Archive for the ‘seo news’ Category
Tuesday, October 24th, 2023
Google Ads has confirmed it is experiencing issues impacting Display & Video 360.
Affected users can access DV360 but may experience latency, see the UI fail to load or get stuck mid-load.
The platform has advised reloading the page if the UI doesn’t load properly.
Why we care. The issue will likely cause delays for advertisers using Display & Video 360 to create digital marketing campaigns, so it’s important to communicate the situation to the wider team and rest assured that the problem doesn’t stem from your end.
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What Google is saying. A spokesperson from Google Ads has confirmed that the team are investigating the issue and will be providing an update with more information “shortly”.
Deep dive. Read Google’s Display & Video 360 overview for more information on these features.
The post Google investigating Display & Video 360 issue appeared first on Search Engine Land.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Monday, October 23rd, 2023
It’s that time of year again – happy birthday, Google Ads!
Historically, we’ve celebrated the big day every five years by putting together a tribute to the world’s leading search engine, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics giant that we know as Google. Take a look at their big 2-0.
But considering what a whirlwind year it’s been in search, we’re sure you’ll agree it’s time to pop the champagne, cut the cake, and settle in for a new, yearly, honoring.
Let’s get to it!
2023
New products at Google Marketing Live
Google announced a strong of new AI-powered ad products at this year’s Google Marketing Live (GML), including:
At Google Marketing Live 2023, the search engine talkeded a lot about AI, but the focus wasn’t on AI taking over. The tech giant emphasized that AI is meant to help advertisers with their tasks, not replace them entirely. These changes aim to save time and offer better control in managing automated campaigns.
Ads on SGE
Google rolled out search ads on the Search Generative Experience (SGE) when it launched in August 2023. All ads appeared in designated ad positions and carried a sponsored ad label.
The search engine wanted to closely assess ad performance and user experiences, so didn’t initially give advertisers the choice to opt out of displaying ads on this new platform.
While it was crucial to monitor ad performance on the new Google Search Generative Experience (SGE), during the experimental phase, tracking differences in ad performance between SGE and the old Google Search wasn’t immediately feasible. However, the search engine promised to continually evaluate, test, and adjust its approach to ensure that the ad experience benefited both searchers and advertisers.
Retirement of attribution models
Google retired four rules-based attribution models for all properties in Google Ads and Google Analytics in mid-October 2023:
- First-click.
- Linear.
- Time decay.
- Position-based.
The models listed above were removed from both the Analytics user interface and Admin API.
The retirement of these four attribution models was attributed to their dwindling popularity, as less than 3% of conversions in Google Ads were utilizing these models, as confirmed by a Google spokesperson.
Federal antitrust trial
Google sent shock waves through the PPC community at the federal antitrust trial as its leaders were interrogated over it advertising policies by the Department of Justice.
The search engine revealed that:
- It quietly increase ad prices by as much as 10% without telling advertisers.
- The highest bidders of ad auctions don’t necessarily win.
- It used RGSP – which has resulted in more ad revenue.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta isn’t expected to issue a ruling until early 2024.
If Google loses the case, it could mean it is no longer automatically installed as the default search engine on everyday products, which could threaten its position as the world’s search leader.
Demand Gen
Google replaced Discovery Ads with Demand Gen, and started rolling out the new product globally in October 2023. Described as the “next generation of Discovery campaigns,” it has new features, inventory, and insights, as well as an enhanced ad creation flow.
“Demand Gen campaigns combine image + video ads in one place and can be used to drive conversions, site visits and actions like sign-up and add-to-cart across YouTube, Discover and Gmail,” Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin explained in a thread on X.
Google has set a deadline for all existing Discovery campaigns to transition to Demand Gen by early 2024, marking a significant shift in their advertising strategy.
2021-2022
Keyword match types
Keyword match types seem to be the gift that keeps on giving, or in Google’s case, taking away. This time Google’s simplified phrase match worried advertisers with some acknowledging how similarly BMM and phrase match have behaved, and others denouncing the change as a move to strip away more data and controls from advertisers so that Google can extract as much profit from auctions as possible.
