AI in Marketing: How It Works + Examples

If you’re not using AI in marketing, you’re already falling behind. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more and more prominent, and many have functions specifically designed to help marketers better promote their products and services.

Throughout this article, we’re going to dive deeper into what AI in marketing looks like, sharing the benefits of taking advantage of AI, how AI can be used in marketing, plus some AI marketing tools to get you started.

Key Takeaways

  • AI can provide a number of benefits for your marketing team, like speeding up tedious tasks, providing you with better insights, and boosting your overall results.
  • You can use AI as part of your content planning and creation process, to gather competitive insights, to improve your customer service, and more.
  • There are a number of AI tools that can help you automate processes and streamline your strategy.

Benefits of Using AI in Marketing

Why should you incorporate AI into your marketing strategy? There are so many benefits that these tools can bring to your team—if you use them right.

Speed Up Processes

AI can help marketers speed up processes and spend less time conducting certain tasks manually. According to HubSpot’s State of AI Report, 79% of marketers agree that AI helps them to spend less time on manual tasks, showing just how valuable these new tools can be.

Improve Personalization

AI can analyze customer data at scale, helping you to gather more insights and understand how to better personalize your content and segment your audience. Better personalization can provide your business with better results from your marketing campaigns.

Better Insights

Because AI can analyze data more effectively than humans can, you can get better insights. For example, AI analysis can help you identify trends earlier, forecast sales and customer behavior more efficiently, and help your marketing team make better decisions.

Cost Savings

Incorporating AI tools into your team’s daily processes can save time and resources, resulting in cost savings within your marketing budget. While AI shouldn’t replace core human workers, there are certain tasks that it can take off their plates, letting them focus on things that actually impact your business’s bottom line.

Higher ROI

Because AI tools can help your marketing team better understand customers, personalize campaigns, and ship better content, you’ll see a higher return on investment (ROI) as a result. Start using AI within your day-to-day marketing tasks to see how it can help improve your performance.

How AI Works With Marketing: 9 Use Cases

Because AI is a newer technology, you might not be sure how it works with marketing quite yet. However, there are a number of key use cases that AI can help with.

  • Content planning: AI chatbots can be a huge help in brainstorming content ideas. Tell the chatbot about your business and your overall content goals and ask for topics that you may not have covered yet. You can then run the ideas through an SEO tool to find top keywords to center your content around.
  • Content creation: While AI shouldn’t be handling the entire content creation process, it can still provide some assistance. Get help creating a comprehensive outline, get ideas for your introduction, or get AI to start with a summary that you can expand on.
  • Marketing automation: Incorporate AI tools into your marketing automation workflows to further your team’s productivity. AI tools can be used as a step within your workflows or they can help you set up new workflows, improving efficiency.
  • Customer service: AI can be a huge help within customer service. Use an AI-powered chatbot on your website to help answer basic customer questions while also escalating issues to a human service representative for larger issues. This can make sure your customer service team is only having to deal with major issues, with AI responding to all smaller queries.
  • Audience segmentation: AI tools can analyze large amounts of customer data, helping you to segment out your audience in a much more effective way than if your team were analyzing the information themselves. Segmentation can help you create more personalized campaigns and marketing efforts.
  • Social listening: Incorporate AI into your social listening strategy to more quickly analyze the data, understand overall sentiment, and generate a summary of overall customer conversations. This type of AI assistance can make your social listening strategy much more effective.
  • Competitive intelligence: Again, because AI is such a powerful tool when it comes to analyzing data, it can be a huge help when looking at competitive insights. Discover how your competitors are faring in comparison to your own performance, plus analyze market trends to see what you can expect in the future.
  • Predictive analytics: Similarly, AI can also be used to predict customer behavior, taking a look at past campaigns and forecasting future results based on historical data. This can be a huge help when creating new campaigns so that you can make them better than ever.
  • Administrative tasks: AI is also hugely helpful with basic administrative tasks like data entry, scheduling, pulling reports, and more. Use AI for the boring manual tasks to free up your team’s time for more important work.

3 Examples of AI in Marketing

Let’s look at some real life examples of businesses using AI in ways that market their products or make working with their business feel more appealing.

Spotify

Spotify is a music streaming service that recently launched its own AI product to help its users have a better listening experience. This AI product is called “DJ,” and it analyzes your top songs and plays music based on your past listening habits.

Spotify's AI DJ.

The DJ will play five songs that all come with a similar vibe, then come back onto the “mic” to share your next five songs. If there’s a set of songs that listeners aren’t interested in, they can tap the “DJ” icon to move onto the next set.

It’s a unique experience that really helps to set Spotify apart from other streaming platforms.

Curlsmith

Curlsmith is a beauty brand focused on curl care. It has a chatbot widget on its website to help customers find what they’re looking for.

Curlsmith's AI widget.

As you can see, the chatbot responses are all “Automated with AI.” Customers can use this chatbot to:

  • Find the right products for their curl type
  • Check in on a recent order
  • Ask questions about shopping with Curlsmith
  • Ask about discounts
  • Change an order

There are programmed responses, but if a user says that they need additional help, there’s a conversational AI chatbot implemented as well that will analyze a user’s response in order to provide them with the best customer service.

Heinz

Heinz put together a creative ad campaign a couple of years ago and used AI to help them build it. The ad told the story of how the Heinz team typed “ketchup” into an AI image generator, and the output was a ketchup bottle with a logo that looked eerily similar to the Heinz logo.

The campaign essentially said, “even AI knows ketchup is Heinz,” and showcased several other prompts the team ran through the AI image generator, all including the word “ketchup,” and the output they received.

This was a creative way to incorporate AI tools in a marketing campaign that also provided an extremely effective result.

AI Marketing Tools to Use

If you want to get started incorporating artificial intelligence into your marketing strategy, you need to find the right tools to use. Below, we introduce you to six different AI marketing tools, each with its own use case.

ChatGPT – AI Chatbot

The ChatGPT interface.

ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that can provide answers to anything you type into the text box. It can help with things like:

  • Brainstorming
  • Outlining
  • Conducting research
  • Optimizing content
  • Analyzing your market

But ChatGPT can honestly help with nearly any request you might have for it. You can also upload Excel files and have it analyze historical data, helping you generate predictive analytics, forecast customer behavior, and gather competitive insights, even without tools that are more catered to those capabilities.

If you don’t use any other AI tool, you should at least have a ChatGPT account under your belt.

Pricing: Completely free for limited (but still extensive) use. To get access to more models and more capabilities, premium plans start at $20/month.

Jasper – Content Generation

Jasper's homepage.

If you’re looking for help with your content generation, Jasper is the perfect tool for you. The tool provides an intuitive workspace that makes it easy to generate content at scale, optimize content so it hits every mark, conduct research to fully flesh out your content, and more.

While Jasper is the ultimate content generation tool for marketers, it also offers AI agent capabilities. AI agents are tools that can operate autonomously, helping marketers get more done in less time.

Pricing: Plans start at $39/month/seat.

Midjourney – Image Generation

The Midjourney interface.

Midjourney is an AI-powered image generation platform. It was originally built through a Discord server (which still remains active), but now can be accessed through an easy-to-use web app. Users can input any text-based description, upload images for reference, and incorporate some of Midjourney’s built-in parameters to create images for any marketing needs.

Generate realistic images, animated images, surreal art, and more. Midjourney is also starting to delve into video generation, which can be a game changer for creating marketing video ads and commercials.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $8/month.

Hootsuite – Social Copy Generation

Hootsuite's homepage.

Hootsuite is a social media management platform, but it also offers a number of free AI-powered tools that can help marketers get ideas for their social copy and captions. Some of the available tools include:

  • Caption generator
  • Tweet generator
  • Video title generator
  • Video description generator
  • Hashtag generator
  • Username generator
  • Social media bio generator
  • Content ideas generator
  • Blog ideas generator

Take advantage of these completely free tools to help you brainstorm more ideas and captions for your social media content. These free tools are also their own example of AI in marketing, as they help promote Hootsuite alongside providing free value.

Pricing: The AI-powered generators are completely free to access. Hootsuite’s suite of social media management tools start at $99/user/month.

Zapier – Marketing Automation

Zapier's homepage.

Zapier is an AI-powered marketing automation platform that makes it easy for marketers to set up automated workflows. Zapier works via “zaps” that connect tools together to create an automation that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

For example, automatically add leads to your CRM, automatically add your new blog posts to your social media content calendar, or automatically add new customers to a spreadsheet for tracking.

These are some basic zaps, though. Zapier also offers a number of extensive workflows that incorporate their AI capabilities, helping marketers to automate more complex tasks as well.

Pricing: Free for up to 100 tasks/month. For more usage, paid plans start at $19.99/month.

Tidio – Chatbot

Tidio's homepage.

Tidio is a chatbot software that enables businesses to create their own AI-powered chatbots for their customers to interact with. Users can get customer support from your AI bot, chat with your bot about product suggestions, and make appointments all through your Tidio chatbot.

Train the Lyro AI assistant with your business information so they can help customers out, while also escalating more serious concerns or more unique questions directly to a human customer service representative.

Pricing: Plans are flexible based on the number of conversations you expect to have per month. Get access to the tool for free for 50 conversations or less. Plans start at $24.17/month for 100 conversations and go up from there.

FAQs

What are some examples of AI in marketing today?

Chat bots, a form of artificial intelligence, are a common occurrence on business websites. Other examples within marketing include ad targeting, dynamic pricing, and ChatGPT.

How is AI changing the marketing industry?

The greatest impact that AI has had on the marketing industry is in the automation of repetitive tasks. This frees up times for digital marketers to focus on larger-scale projects and higher level strategy. 

How to use AI in digital marketing?

Use AI where it actually helps. Automate tedious tasks like reporting, scheduling, and customer service. Use it to speed up content planning and pull insights from your data faster. Let AI handle repetitive tasks so your team can focus on strategy and creative work.

