Posts

6 Best Social Media Management Tools (Tried & Tested)

/0 Comments/in /by

There are many tools that let you schedule content across different social media platforms.

But:

Not all of them are built to match your unique workflow.

Some focus on collaboration, others on planning.

That’s why I’ve handpicked the best tools and highlighted the features that go beyond basic scheduling.

Here’s an overview of the best social media management tools included in this article:

Best for Pricing
Buffer Content creators and small teams that need help generating content ideas and staying consistent Starts at $6/month per channel; limited free plan available
Planable Marketing teams that need a centralized hub to collaborate on all types of content Starts at $39/month; limited free plan available
SocialBee Businesses that want a built-in AI assistant to help plan strategy and generate content Starts at $29/month; 14-day free trial
Canva Creators and small businesses that want to design and schedule content in one place Starts at $15/month; 30-day free trial available
Hootsuite Teams that need social selling tools and CRM integration Starts at $149/month; 30-day free trial available
Sprout Social Large teams or agencies that need unified analytics, collaboration tools, and social listening Starts at $249/month; 30-day free trial available

Note: This is not the most extensive list of social media management tools. Instead, I’m sticking to what the title says and only including the very best options.

1. Buffer

Best for content creators and small teams that need help generating content ideas and staying consistent with posting

Pricing: Starts at $6 per month per channel; limited free forever plan available (for up to three channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel per month)

Buffer – Monthly Calendar

Buffer is a simple social media management tool designed to help you plan, create, and schedule content across platforms.

It has a simple layout, a Kanban-style board, AI tools to help you write posts faster, and many other features that let teams work together easily.

Here are the platforms you can manage with Buffer:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • X/Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google Business Profile
  • Bluesky
  • Mastodon

Here’s what I love about Buffer:

Manage Your Content Workflow with a Built-in Kanban Board

Buffer gives you a simple, visual way to manage your entire content workflow. You don’t need a separate project management tool.

You can plan, track, and organize your social posts using a built-in Kanban-style layout. This makes it easy to track how your content moves from idea to publication.

Buffer – Built-in kanban board

You can drag and drop posts through each stage, tag them by type or campaign, and convert any idea into a live post when you’re ready to publish.

Each idea card acts like a mini workspace. You can add notes, upload images, assign tags, or even use AI to shape your post.

And when you’re ready to turn an idea into a real post, just click “Create Post”:

Buffer – Turning Idea into Post

From there, you can choose which social media platforms to post on, edit your text, and schedule it. All without leaving the ideas board:

Buffer – Choose Social Media Platform

This is a seamless workflow from idea to publishing. You don’t even need to switch tabs within the tool.

Create a Custom Link in Bio Page

Buffer’s Start Page lets you build a mini landing page to use in your social media bio.

On this page, you can add buttons to your blog, shop, podcast, or freebies — whatever you want people to check out. It’s like a custom homepage for your content.

There are templates to get you started:

Buffer – Choose a starting template

But you can also customize it with your brand colors, fonts, and layout:

Buffer – Start page – Customize template

When you publish your page, you can track views and clicks to see what your audience is interested in:

Buffer – Statistics

Whether you’re a creator, freelancer, or a small business, Start Page helps you lead your followers to the content you want them to see.

Stay Consistent with a Weekly Posting Goal

Buffer helps you build a sustainable content routine. It lets you choose a posting goal, like once, three times, or five times per week:

Buffer – Settings – Posting Goal

Once you select your frequency, Buffer will automatically recommend the best time slots and add them to your queue:

Buffer – Settings – Posting Times

The tool recommends time slots based on when your audience is active.

With this feature, you don’t have to guess when or how often to post.

Just pick a consistency level that fits your bandwidth and goals.

This is helpful if you’re overwhelmed or inconsistent. With your target already set, Buffer takes care of when to post so you can focus on what to post.

Useful resource: Step-By-Step Content Marketing Plan Template


Pros & Cons

Pros Cons
Use AI assistant to draft tailored post captions for different social media platforms Analytics doesn’t support creator accounts for Instagram and LinkedIn; it’s limited to business pages
Manage comments and replies from one dashboard

2. Planable

Best for marketing teams that need a centralized hub to collaborate on all types of content

Pricing: Starts at $39 per month; free plan available (limited to 50 posts)

Planable – Workspace

Planable is a tool built for social media teams to plan, collaborate on, and schedule content together — all in one place.

It’s designed to streamline approvals, keep your calendar organized, and make team (and client) communication seamless.

Here are the platforms you can manage with Planable:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X/Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Google Business Profile
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Threads

And here’s what I love about Planable:

Collaborate with Your Team in Real-Time

Planable makes it easy to work with others and communicate through every step of content development.

For example, your team can leave comments directly on each social media post. This removes the need to send the post back and forth:

Planable – Commenting feature

You can even invite your team members and clients and give each one a unique set of permissions. These include view, edit, publish, approve, or analyze.

You can also make multiple approval workflows and set collaboration levels.

Let’s say you’re part of an in-house marketing team working with an external copywriter. You could create a custom workflow like this:

  • Stage 1: Content team creates the post and adds a caption
  • Stage 2: Design team steps in to finalize visuals
  • Stage 3: The client gives final approval before the post goes live

Planable – Team Roles & Approvals

Once the client approves the content, you can:

  • Automatically schedule the post to publish at the assigned time (or keep manual control if you prefer)
  • Lock the content to prevent last-minute edits or accidental changes

What’s cool is that internal team comments won’t be visible to clients.

You can also hide certain posts from clients to prevent them from seeing unfinished drafts:

Planable – Hide from clients

And if anything ever goes off track, you can see the version history. It lets you see exactly who did what and roll back to a previous version if you need to.

Manage All Your Marketing Content in One Place

Planable helps you schedule, preview, and collaborate on posts for all major platforms in one place.

You can plan your content in a calendar view to visualize what’s going live, where it’s going, and when:

Planable – Calendar view & Connected Channels

But what sets Planable apart is its ability to go beyond just social. You can also write and organize blog posts, newsletters, and other content with the same team setup.

So if your team is posting on Instagram and TikTok, writing email newsletters, and posting on the blog, you can check and edit everything in one place.

Planable keeps it all in sync, so your team stays aligned and consistent — no matter how many channels you’re managing.

Note: While you can manage blog content in Planable using the same workflows as social posts, it doesn’t integrate directly with CMS platforms. So you’ll still need to copy and paste your final draft manually.


Organize Your Content into Campaigns

In Planable, you can group your social media posts into dedicated campaigns.

This makes it easy to plan, manage, and execute content around specific themes, product launches, or events:

Planable – Campaigns

Each campaign can act as a central hub for your content. You can add posts to different social media, work with others, and see how your posts are doing, all in one place.

For example, if you’re launching a new product, you can create a “Product Launch” campaign. Inside that campaign, you can:

  • Keep internal notes (like your campaign objective, key results, and what content the campaign should include)
  • Organize all launch-related posts and visuals for future posts
  • View when each post is scheduled to go live with the calendar view
  • Check consolidated analytics across multiple platforms

Planable – Header bar

This kind of campaign structure helps your team stay focused and aligned. It also ensures every piece of content supports a bigger goal, like driving signups for an event or promoting a product launch.

Pros & Cons

Pros Cons
Craft your social media captions with AI in the Planable post editor Currently no integration with CMS platforms to post blog content on your site directly
Import visuals directly from Canva into your posts; no need to download or re-upload designs Analytics is only available for business accounts, not creator profiles
Schedule the first comment on Instagram and LinkedIn posts
Get post and account performance insights with built-in analytics

3. SocialBee

Best for businesses that want a built-in AI assistant to help plan strategy and generate content

Pricing: Starts at $29 per month; 14-day free trial

SocialBee – Create your post

SocialBee is a social media management tool that helps you manage all your content in one place. One unique thing this tool offers is a built-in AI assistant that takes tasks off your hands (more on this later).

Here are the platforms you can manage with SocialBee:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • X/Twitter
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Google Business Profile
  • Bluesky
  • Threads

SocialBee also offers universal posting. This means you can collaborate with your team on content for a blog or newsletter for example. However, as is the case with Planable, there is currently no integration to post these directly on other platforms.

Here’s some more detail about a few of SocialBee’s best features:

Build a Content Strategy with AI Copilot

SocialBee’s AI Copilot is like having a creative assistant built into your social media tool.

It helps you build a personalized content strategy, come up with content ideas, and draft social media captions.

So, how does it work?

Let’s say you run social media for Tattly, a creative brand selling artist-designed temporary tattoos.

Copilot will ask you a set of questions about your brand, goals, and audience:

SocialBee – Social Media Copilot

Based on your input, the AI Copilot recommends the best platforms to focus on and suggests a weekly posting frequency:

SocialBee – Social Media Copilot – Posting frequency

Copilot also suggests content categories that match your business and tone:

SocialBee – Social Media Copilot – Content categories

It then generates the posting plan based on your content categories:

SocialBee – Social Media Copilot – Posting plan

And finally, it generates the posts. You can use the captions as-is or use AI suggestions as inspiration:

SocialBee – Social Media Copilot – Generated posts

Create Evergreen Content Categories

SocialBee lets you recycle posts on autopilot by marking a content category as evergreen:

SocialBee – Re-queue after posting

This means any post you add to that category will automatically be re-added to your posting queue once it goes live. You don’t need to reschedule it manually.

But why would you want to post the same content over and over?

It’s a great way to keep your content calendar full without constantly creating new content. You can use it to reshare timeless posts like tips, customer testimonials, or motivational quotes:

SocialBee – Your content categories

For example, reposting a helpful blog tip every four to six weeks keeps it fresh in your audience’s feed without feeling repetitive. Especially if you’re recycling through a variety of other content in between.

Plus, new followers may miss these posts the first time around, but still get value from them.

This keeps your content calendar active, saves you time, and ensures your best posts continue delivering value long after they’re first published.

Turn Links Into Posts

SocialBee lets you import a bunch of links and instantly generate social media posts for them:

SocialBee – Content – Import links

Just paste in your links, assign them to a content category, and SocialBee will generate a basic post using the page title and link:

SocialBee – Import links – Created post

From there, you can edit the draft to boost engagement and tailor it to your audience. Like by adding a hook or takeaway.

This is especially helpful if you run a blog or regularly share curated content. It gives you a head start on posting, so you’re not starting from scratch every time.

Further reading: 21+ Proven Strategies to Promote Your Blog in 2025

Get Help from a Dedicated Social Media Concierge

If you’d rather outsource some of your social media tasks to a pro, SocialBee offers concierge services.

SocialBee – ConciergeBee Store

ConciergeBee connects you with a service provider who takes care of tasks like making content or talking to your followers.

You can choose from several service packages (starting at $129/month) based on your needs.

For example, options include:

  • Weekly content creation (graphics, captions, and videos)
  • Community management (inbox and comment replies)
  • LinkedIn lead generation
  • Blog content writing
  • Ads management

SocialBee – Service packages

Compared to hiring freelancers on your own, SocialBee’s concierge service saves you time and guesswork.

You get vetted specialists, ongoing 1:1 communication, and fixed pricing. And you don’t have to go through the process of scouting talent and managing contracts.

Pros & Cons

Pros Cons
Turn articles into social media posts in seconds The mobile app is very limited at this time, sometimes not even working at all
Use AI to enhance your social media strategy
Use Canva, Unsplash, and GIPHY integrations for visuals

4. Canva

Best for content creators and small businesses that want to design and schedule content from one place

Pricing: Starts at $15 per month; 30-day free trial available

Canva – Content Planner

With its built-in Content Planner tool, Canva lets you design, write, and schedule posts across multiple platforms in one place.

If you’re already using it to create visual content, it might be enough to handle your entire content workflow. Especially if you heavily rely on graphics in your social media posts.

Here are the platforms you can manage with Canva:

  • Instagram Business Page
  • Facebook Page
  • X/Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr

While more limited than some of the other tools on this list, there are still a lot of reasons to love it as a social media management tool.

Here are my favorite features:

Schedule Posts Right From the Design Dashboard

Canva makes it easy to go from designing a social media post to scheduling it for publishing. You can do it without even leaving the design screen.

Let’s say you run a small cafe and you’re launching a new seasonal breakfast menu. You design an Instagram post in Canva with a mouth-watering photo of your meals.

Once you’re happy with the design, you click “Share” > “Schedule” right from the top menu:

Canva – Schedule design

This built-in scheduling tool helps you post regularly on social media without making more work for yourself.

Instead of switching between tools, you can design, schedule, and publish all from one place.

This saves time and keeps your content calendar on track.

Fill Your Calendar with Holiday-Ready Templates

Canva’s Content Planner shows holidays, awareness days, and seasonal events from around the world:

Canva – Content planer shows holidays

You can click on any event, choose a ready-made template, make it match your brand, and schedule the post right away:

Canva – Ready made template

This is a simple and effortless way to fill your content calendar and engage your audience.

Useful resource: Content Calendar Template for 2025


Pros & Cons

Pros Cons
Design and schedule content without switching platforms Lacks advanced collaboration tools, such as content approvals, needed for larger teams
Pre-designed visuals tied to calendar events and holidays

5. Hootsuite

Best for teams that need social selling tools and CRM integration

Pricing: Starts at $149 per month; 30-day free trial available

Hootsuite – Dashboard

Hootsuite supports everything from collaborative content planning to lead generation and social selling.

