Top 10 Content Management Systems (May 2025)
WordPress has dominated the content management system (CMS) space since launching in 2003, and while it’s still the leader, the market is shifting in ways worth paying attention to. As of May 2025, WordPress powers 43.5% of websites surveyed and holds a 61.2% share among sites that use a CMS, according to W3Techs. That’s still […]
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Why It Matters More Than Ever
Reddit Karma has evolved far beyond a simple upvote tally. It plays a central role in how content spreads, how trust is earned, and how visibility is gained, especially for brands. With Reddit’s monetization programs and algorithmic surfacing now tightly tied to karma, it has become a built-in vetting system that shapes who gets seen, […]
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How To Use LLMs For 301 Redirects At Scale
Redirects are essential to every website’s maintenance, and managing redirects becomes really challenging when SEO pros deal with websites containing millions of pages. Examples of situations where you may need to implement redirects at scale: An ecommerce site has a large number of products that are no longer sold. Outdated pages of news publications are […]
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Google Lens Integration For YouTube Shorts: Search Within Videos
Google has integrated Lens into YouTube Shorts. Now, you can search for items you see in videos directly from your phone. How The New Feature Works Here’s how to use Google Lens in YouTube Shorts: Pause any Short by tapping the screen. Select “Lens” from the top menu. Circle, highlight, or tap anything you want […]
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Database Speed Beats Page Count For Crawl Budget
Google has confirmed that most websites still don’t need to worry about crawl budget unless they have over one million pages. However, there’s a twist. Google Search Relations team member Gary Illyes revealed on a recent podcast that how quickly your database operates matters more than the number of pages you have. This update comes […]
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Google’s Query Fan-Out Patent: Thematic Search
A patent that Google filed in December 2024 presents a close match to the Query Fan-Out technique that Google’s AI Mode uses. The patent, called Thematic Search, offers an idea of how AI Mode answers are generated and suggests new ways to think about content strategy. The patent describes a system that organizes related search […]
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Google Fixes AI Mode Traffic Attribution Bug
Google has fixed a bug that caused AI Mode search traffic to be reported as “direct traffic” instead of “organic traffic” in Google Analytics. The problem started last week. Google was adding a special code (rel=”noopener noreferrer”) to links in its AI Mode search results. This code caused Google Analytics to incorrectly attribute traffic to […]
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Google’s CEO Says AI Overviews Website Referrals Are Increasing
Google’s Sundar Pichai said in an interview that AI Overviews sends more traffic to a wider set of websites, insisting that Google cares about the web ecosystem and that he expects AI Mode to continue to send more traffic to websites, a claim that the interviewer challenged. AI Agents Remove Customer Relationship Opportunities There is […]
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Google Claims AI Overviews Monetize At Same Rate As Traditional Search
Google claims that search results with AI Overviews generate the same amount of advertising revenue as traditional search results. This claim was made during Google Marketing Live when the company revealed plans to expand AI Overview ads to desktop users and more English-speaking markets. If true, this could reshape how marketers perceive Google’s AI-powered future. […]
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Google’s Sergey Brin Says AI Can Synthesize Top 1,000 Search Results
Google co-founder Sergey Brin says AI is transforming search from a process of retrieving links to one of synthesizing answers by analyzing thousands of results and conducting follow-up research. He explains that this shift enables AI to perform research tasks that would take a human days or weeks, changing how people interact with information online. […]
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Google’s New AI Tools Promise Faster Ads, But Raise Control Concerns
Google’s latest AI tools promise to manage campaigns automatically. But advertisers are asking whether these new features give up too much human control. At Google Marketing Live, the company showcased three new AI agents. These tools can handle everything from creating campaigns to managing tasks across multiple platforms. However, the announcement raised questions from attendees […]
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How To Measure Topical Authority [In 2025]
Today’s Memo is an updated version of my previous guides on topical authority, one that takes the Google leaks, documents revealed in Google lawsuits, my recent UX study of AIOs, and the latest shifts in the search landscape into account. Image Credit: Lyna ™ I think this is one of these concepts that can fly under […]
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Google Announces Largest Ads Bidding Update In Over A Decade
PPC bidding just got a lot more interesting. Just announced at Google Marketing Live, Google is launching Smart Bidding Exploration, a new opt-in feature designed to help advertisers capture more conversions from their existing campaigns. This update marks one of the most significant changes to Google Ads bidding over a decade. This isn’t a cosmetic […]
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Top 10 Content Management Systems (May 2025)
WordPress has dominated the content management system (CMS) space since launching in 2003, and while it’s still the leader, the market is shifting in ways worth paying attention to. As of May 2025, WordPress powers 43.5% of websites surveyed and holds a 61.2% share among sites that use a CMS, according to W3Techs. That’s still […]
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Explaining Agentic SEO To The C-Level
AI has quickly carved out a central role in SEO, with widespread adoption across tasks like content generation, image, and video creation. Generative AI makes headlines and is exciting, but the operational use of AI can be just as impactful. This evolution is now being referred to as Agentic SEO. It’s not just about chasing […]
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The Background Google Didn’t Tell You
On March 29, 2025, the New York Yankees hit a franchise record nine home runs in one game versus the Milwaukee Brewers. To accomplish this feat, they used a bat that will probably change baseball forever (or not). They provided Google with the opportunity to oversell its AI abilities, hoping that no one would be […]
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How To Successfully Weave Your Brand Messaging Into Sales Copy
Sales copy without a brand messaging framework is like a house without a foundation. It might look pretty, but it’s not going to get the job done. Just “winging it” isn’t going to cut it. You need a purpose. You need a plan. And you need excellent brand messaging. As a marketing copywriter, I’ve compiled […]
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What’s Draining Your PPC Budget and How to Stop It
You’ve crafted the perfect ad, fine-tuned the targeting, and even carved out a healthy budget. The clicks are rolling in, but the conversions just aren’t there. What’s going wrong? For many businesses, the problem isn’t the ad. It’s what happens after the click. Where PPC Performance Falls Apart Missed calls. Slow follow-ups. Confusing handoffs between […]
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Google Claims AI Search Delivers ‘Quality Clicks’ Despite Traffic Loss
Google executives are trying to reframe the conversation about AI-powered search features as industry data reveals significant website traffic reductions. Independent industry data reveals significant website traffic reductions linked to AI-powered search features. During a recent Google Marketing Live press session, Google executives did not comment on click volume, but indicated that the visits which […]
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Google AI Measurement Upgrades Announced At Google Marketing Live
During its annual Google Marketing Live event for advertisers, Google announced upgrades to its AI measurement tools, making access easier for small brands. These updates were shared ahead of time with Search Engine Journal during an exclusive preview event, which showcase Google’s continued investment in providing advertisers of all sizes better visibility into performance, incrementality, […]
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Google’s Official Advice On Optimizing For AI Overviews & AI Mode
Google has released new guidelines for website owners who want to excel in AI-powered search. In a blog post, Search Advocate John Mueller shared tips for ranking in AI Overviews and AI Mode. This guidance comes as Google moves beyond traditional “blue links” to offer more AI-driven search features. Curious about AI in Search and […]
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30-Year SEO Pro Shows How To Adapt To Google’s Zero-Click Search
Search marketer Michael Bonfils recently discussed how AI is disrupting search marketing and shared insights into what he feels is an appropriate response to one of the most difficult search environments he’s seen in his thirty years of experience. Michael Bonfils (LinkedIn profile) has worked in digital marketing since virtually the dawn of it all, […]
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What You Need to Know
At its annual I/O developer conference, Google announced upgrades to its AI-powered Search tools, making features like AI Mode and AI Overviews available to more people. These updates, which Search Engine Journal received an advanced look at during a preview event, show Google’s commitment to creating interactive search experiences. Here’s what’s changing and what it […]
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Use IndexNow For AI Search And Shopping SEO
Microsoft Bing published an announcement stating that the IndexNow search crawling technology is a powerful way for ecommerce companies to surface the latest and most accurate shopping-related information in AI Search and search engine shopping features. Generative Search Requires Timely Shopping Information Ecommerce sites typically depend on merchant feeds, search engine crawling and updates to […]
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How To Automate SEO Keyword Clustering By Search Intent With Python
There’s a lot to know about search intent, from using deep learning to infer search intent by classifying text and breaking down SERP titles using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, to clustering based on semantic relevance, with the benefits explained. Not only do we know the benefits of deciphering search intent, but we also have […]
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How Referral Traffic Undermines Long-Term Brand Growth
Mordy Oberstein, a search marketing professional whom I hold in high esteem, recently shared the provocative idea that referral traffic is not a brand’s friend and that every brand, as it matures, should wean itself from it. Referrals from other websites are generally considered a sign of a high-performing business, but it’s not a long-term […]
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HTTP Status Codes Google Cares About (And Those It Ignores)
Google’s Search Relations team recently shared insights about how the search engine handles HTTP status codes during a “Search Off the Record” podcast. Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt from Google discussed several status code categories commonly misunderstood by SEO professionals. How Google Views Certain HTTP Status Codes While the podcast didn’t cover every HTTP status […]
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WordPress Scraper Plugin Compromised By Security Vulnerability
A WordPress plugin that automatically posts content scraped from other websites has been discovered to contain a critical vulnerability that allows anyone to upload malicious files to affected websites. The severity of the vulnerability is rated at 9.8 on a scale of 1-10. Crawlomatic Multisite Scraper Post Generator Plugin for WordPress The Crawlomatic WordPress plugin […]
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The Intersection Of Video SEO And Social Media: Tactics To Win
Video content is now a driving force behind consumers’ attention in today’s digital era. Gone are the days of simple blog posts and stock images. Social media has transformed what entices clicks, follows, and likes, displaying a consistent stream of highly engaging visual content for users to sift through. Visual content, particularly in the form […]
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Googler’s Deposition Offers View Of Google’s Ranking Systems
A Google engineer’s redacted testimony published online by the U.S. Justice Department offers a look inside Google’s ranking systems, offering an idea about Google’s quality scores and introduces a mysterious popularity signal that uses Chrome data. The document offers a high level and very general view of ranking signals, providing a sense of what the […]
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How Will The Tariffs Impact My PPC Campaigns?