Should you trust AI tools?

AI tools, in and of themselves, are nothing to be feared. There is nothing inherently bad about AI or AI tools. However, you do want to review any work that comes out of them to avoid concerns like plagiarism or inaccuracy.

AI Is the Future of Marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key part of marketing these days. You can use the tools to help generate content for your marketing campaigns, analyze results, predict upcoming trends, and so much more. To get even more ideas for how to use AI in your marketing efforts, check out our arsenal of AI tools.

Read more at Read More

Website Redesign: 11-Step Process From Audit to Launch

Think a website redesign is just about fixing your homepage or refreshing the layout? Think again.

Too often, these projects focus on changing the look or chasing the latest trends. But if your redesign doesn’t fix what’s actually broken, your site won’t perform any better or win you more business.

In this guide, I’ll show you what a website redesign really involves and walk you through my agency’s 11-step process — including mistakes to avoid.

Key Takeaways:

  • A true website redesign is more than just cosmetic, involving rebuilding your website to create a strong foundation for visual design, UX, SEO, and technical infrastructure.
  • Mobile devices have generated over 50% of all website traffic since 2017, so use a mobile-first approach during your redesign process to appeal to the largest percentage of users.
  • If you take a “set it and forget it” approach to website redesign, you’ll end up back where you started. Make a plan to monitor and optimize your site post-launch to keep hitting your goals.

What Is a Website Redesign?

A website redesign is a process that involves changing a site’s appearance, content, and functionality.

The goal? Developing a website that better meets both user needs and business goals.

A website refresh involves making small-scale changes (like making a few tweaks to the homepage layout). But a full redesign basically rebuilds your existing website from scratch.

A site redesign checklist typically includes these elements:

  • Visual Design: How the site looks, including the layout, color schemes, typography, and branding
  • User Experience (UX): How the site functions for users, including the navigation and interactive elements
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): How the site appears in search, including keywords and metadata 
  • Site Architecture: How the site is organized, including page hierarchies, URL structures, and internal links
  • Technical Infrastructure: How the site functions on the backend, including site speed and security
  • Accessibility: How well all users can understand and interact with your website

When to Consider a Website Redesign Project

Not sure if a web design is really necessary? Here are a few signals that it’s time for an overhaul.

Outdated Design

Does your site look like it was designed in 2010? Potential customers might question if your business is still operating — or if it can meet their current needs.

New Branding or Positioning

Has your company refreshed its branding or updated its competitive positioning? Your site is one of the first places you’ll want to roll out these changes.

Subpar User Experience

Do site visitors frequently tell you they can’t find anything on your site? 

Bad Mobile Experience

Is your site the opposite of mobile-friendly? Since 2017, mobile devices have generated over half of website traffic. Which means mobile responsiveness is essential for every site.

Content Management System Limitations

Does your content management system (CMS) limit your site’s functionality or the plugins you can add? Switching from WordPress, Webflow, or any other CMS is a great reason to rebuild your site from the ground up.

Poor Site Performance

Does your site take ages to load — even though you’ve tried everything to speed it up? A complete redesign gives you an opportunity to address technical issues.

How to Redesign Your Website in 11 Steps

Now that you know when it’s time for a redesign, here’s how to do it step by step. I’ll break down my process into phases, from discovery and planning to launch and performance monitoring.

Discovery and Planning

Start by doing research and getting clear on your strategy.

A graphic detailing discovery and planning portions of the website redesign process.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Website

The first step is understanding what’s happening on your website and benchmarking its current performance.

The idea is to assess what’s working on your website and what isn’t. This way, you can preserve the elements that serve your site well (like top-ranking content) and update those that don’t (like a design that loads slowly on mobile devices).

Step 2: Conduct User and Competitive Research

Validate your research by talking with your actual prospects and customers. Add surveys to your site so you can automatically poll site visitors. Or reach out to customers manually.

Ask them what they like about your site, from the design to the functionality. Learn what they dislike about your site. Prompt them to highlight points of friction that prevent them from finding information or accomplishing tasks.

Then, make a list of competitors and analyze their websites. Identify areas where your competitors’ sites outperform yours and opportunities where your new site can do a superior job.

Step 3: Define Goals and Align Stakeholders

After auditing your website and understanding your current situation, you’re ready to set redesign goals. What does success look like for your new site?

Get crystal clear on what you want to achieve. For example, you might want to:

  • Create a better UX so website visitors can easily find the information they need. Which should make your site easy to navigate, decrease bounce rates, and build trust.
  • Implement a new CMS that integrates with the marketing automation tools your team uses. And that allows your team to publish new content more consistently.
  • Improve conversion rates by reducing friction for website users and guiding customers to next steps like signing up for a list, booking a call, or making a purchase.

Create a timeline and establish clear deadlines for each phase of the process.

Then, assemble a website design team with all essential stakeholders. For example, you’ll need someone to sign off on branding and design, website copy, SEO, and legal compliance.

Site Structure and Content Strategy

Map out the site architecture and content before developing mockups.

A graphic detailing site structure and content strategy parts of the website redesign process.

Step 4: Confirm the Navigation and the Content Strategy

Put your research to work. Design navigation that prioritizes user goals so your target audience can easily use the site. Add user-friendly navigation menus to simplify how they access important content.

Don’t forget about SEO best practices. Use a logical hierarchy that organizes content into categories. Make sure most content is no more than three clicks from the homepage.

While you’re at it, clarify your content strategy. Audit your existing content and determine if and how it fits into the new site structure.

Make a plan to combine redundant pages, unpublish outdated content, and identify content gaps that you’ll need to fill with new landing pages.

Step 5: Draft Website Copy

Now you’re ready to create or update the content for the most important pages on your website. Start with your homepage and then systematically work through product or service pages, use case pages, and industry pages. Include existing offer pages and conversion pages in this part of your website redesign plan.

Here are a few copywriting best practices to keep in mind as you write:

  • Write for your audience, speaking to their goals and pain points
  • Incorporate your brand voice, including your style and tone of voice
  • Make website copy easy to skim with clear page structure and subheadings
  • Add calls to action (CTAs) that prompt prospects to take the next step

Design and Prototyping

This is where the redesign process gets visual — and when stakeholders weigh in.

A graphic on design and prototyping parts of the website redesign process.

Step 6: Create Wireframes and a Design System

Design wireframes that show the website navigation, user flow, and content placement. Then, create a design system that shows the color palette, typography, and visual style.

By now, you should start to get a sense of how the new site will look and feel.

I recommend incorporating accessibility into this stage of your website redesign strategy. Choose accessible colors with sufficient contrast and fonts that are easy for site visitors to read.

Step 7: Build Mockups or Prototypes

Next, turn your wireframes and visual guidelines into website mockups or prototypes. Again, start with the most important pages on your website — like your homepage and product or service pages.

Apply the design to actual content drafts so stakeholders can see how the web copy will fit on the site, complete with the text hierarchy, white space, navigation, and design elements.

Develop prototypes for various screen sizes. While mobile devices will likely make up a large percentage of your site traffic, they won’t account for all of it. Make sure your site is just as easy for desktop users to navigate.

Step 8: Get Stakeholder Sign Off

The key to a successful redesign is getting everyone on board with your decisions. So once you’ve confirmed major design and copy decisions, present the prototypes to your stakeholders.

Walk them through how users will navigate the site based on typical journeys. Explain why you’ve made certain design decisions or built specific pages.

Gather feedback and make necessary revisions. Document every comment and change throughout the process. Then, get your team to sign off on the design, UX, and copy.

Development and Technical Setup

Set up your new website for success with a strong technical foundation.

A graphic on development and technical setup portions of the website redesign process.

Step 9: Develop the Website

Now you’re ready to hand off the design to your development team. Work with the website developers to choose a CMS that supports your design, marketing automation, and compliance needs.

Use clean, descriptive URLs with relevant keywords and a logical hierarchy. If necessary, create 301 redirects to update the location of content from your old website.

Optimize for Google’s Core Web Vitals by focusing on:

  • Largest Contentful Paint, which reflects content loading performance
  • Interaction to Next Paint, which reflects the responsiveness of your site
  • Cumulative Layout Shift, which reflects the visual stability of your site

Build SEO foundations into your site so you can easily optimize your content for search engine rankings. Incorporate schema markup and metadata into the backend to help each page rank for relevant keywords.

Step 10: Test and Optimize the Site

Before launching your new site, take time to test it thoroughly. Recruit team members and beta users to check how your site performs on various devices, browsers, and screen sizes. Check for consistent appearance and functionality.

Work with your dev team to create a testing checklist. This way, nothing will fall through the cracks. Here are a few elements to add to your list:

  • Broken links
  • Missing images
  • Formatting issues
  • Faulty integrations
  • Slow loading speeds
  • Form submission issues

Launch and Performance Monitoring

Go live with the new design and monitor performance closely.

A graphic that shows launch and performance marketing portions of the website redesign process.

Step 11: Launch and Monitor the Site

Now you’re ready to launch the redesigned website. With your dev team, go through a complete checklist to set the stage for a successful website launch.

  • Update DNS settings
  • Set up SSL certificates
  • Confirm any 301 redirects
  • Check analytics tracking

Monitor the site closely for the first day or two. Make sure your dev team is available to quickly address any bugs.

Then, regularly review technical aspects like page load speeds, performance aspects like conversion rates, and SEO aspects like keyword rankings. Use your insights to create a plan to continue optimizing your site.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Website Redesign

Don’t make the same missteps many web designers do. Watch for these mistakes to make the website redesign process as smooth as possible.

