Google Ads select location assets using Google Maps

Google Ads now lets you select your business(es) by searching Google Maps for location assets / extensions. This addition should make it easier to manage existing and new location assets for your Google Ads campaigns.

More details. This change was spotted by Greg Kohler who posted a screenshot of the change on X and wrote:

“New (easier) way to add location assets (extensions) to your Google Ads campaigns – now you can search and select your business using Google Map.”

Joe Youngblood praised this change on X, saying:

“One of the single most agonizing parts of building out a new campaign or taking over an old account. This looks like it will fix it!”

Screenshot. Here is that screenshot:

More details. Google Ads has a help document that explains how to use it. It says:

If neither Google Business Profile nor Chain stores work for you, you can select up to 10 locations from Google Maps to link with your Ads account. These Google Maps locations must be yours, or they may be disapproved.

  • Go to Location manager within the Tool menu, under the Shared library.
  • Select the plus button, and choose “Our locations”.
  • Select Continue.
  • You can enter the physical address or a key phrase to search your locations and your wish to link with your Ads account. You may repeat the process to add up to 10 locations.
  • Select Continue.

No matter which location source you use when creating location assets, you can customize your locations further at the campaign or ad group level. You can choose to add all account-level locations, use just a subset of account-level locations using Location groups, or choose “No location asset” to keep the asset from showing for specific campaigns or ad groups.

Why we care. This can help you manage location assets for both existing and new campaigns. This seems like a big time saver for many advertisers who use Google Ads.

Read more at Read More

Google Ads enhances campaign filters with new checkboxes

Google has a new subtle but powerful feature in the Google Ads advertiser console to help you manage your campaigns. New checkboxes are available to let you select the campaigns you want and filter the view to only show those campaigns.

Previously, you were only able to select one campaign at a time, but now you can select multiple campaigns.

What it looks like. Here is the full screenshot from Thomas Eccel who posted the screenshot on LinkedIn:

Why we care. This new checkbox allows you to manually filter by more than one campaign at a time, allowing you to apply and manage your campaigns more efficiently. You can compare multiple campaign performance at the same time and save a huge amount of time when reporting, comparing, or managing these campaigns.

Read more at Read More

Google AI Mode model improved for complex STEM questions, says Google

Google AI Mode got an upgrade to its large language models that enhances its ability to answer complex STEM questions. Plus, the responses should be “tighter, easier to scan and get to the point up front before elaborating,” Robby Stein, Google’s VP of Product at Google Search wrote.

This comes in time for the upcoming school year, with many kids starting school this week and some already starting a few weeks ago.

What Google said. Robby Stein posted on X:

Very excited about this week’s AI Mode model update. We’re seeing big improvements for complex STEM questions– great for students heading back to school. Overall responses should also be tighter, easier to scan and get to the point up front before elaborating.

Srini Venkatachary, VP of Engineering at Google DeepMind, responded:

Really excited with this strong update in time for school year. Please send us your feedback.

Nick Fox, SVP, Knowledge & Information at Google, wrote on X:

AI Mode continues to ship & ship fast! This past week, we released a big under-the-hood upgrade to the model capabilities leading to much improved responses. Excited for you to see and feel the difference

Why we care. Google recently expanded AI Mode to 180 countries and territories and now more and more searchers have access to it. Google will continue to improve its models, with the aim of making AI Mode and its AI responses better.

Here is the latest improvement for AI Mode that Google has announced.

Read more at Read More

GEO and SEO: How to invest your time and efforts wisely

GEO and SEO- How to invest your time and efforts wisely

Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the new kid on the block, the hot topic. 

SEO professionals and stakeholders want to know: How much should I invest in it in a world where the people writing the checks are a bit skeptical? 

In the world of large language models (LLMs) in 2025, that’s a complicated question. 

This article breaks down why by covering:

  • How LLMs like OpenAI and Gemini currently use search engines.
  • What search marketers should assume about where AI is heading.
  • The types of executional work that align with GEO.
  • What all of this means for prioritization and investment.

How LLMs stay current: Grounding and RAG

One of the fundamental challenges for the creators of LLMs (LLMs) like OpenAI or Claude is timeliness.

Their training data is static, locked to a specific cutoff date. 

For example, the GPT-5 model’s knowledge cutoff is Sept. 30, 2024.

It’s more recent than GPT-4o’s cutoff of Oct. 1, 2023, but still not up to the present day.

Updating that training data is extremely costly, and it’s increasingly under public scrutiny – both for the resource-intensive nature of the process and the potential copyright issues it raises. 

In my view, these large-scale training updates are becoming less and less likely over time.

GPT-5 knowledge cutoff

So how do OpenAI, Claude, or Gemini keep their answers current? 

They use retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), where the model enriches its responses by effectively “browsing” the web. ChatGPT relies on Bing, while Gemini draws from Google. 

(There are signs Gemini doesn’t always use live results, but rather cached ones – that’s a whole other article, and one Dan Petrovic has already written smartly about.)

Grounding is a similar concept here, so for this article, we’ll treat it as the same “timely” method, even though there are important nuances in implementation.

What does this mean for SEOs and digital marketers deciding how much to invest in GEO?

Quite simply: we still need to prioritize traditional SEO first. RAG is a limited resource, and research shows: 

It’s also important to note: when ChatGPT cites your brand, it doesn’t just pull from your website. It pulls from sources across the web.

The bottom line: you still need to master traditional SEO fundamentals to rank in LLM-driven search. 

If you don’t have the authority to break into the Top 20 results, plus a diversified outreach strategy for press mentions and brand visibility, it will be much harder to surface in generative search.

Dig deeper: SEO vs. GEO: What’s different? What’s the same?

Thinking long term

As a low-risk, forward-looking, brand-focused SEO, you must plan for a future where generative search dominates, driving most traffic and revenue.

At that point, we must assume our websites and digital properties function primarily as enriched data feeds for LLMs. 

It’s also critical to clearly define our brand for both Google and Bing, as strong, unambiguous entity signals will only grow in importance.

Optimizing your data infrastructure and strengthening brand signals – through consistent press mentions, directory listings, and owned media – are essential but resource-intensive tasks. 

They demand coordination across departments that rarely collaborate and often require dismantling entrenched processes.

Because many businesses hesitate to make these foundational changes, you’ll need to account for the time required to execute the work and the time required to gain stakeholder alignment.

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.


Execution: Technical and brand

The work required to make your website as LLM-friendly as possible falls into two main buckets: technical and brand.

Technical tasks

Implementing thorough schema markup

This is a contentious topic. 

LLMs don’t directly use schema markup in their training data (it’s stripped), and in their RAG process, everything is tokenized and likely broken into n-grams. 

I’m not suggesting schema markup is a direct way to influence visibility in LLMs.

It’s a vehicle for helping Google and Bing understand:

  • Your website.
  • Its relationships.
  • Its products. 

This builds your brand and search engines’ recognition of it, which should improve your visibility in results.

Technical copywriting

On navigational pages – like product collection pages or company listing pages if you’re a marketplace – create technical copy (done via AI with smart prompting if you’re working at scale) that summarizes the available resources.

For example: 

  • “Our stationery includes 5 A5 dotted journals, 2 N1 blank journals, 25 stickers featuring animals, 4 stickers with curse words (all vinyl for weatherproofing and waterproofing), and 1 lapel pin.”

Notice how direct and technical this is. The clear formatting ties back to dependency hops in natural language processing.

XML sitemaps

A spring cleaning task. 

Your XML feeds should be 100% to spec:

  • No 404s.
  • No 301s.
  • No more than 5,000 URLs per sitemap.
  • All recommended fields in place. 

I’m calling it out specifically because it’s one of the most direct ways for search engines and other bots to see and navigate the full scope of your website.

