How to build search visibility before demand exists

/0 Comments/in , /by
How to build search visibility before demand exists

Discovery now happens before search demand is visible in Google.

In 2026, interest forms across social feeds, communities, and AI-generated answers – long before it shows up as keyword search volume. 

By the time demand appears in SEO tools, the opportunity to shape how a concept is understood has already passed.

This creates a problem for how search marketing research is typically done. 

Keyword tools, search volume, and Google Trends are lagging indicators. 

They reveal what people cared about yesterday, not what they are starting to explore now. 

In a landscape shaped by AI Overviews, social SERPs, and shrinking organic real estate, arriving late means competing inside narratives already defined by someone else.

Exploding Topics sits upstream of this shift. 

It helps surface emerging themes, behaviors, and conversations while they are still forming – before they harden into keywords, content clusters, and product categories. 

Used properly, it is not just a trend tool. It is a way to plan SEO, content, digital PR, and social-led search proactively.

This article breaks down how to use Exploding Topics to identify future entities, validate them through social search, and build search visibility before demand peaks.

Use Exploding Topics Trend Analytics to identify future entities – not just topics

Most marketers who use Exploding Topics already understand its value for content ideation, and we will cover that. 

But its bigger opportunity is identifying future entities – concepts that search engines and AI systems will soon recognize as distinct “things,” not just keyword variations.

This matters because modern search no longer operates purely on keywords. 

Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and other LLM-powered systems organize information around entities and relationships. 

Once an entity is established, the narrative around it hardens. 

Arrive late, and you are competing inside a story that has already been defined. 

Exploding Topics gives you visibility early enough to act before that happens.

Example: Weighted sleep masks

In Exploding Topics, you might notice “weighted sleep mask” rising steadily. 

Search volume remains low, and most keyword tools understate its importance. 

At a glance, it looks like a niche product trend that is easy to ignore.

Look closer, and the signals are stronger:

  • The phrase is consistent and repeatable.
  • Adjacent topics are rising alongside it, including deep pressure sleep, anxiety sleep tools, and vagus nerve stimulation.
  • Questions that signal intent are increasing.
  • Early discussion focuses on understanding the concept, not just buying a product.

This is the point where something shifts from being a product with an adjective to a named solution. In other words, it is becoming an entity.

The traditional play

Most brands wait until:

  • Search demand becomes obvious, acting in December 2025 rather than July 2025.
  • Competitors launch dedicated product pages.
  • Affiliates and publishers surface “best” and “vs.” content.

Only then do they create:

  • A category page.
  • A “What is a weighted sleep mask?” article or social-search activation.
  • SEO content designed to chase presence, such as FAQs, SERP features, and rankings.

By this point, the entity already exists, and the story around it has largely been written by someone else. 

In this case, NodPod is clearly dominating the entity.

Acting earlier, while the entity is forming

Using Exploding Topics well means acting earlier, while the entity is still being defined. Instead of starting with a product page, you:

  • Publish a clear, authoritative explanation of what a weighted sleep mask is.
  • Explain why deep pressure can help with sleep and anxiety.
  • Address who it is for – and who it is not.
  • Create supporting content that adds context, such as comparisons with weighted blankets or safety considerations.

This work can be done quickly and at scale through reactive PR and social search activations. 

You are not optimizing for keywords yet. 

You are teaching social algorithms, search engines, and AI systems what the concept means and associating your brand with that explanation from the start.

This is how brands can win at search in 2026 and beyond. 

This early, proactive approach:

  • Helps search systems understand new concepts faster.
  • Increases the chance your framing is reused in AI-generated answers.
  • Positions your brand as the authority on the entity – not just a seller within the conversation.

Dig deeper: Beyond Google: How to put a total search strategy together

Validate emerging entities through social search

Identifying an emerging entity is only the first step. 

The real risk is not being early to a conversation. It is being early to something that never takes off.

This is where many SEO teams stall. 

They wait for search volume and arrive too late, publish on instinct and hope demand follows, or freeze under uncertainty and do nothing.

There is a better middle ground: validate emerging entities through social search research and activation tests before scaling them into owned SEO and on-site experiences.

Exploding Topics is straightforward. It shows what might matter. Social platforms tell you whether your audience actually cares.

How social search becomes your validation layer

Once Exploding Topics surfaces a potential emerging entity, the next step is not Keyword Planner. 

It is native search across platforms such as TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube, using either built-in trend tools or basic platform search.

You are looking for signals like:

  • Multiple creators independently explaining the same concept.
  • Comment sections filled with questions such as “Does this actually work?” or “Is this safe?”.
  • Repeated framing, metaphors, or demonstrations.
  • Early how-to or comparison content, even if production quality is low.

These signals point to intent. 

Curiosity is turning into understanding. 

Historically, this phase has always preceded measurable search demand.

Revisiting the weighted sleep mask example

After spotting “weighted sleep mask” in Exploding Topics, you might search for it on TikTok.

What you want to see is a lack of heavy brand advertising. 

Mature ecommerce pushes or TikTok Shop funnels suggest the market is already established. 

Instead, look for creators – not brand channels – testing products, discussing solutions, and exploring the underlying problem.

  • Focus on videos that explain pains, needs, and motivations, such as why pressure may help with anxiety. 
  • Check the comments for comparisons to other solutions. 
  • Look for questions raised in videos and comment threads.

Tools like Buzzabout.AI can help do this at scale through topic analysis and AI-assisted research.

These signals answer two critical questions:

  • Are people actively trying to understand this concept?
  • What language, framing, and objections are forming before SEO data exists?

That is validation.

Rethinking how SEO strategy gets built

This is where search strategy shifts. 

Instead of asking, “Is there enough volume to justify content creation?” the better question is, “Is there enough curiosity to justify building authority early?”

If social signals are weak:

  • Pause.
  • De-risk by testing with creators outside your owned channels.
  • Avoid heavy investment in content that takes months to rank.

If signals are strong:

  • Scale with confidence.
  • Work with creators and activate brand channels.
  • Invest in entity pages, hubs, FAQs, comparisons, and PLP optimization.

In this model, fast-moving social platforms become the testing layer.

SEO is not the experiment, it’is the compounding layer.

Dig deeper: Social and UGC: The trust engines powering search everywhere

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.

See terms.

Editorial digital PR that earns links and LLM citations

Most digital PR still works backward.

  • A trend reaches mainstream awareness.
  • Journalists write about it.
  • Brands scramble to comment.
  • PR teams try to extract links from a story that already exists. 

The result is short-term coverage, diluted impact, and little lasting search advantage.

Exploding Topics makes it possible to reverse that dynamic by surfacing editorial narratives before they are obvious and positioning your brand as one of the sources that helps define them.

In 2026, this matters more than ever. 

Links still matter, but they are no longer the only outcome that counts. 

Brand mentions, explanations, and citations increasingly feed the systems behind AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other LLM-driven discovery experiences.

Why early narratives outperform reactive PR

When a topic is everywhere, journalists are aggregating. When a topic is emerging, they are still asking questions.

Exploding Topics surfaces concepts at the stage where:

  • There is no consensus narrative.
  • Definitions are inconsistent.
  • Journalists are looking for clarity, not quotes.
  • “What is this?” stories have not yet been written.

This is the point where brands can move from commenting on a conversation to shaping it.

From trend-jacker to narrative owner

Instead of pitching “our brand’s take on X,” you lead with early signals you are seeing, why a concept is emerging now, and what it suggests about consumer behavior or the market.

The difference is subtle but important.

You are no longer reacting to coverage that already exists. 

You are creating the framing that journalists, publishers, and, eventually, AI systems reuse. 

LLMs do not learn from rankings alone. 

They learn from editorial context, repeated explanations, and how trusted publications describe and define emerging concepts over time.

Done consistently, this approach compounds. 

As your brand becomes associated with spotting and explaining emerging narratives early, you move from reactive commentary to trusted source. 

Journalists begin to recognize where useful insight comes from, and that trust carries into more established coverage later on. You are no longer pitching for inclusion. 

Your perspective is actively sought out.

The result is early narrative ownership and stronger access when mainstream coverage follows.

An editorial window before mainstream coverage

Before “weighted sleep mask” became a crowded ecommerce term in early 2025, there was a clear editorial window.

Journalists had not yet published stories asking:

  • “What is a weighted sleep mask?”
  • “Are weighted sleep masks safe?”
  • “Do they actually work for anxiety?” 

That was the opportunity.

A PR-led approach at this stage includes:

  • Supplying journalists with expert explanations of deep pressure and sleep.
  • Sharing early insight into why the product category is emerging.
  • Contextualizing it alongside weighted blankets and other anxiety tools.

The result is not just coverage. It connects PR to search, curiosity, and discovery by helping define the concept itself. 

That earns links, builds brand mentions, and signals authority around emerging entities that LLMs are more likely to cite and summarize over time.

Dig deeper: Why PR is becoming more essential for AI search visibility

Content roadmaps and briefs that don’t rely on search volume

Search volume is a poor starting point for content briefing.

It reflects interest only after a topic is established, language has stabilized, and the SERP is already crowded. 

Used as a primary input, it pushes teams to chase demand instead of building authority. 

That is why so many brands end up rewriting the same “What is X?” post year after year.

Better briefs start upstream. 

They use Exploding Topics to spot what is forming and social search to understand how people are trying to make sense of it.

Reframing the briefing process

The core shift is moving away from briefs built around keywords and volumes and toward briefs built around audience intent.

That means focusing on three things:

  • Problems people are beginning to articulate.
  • Concepts that are not yet clearly defined or are actively debated.
  • Language that is inconsistent, emotional, or exploratory.

When content is approached this way, the objective changes. 

It is no longer “create X to rank for Y.” 

It becomes “explain X so the audience does not experience Y.” 

That shift matters.

Designing content that compounds instead of expiring

The goal for SEO content teams in 2026 and beyond should be to brief content that defines a concept clearly. That includes:

  • Connecting it to adjacent ideas.
  • Comparing it to established solutions.
  • Answering questions within conversations that are still forming.

This does not always require written content. 

The same work can happen through social search activations or digital PR.

Approached this way, content grows into demand rather than chasing it.

Instead of being rewritten every time search volume changes, it evolves through updates, expansion, and, where possible, stronger internal linking. 

As interest grows, the content does not need replacing. It needs refining. 

This is the type of material AI and LLMs tend to reference – timely, clear, explanatory, and grounded in real questions.

Publication isn’t the end

Publishing and waiting for content to rank is no longer the end of the brief.

Teams need a clear plan for distribution and reuse.

For emerging topics, that means contributing insight in relevant Reddit threads, Discord communities, niche forums, and creator comment sections. 

Not to drop links, but to answer questions, share explanations, and test framing in public. 

Those conversations feed back into the content itself, improving clarity and increasing the likelihood that your explanation is the one others repeat.

With a social search activation approach, brands can scale messaging quickly by working with partners who interpret and distribute the brief in their own voice. 

When this works, SEO content stops being static and starts acting like a living reference point – one that contributes to culture and builds lasting brand recognition.

Dig deeper: Beyond SERP visibility: 7 success criteria for organic search in 2026

Where this leaves SEO in 2026

Search demand does not appear fully formed. 

It develops across social platforms, communities, and AI-driven discovery long before it registers as keyword volume.

  • Exploding Topics helps surface what is emerging. 
  • Social search shows whether people are trying to understand it. 
  • Digital PR shapes how those ideas are defined and cited. 
  • SEO compounds that work by reinforcing narratives that are already taking shape, rather than trying to test or invent them after the fact.

In this model, SEO is the layer that turns early insight and clear explanation into durable visibility across Google, social platforms, and AI-generated answers.

Search no longer starts on Google. The teams that act on that reality will influence what people search for next.

Read more at Read More

How to Do B2B Keyword Research Using Ubersuggest

/0 Comments/in /by

When targeting businesses vs. customers with your SEO tactics, there are different formulas that come into play.

But the answer is always the same: “Content matters.”

This is especially true in the world of B2B, where conversions tend to take longer to occur, and customers typically have a deeper understanding of their specific niche.

The right keywords mean people can find you when searching for products and services like yours. And, in the modern marketplace, it’s all about personalization.

Choosing keywords worth targeting, meaning ones that will actually lead to conversions, means matching your research to your target audience. Gone are the days where you can simply focus on target keywords for a given industry. You need to get clear on who your ideal customer is (a customer persona is the best way), work backwards from there, and conduct your keyword research accordingly.

Let’s see how you can use it to supercharge the conversions in your business.

Key Takeaways

  • Intent beats volume in B2B. Long-tail, comparison, integration, and pain-point keywords bring the highest-quality traffic because they mirror how real buyers evaluate solutions.
  • Your best keywords come from conversations, not tools. Sales teams and customers surface language and questions that keyword tools can’t predict.
  • B2B funnels require keyword mapping. TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU terms attract different stakeholders at different readiness levels. If you skip a stage, you break your pipeline.
  • Clusters win in B2B SEO. Organizing keywords into pillars and supporting clusters builds authority and guides buyers naturally through research and evaluation.
  • Keyword lists are only valuable when activated. Use them for on-page optimization, schema, content hubs, repurposed formats, and now LLMO to appear in AI-generated answers.

B2B vs B2C Keyword Research

With both B2B and B2C keyword research, your ideal user or customer should be at the center of what you do.

With B2B marketing, you focus on various decision-makers, like a team lead, manager, or even the CEO. These keywords are typically lower volume, but are higher value when you rank well for them.

With B2C marketing, the only decision-maker you’re worried about is the customer. Your marketing should be geared directly towards them, which makes understanding your target audience even more important. 

One of the challenges with B2B marketing is the sales cycle. Business-to-business conversions generally take longer than B2C. There’s a big difference between someone buying a pair of socks versus investing in a software suite for a whole company.

There are some parallels, but by and large, B2B buyers have different behavior. This is where accurate intent mapping comes into play. Understanding which keywords are ranking is only half the battle. Matching the intent behind the search for each query gives a much clearer picture of what will move your target customers further along their buyer journey, ultimately leading to a conversion. 

The good news is that in some ways, your best practices stay the same.

Know your product, then move to understand your market and competition to build the best B2B keyword list.

B2B keyword research helps you win over the decision-makers at hand, but this can be tricky.

There’s a different drive to the transaction. You need to take a different approach to earn their buyer intent.

To address their unique needs, you need to demonstrate your expertise not only in the niche but also in the specific pain points within that niche. That means picking the right keywords for your content and pages. To inspire your B2B keyword research, ask yourself:

  • What kind of businesses am I targeting? How big are their teams? Are they in industries I can flourish in?
  • Am I trying to reach businesses at the executive, manager, or employee level?
  • Of the decision-makers I’m targeting, what challenges are they up against? How is their current system failing them?

If you don’t keep these questions in mind during your keyword research, you’ll have a tough time reaching your B2B SEO goals.

Taking the time to get it right is critical to long-term growth.

What Makes the B2B Buyer Journey Unique (and how it impacts keywords)

B2B buyers don’t search like consumers. They ask more questions and involve more decision-makers. That means your keyword strategy needs to map to every stage of the funnel, because each stage comes with its own unique intent.

At the top of the funnel (TOFU), people are looking to understand the problem. Think keywords like “what is lead nurturing” or “how to qualify B2B leads.”

In the middle (MOFU), they’re evaluating options. That’s where terms like “best B2B CRM platforms” or “HubSpot vs. Salesforce” show up.

At the bottom (BOFU), they’re ready to buy. They’ll search for things like “HubSpot onboarding consultant” or “best CRM for B2B SaaS.”

