Google Product Studio is now available within Google Business Profiles. This allows you to edit the background scenes of your products within your local listing using Google’s AI features. Product studio is already available within Google services including Google Merchant Center and Google Ads, and is now available within Google Business Profiles.
More details. Google community manager, Kara, posted about this news in the Google Business Profile forums and wrote:
“We’re excited to announce that you can now change the background scene of your product with Product Studio, a generative AI tool which helps you create engaging imagery to showcase your products.”
Here is what the feature looks like in my account – it says “Transform your product images with Al Quickly generate lifestyle scenes. To get started, upload a product image and select a theme.”
How it works. Google has a more detailed help document on this feature over here but here is how to quickly access this feature in your Business Profile.
To generate a scene for your product, click Edit productsGet started.
Select the image you want to edit.
Wait until the background from your image is removed.
Select a theme for your product.
Choose a generated image from the editor.
If you’re satisfied with the image, click Add image to product.
You’ll receive a confirmation to save the image, click OK.
Once you saved the generated image for your product, from the product editor:
Fill out the fields in the form.
To submit your product, click Publish.
US only. Google did not that “Only merchants in the US can use scene generation in product editor.” Google added, “When you use Product Studio, you agree to the Terms of Service (TOS).”
Why we care. If you manage products within your Google Business Profile account, quickly being able to make those products look more appealing to searchers might be a great thing to increase conversions and sales. Of course, you want to make sure you are happy with how Google’s AI improves your images and only accept changes that you feel will make a positive change to those images.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/gbp-product-studio-ai-xRAKWC.png?fit=1382%2C1678&ssl=116781382http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-02-03 12:29:152025-02-03 12:29:15Product studio now available within Google Business Profiles
Your prospects don’t want to buy SEO—they want to buy results.
I learned this the hard way.
After years of trial and error, I found a system. It consistently delivers what people want: more customers, revenue, and growth.
In fact, I’ve maintained a 75% close rate by focusing on one thing: demonstrating value before asking for the sale.
Think about it:
AI advancements. Nontraditional search results. Constant algorithm shifts.
SEO looks different every year. But these changes have made skilled SEOs more valuable than ever.
In this guide, you’ll learn my exact process for selling SEO services, backed by insights from industry veterans who’ve closed millions in SEO deals.
1. Prepare Your Sales Toolkit
As the saying goes, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
In other words, don’t wing it.
Sure, you can eventually throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks.
But if you want to successfully sell SEO services, you’ll need a few essentials.
Build Trust with Case Studies
Case studies are your bread and butter of selling.
They’re proof you know what you’re doing and an opportunity to show exactly what you can accomplish for your clients.
The key is to be specific.
You didn’t just increase demo requests.
You grew inbound leads by 40% with conversion-focused content marketing.
See the difference?
The more detail you provide, the easier it is for clients to envision these results for themselves.
And the likelier they are to trust you.
It’s especially helpful if you have a case study that addresses each client’s specific needs.
Kevin Indig, a growth advisor who has worked with companies like Nextdoor, Dropbox, Hims, and Reddit, believes there’s nothing more powerful than demonstrating real results.
Build out references and projects you can showcase. Very early on, it’s important to be able to show what the work for a client could look like at the hand of a live example.
If you’ve done it for someone else, you can do it for them, too.
Another perk?
Case studies are versatile.
Present them during client calls to get buy-in.
And highlight them on your site for prospects to read.
Pro tip: New to SEO? Exchange free or discounted SEO work for case studies and testimonials. For example, offer a free technical audit to a small business. Once they start seeing results, ask if you can document their success story.
Collect High-Impact Testimonials
Case studies are great.
But testimonials hit differently.
Why?
Because they come directly from your happy clients.
When clients explain the impact you’ve had on their business, it boosts your credibility with prospects.
So, let them be your ambassadors.
Follow these steps to collect testimonials:
Text or email clients a short feedback form
Ask them to share specific results (metrics help)
Keep it simple: “What was your biggest win from working with us?”
Offer to draft it for them (just get their approval)
Even better: Ask for a video testimonial.
If clients are willing to have their face and brand associated with your business, that’s a ringing endorsement.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
No matter how you collect the testimonial, what matters most is that it comes from a reputable person in the company.
Aim for a VP of marketing or founder for the most significant impact.
Pro tip: Place your best testimonials on high-traffic pages, such as pricing, services, and contact pages. Highlight them in post-discovery call emails and on social media to seal the deal.
Create a Lead Qualification System
Time is money.
Don’t waste it on unqualified leads.
Before you even have a first call with your prospects, ensure they fit your ideal client profile (ICP).
Make sure they:
Are the right type of company you want to work with
Are actually in need of your services
Aren’t looking to just sell you on something (it happens more often than you think)
Pro tip: Asking for project details is usually the best way to qualify a lead. It also helps you set expectations for your role and prepare for the initial discovery call. This way, you come to the meeting with a personalized approach that reflects what they actually need and explains how you can help.
So, how do you have a qualifying process before a prospect even reaches out to you?
Your contact form is your best friend here.
Add qualifying questions that will tell you from the get-go if this lead has potential.
Here’s what your contact form should ask:
Budget range
Services they need
Project details
How they found you
In my experience, the responses will tell you whether they’re a legitimate lead 95% of the time.
Once you control a niche, whether B2B SaaS, home care, or legal SEO, it will be much easier to grow from there.
I learned that the hard way when I first started posting on LinkedIn.
My niche and SEO posts were too broad.
The posts helped grow my followers quickly but not my revenue.
The majority of my followers were SEOs, not my actual ideal client profile.
So, I wasn’t generating leads.
That changed pretty quickly after I nailed down my niche.
After focusing my posts on B2B SaaS to help target my ICP—marketing VPs—I saw better results.
Instead of competing with every SEO agency out there, I have an easier time being seen by my ICP.
Plus, they know my services are designed specifically for them.
Another important decision will be how you want to structure your services.
Kevin recommends creating a clear distinction between freelancer and consultant work.
You need to know very clearly whether you want to do the work (freelancer) or guide/advise (advisor). Early on, I did a lot of the leg work because that’s where I felt most comfortable, but that didn’t match the advisor prices I charged and wasn’t what I actually wanted to do.
So, it’s important to know what work you want to do and where you can provide the biggest impact. If you want to advise, don’t agree to do any busy work. Focus on the strategy.
You’ll likely have to learn your preferences by trial and error at first.
But don’t be afraid to adjust if you have to.
Choose Your Pricing Model
Like your services, you’ll want to have your pricing figured out upfront, too.
This works well for a few reasons:
You understand your worth before going into a client call
You can use it to qualify leads before they reach out
Clients pay a fixed monthly fee for ongoing SEO work. You commit to a set number of hours each month.
Next, there’s package pricing.
This is what I use. Clients can choose from different packages that best suit their needs for SEO.
Here’s how I structure it:
SEO audit: $1,500
SEO consulting: $2,000
Fractional SEO: $3,500
Full management SEO: $6,000
Your third option is value-based pricing.
It’s riskier but can pay off big. You set goal targets with clients and get bonus compensation when you hit them.
Finally, there’s hourly pricing.
You bill based on actual time spent on SEO tasks. This is great for one-off projects.
Pro tip: Price your services based on value. Low rates might seem like a path to more clients, but they can attract lower-quality clients. My highest-paying clients are always my best clients—they pay on time, are pleasant to work with, and trust my expertise.
Keep in mind that every model is dependent on what works for you.
I’m personally a big fan of package pricing.
