Google Ads is significantly increasing the negative keyword limit for Performance Max (PMax) campaigns, raising the cap from 100 to 10,000 per campaign, aligning with Search campaigns.
By the numbers:
Previous cap: 100 negative keywords per PMax campaign
New cap: 10,000 negative keywords per PMax campaign
Rollout timeline: Next few weeks for all PMax advertisers
Why we care. Advertisers had expressed frustration that the previous 100-keyword limit was too restrictive, limiting control over where their ads appeared. The update provides greater flexibility while maintaining campaign effectiveness.
The big picture: Google Ads Liaison, Ginny Marvin says the cap ensures system flexibility while giving advertisers more control, in her update on X. She also advises using negative keywords carefully to avoid limiting conversions.
What’s next: Google is working on further enhancements, including support for negative keyword lists in PMax later this year. Advertisers can also use tools like brand exclusions and account-level negative keywords for additional control.
Google is adding more engagement options to Performance Max campaigns, adding Message assets alongside those already available in Search campaigns.
What’s new:
The Message assets functionality, previously exclusive to Search ads, was spotted by digital marketer Emirhan Bayutmuş and is now available in Performance Max campaigns.
This feature allows users to initiate conversations with businesses directly from ads, enhancing engagement.
Why we care. The expansion gives advertisers another way to connect with potential customers directly through chat-based interactions, potentially improving conversion rates.
What to watch. Expect further integration of conversational ad formats as Google continues to refine its AI-driven ad experiences.
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Search has transformed. AI-powered results, featured snippets, “People Also Ask,” and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) are redefining how — and where — visibility happens.
Join Wayne Cichanski, Vice President of Search & Site Experience at iQuanti for SEO Beyond Just the Ten Blue Links! He’ll share a data-driven SEO 2.0 framework designed to help brands systematically claim high-impact search shelf-space — and convert visibility into measurable results.
In this live session, you’ll learn:
How to analyze and win across modern SERP features
A blueprint for aligning structured data, content, and intent
Real-world strategies for navigating SEO volatility
Whether you’re leading digital strategy or scaling performance SEO, this session will reshape how you think about search. Save your spot today!
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Despite being a popular talking point, people aren’t (yet?) abandoning Google Search and using ChatGPT search or other AI chatbots.
In fact, the number of Google searches increased year over year, and Google Search handles 373 times more searches than ChatGPT, according to a new analysis by SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin.
Why we care. Many search marketers, users, and analysts have speculated that AI tools are reducing Google’s dominance in search. However, this research finds no evidence that vast numbers of searchers are abandoning Google for ChatGPT and other AI search engines and chatbot experiences.
By the numbers. Even if all ChatGPT’s 1 billion messages per day were search-related, its total share of the search market would be less than 1%. (ChatGPT used search to answer 46% of queries, and only 30% of ChatGPT prompts fell into “traditional” search-like behavior, according to a Semrush study.)
ChatGPT saw an estimated 37.5 million search-like prompts per day, giving it a 0.25% market share. That’s less than Microsoft Bing (4.10%), Yahoo (1.35%), and DuckDuckGo (0.73%).
Google saw ~373 times as many searches as ChatGPT in 2024.
More Google searches. The number of Google searches grew 21.64% in 2024, compared to 2023, based on Datos data.
This data seems to confirm what Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai said about AI Overviews increasing search usage (“we are seeing an increase in search usage among people who use the new AI Overviews…”).
But. Just because people are searching more doesn’t necessarily mean Google is sending as many clicks or as much traffic to websites. As a reminder, an estimated 60% of Google searches ended without a click in 2024. That means more than 3 trillion searches in 2024 ended without a click.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/growth-google-searches-2023-2024-200x113-qXmSPJ.webp?fit=200%2C113&ssl=1113200http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-03-11 14:27:102025-03-11 14:27:10Google Search is 373x bigger than ChatGPT search
ChatGPT Tasks might be the most underrated tool in SEO today.