If you skip a stage, you risk confusing or losing your audience. Match your keywords to where buyers actually are, not where you hope they are.

How To Find High-Intent B2B Keywords That Actually Convert

To drive real leads, you need more than traffic. Here’s how to find keywords that match intent and move B2B buyers toward a decision.

Step 1. Interview Your Sales Team and Customers

If you want high-intent keywords, talk to the people on the front lines.

Your sales team knows exactly what questions prospects ask before they buy. They hear the same objections, pain points, and decision criteria repeatedly. That language? It’s keyword fuel. Ask them: What are the top questions you hear? What phrases come up in discovery calls? What signals buying intent?

Then talk to a few current customers. Ask what they Googled before they found you. What words did they use to describe their problem? Why did they choose you over a competitor?

These conversations don’t have to be formal. A quick 15-minute chat can uncover terms your audience actually uses that your keyword tool might miss.

Log every phrase, question, and pain point. You’ll use them later to validate topics and shape content that speaks directly to your buyer’s intent.

Step 2. Use Tools To Expand Your Keyword Set

Once you’ve got seed terms from sales and customers, plug them into keyword tools to scale.

Start with Ubersuggest or Semrush to find related phrases, autocomplete suggestions, and questions your audience is already searching for. 

AnswerThePublic is great for uncovering long-tail keywords phrased as real questions—perfect for B2B blog content and landing pages.

Focus on commercial-intent keywords, terms that suggest the searcher is in buying mode. Look for modifiers like “best,” “vs,” “top,” or “software for [industry].”

Don’t just chase volume. Check keyword difficulty to make sure you can rank, and look at CPC (cost per click) to gauge how valuable a keyword is to advertisers. High CPC usually means it’s converting for someone.

This is where you turn insights into opportunity. The right tools help you see the full landscape and find the gaps your competitors missed.

Step 3. Spy on Competitors (Especially in Niche B2B)

If your competitors are already ranking, reverse-engineer what’s working for them.

Tools like Semrush and Ahrefs let you plug in a competitor’s domain and see the exact keywords they rank for, along with positions, search volume, and traffic estimates. This gives you a fast snapshot of what’s driving their visibility.

Look for content gaps. Are there high-value keywords they missed? Are there topics they cover that you could go deeper on, with more data, better examples, or stronger CTAs?

In niche B2B markets, you won’t find millions of searches—but that’s the point. The right long-tail keyword with even 100 searches a month could drive qualified leads if the intent is strong and the competition is low.

Don’t copy what they’ve done. Use it as a launchpad. Then build something more useful, more specific, and more aligned with your buyer’s needs.

Step 4. Analyze Intent, Not Just Volume

In B2B, high search volume doesn’t always mean high value.

A keyword like “lead generation” might pull in thousands of searches, but it’s broad and packed with top-of-funnel traffic. Instead, go after long-tail keywords that signal real buying intent.

Look for terms like:

  • “SOC 2 vs ISO 27001” – These comparison searches show the buyer is actively evaluating solutions.
  • “Lead scoring software for SaaS” – This one’s specific, solution-aware, and vertical-focused. A perfect match for bottom-of-funnel content.

Intent > volume. That’s the rule.

Use keyword tools to filter by modifiers like “vs,” “best,” “alternatives,” or “[industry] software.” These often have lower volume, but they attract leads who are closer to buying and more likely to convert.

Build your keyword strategy around relevance and readiness, not raw traffic. That’s how you attract the right people at the right time.

Step 5. Group Keywords Into Pillars and Clusters

Don’t just build a list, build a structure.

Once you’ve nailed down your keyword set, organize it into pillars and clusters. A pillar page targets a broad, high-value topic like “email marketing software.” Around it, you build supporting content, think clusters like “email automation for B2B,” “lead nurturing workflows,” and “best B2B email sequences.”

This approach does two things:

  1. It strengthens your SEO by signaling topical authority.
  2. It aligns with the B2B buyer journey, letting prospects go deeper as they move from problem-aware to solution-ready.

Each cluster targets a long-tail, intent-driven keyword and links back to the pillar. The result? Better rankings and clearer paths to conversion.

Use tools like Ubersuggest or SEMrush’s keyword grouping to speed this up. Just make sure every piece has a purpose in your funnel.

B2B Keyword Types You Should Actually Focus On

Not all keywords are created equal, especially in B2B. Some attract the right audience, move them through the funnel, and convert. Others just bring “fluff traffic” that never turns into leads.

Here are the four keyword types that consistently deliver in B2B:

Comparisons

These are high-intent gold. When someone searches “HubSpot vs Salesforce” or “SOC 2 vs ISO 27001,” they’re in evaluation mode. They’re comparing options and looking for a clear winner.

Create content that breaks down the pros and cons honestly. Side-by-side features, pricing, integrations, and who it’s best for. This is where trust gets built and decisions get made.

Integrations

In B2B, tools rarely stand alone. That’s why keywords like “Slack integration with project management software” or “CRM that integrates with QuickBooks” pull in traffic that’s ready to act.

These searches signal product fit and technical alignment—key for conversion. If your product integrates with other tools, optimize for those terms.

Use-Case Specific

Broad keywords miss the mark. “Lead scoring software” is nice, but “lead scoring software for SaaS” is better. Even better? “lead scoring software for early-stage B2B SaaS.”

The more specific the use case, the higher the intent. Create content that addresses your audience’s specific needs and concerns.

Pain Point Phrases

These are often phrased as questions: “How to reduce churn in B2B SaaS” or “Why aren’t my sales qualified leads converting?” These aren’t just TOFU, they’re strong entry points for solution-aware buyers.

Targeting these keywords helps you show up early in the journey and guide buyers toward your solution.

What to Do After You Have Your Keywords?

Now what?

You know your keyword opportunities. It’s time to put them to work.

Use them to make on-page optimizations in the meta description or body copy.

In addition, by implementing keywords appropriately in areas such as schema markup like FAQs or price listings for e-commerce, you can both have a more optimized and useful listing. Use Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic to pinpoint the questions your target decision-makers may have. (Hint: They’re already searching for them, and these tools will show you what they are.)

As far as working more B2B SEO keywords into your content, make sure the content is directly related to your existing target B2B keywords.

Another quick way to optimize for your target keywords is to structure your internal links in a way that creates content hubs on your site for pieces relevant to your B2B content strategy.

Below you can see Zapier’s Remote Work Guide as a content hub touchpoint example. This page acts as a content hub, with many “spokes” out to different resources around tools and tactics for the main subject: remote work.

Today, your B2B keyword strategy is more about being the source across search, AI, and voice.

Fortunately, you can also use your keyword list to guide large language model optimization (LLMO). Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude often cite content when answering B2B queries. If your page is optimized for specific long-tail or question-based keywords, you increase the odds of being surfaced in AI-generated answers.

Using your keywords to shape new content formats is another smart move. Turn question-based terms into short-form video or slideshows. Repurposing like this builds topical authority across channels and sends strong signals back to your core site.

Finally, don’t let your keyword list sit in a spreadsheet. Plug it into your editorial calendar. Map keywords to specific goals, funnel stages, and audience segments. That’s how you turn SEO research into actual business growth.

FAQs

Does SEO work for B2B?

Yes, SEO is a valuable tactic to use to win over buyers. Good organic visibility throughout the sales funnel is a proven technique to drive growth and, in turn, increase interest.

Why is SEO important for B2B?

SEO generates valuable leads and makes it easier for potential buyers to find you. When they’re searching for products or services in relation to yours, you’re more likely to show up in their search results thanks to SEO tactics like using B2B SEO keywords. 

How do I create a B2B SEO strategy?

<

<

<

If you want a solid B2B SEO strategy, follow these quick tips:
1. Conduct B2B keyword research. (Hint: Use Ubersuggest to help you get valuable results.)
2. Understand what matters to your target decision-makers and nurture them through your sales funnel.
3. Optimize your site to target your ideal audience by updating aspects like meta descriptions and internal linking.
4. From the B2B keywords, formulate content to position yourself as the answer to your audience’s needs.
5. Promote your content and grow your audience and domain authority through backlinks.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to conduct B2B keyword research using Ubersuggest, you can unlock hidden opportunities for your brand.

Getting the lay of the land in your niche will help. From your competitor analysis on your target B2B keywords, ask yourself: Where do you stand? How can you satisfy buyers in a way that your competitors aren’t?

The goal with B2B content tactics is to position yourself as the answer decision-makers need.

Your keyword research will reveal the topics that reel in buyers, and the content you create will help secure conversions.

Folding B2B SEO keywords into your strategy is a core step in gaining the attention and influence of the brands you’re targeting.

Read more at Read More

What Is LLMs.txt? & Do You Need One?

/0 Comments/in /by

Most site owners don’t realize how much of their content large language models (LLMs) already gather. ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini pull from publicly available pages unless you tell them otherwise. That’s where LLMs.txt for SEO comes into the picture.

LLMs.txt gives you a straightforward way to tell AI crawlers how your content can be used. It doesn’t change rankings, but it adds a layer of control over model training, something that wasn’t available before.

This matters as AI-generated answers take up more real estate in search results nowadays. Your content may feed those answers unless you explicitly opt out. LLMs.txt provides clear rules for what’s allowed and what isn’t, giving you leverage in a space that has grown quickly without much input from site owners.

Whether you allow or restrict access, having LLMs.txt in place sets a baseline for managing how your content appears in AI-driven experiences.

Key Takeaways

  • LLMs.txt lets you control how AI crawlers such as GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and Google-Extended use your content for model training.
  • It functions similarly to robots.txt but focuses on AI data usage rather than traditional crawling and indexing.
  • Major LLM providers are rapidly adopting LLMs.txt, creating a clearer standard for consent.
  • Allowing access may strengthen your presence in AI-generated answers; blocking access protects proprietary material.
  • LLMs.txt doesn’t impact rankings now, but it helps define your position in emerging AI search ecosystems. 

What is LLMs.txt?

LLMs.txt is a simple text file you place at the root of your domain to signal how AI crawlers can interact with your content. If robots.txt guides search engine crawlers, LLMs.txt guides LLM crawlers. Its goal is to define whether your public content becomes part of training datasets used by models such as GPT-4, Claude, or Gemini.

LLMs.txt files.

Here’s what the file controls:

  • Access permissions for each AI crawler
  • Whether specific content can be used for training
  • How your site participates in AI-generated answers
  • Transparent documentation of your data-sharing rules

This protocol exists because AI companies gather training data at scale. Your content may already appear in datasets unless you explicitly opt out. LLMs.txt adds a consent layer that didn’t previously exist, giving you a direct way to express boundaries.

OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google introduced support for LLMs.txt in response to rising concerns around ownership and unauthorized data use. Adoption isn’t universal yet, but momentum is growing quickly as more organizations ask for clarity around AI access.

LLMs.txt isn’t replacing robots.txt because the two files handle different responsibilities. Robots.txt manages crawling for search engines, while LLMs.txt manages training permissions for AI models. Together, they help you protect your content, define visibility rules, and prepare for a future where AI-driven search continues to expand.

Why is LLMs.txt a Priority Now?

Model developers gather massive datasets, and most of that comes from publicly accessible content. When OpenAI introduced GPTBot in 2023, it also introduced a pathway for websites to opt out. Google followed with Google-Extended, allowing publishers to restrict their content from AI training. Anthropic and others soon implemented similar mechanisms.

This shift matters for one reason: your content may already be part of the AI ecosystem unless you explicitly say otherwise.

LLMs.txt is becoming a standard because site owners want clarity. Until recently, there was no formal way to express whether your content could be repurposed inside model training pipelines. Now you can define that choice with a single file.

There’s another angle to this. Generative search tools increasingly rely on trained data to produce answers. If you block AI crawlers, your content may not appear in those outputs. If you allow access, your content becomes eligible for reference in conversational responses, something closely tied to how brands approach LLM SEO strategies.

Neither approach is right for everyone. Some companies want tighter content control. Others want stronger visibility in AI-driven areas. LLMs.txt helps you set a position instead of defaulting into one.

As AI-generated search becomes more prominent, the importance of LLMS.txt grows. You can adjust your directives over time, but having the file in place keeps you in control of how your content is used today.

How LLMs.txt Works

LLMs.txt is a plain text file located at the root of your domain. AI crawlers that support the protocol read it to understand which parts of your content they can use. You set the rules, upload the file once, and update it anytime your strategy evolves.

Where it Lives

LLMs.txt must be placed at:

yoursite.com/llms.txt

This mirrors the structure of robots.txt and keeps things predictable for crawlers. Every supported AI bot checks this exact location to find your rules. It must be in the root directory to work correctly, subfolders won’t register.

Robots.txt structure.

Source

The file is intentionally public. Anyone can view it by navigating directly to the URL. This transparency allows AI companies, researchers, and compliance teams to see your stated preferences.

What You Can Control

Inside LLMs.txt, you specify allow or disallow directives for individual AI crawlers. Example:

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /

You can grant universal permissions or block everything. The file gives you fine-grained control over how your public content flows into AI training datasets.

Current LLMs That Respect It

Several major AI crawlers already check LLMs.txt automatically:

  • GPTBot (OpenAI) — supports opt-in and opt-out training rules
  • Google-Extended — used for Google’s generative AI systems
  • ClaudeBot (Anthropic) — honors site-level directives
  • CCBot (Common Crawl) — contributes to datasets used by many models
  • PerplexityBot — early adopter in 2024

Support varies across the industry, but the direction is clear: more crawlers are aligning around LLMs.txt as a standardized method for training consent.

LLMs.txt vs Robots.txt: What’s the Difference?

Robots.txt and LLMs.txt serve complementary but distinct purposes.

Robots.txt controls how traditional search engine crawlers access and index your content. Its focus is SEO: discoverability, crawl budgets, and how pages appear in search results.

Robots.txt example.

LLMs.txt, in contrast, governs how AI models may use your content for training. These directives tell model crawlers whether they can read, store, and learn from your pages.

Here’s how they differ:

  • Different crawlers: Googlebot and Bingbot follow robots.txt; GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and Google-Extended read LLMs.txt.
  • Different outcomes: Robots.txt influences rankings and indexing. LLMs.txt influences how your content appears in generative AI systems.
  • Different risks and rewards: Robots.txt affects search visibility. LLMs.txt affects brand exposure inside AI-generated answers — and your control over proprietary content.

Both files are becoming foundational as search shifts toward blended AI and traditional results. You’ll likely need each one working together as AI-driven discovery expands.

Should You Use LLMs.txt for SEO?

LLMs.txt doesn’t provide a direct ranking benefit today. Search engines don’t interpret it for SEO purposes. Still, it influences how your content participates in generative results, and that matters.

Allowing AI crawlers gives models more context to work with, improving the odds that your content appears in synthesized answers. Blocking crawlers protects proprietary or sensitive content but removes you from those AI-based touchpoints.

Your approach depends on your goals. Brands focused on reach often allow access. Brands focused on exclusivity or IP protection typically restrict it.

LLMs.txt also pairs well with thoughtful LLM optimization work. Content structured for clarity, strong signals, and contextual relevance helps models interpret your material more accurately. LLMs.txt simply defines whether they’re allowed to learn from it.

“LLMs.txt doesn’t shift rankings today, but it sets early rules for how your content interacts with AI systems. Think of it like robots.txt in its early years: small now, foundational later.” explains Anna Holmquist, Senior SEO Manager at NP Digital.

Who Actually Needs LLMs.txt?

Some websites benefit more than others from adopting LLMs.txt early.

