SEO Tools and Resources

SEO isn’t for everyone. Some people run from its complexity and constant change. But for others, it’s an obsession – an ever-evolving puzzle that keeps us hooked. With Valentine’s Day coming up, let’s explore seven reasons why SEO isn’t just about algorithms and rankings – it’s a passion that keeps digital marketers coming back for more. 1. SEO is always changing In my 14 years of running an agency, SEO has evolved from a relatively simple effort to rank on Google to a discipline that drives brands to strengthen their foundations. Those of us who have been in the industry long enough remember the turbulence of the Panda and Penguin updates – two…

SEO is a fast-moving, marketing-centric industry that will always keep you on your toes. If you’re just getting started, it can be overwhelming without a guide. There are many facets and specializations in SEO that come later in a career – local, technical, content, digital PR, UX, ecommerce, media – the list goes on. However, that level of specialization isn’t something a junior professional needs to focus on right away. Much like a liberal arts degree or an apprenticeship, a newcomer to SEO should first develop a broad understanding of the entire discipline before choosing a specialty. This article covers several ways to build that foundational kn…

Writing quality content should be a key aspect of every SEO strategy. But when is your content considered good or high-quality? And does quality mean the same for your users as for Google? In this article, we’ll discuss creating content and how you can make sure it hits the mark. It will require some creative writing skills. But don’t worry, you don’t have to become the next big author! By focusing on the right things, you can create high-ranking quality content that your users will happily read. What is quality content? That is the million-dollar question. Knowing how to write good content helps you get more visitors, higher conversions, and lower bounce rates. Bu…

Even in 2025, as platforms like LinkedIn (not known for creativity) double down on video, many new clients coming to us still haven’t made it part of their organic strategy. So, why should you invest in video? Here are three key reasons: Increased SERP visibility: With a targeted strategy, YouTube videos have a higher chance of appearing prominently in the SERPs, enhancing brand visibility and driving organic traffic. Higher (and longer-lasting) engagement: Video content fosters deeper engagement, encouraging longer view times and generating sustained traffic over months or years. Multi-platform reach: Optimized videos could appear on both Google …

With marketing spending down and Google reporting higher earnings, we know that SEO is a tough sell. Below are seven proven methods to increase clients’ payments for SEO (and the value they receive). First, a word on value Before I provide solid ways to increase revenue, we need to discuss value and price. Humans are hard-wired to fear and avoid loss. Loss aversion is heavily linked with SEO because it’s the “pay now, might gain later” of the marketing world. So, as an offer, SEO is automatically less appealing than 99.9% of other marketing activities. Knowing this, SEOs need to understand value like the back of their hands. There are two co…

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. …

Detailed and specialized content that lives deeper within your website may be key to winning citations and brand visibility in Google’s AI Overviews, according to enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge. By the numbers. Based on a new analysis of millions of URLs cited by Google’s AI Overviews, BrightEdge found that: 82.5% of citations linked to deep content pages (two or more clicks away from the homepage) 0.5% of citations linked to homepages. 86% of citations appeared for only one keyword. Why we care. The homepage historically has been considered the most important page on a website, with primary category, product, or service pages not far behind (those …

Geotargeting is one of the most powerful tools in a PPC advertiser’s arsenal. Whether you’re running ads for a local business, an international ecommerce brand, or a luxury travel destination, targeting the right locations can significantly impact performance. While most advertisers understand the basics (i.e., choosing countries, cities, or setting a radius), many aren’t fully leveraging the more advanced geotargeting capabilities available in Google Ads today. The ability to target based on intent, real-time conditions, competitor locations, and hyperlocal precision can give campaigns a serious competitive edge. This article explores the full spectrum o…

SEO has changed significantly over the last decade, largely because Google has continuously updated its algorithms to improve search results. These updates aim to better understand user intent, reward high-quality content, and discourage manipulative practices. From foundational changes like Panda and Penguin to more recent updates like the November and December 2024 core updates, each has shaped how websites rank and how we approach optimization. Below is a look at some of Google’s most impactful updates and what they mean for SEO today. Table of contents 2011 – Panda 2012 – Venice 2012 – Penguin 2013 – Hummingbird 2014 – HTTPS/SSL 2015 – Mobile Update 2015 – RankB…

Understanding the difference between search bots and scrapers is crucial for SEO. Website crawlers fall into two categories: First-party bots, which you use to audit and optimize your own site. Third-party bots, which crawl your site externally – sometimes to index your content (like Googlebot) and other times to extract data (like competitor scrapers). This guide breaks down first-party crawlers that can improve your site’s technical SEO and third-party bots, exploring their impact and how to manage them effectively. First-party crawlers: Mining insights from your own website Crawlers can help you identify ways to improve your technical SEO. …

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…

Widely used bidding and targeting algorithms have left paid social advertisers with fewer levers to drive differentiated campaign performance in 2025. One of those levers – and perhaps the biggest in B2B campaigns – is creative. But this article isn’t about how to design beautiful, on-brand, high-performing creative elements. It’s about building a testing process that helps you identify which creative is actually moving the growth needle and where to go from there. This article covers: B2B creative trends to know for 2025. Paid social creative testing recommendations. Common paid social creative testing mistakes. General. LinkedIn. Meta…