It can turn a single employee into a vast team – but only if you know how to use it.
And in this article, you’re about to see the future of SEO.
What is ChatGPT Tasks?
ChatGPT Tasks is a tool within ChatGPT designed to automate various tasks, including those related to SEO, such as content generation, keyword research, and link building.
This feature allows users to schedule tasks to run at specific times, either as one-time events or recurring actions, enhancing workflow efficiency and productivity.
As of writing, it’s in beta and rolling out to users on the Plus, Pro, and Team plans.
How to use ChatGPT Tasks: The basics
The key to maximizing ChatGPT Tasks is to approach it strategically and leverage its capabilities fully.
Start by identifying specific tasks you want to automate, such as:
Creating blog post outlines.
Generating meta descriptions.
Researching competitor backlinks.
Then, explore the tool’s features and experiment with different prompts to find the most effective workflows for your needs.
ChatGPT Tasks is powerful, but it’s not a magic solution.
You must carefully review and refine the output to ensure it aligns with your brand and SEO strategy.
Efficiency gains: The secret to ChatGPT Tasks
One of the reasons ChatGPT Tasks is so powerful is that it optimizes your time.
As an SEO professional using AI, your role will shift from doing work to checking work. That means you need to maximize your efficiency.
In the past, SEOs often outsourced work to overseas staff in different time zones. ChatGPT Tasks changes this.
Now, you can outsource tasks to AI, ensuring they are ready for you when you start your day.
Here’s how I use ChatGPT Tasks: At 7 a.m., AI sends me a batch of completed work.
Beyond that, I’ve also used Tasks to generate content throughout the day.
For example, I set up a content prompt that delivers product description pages to me every 30 minutes. (More on that later.)
Essentially, this feature allows you to maximize “dead time” – periods when you aren’t actively working.
While it doesn’t mean the tool is working around the clock, it ensures you get what you need when needed.
For instance, if you ask it to send you something at 7 a.m., it likely generates it at 6:59 a.m.
But I don’t need to know how it works. I just care that I get what I asked for.
Many SEOs focus on page title optimization, and ChatGPT Tasks makes this process easier.
I use a “dueling” method, where GPT generates multiple page title variations.
I then run them through a tournament-style evaluation to select the best one based on preset criteria.
Social media post ideas
Generating a steady stream of fresh and engaging social media content can be time-consuming. ChatGPT Tasks can help streamline this process.
Here’s an example prompt:
The output of that prompt looks like this:
This is just one of the many prompts I use.
While I only implement about 5% of the generated ideas, they often lead to new inspiration – especially on days when I’m feeling stuck.
Industry news summaries
Staying on top of industry news is essential for SEO professionals.
With ChatGPT Tasks, you can automate this process.
Each morning at 7 a.m., I receive a curated list of SEO and AI news from my preferred sources.
The future of tasks
SEO workflows are rapidly evolving with AI, and ChatGPT Tasks represents a significant step forward.
I suspect there’s still untapped potential. Could I schedule an entire week’s worth of SEO tasks in advance?
For example, if I know I need to work on a client’s account on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., could I schedule ChatGPT to conduct research or analyze content beforehand?
Looking further ahead, it may eventually ask you what needs to be done – and then suggest the best way to execute it using Tasks.
OpenAI may even develop a single model to streamline this process.
While ChatGPT Tasks is still in its early days, I believe it will evolve rapidly.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/How-to-access-ChatGPT-Tasks-KcG7Xp.png?fit=1600%2C561&ssl=15611600http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-03-11 14:00:002025-03-11 14:00:00How to use ChatGPT Tasks for SEO
500 errors are an HTTP status code that indicates you messed up something and need to start a late-night debugging session.
500 errors are offensive. I can only compare it to eating fermented shark in Iceland – something you’ll want to spit out almost immediately.
500 server errors create a poor user experience and can reduce your crawl budget. If they persist, Google may start ignoring your site altogether. Your website should be commitment-worthy.