  • Content-heavy sites
    Publishers, educators, and documentation libraries often prefer structure around how their content is reused by AI systems.
  • Brands with proprietary material
    If your revenue depends on premium reports, gated content, or specialized datasets, LLMs.txt offers a necessary layer of protection.
  • SEOs planning for AI search
    As generative results become more common, brands want control over how content feeds into those answer engines. LLMs.txt helps set boundaries while still supporting visibility.
  • Industries with compliance requirements
    Healthcare, finance, and legal organizations often need strict data-handling rules. Blocking AI crawlers becomes part of their governance approach.

LLMs.txt doesn’t lock you into a long-term decision. You can update it as AI search evolves.

How To Set Up an LLMs.txt File

Setting up an LLMs.txt file is simple. Here’s the process. If you want assistance doing this, there are tools and generators that can assist.

LLMs. txt generator in action.

Source

1. Create the File

Open a plain text editor and create a new file called llms.txt.

Add a comment at the top for clarity:

# LLMS.txt — AI crawler access rules

2. Add Bot Directives

Define which crawlers can read and train on your content. For example:

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /

You can open or close access globally:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /

or:

User-agent: *
Allow: /

3. Upload to Your Root Directory

Place the file at:

yoursite.com/llms.txt

This location is required for crawlers to detect it. Subfolders won’t work.

4. Monitor AI Crawler Activity

Check your server logs to confirm activity from:

  • GPTBot
  • ClaudeBot
  • Google-Extended
  • PerplexityBot
  • CCBot

This helps you verify whether your directives are working as expected.

AI crawler activity.

Source

FAQs

What is LLMs.txt?

It’s a file that tells AI crawlers whether they can train on your content. It’s similar to robots.txt but designed specifically for LLMs.

Does ChatGPT use LLMs.txt?

Yes. OpenAI’s GPTBot checks LLMs.txt and follows the rules you specify.

How do I create an LLMs.txt file?

Create a plain text file, add crawler rules, and upload it to your site’s root directory. Use the examples above to set your directives.

Conclusion

LLMs.txt gives publishers a way to define how their content interacts with AI training systems. As AI-generated search expands, having explicit rules helps protect your work while giving you control over how your brand appears inside model-generated answers.

This file pairs naturally with stronger LLM SEO strategies as you shape how your content is discovered in AI-driven environments. And if you’re already improving your content structure for model comprehension, LLMs.txt fits neatly beside ongoing LLM optimization efforts.

If you need help setting up LLMs.txt or planning for AI search visibility, my team at NP Digital can guide you.

Read more at Read More

AI Search for E-commerce: Optimize Product Feeds for Visibility

/0 Comments/in /by

AI is reshaping how people shop online. Search isn’t just about keywords anymore. Tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT shopping features, and Perplexity product recommendations analyze huge amounts of product data to decide what to show users. That shift means e-commerce brands need to rethink the way their product information is structured.

If you want visibility in these AI-powered shopping journeys, your product data has to be clean, complete, and enriched. AI models lean heavily on structured feeds, trusted marketplaces, and high-quality product attributes to understand exactly what you sell.

That’s why AI search for e-commerce matters right now. Brands that optimize their feeds will show up in conversational queries, comparison results, and visual search responses. Brands that don’t will struggle to appear even if they’ve done traditional SEO well.

This foundation will help you give AI systems the clarity they need to recommend your products with confidence.

Key Takeaways

  • AI search engines rely heavily on structured product feed data instead of just site content to understand and surface products.
  • Clean, complete feeds lead to higher visibility across Google Shopping, ChatGPT shopping research, Perplexity results, and other LLMs.
  • Strong titles, enriched attributes, and quality images make it easier for AI systems to match your products to real user needs.
  • Brands with clear, structured product data will outperform competitors in AI-driven shopping experiences.

How AI Search Is Reshaping Product Discovery

AI is changing the way customers find products long before they reach your website. Instead of typing traditional keywords, shoppers now describe what they want in plain language:
“lightweight waterproof hiking boots,”
“a gift for a 12-year-old who loves science,”
“a mid-century floor lamp under $150.”

AI systems interpret these natural-language queries using semantic understanding instead of exact keyword matches. That shift affects everything from Google Shopping listings to ChatGPT’s built-in shopping tools. It also impacts how AI-driven platforms rank your products when answering conversational or comparison-based queries.

Shopping resuts in ChatGPT.

Source: RetailTouchPoints

If you’ve been following the evolution of AI in e-commerce, you already know AI is moving deeper into product search, recommendation, and personalization. But behind the scenes, the link between your product data and AI visibility is tightening.

AI models rely on structured, trustworthy data sources, including product feeds, schema markup, and marketplace listings. If your feed lacks attributes or clarity, AI can’t confidently connect your product to a user’s need, even if your website is strong.

Optimizing your feed is no longer a backend task. It’s a visibility strategy.

What Is a Product Feed (and Why AI Cares About It)

A product feed is a structured data file that contains detailed information about every item you sell. It includes attributes like product title, description, brand, size, color, price, availability, GTIN, and more. Platforms such as Google Shopping, Meta, Amazon, and TikTok Shops rely on these feeds to understand your inventory and decide when to show your products.

AI systems depend on the same structure. Instead of scanning pages manually, they pull product details from feeds because the information is cleaner, more complete, and easier to interpret at scale.

If your feed includes rich attributes, AI can match your items to complex user queries. When attributes are missing or titles are vague, your products become invisible in AI-driven discovery, regardless of how strong your website content might be.

This is why optimizing product feeds is a priority for e-commerce brands right now. Clean, enriched feeds increase your visibility across AI-powered shopping experiences and visual search tools like Google Lens.

A product feed for E-commerce.

Source

Now, your product feed isn’t just for ads, but is a core input for AI search.

What AI Needs From Your Product Feed (Titles, Attributes, Images)

AI systems don’t guess what your products are, instead analyzing the data you provide. These are the elements that matter most.

Titles and Descriptions

AI models prefer natural, descriptive, human-sounding titles. Short, vague titles like “Running Shoes” don’t give AI enough context. But a title such as:

“Women’s Waterproof Trail Running Shoes – Lightweight, Breathable, Blue”

instantly signals the audience, category, and key benefits.

Descriptions should reinforce the title and add details that help AI understand use cases, materials, fit, and core value.

Avoid keyword stuffing. AI systems would likely reference sites with ambiguity less because they would have less info to understand it.

Product Attributes

AI engines rely heavily on structured attributes such as:

  • Size
  • Color
  • Material
  • Fit
  • Style
  • GTIN/MPN
  • Age range
  • Intended use

Missing attributes = missing visibility.

Attributes help AI refine products when users ask things like:
“Show me a size 8,”
“Only vegan options,”
“Something in walnut or dark wood.”

The more complete your attributes, the better your likelihood of appearing in those filtered results.

Product Images and Alt Text

AI increasingly “reads” images using vision models. Google Lens, Pinterest Lens, and multimodal AI systems analyze colors, textures, shapes, and packaging.

Clear, high-resolution images paired with alt text provide two inputs: visual interpretation and descriptive language.

Example alt text:
“Women’s waterproof trail running shoe with rubber sole, breathable mesh upper, and reinforced toe cap in blue.”

Examples of trail running shoes for women.

Visual clarity improves both AI understanding and user experience.

Steps To Optimize Product Feeds for AI Visibility

Here’s the practical workflow to upgrade your product feed for AI search visibility.

1. Audit Your Current Product Feed

Start with a complete audit using tools like Google Merchant Center, Feedonomics, or GoDataFeed. Look for:

  • Missing GTINs or invalid identifiers
  • Weak or vague product titles
  • Incomplete attributes
  • Duplicate listings
  • Mismatched availability or pricing
  • Blank fields or generic descriptions

AI search systems penalize incomplete or ambiguous data.

Google Merchant Center's interface.

Source

2. Improve Title and Description Relevance

Use a clear structure:

Brand + Category + Key Attributes + Value Proposition

Examples:

  • “Nike Men’s Running Shoes – Cushioned, Lightweight, Black”
  • “Organic Cotton Baby Pajamas – Soft, Breathable, Unisex”
  • “Mid-Century Floor Lamp – Walnut, LED Compatible, 60” Height”

Descriptions should expand on the title, adding details AI can use to match queries.

Avoid fluff. Focus on clarity.

3. Enhance Structured Attributes

Fill out every attribute you have access to, even optional ones. AI uses these to match long-tail, specific user needs.

Add custom labels for:

  • Best sellers
  • Seasonal items
  • High margin
  • Clearance
  • New arrivals

Custom labels help you manage bidding, targeting, and segmentation across Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.

Custom lables for Google Shopping campaigns.

Source

4. Optimize for Rich Results & Visual Search

Include product schema markup on all product pages, especially:

  • Product
  • Review
  • Price
  • Availability

AI search engines treat structured schema as a trust signal.

Also include descriptive alt text on all product images to support accessibility and AI interpretation.

Example results for Blue Hiking Shoes for women.

5. Set Up Feed Rules and Automations

Automate cleanup tasks such as:

  • Adding missing colors to titles
  • Appending product type or material
  • Standardizing capitalization
  • Populating missing attributes with known defaults
  • Flagging products with incomplete data

Automation keeps your feed consistent as your catalog changes.

How AI Assistants Use Product Data

AI shopping assistants are rapidly changing how customers discover and compare products. 

To generate these answers, AI systems pull from:

  • Merchant Center feeds
  • Structured schema markup
  • Marketplace listings
  • Verified product databases
  • High-quality product images
  • Trusted review sources

This creates a composite understanding of your product beyond just what your site says about it.

If you’ve explored the role of AI shopping assistants, you’ve likely seen how quickly they recommend products based on attributes like size, color, performance, ratings, and price. Those signals come directly from your feed and structured product data.

Brands with richer data sets see higher inclusion rates in:

  • Comparison lists
  • “Top choices” summaries
  • Product match queries
  • Visual search results
  • Conversational shopping recommendations
AI shopping results.

Source

AI systems don’t guess. They promote products they can understand clearly and ignore the rest.

Common Mistakes That Hurt AI Visibility

Most feed problems fall into a few categories, and each one reduces visibility in AI search engines.

1. Vague or Duplicated Titles

Titles like “Running Shoes” or “LED Lamp” provide no usable context. AI deprioritizes these compared to richer alternatives.

2. Missing Key Attributes

Many merchants skip fields like size, color, material, GTIN, or gender. AI relies heavily on these attributes when matching products to specific user requests.

3. Keyword-Stuffed or Fluffy Descriptions

Descriptions should be informative, not bloated. AI models prefer specific phrasing over repetitive keywords.

4. Inconsistent Pricing or Availability

If your feed shows “in stock” but your page says “out of stock,” AI systems flag inconsistencies and may reduce your visibility.

5. Low-Quality Images or Missing Alt Text

Visual AI models need clarity. Poor images or missing alt text make your product harder to classify.

Fixing these issues has a measurable impact on how often your products appear in AI-driven recommendations.

FAQs

What is AI e-commerce?

AI e-commerce refers to using artificial intelligence to improve product discovery, recommendations, personalization, and automation throughout the online shopping experience.

How is AI changing e-commerce?

AI is shifting product discovery toward natural-language search, visual identification, and conversational shopping assistants. Brands now need structured, enriched product data to stay visible.

How do you optimize a product feed for AI search?

Create clear titles, use complete attributes, include schema markup, strengthen product images, and use automation to maintain consistency. A detailed feed helps AI understand your products accurately.

Conclusion

Brands that invest in structured data, enriched attributes, and clear product information will outperform competitors as AI-driven shopping grows.

Feed optimization also strengthens your broader search strategy. The same structured data powering AI engines aligns with strong AI in e-commerce practices, and the same clarity helps conversational systems recommend your products more confidently.

Visibility in AI search isn’t random. It comes from data quality. And improving that data is one of the highest-impact steps an e-commerce brand can take today.

Read more at Read More

What is a redirect? Types, how to set them up, and impact on SEO 

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ever clicked a link and landed on a “Page Not Found” error? Redirects prevent that. They send visitors and search engines to the right page automatically. Redirects are crucial for both SEO and user experience. For SEO, they preserve link equity and keep your rankings intact. Additionally, it enhances the user experience, as no one likes dead ends. 

Table of contents

Key takeaways

  • A redirect automatically sends users and search engines from one URL to another, preventing errors like ‘Page Not Found.’
  • Redirects are crucial for SEO and user experience, preserving link equity and maintaining rankings.
  • Different types of redirects exist: 301 for permanent moves and 302 for temporary ones.
  • Avoid client-side redirects, such as meta refresh or JavaScript, as they can harm SEO.
  • Use Yoast SEO Premium to easily set up and manage redirects on your site.

What is a redirect? 

A redirect is a method that automatically sends users and search engines from one URL to another. For example, if you delete a page, a redirect can send visitors to a new or related page instead of a 404 error. 

How redirects work

  1. A user or search engine requests a URL (e.g., yoursite.com/page-old).
  2. The server responds with a redirect instruction.
  3. The browser or search engine follows the redirect to the new URL (e.g., yoursite.com/page-new).

Redirects can point to any URL, even on a different domain. 

Why redirects matter 

Redirects keep your website running smoothly. Without them, visitors hit dead ends, links break, and search engines get lost. They’re not just technical fixes, because they protect your traffic, preserve rankings, and make sure users land where they’re supposed to. Whether you’re moving a page, fixing a typo in a URL, or removing old content, redirects make sure that nothing gets left behind. 

When to use a redirect 

Use redirects in these scenarios: 

  1. Deleted pages: Redirect to a similar page to preserve traffic. 
  2. Domain changes: Redirect the old domain to the new one. 
  3. HTTP→HTTPS: Redirect insecure URLs to secure ones. 
  4. URL restructuring: Redirect old URLs to new ones (e.g., /blog/post → /articles/post). 
  5. Temporary changes: Use a 302 for A/B tests or maintenance pages. 

Types of redirects 

There are various types of redirects, each serving a distinct purpose. Some are permanent, some are temporary, and some you should avoid altogether. Here’s what you need to know to pick the right one. 

Not all redirects work the same way. A 301 redirect tells search engines a page has moved permanently, while a 302 redirect signals a temporary change. Client-side redirects, like meta refresh or JavaScript, exist because they’re sometimes the only option on restrictive hosting platforms or static sites, but they often create more problems than they solve. Below, we break down each type, explain when to use it, and discuss its implications for your SEO. 

Redirect types at a glance 

Redirect type  Use case  When to use  Browser impact  SEO impact  SEO risk 
301  Permanent move  Deleted pages, domain changes, HTTP→HTTPS  Cached forever  Passes (almost) all link equity  None if used correctly 
302  Temporary move  A/B testing, maintenance pages  Not cached  May not pass link equity  Can dilute SEO if used long-term 
307  Temporary move (strict)  API calls, temporary content shifts  Not cached  Search engines may ignore  High if misused 
308  Permanent move (strict)  Rare; use 301 instead  Cached forever  Passes link equity  None 
Meta Refresh  Client-side redirect  Avoid where possible  Slow, not cached  Unreliable  High (hurts UX/SEO) 
JavaScript  Client-side redirect  Avoid where possible  Slow, not cached  Unreliable  High (hurts UX/SEO) 

301 redirects: Permanent moves 

A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines that a page has moved permanently. Use it when: 

  • You delete a page and want to send visitors to a similar one.
  • You change your domain name.
  • You switch from HTTP to HTTPS.

