Reddit introduces business analytics tools and AMA ads

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4 Reddit ad formats you need to know

Reddit today announced two significant product launches: a trends analysis tool for businesses and a new advertising format for its popular Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions.

Reddit’s new business-focused offerings come as the platform hits major growth milestones, including its first time exceeding 100 million daily active users and reaching profitability.

The details. The new Reddit Pro Trends tool, available within Reddit Pro’s free suite, allows businesses to:

  • Track real-time conversations about their brands, products, and industry trends.
  • Visualize conversation volume across Reddit communities.
  • Monitor discussions across approximately 100,000 “smart” keywords.
  • Access a feed of relevant conversations.
  • Soon view related keyword suggestions.

Why we care. These new capabilities allow for monitoring real-time conversations about your products and directly promoting Q&A sessions, essentially helping you access communities that are actively discussing your market segment. The new AMA ad format, especially, provides a structured way for you to participate in these conversations rather than just observe them.

Between the lines. Early adopters like Wayfair and the NBA tested Reddit Pro Trends, with participating businesses seeing a 12% increase in post creation. Smaller companies like Nudge Security and Van Votz, also tested the analytics tool, using it to find niche audiences.

What’s next. The new AMA Ads format lets businesses promote Q&A sessions directly through Reddit’s ad dashboard, complete with RSVP tracking capabilities.

Bottom line. These launches reflect Reddit’s strategic push to monetize its massive user base while providing value to businesses looking to tap into authentic community discussions.

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Google drops ad scheduling for Smart Bidding campaigns?

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Google Ads logo on smartphone

Google quietly updated its policies to remove ad scheduling for campaigns using Smart Bidding, raising eyebrows across the paid search community.

Ad scheduling lets advertisers control when their ads show, aligning campaigns with business hours or peak performance times. Removing this feature for Smart Bidding campaigns reduces control and could impact budget efficiency.

Voices from the field. Scott Carruthers, paid search director at Journey Further, is not a fan of this at all:

  • “It’s a step further away from keeping your advertising aligned with your business goals. I fully understand not taking bid adjustments into consideration, but advertisers should be able to choose when their ads run.”

PPC expert Amalia Fowler had a different take.

  • “If it’s true, I don’t hate this. Many businesses restrict their schedules unnecessarily, but more transparency from Google would be appreciated.”

Why we care. When using smart bidding you can no longer limit ad visibility to business hours, potentially leading to wasted spend outside of peak times. While automation can optimize for performance, this update diminishes your control over ad delivery to align with operational hours or staff availability.

What’s next. Expect further clarification from Google as advertisers push for answers. Many are watching closely to see if this policy change sticks or evolves with additional feedback.

First seen. This change was shared by Adriaan Dekker on LinkedIn. He wondered whether Google will make an announcement about this change or whether this might be an error.

Maybe an error? This change happened two days ago. The last time Google’s “About ad scheduling” page appeared in Wayback Machine (Feb. 28, 2024), this page said:

  • “Ad scheduling is not compatible with both Smart Shopping campaigns and App campaigns.”

Bottom line. Google’s shift toward automation-first advertising continues to disrupt traditional PPC strategies, forcing advertisers to adapt or find creative workarounds to maintain control over their campaigns.

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Automated bidding in Google Ads: How to get the best results

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Google Ads logo on smartphone

Automated bidding in Google Ads promises to simplify campaign management and boost results – but it’s not foolproof. 

With the right bidding strategy, you can take control, optimize performance, and drive better conversions.

Let’s break down the essentials to get started.

Manual CPC: The best starting point for new campaigns

The simplest way to launch a new campaign, especially in a new or low-budget account, is to start with Manual CPC bidding. 

This lets you test comfortable bid levels and adjust based on results. 

Monitor these campaigns closely: 

  • Start with a bid.
  • Increase it if volume is low.
  • Track ad position, CTR, CPC, and conversions. 

For example, if impressions are too low, your bid is likely too low. 

If you see high conversions, clicks, and a strong Impr. (Abs. Top) %, test lowering your bid to reduce CPC and CPA. 

It’s a constant balance to find the optimal bid for your budget.

You can add negative keywords based on the search terms you see coming through and better control your spend, as there won’t be any surprises with average CPCs. 

However, automated bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions in a new campaign or ad account may result in extremely high CPCs for your target keywords. 

For instance, a small business may find a $100 CPC unacceptable, and spending can escalate quickly.

Once you’ve gathered enough performance data from impressions, clicks, and conversions, you can test switching to automated bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions. 

Alternatively, if you have a higher budget and are prepared to spend more upfront to collect data, you can launch a new campaign using Maximize Conversions immediately.

Dig deeper: There is no ‘best’ Google Ads bidding strategy, study finds

Pairing keyword match types and bidding strategies for success

Keyword match types and bidding strategies will vary depending on your budget and the average CPC in your industry.

