SEO never stands still, and neither do we here at Yoast. In our November 2025 edition of the SEO Update by Yoast, our principal SEOs, Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss, broke down the latest shifts in search, structured data, and AI. Whether you’re running an e-commerce store, managing a content-heavy site, or just keeping up with Google’s ever-changing rules, this edition highlights what actually matters.
Google updates
Google is refining its search results, phasing out certain structured data features, including FAQ snippets and COVID-19 updates. But that doesn’t mean you should strip structured data from your site. It still plays a role behind the scenes, especially for AI retrieval, and could make a comeback later.
For online stores, the message is clearer than ever: product schema is non-negotiable. Search Engine Journal’s Matt Southern explains that Google’s new AI shopping tools, such as agent-based checkout and side-by-side comparisons, require that your product data be complete, consistent, and easily visible. That means no hiding key details behind tabs or toggles. If it’s not easily crawlable, Google’s AI won’t use it.
Search Console updates
Search Console got a few useful upgrades this month. Query Groups now clusters search terms by topic instead of individual keywords, making it easier to spot content gaps and adjust your strategy. Brand Query Filters help distinguish between branded and non-branded searches, which is handy for tracking misspellings or seasonal trends.
Custom Annotations, previously only available in GA4, now allow you to log site changes directly in Search Console. This is great for connecting updates to performance shifts. E-commerce sites also get a small win with shipping and return details, which can now be added without a Merchant Center account. It’s still rolling out, so test it carefully to avoid missteps.
Google and AI
AI continues to reshape search, and Google’s AI Overviews play a significant role in this transformation. Search Engine Roundtable’s Barry Schwartz’s story on Robby Stein from Google emphasizes that these overviews draw from clear, structured content, such as headings, lists, and direct summaries. Word counts don’t matter as much as clarity and extractability.
The downside? According to Danny Goodwin, in Search Engine Land, AI Overviews have slashed organic click-through rates by 61% and paid CTR by 68%. The takeaway isn’t to chase clicks but to optimize for visibility in AI answers. If your content is easy to extract and cite, you’re in a better position.
Beyond Google
Beyond Google, ChatGPT’s new SDK enables developers to build apps within the platform, which could be particularly useful for larger companies seeking to streamline AI integrations. Meanwhile, Adobe’s acquisition of Semrush might push the tool toward enterprise users, so smaller teams should watch for pricing changes.
The next SEO Update by Yoast is scheduled for December 15, 2025, at 4:00 PM CET. Until then, the focus remains on structured data, clear content, and adapting to AI-driven search. For e-commerce sites, this means ensuring that product data is accurate and up-to-date. For content creators, it’s about writing for extractability. And for everyone? Keeping an eye on Search Console’s new tools to stay ahead.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-11-27 16:35:302025-11-27 16:35:30SEO Update by Yoast November 2025 edition recap
If you’re serious about visibility in search, you need to start using schema markup. This structured data tells search engines exactly what your content means, not just what it says, so they can display richer, more accurate results.
Schema isn’t just about getting a fancy result in Google’s SERPs anymore. It also increases your chances of being cited in AI-generated summaries Search engines are moving toward generative results, and structured data is now a key signal of authority and clarity.
Key Takeaways
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand the meaning behind your content, not just the text itself.
Sites using SEO schema markup often see improved click-through rates. Users get more context directly in the results, which drives more clicks.
Generative AI search tools now use structured data, which makes schema markup even more valuable for visibility.
Many websites still don’t fully implement schema, so using it correctly gives you an advantage over less-optimized competitors.
What is Schema Markup?
Schema markup is a form of structured data that tells search engines what your content means, not just what it says. It uses a standardized vocabulary from schema.org to label specific pieces of information, like an article’s author, a product’s price, or a recipe’s cooking time.
Here’s an example of the end result of some schema in action, showcasing added details for a recipe:
When you add schema to your HTML, it doesn’t change how your page looks to users, but it helps search engines interpret your content more accurately. That’s how you get things like star ratings, event dates, or FAQ dropdowns in SERPs.
Schema improves categorization by giving structure to information that would otherwise be unstructured or ambiguous. That extra clarity supports more precise indexing and increases your chances of appearing with rich results.
Most content online is considered unstructured data, which means it’s readable by humans but harder for machines to interpret. Schema adds structure that makes meaning explicit, bridging the gap between your content and how search engines understand it.
Types of Schema Markup
There are dozens of schema types, but only a handful consistently drive SEO value. The key is knowing which formats align with your goals and content structure. Here are the high-impact schema types you should focus on:
Commonly Used and SEO-Driven
Article: Use this for blog posts, news, or editorial content. It supports elements like headlines, bylines, and publication dates, helping your content stand out in organic results.
FAQ: Can make your page eligible for expandable Q&A boxes beneath your page title. A strong option for capturing more SERP space. FAQ schema works especially well on service or solution pages.
Product and Review: Must-haves for e-commerce. These display key details like price, availability, and customer ratings.
Local Business: Ideal for brick-and-mortar locations or service areas. It includes address, hours, contact info, and geo coordinates. Event: Showcases information for webinars, conferences, or in-person events like date, time, location, and ticket availability.
Breadcrumb: Enhances your site’s navigational trail in search results. It also helps search engines better understand your site’s structure.
Underutilized but High-Impact Schema Types
Video: Helps search engines surface and display videos with rich details like thumbnails, duration, and key moments.
Course: Designed for online education content. Includes fields for course name, description, provider, and learning outcomes.
Job Posting: If you’re listing open roles on your website, this schema can push them into Google Jobs with structured info like salary, qualifications, and deadlines.
Software Application: Highlights app features, pricing, platform compatibility, and reviews. Ideal for SaaS companies or digital products.
There are also industry-specific schema types for recipes, medical conditions, real estate listings, and more, each designed to help content stand out in competitive niches.
While most websites stick to just one or two schema types, combining them across relevant pages gives Google a clearer picture of your site and can increase eligibility for multiple rich result formats.
Why is Schema Markup Important For SEO?
Schema markup doesn’t directly impact rankings, but it can improve how your pages appear in search by making your content easier for search engines to understand. When used correctly, it clarifies the structure and intent behind your content, which improves how your pages appear in search results.
With SEO schema markup, your listings can include extra context like star ratings, pricing, or FAQs, making them more informative and more likely to be clicked when rich results appear. These enhanced listings improve visibility and help searchers understand your content before visiting your site, which supports better engagement and user satisfaction.
Structured data also improves the user experience by giving searchers helpful, structured details before they even land on your site. This kind of clarity reduces bounce rates and increases engagement, which are both positive behavioral signals.
To be clear, Google has stated that structured data is not a direct ranking factor. But it can improve how your content is understood and discovered in search.
“Structured data is not used for ranking purposes, but it can enable search result enhancements and content discovery.” — Google Search Central
If you’re not using schema markup yet, you’re likely leaving visibility and traffic on the table, especially in crowded search spaces.
Schema Markup And AI
As search shifts toward generative results, schema markup becomes increasingly valuable, not as a ranking signal, but as structured clarity that helps machines interpret content consistently at scale. Tools like Google’s AI overviews, ChatGPT, and other large language models increasingly reference or infer structured relationships in your content. While schema markup isn’t directly parsed by every AI tool, it provides a framework that reinforces meaning, credibility, and context.
In Google’s case, schema can increase the chances of being featured or cited in AI-generated summaries by making your content more machine-readable. Clear, structured data helps Google understand which parts of your content are most relevant to a query, and that’s exactly what fuels AI-powered result boxes.
It also supports consistency across platforms, ensuring that search engines, crawlers, and third-party tools are all interpreting your information the same way. That’s critical in a landscape where content can be surfaced in snippets, carousels, voice results, and generative interfaces.
As AI continues to reshape search behavior, structured data plays a critical role in making your content visible and machine-readable across evolving search experiences.
How to Create Schema Markup for SEO
There’s no single way to implement SEO schema markup. The right method depends on your setup, your tools, and how much control you want over the code.
Schema Markup Generators
Schema generators are great to help create your schema type so you don’t have to do it manually. They offer flexibility and control, especially if you want to create cleaner SEO schema markup using JSON-LD.
One great option is Dentsu’s Schema Markup Generator. It supports a wide range of schema types and gives you real-time previews of the structured data output.
Another user-friendly pick is Schema.dev, which offers a visual editor for common schema types like Article, Product, Event, and more. It’s great for marketers who want more polish without touching raw code.
If you’re working on technical SEO at scale, tools like RankRanger’s generator or the Hall Analysis tool can help automate more advanced schema needs.
Most of these tools will output JSON-LD code, which you can copy and paste directly into your website’s head tag or through a CMS plugin.
Build Schema Manually
For developers or SEOs who want full control, manually writing SEO schema markup in JSON-LD is the most flexible option. This approach is ideal when you need to nest data types, customize beyond what’s available in generators, or integrate schema into a templated CMS or headless setup.
The most common format for manual schema is JSON-LD, a lightweight data format that can be placed inside a <script type=”application/ld+json”> tag in your HTML.
Schema.org provides documentation and examples for hundreds of item types, including complex combinations like a Product with reviews, availability, and brand info.
While this method takes more effort, it allows you to fine-tune every field and ensure the markup perfectly matches your content structure.
If you’re confident in your technical skills or already working with structured templates, hand-coding schema can unlock the most advanced use cases.
Use WordPress Plugins
If your site runs on WordPress, adding SEO schema markup is straightforward with the right plugin, with no coding required.
Yoast SEO adds basic structured data out of the box, like Article, WebPage, and Organization schema. You can also set defaults for different post types or override schema per page.
Rank Math offers more flexibility with its built-in Schema Generator. It supports custom fields, nested schema, and additional types like Product, FAQ, and Course. You can add schema site-wide or build it block-by-block using their visual editor.
Another option is the Schema & Structured Data for WP plugin, which offers advanced rule-based schema placement, support for over 30 types, and WooCommerce integration.