JavaScript fallbacks

This has always been important but has fallen by the wayside in recent years. 

Training data for LLMs is static HTML. For the most part, they don’t render JavaScript. 

Make sure to have functional JavaScript fallbacks.

Address technical debt

This will depend on your organization. It could mean:

  • Having a clear product sunsetting process.
  • Updating the codebase.
  • Removing the ghost codebase still sitting on your site from eight years ago that everyone built on top of rather than deleting. 
  • Migrating from an SPA to a more search-friendly framework.
  • Removing deprecated scripts.
  • Auditing third-party tags to ensure they’re up to date and still in use. 

All of these impact performance.

The technical strength and response time of your website will only grow more important.

Every piece of tech debt is an opportunity to improve.

Dig deeper: A technical SEO blueprint for GEO: Optimize for AI-powered search

Brand tasks

Brand tasks would include things like: 

  • Creating consistent brand descriptions and implementing them across all platforms.
  • Updating your About page to have as much relevant information as possible, such as:
    • Founding timeline.
    • Founders and leadership profiles.
    • Corporate social responsibility initiatives.
    • Partners.
    • Supply chain.
    • Your unique selling proposition.
    • Press mentions.
    • Awards and other social proof.
    • Testimonials.
    • A contact form. 
  • Claiming your Google Knowledge Panel (or monitoring it until it becomes available, then claiming it).
  • Planning regular press mentions, doing outreach yourself, or working with a PR company to make it happen.
  • Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile if you’re a local business.
  • Submitting your company for a Wikipedia page once you’ve built enough notability.

Dig deeper: In GEO, brand mentions do what links alone can’t

Making smart investments in SEO and GEO

If there’s only one takeaway, it’s this: keep investing the majority of your time and budget in traditional SEO, while dedicating a smaller portion to technical and brand tasks like those outlined above.

Look closely at the 1-5% improvements you’ve been putting off – things like:

  • Correcting the HTML heading hierarchy to match the site’s visual hierarchy.
  • Fixing internal links so they point directly to final URLs instead of redirect chains.
  • Cleaning up your XML sitemap.
  • Removing deprecated libraries and unused WOFF files. 

This “spring cleaning” and tech debt cleanup should be a priority. 

Add in the brand work as well, since it strengthens traditional search today and also lays the groundwork for an LLM-led search future.

If you don’t already have regular reporting in place for stakeholders and leadership, create it now. 

There’s a perception that large language models are evolving rapidly and changing everything at once. 

That isn’t entirely true – but we do need to plan. 

Establishing a cadence of reporting and education means that when real shifts do happen, your stakeholders will already be aligned and ready to support the work.

Finally, treat GEO/AI optimization as roughly 20% work

This means building systemic schema layers across your organization and creating structured connections in the machine’s native language – code. 

Start with:

  • Conversations.
  • Proofs of concept.
  • Pilot implementations. 

Done properly, this work should have no negative impact on your business metrics, and it builds support for more holistic optimization over time.

Going all in on LLM-specific tactics isn’t the best use of your resources today. 

Instead, treat it as complementary work – something that strengthens your technical and brand foundation while preparing you for a future where generative search plays a central role.

Read more at Read More

Looking beyond AI: 9 marketing principles that will always matter

Concept of timeless principles

AI has fundamentally changed how people search and engage with information online. 

Features like AI Overviews may boost visibility, but they’ve also reduced clicks, leaving many websites with less traffic despite stronger rankings. 

Discovery no longer happens in just one place. 

It’s fragmented across search engines, social platforms, paid ads, and AI tools, creating a complex user journey that’s harder than ever to track.

As behavior shifts with these new technologies, search marketing is evolving in response. 

Yet while the platforms, tools, and touchpoints keep changing, the core principles of effective marketing remain the same. 

Marketers who stay grounded in these fundamentals will be best equipped to adapt and grow.

Here are nine timeless marketing principles that will hold steady – no matter how search evolves.

1. Focusing on search intent: Why people search 

Where people search and find information will continue to change over time as preferences for LLMs, social media, or video content shape where people go for answers. 

However, what remains constant is search intent

Users are always looking to:

  • Learn about something.
  • Navigate to brands they know.
  • Compare and evaluate different options.
  • Purchase or convert. 

Focus on the why behind a search – the intent driving it. 

The key question is whether your content aligns with that intent. 

If it doesn’t, you’re overlooking a critical driver of user behavior. 

When content matches search intent, users immediately recognize its value and engage, which is why intent should remain central to your marketing strategy.

2. The lasting value of brand recognition and loyalty

Even as AI continues to drive change in how companies reach their audiences, brand recognition and loyalty remain important pillars of long-term engagement and growth.

Discovery channels are shifting as people find brands through social media, search engines, paid ads, email, and more.

That’s why it’s important to continually reassess the customer journey and understand where your audience is finding you.

After discovery, your job is to highlight your unique value – what sets you apart from competitors and how you provide real value to your audience. 

Keep asking yourself:

  • Why should someone choose my brand?
  • What makes us stand out?

The clearer and more consistently you communicate this in the spaces that matter, the more you’ll earn trust, recognition, and reliability – all of which shape how people respond to your brand.

Brand loyalty isn’t automatic. It’s something you earn by building real relationships with your customers and consistently providing value. 

Loyalty creates long-term stability and growth, even as platforms and algorithms continue to shift. 

While search intent and brand recognition can attract new visitors, loyalty turns impressions into conversions and builds lasting customer lifetime value.

3. Knowing and understanding your audience

Beyond search intent and branding, truly knowing your audience is essential for long-term marketing success. 

Without that insight, you risk falling into “spray and pray” campaigns that waste resources and fail to connect.

Building clear audience personas helps you decide not just what campaigns and content to create, but how to present them in ways that resonate. 

That means understanding who your audience is, what motivates them, their pain points, their values, and where they spend their time. 

These insights form the foundation of a strategy built to genuinely connect with your audience.

Dig deeper: SEO personas for AI search: How to go beyond static profiles

4. Trustworthiness is currency

Even if your content matches search intent and your brand is well recognized, audiences won’t engage without credibility. 

This matters even more today, as AI tools summarize information and highlight only the most trustworthy sources. 

Both search engines and AI prioritize trust signals. But for users, those signals are everything.

Expertise, consistency, transparency, and reliability are what build that trust. 

People want to feel confident that your brand will deliver on its promises and provide lasting value. 

When they believe you’re dependable, they’re more likely to engage, return, and recommend your brand to others.

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.


5. Customer service and experience drive perception

Today, customer service is inseparable from brand experience. 

Every interaction – whether answering a support ticket or replying to a social media comment – shapes how people perceive your credibility and value.

Testimonials and reviews create a powerful feedback loop: one story sparks another, influencing how others view your brand. 

Campaigns can drive visibility, but audiences still turn to peer reviews on platforms like Reddit to validate those impressions and decide whether to trust you.

Audience sentiment has become its own form of publicity. 

With user-generated content (UGC) shaping perception and AI systems relying on reviews and sentiment signals to recommend brands, customer experience is now a direct driver of both reputation and visibility.

Dig deeper: How to use SEO and CX for better organic performance

6. Good user experience supports conversions

A core principle that hasn’t changed is the need for an optimized user experience. 

When someone lands on your site, the page should minimize friction in the buying journey. 

Whether visitors arrive through ads or organic search, they need clear conversion paths that guide them smoothly forward.

Audiences expect ease and clarity when looking for information or taking action. 

Slow load times, unnecessary clicks, or confusing layouts increase drop-offs, abandoned forms, and carts – leaving users frustrated.

A good user experience makes the journey to conversion as effortless as possible. 

Done well, it not only boosts conversions but also builds satisfaction and trust.