But that’s because I want my work to prioritize value over output.
Successful SEO sales require a reliable lead-generation system.
Here’s how I use both inbound and outbound marketing to build a steady stream of qualified prospects.
Inbound Prospects
Inbound marketing is the process of creating valuable content that attracts potential customers to your site when they’re actively looking for solutions.
This is the channel I’m most familiar with.
And the one that provides the most long-term value.
With inbound, you can build a long-term community that’s invested in your brand and create a stronger pipeline for leads at a much lower acquisition cost.
So, how do you find high-quality leads? It depends on your services and industry.
Personally, I’ve found the most success with:
SEO: Targeting high-intent searches coming directly from my audience
Reddit: Answering questions on subreddits where my ICP is
YouTube: Creating videos that help my audience overcome industry challenges. Works great for repurposing content, too.
Email marketing: Nurturing my email audience by sending them highly valuable content directly to their inbox
LinkedIn: Posting thought leadership content that establishes me as an expert within my field
As you can see, organic search and social are among my top traffic sources:
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When you’re starting out, I recommend playing around with each channel.
Once you find the channel that works, double down on it.
Pro tip: Don’t stretch yourself too thin. If you’re solo, it’s better to comfortably handle one or two channels than struggle with five. The goal is to build a community interested in your brand through quality content—not spam your audience.
Outbound Prospects
Outbound marketing is when you reach out to prospects through various methods rather than waiting for them to find you.
While I’m pro inbound marketing, it can be inconsistent.
Outbound can make up for that.
There are a few different ways you can target outbound prospects.
For example, I use a template similar to this to reach out to potential prospects through email:
Hi [Name],I noticed [company name]‘s content showing up for [specific keyword] but ranking on page 2. Looking at your competitors [(Competitor 1)] and [(Competitor 2)], there’s a clear opportunity to capture more organic traffic with some technical improvements.
I’ve helped other [industry] companies like [reference company] improve their search visibility and recently published a case study breaking down the exact process we used to increase their organic traffic by [X]%.
Would you be interested in seeing the case study? It includes specific tactics you could implement, whether you work with us or not.
Either way, I’ve also spotted a few quick SEO wins for your site that I’m happy to share.
Best, [Your name]
You can also use LinkedIn for outreach, but don’t expect to take the same approach as email.
Focus on social selling.
Interact with your ICP and find something in common with them.
Then, reach out to them.
Don’t treat them as just another automated message.
Focus on building an actual relationship with them.
Then, once the time is right, see if they’d be open to a coffee chat.
Ask if they’re facing any challenges with SEO and offer advice on how to help.
Chances are, they might just be willing to delegate that to you, anyway.
But when you’re deciding which marketing channels to use, I recommend this approach:
Pro tip: Blend one outbound channel with one inbound. Outbound brings quick wins, while inbound builds long-term success. Together, they offer a balance of quick wins and sustainable growth for long-term success.
3. Offer Strategy Calls
This step is often called a “discovery call.”
But I recommend using strategy call instead.
Why?
Well, you want to demonstrate perceived value before prospects even contact you—an additional incentive for them to take that next step.
And “strategy” implies they’ll get something tangible out of this call.
For example, point out issues they can fix right after the call. It’s an easy way to show you’re invested in them and have done your research.
Use this call to discuss your services and offer a glimpse into what working with you looks like to see the best conversion rates.
Learn More About Your Prospect
Use the first call strictly as a way to understand the company and what’s currently going on with its marketing efforts.
I even recommend using a questionnaire to help you run through the call.
I usually ask these questions to help prepare myself for the SEO audit in the next step.
But prospects also appreciate that you seem invested in their company.
You’re obviously not just pitching yourself and are actively looking to learn more about them—something that’s often rare during the discovery phase.
Focus on Early Wins
Here’s a persuasive tactic: Give prospects actionable tips during the call.
Point out easy fixes they’ve missed to highlight your expertise and prove your worth.
For example:
“I noticed your product pages aren’t targeting money keywords. Here’s a quick fix that could boost your traffic…”
Or
“I researched some easy keywords you’d be able to rank for quickly. This includes…”
This gives prospects a reason to develop early trust with you.
This is something my friend Jacob Statler, founder of Stat Digital, highly recommends doing:
Show your prospects how you can get them quick wins that tie back to revenue. If possible, get them a win before working together during the sales process.
SEOs often give away high-level audits that they auto-generated with a tool, but these are usually not very actionable. I like to create mini-action plans of easy-to-implement opportunities. This builds trust and shows competency.
And if that quick win translates to results, all the better for you.
Highlight What Their Competitors Are Doing
This is such an underrated strategy.
If you think I’m joking, try it out for yourself.
I’ve been stumped before getting clients to commit to something.
But the moment I mention a direct competitor doing something they aren’t, they get tunnel vision.
This includes:
Their competitors’ top traffic channels
Articles their competitors have that they don’t
Articles their competitors created against them (this is my go-to if a client is ever opposed to creating alternative or category content)
It’s almost an immediate way to motivate your prospects, especially if you’re facing early resistance to a tactic you’re recommending.
Pro tip: Always lock in the audit with a hard date. Leaving the audit timeline open is a deal-killer. I schedule the audit presentation right after the discovery call. Vague follow-ups kill momentum.
Position the Audit as a Roadmap, Not a Selling Technique
Audits are my secret sauce for selling SEO services.
Why do they work so well?
I go above and beyond. While others send automated reports, I tailor each audit to my client.
This means I:
Never use a template; I always start fresh
Look at their product/offering/industry/ICP to put together my recommendations
Focus on specific tactics that drive value and have an expected outcome
I’ve found it not only gets additional buy-in but also keeps leads moving through the pipeline.
Once prospects see the issues affecting their site, they’re way more motivated to get started with services.
But this isn’t a selling technique.
If clients see the audit as a pitch, then you’re just another company pitching them.
When you position your audit as a roadmap, it’s much easier to present a legitimate vision for the client.
Ben Goodey, founder of the SEO growth agency Spicy Margarita, agrees that leading with value is essential.
My top advice for those looking to sell SEO? Know your audience doesn’t want to buy SEO. They’re business owners or team leaders who want to buy results—that is what you should focus on selling.
In my experience closing clients, the more freely you share your “how,” the more trust and enthusiasm you build with a client. So, share your tactics openly—people are typically willing to take a risk working with you if you’re an expert.
The idea is that the audit should be so helpful prospects can take the information and use it on their own.
“But why would you do that?”
Sure, it sounds like it wouldn’t make sense. But think about most companies that lack internal marketing teams.
Most of the time, they don’t want to handle marketing and SEO themselves.
They would rather outsource it to another team.
So, even though they COULD take the audit and run, chances are they’d rather have someone else manage it anyway.
Plus, if they do decide to move forward, it shows their level of trust in what you’re proposing.
Which is a great sign for longer-term engagements.
If you didn’t schedule the audit at the end of your strategy call, use this template to follow up by email:
Subject: Next Steps – [Company Name] SEO Strategy
Hi [Name],
Thank you for taking the time to discuss [Company Name]‘s SEO goals today. I wanted to follow up with a quick summary of what we covered and outline our next steps.
Your main goal: [specific goal mentioned in call]
Current challenges: [1-2 key challenges mentioned]
Priority areas: [2-3 areas of focus]
During our call, I noticed [specific quick win mentioned during call]. You can implement this immediately by [brief actionable step].
Next, I’ll prepare a comprehensive SEO audit for your site. Are you available to review the findings on [scheduled date/time]?
