You want more customers, and you’re ready to advertise your business.
But how should you do it?
There’s Google Ads. Instagram. Flyers. Billboards. TikTok. And dozens of other online and offline options.
Some deliver better results than others:
But that doesn’t mean they’ll work for you:
You have to find the right channels for your business, not just the ones that are popular.
At the agencies I’ve worked with, I’d often see small businesses like auto repair shops and restaurants boost ad returns by 50-200% — just by switching to better-fit channels.
In this guide, I’ll help you pinpoint the winning channels for your business — the ones that can unlock real revenue potential.
I’ll go through it step by step in three phases, covering:
How to choose the right channels
How to set up winning campaigns
How to measure your results (and what to do with the data)
And I’ll show you exactly how I’d do it if I had a starting budget of $500.
Note: Want a quick list of ad ideas? Grab this free sheet with 30 ways to promote your business.
Phase 1: Choose the Right Channels to Advertise On
There are dozens of channels you can use to advertise your business.
But unless you have a lot of time and budget, you can’t be everywhere.
In this phase, we’ll find out which ones are actually worth testing for your business.
I’ll use a local furniture store as a running example. But you can follow the same steps no matter what you sell.
Let’s start with the step most people skip:
Step 0: Should You Even Invest Money in Paid Ads?
If you’re short on time and want results fast, paid ads can absolutely work.
But that doesn’t mean they’re the best move right now.
Think of it like this:
Paid ads = renting attention. You pay, you get traffic. Stop paying, the traffic stops too.
Organic marketing = earning attention. It takes longer, but the traffic builds over time (and keeps going even when you stop).
Ideally, you’d do both.
Paid gets you quick wins, while organic builds trust and visibility in the long run.
But when you’re working with limited time and budget, you’ll need to choose:
Want calls, sales, or visits this week? Paid ads are your fastest bet.
Want to build long-term traffic without spending monthly? Start with organic.
If you’re ready to move forward with ads, let’s lock in your #1 goal.
Step 1: Pick One Result You Want from Your Ad
You can’t run effective ad campaigns until you know what you want it to achieve.
Your goal decides everything, from where you advertise to what your ad looks like.
One goal = one outcome = one high-converting ad.
Not “get more attention.”
Not “build awareness.”
We’re talking actual business outcomes, like:
Phone calls
Website visits
DMs
Online orders
Store walk-ins
Form submissions
Can ads do more than one thing? Sure.
But when you’re starting out, trying to get five outcomes with one campaign just spreads your budget thin and hurts your ROI.
So pick one.
Ask yourself: “When someone sees my ad, what’s the one action I want them to take?”
Let’s say I run a local furniture store. I’m not trying to sell sofas online, I just want people to visit the showroom.
That’s my goal, and everything in the ad should lead there.
Make yours just as clear (and measurable).
Pro tip: Use the SMART framework to help you choose the right goal.
Step 2: Find Out How Your Last 20-30 Customers Found You
Before you spend a dollar, look at how your last 20-30 customers found you.
Because chances are, your next customers will come from the same places.
Here’s how to do it:
Think back to recent calls, emails, or walk-ins
Skim your DMs or contact form entries
Ask your team: “Where did that lead come from?”
You’re looking for repeat mentions, or anything that stands out.
For example:
If 12 out of 30 found you on Google? That’s a sign to use Google Ads.
If multiple people say they found you on Instagram? That’s your sign to create ads on Instagram.
If you don’t have the answers yet, start collecting data now.
Ask every new lead: “How did you hear about us?”
Track the next 30 manually. Write each one down in Google Sheets or Docs.
Here’s what that might look like for my local furniture store:
Note: If you’re a brand new business with zero customers, clearly you won’t have any data yet. You can still use advertising channels, but your market research and competitor analysis (see below) will become even more important.
Step 3: Analyze How Your Top Competitors Are Advertising
Your competitors are already advertising. Which means they’ve already spent time and money figuring out what works.
So instead of guessing, reverse engineer them.
Here’s how it might look for my local furniture store:
One competitor sends weekly promo postcards. Another runs billboard ads on the freeway and has flyers at the nearby mall.
That tells me they’re spending heavily on local print and outdoor ads (and likely getting results from it).
I won’t copy them blindly. But I’ll take notes:
What channels they’re using
What offers they’re promoting
Whether they’re trying to drive foot traffic, calls, or website visits
Then I’ll go online.