Tariffs – and other international trade turbulence – tend to live in the operations or finance side of the house. In reality, these shifts disrupt marketing, media efficiency, and PPC strategy more than many brands are prepared for. When the ripple effects hit, they often show up first in your performance metrics. This month’s Ask […]
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Google Launches Generative AI Certification With Free Training
Google launches a generative AI certification with free training, focusing on Google’s tools. Is this credential worth adding to your resume? Google has launched a generative AI certification program. The certification is focused exclusively on Google’s own AI tools. The certification exam costs $99, but all training materials are free.
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How To Boost Google Discover Visibility: Ranking Signals That Win
This post was sponsored by RollerAds. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Want more visibility in Google Discover? Not sure how to get into Google’s personalized news feeds? Discover isn’t like search. You don’t rank for keywords. You get selected. And that means the best way to get featured isn’t to […]
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Regain Control of Search Visibility in the Age of AI
Trying to regain lost visibility in AI-powered search results? As AI Overviews and answer engines continue to reshape how search works, organic visibility can disappear overnight. If your traffic has taken a hit, you may need a more complete strategy to recover and grow. Join us for “Own The Total SERP: How To Regain Lost […]
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Google Updates Image SEO Best Practices: Use Consistent URLs
Google’s updated image SEO best practices recommend using consistent URLs for images across your site to preserve crawl budget. Google recommends using the same image URL across your site. Inconsistent image URLs can waste your crawl budget. Wasted crawl budget can limit how many pages Google indexes on your site.
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Telling Better Stories With SEO Data To Show Business Impact
In data-heavy organizations, SEO remains one of the most misunderstood areas at the executive level. This isn’t because of a lack of information but because much of that information lacks clarity or relevance. SEO teams regularly produce dashboards, audits, and detailed reports, yet these rarely answer the business questions executives care about. Charts showing keyword […]
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6 New Ways To Run Campaigns
Tip #1. Boost Relevance: Use Industry-Specific Conversion Signals To Customize Google Ads Messaging Increasing clicks is as easy as increasing how relevant your ads are to your potential customers. Sounds easy, but when you’re managing different brands, many industries, or multiple brick-and-mortar locations, it can quickly become difficult to understand exactly what each individual person […]
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New AI Models Make More Mistakes, Creating Risk for Marketers
The newest AI tools, built to be smarter, make more factual errors than older versions. As The New York Times highlights, tests show errors as high as 79% in advanced systems from companies like OpenAI. This can create problems for marketers who rely on these tools for content and customer service. Rising Error Rates in […]
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Inventory Management Tips For 2025
Anyone with experience selling on Amazon will tell you that the most important part of your business is making sure that you stay in stock. Inventory stockouts not only lose the incremental sales, but also impact your organic rankings and diminish your advertising efforts. Managing inventory levels has become more complex as Amazon has rolled […]
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Why Meaning Matters Most In Branding (And How To Build It)
Building a genuine emotional connection is crucial for forming a meaningful bond with your audience and transforming them into your most loyal customers. In this episode, Katie Morton, editor-in-chief of Search Engine Journal, and Mordy Oberstein, founder of Unify Brand Marketing, explore why meaning is the foundation of successful brand marketing. They break down how […]
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How To Build An AI Search Strategy With Limited Resources
Feeling overwhelmed by AI in search? Working with limited time, tools, or a small team? You’re not alone. As search engines evolve, it’s becoming harder to keep up, especially if your resources are stretched thin. Join us for “Do More With Less: How To Build an AI Search Strategy With Limited Resources,” a practical webinar […]
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10Web Releases API For Scaled White Label AI Website Building
10Web has launched an AI Website Builder API that turns text prompts into fully functional WordPress websites hosted on 10Web’s infrastructure, enabling platforms to embed AI website creation into their product workflows. Designed for SaaS tools, resellers, developers, and agencies, the API delivers business-ready sites with ecommerce features, AI-driven customization, and full white-label support to […]
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How Google Protects Searchers From Scams: Updates Announced
Google has announced improvements to its security systems, revealing that AI now plays a crucial role in protecting users from scams. Additionally, Google has released a report detailing the effectiveness of AI in combating scams in search results. Google’s AI-Powered Defense Strategy Google’s report highlights its progress in spotting scams. Its AI systems block hundreds […]
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Google Disputes News That Search Engine Use Is Falling
Google took the unusual step of issuing a response to news reports that AI search engines and chatbots were causing a decline in traditional search engine use, directly contradicting testimony given by an Apple executive in the ongoing U.S. government antitrust lawsuit against Google. Apple Testimony That Triggered Stock Sell-Off Google’s stock price took a […]
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Apple May Add AI Search Engines to Safari As Google Use Drops
Apple is reportedly planning to redesign Safari to focus on AI search engines. According to recent testimony in the Google antitrust case, this comes as the company prepares for possible changes to its profitable Google deal. Apple Signals Shift In Search Strategy Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, testified that Safari searches dropped […]
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Testing Google’s Post-AIO Traffic Claims
Last week, in Part 1 (find it here), we examined whether Google’s AI Overviews are actually changing how people use Search. The data revealed that while users visit Google more frequently with AI Overviews, they: Spend less time per visit. Aren’t crafting significantly longer or more complex queries. Now we turn to an even more […]
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WordPress WooCommerce Bug Causing Sites To Crash
A WordPress bug is causing WooCommerce sites to display a fatal error, crashing ecommerce sites. The problem originates from a single line of code. A workaround has been created. The WooCommerce team is aware of the issue and is working on issuing a permanent fix in the form of a patch. WooCommerce Sites Crashing Someone […]
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Users Make 10 Clicks Before Leaving
New data shows Google keeps users on its site longer. Visitors now make 10 clicks on Google’s site before leaving for another website. This finding comes from a 13-month study comparing Google and ChatGPT traffic patterns. Google Keeps Users In, ChatGPT Sends Them Out Tyler Einberger of Momentic analyzed Similarweb data showing that Google’s “pages […]
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Google’s Updated Raters Guidelines Target Fake EEAT Content
A major update to Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines (QRG) clarifies and expands on multiple forms of deception that Google wants its quality raters to identify. This change continues the trend of refining the guidelines so that quality raters become better at spotting increasingly granular forms of quality issues. TL/DR Authenticity should be the core […]
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The 8 Most Important PPC KPIs You Should Be Tracking
If you’re still measuring your PPC success based on click-through rate and impressions alone, you’re about to be left behind. The role of paid media has changed – and not just because Google Ads released another round of automation. It’s changing because people have changed. We live in a multi-device, privacy-first, AI-influenced world where attention […]
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Google Lighthouse To Undergo Major Audit Overhaul: What To Know
Google announced plans to revamp Lighthouse’s performance audits. The new version will match the recently launched insights in Chrome DevTools’ Performance panel. This shift will alter how performance data is organized and presented, impacting SEO professionals who utilize Lighthouse for website optimization. Background: Combining Google’s Performance Tools This update is part of Google’s effort to […]
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Google Expands AIO Coverage In Select Industries
BrightEdge Generative Parser™ detected an expansion of AI Overviews beginning April 25th, covering a larger quantity of entertainment and travel search queries, with noteworthy growth in insurance, B2B technology and education queries. Expanded AIO Coverage Expansion of AIO coverage for actor filmographies represented the largest growth area for the entertainment sector, with 76.34% of new […]
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What It Means For Digital Marketing And SEO
Reddit’s first-quarter 2025 earnings report shows strong growth in traffic and user engagement, particularly among logged-out users. Although the announcement and shareholder letter did not mention search engines or the temporary decrease in traffic in February, the increase in logged-out traffic suggests year-over-year growth from external referrals from search engines and social media. The shareholder […]