SEO impact: 301 redirects pass virtually all link equity to the new URL. But be sure to never redirect to irrelevant pages, as this can confuse users and hurt SEO. For example, redirecting a deleted blog post about “best running shoes” to your homepage, instead of a similar post about running gear. This wastes link equity and frustrates visitors. 

Example HTTP header: 

HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently 
Location: https://example.com/new-page

302 redirects: Temporary moves 

A 302 redirect tells browsers and search engines that a move is temporary. Use it for: 

  • A/B testing different versions of a page.
  • Temporary promotions or sales pages.
  • Maintenance pages.

SEO impact: 302 redirects typically don’t pass ranking power like 301s. Google treats them as temporary, so they may not preserve SEO value. For permanent moves, always use a 301 to ensure link equity transfers smoothly. 

Examples of when to use a 301 and 302 redirect:  

Example 1: Temporary out-of-stock product (302): An online store redirects example.com/red-sneakers to example.com/blue-sneakers while red sneakers are restocked. A 302 redirect keeps the original URL alive for future use. 

Example 2: A permanent domain change (301): A company moves from old-site.com to new-site.com. A 301 redirect makes sure visitors and search engines land on the new domain while preserving SEO rankings. 

307 and 308 redirects: Strict rules 

These redirects follow HTTP rules more strictly than 301 or 302: 

  1. Same method: If a browser sends a POST request, the redirect must also use POST. 
  2. Caching: 
    • 307: Never cached (temporary). 
    • 308: Always cached (permanent). 

When to use them: 

  • 307: For temporary redirects where you must keep the same HTTP method (e.g., forms or API calls). 
  • 308: Almost never, use a 301 instead. 

For most sites: Stick with 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary). These are for specific technical cases only. 

What to know about client-side redirects:

Client-side redirects, such as meta refresh or JavaScript, execute within the browser instead of on the server. They’re rarely the right choice, but here’s why you might encounter them: 

  • Meta refresh: A HTML tag that redirects after a delay (e.g., “You’ll be redirected in 5 seconds…”).
  • JavaScript redirects: Code that changes the URL after the page loads.

Why should you avoid them? 

  • Slow: The browser must load the page first, then redirect.
  • Unreliable: Search engines may ignore them, hurting SEO.
  • Bad UX: Users see a flash of the original page before redirecting.
  • Security risks: JavaScript redirects can be exploited for phishing. 

When they’re used (despite the risks): 

  • Shared hosting with no server access. 
  • Legacy systems or static HTML sites.
  • Ad tracking or A/B testing tools.

Stick with server-side redirects (301/302) whenever possible. If you must use a client-side redirect, test it thoroughly and monitor for SEO issues. 

How redirects impact SEO 

Redirects do more than just send users to a new URL. They shape how search engines crawl, index, and rank your site. A well-planned redirect preserves traffic and rankings. A sloppy one can break both. Here’s what you need to know about their impact. 

Ranking power 

301 redirects pass most of the link equity from the old URL to the new one. This helps maintain your rankings. 302 redirects may not pass ranking power, especially if used long-term. 

Crawl budget 

Too many redirects can slow down how quickly search engines crawl your site. Avoid redirect chains (A→B→C) to save crawl budget. 

User experience 

Redirects prevent 404 errors and keep users engaged. A smooth redirect experience can reduce bounce rates. 

Common redirect mistakes 

Redirects seem simple, but small errors can cause big problems. Here are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them. 

Redirect chains 

A redirect chain happens when one URL redirects to another, which redirects to another, and so on. For example:  

  • old-page → new-page → updated-page → final-page

Why it’s bad: 

  • Slows down the user experience. 
  • Wastes crawl budget, as search engines may stop following the chain before reaching the final URL. 
  • Dilutes ranking power with each hop. 

How to fix it: 

  • Map old URLs directly to their final destination. 
  • Use tools like Screaming Frog to find and fix chains. 

Redirect loops 

A redirect loop sends users and search engines in circles. For example:  

  • page-A → page-B → page-A → page-B...

Why it’s bad: 

  • Users see an error page (e.g., “Too many redirects”). 
  • Search engines can’t access the content, so it won’t rank. 

How to fix it: 

  • Check your redirect rules for cblonflicts. 
  • Test redirects with a tool like Redirect Path (Chrome extension) or curl -v in the terminal. 

Using 302s for permanent moves 

A 302 redirect is meant for temporary changes, but many sites use it for permanent moves. For example: 

  • Redirecting old-product to new-product with a 302 and leaving it for years. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Search engines may not pass link equity to the new URL. 
  • The old URL might stay in search results longer than intended. 

How to fix it: 

  • Use a 301 for permanent moves. 
  • If you accidentally used a 302, switch it to a 301 as soon as possible. 

Redirecting to irrelevant pages 

Redirecting a page to unrelated content confuses users and search engines. For example: 

  • Redirecting a blog post about “best running shoes” to the homepage or a page about “kitchen appliances”. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Users land on content they didn’t expect, increasing bounce rates. 
  • Search engines may ignore the redirect or penalize it for being manipulative. 
  • Wastes ranking power that could have been passed to a relevant page. 

How to fix it: 

  • Always redirect to the most relevant page available. 
  • If no relevant page exists, let the old URL return a 404 or 410 error instead. 

Ignoring internal links after redirects 

After setting up a redirect, many sites forget to update internal links. For example: 

  • Redirecting old-page to new-page but keeping links to old-page in the site’s navigation or blog posts. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Internal links to the old URL force users and search engines through the redirect, slowing down the experience. 
  • Wastes crawl budget and dilutes ranking power. 

How to fix it: 

  • Update all internal links to point directly to the new URL. 
  • Use a tool like Screaming Frog to find and fix outdated links. 

Not testing redirects 

Assuming redirects work without testing can lead to surprises. For example: 

  • Setting up a redirect but not checking if it sends users to the right place. 
  • Missing errors like 404s or redirect loops. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Broken redirects frustrate users and hurt SEO. 
  • Search engines may drop pages from the index if they can’t access them. 

How to fix it: 

  • Test every redirect manually or with a tool. 
  • Check Google Search Console for crawl errors after implementing redirects. 

Redirecting everything to the homepage 

When a page is deleted, some sites redirect all traffic to the homepage. For example: 

  • Redirecting old-blog-post to example.com instead of a relevant blog post. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Confuses users who expected specific content. 
  • Search engines may see this as a “soft 404” and ignore the redirect. 
  • Wastes ranking power that could have been passed to a relevant page. 

How to fix it: 

  • Redirect to the most relevant page available. 
  • If no relevant page exists, return a 404 or 410 error. 

Forgetting to update sitemaps 

After setting up redirects, many sites forget to update their XML sitemaps. For example: 

  • Keeping the old URL in the sitemap while redirecting it to a new URL. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Sends mixed signals to search engines. 
  • Wastes crawl budget on outdated URLs. 

How to fix it: 

  • Remove old URLs from the sitemap. 
  • Add the new URLs to help search engines discover them faster. 

Using redirects for thin or duplicate content 

Some sites use redirects to hide thin or duplicate content. For example, redirecting multiple low-quality pages to a single high-quality page to “clean up” the site. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Search engines may see this as manipulative. 
  • Doesn’t address the root problem, which is low-quality content. 

How to fix it: 

  • Improve or consolidate content instead of redirecting. 
  • Use canonical tags if duplicate content is unavoidable. 

Not monitoring redirects over time 

Redirects aren’t a set-it-and-forget-it task. For example: 

  • Setting up a redirect and never checking if it’s still needed or working. 

Why it’s bad: 

  • Redirects can break over time (e.g., due to site updates or server changes). 
  • Unnecessary redirects waste crawl budget. 

How to fix it: 

  • Audit redirects regularly (e.g., every 6 months). 
  • Remove redirects that are no longer needed. 

How to set up a redirect 

Setting up redirects isn’t complicated, but the steps vary depending on your platform. Below, you’ll find straightforward instructions for the most common setups, whether you’re using WordPress, Apache, Nginx, or Cloudflare.  

Pick the method that matches your setup and follow along. If you’re unsure which to use, start with the platform you’re most comfortable with. 

WordPress (using Yoast SEO Premium) 

Yoast SEO Premium makes it easy to set up redirects, especially when you delete or move content. Here’s how to do it: 

Option 1: Manual redirects 

  1. Go to Yoast SEO → Redirects in your WordPress dashboard. 
  2. Enter the old URL (the one you want to redirect from). 
  3. Enter the new URL (the one you want to redirect to). 
  4. Select the redirect type: 
  • 301 (Permanent): For deleted or permanently moved pages. 
  • 302 (Found): For short-term changes. 
  1. Click Add Redirect. 
Manually redirecting a URL in Yoast’s redirect manager

Option 2: Automatic redirects when deleting content 

Yoast SEO can create redirects automatically when you delete a post or page. Here’s how: 

  1. Go to Posts or Pages in your WordPress dashboard. 
  2. Find the post or page you want to delete and click Trash. 
  3. Yoast SEO will show a pop-up asking what you’d like to do with the deleted content. You’ll see two options: 
    • Redirect to another URL: Enter a new URL to send visitors to. 
    • Return a 410 Content Deleted header: Inform search engines that the page is permanently deleted and should be removed from their index. 
  4. Select your preferred option and confirm. 

This feature saves time and ensures visitors land on the right page. No manual setup required. 

Need help with redirects? Try Yoast SEO Premium

No code, no hassle. Just smarter redirects and many other invaluable tools.

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

Apache (.htaccess file) 

Apache uses the .htaccess file to manage redirects. If your site runs on Apache, this is the simplest way to set them up. Add the rules below to your .htaccess file, ensuring it is located in the root directory of your site. 

Add these lines to your .htaccess file: 

# 301 Redirect 
Redirect 301 /old-page.html /new-page.html
# 302 Redirect 
Redirect 302 /temporary-page.html /new-page.html

Nginx (server config) 

Nginx handles redirects in the server configuration file. If your site runs on Nginx, add these rules to your server block and then reload the service to apply the changes. 

Add this to your server configuration: 

# 301 Redirect 
server { 
    listen 80; 
    server_name example.com; 
    return 301 https://example.com$request_uri; 
}
# 302 Redirect 
server { 
    listen 80; 
    server_name example.com; 
    location = /old-page { 
        return 302 /new-page; 
    } 
}

Cloudflare (page rules) 

Cloudflare allows you to set up redirects without modifying server files. Create a page rule to forward traffic from one URL to another, without requiring any coding. Simply enter the old and new URLs, select the redirect type, and click Save. 

  1. Go to Rules → Page Rules. 
  2. Enter the old URL (e.g., example.com/old-page). 
  3. Select Forwarding URL and choose 301 or 302. 
  4. Enter the new URL (e.g., https://example.com/new-page). 

Troubleshooting redirects 

Redirects don’t always work as expected. A typo, a cached page, or a conflicting rule can break them, or worse, create loops that frustrate users and search engines. Below are the most common issues and how to fix them.  

If something’s not working, start with the basics: check for errors, test thoroughly, and clear your cache. The solutions are usually simpler than they seem. 

Why isn’t my redirect working? 

  • Check for typos: Ensure the URLs are correct. 
  • Clear your cache: Browsers cache 301 redirects aggressively. 
  • Test with curl: Run curl -v http://yoursite.com/old-url to see the HTTP headers. 

Can redirects hurt SEO? 

Yes, if you: 

  • Create redirect chains (A→B→C) 
  • Use 302s for permanent moves 
  • Redirect to irrelevant pages 

How do I find broken redirects? 

  • Use Google Search Console → Coverage report. 
  • Use Screaming Frog to crawl your site for 404s and redirects. 

What’s the difference between a 301 and 308 redirect? 

  • 301: Most common for permanent moves. Broad browser support. 
  • 308: Strict permanent redirect. Rarely used. Same SEO impact as 301. 

What is a proxy redirect? 

A proxy redirect keeps the URL the same in the browser but fetches content from a different location. Used for load balancing or A/B testing. Avoid for SEO, as search engines may not follow them. 

Conclusion about redirects

Redirects are a simple but powerful tool. A redirect automatically sends users and search engines from one URL to another. As a result, they keep your site running smoothly and preserve SEO value and ranking power. Remember: 

  • Use 301 redirects for permanent moves. 
  • Use 302 redirects for temporary changes. 
  • Avoid client-side redirects, such as meta refresh or JavaScript. 

Need help? Try Yoast SEO Premium’s redirect manager.  

The post What is a redirect? Types, how to set them up, and impact on SEO  appeared first on Yoast.

Read more at Read More

Micro Influencer Marketing: How Small Creators Drive Results

/0 Comments/in /by

Influencer marketing works because people trust people more than they trust brands. 

When a creator shares a product they actually use, their audience pays attention and often takes action. That’s the core of effective influencer marketing.

Micro-influencer marketing takes that idea and runs with it. 

Creators with smaller, focused followings tend to have stronger, more personal relationships with their audience. Because their content feels real, their recommendations feel trusted. 

Consequently, their engagement rates often outperform even the largest accounts.

For brands, that means efficient ad spend and high-quality interactions for your brand, making campaign testing simple. Forget buying reach for the sake of reach. You’re tapping right into tight-knit communities that already trust the creator’s voice.

This guide breaks down how to find the right micro-influencers and turn those relationships into measurable results.

Key Takeaways

  • Micro-influencer marketing works because smaller creators have tight, trusting communities that take their recommendations seriously.
  • Partnering with micro-influencers gives brands a steady stream of authentic user-generated content (UGC) that fills your content pipeline.
  • Storytelling typically beats straight product promotion. When creators share a problem and naturally introduce your brand as the solution, engagement and credibility jump.
  • Sponsored posts perform best when creators stay in their own voice. Give them a clear angle and not a script.
  • Tools like CreatorIQ, Upfluence, and Instagram’s Creator Marketplace make it easier to find micro-influencers whose audiences match your target customer.

What Are Micro-Influencers, and Why Should You Use Them?

Micro-influencers are creators with a smaller but highly focused following, usually between 10,000 and 50,000 followers. 

They sit in the sweet spot of influence. 

They’re big enough to have reach but small enough to maintain real trust. Their audience knows them in a way that feels personal and believes in their recommendations.

This is where micro-influencer marketing stands apart from traditional social media marketing and celebrity partnerships. Instead of paying for broad visibility, you’re tapping into communities built on genuine connection.

Recent data backs this up. A study from HypeAuditor shows that micro-influencers consistently outperform larger creators in:

  • Engagement rate: About four times higher than branded accounts
  • Comment quality: More real conversations, fewer bots
  • Conversion intent: Followers view them as trusted peers, not spokespeople

Our own data backs up the value of micro-influencers, too. 

In NP Digital’s analysis of 2,808 influencer campaigns, micro-influencers delivered the highest return on investment (ROI) of any tier, even though this dataset defines “micro” more broadly (1,000–100,000 followers). 

"ROI of Influencer Marketing” comparing return on investment across four influencer tiers.

The pattern is the same: Smaller, more connected creators are more than capable of outperforming larger accounts.

With micro-influencers, you’re not buying reach for vanity metrics. You’re investing in creators whose audiences take action.

Micro-influencers also bring niche expertise.

Be it fitness, skincare, gaming, parenting, or finance, they understand their community’s pain points and how to speak to them. That makes your partnership feel organic.

If you’re looking to build brand trust or reach niche audiences, micro-influencer marketing might be a better fit than chasing accounts with millions of followers.

How to Find Micro-Influencers for Your Brand

Finding the right micro-influencer matters as much as the content they create. 

You’re looking for creators whose audience matches your own. That means demographics, interests, tone, and the problems they help people solve. 