In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Best,
[Your name]
Build a Reliable Stack for Conducting Your Audits
I keep my tech stack pretty consistent for most audits.
The ones I find helpful and recommend using are:
Google Search Console: Find crawling/indexing issues, quick SEO wins, and potential content topics
Screaming Frog: Uncover large-scale technical issues like missing canonicals or JavaScript issues
Google Analytics 4: Extremely useful if a client has set up conversion tracking. See what pages have previously driven conversions and how you can double down on that.
Semrush site auditing features: Identify housekeeping items to take care of, such as orphan pages, broken links, and redirect chains
Focus on Value, Value, Value
When you’re delivering the audit, focus on value.
And I don’t mean to just stuff it with data and overwhelm the client.
Remember: This is also for you, not just the client.
I find it helpful to start with an overall strategy, like how I’ll increase revenue by X% through SEO.
Then, I recommend SEO tactics that will help the client achieve the goal.
But this isn’t the time to be vague—I show exactly how I’ll hit that number.
When you start with a goal, the client has an easier time understanding what you’re recommending and why.
So, let’s say the goal for a B2B SaaS company is to increase demos and freemium signups through SEO.
A content roadmap based on topics that would drive leads
Side note: There will be times when clients still choose not to work with you despite all your work—and that’s okay. As long as your overall close rate increases, that’s all that matters.
5. Send a Proposal or SOW
Now comes the easiest part.
Sending out the SEO proposal or statement of work (SOW).
If you ran your audit properly and the client showed interest in what you had to say, the proposal should be a piece of cake.
Still, there are a few things to keep in mind during this step of the process.
Include Audit Findings
For the beginning of the proposal, include findings from the audit.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.
I usually use:
Google Docs for the template
Canva for custom graphics
Data screenshots if I have access to GA4 and GSC
Google Sheets if forecasting is involved
You’ll want to touch on the recommended priority tactics and how you’ll approach them.
You can also include a monthly timetable to visualize how you would structure each month of the engagement.
For me, it usually looks like this:
Month 1: Start with conversion rate optimization, technical SEO, optimizing your product pages, going after quick wins, and taking care of any on-page housekeeping
Month 2: Continue going after quick wins, start building out BoFu content
Month 3: Continue creating BoFu content, creating link assets, and backlink opportunities
Month 4-6: Build out a solid profile of MoFu content, continue going after quick wins
Help your clients understand how you’ll approach each month for the engagement.
This way, they’ll have a better reference point for understanding what you’ll be working on.
The success behind selling SEO comes from value, trust, and transparency.
Don’t neglect any of them.
Highlight Your Goals/Strategy/KPIs
This will be similar to what you did for the audit but in more detail.
First, lay them out as a goals section.
Then, explain specifically how you’re going to work towards those goals.
Here’s an example of what this looks like on my proposals:
Now, let’s break this process down.
First, I summarize each goal:
“Goal #1: Increase the quantity and quality of demo requests and signups coming from SEO.”
Then, I add more detail to show I understand what success looks like:
“The main goal of this engagement will be to increase the quantity and quality of leads from SEO (and other channels). We’ll want to establish a benchmark for demo requests/signups and then measure that against the performance of the engagement.”
Finally, I outline my action plan:
“To do this, I’ll help your team focus on sales enablement content that can help convince users to take that next step. This will also involve building out bottom-of-funnel traffic that can bring in qualified users who are in the market for your type of product.”
I also include a section that discusses the main opportunity behind the project.
What’s the ultimate value that’s going to come out of this engagement?
I’ll often structure it similarly to the goals listed above.
But it’s usually a more general overview of the project as a whole.
I generally save specific KPIs for the actual onboarding meeting (once they’ve signed the proposal), but I’ll usually have a section in the proposal that looks like this:
So, there are no specific percentages tied to those KPIs, just what we’ll be prioritizing.
Detail Contract Terms (Make Them Fair to the Prospect)
Ahh, the contract terms.
The fun part.
I highly recommend working with a lawyer on this one.
Your contract terms will be pretty consistent across most proposals, but they should be fair to you and the prospect.
The lawyer can help you put terms in place that safeguard you and your business during any engagement.
As for the actual general terms, I recommend including:
The hard start date so both parties can prepare appropriately
The length of the engagement so clients know how much to budget for
The pricing terms and dates
If the contract is rolling, month to month, or a fixed date project
The flexibility of the contract, meaning if clients are locked in or able to cancel at any time
Once you have that set, all you need now is a signature.
Then, you’re basically ready to get started with your client.
Bonus Tips to Keep in Mind When Selling SEO Services
Are you tired of hearing me talk yet?
I hope not.
I have some bonus tips that will help you refine your selling approach and close more leads.
Master the Follow-Up
My personal motto is simple:
Keep following up until you get a response.
Why?
Most leads won’t respond on the first try. Or the second. Or even the third.
So, reach out to prospects once a week to see where they are in the process.
This is where your CRM becomes your best friend.
It helps you:
Track when you last reached out
Set follow-up reminders
Note any previous interactions
Monitor prospect engagement
But here’s the catch:
This aggressive follow-up strategy works best with warm prospects.
Cold prospects? Not so much.
I won’t tell you to annoy your prospects.
But don’t be shy, either.
Use Traditional Sales Psychology
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m extremely grateful for that Sales 101 class I took in college.
I might’ve treated it as a joke in college, but that class has helped me drive thousands in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) just by using traditional sales techniques.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a schmoozer by any means whatsoever.
But psychologist Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasion work extremely well throughout this entire process:
Reciprocity
People feel compelled to return favors, which is why free audits work so well.
When someone gives us something, we instinctively want to reciprocate.
Not in a manipulative way but as a natural response to receiving something valuable.
This subtle tactic can help you turn prospects into clients.
Social Proof
Your reputation is one of your greatest sales tools.
People want reassurance that they’re making the right choice—especially for something as important as SEO.
You can pitch yourself all you want, but if you don’t have any proof of results, why should they believe you?
The more people who vouch for you, the more people will trust you.
This could be:
Case studies
Brands you’ve worked with
Testimonials
Whatever it is, let your existing/previous clients be your most vocal supporters.
Authority
Establishing authority is huge for building trust.
When people see you as an authority in your field, they’re more likely to trust what you have to say.
As a solo consultant, I’m not interested in scaling to take on unlimited client profiles.
I want a small batch of handpicked SEO clients who are invested in working with me.
Usually, this comes out to five to 10 monthly clients based on the scope of services.
If I stretch myself too thin, I can’t give every client the attention they deserve.
So, if I have multiple prospects who are interested in that last position, my availability becomes scarce.
And as my scarcity increases, pricing can follow.
That’s not to say you should have leads fight over that last spot.
But it is something to mention to your prospects, as it can make you seem like a more desirable candidate.
Keep Leads Interested
While each hard-set date will help keep prospects interested, they can still get distracted.
Other agencies may poach them, they can get pulled in new directions, or their schedule may become too tight.
Even the slightest hesitation can derail your efforts.
So, beyond moving them throughout the sales process, you can keep them interested in a few ways.
Post Client Wins on LinkedIn
Case studies work.
We know this.
But it’s another thing to put it out there for everyone to see–especially when you can use it as an opportunity to explain that case study in detail.
It also makes you way more desirable, so it might even trigger FOMO for them if they feel like others might reach out to you because of that case study.
Even from one case study post, I had three to four qualified leads reach out.
Provide a Reference from a Previous Client
This shows a huge amount of transparency that is surprisingly rare.
