SEO Tools and Resources

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…

Google now lets you use AI to generate backgrounds for the images you add within Google Posts in your Google Business Profiles. “When creating a post for your customers in the Maps app, you can create an engaging AI-generated background for the photos you plan to use in the post,” Victoria Kroll from Google wrote. This is similar to the AI-generation image features Google has for shopping ads, product studio, even in products in Business Profiles and more. How it works. To add an AI-generated background, tap “Transform with AI” when adding a photo to your post in Maps on iPhone, select a theme, and generate. To create a post with an AI-generated background …

There is so much you can do to optimize your online store, whether for users or Google. To help you cover all your bases, we’ve written this ecommerce SEO checklist. It doesn’t cover absolutely everything, but if you at least start by optimizing all the aspects in this post, you will definitely be doing a great job! Table of contents Site-wide ecommerce checklist Homepage Product search and categories Product pages Shopping cart and checkout Search and social appearance One last thing… Site-wide ecommerce checklist The first part of our ecommerce checklist is all about changes you can make site-wide to make sure your online shop is up to scratch. Some of …

Google’s controversial site reputation abuse policy certainly ruffled a few feathers since its rollout last year. Some publishers, like Forbes, blame the policy for forcing devastating decisions in newsrooms – like the firing of all freelance journalists. Others argue that it’s yet another example of Google “abusing its dominant market position” to dictate how websites can and cannot generate revenue in an already fiercely competitive industry. Well, like it or not, the policy is here to stay. That’s why publishers must fully understand what is and isn’t allowed – and what Google is actually trying to achieve – before making any drastic decisions. Act…

Microsoft Ads will soon roll out four major updates to Performance Max, significantly expanding your ability to target, measure, and optimize your campaigns. These updates will give advertisers more granular control over their automated campaigns while introducing LinkedIn’s professional targeting data — a unique advantage over competing platforms. What’s new. Here are the four new features: LinkedIn integration. Advertisers in six major markets (U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, France, and Germany) will be able to tap into LinkedIn’s professional targeting data, including company, industry, and job function signals. Reporting gets granular. Advertisers will b…

The start of a new year signals more than resolutions – it’s a critical moment for PPC professionals to reset, refocus, and strategically realign. As the digital marketing landscape evolves, success demands a clear-eyed approach to account management, client objectives, and personal growth. Here are five essential areas every PPC specialist must prioritize in 2025. 1. Master the fundamentals: Strengthen your foundation We often rush to tackle advanced strategies without solidifying the fundamentals, whether in client work or our personal development. No matter your experience level, revisiting the basics is essential for long-term success. Now is t…

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…

People nowadays are uninterested in cold and business-like pieces of content. They want something authentic. They want conversations with people. That’s partly why Reddit is grabbing top spots in the search results because people know they’ll be reading something authentic. Hence why it’s smart to create more conversational content. But how do you do that? Read this blog to find out! What is conversational content? Plain and simple, it’s writing like you’re talking with someone. Not to someone. You’re not lecturing. You’re having a conversation with your audience. Though I’d suggest that you leave out the ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ and multiple uses of ‘like’ or other filler …

Google is getting worse – or at least, that’s what “we” say. The common complaint: Search is dying, SEO is trash, and Google is nearly unusable. X, LinkedIn, and Reddit are awash with complaints about deteriorating search quality. The contradicting reality: Search remains the dominant channel for web traffic. Google still holds 90% of the search market, grew 20% year over year, and processes 5 trillion searches annually. If it were truly broken, wouldn’t we have left by now? The complex truth: Poet John Keats described “negative capability” as the ability to hold conflicting ideas without demanding a simple answer. That’s whe…

In marketing – whether digital or not – we all understand the power of a strong brand. A recognizable brand is vital for earning and keeping attention, driving trust, and building loyalty. On the agency side, this connection is clear: branding influences how we engage clients and deliver value. But how often do we consider the importance of branding within our teams? Establishing and maintaining a strong team brand is just as crucial. A well-defined team identity can foster collaboration, earn the trust of internal stakeholders, and secure advocacy for the team’s work. More importantly, it shifts the focus from individual contributions – often…

Using the right keywords is essential in SEO. Because using the words your audience searches with will help your posts and pages rank. That’s why we always tell you to try to find the perfect keywords for optimizing your articles. So, after finding the perfect keyword, why shouldn’t you use it repeatedly? Why would you use synonyms and related keywords? It might seem contradictory, but correctly using synonyms and related keywords can improve your rankings. Table of contents What is the difference between synonyms and related keyphrases? Variation is key What about keyword density? Find related keyphrases using our Semrush integration How often should you use synony…

Google appears to be testing channel reporting functionality for Performance Max campaigns, potentially addressing a major advertiser criticism of the automated campaign type. Driving the news: Documentation about Channel reporting coming to Performance Max was reported by Kirk Williams, Founder of Zato, with Google Search Lead Tetsuo Konno tagged in the reference on X. A screenshot from the Google Think event in Amsterdam was shared by Arjan Schoorl showing apparent channel breakdowns on LinkedIn: Christopher Bell, Head of PPC at Kelkoo, claims a large advertiser account has already received access to the feature. Why we care. Since launchin…

Meta is rolling out ads on its Threads app, targeting a rapidly expanding social media platform with over 300 million monthly active users. This move transforms Threads from a pure social experience into a potential advertising powerhouse, allowing businesses to easily extend their existing Meta ad campaigns with minimal additional effort. Big picture. Advertisers can now add Threads to their campaign reach by simply checking a box in Ads Manager. Initially, the test will feature image ads appearing intermittently in users’ home feeds. Key details: Small-scale initial test with limited advertisers. Ads will appear between content in the home feed. T…