It has tools that help your team save time and work efficiently. Like CRM integrations, a smart inbox, and auto-replies for Instagram.

Here are the platforms you can manage with Hootsuite:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X/Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • WhatApp Business
  • Threads

Here are my favorite Hootsuite features:

Automate Instagram DMs with Comment Keywords

Hootsuite lets you send automated Instagram DMs to your audience:

Hootsuite – DM automation

You can use this feature to deliver lead magnets, coupon codes, or event registrations.

For example, if you’re a fitness coach offering a free meal plan, you could post a Reel with the caption:

“Drop the word MEAL below and I’ll DM you my 7-day meal plan.”

When someone comments “meal,” Hootsuite instantly sends them your custom message with the link.

Here’s how it works:

You choose a keyword and write a message you want to send when someone comments that word on your post.

This method keeps your audience engaged without the hassle of replying to everyone yourself. And because the response is instant, your followers get what you promised right away. No matter when they comment.

Cool, right?

Turn Social Conversations Into Sales

Hootsuite helps you move leads from social interactions to closed deals without leaving the dashboard.

You can reply to comments and DMs, save the conversation in your CRM, and follow up to turn that lead into a customer:

Hootsuite – Turn social conversations into sales

But how’s that possible?

Hootsuite integrates with CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and SugarCRM to streamline this process.

This means your social media manager and sales rep can collaborate in real time. If a follower responds to a campaign or clicks on a product post, you can turn that engagement into a lead profile.

If your business relies on social selling, this feature is a game-changer.

Pros & Cons

Pros Cons
Manage inbound messages, engagement, and scheduling in one place DM automation is limited to Instagram only
Integrate Hootsuite with your CRM and project management platform

6. Sprout Social

Best for large teams or agencies that need unified analytics, collaboration tools, and social listening in one platform

Pricing: Starts at $249 per month; 30-day free trial available

Sprout Social – Dashboard

Sprout Social is a premium social media management platform. It combines publishing, engagement, analytics, and social listening all in one place.

Here are the platforms you can manage with Sprout Social:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X/Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • YouTube
  • Google Business Profile

Now let’s talk about what I love most about Sprout Social:

Respond to Every Message in One Place

Sprout’s Smart Inbox pulls direct messages (DMs), comments, and mentions across all your connected platforms.

You don’t need to bounce between tabs or apps. Instead, your entire team can view and respond to each message or comment from one space:

Sprout Social – All Messages

Your team can even tag messages, assign them to teammates, and leave internal notes to add context:

Sprout Social – Internal comments

Sprout Social also tracks your inbox activity. This lets you check how your team handles audience engagement across different platforms.

For example, you can see metrics like:

  • Number of received vs. actioned messages and action rate
  • Response rate and average time to action
  • Performance trends across time or by platform

Sprout Social – Received Messages and Actions Summary

This helps you reply faster, keep your support organized, and make sure you don’t miss any messages. Even when you’re constantly receiving messages at scale.

Track and Visualize Performance Across the Channels

Sprout Social gives you two powerful ways to analyze your results:

  • Cross-network reporting: To track performance across all your social media channels
  • Profile-specific reporting: To dive deeper into individual accounts (like your Instagram or LinkedIn)

This dual setup helps you see the big picture while still being able to zoom in on the details.

View High-Level Metrics in One Dashboard

Its profile performance report shows key stats. Such as views, clicks, engagement, and interaction rate across all your social platforms:

Sprout Social – Profile Performance

You can also track how your audience has grown over time with the Audience Growth graph:

Sprout Social – Audience Growth

This makes it easy to see whether your efforts are growing your followers.

That way, you can identify which platforms are bringing the most momentum. And which ones might need a strategy tweak.

Analyze Content with Post Performance Reports

Sprout Social also gives you post performance insights across all your connected accounts. Or you can focus on a specific platform.

You can view and compare individual post metrics. Like total engagement, reactions, and comments:

Sprout Social – Post Performance

This helps you quickly spot top-performing posts and patterns behind them. This lets you replicate what’s working — without constantly jumping between dashboards.

Listen to What Your Audience Is Saying Online

Sprout Social helps you understand what people say about your brand, industry, or competitors across social media and the web.

You can track specific keywords, hashtags, or brand mentions in real time.

For example, if you manage social media for a coffee shop, you might track the keyword “espresso.”

The conversation breakdown shows the words and phrases people use when they talk about espresso. Such as “recipes,” “easy,” and “home.”

These terms are ranked from highest to lowest engagement:

Sprout Social – Keyword tracked

You can use these words to get content ideas or write relatable captions to match what your audience is saying.

It’s a quick way to spot trends and stay relevant.

Pros & Cons

Pros Cons
All-in-one place for managing publishing, engagement, and analytics across many social media platforms Can be overwhelming for solo users or small teams due to the number of tools included in Sprout Social
Advanced analytics to track cross-platform or profile-specific performance

Ready to Choose Your Social Media Management Tool?

The right social media management tool depends on your content needs and workflow:

  • Go with Sprout Social if you’re a large team or agency that needs everything in one place, including analytics, collaboration, customer care, and social listening
  • Pick Hootsuite if your team is focused on lead generation and social selling, and you want powerful CRM integrations and sales automations
  • Choose Planable if you need advanced collaboration features and want to manage all kinds of content in one place
  • Go with Buffer if you’re solo or on a small team and want to stay consistent with posting using a simple, organized workflow
  • Try SocialBee if you want extra help either from AI or a real human handling your strategy and content
  • Stick with Canva if you’re already using it for design and want a streamlined way to schedule your posts without switching tools

Want to explore new platforms to grow on? Check out our list of new social media platforms so you can stay ahead of the curve.

The post 6 Best Social Media Management Tools (Tried & Tested) appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More

The 7 Best PPC Tools for Your Goals, Budget, and Workflow

/0 Comments/in /by

Running PPC campaigns isn’t for the faint of heart.

You’re constantly juggling dashboards, tweaking campaigns, and fielding requests from clients who wanted performance reports yesterday.

That’s why the best PPC tools don’t just offer features. They help you move faster.

In this guide, I’ve curated this list of the best PPC tools marketers swear by, organized by use case.

The goal?

To help you quickly find what fits your workflow and skip the ones that don’t.

What Are the Best PPC Tools?

PPC Tool Best for Price
Semrush Advertising Toolkit All-in-one PPC campaign management Starts at $139.95/month. 14-day Pro trial available.
Spyfu Competitor research Starts at $39/month. Free limited account available.
Google Ads Editor Bulk editing & offline ad campaign management Free
Optmyzr Enterprise-level PPC automation and tracking Starts at $249/month. 14-day trial available.
Adalysis Ready-to-go ad automation and tracking Starts at $149/month. 30-day free trial available.
Google Looker Studio Ad campaign visualization and reporting Free
ChatGPT Ideation, ad copywriting, and campaign analysis Starts at $20/month. Free plan available

1. Semrush PPC Advertising Toolkit

Best for all-in-one PPC campaign management

Tired of switching between five tools just to manage your paid search campaigns?

Call in the Semrush PPC Advertising Toolkit.

Domain Overview – Advertising Research

It covers everything from keyword research to competitor tracking for full campaign lifecycle visibility.

Perfect when you’re knee-deep in data but need insights fast. Like onboarding a new client or cleaning up a messy account.

Find High-Value PPC Keywords Fast

Keyword research shouldn’t feel like a full-time job.

Semrush’s Advertising Toolkit makes it simpler.

Start with the Keyword Magic Tool.

Type in a general term like “indoor planters.” You’ll get a full list of related long-tail keywords, complete with cost-per-click (CPC) and search volume.

Keyword Magic Tool – Indoor planters – Keywords

Within seconds, you’ll find high-potential keywords that fit your budget.

Now, if you want to know what your competitors are bidding on, use the Keyword Gap tool.

Let’s say you’re running campaigns for plantologyusa.com.

Add a few competitor URLs — like mygardyn.com and thesill.com — and Semrush will show keywords they’re targeting, but you’re not.

Plus, terms they’re outranking you for.

Keyword Gap – Plantologyusa – Paid Keywords

Instead of reinventing your keyword list, you see what’s driving results for others.

Keyword Gap – Plantologyusa – All keyword details for

And where you may be leaving money on the table.

Bonus: You can easily export your keyword lists from Semrush into Google Ads. Or, use them as the base for Meta campaign planning.

Side note: Google Keyword Planner also offers keyword data straight from Google. It’s solid for search volume, but it lacks Semrush’s competitive context.

Reverse Engineer Your Competitors’ PPC Strategy

Want a fast, clear read on what your competitors are spending in paid search?

Head to Semrush’s Advertising Research Tool and plug in their domains.

For example, if you’re running PPC for Toolstation, you might want to analyze Screwfix’s paid search strategy.

Enter “screwfix.com” and you’ll instantly see:

  • Their top-paid keywords
  • Landing pages tied to those keywords
  • Other domains bidding on the same terms
  • A timeline of their ad activity

Advertising Research – Screwfix – Paid Search Trends

That timeline is gold.

If you notice their ad spend consistently increases every April, it’s likely tied to seasonal demand. Or, a major promo push.

You can respond by launching earlier to capture traffic before everyone starts throwing money at the same keywords.

Or shift bids to lower-cost, related keywords that still convert.

(So you don’t get caught in a who’s-got-the-deeper-pockets contest.)

See What Ads Your Competitors Are Running

There’s no need to guess what copy your competitors are using to get clicks.

Go to the Ads Copies tab under Advertising Research.

You’ll see years of PPC history, including the keywords that triggered each ad, estimated CPC, and the exact ad copy.

Advertising Research – Screwfix – Ads Copies

From there, look at what benefits they lead with.

Free delivery? Next-day shipping? A 10% discount if you act by Thursday?

You’ll start to see patterns like how they position their offers, how they build trust, and where your own messaging might be falling short.

Sure, AI can create ad copy now.

But nothing beats learning from real ads that have been tested in the wild.

Especially ones that have been running for months.

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Convinient for larger businesses that want to see how PPC performance connects to SEO, content, and broader marketing strategy Overkill for teams that only need a basic keyword tool or simple ad monitoring

Price

Semrush’s PPC Advertising Toolkit is included with a Semrush subscription.

  • Pro: $139.95/month. Best for freelancers and small teams.
  • Guru: $249.95/month. Ideal for agencies and mid-size businesses.
  • Business: $499.95/month. Built for large agencies and enterprise teams.

Note: Get a free Semrush account and start optimizing your PPC campaigns now.

2. SpyFu

Best for competitor research

SpyFu is one of the longest-running PPC tools.

SpyFu – Google Ads History

The platform’s foundation lies in this question:

“What are your competitors doing, and how well is it working for them?”

With up to 15 years of historical data, you get a full market view of paid search trends.

This allows you to evaluate what’s effective (and what’s not) in your competitors’ strategies so you can plan your own campaigns with a lot less guesswork.

Get Detailed Insights Into Your Competitors’ PPC Campaigns

SpyFu’s PPC Research tool gives you a full breakdown of any of your competitor’s paid search strategies.

All you need is their domain.

Let’s say Salesforce is a competitor. Enter its domain and you’ll instantly see:

  • The keywords they’re bidding on
  • Estimated monthly clicks and ad spend
  • Variations in their ad copy
  • The landing pages linked to each campaign

SpyFu – Monthly PPC Overview

This kind of competitive intel helps you see what’s working in your niche.

And what your competitors are betting on.

If you see that Salesforce has consistently targeted the keyword “customer service apps” for over a year, it’s not a test.

It’s likely delivering strong results.

SpyFu – Google Ads History – Keyword

With that context, you can build campaigns around keywords with proven performance.

Plus, refine your messaging based on how your competitors are framing the same offer.

Track Multiple Competitors at Once

Manually checking competitors one by one is tedious.

Plus, you’re bound to miss patterns.

SpyFu’s PPC Kombat tool makes it easier.

Enter a few competitors’ domains into the Kombat tool, and SpyFu gives you a side-by-side comparison.

Let’s say you’re managing PPC for Monday.com.

Enter salesforce.com, pipedrive.com, and zoho.com, and Kombat will show you:

  • A Venn diagram of shared vs. unique keywords
  • The “Core Keywords” all three are bidding on
  • “Potential Ad Waste,” which are keywords you’re paying for but no one else is

SpyFu – Salesforce – PPC research – Kombat

It’s one of the fastest ways to identify keyword gaps and wasted spend.

Plus, you’ll see where competitors are doubling down.

(And if you’re managing client accounts, it’s one of the fastest ways to deliver data-backed insights that make you look like the expert that you are.)

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Affordable alternative to pricier PPC tools. Great for small agencies that need competitors’ insights without enterprise-level costs. It’s easy to rely too heavily on competitor data. And when you do, you stop spotting new trends and start sounding like everyone else.

Price

SpyFu offers two plans:

  • Basic: $39/month with limited searches and exports. Best for occasional use.
  • Professional: $79/month with unlimited access, full history, and API. Ideal for agencies and power users.
  • Free limited account available

3. Google Ads Editor

Best for bulk editing & offline ad campaign management

Google Ads Editor is a free desktop app.

Google Ads Editor – First message

You can use it to work on your campaigns offline and make bulk edits faster than the standard web interface allows.