Even before they ask, offer them a client referral from a similar industry.
Focus on the Relationship, Not the Sale
People buy from individuals they trust, not just from salespeople.
Especially in the early stages, when a prospect can easily move on to another offering, you can keep yourself memorable by focusing on developing a relationship.
Be likable.
Be funny.
Be authentic.
Be personal.
Go beyond just being seen as an SEO provider.
Treat every prospect as an opportunity to develop valuable relationships, not generate sales.
And even if the lead falls through, that relationship still has value.
It can lead to future opportunities like a referral or a personal connection request.
Even if that lead doesn’t work out, it’s still an opportunity to expand your network for future opportunities.
Sell SEO Services Like a Pro
Selling in SEO is just a matter of delivering early value to your prospect.
I’m not even a salesperson.
I’m just an SEO who had to force myself to learn sales.
And honestly, if I can do it, you can do it, too.
Learn how to translate the value of your work into a language your prospects understand.
Now that you know how to sell SEO services, you can start landing clients more consistently.
But first, make sure you have the right tools to deliver the results your clients deserve.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-31 14:47:582025-01-31 14:47:58How to Sell SEO Services in 5 Steps+ Expert Tips & Templates
SEO is like a never-ending story. There are always things to do. And these things need your undivided attention, from keyword research to content audits and performance reporting. Many of these are repetitive, recurring, and time-consuming. And that’s why you need SEO automation.
By automating SEO, you use tools and software to do the repetitive optimization tasks for you. These tools don’t eliminate the need for a person to be involved, but they can do the heavy lifting. These tasks often contain data-heavy and time-consuming work.
Think of all the manual work you must do to run an SEO campaign. You have to crawl your website for technical errors, do keyword research, track how your ranking develops, and generate insightful reports — important work but tedious. SEO automation tools take these tasks and do them for you. These tools work faster and more accurately than you do. As a result, you can focus on the fun stuff — the creative and strategic work.
For example, you could manually try to find broken links on your site, but that would take forever. An automated tool can do that in minutes and provide a nice report. For your content, keyword research tools can generate a list of terms to target in just a few minutes. You’ll even get search volume data and information about the level of competition.
The benefits of SEO automation
Automating your SEO has many advantages. Handing over repetitive tasks can save you a lot of time, leaving you with more time to work on your strategy and content. Automation is also more accurate in handling data, which leads to fewer errors and, thus, more dependable data. SEO automation streamlines your work and allows you to scale quickly once your site grows.
Tasks you can automate right now
Today, most SEO automation tools are designed to handle specific tasks. We’ll list the most common tasks you can automate.
Keyword research
Keyword research is the foundation of SEO. It is also very time-consuming to do manually. You’re looking at search volumes, competition, relevancy, and more, and you’ll have to make deductions from that. It’s not weird that almost everyone uses keyword research tools such as Semrush and Wincher to do the hard work.
Keyword research tools can automatically:
Generate lists with relevant keywords for your topic or niche.
Give essential supporting data such as search volume and difficulty.
Suggest related keywords that you can use to build up your.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you run a gardening blog. Keyword research tools like Semrush can identify not only popular keywords like “best gardening tools” but also related terms such as “gardening tool maintenance” or “best hoes for gardening in specific conditions.” These insights allow you to build content clusters that improve your site’s authority.
Content optimization
Content optimization is another field in which SEO automation comes in. For instance, Yoast SEO can analyze your content to make sure it is properly optimized for search engines. An SEO tool like this gives feedback on:
How you use keywords in your content and suggest improvements to make.
How readable is your content, and are your sentences too complex?
Where and how you can add relevant links to other content on your site.
Yoast SEO is a very popular plugin for WordPress and Shopify. It helps you optimize each post or page on your site to make it user-friendly, search-engine-friendly, and, of course, make that process as easy as possible.
Website audits
Automatically auditing your website regularly is also a popular form of SEO automation. Such an audit can help you catch issues that might influence your site’s performance. These can include:
Broken links.
Slow loading speeds.
Missing meta tags.
Duplicate content.
Tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb can perform these audits automatically. These tools even let you schedule recurring audits, so you’re always updated on your site’s health. In addition, the tools provide actionable reports that highlight what needs fixing.
Rank tracking
There are many ways to gauge your site’s performance; one of the most important is to check its rankings. However, tracking your rankings manually is a lot of work. Luckily, rank-tracking tools such as Wincher, Semrush, and Ahrefs make this incredibly easy. These tools automate this process and provide you with regular updates on your keyword positions.
Among the things these tools can track are:
Changes in your rankings over time.
The performance of specific target keywords.
Competitor rankings for similar keywords.
You get all kinds of reporting for your rankings. Plus, with the built-in alerting systems, you are always on top of things without constantly monitoring them.
SEO reporting
Another part of your SEO work that can be automated is reporting. Building custom reports is grueling work that can take hours of precious time. Luckily, tools like Looker Studio can combine data from different sources, such as Google Analytics, Search Console, Semrush, and others, to build custom dashboards that update automatically.
With proper SEO automation tools, you can create reusable templates for your reports, so you have something predefined to start from. These can also be generated automatically at scheduled times to save you even more time.
How to get started with SEO automation
At one point, you will be ready to start automating your SEO workflow. But where do you start?
Find the tasks you need to automate
Think about your work and find the tasks that take the most time or recur most often. Such tasks are often the best options to automate. For example, if you spend much of your time on reporting, that would be a good option.
Choose the right tools
Not all tools are created equal, so choose one that does what you want them to do. Here are some options, but there are many others.
Yoast SEO: Optimizes on-page SEO and provides content suggestions.
Semrush: Offers keyword research, content outlines, and optimization
Google Search Console: Tracks performance and identifies site issues.
Screaming Frog: Conducts in-depth site audits.
Looker Studio: Automates reporting by integrating with Google Analytics and other data sources.
Start small
Diving head-first into SEO automation might be exciting, but it will probably not end well. Please start small. Pick a couple of time-consuming tasks and see how you can make them more manageable and insightful. Once you see what works and what doesn’t, build from there.
Final thoughts on automating your SEO
SEO automation is a handy way to save time, improve data accuracy, and scale your work. We’re not looking to replace people but rather support them in their jobs. Tools can do many tasks, from keyword research to audits and data analysis. This leaves you more time for your high-impact work!
Start small and experiment with a range of tools. You’ll find what works and what doesn’t, which will help you fine-tune your process. Ultimately, you want SEO automation to help you work smarter, not harder.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-30 12:27:592025-01-30 12:27:59SEO automation: Tools and tips for SEO success
Google acknowledged that Performance Max (PMax) campaigns can be controlled through API placement exclusions — contradicting months of its own documentation and support guidance, according to new research from ad tech firm Optmyzr.
This revelation gives advertisers more programmatic control over their PMax campaigns than previously thought possible, potentially saving significant time and resources in campaign management.
The big picture. Performance Max campaigns, Google’s AI-driven ad format, have been a source of frustration for advertisers seeking more granular control over where their ads appear.
By the numbers. Optmyzr ran an experiment, running from Dec. 30 to Jan. 21. It showed:
Zero ad spend on excluded placements after implementing API controls.
Complete effectiveness of API-based exclusions, despite Google’s previous claims.
Faster implementation compared to manual UI controls.
Behind the scenes. Google’s documentation and AI help center had explicitly stated that placement exclusions would only work through their user interface, not via API.
Multiple support channels reinforced this incorrect guidance.
