow back into campaigns. As cookies fade, this becomes a key tool for getting better results from the data adverti…

Google Ads launched four new tools to help improve first-party data use and better measure app performance – especially in the face of evolving privacy standards and complex user journeys. Driving the news. Google today announced a slate of updates aimed at strengthening measurement and data capabilities: Google tag gateway for advertisers: A simplified way to upgrade tags so they serve from the advertiser’s own server, improving signal reliability and data control. Google plans to add confidential computing by default for enhanced security and transparency. New diagnostics for data quality: You can now access diagnostics across Google Ads products to t…

Google is releasing the Google Ads API Developer Assistant v1.0, a new Gemini CLI extension that lets developers interact with the Ads API using natural language — turning plain-English prompts into answers, code, and even live API calls. How it works: The assistant sits inside the Gemini CLI and uses project context from GEMINI.md and configuration files to generate accurate code based on the user’s environment. Ask a question — for example, “How do I filter by date in GAQL?” — and it delivers instant guidance. Describe a task — “Show me campaigns with the most conversions in the last 30 days” — and it outputs both the GAQL query and a complete Python script aligned …

Google today unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that lets AI agents work across the entire shopping journey, from discovery to purchase to post-sale support. Additionally, Google is introducing new AI tools for retailers, including branded shopping agents and ad formats optimized for AI-driven discovery. About UCP. UCP establishes a shared language between AI agents and commerce systems, removing the need for custom integrations across agents or platforms. UCP works with existing standards (e.g., Agent2Agent, Agent Payments Protocol, and Model Context Protocol). Google co-developed it with partners including Shopify, Etsy, W…

Less than 1% of views of YouTube videos come from Google search clicks, according to a member of Google’s legal team. The quote. Here’s what Attorney John Schmidtlein said, according to Courthouse News Service: “Roughly less than 1% of views on YouTube come from people who click on [search] links,” Attorney John Schmidtlein of Williams & Connolly, who represented Google, said in court. Why we care. This is the first time this statistic has been revealed publicly, as far as I know. It might be 100% true. The majority of people likely discover and view videos directly on YouTube, either via YouTube search or YouTube’s recommendation algorithm. But. Go…

Google will now associate your booking links it finds in your Google Business Profiles automatically with your Google Local Service Ads. And when a searcher fills out that booking link, that will be charged to your ads account as Google would charge you for a phone call or message within Local Service Ads. What is changed. Google said that starting yesterday, February 25, 2025, if Google detects a booking link associated with your Google Business Profiles, Google will start showing those booking links on your Local Service Ads. Google said you will be charged for those bookings like you would be charged for calls or messages through Local Service Ads. Why this…

Google gives local businesses two main ways to generate PPC leads online: Local Services Ads (LSAs) and Search campaigns. LSAs are pay-per-lead campaigns – for actions such as calls, messages, or booked appointments – with a quick setup process that involves verifying your business. After that, Google automates most of the ad and keyword setup. Search campaigns are more complex but offer far greater control over ad copy, keywords, and optimization. Understanding how each format works – and when to use them – can help you get more qualified leads and make smarter use of your ad budget. Most advertisers use both and shift budgets based on which delivers bet…

Google reduced the minimum audience size requirement to just 100 active users across all networks and audience types, making remarketing and customer list targeting far more accessible—especially for smaller advertisers. What’s new. Audience segments with as few as 100 users can now be used across Search, Display, and YouTube, including both remarketing lists and customer lists. The same 100-user threshold now applies for segments to appear in Audience Insights, down from 1,000. Catch up. The shift toward smaller audience thresholds began in May, when Google lowered the minimum user requirement for Customer Lists in Search campaigns from 1,000 to 100. Why …

Google is expanding access to incrementality testing, rolling out major updates designed to help advertisers of all sizes measure the true, causal impact of their ads — what’s driving results and what’s not. Driving accessibility and accuracy. Google has slashed the minimum spend for incrementality tests from around $100,000 to just $5,000, dramatically lowering the barrier for smaller advertisers to measure ROI with scientific precision. Marketers can now run controlled experiments to isolate the lift generated by their campaigns and optimize budgets accordingly. At the same time, Google says it has improved the methodology behind incrementality testing through n…

