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    Google recognizes content creators: A breakthrough for E-E-A-T and SEO

    Written on September 25, 2024 at 6:03 am, by admin

    A breakthrough for E-E-A-T and SEO

    Google is explicitly identifying people it understands to be content creators. 

    This article explains how we know that Google is recognizing content creators, why it’s important and what SEO professionals need to do in response.

    Google’s growing recognition of content creator entities

    I recently discovered Knowledge Panel subtitles like “Content Creator (Medicine)” and “Content Creator (Travel)” in the SERPs.

    This shows Google’s explicit identification of individuals as authoritative content creators within specific fields.

    Knowledge panel subtitle - Content Creator

    This is a significant E-E-A-T development for content creators as it gives visible and meaningful proof that Google has recognized them as credible sources of information on a specific topic.

    It’s also a huge advantage in modern SEO, since the person’s content is more likely to appear in today’s search results and tomorrow’s AI-powered assistants.

    Here are some examples from the Kalicube Pro dataset (tracking over 17 million person entities) for content creator topics:

    Google is looking for content creators

    This focus on identifying content creators is a recurring theme at Google. 

    Three events in 2023 and 2024 demonstrated that identifying content creators is a major focus for Google:

    Our Knowledge Graph monitoring tool shows small updates every 1 to 2 weeks. In 2024, they have mostly affected person entities.

    Knowledge graph algorithm updates

    While these updates may seem random and impact around 10% of entities, they are typically minor “recalibrations” rather than strategically significant changes. 

    The key takeaway is that Google is increasingly focused on identifying trustworthy person entities and connecting them to the content they create.

    Why this is important to E-E-A-T in SEO

    E-E-A-T takes on real (measurable) meaning when Google identifies people it considers authoritative on a topic and can confidently link them to the content they create.

    This places us firmly in the era of what I call modern SEO, where, in addition to optimizing the content (traditional SEO), optimizing the content creator and website publisher entities is necessary.

    The logic is simple and irrefutable, given the data and the Google leak.

    In order for Google’s algorithms to apply any E-E-A-T credibility signals, they need to understand the entity and the relationship between that entity and the web pages it creates or that provide information about it.

    This is a zero-sum game. Without explicit understanding, the entity’s E-E-A-T credibility signals (links, awards, qualifications, reviews, testimonials, media coverage, etc.) will have no effect.

    How to optimize content creator/author for SEO

    To achieve optimal SEO results, you need to focus on optimizing both the content creator and website publisher entities. However, if you have to prioritize one, choose the content creator.

    Google is increasingly focusing on individuals and optimizing content creators will likely provide the most value to your clients right now.

    Optimization passes through three phases:

    Understandability

    Create clear relationships between the content creator and reference pages that Google can use to verify facts about the person. Ideal reference pages include:

    Credibility

    Establish connections between the content creator and relevant content. This includes:

    Deliverability

    Expand the content creator’s digital footprint by creating new content, getting content published about them and controlling all information strands. Ensure all content is:

    Use the creator’s personal website as a central hub in a hub-and-spoke model, linking all content to help Google and other AI systems connect the dots.

    A simple, DIY method to check if Google recognizes the author

    To see if Google recognizes an author, search for the title of one of their articles. In the SERPs, click the three vertical dots next to the result.

    If Google shows the author’s name and a brief description, it means the relationship between the author and the content has been established in Google’s algorithms.

    Checking if Google recognizes the content author

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    The person entity and URL relationships evolve over time

    This strategy is not a “set-it-and-forget-it” approach. Over time, a person’s digital footprint expands, their niche evolves and Google’s dataset and algorithms continuously change.

    For example, during the Killer Whale update, the number of person entities tripled in a single day, drastically altering the landscape for most entities overnight. 

    Even smaller updates can accumulate into significant changes:

    The person entity and URL relationships evolve over time

    There is a constant risk of losing critical elements such as entity-to-reference relationships, author connections, specific facts about the entity and relationships with other entities. 

    The daily risk of losing their Knowledge Panel is particularly high for less established person entities.

    Tracking these elements is essential, and ongoing maintenance is crucial.

    We consider an entity to be established only after two years of presence in Google’s Knowledge Graph, as reflected in its entity home.

    Entities that depend on sources like Wikipedia, Wikidata, Google Books, Crunchbase or other third-party resources for their existence in the Knowledge Graph remain vulnerable to changes in those sources.

    Is this information integrated into the algorithms?

    The simple answer is “yes.” 

    We can clearly see Person entities in Gemini, AI Overviews, Google Discover and in traditional SERPs through rich features such as Knowledge Panels, People Also Search For, “Best of” lists and much more.

    Even when considering a traditional KPI like ranking, you can see the positive impact of building these entity-to-URL relationships. 

    In collaboration with WordLift, I have been working on this for my personal brand. Below is the position tracking of pages explicitly associated with “Jason Barnard” as reference or author pages on WordLift’s website:

    Tacking of pages explicitly associated with “Jason Barnard”

    Here are some results from on and off-SERP assistive agents:

    On and off-SERP assistive agents' results for “Jason Barnard”

    This is important to topical authority in SEO

    The importance of topical authority is widely recognized in the SEO industry.