Broad match keywords perform significantly better with automated bidding (i.e., Maximize Conversions) because it can automatically test many variations of your broad match keywords to find the best search terms with high conversion rates. 

This is much more difficult to achieve with manual bidding for broad match keywords.

For more specific terms, often used in B2B lead generation, phrase and exact match are preferred to keep search terms focused and avoid wasting money on irrelevant searches. 

Both automated and manual bidding can be effective with these match types, as you may not want to target a wide range of variations or related terms. 

Many industries rely on extremely specific keywords where slight variations or related terms no longer make sense to target.

Industries like home services, local businesses, attorneys, medical, education, insurance, and ecommerce often benefit from using broad match with automated bidding since many relevant search terms are available.

Testing broad match keywords with automated bidding is worthwhile if you have the budget.

Broad match has evolved significantly, now factoring in elements such as:

  • The user’s recent search activities.
  • The content of the landing page.
  • Other keywords in an ad group to better understand keyword intent.

In my experience, this approach has been far more effective than the old broad match, which attempted to expand to terms it deemed related. 

However, negative keywords remain critical and should always be a priority on any PPC management checklist.

Maximize Conversions: Benefits, challenges, and best practices

The Maximize Conversions bidding strategy is often used to gather data for a specific ad campaign. 

It can initially result in high CPCs and CPAs because it tests various combinations to determine what generates the most conversions over time. 

Unlike a human monitoring CPC and CPA during a new campaign launch, Google focuses on maximizing conversions within your budget but lacks the data to perform optimally at the start.

In other words, Maximize Conversions doesn’t immediately deliver the results its name suggests.

If enough conversions aren’t gathered during the learning phase, it may spend significant amounts with no conversions. 

This occurs because platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, or Meta Ads are trying to identify the right audience or keywords that could convert. 

If the initial keywords or audience don’t work, the system will test others. 

This is not an instant process, and in some cases, hundreds of clicks and substantial costs may yield no conversions. 

While results typically improve if the right audience or keywords are targeted, success is not guaranteed. 

Many advertisers pause campaigns after excessive ad spend with no conversions, where testing manual bidding first might have been a better option.

Maximize Conversions can be particularly effective with audience targeting in Display Ads or Video campaigns for lead generation or ecommerce. 

These campaign types often launch well with Maximize Conversions because their CPCs tend to be low, and automation can efficiently test various audiences or placements much faster than manual CPC bidding. 

For these types of campaigns, a tCPA or tROAS may not even be necessary if the strategy is delivering ample conversions.

Refining Maximize Conversions with tCPA or tROAS

A Target CPA (tCPA) or Target ROAS (tROAS) can be applied after you have determined your average CPA or ROAS, or you can choose to set up Maximize Conversions with a tCPA or tROAS from the start – both approaches are acceptable. 

However, this setting can be restrictive if it is based on assumptions without supporting data. 

To avoid overly limiting the campaign early on, you may consider launching with a higher tCPA or tROAS than your ideal target.

Ecommerce tends to be simpler with automated bidding because a sale is a sale. 

Lead generation, however, involves additional challenges such as lead quality issues or fake leads. 

For this reason, CRM and call-tracking software integration are essential to monitor lead quality by source and ad campaign.

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Boosting returns with Maximize Conversion Value

For ecommerce, Maximize Conversion Value is an excellent option for prioritizing higher-priced products over lower-priced ones to boost your overall ROAS for the campaign. 

However, it’s often best to start with Maximize Conversions and switch to this setting after gathering sufficient sales data.

This option can also be applied to lead generation if different values are assigned to different leads. 

For instance, filling out a form for an appointment can be assigned a higher conversion value than simply providing an email for a free download.

Portfolio bidding: Strategies for complex campaigns

Portfolio bidding refers to shared bidding strategies that can be applied to one or multiple campaigns, offering additional settings not available at the campaign level. 

These strategies are particularly useful when CPCs are increasing rapidly, as portfolio bidding allows you to address this issue immediately. 

Unlike campaign-level settings, portfolio bidding enables you to set both a Target CPA and a Max CPC simultaneously. 

This is especially beneficial in industries where target keywords typically have low CPCs. 

It can also be useful in competitive industries or for expensive keywords to avoid $200 CPCs that could harm account performance.

For instance, you can set a target CPA of $50 with a max CPC of $8. 

This approach is far more effective than using the Maximize Conversions bid strategy, which may test CPCs as high as $150 – three times your target CPA. 

Even with a 100% conversion rate, this would exceed your goal by a wide margin. 

This is a clear example where automation benefits from human guidance to ensure it aligns with your advertising goals when its default testing logic doesn’t make sense.

Portfolio bidding can also be valuable for ecommerce. 

For example, setting a target ROAS of 300% with a max CPC of $10 directs automation to adjust bids to achieve a 300% ROAS while capping clicks at $10 each. 