Farewell, broad-match modified keywords. Google expanded phrase-match to be included in broad match, to the chagrin of advertisers everywhere.
Audiences
Advertisers will be able to use connected TV campaigns to target viewers across YouTube and “most” other connected TV apps. The new development will bring affinity, in-market, and demographic audience segments to connected TVs.
Advertisers will be able to reuse audiences across campaigns. When you build an audience to use in a campaign, Google Ads will save it so you can use it again in a future campaign.
Google Ads is renaming some key terms in your audience report and throughout Google Ads. You may have seen this already in some accounts. Google revealed this via this help documentation in September 2021.
RSAs and the end of ETAs
Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) became the default ad type in 2021. RSAs allow advertisers to input multiple headlines and ad copy variations, and Google Ads uses machine learning to determine which variations to use based on what queries people are searching for.
An open beta allowed advertisers to see Display ads alongside search and YouTube for the first time in the Google Ads attribution report. Advertisers can see the ads in Top Paths, Model Comparison, Assisted Conversions and Path Metrics reports.
Automated vehicle ads were launched. The new format uses vehicle data feeds in Google Merchant Center to match users’ searches with ads.
Nine new policies were added to the three-strike system to target clickbait, misleading ad design, and more.
Automation
Bundled bid strategies have replaced standalone options. The Target CPA (tCPA) and Target ROAS (tROAS) Smart Bidding strategies will be bundled with the Maximize Conversions and Maximize Conversion Value bid strategies, respectively, Google announced Tuesday. Moving forward, Maximize Conversions will have an optional tCPA field, and Maximize Conversion Value will have an optional tROAS field.
Everyone’s favorite campaign type, Performance Max, became available to all advertisers. PMax includes Smart Shopping and Local campaigns, though Google eventually sunsetted Smart Shopping campaigns for good starting in January 2022.
Changes to automated extensions include extensions being shown together, an “Automatically Created Extensions” report, and the ability to add them at ad group, campaign, or account level.
Privacy Concerns Deepen
The depreciation of third-party cookies was supposed to happen in 2022 but was ultimately pushed to 2023. With that, an alternative targeting technology known as Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) was opened for advertiser testing in Q2 2021, with adoption slated for Q4 2022.
The FLEDGE sandbox has been unveiled along with plans to roll out several Privacy Sandbox initiatives on Android, including the Topics API, the FLEDGE API for custom audiences and remarketing, and the Attribution Reporting API. It began testing in March 2022.
Honorable mentions
2015-2020
Audiences
Google’s 20th gave rise to an era of predictive marketing, using AI and machine learning to identify intent and predict customer needs, behavior and marketing outcomes.
YouTube gains access to Google data for audience targeting, effectively improving ad targeting and measurement across search and YouTube.
GA4 was also introduced, giving users expanded predictive insights, deeper integration with Google Ads, cross-device measurement capabilities and more granular data controls.
Keyword match-type decline
The way we manage search terms has changed. Close variants are no longer what they used to be and marketers are being forced to adapt to machine learning. “Google says its machine learning is now good enough to determine when a query has the same intent as a keyword with a high enough rate of success that advertisers will see an overall performance lift.” Awkward.
Google has loosened the reigns on close variant keywords. Broad match is super broad, exact match is more like phrase match, and phrase match is, well, gone?
Privacy concerns have forced Google to limit Search terms reporting. In a statement from Google, a spokesperson said, “In order to maintain our standards of privacy and strengthen our protections around user data, we have made changes to our Search Terms Report to only include terms that a significant number of users searched for. We’re continuing to invest in new and efficient ways to share insights that enable advertisers to make critical business decisions.”
Automation ramps up
RSAs and the start of the end for Expanded Text Ads began in 2020. The option for text ads was no longer the default option in the Ads dropdown. Advertisers are seeing only Responsive Search Ad (RSA) and Call ad.
Local Campaigns were introduced and aimed to drive in-store visits. Google automatically optimizes ad delivery across Search, YouTube, Maps and websites and apps in its ad networks.