Mistake Phase How to Fix It
Missing Performance Benchmarks Planning Document baseline metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, and page load times before the redesign. Set specific goals for each.
Misaligned Goals Planning Set clear goals at the beginning of your redesign process. Communicate them to stakeholders and provide regular updates.
Navigation Issues Strategy Test the proposed navigation with a group of real users. Monitor how they use the site and where they get stuck.
Poor Mobile UX Design Use a mobile-first design, then scale up to a desktop design. Test for usability issues before launching the website.
Inconsistent Branding Design Create a style guide with branding guidelines, including hex codes, typography, font size, and spacing rules.
Ignoring SEO Essentials Development Establish your new URL structure and create 301 redirects as necessary. Implement structured markup and metadata.
No QA Process Development Assign a QA lead and recruit real users. Follow a clear checklist to test the site and make it easy for users to report bugs.
Post-Launch Neglect Post-Launch Use analytics and SEO tools to monitor site performance. Schedule 30-, 60-, and 90-day reviews and plan for continuous optimization.

FAQs

What is a website redesign?

It’s a full rebuild of your site, going beyond just a visual update. You’re reworking the design, structure, content, and functionality so your site works better for your users and supports your business goals.

How do you redesign a website?

Start by figuring out what’s working and what’s not. Talk to users. Check your analytics. Map out a new site structure and write better copy. Then design, develop, test, and launch. Keep it focused on solving real problems instead of chasing trends.

How often should you redesign your website?

Whenever your site stops pulling its weight. That might be every few years or sooner if your tech, brand, or audience changes. If it’s slow, confusing, or outdated, it’s time.

Why redesign a website?

Because the old one isn’t doing its job. Maybe it’s hard to use. Maybe it’s off-brand. Maybe it just doesn’t convert. A redesign lets you fix what’s broken and build a better experience for the people you want to reach.

Final Thoughts on Website Redesign

Many businesses make design decisions on a whim — no plan, no discussion, and no website redesign goals. This can lead to underwhelming results. Or worse, ongoing updates that leave customers confused.

But with a clear workflow to follow, your website redesign doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Use my 11-step approach to set clear goals, get everyone on board, and design a new website that gets the results you want.

Read more at Read More

20 Landing Page Examples to Learn From

Would you rather have a beautiful website or a website your customers love?

From a business perspective, you shouldn’t choose either. You should want a high-converting website, instead. And this is where landing pages are so important.

A landing page is a key component in any marketing campaign. Whether you’re running a digital ad, sending an email letter, or posting on social media, you need a webpage that you can send interested visitors to that can help generate leads and conversions.

Many people get caught in the trap of creating designs they like without thinking about what their prospective buyers want and need. Unfortunately, this creates a leaky funnel that’s hard to fix.

But if you want to buck that trend and create landing pages that convert, I’m here to help. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 20 landing page examples you can gather inspiration from.

We’ll go over each one’s strengths and weaknesses, so you’ll be able to walk away knowing what it takes to create a high-converting landing page for your business.

Key Takeaways

  • A landing page is a webpage created with a singular purpose—to generate a conversion, whether that’s a lead, sale, subscription, etc.
  • There are five main elements that every successful landing page should have—a bold headline, consistent copy, social proof, one singular offer, and a call to action.
  • Looking at landing page examples can be a great way to gather inspiration before you start building out your own landing pages.

What Is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a single webpage designed with a single goal in mind. That goal could be:

  • Selling a product
  • Signing customers up for a service
  • Promoting a product feature
  • Sharing an e-book, report, or white paper
  • Increasing newsletter subscribers

Potential leads or customers “land on” the webpage, giving it the name “landing page.” It’s a simple page that dives fully into a single offering with the intent of selling the visitor whatever it’s promoting.

5 Elements of an Effective Landing Page

As you scroll through the landing page examples we share below, you might notice that they all appear to follow a similar formula. That’s because you don’t fix what isn’t broken, and the key landing page elements are not broken.

There are five main elements that any high-converting landing page needs to include:

  • Bold value proposition at the top of the page. The top of the landing page should clearly state what it’s promoting and why the webpage visitor needs it.
  • Messaging consistent from the ad or post that led to the landing page. Upon clicking to your landing page, viewers should see a consistency in messaging from the ad or social media post that initially led them there. That messaging should clearly communicate what the page is promoting, giving further information than the bold heading at the top.
  • Social proof, case studies, reviews, testimonials. Social proof is where people tend to lean towards choices that they’ve seen others make, which is why reviews and testimonials can make such a big impact. Include this type of social proof on your landing page to convince people to take action.
  • One single, hyper-focused offer. You should be focusing your landing page on one single topic or offer, whether you’re promoting a single software feature, a single service, or a single lead magnet.
  • A clear call to action. What do you want people who visit your landing page to do? Use that as your call to action. Make it clear, bold, bright, and easy to click.

20 Amazing Landing Page Examples

Need some inspiration for your next landing page? Check out these 20 examples that you can get inspiration from.

1. GetResponse

A GetResponse landing page.

Source

GetResponse is an email marketing platform. This landing page is highlighting a key feature—email signup forms meant to help businesses build their email lists. Powerful headline, check. Eye-catching image, check. List of current clients, check. List of features, check, You get the idea.

It’s quite long, but that just gives the Get Response team more to convince you to create a free account. And there are plenty of CTAs along the way in case you missed the one at the very top of the page.

Three takeaways from GetResponse’s landing page:

  • Highlight your copy to make it even more impactful. GetResponse highlights important words and phrases throughout the landing page, drawing your attention to them and making their copy pop.
  • Use social proof. The landing page includes a slideable widget filled with customer testimonials that mention this specific feature and how well it works.
  • Use multiple CTAs. Because GetResponse’s landing page is so long, they scatter it with CTAs at the end of every section.

2. Slack

Slack landing page example.

Source

Slack is always on top of its game when it comes to creating some of the best landing pages. They are constantly optimizing for conversions, and that’s the best way to find your winning landing page. This landing page showcases one of its features—voice or video huddles that happen in real time, letting team members essentially call each other to hash something out quickly.

Three takeaways from Slack’s landing page:

  • Keep your navigation bar bare. Slack only includes the most important elements in the navigation bar on this landing page: letting current user login and prospective users talk to sales.
  • Show the difference between free and premium. If you have a popular free version, use your landing page as a chance to show what users are missing out on by not upgrading.
  • Take advantage of multimedia. The page includes looping animated videos that showcase each of the main features, letting interested users see them in action before signing up.

3. CrazyEgg

Intercom landing page example.

Source

This landing page for heatmapping software CrazyEgg showcases a specific feature that the software offers. In this case, it’s the ability to create website pop-ups to increase conversions.

The page leads with a demo link and breakdown of the feature, before you see more detailed information on how it works further down on the page.

Three takeaways from CrazyEgg’s landing page:

  • Provide basic instructions. The landing page includes a basic step-by-step for how users can set up pop-ups using the CrazyEgg tool, showing just how quick and easy it is and further selling them on the software.
  • Show versatility in applications. The use cases section shows how a variety of different industries can benefit from using this tool.
  • Use trust badges. CrazyEgg’s landing page is dotted with trust badges from the likes of G2 and Capterra, adding instant credibility to their offering.

4. Lyft

Lyft landing page example.

Source

Lyft has been growing in the past years, and its website, landing page, and overall online funnel is a driving force, too. They focus on attracting new drivers that want to control their own life.

Once again, we see a giant, attention-grabbing headline that entices users. Now check out the button “Apply to drive.” It implies that it’s not 100 percent sure you’ll be able to get the position — which makes it even more enticing while also stopping candidates from getting carried away.

Three takeaways from Lyft’s landing page:

  • Make a point with your images. I’d bet Lyft wants to attract female drivers, which is exactly why they’ve chosen the feature image on the landing page.
  • Customize data requests. Most landing pages ask for an email. But because Lyft is an app, it asks for your phone number instead.
  • Link off to learn more. You don’t want to overwhelm users with information on a landing page, that’s why linking to other pages (as Lyft has done) can be a useful strategy.

5. Zoho

Zoho landing page example.

Source

Zoho’s landing page is a great example of a more full-on, but still extremely powerful messaging. They use more text than the average landing page in the industry, but that’s not necessarily bad. It just means users have more information to make a decision. And in a crowded industry like the CRM space, that can be a highly effective thing.

Three takeaways from Zoho’s landing page:

  • Give your users a why. Don’t let users guess how your software stands out. Show them exactly why they should use your software.
  • Show how you compare. Comparison tables are a highly effective way to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
  • Talk price. If price is a USP for your brand, then mention it. Zoho shows how much users can save by using them instead of a competitor like Salesforce.

6. Squarespace

Squarespace landing page example.

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Squarespace is a contender for the shortest landing page ever. Seriously, there’s not much more to it than the screenshot I’ve taken above. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t effective.

Rather than trying to get you to create an account, all Squarespace wants you to do here is look at the templates. I reckon they know that once you see how good the templates are and how easy the platform is to use, you’ll be hooked.

Three takeaways from Squarespace’s landing page:

  • Short can be sweet. You don’t have to have a massive landing page to convince users to take action. A couple of enticing benefits may be all you need.
  • You don’t need much color. Everyone knows color can be used to convey emotion to users. But it’s not essential. And because it’s not on-brand for Squarespace, it’s not used.
  • The rule of three. Three is a magic number in marketing and Squarespace uses it to get across their core USPs.

7. ActiveCampaign

Active campaign landing page example.

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If there’s one thing you can’t fault ActiveCampaign’s landing page for, it’s brevity. They get straight to the point with the key benefit of their platform and encourage you to start a trial by entering your email address. Scroll down further and the rest of the page is similarly pared back, only including key information users need to know.

Three takeaways from ActiveCampaign’s landing page:

  • You don’t need fancy graphics. There are no eye-catching images above the fold and only two in total.
  • Lean on an authority. Are you highly rated by a trusted authority like G2? If so you can do what Active Campaign has done by showcasing all of your badges.
  • Show how your platform works. Images are great, but showing how to use your platform can make a huge difference in your conversion rate.

8. HubSpot

Hubspot landing page example.