    Because topics are considered entities, building topical authority involves developing URL-to-entity relationships for both the relevant topics and the content creator.

    As you establish topical authority for a content creator, the likelihood of Google assigning a subtitle such as “Content creator (Topic)” increases. 

    This subtitle serves as a direct indicator of individuals whom Google recognizes as primary content creators with authority in a specific field.

    However, this subtitle is not the only measure of topical authority. 

    If Google views an individual’s primary role differently, an individual can possess topical authority without it being reflected in their subtitle. 

    For example, while Google acknowledges me as a topical authority in SEO – evident from the topic-to-URL relationship with my entity home – my Knowledge Panel subtitle is “Entrepreneur.”

    Other search and assistive engines and the future

    In addition to Google Search and Gemini, various AI assistive engines – such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Alexa, Apple Spotlight and Siri – are adopting similar strategies. Through direct or indirect partnerships, these engines:

    What you must do now as a modern SEO expert

    To stay ahead, focus on building an understanding of person-to-page relationships (consider these as linkless links).

    Apply this strategy to the content creators on your (or your clients’) websites to enhance rankings, increase SERP visibility and improve knowledge-based results such as Knowledge Panels, entity lists and AI Overviews.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Open for your exclusive SMX agenda preview

    Written on September 25, 2024 at 6:03 am, by admin

    Join some of the world’s most respected search marketing minds for the final SMX event of 2024 – online November 13-14 – for free. Together, you’ll explore the latest, most critical search marketing trends and head into 2025 with the skills you need to stay ahead of the competition:

    Your free pass unlocks the complete program:

    Since 2006, SMX has helped more than 200,000 search marketers from around the world achieve their professional goals. Now, it’s your turn. Grab your free pass now!

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    TikTok Search Ads Campaign launch in U.S.

    Written on September 25, 2024 at 6:03 am, by admin

    TikTok search

    TikTok is taking a direct shot at Google with the launch of TikTok Search Ads Campaign in the U.S. Advertisers can now target users on its search results page.

    Previously, ads on TikTok’s search page were more generic. But now brands can tailor their ads to align with specific search behaviors.

    Why it matters. TikTok has a growing role as a search engine for younger users – 57% of users use the app’s search function, according to internal TikTok data. This new feature lets you capture attention at critical moments of intent. TikTok’s move could threaten Google’s dominance, as younger users are increasingly using social media for search instead of traditional engines.

    What can be done. Brands can now tailor ads to match TikTok’s unique search behaviors, which often blend intent-driven and spontaneous discovery.

    The numbers. TikTok’s testing shows that combining Search Ads with In-Feed Ads boosts conversions by 20%, with users who don’t engage with an ad initially more likely to interact after seeing a related search ad.

    The big picture. TikTok’s search capabilities continue to evolve, positioning the platform as a real contender in the search advertising space, and giving advertisers a new way to reach users who are actively seeking specific content.

    But. The impending U.S. TikTok ban, which is expected to occur in January, could severely limit any threat to Google’s search ad dominance.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Google Ads adds Video Enhancement for Performance Max

    Written on September 24, 2024 at 3:02 am, by admin

    Is it time to rethink your current Google Ads strategy?

    Google Ads is rolling out a new Video Enhancement feature for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns. This feature aims to improve video ad performance through automated adjustments.

    Why we care. The feature is designed to optimize video creatives, but you may not want to give Google this level of control. So, depending on many caveats, it may be worth testing. 

    What’s happening. Advertisers reported seeing this feature in some campaigns, with the option being automatically opted-in by default.

    Reactions. Some advertisers are wary of Google’s use of terms like “enhance” and “optimize,” suggesting a cautious approach to automated adjustments that could affect campaign outcomes.

    First seen. This update was first brought to our attention by Natasha Kaura on X:

    Bottom line. As Google continues to introduce AI-driven enhancements to its ad tools, advertisers should monitor how these changes impact campaign performance, and adjust settings as needed to maintain control over their creative assets.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    How to plan a website to maximize SEO success

    Written on September 24, 2024 at 3:02 am, by admin

    How to plan a website to maximize SEO success

    Many redesigned websites fail to improve SEO, often damaging existing rankings and creating challenges for SEO teams trying to recover lost traffic. This can severely affect business visibility, lead generation and sales.

    I have been handed many a brand new website and asked to “SEO it” when untold damage has been done and significant time and effort must be spent just to get traffic levels back where they were before the redesign. 

    Many articles help with website SEO and how to retain SEO traffic during a redesign. There are also helpful books and frameworks for website planning.

    Yet, seemingly no resource combines a sensible approach to planning a new site with the retention and improvement of SEO. 

    This article will outline how to plan a new website effectively to retain existing traffic and create a platform to improve your SEO. 