Smart Campaigns debuted and were designed for small and local businesses that don’t have dedicated marketing staff and may not even have websites.
Smart Campaigns became the default campaign type for new advertisers in Google Ads. The campaigns are almost entirely automated and goals include phone calls, website visits and requests for directions.
Honorable mentions
Other new advancements in Search included:
2000 launch to 2015
While this is by no means a complete list, here are a few product development highlights from when Google launched the AdWords platform in 2000, all the way up to their 15th birthday.
2015
By 2015 Google maintained nearly 64 percent of search share on desktop and almost 90 percent of mobile in the US.
The Google shared library is sunsetted.
Google launches dynamic structured snippets for AdWords. The automated extensions display industry-specific, structured information about products and services on advertisers’ sites.
Google has opened up access to its home services ad program in AdWords Express. The home services ad program launched in beta in the San Francisco area to connect service providers with local residents searching for help.
Starting in October, Google changed the conversions columns to include only those conversions that are set for optimization: i.e., optimized conversion actions.
Google launched Smart Goals in early December. Smart Goals are designed for advertisers that don’t or can’t have conversion tracking on their sites. It aggregates conversion data from the thousands of sites that opt to share data with Google Analytics and, with machine learning, identifies visits deemed most likely to convert on the advertiser’s site.
2014
CNBC reports that Google is now banning porn businesses from utilizing their ad network.
To help retailers maintain consistent visibility in PLAs, Google has launched “automatic item updates” in AdWords.
Google announced it is extending its popular product listing ads (PLAs) to retail and e-commerce sites across the Google Search Network. The ads are served via a new Google product called AdSense for Shopping.
Automated Extensions report starts rolling out.
AdWords 11 is launched. Google released a fully-redesigned version of AdWords Editor that supports several of the bulk editing features that have recently been added to the web interface and introduces new functionality to the desktop tool.
2013
Google announced plans to add enhanced campaigns for AdWords to aid with campaign management catered to multiple-device users. The enhanced campaigns aimed to include advanced reports about users. This move was controversial among advertisers.
Ad group-level mobile bid adjustments started to roll out.
The AdWords Keyword Planner finally launches.
Google has announced the official beta for Image Extensions in AdWords.
Google announced the beta release of Review Extensions which allows advertisers to append a quote of endorsement from a reputable publication in their AdWords ads.
2012
Google Product Search is renamed to Google Shopping and only merchants that paid will be listed.
Google is testing the effect of adding “Trusted Stores” badges to qualifying advertisers’ search ads, as it considers deploying the badges more widely.
Google introduced the ability to target more than 30,000 ZIP codes in AdWords, giving advertisers the ability to find potential customers in a familiar, granular way. Another new feature, Location Insertion, is aimed at letting advertisers with multiple locations create one ad, and have information dynamically inserted depending on the user’s query or location.
Google released a new report — Auction Insights — that helps marketers understand how their ads stand, compared to others in the same auctions.
Testing begins for a new ad format on its Hotel Finder product that lets marketers bid to appear at the top of search results. Promoted Hotels ads are ranked based on a combination of bid and quality score, and are sold on a CPC basis.
The remarketing tag gets a makeover.
Google has begun notifying merchants that it won’t allow them to continue listing weapons-related items for sale in Google Shopping.
2011
Google is now letting AdWords advertisers automatically optimize what ads display most based on conversion rates.
Google will begin charging $1.00 for calls completed using the unique number it provisions, but solely when the call originates from someone using a computer who dials the number themselves from a phone. When the call is from a mobile device, or someone on a PC calls from the computer itself by clicking, the standard click charges apply. Previously, the calls dialed on a phone were free, as they didn’t involve a click, per se.
Google rolls out the ability to target ads to users by interest based on their previous browsing activity, or behavior, to all of its advertisers.
Cost per lead tests start. Google is testing search and display versions of a cost-per-lead ad format that would allow users to request an advertiser contact them.
Google is opening wider a beta test of Dynamic Search Ads. This ad type is designed for retailers or other advertisers with a large, often-changing inventory. Google automatically generates ad copy, based on the advertiser’s template.