If you’re an SEO professional, you’ve likely stayed up until 3 a.m. with coffee and your DevOps team trying to fix a 500 error. You’ll want to keep reading.
I’ll spare you the suspense and admit – it’s usually not a quick fix.
How do I fix ‘Server error (5xx)’ in Google Search Console?
1. Review all the pages under Server error 5xx report
First, I manually reviewed all the pages flagged in the Google Search Console Server error (5xx) report.
To access the report, go to Google Search Console > Pages > and look under the section Server error (5xx).
If the list is extensive, you’ll want to export it to a CSV, Google Sheets, or Excel file to determine a URL structure pattern.
It may only impact a specific subdomain or subfolder.
2. Inspect the URLs in Google Search Console
Once you’re in the Google Search Console error report, click the magnifying glass icon to inspect the URL in Google Search Console.
After you inspect the URL, you can confirm if it’s listed in your XML sitemap.
Start with the pages listed in your XML sitemap that are serving 500 errors. These are your priority pages.
3. Go to the crawl stats report in Google Search Console
Next, go to Settings > Crawl stats report in Google Search Console.
This report shows the crawl request breakdown. Ideally, you’d see less than 1% of server errors (5xx) listed.
4. Analyze server logs
If you’ve got a good relationship with your dev team, you likely have access to server logs.
If you don’t, I understand your struggle. It’s the developers’ natural defense mechanism not to give access to their domain.
The moment you get access to server logs, it feels like a kid at Christmas. Server log files show all the requests made by search engine crawlers.
Server logs give you access to all different kinds of gifts like:
How often a user visited your site.
Time of day.
Pages of your website with the most crawl requests.
If you’re using WordPress, check your outdated plugins. These can be culprits of 500 server errors.
You can either update the plugin or disable it.
Just be sure to backup everything before messing around with plugins.
6. Investigate .htaccess file
If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace, the .htaccess file is created automatically.
If you’re using a more sophisticated angle of web development, check your .htaccess file for any recent configuration changes.
If you see any changes, save a copy of the new one and revert to the old version.
7. Go back to the most recent server update
If you recently updated your server, there may be some configuration changes that caused something wonky to happen.
While you and Dev dive into the issue, revert the most recent server update until you identify the root cause.
8. Reach out to your hosting provider
I mistakenly hosted my first-built website on GoDaddy in a shared hosting environment. It caused weekly outages on my site.
Eventually, I migrated off of GoDaddy and into a private hosting environment. It saved me hours of work.
9. Upgrade your server
It may be time to ditch your current server and upgrade to a more efficient server with more memory and processing power.
What is a 500 server error?
500 server error is a server-side error caused by your website’s server. This means Google cannot access or index your page.
Server-side errors are a “it’s not me, it’s you” type of scenario.
500 server error response code cheat sheet
Here are a few common 500 server errors and how to address each.
501 – Not implemented: Your server is outdated or has a virus.
502 – Bad gateway: Your server is overloaded or there was an outage – or connectivity issues. Try accessing the page in Incognito mode. If it still doesn’t work, flush your DNS cache.
503 – Service unavailable: The error is likely temporary and will resolve itself. But to be sure, check to see if your server is down. If not, increase your server resources and disable your CDN and plugins.
504 – Getaway timed out: This signals a temporary glitch in your connectivity or your server is overloaded. Always contact your hosting provider. Then, check your server logs. You can also temporarily disable your CDN and check plugins.
509 – Bandwidth limit exceeded: Thismeans your server is having a bandwidth issue. Contact your hosting provider to upgrade your server. Then, compress your website content and minify your code.
524 – Timeout occurred: The connection between your browser and the server is slow. Check your server memory usage and determine if you need to upgrade your server. Then, compress your website content and minify your code.
What if Google Search Console reports a 500 error, but my site is working?
First, double-check that you’ve cleared your cookies and cache files from your browser.
