SEO Tools and Resources

Google Ads can now surface a recommendation to link your unlinked Google Analytics account to your Google Ads account. The neat part is that the linking of your Google Ads and analytics account can be done with a single click. How it works. Google will show this as a recommendation in the Recommendations section of the Campaigns page in the Google Ads console for eligible users. All you need to do is review the recommendation and click “Apply.” What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of the recommendation: Why we care. Google said advertisers “who link their Google Ads or Google Marketing Platform accounts to a Google Analytics property are correlated …

While online discussion obsesses over whether ChatGPT spells the end of Google, websites are losing revenue from a far more real and immediate problem: some of their most valuable pages are invisible to the systems that matter. Because while the bots have changed, the game hasn’t. Your website content needs to be crawlable. Between May 2024 and May 2025, AI crawler traffic surged by 96%, with GPTBot’s share jumping from 5% to 30%. But this growth isn’t replacing traditional search traffic. Semrush’s analysis of 260 billion rows of clickstream data showed that people who start using ChatGPT maintain their Google search habits. They’re not switching; they’re e…

Google changed one of its most fundamental advertising rules on April 14, and some marketers didn’t even notice. Buried in a policy update to the Unfair Advantage section, Google announced that advertisers could now appear more than once on the same search results page, provided each ad appears in a different ad location. Simply put, a single advertiser can now occupy multiple positions on one SERP. The move was framed as a way to “increase fairness and improve user choice.” But for advertisers already battling rising CPCs, shrinking control, and an opaque auction, the change raises a much more uncomfortable question: How fair can an auction really be w…

Microsoft has released an upgrade to Copilot, bringing what it calls “the best of AI Search” to its AI engine – Copilot. Microsoft said its Copilot responses “will now include more prominent, clickable citations and the option to see aggregated sources.” Plus, Microsoft added a new dedicated search experiment within Copilot. Prominent citations. Microsoft said “Copilot’s responses will have more prominent citations to show you the publisher content that it was sourced from” in this new experience. The Copilot responses will not just give you a summary response but now also include “exactly where the information comes from, with relevant, clear, and clickable sources.…

Google says it’s dramatically cut down on mistaken advertiser suspensions — a long-standing frustration for many legitimate marketers using its platform. By the numbers: Incorrect account suspensions are down over 80%. Suspension appeals are being processed 70% faster. 99% of appeals are now resolved within 24 hours. Why we care. Advertisers depend on uninterrupted access to Google Ads to reach customers and drive revenue. Erroneous suspensions can derail campaigns and business operations, especially for small and mid-size advertisers. How they did it: Clarified policy language to make compliance simpler. Used Google’s Gemini AI to sharpen d…

Google submitted a compliance plan to the European Commission that proposes changes to its ad-tech operations — but rejects calls to break up its business How it works: Google is offering product-level changes — for example, giving publishers the ability to set different minimum prices for different bidders in Google Ad Manager. It’s also proposing greater interoperability between Google’s tools and those of rivals, in order to give publishers and advertisers more flexibility. The company says these tweaks would resolve the European Commission’s concerns without a “disruptive break-up.” Why we care. Google’s proposed “non-disruptive” fixes could pres…

The AI resume has become a C-suite-level asset that reflects your entire digital strategy. To use it effectively, we first need to understand where AI is deploying it across the user journey. How AI has rewritten the user journey For years, our strategies were shaped by the inbound methodology. We built content around a user-driven path through awareness, consideration, and decision, with traditional SEO acting as the engine behind those moments. That journey has now been fundamentally reshaped. AI assistive engines – conversational systems like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity – are collapsing the funnel. They move users from discovery to dec…

Sometimes, content on your website becomes irrelevant or outdated and you need to decide whether to update it or delete it. It can be tricky to decide what needs to be done, but don’t let this hold you back. Regularly updating outdated content should be a key part of your content maintenance activities. Let’s help you make that decision and discuss when you should update existing content or remove it altogether. Update old content that is still valid On our blog, we have an article on meta descriptions that needs regular updating to keep it relevant. We just have to ensure it stays up to date with all the changes Google makes to the way it handles meta description…