Google officially announced it would begin serving AdWords at the bottom of search engine results pages on Google.com.
2010
Google has announced a new lab-type area called Google Ad Innovations, which is where it’ll “show you some of our latest ideas around advertising technologies and get your feedback.” Think of it as Google Labs for Ads.
Google has enabled access to the AdWords dashboard and other features for smartphone users. It’s configurable and provides on-the-go access to account data and stats. The new mobile interface is currently available for iPhone, Android and Palm/WebOS users.
Google starts testing a feature with a small number of advertisers in which a phone number can be included within the ad to help them more effectively engage with customers who prefer to connect over the phone.
A new keyword type, broad match modifier, begins testing.
Google Product Listing Ads are offered to all advertisers.
2009
Google’s newspaper ads initiative shuts down. Google said they are discontinuing this service because “the current Print Ads product is not the right solution.”
Google announced that they’re officially shutting down Google Audio Ads and Google Radio Automation.
The Google Base blog announced the launch of the new Google Merchant Center. The Merchant Center is replacing Google Base for those who submit products to Google.
Google Blog announced you can now buy YouTube Promoted Video ads directly in the Google AdWords console. Previously, all YouTube Promoted Video ads were managed on YouTube at ads.youtube.com.
Google has acquired AdMob (www.admob.com), a popular mobile display ad company, for $750 million. This acquisition gives Google access to AdMob’s more than 15,000 mobile Web sites and applications.
2008
Google pitched its media buying dashboard to very skeptical agencies.
Google also announced third-party tracking for the content network. Thanks, Google!
This same year, Google also began testing showing product ads in search results.
The Inside AdWords Google Blog announced that all US-based advertisers should now have the TV ads option in their account. In fact, you should see the option after logging in to your AdWords account at the bottom, where it says “Other Campaign Types.”
2007
Google started promoting audio ads. The landing page it takes you to tells you to call one of Google’s sales offices if you wanted to advertise on the radio.
Pay-per-action ads were launched this year, allowing advertisers to only pay when their preferred action was completed, such as a sale or click.
Google also began testing its Keyword Tool, showing the number of the previous month’s searches. The tool shows actual numbers in search volume for the previous month for keywords.
Also happening this year, Google acquired DoubleClick from The New York Times for $3.1 billion.
In July Google announced that those personalized ads you see are influenced by previous searches. In response, Google said “What you’re seeing is that we look at the user’s previous query and see how well it intersects with the current query. If it’s significant, we’ll use it to help targeting on the current query. We simply look at what’s in the referring URL (every time you load a web page, the HTTP header includes your previous URL as the “referrer”).”
Google reaches 1 million advertisers! “An analyst from UBS estimated Google has between 1.3 million and 1.5 million advertisers. According to the analyst, it shows there is still room for a lot more growth in terms of the advertiser base.”
2006
In 2006 Google decided to push forward with testing newspaper ads. If you’re curious, you can read the results here.
In the same year, they also began testing in-stream video ads with Beet.tv.
2000
Google launched its new self-service advertising program called AdWords. The program enabled “any advertiser to purchase individualized and affordable keyword advertising that appears instantly on the google.com search results page.”
The AdWords program replaced Google’s first ad program called Premium Sponsorships.
Check out this article we found from The Search Engine Report in 2000.
The post Google Ads turns 23: A look back at the biggest changes and advances in search appeared first on Search Engine Land.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Saturday, October 21st, 2023
Right now, marketers are navigating the vast digital marketing landscape, competing in a sea of content and yearning for a strategy that boosts rankings and seamlessly translates them into tangible revenue. Finding an approach that incorporates all of this is vital.
Join search marketing experts and learn the process of creating a conversion-oriented strategy into an SEO and digital PR campaign that will lead to conversions and revenue.
Learn more by registering and attending “From Zero to Hero: Apply Pillar-Based Marketing to Your SEO and Digital Campaigns to Drive Revenue,” presented by DemandJump.