Most plugins handle the technical output for you, just select the schema type, fill out the fields, and publish.
Use ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a quick way to generate SEO schema markup without relying on a plugin or tool. It’s especially useful when you want structured data for a specific content type but don’t want to hand-code it from scratch.
To get started, just ask ChatGPT for the schema you need. For example:
“Create JSON-LD schema markup for a Product with name, price, rating, and availability.”
You can also refine the output by adding more context. Want to include an author bio? Just ask. Need multiple FAQs? List them out, and ChatGPT can format them for you.
The results are typically in valid JSON-LD format and can be copied into your site’s HTML or CMS.
It’s not a replacement for technical SEO tools, but it’s a powerful shortcut when used with the right prompts.
Add Schema Markup to Your Site
Once you’ve created your SEO schema markup, you need to place it on your site where search engines can find it. The most common format is JSON-LD, which should be embedded inside a <script type=”application/ld+json”> tag.
If you’re working directly with code, add the schema to the <head> section of your page, or just before the closing </body> tag. This helps ensure it gets picked up by search crawlers.
If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, Shopify, or Wix, many themes or SEO plugins include fields where you can paste your structured data directly. Just copy your JSON-LD and drop it into the appropriate field.
As we mentioned before, plugin-based setups, tools like Rank Math or Yoast will often insert schema automatically based on your settings, with no manual copy-paste needed.
No matter the method, the goal is the same: get valid, clean schema markup live on your site.
Validate Your Schema
Before you publish any SEO schema markup, you need to validate it. Even small formatting issues can break how search engines read your structured data.
You can either paste in your raw JSON-LD code or enter the URL of a published page. The tool will scan your markup and return any errors, warnings, or unsupported types.
Look for a “Valid” result nd ensure the schema type you used is recognized and correctly implemented. If there are issues, revise your code and re-test until everything passes.
You can also use Google’s Rich Results Test to see if your schema is eligible for enhanced SERP features.
Validation is a small step that ensures your markup actually works and gets you the visibility you’re aiming for.
Best Practices For SEO Schema Markup
To get the most out of your SEO schema markup, you need more than valid code. These best practices help ensure your structured data drives real visibility while staying within Google’s guidelines.
Only mark up visible, relevant content:
Don’t tag hidden elements, placeholder content, or anything users can’t actually see.
Schema should reflect what’s on the page. Misleading or hidden markup can get ignored or flagged.
Use the most specific schema type available:
Avoid generic markup. If your content is a recipe, use Recipe schema. If it’s a course, use Course schema. The more specific and accurate, the better.
Keep your structured data up to date:
Prices, dates, product availability, and other time-sensitive data should reflect the live content. Inaccurate schema can confuse search engines and users.
Avoid over-marking or spamming schema types:
Just because a schema exists doesn’t mean it belongs on your page. Only mark up what’s directly relevant and helpful to the user.
Accurate, helpful schema increases your chances of showing up in enhanced results. Misused or sloppy markup reduces trust and visibility.nd not content in hidden div’s or other hidden page elements.”
FAQs
What is schema markup?
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand the meaning of your content. It uses a shared vocabulary defined by schema.org to label key details like titles, authors, ratings, and more. When implemented correctly, it makes your content eligible for rich results, enhanced listings that display extra information directly in search.
What is schema markup SEO?
Schema markup SEO refers to the use of structured data as part of your overall search optimization strategy. While it doesn’t directly impact rankings, schema enhances how your pages appear in the SERPs. By making content easier to interpret and display, it supports better visibility, higher click-through rates, and alignment with user intent.
Does schema markup help SEO?
Yes, but not in the way most people expect. Schema doesn’t give you a direct ranking boost, but it improves how your pages are presented in search. Rich results stand out more, offer better context to users, and tend to earn more clicks. Schema can improve visibility and click-through rates, which can help your content attract more traffic over time.
Conclusion
Schema markup is one of those SEO techniques that helps to improve how your content appears in search results, yet it’s still underused. It helps search engines understand your pages more clearly, which leads to richer results, better visibility, and more clicks.
Whether you’re optimizing blog content, product listings, or service pages, structured data gives your site a clearer presence in search, and that matters in competitive markets.?
User Experience (UX) optimization isn’t just a design choice. It’s a conversion strategy. If your site is confusing, slow, or frustrating to use, people bounce. They won’t dig for what they need. They’ll leave.
And most won’t come back. According to the Baymard Institute, 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad user experience.
Good UX removes friction. It helps users find what they need faster, trust your content, and stay long enough to convert. It also signals to Google that your site is useful, which improves rankings, engagement, and retention.
This guide breaks down the UX best practices that actually move the needle. No theory. Just clear, actionable ways to make your site easier to use and more effective at turning visitors into customers.
Key Takeaways
Effective user experience (UX) optimization starts with understanding your audience. Use data, heatmaps, and behavioral insights to design around real user needs, not assumptions.
Simplicity wins. Clean layouts, clear navigation, and fast-loading pages make it easy for visitors to engage and convert.
Mobile-first design is essential. With most users browsing on phones, responsive layouts and touch-friendly interfaces are critical to user satisfaction and search visibility.
Great UX directly improves conversions. Every element, from your CTA to your checkout, should guide visitors smoothly toward a goal without friction.
Testing never stops. Continuous A/B testing, analytics tracking, and user feedback loops keep your UX aligned with evolving expectations and business results.
Why User Experience Matters
User Experience (UX) optimization improves more than just aesthetics, directly affecting how well your website performs. A frustrating layout, slow load time, or confusing interface can increase bounce rates, reduce conversions, and damage brand credibility.
When visitors arrive, they’re deciding whether to stay or leave within seconds. If key elements are hard to find or the mobile experience falls short, you lose them.
Clear, intuitive design helps users find what they’re looking for and take the next step. That might mean reading more, subscribing, or completing a purchase. It’s also a core part of conversion rate optimization, where even small UX changes can lead to measurable gains. CRO and UX are areas that more and more marketers are devoting increased budgets to.
User experience also plays a role in how search engines evaluate your content. Signals like mobile usability, site structure, and page performance can influence your visibility, even if UX itself isn’t a ranking factor.
When you improve the way people experience your site, you improve nearly every performance metric that matters.
How UX Supports SEO
User experience and SEO share the same goal: helping people find what they need quickly and easily. SEO drives traffic, while UX keeps visitors engaged once they arrive.
Search engines now factor experience quality into rankings. Google’s Core Web Vitals evaluate how fast a page loads, how smoothly it responds, and how stable the layout feels as it renders. When pages perform well, users stay longer and bounce less, which signals quality to search engines.
Mobile usability plays a major role too. With mobile-first indexing, Google often ranks sites based on their mobile experience. A responsive design that works across all devices improves both accessibility and visibility.
Strong UX optimization helps your SEO work harder. The better your experience, the easier it is for users to explore, trust, and convert.
Next, we’ll break down the UX best practices that make those results possible.
UX Best Practices
The following UX best practices will help you design faster, simpler, and more effective experiences that keep users engaged from their first click to conversion.
Know Your Target Audience
Effective UX optimization starts with understanding who your users are and what they expect from your site. When you base design decisions on real data instead of assumptions, you can create experiences that feel natural, relevant, and easy to use.
Collect audience insights through analytics, user surveys, and behavior tracking. Build personas that capture motivations, preferences, and pain points. These details help you personalize the experience, from navigation to recommendations, in ways that feel helpful, not forced.
Personalization is a proven factor in increasing conversions, so it makes a good starting point for your UX improvements:
Thrive Market is a strong example of user understanding in action. The healthy food retailer tailors its shopping experience through an onboarding quiz that asks about dietary needs and personal goals. Shoppers receive customized product recommendations and grocery lists that match their answers, which removes friction and builds trust from the first visit.
When you design around what your audience values most, engagement becomes effortless. The next step is to make that experience as simple as possible.
Keep Things Simple
Simplicity is one of the most powerful UX best practices. Users form an opinion about your site in seconds. Cluttered layouts and confusing navigation create friction. A clean, structured interface helps visitors find what they need quickly and trust what they see.
Research shows that 88 percent of users are less likely to return after a bad experience. Simplicity isn’t just a design preference. It’s how you keep people on your site and build trust with every interaction.
Apple’s website remains one of the clearest examples of simple, effective design. The layout uses generous white space, clean typography, and bold product visuals that highlight what matters most. Each page features short, direct copy and clear calls to action such as “Learn more” or “Buy.” This approach keeps attention focused and makes navigation effortless.
Simple design improves accessibility and reduces cognitive load. It helps users stay oriented and confident as they explore. Once your site feels easy to use, the next step is making sure it performs the same way on every device.
Build Around Mobile
Mobile traffic now dominates the web, and most users expect sites to work perfectly ontheir phones. If your layout isn’t responsive, you’re losing potential customers before they ever see your content.
Mobile UX design focuses on speed, clarity, and easy navigation. Pages should load fast, text should be readable without zooming, and buttons should be large enough to tap comfortably. A smooth mobile experience keeps users engaged and signals quality to search engines under Google’s mobile-first indexing. It also helps with cart abandonment.
Starbucks offers a strong example of mobile-friendly UX in action. Its responsive design adapts across screens, and the app’s ordering system is simple enough to use one-handed. Customers can browse, order, and pay in seconds, which builds loyalty through convenience.
Mobile UX optimization improves both experience and performance. When users can navigate easily, they stay longer and convert more often. Next, we’ll look at how to guide those users toward the actions that matter most.
Set Goals and Guide Users There
Every great UX design starts with a clear goal. Users should always know what to do next, and every part of your layout should make that path obvious. When visitors understand your purpose, they’re more likely to take action and complete the journey you’ve built for them.
Strong UX optimization is goal-driven. Each page should serve a specific purpose, whether it’s capturing a lead, driving a purchase, or encouraging engagement through smaller actions such as watching a video or subscribing to a newsletter. These soft goals build trust and move users closer to conversion.