If you’re still seeing the error, this could be a 503 error,
As mentioned above, a 503 error is when your server is overstuffed like a dumpling with crawl requests. Your server can’t handle the number of requests.
In this situation, consider upgrading your server.
Consult your dev team before starting to maintain that solid relationship. This is a temporary and quick solution.
In the long run, you’ll want to identify uncompressed files and begin compressing them.
Don’t fall into the ‘Server error 5xx’ trap in Google Search Console with overloaded servers or poor configuration
If you’ve come across a “Server error 5xx” in Google Search Console, you know how frustrating it can be.
These errors are outdated and unwelcome – like finding a stack of VHS tapes at a flea market.
But 500 server errors can be dangerously unassuming.
Don’t make the mistake of avoiding it. You can’t ignore these errors. It’s one of those impossible errors like washing cigarette smell off your hands.
Grab some booze for a late night with your dev team if you want your website to be meant for search engine consumption.
Let your SEO instincts kick in. Eventually, you’ll develop a vested interest in fixing your 500 server errors.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/500-server-error-google-search-console-IWEeJw.png?fit=1660%2C1719&ssl=117191660http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-03-11 13:00:002025-03-11 13:00:00How to fix the ‘Server error (5xx)’ error in Google Search Console
In the last few months, I’ve seen a lot of confusion around Meta Ads’ health restrictions – frightened health marketers and scare tactics from some uncool people.
This article aims to set the record straight.
Meta Ads 2025 health restrictions: Context and regulations
Meta is doing its best to comply with regulations (think HIPAA in the U.S., etc.) to avoid fines.
Make sure you’re not sharing protected health information (PHI) directly or indirectly with Meta.
First, let’s remember that ad networks have always scrutinized health-related advertisers—not just Meta Ads.
The upside? Meta provides all the information you need but it’s scattered. So, I’ve done my best to summarize it below:
“You must not share […] with Meta […] data that is based on or includes, directly or otherwise, health […] information about people, including information defined as sensitive under applicable laws, regulations and industry guidelines […] Examples of data that are not approved for sharing include […] information about an individual’s physical or mental health, such as: Diseases, medical conditions and injuries, sexual and reproductive health, mental health and psychological states […]”
This is basically Meta saying they don’t want to collect data that could imply a user has a specific medical condition, as that user did not provide consent.
Specifically, tracking the purchase of a hair loss product and sending it back to Meta Ads is not OK because it strongly suggests private health information about Meta’s users.
By blocking tracking on sensitive health-related websites, Meta is reducing the risk of storing and using health data without user consent.
Meta goes on:
“While Meta’s systems are designed to filter out potentially prohibited information they detect, you are ultimately responsible for the data you share with Meta. You are in the best position to ensure your integration does not send prohibited information to Meta. Meta’s systems are not a substitute for your own compliance mechanisms.”
In other words, Meta Ads will restrict your account if it detects it’s putting them at risk.
How Meta Ads’ restrictions system work
Tracking, optimization, and reporting limitations will apply if an account is restricted.
Meta Ads has started rolling out a three-tier restrictions system for health and wellness advertisers to enforce these rules.
Core setup
Impacted items include:
Ad delivery: Cannot share custom parameters and URL parts with Meta. As a result, custom audiences may decrease and stop working altogether if they rely on those.
Ad content: Adding items to a catalog via Meta Pixel may no longer work.
Reporting: Information may be unavailable in Meta Events Manager and other surfaces (e.g., sampled activities and the test events tool).
Tracking: Automatic advanced matching may not be available.
Restriction on certain standard events
This level prevents the account from optimizing toward mid- and lower-funnel events (add to cart, purchase, etc.).
However, upper-funnel events (landing page view, view content, etc.) and custom events are still available.
Full restrictions
“We [Meta] may fully restrict all events in specific regions or all regions. In these circumstances, Meta Business Tools cannot be used for campaign optimization where restrictions are in place.”