Where to begin? 

It starts with understanding your customer. Once you know who you’re trying to reach, you can identify creators who already have their attention.

Thankfully, there are several reliable platforms that turn influencer hunting into a science:

  • All-in-one powerhouses: Tools like Aspire, Upfluence, and CreatorIQ act as powerful search engines. They let you filter creators by niche, location, follower range, engagement rate, and detailed audience demographics.
  • Platform-specific: Don’t forget Instagram’s own Creator Marketplace. It’s especially valuable for campaigns tied to Reels or broader Instagram marketing efforts.

Upfluence streamlines the vetting process by showing how closely a creator matches your campaign criteria and letting you accept or reject applicants with a single click.

The Upfluence influencer application interface. The card shows a creator profile (@danishworld) with a profile photo, short bio, and three recent content thumbnails. A “98% match” badge appears in the top right, indicating strong alignment with the brand’s criteria.

(Image Source)

CreatorIQ makes discovery simple by letting you filter creators by platform, engagement rate, audience demographics, and content style so you can quickly spot micro-influencers who actually fit your brand.

The CreatorIQ discovery dashboard showing filters for finding influencers.

(Image Source)

If your audience spends time on multiple platforms, like YouTube Shorts or TikTok, try cross-platform tools like HypeAuditor or Influence.co. They let you compare creators across channels and keep your campaigns consistent. (If TikTok is part of your plan, here’s a deeper dive into TikTok marketing.)

When evaluating micro-influencers, look at more than follower count. Keep these metrics in mind, too:

  • Engagement quality: Comments, saves, and shares
  • Audience relevance: Do their followers match your target?
  • Content style: Does it align with your brand’s tone and values?
  • Consistency: Active creators deliver stronger results

After narrowing your list, reach out with a clear pitch. Be sure to leave space for creative freedom. Micro-influencer marketing works best when they can speak to their audience in their own authentic voice.

How Micro-Influencers Can Help Power Your Marketing Campaigns

Micro-influencers shine when you plug them into real campaigns vs. one-off posts. They do the heavy lifting, sparking awareness and directly driving product demand, keeping your brand in front of the right people. Their audiences trust them, and that trust moves fast. 

The next sections break down how to use that momentum.

1. Use Campaign-Specific Hashtags

Campaign-specific hashtags make it easy for micro-influencers and their audiences to rally around your brand. They give you a single thread that connects posts and user-generated content (UGC) in one place.

Start by creating a hashtag that’s simple and tied to a clear idea, not just your brand name. Then invite a group of micro-influencers to use it in their posts, Reels, and Stories as they share your product in real-life settings.

A branded hashtag can work when real people actually use it, though. 

LaCroix’s #livelacroix tag is a great example. Search it on Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll see the same pattern play out over and over again: micro-influencers showing how the product fits naturally into their routines.

Instagram’s hashtag results page for #livelacroix, showing a “For you” feed with a Meta AI summary at the top and a 3×3 grid of posts featuring LaCroix sparkling water.

On Instagram (above), the tag pulls up everything from fridge restocks to quick taste tests in the car. 

These aren’t creators with crazy big audiences, but their engagement is strong because the posts feel personal. 

Even better, the hashtag travels across platforms. Here’s what it looks like on TikTok.

TikTok search results for “Livelacroix”, displaying top videos. Thumbnails feature creators holding different LaCroix cans inside their cars, demonstrating taste tests or casual product demos.

Among those showing up in the grid is local food creator @zwhoeats (19,000 followers), who posts casual reviews and flavor rankings using the same tag. His videos pull in thousands of views because his audience trusts his take on everyday products.

TikTok creator @zwhoeats’s profile. It shows the creator’s username, 19.1K followers, and 603.5K likes. The bio highlights local food content in Fort Worth, Texas.

This is the real power of a campaign-specific hashtag. 

It gives micro-influencers a simple way to plug your brand into content they’re already making. And from it grows a discoverable trail of posts you can reshare and build upon. 

2. Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content may be the “ace in the hole” for your next micro-influencer campaign.

Rather than rely only on polished brand assets, you show real people using your product in real situations. And that’s what convinces others to try it.

Micro-influencers are perfect UGC engines. They already create content that their followers trust, so you tap into a steady stream of authentic content when you partner with them.

A great example comes from I and Love and You, the pet food brand. Its open Influencer Ambassador Program is built specifically for micro-influencers—everyday pet owners and small creators who share honest moments with their pets. 

The three steps of the “I and Love and You” influencer ambassador program. Step 1 (“Apply”) includes a photo of a woman sitting on a porch with her dog and a bag of pet food. Step 2 (“Complete Foodie Missions”) shows a cat sniffing a pouch of “I and Love and You” treats. Step 3 (“Reward”) features two dogs holding chew treats in their mouths next to a branded product bag. Each step includes a short description below the image.
Section titled “What Are the Perks?” displaying six benefit icons with short descriptions for members of the “I and Love and You” influencer ambassador program

Through this program, the brand activated hundreds of micro-influencers, generating countless posts and impressions. 

The content all looks and feels like real life, because it is. There aren’t any studio shoots, no forced scripts. As you can see from the Instagram grid below, it’s just UGC created by people their audience already trusts.

Instagram hashtag page for #iandloveandyou, showing a 3×4 grid of pet-related posts featuring cats, pet owners, and various “I and Love and You” cat food products.

This is the playbook. Collaborate with micro-influencers who already share the kind of content your customers want to see, let them create in their own style, and then amplify the best pieces. 

UGC not only builds social proof but fills your content pipeline with assets that outperform polished brand creative.

3. Create Sponsored Posts

Sponsored posts work well with micro-influencers because their audiences already trust them. 

The key is letting creators build content that fits their tone and the way their audience naturally engages.

Take this Candy Cloud example from TikTok. 

TikTok video screenshot showing a Candy Cloud barista struggling to make a skinny latte while wearing a black “Candy Cloud” T-shirt. Text on the video reads, “When you lied on your resume and someone orders a skinny latte.”

Instead of a polished product shot, the creator filmed a chaotic behind-the-counter moment with a joke about messing up a “skinny latte.” It’s tagged as a paid partnership, but the vibe is unmistakably them. 

That’s the lesson: Sponsored posts feel credible when they look like the creator’s regular content. 

Give micro-influencers room to shoot in their own style and let the authenticity do the heavy lifting. 

When you do that, sponsored posts feel like genuine recommendations instead of ads competing for attention.

4. Tell a Story With Your Promotion

Storytelling is where micro-influencer marketing really shines. 

Facts and features are forgettable. Stories, though? They stick. 

When creators show why a product fits into their life (not just what it is), people pay attention.

I learned this firsthand years ago when I was growing my blog. My posts were solid, but traffic wasn’t moving. Once I started weaving in small stories—real struggles, lessons, wins—engagement spiked and readers stayed longer. 

The content didn’t change much. But the connection did.

The same principle applies to micro-influencer marketing campaigns. Instead of asking for a straight product shot, encourage creators to wrap your brand into a moment that feels true to them. 

Maybe it’s a “day in the life,” a behind-the-scenes routine, a quick before-and-after, or a personal challenge they’re solving.

For example, the TikTok post below works because the creator, @bianca.montalvo, sets up a relatable travel problem—pricy roaming fees. She then folds Airalo, an eSIM platform, in as the natural solution, turning her tip into a simple, effective story her audience can follow.

TikTok video screenshot featuring creator Bianca Montalvo standing in front of a Paris-style street background with the text “Travel Tips From an Airline Employee – Part 11” above her.

These are chapters from the creator’s life where your product naturally fits. And because micro-influencers are already tight with their followers, that story feels authentic. 

How to Track Influencer Campaigns

Tracking your influencer marketing campaigns isn’t complicated once you know what to look for. 

Start by measuring performance on the platform itself. Instagram’s Insights, TikTok’s Analytics, and YouTube’s Creator Studio all show reach, engagement, audience demographics, and which posts actually drove action. 

These numbers help you understand which creators and formats are worth repeating.

For deeper reporting, some of the platforms we mentioned earlier—Aspire, Upfluence, and CreatorIQ—let you track creators, pull in content automatically, monitor hashtag performance, and calculate cost per engagement or cost per acquisition across campaigns. 

If you’re running a mix of organic and paid micro-influencer content, these tools give you one place to compare everything.

You should also tag your links with UTM parameters so you can see traffic and conversions inside Google Analytics. 

The goal is to track the pieces that show real impact: saves, shares, comments, website clicks, and sales. That way, you know exactly which micro-influencers are moving the needle and where to invest next.

FAQs

What is a micro-influencer?

A micro-influencer is a creator with roughly 10,000 to 50,000 followers (though it’s sometimes defined as 10,000–100,000 or in other ranges). These creators tend to have highly focused, highly engaged audiences. They’re big enough to create impact but small enough to maintain real trust with their community. 

Does micro-influencer marketing work?

Yes. Micro-influencers often outperform larger creators in engagement, conversions, and cost efficiency. Their followers view them as peers, which leads to stronger recommendations and higher intent. 

Where to find micro-influencers?

You can find micro-influencers through platforms like Aspire, Upfluence, and Instagram’s own Creator Marketplace. If your audience is active across platforms, tools like HypeAuditor can help you compare creators on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 

Conclusion

Driving more sales and landing more customers is a grind.

That’s especially true in today’s world, where every niche and subset of that niche has a competitor.

There are countless businesses, just like mine and just like yours. 

Investing in micro-influencer marketing can be a way to stand out. They get your brand in front of people who actually care.

Their audiences know them and pay attention when they recommend something.

Start small. Build a list of creators who already speak to your target customer. 

Look for strong engagement and content that aligns with your brand. Then plug them into your broader influencer marketing strategy. UGC, sponsored posts, campaign hashtags, and simple storytelling all work well at the micro level.

If you stay consistent and treat these creators like true partners, you’ll see the impact quickly.

Read more at Read More

The December 2025 edition of the SEO Update by Yoast: AI search, publisher deals & more

/0 Comments/in , /by

Missed the final SEO Update by Yoast of 2025? Our in-house principal SEOs, Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss, broke down December’s biggest search shifts, from Gemini’s integration to Google’s publisher deals, and answered your burning questions. Don’t forget to watch the replay and sign up for the next edition!

Watch the full replay below (or read on for the highlights).

2025 in a nutshell: The three biggest SEO shifts

2025 was the year AI officially took over search. Here’s what mattered most:

  1. From rankings to retrieval: AI overviews and chat interfaces made being cited more important than ranking #1.
  2. EEAT became non-negotiable: Google (and users) demanded real expertise, not just keyword-stuffed content.
  3. Publishers vs. AI: Lawsuits and deals reshaped how content is licensed and monetized.

Want the full breakdown? Our in-depth 2025 SEO recap post will be released next week. Also, hear Carolyn and Alex share their insights in the December SEO Update by Yoast on YouTube.

Key takeaways from the episode

AI search isn’t coming, because it’s already here

Action: Audit your content for retrieval (not just rankings). Use tools like Yoast’s Brand Insights AI visibility tracker to see where you’re cited in AI responses in LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Google’s publisher deals: A band-aid or the future?

  • Google struck deals with major publishers (e.g., news sites) to license content for AI training. This is to avoid lawsuits and maintain ad revenue.
  • The catch: This doesn’t solve the long-term problem. Publishers still rely on traffic, and AI overviews are siphoning clicks.

Action: If you’re in publishing, diversify traffic sources (email, social, direct). For everyone else, monitor how these deals affect your niche.

Shopify’s AI UX agent: A glimpse of the future

  • Shopify’s SimGym simulates user behavior to identify UX issues, without skewing analytics.
  • Why it matters: AI-driven CRO tools are getting smarter. If you’re not testing UX with AI, competitors will.

Action: Experiment with AI UX tools (even free ones like Hotjar’s AI insights).

Google Search Console gets smarter

  • AI-powered insights: Search Console now suggests questions to analyze your data (e.g., “Why did impressions drop for X query?”).
  • Social channel tracking: YouTube, Reddit, and other social traffic now appear in Search Console.

Action: Use these tools to spot trends before they become problems.

llms.txt: Worth the 5 minutes?

Action: Add llms.txt if you’re curious, but don’t expect miracles.

Q&A highlights

Carolyn and Alex answered live questions during the webinar. Here are the top three:

1. Should we stop using background images to improve load speed?

  • Carolyn: “Optimize them, but don’t stress. Focus on non-blocking load times. If the image is lazy-loaded and doesn’t delay interactivity, it’s fine.”
  • Alex: “Test it. If your audience cares about visuals (e.g., fashion, design), keep them. If not, simplify.”

2. Can we make big changes during a Google core update?

  • Carolyn: “Act like there’s no update. If you need to make changes, make them. Google’s updates are continuous, so they’re not a deadline.”
  • Alex: “Worst case? You’ll see fluctuations. But if your site’s broken, fix it now.”

3. FAQ pages or FAQs on every page?

  • Alex: “Both. Put unique FAQs on product/service pages. Use a central FAQ for shared questions (e.g., shipping, returns).”
  • Carolyn: “Avoid hiding answers in toggles, because AI won’t read them.”

Stay ahead in 2026

The news in this December edition of the SEO Update by Yoast proves one thing: SEO is changing faster than ever. Whether it’s AI-driven search, publisher deals, or smarter tools, the rules are being rewritten at a rapid pace.

Here’s how to keep up:

  • Join us for the next SEO Update by Yoast on January 27, 2026. We’ll dive into the latest trends and explore their implications for your strategy. Sign up now.
  • Missed the 2025 recap? Our in-depth post will be released next week; don’t forget to read it!

The post The December 2025 edition of the SEO Update by Yoast: AI search, publisher deals & more appeared first on Yoast.

Read more at Read More

Why you should use synonyms and related keywords

/0 Comments/in , /by

Search engines have become significantly more intelligent than they were in the past. You no longer need to repeat the same keyword a dozen times to be noticed. Google’s AI models, as well as large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini, now understand meaning, intent, and context. So, does that mean you don’t need to use synonyms and related keywords? Of course not, and to avoid any confusion, you should definitely. Using synonyms and related keywords isn’t just about improving your writing style. It also helps both people and search engines interpret what your page is about.

Table of contents

Key takeaways

  • Search engines now understand context, making it essential to use synonyms and related keywords for improved clarity.
  • Using synonyms enhances readability and helps both people and search engines understand the content’s meaning more effectively.
  • Tools like Yoast SEO Premium can suggest related keywords, making the writing process easier.
  • Focus on natural language rather than keyword density to enhance your SEO strategy.
  • Writing for readers and AI involves selecting word choices that create engaging and informative content.

What are synonyms and related keyphrases?

A synonym is a word that shares the same or a very similar meaning as another. For example, “fast” and “quick” are synonyms.

A related keyphrase, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily a direct synonym; it’s a word or phrase connected to the same topic. If your main keyphrase is chocolate candy, then sweets, dessert, or sugary treats could all be related keyphrases.

When you use synonyms and related keywords, you make your writing more natural to read and more informative. You also help search engines understand your topic in greater depth, which improves your chances of appearing in relevant searches.

Why variation matters for SEO and readability

Modern SEO copywriting and readability are all about helping people and search engines understand the context of your writing. When you vary your word choice and use synonyms and related keywords, you make your text more engaging for readers and clearer for algorithms.

If you’ve ever read a page that repeats the same keyword endlessly, you know how mechanical it feels. Years ago, that might have worked. Today, it can frustrate readers and even harm your SEO.