Dropbox demonstrates this principle with focus and simplicity. Its homepage centers around a bold, high-contrast “Try Dropbox Free” call to action button that stands out from surrounding content. The message is clear, the design uncluttered, and the action frictionless. This clarity of direction keeps users moving toward sign-up without confusion or distraction.
When your site guides users naturally, you reduce hesitation and increase conversions. The next step is to make sure that experience loads fast enough to keep them there.
Focus on Loading Speed
Speed is one of the simplest ways to improve UX optimization. A slow site frustrates users, hurts engagement, and damages your search visibility.
Fast-loading pages make your entire experience feel smoother and more trustworthy. They also reduce bounce rates and improve rankings because search engines use page performance as a quality signal.
There are practical ways to keep your site fast. Compress images, enable browser caching, and minimize heavy scripts or animations. Consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute resources more efficiently.
When users can access your site instantly, they’re more likely to explore and convert. The next step is making sure that navigation keeps those visitors moving in the right direction.
Use Clear Navigation
Navigation is one of the simplest ways to improve UX. Visitors should be able to find what they need without stopping to think about where to click next. When users can move through your site effortlessly, they stay longer and engage more.
A common rule of thumb is that users should reach any key content within three clicks. While it’s not a strict requirement, the idea still holds: fewer steps mean less frustration and more conversions.
Best Buy demonstrates this principle with effective breadcrumb navigation and well-structured menus. Each category flows naturally into the next, making it easy for shoppers to explore products without getting lost. Clear labels, consistent placement, and visible CTAs reduce confusion and build confidence as users browse.
Good navigation creates momentum. It guides users from curiosity to action and supports the next layer of UX design, establishing a strong visual hierarchy.
Design Hierarchy
Design hierarchy gives structure to your website and helps users focus on what matters most. It’s the principle of using layout, size, color, and placement to show importance and guide attention. When your visual elements follow a clear order, users can navigate your content naturally and confidently.
People don’t read web pages from top to bottom. They scan. Good design aligns with that behavior using visual cues to lead the eye in a predictable flow. Larger fonts, contrasting colors, and prominent placement signal priority and make it easier for visitors to decide what to do next.
Netflix provides a great example of design hierarchy done right. The homepage features bold hero images, clear typography, and obvious CTAs like “Play” and “More Info.” Each element has a specific purpose, guiding users from interest to action without confusion.
Strong hierarchy keeps your design accessible, clear, and easy to use. The next step is to make sure every user can experience it the same way.
Make it Accessible
Accessibility is a core part of UX optimization. Every visitor should be able to navigate, understand, and interact with your site, no matter their abilities or the device they use. When your design works for everyone, you build trust and expand your audience.
Good accessibility starts with simple design choices. Use high-contrast colors for readability, add alt text to images, and make sure every function on your site can be accessed by keyboard. Provide captions for videos and use clear, descriptive link text so screen readers can interpret your content accurately.
Accessibility also includes transparency. Make privacy settings and cookie preferences easy to find and understand. When users know how their data is handled, they feel safer engaging with your content.
Collective Thoughts provides a strong example of accessibility done right. Each article includes an easy-to-find audio version, giving users multiple ways to engage with the same content.
For official standards, review the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Accessible design benefits every visitor and keeps your site usable across devices, which is especially important for complex actions like forms and checkouts.
Streamline Forms and Checkouts
Checkout friction is one of the biggest UX killers in e-commerce. Every extra click, field, or delay gives users a reason to leave. According to the Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate is nearly 70 percent.
Simple, efficient forms create a faster path to conversion. Ask only for essential information, and make sure labels are clear. Use autofill and progress indicators so users always know where they are in the process. Guest checkout options and flexible payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay remove unnecessary steps that slow people down.
Amazon set the standard for streamlined checkout. Returning users can buy instantly using saved details, skipping the typical multi-step process. That speed and convenience are why the feature became a benchmark for great UX optimization.
When the path to purchase feels effortless, conversion rates rise. The same principle applies to browsing, users should be able to find what they want just as easily.
Use Product Filters and Site Search
Filters and search tools are essential to strong UX optimization. When users can find what they need quickly, they’re more likely to stay, explore, and buy. On large e-commerce sites, well-designed filters reduce decision fatigue and keep the experience organized.
Zappos is a standout example. Its product pages let shoppers filter by size, color, price range, and brand, all from a clean, intuitive sidebar. The site also uses smart search that suggests relevant products as you type, saving time and minimizing frustration. Every interaction feels smooth because the structure matches the way people actually shop.
Good UX best practices make discovery easy. Use predictive search, logical categories, and visual cues like color swatches to help users narrow results faster. When navigation feels effortless, users feel in control, and that control leads to more confident conversions.
The next step is communicating what happens after each click so users always know what to expect.
Test, Test, and Test Again
UX optimization is never finished. Designs that work today can feel outdated or confusing tomorrow. Regular testing keeps your experience aligned with real user behavior instead of assumptions.
Start by using analytics to identify where users drop off or hesitate. Tools like Google Analytics and ContentSquare reveal how people scroll, click, and move through your site. Session recordings and heatmaps show which elements attract attention and which ones get ignored.
A/B testing takes it further. Platforms such as Optimizely or VWO let you compare two versions of a page to see which performs better. Even small adjustments to headlines, layouts, or CTAs can have measurable impact.
The goal is consistent improvement. By testing, analyzing, and iterating regularly, you build a user experience that gets stronger with every insight. Next, we’ll look at how to measure that progress through key UX metrics.
Track Key Metrics for UX Success
Great UX is measurable. Tracking the right data shows whether your optimizations are actually improving the experience. Without clear metrics, you’re just guessing at what works.
Start with the fundamentals. Bounce rate tells you if visitors find your content relevant. Engagement rate shows how long they stay and how deeply they interact. Conversion rate reveals how effectively your UX supports business goals. Together, these numbers tell the story of your site’s performance.
Core Web Vitals are equally important. They measure loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, the technical foundations of user experience. Improving these signals helps both users and search engines trust your site.
Be sure to monitor these metrics regularly. When you track, analyze, and act on the data, your UX gets sharper and more effective over time. That ongoing improvement is what separates good experiences from great ones.
FAQs
What is user experience?
User experience (UX) is how someone feels when interacting with your website, app, or product. It includes everything from design and navigation to speed and usability. Good UX helps people find what they need quickly and enjoy the process, which builds trust and increases conversions.
What is UX optimization?
UX optimization means improving your site’s design, structure, and performance to make it easier and more enjoyable to use. It focuses on removing friction, improving speed, and guiding users toward clear goals. The result is higher engagement and stronger business results.
What are UX best practices?
UX best practices are proven methods for creating a smooth, intuitive digital experience. They include understanding your audience, simplifying design, using clear navigation, optimizing for mobile, improving accessibility, and testing regularly. These principles make your site more usable and trustworthy.
How do UX best practices impact SEO?
UX best practices directly affect SEO performance. Search engines reward sites that load quickly, work well on mobile, and provide a smooth, intuitive experience. While metrics like time on page or bounce rate aren’t direct ranking factors, strong UX helps users find what they need, stay engaged and complete tasks, which all contribute to better overall performance.
How can I improve website UX?
Start by analyzing how users interact with your site. Simplify your layout, improve page speed, and test your navigation flow. Use clear CTAs and make sure your content is accessible and easy to read.
What tools can I use to test my UX design?
Tools like Google Analytics and ContentSquare help you see where users click, scroll, and drop off. You can also run A/B tests with Optimizely or VWO to compare layouts and features. User feedback platforms such as UserTesting provide direct insights from real visitors.
What is mobile UX design?
Mobile UX design ensures your website works seamlessly on phones and tablets. It includes responsive layouts, readable text, quick load times, and tap-friendly buttons. Strong mobile UX improves accessibility, reduces bounce rates, and helps your site perform better in mobile search results.
Conclusion
Implementing these UX best practices can dramatically improve the user’s journey across your site, increase conversions, and elevate your brand reputation.
Remember, understanding your audience is extremely important. Everything you design should be with your users in mind. Keep things simple, prioritize accessibility, don’t forget about mobile, and never stop testing and refining.
Get started today by examining your site’s user experience and identifying areas for improvement. It may be time to revisit your mobile optimization. Or do your forms need streamlining for a smoother checkout process?
Every change you make can potentially improve your users’ experience and, by extension, your bottom line.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-11-26 20:00:002025-11-26 20:00:00UX Optimization Best Practices to Improve User Experience
You found a digital marketing agency that feels like the one.
The pitch was perfect. They “get” your goals. Their case studies are impressive.
But a few weeks later, reality starts to set in: slow responses, recycled strategies, and reports that don’t show any tangible results.
This scenario is painfully common, but it’s not inevitable.
Choosing an agency that performs as well as they sell is possible — if you know what to look for.
In this guide, I’ll cover:
Red flags that signal an agency might overpromise and underdeliver
Green flags that separate the great partners from the mediocre ones
Must-ask questions to help you spot these flags before you sign the contract
You’ll also get real-world advice from experienced marketing leaders who’ve seen both dream partnerships and nightmare contracts.
By the end, you’ll know exactly how to choose a digital marketing agency in 2026. One that drives results instead of draining your budget.
First up: Vital questions to ask before jumping into a partnership.
Before You Hire a Digital Marketing Agency, Ask These Questions
Finding the right agency starts with understanding what you need and why.
Do You Have Product-Market Fit and a Clear Target Audience?
Even the best agency can’t sell a product that doesn’t solve a real problem for a defined audience.
If product-market fit isn’t there, your results will stall.
Ask yourself:
What pain points do we solve?
Who’s willing to pay for this?
Who else is competing for this audience?
Use a market analysis tool like Semrush’s Market Overview to confirm there’s real, sustainable demand.
For example, a quick search for Purina pet food shows strong growth and evenly distributed traffic — a clear sign of opportunity.
That’s the kind of demand signal you want before investing in outside help.
Do You Have a Clear Goal for Your Marketing Strategy?
A marketing agency can help you refine your goals.