What they’re saying. Following the experiment, Google admitted that placement exclusions work through both the API and UI as we see in this response from Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison:
Why we care. Performance Max campaigns represent a significant portion of many advertisers’ Google Ads spend, but the lack of control over where ads appear has been a major pain point. This situation also highlights a broader point: you shouldn’t take platform limitations as gospel, even when they come directly from Google. Testing and verification could reveal hidden capabilities that provide competitive advantages.
Bottom line. This discovery highlights a broader issue in ad tech: platform documentation doesn’t always reflect actual capabilities, requiring advertisers to actively test and verify functionality.
What’s next. As advertisers, you should:
Review your PMax campaign controls.
Consider implementing API-based exclusions for more efficient management.
Maintain active oversight despite automated controls.
Confidently question capabilities they may have strong reason to believe isn’t true.
Between the lines. The finding suggests other undocumented capabilities might exist across Google’s ad platforms, encouraging advertisers to question and test official limitations.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/google-ads-api-support-response-ZWcfTm.png?fit=1001%2C366&ssl=13661001http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-28 18:39:262025-01-28 18:39:26Google reverses stance on Performance Max campaign controls
1. Failing to secure the ‘right’ buy-in for SEO initiatives
When you get buy-in from the rightpeople in your organization, you can rest assured the SEO program will have more resources and prioritization.
This is not just about the CMO seeing the value in SEO, either. SEO must be seen as a strategic business initiative all the way to the top.
Case in point: An enterprise client of my SEO agency knew that their SEO program would only be successful if every department with a stake in the website’s success were on board.
The company chairman called a meeting to discuss the value of SEO.
This is not common but was necessary for this project. Every key team got behind the SEO program, and the company experienced massive results.
So, what are some of the common challenges when securing buy-in? One of the biggest is a lack of understanding of SEO’s value.
The C-suite is working hard on their own initiatives and areas of expertise. They may not fully grasp how SEO contributes to business growth and revenue.
This is where you come in.
Show them the data, like how people are searching for the things your organization provides.
Explain to them how SEO supports the customer journey in many different ways.
Demonstrate how SEO can support company goals.
Illustrate how SEO drives revenue and its long-term ROI compared to initiatives like digital advertising.
Address common misconceptions about SEO as a non-essential or supplementary activity.
Pilot a small project or address the “quick wins” and give tangible results.
Propose an SEO plan that can be executed with current resources, but that could be scaled later.
Assign an SEO champion within each department to advocate for best practices and drive implementation across teams.
Having SEO conversations can be an eye-opener for leadership. And it may be just the thing they need to take notice of SEO as an essential marketing program.
Once you get buy-in from the right groups, you can break down those business silos that can slow progress in an enterprise organization.
3. Ineffective hiring and onboarding of an SEO agency
When companies are ready to partner with SEO agencies, they must hire and onboard effectively for the best chance at a productive partnership.
Missteps here can lead to misaligned goals, wasted resources and subpar performance. So what to do?
When hiring an SEO agency, be sure to:
Properly vet the agency.
Evaluate the agency’s company ethics and level of expertise.
Figure out if the services offered are actually what you require to succeed.
Make sure the agency’s processes mesh well with your company culture.
Watch out for any red flags that signal a poor-quality agency.
The onboarding process is just as important as the hiring process. Here are some important things to consider as you forge a new partnership with an SEO agency:
Make sure they know your business: Share detailed insights into your company’s history, products, services and market positioning.
Define roles and responsibilities: Clearly outline the tasks and expectations for both your team and the agency.
Establish regular communication channels: Set up consistent meetings and reporting to keep things aligned.
Set realistic expectations: Agree on achievable timelines and outcomes.
4. Overlooking the value of maintaining high-quality content
Enterprise companies usually need volumes of content for their SEO programs to compete in the search results.
With the sometimes overwhelming amount of content needed, it can be easy to lose sight of quality while trying to hit targets.
With multiple teams and departments contributing content, enterprises also struggle with inconsistency in quality, tone and SEO best practices.
Here are some tips for high-quality enterprise SEO content:
Establish centralized guidelines and quality control
Managing content at the enterprise level requires consistency and collaboration:
Create a centralized content quality framework for all departments. Include standards for tone, formatting, SEO best practices and E-E-A-T.
Provide cross-departmental training to establish a baseline understanding of SEO principles for all contributors.
Consider a dedicated quality control person in each department to review and approve all content before publication.
Prioritize search intent
Focus on creating content that addresses the needs of your target audience first. Decide how you will maintain this quality while scaling content as needed.
Meeting search intent will result in higher engagement and better rankings than producing high volumes of generic content.
Use tools to monitor and optimize performance
Use analytics to measure content performance and identify gaps. Regularly refresh top-performing, outdated or underperforming content to maintain relevance and effectiveness.
While AI tools can be valuable for scaling production, human oversight is key.
Have a system in place to uphold quality when using AI-generated content. Make sure it meets your brand’s standards and complies with Google’s quality guidelines.
Enterprise websites can be massive, creating unique challenges for technical SEO. Unfortunately, these challenges compound at scale.
Even the best SEO strategies can fail if technical SEO isn’t handled well.
But technical SEO at the enterprise level isn’t just about fixing bugs; it’s about creating sustainable processes.
Prioritize processes and cross-departmental responsibilities
Enterprise websites need workflows for technical SEO issues. Start by creating clear systems that outline how to identify, prioritiz, and resolve issues.
Assign ownership to specific teams, such as IT or web development, to ensure a quick response when challenges arise.
Finally, educate teams about the importance of technical SEO and their responsibilities.
For example, content creators should structure new pages with proper tags and metadata, while developers should ensure site changes are vetted for SEO implications.
When all departments work together, technical SEO becomes a seamless part of the workflow.
Use automation and tools to manage complexity
With massive websites and multiple teams, automation and tools are helpful for enterprise SEO.
Here are some tips:
Centralize and align your toolset: As much as possible, streamline your SEO tools into a unified system that integrates with the platforms you use.
Focus on scalable tools: Invest in tools that can grow with your website’s needs.
Automate the repetition: Use automation for predictable, time-intensive technical SEO tasks.
Monitor, refine, repeat: Regularly audit tool performance and workflows to ensure tools are aligned with your SEO goals as they evolve.
Plan for long-term maintenance
As your website grows, so will its technical challenges. A proactive approach will sustain SEO performance:
Schedule technical audits before major initiatives.
Stay ahead of the curve by aligning site initiatives with emerging search engine changes.
Make sure SEO is built into any major update to a website.
Avoiding common SEO mistakes is the path to enterprise success
Success at the enterprise level is defined by adopting the right mindset and workflows. This means creating a culture that prioritizes SEO as a strategic initiative and embedding it into every department that has a stake in the website.
With a clear vision, a commitment to improvements and the right processes, your enterprise can stand out in the search results and achieve sustained search growth.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-top-5-strategic-SEO-mistakes-enterprises-make-and-how-to-avoid-them-800x450-c5aDGE.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1450800http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-28 13:00:002025-01-28 13:00:00The top 5 strategic SEO mistakes enterprises make (and how to avoid them)
Yahoo appears to be testing some new AI related features within Yahoo Search. In fact, some are seeing Yahoo show a banner at the top of Yahoo’s home page that says, “We’re building a new yahoo.com to show more of what’s interesting to you.”
The new search features include:
AI powered chat
AI generated answers within search
Note, you need to login to Yahoo to see the new Yahoo Search features.
AI chat in Yahoo. For the past week or so, we’ve been seeing signs of Yahoo incorporating AI Chat features in Yahoo Search. Now, we are seeing that more prominently in the Yahoo Search interface.