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Friday, October 20th, 2023
Google AdSense has rolled out related search for Auto ads.
The new feature shows search terms that are relevant to the content on the pages your users are viewing.
If a user were to then click on one of the suggested search terms displayed, they would be directed to a search results page where they’d have the ability to engage with AdSense for Search ads, as well as relevant results from your site.
Why we care. This new feature helps to improve an advertiser’s targeting precision by ensuring that only contextually relevant ads are delivered to users. By doing so, advertisers can effectively connect with high-value consumers, while simultaneously elevating the overall user experience through increased relevance.
How it works. You can turn on the related search feature for Auto ads on your site by visiting your Auto ads settings page.
As related search for Auto ads is a navigational unit and not an ad, it doesn’t count toward the ad load on the page.
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Availability. All publishers can now have access to related search for Auto ads.
Deep dive. Read Google AdSense’s Auto Ad guide for more information on how they work and their main benefits.
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Friday, October 20th, 2023
Google has confirmed that the October 2023 Core Update – the third core update this year – has completed rolling out. The update started on October 5, 2023, a day after the October 2023 spam update was released, and completed 14 days later on October 19, 2023.
Lots of volatility. This update, like most previous core updates, felt big in terms of the number of sites that saw ranking volatility and the complaints from SEOs I spotted over the rollout. We will try our best to do the data provider analysis, but with two big confirmed updates rolling out at the same time, it might be hard.
The update seemed to have caused significant movement in the search rankings from October 10 through October 12 and then again over this past weekend. But again, that is just based on what I am watching, not based on data from any data source.
Why we care. Google algorithm updates are critical for all brands, businesses, and organizations to be aware of because they can impact how your site performs in search results. Any change in rankings from a core update – positive or negative – can impact your organic traffic, conversions and revenue.
Knowing when Google makes these updates gives you something to point to in order to understand if it was something you changed on your website or something Google changed with its ranking algorithm.
What to do if you are hit. Google has given advice on what to consider if you are negatively impacted by a core update in the past:
- There aren’t specific actions to take to recover. A negative rankings impact may not signal anything is wrong with your pages.
- Google has offered a list of questions to consider if your site is hit by a core update.
- Google said you can see a bit of a recovery between core updates but the biggest change would be after another core update.
Previous core updates. Here’s a timeline and our coverage of recent core updates:
Other recent Google algorithm updates. Google is finished rolling out the October 2023 spam update, which took two weeks to complete. So this October 2023 core update and the October 2023 spam update will overlap. In September, Google rolled out the September 2023 helpful content update over a 14 day period.
You can read more about past Google updates here.
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Friday, October 20th, 2023
LinkedIn is giving users more incentives to contribute to Collaborative Articles, promising greater visibility in search, feeds and notifications, the company announced today.
More visibility. LinkedIn plans to include more Collaborative Articles when people search for specific problems or topics. So if you’ve contributed to a Collaborative Article, this increases the odds your answer could be featured in LinkedIn’s search results.
Other ways LinkedIn is increasing visibility for Collaborative Article contributors:
- People outside your network may be exposed to your contribution, not just people you are already connected to.
- LinkedIn may also notify members “who would benefit” from your expertise.
Why we care. Contributing to Collaborative Articles provides a way to increase your visibility and your LinkedIn network and possibly even get leads. However, the format still is imperfect and needs more human editorial oversight.
Smart SEO play. LinkedIn Collaborative articles have been a smart and effective SEO play for LinkedIn so far. Just look at this growth (as shared on LinkedIn by Olga Andrienko, VP of brand marketing at Semrush):
But. It’s also resulting in a lot of SEO misinformation.
- “It’s churning out content about SEO talking about bounce rate, toxic links, and how you need to spend hours agnosing over meta descriptions. Just drowning in half-truths and misinformation. SEO is going to be particularly interesting in the next few years!” Mark Williams-Cook, Director at Candour, wrote on LinkedIn.
What else is changing. LinkedIn announced multiple additional updates to Collaborative Articles:
- Top Community Voice badges: Badges for a skill will appear next to your contributions to an article, no longer just on your profile.