I’ll start by manually checking if my competitors are running ads on major platforms.
Many ad platforms have public ad libraries you can search.
Like Google’s Ad transparency, where I can see if my competitors are running ads on Google Search, Google Shopping, and YouTube:
I can also look up their Instagram or Facebook ads in Meta’s Ad Library:
Step 4: List the Channels Your Audience Pays Attention To
Before you finalize your three channels, sanity-check them.
Just because a platform is popular doesn’t mean your audience is paying attention there.
You need to use what you know about your ideal customer’s habits to spot the right fit for your business specifically.
For instance, for my furniture store, let’s say I know that most of my buyers are homeowners in their 40s or 50s shopping for higher-ticket items.
(Ideally, you’ll have internal data to help here, but tools like Semrush can help here with their demographics feature.)
Based on that insight, they’re probably searching on Google, browsing Facebook, checking mailers, and listening to local radio. Not scrolling Snapchat or TikTok.
So I’ll cross those off my list, and I’ll focus on the ones that match how they already consume info.
How to Advertise Your Business on Instagram or Facebook
In my example, I also chose Facebook for one of my channels.
But Facebook and Instagram both use the same Meta ad platform.
So I can run one ad and show it on both platforms if I want.
Instead of targeting keywords (like Google Ads), you can reach people based on:
Location (like everyone within 10 miles of your store)
Demographics (homeowners aged 35–55)
Interests and behaviors (e.g., “interior design” or “recent movers”)
You can choose from image ads, videos, carousels, or Stories.
Meta lets you set your own budget and charges you per result (like per click, impression, or DM).
Before you run your ad, there are a few things you should understand to ensure good ROI:
What ad format matches your goal
How Facebook’s algorithm picks who sees your ad
What action you want people to take, and how to optimize for it
How to Advertise Your Business Locally with Postcards
Postcard campaigns are straightforward.
You create a physical card, choose the delivery area (like ZIP codes or neighborhoods), and send it to local homes through a provider like USPS Every Door Direct Mail or FedEx.
But to get real results, you need to understand the fundamentals:
How to target delivery routes effectively (without needing a mailing list)
What goes into pricing, including printing, postage, and quantity requirements
How early to plan your drop date so cards arrive during your promo window
How to track responses, like adding a unique offer code or asking “how did you hear about us?”
This is one of the simplest ways to advertise your business locally if you’re trying to drive foot traffic fast.
Where to Learn More
Some channels are simple. Like designing a flyer and dropping it off.
Others take more time and practice to get right. Like running Meta ads or setting up Google Ads campaigns.
You don’t need to master every feature. But you do need a handle on how your chosen channels actually work.
That way, your campaign isn’t based on guessing. It’s grounded in real data.
That’s why I’ve put together a free resource library with guides for all major channels. This will help you get up to speed with how each channel works.
When you focus on one product or service, everything gets easier — from writing the ad to measuring results.
Pick something simple, proven, and easy to sell. Ideally:
A best-seller
Something seasonal or in demand
Something customers already ask about often
Something your competitors are actively promoting
For my furniture store, I might go with loft chairs. They’re popular and high-margin.
And one of my competitors is promoting them in Google ads:
You can test other products later. But for your first campaign, keep it focused.
Step 8: Create a Clear, Time-Sensitive Offer
Even the best ad won’t work if there’s no reason to act.
That’s what your offer does. It gives people a reason to click, call, or visit now — not “later.”
Great offers are:
Easy to understand in 1-2 seconds
Focused on one product or service
Time-sensitive (like “ends soon” or “limited quantity”)
Backed by a clear benefit (like discount, free bonus, or fast delivery)
For my furniture store, I’ll offer “25% off all loft chairs until Sunday, June 22, while stock lasts.”
Like this competitor does:
It’s clear. It’s specific. And it makes people move.
A lot of small businesses don’t want to cut into their margins. That’s totally fair.
There are plenty of other ways to make your offer feel urgent, without lowering your price.
You could offer:
Free delivery (especially if competitors don’t)
A small bonus (like a free cushion or add-on service)
Priority scheduling (e.g., “Book this week for earliest delivery”)
A real deadline (something that ends or runs out, like an event or quantity)
Write down your offer clearly before you move on. This is what you’ll build your ad around.
Step 9: Define the Action You Want People to Take
Every ad needs one clear next step.
Click. Call. Visit. Book.