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Yelp Vs. Google Antitrust Case Survives First Big Test
Yelp’s antitrust case against Google just survived a critical test. While a judge tossed several claims, she allowed Yelp’s core challenge – focused on Google’s alleged monopoly in local search – to move forward. The broader battle over Big Tech’s power is far from over. The central claims that Google unfairly used its dominance in […]
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Server-Side vs. Client-Side Rendering: What Google Recommends
In an interview with Kenichi Suzuki from Faber Company Inc., Google Developer Advocate Martin Splitt recently shared key information about JavaScript rendering, server-side vs. client-side rendering, and structured data. The talk cleared up common SEO confusion and offered practical tips for developers and marketers working with Google’s changing search systems. Google’s AI Crawler & JavaScript […]
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33% of Google Users Stuck with Bing After a Two-Week Trial: Study
A study found that 33% of Google users continued to use Bing after trying it for two weeks. This challenges the prevailing notion about search engine preferences and Google’s market dominance. The research, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, suggests Google’s market share isn’t just because it’s better. Many users haven’t tried alternatives. […]
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Google Is Launching Search Central Deep Dive Events
Google announced via their Search Off the Record podcast that they are launching a multi-day conference series to enable in-depth workshops on SEO topics that matter. The series is launching as a test pilot in the Asia-Pacific region, then expanding from there. Google’s Gary Illyes said that he’s been thinking of doing a multi-day event […]
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WordPress Jubilee Of Forgiveness Continues
Last week, WordPress declared a “jubilee” and is unblocking all community members who were previously blocked. The official WordPress X (formerly Twitter) account posted a reminder that the unblocking is still ongoing. According to the latest post: “We’re clearing out all previous human blocks to create a more open and collaborative environment. While community and […]
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Google Answers Why Landing Page Ranks For An E-Commerce Query
Google’s John Mueller answered a question on Bluesky about why an e-commerce page with minimal content is ranking, illustrating that sometimes optimized content isn’t enough. E-Commerce Search Results A person posted their concerns about an e-commerce site that was ranking in the search results with barely any content. In fact, the domain that was ranking […]
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20% of Local Searches Now Start Here
New research shows that map platforms have become key search engines for local businesses. One in five consumers now searches directly in map apps instead of traditional search engines. BrightLocal’s Consumer Search Behavior study found that Google, Apple, and Bing Maps make up 20% of all local searches. This is a big part of search […]
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Updating XML Sitemap Dates Doesn’t Help SEO
Google’s John Mueller clarifies that automatically changing XML sitemap dates doesn’t boost SEO and could make it harder for Google to find actual content updates. The “Freshness Signal” Myth Busted On Reddit’s r/SEO forum, someone asked if competitors ranked better by setting their XML sitemap dates to the current date to send a “freshness signal” […]
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Navigating The Complexities Of International PPC Working With Agencies
Running PPC campaigns in one country is challenging enough. Add multiple countries, languages, regulatory quirks, and agency partners into the mix, and things get complicated fast. If you’re overseeing paid media at large enterprises or multi-location brands, international PPC isn’t just a scale problem. It’s a coordination and consistency problem. You’re not just launching more […]
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25 Alternative Search Engines You Can Use Instead Of Google
For over two decades, Google has been the search engine that most people use for everyday searches, product research, and staying up to date on the latest news. Because of this market dominance, Google has also been the main search engine of focus for SEO and marketing professionals. However, following the introduction of ChatGPT and […]
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How To Master Your Message And Create Better Brand Content
If you want to become a better content marketer, you’ll need to master the art and science of messaging. And by “messaging,” I don’t just mean the ethereal notions of “value,” emotional impact, or brand alignment. I mean the real meat of what your brand stands for, how that’s communicated, and why people should care. […]
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How Much Should PPC Management Cost?
There have been lots of really good questions, but this one from Phil of Trumbull stood out: “What is the average amount companies take for running a PPC campaign?” Factors That Influence PPC Management Costs Here are key factors that determine how much you should expect to pay: Vendor Experience Level: Seasoned experts often charge […]
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Developing A Content Strategy In Regulated Industries
Throughout my career, I’ve worked with companies across highly regulated sectors, including finance, insurance, banking, and tobacco. Navigating these industries means understanding how regulation influences every part of your content strategy, from the adjectives you can use for tobacco flavors to the exact phrasing required for financial products. Once you understand the sector’s rules, the […]
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How To Create Content That Gets Links
Think link building is dead? Think again. In 2025, the backlink game has changed. If your strategy hasn’t, you might be stuck chasing low-impact backlinks that barely move the needle. Top brands are winning big by creating linkable assets that earn high-quality links and boost search rankings. Want in? Join us for our next webinar: […]
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The 8 Most Important PPC KPIs You Should Be Tracking
If you’re still measuring your PPC success based on click-through rate and impressions alone, you’re about to be left behind. The role of paid media has changed – and not just because Google Ads released another round of automation. It’s changing because people have changed. We live in a multi-device, privacy-first, AI-influenced world where attention […]
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Google’s AI Overviews Reach 1.5 Billion Monthly Users
Google’s AI search features have reached widespread adoption. The company announced that AI Overviews in Search now reach 1.5 billion users per month. This information was revealed during Alphabet’s Q1 earnings call. Alphabet Earnings Show Growth Across Core Products Alphabet announced strong financial results for Q1, highlighting the adoption of AI across its products. The […]
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YouTube Tests AI Overviews In Search Results
YouTube is now testing AI-powered video summaries in its search results, a feature similar to Google Search’s AI overviews. The new tool helps users find relevant videos faster by highlighting specific clips that best match their search criteria. New AI-Powered Search Experience YouTube’s test introduces a new video results carousel that appears when you search […]
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7 AI Terms Microsoft Wants You to Know In 2025
Microsoft released its 2025 Annual Work Trend Index this week. The report claims this is the year companies will move beyond AI experiments and rebuild their core operations around AI. Microsoft also introduced several new terms that it believes will shape the future of the workplace. Let’s look at what Microsoft wants to add to […]
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The CMO’s Guide To Winning In AI Search With Ahrefs
What happens when no one clicks, but your business still needs to grow? In the age of AI answer engines and fewer clicks, your brand can’t afford to be invisible. It’s time to rethink how people find, remember, and trust your brand online. Join us for “The CMO’s Guide to Winning in AI Search with […]
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Why Do Web Standards Matter? Google Explains SEO Benefits
Google Search Relations team members recently shared insights about web standards on the Search Off the Record podcast. Martin Splitt and Gary Illyes explained how these standards are created and why they matter for SEO. Their conversation reveals details about Google’s decisions that affect how we optimize websites. Why Some Web Protocols Become Standards While […]
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What If Google Must Sell Chrome?
The next phase of the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google started Monday. Both sides presented different views on the future of search and AI. This follows Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling last year that Google illegally kept its dominance by making exclusive deals with device makers. DOJ Wants Major Changes to Break Google’s Control Assistant Attorney […]
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LLMs That Code: Why Marketers Should Care
Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude are best known for their writing abilities, drafting ad copy, summarizing reports, and helping brainstorm blog content. However, most marketers still know little about one of their most powerful features: They can write actual code. First, it talked. Then, it wrote. Now, it builds. We’re not just […]
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What’s The Best Strategy For Your Business?