Using synonyms and related keywords also improves your readability score, a ranking factor that reflects how easy your text is to follow. When your content is varied, visitors stay longer, bounce less, and gain a better understanding of you.

How search engines and AI understand language today

Search engines rely on natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to interpret meaning. Instead of simply counting keywords, they analyze how words relate to each other in context.

That’s why a post about AI copywriting tools can appear in searches for AI content writing software. Google understands those terms belong to the same topic. This is part of semantic SEO, which involves optimizing content so that search engines can grasp its overall context rather than just individual words.

By naturally incorporating synonyms and related keywords, you help Google recognize that your content addresses a broader range of questions related to your topic.

Understanding search intent is crucial here. Once you know what users expect to find, you can use language that naturally fits their intent while still covering your main keyphrases.

Keyword density versus natural language

In early SEO, keyword density, or the percentage of times a keyword appeared in your text, was seen as a signal of relevance. But search engines have outgrown that. Today, keyword density has little to no impact on search engine rankings.

Still, using your synonyms and related keywords naturally throughout your text can help clarify context. The key is balance: write as if you’re explaining the topic to a colleague or client.

Yoast SEO’s readability and SEO guidelines highlight why tone, pacing, and sentence length are now essential parts of optimization. The goal isn’t to count words, it’s to communicate clearly.

If you remember the candy shop analogy from before, let’s look at a real-world example. If you type in ‘best candy store New York’ on Google, the results will show pages about ‘candy stores’ and ‘candy shops’. Google understands that ‘store’ and ‘shop’ are synonyms and treats them as such. 

example of a google search showing results for both candy stores and shops in new york as it is a synonym
Snippets from the search result page for the search ‘best candy store New York’

This doesn’t detract from the fact that you should still incorporate your focus keyword a few times throughout your post. After all, the focus keyword is still the word or phrase your audience was searching for. These are the words your audience uses and will expect to find in your text. That exact match remains important. However, to avoid using your keyword too many times, also known as keyword stuffing, you can use synonyms and related keywords to achieve a more natural flow of language. That way, you can rank on these keywords while keeping your text attractive and readable.

Find related keyphrases using our Semrush integration

Yoast SEO can help you find related keyphrases based on your focus keyword, saving you time and hassle. All you need to do is click the button to ‘Get related keyphrases’; you’ll find it right underneath your focus keyword in the Yoast SEO sidebar. You’ll see a list of related keywords and search trend data when you click that button.

the related keyphrases feature in yoast seo showing results related to backpack essentials
This is how the related keyphrases feature looks in Yoast SEO

As a Yoast SEO Premium or Yoast SEO for Shopify user, you can add up to five related keyphrases to your SEO analysis. This lets you optimize your text for these additional terms similarly to your focus keyphrase. As always, you’ll see our familiar feedback bullets to guide you. If you’re a Yoast SEO Free user, you can explore related keyphrases using the tool, but you won’t be able to add these to your SEO analysis.

Yoast SEO can help you balance the use of your keywords, synonyms, and related keywords by recognizing word forms in different languages. If you want to know more, you can read about the related keywords feature in Yoast SEO for WordPress and the related keywords featured in Yoast SEO for Shopify.

How often should you use synonyms and related keywords?

The use of synonyms versus the use of focus keywords is not an exact science. The most important criterion is the way readers will experience your text. So, read and re-read it. Is it engaging and easy to read? Or are you getting annoyed by the constant use of a certain term? Be critical of your writing and ask others for feedback on your text. 

As mentioned earlier, you can add your related keywords to the analysis in Yoast SEO Premium and Yoast SEO for Shopify. By adding these, the plugin can check whether you’re using them in your text. Your focus keyword remains the most important keyword, though, and that’s why the plugin is less strict in its analysis of your related keyphrases.

related keyphrases in yoast seo expand the terms you are ranking for
You can add keyphrases that are related to your focus keyphrase in Yoast SEO Premium and Yoast SEO for Shopify

You’ll also be able to add synonyms of your focus and related keywords when you use our Premium SEO analysis or Yoast SEO for Shopify. These analyses include checks to ensure you’ve used these synonyms in your text and your meta description, introduction, subheadings, or image alt text. Moreover, our keyphrase distribution check will reward you for alternately using your keyphrase and its synonyms throughout your text.

synonyms in yoast seo help expand the vocabulary in the article
You can add multiple synonyms for your focus keyphrase in Yoast SEO Premium and Yoast SEO for Shopify

Make those related keyphrases and synonyms work for you

As we mentioned earlier, Google has come a long way since its early days in the field of SEO. It can understand texts, consider related concepts and synonyms, and recognize related entities. This enables it to serve its users with the best results. And part of being the best result is ensuring your texts are easy to read. Google wants to serve readable texts.

So make sure you deliver! Consider synonyms for your keyword or keyphrase and utilize them to your advantage. Take a moment to come up with a few alternatives for your keyword. Additionally, consider topics closely related to your keyword. You’ll notice that writing a naturally flowing text becomes much easier when you don’t have to use your focus keyword in every other sentence. Using synonyms and related key phrases helps Google understand the context of your text, which increases your chances of ranking.

In conclusion

Using synonyms and related keywords isn’t about tricking algorithms. It’s about writing naturally for humans while helping machines interpret meaning. When you vary your word choice, your writing becomes clearer, richer, and more engaging. That’s what today’s search engines reward: real content that genuinely helps users and shows topical depth.

Read more: Does readability rank? On ease of reading and SEO »

The post Why you should use synonyms and related keywords appeared first on Yoast.

Read more at Read More

What Is an Influencer? A Guide to Influencer Marketing

/0 Comments/in /by

People trust the creators they follow every day. That’s why influencer marketing has become such a big part of how brands grow. 

The numbers back it up.

A staggering 92 percent of consumers trust recommendations from influencers more than traditional ads or celebrity endorsements. 

That credibility is a big reason why influencer marketing keeps growing each year.

Brands also turn to influencers because people want authenticity. They want real voices and real experiences. They want content that feels personal. 

What happens when you combine that with the massive reach creators have on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube? You get a marketing channel that can drive awareness, traffic, and sales faster than most alternatives. That includes standard social media marketing.

In this guide, you’ll learn what influencers do, how influencer marketing works, and how to find the right partners for your brand.

Key Takeaways

  • Influencer marketing is about tapping into creators who already have trust and attention with your ideal customers. You’re not just renting their reach for a single post.
  • Every tier has a role: Mega- and macro-influencers drive reach, while mid-tier, micro-, and nano-creators tend to deliver stronger engagement and conversions.
  • Almost any business can use influencer marketing, including B2B. The key is audience fit, not brand size or industry.
  • Costs range widely by platform and tier, so treat rate charts as benchmarks. Pay for impact you can measure, not just vanity metrics.
  • Strong programs follow a process: clear goals, the right creators, tight contracts, transparent FTC-compliant disclosure, and performance tracking with links, codes, and real business metrics.

What Is Influencer Marketing

An influencer is someone who can shape opinions or buying decisions because people trust their voice. 

Social platforms made that influence accessible to almost anyone. Creators like Charli D’Amelio and Khaby Lame (pictured below) built massive audiences from scratch, while celebrities like Kylie Jenner amplify the reach they already have.

Khaby Lame posing in a Hugo Boss campaign photo, wearing a patterned sweater, blazer, and light trousers, featured in an Instagram post by BOSS with the hashtag #BeYourOwnBOSS.

Influencer marketing uses that trust to promote products or services. 

Brands work with influencers to create content that feels native to the platform:

  • Short-form videos
  • Product reviews
  • Tutorials
  • Unboxings
  • Livestreams

Some brands even build full campaign partnerships with influencers, bringing them into everything from creative planning to multi-post launches that run across several platforms.

These formats work because they blend into the creator’s everyday content instead of feeling like traditional ads.

The influencer industry keeps expanding. The global influencer marketing market topped $30 billion in 2025 and is on pace to surpass $120 billion by 2030. And brands are investing heavily, with 80 percent of them maintaining or increasing their influencer marketing budgets in 2025.

Who Can Use Influencer Marketing?

You’ll see these collaborations across every sector. Fashion, beauty, e-commerce, entertainment, you name it. Heck, even the World Health Organization used a virtual influencer to lead a COVID-19 prevention campaign. 

Close to 90 percent of companies with more than 100 employees planned to use influencers in 2025, showing just how mainstream influencer marketing has become.

On the B2C side, creators drive real traction for e-commerce, food and beverage, fitness, home décor, travel, and entertainment. These industries benefit from how visual and fast-moving platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are.

But the biggest shift is in B2B. 

Experts, analysts, and technical creators now build large followings on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube by teaching complex topics in simple ways. Brands tap these voices to explain products, review tools, share workflows, or demonstrate use cases. And it works because the creator already has trust and credibility with the exact audience you want.

If your customers spend time online (and they do), there’s an influencer with reach in your category.

Why Is Influencer Marketing Important?

Influencer marketing matters because people trust other people more than they trust brands. Your brand becomes more enticing and trustworthy just by association.

It makes sense if you think about it, particularly in a world where AI-generated content floods every corner of the internet. 

When consumers aren’t sure what’s real, they lean on creators they already follow—people who show their faces and share their processes. 

Think of it this way: You probably wouldn’t trust a person at a cocktail party who brags about themselves, trying to convince you to become their friend. But chances are you’ll believe the mutual friend who vouches for that person.

An influencer is that mutual friend.

Their credibility transfers to you. If a creator your audience respects talks about your product, it lands differently than a traditional ad or a brand-written post. It feels like a recommendation from someone they know. 

A quick walkthrough, a tutorial, or a “day in the life” clip can show how your product works far better than a polished studio ad. It helps buyers understand what you do before they ever hit your site.

Influencers also give you reach you can’t get on your own. Their communities already exist. You tap into that attention instantly, instead of building it from scratch. 

Why Is Influencer Marketing Effective?

There must be a reason so many brands are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into influencer marketing, right? Consider this staggering statistic: 94 percent of marketers say influencer marketing drives more return on investment (ROI) than traditional digital advertising. 

Bar chart titled ‘ROI of Influencer Marketing’ comparing negative ROI for celebrity and macro influencers with positive ROI for mid-size and micro influencers.

But what makes it so effective?

The unstoppable rise of social media obviously plays a part. There are now well over 5 billion social media users around the world, equating to more than two-thirds of people on Earth. On average, users spend more than two hours per day on average on social media.

Infographic titled ‘Overview of Social Media Use – October 2025,’ showing 5.66 billion social media user identities, quarterly and yearly user growth, an average of 18 hours and 36 minutes spent on social platforms per week, and 6.75 platforms used per month. Additional stats include global usage percentages and gender breakdowns.

Then there’s the person-to-person connection. 

It seems that a lot of consumers trust the opinions of influencers. In fact, research shows that a whopping 77 percent of consumers trust content from influencers over traditional ads.

There’s also a generational element to it. Younger buyers—Gen Z and millennials—tend to rely heavily on influencer guidance when making purchase decisions. In fact, Gen Z is twice as likely to trust influencers as baby boomers.

Influencers also explain products in ways people understand. A quick tutorial, demo, or “I use this every day” clip can communicate value faster than any static ad. It reduces uncertainty and helps potential customers visualize your product in their world.

What Are the Different Types of Influencers?

Influencers are typically grouped by audience size, not just by what they’re known for. Most brands work within five tiers: 

  • Mega-influencers
  • Macro-influencers
  • Mid-tier influencers
  • Micro-influencers
  • Nano-influencers

Each group brings different reach and engagement levels (price points, too, but more on that later). And each plays a unique role in a campaign.

Mega-Influencers

  • Follower count: Typically more than 1 million

Mega-influencers are some of the biggest and most popular influencers. 

Many are celebrities who became famous away from social media. Think movie stars, pop stars, sports stars, and TV personalities, like Ryan Reynolds or Kim Kardashian. 

Kim Kardashian posing in a Nike x SKIMS outfit in an Instagram post announcing the Drop 2 release.

Others are creators who built massive audiences entirely online. Think people like Khaby Lame, Addison Rae, or MrBeast, whose platforms turned them into global names.

Screenshot of MrBeast’s YouTube channel showing 453 million subscribers, a banner video titled ‘World’s Fastest Man vs Robot,’ and a row of recent uploads.

This tier works best when the goal is broad awareness. You’re paying for cultural reach, not deep engagement. That’s why they’re often used for major launches, national campaigns, product drops, or high-impact moments.

Brands need bigger budgets to work with mega-influencers, but the payoff is unmatched scale.

Macro-Influencers

  • Follower count: Typically between 100,000 and 1 million

Macro-influencers tend to be well-known creators, podcasters, YouTubers, or niche personalities. They’ve often built their fame online and not through traditional celebrity channels.

They hit a sweet spot for many brands: They offer high reach, but with more consistent engagement than mega-influencers. Their audiences tend to be more aligned with their niches, like travel, fitness, tech, gaming, beauty, and more. This gives brands stronger relevance and better targeting.

Think of creators like Taryn Truly, a body-positive fashion creator whose Instagram profile is pictured below, or Mina Le, a fashion and culture commentator. 

Taryn Truly’s Instagram profile showing her midsize fashion content.

Macro-influencers may not be household names to everyone, but they wield major influence in specific categories. Their endorsement carries real weight with fans.

This influencer tier works well for brands that want meaningful visibility without the mega-influencer price tag. They’re extra valuable for things like product launches, category education, or content series that need a consistent creator presence.

Mid-Tier Influencers

  • Follower count: Typically between 50,000 and 100,000

Mid-tier influencers are established creators who have proven they can grow and sustain an audience, but they aren’t yet operating at celebrity scale.

What makes mid-tier influencers valuable is the balance of reach and strong engagement. Their communities are still highly invested in their content, and their rates are more accessible than macro-level talent. That combination makes them ideal for performance-driven campaigns where you want conversions, affiliate sales, tutorials, or product demos that feel personal and trusted.

Maya Abdallah (wellness) is a great example of a mid-tier voice who consistently moves her audiences to action.

Maya Abdallah’s TikTok profile showing 82K followers, 1.3M likes, and a grid of recent videos.

This tier is often the “workhorse” of influencer marketing, as they’re scalable and cost-efficient.

Micro-Influencers

  • Follower count: Typically between 10,000 and 50,000 

Micro-influencers are known for having some of the most engaged communities online. Their audiences follow them for specific expertise, like fitness, wellness, tech tips, budgeting, parenting, home decor, you name it.

Because their followers trust them deeply, micro-influencers often outperform larger influencers on engagement rate and conversion rate. They’re perfect for brands that need authenticity or niche targeting.

Chart titled ‘ROI of Micro-Influencers Over Time’ showing ROI peaking around month 2 and then steadily declining over 12 months.

A strong example is creators like Jen Lauren, who built a tight-knit community around self-care and women’s fitness. Partners in wellness, boutique fitness, and online coaching spaces often see better ROI with creators like this than with larger names.

Jen Lauren’s TikTok profile showing 37.8K followers, 2.9M likes, and a grid of wellness and running videos.

Micro-influencers are especially helpful for small and mid-sized brands. They’re also a great place to start if you’re testing influencer marketing.

Nano-Influencers

  • Follower count: Typically between 1,000 and 10,000 

Nano-influencers have extremely tight, loyal communities. Their audiences know them personally or feel like they do, which can drive high engagement rates.

This group is powerful for brands that want authentic word-of-mouth or hyper-local impact. They’re great for early-stage launches or local business marketing. With nano-influencers, it’s all about campaigns where credibility matters more than massive reach.