7. Mobile-first experiences: Meeting users where they are 

AI may be transforming how people search, but mobile devices remain the primary way users access and engage with brands. 

For many, the first interaction with your brand happens on a phone.

That’s why user experience must extend beyond conversion paths.

It also has to be fully optimized for mobile. Otherwise, you risk frustration, lost trust, and missed conversions.

Mobile users abandon sites that load slowly, require pinching and zooming, use hard-to-tap buttons, or rely on clunky forms.

Even a few seconds of delay or disruptive layout shifts can cause drop-offs.

And because search engines prioritize mobile-friendliness, optimizing for mobile isn’t just about usability. It also directly impacts rankings and visibility.

8. Accessibility is essential

Accessibility is a core part of creating inclusive experiences for your entire audience.

In the U.S., it’s also a legal responsibility. 

Making your site accessible means adding features like:

  • Screen reader compatibility.
  • Alt text for images.
  • Strong color contrast.
  • Keyboard navigation.

If accessibility is overlooked, you risk excluding parts of your audience and facing ADA lawsuits.

But when you design with accessibility in mind, you reach more people, strengthen trust, and ensure everyone can engage with your brand.

9. Quality content and authority still define success

No matter how search evolves, quality content and authority remain the foundation of visibility and trust. 

Algorithms may shift and discovery channels may change, but users will always value content that is accurate, relevant, and genuinely helpful.

Authority is earned over time by:

  • Consistently publishing original, reliable content.
  • Being cited by other trusted sources. 

The more credibility your brand builds, the more likely users (and search engines) are to consider you a worthwhile recommendation.

Dig deeper: Mastering content quality: The ultimate guide

Marketing that lasts beyond AI

AI is transforming how people search and how brands reach them, but the fundamentals of marketing haven’t changed. 

What still matters is:

  • Understanding intent.
  • Knowing your audience.
  • Meeting them where they are.
  • Building trust and loyalty.
  • Delivering real value.

Technology and platforms will keep evolving. 

But the brands that stay grounded in these timeless principles will be the ones that adapt, grow, and thrive in the future.

Read more at Read More

Ecommerce copywriting tips & frameworks that convert [+a free checklist]

Product pages. Ads. Emails. Headlines. Every word you publish either builds momentum or loses it. Great ecommerce copy does more than describe a product. It earns trust, sparks emotion, and clears doubt. Most importantly, it helps someone say yes with confidence. This guide includes 20 practical, proven tips to sharpen your copy across strategy, product pages, persuasion, and retention. They’re not theory. Just tested techniques from brands that convert. 

And there’s more: Want the full 40?  Get the 20 bonus tips straight to your inbox by signing up here. 

How to choose the right copywriting framework and emotional trigger 

Before you write, choose two things: 

  1. A framework to guide structure 
  1. An emotional trigger to shape tone and persuasion 

These decisions will shape every line of your copy. 

Copywriting frameworks 

1. AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action 

AIDA is the foundational copywriting framework that guides prospects through a systematic journey from awareness to conversion. 

Best for: Landing pages, ads, hero sections. 

Why it works: It grabs attention quickly, builds curiosity, then shifts momentum toward a clear action. 

Example: Selling a portable espresso maker 

Attention: “Brew perfect espresso anywhere.”

Interest: “No plugs, no bulky machines, just fresh coffee in your backpack.”

Desire: “Get café-level crema in 90 seconds flat.” 

Action: “Order now and take 20% off your first brew.” 

2. PAS: Problem, Agitation, Solution 

PAS is the emotional powerhouse that transforms pain points into urgent buying decisions by first identifying problems and discomfort and presenting a solution.   

Best for: Pain-point-driven products or comparison pages.

Why it works: It starts by naming the problem and digging into the frustration, then offers your product as the fix. 

Example: Selling an anti-theft travel backpack 

Problem: “Worried about pickpockets on your next trip?” 

Agitation: “One stolen wallet can ruin your entire vacation and most zippers do not stand a chance.” 

Solution: “Our backpack has cut-proof fabric, hidden zippers, and lockable compartments to keep you safe on the move.” 

3. BAB: Before, After, Bridge 

BAB leverages aspirational storytelling to showcase transformation, painting a vivid picture of life improvement before positioning your solution as the bridge to that better future.   

Best for: Lifestyle or transformation-focused products.

Why it works: It shows life before and after the product, then connects the dots with your offer. 

Example: Selling a fitness app 

Before: “You used to skip workouts, feel sluggish, and waste time guessing what to do at the gym.” 

After: “Now your workouts are short, focused, and actually fun to stick with.” 

Bridge: “All it took was our guided 20-minute training plans built for real people and real schedules.” 

Emotional triggers 

Pathos: Emotion 

Best for: Beauty, lifestyle, wellness, identity-driven products.

Why it works: It speaks to how people want to feel or who they want to become. 

Example: Selling sustainable clothing 

“You are not just buying a shirt. You are choosing to show up for the planet and look good doing it.” 

Logos: Logic 

Best for: Tech, tools, performance-based products.

Why it works: It appeals to rational decision-making, like saving time, money, or hassle. 

Example: Selling noise-canceling headphones 

“Blocks 95% of background noise so you can focus faster and work smarter, backed by lab testing and a 2-year warranty.” 

Ethos: Trust and credibility 

Best for: Financial, health, professional, or safety-related products.

Why it works: People rely on authority or reputation to reduce risk.

Example: Selling skincare 

“Developed by dermatologists and trusted by over 1 million users worldwide because your skin deserves expert care.” 

Strategies for clearer copy 

Strategic copywriting transforms scattered messaging into focused communication that guides prospects smoothly through their buying journey.   

  1. Let structure guide flow: AIDA, PAS, BAB. Pick one and follow it through. Good copy is linear, not scattered. 
  1. Tone should match buyer intent: New visitor? Use clarity and reassurance. Returning shopper? Bring speed and confidence. 
  1. Give each section one job: Trying to explain, reassure, and upsell in a single block? Nothing will land. Break it up. 
  1. Answer doubts before they form: If shipping time, fit, or returns are common questions, surface them early in the copy. 
  1. Use a mix of logic, emotion, and visuals: Show how the product works, how it feels, and how it fits their life. 

Product copy tips for conversion

Product copywriting prioritizes outcome-driven messaging that shows customers exactly how their lives improve. It moves beyond features to paint vivid pictures of real-world usage scenarios. 

  1. Lead with the outcome: Start with what changes for the customer. Then explain how. 
  1. Put the product in a real moment: Don’t say “compact.” Say, “Fits in your jacket pocket on a rainy commute.” 
  1. Use bullets to speed up decisions: List what is included, what it is made of, and who it is for. Keep it snappy. 
  1. Write purposeful alt text: Describe what the image shows and how it ties to the benefit. 
    Example: “Man hiking with a 40L waterproof pack. Rain visible, straps tight.” 
  1. Flag missing alt text during content analysis: It helps keep accessibility and SEO aligned without extra efforts.

What most ecommerce copy gets wrong 

A well-written text is polite. Descriptive. Sometimes clever. But it rarely decides or helps in conversion.

A Strong copy does not try to please everyone. It tells the right person, “This is for you.” It dares to be specific. It has an inviting glare and confidence to emphasize what matters and ignore what does not. 

Copywriting hooks and earns attention. It says, “Here it is, look.” SEO attracts keen onlookers. 

Good copy makes them stop and persuades them to be curious about more. The best ecommerce brands leverage both. Tools like Yoast SEO bridge the gap between conversion-driven copy and search visibility. 

Persuasion tips that feel natural 

Natural persuasion in copywriting focuses on building genuine connections through transparent communication rather than manipulative tactics.   