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Cost is a big hurdle for any small business looking to purchase a CRM. That’s why HubSpot makes such a big deal of its free offering in this landing page. But just because you get the software for free doesn’t mean it’s limited. That might be your first thought, but HubSpot assuages those fears by showing all of the features you get below.

Three takeaways from HubSpot’s landing page:

  • Get your point across fast. The first three words users read on this landing page will be exactly what they are looking for: free CRM software. They don’t need to know much more to get started.
  • Reiterate your USP in your CTA. You can use your CTA to back up your headline by tacking on a short message or reason to take action as HubSpot has done here.
  • Use white space. HubSpot’s landing page isn’t too busy or crowded. There’s loads of white space, which makes it super easy to read.

9. Shopify Plus

Shopify plus landing page example.

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Shopify Plus isn’t designed for bootstrapped e-commerce stores or side hustlers. It’s an enterprise product and that shows in this landing page. It talks directly to big businesses, addresses their specific concerns, and shows them the kind of results they can achieve. Best of all, it’s topped off with a piece of ultra-professional video marketing that’s also designed to appeal to the brand’s target audience.

Three takeaways from Shopify Plus’s landing page:

  • Tailor your CTA. Enterprise customers aren’t going to make a purchase straight away. That’s why Shpoify encourages them to contact their sales team rather than book a demo.
  • Use statistics. The landing page gives hard data about how much better stores can perform by using Shopify Plus. This is much more powerful than a throwaway comment.
  • Speak to your customer’s values. Shopify devotes a large chunk to talking about the performance of their platform — something enterprise companies care about deeply.

10. Webflow

Webflow landing page example.

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There’s a reason designers aren’t web developers — most don’t know how to code. That doesn’t stop them from designing great-looking websites, but it does mean they need help. Not if they use Webflow, however. Webflow lets designers design and code powerful websites without having to write any themselves. And because the company knows its target audience, everything on the landing page is designed to appeal to designers — from the images to the testimonials to the copy.

Three takeaways from Webflow’s landing page:

  • Tailor your landing page to your target audience. This landing page won’t appeal to anyone who can’t design. But that’s the point. Those people won’t use Webflow, designers will.
  • Double down on social proof. Webflow understands the power of social proof, which is why they highlight their existing customers multiple times on the page.
  • Show, don’t tell. Webflow ends the landing page by showing designers exactly the kind of sites they can create with the platform.

11. ClickFunnels

Click funnels landing page example.

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The goal of the ClickFunnels landing page is to get you to start using its software. They know that once they’ve got you on their platform, you are way more likely to start paying. With that in mind, everything on the page is geared at showing how easy it is to get started and what you can accomplish with the software. There are dozens of testimonials of high-profile salespeople who have made serious bank with the software and copy that challenges any preconceived ideas you have. It’s a masterclass in persuasive landing page design.

Three takeaways from ClickFunnels’s landing page:

  • Let your customers sell for you. Testimonials are so powerful. If you have them from the right people (the kind your prospective customers want to emulate) then they’ll do most of the hard work for you.
  • Attack objections early. ClickFunnels does a great job of overcoming common objections (like you need to have good computer skills or your business isn’t a good fit) above the fold.
  • Use CTAs liberally. There is a CTA banner after every section on this page, giving users every opportunity to convert.

12. Conversionlab

Conversionlab landing page example.

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Conversionlab has been using this landing page design for years now. I’ve noticed they split test different button CTAs, like book a call, get a free consult, and many more. Keeping their Founder on the main page of the website builds a long-term relationship many businesses nowadays miss out on. They clearly state their services through their persuasive headline and, even if you’re not ready to book a consultation, a pop-up will appear collecting your email.

Three takeaways from Conversionlab’s landing page:

  • Put your team front and center. You can build instant relatability with users by putting your team members on your landing page.
  • Don’t be afraid to give it all away. Conversion Lab’s landing page explains in detail what it’s like to work with them, so every prospect knows exactly what to expect.
  • Try twice to convert. Following up with an email (collected via pop-up) is a great way to ensure that a high percentage of prospects that land on your website will end up booking a call with you.

13. Semrush (404)

SEMrush landing page example.

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Semrush is an SEO platform. Here’s a landing page example for their tool that showed up as an ad in organic search. The button is bright (and on-brand) and makes it clear what your next step would be. The main headline focuses on the benefit — grow your online visibility — and the third line focuses on another key benefit — you only need one platform. That’s appealing to marketers who are juggling a ton of tools.

Three takeaways from Semrush’s landing page:

  • Know your audience. The landing page’s CTA focuses on a known pain point of digital marketers: that they have to juggle dozens of different tools.
  • Roll out the big guns for testimonials. Semrush lists some of their biggest customers prominently on the homepage. If these massive companies use the platform, surely you should, too?
  • Use variety with your CTA buttons. Each of the CTA buttons lead to the signup form, but the copy is different in each one, ensuring they hit the pain point that will get someone to click, no matter where they’re at on the page.

14. HelloFresh

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HelloFresh is a meal-kit delivery service, and this landing page is another ad-based page that’s focused entirely on its offering, with no additional navigation.

Like other landing pages, the content is limited. They use a heading, CTA, and images to show how the platform works and some of the user options. However, I suspect that’s on purpose — after all, the premise is relatively simple, it’s more about showing how the service fits into people’s lifestyles.

Three takeaways from HelloFresh’ landing page:

  • Strategic discounts make a difference. The page is offering a discount, but it’s automatically applied the second someone clicks on the page, creating an enticing offering that requires no additional effort on the customer’s side—they just have to click “Redeem” or “Get Started.”
  • Use high-quality visuals. HelloFresh prides itself on high-quality, fresh ingredients, and the images here present these front-and-center.
  • Strategic link placement. The carousel at the bottom is neatly aligned with different dietary needs and preferences, helping move users down the sales funnel.

15. Doordash

Door Dash landing page example.

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Doordash probably doesn’t have to worry as much about getting customers as it does about recruiting new drivers to meet demand. That’s the goal of this landing page that shows users what they stand to gain from becoming a Dasher. It’s on-brand, carefully lays out the benefits of becoming your own boss, and shows you how much you could earn. The only thing it’s missing is social proof.

Three takeaways from Doordash’s landing page:

  • Put the user front and center. Everything on this landing page, from the copy to the images revolves around the user. It’s about what they can achieve and speak directly to them.
  • Pre-qualify users on your landing page. Doordash clearly lists the requirements drivers have to meet, meaning they’ll need to spend less time vetting candidates in the future.
  • Don’t rule out the impact of social proof. The lack of testimonials from current Dashers really lets this page down. The experience of current drivers is probably high on a prospective driver’s checklist.

16. Airbnb

AirBNB landing page example.

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Want to know how much you could rent your property for on Airbnb? That’s exactly what the company’s landing page helps you to understand. This fun and interactive landing page gives users a taste of what they can earn by renting out their property on Airbnb and then shows them how easy the process is.

Three takeaways from Airbnb’s landing page:

  • Dynamic pages can work a dream. As soon as you land on Airbnb’s landing page it automatically changes the content depending on your location. That creates a highly personalized and interactive experience that’s more likely to convert users.
  • CTAs don’t have to take center stage. The CTA to create an Airbnb account is tucked away in the right-hand corner of the page. But that doesn’t make it any less prominent or visible.
  • Make it interactive. Users can play with the slider bar to see how much they could earn by renting out their property for longer. The more you slide, the bigger the number gets, and the more tempting it is to create an account.

17. Zillow

Zillow landing page example.

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Every homeowner wants to know how much their property is worth. It’s that simple desire that Zillow capitalizes on with this landing page, which aims to generate leads for the company’s mortgage business. It’s short, simple and incredibly alluring for both curious homeowners and buyers looking to understand the potential value of a new home.

Three takeaways from Zillow’s landing page:

  • Eye-catching imagery can play a big role. The biggest element on Zillow’s landing page isn’t the CTA, but the image behind it. It’s doing a lot of legwork creating an aspirational feel to the page.
  • Clearly contrast copy and images. There’s a danger that the overlay copy on the background image could get lost. But Zillow does a great job of ensuring the contrast is clear and the copy is readable.
  • Give users more information, but only if they want it. There’s a tendency for the best landing pages to overwhelm users with information. Zillow avoids this by providing FAQs that only appear if users click on them.

18. Visme

Visme landing page example.

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Visme is a graphic design tool that offers a number of templates for different types of business-centric designs, like presentations, infographics, e-books, and the like. This landing page is all about the fact that you can create e-books with the tool, highlighting only e-book templates and other features related to e-book creation.

What I like:

Three takeaways from NP Digital’s landing page:

  • Brand consistency matters. All of the copy and images are related to this singular type of design. This page is perfect for ebook-related ads but also a great SEO play as well.
  • Showcasing different product. The examples section does a great job showing off the variety of different e-books that this product can make.
  • CTAs after key features. The page design here places the CTA button after all the different breakdowns of major features, meaning that the user can buy as soon as they see the feature that matters most to them..

19. Wix

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Wix is a website builder, and this landing page goes all in on its website design capabilities. It showcases all features related to getting a new website up and off the ground.

Three takeaways from Wix’s landing page:

  • Don’t neglect the visual factor. As you scroll, you’re met with colorful blocks that each highlight its own feature, making this a visually appealing landing page that keeps users engaged the entire time.
    Show your work. The examples section here does a great job of showing the full breadth of sites that Wix can help build.
  • Use FAQs (when it makes sense). FAQs can be very useful for helping go into greater detail about a product without clogging up the page experience. They are great for SEO, too!

20. NP Digital

NP Digital landing page example.

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Let’s end with one of the best landing page examples from my digital marketing agency, NP Digital. Unlike some of the other examples in this list, the goal of this landing page isn’t to get people to buy a product or sign up to a service. I want users to download a market research report my team and I created.