If you’re managing large Google Ads accounts with lots of campaigns and hundreds of ads, this tool will keep you sane.

Work on Campaigns Offline

Once you install the editor, download your Google Ads account to your computer.

From there, you can build, edit, and review campaigns even without Wi-Fi.

You can:

  • Create or pause ads
  • Edit ad copy, targeting, bids, or URLs
  • Add new keywords or remove underperformers
  • Review performance data and account structure

Google Ads Editor – Campaign – Ad group

Then, when you’re ready, hit “Post.”

And the updates go live. Just like that.

It’s a great option if you’re on the go or stuck with bad Wi-Fi.

Or, if you just want to batch edits without Slack pinging you every 11 seconds.

Save Time with Bulk Edits

Making one change inside the Google Ads interface? No problem.

Making 100? Use the Google Ads editor.

Instead of tweaking each ad one at a time, you can apply changes across multiple campaigns, ad groups, or entire accounts.

All in one go.

One standout feature: Search and Replace.

It lets you update ad copy, URLs, headlines, or any other text-based field across your entire account.

Google Ads Editor – Advanced change

Need to swap “Spring Sale” with “Summer Sale” in 150 ads?

Do a quick search to find the ads, apply the change in bulk, and move on.

You can also import bulk changes using a spreadsheet.

Or, update bids, budgets, keywords, and schedules without the usual click-edit-repeat routine.

It’s a real time-saver for teams managing large accounts or agencies juggling multiple clients.

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Saves hours on large-scale edits Has a bit of a learning curve, so it’s best for intermediate and advanced users

Price

Google Ads Editor is free to use.

4. Optmyzr

Best for enterprise-level PPC automation & tracking

Get Optmyzr when you’re ready to scale your campaigns without scaling your workload.

Optmyzr – Dashboard

This platform gives you the tools to automate PPC campaigns for Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Ads.

If you’re constantly chasing budget issues or fixing the same problems every week, Optmyzr helps you automate the checks, alerts, and tweaks that eat up your time.

So, you can finally stop doing all the repetitive stuff and make room for more important work.

Like watching that YouTube video you’ve had open in a tab since Tuesday.

Automate Campaign Management and Catch Problems Early

Optmyzr helps you eliminate tedious PPC tasks so you can stop doing things a robot would happily handle.

(And save your brainpower for decisions that actually need it.)

Use the Rule Engine to set up custom automation using if/then logic.

You can pause underperforming keywords, flag return on ad spend (ROAS) drops, or trigger emails when daily spend spikes.

Automate campaign management with Rule Engine

You can also automate trend monitoring, clean up low-CTR ads, and optimize ad groups for better conversions.

The Rule Engine is highly flexible. But it’s not plug-and-play.

You’ll need to be comfortable defining your own logic and setting up workflows.

The advantage?

That level of customization makes it especially powerful for high-stakes accounts where fast, automated reactions can protect performance and budget.

Find the Root Cause of Any PPC Performance Drop

When performance dips, your first question is usually: Why?

(After the panic and checking multiple dashboards a few too many times, that is.)

Optmyzr’s PPC Investigator helps you answer that fast with a visual cause-and-effect breakdown.

Pick a top-level metric like Conversions or ROAS. Then, use the “Why did [X] change?” dropdown to compare time periods (e.g., last 30 days vs. previous period).

The chart updates instantly to show how the other related metrics changed.

PPC Investigator

For example, if conversions dropped, PPC Investigator might show that clicks actually increased.

But, your budget was reduced during the same period.

Now, you’re not viewing the conversion dip in isolation. You’re seeing the bigger picture.

Instead of guessing, you can identify which metrics changed at the same time and start connecting the dots.

It won’t hand you the answer, but it gives you a starting point for figuring out what’s really going on.

And that makes digging into the “why” a whole lot easier.

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Highly customizable, making it perfect for agencies and enterprise teams that want tailored workflows and automation Steeper learning curve for PPC teams unfamiliar with rule-based logic or scripting

Price

Optmyzr starts at $249/month for accounts spending up to $10K/month. Plans scale with ad spend.

14-day trial available.

5. Adalysis

Best for ready-to-go ad automation and tracking

If your PPC systems are already up and running, Adalysis helps keep them healthy.

Adalysis – Account Overview

It acts as a performance-monitoring layer for your Google and Microsoft Ads accounts with 100+ built-in audits.

You’ll get early alerts when performance is subpar. Plus, practical recommendations to fix issues.

Perfect for teams managing large accounts who want automation that’s ready to go. Not something they have to build first.

Get Alerts the Moment Your KPIs Go Sideways

Adalysis keeps a constant watch on your campaigns, scanning for issues before they turn into expensive surprises.

It flags issues the moment your metrics start drifting off course.

You can set alerts for:

  • CPA rising above target
  • Conversions dipping
  • Budgets maxing out too early
  • Campaigns suddenly losing impressions

Adalysis – Performance monitor

So, what does that actually mean?

It means you won’t be caught off guard by issues that could have been flagged days earlier. Like lost conversions.

You’ll know right away while there’s still time to fix it.

Adalysis – Audit alerts

Automate Budget Adjustments

Manually adjusting budgets across dozens of campaigns is a time suck.

Worse, one mistake can throw off your entire month.

Adalysis gives you two ways to manage your budget.

  • Manual pacing with alerts
  • Full automation based on performance goals

With manual pacing, you can set daily or monthly spend targets and monitor progress in a visual dashboard.

Color-coded indicators show whether you’re overspending, underspending, or on track.

Adalysis – Account target budget pacing

You can also set alerts — or auto-pause campaigns — when spending crosses custom thresholds.

Prefer a hands-off approach?

Switch to Full Automation, and Adalysis dynamically adjusts budgets based on your goals.

Whether that’s more conversions, a better CPA, or higher ROAS.

Adalysis – Automatic budget management

Just set your budget and goal, and the system takes care of the rest.

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Significantly reduces time spent on PPC management, making it ideal for high-volume campaigns or managing multiple accounts It leans on its built-in structure, which may not offer as much flexibility as some advanced users want

Price

Adalysis starts at $149/month for up to $50K in monthly ad spend. Pricing increases in tiers based on ad spend.

Free trial available.

6. Google Looker Studio

Best for ad campaign visualization and reporting

If you’re managing multiple accounts across platforms, reporting can eat up your entire week.

Google Looker Studio helps you build reporting dashboards using data from Google Ads, GA4, Search Console, BigQuery, Google Sheets, and more.

Google Looker Studio – Templates

The result?

One central place where your team (and your clients) can track campaign performance.

See the Full PPC Picture

Google Looker Studio’s biggest strength is turning raw data into clear visual dashboards.

So, you can stop sending spreadsheets to numbers-averse clients. And start telling a story they can follow.

You can pull in data from Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Facebook Ads (via partner connectors).

Then, layer in insights from Google Analytics, your CRM, ecommerce platform, or email tools.

Google Looker Studio – Ecommerce PPC Dashboard

This gives you a single view of your paid campaigns.

Plus, how they connect to everything else happening in the funnel.

Create Shareable, Client-Ready Reports in Minutes

Whether you’re a freelancer, agency lead, or in-house PPC manager, someone always wants to “see the numbers.”

Google Looker Studio makes it easy to turn Google Ads data into interactive reports that highlight performance and campaign impact.

Google Looker Studio – Top Paid Keywords

Once you’ve set up your dashboard, you can:

  • Share it via a link or scheduled email
  • Embed it into webpages, client portals, or internal platforms
  • Set access permissions (view-only, comment, or edit)

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Completely free to use with no limits on users, reports, or connected platforms Some PPC connectors (like Facebook Ads) require paid third-party tools

Price

Google Looker Studio is free to use.

7. ChatGPT

Best for ad copy and campaign analysis

ChatGPT is quickly becoming a must-have for PPC marketers.

ChatGPT – PPC Ad Writer

You can use it to brainstorm headlines, write ad copy, refresh underperforming creative, and even analyze landing pages.

The catch? It’s only as good as your prompt.

But once you know how to guide it, the possibilities open up fast.

Generate Creative Ad Copy Faster

Need new ad copy ideas?

ChatGPT can help you brainstorm faster than you can type “A/B test.”

You can ask it to:

  • Write multiple ad variations in seconds
  • Refresh underperforming copy with a new tone
  • Explore different angles or CTAs

But the real magic happens when you feed it your brand’s data.

If you’re on the Pro Plan, you can create a project and upload your brand voice and tone guide, product descriptions, audience insights, offers, and more.

ChatGPT – PPC Strategy for example.com

Once those are added to your Project files, ChatGPT starts responding like it actually knows your business.

Goodbye lifeless B2B buzzwords.

Break Down Competitor Messaging for Strategic Insights

ChatGPT can help you reverse-engineer competitor landing pages and ad copy so you can learn from them.

Here’s how:

First, find a competitor’s ad or landing page.

Next, use a tool like WebtoPDF to convert the page into a PDF. Upload that file to ChatGPT.

From there, it’s all about how you prompt it.

Skip the generic “analyze this” request.

Instead, ask for specifics:

  • What benefit is this page emphasizing most?
  • What emotional triggers are being used?
  • What objections are they trying to overcome and how?

ChatGPT – Marketer prompt

This turns ChatGPT into a strategic analyst.

It helps you understand what’s working for others and how you can do it better.

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Extremely versatile. Whether you’re writing ad copy or planning campaigns, ChatGPT adapts to what you need You’ll still need to double-check tone, facts, and fit. Especially for client-facing work

Price

ChatGPT has three tiers:

  • Free Plan: Includes GPT‑4o mini with limited features
  • Plus Plan: $20/month with access to its most advanced models
  • Pro Plan: $200/month for unlimited access to all models and much higher usage limits

Note: Never used ChatGPT before? I’ve put together an in-depth guide on “How to Use ChatGPT” with practical tips to help you get started right away. And if you’ve been using it for a while, you’ll still find a few advanced tricks you probably didn’t know it could do.

Find the Right PPC Tool for Your Goals

The fastest way to waste money on ad tech? Choosing a tool that doesn’t solve your specific problem.

Whether you’re trying to outsmart competitors, automate time-consuming tasks, or finally get reporting off your plate, the best PPC tool depends on what you’re trying to fix.

Choose the statement that sounds most like you to find the best tool for your needs.

Use the table below to quickly find the PPC tool that fits your needs.

Just look for the challenge you’re facing and see the tool that can help you solve it.

You can pick one or a few, depending on what you need most.

PPC Pain Point Recommended Tool(s)
I want to see what my competitors are doing Semrush: Find missed keywords + ad history
SpyFu: Spot keyword gaps + spend patterns
My ad copy is getting stale ChatGPT: Rewrite fast + extract insights
Bonus: Combine with Semrush/SpyFu for real campaign ideas
Managing campaigns eats up my time Optmyzr: Automate tasks + flag metric shifts
Adalysis: KPI alerts + budget pacing
I need to make changes quickly Google Ads Editor: Offline, bulk edits at speed
I need client-ready reports Looker Studio: Live dashboards, easy to share
I’m on a tight budget SpyFu Free: Basic keyword + competitor data
ChatGPT Free/$20: Low-cost copywriting help
Ads Editor + Looker: Free tools for edits + reports

The Best PPC Tools Are Just Step One. Here’s Step Two.

You’ve got the tools. You know what they’re best at.

Now, it’s time to make them work even harder.

Before you launch your next campaign or tweak your bids, make sure you’re not throwing money at overpriced keywords.

This PPC keyword cost guide shows you how to find high-intent keywords that convert.

It’s the next step if you want smarter results from the tools you’re already using.

The post The 7 Best PPC Tools for Your Goals, Budget, and Workflow appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More

19 Sitemap Examples for Any Type of Website (+ Best Practices)

/0 Comments/in /by

Your sitemap is exactly what it sounds like: a map of your site’s pages.

A good sitemap organizes all your most important pages logically, and it can help Google crawl and understand your site.

Sitemap Example

Free template: Want to create your own visual sitemap like the example above? Download our free Canva template here.

Below, I’ll go through 19 example sitemaps and explain the key best practices to help you build your own.

Beyond XML, HTML, and visual sitemaps, I’ve categorized the examples below by site type. This way, you can find examples of sitemaps from websites like yours.

We’ll cover sitemaps for:

Note: If you haven’t created a sitemap yet, or you want to learn more about optimizing them, check out our dedicated sitemap guide first.

Which Type of Sitemap Do You Need? (XML vs. HTML)

Before jumping into examples, you need to know which type of sitemap is right for your website.

There are two main types: XML and HTML. Each one serves a different purpose.

Note: I’ll also provide an example of a visual sitemap below, but XML sitemaps (the kind you submit to Google Search Console) are the focus here.

XML Sitemap Examples

XML sitemaps are designed specifically for search engines, not humans.

They use a structured format that tells Google and other search engines about the pages on your site and when they were last updated. (This means they can affect your site’s SEO.)

You’ll usually find them at URLs like “yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml” or “yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml” (if you have multiple sitemaps).

XML sitemaps won’t directly improve your rankings. But they can help search engines find and then index your content.

Important: You don’t need an XML sitemap. But honestly, as long as you set it up properly, there’s no reason not to have one.

There are a few ways you can implement XML sitemaps. Below are three examples showing the most common styles you’ll come across.