But you’ll get better results when you already know what success looks like.
Vague goals like “increase website traffic” sound good, but they’re too broad to measure. Instead, set SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Here’s what a SMART goal looks like in action:
“Generate 120 qualified demo requests per month within four months by improving landing page copy and optimizing Google Ads.”
Clear goals like this help you find the right agency. And give them a focus to rally around and drive results.
Do You Have the Bandwidth to Manage an Agency?
Working with an agency isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of task.
Regular, consistent communication with your agency is part of this process.
Sure, the level of autonomy will depend on the agency and the work.
But generally, the best agencies keep the door to conversation open.
Here’s what you can expect:
Provide materials and align on strategy and deliverables up front
Join weekly or biweekly check-ins (typically about an hour)
Review work and share feedback monthly
Pro tip: Assign one internal “agency owner.” Their job will be to keep decisions moving, share context fast, and unblock workflows.
Do You Know What Marketing Services You Need?
“Full-service marketing” sounds great. Until you realize you’re paying for tactics that get you nowhere.
There are many types of digital marketing agencies:
SEO and content: Drive organic growth through optimized content
Branding and design: Shape your visual identity and messaging
Video: Create video content that converts
Consultant: Help define priorities before execution
But before you pick one, identify what’s already working (and what’s not).
The more specific you are about your needs, the easier it is to find a partner whose strengths align with your goals.
Start by looking at your top-performing channels, campaigns, and content in analytics tools.
If content and partnerships drive results for you, that’s a hint about where to invest.
Next, check what’s working for your competitors.
For example, Semrush’s Organic Social tool reveals how your competitors generate traffic from social media.
And tells you exactly which platforms send the most traffic to their websites.
If others in your space are thriving on social while you’re not, that’s a clue to where you could expand.
Pro Tip: Before looking for an agency, ask yourself: Do I need strategy, execution, or both?
Is Your Internal Team Aligned on What You Need?
Clear goals mean nothing if your team isn’t aligned.
Without internal buy-in, even the best agency partnership can derail fast.
Marketing leader Eric Doty learned this the hard way.
After hiring an agency for a logo redesign (and spending weeks on revisions), leadership revealed they wanted to keep the full company name.
“In the end, we wasted around $15,000 on these iterations when all the company really wanted was to change the font.”
Avoid this by:
Defining who owns the agency relationship
Deciding who signs off on deliverables
Getting stakeholder input before work gets started
Once you’re aligned internally, you’re ready to align externally with your agency.
6 Red Flags That a Marketing Agency Will Waste Your Time (and Budget)
The sales call sounds great.
But how do you know whether the relationship will work long-term?
Don’t go in blind. Here are six warning signs and how to spot them.
1. They’re Not Willing to Invest Time in You
This isn’t something an agency will just come out and say directly. But there may be indications that they’ve currently got too much on their plate.
(And you’re about to be thrown onto the back burner.)
For one, look for a high amount of employee turnover. Employees leave when stress is high.
Check LinkedIn to learn about their employees and watch for downward growth trends.
You’ll also want to pay close attention to the discovery call.
If it’s all about them and nothing about you, that’s a sign they’re not taking the time to understand your business.
An agency that “yeses” you to death without adding ideas or offering pushback is another red flag.
They’re likely more focused on producing work as fast as possible than on providing a sustainable strategy.
Pro tip: Ask for a sample strategic recommendation on the call. Something lightweight like: “How would you improve our blog content?” The right agency will share high-level insights — not just a sales script.
And it’s never a good sign if they get defensive when you ask questions.
This can be an indicator that they’re not willing to invest time in the relationship.
I once hired an agency to help run paid social ads, and they did the absolute bare minimum. I had to point this out to get any attention, and by then, our three-month trial engagement was practically over, and we saw no results. While I don’t know for a fact it’s because we were on the lower end of their engagement value, it seems likely.
Looking at recent testimonials or mentions of the agency can help.
But sometimes, asking pointed questions is the best way to get an answer.
For example:
What’s your typical engagement type?
How long are your typical engagements?
How many clients does your team normally work with at once?
By asking these questions, you’ll get a better sense of the agency’s bandwidth.
2. Their Offerings Haven’t Evolved (or Have Evolved Too Much)
It’s no secret that marketing has evolved over the past few years.
And AI has only accelerated those changes.
So, if an agency hasn’t evolved its strategy to match the industry, it’s a sign they’re coasting on an outdated approach.
Want to find this out before the discovery call?
First, check the age of their case studies. Older case studies indicate a strategy that hasn’t changed.
Next, look at the wording on their services page.
If it sounds generic or dated, that’s a red flag.
In the example below, wording like “Taking over Google” is no longer fully relevant.
Plus, there’s no mention of local search or AI results.
(Which is odd, since they target local businesses.)
Pro tip: Trend chasing is another huge red flag. If you see a digital marketing agency that’s majorly pivoted without the data or case studies to back up those decisions, then you may want to steer clear.
Make sure they’re thinking ahead — not clinging to old playbooks — by asking:
How have your offerings changed in the past year?
How has your process changed since AI came on the scene?
How much does your team use AI when creating deliverables?
What’s your perspective on marketing in the AI era?
But you don’t want to get stuck in a relationship that’s not working.
Shorter contracts may not have an out clause. But if you’re getting ready to sign a contract for a year or more, and there’s no way out of that relationship, that could be a red flag.
For longer contracts, a 30-day out clause is typical. That means you both can leave the contract if things aren’t working out.
If you ask for this clause and the agency is pushing back hard, that’s a warning sign.
Amanda agrees:
No failsafe means the agency knows retention is a problem. And they may be more focused on cash flow than results.
Again, communicating clearly is important here.
When in doubt, ask the digital marketing agency these questions:
How have you handled failed campaigns in the past? Did you course-correct mid-campaign, or offer free revisions?
What barriers to success do you see with our engagement?
What’s your policy for a 30-day out in the contract?
4. Communication Isn’t Clear or Easy
The way your agency communicates during the discovery phase is a key indicator of how they’ll communicate once that contract is signed.
Here are some key warning signs you could see early in the process:
You have to chase them for updates or next steps: If getting in contact with the agency is hard before you sign the contract, don’t expect it to improve later on.
You can’t get clear answers to your questions: Asking about timeline, resources, and processes is normal. If they can’t give you straight answers to basic questions, beware.
You have no idea who you’ll be working with: It’s typical to talk to a salesperson or account manager in the early stages. But if you get pushback when asking to speak to the people you’ll be working with, that’s a red flag.
Chelsea Castle, head of brand and content at Close, experienced this firsthand.
Here’s her agency horror story:
One of my biggest career mistakes was not speaking up sooner and louder about yellow flags with an agency. From the initial meeting, something felt off in our communication. There were bumps and issues throughout the entire nine-month engagement. We didn’t love the output, and they weren’t doing things we suspected they should be doing.
Collaboration and communication were messy. We ended up firing this agency and losing the five figures spent on them, which left us with no completed work. Talk about a challenging conversation with your CEO!
To know more about communication before signing the contract, ask questions like:
Who’s my main point of contact with your agency?
Who’s going to be working on the project with me?
Who will be included in the check-in meetings?
At what points in the process do you track metrics to assess if we’re on the right track?
5. They Promise More Than They Can Reasonably Deliver
Overselling can lead to disaster down the road. But, how do you know if an agency is selling something they can’t deliver?
First, look at the language they use to describe their services or results.
If they make exaggerated claims or promises, it’s worth pausing.
For example, this agency’s website has red flags written all over it:
(I wish this were a made-up website, but it’s not.)
Claims like this sound great, but it’s important to take a step back and look at the facts.
Can they actually back up their claims with real examples?
Can they reasonably guarantee results without knowing anything about the potential client?
Danni Roseman, a brand manager at a SaaS company, hired an agency that promised the world but didn’t live up to expectations.
I assumed a team would handle our project. We later found out that only one person had the expertise we needed. It wasn’t enough. Deadlines slipped, quality dropped, and “edits” turned into full rewrites on our end. Hand-holding your agency isn’t part of the deal.
An agency that’s focused on revenue may sell more than the team is capable of doing, and you’re left with the aftermath.
Another side to this is whether the team has experience using or integrating with your tech stack.
Eric once worked with an email marketing agency that promised big things.
But ended up having no experience integrating with Microsoft Teams (a must-have for his company).
They decided to lead a procurement process for us to find a tool that integrated with Teams. This turned into a massively bloated project, when, really, they should’ve just told me from the get-go that they had no experience with this tool.
So, how do you make sure that what the sales team is offering can actually be delivered down the road?
First, ask pointed questions like:
Who on your team has experience working with the tools in our tech stack?
How much experience does your team have with these tools?
How many years of experience does the team have in this type of project?
What’s the project (within the type of service you’re looking for) that you enjoyed working on the most?
Can you give me some names of people I can talk to about your work?
Lastly, get references.
The sales team is going to say everything right. You need something solid to back up those claims.
Most agency websites say some version of “We do X for Y.” But can they explain how?
This is something you can check for on their website.
For example, what do their case studies look like? Are they just screenshots, or do they explain the process behind the work?
Here’s an example:
What looks impressive at first glance melts away when you realize these are just screenshots.
No discussion of the work, no explanation.
Here are some other warning signs to look out for:
Their process isn’t up for discussion: If an agency tells you anything along the lines of, “Trust us, we’ll handle it,” beware
They’re using the same templated strategies for every client: On the discovery call, are they bringing ideas to the table? Do they take your unique situation into account?
Their reporting is focused on big-number vanity metrics: Case studies with numbers are great. But do those numbers tell you a story of real impact?
They can’t explain why something worked: This could mean the team has little understanding of the mechanics behind the results
If you’re not sure about their process, ask questions like:
How do you approach new engagements?
How much time do you spend determining strategy?
How is the strategy adjusted as time goes on?
How often will we meet for check-ins?
Can you tell me about a project you worked on (in this vertical/type) that didn’t go well? How did your team handle that situation?