  1. Start strong: Put your main benefit above the fold. Do not hide the reason to care. 
  1. Use microcopy to ease tension: “No hidden fees” next to pricing. “We will never charge without asking” near the credit card field. 
  1. Only create urgency if it is real: “Only 3 left” works if it is true. False scarcity breaks trust. 
  1. Make subheads sell, not just organize: “Why 10,000 customers switched” says more than “Features.” 
  1. Precision beats cleverness: “Save 3 hours a week” converts better than “Boost productivity. 

Strategy Retention tips to boost trust 

Customer retention copywriting transforms one-time buyers into loyal advocates through strategic communication that demonstrates ongoing value and genuine care.  

  1. Make thank-you pages do more: Confirm next steps. Offer a bonus. Link to a useful guide. Do not waste attention. 
  1. Follow up with something useful: A setup guide, a pro tip, or a behind-the-scenes story is more valuable than a request for a review. 
  1. Treat onboarding like conversion 2.0: “You are 60 seconds away from setup” is better than “See instructions.” 
  1. Write policies with warmth and clarity: “If it does not fit, send it back. No stress.” Sounds like a human. That is the point. 
  1. Show loyalty some love: A personal thank-you after the third purchase can mean more than a 10 percent coupon. 

Final thoughts 

Forget clever. Go for clarity. Don’t be smart. Leverage curious questions. Think about what a customer wants.

Let them feel seen and heard. Forget perfection; strive for a connection. Keep your words simple. If your words help the right person say yes and the right searcher find your page, they have already done their job. That is where strong copy meets smart SEO. 

Want 20 more copywriting techniques that drive conversions? 

In Part 2, we’ll go deeper into: 

  • Advanced copywriting funnel;
  • High-impact product formatting ideas;
  • Persuasive phrasing that feels personal to the reader;
  • Loyalty copy that turns onlookers into trusted comrades.

The post Ecommerce copywriting tips & frameworks that convert [+a free checklist] appeared first on Yoast.

Read more at Read More

How much does it cost to build a website?

Table of contents

Thinking about building a website? Whether you are a small business owner, a freelancer, or launching a side project, one of the first questions you will want answered is: how much does it cost to build a website? This is not just about curiosity, understanding your website costs early on can help you budget effectively and avoid any unpleasant surprises.

The truth is that the answer is rarely simple. Ask ten business owners about their website building costs and you will probably get ten completely different answers. That is because website costs can range from almost nothing to tens of thousands of euros. The variation comes down to what you need your website to do. A small brochure site with a few pages can be built on a modest budget, whereas an ecommerce store with thousands of products and secure payment facilities will always cost more. The good news is that once you understand where the costs lie, you can make better decisions. And while Yoast SEO will not directly reduce your build costs, it will help you avoid expensive SEO mistakes, improve site performance, and keep your long-term marketing budget under control.

What are you actually paying for when building a website?

Design and user experience: This sets the tone for how visitors feel about your site. Good design is more than colors and fonts, it is about navigation, site structure, and encouraging visitors to stay and explore. Read more about user experience

Development: Turns your designs into a working website. A simple build will cost less, but advanced features or integrations push the price up. 

Domain and hosting: These two are essential and unavoidable. Your domain name generally costs between €10 and €50 per year and hosting keeps your site live. Shared hosting is cheapest, but dedicated hosting provides better performance and enhanced security. As a recommendation, Bluehost is a great choice for both domain registration and hosting. On top of that, it also works extremely well with WordPress. 

Read more: Yoast SEO

Content: A blank page isn’t going to keep visitors on your site for very long, so you’re going to need to have something to show them. You can of course do your own content, but professional content creators can be useful in getting more conversions. 

Read more: writing great website copy.

SEO: This ensures your site gets found. You can do it yourself, but Yoast SEO helps simplify the process and can reduce costs by guiding you on how to optimize pages as you write. 

Read more: how to use the Yoast SEO plugin.

Here’s a chart to explain the above in a quick-check guide: 

Area  Description 
Design  Custom visuals, layout, user interface (UI), mobile responsiveness 
User experience (UX)   Navigation logic, site structure, call-to-action placement 
Development   Code, content management system (CMS), plug-ins or features 
Domain and hosting   Your website’s address and where it lives online 
Content and SEO   Written pages, blog posts, metadata, and optimizations 
Ongoing maintenance  Plugin updates, security, backups, fixes 

Upfront costs:

Of course, none of this comes for free, unless there are some things you can do yourself like copywriting or photography. This will still cost you in terms of time though, so it may be worth considering hiring a professional if there are other areas of your business that you would rather focus on. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at some upfront costs that you will only have to pay for once at the very start.

Type of cost Low estimate High estimate
Domain name €10/year €50/year
Design & UX €0 (DIY template) €10,000+
Development (CMS setup, features, integrations) €0 (DIY) €40,000+
Initial content (copywriting, images, product setup) €200 €5,000+

Ongoing and variable costs:

Obviously, once your website is up and running, that’s not the end of the story. You are presumably here for the long-term and that means there are going to be recurring costs. These cover things like hosting, so your site can stay live, maintenance, to keep everything secure and updated, and you’ll need to continually post new content to engage with your site’s visitors.

Ongoing costs (billed monthly or yearly):

Type of cost Low estimate High estimate
Hosting €50/year €300+/year
Maintenance & security (updates, backups, SSL, fixes) €100/month €500+/month
Ongoing content & SEO €200/year €5,000+/year

Variable costs:

Most people spend their time focusing on the look and feel of their site and while that is important, it’s not the only thing to consider. It’s understandable that things like legal technicalities and CDNs are not front-of-mind when you’re excited about growing your business but it is necessary. That means you’ll need to complete these, often overlooked, tasks to make sure that you remain on track for growth and stay compliant.

Type of cost Low estimate High estimate
Marketing & ads €100/month €10,000+/month
Accessibility & legal compliance €200 €5,000+
Scaling & performance upgrades (plugins, CDN, extra development work) €100 €10,000+

Website building options 

There are three main ways to build a site, and your choice here will have an impact on the final cost.  

1. DIY builders (like Wix or Squarespace)  

These platforms, as well as some others, will let you build a site from scratch without the need for any technical skills. They’re affordable, quick to set up and ideal for portfolio sites, hobby sites, or small businesses. If you are using these site builders for business, you might find them limiting when you need to scale or want more advanced SEO.   

2. WordPress + Yoast  

For most successful small and medium sized businesses, WordPress is an excellent solution as it’s flexible, scalable, and widely supported. What’s more, when you pair it with Yoast SEO for WooCommerce you can start publishing optimized content from day one, making your online store more visible instantly. This makes it more affordable in the long run as there’s no need for an agency, and you can add features as you grow rather than having to rebuild every time.  

3. Custom-built website via an agency 

For complex businesses like advanced ecommerce or security services, a custom-built site is their best option. It’s the most expensive option but gives you complete control, giving you everything you want without having to compromise on anything. However, you may find that tailored code and features will cost a lot more.     

Watch out for these hidden costs 

One common misconception is that the costs end when your site goes live. That’s just not true, in fact, some of the most expensive problems show up after launch. These can include:  

Non-converting content: You can have the most beautiful website in the world but if it’s not pulling in paying customers, there’s a problem. Try investing in professional copywriting and SEO-friendly content that will ensure visitors take action.   

Dropped traffic: Starting off with bad SEO can really hamper your traffic. Without help, it’s easy to make errors that could take months to fix. This is very much a case of prevention is better than cure.  

Technical debt: Sites built on outdated technology or poorly coded templates may work at first but become costly to maintain or upgrade after a while.   

Accessibility cost: It’s important that you make sure your site caters to all, especially those who may have visual or audio impairments. 

Legal costs: There are certain legal requirements to take care of. These aren’t just there to protect the customer; they protect you too. So, don’t forget that you’ll need things like a cookie consent tool and a term of service policy. 

