SEO Tools and Resources

Today, we’re exploring Google Ads brand settings, specifically brand inclusion and brand exclusion for Search and Performance Max. We’ll cover: What is Brand Inclusion in Google Ads? When should you use Brand Inclusion for Search? What is Brand Exclusion in Google Ads? When should you use Brand Exclusion? How to create and manage brand lists for brand settings Should you use Brand Settings in Google Ads? What is Brand Inclusion in Google Ads? Brand inclusion is a setting that restricts your Search campaign to only show ads on searches for specific brands. In fact, it used to be called “brand restriction.” You can include your own brand…

Choosing the right paid media channels is key to B2B advertising success. This guide covers the best PPC platforms – Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and more – plus expert tactics to reach decision-makers and drive results. 1. Google Search Google is an effective way to reach B2B decision-makers when they are actively searching. But how do you ensure you’re reaching someone truly looking for a food supplier for their restaurant and not just Joe Schmoe craving a steak dinner? The key is strategic targeting. Make sure to: Use keyword lists wisely Add negative keywords like “home” or “residential” to filter out non-B2B searches. If someone searches…

SEO isn’t what it used to be. With AI-driven search results, increasing zero-click searches, and more competition for user attention, ranking on Google is tougher than ever. But search is still a major traffic driver – if you adapt. The key? Treat SEO as part of a broader, integrated marketing strategy. This article breaks down a simple framework to align SEO with your overall marketing funnel, ensuring you reach, engage, and convert your ideal customers effectively. The evolving SEO challenge: Why optimization alone isn’t enough Nowadays, it’s not enough to have a well-optimized and search engine-friendly website. The modern SERP is a …

Google announced new creative tools in Google Ads, leveraging its Imagen 3 AI model to generate lifestyle imagery across Performance Max, Demand Gen, Display, and Apps campaigns. How it works. Advertisers can input specific prompts like “middle-aged man chopping carrots,” with options to customize age, gender, race, and ethnicity while maintaining control over final image selection. Key features: Text-to-image AI generation for humans – a first for Google Ads. Asset-audience recommendations to improve ad targeting. Asset testing for Performance Max campaigns with feed-only strategies. AI-generated image suggestions coming soon for even faster creativ…

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…

Meta is removing the Audience Types option from Advantage+ catalog ads that use the sales objective, pushing advertisers toward its AI-driven targeting tools. This change reflects Meta’s broader strategy of automating ad targeting, betting that its AI can better match products with potential buyers than manual audience selection. The big picture. While the change removes some manual controls, Meta’s automated targeting has been showing stronger performance metrics, according to their internal data, suggesting this could benefit advertisers despite the reduced direct control. Key details: Advantage+ catalog ads dynamically display products based on user be…

Super Bowl 2025 will be held on Sunday, Feb. 9. The “Big Game” will have around 50 minutes of TV commercials trying to change the hearts, minds, and actions of over 100 million viewers. However, many marketing executives ask, “Are Super Bowl ads effective?” And with a 30-second spot during the Big Game costing $8 million, some are also asking, “Are Super Bowl commercials worth it?” I asked Avinash Kaushik, who spent 16 years leading analytics at Google before becoming the chief strategy officer of Croud, to share the secret sauce for measuring Super Bowl ads. Below is an edited transcript of my questions and his answers. Are Super Bowl ads really effe…

Mastering user intent is all about putting yourself in your user’s shoes. It’s easier to do that if you know what kind of shoes they’re wearing and why. Create and incorporate user personas in SEO decision-making to create actionable insights in the best interest of your actual users. Build your search personas User personas can help you develop a more customized approach to applying user intent to a topic and to your specific users. You aren’t just selling a garden rake to someone in Indiana – you’re selling a metal rake to Gretel in Pawnee so she can get rid of slugs in her front yard. To develop your personas, make a list of your typical users base…

Website migrations are one of the most challenging aspects of SEO. No matter how much experience you have in technical SEO, how detailed your plan is, or how thorough your checklist may be, unexpected issues can still arise. That’s why post-migration monitoring is just as crucial as the migration itself – especially in the first month when hidden problems are most likely to surface. This article tackles some of the most surprising post-launch errors I’ve encountered, along with practical tips on how to identify and resolve them before they cause serious damage. Random 404 pages This issue drove me crazy. It’s a nightmare for SEO testing because it skew…

Join experts from OneTrust and Snowflake for an exclusive look into how modern organizations are integrating privacy and consent management into their data ecosystem. In this session, Snowflake and OneTrust will share real-world use cases and insights into how organizations are activating consent for marketing purposes, all while streamlining compliance at scale. Tune in on March 4 to learn about: The intersections between consent, privacy, and data governance How enterprise brands integrate privacy and consent management with Snowflake OneTrust’s new Native App for accelerating compliance workflows within Snowflake This session is perfect for marketers…

Google released version 2.9 of Google Ads Editor, adding new campaign management tools, video ad enhancements, and better support for Shopping and Performance Max campaigns. Key updates: Manager Account Labels. Advertisers can now attach labels from Google Ads Manager (MCC) accounts to campaigns, ad groups, and keywords. Expanded Shopping Ads. Retail Performance Max campaigns can now serve shopping ads on brand-related searches, even if those brands are typically excluded. Vertical Video Generation. Responsive video ads now support automatic vertical video creation for Video Views campaigns. Masthead Ads Support. Advertisers can create and manage YouTube…

Change is the only constant – a truth marketers, especially those in SEO, know all too well. The search landscape is shifting faster than ever, with AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini reshaping how people find and interact with information. Yet, despite all the innovation, the core principles of SEO remain as relevant as ever. While AI-enhanced search engines may seem like a revolutionary leap, they still rely on the foundational elements that have driven search success for years. This article explores how time-tested SEO strategies – like site structure, indexing, and keyword optimization – still play a crucial role in an AI-d…