As you can see, it’s quite a bit shorter than a normal landing page. That’s because it doesn’t need elements like social proof or loads of images. All I want to get across is a snapshot of what you can read in the report and how you can download it.

Three takeaways from NP Digital’s landing page:

  • Don’t let users enter fake information. I email the document to the address you provide in the form. That means you have to enter your correct email address to get the document and I don’t have to waste time scrubbing fake emails from my database.
  • Sometimes you can ask for more information. Your opt-in form doesn’t have to be tiny in order to convert. Because I’m giving away a lot of information for free, I can ask for more information in return.
  • Long landing pages don’t necessarily make the best landing pages. If you don’t want users to waste time scrolling, don’t make them. Only give them the information they need to convert.

7 Tips for Creating Killer Landing Pages

You’ve seen the best of the best. Now you’re ready to create a landing page that drives business growth. These seven tips will help you create the high-converting landing pages you’ve been dreaming of:

  1. Include clear calls to action. Your call to action should be specifically tied to your goal and should be supported by everything else on your page, from the headline and body copy to the images and overall layout. Avoid bland CTAs like “Submit” that don’t explain the next steps.
  2. Keep your landing page forms simple. Only require users to provide the minimum amount of information they need, usually just their name and email. Asking for too much information early on decreases the chances a user will complete the action you want them to take.
  3. Ensure your copy is clear and concise. The best landing page copy should be clear, easy to read, and make a specific point. Use bullet points, headings, and bold font to make content easier to read. Every single sentence and word on your landing page should serve a purpose, and that purpose should be to support your call to action. If it doesn’t do that, cut it.
  4. Include vital information above the fold. That includes a benefit-focused headline and a CTA. Hopefully, at least a small percentage of your visitors will be ready to buy as soon as they arrive on your landing page.
  5. Ensure your landing pages look the same as your campaign ads. If your page is tied to an email or PPC campaign, make sure the landing page echoes the look and feel of the ad or email. The easiest way to do this is to carry over fonts, images, and colors from your campaign to your landing page. This is especially important for paid ads, as it can increase your quality score.
  6. A/B test your landing page. A/B testing means running two different landing pages and changing just one element to see which performs best. For example, you might use two different images and see which one drives the most conversions.
  7. Use fewer images and a large font. Visual clutter detracts from the message and CTAs. Larger font sizes are also a good idea to keep visitors’ eyes focused on what matters and reduce eye strain. Just don’t go overboard and put everything in a headline-size font — no one wants to be yelled at.

In general, a great landing page includes:

  • A strong heading that includes your main keyword
  • A subheading that clarifies the heading
  • Copy that explains the offer
  • An image, video, or illustration that supports the offer
  • A form or CTA button where the user can convert

You might also include social proof or trust symbols, such as reviews, testimonials, and logos of previous customers.

Building Out Your Next Landing Page

While there are some consistent elements between all strong landing pages, the exact design will depend on your goals, your business, and your industry.

Let me ask you a couple of questions that will guide you in the right direction.

What do you want to accomplish with your landing page?

The most common landing page goals are:

  • Getting people to opt-in in exchange for free value on a subject.
  • Selling a low-ticket product like a book or a mini-course.
  • Promoting a free trial offer for a monthly service or software.

You’ve got to know exactly what offer you want to present on your landing page before creating it.

Are you committed to this project or are you just trying out an offer?

Building a high-converting landing page is not an overnight effort.

You might find yourself optimizing a non-profitable landing page for months before it starts generating real returns. If you’re not ready for that, then I recommend you quit before you even start.

Yes, you can get lucky and hit a home run on your first try, but don’t count on it.

Be ready for the long game so you catch the long-term gains that are so much sweeter than a short-term spike in traffic.

What’s your budget?

Before you begin designing your landing page, you need to prepare a solid budget.

You can’t expect everything to go smoothly throughout the process. Problems are going to occur and most times the easiest and fastest way to solve them is to pay someone who is an expert in the field.

That can be a developer, a funnel designer/builder, an ad specialist, or a CRO consultant. Either way, you should be ready to pay someone to do it right so you don’t face the same problems over and over.

In marketing and life, one of the best ways to test the quality of your work is to put it in front of an audience. For landing pages, you can do that by running ads to see if the traffic converts.

If it does, you raise your ad budget and try to scale. If it doesn’t convert at first, then you should let a professional take a look at it.

Even if you already hired someone to build it for you, don’t expect them to help you here. Yes, they could optimize your page, but you’ve got to keep in mind that people have an emotional attachment to their work.

That’s why you need a third party to help you out.

When it comes to optimizing a landing page for conversions, think about hiring an agency.

Big marketing agencies nowadays have had hundreds if not thousands of clients who have been in your exact situation. That’s why hiring a marketing agency to help you increase your conversion is the best bet.

Talking about CRO (conversion rate optimization) there’s no better choice than NP Digital.

I might be biased, but I think it’s the best marketing agency for both SEO and CRO.

If you’re at the stage where you want to optimize your existing landing page but you don’t know exactly how to do it, then book a quick call with a member of my team who can unravel the secret conversion optimization methods your business needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a landing page?

A landing page is a specially designed page intended to encourage users to complete a specific task (i.e., convert.) They work by highlighting key points, using social proof or case studies to build trust, and providing a CTA to encourage conversion.

Who needs a landing page?

Any business with a website should have a landing page of some sort to encourage users to take an action like booking a demo, calling for a quote, or signing up for an email list, etc.

What makes a good landing page?

There are several elements that make a landing page effective. First, a clear and compelling headline that instantly communicates the value proposition is essential. Second, concise and persuasive copy that highlights the benefits of your product or service. Third, it needs a visually appealing design that is easy to navigate and optimized for mobile devices. Fourth, a strong call-to-action that is prominent and directs users to take action. Finally, I recommend trust-building elements such as testimonials or social proof to instill confidence.

Conclusion

I hope these best landing page examples can serve as an inspiration to create a high-converting landing page. To get the most out of your landing page, be sure to:

  • Find what your best customers struggle the most with and then solve this problem with a short and punchy headline.
  • Use credibility and videos if possible.
  • Know your goals — Is it to get their email or phone number? Have them call? Start a free/paid trial or something else?
  • Use clear and easy-to-follow calls to action.

Finally: always, always optimize your landing pages.

You can NOT be perfect from day one. Every business on this list tests its pages dozens if not hundreds of times before finding the best landing page.

Even then, they still optimize.

Read more at Read More

How the YouTube Algorithm Works (Data-Backed Answer)

Some YouTube videos gain millions of views, while others struggle to find an audience. The reason often comes down to the algorithm. YouTube’s algorithm isn’t guesswork—it’s a sophisticated system predicting what viewers will most likely watch and enjoy.

Whether you’re a marketer, content creator, or business owner, understanding how the YouTube algorithm works can help you grow your channel and reach more viewers. In this article, we’ll break down how the YouTube algorithm works in 2025 and share strategies to help you succeed.

Key Takeaways

  • The YouTube algorithm in focuses on understanding individual viewers through their behavior, preferences, and watch history.
  • YouTube serves videos in three main ways. The homepage shows videos based on viewer history, suggested videos appear alongside a video being watched, and search results combine relevance and viewer preferences.
  • Metrics like watch time, click-through rates (CTR), likes, comments, and shares are key factors in determining a video’s visibility.
  • Including YouTube Shorts, live streams, and playlists in your strategy can help you connect with wider audiences.
  • Regular uploads and active audience engagement signal to the algorithm that your channel offers value.
  • Features like polls, Q&A sessions, and multilingual subtitles increase engagement and appeal to diverse audiences.
  • Algorithm optimization has seven components: create a click-worthy title, add detail to your description, design an attractive thumbnail, increase watch duration, encourage action after the video, maintain engagement with video series and playlists, and improve content using analytics over the long term.

What Is the YouTube Algorithm?

The YouTube algorithm is a recommendation system that serves videos to users based on their histories and (if they’re actively searching) search queries. The algorithm evaluates over 80 billion signals, according to the official YouTube blog. 

The algorithm matters because YouTube is a powerful organic channel. Understanding how to increase the reach of your videos can increase revenue significantly.  

In fact, research conducted by my team at NP Digital found it’s the top organic social channel, outperforming sales from all other platforms by a large margin. 

A graphic that shows how many conversions organic social really drives.

YouTube provides recommendations in four main areas:

  • Homepage: Features videos based on viewer history and content performance.
  • Suggested videos: Highlights related content next to the video being watched.
  • Search results: Combines relevance and viewer preferences to rank results.
  • Shorts: Shows short-form videos in the shorts feed based on user history. 

Let’s look at each of these in detail. 

Recommended Videos: A Whopping 70% of All Views

Recommended videos appear on the homepage and alongside videos on “watch pages,” on-screen at the end of videos, and in the suggested videos sidebar.

Recommended videos on YouTube.

YouTube’s recommendation algorithm drives 70% of views, according to a study by the Institute of Strategic Dialogue

A mixture of personalization factors—based on the user’s history—and individual video performance signals are used to make recommendations. 

Search Results: The Web’s Sixth Biggest Search Engine

Results page videos are served in response to YouTube search bar queries. The algorithm uses a mix of relevance (in relation to the search phrase) and personalization to rank videos. 

Search results for Digital Marketing Tips.

Despite accounting for only 30% of views, the number of searches on YouTube is still high enough to make it the sixth largest search engine on the web. My research found that YouTube has 3.3 billion searches every day. 

Daily searches per platform.

Shorts: Casual Scrolling

The “shorts algorithm” serves videos based on user history, in a similar way to the homepage and watch page suggestions. However, videos are viewed in a scrolling format, typically on mobile. 

A YouTube short.

My team and I looked at the engagement levels of different types of content and found that shorts account for 31.3% of all social media content engagement, beating every other category. Shorts are excellent for building your audience, and I publish them regularly on my channel. 

Content that generates the most engagement.