When you’re evaluating an agency, Chelsea’s advice rings true:
Ultimately, I think the biggest flag cannot be said; it can only be felt. Intuition and how you connect with someone are crucial in selecting and building long-lasting external relationships.
6 Green Flags You’ve Found a High-Performing Marketing Agency
Despite the horror stories we’ve discussed, great agencies do exist.
Here are the most common green flags — and tips for choosing a digital marketing agency that will actually deliver on its promises.
1. They Start with Questions, Not Tactics
The right agency feels like a partner.
They’re curious about your business and invested in your success.
On the discovery call, look for all of these green flags:
They start by asking deep questions about your business model, ICP, positioning, and goals
They’re comfortable pushing back respectfully if a strategy doesn’t align with best practices
They focus on how their work ties to your business outcomes, not vanity metrics
For example, KlientBoost, a PPC agency, doesn’t just offer standard strategy packages.
They ask questions about what the client needs, their goals, and their situation.
This information lets them tailor quotes to each client’s needs.
2. You Get Good Feedback From Third Parties
Good feedback, testimonials, and reviews are always a green flag.
First, check vetted, third-party review sites like Clutch.
Look for reviews that mention:
Quality of the digital marketing agency’s work
Communication style
Costs
Timing
Some reviews even include specific numbers and results.
Another way to get feedback is to ask your network.
Ask around in your favorite Slack communities and check on Reddit or LinkedIn.
You’ll learn who’s worked with this agency and what their impressions are.
Chelsea swears by using your network to find good agencies.
The best hires for me have almost always come through network referrals. When a trusted friend or colleague makes a recommendation, they’re risking their reputation to vouch for them. So you can be confident they’re worth your time.
What should you do if you don’t have any network recommendations?
Check out industry award winners, says Chelsea:
When I needed to hire a web design agency, I looked at Webflow’s Webby winners. While many great agencies don’t get awards like this, it was a sure bet to start my search by looking at those recognized in this credible, trustworthy way. I ended up finding a fantastic partner who was great to work with.
Within awards like Webby, you’ll find some incredible projects (and the agencies that made them happen).
3. The Full Team Will Be Involved in Communication
Knowing who’s involved in your project can help you have more confidence in the work being done.
Plus, if it’s easy to talk to the team before the project gets started, it’s a good sign that communication will be top-notch after the contract is signed as well.
Ask early on who will be on calls with your team.
If you find out it’s more than just one account manager, that means multiple people are invested in your engagement.
For example, check out this about page from content agency Beam:
You see the founders of this team.
But you also see the content producers and their social profiles. This level of transparency is a green flag.
4. They’re Transparent About Scope, Pricing, Timing, and How Work Gets Done
Your agency should be very clear about vital details upfront.
This includes:
The scope of the projects they do
Timing they can commit to
Any processes they use
For example, KlientBoost creates marketing plans for clients.
But even before you give them any information or sign up for a call, they show you a sneak peek of what a marketing plan looks like for their clients.
Another aspect of transparency is pricing.
Knowing what you’ll pay (and exactly what that cost includes) is essential to the project’s success.
That’s why some agencies, like A2Media, show their pricing right on their homepage:
Of course, not every agency lists its pricing publicly.
And there are plenty of different pricing structures, each with its pros and cons.
When talking about rates, ask the agency why they take the approach they do.
Get estimates for what each type of project entails.
If you’re comfortable with those ranges and estimates, include those in the contract.
When you can get clear answers to these questions, it’s a good sign they’ll live up to their promises.
When you find an agency you like, check out their marketing.
Most of the time, it’s a good indicator of the quality of their work.
In the past year, I’ve had two fantastic experiences with marketing agencies.
And both of them had one key aspect that was a huge green flag for me: their brand marketing was on point.
Take A2Media, for example.
The founder, Ademola, regularly produces video content on LinkedIn that generates strong engagement with his niche audience.
Another example is Beam.
They offer great content services to clients.
But they also produce fantastic content on their own website that’s both interesting and fun to read.
This pattern repeats itself over and over again.
KlientBoost’s LinkedIn video ads aren’t only hilarious but also deeply relatable.
Juice, a brand and web agency, has an incredibly stylish and fun website.
If they do great work for themselves, it’s a positive sign they’ll do great work for you.
6. Your Personalities Match
Yes, personality is subjective. And judging a marketing agency on “vibes” might sound a bit woo-woo.
But remember, this is a relationship. Hopefully, a long-term one.
So, the right agency should also match your style and get your vision.
Here are some green flags when it comes to personality match:
Their team seems genuinely excited about your product and mission
They treat your team members with respect, regardless of title
Their company culture aligns with yours
You enjoy working with them
They make collaboration energizing, not draining
Chelsea saw a personality match early on with a video agency, which gave her the confidence to move forward.
From the very first call, it just felt right. The agency owner and I instantly clicked and saw eye to eye on many things. He asked thoughtful, intentional questions that signaled respect, expertise, and a desire to find the best way to work together that prioritized me and my team. We’ve been working with this partner for more than a year, and have every intention of holding onto them for as long as we can.
Bonus: They Have Proven Expertise in Your Vertical
We’ve covered the most vital factors to evaluate when choosing a marketing agency partner.
But niche experience is worth considering, too.
While it’s not a necessity, it can be a really great bonus when combined with what we’ve discussed above.
For example, this agency focuses on dental practices:
While this agency focuses on marketing for law firms:
From just those two websites, it’s clear that their approach, strategy, and personality are very different.
And they’re each uniquely qualified to help clients in their chosen industry.
Other agencies may not have experience in your specific vertical. But they can demonstrate proven experience in the services you need.
For example, let’s say you want an agency that can help you show up in AI responses.
Then, you come across a case study like this:
Obviously, this agency has adapted its services to include AI search.
And has proven expertise in exactly what you need.
Ready to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency? Trust the Patterns (and Your Gut)
Choosing the right marketing agency comes down to spotting patterns.
Red flags: Overpromising, poor communication, and teams that won’t invest time in your success
Green flags: Thoughtful questions, killer third-party reviews, and teams that practice what they preach
But don’t forget the value of your gut reaction.
If something feels off during discovery, it won’t magically disappear once the contract is signed.
The best agency relationships start with a genuine connection.
As Chelsea says, “In any kind of creative work, sometimes you really do just have to go off vibes.”
When you find a team that gets your vision, respects your goals, and makes collaboration energizing, that’s your signal to move forward.
Understanding what’s happening in SEO will help you ask better questions. And spot whether agencies are using outdated tactics or staying ahead of the curve.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-11-26 16:01:522025-11-26 16:01:52How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency That Actually Delivers
Marketers are making bold statements about AI SEO every day.
The problem?
Most of them are half-right at best.
“SEO is dead.”
“Long-form content is pointless.”
“AI SEO is just good SEO.”
Here’s the truth:
When it comes to AI, the answer is rarely that simple.
Are you trying to show up in ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews?
Do you want the AI to recommend your brand or cite your content?
Is the model pulling from training data or live web results?
Each of those questions has a different approach.
Trying to generalize only causes confusion.
So, let’s skip the hype and get specific.
This guide tests today’s biggest AI myths in SEO to uncover what’s true, what’s false, what’s complicated, and what all of it really means for your marketing strategy.
Semantic HTML (clean heading hierarchy, proper use of <p> and <section>)
Schema markup
Side note:Google has confirmed that schema markup can help with AI visibility in its own products. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s smart technical hygiene. And it’s likely to become even more important as AI evolves.
That means your ranking foundation still matters, but it’s no longer enough.
Off-site credibility: Brand associations built through mentions, citations, and expert recognition
Takeaway: SEO fundamentals get you indexed. Off-site authority gets you cited. AI SEO is about expanding what “optimization” means beyond your own site.
3. True or False: All AI SEO Works the Same
False.
Marketers talk about “showing up in AI answers” like it’s one game.
It’s not.
Google dominates the search landscape so much that traditional SEO is pretty unified — one platform, one algorithm, one analytics dashboard.
But there’s no single kind of AI visibility and no single playbook for earning it.
What’s Actually Happening
Every AI platform behaves slightly differently.
They draw from unique data pipelines, weigh off-site signals differently, and credit sources in their own ways.
For example, Google’s AI tools still echo its ranking system.
Originality.AI found that many Google AI Overviews come from the top 10 ranking pages.
But for brand mentions (answers that refer to your company), ranking seems to have more of an impact on ChatGPT.
Brands that rank on page one of Google show up more often in ChatGPT answers. Seer Interactive found a 0.65 correlation between high rankings and brand mentions.
In other words, if HubSpot ranks on page one for “CRM software,” ChatGPT is more likely to name it when users ask for the best CRMs.
Takeaway: Each platform plays by slightly different rules. Treat AI SEO like an ecosystem, not a checklist.
4. True or False: If You’re Cited by AI, You’ll Also Get Mentioned
Mostly false.
Mentions and citations aren’t the same thing — and one doesn’t guarantee the other.
Mentions = when your brand appears in the answer
Citations = when your content is trusted as a source
You need both to stay visible long term.
What’s Actually Happening
If you had to choose, being mentioned matters more in the short term.
When someone asks ChatGPT for “the best CRM for small businesses,” you want your brand to show up, even without a link.
But long-term visibility compounds when you’re both seen and trusted.
Brands that are both mentioned and cited appear 40% more often in repeat AI searches, AirOps found.
And that’s harder than you might think.
According to Semrush’s AI Visibility Index, fewer than 1 in 10 brands appear in AI answers as both mentioned and cited.
Most only get one: they’re either mentioned without a link or cited without being named.
For instance, if I look up “What’s the best HR software for small businesses?” I get the following response from ChatGPT:
Of all the responses, only Rippling was mentioned as a good choice of software and cited as a source.
Getting mentioned and cited consistently means playing a longer, smarter game.
To win both, you need to shape the way AI systems talk about your brand.
Earn mentions through off-site authority — PR, reviews, credible partnerships — and citations through trustworthy, reference-worthy content.