Not all four. Just one.
For my furniture store, I want people in my showroom.
So across Google Ads, Facebook, and postcards, the action would be the same: to get directions to my store.
One of my competitors does this with Google ads:
Whatever action you choose, make it obvious.
If you want calls, put the number up front
If you want bookings, link straight to your calendar
If you want foot traffic, use a bold address or a map pin
Step 10: Build Your Ad Content
This is where it all comes together — your channel, your offer, and your CTA.
Now you decide the ad format, write the copy, and choose (or design) the visuals.
For my furniture store, I’m running three ads across three channels: Google Search, Facebook, and postcards.
On Google, I’ll keep it tight. The ad will match what someone’s searching for. Like “recliner chairs near me.”
The headline? Something like: “20% Off Loft Chairs – This Week Only.”
The description line makes it actionable: “Visit our showroom in Queens. Free parking. Sale ends Sunday.”
No fluff. Just keywords + urgency + next step.
On Facebook, I’ll go visual. I’ll use a clean image of the actual loft chair in a styled room.
The headline might match the offer (“20% Off Loft Chairs”) and the text could highlight one feature. Like “Reclines fully, fits small spaces.”
The CTA button would be something like “Get Directions.” Like this:
For postcards, I’ll design it around simplicity.
Large product photo. Bold offer right up top. Short subtext that reinforces the benefit.
And the bottom section will show store hours, our address, and a small map.
No matter the channel, the roles of each part of your ad are the same:
Your offer is what grabs attention
Your visual or headline is what earns you that extra half-second before they scroll or toss it
Your CTA tells them exactly what to do
If anything’s vague, crowded, or trying to do too much, it gets ignored.
So before you launch, ask yourself:
Would I stop for this?
Would I click it?
Would I know what to do next?
If the answer isn’t yes within 3 seconds, it’s not ready yet.
But if it is ready, it’s now time to work out how to get the most out of your ad budget.
Step 11: Allocate Your $500 Budget Across the 3 Channels
Not every advertising channel costs the same to get results. And not every channel works the same way.
That’s why you don’t want to split your $500 evenly.
Instead, think through each channel using three simple questions:
How much does it cost to show up on this channel?
How likely is this channel to drive your goal?
What’s the minimum budget I need to test it properly?
Let’s walk through my setup.
For my ads on three channels, here’s how I’d split the budget:
Google Ads: $250
People are literally searching for what I sell. So the intent is high — and I want to show up.
But clicks cost more here.
$1.11 is the average cost per click for a keyword like “buy lounge chair.”
Just to give you a sense of scale:
If I spend $250 at $1.11 per click, I’ll get roughly 225 clicks. (This is an estimate. CPC is an average, not a fixed price per click.)
And if just 5% of those people visit the showroom, that’s 11 visits.
That’s why I’m putting the biggest share of my budget here.
It costs more to show up, but the intent is also higher. And that makes it worth testing.
Facebook Ads: $130-$150
I can reach local homeowners for less on Facebook than I can on Google Ads.
These ads aren’t as targeted by intent, but they’re great for visuals and awareness.
I’ll test a couple of versions to see what lands.
Postcards: $100-$120
These have a flat cost with no bidding to worry about.
I’ll send around 500 cards to homes near the store and track if anyone brings one in.
This will cost me approximately $115 to print at FedEx.
Will this split be perfect? No.
But that’s not the point.
You’re not trying to get every dollar “right.”
You’re testing to see which channel shows real promise. Then you can double down in the next round with more data, more confidence, and better returns.
Step 12: Launch All Ads Within the Same 1-2 Day Window
You’ve built the ads. You’ve set your budget.
Now it’s time to launch.
And when you do, launch everything at once.
Here’s why:
If your Google ads go live on Monday, your Facebook ads on Wednesday, and postcards land the week after, that’s three different tests. You won’t know what’s working and what’s just a matter of timing.
Launching all campaigns within the same 1-2 day window gives you a clean read.
Same market. Same conditions. Real signals.
That means:
Hit “publish” on your digital ads
Confirm your start dates on each platform
Submit postcards for mailing (or schedule the drop if you’re batching it)
And once they’re live, don’t touch anything.
No tweaking. No pausing. No panic edits.
You’ll optimize later.
In the next phase, you’ll learn how to track the results and double down on what’s working.
Note: Setting up and launching your first ad campaign takes time.