This keeps the automation in check and focused on achieving your desired outcomes.

Performance Max: Aligning automation with campaign data

Performance Max campaigns do not always deliver “maximum performance,” as the name suggests. 

For campaigns heavily reliant on automation, it is generally best to use Performance Max after establishing proof of concept with Search, Shopping, Video, or Display campaigns. 

Starting with a new account that lacks performance data and expecting Performance Max to optimize everything independently is risky. 

While it can sometimes succeed, it performs significantly better when supported by proven performance data, such as a customer list to help match your target audience or at least a remarketing audience of website visitors.

Exploring less common bidding strategies

Some less commonly used strategies include Target Impression Share, which adjusts bids to maximize impression share.

This prioritizes showing your ad as frequently as possible without monitoring other metrics. It is primarily used by large brands with nearly unlimited budgets.

Even for branded keywords in branded campaigns, it is unwise to pay excessive CPCs ($100 or more) just to maintain a top position.

The Maximize Clicks strategy adjusts bids to generate the highest possible number of clicks. However, this is not cost-effective for most advertisers unless they are large brands with substantial budgets. 

Switching from Maximize Clicks to Maximize Conversions, a common practice, is not recommended. 

Keywords that attract the most clicks do not necessarily generate the most conversions. Instead, start with manual CPC and then transition to Maximize Conversions (with or without a target CPA). 

This ensures a cohesive strategy, as both approaches aim to optimize for conversions. 

In contrast, gathering data through Maximize Clicks does not align with the goals of Maximize Conversions.

Additionally, Google is phasing out Enhanced CPC bidding. If you currently use this strategy, we recommend transitioning to manual CPC or an automated option in the first quarter of 2025.

Dig deeper: 10 advanced strategy ideas for Google Ads

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2025 predictions for top B2B paid media channels

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2025 predictions for top B2B paid media channels

You can say much about 2024, but you can’t call it boring. 

From AI Overviews rolling out (now with ads!) to a feed-choking election to cookies (somehow) sticking around in Chrome to the rise of LLM search, PPC advertisers have had to deal with turbulence in the past year.

What can B2B advertisers expect in 2025? 

I’ll share my predictions for key platforms like Google, LinkedIn, and Reddit, as well as trends in measurement and martech.

While these are just my best guesses, many are based on trends we already see in our client accounts.

2025 Google predictions

Google will lose some of the search market

We’re already seeing searches soar on LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity. 

Even if Gemini improves its UX and results, it won’t keep Google from losing volume and changing user behavior. 

Google won’t have to divest itself of Chrome (yet)

This is kind of a layup. No matter what the DOJ pushes for in its antitrust victory from November, it will not happen in 2025. 

Even if the judge agrees that Google needs to sell Chrome, appeals and plenty of red tape will likely keep this from becoming a reality within the next 12 months.

Google will launch at least one promising beta for B2B ads

It has been a long dry run for B2B marketers looking for fun betas and features from Google. 

Today, all updates seem to point to one thing: feeding the algorithm. 

B2B marketers have had fewer opportunities to experiment in search since I entered the field over a decade ago.

That said, I foresee Google throwing us a bit of a bone this year – maybe to counteract the negative momentum it’s carrying into 2025. 

They could shock us by reinstituting some match-type controls, but I doubt it. 

They’ll likely give us some tools that make responsive search ads (RSAs) easier to work with and more transparent about which combinations actually work for advertisers.

Advertisers will more broadly adopt enhanced conversions.

This is cheating a bit since it’s a prediction for Google advertisers and not Google itself, but I think enhanced conversion usage will be much broader in 12 months than it is today. 

In B2B advertising, the key will be finding the right balance between: 

  • Setting AI guardrails through segmentation.
  • Ensuring segments are large enough to maintain data density, as the system struggles when data is limited.

Enhanced conversions are a good tool for helping advertisers port more data into the back end.

This will be essential for training Google to find the right users and keep budget focused on impact.

2025 LinkedIn predictions

Ad types will keep diversifying

Videos, thought leader ads (TLAs), conversation ads, and new ways to promote individual POVs.

We’re seeing promising results from testing all of those in 2024, and I expect LinkedIn to provide more variety in 2025. 

The UX and advertising algorithms will improve

LinkedIn’s UX and bidding and targeting algorithms have both lagged, even as clients shift more budget toward the platform. 

Those areas will receive more attention in 2025, and the algorithm may even improve at detecting and suppressing AI-generated content, including tedious automated comments.

You may also see LinkedIn make it easier for advertisers to collect lead information on the platform.

For instance, adding lead forms to TLAs would be a nice marriage of conversion friendliness and a popular new ad type.

The best ads won’t look like ads

One of the things we’re working on with our clients is getting creative with messaging and tying it to pain points or industry or job lingo. 

In short, we’re doubling down on empathetic messaging and authenticity, which is not unique to LinkedIn. 