    To make following along easier, you can fill out the steps in the template below:

    Website planning and SEO 

    To ensure your new website retains and improves your SEO, it is helpful to ensure you have a clearly defined SEO strategy and you have articulated this in a simple SEO plan. 

    The worst thing in any website design project is when unexpected problems or changes arrive during development. 

    A well-developed plan that has input from all stakeholders helps ensure less of this. More importantly, if the customer changes their mind or the scope creeps (the scope always creeps), you have the document to show the original scope and justify the necessary fee increases. 

    I wish I had a dollar for every time we were asked to review a new site that was almost finished – only to find that SEO hadn’t been considered, putting its success at risk.

    We recently worked on a six-figure project for a business that thrived on organic traffic. The project would essentially destroy all the hard-earned SEO. 

    This took several months and probably another six figures in PPC spend (to replace what was free SEO traffic from an SEO vs. PPC perspective), as well as further SEO time and redevelopment. You want to avoid that if at all possible. 

    We have also seen other sites that had so comprehensively damaged SEO traffic that the only sensible approach was to roll back to the previous site. 

    Suffice it to say that ensuring you retain SEO traffic and set the scene for improvements is not something you can leave to chance. 

    The approach laid out here combines a fairly standard approach to website planning, which, done well, will save much time, money and pain, with the kind of jobs needed to retain existing SEO traffic while building a furtive platform for further SEO development. 

    The output of this process should be a document that either acts as the foundation of the website brief or is integrated into a traditional brief. 

    Note: Where the SEO brief and website brief are separate entities, I always recommend reviewing the final website brief to ensure the SEO brief has been incorporated before the project kicks off. 

    There are five key steps to work through to create your SEO-friendly website blueprint:

    1. Existing rankings and traffic 

    Your must understand your traffic and where it comes from.

    To do this, spend some time in Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify:

    Your goal is to clearly document what works currently. These must be included in the new site.

    If high-traffic content is removed, not correctly optimized, or lost in the new site’s hierarchy, then you are inviting problems. 

    Google Search Console

    Google Search Console is a treasure trove of SEO information and will give you the straight dope on your rankings and traffic. 

    Here, you’ll see high-opportunity keywords and pages with lots of impressions but not many clicks. 

    The main information you are looking for is in the queries and pages tabs. You can order this by clicks (traffic) and impressions (which is an opportunity). 

    Work through this information and document your findings in the template. 

    Crawl data

    Crawl your website and save a copy of the crawl (Screaming Frog is a cost-effective or free way of doing this under 500 pages).

    This will allow you to check links to the page and compare with the new site if (and when) problems arise. 

    SEO tools

    You can also use any SEO tools for rank tracking. 

    Still, I prefer Search Console and Google Analytics for this as they give you real data and insight, not the extrapolated data the typical SEO tools provide, which can often be wildly inaccurate and misleading. 

    Dig deeper: Website redesign SEO checklist: Retaining and improving SEO

    2. SEO and website goals 

    Goals are crucial to any project. Starting with clear goals helps you understand your destination, making it easier to find the right path forward.

    Goals provide you with a tool for assessing all decisions throughout the project.

    Will doing something help us hit our goals? If not, don’t do it. If so, go for it! 

    You may have goals for the website project overall, ideally these will be hierarchical. For instance, we may have one super goal that states the goal of the new website is to generate more leads. 

    You may then have sub-goals such as to improve SEO and improve conversion rates that work in service of the master goal. 

    Remember to make your SEO goals specific and measurable, so SMART goals are helpful here. 

    Overall, you may need a hierarchy of goals here that covers:

    You may also find it useful to look at things you want to avoid with the new site. Determining what you are aiming at and what you are running away from can be just as helpful, if not more so. 

    Document your goals in the website plan template and move on. 

    3. Audience and customer segments

    Carefully define your target audience(s) along with some considerations regarding your competitors. 

    Remember, in marketing, targeting everyone is targeting no one. 

    That is not to say you can’t target multiple audiences, but you do need to give some consideration to each audience and factor this into the structure and segmentation of your new site.

    We want to carefully consider the goals, problems and jobs of our target audience to ensure our business goals, website goals and the goals of the people we serve are all finely aligned. 

    Audience questions

    We want to start by simply identifying the different audiences: men, women, students, Gen X, Millennials, etc. 

    For each audience:

    The information you gather here will help you when it comes to structuring your site to support the individual needs of each audience (which, in turn, makes optimizing for each audience so much easier). 

    To explore each customer segment in more depth, you can use the SEO Value Proposition Template and SCAMPER to understand your customers and identify the content you need to hit your goals. 

    Remember that Google wants you to focus on creating helpful, people-first content. To do this, you need to understand your people (audience) and ensure you are writing for them. 

    This process feeds into your SEO like no other, so spend the time getting into the minds of your audience segments. Your SEO will thank you for it.  

    Note all of this down in the website plan template and move on. 

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    4. Structure and sitemap

    A sitemap provides a simple overview of the new site and can be cross-referenced with the existing goals. 