How Yoast saves you money (over time) 

Yoast isn’t about saving you money on upfront costs; what it does is prevent expensive mistakes. It will save you money over time though as you’ll benefit from reduced costs of ongoing SEO and content marketing. 

To get more specific though, Yoast’s real-time SEO guidance helps you write better, optimized content without needing to hire a writer. In addition, the Readability analysis and Internal linking suggestions are two features that help to reduce bounce rates by making your content perform better, which literally translates into more conversions. On top of this, adding structured data manually is time consuming and costly. Yoast automates much of this, giving you rich search results without developer costs. And if that’s not enough to whet your appetite, there are free and premium options.  

Feature  How it saves you money  
Real-time SEO guidance   Write better content, faster, without hiring an SEO expert  
Readability analysis  Engaged readers means more conversions 
Schema & structured data   Get results without coding knowledge 
Internal linking suggestions   Boost traffic to key pages without external help 

Budgeting tips for small business owners 

By spending smart, you can get big results for less. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 

  1. Start with clarity, not complexity
    Fancy animations might look nice, but if they confuse your visitors, they’re not worth the price. 
  1. Spend more on content than code
    Great content = better SEO = better ROI.   
  1. Invest in tools that scale with you
    WordPress and Yoast both grow with your business. 
  1. Plan for the long game
    Don’t treat launch as the finish line. Content updates and SEO tweaks are ongoing.

Read more: How to optimize your crawl budget

Ecommerce vs. general website: does it change the cost? 

Yes, dramatically. Ecommerce sites need: 

  • Payment gateways. 
  • Product listings. 
  • Inventory management. 
  • Legal disclaimers. 
  • Stronger performance and security. 

Expect to pay more, sometimes a lot more, for development, plugins, and maintenance. But again, tools like Yoast SEO help make your product pages more visible and your content more persuasive.   

Platforms like WooCommerce give you a practical and flexible way to run your online store without having to reinvent the wheel. But the real key to success is visibility, after all, if people can’t find you, they can’t buy from you. And this is what Yoast SEO for WooCommerce does best.  

Read more: See how Yoast helps ecommerce sites

Final thoughts 

Ultimately, what matters about your site most is what it does for your business. With WordPress and Yoast, you can create a professional site that looks great, enhances your online visibility, and grows with your business, without breaking the bank. One of the best things you can do to really set the wheels in motion now though is to go to this guide WordPress for beginners training course and learn how to put yourself and your company first.

Good SEO isn’t a luxury; it’s a smart investment, so start today. Good luck!

The post How much does it cost to build a website? appeared first on Yoast.

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10 free and paid SEO reporting tools for 2025

Table of Contents

If you’re investing time and budget into SEO, you’ll want to know if it’s actually delivering results. That’s where SEO reporting tools come in. They take the guesswork out of your strategy by showing you what’s working, what isn’t, and where you should focus your efforts next. Without them, you’re left with assumptions, anecdotes, and gut feeling. That might work for a while, but it’s no way to grow a business.

Whether you need a free SEO report, a quick SEO report generator, or a professional-level dashboard for clients, the right tool will help you measure progress and make smarter business decisions. A solo blogger might just want to know which posts are attracting clicks, while a global agency might need to present polished reports to dozens of clients each month. The scale is different, but the principle is the same: reporting keeps you honest about what’s happening.

Read more: Beginner’s guide to SEO reporting

What is an SEO reporting tool?

An SEO reporting tool collects data about your site’s search engine visibility and turns it into insights. Think of it as your SEO dashboard. At its simplest, it might show which keywords your pages are ranking for. At its most advanced, it can track backlinks, crawl your entire site for errors, and pull together complex competitor benchmarks.

These tools save time by pulling in data automatically, but they don’t replace critical thinking. You still need to interpret what the numbers mean and decide what action to take. A sudden dip in traffic, for instance, could be caused by a technical error, a Google algorithm update, or even seasonality in your industry. The tool will show you the dip; it’s your job to work out why.

Some tools focus on one particular task, like crawling your website, while others are built as all-in-one suites. Below, we’ll look at 10 of the best SEO reporting tools available today, covering free and paid options for every kind of user.


Summary: best SEO reporting tools at a glance

Tool  Best for   Pricing 
Google Search Console  Beginners & site owners  Free 
Yoast SEO Dashboard  WordPress users  Free
Google Analytics  Behavior & conversion tracking  Free 
AgencyAnalytics  Agencies managing multiple clients  From $12/month per client 
Semrush  All-in-one professional SEO  From $139.95/month 
Ahrefs  Link building & competitive research  From $27/month 
Moz Pro  Beginners & SMBs  From $49/month (30-day free trial) 
Screaming Frog  Technical SEO & crawling  Free (500 URLs) or unlimited for £199/year 
Mangools  Solo marketers & freelancers  From €19.90/month when billed annually
BrightLocal  Local SEO & GBP management  From $29/month 

10 SEO reporting tools to choose from

1: Google Search Console (free)

Best for: Website owners who want a free, reliable way to track search performance and identify technical issues directly from Google.

Google Search Console is one of the most essential SEO reporting tools available, and it has the distinct advantage of being completely free. It tells you how your website performs in Google Search, showing impressions, clicks, and rankings for the queries that bring visitors to your site. It also alerts you to crawl errors, indexing problems, and mobile usability issues, so you can catch technical problems before they affect your rankings.

The data here is particularly valuable because it comes straight from Google. You’ll see which search terms trigger impressions, how often users click your site, and which pages are performing well. This makes it an excellent starting point for beginners, but it’s also a must-have for seasoned professionals. The drawback is that historical data is limited, and it doesn’t show you how competitors are performing. But for pure insight into your own search presence, it’s unmatched. 

Key features: Direct performance data, coverage and indexing reports, Core Web Vitals. 

Pros: Free, trusted first-party data, essential insights. 

Cons: Limited history, no competitor data. 

Price: Free. 

Read more: How to use Google Search Console: a beginner’s guide

2: Yoast SEO Dashboard (free)

Best for: WordPress users who want in-editor SEO guidance and ongoing optimization tracking.

Of course, we need to mention our own tool. And, yes, it’s right up at the top of the list but hey, we’re very proud of it. The Yoast SEO Dashboard sits right inside WordPress and gives you feedback as you write. It tracks readability, internal linking, and keyword optimization, helping you improve your content before you hit publish.

With the new Site Kit by Google integration, the dashboard becomes even more powerful. You can pull in data from Google Search Console and Google Analytics, meaning you don’t need to keep switching tabs to see how your content is performing. Instead, you get real-time feedback in the editor and clear reporting inside your WordPress dashboard.

This makes it especially useful for content teams who want SEO baked into their publishing process from the start. Rather than writing first and optimizing later, the Yoast SEO Dashboard guides you as you go, making it easier to publish content that performs.

Here’s why you’ll love this:

  • One view of GSC and GA metrics alongside Yoast SEO Dashboard and readability results.
  • Quickly spot content that needs work and act in context.
  • Lightweight workflow for both editors and SEO professionals alike.

Key features: Real-time SEO analysis, Google Site Kit integration, internal linking tools. 

Pros: Easy to use, directly in WordPress, improves content before publishing. 

Cons: Limited to WordPress. 

Price: Free.

Read more: Site Kit by Google integration in Yoast SEO

3: Google Analytics (free)

Best for: Marketers and site owners who want to understand on-site user behavior and measure the impact of SEO on conversion.

Where Google Search Console shows how users arrive at your site, Google Analytics shows what they do once they’re there. It’s a natural partner to GSC and together they provide a complete picture of SEO performance. Analytics lets you track user behaviour, see how long visitors spend on your site, and measure conversions.