You’ll see nano-influencers thriving in categories like beauty, food, wellness, fashion basics, small business recommendations, and travel. An example is Marc Wanderlust, a nano travel creator whose tight-knit audience trusts his quick, practical destination tips.

Marc Wanderlust’s Instagram profile showing 6,918 followers and a grid of travel photos.

Nano-influencers help brands show up in real conversations with audiences that actually care, making them one of the more cost-effective influencer tiers.

How Much Do Influencers Cost?

The short answer: It varies. Rates depend on audience size, engagement, niche, platform, and the type of content you need. 

According to Influencer Marketing Hub’s latest Influencer Rates report, typical costs break down like this:

Instagram

  • Nano: $10–$100 per post
  • Micro: $100–$500 per post
  • Mid-tier: $500–$5,000 per post
  • Macro: $5,000–$10,000 per post
  • Mega: $10,000 or more per post; could be $1 million or more for some celebrities

TikTok

  • Nano: $5–$25 per post
  • Micro: $25–$125 per post
  • Mid-tier: $125–$1,250 per post
  • Macro: $1,250–$2,500 per post (or more)
  • Mega: $2,500–$20,000 per post (or more)

Most creators work on flat-fee pricing, but affiliate commissions, usage rights, content licensing, and whitelisting can add to the cost. Product-only compensation is usually limited to nano creators and early-stage campaigns.

Influencer campaigns can reach five or six figures depending on talent and scope, so the key is paying at a level where you can realistically drive ROI.

How to Get Started With Influencer Marketing

Ready to run your first influencer campaign? Here’s a clear, practical process you can follow from start to finish.

1. Set clear goals.

Decide what you want to achieve before you reach out to anyone. Maybe that’s brand awareness, traffic, lead generation, content creation, or sales. Whatever the case, your goal determines the type of creator you work with and how you measure success.

2. Understand your audience.

Look at what your customers actually watch and follow online. Pay attention to the platforms they prefer and the types of creators they already trust. If I wanted to promote Ubersuggest, for example, I might look for SEO educators and marketing YouTubers.

3. Build a shortlist of relevant influencers.

We’ll cover this in depth below, but use influencer-discovery tools, social search, hashtags, competitor research, or even your own follower lists to find creators who already reach your target audience. Relevance beats reach every time.

4. Make your pitch.

Keep outreach simple and personal. Explain why you chose them, what you’re proposing, and what they’d get in return. Bigger creators may prefer email or agency contact; smaller creators often respond quickly to DMs.

5. Negotiate the scope and contract.

Outline deliverables, deadlines, usage rights, exclusivity, compensation, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) disclosure requirements (more on this later). A straightforward contract protects both sides and keeps the project on track.

6. Launch and measure performance.

Use trackable links, codes, or UTM parameters to see what each creator drives. Review engagement, traffic, reach, saves, comments, and sales—whatever aligns with your original goals.

Influencer marketing works best when you treat it like a repeatable process and not a one-off post. Each campaign gives you data you can use to refine the next.

How to Find Your Ideal Influencers

Once you know your goals and your audience, you can start identifying influencers who actually make sense for your brand. I like to use three simple criteria to find influencers:

  • Context: Does the creator naturally talk about topics related to your product or category?
  • Reach: Do they have enough visibility for the results you want? Bigger isn’t always better, but your goals should match their audience size.
  • Actionability: Can they inspire their followers to take action? Creators with the right niche and trust tend to perform best.

Use multiple discovery methods (not just one), and build a shortlist of creators who consistently show up in conversations your audience already cares about.

Social Media Monitoring

Brand advocates are the loudest influencers your brand can have. They’re already talking about you, and they’re reaching people who trust their recommendations.

You can find them by tuning in to your social media mentions and blog posts about your brand. Track who tags you, reviews your product, or mentions your name in posts or videos. Tools like Brandwatch, Sprout Social, Hootsuite Streams, and Mention make this easier by pulling all relevant mentions into one dashboard.

Social listening with tools like AnswerThePublic can also help you spot creators who consistently talk about your niche, even if they haven’t discovered your brand yet. For example, a skincare brand might find rising creators who frequently review moisturizers or post “routine” content that aligns with their audience.

AnswerThePublic keyword research results showing TikTok search volume for moisturizer-related terms.

Start by adding promising creators to a shortlist and tracking their engagement and niche fit.

Research Hashtags

Identify the hashtags that your target market is using. Tuning in to the conversations surrounding these hashtags won’t just show potential influencers, you can also use it to identify blog topics, too.

AnswerThePublic keyword research results showing TikTok search volume for moisturizer-related terms.

Hashtags are one of the fastest ways to find creators your audience already follows. Search for hashtags related to your niche or customer interests and not just your brand name. This is especially effective on Instagram and TikTok, where creators tag content by topic, format, or trend.

For example, if you sell running shoes, hashtags like #runnersofinstagram or #runtok will surface creators who post content your customers care about. You’ll quickly spot who gets real engagement versus who’s posting generic or low-quality content.

Scroll the TikTok grid for #runtok, and you’ll see it’s packed with running creators your audience already follows.

The TikTok hashtag page for #runtok showing a grid of running-related videos.

Once you identify potential influencers, follow them for a while. Note their engagement rate, tone and the types of products they naturally feature. 

Save strong candidates to a spreadsheet so you can compare them later.

Dedicated Influencer Platforms

Influencer platforms make discovery much easier by giving you searchable databases of creators, complete with audience insights, engagement metrics, and pricing estimates. Many also include campaign management tools.

Some of the most widely used platforms include:

  • Aspire
  • Upfluence
  • GRIN
  • Tagger
  • CreatorIQ
  • Impact.com

These tools let you filter by niche, location, platform, follower count, demographics, and brand affinity. That way, you can build a targeted shortlist in minutes instead of hours.

They’re especially useful if you want to scale your influencer program or track ROI more accurately. 

Even if you’re running a small pilot, using a platform can help you confirm whether an influencer’s audience is real and aligned with your ideal customer.

Influencers and Disclosure

Influencer marketing only works when it’s transparent. The FTC has made that crystal clear. If a creator is paid, receives free products, earns affiliate commissions, or has any kind of material connection to your brand, they must disclose it clearly and up front.

That means no buried hashtags, no vague captions, and no “implied” relationships. The FTC expects disclosures like “#ad,” “#paidpartner,” or “Sponsored by…” to appear where viewers will actually see them. They can’t be hidden at the end of a long caption or inside a collapsed list of hashtags. 

Illustration of a social media post thanking Acme for free products with hashtags #AcmePartner and #ad from the FTC document “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers.”

On video platforms, disclosures need to be spoken and written on screen, not just added in the description.

As a brand, you’re on the hook, too. Put disclosure requirements in your contracts, then actually enforce them by reviewing posts before they go live and saving copies of what was approved. That paper trail and clear labeling aren’t just to keep regulators off your back. They also signal to your audience that you’re being straight with them.

If your creator partnerships are transparent, everybody wins. That includes your customers.

FAQs

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands partner with creators who have built trust and attention with a specific audience, then collaborate on content that features the brand or product. Instead of running a traditional ad, you tap into the influencer’s relationship with their followers through things like reviews, tutorials, “day in the life” videos, or sponsored posts.

Do influencers get paid?

Yes! In fact, many influencers make a full-time living out of their social media presence. Brands pay them to promote their products or services to their followers. 

Does influencer marketing work?

Influencers have a loyal following of people who trust their opinions and recommendations. By partnering with an influencer, brands can tap into this trust and reach a wider audience than ever before. Plus, influencers often create visually appealing and engaging content that can help capture viewers’ attention.

How do you create an influencer marketing strategy?

Start with a clear goal (awareness, leads, or sales), then pick the platforms your audience actually uses. Set a budget, choose the right influencer tier, and shortlist creators who fit your niche. Agree on deliverables, timelines, and success metrics before you sign anything.

How do you track influencer marketing?

Give each creator unique links or codes, then watch what they drive—traffic, sign-ups, and sales, not just likes. Use your analytics tools to compare creators and content types. Double down on the partnerships that move real numbers and drop the ones that don’t.

Conclusion

The internet has changed, but the idea behind influencer marketing hasn’t. 

Brands still want their products in the hands of people who can shape opinions. Today, influencer marketing is simply a faster, more targeted way to do it.

You might partner with a celebrity who can put your brand in front of millions, or build a roster of micro-influencers with smaller but highly engaged communities. 

Both approaches can work when they match your goals and budget.
If you’re serious about doing this at scale, check out our guide on using ChatGPT to automate parts of the influencer marketing process.

Read more at Read More

How to Build a Brand Subreddit: Full Setup Guide (+ Examples)

/0 Comments/in /by

Creating an official brand subreddit is one of the hardest marketing spaces to get right.

Why?

Because it’s hostile ground for traditional brand messaging, with some of the internet’s snarkiest users watching every move.

But if you strike the right balance, the payoff is huge.

Just look at r/fidelityinvestments.

This brand subreddit has grown into a self-sustaining community.

Members trade tips, ask questions, and help resolve issues before the company’s reps even show up.

Brand Subreddit – Self-sustaining Community

Fidelity’s still there, keeping things on track.

But because the users trust the brand and the space, conversations flow without much hand-holding.

So how do you get there?

This guide breaks it down.

With details on when to create a brand subreddit, when to skip it, and what separates vibrant communities from ghost towns.

(Plus, tons of examples from standout company-owned subreddits.)

Shoutout to Olena Bomko, go-to-market strategist, for sharing her insights from building a brand subreddit in 2025.

Free Resource: Get the Brand Subreddit Launch Kit. It’s everything you need to confidently plan, launch, and manage your community.

Do You Need a Brand Subreddit?

For most brands, the answer is no.

But for a select few, it can become a long-term asset.

You know you’re one of them if:

  • Your customers already talk about you in at least three subreddits
  • You can engage daily without pitching
  • You’ve got a Reddit native to run your subreddit
  • You see complaints as free market research, not an insult

Brand Subreddit

Miss one, and you’ll struggle to keep your subreddit alive.

So, let’s look at each in detail.

Is Your Audience Already on Reddit?

Start by confirming whether your audience already talks about you on Reddit.

Run a quick check and look for:

  • Multiple subreddits covering your category
  • Regular mentions of your brand or competitors
  • Questions or troubleshooting threads about your product space

Use Reddit’s search bar as your starting point.

Type in your brand name, your competitors, or keywords related to your industry. Then, see what comes up.

For example, when I search “Semrush enterprise,” I find frequent mentions of Semrush in SEO subreddits.

Users debate its pros and cons, compare it with competitors, and discuss its product features.

That’s organic energy already in motion. So, a brand subreddit just gives it a home.

Related reading: Audience Research: Stop Guessing What Your Buyers Care About

Another thing:

Some product types just naturally fit Reddit’s community culture, including:

  • Technical or complex tools: SaaS, software, or tools where users want support and feature breakdowns
  • Niche ecommerce brands: Mattresses, supplements, and other high-consideration DTC products people love to compare and review
  • Finance and service tools: Banks, brokers, and budgeting apps where transparency matters
  • Gaming and entertainment: Games or media with built-in fandoms
  • Consumer tech: Gadgets and devices that need troubleshooting and setup discussions
  • News and media brands: Outlets and publishers where audiences already debate coverage and breaking stories

Product Types Perfect for a Brand Subreddit

Are You Committed to Building a Community?

If your only goal is to “control the narrative,” stop right here.

(I can already hear the Reddit mob sharpening their pitchforks.)

Yes, a brand subreddit can absolutely strengthen your reputation. But only as a byproduct of serving your community first.

Your reason for being should be to create a space where users can connect and feel heard.

For example, r/fidelityinvestments is a customer care channel with official Fidelity associates.

Reddit – r/fidelityinvestments – Customer care channel

But it’s also a community.

Where members troubleshoot for each other, share feedback, and even defend the brand when criticisms pop up.

Reddit – r/fidelityinvestments – Flairs and replies

Do You Have an Assigned Moderator?

Someone has to own your brand subreddit.

And they need to be there every day:

Sparking conversations and posting prompts. Plus, modelling the tone you want until the community naturally mirrors it.

That takes a rare mix of skills:

  • Technical familiarity with your product
  • Context across marketing, support, and PR
  • Sharp community instinct and tone awareness

Without that person, keeping your subreddit healthy will always feel like a grind.

Are You Cool with Public Scrutiny?

Even the best teams take hits on Reddit.

The question is: Can you handle it?

Because you will get complaints, and you will get called out.

Sometimes, it’s a full-blown PR storm. Like when REI’s CEO hosted an AMA and got flooded with employee complaints about wages, hours, and sales quotas.

Reddit – PR storm

Other times, it’s smaller.

Like when a Sonos marketing email revealed someone’s password.

Reddit – SONOS Revealing Password

Big or small, the spotlight’s the same.

And the internet expects one thing:

That you stand there, take it, and handle it in stride.

(To their credit, both the REI CEO and u/keithfromSonos did just that.)

Reddit – Handle the expectations

So, ask yourself:

“Do we have a team that can handle that pressure and keep the tone steady?”

If not, skip the brand subreddit rather than lose your cool in public for everyone to screenshot.

Alternatives to a Brand Subreddit

If you don’t meet the above conditions, it doesn’t mean you can’t be on Reddit.

You can still build visibility without launching an official community.

Start by getting active in existing unofficial brand-related subreddits.

GoPro, for example, doesn’t run r/gopro.

Yet, it’s one of the most vibrant product spaces on the platform.

Reddit – r/gopro product space

Another option is to create a non-branded subreddit around your niche.

For example, if you sell hiking gear, launch r/TrailTips or r/UltralightKit.

You still get visibility without the pressure of running an official branded space.

Another alternative is using your user account as your brand’s central presence.

Many media companies do this well. Like The Washington Post at u/washingtonpost/ and Drop.com at u/drop_official/.

Reddit – u/drop_official – Social links

How to Create a Company Subreddit (5 Steps)

Think a company subreddit fits your brand?

Perfect! When done right, it can deliver real results, including:

  • Deeper customer insights
  • A self-sustaining community
  • More visibility in SEO and large language models (LLMs)

“Our share of voice has definitely improved. Two months ago, Reddit Answers didn’t even mention Favikon when I searched for the best influencer marketing platforms. Now, it’s up there in Reddit’s search results.”

– Olena Bomko

Reddit Answers – Favikon mention

Ready to build yours? Let’s get into it.

Step 0: Meet the Minimum Requirements

Before creating a subreddit, become a Redditor first.

Spend time on the platform and learn the culture.

Observe how conversations flow, how moderators maintain order, and what earns trust.

Further reading: Reddit Marketing in 3 Hours/Week: From 0 Karma to Real Cred

Reddit also has minimum requirements before you can create a community:

  • Your account must be at least 30 days old
  • You need positive karma (the exact threshold isn’t public)

Translation:

You have to earn your place before you can build one.

Can You Create a Company Subreddit

Step 1. Get Clear on Your Goals

Before you create a brand subreddit, pick one primary goal for your community.

This dictates how you run the subreddit:

(We’ll talk about cadence, staffing, and moderation in later steps.)

Plus, when everyone knows the “why,” every post naturally lines up with it.

Side note: Your community can support other goals. But your primary goal should define how you measure success. That’s what makes it easier to see whether it’s actually working.

For example, a support-first subreddit focuses on speed, accuracy, and trust.

It needs moderators who know the product and can solve problems publicly.

r/fidelityinvestments is an example of this.

Verified associates answer customer questions, while pinned announcements guide users through service updates.