Google Ads is rolling out mandatory brand guidelines. It requires you to officially document your business names and logos by March – or face automated changes to your ad campaigns. The big picture. The move represents Google’s latest effort to standardize brand presentation across its advertising platforms while giving businesses more control over their digital identity. Key details: Advertisers must update their brand guidelines before March. If no action is taken, Google will automatically select “top-performing” business names and logos based on campaign data. The change affects how brands appear across all Google’s ad platforms. Why we care. Cl…

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…

If you think that Search campaigns in Google Ads are still a text-only ad format, you are missing out! Image assets for search campaigns are a relatively new Google Ads feature that can help boost your click-through rate (CTR) and stand out from your competitors. Here’s what you’ll learn in this article: What are image assets for search campaigns? Eligibility requirements for image assets How to use image assets for search campaigns How to avoid image asset disapprovals What are image assets for search campaigns? Image assets for search campaigns allow you to make your responsive search ads more appealing and eye-catching. You can upload…

Google will soon fully transition to automatically generated publication pages next month, in March. Back in April 2024, Google told us Publisher Center will soon stop allowing you to add publications and now this is the next step. This means that all publication pages in Google News will be generated automatically by Google. What Google said. Google wrote: Following our announcement in April 2024 last year, Google News will fully transition to automatically generated publication pages in March. This change improves our existing publisher workflow and simplifies our current product experience. Moving forward, all publication pages in Google News will be genera…

Google Ads rolled out a new Performance Max Usefulness Indicator, designed to help advertisers assess the incremental traffic impact of their search themes. The big picture: Performance Max campaigns already leverage AI to automate ad placements across Google’s properties. The new indicator evaluates whether added search themes generate new, incremental traffic or simply overlap with existing signals. This helps advertisers refine their strategies and allocate budgets more effectively. Why we care. The update, which we were told was coming in January, gives advertisers more visibility into how search themes contribute to campaign performance, allowing f…

Mentorship is a powerful yet often overlooked tool in the SEO industry. Whether you’re an industry veteran or an up-and-coming specialist, the mentor-mentee relationship offers countless benefits that can accelerate growth, refine skills, and build a stronger professional network. In an industry where algorithms, strategies, and best practices constantly evolve, having guidance from someone with experience – or offering that guidance to others – can be a defining factor in career success. Some think mentorship only benefits the mentee. But after being a mentor a few months ago, I found that simply wasn’t the case. I learned as much from them as they did from …

Google released comprehensive answers to the most frequent questions about Performance Max, based on feedback from webinars, advertiser roundtables, and account team interactions. The big picture. Performance Max has become a central piece of Google’s advertising ecosystem, but marketers have expressed concerns about its “black box” nature and effectiveness across different business goals. Why we care. As advertisers grapple with Google’s AI-powered Performance Max campaigns, the company addresses crucial questions about transparency, lead quality, and campaign optimization. Key concerns addressed: Channel-level reporting transparency Lead quality …

By now, most marketers have at least dabbled with generative AI (GenAI) tools and large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. They’ve heard that their competitors are using the technology to practically create entire campaigns with the push of a button. And they’re aware that AI is reshaping marketing and perhaps are both excited and a little worried about what the future will bring. To date, much of the early conversation about putting AI into production at scale has centered on the need for good prompt engineering — the ability to ask the right questions of this powerful technology. We’ve been told our successful use of the technology hinges on thi…

With so many PPC agencies claiming to be experts, how do you separate true performers from the ones who just talk a good game? This guide walks you through a no-nonsense evaluation process to find an agency that delivers real results. 1. Define your goals first Before reaching out to agencies, have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with PPC. Are you looking for lead generation, ecommerce sales, local service inquiries, or brand awareness? Knowing your objectives will help you ask the right questions and assess whether an agency is a good fit. Also, factor in your budget constraints and expected ROI. A good agency should work …

Google is adding more engagement options to Performance Max campaigns, adding Message assets alongside those already available in Search campaigns. What’s new: The Message assets functionality, previously exclusive to Search ads, was spotted by digital marketer Emirhan Bayutmuş and is now available in Performance Max campaigns. This feature allows users to initiate conversations with businesses directly from ads, enhancing engagement. Google has updated their message asset help document to reflect this update. Why we care. The expansion gives advertisers another way to connect with potential customers directly through chat-based interactions, potenti…

Welcome to our weekly Search Engine Land series – Everything you need to know about Google Ads in less than 3 minutes. Every Wednesday, I highlight a different Google Ads feature, and what you need to know to get the best results from it, all in a quick 3-minute read. Let’s explore a powerful tool that can help your Google Search ads stand out and improve your click-through rates: keyword insertion. This is the closest thing we have to a “hack” in Google Ads, so be sure you’re not missing out on this tactic! I’ll cover: What is keyword insertion? Why should you use keyword insertion? How to use keyword insertion Best practices for keyword insertion …

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…

Google AI Mode is now here and available within Google Search Labs; it is a new search mode that goes beyond AI Overviews with a more immersive Google Search AI interface that provides “more advanced reasoning, thinking and multimodal capabilities,” Google announced. Google also announced that AI Overviews are now powered by Gemini 2.0 and that AI Overviews are now available for teenagers, a login is not required for access to these AI answers anymore. AI Mode AI Mode is a new tab within Google Search, right now only for those accepted into the Google Search Labs experiment, that brings you into a more AI-like interface. Google said AI Mode “is particularly hel…