In other words, an account hit with full restrictions will no longer be able to use bidding algorithms.
It would be forced to rely on:
Old-school targeting.
Trimmed reports.
ToFu optimization events.
Other limited capabilities.
You don’t want this.
Note that the above may vary across different countries or regions – or could be applied globally. It depends on local regulations.
If one of your accounts is hit with restrictions, segment your impression and conversion data to pinpoint where you’re most affected. Then, refer to the relevant regulations.
Who’s impacted by Meta Ads restrictions?
If you’ve been following closely, you’ll understand that the impact varies dramatically depending on whether you sell supplements, run a telemedicine platform, develop a fitness app, work as a wellness coach, or operate a personal injury law firm.
The good news is that:
In-app lead generation advertisers will not be impacted (beyond Core Setup).
ToFu/brand campaigns are not affected.
Even if you sell health and wellness products directly on your website, there are a couple of obvious solutions (which we’ll dive into below):
Ensure you don’t send PHI-like data to Meta Ads. For example, remove your Meta Ads pixel from your patient portal.
Turn Standard Events into Custom Events with coded names so Meta Ads cannot differentiate between a purchase and a page view.
However, there’s bad news:
If your account is even remotely related to health and wellness, expect some restrictions – or the joy of appeals. (We all know Meta is super easy to deal with, right?! )
Some restrictions will apply no matter what. But look on the bright side – it’s not (yet? ) a Special Ad Category.
(Disclaimer: I co-founded Quantads, an agency that partners with many health clients. However, I don’t claim to be an absolute expert on this topic – because, honestly, who can? These changes are still recent, and there’s plenty of room for interpretation and experimentation. The solutions below are based on our experience and our interpretation of Meta’s documentation.)
Step 1: Act fast
Being stuck in Core Setup isn’t ideal, but Full Restrictions? That’s a nightmare. You don’t want to get there.
If you’ve received multiple notifications that the data you’re sharing may violate the Meta Business Tools Terms, don’t wait. Act now! Delays are not documented, so this should be your top priority.
Check the Settings tab in Meta Events Manager to assess the damage. In the example screenshot below, only Core Setup (so far!) has been activated.
Step 2: Audit your data sources and pipelines
In-platform notifications
In Meta Events Manager, check the Diagnostics tab for notifications stating that prohibited information has been removed from your data.
If flagged, investigate which data caused the issue and fix it immediately. Remember: “Meta’s systems are not a substitute for your own compliance mechanisms.”
Pixels
Review the specific pages where your Meta Pixel is placed.
Assess whether those pages – or their URLs – contain data that might be considered prohibited. If necessary, remove the Meta Pixel from those pages.
Events
Name your custom events/conversions so they do not reflect, imply, or reference any prohibited health-related information.
Review custom and offline events. You can block specific events in Meta Events Manager if adjusting them takes too long.
First-party data
One of the worst implementations I’ve seen was a Meta Ads pixel placed on a patient portal. That’s a huge mistake because a patient portal contains first-party data.
Instead, those advertisers should have used their CRM to send offline conversions (with coded event names). Don’t make that mistake – integrate with your CRM.
Additional considerations for Meta Ads compliance
Once you’ve handled the above, you should be in a solid position. However, a few “evergreen” best practices are worth mentioning.
Review ad copy and landing pages
Restrictions can be triggered indirectly by ad copy and landing page content.
While I understand that website content can be tough to change, advertisers need to ensure they do not name specific health conditions (as this indirectly provides Meta with PHI).
Generally, you also don’t want to “make people feel negatively…”
For example:
OK: “Better mental health awaits.”
Not OK: “Do you suffer from bipolar disorder?”
Diversify channels
This might seem obvious, but I’ve seen far too many health advertisers who think Meta Ads is the only viable channel.
Because they’ve focused so much on Meta in the past, they’ve created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Meta Ads is a fantastic platform. But putting all your eggs in one basket is a terrible idea, especially now.