Trending: What’s Hot In Your Country

The “Trending” tab in YouTube displays videos that are going viral and generating high viewing figures. According to the YouTube Help Center, “Trending isn’t personalized and displays the same list of trending videos to all viewers in the same country.”

The Trending YouTube tab.

The YouTube Algorithm’s Evolution

The YouTube algorithm has evolved significantly over the years. Early versions rewarded videos based on view counts alone, encouraging clickbait tactics. In 2012, the focus shifted to watch time, prioritizing videos that kept viewers engaged for more extended periods.

In 2025, AI-driven personalization will play a central role. The algorithm analyzes viewer behavior to recommend videos that align with individual preferences. Metrics like watch time, click-through rates (CTR), and satisfaction surveys have a major impact on video ranking.

Short-form videos, like YouTube Shorts, are now a major factor in discoverability. They grab attention quickly, making them effective for engaging new viewers. Creators who include Shorts in their strategy often see significant growth in views and subscribers.

The evolution of the algorithm shows that success on YouTube depends on adaptability. Content that engages viewers across formats and metrics is more likely to gain visibility.

How the Algorithm Works: A Complete Overview

So, how does the algorithm work? 

Let’s look at official and reputable third-party sources to piece together an understanding of what YouTube looks at to recommend and rank videos.

Official YouTube Documentation: Personalization and Performance

YouTube has stated that it uses a comparison system on its official blog: 

“…we start with the knowledge that everyone has unique viewing habits. Our system then compares your viewing habits with those that are similar to you and uses that information to suggest other content you may want to watch.” 

YouTube has also explicitly said that it measures user activity

“Our algorithm doesn’t pay attention to videos, it pays attention to viewers. So, rather than trying to make videos that’ll make an algorithm happy, focus on making videos that make your viewers happy.”

In addition, a paper published in 2016 titled Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations explained that the YouTube recommendation model works in two stages. Although it has evolved since the paper was published, there’s a strong likelihood that the underlying ideas have remained the same. 

First, the algorithm goes through a “corpus” of millions of videos to retrieve a subset of videos that match the user’s preferences based on their history. Second, it evaluates multiple video and user factors to rank these candidates, returning what it determines to be the best-fit recommendations. 

A Discussion Between YouTube Insiders: No One “Number”

In early 2025, YouTube Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie and Todd Beaupré, who leads the Growth and Discovery team, discussed the YouTube algorithm in depth. 

Rene Ritchie asked, “We often hear from creators, ‘What’s the one number? Is it click-through rates? Is it watch time?” How do creators optimize for all of these factors?”

Beaupré answered by saying, “One thing to understand is there’s no single answer to that question, as much as creators would love to have one. But the reality is that we’ve enabled the system to learn that different factors have different importance in different contexts.” 

He also added, “While we do look at how long people watch videos, it’s only one of the factors we consider…we introduced this concept of satisfaction…where we’re trying to understand not just viewers’ behavior but also how they feel.” 

The key point is that YouTube considers a wide range of context-dependent factors. But the emphasis is on user “satisfaction.” Factors like relevance, watch time, and engagement all fit neatly into this category. 

7 Key YouTube Algorithm Signals

A mix of official documentation and third-party testing highlights seven key areas that YouTube looks at in order to evaluate what Todd Beaupré calls “satisfaction.”

Here’s a working roundup of YouTube algorithm signals:

  • Content characteristics: The algorithm uses metadata, such as titles, descriptions, and transcripts, to determine a video’s relevance to a viewer’s query. Optimized metadata increases a video’s chances of being recommended.
  • Watch time: Longer viewing sessions suggest valuable content. While there is significant variance across topics, my team and I found that 3.06 minutes is the average watch time on YouTube, and this is a good benchmark to keep in mind for longer videos. 
A graphic showing average watch time for long-form videos by platform.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): This is the percentage of impressions that turn into clicks.  Attractive titles and thumbnails draw more clicks and indicate relevance. 
  • Likes, comments, and shares: Viewer interactions show the content’s relevance and appeal. Videos with strong engagement are more likely to be promoted.
  • Viewer behavior: Content is prioritized based on individual viewing history, likes, and repeated interactions. It also considers patterns among viewers with similar interests to recommend content.
  • Relevance: Research by the Pew Research Center found that 32% of adults in the US use YouTube to stay up to date with current events, making it one of the web’s most popular news platforms. Because of this, the relevance of news-related content is likely a strong ranking factor. 
  • Handling misinformation: Channels with authority and consistent, trustworthy content are favored. The algorithm also flags and limits the reach of misleading videos, so aligning with YouTube’s policies is critical. According to YouTube, consumption of “borderline content” recommended by the algorithm is lower than 1%. This is content that doesn’t violate YouTube’s terms of service but comes close.  

How to Improve Your Organic Reach: 7-Step Framework

Improving organic reach on YouTube is about focusing on three factors: engagement, relevance, and viewer satisfaction. 

A graphic showing how to improve organic reach on YouTube.

Creating useful, attention-grabbing content should be your priority. However, there are also powerful tweaks that can give your rankings an extra lift.

1. Pick a Catchy Title

YouTube looks at your video’s title to understand what it’s about. A well-crafted title makes it more likely that you’ll be recommended to users and appear in search results for relevant queries. 

Here’s how to nail your video titles:

  1. Pick a primary high-volume keyword: Enter the core topic of your video into the YouTube search bar to generate specific keyword variations and pick one of these for your title. You can also run potential keywords through a tool like Ubersuggest, as there is significant overlap between Google and YouTube search term volumes. 
Results for Social Media Marketing.
  1. Describe a clear benefit: A catchy title isn’t just for telling the algorithm what your video is about. It’s also for building interest and driving clicks. Articulate a clear, precise outcome or benefit, as I have done with “social media mastery” in my video below. “How to” titles also work very well on YouTube. 
Results for Social Media Marketing 2025.
  1. Don’t get too hung up on tags: There’s no harm in adding tags in the Show more section of the Details page of the upload window. However, don’t worry too much about these as their value is limited. Three or four keywords that describe your video will do the job.

2. Optimize Your Description

Descriptions do more than summarize your video—they help the algorithm understand and categorize your content.

Here’s how to create a killer description:

  • Focus on the first two lines: These appear in search results. Start with an engaging preview that highlights what viewers will learn.
  • Provide details: Outline key takeaways and include timestamps for longer videos. Use bullets in your description to make it easy for readers to skim. 
  • Add calls to action (CTAs) where appropriate: Direct viewers to related videos or encourage them to subscribe when it’s appropriate to do so. 

Here’s an example of a helpful description from one of my videos. It’s comprehensive—giving plenty of info to YouTube—and pulls readers in with a clear description of what they’ll learn. 

An example YT video description.

3. Create a Captivating Thumbnail

Your thumbnail is an invaluable opportunity to stop scrollers, restate the benefits of watching your video, and encourage clicks. And if you’re not a natural designer, AI tools can fill the gap.

Here’s how to create thumbnails that get noticed: 

  • Reiterate the benefit in a different way: Use the thumbnail as an opportunity to reiterate the main promise or learning of your video in a slightly different way to attract viewers that may not have found your title compelling. 
  • Include a picture of your face: Research shows that we’re drawn to content that includes human faces.
  • Keep your design professional (without breaking the bank): Platforms like Canva and Adobe Express, which now have AI features, create professional-looking thumbnails that grab attention.
  • Split Testing: Test different thumbnails across your videos to see which combinations perform best.

You can see a selection of thumbnails for my videos below. In all cases I include my ugly mug—ahem, beautiful visage—and reiterate the main promise of the video in a slightly different way to the title. 

Neil Patel thumbnails.

4. Aim for Longer Watch Durations

The algorithm rewards content that keeps viewers watching from start to finish. Strong video storytelling holds those eyeballs and boosts watch time.

Here are my four top tips for improving average watch duration:

  • Start strong: Hook your audience in the first 10 seconds with a clear and engaging statement.
  • Match expectations: Align your video content with what the title and thumbnail promise. 
  • Add chapters: Divide longer videos into sections with timestamps so viewers can skip to the parts they’re most interested in. 
  • Modify your strategy based on feedback: Analyze audience retention graphs in YouTube Studio to see where viewers drop off and refine your content strategy accordingly, removing sections that might be seen as boring or not useful. 

I hit all these criteria in my video “I’ve Closed $100M+ in Sales, Here’s How to Sell Anything to Anyone.” It opens strong, provides exactly what it promises (with practical examples), includes chapters, and cuts all nonessential fluff. 

Oh, and don’t be afraid of creating lo-fi (or low-fidelity) videos if your audience is already engaging with content that’s more casual. This content isn’t overly polished and is designed to communicate authenticity. My research found that it tends to outperform high-fidelity content. 

Lo-fi vs Hi-fi content.

5. Don’t Skip the Conclusion

How you end your videos matters. A good conclusion keeps viewers engaged and encourages them to either subscribe, watch another video, or visit a landing page. 

Add all of the following to your conclusions:

  • End screens: Add an end screen with a CTA and a link to your landing page or subscribe button. 
  • Verbal calls to action (CTAs): Suggest specific videos or playlists that viewers can watch next.
  • Add cards: Reference related content from your channel and use clickable cards to drive traffic to it.

Here’s an example of a video from Russell Brunson with an end screen that includes a CTA, a card of a related video, and links to his channel page (the picture of his face) and his commercial website. 

A Clickfunnels YouTube endscreen.

6. Create Series and Playlists

Serial content keeps viewers engaged for longer and increases session time as they watch the whole series, which the algorithm values. Creating binge-worthy videos also encourages viewers to subscribe to your channel.

There are two ways to offer serial content:

  • Playlists: Group related videos into playlists that autoplay. This keeps viewers watching without needing to search for the next video.
  • Episodic, well-labeled series: Structure your content in a way that builds anticipation, such as a step-by-step tutorial or a multi-part series that is clearly labeled—“Part One,” “Video One,” etc. 