HTTPStatus.io

Sitemap URL: https://httpstatus.io/sitemap.xml

The sitemap for HTTPStatus.io is fairly simple. The site offers a tool for checking the HTTP status of your URLs. But it also has some pages explaining integrations and what different status codes mean.

HTTP Status – XML Sitemap

Beyond the main tool and some knowledge base style articles, there aren’t that many pages on the site to map.

If you also have a simple site, don’t overcomplicate your sitemap.

Forbes

Sitemap URL: https://www.forbes.com/sitemap_index.xml

Forbes uses an XML sitemap index, found at forbes.com/sitemap_index.xml.

Forbes – XML Sitemap

This is an index of multiple sitemaps, like /forbes_2008_sitemap.xml and /news_sitemap.xml.

In this case, the 2005 sitemap contains URLs published in 2005:

Forbes – 2005 Sitemap

While the news sitemap contains news-themed URLs:

Forbes – News sitemap – News themed URLs

You’ll see that Forbes includes various different attributes in its sitemap. Most of these aren’t essential. Google also ignores many of them, like <changefreq> and <priority>.

But if you use the <lastmod> value and it’s “consistently and verifiably accurate,” Google may use it to understand how often to crawl your pages.

In other words: don’t use this to try and pretend you’ve significantly updated your content when you’ve just changed the date.

Backlinko

Sitemap URL: https://backlinko.com/sitemap_index.xml

We’ve used Yoast (a WordPress plugin) to create our sitemap index. That’s why it looks like a more styled page than the previous two examples.

Backlinko – XML Sitemap

If you have a WordPress site, plugins like Yoast and RankMath can create sitemaps for you.

In our case, we’ve split our sitemap up into different categories like posts, pages, tools, and hub resources.

Here’s what the /post-sitemap.xml looks like:

Backlinko – XML Sitemap – URLs

Best Practices for XML Sitemaps

Follow these best practices when creating your XML sitemap:

  • Each sitemap file should contain no more than 50,000 URLs and be smaller than 50MB (for larger sites, use multiple sitemaps and a sitemap index)
  • Don’t include duplicate content, redirected pages, or non-indexable pages in your sitemap — this can confuse search engines and waste crawl budget
  • Only adjust the “lastmod” attribute when you make significant updates to pages (and don’t use it to “fake” content freshness)
  • Configure your CMS or server to automatically update your sitemap when you make content changes

Note: Many content management systems like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix automatically update your sitemap when you add, move, or adjust pages.

HTML Sitemap Examples

HTML sitemaps, unlike XML sitemaps, are designed for your human visitors.

These are actual pages on your website that list all your content in a hierarchical structure. You’ll typically find them at URLs like “yourdomain.com/sitemap” (although it can vary depending on the site’s URL structure).

They help visitors find what they’re looking for when they can’t access what they need via your navigation menus.

However:

Your users should be able to find what they need via your navigation menus and internal links. An HTML sitemap is not a substitute for good UX design.

(But it can supplement it.)

You should consider creating an HTML sitemap if:

  • Your website has deep content hierarchies
  • You run an ecommerce store with many product categories
  • Users frequently search for specific pages on your site
  • Your website caters to less tech-savvy audiences who might need navigation help

You don’t need to choose between XML and HTML sitemaps. You can use both simultaneously.

Forbes

Sitemap URL: https://www.forbes.com/sitemap/

I showed you Forbes’ XML sitemap above, but the site also has an HTML sitemap for users.

Forbes – Sitemap

The HTML sitemap sorts Forbes’ main pages into categories like Newsletters, Leadership, and Lifestyle.

These don’t cover all of Forbes’ categories though, which you can see in their navigation menu:

Forbes – Navigation menu

So this is an example of a site likely just using their HTML sitemap to highlight specific important pages.

Lovevery

Sitemap URL: https://lovevery.com/pages/sitemap

Lovevery’s HTML sitemap sorts its products into categories like Play Kits and Course Packs. It also highlights two of their main products right at the top: The Play Gym and The Montessori Shelf.

Lovevery – HTML Sitemap

It also subdivides the Play Kits by age. This makes it easy for users to find products they need for their child.

Best Practices for HTML Sitemaps

Here are best practices to follow if you want to create an HTML sitemap:

  • Logically structure your HTML sitemap to mirror your site’s actual architecture
  • Use anchor text to describe the linked page and avoid generic labels like “click here” or “read more”
  • Use consistent indentation, typography, and spacing to show hierarchies
  • Place a link to your HTML sitemap in your site’s footer so it’s accessible from every page
  • Update your HTML sitemap when you add or remove content

Visual Sitemap Example

Visual sitemaps represent your site’s architecture graphically. They use shapes, colors, and lines to show how pages are connected.

They’re helpful during site planning and development, but you won’t submit these to Google, and your users won’t see them either.

Here’s an example of a visual sitemap for a website that sells coffee products:

Sitemap

Don’t forget: You can try our free Canva visual sitemap template to map out your own website’s pages.

Best Practices for Visual Sitemaps

Follow these tips to create a useful visual sitemap:

  • Limit your visual sitemap to core pages and pathways to avoid clutter
  • Establish a clear key for what each shape, color, and connector represents (like categories and products, or levels in the hierarchy)
  • Cluster similar pages together visually to show content relationships (and opportunities for internal links)
  • Show the intended user pathways through your site to identify potential navigation issues before they become problems
  • Share your visual sitemap with team members and clients early — it’s much easier to revise a diagram than to restructure a fully-built website

Next, I’ll go through examples of XML sitemaps for different types of websites. While HTML and visual sitemaps have their place, it’s your XML sitemap that matters most for SEO.

Blog Sitemap Examples

A well-structured blog sitemap ensures all your content remains discoverable. This includes older posts that may have fallen off your main navigation or recent posts list.

For sites that regularly publish new content, an automatically updating blog sitemap can help maintain your search engine visibility across your entire content archive.

Cup of Jo

Sitemap URL: https://cupofjo.com/sitemap_index.xml

Cup of Jo’s sitemap is generated by Yoast.

Cup of Jo – XML Sitemap

It organizes the blog’s pages into the following categories:

  • Posts (with 8 individual sitemaps covering posts going back 10+ years)
  • Pages
  • Products
  • Authors

But there are also some extra sitemaps in there that I wouldn’t recommend you include.

For example, there’s a sitemap for affiliate links…

Cup of Jo – XML Sitemap – URLs

…that just links to pages with a single image on them:

Cup of Jo – Affiliate links

(This one’s URL was /pillow/, but the image is a jacket.)

Your sitemap should contain only your important pages you want Google to index. So you should avoid including any links to pages that don’t add value for users.

NerdWallet

Sitemap URL: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/wp-sitemap.xml

NerdWallet has a main sitemap at /wp-sitemap.xml. It contains further sitemaps of posts, reviews, other types of posts, authors, and more.

NerdWallet – XML Sitemap – URLs

But there are also other sitemaps for specific region versions of the site:

  • /uk/sitemap.xml
  • /ca/sitemap.xml
  • /ca/p/sitemap.xml
  • /au/sitemap.xml

While NerdWallet generates its main sitemap either via a custom setup or plugin, it generates its region-specific ones with Yoast:

NerdWallet – XML Sitemap – 998 URLs

All of these sitemaps follow a simple structure, listing the URL and date it was last modified. (The Yoast ones also include the number of images on the page — a small and not super important detail.)

Considering NerdWallet has tens of thousands of pages and multiple regional versions of the site, this is an impressively straightforward example of a blog sitemap.

Best Practices for Blog Sitemaps

If you have a blog, follow these best practices for your sitemap:

  • List your blog posts in reverse chronological order (newest first) to highlight your most recent content
  • Group posts by their primary categories to create logical content clusters that search engines can understand
  • If you substantially update a post, reflect this in your sitemap’s “lastmod” parameter (WordPress plugins like Yoast often do this for you)
  • Unless your category and tag pages contain unique content, keep them out of your sitemap to avoid duplicate content issues
  • Ensure the URLs in your sitemap exactly match the canonical URLs of your published posts

Related article: Top 8 Sitemap Generator Tools

Local Business Sitemap Examples

A well-structured sitemap for your local business website can help Google find and index all of your location pages and other important content. This is especially true for businesses with lots of locations or complex service offerings.

The Wild Rabbit

Sitemap URL: https://thewildrabbit.co.uk/sitemap_index.xml

The Wild Rabbit is an inn with one single location in the UK. It uses Rankmath, another popular WordPress SEO plugin, to generate its sitemaps.

The Wild Rabbit – XML Sitemap

Its sitemap index is fairly straightforward, with further sitemaps for:

  • Posts
  • Pages
  • Events
  • Menu
  • Categories

If you also have a single location with a simple website, a clean sitemap like this is a good example to follow.

Las Carettas Mexican Restaurant

Sitemap URL: https://www.lascarretasmexicanrest.com/pages-sitemap.xml

Las Carettas Mexican Restaurant’s sitemap is as simple as it gets.

Las Carretas Mexican Restaurant – XML Sitemap

The sitemap just contains all of the site’s URLs within one single sitemap file.

Pimlico Plumbers

Sitemap URL: https://www.pimlicoplumbers.com/sitemap_index.xml

Pimlico Plumbers is London’s largest independent plumbing company. But even with lots of service areas all around the city, Pimlico’s sitemap is simple and organized.

Pimlico Plumbers – XML Sitemap

The most notable sitemap here is the location-sitemap.xml file:

Pimlico Plumbers – XML Sitemap URLs

This is a useful way for Pimlico to organize all of its locations in an easy-to-find way. This potentially helps Google find and index its location pages.

Best Practices for Local Business Sitemaps

Sitemaps for local businesses don’t require too much in the way of dedicated best practices.

But you should:

  • Include your location pages if you have multiple
  • If you have lots of locations, you may want to categorize them in a separate sitemap file
  • Make sure to update any key page URLs and add a “lastmod” parameter when you do

Ecommerce Store Sitemap Examples

With potentially thousands of products, categories, and filters, ecommerce sites can end up with pretty complex sitemaps.

But with a bit of logical organization, you can ensure your sitemap helps (rather than hinders) your ecommerce site’s SEO.

Gymshark

Sitemap URL: https://www.gymshark.com/sitemap.xml

Gymshark’s sitemap is a useful example to follow for ecommerce sites.

Gymshark – XML Sitemap – Ecommerce example

Its sitemap index splits URLs across pages, collections, and products.

Here’s what the collection sitemap looks like:

Gymshark – XML Sitemap collections

And since Gymshark is a global brand, there are also sitemaps for hreflang and the Spanish-speaking US variants of the site’s pages:

Gymshark – Language variants – XML Sitemaps

Then, on Gymshark’s region-specific domains, there are separate sitemap files. Like this one for the French version of the site:

Gymshark – XML Sitemap for the French version

Ruggable

Sitemap URL: https://ruggable.com/sitemap.xml

Ruggable XML Sitemap

Ruggable offers thousands of products. But its sitemap index just consists of four simple individual sitemaps covering:

  • Products
  • Pages
  • Collections
  • Blog posts

Here’s what the extensive product sitemap looks like:

Ruggable – Extensive product sitemap

This single sitemap contains 1,000+ individual product URLs.

This creates a simple overall sitemap setup, while still being well below the limit of 50,000 URLs per sitemap.

Best Practices for Ecommerce Sitemaps

Follow these best practices for your ecommerce sitemap:

  • Every available product should have an entry in your sitemap
  • Remove or deprioritize permanently discontinued products to avoid wasting crawl budget
  • Exclude filter combinations that create duplicate content issues (like sorting options or non-essential URL parameters)
  • If you serve multiple countries or languages, include hreflang attributes to help Google understand which version to show users in specific regions
  • For stores with thousands of products, consider creating separate sitemaps for different categories and linking them with a sitemap index

Large Website Sitemap Examples

Large websites with thousands or millions of pages face unique challenges when it comes to sitemaps. Sitemaps have a URL limit of 50,000 per individual sitemap. So it’s often impossible to keep every page within just a single file.

This means sitemap indexes and automated updating are essential for larger websites.

Weather.com

Sitemap URL: https://weather.com/en-US/sitemaps/sitemap.xml

Weather.com is a HUGE site. Like 50+ million pages huge.

Google SERP – site:weather.com – Results

(This is just Google’s estimate and it’s not always that accurate. But there’s no doubt there are A LOT of pages on Weather.com.)

The site will tell you the weather pretty much anywhere on earth with its own dedicated page. So it needs a robust sitemap setup that goes beyond simple categories.

Weather XML Sitemap

In fact, it needs several sitemaps:

  • /en-US/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /pt-PT/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /de-DE/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /fr-FR/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /es-US/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /es-ES/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /en-IN/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /en-GB/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
  • /en-CA/sitemaps/sitemap.xml

Within each of these, there are yet more sitemaps:

Weather – More sitemaps

These categorize URLs by things like:

  • Videos
  • News
  • Articles
  • Forecast types (ten-day, weekend, today etc.)

And within these, there are individual URLs:

Weather – Individual URL within sitemaps

This leads to an extensive but essentially well-organized sitemap that covers millions of potential locations.

