SEO Tools and Resources

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…

Yahoo appears to be testing some new AI related features within Yahoo Search. In fact, some are seeing Yahoo show a banner at the top of Yahoo’s home page that says, “We’re building a new yahoo.com to show more of what’s interesting to you.” The new search features include: AI powered chat AI generated answers within search Note, you need to login to Yahoo to see the new Yahoo Search features. AI chat in Yahoo. For the past week or so, we’ve been seeing signs of Yahoo incorporating AI Chat features in Yahoo Search. Now, we are seeing that more prominently in the Yahoo Search interface. Here are some screenshots from Sachin Patel on X: Here is…

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. …

Google appears to be rolling out manual actions, search penalties, across German-based sites over the site reputation abuse policy. This comes a week or so after Google expanded the penalties across Europe, for sites in Italy, Spain, and France. What we’re seeing. Christian Kunz, posted on his German-based SEO blog that Google has probably taken first manual actions in Germany against site reputation abuse. A search results set for coupon codes that previously showed many news websites is now no longer showing these sites in the top rankings. Laura Chiocciora, head of SEO at Bravo Savings Network, posted on X adding this morning: 'adidas rabattcode' yesterday vs…

The U.S. Department of Justice is calling for Google to break up its digital advertising empire after a federal judge ruled the tech giant had illegally maintained monopoly power in the ad exchange market. Driving the news. In a court filing on Sunday, the DOJ said Google should divest its AdX exchange, where ad inventory is bought and sold. It should also sell its DFP platform, used by publishers to manage and serve ads. The sales would be overseen by a court-appointed trustee, who would find buyers and monitor compliance. Why we care. The DOJ’s proposal to force Google to sell off AdX and DFP strikes at the core of Google’s multibillion-dollar ad tech stack. A s…

Google officially launched Meridian, its open-source marketing mix model designed to help marketers allocate budgets more effectively in a dynamic digital landscape. After rigorous testing with hundreds of brands worldwide, Meridian is now available to everyone, offering advanced customization and actionable insights, Google said. The move gives marketers and data scientists an open-source tool that could help them better understand how their marketing spending affects business outcomes, especially in today’s complex digital landscape. The big picture. Marketing mix models (MMMs) help companies measure marketing performance across channels, but traditional ve…

Searchers are twice as likely to click on a brand they know than a top-ranked result, according to a survey from link building agency Page One Power. 59% of Americans click on search results of brands they know. Less than one-third click on the top-ranked result. Why we care. Trust remains critical for brands in SEO. Yes, “build a brand” has become a cliche, but it’s also true. You need to build a brand that your audience recognizes and connects with. But that doesn’t mean you must be a global brand the size of Apple or Google. Paid vs. organic. 49% of Americans trust organic search results more than paid results, while another 46% trust organic and paid r…

Looking to do more with your first-party data? Behavioral marketing offers a powerful, privacy-conscious way to deepen customer engagement and improve performance. This guide from Acoustic breaks down seven proven strategies to help you collect, activate, and apply behavioral insights across the funnel. Whether you’re refining B2B nurture journeys or scaling cross-channel personalization, these tactics can help you shift from guesswork to real-time relevance. You’ll learn: How to build a cohesive first-party data strategy Why behavioral signals are the key to closing visibility gaps How AI and machine learning unlock smarter targeting and content Why ret…

Microsoft has confirmed it uses schema markup to help its LLMs (large language models) understand your content. There has been a debate around if AI models and LLMs use schema or structured data, and at least Microsoft has confirmed they do. Source. Fabrice Canel from Microsoft’s Bing confirmed this while on stage at SMX Munich the other day. David wrote, “Fabrice Canel confirms that schema markup helps Microsoft’s LLMs understand your content in his excellent SMX – Search Marketing Expo in Munich presentation.” David Mihm posted on LinkedIn these details, which later Fabrice Canel confirmed in the comments area. Fabrice added, “Gen AIs value fresh content in…

Site Kit by Google is a free WordPress plugin that connects your site to important tools like Analytics, Search Console, and Ads. After installing, it’s easy to verify your accounts, after which you see data in your dashboard. That data is nice to have, but it has limits, especially if you need detailed reports. Table of contents What is Site Kit by Google and why use it? What does it look like? What Google services can you connect? Managing Analytics in Site Kit by Google What’s Enhanced Conversion tracking? Key Metrics widget for quick performance insights Is Site Kit by Google enough for your goals? Should you use Site Kit by Google? What is Site Kit by G…

PPC marketing isn’t easy. Juggling campaigns across Google, Microsoft Bing, and social platforms while maximizing every click is a challenge – and those clicks aren’t cheap. That’s why Chrome extensions are PPC game-changers. They sit in your browser, ready to help without the hassle of switching tools. Imagine this: you’re analyzing competitors, tweaking ad copy, and tracking keywords – all without juggling tabs or draining your focus. The best part? Most top extensions are free. No budget approvals, no learning curve – just click, install, and start optimizing faster. Whether you’re a PPC pro or just starting out, the right Chrome extensions ca…