When signing off from videos in a series, don’t underestimate cliffhanger endings. A teaser for what’s coming next can make all the difference in keeping viewers watching. 

Here’s an example from my SEO Unlocked course on SEO fundamentals, with a link at the end of the video to part two. 

A video from Neil Patel's SEO Unlocked course.

7. Monitor Analytics to Find Opportunities

YouTube Studio offers tools to analyze your performance, refine your strategy, and align content with audience preferences.

Here are the key metrics to track in YouTube analytics:

  • Audience retention: Identify drop-off points and adjust your content to keep viewers engaged.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): Measure how well your titles and thumbnails attract clicks.
  • Engagement metrics: Look at likes, comments, and shares to understand what resonates.
  • Demographics and traffic sources: Learn about your audience and adjust to appeal to core groups. 
YouTube video analytics.

Bonus Tip: Make the Most of YouTube Shorts

As we’ve mentioned before, YouTube Shorts are a powerful way to reach new audiences and promote your main content. Their quick, engaging format is perfect for grabbing attention. But they work slightly differently from long-form videos. 

Follow these best practices for maximizing the reach of your shorts:

  • Focus on one idea: Keep it simple and clear. Shorts are most effective when they focus on a single concept.
  • Use captions: Many viewers watch without sound, so captions help convey your message.
  • Repurpose content: Highlight key moments from your long-form videos to attract new viewers.

Here’s an example from my YouTube channel. In under a minute, it delivers a quick lesson on social media engagement.

Adapting to Trends in 2025

Staying competitive on YouTube in 2025 requires keeping up with audience expectations and platform trends. Interactive content and a focus on sustainability and inclusivity shape how creators connect with viewers.

Interactive Content

Interactive features like polls, Q&A sessions, and community posts help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. These tools encourage participation, making viewers feel more connected to your content. This engagement also signals to the algorithm that your videos resonate with your audience.

Here’s an example of how Marvel used a poll:

Source: Clipchamp

A poll from Marvel's YouTube channel.

This simple and easy addition makes the video more engaging and can even spark future conversations and video ideas.

Live streams are another way to build engagement. Use live chats to answer questions or collect feedback directly from viewers. These real-time interactions create a sense of community and keep your audience coming back for more.

Sustainability and Inclusivity

Audiences are increasingly drawn to creators who reflect their values. Content incorporating sustainable practices, like reducing waste during production, can appeal to eco-conscious viewers. Inclusivity is equally important. Multilingual subtitles, diverse representation, and accessible formats help you reach a broader audience while improving viewer satisfaction.

Focusing on these areas can strengthen your brand and improve your chances of gaining visibility on the platform.

Is AI Changing the Way the Algorithm Works?

I believe that the future looks bright for YouTube creators in the age of AI. 

The algorithm has evolved significantly over the years. Early versions rewarded videos based on view counts alone, encouraging clickbait tactics. In 2012, the focus shifted to watch time, prioritizing videos that kept viewers engaged for more extended periods.

In 2025 and beyond, AI algorithms will continue to focus on relevance, watch time, click-through rates (CTR), and satisfaction. My view is that it will get better and better at measuring these signals, which means that high-quality content is the best path to success. 

In addition, my team and I have found that AI engines often cite YouTube videos, with a 414% uptick in citations in AI overviews since launch. This points towards continued growth in the consumption of YouTube videos as AI search becomes more pervasive. 

A graphic on YouTube Citations Growth in AI overviews since launch.

FAQs

How does the YouTube algorithm work?

The YouTube algorithm matches videos to viewers based on relevance, engagement, and personal preferences. It analyzes metadata, watch time, and viewer behavior to recommend content that keeps audiences engaged.

What is the YouTube algorithm?

The YouTube algorithm is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to determine which videos to recommend to users. It evaluates individual preferences, engagement metrics, and channel authority to prioritize content.

What 4 things does the algorithm prioritize on YouTube?

Watch Time: Videos with longer viewing durations and those contributing to session watch time perform better.

Engagement: Likes, comments, and shares improve visibility.

Relevance: Titles, tags, and descriptions matched to user queries.Viewer History: Recommendations based on past watch and search behavior.

Conclusion

Mastering the YouTube algorithm is about creating engaging content that connects with your audience. The algorithm prioritizes watch time, relevance, and engagement, so aligning your videos with these factors is critical.

Focus on building quality content that addresses viewer needs, optimizing it with strong YouTube SEO practices. Use features like interactive tools, live streams, and Shorts to connect with your audience and expand your reach. Embracing sustainable and inclusive practices can also strengthen your brand and attract diverse viewers. Whether you’re improving your video marketing strategy or experimenting with new formats, staying focused on your audience will keep your channel growing.

Read more at Read More

Top 10 SEO expert columns of 2024 on Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land's Top SEO columns of 2024

Since Search Engine Land launched, we have given SEO experts a platform to share their in-depth knowledge and timely insights – with the goal of helping you solve problems, manage challenges and understand the constantly shifting SEO landscape.

What follows are links to the 10 most-read, must-read Search Engine Land SEO columns of 2024 that were contributed by our fantastic group of Subject Matter Experts.

10. The SEO’s guide to Google Search Console

Dive into Google Search Console’s features and reports, plus how to navigate the tool like a pro, from basic setup to advanced SEO analysis. (By Anna Crowe. Published July 8.)

9. 15 AI tools you should use for SEO

Get more done in less time with these must-have AI tools to automate tasks, optimize content and improve your search engine rankings. (By Ludwig Makhyan. Published Sept. 27.)

8. How to use Google Search Console to unlock easy SEO wins

Steps for using GSC to review your traffic, analyze the search landscape and make impactful optimizations for quick results. (By Marcus Miller. Published Aug. 22.)

7. How to make your AI-generated content sound more human

Leverage AI like ChatGPT to generate more human-sounding long-form content. Refine prompts with details to produce engaging articles. (By James Allen. Published Feb. 26.)

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

Google now highlights content creators as trusted sources in search results. Here’s why this matters for E-E-A-T and how SEOs can benefit. (By Jason Barnard. Published Sept. 25.)

5. How SEO moves forward with the Google Content Warehouse API leak

Addressing common questions, critiques and concerns following the massive Google Search leak and how your approach to SEO should change. (By Michael King. Published May 30.)

4. What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Understand what GEO is, how it’s revolutionizing digital marketing and key strategies to optimize for AI-driven search. (By Christina Adame. Published July 29.)

3. Unpacking Google’s massive search documentation leak

This breakdown unveils potential Google Search ranking factors, including details on PageRank variations, site authority metrics and more. (By Andrew Ansley. Published May 30.)

2. How Google Search ranking works

An in-depth analysis of how Google’s complex ranking system works and components like Twiddlers and NavBoost that influence search results. (By Mario Fischer. Published Aug. 13.)

1. ChatGPT vs. Google Bard vs. Bing Chat vs. Claude: Which generative AI solution is best?

Here’s a comparison of genAI tools ChatGPT, Bard, Bing Chat Balanced, Bing Chat Creative, and Claude based on four metrics. (By Eric Enge. Published Jan. 26.)

Top 10 PPC expert columns of 2024 on Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land's Top PPC Columns of 2024

Search Engine Land gives PPC experts a platform to share their in-depth knowledge and timely insights – with the goal of helping you solve problems, manage challenges and understand the constantly shifting landscape of paid search, paid social, and display.

What follows are links to the 10 most-read, must-read Search Engine Land PPC columns of 2024 that were contributed by our fantastic group of subject matter experts.

10. Value-based bidding: Why it’s key to boosting your Google Ads

Discover how this bid strategy can optimize your Google Ads campaigns for the most valuable actions and overall profitability. (By Sarah Stemen. Published Feb. 7.)

9. Mastering Performance Max using scripts

Learn to negate poor performers, track disapproved products and exclude spammy placements with Google Ads scripts. (By Nils Rooijmans. Published Sept. 20.)

8. Google is hiding search data from advertisers and profiting

Here’s how it affects your ad campaigns and what you can do to optimize performance despite limited visibility. (By Mark Meyerson. Published Sept. 10.)

7. Google Ads for lead gen: 9 tips to scale low-spending campaigns

Looking to elevate your Google Ads lead gen efforts? Here are nine levers that can boost your PPC campaigns toward significant growth. (By Menachem Ani. Published Jan. 10.)

6. The Performance Max playbook: Best practices and emerging tactics for 2024

Strategies for running Performance Max campaigns in 2024, covering campaign structure, creative, budgeting and conversion tracking. (By Navah Hopkins. Published April 11.)

5. What Google’s query matching update means for future PPC campaigns

Learn about Google Ads’ latest improvements to query matching and brand controls and what it indicates about how keywords will evolve. (By Menachem Ani. Published July 10.)

4. 4 advanced GPT-4 capabilities to level up your PPC efforts

Leverage AI for PPC with improved prompts, data integration via plugins, custom GPTs, and API-enabled actions. (By Frederick Vallaeys. Published Feb. 1.)

3. ChatGPT for PPC: 17 strategic prompts you can use today

Learn how to use ChatGPT to level up your paid search efforts without sacrificing strategy, authenticity and creativity. (By Amy Hebdon. Published Sept. 3.)

2. What 54 Google Ads experiments taught me about lead gen

Two years of experiments reveal key findings on the best-performing bid strategies, keyword match types, campaign settings and more. (By Mark Meyerson. Published Aug. 29.)

1. How to analyze Performance Max search terms insights for PPC success

Google Ads fixed the bug preventing Performance Max search query data from showing in scripts. Here’s how to analyze it PPC optimization. (By Frederick Vallaeys. Published March 13.)

Google’s CEO warns ChatGPT may become synonymous to AI the way Google is to Search

Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, and its executive team held a strategy meeting with employees last week on its 2025 outlook and what Google needs to focus on to get there. As you can imagine, much of it was around AI and shipping AI products that are better, faster and more consumer focused.