With the feed getting junkier and more AI-formulaic by the day, the more organic you can make an ad look, the more people will pay attention.

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2025 Reddit predictions

Improved testing will roll out as competition grows

For its market share, Reddit made arguably the most significant moves in B2B advertising in 2024. 

With new ad types, audience features, advanced reporting, and enhanced targeting capabilities, Reddit enters 2025 with a growing user base and a spot on the shortlist of must-test platforms for B2B and SaaS advertisers. 

They’ll meet the moment with more testing features, specifically A/B testing functionality that starts mimicking rival platforms.

Tracking and attribution will struggle

Because Reddit is populated by a younger, tech-savvy audience, part of its brand is tied to user privacy (hence usernames, not real names). 

This is great for users with edgy and authentic POVs to share, but it will make life harder for advertisers trying to track the real business impact of their Reddit campaigns. 

(Related prediction: their fairly rudimentary CAPI function will improve quite a bit in 2025.)

Dig deeper: Diversifying your B2B paid media portfolio: When does it make sense?

2025 martech and measurement predictions

Chrome’s third-party cookies will survive 2025 – kind of

Yes, Chrome’s cookies will be severely weakened by the (still-impending) opt-out feature that Google plans to implement. 

But my prediction is that the cookies will be (somehow) clinging to life at the end of 2025 because I don’t see Google and the IAB agreeing on an alternate solution.

CDPs will gain serious momentum

More marketers will move to adopt server-side tracking in 2025 (disclaimer: we’re pushing our clients hard in that direction) as a holistic, privacy-safe transition away from third-party cookies. 

We’re seeing most of our clients getting an artificial increase in “direct” traffic as data is stripped away. 

This will hit a critical point, leading brands to get proactive about server-side solutions.

First-party data enrichment tools will gain prominence

Less third-party data to work with means more emphasis on first-party data and the tools that empower it. 

Look for names like Stape and Pendar, which are beefing up first-party data collected on the server side, to start appearing more frequently in brand conversations.

Dig deeper: 5 PPC measurement initiatives to set yourself up for 2025 success

Anticipating transformations in B2B paid media and martech

There’s room for 2025 to be a more transformative year than 2024 for B2B campaigns – if only because there will be more room for challengers to Google’s market dominance. 

I expect marketers to become more proactive about tracking and measurement solutions because their hands are being forced. 

This should also lead to new scrutiny about which campaigns are actually driving business impact. (Or maybe that’s just something on my wishlist every year.)

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Google Search Console performance report 24-hour view now can be exported

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You can now export hourly data for the past 24-hours from Google Search Console’s performance report. A month ago, Google added the new 24-hour view to the performance reports, but there was no easy way to export that data to other platforms, now there is.

Exporting. Google announced on social that you can now export the data, I tested it, and yes, it exports the past 24-hours of data, hour by hour.

Google wrote, “Last month we announced the 24 hour view in the Search Console Performance reports, and we got lots of positive feedback and feature requests. Today, we’re making the export button available for that view (one of the most requested features): the ability to export data on an hourly basis for the last 24 hours. Enjoy the new data!”

Google then shared this screenshot showing you can export this data to Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel or CSV format:

Why we care. Being able to use the data outside of the web interface in Google Search Console can be super helpful when trying to debug and discover new insights. While you can only export this data for the past 24 hours, it can still be useful to see this data come in, in almost real time, from Google Search Console. That being said, the more recent data is not always the final data that Google shows, so reviewing the data again may be important, depending on what reports you are trying to generate.

Keep an eye on this data, validate it against the other exports, and see how you can use it to improve your site and content over time.

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How to find the best link building service for you by Stellar SEO

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How to find the right link building service for you
How to find the right link building service for you

There’s no shortage of companies competing for your link building budget, especially since a 2024 Google leak reaffirmed the critical importance of links.

But there are also an overwhelming number of generic articles listing the “best” link building agencies or offering endless lists of questions to ask a potential agency. 

With so many options and questionable players in the SEO industry, it’s no surprise that many people have had one – or even several – bad experiences.

Ready to find out how to avoid your next SEO mishap and find the best link building agency – based on your needs?

We will. But first, a little about me.

I’m Travis Bliffen, the CEO of Stellar SEO, a 2024 Inc. 5000 fastest-growing link building agency. We’ve been around since 2012 and have built tens of thousands of links across many challenging industries. 

Based on my first-hand experience – and numerous conversations with customers who sought us out after choosing the wrong link building partner – here’s what I’ve learned.

What makes a link building service good?

What makes a link building service “good”?

If you decide to outsource link building, you need to check with a potential partner agency about whether:

  • The links they build effectively boost rankings without creating more risk than you are comfortable with.
  • Their approach, beliefs, and strategies align with your internal expectations.

While the link building process can become complex, link building is elementary. 

Focus on strategies to encourage high-quality websites to link to you more frequently than to your competitors. Your link building agency’s creativity directly impacts the quantity and quality of links you can secure.