    For instance, the new sitemap should include high-traffic pages on the current site that drive business performance. 

    Sitemaps help gather feedback from all stakeholders and facilitate difficult conversations during the planning stages. Addressing these issues early can prevent problems later on with delivery, timelines and budgets.

    I am a big fan of the idea that you should really thrash things out at this point and good ideas get strengthened and remain, while bad ideas can die here – rather than in costly development. 

    Creating your sitemap

    You want to create a simple bullet point sitemap in the first instance.

    I recommend writing this all down in a spreadsheet so you have clarity and numbering for all pages (which will be useful in the next steps).

    You can use your favorite drawing tool to create your sitemap. Draw.io has a useful set of templates, including various maps, that you can use for site mapping (all of which are saved to Google Docs).

    A visual sitemap can be useful for the major categories and sections of the site and can aid in getting feedback from stakeholders.  

    The key takeaway here is that we want to create a sitemap that is segmented by our target audiences and serves the overarching marketing objectives. 

    If our SEO goals are to retain traffic and create an optimized structure, then we can assess that here. 

    Key pieces of content that have been identified should be recreated on the new site within an optimized structure that sets the scene for growth. 

    Remember, the hierarchy here will inform you of your site’s folder structure, which helps provide context for each document. 

    This, in turn, helps you structure your keywords from high-level broad keywords to more specific categories and longer-tail product/service keywords. The structure is key, so spend time here until you are happy. 

    5. Page scoping

    The next step of the planning process is to determine what content will be on each page.

    Based on the level of detail you want to use here, you can either create columns in your spreadsheet sitemap that you created previously or go into more detail.

    Typically, for each page, we should include:

    The SEO aspect here is fairly obvious, and if we have a high-performing page currently, we want to ensure the main content is recreated. 

    There is little point in adding a page and changing things radically – minimize the variables wherever possible. 

    We want to examine the page’s goal and ensure that its functionality and content support it. 

    Some example goals for pages are:

    Work through each page detailing the goal for that page and then outline the content that supports that and update the website plan template. 

    6. SEO specifics

    The planning is important, but we must document a few SEO specifics to ensure this build aspect will be handled correctly.

    Factoring in these five areas will ensure the main SEO points are covered.

    6. Your website plan 

    At this point, you should have a comprehensive but concise plan outlining what is needed on your new site. 

    The plan should cover:

    Most people don’t do this. They create a super skinny brief and leave it to the web developers. 

    But the web developers don’t know your business, so you have to put in the work to ensure the new site retains and improves your SEO (while also hitting the likely myriad of other goals that trickle down from management to marketing). 

    While it may seem like an additional step, planning will save you time, money and pain while improving your overall results – a win-win. 

    In a nutshell, you will get better results by doing the research and planning work. 

    Launch and beyond

    The final aspects to consider are the monitoring of the launch and what your marketing and SEO KPIs are to measure results. 

    We always expect some turbulence, but keeping a close eye on the Search Console and your KPIs will help you spot issues and squash them quickly. 

    SEO-friendly website planning to retain and improve traffic

    Most websites could be better planned.

    If you follow the simple steps here, you will have done more pre-design planning than 99% of other website projects, which can help you join the 1% of companies that get all the results.

    Ensure you understand what works currently and where you want to go. Weave that into the planning for your new site and prepare to fly high.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    6 advanced (yet missing) Meta Ads KPIs to track success

    Written on September 24, 2024 at 3:02 am, by admin

    6 advanced (yet missing) KPIs to track Meta Ads success

    Meta Ads provides a solid foundation of basic metrics like ROAS and conversion rate, but savvy marketers know that true optimization lies in the details.

    Are your clicks translating into quality visits? Is your audience reach expanding or stagnating? These questions demand more nuanced data.

    Below are six advanced key performance indicators (KPIs) that Meta Ads doesn’t readily offer out of the box but which can dramatically elevate your paid social strategy.

    1. Awareness KPI: Net new reach

    The first missing KPI to add to your Meta Ads strategy should focus on audience reach and saturation.

    The key question: Is your top-of-funnel approach attracting people unfamiliar with your brand?

    This is crucial for most businesses, especially B2B accounts with longer sales cycles.

    Without fresh prospects, you risk depleting your funnel by repeatedly targeting the same audience, leading to diminishing returns.

    To answer this question, you will want to tweak how Meta Ads shows your data.

    Let’s start with frequency. It’s the average number of times each user saw your ad. The formula is:

    Frequency is a powerful KPI for tracking audience saturation, but it comes with two major caveats:

    This means Meta Ads could easily improve Ads Manager by providing frequency columns with such default time frames. But you have to manually do it. Or do you?

    Meta Ads offers an alternate metric called “frequency (cumulative).” However, it’s not available as a column in Ads Manager: you can only get it if you hover over a campaign (ad set or ad) and click on “view charts” and then “customize.”