Note: For obvious reasons, I can’t verify if Weather.com’s sitemap contains every one of its indexable URLs. For sites at this scale, what’s key is just ensuring your sitemap contains all of your most important pages.

eBay

Sitemap URL: https://www.ebay.com/lst/BROWSE-0-index.xml

The eBay marketplace is home to 2+ billion live listings.

So it’s no surprise that the site needs a massive sitemap. So massive in fact that eBay needs to compress its many sitemaps. You can tell because its sitemap URLs end in .xml.gz, with .gz referring to “gzip” (a compressed file format).

eBay – Massive XML Sitemap

You need to download these and then decompress them to view them. But when you do, you’ll find they often have 40K+ URLs in them.

I downloaded a few just out of curiosity, and I found 48K URLs in one of the “browse” sitemaps:

Sitemap with 40K+ URLs

Another had 40K URLs, so the average is likely somewhere between those numbers. On the .com domain, I found at least 1,600 individual sitemaps in total across:

  • /PRP-0-index.xml (this contains links to individual listings)
  • /VIS-0-index.xml (this contains individual listing links along with image links)
  • /NGS-0-index.xml (this contains all the store pages)
  • /BROWSE-0-index.xml (these links are for search pages — hence “browse”)

eBay – Types of sitemaps

If they all have at least 40K URLs in them (I’m not manually verifying that), we can assume there are at least 64 million URLs in eBay’s sitemap in total. But I imagine it’s more like 70-80 million.

And that’s just the .com domain. There are similar sets of sitemaps for its regional domains:

eBay – Sets of sitemaps for regional domains

So this is an example of a truly massive sitemap. And you can see eBay sorts it into just four broad sitemap indexes, each one with hundreds of individual, compressed sitemaps.

Best Practices for Large Site Sitemaps

Follow these best practices for large sitemaps:

  • Use a sitemap index file to organize multiple child sitemaps, keeping each under the 50,000 URL and 50MB size limits
  • Configure your system to automatically generate and update sitemaps when content changes, as manual management becomes impossible at scale
  • Only include canonical versions of pages
  • Consider compressing your sitemaps to save bandwidth if you have lots of large sitemap files

SaaS Sitemap Examples

A well-structured SaaS sitemap encourages Google to index your most important pages.

SaaS websites are often complex, and so sitemap indexes are usually the go-to for this kind of website.

ClickUp

Sitemap URL: https://clickup.com/sitemap.xml

ClickUp’s sitemap is clean and simple — even though the SaaS site has tens of thousands of pages and 10+ regional versions.

ClickUp XML Sitemap – Clean & simple

ClickUp’s main sitemap index splits into:

  • /sitemap-landing.xml: Landing pages
  • /blog/sitemap.xml: Blog posts
  • /sitemap-next.xml: Various types of pages, including feature pages, events, and resources
  • /sitemap-programmatic.xml: Pages ClickUp has generated programmatically

Then there are a bunch of sitemaps for templates, more programmatic pages, and region-specific blog posts.

Like this one for Spanish speakers in Spain:

ClickUp Sitemap – Blog for Spanish speakers in Spain

It’s worth noting that many of these sitemaps exist on a cdn.web.clickup.com subdomain. (The individual URLs within the sitemap aren’t on this subdomain.)

This might provide a small performance boost in terms of how fast Google can crawl the sitemaps, along with a bit of server load reduction. But I don’t imagine it would be a game changer for most sites.

It’s also not something you absolutely need to do for large sitemaps. But it could still be worth considering.

Further reading: Page Speed and SEO

Docusign

Sitemap URL: https://www.docusign.com/sitemap.xml

Docusign’s sitemap index contains individual sitemaps for things like blog posts and PDFs.

Docusign – XML Sitemap

But what makes it an interesting sitemap example is the way it implements hreflang for its language and regional variants.

For example, here’s the /en-gb/ sitemap for English speakers in the UK:

Docusign – EN for GB Blog Sitemap

But this actually highlights one of the reasons many site owners stick with just one form of hreflang implementation (often putting it in each individual page’s code). When you have lots of URLs and different language versions of them, it can be tough to keep them updated.

(Even Google warns that this can become an issue.)

Including hreflang attributes in multiple locations (like the page’s source code and in your sitemap) means you have two sets of alternate URLs to manage.

Let’s look at the first example in the screenshot above (/docusign-iris-agreement-ai). We see the sitemap tells search engines there are five variants of the URL:

  • en-au
  • en-ca
  • en-gb
  • en-sg
  • en-us

But the page’s source code (see below) suggests there is also a variant for Spanish speakers in Mexico (es-mx):

Docusign – Page source code

And in fact it doesn’t explicitly include en-us. Instead it opts for just en for the English/US version (/blog/docusign-iris-agreement-ai).

Perhaps the sitemap or page code just hadn’t updated yet (other pages don’t all show the same issue).

But if you have widespread cases like this, it could lead to Google having trouble knowing which versions of your site to serve to users. Or it might ignore your hreflang tags altogether.

Best Practices for SaaS Sitemaps

If you run a SaaS site, do the following to optimize your sitemap:

  • Prioritize feature and landing pages that target your primary conversion keywords
  • Include your knowledge base and technical documentation
  • Organize pages based on where they fit in the customer journey, from awareness to consideration to decision
  • Exclude pages like dashboards that are behind a login
  • Remove tracking parameters and unnecessary URL variations to prevent duplicate content issues
  • Consider implementing hreflang if you target a global audience — but make sure you don’t create any conflicts

Corporate Sitemap Examples

A well-designed corporate sitemap makes it easier for Google to index high-value pages. These could include pages about investor relations and press releases, along with leadership profiles.

TSMC

Sitemap URL: https://www.tsmc.com/english/sitemap.xml

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is Taiwan’s largest company. It’s also one of the world’s most important manufacturers of computer chip components.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company – XML Sitemap

So it’s no surprise that it has sitemaps covering important pages like:

  • Annual reports
  • Business contacts
  • Policies
  • Declarations

TSMC uses Drupal to create its sitemap. This automatically adds change frequency and priority values, but Google ignores these.

Deloitte

Sitemap URL: https://www.deloitte.com/sitemap_index.xml

Deloitte is another major firm with a huge global presence. Its sitemap index primarily contains sitemaps for all of its regional variants.

Deloitte – XML Sitemaps – For regional variants

Like this German variant:

Deloitte – XML Sitemaps – German variant

These sitemaps contain everything from staff profiles to services and events.

Best Practices for Corporate Sitemaps

If you’re creating a sitemap for a corporate or business website, follow these best practices:

  • Include important quarterly reports, annual statements, and shareholder information pages to make them more discoverable for search engines like Google
  • Prioritize press releases, media kits, and company news to support your PR efforts and media visibility
  • If you have a large global presence, consider using different sitemaps for each regional variation
  • Don’t include any internal portals or pages that are behind a login

How to Find Issues with Your Sitemap

Putting together a sitemap is fairly straightforward. But it’s still easy to make mistakes (as some of the examples above show).

To make sure your sitemap is valid, use a sitemap validator, like this one:

XML Sitemaps – Validate XML Sitemap

But just because your sitemap is valid doesn’t mean it’s error-free.

To check for the most common sitemap issues, use a tool like Semrush’s Site Audit.

Just enter your domain, run the audit, and head to the “Issues” tab. Then type “sitemap” into the search bar:

Site Audit – Backlinko – Issues – Sitemap

The tool will highlight issues like:

  • Sitemap formatting errors
  • Incorrect pages in your sitemap (like pages with redirects, non-canonical URLs, or URLs with errors)
  • Sitemap files that are too big
  • Missing sitemaps
  • Sitemaps missing in your robots.txt file
  • Unsecure URLs in your sitemap
  • Orphaned pages in your sitemap

Note: Use Semrush Site Audit to find issues with your sitemap by using this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription.

The post 19 Sitemap Examples for Any Type of Website (+ Best Practices) appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More

How to optimize content for AI LLM comprehension using Yoast’s tools

/0 Comments/in , /by

As AI-driven search engines rewrite the rules of content visibility, one thing is clear: optimization isn’t dead — it’s evolving. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity AI don’t just retrieve web pages; they synthesize answers. And your content? It only gets included if it’s clear, relevant, and easy to extract. The good news? If you’re already using the Yoast SEO plugin, you have some of the most critical tools for this new era baked right into your workflow.

Table of contents

Learn how to structure content for AI

In this post, I’ll walk through how LLMs evaluate and extract content — and how Yoast SEO’s content analysis features, particularly the Flesch Reading Ease score and green light checks, can help you structure your writing for AI retrieval, not just human readers.

And more importantly, I want to clarify a common misconception: Yoast SEO isn’t about “chasing green lights.” It’s about helping you become a better, clearer communicator. Green lights aren’t the end goal—they’re indicators that you’re aligning your content with the kinds of clarity and structure that serve both readers and AI systems. In a world where LLMs decide what gets surfaced and summarized, being a better writer is your best competitive advantage.

Even if AI search doesn’t dominate your vertical today, it will. The best time to prepare was years ago. The second-best time is right now. Consider this your SEO shade tree: start planting.

What AI search wants from your content

Forget rankings — AI search is about retrievability and clarity. LLMs ingest and parse content based on:

  • Literal surface-level term matching (yes, keywords still matter)
  • Structural formatting cues like headings, lists, and bullet points
  • Clarity of ideas — one idea per paragraph, one purpose per section
  • Prompt alignment — using the same terminology your audience would use

Even the smartest LLM will skip your content if it’s overly complex, meandering, or fails to mention the query terms directly. That means no more hiding your key points in paragraph five. No more cute, clever intros that never get to the point. The models are pulling excerpts, not reading for nuance.

This is where Yoast SEO shines. Its features, often seen as basic hygiene, are perfectly aligned with what makes content usable by AI.

The Flesch Reading Ease score is more important than ever

In a world of AI Overviews and synthesized summaries, readability is a superpower.

The Flesch Reading Ease score — included in the Yoast SEO content analysis — doesn’t just help human readers skim your content. It helps machines parse and interpret it.

LLMs prefer:

  • Shorter sentences
  • Simple phrasing
  • One idea per paragraph

These are the exact factors the Flesch score evaluates. So when Yoast flags your content as difficult to read, it’s not nitpicking — it’s showing you what might keep your article out of an AI Overview.

Pro tip: When possible, aim for a Flesch score above 60, especially for top-of-funnel or FAQ-style content you want to be quoted or summarized.

And let’s be clear: this doesn’t mean your content has to be simplistic or dumbed down. It just needs to be accessible. Plainspoken, not generic. Direct, not dull. Think of it as writing for a global audience — or a machine that doesn’t have time for interpretive poetry.

an example of the flesch reading ease score in Yoast SEO for this specific post. it shows a score of 68.4
You can find the Flesch reading score in Yoast SEO Insights in your sidebar — this is the score for the post you are reading now

Don’t ignore those green lights (Even when you think you know better)

I’ll be honest: I’ve been one of the worst offenders when it comes to ignoring those green lights. I like long sentences. I enjoy prose that meanders a little if it means delivering a point with style. And I’ve spent enough of my career writing professionally that being told how to write by a plugin occasionally rubbed me the wrong way.

But here’s the thing I’ve come to accept: it’s not that the plugin is trying to replace your voice or artistry. It’s that it’s trying to ensure your work can be understood, parsed, and surfaced—especially by machines.

It is absolutely still possible to create highly visible content that doesn’t earn a green light for sentence structure or reading ease. I’ve done it. But those pieces need to be intentional. They need to be structured so that the core ideas—the “meat” of the argument—aren’t buried in the longest paragraph of the article or expressed only in dense, lyrical blocks of text.

If you want to break the rules, fine. But make sure you know where the lines are before you step over them. The art is still welcome—it just has to be thoughtfully placed.

Yoast’s content checks aren’t arbitrary — they’re aligned with how both humans and machines understand text. In fact, many of the green-light criteria align shockingly well with what LLMs are known to favor:

  • Subheadings every 300 words = easier segmentation and extraction
  • Introductory paragraph present = good for AI frontloading
  • Paragraph length = one idea per chunk, which is LLM-friendly
  • Sentence length limits = fewer chances for parsing failure

In other words: the green light checklist is not just “SEO best practice.” It’s an LLM comprehension checklist in disguise.

And while experienced writers might feel tempted to override these warnings with “but this sounds better to me,” it’s worth considering how much clearer your writing becomes when you follow them. Especially when writing for an audience that might include an algorithm.

an example of the Yoast SEO sidebar showing three overall green traffic lights for a post
Not every traffic light for individual checks has to be green — just make sure the overall lights are

Structuring for LLMs: A Yoast-assisted framework

If you want your content to get pulled into AI-generated answers, try this simple structure — and let Yoast SEO help enforce it:

  1. Start with a TL;DR or definition: Use short, declarative sentences. Bonus if you can bold the key phrase or structure it as a definition. LLMs love to latch onto clear, answer-style content.
  2. Use subheadings to divide your points: Make sure each section answers one specific question or explains one concept. Headings serve as cues for both readers and models.
  3. Use bulleted or numbered lists: Yoast SEO will warn you if a list is too long without proper formatting. LLMs love well-structured lists because they can be directly extracted.
  4. Echo the query language: Use the exact phrases people search for. This helps the AI match your content to user prompts. Literal matching still matters.
  5. End with a clear summary or CTA: AI often pulls from intros or conclusions. Don’t waste them. Reinforce your main point and point readers toward next steps.