The importance of aligning expectations with reality

If you’re ready to entrust link building to an outside agency, ensure your expectations are rooted in reality.

It’s easy to get swept up by promises of quick fixes or dramatic ranking boosts. However, SEO is rarely that simple. 

A solid link building agency will have to:

  • Analyze your website and your business goals.
  • Perform competitor analysis.
  • Create a link building plan.
  • Work with writers who will create your content.
  • Work with an outreach team to find guest posting or link placement opportunities.
  • Ensure quality control and review.

Given the amount of work put into every link, a quality link building company can be costly. This is why you should focus on the desired business outcome, not just vanity metrics. 

  • What is the desired outcome from the link placements? Is your primary goal to generate referral traffic through link building? If so, that requires a different approach than links to boost organic traffic to key pages.
  • What internal criteria does your team have? Some companies have a list of must-haves in any potential link placement. If your team has preferences, sharing these upfront will help the agency match you with the appropriate campaign type.
  • How do you weigh risk vs. cost? A successful link building campaign should deliver a return on investment (ROI), though the timeline can vary. For instance, paid link campaigns often have a lower cost per link and deliver ROI more quickly compared to content marketing-based link earning. Both approaches can be effective, but it’s important to choose the one that fits your budget and comfort level.

Decide your goals and discuss them openly with your potential link building partner early. Otherwise, you will waste your time and money.

What to look for in a link building agency.

What to look for in a link building agency: More than just a pitch

Every agency will tell you it’s the best in the business. Your job is to determine which can back up their claims with substance.

To do that, you’ll need to know what questions to ask — and how to interpret the answers.

1. What’s your approach to link building?

A good link building company will be highly specific about its services and process. Its representatives must articulate their strategies clearly and explain how they plan to implement them to help your website.

This can include content-driven digital PR, outreach campaigns, and link magnets.

Vague or overly technical answers are a red flag. 

2. How do you measure success?

Look for companies that mention concrete indicators of ROI, such as:

  • Organic traffic improvement.
  • Keyword rankings growth.
  • Conversions.

We get regular inquiries from companies looking to boost their DA (Domain Authority) or DR (Domain Rating). We first tell them that that’s a terrible reason to hire a link building agency. 

Due to acquiring excellent links, DA, DR, and other metrics will improve over time. However, having a clear strategy to generate traffic and leads during the process will increase your campaign ROI exponentially.

3. How do you control link quality?

A trustworthy link building company will have set standards for the links it provides. Not all links must come from high-DR websites, but the company must provide relevant links in your niche.

With backlinks, quality trumps quantity. 

Talk to the link building service about their screening process and any guaranteed checks or minimum metrics their links will meet. More importantly, ask them how to determine those standards and how your niche could impact the thresholds.

4. What will the reporting process look like?

If you’re outsourcing link building services, you must know what reports you can expect. Ask about the frequency of the reports, the kind of data you’ll see, and the company’s policy if the links don’t meet the agreed-upon metrics.

There is no right or wrong answer to this; you just need to determine if they will report what is important to you. If it isn’t part of their default reporting, ask if they can add it to your reports.

Spotting Link Building Red Flags

Spotting the red flags

Unfortunately, you’ll find that many shady actors call themselves a link building company, only to offer you personal blogging networks, link farms, and other harmful SEO practices. Here are some common warning signs:

  • Too-good-to-be-true promises: It’s impossible to guarantee search engine rankings – there are too many factors affecting your position on Google. Any agency that promises guaranteed rankings or instant success is a sham.
  • Low prices with big promises: High-quality link building requires the work of an entire team, plus often fees that many quality websites demand. If the link building company fee is suspiciously low, you’re probably paying for harmful, risky/spammy practices.
  • Evasive answers: An agency that can’t clearly explain its link building techniques or dodges your questions is probably best kept far from your business.

Building a partnership that works

Digital marketing is more than just a one-and-done process. 

You will likely need to cooperate with the link building company for years – links die, and your website will stop giving you the necessary “juice.” In fact, 74.5% of links were lost in the previous nine years, according to Ahrefs.

That’s why you need to find someone who has been in the link building business for a long time and can maintain long-term partnerships. Focus on:

  • Communication: Responsiveness is one sign of how much the company will prioritize your account. If it’s slow to respond or unwilling to provide clear updates, it might be a sign to look elsewhere.
  • Tangible results: Ensure you see measurable outcomes, such as improved rankings, traffic, and conversions. Here is an example.
Building a link building partnership that works

A real estate investor contacted Stellar SEO after getting hit by a Google helpful content update. We recovered his site traffic and 5Xed monthly visitors, significantly boosting motivated seller leads.

  • Transparency: Demand transparency in reporting, quality control, fee structure, and any other aspect of work.

Trust, but verify to find the best link building service

Look for a link building agency that:

  • Understands your niche.
  • Has the right strategy.
  • Measures its success using relevant metrics. 