It has a steep learning curve and can feel overwhelming.
Here are a few things that’ll make it easier:
Check our resource library, where we’ve curated useful links for various ad channels to help you learn how to maximize your budget
Hire freelancers from platforms like Upwork or Fiverr for setup or design help
This phase is simple: Check your results, keep what worked, and fix or cut what didn’t.
Over the next few steps, you’ll learn how to track, compare, improve, and reallocate budget across your three channels.
This will help ensure your next ad campaign achieves better ROI (and avoid you wasting money).
Step 13: Track One Clear Result per Channel Over 14 Days
Don’t try to measure everything.
Just focus on the one action you wanted each ad to drive.
For my furniture store, here’s what I’m tracking:
Google search ads: How many people clicked “Get Directions”
Facebook ads: How many tapped the CTA or sent a message
Postcards: How many walked in with their card and/or mentioned the offer
Log your results in a simple spreadsheet, and check once a day for 14 days.
Two weeks should give your ads enough time to generate meaningful data for this small $500 budget.
Here’s how my spreadsheet might look:
Ad platforms generally provide detailed campaign reports that show metrics like clicks, impressions, cost, and more.
Like Google Ads:
And Facebook:
If you’re running offline ads, they’re harder to measure.
But here’s what I’ve seen work:
Add a promo code they need to show in-store
Ask every customer how they heard about your business
Use a unique phone number or custom page link for each flyer or postcard
You don’t need a fancy tool — just a clear record of what happened.
Because you’ll need that data to figure out what paid off, and what didn’t.
We’ll get into that next.
Step 14: Compare Results to Cost
You’ve seen what happened. Now it’s time to make sense of it.
Ask this question: Was this ad worth my money?
Let’s say, for my furniture store:
Google search ads brought in about 11 showroom visits (from 75 clicks)
Facebook ads brought four (from 48 DMs)
Postcards yielded 8 walk-ins
Let’s say 10 of those visits turned into customers, and each sale averaged $350.
That’s around $3,500 in revenue from a $500 budget.
If I have a 30% profit margin, that’s $1,050 in profit.
This isn’t deep analytics.
It’s a simple check to understand your ROI.
Later, as you test more channels and scale up your spend, you’ll want better tracking systems. But for your first campaign, this level of insight is enough.
Next, we’ll figure out why certain channels didn’t perform and what to do about them.
Step 15: Diagnose What Didn’t Work (and Fix It)
Some ads hit. Some didn’t. That’s normal.
The important part is knowing why.
Because a low-performing channel doesn’t always mean it was the wrong channel.
It might just mean the message was off. Or the audience was too broad. Or the offer didn’t land.
In my experience working with clients, there are four main reasons an ad doesn’t perform:
Wrong channel: It simply wasn’t built to drive the result you wanted
Weak targeting: The right message reached the wrong people
Low-impact creative: The ad didn’t stop the scroll or earn attention
Flat offer: The incentive wasn’t strong or urgent enough to act on
Go back to your underperforming ads and assess them against these factors. Write down where the breakdown likely happened.
And don’t just look at what failed: do the same for what worked.
For my Google Search ads, here’s what likely helped:
The offer matched exactly what people were searching for
The copy was short, specific, and action-focused
The CTA (“Get Directions”) matched the goal: showroom visits
For my postcards campaign, here’s what may have held it back:
I didn’t promote the right product
The headline didn’t stand out enough
The design felt too busy for a quick glance
It arrived too early and lost its urgency by the time the sale started
Don’t guess. Use your campaign data to spot friction and fix it before the next round.
Step 16: Plan Sprint 2 with Smarter Inputs
Your sprint 1 campaign is done. Now it’s time to level up.
You’ve seen what worked. You’ve seen what didn’t.
Here’s what you’ll typically do in the second sprint:
Finalize your channels, keeping what worked, and replacing what flopped.
Set a new, slightly bigger budget, and allocate it accordingly
Refine or upgrade your offer (e.g., stronger incentive, tighter deadline)
Create fresh creatives for each channel
Lock in your next 1-2 day launch window
Track results like before
In my case, for my next cycle, I’ll:
Double Google Ads spending (most visits, clean way to track ROI)
Rework the Facebook ad entirely (lots of clicks, poor conversion rate)
Replace postcards with flyers (cheaper, easier to test)
And I’m going to increase my budget to $1,000. Because now I know what works, I’m comfortable putting in more.