The Google March 2025 core update finished rolling out over a 14-day period, starting on March 13, 2025, and completed about 14 days later on March 27, 2025. This March core update took about a week longer than Google’s December 2024 core update, which started December 12, 2024 and completed about 6 days later on December 18, 2024. Please understand that if a core update impacts a site, it can result in a huge change for that site’s search visibility. So, I do not want to diminish any core updates, including the March core update; those could have been really big for you or the sites you manage. Data providers on the Google March 2025 core update Semrush. Semru…

AI Overviews are no longer an experiment – they’re live, prominent, and already changing how people interact with Google Search. For content creators and marketers, that means traditional SEO strategies are under new pressure. When Google answers a query before users scroll, visibility no longer depends just on rankings. It hinges on whether your content is selected, cited, or even needed. This shift calls for more than short-term tweaks. It demands a rethinking of how SEO works both now and in the future. So, what can you do when AI Overviews take the spotlight in search? How to stay visible when Google’s AI Overview answers first When AI Overviews…

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…

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 …

In SEO, using top tools is key. Yoast and Semrush have joined forces to combine their technologies. This integration benefits WordPress and Shopify users by improving their SEO work. Yoast SEO offers easy-to-use SEO features, while Semrush brings solid data that can be used for keyword research. This article will explore the Related Keyphrase feature, which uses Semrush’s keyword data. Table of contents Why integrate Yoast SEO with Semrush? Using Semrush for related keyphrases Better keywords with Semrush and Yoast SEO Why integrate Yoast SEO with Semrush? SEO involves more than just content optimization; it requires understanding the search landscape and…

The world of SEO keeps evolving and changing, which is why it’s important to keep developing your own skills. An excellent way to do this is via hands-on experimentation. In this post, I’ll share three valuable lessons I’ve learned from my previous ventures. Note that this blog post was inspired from my talk at BrightonSEO in October 2024. Where it all started A bit of background information: I started experimenting with SEO in 1999 without realizing it, when I created a South Park fan website. This was done via my early foray into the fundamentals of HTML and having fun with the site through different experiments. I discovered that by manipulating meta keyword…

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…

Hundreds of the most advanced, experienced, and passionate search marketers on the planet are heading to Boston this June 11-13 for the ultimate summer camp for search marketers: SMX Advanced is back in-person, and this is your chance to unlock actionable tactics, intimate networking, and the unmatched energy of a live event. Designed by advanced search marketers, for advanced search marketers, SMX Advanced delivers expert-level training you won’t find anywhere else. This is your chance to connect face-to-face with the sharpest minds in the industry, validate your ongoing initiatives and instincts, and geek out with your search community IRL. It’s summer camp for sea…

Google said it is now able to catch 20 times the number of scammy pages within Google Search than it was previously. Google also said that it reduced the number of bad actors on the web impersonating airline customer service providers by more than 80% within Google Search. Google credits its AI and improved classifiers for these changes. The numbers. Google gave these two stats when it comes to improving the safety of the Google Search results: Google Search can “catch 20-times the number of scammy pages” Google Search has reduced fake phone number “scams by more than 80% in Search” AI and classifier improvements. Google credits these improvements to i…

SEO is evolving faster than a fruit fly colony in a genetics lab – constantly adapting, mutating, and surprising even the experts. One day, long-form content reigns supreme; the next, AI-generated summaries are stealing the spotlight. Staying ahead requires smarter, data-driven insights. AI-powered tools like OpenAI’s Deep Research are reshaping how marketers approach content strategy, competitive analysis, and SERP optimization. Unlike traditional AI models that rely on pre-existing training data, Deep Research can pull real-time insights from external sources, making it a game-changer for SEO professionals. But how does it compare to standard ChatGPT, a…

There’s an ongoing debate in the PPC community about whether ad strength is a metric worth measuring or optimizing for. While Google states that ad strength doesn’t directly influence ad serving eligibility, it’s often treated as a proxy for ad quality – up to a point. Understanding ad strength Google’s ad strength metric is designed to guide advertisers in creating higher-quality ads. Google wants to show the best combination of headlines and descriptions for every user. This ensures high ad relevancy and more clicks (revenue) for Google. Ads are rated from Poor to Excellent, and Google offers recommendations on how to improve your score. G…

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…

It’s no longer groundbreaking to say that the SEO landscape is evolving. But this time, the shift is fundamental. We’re entering an era where search is no longer just about keywords but understanding. At the core of this shift is vector-based SEO. Optimizing for vectors gives websites a major advantage in search engines and overall web presence. As AI and large language models (LLMs) continue to shape digital experiences, websites that adapt early will stay ahead of the competition. What are vectors? Vectors are a mathematical way for AI to understand and organize information beyond just text. Instead of relying on exact keyword matches, search en…

Google officially announced AI Max, a new suite of automation features for Search campaigns – and the PPC community is buzzing. While Google positions AI Max as an optional, performance-enhancing setting, many advertisers are parsing the announcement carefully, trying to separate the substance from the spin. From excitement about creative automation to concerns about keywordless targeting, reactions span the spectrum. What is AI Max? Google says: not a revolution, but an evolution First things first: what is AI Max? According to Jyll Saskin Gales, a former Googler who spoke directly with the product team: “AI Max for Search campaigns is a bundle o…