    Here is an example of a retargeting campaign with a budget that’s probably too big for a relatively small audience:

    Retargeting campaign - Frequency

    Looking at frequency over time, it looks OK. We’re reaching unique users about once a day. 

    However, the overall number should trigger some questions: why is it so high (17 impressions in about a month)? If we switch to frequency (cumulative), this is what we see:

    Retargeting campaign - Frequency (cumulative)

    You never want to see such a frequency (cumulative) curve in most scenarios because:

    The question is: how? 

    Unfortunately, Meta Ads does not provide an easy way to do this: frequency (cumulative) sits at the campaign level only, and its sister KPI, reach (cumulative), too.

    Also, it can’t be found in the regular data exports (API, Ads Report, etc.).

    You’ll need to create a custom KPI called net new reach to accomplish this. Here’s the formula:

    Net New Reach = Reach(s→y) – Reach(s→m)

    With:

    This lets you know how many new users you reached who were not exposed to your ads before “m.” net new reach has two advantages:

    Now, there’s still one caveat with net new reach. You need to make it a recurring exercise (weekly?) and build a nice table out of that to make it digestible. Fortunately, since it’s recurring, it means it’s automateable.

    I suggest exporting Reach(s→y) weekly to your database of choice and running a script to subtract Reach(s→y) from the previous week’s Reach (s→y) (that is, Reach(s→m), from the perspective of that new week).

    That way, you will end up with a table like the one below, with “s” being your start date and “y” being yesterday, the date of the data pull. 

    Net new reach formula

    Once that table is ready, you only need to graph net new reach and/or analyze it weekly to know whether you have a top-of-funnel saturation challenge. 

    In the table above, since the net new reach is much lower than reach (s→y), it indicates that we’re not bringing in enough new users to our top-of-funnel tactics and/or have a disproportionate budget compared to our audience size.

    Dig deeper: B2B audience targeting: Meta Ads as an alternative to LinkedIn

    2–3. Engagement KPIs: Hook and retention rates

    Another area where Meta Ads could do better is the engagement stage of the funnel.

    If you ask me, when it comes to engagement, the most important goal is to catch users’ attention in a crowded feed or string of Stories and Reels. What they do next (from leaving a comment to purchasing) is up to the next stages of the funnel.

    When your ad is catchy enough, it gives you a chance to:

    These two items can be calculated very easily using Meta Ads’ custom metrics:

    Using these two metrics, you can determine whether to improve your ad’s hook or body. This will help you create better-performing assets at a lower cost since you’d only need to adjust one part.

    However, Meta Ads doesn’t offer the same depth of raw KPIs for images as for videos, which is unfortunate. Despite using it internally, a metric like dwell time could easily resolve this issue, but Meta Ads has yet to make it available to advertisers.

    In the meantime, I don’t see a solution other than using CTR to determine whether an image engages well.

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    4. Traffic KPI: Quality visit rate

    Like the engagement stage, the traffic stage of the funnel could benefit from additional KPIs. 

    Once your ad grabs users’ attention, the goal is to prompt them to take action. While Meta Ads provides various click-based KPIs to measure this, they tend to be fairly shallow.

    Meta Ads doesn’t tell you whether that click was valuable: Did those users bounce? Did they consume your content in-depth? 

    You will not know unless you have enough typical conversions (purchases, leads, etc.). 

    In those cases, how do you assess performance? The good news is that you have everything you need to do so, and easily! 

    Your first goal should be to define what is a quality visit. One way to look at this is to consider users who, once they reached your website, did one or more of the following actions:

    With these simple triggers, you can set up a custom conversion in Meta Ads. This allows you to optimize your campaigns with the new KPI and evaluate your landing page’s performance using the quality visit rate.

    Here’s the formula:

    I recommend using landing page views to filter out clicks that weren’t tracked due to issues like cookie consent or ad blockers. This way, you’ll have a reliable KPI for your analysis.

    Dig deeper: 3 powerful micro-conversion strategies for paid social

    5-6. Performance KPI: Lifetime value and benefits

    While those KPIs may seem like a stretch since you typically need an analytics or CRM solution to access that data, it’s disappointing that Meta Ads doesn’t fully leverage its integrations with tools like GA4, HubSpot and Salesforce to showcase its true business value.

    Still, I believe every PPC should periodically review these metrics. Here are the formulas you need to calculate:

    I wrote an entire article on this exact topic, so feel free to check it out and dive deeper into LTV.

    KPIs to elevate your Meta Ads strategy

    Meta Ads offers a robust set of KPIs for campaign management, but advancing your measurement and optimization capabilities requires the creation of more sophisticated metrics.

    KPIs such as net new reach, hook rate, retention rate, and quality visit rate, along with more complex metrics like lifetime value, provide deeper insights into campaign effectiveness, allowing for more informed decision-making beyond just ROAS or conversion rates.

    Hopefully, Meta will recognize the value of integrating these metrics directly into Ads Manager. In the meantime, savvy PPCs can leverage these advanced KPIs to stay ahead of the competition.