One of its biggest strengths is the ability to segment traffic. You can look specifically at organic users and see how they behave differently from paid or social visitors. You can also set up goals to track the actions that matter most, such as filling out a contact form or completing a purchase. This makes Google Analytics invaluable if you want to connect SEO efforts to business results.

The learning curve is steeper than with some other tools, particularly since the rollout of GA4, but once you master it, the insights are worth it. And of course, the price is unbeatable: it’s completely free.

Key features: GA4 event tracking, segmentation, funnel reporting. 

Pros: Free, deep insights, connects SEO with results. 

Cons: Steep learning curve. 

Price: Free. 

4: AgencyAnalytics (paid)

Best for: Agencies looking for automated, white-label reporting solutions for multiple clients.

AgencyAnalytics is designed with agencies in mind. If you manage SEO for multiple clients, you’ll know how much time is spent building and delivering reports. AgencyAnalytics takes away much of that pain by automating the process. You can integrate it with platforms like Google Search Console, Analytics, and even social media channels, then deliver white-label reports directly to clients.

The main appeal is the ability to customize dashboards and reports with your own branding. For agencies, that’s a big deal because it saves hours of manual work while still giving clients a polished experience. Reports can be scheduled to go out automatically, meaning your team can focus on strategy instead of spreadsheet wrangling.

This isn’t a tool for solo bloggers or small business owners, it would be overkill, but for agencies with a portfolio of clients, it can be transformative. The pricing is based on the number of clients, starting from around $12 per client per month, which makes it scalable as you grow.

Key features: White-label reports, multi-platform integrations, scheduled delivery. 

Pros: Saves agencies time, professional client-ready reports, scalable. 

Cons: Overkill for solo bloggers or small businesses. 

Price: From $12 per client/month. 

5: Semrush (free & paid)

Best for: Agencies and SEO professionals who need a comprehensive suite of tools for competitive analysis and reporting.

Semrush is one of the most widely used SEO platforms in the industry. It’s not just a reporting tool, it’s a full suite covering keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink audits, and site crawls. The reporting features are particularly strong, allowing you to track visibility trends, rankings, and content performance over time.

For agencies and professional SEOs, Semrush is a powerhouse. It provides granular detail about competitors, making it easier to benchmark your performance and identify gaps. Content audits help you spot underperforming pages, while backlink reports show you where your link-building strategy needs work. Semrush even integrates with Yoast SEO, offering a seamless workflow for WordPress users.

The free version is limited, so most businesses will need a paid plan to get full value. At $129.95 per month, it’s not cheap, but the breadth of functionality makes it a worthwhile investment for those serious about SEO.

Key features: Competitor benchmarking, keyword and backlink reports, site audits. 

Pros: Huge dataset, strong competitor analysis, integrates with Yoast.

Cons: Expensive, limited free tier. 

Price: From $139.95/month. 

Read more: Keyword data via Semrush in Yoast SEO

6: Ahrefs (paid)

Best for: Businesses focused on link-building strategies and competitive research.

Ahrefs has built its reputation on having one of the largest and most accurate backlink indexes available. If link-building is part of your strategy, this is often the tool of choice. But Ahrefs does more than just backlinks. It also provides keyword research, site audits, and rank tracking, making it a comprehensive SEO platform.

The reports are particularly well-designed, making complex data easy to understand. This is useful when you need to share results with stakeholders who might not be familiar with SEO jargon. It’s also popular for competitor analysis, giving you a clear view of how others in your space are performing and where you might gain an advantage.

The main downside is cost. With plans starting at $99 per month and no free tier, it’s not the most accessible option for beginners. But for businesses that prioritize link-building and want robust competitive insights, it’s one of the best.

Key features: Backlink index, Keyword Explorer, Content Explorer. 

Pros: Accurate, user-friendly reports, powerful for link-building. 

Cons: Costly, free tier is limited. 

Price: Limited free tools, Starter plan $27/month. 

7: Moz Pro (free trial & paid)

Best for: Beginners and small businesses who want straightforward reporting and keyword tracking.

Moz Pro offers a balance between beginner-friendly usability and professional-level features. It provides keyword tracking, site audits, and link analysis in an interface that’s easier to navigate than some of the heavier platforms. For small businesses and those new to SEO, this can be a big advantage.

One feature that stands out is the Keyword Explorer, which helps you understand not just search volume but also difficulty and potential click-through rates. This makes it easier to prioritize which keywords are worth targeting. Moz Pro also provides link metrics, though its index is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush.

The company offers a 30-day free trial, which is generous compared to most competitors. After that, pricing starts at $99 per month. For many small to medium businesses, it hits the sweet spot of offering enough depth without overwhelming complexity.

Key features: Keyword Explorer, site audits, link metrics. 

Pros: Beginner-friendly, generous free trial, clean design. 

Cons: Smaller index than Ahrefs or Semrush. 

Price: From $49/month. 

8: Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free & paid)

Best for: SEOs and developers who need to quickly identify technical issues and improve site structure.

Screaming Frog is a different kind of SEO reporting tool. Instead of dashboards and trend lines, it’s a desktop crawler that scans your site much like a search engine does. The result is a detailed breakdown of every URL, title tag, meta description, heading, and link.

For technical SEO audits, this tool is hard to beat. The free version lets you crawl up to 500 URLs, which is enough for many small sites. The paid version adds advanced features like JavaScript rendering, scheduled crawls, and integrations with Google Analytics and Search Console.

It’s not the most user-friendly option for beginners, but for SEO specialists and developers, it provides unparalleled insight into the technical health of a site. At £259 per year, it’s also one of the more affordable professional tools.

Key features: 500 free URL crawl, GA & GSC integration, advanced features in paid version. 

Pros: Extremely detailed, industry standard for technical SEO. 

Cons: Steep learning curve, desktop-only. 

Price: Free up to 500 URLs, Paid £199/year. 

Read more: How to perform an SEO audit (with checklist)

9: Mangools (paid)

Best for: Freelancers and small teams who want a low-learning-curve SEO toolset.

Mangools is aimed at marketers and freelancers who want powerful SEO tools without the steep learning curve. The suite includes keyword research, SERP analysis, rank tracking, and backlink monitoring, all presented in a clean, simple interface.

Reporting is straightforward, focusing on clarity rather than overwhelming detail. For solo marketers or small teams, this simplicity is a feature rather than a limitation. You don’t need to spend weeks learning the tool, you can start getting useful insights almost immediately.

While it doesn’t have the breadth of Semrush or Ahrefs, Mangools is much more affordable, starting at just under €30 per month. That makes it an attractive option for those who need solid SEO data without enterprise-level complexity.

Key features: KWFinder, SERPChecker, LinkMiner. 

Pros: Affordable, quick learning curve, simple reporting. 

Cons: Not as deep as Semrush or Ahrefs. 

Price: From €19.90/month when billed annually. 

10: BrightLocal (paid)

Best for: Local businesses and agencies managing multiple Google Business Profiles.

BrightLocal is built specifically for local SEO. If your business relies on being found in a particular town, city, or neighborhood, this tool is tailor-made for you. It tracks local rankings, monitors reviews, checks citations, and even audits Google Business Profiles.

The reports are practical and easy to share, making them ideal for agencies managing multiple local clients. BrightLocal also provides tools for managing online reputation, which can be just as important as rankings in driving local business.

For businesses competing on a local level, it’s hard to find a better option. Prices start from $29 per month, making it relatively affordable compared to the big all-in-one suites.

Key features: Local rank tracking, citation checks, review monitoring. 

Pros: Affordable, perfect for local businesses, practical reporting. 

Cons: Narrow scope, not for global SEO. 

Price: From $29/month. 