Eventually, as every subsequent sprint improves based on data, we’ll optimize our ads even further.
And with that, our ROI will go up.
Launch Your First Ad Campaign
How you advertise your small business comes down to three things:
Knowing how each ad channel works
Having practical ways to promote your product or service
Following a clear, step-by-step roadmap
To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a downloadable worksheet that includes:
A resource library to learn the top ad channels
A list of real ways to promote your business across different channels
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That’s a great example of trendjacking, or inserting your brand into viral online conversations.
It felt like every brand — from global airlines to your local coffee shop — jumped into labeling themselves. Some were hilariously on-point and others…well, not so. For every well-executed moment like a wellness brand that tailored their take to be timely, irreverent, and match their core voice, dozens more missed the mark. And like it or not, audiences can tell.
That’s the fine line with trendjacking. What was once a cheeky social media trick has become a high-stakes play for many modern social media marketers. To stand out and not alienate, brands need more than speed. They need emotional intelligence, audience awareness, and restraint to not jump on every viral moment.
How can you harness what’s trending without sounding tone-deaf or jumping the shark? Let’s break down the basics of effective trendjacking and how you can approach it in a smart way.
Key Takeaways
Trendjacking is the practice of inserting your brand into viral conversations in a way that feels timely, relevant, and authentic.
Success requires cultural awareness, audience alignment, and speed. Not every trend is right for every brand.
Smart brands use social listening tools and planned content workflows to catch trends before they peak.
Measuring trendjacking goes beyond likes. Look at sentiment shifts and meaningful engagement.
The future of trendjacking will likely be shaped by AI tools, new platforms, and the growing demand for authenticity.
What Is Trendjacking?
Trendjacking is the practice of injecting your brand into a popular or viral conversation to boost visibility, engagement, or relevance. Brands jump on trending topics like memes, social media challenges, or major pop culture moments to join the conversation in ways that are timely and clever.
Trendjacking really gained traction during the heyday of Twitter (now X), when brands like Oreo seized viral moments (the “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout) and earned massive engagement for real-time creativity. That post was a signal to marketers that being culturally responsive could pay huge engagement dividends.
Trendjacking isn’t a completely new strategy, though. It has its roots in the older PR strategy of newsjacking. Popularized by David Meerman Scott, newsjacking focused on inserting brands’ perspectives into breaking news stories to get media coverage. Trendjacking is just an evolution of that strategy, tapping into a broader range of online moments.
When you do it well, trendjacking can help your brand show personality, relevance, and humor. But it’s not a strategy without risks, especially if you do it without considering nuance or alignment to your brand’s values.
How to Pull off an Effective Trendjacking Campaign
Let’s say you’re ready to drive into trendjacking. How do you do it right? Like many effective social media strategies, the best trendjacking campaigns start long before a trend even surfaces. Success often hinges on preparation and cultural awareness, but the real secret is the agility to act fast without sacrificing your brand’s integrity.
Identify Potential Trends
Trendjacking starts with awareness. The earlier you spot a trend, the better your odds of leading the conversation rather than chasing it.
Start with traditional sources. Social listening tools such as AnswerThePublic, TikTok Creator Search Insights, or Sprout Social can surface what’s gaining traction across different platforms. The latter can help you keep an eye on places like X, Bluesky, TikTok’s trending page, Reddit threads, and even Google Trends to stay ahead of the curve. Using these tools doesn’t just tell you what’s trending. They help you catch the wave before it crests.
Effective trendjacking goes deeper than identifying meme formats or hashtags, though. Ask yourself these questions:
Why is this trending?
What emotion is it tapping into?
What cultural shift or behavioral insight is at play?
Take, for example, the “Girl Dinner” trend. It wasn’t just a meme. It was a commentary on autonomy, wellness fatigue, and the pushback against curated perfection.
In addition to staying on top of developing trends, think ahead. Certain events almost always spawn viral moments: award shows, the Met Gala, political debates, and major sporting events are excellent fodder for trends. Develop a calendar of these events and build a properly resourced team that can act when the internet lights up.
Assess the Trend’s Relevance
Before you jump into the trend, assess whether or not it’s right for you. Ask important, hard questions, like “Does this trend actually align with our brand?” and “Will our audience care?” Finally, will it feel authentic or forced?