Finding the right link building services isn’t about the cheapest option or the instant success. It’s about finding a team that has carried its clients through years of Google updates – and one you can see yourself working with for the next few years. 

Stellar SEO has an average client retention time of more than five years for direct clients. We also partner with several great digital marketing agencies that love our flexible white-label link building services.

While high-quality backlinks are only part of the equation for SEO success, they carry significant weight, making them a sound investment in 2025.

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Instacart expands foodservice advertising

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Cut+Dry, a major ecommerce platform for foodservice distributors and manufacturers, is integrating Instacart’s Carrot Ads technology to unlock new advertising revenue streams and connect brands with buyers at the point of sale.

Food manufacturers have long faced challenges in influencing purchasing decisions in foodservice. This partnership bridges that gap, empowering brands to engage buyers directly while opening new revenue opportunities for distributors.

What’s happening:

  • Cut+Dry will integrate Carrot Ads, Instacart’s ad tech platform, allowing food manufacturers to advertise directly to operators and distributors.
  • The move expands digital advertising into the foodservice space, which has historically been underrepresented in online marketing.
  • Distributors gain additional revenue streams by hosting ads, while manufacturers boost brand awareness and sales.

Key benefits:

  • For manufacturers: Direct access to buyers with more influence at the point of sale.
  • For distributors: New ad revenue and greater engagement with operators.

Why we care. This integration provides a new avenue to reach decision-makers in the multi-billion dollar foodservice industry, where traditional advertising channels have limited reach. The partnership creates a scalable, measurable ad platform that connects brands to a previously untapped audience in foodservice distribution.

What they’re saying. Mani Kulasooriya, CEO of Cut+Dry, said:

  • “By integrating Instacart’s advertising capabilities with our platform, we’re creating one of the largest digital ad opportunities in foodservice.”

What’s next. Carrot Ads on Cut+Dry will be available over the next few quarters, giving brands new avenues to reach the multi-billion dollar foodservice market. Instacart will expand its Carrot Ads partnerships, further bridging the gap between retail and foodservice industries.

Bottom line. This partnership taps into the growing foodservice market, driving growth for brands and distributors alike while establishing new digital ad opportunities in an evolving industry.

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Google updates financial products policy for crypto ads

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Google will update its cryptocurrency and related products policy this month, refining the rules for advertising crypto-related services in the United Kingdom.

As the crypto industry grows, clearer advertising rules aim to protect consumers and ensure compliance with local regulations, fostering a more transparent environment.

What’s changing:

  • Beginning Jan. 15, advertisers offering cryptocurrency exchanges targeting the UK must meet specific requirements and obtain certification from Google.
  • Ads for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets will only be permitted if the advertiser is registered with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
  • Hardware wallet ads are allowed, but they must strictly provide storage services without engaging in trading, selling, or exchanging assets.

Certification requirements:

  • Advertisers must comply with all local legal requirements and secure Google’s certification to promote their products.
  • Non-compliance with these rules may lead to ad disapproval or account suspension.

Why we care. Crypto businesses targeting the UK can now reach audiences through Google Ads, provided they adhere to FCA regulations and Google’s certification process.

This update opens opportunities for regulated crypto firms while ensuring consumer protection through vetted advertisers.

What’s next:

  • Google’s policy update will apply globally to all advertisers offering financial products targeting the UK.
  • Advertisers are encouraged to review and pursue certification before Jan. 15 to avoid disruptions.

Bottom line. Google’s updated policy reflects its commitment to aligning with financial regulations, creating a safer ecosystem for crypto advertising while supporting compliant businesses.

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How to fix the ‘Page with redirect’ error in Google Search Console

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The “Page with redirect” error in Google Search Console shows a page on your website is redirected to a different URL when the user or Googlebot attempts to access the URL. 

This means all the pages listed in the report are not showing in search results. 

Nothing new, right?

At first glance, this error in Google Search Console may not seem like the “nectar of the gods.” 

But after reading through 138 questions in the Search Console Help community and seeing that Stack Exchange saw 278 views on a similar question, I realize there are probably many SEO professionals who would leave their entire life fortunes to solve this issue if they could.   

In the name of very serious SEO needs, I had to investigate. 

How do I fix ‘Page with redirect’ in Google Search Console?

1. Manually review all the pages flagged in the report

First, I manually reviewed all the pages flagged in the Google Search Console “Page with redirect” report. 

To access the report, go to Google Search Console > Pages > and look under the section “Why pages aren’t indexed.”

page-redirect-google-search-console-errors

Once in the report, I look for two things: 

  • Is the chart rising?
  • Was the last crawl date recent?
page-redirect-report-google-search-console-errors

If you answered yes, I recommend exporting the data to Google Sheets, Excel, or CSV to analyze further. 

2. Determine if redirects are OK

Once you export the redirect file, you must determine if the redirects are OK. 

