Issue 36

On-Page SEO

Microsoft Explains How To Optimize Content For AI Search Visibility

Microsoft shares guidance on optimizing content for AI search, including structure, formatting, schema markup, and common mistakes that can harm visibility.

Focus on block-level structure so assistants can lift complete ideas.
Align titles, headings, and schema; use Q&A and short lists where they help.
Avoid hidden content, long walls of text, PDFs for key info, or image-only details.

When and how to use knowledge graphs and entities for SEO

If you’re like me, you’ve heard plenty of talk about entity SEO and knowledge graphs over the past year.

But when it comes to implementation, it’s not always clear which components are worth the effort.

So, for the practical SEO professional who doesn’t have endless time, how can we effectively leverage entities and knowledge graphs? More importantly, how do we justify the investment?

Technical SEO

Google Lighthouse 13 Launches With Insight-Based Audits

Google's Lighthouse 13 replaces many legacy audits with insights aligned to Chrome DevTools, removes outdated checks, and keeps performance scoring unchanged.

Scores stay the same; non-scored audits changed.
Many audits consolidated into insight-based diagnostics.
Some older audits removed as outdated or low value.

Internal Linking Grows Up: Evolving From Link Juice To Entity Maps

Let’s reminisce for a moment. Do you remember how, back in 2020, we all obsessed over “link juice” and PageRank flow as far as internal links are concerned?

In 2025, what matters more is how your internal links define the entities and relationships on your site.

Off-Page SEO

Why Authority In Online Communities Such As Reddit And Quora Matters

This substantial shift towards interest in participating in online communities presents both an opportunity and a risk. Positive benefits a brand can receive from building authority in online communities include enhancing SEO performance, improving share of voice, and delivering real market intelligence. But participation without a solid strategy in place can backfire, damaging reputation in spaces where skepticism runs high and negative sentiment spreads like wildfire.

AMA: Reddit Marketing Veteran Shares What Works On The Platform

Part of our work at OGS Media with Reddit is making it easier for brands to get on the platform the right way: transparent, authentic, and really connecting with your audience. Some of that happens through our partnership, working with various teams at Reddit, testing new features, and sharing insights from the brands we’re currently managing.

Another part of that is through hosting Ask Me Anything (AMAs) like the one I did last week on r/RedditForBusiness.

The questions that came in reminded me why this work matters. After nearly two decades on the platform and working with brands like TikTok, Purple, and Asurion, I see how brands are genuinely trying to figure out Reddit. The AMA drew questions from marketers across industries, from early-stage startups to enterprise brands, all working to understand how to show up authentically.

Search Engine Advertising (PPC)

PPC in the age of zero-click search: How to stay profitable

PPC is getting tougher – and it’s not just because of competition.

Click-through rates are falling, costs are rising, and once-steady campaigns are harder to keep profitable.

The real shift is structural. Zero-click searches are changing how paid search works.

The end of SEO-PPC silos: Building a unified search strategy for the AI era

For years, SEO and PPC defined two sides of search – one focused on organic authority, the other on paid performance.

Both aimed to capture traffic but often worked in silos, optimizing toward different goals.

Now, that separation is ending.

The rise of generative AI has redrawn the map, merging once-distinct disciplines into a single, fluid ecosystem.

Search engines like Google and Bing have evolved into conversational AI platforms that deliver instant, often singular answers while seamlessly integrating ads.

This shift – marked by zero-click results, conversational interfaces, and pre-packaged information – means no single strategy can guarantee brand visibility anymore.

Google Ads (Search Network)

Audience targeting in Google Ads Search campaigns: How to layer data for better results

In competitive industries where keywords are costly, every edge matters.

Beyond keyword targeting, consider layering audience targeting onto your Search campaigns to gather richer performance data.

This added layer can improve results within Search and provide valuable insights you can apply to other Google Ads campaigns – or even to PPC platforms like Microsoft Ads, Meta Ads, and TikTok.

Finding The Perfect Balance Between AI And Human Control In Google Ads

In this article, we’ll explore how to balance AI and human oversight. We’ll look at where automation shines, where it falls short, and how to design a hybrid setup that leverages both scale and strategic control.

Google Shopping

Google updates Misrepresentation policy for Shopping Ads and free listings

Advertisers now have clearer expectations about what counts as misrepresentation. This can help prevent policy violations, reduce account suspensions, and improve customer trust.

Google publishes new guide on Shopping ads pricing

Pricing is one of the most visible — and competitive — aspects of Shopping ads. With multiple formats like sales, promotions, and loyalty discounts, ensuring accuracy and clarity can directly impact click-throughs and conversions.

Local Services Ads

Google Maps Ads get scrollable sitelinks boost

Advertisers are spotting a fresh Google Maps ad format featuring scrollable light blue sitelinks beneath promoted pins. The new layout gives brands more clickable real estate directly inside Maps.

Google unifies Local Services Ads under new Verified badge

Google will consolidate its Local Services Ads (LSA) credibility programs into a single Google Verified badge, starting in this month.

YouTube Ads

YouTube launches Activation Partners program

YouTube launched the YouTube Activation Partners program, a new initiative connecting advertisers and agencies with vetted third-party experts who specialize in YouTube media buying and campaign management.