Many brands falter here. Chasing a trend that’s off-brand does more than fall flat; it risks damaging your credibility. The Duolingo x Scrub Daddy “cursed collab” worked because both brands share a quirky, unfiltered tone. If a serious financial brand tried the same joke? Cue the confused and cringing followers.
Assess risk, too. Some trends carry baggage, like political undercurrents, social controversies, or rapidly shifting sentiment. Your internal team should include diverse perspectives to help flag possible missteps.
Beyond relevance, hopping on the trend should add to your brand’s story. If it doesn’t connect to your values or content pillars, it might be better to skip it. Not every viral moment is worth jumping into. Restraint is often what separates trend-chasers from trend leaders.
Produce the Content—Quickly!
Once you’ve vetted a trend, it’s “go time.” Timing is everything in trendjacking. Wait too long, and you’re just adding noise to an already crowded feed.
In practice, your team needs a streamlined workflow to move from idea to pressing the publish button in hours, not days. Empower social managers with decision-making autonomy. Maintain a library of pre-approved assets like brand visuals, fonts, and tone examples so your team can capitalize on trends without needing to create a full-scale design from scratch.
Creating internal “trend kits” or rapid response playbooks can help your team execute quickly and safely. Remember: the most memorable trendjacks feel both spontaneous and strategically on-brand because they are.
Creating Impactful Trendjacking Content
Once you’ve identified the right trend and confirmed it makes sense for your brand to participate, the real magic begins: creating content to hit the sweet spot of relevance, creativity, and authenticity. Not every trendjacking post needs to be laugh-out-loud funny or ultra-slick, but it should always bring something fresh and on-brand to the table. Some tried-and-true strategies for creating trendjacking content that resonates include:
1. Customize by Platform
What works on TikTok might not work on LinkedIn, and vice versa. Tailor your content’s tone, format, and visuals to the platform you’re posting on. Wendy’s built their brand on X with snarky one-liners, but the food chain takes a more curated and visual approach on Instagram.
2. Embrace the Weird (Strategically)
Humor, absurdity, and left-field creativity often fuel viral trends. But you can’t force it. Duolingo’s TikTok presence leans fully into weirdness, but it’s consistent with their edgy, millennial-savvy voice.
Add Value. Don’t Just Copy
Don’t simply copy-paste a trending meme format. Add your brand’s POV, a clever twist, or insights that enhance the original. For example, Canva recently leveraged the app’s ability to create color schemes with the growing popularity of Labubu toys.
4. Prioritize Authenticity
Your audience can smell a cash grab a mile away. If the trend doesn’t align with your values or voice, skip it. If you really feel like you need to participate, subtly nod to the trend without trying to dominate it. Engage, like, or reply to accounts that have posted content in the trend without creating new assets on your own.
5. Keep the Content High-Quality
Even in a fast-moving trend cycle, visuals (and sound) matter. Low-res graphics or clunky text overlays can kill your momentum. Use templates or pre-approved brand assets to keep things polished under pressure.
Trendjacking is not the time to let the copywriter have the keys to the Canva account.
When Trendjacking Goes Wrong…
Trendjacking is a real double-edged sword. When done right, it’s clever, memorable, and engaging. When done wrong, it’s also memorable, but for the wrong reasons; it’s tone-deaf, confusing, or even damaging to your brand. Avoid these common pitfalls.
Tone-deaf or Insensitive Posting
Some trends are tied to serious or sensitive events, and misjudging the tone can result in intense backlash. That’s what happened to Pepsi in 2017 for their ad that featured Kendall Jenner, which co-opted protest imagery to sell soda (and promptly got called out for trivializing real social movements).
Just because a topic is trending doesn’t mean it’s safe territory. Assign someone on your team to assess social sentiment and cultural context before engaging.
Jumping in Too Late
Timing is critical. A trend that peaked two days ago may already feel stale, especially if your post doesn’t add anything new. Joining late makes your brand look like it’s scrambling to stay relevant, not leading the conversation.
To avoid this, consider streamlining your approvals process and having brand-safe assets ready to go.
Misunderstanding the Trend
One of the fastest ways to make a brand look out of touch is to misinterpret the trend altogether. Imagine someone at your company wanted to tweet a meme that referenced “Netflix and chill,” without realizing its NSFW subtext. The internet might notice and not in a good way.
Before trendjacking, do a quick sentiment check. What does this trend actually mean to the people participating in it?