Redirects are OK in two scenarios:

  • Permanent move: If you permanently move a URL to a new destination, a 301 redirect is ideal to maintain its value. 
  • Broken links: If you were fixing a broken link to a relevant webpage, this redirect is OK. 

If you audit all the redirects on this list and decide all the redirects listed are accurate and intentional, you can stop reading. You are done. 

I recommend revisiting this report monthly and doing a deep dive every quarter. 

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3. Conduct a sampling of URLs using the Inspect tool

If you want to gut-check yourself, choose a sampling of 10-25 URLs from your export list to test in the Inspect URL tool in Google Search Console. 

When inspecting the URLs, you’re looking to see if the status states, “Page is not indexed: Page with redirect.” 

Also, the user-declared canonical tag should be the URL you created the 301 redirect to. 

inspect-url-page-redirect-google-search-console

4. If redirects are a problem 

There are a few scenarios where redirects become a problem. 

  • 302 redirects: If your 302 redirects are truly meant to be temporary (meaning less than a month or so), you can keep them. However, eventually, Google treats 302 redirects as 301 permanent redirects. When this happens, it can negatively impact rankings. 
  • Too many redirects: If you notice redirect chains or loops, meaning URL A goes to URL B, then URL C, to get to its final destination of URL D, you will want to go back and create redirects for URL A, B, and C to point to the final destination of URL D. 
  • Redirecting vital pages: If you accidentally redirected an important page, remove the redirect to avoid losing visibility in the SERPs. 

5. Audit your XML sitemap

Always remember to double-check your XML sitemap. You want to ensure there are no redirects listed in the XML sitemap. 

If redirects are listed in the XML sitemap, remove them. 

Also, make sure the page you redirected the old URL to is listed in the XML sitemap. 

You can filter submitted and unsubmitted pages from your XML sitemap in Google Search Console.

submitted-page-sitemap-redirect-error-google-search-console

If you filter by submitted pages and see a list of URLs, you’ll want to remove these URLs from your XML sitemap if the redirect is accurate. 

At the core of your “Page with redirect” error in Google Search Console lies a simple solution: taking a more mindful approach to your redirects and canonical tags. That’s it. 

But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

I run quarterly audits to review all canonical tags and redirect pages to ensure I follow proper protocol and the directives act as I want. 

Plus, it’s a good habit. The fact that you’re adjusting canonical tags and implementing redirects is already a win in my book. 

Even with that solid win, you, like many of us SEO professionals, still have room for improvement. 

There’s nothing to fear with the ‘Page with redirect’ error in Google Search Console

Let’s be real: I’m not running to worship at the Google Gods alter to fix my “Page with redirect” error report in Google Search Console. 

Nine times out of 10, there’s no action I need to take. However, moments of awe-inspiring glory have shed light on a URL that was not meant to be redirected.  

The “Page with redirect” error report in Google Search Console has become a staple in my monthly SEO checklist routine. 

If you have access to Google Search Console, you’re in the know now. You’re part of a community where holistic, clean, and effective SEO work is gospel. 

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Optimizing LLMs for B2B SEO: An overview

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Optimizing LLMs for B2B SEO: An overview

We’re still in (very) early days for LLM (large language model) search, but fast-increasing user adoption is helping us draw insights on effective tactics for brands to deploy to appear in results on platforms like Perplexity, ChatGPT search, Gemini, and more.

This article looks at those tactics from a B2B lens, broken down by the following SEO initiatives:

Note that many of these tactics – but not all – should be familiar to SEOs who have experience with traditional search engines. 

Content strategy

The first step toward creating effective content for LLMs is to understand the nature of user queries. 

LLMs, more than traditional search engines, are host to conversational queries, like “How can I protect my business from ransomware attacks?” (where a similar Google query might be “ransomware attack protection for businesses”).

To adapt your content strategy, study the nature of the queries and create content that directly answers them. This includes conversational headings like “The best software to protect businesses from ransomware attacks.” 

In B2B, where the purchase journey is longer, it’s not as simple as optimizing for product-related queries; it’s essential to incorporate educational content to ease users into the awareness and engagement stages.

When it comes to the content itself, many of the principles of traditional SEO apply – particularly the need to go both broad and deep to establish authority and relevance. 

Incorporate supporting content like guides, case studies, and user testimonials. 

Make sure you’re working with pillar pages linking to in-depth blogs like “How CRM helps sales teams close deals faster.”

Remember that context matters a ton for LLMs for each piece of content (no matter the format). 

Optimize for nuanced, contextual responses by addressing multiple facets of a topic in the same piece. 

For example, a rich blog post for a fintech company could be titled “What is embedded finance? Benefits and challenges for SaaS platforms,” with subsections for: 

  • Benefits for startups.
  • Use cases in real-world scenarios.
  • Integration challenges and how to overcome them.