Both SEO and PPC are essential components of digital marketing, yet they operate in entirely different ways. One delivers instant visibility and quick results, while the other builds long-term authority and organic traffic. But, when budgets are tight, and results need to be justified to the board, which channel deserves more attention? The answer isn’t […]
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How To Install The Google Tag For Conversion Tracking
Tracking conversions in Google Ads isn’t optional if you care about making the most of your ad budget. Without it, you’re flying blind, guessing what’s working and what’s wasting money. The good news? Setting up the Google Tag for conversion tracking is easier than it used to be, giving advertisers multiple installation options to fit […]
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Google Says LLMs.Txt Comparable To Keywords Meta Tag
Google’s John Mueller answered a question about LLMs.txt, a proposed standard for showing website content to AI agents and crawlers, downplaying its usefulness and comparing it to the useless keywords meta tag, confirming the experience of others who have used it. LLMS.txt LLMS.txt has been compared to as a Robots.txt for large language models but […]
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SEOFOMO Survey Shows How Ecommerce SEOs Use AI In 2025
Aleyda Solis’ SEOFOMO published a survey of ecommerce owners and SEOs that indicates a wide range of uses of AI, reflecting popular SEO tactics and novel ways to increase productivity, but also reveals that a significant number of the respondents have yet to fully adopt the technology because they are still figuring out how it […]
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PPC Unlocked: Fast Wins For Smarter Ad Strategies
Click fraud in lead generation can drain your marketing budget and corrupt your data, leading to misguided strategic decisions. While automated detection tools serve as a first line of defense, relying solely on them is not enough. This guide presents practical, hands-on approaches to identify and combat click fraud in your lead generation campaigns in […]
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Competitor Analysis In Local SEO And How To Gain An Edge
In every community, multiple businesses and business types vie for prominence within a limited geographic radius. As such, when it comes to online visibility and local SEO, competitor analysis isn’t just a best practice – it’s a necessity. Understanding and responding to your rivals’ strategies, strengths, and weaknesses is the cornerstone of a winning local […]
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25 Alternative Search Engines You Can Use Instead Of Google
For over two decades, Google has been the search engine that most people use for everyday searches, product research, and staying up to date on the latest news. Because of this market dominance, Google has also been the main search engine of focus for SEO and marketing professionals. However, following the introduction of ChatGPT and […]
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How To Plan PPC Campaigns For SaaS Marketing
Planning a SaaS PPC strategy can be daunting. It often involves lengthy buying cycles, complex products to explain, and high competition. According to Gartner, B2B SaaS buyers spend 27% of their time in the buying process doing independent research online. Being visible across channels is crucial to keep your brand top-of-mind during this process. In […]
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Google Found Guilty of Illegal Ad Tech Monopoly in Court Ruling
A federal judge has ruled that Google maintained illegal monopolies in the digital advertising technology market. In a landmark case, the Department of Justice and 17 states found Google liable for antitrust violations. Federal Court Finds Google Violated Sherman Act U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google illegally monopolized two key markets in digital […]
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How To Write SEO Reports That Get Attention From Your CMO
We’ve all been there. You spend weeks optimizing content, fixing technical issues, and building quality links – only to have your client skim through your report and ask, “But how is this affecting our bottom line?” And they’re right to ask. As experienced SEO managers, we need to move beyond traffic numbers and keyword rankings. […]
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How Do You Resolve A WordPress Plugin Conflict?
One of the scariest things that can occur with a WordPress user is that you install a plugin, and upon activation, you get a white screen of death. This screen, where your beautifully crafted website once lived, is now plain white or produces a line or two of unformatted text. A plugin conflict is when […]
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LinkedIn Study Finds Adding Links Boosts Engagement By 13%
A new study of over 577,000 LinkedIn posts challenges common marketing advice. It finds that posts with links get 13.57% more interactions and 4.90% more views than posts without links. The LinkedIn study by Metricool analyzed nearly 48,000 company pages over three years. The findings give marketers solid data to rethink their LinkedIn strategies. Link […]
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Aligning Google Ads With Your True Business Objectives
Are your paid campaigns delivering the results that really matter? If your ad strategy is focused only on cost-per-acquisition, you might be leaving long-term growth on the table. It’s time to rethink how you measure success in Google Ads. In this upcoming webinar, you’ll get: Smarter ways to measure PPC success. Tested, powerful bidding strategies. […]
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LinkedIn Launches New Creator Hub With Content Strategy Tips
LinkedIn has launched a new “Create on LinkedIn” hub that helps professionals create better content, understand their stats, and use different post types. The new hub is organized into three main sections: Create, Optimize, and Grow. It also includes a Creator Tools section with specific advice for each post format. This resource offers helpful tips […]
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How To Get Brand Mentions In Generative AI
There’s been a lot of talk recently about whether large language models (LLMs) are replacing a considerable amount of Google searches. While Google is clearly still the market leader, with 14 billion searches per day worldwide, an estimated 37.5 million “searches” on ChatGPT represent an opportunity for your brand. SEO professionals have years of experience testing […]
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Top Gen AI Use Cases Revealed: Marketing Tasks Rank Low
New research shows marketers aren’t using generative AI as much as they could be. Marketing applications rank surprisingly low on the list of popular AI uses. “The Top-100 Gen AI Use Case” report by Marc Zao-Sanders reveals that while people increasingly use AI for personal support, marketing tasks like creating ads and social media content […]
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How To Apply E-E-A-T To Your Site & Boost On-Page SEO
To crack down on misinformation in content and enforce quality guidelines, Google came up with the concept of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T (previously E-A-T). This emerged out of their Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which emphasize the importance of providing users with reliable, valuable, and accurate information and a great website experience. If you give users what […]
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Content Plan Template & How To Adapt It To Your Needs
Consistency is crucial when posting content to ensure your customers remain engaged with your business and its products. To maintain consistency, it’s essential to develop a structured posting schedule aligned with your company’s marketing objectives for optimal results. Our content plan is designed to support this process. But, what exactly does a content plan need? […]
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ChatGPT Expands Memory Capabilities, Remembers Past Chats
OpenAI has added better memory features to ChatGPT. Now, the AI can remember more from your past chats. This means you’ll get more personalized responses without needing to repeat yourself. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, made the announcement on X: a few times a year i wake up early and can’t fall back asleep because […]
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How To Install The Google Tag For Conversion Tracking
Tracking conversions in Google Ads isn’t optional if you care about making the most of your ad budget. Without it, you’re flying blind, guessing what’s working and what’s wasting money. The good news? Setting up the Google Tag for conversion tracking is easier than it used to be, giving advertisers multiple installation options to fit […]
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HubSpot Announces 200+ Features At Spring Spotlight 2025
HubSpot has introduced over 200 product updates and features as part of its Spring 2025 Spotlight release. The updates include expanded AI functionality across the platform, enhancements to Marketing Hub Enterprise, and the launch of new AI-powered Workspaces designed to streamline collaboration across marketing, sales, and support teams. Let’s be honest: marketing and sales teams […]
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Using Local Business Partnerships And Collaborations To Build Authority And Visibility
All businesses, large or small, must establish a level of authority for the products and/or services they offer in the minds and hearts of their target audience if they expect to convince them to engage and buy. This universal marketing truth plays out daily for small businesses looking to capture the attention of local customers […]
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Google Confirms Discover Coming to Desktop Search
Google has announced plans to bring Discover to desktop search. This move could change how publishers get traffic from Google. The news came from the Search Central Live event in Madrid and was first shared by SEO expert Gianluca Fiorelli on X. More about Perspective.Also interesting Discover expanding to desktop and even more personalization on […]
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Google Merchant Center Updates: Changes For Online Sellers
Google is changing its Merchant Center rules. These updates will roll out in two phases and affect how sellers list products in Shopping ads and free listings. The changes impact instalment pricing, energy labels, member pricing, and US sales tax information. Immediate Changes (Starting April 8) Three key changes are now in effect: 1. New […]
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Humans Are Better At Writing Than AI In These Tasks
Boost your skills with Growth Memo’s weekly expert insights. Subscribe for free! There is something ironic about trying to make AI content more human. But there’s also something exciting about it because our work as writers and content creators changes fundamentally. This shift reminds me of my time as a DJ – many moons ago. […]
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Shopify CEO’s Memo Marks A Pivotal Moment For AI In The Workplace
A memo by Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lütke sets a company-wide expectation for the use of AI not just throughout the company but also encourages employees to think about how their end users can use AI. Everyone needs to read this because it marks a pivotal moment in how everyone should be using AI to hundredfold […]
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Google Maps Gets An Upgrade To Combat Fake Reviews
Google has updated its AI systems for Maps and Business Profiles, which now use Gemini to identify risky profile edits and fake reviews. Gemini Finds Suspicious Profile Edits Google is employing Gemini to spot fake changes to Business Profiles. It can distinguish between a regular update, like a slight name change, and a sudden, suspicious […]
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15 Proven Tips to Get More Social Media Followers
The changes in SEO and search over the last year or so have meant that social media has become an even more important part of an online strategy. Brands need to consider their visibility across social media channels alongside other online channels to find new growth. Building an audience on social media should be a […]
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How To Apply E-E-A-T To Your Site & Boost On-Page SEO
To crack down on misinformation in content and enforce quality guidelines, Google came up with the concept of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T (previously E-A-T). This emerged out of their Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which emphasize the importance of providing users with reliable, valuable, and accurate information and a great website experience. If you give users what […]
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What Marketers Need To Know About Micro Conversions In Google Ads
Micro conversions are among the most misunderstood – and underutilized – tools in a PPC marketer’s toolkit. While they don’t represent final goals like sales or leads, they can provide critical signals that improve campaign performance, inform audience strategy, and enable smarter automation. Here’s what marketers need to know to harness micro conversions effectively. What […]
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A Beginner’s Guide To Elementor Editor For WordPress
Elementor Editor is the world’s most popular WordPress page builder plugin. It currently has a market share of 17% and is used by 12% of all websites. It simplifies website creation using four core components: templates for the overall layout, blocks for page sections, widgets for individual elements, and custom code. Users can create attractive […]
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Microsoft Launches Copilot Search in Bing
Microsoft launches Copilot Search in Bing, offering AI-powered summaries with clear links to sources for fast, conversational answers. Copilot Search is now available in Bing, combining AI summaries with traditional results. Verify information through transparent source attribution and citation links. Navigate topics conversationally without starting over.