- New layout: LinkedIn is putting a greater focus on member contributions instead of AI-generated text.
- All reactions available: Plus, you can see who has reacted to your contributions.
- Follow: People can now follow you directly from your contributions.
- Top Contributor section: Noteworthy contributors will be featured at the top of an article (most likely based on reactions).
- Cross-article linking: Internal links are being added to articles to make it easier to discover and read more articles.
- And more: LinkedIn is promising better quality and depth for articles; better algorithmic recommendations based on your posts/articles/comments; that filling in your Top Skills section will “explicitly pick the skills you want to contribute to”; and a refresh of linkedin.com/advice that makes it easier to find and contribute to articles.
The post LinkedIn to give Collaborative Articles more reach in search appeared first on Search Engine Land.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Friday, October 20th, 2023
Google Ads has rolled out strict new requirements to access its professional certifications on Skillshop.
Before undertaking any of its new exams, marketers will now be required to:
- Take a picture of a photo ID.
- Take a picture of your face.
- Record a video of your test taking environment.
New tougher rules. Google also announced that during exams, a live proctor will monitor the activity of participants via a webcam, as well as screen-sharing software. If the proctor notices any unauthorized behaviour, they will pause the exam and send you a message. You will also be recorded during the exam for review purposes. These are the exam guidelines:
- You are not allowed to have open books.
- You are not allowed to have notes.
- You are not allowed to use scratch paper.
- You are not allowed to take restroom breaks.
- You are not allowed to use a handheld calculator, you will have a calculator built into your test screen.
- You are not allowed to use headphones.
- You are not allowed to wear hats.
- You can take your exam in a public area, without any people in the background.
- Moderate background noise is allowed.
Why we care. The new requirements Google is asking of marketers to simply undertake its exams have been deemed unreasonable and extreme by some. Meanwhile, given the sharp rise of automation in PPC, marketers are questioning the value of acquiring additional certifications, let alone the justification for the associated costs.
‘Ridiculous!’ The PPC has been reacting to Google’s new certification requirements on X and it appears they are not impressed. Paid Search Director Melissa L Mackey, posted:
- “This is so crazy. “Without any people in the background.” No headphones. WTF. Some of us work from home with other people around and wear headphones so we don’t bug others. Completely ridiculous.”
Global Paid Search Lead, Fraser Andrews, added:
- “This is actually crazy!”
Michael Costin, founder of digital marketing agency Local Digital, wrote:
- “The same company that manipulates bids to thieve more money from advertisers now demands that you send them your ID in order to take a test that shows you know how to use their platform properly… that they then manipulate any way.”
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Why now? Google has rolled out its tougher new criteria as it pilots three new professional certifications on Skillshop. Select partners are being invited to undertake exams to obtain the new certifications in Display Search and Video for free until 31 December 2023. Next year, advertisers will have to pay to sit the exams.
Deep dive. Visit Skillshop to learn more about using Google’s products to their full potential.
The post Google Ads rolls out stricter requirements for new certifications appeared first on Search Engine Land.
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Wednesday, October 18th, 2023
YouTube is rolling out a new feature that enables creators to add timestamps to tagged products in their videos.
When the timestamp is added, a shopping cart button will appear at an optimal moment when there is an anticipated increased chance of engagement.
Why we care. Precision in targeting potential customers during strategic moments, coupled with improvements in the shopping experience, could result in increased engagement and conversions.
Why now. The move will give back some control to creators and sponsors ahead of YouTube’s decision to sunset some ad controls for newly uploaded videos next month for the following ad types:
- Pre-roll
- Post-roll
- Skippable
- Non-skippable
New shopping features. In addition to the new timestamps, YouTube is rolling out further features to improve the shopping experience. For example, it is going to enable creators to bulk tag affiliate products in video libraries. A spokesperson told The Verge that this tool could:
- “Help you earn revenue from older content that still gets high traffic.”
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Enhanced reporting. YouTube has also confirmed that it is rolling out a new reporting tool in YouTube Studio that will reveal which affiliate products generate the most revenue for brands. This capability will be available “in the coming weeks.”