Even if you’re writing complex thought leadership content, this structure ensures your brilliance is actually understood and surfaced.

You don’t need Schema if your structure is clear — but it helps

Structured data is still valuable, especially for establishing context and disambiguating entities. But Yoast SEO users should remember: if your page is poorly written or confusing, schema won’t save it.

LLMs cite content that is:

  • Logically segmented
  • Written in plain, direct language
  • Free of interruptions, overlays, or unrelated diversions

Yoast SEO helps you get there — not just with schema tools, but with live readability feedback during writing.

It’s also worth noting that while structured data might support AI understanding, it’s the structure of the writing that matters most for inclusion in AI responses. LLMs pull paragraphs and list items, not rich snippets. If you want to be quoted, you have to be quotable.

TL;DR: Use Yoast SEO to make your content AI-ready

In the age of AI search, optimization means:

  • Writing like a human, formatting like a machine
  • Saying things plainly
  • Echoing how people phrase questions
  • Structuring content so it can be lifted and used

Yoast SEO’s content analysis isn’t just a checklist — it’s an AI visibility strategy. That little green light might be your ticket to being the source LLMs choose to summarize.

Don’t fall into the trap of writing for the plugin. Use the plugin to write better for people and machines. That shift in mindset makes all the difference.

And as LLMs continue to power more and more of the search experience, from Google AI Overviews to tools like ChatGPT Browse, that visibility is worth more than position #1 ever was. Start now. You’ll be glad you did.

The post How to optimize content for AI LLM comprehension using Yoast’s tools appeared first on Yoast.

Read more at Read More

15 years of Yoast: 15 SEO tips for 2025 and beyond

/0 Comments/in , /by

We’re celebrating 15 years of Yoast, and we can’t celebrate without offering some SEO insights. So, here are 15 SEO essentials to focus on in this year and beyond. Whether you are a beginner or an SEO expert, these tips will help you focus on what’s important right now.

In collaboration with our Principal SEO, Alex Moss

Table of contents

1. Embrace AI-powered SEO tools

Artificial intelligence is making every part of SEO faster and more efficient, from keyword research to real-time performance tracking. Tools like Semrush and Ahrefs help you plan content quickly and uncover opportunities you might have missed. These platforms use data in new ways to help you improve your strategy based on live trends and competitor changes. Use tools like ChatGPT or Gemini for research, inspiration, coding, and data analysis.

Thanks to AI tools, you can automate time-consuming tasks like technical audits, site crawls, and content analysis. The time you win by doing that helps your team focus on the bigger picture, from setting the strategy, building authority, and creating content that connects with audiences and brings something new to the world.

Yoast SEO’s AI features offer guidance to help your content succeed.

Did you know?

Yoast is 15 years old!

We’re celebrating 15 years of Yoast this year and have all kinds of nice stuff planned. Of course, we’re also offering a deal on our SEO products. Use coupon code yoast15_gift4you at the checkout for a 15% discount!

Shop our products

2. Optimize for zero-click searches

In 2025, Google shows more quick answers than ever. You’ll see AI overviews, featured snippets, knowledge panels, People Also Ask boxes, and more. To be featured in those places, your content has to be high-quality and unique, above all, unique – regurgitating what’s already out there won’t cut it. But, it also has to be easy to read and scan. Don’t forget to use lists, highlighted snippets, and concise definitions at the top of your articles.

Keyword research helps you to find the questions your audience is asking. Write clear answers to those questions, making them as concise as possible. Use tools like AlsoAsked to find opportunities to rank even when a user doesn’t click through to your site.

3. Invest in video content

Video dominates search results and offers a good way to diversify traffic sources. The growth of a platform like TikTok shows that many people prefer consuming video content. Create videos that answer questions, demonstrate your products, or explain complex topics. Optimize the videos to make them easy to find, and don’t forget to add a transcript and timestamps to help with indexing and user experience. 

Depending on your video strategy, hosting them on YouTube and embedding them on your site can boost engagement and dwell time. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, and building a solid presence there can reach a massive audience.

4. Improve e-commerce SEO

SEO for your products is not just about rankings, but also about conversion. Your product titles and descriptions should naturally include your most important keywords while also sounding persuasive. Don’t forget your category pages! Proper optimization helps customers find what they need. At the same time, you are building a strong internal linking structure. 

Structured data is essential for e-commerce stores because it can trigger rich results, highlighting reviews, pricing, and stock status. When done well, these show up nicely in Google, boosting your visibility. Rich snippets make your SERP listings more trustworthy and clickable. Do everything you can to get more traffic and, eventually, more sales. Our Yoast SEO for Shopify app can help your business succeed.

5. Prioritize local SEO

If your business is locally oriented, local SEO should be at the top of your strategy.  Keep your Google Business profile updated with opening hours, services, and nice photos. Post regularly about special offers, events, or published blog posts to show you are active and encourage engagement. 

Build citations in trusted local directories and get high-quality local backlinks. You should publish high-quality, localized content or case studies from regional customers. This signals that you are active in a geographic area, which could help local search visibility — Yoast Local SEO helps you do this.

6. Improve user experience (UX)

UX and SEO are deeply connected; we all know that. If people can’t use your site, they won’t stick around. Focus on a clean layout with plenty of whitespace and add clear call-to-actions for the user to click on. Make your site load quickly and test it regularly on mobile devices. 

Heatmaps, scroll maps, and user recordings made with tools like Hotjar can show where people get stuck on your site. Friction could occur with long loading times, confusing menus, missing CTAs, or other similar issues. Solving these can help reduce bounce rates, increase engagement and conversion.

7. Participate in SEO communities

Joining SEO communities isn’t just about asking for help when facing issues; it’s about much more. Platforms like LinkedIn, X, Reddit, Facebook groups, or SEO forums sometimes offer insights and advice you can’t get anywhere else. Sharing wins, failures, and experiments helps you stay connected to the SEO community and lets you build a name for yourself.

These platforms often surface research, news about Google core updates and warnings about issues some time before becoming common knowledge. News might be shared just early enough for you to take advantage of it before your competitor does. Building relationships can help you get business opportunities, collaborations, or friendships. 

8. Optimize for AI discovery

AI tools and chatbots are trained on information from the web, so it’s important to understand how your content is surfaced by large language models (LLMs). These systems, like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, reshape how users uncover information. The results are often served without a way to click to your site. If your brand is not visible in these generated answers, you could be missing out in a growing share of visibility. 

Research your topics and content to see how the system responds to your queries and if your content appears in the answers. Audit your content to see if you structured it so LLMs can understand it. Use clear language, be factual, build your topical authority, and use easy-to-understand layouts. Most of all, be sure that the crawlers of the AI services can reach your site without issues. 

9. Focus on content pruning

Sometimes, ranking higher isn’t about adding more content to your site; it’s often about cleaning up what you have. Content pruning means removing, merging, or updating poorly performing content. Ancient blog posts that no longer get any traffic, outdated product pages, and thin articles with no value may impact your site’s overall performance. 

Start with a content audit using Semrush, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs. Find pages with limited traffic, few backlinks, and poor engagement. You can update these posts if you have enough insights to add. If they’re no longer relevant, merge them into a single, more authoritative page. If nothing works, delete and redirect. Keep your site lean and focused to improve the overall quality and authority, which also helps you fix keyword cannibalization.  

10. Implement structured data markup

Part of SEO is making your site easy for crawlers and search engines to understand. Structured data markup is one of the best ways to tell Google what your pages are about. With the correct schema items, you can highlight things like product prices, event dates, business locations, recipes, and more. 

Plugins like Yoast SEO make this process much easier. Start with your most important pages and products, select the proper schema, and fill in the details needed. Once you have the basics done, you can expand it to more complex structured data if needed.

11. Keep focusing on mobile

If you’ve been living under a rock, you might have missed that today’s world is all about mobile. We’ve been spending more and more hours glued to our mobile phones. So, having a perfect mobile site is no longer an option. Make sure that it adapts to all screen sizes, that the buttons work, and that no nasty pop-ups overlay the screen. 

Test your site often in various browsers on Apple and Android devices. See if it offers a great user experience. If not, fix it. Fixing even small accessibility issues or loading performance can greatly impact user satisfaction.

12. Create helpful, people-first content

Google is no longer just rewarding keyword-optimized pages, but genuinely helpful, people-first content. Your articles should satisfy user intent by providing clear, trustworthy and actionable information. Instead of writing the same things everyone has already done, create unique content that informs, solves problems, and adds value for your readers. 

When thinking about your content, ask yourself the questions that Google recommends: “After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?” and “Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge?” If your content doesn’t do any of these things, you might need to rethink it. Focus on things you know well, avoid clickbait and write for your readers, not search engines. 

13. Optimize for Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals gives you a sense of your site’s health, especially with speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. They measure three main things: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which looks at loading performance. The second is Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which shows how quickly your site responds to user actions. The third one is Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which checks for unexpected layout shifts when your page loads. Google uses these metrics to determine whether your site gives a good user experience. 

You can monitor your Core Web Vitals in Google PageSpeed Insights, Search Console, or Lighthouse. Improvements you can often make include optimizing images, using faster hosting, reducing reliance on JavaScript, and setting proper dimensions for media. Test your site often to see if your improvements improve the user experience. 

14. Diversify content formats

Not everyone wants to read a 2000-word blog post. Some people enjoy graphics, videos, or podcasts. You can quickly repurpose your content in various formats, instead of starting over every time. 

Doing so makes your site more interesting for readers and search engines alike. Adding helpful videos to articles or offering downloadable checklists or research reports makes your content more appealing.

15. Always stay updated

In SEO, change is a constant. There are algorithm updates, new AI features emerge, and best practices change. It’s a lot, so staying up to date with the news is essential. Follow reliable sources like Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable, the Yoast SEO newsletter, or our monthly SEO update to get the needed insights.

Plan some time every week to read up on SEO news. Join the conversation whenever you feel like it. Use the new insights to improve your strategies. Sticking to last year’s strategy will not cut it if your competitors are faster to adapt!

15 SEO tips for 15 years of Yoast

Here’s to 15 years of Yoast and 15 more years of helping the world rank better. Whether you’re launching your first site or revamping your SEO strategy for the AI age, it doesn’t matter — we’ll help you succeed.

Which SEO tip do you swear by in 2025? Please share it with us on our social media platforms (X, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram), or in the comments below.

The post 15 years of Yoast: 15 SEO tips for 2025 and beyond appeared first on Yoast.

Read more at Read More

ChatGPT search has 41 million average monthly users in EU

/0 Comments/in , /by

OpenAI’s ChatGPT search had 41.3 million average monthly users across the EU between October and March. That’s nearly 4x growth from the prior six-month stretch, when it reported having 11.2 million users.

Why we care. Brands and businesses need to understand how (or whether) their content is being surfaced in AI-generated responses. ChatGPT search is nowhere near replacing Google Search, but it is an emerging channel for visibility and discoverability.

What ChatGPT reported. According to OpenAI’s EU Digital Services Act (DSA) page:

  • “For the six-month period ending 31 March 2025, ChatGPT search had in combination approximately 41.3 million average monthly active recipients in the European Union.”

What is a recipient. The EU counts a “monthly active recipient” as the number of unique users who engage with an online platform at least once.

Yes, but. Google still dominates search. According to Google’s DSA Disclosure report, Google Search had:

  • 355.7 million average monthly signed-in recipients.
  • 424.4 million average monthly signed-out recipients.

That means, in the EU, Google Search (signed in and out) is nearly 20x bigger than ChatGPT search.

Dig deeper. Google Search is 373x bigger than ChatGPT search

What’s next for OpenAI. ChatGPT search is approaching the EU’s threshold for a “very large online platform” under the Digital Services Act (DSA). That milestone — 45 million monthly active users — would put ChatGPT search under increased scrutiny in the EU.

Read more at Read More

ChatGPT releases Memory with Search

/0 Comments/in , /by

ChatGPT can now personalize searches using your memories.

Memory with Search is a new addition to ChatGPT search, and was quietly added as an update in its changelog.

What is Memory with Search. ChatGPT said it can “use memories to inform search queries when ChatGPT searches the web using their-party search providers.”

Not a lot of detail there. But OpenAI’s ChatGPT search page offers more information:

‘If you have ‘Memory’ enabled, when ChatGPT search rewrites your prompt into a search query it may also leverage relevant information from memories to make the query better and more useful. For example, if the user has ‘Memory’ turned on and asks ChatGPT ‘what are some restaurants near me that I’d like,’ and has memories is that the user is vegan and lives in San Francisco, then ChatGPT may rewrite the user’s prompt to ‘good vegan restaurants San Francisco.’ You can learn more here about Memory, including how to disable it or control individual memories.

ChatGPT Memory. OpenAI announced the official launch of Memory on April 11. ChatGPT Memory consists of saved memories (memories users ask ChatGPT to remember) and chat history (insights gathered from past chats to improve future ones). Access to ChatGPT Memory is still rolling out now.

Why we care. ChatGPT’s use of memories and rewriting prompts into search queries (to be more nuanced, contextual, and user-specific) means AI search is shifting toward being more deeply personalized. This could impact how and when your brand or business appears in AI-generated answers.

Opt out. Users who don’t want to use Memory can head to Settings > Personalization > Memory and turn off the slider for Reference saved memories.