Here is a screenshot of the message about the new Yahoo and I am told the try now link goes to Yahoo Search:
Here is the Yahoo Search home page:
The Yahoo Search bar with AI elements built within it:
Here are what these AI Chat answers look like:
Yahoo AI Generated Answers. Yahoo Search is also incorporating AI generated answers directly in the Yahoo Search results. These seem to be powered by OpenAI and show directly in Yahoo Search, where you see a snippet of the AI generated answer and then can click to expand the answer to show more:
Here are more screenshots:
Yahoo has introduced AI overviews, but there are no links in the AI overview. They simply provide an answer for users to read. They’ve also added a feedback option—users can like the answer, but if they dislike it, they’re asked to provide feedback.@rustybrickpic.twitter.com/LAsMqOb7kw
More information. Is this part of Yahoo’s renewed return to Search from 2023, which we were expecting in 2024. Or is this just some more basic AI licensed services within Yahoo Search. It is hard to tell but we will be watching.
Why we care. With all these new AI elements that everyone is rolling out, differentiating search features can be easier than ever before. Here are signs of Yahoo making some of these efforts.
As I said, we have been expecting Yahoo to make its comeback to search for a while now and it seems we may be seeing some elements of that.
I for one am looking forward to a new Yahoo Search experience.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/new-yahoo-xK7o20.jpeg?fit=1737%2C476&ssl=14761737http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-27 13:17:442025-01-27 13:17:44Yahoo testing new AI Search features
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most effective paid channels helping businesses increase visibility and build awareness.
If you’d like to learn about the state of PPC in 2025, find the latest data on PPC usage, most used ad platforms, and PPC benchmarks, we’ve curated a list of 24 essential PPC statistics to help you answer these questions.
General PPC Statistics
Among surveyed pay-per-click (PPC) marketers, Google (98%), Facebook (76%) and Instagram (70%) are the most widely used advertising platforms (Statista)
Here’s a full breakdown:
Digital Advertising Platform
Share of PPC Professionals
Google (excluding YouTube)
98%
Facebook
76%
Instagram
70%
Microsoft (Bing)
67%
YouTube
67%
LinkedIn
48%
TikTok
31%
Pinterest
24%
Amazon
17%
X (Twitter)
15%
Reddit
11%
Apple Search
11%
Snapchat
9%
Quora
4%
Yandex
2%
Baidu
1%
Yahoo! Japan
1%
Other
6%
Among PPC practitioners with a monthly budget between $50K and $500K, Google, Facebook, and YouTube are the top 3 most used advertising platforms (PPCsurvey)
Here are the exact numbers:
Ad Platform
Adoption ($50K – $500K PPC budget)
Google (excluding YouTube)
99%
Facebook
79%
YouTube
75%
Instagram
74%
Microsoft (Bing)
73%
LinkedIn
46%
TikTok
28%
Pinterest
20%
Amazon
15%
X (Twitter)
11%
Reddit
10%
Apple Search
7%
Snapchat
6%
Quora
4%
Yandex
1%
Baidu
1%
Yahoo! Japan
1%
Other
8%
73% of B2C marketers stated their organization used PPC advertising in the last 12 months (Content Marketing Institute)
64% of B2B marketing professionals say they used PPC advertising at their organization in the past year, which is only behind the usage rate of social media advertising at 73% (Content Marketing Institute)
93% of marketers say pay-per-click (PPC) as a marketing channel is “effective” or “highly effective”, making it the 2nd most effective channel after content marketing (96%) (eMarketer)
Only 10% of surveyed marketing professionals identify PPC as a primary focus for their budget allocation (eMarketer)
Among surveyed marketing specialists worldwide, 49% claim it became harder managing PPC campaigns today than 2 years ago (PPCsurvey)
Among in-house teams, the average monthly PPC spend is $950,000, while freelancers usually manage an ad budget of around $575,000 per month (PPCsurvey)
Here are the exact numbers:
Monthly PPC spend
In-house
Freelancer
More than $3M
5%
3%
Between $500K and $3M
14%
10%
Between $50K and $500K
41%
38%
Between $5K and $50K
29%
33%
Under $5K
11%
16%
According to surveyed B2B marketers, PPC advertising ranks as the most effective paid channel for content marketing activities, with 61% of respondents citing it as effective, followed by social media advertising (49%), and sponsorships (48%) (Content Marketing Institute)
Search Ads Statistics
Paid search spending in the US is estimated to reach $124.59 billion in 2024, showing an 11.1% year-over-year increase (eMarketer)
The average cost-per-click for advertisements on Google ads stood at $1.16 (eMarketer)
The average cost per click for search ads across multiple industries on Amazon was $1.50 (eMarketer)
The average benchmark bounce rate for paid search is 43.9% (Contentsquare)
The average click-through rate for Google search ads is 3.17%, based on data collected from multiple industries (WordStream)
On average, paid search campaigns are reported to generate a conversion rate of 2.55% (Contentsquare)
Paid search accounts for 29.7% of total media ad spending in the US (eMarketer)
Analysis of over 43 billion website visits found that paid search accounts for 23% of traffic share, behind direct (27.6%) and organic search (26.7%) (Contentsquare)
The share of new visitor traffic attributed to paid search is 27.6%, which is more than any other marketing channel (Contentsquare)
Paid search accounts for 39.5% market share of digital advertising, more than any other advertising format (display, video or audio) (IAB)
In the US, Google dominates the search advertising market, accounting for 50.5% of the total search ad spending (eMarketer)
Amazon’s share of the overall search ad spending in the US is 22.3% (eMarketer)
75.78% of Google’s revenue came from advertising in Q1-Q3 2024 (Alphabet)
AI Use for PPC Statistics
75% of PPC professionals say they use generative AI at least “sometimes” for writing ads. Other common use cases include keyword research (60%) and writing emails (52%) (PPCsurvey)
Here are the exact numbers:
Use Case
Share of PPC Professionals Who Use AI at Least “Sometimes”
Writing ads
75%
Keyword research
60%
Writing emails
52%
Audience research/analysis
48%
Writing/editing scripts
45%
Landing page optimization
41%
Generating insights and suggestions
41%
Strategy
38%
Campaign creation
38%
Reporting
31%
Among PPC professionals that use AI at least “sometimes” for writing emails, 71% claim they’re satisfied with results generated by AI (PPCsurvey)
Use Case
Share of PPC Professionals Satisfied with AI Results
It provides data and insights that will help you target the right keywords for your audience.
More data isn’t always better.
So, focus on the key metrics: search volume, keyword difficulty, and search intent.
Search Volume: The average monthly searches for a keyword
Keyword Difficulty (KD%): A measure of how hard it is to rank for a keyword. It’s based on the link profiles of the top 10 ranking pages.
Search Intent: The purpose behind a user’s search query. It’s categorized as transactional, informational, commercial, or navigational.
Stick to these essentials to guide your keyword strategy effectively.
Define Commercial Opportunities
The commercial value of a keyword varies for each business.
What may be a high-value commercial keyword for a competitor might not be for you.
For example, let’s say you have top-rated resorts in Mexico. You might see “all-inclusive resorts in Mexico” as a valuable keyword.
Now, imagine you manage one outdated, overpriced resort there. Your chance to profit from this keyword is likely much weaker.
When evaluating a commercial opportunity, ask: Will this page convert visitors?