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The Secret To Great Presentations? Connection Over Perfection
After speaking internationally for almost 20 years and reviewing professional presentations for speakers of all levels, from Search Engine Journal webinars to helping out my colleagues, I’ve developed a deep understanding of what makes presentations truly resonate. Through this journey, I’ve studied how people receive information and connect with speakers, and ultimately, how influence works […]
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Studies Reveal Consumers Easily Detect AI-Generated Content
Two new studies reveal that most consumers can easily spot AI-generated content, both images and text, which may be more than marketers expected. The results suggest that brands should be careful when using AI in their marketing materials. Consumers Identify AI-Generated Images A study by digital marketing consultant Joe Youngblood found that U.S. consumers correctly […]
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Content Plan Template & How To Adapt It To Your Needs
Consistency is crucial when posting content to ensure your customers remain engaged with your business and its products. To maintain consistency, it’s essential to develop a structured posting schedule aligned with your company’s marketing objectives for optimal results. Our content plan is designed to support this process. But, what exactly does a content plan need? […]
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10 New YouTube Marketing Strategies With Fresh Examples For 2025
Right now, YouTube marketing has become even more important with all the changes happening in the current digital landscape. What is also important is keeping up with trends and strategies to ensure your marketing stays fresh. As I said in a previous article, “I learned a long time ago that the video sharing site changes […]
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How To Identify Migration Issues Quickly Using AI
Site migration issues happen. You plan, create a staging site, and then when the site goes live, there’s bound to be something wrong. Quality assurance gets thrust into overdrive the moment that migrations are complete. You sift through thousands of pages, metadata, and more to fix any problems before someone else notices. It’s a lot […]
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YouTube Unveils New AI-Powered Hook Generator
YouTube has announced three new features in its ‘Inspiration’ suite for creators. These tools use AI to generate fresh ideas that can help keep viewers watching. The new hook generator is the most eye-catching tool, which offers suggestions for engaging video openings. Below, I’ll break down the new features and explain how they can improve […]
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JavaScript-Loaded Images Can Be Indexed
Google’s Developer Advocate Martin Splitt recently debunked a common SEO myth. He confirmed that images loaded with JavaScript can be indexed by Google when set up correctly. Splitt shared these insights during the SEO for Paws Conference, a live-streamed fundraiser by Anton Shulke. Here’s how to avoid common image indexing issues when loading images with […]
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Google’s Martin Splitt Reveals 3 JavaScript SEO Mistakes & Fixes
Google’s Martin Splitt recently shared insights on how JavaScript mistakes can hurt a website’s search performance. His talk comes as Google Search Advocate John Mueller also urges SEO pros to learn more about modern client-side technologies. Mistake 1: Rendered HTML vs. Source HTML During the SEO for Paws Conference, a live-streamed fundraiser by Anton Shulke, […]
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Building Brand Authority For Search Success
For over a decade, E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) has played a role in search rankings, first introduced in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines in 2014. But with the rise of AI-generated content and AI-synthesized answers, E-E-A-T (now including experience) is no longer just a good idea. It has become the defining factor in determining […]
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Google Updates Unfair Advantage Policy, Advertisers React
On Friday, Google sent out a subtle but impactful policy update to advertisers, confirming changes to its long-standing “Unfair Advantage Policy”. While the official enforcement date is April 14, 2025, the conversation has already started — and it’s anything but quiet. The PPC community is buzzing with opinions, questions, and concerns. But this update didn’t […]
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Google Says They Launch Thousands Of Updates Every Year
Google’s John Mueller explained during a session of the Search Central Live NYC event that they do over 700,000 tests per year in order to keep up with user expectations. His explanation of why Google performs so many tests and launches thousands of changes should give SEOs an idea of the pace of change going […]
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A Guide To Enterprise SEO Strategy For SaaS Brands
The SaaS business model offers incredible scalability as well as profitability – but only when paired with the right marketing growth strategy. Knowing that the cost of hosting cloud-based applications decreases as user volume increases, SaaS brands must focus on rapid subscriber growth to stay competitive and bring costs down. Many CMOs default to paid […]
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Online Review Trends Broken Down By Industry
For local SEO businesses, maintaining a positive reputation and earning customer trust is crucial for driving conversions. Watch on-demand as we uncover data-backed insights from tens of thousands of businesses across industries, revealing how customer feedback and review behaviors shape reputation. Plus, discover key trends driving local traffic this year. You’ll learn: Key trends in […]
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Google Shares Valuable SEO Takeaway About Quality Raters Guidelines
At the recent Search Central Live NYC, Google’s John Mueller discussed the third-party quality raters they use to evaluate changes to Google’s search algorithms. Although it wasn’t stated explicitly, the nuance was implied: keeping a human in the loop remains an important factor in fine-tuning your SEO decisions. Third Party Quality Raters Hopefully by now […]
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15 Proven Tips to Get More Social Media Followers
The changes in SEO and search over the last year or so have meant that social media has become an even more important part of an online strategy. Brands need to consider their visibility across social media channels alongside other online channels to find new growth. Building an audience on social media should be a […]
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Google Rolls Out AI-Powered Travel Updates For Search & Maps
Google has released its annual summer travel trends report alongside several AI-powered updates to its travel planning tools. The announcement reveals shifting travel preferences while introducing enhancements to Search, Maps, Lens, and Gemini functionality. New AI Search and Planning Features Google announced five major updates to its travel planning ecosystem. Expanded AI Overviews Google has […]
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Google Completes March 2025 Core Update Rollout
Google officially completed the rollout of its March 2025 Core Update today at 5:34 AM PDT, ending two weeks of significant volatility in search rankings. This update began on March 13 and has created notable shifts in search visibility across various sectors and website types. Widespread Impact Observed Data collected during the update’s rollout period […]
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A Guide To Enterprise-Level Migrations (100,000+ URLs)
An enterprise website migration is no small feat. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of URLs and years of SEO equity on the line. To pull it off without traffic loss, you need a solid redirect strategy. With the right approach, you can migrate an enterprise website without losing traffic or search rankings. If you stay […]
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How To Make A Marketing Measurement Plan (& Why You Need It)
Tracking marketing performance effectively comes down to three key factors: Defining the pipelines, audiences, events, and metrics that truly matter to your business. Ensuring each element is measured with precision. Aligning your team around the data points that drive the most impact. When these pieces come together, you gain the clarity to track progress, scale […]
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OpenAI Rolls Out GPT-4o Image Creation To Everyone
OpenAI has rolled out a new image generation system directly integrated with GPT-4o. This system allows the AI to access its knowledge base and conversation context when creating images. This integration is said to enable more contextually relevant and accurate visual outputs. OpenAI’s announcement reads: “GPT‑4o image generation excels at accurately rendering text, precisely following […]
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Where Are We With The Google Lawsuits?