How to use Video View campaigns effectively in Google Ads

Today, we’re discussing Video View campaigns (VVC). I’ll break down what they are, how they work, and when to use them as part of your Google Ads strategy. I’ll cover:

What are Video view campaigns in Google Ads?
What is a view in Google Ads? How will your ads appear?
Video view campaigns and Remarketing
Audience targeting and Content targeting in Video view campaigns
How to create effective video ads with the YouTube ABCDs
When to use Video view campaigns

Performance Max Campaigns

AI Max for Search: Everything you need to know

Google has been layering AI into Search campaigns for years through features like Smart Bidding, Responsive Search Ads, and Performance Max.

In May 2025, it announced the next step: AI Max.

The feature is now rolling out globally in beta and appearing in many advertiser accounts. (If you don’t see it yet, expect it soon.)

Here’s what it is, how it works, and what it means for your campaigns.

Google Ads PMax: The truth about audience signals and search themes

If you’re running Performance Max, or planning to launch a new campaign, I want to clear up one of the most misunderstood parts of Google Ads: audience signals and search themes. Understanding how to use (and not misuse) signals can strongly impact your PMax success.

AI-Driven Search

AI-Powered Search: Adapting Your SEO Strategy

Using outdated and traditional SEO tactics centered around keywords and backlinks is not moving the needle anymore, as Google shifts toward AI-driven answers.

Organic clicks are going down as a result of Google AI Overviews and the rise of zero-click searches, where users get answers directly on Google’s search results page without clicking through to any websites.

SEO is not dead; it just evolved. To succeed in this new era, brands and marketers need to embrace structured, intent-driven content, enhancing trustworthiness, and aligning more closely with brand and user experience strategies.

The Ultimate 82-Point Checklist for SEO & AI Visibility

You don’t need another debate about whether optimizing for AI counts as SEO. You need to know what to actually do. This checklist combines proven SEO essentials with the new steps that matter for AI search. No fluff, no fuss.

It will help you strengthen your SEO foundation, adapt to changing behaviors in AI search, and keep your brand visible across every platform people use for answers.

Search Behaviour

Consumers don’t trust the first search result – and AI use surges: Survey

Just 11% of U.S. consumers trust the first tool they use when searching online. That means nearly 9 in 10 Americans double-check or expand their search elsewhere “because they don’t trust the first answer,” according to new survey results from digital presence platform Yext.

Most users only read a third of Google's AI Overviews: Study

Most people stop reading a Google AI Overview after skimming the top third of an AI-generated answer – the median scroll depth is just 30%. That’s one of many insights from a new UX study conducted by Kevin Indig and Eric van Buskirk.

Content Marketing

Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI (LLM) Visibility

For years, the “formula” for online search visibility was clear: create keyword-rich blogs, optimize for Google (EEAT), and push it out on social media. But today, Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are changing the way people discover, consume, and interact with content.

Here, we’ll dive into important ways to adapt your content strategy for AI visibility.

Gating in an AI world: What to hide, what to show, and why

For as long as marketers have been chasing leads online, the debate over gated versus ungated content has raged.

Entire conference sessions, whitepapers, and LinkedIn flame wars have been dedicated to the question: Should you hide your best stuff behind a form fill, or give it away for free to maximize search rankings and reach?

The problem is that most of this debate hasn’t caught up with the new realities of AI-driven search.

Digital PR / Link Earning

8 Link Building Services to Consider for Higher Rankings in 2025

Backlinks have long been a driver of traditional search visibility, and many SEO professionals believe they may also play a role in how emerging AI-powered search experiences surface and rank content. As search evolves, the demand for quality backlinks remains strong, and many businesses turn to experienced link building agencies to help achieve their goals.

The best affiliate networks by need and use case

Affiliate networks aren’t one-size-fits-all.

Between evolving tracking laws, new tech capabilities, and shifting fee structures, the best choice depends on your business model and goals.

This guide breaks down top affiliate networks by use case, so you can make a smarter, more strategic decision.

Analytics & Reporting

Are LLM Visibility Trackers Worth It?

TL;DR

When it comes to LLM visibility, not all brands are created equal. For some, it matters far more than others.
LLMs give different answers to the same question. Trackers combat this by simulating prompts repeatedly to get an average visibility/citation score.
While simulating the same prompts isn’t perfect, secondary benefits like sentiment analysis are not SEO-specific issues. Which right now is a good thing.
Unless a visibility tracker offers enough scale at a reasonable price, I would be wary. But if the traffic converts well and you need to know more, get tracking.

Reddit unveils social listening tool and conversation add-ons

Reddit’s new Community Intelligence tools offer unprecedented access to real, unfiltered consumer conversations at scale. These tools help brands validate creative, monitor sentiment, and surface authentic social proof directly in ads, all powered by AI and rooted in human experiences. It’s a new way to tap into high-intent communities and build deeper trust with audiences who crave authenticity.

Ranking & Generation

AI search relies on brand-controlled sources, not Reddit: Report

A dominant share – 86% to be specific – of AI citations come from sources brands already control, according to a new analysis of 6.8 million citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity conducted by brand visibility platform Yext.

ChatGPT is sending less traffic to websites – down 52% in a month

Referral traffic from ChatGPT to websites is down 52% since July 21, according to Profound’s Josh Blyskal, who analyzed more than 1 billion ChatGPT citations and 1 million referral visits from a sample of sites across various verticals.