Categorize each keyword into the following:
0. Not Likely: We don’t offer anything related to the user’s intent
1. Unlikely: We offer something related to the user’s intent, but it doesn’t directly address the user’s needs
2. Potential: We offer a solution that could meet the user’s intent
3. Likely: We provide the best solution for the user’s intent
This approach helps focus your efforts on the most commercially valuable keywords.
Pro tip: Before using a keyword, check its intent. Analyze the top-ranking content in the search results. A keyword like “Mexico vs. Ecuador” might seem perfect for a travel site selling flights to both. However, a quick Google search may reveal that the user intent is related to soccer, not travel.
By knowing what users want, you can avoid irrelevant keywords. This will ensure your content matches user intent.
It also increases your chances of ranking and converting.
Step 3: Create a Keyword Map
Once you’ve gathered your keywords, the next step is to build an SEO keyword map.
Here’s how:
List existing pages: Use an SEO spider tool like Screaming Frog. It will list all existing pages.
Filter irrelevant pages: Remove any pages that won’t serve as SEO landing pages. Focus only on those that have the potential to drive organic traffic.
Pair pages with keywords: Use Google Search Console (GSC) to find queries that generate the most clicks for each page.
Assign target keywords: Assign one keyword from your research to each relevant page.
Avoid keyword cannibalization: Target each keyword with only one page. This prevents competition between your own pages for the same search query.
SEO for travel websites often involves optimizing destination-specific and service-related keywords.
These efforts help drive organic traffic to your site.
By mapping keywords to pages, you’ll have a clear strategy. It’ll help you optimize existing content and find gaps for new content.
Step 4: Form a Content Strategy
With your keyword research and keyword map in place, it’s time to create an SEO content strategy.
To maximize organic revenue, prioritize content targeting bottom-of-the-funnel keywords.
These are high-intent keywords where users are closest to making a booking decision.
By focusing on this stage first, you’ll drive more immediate conversions and revenue.
Target Commercial Keywords
In your keyword sheet, filter for keywords with commercial scores of two or three.
This filter will give you keywords with high commercial intent. They’ll match what you offer.
Think “Cancun resorts,” “flights to Hawaii,” “Las Vegas hotels,” or “Punta Cana excursions.”
For each keyword:
If a landing page is ranking, optimize its content to boost performance
If none of your pages are ranking, decide whether to create a new landing page or optimize an existing one
Finally, create a timeline and roadmap for implementing these optimizations.
This helps ensure steady progress toward your content goals.
Build Topical Authority
After covering your commercial keywords, it’s time to move up to the middle of the funnel.
Focus on keywords like “things to do in Miami,” “best time to visit Japan,” and “best beaches in Puerto Rico.”
These keywords are primarily informational and have lower conversion rates.
Cluster these topics to help search engines understand your content.
You’ll signal to search engines that your site is a trusted travel resource.
Blog pages often cover these topics best. But you can use landing pages if they fit your strategy.
Create a Topic Map
Up to this point, your SEO content strategy has been based on keyword data.
Now, it’s time to explore new topic ideas by leveraging topic maps.
To do this, use an AI tool like Claude or Chat GPT to uncover relevant topics for specific destinations.
Here’s an example of a prompt you can use:
“Please provide a table listing the key topics related to travel in Mexico. The table should have three columns: categories, subcategories, and subtopics. Each subtopic should have its own row.”
Then, copy your topic map to a sheet. Use a ChatGPT plugin like Whimsical Diagrams to visualize it.
Use the following prompt: “Generate a mind map from this table: {paste table}.”
Repeat this process for each destination you serve.
Add any new topics to your content roadmap.
Cover a wide range of content that appeals to search engines and your audience.
This approach fills gaps in your strategy. It keeps your content fresh and competitive.
Tap Into the Travel Content Loop
The travel experience is cyclical.
Here’s how the journey typically unfolds:
Inspiration: “That’s beautiful, where is that place?”
Education: “Tell me more about this place”
Booking: “Let’s go there”
Inspiration again: After the trip, the traveler dreams of new adventures. This sparks the loop once more.
Travelers constantly seek beauty, adventure, and new connections.
Your content strategy should reflect this ongoing loop.
To build a successful travel content strategy off the back of this loop, think beyond SEO. This is especially true for inspiration, where social media is vital.
SEO is about fulfilling a need for information.
So, focus on education and answering users’ specific questions.
Inspiration, however, often comes to people when they’re not actively searching for it.
That’s why inspirational content must be:
Visual and destination-focused
Pushed to users, igniting wanderlust
Once the audience is captivated by a destination, they might seek more information. That’s where SEO comes in to guide them further down the funnel.
When planning content, ensure synergy between inspirational and informational content.
For example, let’s say you publish an SEO-optimized article like “The Best Time to Visit Costa Rica.”
Coordinate with your social media team to release visual, inspirational content.
This integrated approach keeps your audience engaged at every stage of their journey. Whether they’re exploring on social media or searching for information online.
Step 5: Establish a Content Creation Process
Your content strategy is ready.
Now it’s time to establish a streamlined content creation process.
Here’s how that might look:
Keyword selection: Choose primary and secondary keywords based on your content calendar
Writer briefing: Provide clear, detailed briefs for high-quality content
Write: Focus on comprehensive, unique content that goes beyond top-ranking pages
Edit: Align with the brand’s tone and ensure scannability
Optimize: Fine-tune for SEO—headings, body content, internal links, and meta
Add photography: Use images that follow guidelines and enhance user experience
Publish and promote: Share across social, email, and other channels to maximize reach
Translate: Expand reach by targeting non-English keywords
Pro tip: After headlines, image captions are the most read by users. Add a commercial message or a call to action to your image captions. It will help boost engagement.
To AI or Not AI?
When it comes to your content creation process, a key question is how much of it should involve AI.
The answer depends on your goals.
One thing is certain—it’s tough to stand out in a sea of mass-produced AI content by just publishing more AI content.
Craftsmanship and authenticity are what make content truly stand out.
“To beat AI, become more human.” – Wesley van der Hoop, PPC + SEO at Unique Vacations Ltd.
For example, let’s say you’re writing about “the best restaurants in Amsterdam.”
Instead of simply copying the list from TripAdvisor, go beyond the surface:
Experience the destination firsthand
Talk to locals and uncover hidden gems that aren’t widely covered
Engage with restaurant owners. Try their signature dishes. Share deeper insights than current online articles.
AI should play the role of an assistant, not the solution.
That said, AI can still assist in the content creation process.
It can help create content briefs, structure the content, and suggest data points.
This lets writers focus on the human elements. They can craft unique, authentic content that AI cannot replicate.
In this hybrid approach, AI handles repetitive tasks.
Meanwhile, your team focuses on insights, experiences, and personal connections.
Step 6: Set Up Tracking and Measuring
Begin by measuring your current performance to understand where you stand.
Define and track both macro and micro conversions. Use your travel site’s analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics 4).
For most travel websites, the macro conversion will be bookings and revenue.
Micro conversions may include actions like account creation or requests for more information.
They can also involve newsletter sign-ups, brochure requests, and travel guide downloads.
Once tracking is set up, integrate SEO tools like Google Search Console (GSC).
Use a rank tracker to gain deeper insights into what’s happening on the SERPs.
Finally, create easy-to-understand dashboards that blend different data sources. They let you track progress and show results to stakeholders at performance meetings.
Step 7: Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Local SEO is essential for improving visibility.
It’s particularly important for attractions, restaurants, bars, and accommodations at popular destinations.
Google can struggle to determine which of your pages to prioritize.
It can also lead to crawling, indexing issues, and loss of link equity.
