SEO

“Stop building links; build your brand.” These six words should be plastered on the desks of every SEO in the world. In this article, I’ll explain why brand mentions are the new backlinks. Let’s dive in. Back to the brand future Nearly 10 years ago, Rand Fishkin was talking about brand mentions. That wasn’t a…

Have you ever seen your traffic decline over time despite your top keywords ranking in Position 1? I have, and it’s the worst feeling. It might feel like Google is punishing you for being successful, but that’s not the case. Google doesn’t know you, but they do know users. And if your work is ranking…

Automation has been a focal point in discussions within the PPC community this year. Two noteworthy AI developments, Performance Max (PMax) and Search Generative Experience (SGE), are poised to revolutionize digital search marketing. PMax: A new campaign type that allows advertisers to run ads across all of Google’s networks, from search to YouTube to Maps…

Google Ads is rolling out a step-by-step guide on how to complete business operation verification. The document will provide clarification on reasons for business operations verification failure and include example scenarios in which an advertiser might be chosen to undergo business operations verification as part of the advertiser verification program. Marketers can expect access to…

SearchBot here! It’s been a few weeks since our launch and I’ve been watching with glee as more than 500 of you have registered to gain access to my personas, image generator and more. I’m writing with a few updates and tips to consider as you continue tinkering with all I have to offer. If you haven’t…

Search Engine Land officially celebrated its 17th birthday yesterday. This past year was unlike any we’ve seen in the world of search – 2023 was a year of seismic changes in SEO and PPC thanks largely to generative AI. Plus, we can’t forget Google Analytics 4. But the mission of Search Engine Land remains the…

A new report from Deloitte Digital illuminates the escalating challenges content marketers face, and how forward-thinking brands are generating eye-opening results from generative artificial intelligence. Key findings include: 1 in 4 companies have already implemented generative AI for marketing content, with another 45% or surveyed marketers planning to implement by the end of 2024. Early…

Google has rolled out additional formats for Video Reach Campaigns (VRCs) for Efficient Reach on YouTube. VRCs can now be scaled to in-feed and shorts, as well as in-stream ads, providing marketers with a more diversified and effective approach to reaching their target audience with a single campaign. Leveraging its machine learning technology, Google then…

At the end of the summer, we published a generative AI use policy for our team and contributors to follow. Publicizing that we created a policy seemed unnecessary. There’s enough humble-bragging online.  But since creating the policy, reputable publishers including Gannett (here and here) and Sports Illustrated were accused of using generative AI to create…

Data has become the driving force behind financial resilience and success, giving marketers the challenge of navigating rising CPCs and automation. The need for advanced analytics and harnessing first-party data has never been more crucial to maximizing revenue and profitability. Enter the world of predictive analytics, where the key to above-and-beyond search performance lies in…