Deep dive. Visit the YouTube Advertising help center for more information on how video ads work.
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Wednesday, October 18th, 2023
According to Deloitte Digital’s newly released research, 26% of surveyed marketers already use generative AI for marketing content production, with another 45% planning to implement it by 2024. Will you be one of them, or are you still wondering if GenAI is for you?
Join Deloitte Digital’s Todd Brownrout and Jenny Kelly to hear more about the research, discover strategies for utilizing GenAI to meet growing content production demands and get a sneak peek at how the Deloitte Digital Content Studio is deploying GenAI in content production workflows.
Learn more by registering and attending “Separating Hype from Reality: The Real Data Behind Marketing & GenAI,” presented by Deloitte.
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Wednesday, October 18th, 2023
Quantity and quality are often diametrically opposed.
Increase the former, the latter drops like a rock.
Try to bring it back up, and pretty soon, you’re back where you started; lowering quantity back down to bring them into balance.
But here’s the thing.
It doesn’t have to be this way. In a world of endless competition, incredibly savvy competitors, AI, and zero-click SERPs, you simply can’t afford not to scale both quality and quantity at the same exact time.
Don’t just take my word for it. Go look at the SERPs. Look at what is actually working vs. what anyone “tells” you should work.
I’ve had the fortune of working with countless billion-dollar brands. And what separates them from everyone else isn’t just a budget number on a spreadsheet.
But a deeper understanding of how to avoid these five self-imposed mistakes below.
Mistake 1: Poor operational systems create self-imposed ‘glass ceilings’
It’s true to a degree.
SEO is complex. Getting more so by the day.
It is technical. Canonicalization and Time to First Byte (TTFB) are living proof.
But there is a giant misconception about why SEO campaigns fail.
That’s because, contrary to popular belief, SEO is not just a technical problem. It’s also a people problem.
Obviously, a site that doesn’t get indexed properly is a problem. That’s a technical issue.
But the bigger, more fundamental, and common underlying issue is that you’re not publishing enough good stuff around highly relevant keywords or getting attention and clicks back to those pages.
Simple as that.
Go look up the biggest sites across any category. The biggest brands in your industry. And what do you notice?
An overwhelming number of websites whose pages number into the thousands (or more), and referring domains into the tens of thousands (or more).
That’s what you’re up against. Welcome to the future of SEO. Where the big get bigger, the rich get richer.
And the faster you come to realize this, the faster you’ll be able to set up your workflows, processes, roles, and responsibilities accordingly to unlock insane growth.
The trouble is, most SEOs continue to think too small. Too tactical. Too minute.
They’re busy scrappin’ around, looking for those one or two or three “NiNjA rOcKsTaR uNiCoRnS” – except they don’t exist!
Or, at least, your over-reliance on them continues to undermine future potential because you rely more on raw talent than proven systems.
And therefore, your workflows are garbage. Processes full of holes like a stinky, sweaty block of Swiss cheese.
So the first lesson is to stop. Look at yourself in the mirror. And admit that what got you here won’t get you there.
You need better internal operating systems – not just better, more talented people – to scale million-dollar brands into billion-dollar ones.
Mistake 2: You don’t have processes to simplify complex activities
I <3 Andy Crestodina.
One, because he’s incredibly nice. Two, incredibly smart. But three, ‘cause he drops truth bombs on the regular.
He’s been publishing a study on blogging statistics for years – possibly even a decade by now.
And there are always two overwhelming conclusions staring marketers in the face:
- The stuff most people do consistently don’t correlate highly with success.
- The things that most likely correlate to success are often practiced the least.
Let that sink in a moment.
Here’s my favorite excerpt. Let’s take a look at the top seven activities that correlate most with “chance of success,” as reported in the increased likelihood from those with “strong results:”
- Publish daily – 128%
- Write 3,000+ word articles – 116%
- Write 10+ draft headlines before choosing one – 84%
- Research keywords for every post – 80%
- Include 10+ images per post – 56%
- Include contributor quotes for every post – 56%
- Use a team of editors – 52%
Now. Ask yourself. How many of those are you practicing on a regular basis?