Forcing the Fit
If the trend doesn’t suit your brand voice, values, or audience, don’t force it. It’s painfully obvious when a B2B SaaS brand shoehorns itself into a Gen Z meme format meant for fashion or pop culture. This usually results in low engagement at best and audience cringe at worst.
Brands need a straightforward internal process for evaluating the risk of trendjacking campaigns. Who gets to greenlight? What criteria does the content meet? Building a lightweight risk assessment checklist or review board (creative + legal + DEI leads) can help you act quickly and responsibly.
Lack of Crisis Planning
Even with the best of intentions, things can go sideways fast. That’s why it’s smart to develop a basic crisis response protocol before engaging with fast-moving or culturally sensitive trends. Know who will respond, how quickly, and what steps to take if content sparks backlash.
Measuring Success and Finding Learnings for the Future
With your trendjacking content out in the world, it’s time to answer the big question: Did it work?
Start by measuring the basics: likes, shares, reach, and impressions. These top-level metrics help assess immediate visibility and initial audience reaction.
Smart marketers go further, though. The most impactful trendjacking efforts don’t just rack up views. They strengthen brand equity and move the needle on meaningful outcomes. Ask yourself:
Was the engagement meaningful? Analyze the sentiment and depth of conversation in your engagement. Did people share it with thoughtful comments or tag their friends, or was the engagement just a flood of indifferent likes?
Did it shape perception or sentiment? Use social listening tools to see if brand sentiment improved during and after the campaign. Google Analytics and UTM parameters can help tie social moments back to web traffic and conversion goals.
Did it drive real behavior? Track clicks, sign-ups, or sales lifts during and after the campaign. This is another instance where Google Analytics and UTM parameters can help tie those moments back to web traffic and conversion goals.
Did it strengthen community? Great trendjacking does more than entertain. It builds a sense of belonging. If the post sparked DMs, follow-up content ideas, or user-generated content (UGC), that’s a sign your audience is invested.
Want to level up your campaign? Try aligning your trendjacking posts with keyword-focused content or campaign themes. This gives your SEO strategy a boost, especially in a world where Search Everywhere is the norm (and users can Google the trend and stumble onto your brand).
Upcoming Trendjacking Trends
The art and science of trendjacking will only evolve as the digital landscape shifts. Marketers who want to stay ahead of the curve will need to keep a pulse on what’s trending and how those trends take shape and spread. The future of trendjacking will evolve thanks to things like AI, new platforms, and the rise of “unpolished” realness.
1. AI-powered Content Creation
AI is creating massive shifts in real-time marketing as tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Runway help brands generate reactive content faster than ever. From clever captions to custom visuals, the future of trendjacking likely includes AI-enhanced creativity. The big challenge for brands is to remain authentic in the face of automation.
Could ChatGPT help brands jump on the enthusiasm for Labubu without spending the time to go out and source a doll? Possibly.
2. New and Niche Platforms
Instagram, TikTok, and X may reign supreme among platforms, but that won’t always be the case. Bluesky is becoming increasingly popular, and YouTube Shorts has challenged TikTok as a vehicle for short-form video content creation. Expect trendjacking to require more platform-specific fluency, understanding not just the content but the culture of each channel.
3. The Rise of “Unpolished” Realness
Consumers are tired of overproduced content. The next wave of trendjacking will favor brands that show up with honesty, humor, and heart. Even if that means posting something that feels more lo-fi than high-concept. Authenticity isn’t just a “nice to have” anymore. It’s a prerequisite for engagement.
Bobe’s Pizza may be a small Indiana brand, but they lean on authentic content that resonates with their core audience.
The bottom line is that the future of trendjacking isn’t about being fast. It’s about being fast, smart, and real while building systems to let your brand respond with agility and intention.
FAQs
What is the difference between trendjacking and newsjacking?
While both strategies involve jumping into timely conversations, the difference lies in what you’re responding to. Newsjacking is about inserting your brand into breaking news stories — typically through PR or expert commentary — while trendjacking taps into broader online trends, like memes, pop culture moments, or viral challenges. Trendjacking is more social and creative, whereas newsjacking is often more formal and media-facing.
What is an example of trendjacking?
A classic example is Oreo’s “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout. The brand reacted in real time with a witty graphic and caption, and the internet loved it. More recently, brands like Ryanair and Duolingo have gone viral for trendjacking TikTok memes using their unique, offbeat brand voices. The key to successful trendjacking? Speed, creativity, and cultural fluency.