Semantic SEO

“Semantic SEO” is a relatively recent SEO initiative that means approaching content with respect to the full topic, not just keyword elements. 

In LLM SEO, the first item of semantic SEO is entity-based optimization, which includes:

For example, a cloud solutions provider can use schema markup to:

  • Mark up product pages with “Product” schema for solutions like “Cloud Data Storage Services.”
  • Build authority by linking to their business profile on Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and/or Crunchbase.

Because semantic SEO widens its focus from keywords, it’s essential to optimize for diverse phrases and synonyms instead of fixating solely on exact-match keywords. 

(You can use tools like Google Natural Language Processing or OpenAI embeddings to understand the relationship between tools.)

Let’s use a marketing automation platform as an example. 

Along with optimizing for a primary keyword, like “lead generation software,” include synonyms and variants like “Automated lead management tools” and “B2B marketing platforms.”

Dig deeper: ChatGPT search vs. Google: A deep dive analysis of 62 queries

Technical SEO

At this point, technical SEO for LLMs isn’t (by my understanding) all that different than technical SEO for traditional search engines. 

To increase your chances of showing up in LLM searches, tackle the following:

Data accessibility

  • Confirm content is crawlable and indexable by search engines and available for API integrations.
  • Optimize page speed and mobile performance for enhanced usability.

Structured data

  • Leverage structured data to signal intent and relevance clearly.
  • Implement detailed schema, such as “FAQPage,” “HowTo,” and “Product,” to improve how LLMs process your content.

User intent matching

Advanced SEO in both traditional search and LLMs incorporates an understanding of user intent into content. 

For B2B, this content should be strategically distributed across all stages of the buyer journey: awareness, education, technical understanding of solutions, and ultimately purchase intent.

For “instant” queries, provide actionable and direct responses, formatting answers in bullet points or concise paragraphs for LLM readiness while providing links to deeper resources. 

For example, a business offering AI-powered analytics can create content like: “What is predictive analytics in B2B?” and provide direct answers such as:

  • “Predictive analytics uses historical data to forecast future trends. For B2B, this helps identify potential leads and optimize sales strategies.”

Dig deeper: How to optimize for search intent: 19 practical tips

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Authority and trust

This is perhaps the area where we see almost no difference (yet) between LLMs and traditional search engines: establishing E-E-A-T principles is critical.

To do this (if you aren’t already), make sure your owned media:

  • Prioritizes experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness in all content.
  • Includes author bios, credentials, and citations to reinforce trustworthiness.
  • Cites reliable sources like Gartner, Forrester, or proprietary data studies.
  • Builds backlinks from authoritative domains to strengthen your site’s credibility.
  • Gains mentions in trusted publications to improve how LLMs perceive your brand.

For example, a logistics software company could secure backlinks from:

  • Industry publications like Logistics Management.
  • Mentions in business-oriented media like TechCrunch or Forbes.

Dig deeper: Decoding Google’s E-E-A-T: A comprehensive guide to quality assessment signals

AI feature optimization

This initiative is where SEO practices diverge most widely from traditional search engines. 

The way users interact with LLMs differs from how they interact with the Google search bar. 

For LLM-specific content enhancements:

  • Focus on content that answers “People Also Ask” and conversational follow-up queries.
  • Experiment with creating and optimizing content designed for direct API consumption.

For example, a tech consulting firm could create a resource hub for topics like “common cloud migration questions” with detailed Q&A formats that AI can surface easily.

If user behavior continues to feature more structured, question-based queries, make sure your content is designed to answer those directly. 

For example, a company specializing in ERP software can design content to appear for queries like:

  • “What are the best ERP solutions for mid-sized companies?”
  • “What is the ROI of implementing ERP software?”

Some LLMs (and we expect more to move in this direction) are multimedia-focused. 

For those, rich media integration – using videos, infographics, and charts to enhance engagement and improve content retrievability – will help spur inclusion in search results.

For example, a cybersecurity firm can enhance blogs with:

  • Infographics summarizing “5 types of cyberattacks businesses should watch for in 2025.”
  • Embedded videos explaining “How our threat detection tool works in real-time.”

Dig deeper: How to evolve your organic approach for the rise of answer engines

Continuous testing and adaptation

At this relatively early stage of LLM SEO maturity (and our understanding of it), continuous testing, measurement, and adaptation are among the most critical initiatives. 

At our agency, we focus on two fronts:

As you gather more information about what’s working, you can find common themes to deploy across your accounts. 

Dig deeper: How to cultivate SEO growth through continuous improvement

Optimizing for LLM-driven search in B2B

Because LLMs are in their infancy and because user behavior is changing so rapidly across the search landscape, find and regularly reference trusted sources to stay on top of trends and developments. 

In 12 months, this article might look woefully outdated, so it’s best to keep your finger on the pulse to adapt quickly.

Dig deeper: Decoding LLMs: How to be visible in generative AI search results

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