We’ve been focused on the impact of AI on Search and how to still make gains in this competitive and volatile SEO world. It’s easy to forget that two big lawsuits are deciding potential remedies against Google soon, which could affect organic traffic and the search landscape. I know most of you don’t spend your […]
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LinkedIn Integrates Calendly Scheduling Into Profile Buttons
LinkedIn partners with Calendly, enabling Premium users to schedule meetings directly through profile buttons. LinkedIn partners with Calendly on custom profile buttoms. This functionality enables users to schedule meetings directly through profiles. This feature is available to premium users.
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Early Observations From Initial Rollout
Google’s March 2025 Core Update, announced on March 13th and expected to complete its rollout this week, is creating turbulence in search results according to multiple industry tracking tools. Data from Local SEO Guide and SISTRIX indicate this may be a highly impactful update. “Most Volatile” SERPs in 12 Months According to tracking data from […]
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12 Of The Most Engaged Brands On Instagram
For many verticals, Instagram should be an essential part of their digital marketing strategy to help grow their audience and their brand. With over 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a strong social media channel where brands can connect with their audience. However, when building your following on Instagram, don’t fall into the trap […]
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Google Explains Why Indexed Pages May Not Appear In Search
Google’s Martin Splitt explains why indexed pages may not appear in search results, highlighting relevance and ranking competition. Indexed pages may not appear if other pages are more relevant or user engagement is low. Google’s process involves discovery, crawling, indexing, and ranking for visibility. Focus on high-quality, user-focused content to improve search visibility.
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What Should Be On Your Author Pages?
This week’s question about author pages comes from Joylyn: We are working on building author pages for our content, would you mind teaching us best practices for building author archive pages with any SEO best practices. A great question and perfect for me to answer from a branding perspective. Author pages serve to build trust, […]
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LinkedIn Lists Top 15 In-Demand Skills, Makes Related Courses Free
LinkedIn has published its “Skills on the Rise” report, which lists the 15 fastest-growing skills in the U.S. job market. To stay competitive, here’s what professionals should focus on. The Top 15 Skills In Demand for 2025 AI is driving major workplace changes. LinkedIn predicts that by 2030, about 70% of skills in most jobs […]
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Measuring PPC Performance In The Luxury Fashion Space
When it comes to luxury fashion, the likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Gucci are among the most well-known, and rightfully so. These three alone are valued at over $87 billion. Over the last decade and a half, I have had the opportunity to work extensively within this market. Managing PPC in this space is […]
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Google Expands AI Overviews To Thousands More Health Queries
Google is expanding AI overviews to “thousands more health topics,” per an announcement at the company’s health-focused ‘The Check Up’ event. The event included developments spanning research, wearable technology, and medical records. Here’s more about how Google is refining health results in Search. AI Overviews For Health Queries Google is showing AI overviews for more […]
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Inside The Negative Keyword Limit Increase & What’s Next
As Google’s Ad Product Liaison, I often share updates and insights with the community of digital advertisers and, best of all, get to hear your feedback first-hand. We heard quite a lot after our recent announcement that, after a period of beta testing, we’re rolling out negative keywords in Performance Max (PMax) campaigns with a […]
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Google Researchers Improve RAG With “Sufficient Context” Signal
Google researchers introduced a method to improve AI search and assistants by enhancing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) models’ ability to recognize when retrieved information lacks sufficient context to answer a query. If implemented, these findings could help AI-generated responses avoid relying on incomplete information and improve answer reliability. This shift may also encourage publishers to create […]
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AI Agents & Workflows For Ideation (Part 1)
For more than two years, a new concept has been emerging called Agentic SEO. The idea is to perform SEO using agents based on language models (LLMs) that perform complex tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously to save time for SEO experts. Of course, humans remain in the loop to guide these agents and validate the results. […]
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WordPress Backup Plugin Vulnerability Affects 5+ Million Websites
A high-severity vulnerability was discovered and patched in the All-in-One WP Migration and Backup plugin, which has over five million installations. The vulnerability requires no user authentication, making it easier for an attacker to compromise a website, but this is mitigated by a restricted attack method. The vulnerability was assigned a severity rating of 7.5 […]
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How To Justify And Make A Business Case For SEO Budgets
Effective budgeting is crucial not just for planning SEO, providing value to clients, and justifying the spend to achieve it. It’s also critical for a business to understand SEO budget alongside other marketing budgets to ascertain which platforms are providing the best return on investment (ROI) or the best value in relation to the broader […]
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Google Begins Rolling Out March Core Algorithm Update
Google has officially begun rolling out its March 2025 core algorithm update, according to an announcement posted to the Google Search Status Dashboard today. The update commenced at 9:23 AM PDT and is expected to fully deploy across all of Google’s search systems in up to two weeks. The company provided minimal details beyond the […]
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Google Updates Structured Data Requirements For Return Policies
Google requires ecommerce stores to specify in their structured data which country their return policies apply to. Google now requires country information for return policies in structured data. Merchants should update their product structured data to include this field.
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Google Opens Gemini Deep Research To Free Users (With Limits)
Google announced it will make its Deep Research feature available to all users for free on a limited basis, while introducing several updates to Gemini. With this rollout, Gemini is now equipped with enhanced reasoning capabilities, personalization features, and expanded app connectivity. Free Access with Limitations Google’s Deep Research tool, which processes information from multiple […]
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Google Search History Can Now Power Gemini AI Answers
Google announced an update to their Gemini personal AI assistant that increases personalization of responses so that it anticipates user’s needs and feels more like a natural personal assistant instead of a tool. Examples of how the new Gemini will help users is for brainstorming travel ideas and making personalized recommendations. The new feature rolls […]
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Leveraging Multi-Channel Strategies For Maximum Reach
Content is everywhere. Consumers are inundated with it throughout the day – catching up on social media happenings, scanning the news, consuming articles, or listening to podcasts. Given the staggering breadth of content available across the digital landscape, content marketers’ jobs have become increasingly difficult. Breaking through the noise is a hefty feat, one that […]
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Google Publishes New Robots.txt Explainer
Google published a new Robots.txt refresher explaining how Robots.txt enables publishers and SEOs to control search engine crawlers and other bots (that obey Robots.txt). The documentation includes examples of blocking specific pages (like shopping carts), restricting certain bots, and managing crawling behavior with simple rules. From Basics To Advanced The new documentation offers a quick […]
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How To Improve Speed And Performance For A WordPress Site
I love WordPress, but it isn’t perfect out of the box. Themes and plugin choices are more important than ever as some can hamper the site’s performance. You can do many things to improve any WordPress site, and this post will cover just some of these optimizations that you can (hopefully) take action on immediately. […]
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Is Compression A Google SEO Myth?
I recently came across an SEO test that attempted to verify whether compression ratio affects rankings. It seems there may be some who believe that higher compression ratios correlate with lower rankings. Understanding compressibility in the context of SEO requires reading both the original source on compression ratios and the research paper itself before drawing […]
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How Can You Distinguish Yourself In This Era Of AI Search Engines?