Takeaway: Mentions get you visibility. Citations earn you trust. You need both to last.
5. True or False: AI Engines Don’t Care About E-E-A-T
It’s complicated.
AI engines tend to cite pages that look trustworthy: clear sourcing, visible citations, and credible domains.
When AI engines use query fan-out, they break one question into many.
If a short page or definition answers a single sub-question directly, it might get pulled into that specific part of an AI answer.
Still, those are situational wins, not a replacement for authority.
And there’s more nuance here:
The Muck Rack study found that when questions got subjective — like asking for advice or step-by-step guidance — AI models pulled more from corporate blogs than authoritative news sources.
But, whether the LLMs are looking at official news sites, corporate blogs, or community sources, they consistently preferred credible content.
Credibility takes different forms. But AI systems pull from sources people trust most, whether institutional or experiential.
Clarity and organization make you easier to cite, but credibility will keep you there.
Plus, E-E-A-T keeps your content people-friendly as well as AI-friendly.
Takeaway: E-E-A-T still matters. It just needs to be paired with structured, clearly scoped content that AI systems can read and reuse.
6. True or False: Content Recency Matters Even More for AI Visibility
Mostly true.
Keeping content up to date has always been best-practice SEO.
And it’s also important for AI visibility on most of the public platforms.
But the relationship between freshness and visibility isn’t one-size-fits-all.
What’s Actually Happening
Seer Interactive found that nearly 65% of AI bot visits go to content published in the last 12 months.
I checked this out for myself using ChatGPT. I asked the query:
How do I create an AI-optimized content strategy?
Then, I asked:
Can you show me the sources you used for that answer?
And it returned:
The earliest resource was from 2023.
(It didn’t find a date for the Airtable and RevvGrowth articles because they weren’t “visible in the header.”)
Finally, I asked why it chose those sources to answer the question.
It returned:
Note: It listed recency as its top criteria.
But there’s some variation in how important recency is.
Seer Interactive found that freshness matters most in fields like finance, HR, and tax, where outdated data loses credibility fast.
In travel, the window is broader.
Evergreen guides (“best destinations for weekend city breaks”) still perform, but regular updates help maintain visibility.
And in energy, for example, relevance often beats recency. Educational, evergreen pages (“green vs. renewable energy”) continue attracting AI hits years after publication.
Even instructional content in slow-moving niches can perform long after it’s published.
Seer found AI bots still visiting decking tutorials written 10–15 years ago — proof that quality evergreen content can still hold its ground.
Takeaway: Fresh content gets more bot activity. But credible, well-maintained evergreen pages still win trust. Especially when they’re the best answer for the human behind the query.
7. True Or False: Long-Form Content Is Pointless to Create Now
False.
Many marketers are making a simple mistake:
They hear “AI prefers short answers” and conclude “AI prefers short content.”
AI is more likely to use or cite content that is structured so it’s easy to understand.
But that’s not about length. That’s about structure.
What’s Actually Happening
AI systems don’t skip long pieces.
They skip messy pieces.
Content passages with clear headings helps models scan, interpret, and extract the right snippets.
There’s nothing to say your content needs to be short.
Example: Ask ChatGPT for “the best resources to learn SEO,” and you’ll often see Backlinko mentioned.
Those guides are deep, not brief.
They’re cited because they give a complete answer in a format both humans and models can follow.
Long-form content also compounds your odds of being mentioned.
AI visibility is a probability game.
The more your content earns human discussion, the more likely it is to appear when AI answers a question.
And humans don’t rave about shallow content.
People share and reference the pieces that teach them something new: frameworks, research, comparisons, stories.
Cutting them down for AI only strips out the context that makes your brand trustworthy.
Takeaway: Long-form isn’t outdated. It’s still a way to build authority, trust, and the kind of signal both readers and AI models rely on.
8. True or False: You Should Skip the ToFu Content Now
False.
This is one of the most persistent AI myths in content marketing.
“If AI answers everything, why bother with top-of-funnel (ToFu)?”
But ToFu content still matters. It just has a new job.
In the past, you could publish a big guide like “What Is SEO?” and watch it climb the rankings.
Those broad, educational posts drove traffic because people had to click through to learn.
Now, AI Overviews and large language models answer those same questions right on the results page.
But that doesn’t mean top-of-funnel content is dead.
It just means it’s working differently.
What’s Actually Happening
ToFu content isn’t the traffic engine it once was.
But it still powers two things your marketing ecosystem depends on: awareness and authority.
ToFu Builds Awareness
ToFu content helps new audiences discover your brand, even if they don’t click.
When someone searches “What is the best time to send marketing emails?” and sees your brand name in a featured snippet or short summary, that’s still visibility.
It’s like a digital billboard.
People might not visit your site right away, but they’ll start to recognize your name the next time they see it.
The more consistently your brand shows up around key industry topics, the more familiar it feels to your future buyers.
That awareness pays off later when they’re comparing vendors or deciding who to trust.
ToFu Earns Credibility
Google and AI systems both reward depth of coverage.
They look for brands that explain an entire topic — not just their own product.
A Search Engine Land analysis of 8,000 AI citations found that AI systems repeatedly pull from in-depth, trusted sources, not surface-level articles.
If your site only has bottom-of-funnel pages like “Why Choose [Your Product],” algorithms see a narrow view.
But when you also publish foundational explainers and educational content, it shows that your brand understands the full landscape.
That matters for AI visibility too.
Takeaway: ToFU content strengthens your overall site signals. Even if ToFu posts don’t drive conversions, they reinforce your brand’s expertise across the funnel.
9. True Or False: You Should Publish 10x More Content with AI
False.
In theory, more content should mean more visibility.
In practice, that’s not what’s happening.
Teams feel pressure to publish faster because AI makes production easier.
But volume isn’t the same as reach.
Most scaled AI content dies in search before it ever earns authority.
AI platforms seem to be taking the same approach. They reward original insight and authority, not sheer output.
Takeaway: If you want visibility in both Google and AI search, slow down and build credibility.
10. True or False: High-Quality Content Is All You Need to Appear in LLMs
It’s more complicated than that.
Many marketers assume that if they simply create great content, AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini will automatically surface it.
But “great” isn’t enough.
High-quality content is a requirement. It’s what gets your pages seen, crawled, and trusted in the first place.
But visibility in AI search depends on something bigger: how consistently your brand is referenced and recognized across the web.
What’s Actually Happening
LLMs generate responses using two data sources:
Training data: The static dataset the model was trained on months (or years) ago
The live web: Real-time crawling and retrieval from indexed pages, like Google AI Overviews or Perplexity
Each system rewards a different kind of visibility, and each treats “quality” in its own way.
Training-data systems reward brand association.
When a model relies on its training data, it draws on patterns it has already learned.
That includes which brands are consistently associated with which topics.
If your brand’s name and theme appear together across thousands of credible pages, that association becomes part of the model’s long-term memory.
For example, Canva is strongly associated with “simple design.” So, if you ask ChatGPT “What is the simplest design program?” it’s probably going to answer Canva.
That’s how brands build “semantic ownership” of an idea.
Over time, those associations become the model’s defaults, a durable moat that competitors can’t easily displace.
Quality still matters here.
It determines whether people read, share, and cite your work — the human behaviors that create the signals AI later learns from.
Meanwhile, web-indexed systems reward structure and authority.
When an AI system relies on live web data, the process looks more like search.
Models retrieve pages in real time, parse structure, and extract concise, factual snippets.
In this environment, “quality” means clarity, structure, and credibility.
For example, if someone asks an AI tool “best CRM software for small business,” the model pulls from pages that look like strong search results.
In this case, that would probably be list posts with clear headings, comparison tables, and trustworthy sources.
A messy blog without structure or citations wouldn’t make the cut.
Takeaway: High-quality content is your ticket in, not your winning hand. Authority, structure, relevancy, and consistent brand signals are what actually get you cited in LLM answers.
How to Level Up Your SEO Strategy for AI Visibility
You’ve seen the myths. You understand the reality.
Now, here’s what to actually do about it.
The good news? You don’t need to blow up your entire SEO strategy.
Most of what you’re already doing still works.
You just need to expand where you’re looking and what you’re measuring.
Start Measuring What You Can’t See
Your analytics are lying to you by omission.
When someone discovers your brand through ChatGPT and visits you three days later, it shows up as direct traffic or a branded search. Zero attribution to the AI mention that started the journey.
So you’ll need to:
Track the indirect signals.
Rising branded searches while organic clicks decline? That could be LLM discovery.
Direct traffic holding steady despite fewer Google clicks? Same thing.
Sales calls where prospects say “found you through AI”? You’re getting cited.
Use dedicated AI tracking tools.
Options include Peek.ai and ZipTie.Dev. For more comprehensive features, Semrush Enterprise AIO is a good option, especially if you need full-funnel visibility and advanced reporting.
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Forty-six percent of all Google searches have local intent. That means nearly half the time someone types something into the search bar, they’re looking for something nearby, like a dentist or a plumber.
If your business isn’t showing up in those results, you’re losing easy wins. That’s where local SEO citations come in. These are the digital breadcrumbs that help search engines (and customers) find and trust your business.
Citations aren’t just for maps and directories anymore. With the rise of AI Overviews and platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity pulling from trusted sources, having accurate, widespread citations can increase your visibility across all forms of search.
In this post, I’ll break down what local citations are, why they matter more than ever, and how to build them the right way, without wasting time on low-value directories.
Key Takeaways
Local SEO citations are online mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP).
Citations help search engines verify your business is real and improve your visibility in local search results.
Accurate, consistent citations across trusted platforms build authority and trust for both search engines and users.
AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews often surface citation sources, making them more important than ever.
The best strategy focuses on quality over quantity. Start with high-authority directories and expand into niche platforms.
Tools like BrightLocal, Whitespark, and Semrush can help automate citation building and cleanup.
What Are Local Citations?
Local SEO citations are online mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number, commonly known as NAP. You’ll usually see these on business directories, review sites, apps, maps, and social platforms.