And, if they were tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), they’d likely focus on response time and resolution rate.

Reddit – r/fidelityinvestments

Now, compare that to a community-first subreddit.

It usually thrives on curation, conversation, and peer support.

Moderators act more like hosts, encouraging user-generated content (UGC) and keeping discussions flowing.

r/LifeOnPurple runs this way.

Reddit – r/LifeOnPurple

The mattress brand posts lightly, shares occasional updates, and lets UGC drive momentum.

Their key metrics probably include:

  • Percentage of UGC
  • Active users
  • Returning posters

Common Brand Subreddit Goals

Here are the top three core goals most brand subreddits serve.

Choose one, commit to it, and let the rest orbit naturally to keep your subreddit focused.

Goal Type Main Tasks Typical Post Types Brand Presence & Awareness
Customer Care Reduce support load and create a searchable archive FAQs, tutorials, outage updates, support megathreads Shape conversation, build credibility, maintain visibility
Community & Advocacy Build loyalty, spark UGC, encourage co-creation “Show & Tell” threads, contests, polls, feedback loops Announcements, AMAs, explainers, curated news
Brand Presence & Awareness Shape conversation, build credibility, maintain visibility UGC ratio, non-brand posts/week, returning posters Engagement rate, sentiment, referral traffic

Step 2: Put People (and Rules) in Place

Once you’ve set your goals, decide who’ll run the subreddit. And how.

The right person (or team) makes sure that:

  • Questions get answered quickly
  • Moderation feels fair
  • Brand messaging stays consistent

Start by assigning one primary moderator.

They’ll be accountable for growth, moderation quality, and reporting insights.

In most teams, that’s your community manager, social media lead, or support head.

Preferably, someone who knows the product and understands community dynamics.

Building a Brand Subreddit Moderation Team

But a great subreddit is rarely a one-person show.

So, make sure your moderator has access to others in the company.

Here’s how that can look depending on your subreddit type:

  • Support-heavy subreddits: Include a product specialist or customer service rep who can jump in fast
  • Community-first spaces: Bring in someone from marketing or content to spark conversations or highlight great posts
  • Developer or technical subs: Involve a product manager or engineer who can step in when discussions get technical

For example, r/SEMrush is run by Semrush employees who actively join conversations and clarify product questions when needed.

Reddit – r/semrush – Important

In contrast, r/hubspot’s moderators are a combination of members from the HubSpot support team and a power user.

Reddit – HubSpot moderators

Bring Key People to Your Subreddit

You should also have a few “guest stars” lined up.

These are your execs, product managers (PMs), or team leads.

They don’t need to be available all the time.

But, having them join conversations signals two things: access and accountability.

For example, as Favikon builds its company subreddit in its early stages, the team regularly runs AMAs with leaders and associates.

Reddit – Bring Key People to Your Subreddit

Define Your Ground Rules

Everyone who represents your brand on Reddit should know exactly how to show up.

So, create an internal guide — like a company subreddit playbook — outlining how your brand speaks and behaves on Reddit.

At a minimum, cover these areas:

  • Brand tone: How your company sounds when it speaks
  • Disclosure: Make it clear you’re speaking for the brand. Use verified handles or flairs like “Official Response” or “From the CEO.”
  • Confidentiality: Define what can be shared publicly vs. what stays internal
  • Escalation: Outline how moderators flag issues to support, PR, or product teams
  • Response guidelines: When to jump in, when to step back, and when to let the community self-resolve
  • Moderation scenarios: How to handle misinformation, conflict, or spam consistently and fairly
  • Crisis protocols: Who leads if a post goes viral, a complaint snowballs, or a product issue surfaces

Brand Subreddit Playbook

Reality check: You don’t need an extensive playbook on day one. Start with the essentials that help moderators act confidently. Then, evolve it as your subreddit — and your instincts — mature.

Step 3: Set Up Your Subreddit

With your moderators and rules ready, it’s time to build the actual space.

To set it up, use a desktop. It’s much smoother than mobile.

Start by clicking “Start a ccommunity” in the left-hand sidebar.

Reddit – Start a community

You’ll see a pop-up window that walks you through setup.

Here’s what matters most in each step.

Pick the Right 3 Topics

First, you’ll be asked to choose three topics your community belongs to.

These help Reddit’s discovery algorithm surface your subreddit to the right users.

So, your topic choice could affect who finds you.

In other words:

Treat topic selection like SEO for community discovery.

Reddit – Start a community – Add topics

Choose Your Community Type

Next, decide how open your subreddit will be:

  • Public: Best for most brand launches
  • Restricted: Useful for soft launches
  • Private: Good for internal pilots or early betas
  • Mature (18+): Only if your content genuinely requires age restriction.

Reddit – What kind of community is this?

Most brands should go “Public” for organic reach.

But there are also situations where “Private” or “Restricted” makes sense.

For example, if you want to keep everything hidden while you build, set it to “Private.”

And, if you’re not launching yet — but you want to own the URL before someone else grabs it — go “Restricted.”

Just remember, switching later requires Reddit’s approval.

Name Your Subreddit

Next comes naming your community.

Reddit – Tell us about your community

This one’s permanent. So, check spelling and capitalization.

Stick with r/YourBrand or r/yourbrand when possible.

If it’s taken, use a clear variant such as r/YourBrandOfficial, r/YourProduct, or r/YourBrandSupport.

Here are a few examples:

  • r/0xPolygon (Polygon Labs)
  • r/SEMrush (Semrush)
  • r/LifeOnPurple (Purple Mattress)

Next, add a short description in the field below the subreddit name.

You can update this anytime.

So, keep it simple for now. (Unless you’ve already got a strong one.)

An effective subreddit description should:

  • Say who it’s for
  • Say what members can do
  • Set expectations

For example, Favikon’s description clearly states what the community is for and what the brand will provide.

Reddit – r/favikon – Description

It’s obvious that the space serves both the community (creators) and the brand’s updates.

Fidelity’s description, on the other hand, is clear that it’s a customer care channel. With Fidelity associates answering product-related questions.

It also clarifies that they don’t handle account-specific issues:

A small but crucial detail that manages expectations early.

Reddit – r/fidelityinvestments – Description

Add Visuals to Make It Look Official

After writing your description, it’s time to add visuals:

Specifically, your icon and banner.

Reddit – Style your community

For your icon, upload a recognizable asset, such as your logo.

This helps users instantly see that the subreddit is official.

Next, add your banner.

A 1920 x 384 pixel image works best, though Reddit also allows slimmer options like 1920 x 256 or 1920 x 128.

Your banner should reflect your brand identity without feeling like an ad.

The r/LifeOnPurple subreddit, for example, uses the Purple Mattress logo and a clean purple banner consistent with its brand design.

Reddit – r/LifeOnPurple – Brand identity

But r/MobileLegendsGame uses detailed artwork that fits its gaming audience.

Reddit – r/MobileLegendsGame – Brand identity

Once you’ve uploaded your logo and banner, click “Create Community.”

And voila! That’s your subreddit live.

Step 4: Personalize and Prepare for Launch

Once your subreddit exists, the next step is to make it feel alive.

Do these four things to make it feel welcoming:

  1. Add clear community rules
  2. Write and pin a welcome post
  3. Add a few starter threads
  4. Set up sticky highlights

Prepare for LauNCH

Let’s walk through each.

Define Community Rules

Every subreddit needs community rules.

They define the kind of space you’re building.

You don’t need a long list, especially at the start. Four to six guidelines are enough to set expectations and boundaries.

Cover the basics first:

  • No spam
  • Be respectful
  • Don’t share personal information

Then, add one or two brand-specific rules.

For example, r/mintmobile, a community with heavy customer engagement, adds a rule against spreading false information.

Plus, a reminder not to post personal details.

Reddit – r/mintmobile rules

While r/hubspot, a fairly new subreddit, has only three rules.

Reddit – r/hubspot rules

To add rules, click “Mod Tools” at the top right sidebar of your subreddit page.

Reddit – r/BacklinkoCommunity – Mod Tools

Then, scroll down to the “MODERATION” section in the left sidebar.

Click “Rules” > “Create Rule.”

Reddit – Moderation – Rules

Pro tip: Spend time exploring Mod Tools. That’s where you customize your subreddit’s look, rules, and automation. The more familiar you are with that panel, the smoother your moderation as the community grows.

Write the Welcome Post

A welcome post helps new visitors understand what the subreddit’s for and how to participate.

There’s no single right format.

Just make it clear and approachable.

r/reolinkcam, for example, uses a pinned “Please Read This Before Posting” thread.

It starts with short, practical guidance, followed by a quick intro, links to product setup guides, and an FAQ section.

Reddit – Welcome post

r/Comcast_Xfinity takes a different approach.

Its welcome post lays out the community code of conduct, explains how to use flairs, and summarizes key rules.

Reddit – r/Comcast_Xfinity – Welcome post

To create your first post, click “Create Post.”

It’s at the top right corner of your subreddit page.

Reddit-r/BacklinkoCommunity – Create Post

Post Conversation Starters

Once your welcome post is live, add a few early posts to make your community feel active.

Some threads you can write include:

  • FAQ: Answer common support or sales questions your team already gets
  • Product updates or announcements: Share new releases to keep people in the loop
  • Community guidelines: Restate the rules and add context, like where to report bugs or how to tag posts
  • How to/tutorial: Solve a top recurring problem. It reduces tickets and becomes a reusable resource.

Pin Community Highlights

Sticky posts are the first thing visitors see when they land on your subreddit.

They’re pinned to the top of your feed.

Reddit – r/mintmobile – Community highlights

When used well, they double as trust signals. A kind of proof that your brand is active and organized.

Start by pinning your “Welcome Post,” then layer in others as your community grows.

For example, r/SEMrush keeps its biggest updates (like the AI Visibility Toolkit launch) and company news pinned.

This way, new visitors instantly see what’s new.

Reddit – r/SEMrush – Community highlights

Meanwhile, r/fidelityinvestments often features

  • Engagement prompts
  • Weekly Q&As
  • Official announcements

Reddit – r/fidelityinvestments – Community highlights

To make any post sticky, open the post, scroll down, and click the shield icon.

Then, select “Add to highlights.”

That post will now appear at the top of your subreddit.

Reddit – Create new post – Add to highlights

Step 5: Launch Your Subreddit

Now that everything’s in place, it’s time to spark the first lights of community.

Invite Founding Members

Founding members help set the tone and the tempo of your brand subreddit.

Ideally, they’re your superfans. People who already share your enthusiasm.

They’re usually:

  • Power users who love your product
  • Loyal customers who actively engage
  • Industry peers who enjoy sharing what they know

Founding Members

These voices bring authenticity and fill your first threads with real conversation.

They’ll also help define your culture.

So, treat them like subreddit co-founders, not just early users.

How do you get them?

Start with a simple, genuine invitation.

A one-on-one message always beats a mass announcement.

Announce It Publicly (But Frame It Right)

Once you’ve got a few active members and threads, announce your subreddit in your owned channels, including:

But don’t pitch it as “a place to follow us.”

Frame it as a shared space where your team and users exchange insights, solve problems, and showcase projects.

You can also invite followers from other platforms when there’s something happening — like an AMA or live discussion.

The way Olena does it on X, for example.

X – Olena Bomko – Status

This approach builds awareness and attracts people who genuinely want to be part of your community.

Cross-Promote in Related Subreddits (Carefully)

If you or your team already participates in related subreddits, mention your new community when it genuinely adds value to a discussion.

Side note: Always check each subreddit’s rules first. Many ban self-promotion.

This tactic works best when your user account already has credibility in that subreddit.

If people recognize your username from your past helpful comments, the subreddit mention feels natural, not sneaky.

Pro tip: NEVER ask employees to pose as independent users to promote your brand. That’s called astroturfing — and it’s one of the fastest ways to destroy credibility on Reddit.

How to Keep Your Brand Subreddit Alive

Once your founding members are active, the real work begins:

Keeping your subreddit alive and thriving.

You don’t need dozens of posts a day, but you do need steady participation.

Moderate and Engage Consistently

How often you show up depends on your subreddit’s purpose, but the principle stays the same:

Be present.

  • Respond quickly: Aim to reply within 24 hours
  • Enforce rules fairly: Remove spam and toxic behavior, but don’t over-police
  • Check in daily (or at least on weekdays): Even 15–20 minutes a day keeps threads from going unanswered

For example, moderators in r/Comcast_Xfinity regularly pin troubleshooting threads and reply to outage questions.

From their flairs alone, you can tell they’re listening and available.

Side note: A flair is a small label that appears next to a username or post title. It adds instant context to every interaction. You can customize flairs in Mod Tools.

Reddit – r/Comcast_Xfinity – Official Reply

Start Meaningful Rituals and Events

Rituals keep communities alive and give people a reason to come back.

Some easy ones to start include:

  • Weekly or monthly megathreads for support or feedback
  • Recurring posts like “Feedback Friday” or “Tutorial Tuesday”
  • Regular AMAs with your CEO or product team
  • Community contests or creative prompts

Brand Subreddit Events and Rituals

Keep these rituals going long enough, and people start showing up out of habit.

It becomes a place where regulars connect through shared threads and interests.

And that’s how your subreddit turns from just another space into a familiar home.

Not sure where to start?

Look at non-brand subreddits for inspiration.

For example, r/bullcity — Durham, North Carolina’s official subreddit — has a biweekly anything goes thread.

This is where people can add any posts that “would otherwise be considered spam” into the thread.

It’s pinned in the community highlights and keeps local conversations active and open.

Reddit – r/bullcity – Anything Goes

Encourage User Contributions

Invite members to share their own tips, advice, and projects.

Then, amplify their participation:

  • Make a special flair for “Top Contributor”
  • Highlight the most useful tips
  • Feature a “Member of the Month”

These small bits of recognition let people know their voice matters. And can turn a casual user into a loyal regular.

Reddit – Small bits of recognition

Pro tip: Reddit’s spam filter can be overzealous. Keep an eye on auto-removed posts so real users don’t lose motivation.

Handle Criticism Transparently (and With Grace)

Negative posts are inevitable, and deleting them is the worst move you can make.

Instead, respond honestly. Acknowledge the issue, and explain what’s being done about it.

Even if your answer isn’t perfect, that transparency helps build credibility.

To see how it’s done well, look at how other brands handle criticism or answer tough questions.

For example, Beardbrand owner, u/bandholz, once replied to the question:

“Is Beardbrand just not great anymore?” in a calm and factual way.

This turned a critical post into a constructive discussion.

Reddit – Handle criticism transparently

Track Your Subreddit Engagement and Growth

To grow your subreddit, think less about control and more about connection.

And always watch the engagement:

Are members helping each other? Are discussions happening without you prompting them?

When activity dips, nudge it with a new prompt or AMA.

When it grows, resist the urge to overmanage.

Then, use Reddit Analytics to see whether the community is growing or slowing.

Reddit – Insights

This helps you quickly gauge what’s working.

“I spend time in Reddit’s native analytics tools. They’re not super detailed, but I can track member growth and weekly contributions. I can also see daily numbers for posts, comments, and unique users. For what I do — and what I need to track right now — that’s more than enough.”

Make Your Brand Subreddit the Hub

Your brand subreddit works best as part of a complete Reddit presence, not in isolation.

Once it’s well-established, blend it with smart Reddit marketing, including ads, partnerships, and organic participation.

That’s when Reddit stops being just another forum and becomes an ecosystem that grows your visibility and your credibility at the same time.

The post How to Build a Brand Subreddit: Full Setup Guide (+ Examples) appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More