Google is rolling out new Google Maps features that will show searchers more information about nearby businesses and events. Plus, Google is allowing reviewers to use nicknames instead of their real names when leaving a review. Know before you go. Google is rolling out the “know before you go” feature within Google Maps. This is a feature we saw being tested before, both in Search and in Maps, but now it is officially rolling out in Google Maps. When you search for places in Google Maps, Google will show you a new section with “know before you go” tips. Google will show you information like parking tips, secret menu items, the best way to book a reservation, and d…

Advertisers are spotting a fresh Google Maps ad format featuring scrollable light blue sitelinks beneath promoted pins. The new layout gives brands more clickable real estate directly inside Maps. Update confirmed. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed the rollout, saying the feature is now fully launched. The update allows sitelinks — already common in Search ads — to appear in Maps ads, linking users to specific pages on an advertiser’s website. How it works. These sitelinks can show from Search or Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. To enable them you’ll need at least two sitelinks for both desktop and mobile. Sitelinks can be added at the acco…

Google has released the March 2025 core update today, Google said this core update “rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.” Core updates happen multiple times per year. Core updates can have significant, broad changes to Google’s search algorithms and systems, which is why Google announces them. This is the first core update of the 2025 year. This core update happened a few months since the last core update, the December 2024 core update. What to do if you are hit. Google has given advice on what to consider if you are negatively impacted by a core update in the past. Google has not really given much new advice here but here is the past advice the company…

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 …

Google is launching Marketing Advisor, as announced today at Google Marketing Live 2025. Marketing Advisor is a new AI-powered assistant that lives directly in the Chrome browser and is designed to help advertisers manage marketing tasks across Google platforms and beyond. Driving the news. Marketing Advisor is an AI agent that marketers can install as a Chrome side panel. Once connected to a user’s Google account and Ads campaigns, it tailors insights and support based on their goals. It offers step-by-step guidance on the websites and tools marketers use daily, from campaign dashboards to CMS systems. Unlike traditional chat assistants, it can proactively as…

Google Marketing Live 2025 was – no surprise – all about AI. Again. Google Marketing Live 2025 made one thing clear: AI isn’t just an assistant anymore. It’s becoming a co-strategist. This year’s event was packed with updates where AI played a central role, powering everything from bidding and creative to product listings and campaign insights. Google announced the expansion of ad placements, cinematic creative AI tools, real-time campaign copilots, AI agents that do the work for you, and more. This year’s updates are designed to make Google’s tools more autonomous, immersive, and interconnected. Here’s a recap of everything that matters from Google Marketi…

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 AI Overviews are spiking again. The latest huge and rapid expansion happened in travel and entertainment keywords, according to new data from enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge. By the numbers. Starting April 25-26, here’s how AI Overviews grew, by industry: Entertainment: Up 175.68%, with 76% of new keywords focusing on movies (e.g., [jennifer love hewitt movies], [bruce dern movies). Travel: Up 108.09%. The Things to do trend is booming – 93.78% of new travel AI Overviews focus on location-specific activities (e.g., [things to do in Buffalo NY], [things to do in Providence this weekend]) and trigger full AI-generated destination guides. Insurance: …

If users don’t interact with your page in Google’s search results, Google may remove that page from its results – or possibly even its index. That’s according to a recent short video Google’s Martin Splitt posted on the Google Search Central YouTube channel. This information confirms what Google said in their recent (since 2019) communication and once again with the Navboost details from the DOJ trails, and the data leak. What Google said. Here is a partial quote from the video, which I will embed below: “If they are not showing up so it’s either that the query is a bit weird or that the query hasn’t actually been asked that much or that we have other pag…

Google has introduced a “Creative Content” section in Merchant Center, giving brands the ability to manage video assets directly alongside product listings. The feature enhances both paid and organic visibility across Google surfaces. Why we care. Videos uploaded here automatically sync with the Google Ads asset library for linked accounts — streamlining creative management and strengthening brand storytelling across campaigns. Where to find it. If available in your account, look under Creative content → Video assets, just below Product Studio. Video sources: Social channels (including TikTok) Your website Google’s Product Studio The cool par…