One? Maybe two? Imagine you pushed that to six or all seven.
How on Earth is that possible? To publish loooooong, in-depth, action-packed articles that include expert insight backed by a team of editors – all on a daily basis?
The short answer? You can’t.
At least, not without excellent processes that break down complex, multi-faceted challenges into simple steps and checklists.
Take even one of those, like publishing daily. Only the greatest workhorses of writers could publish one 3,000-word article on a daily basis.
Why?
Because they’re also often getting pulled into too many other directions and distractions.
Because you’re also falling victim to the third common mistake below.
Mistake 3: You have the wrong people in the wrong roles
Great writers make bad editors and even terrible content managers because their skill sets are often contradictory. For instance:
- Great writers thrive on ingenuity, on saying the same thing multiple different ways at different times.
- Great editors, meanwhile, thrive on consistency, making sure that all content under their purview has consistent standards and a unifying voice.
- Great content managers thrive on orderly logistics, keeping their teams on task to guarantee milestones and due dates are met, and output continues to increase.
OK, thanks for the lecture. What does all this mean?
It means to publish a 3,000+ word article on a daily basis, you’re not just looking for one killer writer. You’re looking for a team of them.
That team of subject-matter experts needs to be supported by a team of editors. Who’re all backed up by a team of content managers working in sync like a professional kitchen on a busy night.
The only way you get teams of people to work together, day after day, is through having the right people in the right roles.
So everyone’s playing to their strengths. And nobody is pulled into their areas of weakness.
This is easy in theory but difficult in practice. And it’s why most can’t – or won’t – do it.
Mistake 4: You’re ‘guessing’ instead of ‘knowing’ what works
The Internet’s rich keep getting richer.
I don’t need to tell you that.
All you need to do is look up the SERPs in your space and notice how giant “business” publishers are now dominating categories like “best mattress for your home.”
They often don’t need to play by the same rules as the rest of us, sweating over concepts like “topical authority” that their mere presence makes a mockery of.
Except…
When the big brands drop the ball on the basics.
Their SEO complacency and entitlement ultimately do them in. And that’s how you beat them at their own game.
Take a super competitive, saturated space like “make money online.”
Big brands often fall short when they “guess” instead of measuring twice and cutting once – knowing exactly what they should be doing before even writing a single word.
Exhibit A:
No way this should be happening. Except, it’s obvious to experts: search intent is simply misaligned.
They’re just publishing whatever they feel like, a product landing page, expecting it to work instantly.
Instead of rolling up their sleeves, understanding what the SERPs are telling them, and then executing accordingly.
Mistake 5: You haven’t transformed ‘subjective’ elements into ‘objective’ ones
Understand that nearly everything in life is subjective – varying shades of gray.
There are few truly “black” or “white” issues where one side is always wrong and the other is always right. (No matter what loud people on X.com lead you to believe.)
The real world isn’t binary. But that doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) do everything possible to transform subjective elements in your process into objective ones.
Take a look at the following edits and tell me which ones are “right” vs. “wrong”:
One person reading this might like the first example. While others, the second.
So what’s the right answer?
Trick question, because there is none.
The point is to take something subjective, like the phrasing of a sentence, and turn it into objective truths for your brand or style.
And then consistently re-train your team to align around that tone going forward.
Unlocking SEO success: People and processes, not just tech, matter
It’s true. You can’t guarantee SEO success.
But that’s OK in the long run.
‘Cause it means that most of your competitors will continue to take shortcuts and miss the obvious facts staring them in the face.
You, putting your head down and trusting the process, can lap them over the next few years before they even know what hit them.
You can’t guarantee SEO results. But you can predict SEO success before publishing a single thing.
You just need to look at what actually works, what is actually driving results in real time.
And then align your workflows, processes and people accordingly.
The post 5 SEO mistakes sacrificing quantity and quality (and how to fix them) appeared first on Search Engine Land.
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