This was covered in CNBC’s write up named Google CEO Pichai tells employees to gear up for big 2025: ‘The stakes are high’.

Consumer focused Gemini. “Scaling Gemini on the consumer side will be our biggest focus next year,” Pichai was quoted as saying. The issue is, ChatGPT from OpenAI is quickly becoming the brand for AI, like Google is for Search. The CNBC article reads:

One comment read aloud by Pichai suggested that ChatGPT “is becoming synonymous to AI the same way Google is to search,” with the questioner asking, “What’s our plan to combat this in the upcoming year? Or are we not focusing as much on consumer facing LLM?”

Pichai wants Google to be that, not OpenAI. Will that be baked into Google Search or a new AI mode in Search or something else, it is not clear.

Comparing OpenAI to Google. Pichai also showed a chart of large language models, with Gemini 1.5 leading OpenAI’s GPT and other competitors. But that lead might not stay and that Google may have to play catchup, he suggested. “I expect some back and forth” in 2025, Pichai said. “I think we’ll be state of the art.”

“In history, you don’t always need to be first but you have to execute well and really be the best in class as a product,” he said. “I think that’s what 2025 is all about.”

Build and ship faster. Pichai also stressed that the company needs to go back to its early roots and build and ship faster, while also being more scrappy. Throughout the meeting, Pichai kept reminding employees of the need to “stay scrappy.”

“In early Google days, you look at how the founders built our data centers, they were really really scrappy in every decision they made,” Pichai said. “Often, constraints lead to creativity. Not all problems are always solved by headcount.”

This will help Google compete in this area.

“I think 2025 will be critical,” Pichai said. “I think it’s really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems.”

Why we care. 2025 will be a big year for AI, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and other AI startups. This is an important year for these companies to gain market share and brand recognition in this space.

It will also be an exciting year, as these AI technologies should lead to fundamental changes in consumer behavior.

Top 10 PPC news of the year 2024 on Search Engine Land

The world of digital marketing in 2024 has been nothing short of transformative, with Google once again taking center stage in many of the year’s biggest developments. From the ongoing debates about third-party cookies to advancements in Google Analytics and the rising distrust among advertisers, the year was marked by shifts that tested the adaptability and resilience of marketers everywhere.

As we enter the last few weeks of the year, let’s take a look at the top newsworthy headlines according to pageviews.

10. Google Ads phasing out card payments

In June Google notified some high-spending advertisers that they would need to stop using credit or debit cards for Google Ads payments by July 31, 2024. Affected accounts needed to transition to bank-based payment methods or risk suspension.

  • Advertisers expressed frustration, citing financial strain, loss of cashflow flexibility and lack of benefits.
  • Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that only a small subset of advertisers would be impacted.

9. Google Ads ad copy: what works and what doesn’t in 2024

Optmyzr analyzed over 1 million Google Ads to uncover key insights into ad copy strategies, focusing on metrics like CPA, CTR, and ROAS. The findings challenge conventional wisdom and highlight opportunities for marketers to improve performance.

The report covered:

  • Ad strength – its misleading
  • Pinning Assets – against Google’s recommendations, it could be worth pinning all headlines
  • Sentence case vs Title Case – sentence case is a clear winner especially for RSAs
  • Creative length – shorter headlines performed better

8. Google is shutting down websites made with business profiles

Google Business Profile (GBP) websites were discontinued in March 2024. Visitors to these websites were redirected to the associated Business Profile form March until June 10 and from then it will be a “page not found error” they would see whenever such a link is clicked.

This caused the need of a new site for brands who had GBP websites, using platforms like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, Google Sites, or GoDaddy

7. Advertisers don’t trust Google

2024 saw advertisers trust level at an all time low as the Department of Justice’s laid out a damning case against Google, releasing a document even, detailing extensively why there should be trust issues against Google.

It took little coaxing to have several advertisers let us know why their trust is at an all time low. Advertisers complained of manipulative practices, lack of transparency, erosion of trust and much more.

6. Costs increasing

Advertising spend on Google search ads in the U.S. increased by 17% year-over-year in Q4 2023, with steady click growth at 8% and cost-per-click (CPC) rising by 9%, according to Tinuiti’s Q4 2023 Digital Ads Benchmark Report.

The rise in ad spend and growing confidence in paid media suggest advertisers adapted to challenges in 2023, leveraging mobile and emerging platforms like PMax to drive performance.

However by April, despite CPCs being up, spend was plateauing as advertisers were seeing a decline in clicks.

5. Google exposes competitor data

Advertisers are used to the odd Google Ads reporting glitch here and there, however in August, a unique one happened where competitor data was exposed.

Advertisers were unable to manage campaigns or access critical performance data. Additionally, a serious data breach has exposed unrelated item IDs, product titles, and Merchant Center information, potentially revealing competitors’ sensitive information.

It took a week for the issue to be fully resolved.

4. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) adds new dimensions

In February, GA4 introduced eight new dimensions to enhance tracking and analysis of paid and organic traffic sources. With new dimensions like Manual source, Manual medium, Manual Campaign and more, these dimensions provide deeper insights into user behavior and performance across channels.

3. Google Ads discrepancies

In July, advertiser Brais Calvo Vázquez’s discovered that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) includes a hidden report that allows users to compare conversion data exported to Google Ads, helping to identify and explain discrepancies between the two platforms.

This tool, accessible by appending “/advertising/key-event-differences” to a GA4 property URL, provides advertisers with insights to improve campaign accuracy and performance.

Some users have had access to this report for over a year, indicating it may have been in extended testing. Google made no comment to this discovery.

2. Search Partner Update

February Google announced introducing greater advertiser control over ad placements within its Search Partner Network (SPN). Starting March 4, advertisers using Performance Max (PMax) campaigns will gain access to impression-level reporting for SPN sites. Additionally, exclusions applied at the account level will extend to SPN placements, YouTube, and display ads.

The changes aim to provide advertisers with enhanced transparency and control, allowing them to safeguard their brand reputation. The SPN includes websites and apps that display search ads, extending beyond Google’s main properties like YouTube and Google Discover.

1. Third Party Cookies

There had been back and forth about third party cookies for years now and whether to deprecate it and in 2024, Google had high hopes of going ahead with doing getting rid of it. However, their hopes were dashed almost as soon as they started their tests.

In January the report was Google started phasing out third party cookies. They were axing cookies from 1% of browser traffic, and the speculation at that stage was that they would phase out third-party cookies by the second half of 2024 as a crucial move in its Privacy Sandbox initiative.

In February due to concerns raised by UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, Google were stopped in their tracks form going ahead with the third party deprecation until concerns around its proposed Privacy Sandbox changes were sufficiently appeased. According to Google’s documentation:

  • “The Privacy Sandbox initiative aims to create technologies that both protect people’s privacy online and give companies and developers tools to build thriving digital businesses.”

However CMA had lots (39 and counting) of concerns, the three key ones being:

  • Google would still benefit from user data whilst competitors would be limited form this data,
  • That they will show favoritism towards their ad tech,
  • Publishers and advertisers won’t able to detect fraudulent activity.

In April the deadline for third party cookie deprecation moved from end of 2024 to 2025, conceding to the concerns the CMA raised in February. The had put evidence together that they were still doing the right by the industry and wanted to give the CMA enough time go over all the documentation they had provided.

Later that same month the concerns increased to 111 with the primary concern now being that Google will become too dominant in the market if their Privacy Sandbox solution went ahead.

After a couple of months of silence, the final decision came – Google scraps plans to kill third-party cookies in Chrome. The new promise is to introduce a new experience in Chrome whilst the Privacy Sandbox AMI will continue to be developed for alternative solutions.

That is a wrap on 2024. Several major talking points there, unsurprisingly mostly focused around Google there. What do we think 2025 will bring us? I reckon a lot more AI updates and experts truly needing to different themselves from those who just use AI as their selling point. It would also be interesting to see whether the Google we know now will have all its brands still intact by this time next year.

Google ads rolls out Brand Report for enhanced advertiser insights

Top 10 Google Ads mistakes to avoid in 2025

Google Ads introduced Brand Report, a new dashboard tool that gives advertisers consolidated insights into reach and frequency across campaigns.

The tool simplifies how brand advertisers track campaign performance by providing deduplicated metrics in one place, rather than scattered across multiple reports.

The details. Brand Report consolidates data from multiple tools, streamlining analysis of KPIs and demographic performance.

  • Advertisers can filter results by age, gender, and other on-target demographics.
  • Accessible directly in the Google Ads dashboard under “Insights and reports.”

Why we care. This update is significant because it finally solves the headache of piecing together reach and frequency data from multiple places.

By providing deduplicated metrics in one dashboard, you can now easily see who they’re actually reaching across campaigns, spot where they’re overspending on the same audiences, and make faster, smarter decisions about their brand advertising investments.

Key requirements:

  • Available at the single account level (no multi-account or MCC support).
  • Metrics cover a max of 92 days and up to 10,000 campaigns.
  • Requires 10,000+ impressions per campaign for data to populate.
  • Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns are excluded.

What’s next. You should now look out for when other campaign types, like Search, Performance Max and Shopping, will be included in the reports.

Developing A Chatbot Using Microsoft’s Bot Framework, LUIS And Node.js (Part 1)






 



 


This tutorial gives you hands-on access to my journey of creating a digital assistant capable of connecting with any system via a RESTful API to perform various tasks.

Developing A Chatbot Using Microsoft Bot Framework, LUIS And Node.js (Part 1)

Here, I’ll be demonstrating how to save a user’s basic information and create a new project on their behalf via natural language processing (NLP).

The post Developing A Chatbot Using Microsoft’s Bot Framework, LUIS And Node.js (Part 1) appeared first on Smashing Magazine.

Source: Smashing Magazine, Developing A Chatbot Using Microsoft’s Bot Framework, LUIS And Node.js (Part 1)