These citations act as digital trust signals. When they’re consistent and accurate across multiple platforms, search engines see your business as more reliable, which can improve your visibility in local search results.
As an added note, AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and even Google’s own AI Overviews increasingly rely on structured business data from trusted citation sources.
You can create citations manually or through tools (more on that soon), but either way, you need to keep them updated and consistent across all listings.
Local Citation Types
There are two broad categories of citations: general or core platforms and industry-specific directories. Both serve a purpose. The key is knowing which ones your audience actually uses.
Google Business Profile is one of the most important citation sources. Complete your profile with hours, categories, photos, and reviews. It directly feeds into Google Maps and local pack rankings, making it a must-have.
Yelp is another top-tier directory. A well-optimized listing here adds authority and may drive referral traffic.
Bing Places for Business works similarly to Google’s platform and is still worth claiming, especially if your audience includes older users or anyone in corporate environments where Bing is the default search engine.
Facebook Business Pages double as citations and engagement hubs. They show up in search and allow customer interaction.
Apple Business Connect is important because Siri and Apple Maps pulls this information.
Niche platforms like OpenTable (restaurants), Avvo (legal), Zocdoc (medical), or TripAdvisor (travel) carry extra weight in their verticals and often convert better.
Local chambers of commerce, review platforms like Trustpilot, and neighborhood networks like Nextdoor also count as valuable citations when relevant.
How Local Citations Help SEO
Local citations do more than just increase visibility. They build trust and help search engines connect the dots between your business and the communities you serve. That’s foundational for strong local search marketing.
While exact percentages tied to citation impact aren’t publicly available for 2024, multiple sources still cite NAP consistency and citation volume as foundational local ranking factors. For example, SOCi reports that 80 percent of U.S. consumers search for a local business online at least weekly, and if your listings aren’t showing up accurately, you’re not in the running.
Citations also support E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trust), all key signals Google looks for when ranking local results.
A good starting point is generally 30 to 50 accurate, high-quality citations to build a strong foundation and establish a baseline. Depending on your industry and market size, you may need more.
Even one inaccurate listing can hurt trust and confuse Google’s local algorithms.
Local Citations and LLM Presence
Platforms like Google’s AI Overviews and large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, and Perplexity pull data from structured, verified sources. That means your business listings on sites like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, and TripAdvisor may be referenced automatically, if the information is accurate and consistent. See the example below from ChatGPT:
Even addresses can pop up in the results if they are online for the tools to pull.
LLMs don’t crawl the web like Googlebot, but they rely heavily on trustworthy, indexed data. A clean citation profile gives your business a better shot at showing up in AI summaries, especially for local service queries.
If your listings are messy or missing key info, you risk being ignored altogether, even if you rank well in traditional search.
This is where citation building becomes a proactive strategy, not just a foundational one.
What is Local Citation Building?
SEO citation building is the process of actively creating and maintaining listings for your business across third-party sites, like directories, maps, review platforms, and social networks.
Think of it like digital plumbing. You’re creating multiple, consistent “pipes” that point back to your business, and every new, accurate citation helps search engines and AI tools understand who you are and where you operate.
Let’s say you run a boutique gym in Chicago. Citation building would involve creating or updating your listings on Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, and niche platforms like ClassPass or Mindbody.
It’s not a one-and-done task. Building citations takes ongoing effort, especially if you move locations, change your phone number, or expand services.
Most businesses use citation-building tools to scale this process and stay organized. That’s what we’ll cover next.
Local Citation Building Platforms
SEO citation building can be time-consuming if you’re doing everything manually. That’s why many marketers rely on specialized tools to create, audit, and manage citations at scale.
Here are three platforms that can help simplify the process.
BrightLocal
BrightLocal is an all-in-one platform for managing local SEO. It includes tools for citation building, auditing, and cleanup.
You can submit your business info to 100+ general and niche directories, fix inconsistent listings, and remove duplicates, all from one dashboard. It also tracks your citation status over time, so you can see what’s live, pending, or missing.
One standout feature is its ability to prioritize directories based on your industry and location, helping you focus on what actually moves the needle.
Pricing starts at $39/month, with individual citation submissions available from $2 per site.
WhiteSpark
Whitespark is best known for its Local Citation Finder, a tool that helps you discover where your competitors are listed and where your business is missing out.
You can run audits, track your existing citations, and build new ones through customized campaigns. The platform also includes tools for citation tracking, reporting, and outreach.
Whitespark offers both DIY tools and fully managed services, making it flexible depending on how hands-on you want to be.
A free version of the Citation Finder gives you basic data on one campaign. Paid plans start at $39/month, with custom citation-building services priced separately.
Semrush Listing Management
Semrush Listing Management helps you distribute and manage your business info across key directories from a single dashboard. You can update your name, address, phone number, and other details in one place, and it syncs across dozens of platforms.
The tool also flags issues like duplicate listings or inconsistent NAP data, so you can fix errors that hurt your local SEO. You can monitor your presence on Google, Yelp, Apple Maps, and other places, while tracking how visibility changes over time.
A free scan gives you a snapshot of your current listings. Full access starts at $20/month per location.
Best Practices For Local Citation Building
Citation building isn’t hard, but doing it well takes attention to detail and long-term consistency.
Start by auditing your current listings. Tools like Moz or BrightLocal can help you identify missing profiles, duplicates, or inconsistent details. Then, focus on the most visible platforms: Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Facebook, and Apple Business Connect are great starting points.
Claim and complete your profiles. Don’t stop at NAP. Fill in everything you can, including a business description, website URL, product or service categories, attributes, hours, holiday hours, service areas, and anything else that gives customers and algorithms more context. Additionally, add high-quality photos to show customers your location, products, or services.
Be obsessive about consistency. Even small discrepancies like “St.” vs. “Street” can confuse search engines. Keep your NAP exactly the same across every platform.
If you’re managing listings at scale, look for platforms that offer API access or bulk editing tools. It’ll save hours of manual work.
Build a tracking system to regularly check and re-verify your listings. Businesses move, hours change, and platforms update their guidelines, things can fall out of sync fast.
Finally, take cues from your competitors. If they’re ranking in the map pack and listed on a directory you’re missing, that’s a signal. Focus on quality over quantity, and prioritize directories relevant to your niche.
And don’t forget to support your citation strategy with strong local link building. The two go hand-in-hand when it comes to building local authority.
FAQs
What is local citation building?
Local citation building means creating and maintaining business listings across third-party platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. These listings include your name, address, phone number (NAP), and other key details. Accurate, consistent citations help search engines validate your business and improve your local SEO.
What are local SEO citations?
Local SEO citations are online references to your business’s name, address, and phone number, even if there’s no link. You’ll usually find them on directories, review sites, apps, or social platforms. When these citations are consistent and appear on trusted sites, they improve your visibility and authority in local search.
How do local citations help SEO?
Citations tell search engines that your business is real, active, and relevant to a specific location. They also reinforce your trust signals and support local ranking factors like E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authority, trust). Inconsistent or missing citations can lower your chances of showing up in map results or AI-generated summaries.
How does citation building impact a business’s online visibility and local search rankings?
The more accurate citations you have across trusted sources, the easier it is for search engines to connect your business to relevant searches. Citation building improves your local rankings, boosts discovery in maps and directories, and increases your credibility with searchers.
How to build local citations?
Start by auditing your existing listings with a tool like BrightLocal or Semrush. Then, claim and complete your profiles on top directories like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Bing Places. For more tips, check the best practices section above.
What is NAP consistency?
NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. NAP consistency means keeping those details exactly the same across every platform. Even small mismatches can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings. Consistent NAP is also critical for voice search, map listings, and AI-generated search summaries.
Conclusion
Citation building is still one of the simplest and most reliable ways to improve your local visibility, especially with AI and LLMs reshaping how local results are delivered.
You don’t need to be on every directory. Focus on quality platforms, stay consistent, and treat your listings as an extension of your brand. Even a small number of trusted citations can make a measurable difference in your rankings.
If you’re managing listings across multiple locations or just don’t have time to keep things updated, working with alocal SEO agency can take the heavy lifting off your plate. They’ll help you scale your strategy while avoiding common pitfalls.
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In the last 24 hours, ChatGPT and Perplexity have introduced new AI-driven shopping experiences that aim to deliver more personalized product discovery and guidance. Both experiences are meant to help users find, compare, and purchase products through conversational queries informed by preferences and past behavior.
ChatGPT
Shopping research. OpenAI introduced shopping research, a guided buying experience that turns ChatGPT into a personalized product researcher.
Users describe what they need (e.g., “quiet cordless vacuum,” “compare these strollers,” “gift for my art-obsessed niece”).
ChatGPT asks clarifying questions, pulls price/spec/review data from the open web, and produces a tailored buyer’s guide in minutes.
It adapts based on your preferences and ChatGPT memory, and can refine picks in real time as users mark items “More like this” or “Not interested.”
How it works. The feature runs on a specialized GPT-5 mini model optimized for shopping tasks, designed to pull reliable information from trusted sites and cite its sources.
Rollout. Available now on free and paid ChatGPT plans on web and mobile, with “nearly unlimited” usage through the holidays.
What’s next. Instant Checkout integrations will allow purchases directly inside ChatGPT for participating merchants.
Perplexity
New shopping experience. Perplexity launched a free U.S. shopping experience built around its core philosophy: AI assistants should scale a shopper, not replace them.
Users search conversationally (e.g., “best winter jacket for San Francisco ferry commute”) and Perplexity keeps context as you pivot to related needs.
It remembers preferences (e.g., mid-century modern style, minimalist running gear) and tailors future product cards accordingly.
Instead of infinite scroll, it generates streamlined product cards with only the details tied to the user’s stated intent.
Integrated checkout. A partnership with PayPal brings fast, in-flow purchases with retailers remaining merchant of record. That means merchants still get customer visibility, handle returns, and maintain the relationship.
Why retailers may care. Perplexity said shoppers who go through a conversational funnel have higher purchase intent, and instant checkout reduces abandonment.