Read more: Guide to local SEO

Choose wisely: what to consider

Before deciding on a tool, it’s worth asking yourself what you really need. If you’re a solo blogger, Google Search Console and Yoast SEO might be all you need to keep track of performance. If you’re running an agency, automation and client reporting might make AgencyAnalytics or Semrush a better fit.

Think about your budget too. Free tools go a long way, but paid tools offer depth and convenience that free tools often can’t match. Also consider how comfortable you are with data. Some platforms are designed to be beginner-friendly, while others assume a level of expertise.

The good news is that most paid platforms offer free trials. That gives you a chance to experiment and see which tool feels right before committing long-term.

Turn insights into action

SEO reporting tools do more than track performance, they shape your strategy. They tell you what’s working and highlight the areas that need attention. But tools don’t make the decisions, the real value comes from how you interpret the data and act on it. So whether you’re just getting started with Google Search Console, refining your content with Yoast SEO, or managing enterprise-scale campaigns in Semrush, the goal is the same: turn insights into action. 

The post 10 free and paid SEO reporting tools for 2025 appeared first on Yoast.

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Google AI, ChatGPT rarely agree on brand recommendations: Data

Google AI ChatGBT recommendations

Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode and OpenAI’s ChatGPT often give consumers different brand recommendations – a potential warning sign for marketers chasing AI visibility – according to a new BrightEdge analysis.

The big picture. ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews disagreed on brand recommendations nearly two-thirds of the time (61.9%), according to BrightEdge’s analysis of tens of thousands of identical prompts.

By the numbers. Just 33.5% of queries included brands across all three platforms, and only 4.6% had no brands mentioned anywhere. Other key findings:

  • Google AI Overviews dominate: Google’s AI Overviews surfaced brands in 36.8% of queries, while ChatGPT led in just 3.9%.
  • Brand density: Google AI Overviews averaged 6.02 brands per query, more than 2.5x higher than ChatGPT’s 2.37 and far ahead of AI Mode’s 1.59.
  • Silence rates: ChatGPT offered no brand mentions in 43.4% of queries. Google AI Mode stayed silent 46.8% of the time, compared to just 9.1% for AIO.

The citation paradox. The study also uncovered stark differences in citation behavior:

  • ChatGPT mentions more than it cites, with 3.2x more brand mentions (2.37) than citations (0.73).
  • Google AI Overviews cites far more than it mentions (14.30 citations vs. 6.02 mentions).
  • Google AI Mode shows an even bigger gap — 6x more citations than mentions (9.49 vs. 1.59).

This data may suggest that ChatGPT’s responses lean heavily on its training patterns, while Google emphasizes visible source attribution.

Where platforms align. The rare moments of brand alignment depended on query intent:

  • Compare queries: 80% same-brand agreement.
  • Buy queries: 62%.
  • Where queries: 38%.
  • Best queries: 23%.

Industry breakdown. Disagreement rates also varied by sector:

  • Healthcare: 68.5%
  • Education: 62.1%
  • B2B Tech: 61.7%
  • Finance: 57.9%
  • Ecommerce: 57.1% (lowest)

Why we care. For brands, these findings highlight a volatile AI landscape where visibility is far from guaranteed – and often inconsistent. As BrightEdge notes, the fragmentation creates “massive untapped visibility opportunities” for companies optimizing for generative search.

The report. ChatGPT vs Google AI: 62% Brand Recommendation Disagreement

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Yoast SEO free vs Premium: why upgrading is worth it

Do you want to take your site’s SEO to the next level? Yoast SEO Premium can help you out! But there is also a free version of Yoast SEO. So, what exactly is the difference between the free version of Yoast SEO and Yoast SEO Premium? How do these two compare? And is Yoast SEO Premium worth it? Let’s uncover the ten reasons why you should buy Yoast SEO Premium today!

Yoast SEO free vs premium: what is the difference?

Do you want to compare the main differences between Yoast SEO Free and Premium? This table will give you quick insights:

Yoast SEO Free
Find other ways to optimize your website for SEO
No comprehensive SEO solution. You’d need to find other ways to optimize your website, especially if you have a local business, a news website, or if you have a lot of videos.

No AI
You have to manually optimize all your content yourself.

No AI
You have to manually write and optimize all your SEO titles and meta descriptions yourself.

Only 1 keyword per page
Optimize for one keyword per post or page.

No redirect manager
Forgetting to set up a redirect results in visitors hitting a 404 page, which displeases both them and Google.

You need to guess which links would work best
Identify which pages to link to for improved rankings, for both new and existing pages on your site.

No preview of your page on social media
Without a preview of social snippets, you’re left guessing and hoping for the best.

No support
No support
You can help yourself with our extensive knowledge database.

Manually edit robots.txt file
Manually edit your robots.txt file to block AI bots, at the risk of making mistakes.

No free access to the Yoast SEO Google Docs add-on
Transferring draft content from Google Docs to your website for SEO optimization slows your workflow and makes collaboration with internal and external teams more time-consuming.

Yoast SEO Premium vs Yoast SEO Free
Includes Local SEO, Video SEO, and News SEO plugins
Yoast SEO Premium provides everything you need to improve your website’s visibility, whether you’re a business owner, publisher, agency, or content creator.

Find other ways to optimize your website for SEO
No comprehensive SEO solution. You’d need to find other ways to optimize your website, especially if you have a local business, a news website, or if you have a lot of videos.

(Beta) Get AI-powered suggestions to optimize your content
Get optimization suggestions and apply changes instantly with Yoast’s AI features, saving you time and ensuring your content is search engine-friendly. This feature is currently in beta.

No AI
You have to manually optimize all your content yourself.

(Beta) Get high-quality titles and meta descriptions with Yoast AI
Yoast’s AI helps you craft optimized SEO titles and meta descriptions for search and social, boosting your CTR while saving you time.

No AI
You have to manually write and optimize all your SEO titles and meta descriptions yourself.

Optimize for up to five keyword synonyms by adding variants
Include up to four keyword synonyms for a broader reach, and receive a complete SEO analysis for each one.

Only 1 keyword per page
Optimize for one keyword per post or page.

Automatic redirects: so no more dead links or 404 errors
Effortlessly redirect old or renamed pages to maintain satisfaction for both your visitors and Google.

No redirect manager
Forgetting to set up a redirect results in visitors hitting a 404 page, which displeases both them and Google.

Get real-time suggestions for internal links
As you write, you’ll receive suggestions for internal links to other pages, which Google favors and can boost your ranking.

You need to guess which links would work best
Identify which pages to link to for improved rankings, for both new and existing pages on your site.

Preview your page on Facebook and Twitter/X
You have complete control over your page’s social media appearance, ensuring it entices users to click.

No preview of your page on social media
Without a preview of social snippets, you’re left guessing and hoping for the best.

24/7 support
Our helpful and expert support team is ready to assist you with any questions via email or live chat.

No support
No support
You can help yourself with our extensive knowledge database.

Safeguard your content from being used to train AI bots
Easily protect your intellectual property and data privacy by blocking AI bots from scraping your content with a simple toggle.

Manually edit robots.txt file
Manually edit your robots.txt file to block AI bots, at the risk of making mistakes.

Includes 1 free seat to the Yoast SEO Google Docs add-on
Create and optimize your SEO content in Google Docs with Yoast’s guidance, ideal for teamwork with internal and external partners. Enjoy 1 free seat, valued at $5/month.

No free access to the Yoast SEO Google Docs add-on
Transferring draft content from Google Docs to your website for SEO optimization slows your workflow and makes collaboration with internal and external teams more time-consuming.

What are the benefits of Yoast SEO Premium?

For over fifteen years, Yoast SEO has provided small businesses, bloggers, marketers, and online and offline stores with almost everything they need to compete in the search results. Over the years, we made the plugin better and better — following feedback from users, through thorough research and insights from insiders at the search engines. Today, Yoast SEO is run by a team of passionate SEO experts and built by very talented developers.