Expanding to paid search, display, video, Pinterest, TikTok, X, etc. is crucial for long-term stability.
Staying compliant with Meta Ads guidelines
Meta Ads’ 2025 health restrictions make compliance more critical than ever.
Meta is tightening policies to avoid handling protected health information.
Failure to adapt could result in tracking, optimization, and reporting restrictions – or even full account limitations.
Make sure to:
Act fast if you receive compliance warnings.
Audit your Meta Pixel implementation.
Avoid sending health-related data (directly or indirectly).
Use coded event names where necessary.
Review ad copy and landing pages to prevent unnecessary flags.
Diversify your channels to reduce reliance on Meta Ads.
Staying ahead of these changes will help protect your campaigns, maintain performance, and continue effectively reaching your audience.
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Why we care. Google Marketing Live is a key event for advertisers, offering insights into the company’s latest ad innovations and AI-driven strategies. As a reminder, here’s everything that was announced at Google Marketing Live 2024.
What to watch. Expect updates on AI-powered ad solutions, measurement tools, and cross-platform marketing strategies as Google continues to evolve its ad ecosystem.
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A long-standing tool for website owners, robots.txt has been in active use for over 30 years and
is broadly supported by crawler operators (such as tools for site owners, services, and search
engines). In this edition of the robots refresher series,
we’ll take a closer look at robots.txt as a flexible way to tell robots what you want them to do
(or not do) on your website.
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Similarweb is powerful for digital intelligence. But like any tool, it has limitations.
You might want deeper insights into your competitors’ content strategies. Or need more reliable data for SEO planning. Or you’re simply looking for a more affordable solution.
I’ve spent months testing and researching the best Similarweb alternatives to see how they compare.
Four tools stand out as replacements.
This guide covers the top options for:
Market trends
Advanced SEO analysis
Ad intelligence
Similarweb Limitations
While Similarweb excels at competitor intelligence, it might not fit everyone.
Here are some key limitations:
Limited SEO and keyword research features: It lacks in-depth keyword rankings, SERP tracking, and backlink analysis, making it less effective for SEO professionals
Limited keyword and backlink databases: Similarweb’s databases are smaller compared to its competitors like Semrush and Ahrefs
Limited traffic source breakdown: It doesn’t show a detailed breakdown of where the website gets traffic from (e.g., organic search, social media, referrals, email, etc.)
No granular audience demographics: Unlike some alternatives, Similarweb lacks detailed demographic breakdowns, such as income level or interests, that could help with audience targeting
Similarweb Alternatives at a Glance
Before I review each tool in detail, here’s a quick comparison of the best Similarweb alternatives:
And you’ll get detailed insights into website traffic and visitor behavior that’ll help you refine your marketing strategy.
Let me show you how to use Traffic Analytics to spy on your competition.
Evaluate On-Site Engagement
Metrics like pages per visit, average visit duration, and bounce rate give you a snapshot of what happens when visitors land on the site.
Here’s what these metrics tell you about your competition:
A high bounce rate means most visitors leave without exploring other pages. This often happens when:
The content doesn’t match what visitors were searching for
Pages take too long to load
The site isn’t mobile-friendly
On the flip side, when you see a high average visit duration and multiple pages per visit, it usually means:
Their content keeps readers engaged
They’ve built effective content funnels
Their site navigation makes it easy to explore more content
Analyze Website Traffic Sources
Go to the “Traffic Journey” tab to understand where your competitors’ website visitors are coming from and which channels are driving the most traffic. For example, organic search, paid search, social, or referrals.
What do these metrics mean?
If you see most of their traffic comes from organic search (like in the screenshot above), you’ve struck gold. This usually means:
They’ve built a solid foundation of SEO-optimized content
They’re targeting the right keywords for your industry
They’re not overly dependent on paid traffic
Pro tip: Pay special attention to competitors maintaining steady organic traffic growth. These are the ones whose SEO strategies you’ll want to study and adapt for your own site.