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…

I’ve been auditing Google Ads accounts for over 10 years. I can confidently say that the same issues appear in most accounts. The good news? These issues are easy to fix and can quickly improve performance. The five key areas where I consistently find missed opportunities include: Location targeting: A default Google Ads setting can cause your ads to reach users outside your intended area. This is easy to fix and can save you measurable amounts of money. Auto-applied recommendations: Allowing Google to auto-apply changes can lead to costly mistakes. It’s better to review and apply these manually, except in specific cases. Campaign structure: Different s…

Success in Google Ads hinges on how well you use your data. With AI-driven features like Smart Bidding, traditional PPC tactics like campaign structure and keyword selection don’t carry the same weight. However, Google Ads provides a goldmine of insights into performance, user behavior, and conversions. The challenge? Turning that data into action. Enter Google’s BigQuery ML – a powerful yet underused tool that can help you optimize campaigns and drive better results. What is BigQuery ML? BigQuery ML is a machine learning tool within the Google Cloud Platform that lets you build and deploy models directly in your BigQuery data warehouse. What m…

Google is testing a new search results display for a small group of EU users when they search for products, restaurants, flights, and hotels. The test is part of Google’s efforts to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. What’s happening. According to a report from Dow Jones Newswires: “Under the test started Monday, Google has set up new units for users to choose between results from price comparison sites such as Booking Holdings’ Booking.com and results that take them directly to supplier websites when they are searching for products, restaurants, flights or hotels.” What Google EU search results look like. Here are screenshots showing what it looks lik…

SEO is a way to get more traffic to your website. By ranking high on Google, you attract more people to your site, which leads to more sales and returning visitors. You must optimize your content for the right words to get people to your site. However, you should consider search intent to increase your chances of ranking, convincing people to buy your stuff, subscribing to your newsletter, or even returning to your website. We’ll tell you what search intent is and how you can optimize your content for search intent. Table of contents What is search intent? Four main types of search intent How to optimize your content for search intent Conclusion on search intent for…

Educational videos are among the top 10 most-consumed video content formats globally, according to Statista. And it makes sense. Video is one of the fastest, most engaging ways to teach, demonstrate, and connect. But for creators and businesses alike, making a video that actually works (as in: educates, retains, or converts) requires more than hitting “record.” I’ve been creating online content for years, so I know what works and what doesn’t. Our online SEO training has helped thousands of marketers level up their skills through self-paced modules, monthly live Q&A webinars, and on-demand videos. Our “Ask Us Anything” video series and SEO a…

With the new Yoast SEO Dashboard, you can see how your site is doing at a glance. Instead of hunting through pages, you’ll find all your key metrics in one place. It’s easy to spot which posts need attention, see where you can improve, and figure out what to tackle first so you can spend more time refining your content and less time searching for data. We know it can be challenging to improve your content when you have to dig through every post and page. That’s why we created a dashboard that instantly shows your site’s SEO Performance. It streamlines the process so you can focus on what matters: making your content shine. What you get from the Yoast SEO Dashboard…

Google announced it is expanding AI Overviews to show on more Google Lens results, including more novel or unique images. This is still only showing on a subset of searches, but now more than when Google first added AI Overviews to Google Lens in May of 2024. Plus, Google is also adding to its Chrome app and Google app for iOS a new Lens feature that lets you select and search whatever’s on your screen with just a simple gesture. AI Overviews and Lens. Google wrote, “now, with help from our advanced AI models, Lens can go much further and provide information on the contents of more novel or unique images. For those kinds of queries, AI Overviews will begin to appe…

PPC marketing has the power to drive massive traffic and conversions – but one wrong move can drain your budget fast. Many marketers unknowingly make costly mistakes due to hidden platform settings, human error, or poor strategic decisions. Whether it’s setting an unrealistic budget, neglecting creative, misusing AI, or avoiding experimentation, these missteps can lead to wasted ad spend and underwhelming results. The good news? Every PPC mistake has a fix. This article breaks down the four most common PPC mistakes, why they happen, and how to correct them – so you can optimize your campaigns and maximize ROI. Mistake 1: Setting an unrealistic …

Keyword research is one of the most important tasks for both SEOs and paid search practitioners. While there are plenty of robust tools on the market, Google Ads Keyword Planner is a great, free starting point. You can explore keywords, see their search volume, and even get an idea of potential costs – all without spending a dime on ads. In this article, I’ll answer key questions, including: Where can I find Keyword Planner in Google Ads? Should I start with keywords or start with a website? What does a “keyword” mean in Keyword Planner? How can I use Keyword Planner to plan my Search campaigns? Should I pick high volume or low volume keyword…

Interest in AI technology and, more specifically, OpenAI’s ChatGPT product has skyrocketed in recent years. People are looking for information about both topics. Source: Google Trends Millions are writing about ChatGPT across the web… …and talking about it in various communities. Interest shot up almost immediately. This is the first couple of weeks after ChatGPT launched to the public. Source: Exploding Topics And as you can tell from the graphs, all of this happened quickly. Whether your X and LinkedIn feeds have been persistently inundated with threads and posts about AI in general and tools like Claude, DeepSeek, and ChatGPT (like min…

Michael Glavac shared a video of some of the longest and most comprehensive AI Overviews I’ve seen displayed in Google Search to date. These AI Overviews have over 600 works, reference over 60 different sites and are incredibly detailed. What it looks like. Here is a videocast of this that Michael shared on LinkedIn: More details. “Just came across this AIO that’s essentially a full article that referred to 61 sites,” Michael wrote. This AI Overview shows: 628 total words Each line referred to a minimum 4 sites/sources The sites/sources were not all relevant and there were some obscure sites that got pulled in, he added. In this case, the quer…