While the free version of Yoast SEO gives you a lot of tools to help you do well in the search results, Yoast SEO Premium makes many tasks much easier. It saves precious time that you can invest in other ways. Yoast SEO Premium also gives you additional tools, like, for instance, Local SEO, AI features, internal linking suggestions, and the redirect manager. You can use all of these tools to build an impressive site structure. All of this helps make your site a great fit for users and search engines alike. As such, Yoast SEO Premium is a wise investment.

Buy Yoast SEO Premium now!

Unlock powerful features and much more for your WordPress site with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin!

Get Yoast SEO Premium Only $118.80 / year (ex VAT)

1: Yoast SEO Premium comes with amazing AI features

Yoast SEO Premium now offers AI-powered features that streamline your SEO tasks. With Yoast AI Generate, you can create engaging titles and meta descriptions effortlessly. Choose from multiple options or generate more until you find the perfect fit. Meanwhile, Yoast AI Optimize provides smart suggestions to enhance your existing content, ensuring SEO best practices are met with just a click. These tools integrate smoothly into your workflow, saving you time and effort while keeping your content search-engine friendly. Available for WordPress and Shopify, these features help you maintain control over your content’s final look and feel.

2: Yoast SEO Premium comes with all add-ons

Yoast SEO Premium now includes various separate add-ons, such as News, Video, and Local SEO, in one convenient package. This comprehensive suite enhances your optimization capabilities without needing additional purchases. However, the WooCommerce SEO add-on is not included and is available separately. Enjoy a streamlined experience to boost your site’s performance across different content types and media.

3: Yoast SEO Premium is a time-saver

One of the most important things you need to remember about SEO is that it is never done. There’s always more to do, better content to write, or fixes to make. Luckily, there’s a WordPress SEO plugin that’s glad to be of assistance. As you might know, Yoast SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of tool. You need to work with it, whether it’s improving your content or building your site structure. In the free version, you still need to do much of the work yourself. Yoast SEO Premium comes with a number of AI tools that can save you lots of time.

4: Use Yoast SEO in Google Docs

The Yoast SEO Google Docs add-on allows you to draft and optimize your SEO content directly within Google Docs. This tool is ideal for seamless collaboration with both internal teams and external partners. You can work on content, refine it, and ensure it aligns with SEO best practices, all without leaving your document. This efficiency streamlines your workflow and enhances team cooperation. Plus, Yoast SEO Premium includes one user seat for this add-on, typically valued at $5 per seat.

Readability Analysis in Google Docs Yoast SEO add-on
You can enjoy the same Yoast SEO analyses in Google Docs

5: Makes doing site maintenance easier

If working on your site is turning into a day job, you might need some help! Premium makes site maintenance easier. For one, Premium comes with a stale cornerstone content finder that reminds you to update your most important content.

Another tool that helps you work on your pages is the redirect manager. Whenever you make changes to pages or URLs, this tool makes sure to add a redirect for you. All you have to do is say where the new URL needs to lead. With the redirect manager, you can also fix your 404 errors in no time. No developer necessary. It’s so helpful that 58% of Premium users praise the redirect manager as the best feature in Yoast SEO Premium!

6: Helpful tools to build a great site structure

Building a solid site structure is one of the quickest routes to success. Making your content easily accessible to users and search engines helps them both make sense of your site. Yoast SEO Premium comes with a number of tools that help you build relevant links that can build a solid foundation for your site structure. Our plugin comes with internal linking blocks, an orphaned content finder and a targeted internal linking suggestion tool.

With the internal linking suggestions, relevant content will automatically be suggested while you’re writing your new content. There’s no need to remember that all those posts are pages!

But don’t just take our word for it, here’s what Andrew Evans from Intellifluence says about the internal linking tool:

While the free Yoast SEO plugin offers many great features, the Premium version takes things to the next level. The internal linking suggestions feature ensures our blog is organized in a cohesive manner. It also ensures that link equity passes to other posts. This feature alone saves a tremendous amount of time as the plugin suggests links as we write. As the site grows, this feature only becomes more valuable! If you’ve ever tried to develop an interlinking strategy for an established blog, you’ll know exactly what I mean…

Andrew Evans

7: An advanced language analysis that makes writing more natural

Yoast SEO is famous for its SEO and readability analyses — a.k.a. the colored traffic lights. The feedback these analyses give you helps you produce a great piece of content that adheres to a range of SEO best practices. This works splendidly, but Premium makes this process a lot more natural and flexible.

Premium has a very smart feature called word forms support. This innovative language analysis looks not only at the exact match of the focus keyphrase you enter but also at all the grammatical forms of that word. If you use, for instance, “decoration”, we will find word forms like “decorated” and “decorates” in your text as well, just like Google does. The words don’t even have to be in the same order when your focus keyphrase consists of more than one word.

8: Use synonyms and related keyphrases in your text to make it richer

Search engines get smarter every day, and context is key in SEO. They use the context in which a keyword appears to determine what a text is about. Synonyms and related terms, therefore, are more important than ever. In the free version of Yoast SEO, you can only add a single focus keyphrase. The plugin uses this to help you optimize your post. Yoast SEO Premium has more tricks up its sleeve, making it a much smarter solution. What is that?

Well, you can add a number of synonyms and related keyphrases to your post. By using these, you can make your content come alive. The Premium analysis makes sure that you use these synonyms and related keyphrases correctly in your post. Awesome, right? You can even use the Semrush integration to gather data and trends about your related keyphrases. Premium users can add the related keyphrases Semrush uncovers for you to their post with a single mouse click.

9: Boost AI visibility while maintaining control

Yoast SEO introduces AI-focused features such as llms.txt and AI bot blockers to protect your site’s content and maintain data privacy. The llms.txt file helps AI tools understand your site’s structure and important content. Meanwhile, the AI bot blocker feature lets you safeguard your intellectual property with a simple toggle, preventing AI bots from scraping your content for training purposes. This ensures that your valuable information remains secure and under your control.

10: 24/7 access to our world-class support team

What if you run into issues with the plugin? It would be good if you could contact a real person to help you figure out what the problem is. Luckily, if you sign up for Yoast SEO Premium, you get just that: Premium support. Our helpful support staff is available around the clock to get you up and running in no time.

An incredible bonus: free access to Yoast SEO Academy

Every Yoast SEO Premium subscription comes with complimentary access to Yoast SEO Academy. This is a big deal. We don’t just provide you with the number one WordPress SEO plugin to help you do well in search engines — we also supply many hours of instructional material. We offer several of our courses free of charge to get you started with the basics. But when you sign up for Yoast SEO Premium, you get access to all our SEO courses! Learn about Yoast SEO, SEO copywriting, keyword research, structured data, ecommerce SEO, and many other topics related to SEO!

Invest in Yoast SEO Premium: it pays off!

You see, there are many good reasons to get a Yoast SEO Premium subscription today. A Premium subscription can save you lots of time and gives you access to incredible tools that make working on your site easier and more fun. Plus, you’ll get unrestricted access to Yoast SEO Academy for hundreds of hours of SEO training. And, of course, you get to contact our support team if you should ever run into a problem.

How much does Yoast SEO Premium cost?

You can buy Yoast SEO Premium for $118.80 excluding VAT per year, or €118.80/£118.80 per year, depending on where you are in the world. For this, you not only get Yoast SEO Premium, all the additional plugins like Local SEO and Video SEO, and its awesome tools, but you also get a year of support, updates, and access to all our Yoast SEO Academy courses. Check out all of our products here.

Get Yoast SEO Premium now!

Convinced? Make sure to grab your copy!

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Unlock powerful features and much more for your WordPress site with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin!

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