    Dig deeper: Here’s why PPC now looks more like paid social and what it means

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Google Search Ads 360 (SA360) starter guide

    Written on September 24, 2024 at 3:02 am, by admin

    What is Google Search Ads 360 (SA360)?

    Since its rebranding in 2018, Google Search Ads 360 has continued to be a powerful tool for PPC advertisers. However, many marketers still struggle to understand its full potential.

    This confusion often leads businesses, agencies and corporations to miss the benefits of integrating it into their marketing strategies.

    This article will address some of the most common questions about Google Search Ads 360 and help clarify how it can enhance your marketing efforts.

    What is Google Search Ads 360?

    Search Ads 360, or SA360, is a tool created by Google to manage multiple paid ads accounts and platforms in one interface. 

    Search Ads 360 has a direct API connection with several search engines, allowing you to view all your campaign data in one place. This streamlined access helps you make informed strategic decisions without consulting multiple sources, saving you time and money.

    Once you link Search Ads 360 to a search engine, you can create and manage your search marketing campaigns within the platform. Any changes you make can be automatically copied back to the engines. 

    You can also make adjustments directly in the search engine’s ad platform and easily import those changes back into Search Ads 360.

    Currently, SA360 supports the following platforms:

    You might remember SA360’s predecessor, DoubleClick or DoubleClick’s main product line, known as DART (Dynamic Advertising, Reporting and Targeting). 

    Google acquired DoubleClick in 2007 and integrated it into its offerings as DoubleClick Campaign Manager (DCM). The tool was renamed Search Ads 360 in 2018 – the same year Google AdWords became Google Ads. 

    How does Google Search Ads 360 help marketing efforts? 

    And what does Google Search Ads 360 have that regular ol’ Google Ads doesn’t? 

    Multi-platform campaign management with add-on cross-channel integration

    Search Ads 360 allows you to manage and optimize search ads across multiple platforms, such as Google and Microsoft Ads, all from a single interface. 

    On its own, SA360 streamlines your advertising efforts and saves you time. 

    When integrated with other tools in the Google Marketing Platform, like Display & Video 360 and Campaign Manager 360, it allows you to develop cross-channel strategies that seamlessly combine search, display and video advertising for a more unified and consistent marketing approach.

    Advanced audience targeting

    With Search Ads 360, you can use advanced audience targeting features to reach specific segments across platforms. 

    Since it integrates with multiple search engines, you can consistently create and target audience segments across platforms like Google, Bing and Yahoo. 

    This ensures your message is relevant and reaches the right people no matter which search engine they’re using, thus improving engagement and ROI.

    Time-saving automation

    Beyond bidding, Search Ads 360 offers automation for many campaign management tasks, such as real-time budget pacing, scheduling and reporting. 

    Again, since it integrates with multiple search engines, you’ll have the ability to set up and manage automated rules across all your accounts and platforms. 

    This helps you and your marketing team to focus on strategy and analysis rather than repetitive tasks.

    Dig deeper: Search Ads 360: 3 best practices for advanced PPC marketers

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    See terms.

    Why would you want to use Google Search Ads 360 instead of Google Ads?

    At the time of publication, many features that used to be exclusive to Google Search Ads 360 have been integrated into the Google Ads platform. 

    Automated bidding, advanced reporting and ad copy testing all used to be unique to the Google Search Ads 360 platform. 

    While Search Ads 360 still boasts additional desirable features and flexibility, such as direct integrations with third parties and real-time reporting, the most widely-used features have also been migrated over to Google Ads.  

    Today, the biggest reason to use Google Search Ads 360 instead of Google Ads is the size of your marketing efforts. 

    If you’re a marketing agency managing hundreds of search campaigns across several accounts in Google and Bing, a centralized base of operations probably sounds pretty appealing. 

    SA360 makes it easier and faster for strategists to make changes across multiple campaigns on multiple platforms. 

    I liken it to comparing Google Ads Editor to the Google Ads UI via browser. The former simply makes my job easier and enables me to finish optimizations faster without needing to waste time navigating to the page I need. 

    Another reason to use SA360 over Google Ads is its integration with other Google tools. 

    SA360 is designed to interact with Display & Video 360 (DV360) and Campaign Manager 360 (CM360). 

    This trifecta of SA360, DV360 and CM360 gives you a streamlined approach to search, video and display across the web, apps, YouTube and even connected TV and offline data sources. 

    If you’re sorely lacking visibility in how your ad dollars translate to sales or leads and you’re ready to invest in your marketing analytics for a complete user journey, SA360 and its partner products could be the right choice. 

    Dig deeper: Google SA360 now supports Microsoft automated bidding

    Why would you not want to use Google Search Ads 360 instead of Google Ads?

    Cost 

    If you’re working with a limited marketing budget, you are likely not a good candidate for SA360. 

    In addition to being charged a platform fee plus a percentage based on your spend to access SA360, most advertisers and even agencies are simply not spending enough to justify upgrading. 

    Single-platform vs. multi-platform

    One of the biggest benefits of SA360 is seeing all your data and performance across multiple channels and platforms.