Availability. The new shopping experience is live on desktop and the web now, with iOS and Android apps rolling out in the next few weeks.
Why we care. AI assistants are an emerging channel for ecommerce. ChatGPT’s focus is deep research, while Perplexity’s is smooth discovery and built-in checkout. Both aim to become the starting point for shoppers’ buying journeys by making brand/product recommendations that appear personal and tailored to their preferences.
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A surge of sophisticated phishing attacks is letting scammers take over full Google Ads Manager accounts (MCCs), giving them instant access to hundreds of client accounts and the power to burn through tens of thousands of dollars in hours without being noticed.
Driving the news. Agencies across LinkedIn, Reddit, and Google’s own forums are reporting a rise in MCC takeovers, even among teams using two-factor authentication. The attackers’ preferred weapon is a near-perfect phishing email that mimics Google’s account-access invitations.
Victims say hijackers add fake admin users, link their own MCCs, and begin launching fraudulent, high-budget campaigns.
In some cases, support tickets take days to escalate while money continues to drain.
One agency reported “tens of thousands” in ad spend racked up within 24 hours.
How it works. The scams look like standard client-access invites – same branding, format, and copy – but the link sends users to a Google Sites page posing as a Google login screen. Once credentials are entered, the attackers get full MCC access.
Why it’s getting worse. Advertisers say the phishing attempts are now almost indistinguishable from real Google messages. Several agencies admitted they would have clicked if not for small discrepancies in the sender domain or login URL.
The impact:
Budgets drained: fraudulent ads run immediately.
Malware exposure: ads often lead to harmful sites.
Account damage: invalid activity flags, disapprovals, and trust issues ripple for months.
Operational chaos: agencies lose access to every client account under the MCC.
What Google says. The Google Ads Community team posted a What to do if your account is compromised help doc, warning advertisers about rising credential theft during the holiday season, but hasn’t acknowledged the scale of the MCC takeover surge.
Why we care. These MCC hijacks aren’t just isolated security issues – they’re direct financial and operational threats that can wipe out budgets, compromise every client account, and take days for Google to contain. With attackers now bypassing 2FA through near-perfect phishing, even well-secured teams are suddenly vulnerable. If just one team member slips, an entire portfolio of accounts – spend, performance, and client trust – is instantly at risk.
What experts recommend. Marc Walker, founder and managing director of Low Digital Ltd, shared these recommendations to keep your accounts from being hijacked:
Always verify the URL: Google never uses Google Sites for login.
Confirm invites inside the MCC, not just via email.
Purge dormant users and inactive accounts to reduce attack surfaces.
Educate teams on phishing red flags, especially during high-volume holiday outreach.
Between the lines. If even one user in a large MCC falls for the scam, the attacker effectively acquires keys to an entire portfolio – and can drain budgets faster than Google’s support system can respond.
Bottom line. Google Ads hijacks are a serious operational threat for agencies and in-house teams. Until Google ships stronger MCC-level protections, vigilance remains the only real defense.
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As shopping becomes more visually driven, imagery plays a central role in how people evaluate products.
Images and videos can unfurl complex stories in an instant, making them powerful tools for communication.
In ecommerce, they function as decision tools.
Generative search systems extract objects, embedded text, composition, and style to infer use cases and brand fit, then
LLMs surface the assets that best answer a shopper’s question.
Each visual becomes structured data that removes a purchase objection, increasing discoverability in multimodal search contexts where customers take a photo or upload a screenshot to ask about it.
Visual search is a shopping behavior
Shoppers use visual search to make decisions: snapping a photo, scanning a label, or comparing products to answer “Will this work for me?” in seconds.
For online stores, that means every photo must answer that task: in‑hand scale shots, on‑body size cues, real‑light color, micro‑demos, and side‑by‑sides that make trade‑offs obvious without reading a word.
These evolving behaviors map to specific intent categories.
General context
Multimodal search aligns with intuitive information-finding.
Users no longer rely on text-only fields. They combine images, spoken queries, and context to direct requests.
Quick capture and identify
By snapping a photo and asking for identification (e.g., “What plant is this?” or querying an error screen), users instantly solve recognition and troubleshooting tasks, speeding up resolution and product authentication.
Visual comparison
Showing a product and requesting “find a dupe” or asking about “room style” eliminates complex textual descriptions and enables rapid cross-category shopping and fit checking.
This shortens discovery time and supports quicker alternative product searches.
Information processing
Presenting ingredient lists (“make recipe”), manuals, or foreign text triggers on-the-fly data conversion.
Systems extract, translate, and operationalize information, eliminating the need for manual reentry or searching elsewhere for instructions.
Modification search
Displaying a product and asking for variations (“like this but in blue”) enables precise attribute searching, such as finding parts or compatible accessories, without needing to hunt down model or part numbers.
These user behaviors highlight the shift away from purely language-based navigation.
Multimodal AI now enables instant identification, decision support, and creative exploration, reducing friction across both ecommerce and information journeys.
You can view a comprehensive table of multimodal visual search types here.
Prioritize high-contrast color schemes. Black text on white backgrounds is the gold standard.
Critical details (e.g., ingredients, instructions, warnings) should be presented in clean, sans-serif fonts (e.g., Helvetica, Arial, Lato, Open Sans) and set against solid backgrounds, free from distracting patterns.
This means treating physical product labeling like a landing page, as Cetaphil does.
AI does not isolate your product. It scans every adjacent object in an image to build a contextual database.
Props, backgrounds, and other elements help AI infer price point, lifestyle relevance, and target customers.
Each object placed alongside a product sends a signal – luxury cues, sport gear, utilitarian tools – all recalibrating the brand’s digital persona for machines.
A distinctive logo within each visual scene ensures rapid recognition, making products easier to identify in visual and multimodal AI search “in the wild.”
Tight control of these adjacency signals is now part of brand architecture.
Deliberate curation ensures AI models correctly map a brand’s value, context, and ideal customer, increasing the likelihood of appearing in relevant, high-value conversational queries.
Run a co-occurrence audit for brand context
Establish a workflow that assesses, corrects, and operationalizes brand context for multimodal AI search.
Run this audit in AI Mode, ChatGPT search, ChatGPT, and another LLM model of your choice.
Gather the top five lifestyle or product photos and input them into a multimodal LLM, such as Gemini, or an object detection API, like the Google Vision API.
Use the prompt:
“List every single object you can identify in this image. Based on these objects, describe the person who owns them.”
This generates a machine-produced inventory and persona analysis.
Identify narrative disconnects, such as a budget product mispositioned as a luxury or an aspirational item, undermined by mismatched background cues.
From these results, develop explicit guidelines that include props, context elements, and on-brand and off-brand objects for marketing, photography, and creative teams.
Enforce these standards to ensure every asset analyzed by AI – and subsequently ranked or recommended – consistently reinforces product context, brand value, and the desired customer profile.
This alignment ensures consistent machine perception with strategic goals and strengthens presence in next-generation search and recommendation environments.
Brand control across the four visual layers
The brand control quadrant provides a practical framework for managing brand visibility through the lens of machine interpretation.
It covers four layers, some owned by the brand and others influenced by it.
Known brand
This includes owned visuals, such as official logos, branded imagery, and design guides, which brands assume are controlled and understood by both human audiences and AI.
Image strategy
Curate a visual knowledge graph.
List and assess adjacent objects in brand-connected images.
Build and reinforce an “Object Bible” to reduce narrative drift and ensure lifestyle signals consistently support the intended brand persona and value.
Latent brand
These are images and contexts AI captures “in the wild,” including:
User photos.
Social sightings.
Street-style shots.
These third-party visuals can generate unintended inferences about price, persona, or positioning.
An extreme example is Helly Hansen, whose “HH” logo was co-opted by far-right and neo-Nazi groups, creating unintended associations through user-posted images.
Shadow brand
This quadrant consists of outdated brand assets and materials presumed private that can be indexed and learned by LLMs if made public, even unintentionally.
Audit all public and semi-public digital archives for outdated or conflicting imagery.
Remove or update diagrams, screenshots, or historic visuals.
Funnel only current, strategy-aligned visual data to guide AI inferences and search representations.
AI-narrated brand
AI builds composite narratives about a brand by synthesizing visual and emotional cues from all layers.
This outcome can include competitor contamination or tone mismatches.
Image strategy
Test the image’s meaning and emotional tone using tools like Google Cloud Vision to confirm that its inherent aesthetics and mood align with the intended product messaging.
When mismatches appear, correct them at the asset level to recalibrate the narrative.
Factoring for sentiment: Aligning visual tone and emotional context
Images do more than provide information.
They command attention and evoke emotion in split seconds, shaping perceptions and influencing behavior.
In AI-driven multimodal search, this emotional resonance becomes a direct, machine-readable signal.
Emotional context is interpreted and sentiment scored.
The affective quality of each image is evaluated by LLMs, which synthesize sentiment, tone, and contextual nuance alongside textual descriptions to match content to user emotion and intent.
To capitalize on this, brands must intentionally design and rigorously audit the emotional tone of their imagery.
Tools like Microsoft Azure Computer Vision or Google Cloud Vision’s API allow teams to:
Score images for emotional cues at scale.
Assess facial expressions and assign probabilities to emotions, enabling precise calibration of imagery to intended product feelings such as “calm” for a yoga mat line, “joy” for a party dress, or “confidence” for business shoes.
Align emotional content with marketing goals.
Ensure that imagery sets the right expectations and appeals to the target audience.
Start by identifying the baseline emotion in your brand imagery, then actively test for consistency using AI tools.
Ensuring your brand narrative matches AI perception
Prioritize authentic, high-quality product images, ensure every asset is machine-readable, and rigorously curate visual context and sentiment.
Treat packaging and on-site visuals as digital landing pages. Run regular audits for object adjacency, emotional tone, and technical discoverability.
AI systems will shape your brand narrative whether you guide them or not, so make sure every visual aligns with the story you intend to tell.
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