Ad hijacking occurs when dishonest affiliates create ads almost identical to a brand’s official ads. They copy headlines, text, and display URLs so potential customers assume these ads are legitimate. In reality, these affiliates, often involved in affiliate hijacking and other affiliate program scams, send clicks through their own tracking links to earn commissions they haven’t really earned. When this happens inside an affiliate program, it’s called affiliate ad hijacking. Many hijackers use an affiliate link cloaker to hide the final redirect, preventing brands or ad platforms from seeing the trick. If someone clicks on one of these fake ads, they la…

Google’s latest update to Performance Max (PMax) campaigns—featuring Channel Reporting, Asset Reporting, and Search Term Reports—has triggered a wide range of responses from marketers. From cautious optimism to pointed critiques, advertisers are weighing in on how these long-awaited features may reshape their campaign strategies. Deeper insight arrives – finally Optmyzr Brand Evangelist Navah Hopkins celebrated the newfound visibility: “Google just announced some really important updates to PMax and I think it’s important we talk about just what they mean for us as we continue to market in the AI world. Google is FINALLY giving transparency into where budget i…

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about AI agents lately – whether in your workplace conversations or scrolling through your social feeds (hopefully both). While there’s no shortage of articles discussing their general benefits, there’s surprisingly little coverage on what they mean specifically for SEO – where their impact is not just significant, but amplified. Before we dive into the two key reasons AI agents are so important for SEOs to understand (and yes, you’re probably already using them – even if you don’t realize it), let’s first get clear on what AI agents actually are. What are AI agents? At their core, AI agents are autonomous systems equippe…

From automating review responses to suppressing negative search results, AI is making online reputation management (ORM) faster, smarter, and more effective. But while AI offers powerful tools, businesses must use them strategically to maintain authenticity and trust. Here’s how AI is reshaping ORM – and what brands need to do to keep up. Online reputation management in the age of AI In today’s digital-first world, a brand’s online reputation is more than just a reflection of its customer service. It’s a key driver of success or failure. A single negative news story, an influx of bad reviews, or even an outdated piece of content ranking high on Googl…

Want AI search engines and agents to find and use your content? Traditional SEO isn’t enough. AI systems process information differently. This guide breaks down key optimizations to help your content stay visible and rank in the AI era. TL;DR: Quick AI optimization checklist To optimize for AI search and agents: Make content accessible with clean HTML/markdown and good structure. Allow AI crawlers in robots.txt and firewall rules. Return content fast, with key info high up. Use semantic markup, metadata, and schemas. Create an llms.txt file. Check your content’s AI visibility. Traditional SEO vs. AI search: The key difference…

Users are visiting Google more often but staying less. That’s one of several insights from a new analysis by Kevin Indig, in partnership with Similarweb, based on 5 billion search queries and 20 million websites across the U.S., UK, and Germany. The big picture. In the U.S., visits to Google are up +9% since AI Overviews launched in May 2024. Also: Time on site and pages per visit are flat or falling across markets. Query length has barely changed. The numbers point to a new user pattern: more frequent visits, shorter sessions – a shift toward “resolve and leave” behavior, according to Indig. By the numbers. Google visits are up in the U.S.: U.S. …

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: …

People are adopting AI as a complement to classic search, not a full replacement, according to a new survey by digital marketing agency Higher Visibility: 71.5% reported using AI tools for search; 14% use them daily. 79.8% prefer Google or Microsoft Bing for general information searches. 20.2% have changed their primary search platform within the last year. Why we care. Classic search engines still dominate – but we also know it is becoming more challenging as Google click-through rates are declining. However, AI answer engines and tools, social media platforms (like Instagram and TikTok), and shopping platforms all play a role in today’s messy search land…

Agencies are navigating a marketing world powered by AI, evolving platforms, and consumer expectations that change overnight. The pace is dizzying, but it’s also full of opportunity. When we asked marketing agencies what new trends they anticipate for the year ahead, their insights revealed a shared focus on leveraging AI to scale operations, diversifying content strategies to stay ahead of declining organic reach, and adopting tools that balance creativity with efficiency. These trends reflect where the industry is heading and how agencies are preparing to meet new challenges. We’ll unpack the key insights from over two dozen marketing agencies, explore the stra…

Advertising on Amazon is getting more complex, with an ever-growing list of targeting options. At the core of it all? Match types. Understanding how they work is essential to making your ad spend count. Unlike other ecommerce platforms, Amazon ads directly impact your organic ranking – so campaigns aren’t just about sales; they’re about momentum. Whether you’re driving incremental sales or defending your brand in search, knowing how to structure campaigns around match types can make or break performance. For brand defense, branded keywords are critical – but they should live in their own campaigns to keep management clean and projections accurate. …

American desktop users perform 126 unique Google searches per month, on average, according to a new analysis of search behavior published by SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin. The median average was 53 Google unique searches per month. By the numbers. Here are some additional findings about American searchers, beyond the headline statistic: 34% conducted more than 101 searches per month. 36% conducted 21-100 searches per month. 30% conducted 1-20 searches per month. Google Search by vertical. A whopping 86.94% of Americans use Google.com (Google’s homepage search experience) to search. As for Google’s other vertical options: Images: 10.62% Vid…