    If you’re only using Google Ads for one account, another interface to combine multiple data sources simply isn’t necessary. 

    Complexity 

    SA360 has several advanced features that can overwhelm even the savviest of PPC strategists and are likely unnecessary for most advertisers. 

    The traditional Google Ads platform makes using campaigns with a straightforward purpose and aim simple.

    At the same time, SA360 offers a highly sophisticated set of tools to help marketers manage complex campaigns with varying strategies and goals. 

    Google Search Ads 360: Your key to multi-platform advertising success

    Google Search Ads 360 is a powerful tool for big businesses and agencies managing complex, large-scale or multi-platform search campaigns. 

    It offers advanced features like cross-channel integration with other Google Marketing Platform tools, cross-platform audience targeting and enhanced time-saving automation. 

    These attributes make it ideal for marketers with big budgets who need a comprehensive solution. 

    However, for small and medium-sized businesses or those operating within a single platform, the complexity and additional cost of SA360 almost certainly outweigh its benefits. 

    Understanding when and why to use SA360 can help you decide if it’s the right fit for your marketing strategy. This will ensure that you maximize efficiency and ROI for your business or your clients. 

    Dig deeper: Google Search Ads 360 gains retail media capabilities

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    Amazon Ads launches AI-powered video

    Written on September 19, 2024 at 2:54 pm, by admin

    Amazon Ads today unveiled new generative AI features aimed at helping advertisers create more engaging video and image content.

    Why we care. Time and cost are big challenges when it comes to creating good quality video content for campaigns. These AI-powered tools address these key challenges. 

    By the numbers.

    How it works.

    What they’re saying. “Video generator is another meaningful innovation that leverages generative AI to inspire creativity and deliver more value for both advertisers and shoppers,” said Jay Richman, VP of product and technology for Amazon Ads.

    Between the lines. These tools are part of Amazon’s growing suite of generative AI solutions similar to how all other tech giants continue to lean into more AI solutions. 

    What’s next. Amazon plans to refine these features based on beta advertiser feedback before a wider release.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    New data: Google AI Overviews show more often to signed-in users

    Written on September 19, 2024 at 2:54 pm, by admin

    Google AI Overviews are triggered 10-20% less for signed-out users. While this percentage varies by industry, it is particularly noteworthy right now for ecommerce queries, which trigger AI Overviews 90% less often for signed-out users.

    Why we care. We’ve been closely watching the evolution of Google’s AI Overviews because it has the potential to disrupt the amount of organic traffic you receive. Different industries will be uniquely impacted, so it’s important to understand how AI Overviews are rolling out to your industry.

    By the numbers. While ecommerce had the largest difference, Google AI Overviews appear 10-20% less often to signed-out users in other industries, according to the latest analysis from enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge:

    More Google AIO ecommerce findings. BrightEdge also found that:

    Google AIO citations findings. Google is leaning away from consumer-focused media and blogs and more heavily toward specialized, expert, authoritative and trustworthy domains. For its healthcare citations:

    SearchGPT vs. Perplexity. In other AI search developments, BrightEdge told me that their customers (particularly large and Fortune 100 brands) are getting more referral traffic from SearchGPT than Perplexity. This is super interesting because OpenAI just introduced SearchGPT on July 25 and it is in a limited data. BrightEdge didn’t have data to share as of publication, but hopefully will soon.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




    How to implement generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies

    Written on September 19, 2024 at 2:54 pm, by admin

    How to implement generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies

    Generative AI is transforming how consumers discover and engage with content, making it essential for brands to rethink and adapt traditional SEO strategies.

    Leading this shift is generative engine optimization (GEO) – an evolution of SEO that leverages AI-driven insights to optimize content for visibility and authority across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews.

    This article will dive into the five key strategies to help you implement GEO effectively:

    Let’s explore these strategies so you can boost engagement, increase visibility and achieve lasting success, positioning your brand as a leader in AI-driven search.

    1. Generative AI research and analysis

    Generative AI research is the foundation of your GEO strategy, focused on gathering insights to optimize your content and enhance visibility. 

    By knowing what your audience is looking for and how your brand matches up with AI algorithms focusing on relevance and authority, you can ensure your content meets their needs.

    Let’s break down GEO research into these core components:

    GEO keyword research

    GEO keyword research identifies the keywords, queries and conversational phrases that AI-driven search engines prioritize.

    AI algorithms favor content that mirrors natural language and comprehensively addresses user intent, so creating contextually rich, conversational content has become more essential than ever.

    With over a billion voice searches occurring every month and 8.4 billion voice assistants expected to be in use by the end of the year, optimizing for natural language is no longer optional – it’s crucial.

    By effectively leveraging GEO keyword research, you can ensure your content gives users what they’re looking for and aligns with AI preferences, enhancing user engagement and creating stronger connections with your audience.