A three-year analysis of up to 6,000 advertisers shows that using Google’s seasonality bid adjustments during Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) consistently harms efficiency — even though the platforms keep recommending them. The big picture. Smart Bidding’s models are designed to anticipate predictable retail spikes. Optmyzr’s analysis of tens of billions of impressions across 2022–2024 found that advertisers who skipped seasonality adjustments consistently performed better on efficiency metrics. Without adjustments, Smart Bidding: Identified the BFCM conversion lift on its own Raised bids rationally Kept ROAS stable — even improving it in 2024 …

Google Posts now supports scheduling and multi-location publishing within Google Business Profiles. This should make it easier for you to manage your Google Posts for your business(es) and client(s). Scheduling. When you add a new Google Post within Google Business Profiles, there is a new option to “schedule this post.” You can then select a date and time for when you want the post to be scheduled. Lisa Landsman from Google said on LinkedIn, “plan your entire week or month in advance! You can now schedule your Google Posts to go live automatically at the perfect time.” Multi-location publishing. Also, if you manage multiple locations for a business and you wa…

Google Ads is giving advertisers more flexibility with the Overview tab, allowing up to five custom views. This lets marketers tailor their dashboards to track the metrics that matter most to their campaigns. Driving the news. The update was spotted and shared screenshots on LinkedIn, highlighting that users can now add multiple tabs and fully customize Overview pages for their unique needs. What’s changing. Previously, the Overview tab had a fixed layout, limiting how agencies and advertisers could monitor performance. With custom views, teams can now organize metrics, charts, and reports in a way that aligns with their workflow, improving efficiency and …

A recent test run by the Adalysis team reveals that Google’s new AI Max setting is reshaping how search terms are matched and reported — creating blind spots for advertisers who rely on precise keyword control. When AI Max isn’t the right fit. AI Max isn’t inherently bad, but advertisers should think twice if: Broad match historically underperforms in your account. Your top exact/phrase match keywords are already constrained by budget. You prefer not to use text customization or Final URL expansion — both built-in components of AI Max. If you only need broad match, you can add those keywords manually and keep full control. How AI Max interacts with…

On episode 333 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Nils Rooijmans, a renowned Google Ads script expert and top 10 PPC influencer, where she shares the experience of a costly error that serves as a valuable lesson for anyone managing paid search campaigns. The Setup: A quick account onboarding gone wrong The trouble began when one of Rooijmans’ existing clients acquired another company in the airport parking services industry. The acquired company was already running a small Google Ads account, and the client wanted Rooijmans to manage it without paying additional fees for proper onboarding. Against his better judgment, Rooijmans agreed to a compromise: they wou…

Google is rolling out Preferred Sources globally after launching the feature in the US and India last August. Plus, Google announced a new feature Spotlighting subscriptions that highlights links from your news subscriptions within Gemini and will later come to Google Search via AI Overviewa and AI Mode. Preferred Sources. Preferred sources let searchers star sources within the Top Stories section of Google Search, and then Google will use that information to show more stories from that starred source. It was in beta in June and then rolled old in the US and India in August. It is now rolling out globally. Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search, wrote, “We’re n…

I expected the dark-themed landing page to lose. Everything I knew about conversion optimization said the light background should win. Light themes are standard for B2B lead generation pages because they offer better readability, cleaner visual hierarchy, and align with accessibility standards. Unbounce’s analysis of 41,000 landing pages establishes baseline patterns favoring light backgrounds. It seemed like a safe bet. But after splitting paid traffic 50/50 between a dark landing page and a light landing page for our industrial fleet repair SaaS, the light variant achieved a 16.62% higher CTR yet delivered 42% fewer total conversions. This isn’t a…

Google Ads introduced View-Through Conversion (VTC)–optimised bidding for Android App campaigns, giving advertisers a visible toggle to optimise toward conversions that happen after an ad is viewed, not clicked. Previously, VTC existed only as a hidden signal within Google’s systems. Now, it’s an explicit optimisation option. The shift. Google is continuing to move app advertising away from click-centric logic and toward incrementality and influence, especially for formats like YouTube and in-feed video. This update aligns bidding more closely with how users actually discover and install apps. Why we care. Advertisers can now bid beyond clicks, improvi…

Google Search Console seems to have fixed the weeks long delay with the search performance reports. For the past few weeks, we had 50+ hour delays for these reports, but as of the past several hours, the reports seem to be up-to-date. Now up-to-date. If you go to the search performance report, you should just see anywhere between about 2 – 6 hours of delay, which is typically normal. At some point over the past few weeks, the delays were over 70 hours. This is what I see: The delays started a few weeks ago and it took about three weeks to clear the delay and backlog of data. Page indexing report. Meanwhile, the page indexing report delay we reported ma…

Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ads Liaison, is clarifying how keyword match types interact with AI Overviews (AIO) and AI Mode ad placements — addressing ongoing confusion among advertisers testing AI Max and mixed match-type setups. Why we care. As ads expand into AI-powered placements, advertisers need to understand which keywords are eligible to serve — and when — to avoid unintentionally blocking reach or misreading performance. Back in May. Responding to questions from Marketing Director Yoav Eitani, Marvin confirmed that an ad can serve either above or below an AI Overview or within the AI Overview — but not both in the same auction: “Your ad could trigger to s…

Google Search Console appears to have fixed the month-long delay with the page indexing report just about an hour ago. The report is now showing data as early as a few days ago, which is the normal timeframe for when this report is updated. Plus, emails about indexing issues have started going out from Search Console to site owners again. Page indexing report. It shows which pages Google can find and index on your site, along with any problems. You can also submit fixes there and see whether Google confirms they worked. Site owners and SEOs were stuck, they were unable to verify their “fixes” and unable to see if new pages were being indexed and if old pages were…

Discovery now happens before search demand is visible in Google. In 2026, interest forms across social feeds, communities, and AI-generated answers – long before it shows up as keyword search volume. By the time demand appears in SEO tools, the opportunity to shape how a concept is understood has already passed. This creates a problem for how search marketing research is typically done. Keyword tools, search volume, and Google Trends are lagging indicators. They reveal what people cared about yesterday, not what they are starting to explore now. In a landscape shaped by AI Overviews, social SERPs, and shrinking organic real estate, arriving lat…

SEO didn’t stand still in 2025. It didn’t reinvent itself either. It clarified what actually matters. If you followed The SEO Update by Yoast monthly webinars this year, you’ll recognize the pattern. Throughout 2025, our Principal SEOs, Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss, cut through the noise to explain not just what was changing but why it mattered as AI-powered search reshaped visibility, trust, and performance. If you missed some sessions or want the full picture in one place, this wrap-up is for you. We’re looking back at how SEO evolved over the year, what those changes mean in practice, and what they signal going forward. Key takeaways In 2025, SEO shifted its focus…

Google is testing showing a blue “Send” button in the search box as you begin to type your query. The AI Mode button, which now shows at the right side of that search box disappears as you type your query and is replaced by this Send button. What it looks like. Shameem Adhikarath spotted this and posted a video of it on X: As you can see, as you begin typing your query, the AI Mode, Lens and Microphone buttons all disappear and is replaced by this blue Send button. That plus sign still remains, so that was not removed. Why we care. Firstly, this is just a test but if this launches, this may send fewer people to Google’s AI Mode and more searchers to Go…

Google is updating its advertising policies to allow ads for Prediction Markets in the U.S. starting January 21st — but only for federally regulated entities. Who qualifies. Eligibility is limited to entities authorized by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) whose primary business is listing exchange-listed event contracts, or brokerages registered with the National Futures Association (NFA) that offer access to products listed by qualifying DCMs. Advertisers must also apply for Google certification to run ads in the U.S. Why we care. Prediction markets have long been restricted on Google Ads. This change opens a n…

In 2025, the SEO industry debated whether AI required a strategy shift. In 2026, we are still debating, but we are moving further into the testing and execution phase. To navigate the new search landscape, we have to kill the channel silo and let the SEO team act as the strategic quarterback for brand authority. Organic search has always been a treasure trove of insights into consumer behavior, platform changes, brand presence, and organic influence. Right now, LLMs are binging on a diet of earned media. Press releases, social media content, UGC, your website, your retailers’ sites, YouTube videos, and Reddit threads all have a huge influence on th…

Google Ads is adding account-level placement exclusions, letting advertisers block unwanted inventory across all campaigns from a single setting. What’s new. Advertisers can now apply one exclusion list at the account level. Exclusions apply across Performance Max, Demand Gen, YouTube, and Display campaigns. Previously, blocks had to be set at the ad group or campaign level. How it works. Once a placement is excluded at the account level, Google Ads automatically prevents spend on those websites, apps, or YouTube placements across all eligible campaigns. Why we care. Placement controls have long been fragmented. Managing exclusions campaign by campaign was…