Map Out the Traffic Journey
The Traffic Journey report is like a GPS for your competitors’ visitors. It tracks their exact path before and after they land on the site.
Here’s what different traffic patterns reveal:
Pattern #1: When you see visitors flowing from Google → Your competitor → Stripe (or other payment processors), you’ve found a winning formula:
Their content matches search intent perfectly (thanks to a solid SEO strategy)
Pattern #2: Notice lots of visitors bouncing back to Google.com? That’s a red flag indicating:
The content isn’t delivering what visitors want
There might be technical issues causing frustration
You’ve spotted a gap you can fill with better content
Discover Top-Performing Pages
Navigate to the “Top Pages” tab to identify which pages on a competitor’s site drive the most traffic.
These top pages reveal what resonates most with their audience. This offers inspiration for your content strategy.
Let’s say you run a personal finance blog. You might discover that NerdWallet’s most-visited pages are their:
Mortgage calculator tools
Credit card comparison guides
Student loan refinancing reviews
This tells you three things:
What type of content your audience want (interactive tools and comparison guides)
Which topics drive the most traffic (mortgages, credit cards, student loans)
Where to focus your content strategy for maximum impact
Market Explorer
Market Explorer helps you evaluate your market size and track up to 100 competitors at once.
The tool shows you who’s leading your industry, who’s growing fast, and detailed insights about your target audience’s demographics and behavior.
Here’s what you can do with Market Explorer:
Get a Market Summary
The Market Summary dashboard shows you a snapshot of your chosen industry.
Let’s say you’re just starting a business in the travel and tourism industry. This dashboard gives you the key metrics to evaluate the market and plan your strategy effectively:
Here’s what the key metrics on this dashboard mean:
Market consolidation: Shows if a few big players dominate your market (high consolidation) or if it’s spread across many smaller sites (low consolidation)
Market domains: How many active websites compete in your space
Market traffic: How many monthly visitors the entire industry gets (and whether it’s growing or shrinking)
Market traffic cost: How much you’d need to spend on ads to get the same traffic volume
Market size: Two key numbers that matter:
Total Addressable Market (TAM): Your maximum possible audience size (example: “all online shoppers”)
Serviceable Available Market (SAM): The audience you can realistically reach (example: “online shoppers in your country”)
Analyze Audience Insights
The Audience section provides a detailed breakdown of your industry’s demographics, socioeconomic data, and behavioral trends.
These insights help you understand your target audience on a deeper level. This will allow you to tailor your marketing strategies to their specific needs and preferences.
Market Explorer even shows detailed audience socioeconomic data. For instance, their employment status, education level, and household income and size.
You’ll also see an overview of your audience’s additional interests. And what social media they use the most.
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
Limitations
Understand where competitors get engagement from (organic search, social media, email, ads)
No mobile app intelligence
Tailored for SEO intelligence as it’s an all-in-one SEO platform
SEOs and content marketers analyzing SEO competition
Market researchers, businesses, or investors analyzing industries
Now, let’s review the key features Ahrefs Site Explorer offers.
View Your Competitors’ Top Pages
Site Explorer lets you identify the highest-value content on your competitor’s website. Plus, the top organic keywords driving that traffic.
Use these insights to replicate their success.
Let’s say you’re running a personal finance blog that competes with NerdWallet. You can analyze their top-performing pages to spot content opportunities.
In this example, the mortgage rates page is one of the most visited. This means that “current mortgage rates” is a high-demand topic worth covering on your website.
Review the Site Structures of Your Competitors
Ahrefs’ Site Structure feature shows a website’s architecture in a tree format with key SEO metrics across each section and subfolder.
This helps you analyze how competitors organize their content and which sections attract the most traffic.