Today’s question comes from FC, who asks: “As an SEO specialist for over 6 years now, what and where does one need to focus with regard to SEO in this current dispensation. How can you distinguish yourself and standout as an SEO specialist in this era of generative AI and AI search engines?” This is […]
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U.S. DOJ Antitrust Filing Proposes 4 Ways To Break Google’s Monopoly
The plaintiffs in an antitrust lawsuit against Google filed a revised proposed final judgment for the judge in the case to consider. The proposal comes after a previous ruling where the court determined that Google broke antitrust laws by illegally maintaining its monopoly. The legal filing by the plaintiffs, the United States Department Of Justice […]
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3 Ways AI Is Changing PPC Reporting
PPC reporting has always been both essential and frustrating. It’s essential to keep clients engaged by informing them of the results you’re driving. But it’s also frustrating because of data discrepancies, cumbersome analysis, and the time required to share understandable, jargon-free reports with different stakeholders. Fortunately, AI is turning these obstacles into opportunities by filling […]
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Google Updates Robots Meta Tag Document To Include AI Mode
Google has updated its Search Central documentation to include details about AI Mode in its robots meta tag specifications. This update coincides with the rollout of AI Mode via Google Labs. Document Updates For AI Mode The updated document now specifies that you can control the appearance of your content in Google’s AI-powered features, including AI […]
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Is Google Ads Still Good Value For Money For Low Budget Accounts?
Historically, Google has been the default for most marketers, especially when it comes to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. However, for low-budget accounts, the question arises: Is Google Search the best value for money? This article explores how Google Search can still provide value for money for lower-budget accounts and where to allocate the budget if Google […]
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14 Digital Content Types You’re Probably Not Using Enough
Feeling tapped out when it comes to creative content ideas? If you feel like you’ve done it all, I challenge you to explore these 14 uncommon types of content. Many marketers overlook these unconventional digital content formats, but they can be highly effective. Slot some of these content styles into your arsenal to mix up […]
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Google Discontinues Controversial “Page Annotations” On iOS
Google has discontinued its Page Annotations feature in the iOS app, which automatically added search links to webpages. The feature was introduced late last year and converted certain website text into Google Search links without publisher consent. Recent updates confirm that it’s no longer supported. Short-Lived & Controversial The Page Annotations feature was first announced […]
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Google’s Martin Splitt Warns Against Redirecting 404s To Homepage
Google has released a new episode in its “SEO Office Hours Shorts” video series, in which Developer Advocate Martin Splitt addresses a question many website owners face: Should all 404 error pages be redirected to the homepage? The Clear Answer: Don’t Do It In the latest installment of the condensed Q&A format, Splitt responds to […]
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10 Top Converting Landing Pages That Boost ROI With Examples
This post was sponsored by Unbounce. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Want to increase sign-ups, sales, or demo requests from your landing page? How can you ensure your landing page is optimized for conversions? Landing pages can make or break your conversions. A well-designed landing page doesn’t just look good; […]
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AI Overviews Rise As Click Rates Decline
A new study on Google search behavior examines changes in clickthrough rates across industries. The data correlates with increased AI Overviews (AIOs) in Google’s search results. Research from Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) reveals that AIOs appeared in 42.51% of search results in Q4, up 8.83 percentage points from the previous quarter. With this increase, clickthrough […]
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A Complete Guide To Local Structured Data & Rich Results
Structured data markup can work diligently behind the scenes to help your local business shine online. It can add eye-catching rich results to your search results, like review stars, FAQs, and breadcrumbs, that grab attention and encourage more clicks. Structured data uses the standardized vocabulary of Schema to tell search engines – and even AI […]
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WordPress’s Next Phase: Mullenweg Shares What’s Ahead
In a recent podcast interview, Matt Mullenweg shared his informal plans for ensuring the future of WordPress. He outlined several areas where WordPress is taking advantage of technological changes, including security, AI integration, and reducing technical debt. He also addressed the long-term future of WordPress leadership, emphasizing the importance of decisive vision. Mullenweg outlined four […]
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How Your Organization Can Implement A Structured Data Strategy
Putting together an actionable strategy to keep your organization relevant in the ever-changing search marketing landscape is harder than ever. To help support your organization through this journey, this guide provides insights into why schema markup is essential and how you can implement a structured data markup strategy to support your organization’s goals this year. […]
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QR Codes For Review Pages
Google has rolled out a new feature for Google Business Profiles that makes it easier to collect customer reviews. You can now generate custom QR codes that, when scanned, direct customers straight to your business’s review page. Google announced the update today on X: You can now create easy-to-scan QR codes that take customers directly […]
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Google On Low-Effort Content That Looks Good
[*] Google’s John Mueller used an AI-generated image to illustrate his point about low-effort content that looks good but lacks true expertise. His comments pushed back against the idea that low-effort content is acceptable just because it has the appearance of competence. One signal that tipped him off to low-quality articles was the use of […]
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Do Reviews Still Matter? Study Looks At Changing Consumer Behavior
BrightLocal has released a new report analyzing 15 years of consumer review behavior data. The findings reveal shifts in how people research and buy from local businesses. Here’s more about the study and what it means for marketers. Historical Trends The report tracks the popularity of online reviews. It notes a rise in local business […]
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Factors That Correlate With Top Rankings
A study by the video hosting platform Adilo revealed common factors shared by high-ranking YouTube videos. The research analyzed over 1.6 million videos, focusing on 300 that ranked in the top three for competitive non-local keywords across ten industries. Authored by Chinasa Ferderick and Felix Johnson, the study offers insights for businesses aiming to improve […]
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Google AI Overviews Trending Toward Authoritative Sites
New data provided to Search Engine Journal shows that the sites Google is ranking in AI Overviews varies by time and industry, offering an explanation of volatility in AIO rankings. The new research shows what industries are most impacted and may provide a clue as to way. AIO Presence Varies Over Time and By Industry. […]
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Does WordPress Need Another Site Building Tool? Builderius Thinks So.
A newly released page builder plugin called Builderius elicited enthusiastic feedback in a private WordPress Facebook group. A conversation with one of its principals, the UX UI designer Elvis Krstulović, underscored how WordPress’s open source flexibility allows developers to rethink site building itself, creating tools that prioritize flexibility, maintainability, and professional development practices. There are […]
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Google AIO Is Sending More Traffic To YouTube
New data confirms that AIO is becoming an increasingly significant source of traffic to YouTube channels. A closer look reveals that complex search queries, which traditional organic search may not adequately answer, create opportunities for optimized YouTube videos but only for certain topics. BrightEdge Data On YouTube And AIO BrightEdge’s data shows that YouTube’s presence […]
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Mullenweg Asked If He’s Adaptable To Change
Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress, recently held a question-and-answer session at WordCamp Asia 2025, where he faced several tough questions. Topics included whether he was open to discussing change, the steep learning curve of WordPress, and whether he would reconsider reducing Automattic’s contributions to WordPress core. As tough as those questions were, Matt answered each […]
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YouTube Details Changes Coming To Mid-Roll Ads On May 12
YouTube revealed plans to update how mid-roll advertisements function, starting May 12. The update focuses on showing more ads at natural breakpoints in videos while reducing interruptive ad placements that can lead to viewer abandonment. Key Changes to Mid-Roll Ad Placement YouTube will prioritize placing mid-roll ads at natural break points, such as scene transitions […]
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Controlling Your Brand Position Online With SEO
As search engines become more AI-driven with Overviews and the rise of large language models (LLMs), organic search is still one of the most significant brand touchpoints. Whether through Google Search or AI-powered tools, a user’s first interaction with your brand often comes from these online results unless they’ve encountered your out-of-home (OOH) advertising, such […]
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Google On Search Console Noindex Detected Errors
Google’s John Mueller answered a question on Reddit about a seemingly false ‘noindex detected in X-Robots-Tag HTTP header’ error reported in Google Search Console for pages that do not have that specific X-Robots-Tag or any other related directive or block. Mueller suggested some possible reasons, and multiple Redditors provided reasonable explanations and solutions. Noindex Detected […]
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Data Suggests Google Indexing Rates Are Improving
New research of over 16 million webpages shows that Google indexing rates have improved but that many pages in the dataset were not indexed and over 20% of the pages were eventually deindexed. The findings may be representative of trends and challenges that are specific to sites that are concerned about SEO and indexing. Research […]
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AI Search Engines Often Cite Third-Party Content, Study Finds
A recent analysis by xfunnel.ai examines citation patterns across major AI search engines. The findings provide new insight into how these tools reference web content in their responses. Here are the must-know highlights from the report. Citation Frequency Differs By Platform Researchers submitted questions across different buyer journey stages and tracked how the AI platforms […]
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Mullenweg Rebuffs Plea To Restore Automattic’s WordPress Core Contributions
A WordPress developer pleaded with Matt Mullenweg at WordCamp Asia 2025, asking him to restore Automattic’s contributions to the WordPress core. Mullenweg apologized and said it’s not up to him; it’s up to WP Engine to drop their lawsuit, and he encouraged the community to put pressure on WP Engine. Complex Response To Question Mullenweg […]
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73% Of Marketers Use Generative AI, Consumer Acceptance Up
Recent studies by Gartner and Adobe show that generative AI is becoming a key tool in marketing. Almost three-quarters of marketing teams now use GenAI, and most consumers are comfortable with AI in advertising. AI Adoption In Marketing A survey by Gartner of 418 marketing leaders found that 73% of marketing teams use generative AI. […]
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TikTok Ads Achieve Highest Short-Term ROI, Says Dentsu Study
A recent Dentsu study, in partnership with TikTok, shows that advertisers on the platform achieve strong returns on investment (ROI) for both short-term and long-term sales. The analysis (PDF link) focused on 15 brands in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland and compared TikTok’s performance with other media channels. Dentsu found: “With a short-term ROI of […]
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LinkedIn Rolls Out Email Metrics For Newsletter Publishers
LinkedIn now offers email analytics for newsletters, providing data on email sends and open rates. LinkedIn added new email metrics for newsletter publishers. New data include emails sends and open rates. LinkedIn notes that the reported data is only an estimate.