In severe cases, it can also trigger manual penalties.
The seven most common types of duplicate content on travel websites are:
Destination descriptions: Frequently reused descriptions of popular travel destinations across multiple accommodation pages
URLs with filtering parameters: Filtering options (e.g., “?sort=price”) generate different URLs. These may show similar content.
Pagination: Ensure paginated lists of destinations or accommodations are distinct or canonicalized
URLs with UTM parameters: Parameters like “?utm_source=social-media” track traffic. But they can also create duplicate content issues.
Split URL tests: A/B testing may create duplicate content. It does this by generating alternative versions of the same page.
Dynamic URLs with session IDs: When indexed, they can cause duplicate content issues
M-dot URLs: They’re rare today. But if used, link them to their desktop versions.
Use Semrush’s Site Audit tool to identify duplicate content. Mitigate it by implementing canonical tags.
Use Structured Data
Structured data helps search engines better understand and display your content.
For travel websites, this can lead to rich results like pricing and star ratings.
These features can help boost click-through rates.
Structured data can also improve your site’s rankings.
How?
By providing search engines with clearer context for your content.
Pro tip: To further enhance SEO, implement structured data using the LocalBusiness schema. This helps search engines understand and validate your business information. It includes key details like category, location, and operating hours. Properly structured data can positively impact your rankings in local searches.
Step 9: Optimize UX with a Mobile-First Approach
Users have been living in a mobile-first world for some time, and Google was quick to follow.
Travelers may book on desktop. But they often make the decision to book on mobile.
Focus on quick load times and ensure strong Core Web Vitals performance.
Search engines like Google favor fast-loading content.
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Search engines want to show users the most accurate, up-to-date information possible, which may lead to changing the order of search results.
For example, “best restaurants near me,” results change as you move locations, new restaurants open in your area, or customer reviews change.
Also, changes to ranking algorithms may reorder search results drastically.
When Google updates its algorithms, it usually offers guidance to site owners in its Search Central Blog.
Presenting the Best Answers
Search engines show more than simple links.
They display special SERP features to present answers quickly and enhance the user’s experience.
For example, a user searching for “sugar cookies” may be looking for recipes, nutritional facts, or a list of ingredients.
Google returns varied results to satisfy all of these potential intents.
But a user searching for “buy sugar cookies” has transactional intent.
Google returns product results to make it easier for users to locate key information about the product.
SERP features can make the search experience more enjoyable for users.
Common types include:
Popular Products: A list of products with key information like price, reviews, and shipping information
Organization: A knowledge panel with key information about a business like founders, history, social media profiles, and more
Local Business: A knowledge panel featuring key information about a local business like address, phone number, and hours of operation
FAQs: A list of questions and answers about a topic
Paid search results may also appear at the top of the SERPs.
To qualify, sites need to set up Google Ads campaigns and bid for specific keywords.
AI Overviews, featured snippets, and People Also Ask boxes often appear for informational searches.
Like this:
These features deliver quick answers and can increase visibility for pages that earn these placements.
Turn Your Search Engine Knowledge into Rankings
While many factors could be at play, understanding how search engines work is an essential first step to helping your content rank higher for the keywords that matter most to your audience.
Armed with this knowledge, you can boost your site’s visibility and get your pages in front of the right people.
The next critical step?
Making sure your website’s technical foundation helps search engines efficiently crawl, index, and rank your content.
Check out our technical SEO guide to optimize your site for better search visibility.
At the start of 2024 – a year that undeniably transformed the SEO landscape – we were primarily focused on Google and eagerly watching how AI might reshape organic search.
As we begin 2025, the picture has become clearer.
AI is no longer a looming possibility; it’s a central player, albeit in ways few of us fully anticipated.
And while Google continues to dominate much of the search landscape, I believe the focus for SEO professionals is shifting.
It’s becoming less about optimizing for specific channels and more about understanding and serving the user – wherever and however they choose to engage.
This shift represents a fundamental change in SEO, moving from keyword-centric strategies to user-centric approaches.
Here’s how my team and I are preparing for the challenges and opportunities ahead in 2025, including:
AI Overviews have seen significant shifts, with results increasingly resembling traditional SERPs – a predictable outcome given both are powered by Google’s algorithms.
In contrast, LLM-based search is a space Google hasn’t monopolized.
Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, and Google’s Gemini are all in the mix, with new competitors emerging regularly.
These non-Google LLMs rely on diverse algorithms, leading to variability and uncertainty in their search results.
Rather than chase undefined targets, brands should focus on what has always worked, especially over the last few years: digging into true user understanding and delivering content that anticipates and addresses their informational needs.
It’s meat-and-potatoes stuff, but the way and where we deploy that content have changed somewhat over the last year.
LLM-based SEO vs. social search
One thing we know for sure is that AI is changing how people interact with search.
More users are getting AI Overviews, and in a more proactive shift, more people are using LLMs for their search activity.
LLMs represent a shift toward combining multiple sources into one (e.g., synthesizing 100 articles into a single response).
Social search offers the opposite: unique human perspectives from platforms like Reddit, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
While AI-generated content (e.g., automated LinkedIn responses) is common, it’s often easy to recognize and less engaging.
Content from these platforms has been appearing more frequently in Google’s traditional SERPs and is now starting to surface in LLM search results.
In short, users are willing to engage with mass-aggregated content and human perspectives.
To me, that’s a pretty interesting trend that puts a spotlight on brand SEO – to make sure people find what they should see when and where they’re searching for your brand.
A good, strong brand should be able to flow across touchpoints, wherever those might be.
Yes, non-brand keywords are still a big piece of SEO, but both pieces are important in 2025.
Great SEO in 2025 will optimize user experience over a fully mapped, more three-dimensional customer journey that includes more platforms than Google.
Google remains a strong indicator of what matters and continues to dominate most search activity, but I expect this to become more dispersed as 2025 progresses.
With that in mind, the questions an SEO needs to address are changing.
You should no longer start with “Which keywords should I try to rank for?”
Better questions now start with user behavior, such as:
“If a user begins a search on Google or LLMs, what can my brand do to show up and provide value?”
“What kind of content are people looking to consume on Reddit and TikTok?”
“What kind of information are people looking for LLMs to provide?”
I’ve already mentioned the need to focus on brand search.
Along with that and user behavior, I’m encouraging my clients to invest in community engagement (wherever their particular communities are).
Those offer opportunities for a very different level of connection brand-building.
I’m sure there’ll be the usual wave of yearly predictions, so I’ll be brief with mine.
LLM platforms like Perplexity will gain traction
Perplexity is poised to build significant momentum and market share.
Its user experience and quality have been impressive so far, and it continues to improve rapidly.
Community engagement will drive business growth
For B2B and ecommerce/B2C, engaging with communities will become a crucial growth strategy.
While AI content will advance and become less formulaic, there will always be demand for high-quality, differentiated content that showcases unique and creative human perspectives.
As AI content grows, it will highlight the value of authentic, smart voices.
Video content remains a powerful tool for standing out
Video continues to offer a unique opportunity to differentiate, as AI has yet to make significant advances in this medium.
Brands focusing on high-quality video and strategic deployment on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn can expect strong engagement in 2025.
SEO in 2025: Focusing on users, platforms, and content
User understanding will be the driving force behind successful SEO in 2025 and beyond.
With users exploring more search platforms than ever and a growing number of algorithms to navigate, gaining visibility will be both complex and challenging.
However, the better we understand our users and their behaviors, the more effectively we can engage them and drive meaningful results for our brands.
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