For example, when you analyze one of your competitors, you can see:
Which content categories drive the most organic traffic (e.g., reviews, mortgage guides, or financial calculators)
The traffic performance of individual pages and subfolders
How much organic and paid traffic each section receives, pinpointing opportunities for content optimization
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Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
Limitations
Helps identify high-value content opportunities
Less emphasis on broader market research
Have a look at competitors’ site architecture
No data on your competitors’ audience (age, location, interests, etc)
Then, for each competitor’s domain, you can access detailed insights, such as:
Domain overview report: Get a bird’s-eye view of their SEO performance, including total organic traffic, keyword rankings, and estimated traffic value
Positions and keywords: See exactly which keywords they rank for, what position they’re in, and how these rankings change over time
Top pages: Discover their highest-traffic content and the exact keywords driving visitors to each page (perfect for finding content gaps in your own strategy)
Backlink profile: Analyze where their backlinks come from, which pages get the most links, and how their link profile grows over time
Site audit: Peek under the hood at their technical SEO setup, including site structure, loading speed, and potential technical issues you can learn from
Why do these insights matter?
They let you reverse-engineer your competitors’ success to improve your SEO strategy.
And find high-authority sites linked to your competitors. Then, reach out to these websites for backlink opportunities.
Best for entrepreneurs and marketers needing early trend insights to capitalize on emerging opportunities
Pricing: Free (paid plans start at $39 per month)
Exploding Topics is a market research and trend discovery tool that identifies emerging trends before they peak.
While Similarweb focuses on existing competitors, Exploding Topics helps you spot rising trends before they take off. The tool analyzes search data, social media, and startup activity to identify tomorrow’s opportunities.
Why is Exploding Topics better than Similarweb?
Let’s take a glance:
Exploding Topics
Similarweb
Primary Focus
Trend discovery and market opportunities
Competitor intelligence and market research
Trend Detection
AI-driven trend forecasting
Relies on historical industry data
Keyword Database
Identifies rising search trends
Tracks established search volume
Competitive Analysis
Limited, focused on macro trends
Detailed competitor insights
Who’s It for?
Entrepreneurs, product developers, investors
Market researchers, large enterprises
Here are the key features included in Exploding Topics:
Discover Emerging Trends Before They Peak
Exploding Topics analyzes millions of data points from search engines, social media, online discussions, and startup investments to identify growing trends.
What does this mean for you?
Let’s say you have an affiliate blog selling home technology. You want to see what’s trending to understand which products or keywords have rising demand before they become mainstream.
Using Exploding Topics, you discover that “walking pads,” compact treadmills designed for home offices, are rapidly gaining traction.
This early insight gives you three key advantages:
You can create content while competition is still low
You can rank for keywords before they get expensive
You can establish yourself as an authority before the trend peaks
In other words: you get more traffic with less effort by being first.
Spot Trends 12+ Months Before They Take Off
Exploding Topics’ forecasting feature can position you as an early authority and rank faster in search.
Imagine creating content around AI image enhancers.
At first glance, it’s hard to tell if the interest in AI-powered image tools will continue to grow or if it’s just temporary hype.
Instead of guessing, you check Exploding Topics’ forecasting data. And see that the search volume for “AI logo generator” is expected to rise steadily.
Knowing the keyword’s popularity may rise gives you the confidence to take action early and secure organic traffic before the competition.
Note: Forecasting is available in Exploding Topics Pro, but you can test it with a 14-day trial for $1. After 14 days, Pro memberships start at $39 per month.
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
Limitations
Provides long-term trend growth insights
Not focused on competitor intelligence
Predicts emerging trends before they peak
Doesn’t show competitors’ website traffic data
Match Your Similarweb Alternative to Your Growth Stage
Your business stage determines which tool you’ll need.
Just starting out? Exploding Topics gives you free baseline data to validate ideas.
Ready to scale? Semrush .Trends reveals overlooked opportunities in your space.
The right tool accelerates your market research. But knowing how to interpret the data is what drives real growth.
Ready to turn market insights into sales? Our proven market analysis framework shows you exactly how to spot and capitalize on gaps your competitors are missing.
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