    Actionable tips:

    AI Overview response analysis

    AI Overview response analysis involves:

    As these overviews grow in popularity and become the go-to choice for users seeking personalized, quick and concise answers, they are becoming critical touchpoints with the power to significantly influence your content’s visibility and credibility. 

    Semrush AI Overview tracking enhancement

    Actionable tips:

    AI Overview Impact Analysis - RegEx
    Combining the downloaded report with your ranking data
    Track your brand’s placement and monitor the sources being cited
    Analyze AI Overview response structures and content elements - Examples

    Competitor research and analysis

    GEO competitor research helps you identify how competitors perform in AI-driven search results. By analyzing their successes, you can uncover effective strategies, spot content gaps and refine your approach to improve visibility and stay competitive.

    This research is an opportunity to learn from those excelling in AI-driven search. Analyze how competitors are referenced, then adapt their strategies to improve your own content.

    Focus on areas where you can offer more insights or add value while always showcasing your brand’s unique perspective.

    Actionable tips:

    Dig deeper: Entity-based competitor analysis: An SEO’s guide

    Brand perception intelligence

    Brand perception intelligence involves gathering insights from AI platforms on how both AI systems and users perceive your brand. 

    In an AI-driven world, brand perception and customer sentiment heavily influence search visibility. AI systems favor brands viewed as authoritative, credible and trustworthy, improving visibility and building customer trust.

    Actionable tips:

    Brand perception intelligence

    Dig deeper: How to become a recommended solution provider on Google entity lists

    2. Optimizing content for generative AI

    Once your research is complete, the next step is putting those insights into action by optimizing your content and applying insights to ensure your content is relevant, structured and accessible for AI systems.

    Today, high-quality content alone isn’t enough. Your content must be optimized for AI algorithms to maintain visibility and authority. 

    Content quality and relevance

    Crafting credible, contextually rich and engaging content that meets user needs is essential. By aligning your content with AI systems, you ensure it remains relevant and trusted by both AI platforms and users.

    Actionable tips:

    Content structure and clarity

    A well-organized, clear structure is essential for engaging users and ensuring alignment with AI.

    Simplifying language, maintaining logical flow and integrating visuals make your content more accessible to both AI systems and users.

    Actionable tips:

    What is GEO - Google AI Overview result
    What is GEO from Search Engine Land
    What is Generative Engine Optimization from Intero Digital

    Dig deeper: What is content readability and how to make your content easier to read

    3. Technical optimization for AI accessibility

    Now that your content is well-structured and engaging, it’s crucial to ensure AI systems can easily access, interpret and prioritize it in AI-driven search. 

    As the digital landscape evolves, traditional SEO must adapt to meet the sophisticated needs of AI, ensuring your content is not only visible but also understood and valued by search algorithms.

    Structured data for AI understanding

    Think of structured data as a roadmap that helps AI navigate your content, highlighting what’s most important and ensuring it’s interpreted accurately.

    By using the right schema markup, you’re not just organizing your content – you’re making it easier for AI to recognize, categorize and present it in relevant searches. 

    Whether optimizing for voice search, product listings or user-generated content, the appropriate schema ensures AI delivers your message to the right audience.

    Actionable tips:

    Technical SEO enhancements

    Structured data is just one piece of the puzzle. A strong SEO foundation that focuses on various technical aspects is essential to ensure your site is accessible and efficient, giving AI the best possible framework to work with.

    Actionable tips:

    By integrating structured data and improving your technical SEO, you create a solid foundation that allows search engines to accurately index your site. This enables AI to access, understand and prioritize your content based on the data collected.

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    See terms.

    4. Content distribution and engagement

    Your content is only as powerful as the audience it reaches.

    To maximize its impact, you need to strategically distribute it across multiple platforms, ensuring it resonates with different audience segments and meets the evolving demands of AI-driven systems.

    The more places your content appears, the more opportunities AI has to recognize, elevate and share it, expanding your reach and influence.

    Actionable tips:

    By distributing content strategically and engaging with your audience actively, you significantly increase your visibility across platforms.

    This ensures that both AI systems and a wider audience recognize, prioritize and interact with your content.

    5. Building brand authority and credibility

    In an AI-driven world, building your brand as a trusted authority means more than just creating great content. It requires a strategic approach that combines credibility, consistency and ethical practices across everything your brand does. 

    To truly stand out, your brand must deliver accurate, valuable information while building trust through collaborations, clear communication and a consistent brand identity.

    Actionable tips:

    By focusing on credibility, ethical practices and consistent expertise, you can build lasting authority and trust. Aligning your brand with AI systems and maintaining a strong, cohesive identity will pave the way for long-term success.

    Key takeaways for mastering GEO strategies

    Adapting to AI-driven search isn’t just beneficial. It’s essential to your brand’s long-term success.

    Here’s a quick recap of the actionable strategies you need to lead in this evolving landscape:

    Take the next step

    The future of search is AI-driven. By embracing GEO now, you position your brand to lead in this evolving landscape.

    The strategies you implement today will ensure your success tomorrow. Get started now and future-proof your brand’s online presence.

    Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing




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