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How To Drive Google Shopping Growth With Only One Of Each Product
Google Shopping is a Google Ads product that allows advertisers to serve feed-based ads on the search engine results page (SERPs). The auction for Shopping Ads works in a similar way to Google Text Ads, in the sense that the auction is query-based. However, Google Shopping does not target keywords and uses the feed (and […]
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2025 Marketing Trends: The End Of SEO?
Want to feel like a location marketing superhero? Welcome to the AI era, where your marketing sidekick (AI, of course) is here to help you save the day! From boosting creativity to simplifying the complex, AI is reshaping location marketing—and now there’s a new buzzword in town: GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization. Watch on-demand as […]
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13 Google Ads Settings To Check When Running International PPC Campaigns
Expanding your Google Ads campaigns to international markets sounds exciting – until you realize just how many settings can make or break your results. If you assume that what works in your home country will work everywhere, think again. From currency mismatches to targeting mishaps, international PPC comes with a unique set of challenges. To […]
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Hostinger Horizons Enables Anyone To Build Web Apps With AI
Hostinger announced a new service called Hostinger Horizons that allows anyone to build interactive online apps (like an AI-based website builder) without having to code or hire programmers. The new service allows users to turn their ideas into web applications by prompting an AI to create it. AI Democratizes Entrepreneurship In the early days of […]
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ChatGPT Referral Traffic To Publishers Remains Minimal
ChatGPT referrals to publishers increased with the introduction of web search, but remain a minor share of overall traffic. ChatGPT referrals to publishers are growing eightfold but remain under 0.1% of total traffic. The New York Post, The Guardian, and Forbes saw the most ChatGPT-driven visits. Traditional search engines still drive majority of publisher traffic.
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Google Faces EU Charges Over Alleged DMA Breaches
The European Commission is reportedly preparing to charge Google with not fully complying with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). According to sources, Google’s recent tweaks to its search algorithms haven’t satisfied regulators’ requirements, prompting the EU to step up its scrutiny. Key Details Under the DMA, tech companies are expected to offer a level playing […]
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Google Responsive Search Ads Just Got More Flexible
Google Ads just rolled out an update to Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), and while it may not seem groundbreaking at first glance, it could have a noticeable impact on how advertisers optimize their campaigns. This update focuses on how Google assembles ad assets, giving marketers more control over messaging while still leveraging AI-driven automation. If […]
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Is There Any SEO Benefit To Image Geolocation Data?
Our question today follows well from the one I addressed previously, which is all about metadata for images. This time, it focuses specifically on one aspect of metadata: “Is there any SEO benefit to image geolocation data?” Before I answer this question, it’s important that we all get on the same page about what geolocation […]
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How To Use XML Sitemaps To Boost SEO
What was considered best practice yesterday does not hold true today and this is especially relevant when it comes to XML sitemaps, which are almost as old as SEO itself. The problem is, it’s time-consuming to sort valuable advice from all the misinformation on forums and social media about how to optimize XML sitemaps So, […]
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Google Answers Whether Audio Versions Of Blog Posts Help SEO
Google’s Martin Splitt answers whether adding an audio version of a blog article will impact the page’s search ranking. Adding audio to blog posts won’t boost SEO directly. Audio enhances user experience and accessibility. Happy users can lead to more shares and links.
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How To Create a Certified Fast Website To Compete In 2025
This post was sponsored by Bluehost. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. Imagine clicking on a website only to wait several seconds for it to load. Frustrating, right? Your prospective customers think so, too. In a world where attention spans are shrinking, even a one-second delay can lead to lost visitors, […]
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Is This Bad For Local Businesses?
We have been testing Google’s newest “Ask For Me” Search Lab test. It is quick, easy, and impressive technology to request local quotes, but it is not at all clear that it is good for small businesses. At the end of January, Rose Yao, a product lead at Google, announced a new Search Lab test (“Ask […]
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WooCommerce Rebrand Offers Lessons For Gaining Competitive Edge
An interview with WooCommerce shows that their recent rebrand is a strategic refresh, offering lessons for businesses and search marketers on how to stay relevant and competitive. A Business Refresh A recently announced rebrand by WooCommerce is far more than a logo update; it’s part of an evolution of their platform that demonstrates the strategic […]
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How Vacation Rentals Can Dominate Organic Search And Attract Guests
Travelers today can effortlessly browse through countless vacation rental options with only a few clicks. With so much competition, a strong online presence is critical to success in the vacation rental space. With competition from large players like VRBO, Airbnb, and Booking.com, small local vendors can not solely rely on word-of-mouth or local listings. You […]
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DeepSeek And Its Impact On The Generative AI Global Race
Since launching to the public on Jan. 20, 2025, Chinese startup DeepSeek’s open-source AI-powered chatbot has taken the tech world by storm. As the top free app by downloads in the U.S. Apple app store since Jan. 26 – with 16 million app downloads in its first 18 days (ChatGPT had 9 million in the […]
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Key Elements Of Technical SEO For Large Companies
Working with large organizations to improve their technical SEO is, in my opinion, the best and most enjoyable time to practice technical skills. More often than not, you’re faced with complex systems and infrastructures, a host of legacy issues, and different teams responsible for different sections of the website. This means you need to work […]
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Google Rolls Out ‘Veo 2’ Video Generation For YouTube Shorts
YouTube upgrades Dream Screen with Google’s Veo 2 video generation model, enabling faster AI-generated backgrounds and standalone clips. YouTube has upgraded Dream Screen with Veo 2 AI model for better video generation. The feature enables faster creation of AI backgrounds and standalone clips for YouTube Shorts. The initial rollout covers US, Canada, Australia, and New […]
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WordPress Foundation Suffers Setback In Trademark Application
The WordPress Foundation suffered a setback in its attempt to trademark the phrases ‘Managed WordPress’ and ‘Hosted WordPress,’ which could have allowed them to demand licensing fees for their use. An organization called Unprotected.org published documents showing it successfully petitioned the U.S. Patent Office to deny the trademarks. The Uprotected.org website published: “We have successfully […]
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GBP Reviews Outage Is Over
A Googler published an update to let businesses know that the ongoing outage is almost over and that most businesses that have lost review counts should have seen them return to pre-outage levels. Businesses that continue to experience a review outage should see their problem resolved within a matter of days. Google Business Profile Outage […]
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Advanced Link Building Strategies For National, International & Local
Advanced link building is about attracting links to your sites, and ideally in mass. There might be a little bit of outreach necessary, especially if you need to fan the flames, but the main goal is to get media outlets, niche websites, industry publications, and bloggers to link to you naturally. With a bit of […]
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Google Reassures That #Anchor URLs In GSC Are Okay
[*] Google’s John Mueller explained why Google Search Console sometimes shows URLs with hashtags in performance reports and clarified that there’s no need to be concerned that that the wrong URLs are being indexed. URLs With #Anchor Hashtags What John Mueller discussed in the Bluesky post is URLs with hashtags that look like this: https:example.com/example-url/#:~:text= […]
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