The announcement. ChatGPT – Release Notes (April 16)

Read more at Read More

The complete guide to high-impact educational video content

/0 Comments/in , /by
The complete guide to high-impact educational video content

Educational videos are among the top 10 most-consumed video content formats globally, according to Statista. 

Most popular video content type

And it makes sense. Video is one of the fastest, most engaging ways to teach, demonstrate, and connect. 

But for creators and businesses alike, making a video that actually works (as in: educates, retains, or converts) requires more than hitting “record.”

I’ve been creating online content for years, so I know what works and what doesn’t. 

  • Our online SEO training has helped thousands of marketers level up their skills through self-paced modules, monthly live Q&A webinars, and on-demand videos. 
  • Our “Ask Us Anything” video series and SEO agency commercials are produced with the help of our award-winning video producer.
  • Our YouTube channel continues to serve as a central hub for sharing educational content.

Whether you’re creating onboarding tutorials, educational content for your audience, or a course you plan to sell, below are tips I’ve seen succeed across every stage of the video creation process, from concept to camera to clicks.

1. Define the purpose and audience through a clear strategy

Every great educational video starts with a clear strategy. 

Before you pick up the camera or open your editing software, you must know who you’re creating for and what you’re trying to achieve. 

Clarify the purpose

Just like SEO, intent is everything in video production, so clarify the purpose upfront.

Are you aiming to solely educate or train, or will your video have an element of conversion? Maybe your education video is meant to retain your existing audience instead.

Whatever the purpose, the objective shapes the video’s content, tone, and structure. 

For instance, an SEO training module will differ significantly from an educational demo intended to convert prospects.​

Understand your audience

Understanding your audience is equally important. Consider their goals, challenges, skill levels, and preferred learning styles. 

Are they beginners looking for foundational knowledge or advanced users looking for in-depth insights? 

Tailoring your content to meet their needs will make your video more effective.​

Free or paid?

Consider whether your content will be free or paid. 

Free videos can build brand awareness and provide value to a broad audience, while paid content often offers in-depth training or exclusive insights. 

Knowing the role of videos within your broader content strategy, SEO initiatives, and customer journey will help you incorporate free and paid content where it makes the most sense.

2. Craft content around in-demand topics and the type of video

Whether you’re creating a one-off tutorial or a full training series, the key is to start with a clear plan of attack for the content.

Coming up with video topics

Your videos should align with either audience intent (what they’re searching for) or a structured curriculum (what they need to learn over time).

Here are some ways to generate topic ideas:

  • If your videos support a product or service, look at keyword intent and customer FAQs to generate topics. What questions are coming up in comments, sales calls or support tickets?
  • If you’re building an online course or internal training program, outline a logical progression. 
  • You can also use keyword tools, YouTube’s autocomplete, or even generative AI to help brainstorm ideas around a theme.
  • For more inspiration, you can spy on competitors’ educational videos. 
  • If you already have blog content or written guides, repurposing those into educational videos is another easy place to start.

Define the video format

Choosing the video format dictates the rest of the video creation process. 

For example, how-to videos are great educational formats that provide step-by-step guidance. 

Plus, you can increase your chances of showing up in the search results for target “how to” queries with YouTube videos. 

In 2023, more than 30% of Google desktop SERPs in the U.S. featured a video carousel, video result or featured video, according to Semrush.

People watch more of a how-to video than any other type of video, per Wistia’s “2025 State of Video Report.”

Average engagement rates by video content type

Another thing to consider is how you’ll deliver the content in the video. 

Some companies prefer talking head videos, which add a personal touch and are a great way to build a brand when internal folks serve as educators on camera. 

Others prefer animations, which can help simplify abstract concepts. 

Webinars ​are another great way to help educate your audience. 

The majority of businesses (60%) use webinars for training or coaching sessions, followed by thought leadership events (50%), per Wistia. 

We’ve seen great success with a monthly live Q&A webinar on my SEO training membership site. 

In fact, many of our students become our clients after spending time with our training videos. 

Structure each video 

Most high-performing videos follow a similar structure: 

  • Hook.
  • Introduction.
  • Main content.
  • Recap.
  • A call-to-action (CTA).

This is true whether you’re publishing on YouTube or delivering a paid course. You’ll need to adjust the pacing for training modules versus a marketing video. 

The hook is especially important. We’ve found the most success when you can capture interest within the first five seconds of the video.

This could be done through a surprising fact, a visual teaser, or a question the viewer wants answered.

From there, keep the pacing tight. Avoid over-explaining and cut the fluff where possible. 

Even long-form training videos should feel intentional and well-paced.

Length matters

Not all videos perform equally – and much of it comes down to how long they are. 

Based on Wistia’s analysis of over 100 million videos (linked earlier), viewer engagement varies significantly by duration.

Average engagement rate by video length

Under one minute

Short videos work – especially on social or as top-of-funnel content – but they need to get to the point fast. 

Wistia found that videos under one minute had the highest average engagement rate at 50%. Short videos can be ideal for quick social snippets or teasers for longer video content. . 

One to five minutes

Videos in this range also held attention fairly well.

  • One to three minutes: 46% average engagement.
  • Three to five minutes: 45% average engagement.

Wistia notes that how-to videos under five minutes were especially strong performers, with viewers watching more than two-thirds of the way through, on average.

Five to 30 minutes

Once videos pass the five-minute mark, engagement starts to dip. 

Wistia’s data shows:

  • Five to 30 minutes: 38% average engagement.
  • 30 to 60 minutes: 25%.
  • 60+ minutes: Just 17%.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid longer videos entirely – just be intentional. 

We have found that shorter videos (like reels) tend to get more views because they’re something somebody can watch quickly. 

But long-form videos tend to have higher conversion rates because they demonstrate more knowledge and authority on a topic.

What about course modules?

The most profitable online courses are typically between 10 to 25 hours in total length, per Thinkific’s data from 40,000 course creators. 

The data suggests that five- to 10-hour courses are about 75% as profitable, and longer courses – 25 to 100 hours – are slightly less profitable than those.

Regardless, the advice is that the ideal course length is the shortest time required to achieve the learning objectives.

Courses that drive the most revenue

Sequence for learning

If you’re creating educational content, sequencing matters. 

Build with progression in mind, with lessons getting slightly more advanced over time.

Use reinforcement techniques like callbacks, visual repetition, or simple recap slides to help learners retain key points. 

The flow should feel intuitive and purposeful.

3. Script and storyboard to ensure clarity of the message

Scripting and storyboarding help you organize your message and plan how it will appear on screen. 

Start with a script

Whether you’re creating a tutorial or building an online course, scripting keeps your message focused and easy to follow.

If the video is structured – like a course module or product walkthrough – a full script is ideal. It helps you stay on track and hit all the key points without rambling.

But not every video needs a word-for-word script. 

If you’re podcasting, recording a founder Q&A, or filming a talking-head update, a loose outline with bullet points works better. 

You still need to know where the conversation is going, but it should feel natural, not rehearsed.

Visual planning

Once you have your script or outline, translate it into a visual plan. This is where storyboarding comes in. 

A storyboard helps you map out what will appear on screen and when. 

It’s helpful if your video includes product walkthroughs, charts, or training steps that build on one another.

This part doesn’t have to be complicated. You’re simply matching the visuals with your message to make the content easier to understand. 

Add visual cues that stick

Visual cues matter more than most people realize. 

On-screen text, callouts, arrows, annotations, and simple scene transitions help guide the viewer’s attention and reinforce key points. 

For most educational videos (excluding longer formats like podcasts or webinars), aim to change the visual every five to 10 seconds. 

That could mean:

  • Switching camera angles.
  • Zooming in slightly at the same angle.
  • Cutting to a supporting visual. 

It might feel like a lot, but those subtle shifts keep viewers engaged. 

Also, this may be obvious, but if you’re including a screen recording with a voice-over, make sure what’s happening on-screen matches what’s being said. 

Use tools to perfect the process

There are plenty of tools out there to help you organize and visualize your ideas before you record.

Tools like Boords and Storyboarder are great for visualizing a scene-by-scene breakdown. 

Even Canva can work well for rough storyboarding if you’re already using it for design.

You don’t need anything fancy, just something that lets you sketch things out before you press record.

And when you’re ready to record, you can use teleprompter apps to help you deliver your message smoothly. 

4. Select the right tech stack for your needs

Whether you’re recording a quick tutorial or producing a full online course, choosing the right gear, software, and hosting platform will save time, improve quality, and keep your process sustainable.

Match the tools to your goals

You don’t need the most expensive gear to make great video content. 

What matters most is choosing tools that match the type of content you’re creating and the audience you’re serving.

  • If you’re a solo course creator, a smartphone camera, lapel mic and natural lighting can go a long way. 
  • For internal training, you can level up with a mirrorless camera and external mic. 
  • For a higher-end effect, invest in a more expensive camera, lighting, audio, and nice backgrounds to create a polished brand experience.

Regardless of the setup, don’t skip a test shoot. 

Check your resolution, depth of field, and lighting to ensure the final result looks the way you intend.

Tools for recording your screen

If you’re doing tutorials or walkthroughs, screen recording software is a must.

  • QuickTime is what we use – it’s quick, easy and does everything we need.
  • Loom is a fast, no-fuss option for quick recordings.
  • Camtasia gives you more robust editing tools for polished content.
  • ScreenFlow is a solid choice for Mac users who want both recording and editing features in one place.

Edit smarter, not harder

Editing doesn’t have to be intimidating. Some tools are built to make this part easier, especially for solo creators.

  • Descript is great if you want to edit your video like a document.
  • Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro give you more creative control but come with a steeper learning curve.
  • You can also hire a video editor, especially if you need a high-end result or just want to save time.

Hosting your videos

YouTube is the most widely used video platform globally, making it ideal for reach and search visibility on educational content. 

It’s also the second-most popular social network worldwide, which means a lot of exposure for your brand. 

YouTube videos can be an essential part of an SEO program when targeting certain keywords (like educational and how-to searches). 

But remember, only verified accounts can upload videos longer than 15 minutes. 

Then there are LMS platforms like Thinkific, Teachable, and Kajabi, which are built for structured learning. 

If you’re building a course, these platforms offer features like chaptering, progress tracking, and quizzes to support the full student experience.

Finally, Vimeo and Wistia give you more control over branding, privacy, and analytics. 

They’re especially useful for customer training, B2B product onboarding, or gated video content.

Using AI

AI is quickly changing the video production space. 

About 41% of companies are already using it for video, per Wistia’s most recent data (linked earlier), and another 19% will start using it soon. 

Using AI to create videos

Using AI can be particularly beneficial for short-form content, where speed and efficiency are key. 

Tools like OpusClip use AI to automatically generate short clips from longer videos, optimizing them for platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. 

But AI is also expanding creative possibilities. 

For instance, we’ve successfully used AI to modify our SEO training course online. 

Because SEO is a rapidly changing industry, SEO training can quickly become stale. 

Instead of reshooting whole sections of our training course, we used an AI avatar of me to deliver updated talking points – and it looks surprisingly like me.

However, it’s important to use AI cautiously. 

Love it or hate it, AI is a controversial tool, and some people may be turned off by it. 

That said, overreliance on AI-generated content can lead to videos that feel impersonal or lack authenticity. 

While AI can assist in scripting, editing, and even avatars and visuals, the human touch remains essential to ensure content resonates with viewers.​ 

Stay on top of your video performance with analytics and use your intuition to decide whether AI-generated videos resonate. 

The right balance ensures your videos remain trustworthy.​

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.


See terms.

5. Focus on production fundamentals for effective videos

You don’t need a full production crew to make professional-looking videos, but you do need to get the fundamentals right.

Prioritize audio quality

If you’re going to invest in one part of your production setup, start with sound.

Viewers are much more likely to tolerate a slightly grainy video than audio that’s hard to hear.

Multiple studies have found that poor audio quality influences whether people trust what they hear and how they perceive you overall. 

A lav mic or USB condenser mic is an easy and worthwhile upgrade.

Get the basics right

You don’t need a studio setup to get a clear shot. 

Just focus on even lighting (natural light works great), a camera angle that’s eye level or slightly above and a clutter-free background.

If you’re doing a screen recording, make sure the visuals are crisp and readable. 

Zoom in on sections when needed, and don’t clutter the screen with too much at once.

Batch and template your process

The more videos you make, the more it pays to streamline. 

Batching – filming multiple videos in one sitting – helps you stay in flow and save time.

Templating your intros, outros, transitions and even lower-thirds (the graphic overlays that typically appear in the lower third of the screen) can make your content consistent and reduce the decisions you have to make for every single video.

Make it accessible

This isn’t just a “nice to have.” 

Captions help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, support people watching in a sound-off environment, and can even boost comprehension for non-native speakers. 

Most video tools now make it easier to autogenerate and edit captions. 

These are key in formal learning environments or when you’re serving global audiences.

Think about the viewer experience

Pacing, tone, and delivery matter. 

What works for an internal training video isn’t the same as a how-to on YouTube.

For instance, in training content, give your viewers time to absorb the information – use pauses, reinforce key points, and keep instructions easy to follow. 

Know when to call backup

Sure, you can technically do everything yourself, but that doesn’t mean you should. 

Even the most experienced video producers hire out when it makes sense. 

Whether you need a motion designer for intro graphics, a video editor to clean up pacing and polish transitions, or a script consultant to help shape the story, know your weaknesses (or resource constraints) and make the call.

6. Optimize for search when visibility is a priority

Up to 82% of marketers say video has helped them increase web traffic. 

Not every video needs to be optimized for search – but when visibility is the goal, it’s worth the effort.

When SEO makes sense

If you’re publishing on YouTube or embedding tutorials on your site, optimization can help your content get discovered. 

Moz data once showed that YouTube videos make up over 94% of all video results in Google. 

If your audience is searching for answers, YouTube is a strong place to meet them.

When it’s not a priority

If your content lives behind a login or paywall – like course modules or internal training – SEO doesn’t need to be part of your workflow. 

In those cases, focus instead on the learning experience and making the video content clear, helpful and well-paced.

Start with keyword research

Google’s Gary Illyes has stated that if you see video results for a keyword, that’s your cue to consider making a video for it. 

Start by targeting topics that already bring up video results in Google or YouTube.

Tools like YouTube’s search predictions, AnswerThePublic, and other keyword tools on the market can help surface what people are actually searching for.

When in doubt, do a search. 

If there’s already a cluster of how-to videos, you’ve got a green light.

Optimize for search

SEO for videos doesn’t have to be complicated. 

However, the approach varies depending on where your video is hosted. Here’s where to focus.

For YouTube-hosted videos

Metadata: Google states that the title, thumbnail, and description are the more important pieces of metadata for video discovery. 

  • Title
    • Write a clear, engaging title that tells viewers exactly what they’ll get. 
    • Include your main keyword near the beginning, and keep it under 60 characters so it doesn’t get cut off in search. 
    • Make sure it reflects the actual content. Clickbait might get the click, but it won’t earn trust. 
    • Use things like all caps or emojis sparingly to highlight the right words. 
  • Thumbnails
    • Design custom thumbnails that are visually appealing and accurately represent the content. 
    • YouTube now has a feature to test your thumbnails. 
  • Description
    • Write a clear, keyword-rich description that tells viewers and YouTube what your video is about. (You have up to 5,000 characters here!) 
    • Include relevant keywords naturally. 
    • Link out to your website, social channels, or other videos when it makes sense. 
    • Use line breaks or bullet points to make it easy to scan.

Dig deeper: The DESCRIBE framework for effective YouTube descriptions

User engagement signals: While metadata is foundational for YouTube SEO, the platform’s algorithm places a lot of emphasis on user engagement and satisfaction. 

YouTube values the following:

  • Click-through rate (CTR): This is where the thumbnail comes into play once again. 
  • Watch time and retention: Videos that hold attention tend to get promoted more.
  • Engagement: Likes, comments, shares and subscribers all tell YouTube your content is valuable.
  • Viewer satisfaction: YouTube looks at behavior after the video ends – like whether someone bounces or keeps watching.
  • Personalization: The algorithm tailors results based on viewer behavior, so understand your audience and create for them.

More optimization tips: Here are additional tips that help optimize videos for YouTube:

  • Timestamps: Break up your video into clear, clickable sections. This is especially helpful in long-form or educational content.
  • Captions: Add closed captions for accessibility and extra context. 
  • End screens and cards: Help people take the next step. Recommend another video, playlist, or even a site link.
  • Group content into playlists: This improves watch time and helps viewers binge your content.
  • Consistent branding: Keep your intros, tone and visual style cohesive so viewers start to recognize your content instantly.
  • Engage in the comments: Respond, ask questions, start conversations. YouTube notices when a video sparks interaction.

For videos hosted on your website

When hosting videos on your own platform, the SEO focus shifts a bit. 

First, understand that self-hosted videos can appear in several key areas on search engines like Google and Bing:​

  • Video search tabs: Both Google and Bing have dedicated “videos” tabs that filter results to show only video content.​ This is a key place to show up.
  • Main search results: Your video might show up as a rich snippet alongside standard web results, complete with a thumbnail, title and description.​
  • Featured video results: For certain queries, Google may highlight a video prominently at the top of the search results.
Google SERPs - Video tab

Key optimization strategies include:​

  • Dedicated video pages: Create individual pages for each video, ensuring that the video is the main content on the page. This allows for more precise optimization.
  • Page title and meta description: Ensure the webpage hosting the video has a clear, keyword-rich title and meta description. This helps search engines understand the page’s content.​
  • Video metadata. This includes things like the video title, description, duration, and thumbnail URL.
  • Structured data: Implement video schema to provide search engines and people with detailed information about your video. You can highlight key moments, live broadcasts, educational content and more. This can enhance your video’s appearance in search results.​ 
  • Transcripts and captions: Including a transcript and/or captions on the page improves accessibility and provides additional content for search engines to index.​
  • Contextual content: On the same note, surround your video with relevant text content on the page to give search engines more context about the video’s subject matter.​
  • Stable video URLs: If your video files or thumbnail URLs change frequently or expire, Google may not be able to index them reliably. So stick with permanent, clean URLs and double-check that they’re not blocked by robots.txt or other restrictions. This is one of those technical details that’s easy to overlook. 
  • Videos above the fold. Put your video front and center on the page – ideally above the fold – so both users and search engines recognize it as the main content. But don’t sacrifice speed to do it. Use lazy loading where possible, and consider lighter formats like WebM to keep load times fast.
  • Video sitemaps: If you’re hosting multiple videos, consider creating a video sitemap. This helps search engines discover and index your video content more efficiently.

Dig deeper: 7 video optimization tips to boost your organic reach in 2025

7. Publish, promote, and measure success to track performance

Creating the video is only half the job. 

To get the most out of it, you need to publish, promote, and pay attention to what happens next.

Publishing and promoting

Whether you are promoting free or paid educational content, don’t just post it and hope for the best.

Publishing with a strategy makes a big difference in who sees your content and how it performs.

Start with your owned channels

Start by embedding videos on your website where it makes sense – on a course landing page, a sales page, or a relevant blog post.

If you have an email list, use it. Email is still one of the most effective ways to get in front of warm leads. 

You can build a short email sequence around a course launch, for instance, or simply drop the video into a newsletter with a clear call to action.

Share where your audience is

Social media can help your video gain traction, especially if your audience already follows you there. 

Don’t just post once – share the video in different formats over time: full video, short clips or even just a quote or takeaway. 

Each platform has its own rhythm and opportunities:

  • Instagram/Facebook: Reels, stories, and carousels can help you showcase educational content in bite-sized ways.
  • LinkedIn: Great for professional or B2B-focused courses. 
  • YouTube: If it’s not your main platform, consider uploading the video as unlisted and embedding it on your course page – or using YouTube Shorts to drive awareness.

Paid promotion

Sometimes organic reach isn’t enough. 

Paid promotion can help you get in front of more of the right people, faster.

YouTube ads, social media boosts, and even Google Ads can support your educational videos. 

Just make sure your landing page is clear, relevant, and compelling when someone clicks.

Tap into your network

If you have relationships with influencers, industry experts, or others in your space, see if they’d be open to collaborating or promoting your educational content in exchange for a commission or cross-promotion.

Look for partnerships that make sense; not just anyone with a following, but people your ideal audience already trusts.

Host live events to build momentum

Webinars, live Q&A sessions, or even a quick Instagram Live can help build buzz around your content. 

These live formats give people a taste of your teaching style and give you a chance to answer objections or highlight what’s inside your paid video content in a more personal way.

For example, we regularly post video content from inside our SEO training membership site to our YouTube channel to give viewers a sneak peek.

Repurpose strategically

Repurposing lets you extend the life of your content without starting from scratch.

Turn long-form videos into short clips for social or YouTube. 

YouTube Shorts has the highest engagement rate across all short video platforms at 5.91% while TikTok was second in line, Statista reports. 

You can also pull out quotes or visuals for blog posts or emails to promote your educational videos. 

Define what success looks like

Before you hit publish, know what you’re aiming for. 

Is it views? Engagement? Course completions? Conversions?

And if the video performs well in one area – even if it’s not the metric you were focused on – that’s still a win. 

For example, maybe conversions were low, but views were through the roof. 

That tells you something’s working, and it might be worth doubling down on similar content.

There’s no shortage of video content online. If something you create breaks through in any way, take that as a signal.

Track performance (and do it often)

Analytics will tell you what’s resonating and what’s not.

You should be checking your analytics regularly – ideally, every day. 

Make sure to use:

  • YouTube Analytics for engagement trends. 
  • Google Search Console to see how your video shows up in search. 
  • LMS analytics for course modules. 
  • Google Analytics 4 for how videos impact user behavior on your site. 

Learn from viewer behavior

Watch for drop-off points. If people keep bailing at the same timestamp, something’s off. 

And check your comments. If people are asking for a follow-up or mentioning another topic they want covered, that’s a content idea handed to you on a silver platter.

If your “How to Make Pizza” video gets many requests for spaghetti, it might be time to make a spaghetti video.

Making videos that teach – and stick

Educational videos work best when they’re built with intention. 

You don’t need a perfect setup or a massive production team, but you need to:

  • Understand your audience.
  • Have a clear message.
  • Stay consistent in how you create your content. 

Whether you’re launching a full course or building out one helpful video at a time, the strategies outlined here are meant to give you a process to start. 

Because when your videos are thoughtful, useful, and well-executed, people notice – and that’s where the real traction starts.

Read more at Read More

DOJ unveils plan to end Google’s illegal search monopoly

/0 Comments/in , /by

The U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of states unveiled their proposed remedies today aimed at dismantling Google’s illegal monopoly in search and search advertising. These include breaking off Chrome and banning default search payments.

The remedies. They break down into five categories meant to enable and increase competition:

  • Distribution remedies. This would mean ending payments that “freeze the ecosystem in place,” including Google’s multi-billion-dollar payments to Apple and Android device makers.
  • Chrome divestiture. This would separate Chrome from Google – organizationally and financially. Chrome accounts for 35% of all Google search queries and drives “billions in Search revenue” (the actual number is redacted). The DOJ also pointed out that Google “underinvests” in Chrome.
  • Data remedies. This would require Google to share user-side data, search index coverage, and ad performance data – essential tools that help competitors train models, improve search results, and better compete.
  • Advertising remedies. This would increase transparency and control for advertisers, while helping rival ad platforms compete more effectively. Specifically, Google would be forced to:
    • Provide more information to advertisers in search query reports.
    • Let advertisers opt out of broad and automated keyword matching.
  • Anticircumvention provisions. This would establish a technical committee to monitor Google’s compliance.
    • This section includes a “contingent Android divestiture.” If competition hasn’t improved within five years, Google could be forced to spin off Android.

Why we care. If these remedies move forward, it could profoundly reshape how people access Google, how advertisers spend, and how competitors evolve in the search and generative AI markets.

Catch up quick. U.S. vs. Google antitrust trial: Everything you need to know

The opening slides. United States & Co-Plaintiff States v. Google LLC (redacted public version) (PDF).

What Google is saying. As you’d expect, Google called the DOJ’s proposed remedies “unnecessary and harmful” in a blog post.

Read more at Read More

New data: Google AI Overviews are hurting click-through rates

/0 Comments/in , /by

Two new studies agree: Google’s AI Overviews steal clicks from organic search results.

While Google told us that AI Overviews citations result in higher-quality clicks, the introduction of AI Overviews correlates with a measurable decline in organic visibility and clicks, particularly for top-ranking, non-branded keywords. That’s according to two new data studies from SEO tool provider Ahrefs and performance agency Amsive.

By the numbers. Here’s how AI Overviews have decreased click-through rate (CTR) for traditional organic listings, according to the two studies:

  • Ahrefs: A 34.5% drop in position 1 CTR when AI Overviews were present, based on an analysis of 300,000 keywords.
  • Amsive: An average 15.49% CTR drop, with much larger losses in specific cases (e.g., -37.04% when combined with featured snippets), based on an analysis of 700,000 keywords.

Non-branded keywords. AI Overviews are much more likely to trigger on non-branded queries, and these terms showed the largest CTR drops:

  • Amsive: -19.98% CTR decline on non-branded keywords.
  • Ahrefs: Focused exclusively on informational intent (99.2% overlap with AI Overviews).

Lower rankings = bigger CTR hits. Google’s AI Overviews push organic results further down, minimizing visibility even for solidly ranking pages.

  • There was a -27.04% CTR drop for keywords not in the Top 3 positions, according to Amsive:

AI Overviews benefit branded queries. Branded keywords are less likely to trigger AI Overviews (only 4.79%) – but when they do, they get a +18.68% CTR boost. This is possibly due to greater user intent and brand familiarity, according to Amsive.

Why we care. These two studies (as well as data from Seer Interactive, which we covered in Google organic and paid CTRs hit new lows: Report) call into question Google’s claim that AI Overviews get more clicks than traditional listings. Google’s claim may or may not be true, but these studies show that overall clicks have gone down – and many websites ranking well in Classic Search aren’t included in AI Overviews.

About the data:

  • Ahrefs: Used Ahrefs + Google Search Console (GSC) data to analyze CTR changes before (March 2024) and after (March 2025) the U.S. rollout of AI Overviews.
  • Amsive: Pulled data from 700,000 keywords across 10 websites and 5 industries to isolate patterns by keyword type, industry, and SERP feature overlap.

The studies. You can read them here:

Read more at Read More