What is the trendjacking strategy?
When done well, trendjacking helps brands increase visibility, boost engagement, and connect with audiences in a culturally relevant way. It shows your brand has personality and a pulse. Beyond racking up likes, the real value comes from building brand affinity, sparking conversations, and staying top-of-mind in an increasingly noisy digital space.
Conclusion
Trendjacking is about moving fast and smart. When you do it right, it can drive massive visibility and deepen brand affinity. It takes planning, awareness, and a clear voice to avoid the pitfalls and stand out in the scroll. Whether it’s memes, moments, or movements, show up with purpose.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-07-22 19:00:002025-07-22 19:00:00What Is Trendjacking & How to Do it for Your Brand
The summer is well on its way. Should you already start preparing for Black Friday and the holiday season? Yes! They’re the biggest sales of the year, and ranking in Google is something you take time to do. It’s never too early to start getting your deals ready. So, if you are a merchant with an online store or an ecommerce business, let’s start working on your holiday season and Black Friday SEO immediately!
Don’t forget that Black Friday (November 28, 2025) and Cyber Monday (December 1, 2025) are kicking off this year’s holiday shopping season. You can set up a lot of content for all occasions. In this post, we’ll review some things you can do to prepare!
Today, people are used to shopping online. It’s easy and convenient. You don’t have to travel only to find something out of stock. Plus, online stores often offer payment plans. Shopping online is so popular that online sales during the holiday season keep hitting record after record. And the numbers will only continue to rise. That’s why it’s safe to assume that people will buy many (if not most) holiday gifts online this year.
Staying on top of trends to prepare for the holiday season is good. E-commerce is still growing, and consumers expect more every year. Here are some actionable tips for the upcoming Black Friday and holiday season to improve your SEO:
Discount deals and alternative payment options (Buy now, pay later) should be part of your ecommerce strategy
Brands should provide a consistent purchasing experience across digital/online and physical stores
To minimize returns, brands should make their product pages as comprehensive as possible
Holiday season marketing campaigns should be tailored to each platform to ensure maximum effectiveness
Online is where it’s at
Of course, in-store or curbside pick-up will still prove popular. However, most people research their ecommerce purchases online – sometimes weeks in advance! So don’t be surprised when the holiday shopping season starts well before Black Friday and continues for weeks.
Extending Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other holiday season online deals for a few days or weeks can be a good idea. This is especially true if you want to prevent huge crowds from gathering at your store on a specific day. That won’t be a good shopping experience for anyone involved, so spreading these deals over an extended time is probably better.
Start preparing in time
Dive into the data you amassed during previous Black Friday and Cyber Monday events, and see if you can come up with improvements for your e-commerce holiday season SEO. Bear in mind that it takes a while for content to rank. So, to keep up with the competition, try to get your content in gear at least 45 days ahead. That’s often recommended. Of course, you can always start preparing earlier if that works better for you. Your schedule could look something like this:
45 Days in advance: Post your promotion to your website calendar and post a save-the-date post on social media and in your email newsletter.
7 Days in advance: Post upcoming events/promotions on social media and via email. Try to encourage other (small) businesses to share it with their followers.
1 Day in advance: Post an event reminder on social media.
It’s a good rule to remember these steps and time frames. However, you can do much more than set up new pages and renew old ones. Let’s look at a few practical tips.
1. Do holiday season keyword research
Keyword research is important all year, but especially during the season when your online store starts having big sales. You have probably worked on this research previously, but now is the time to dive in again. There are always things to learn, like developments in your industry, changes in consumer behavior, or new trends and topics to discuss.
Start early with your research to give yourself enough time to produce high-quality, helpful content that helps reach those new audiences. While using generative AI tools to generate holiday season SEO content for your e-commerce business is enticing, please be careful with that. Generative AI can help you do your job, but it can’t replace your valuable insights and opinions.
First, we must consider what category or particular landing pages make sense for the upcoming holidays. You can always set up pages like ‘Best gifts for parents/millennials/teens’, ‘Newest deals for your 6/10/12-year-old’, and ‘Best friend/grandparents/coworker discounts’. You could also think of ‘Top 10 gifts for outdoor/skiing/parasailing enthusiasts’ and ‘Top 3 deals for stay-at-home parents’, etcetera.
To increase the chances of your gift pages ranking, boost their internal linking structure. You can also link the previous all-year holiday season pages, such as specific Christmas landing pages (‘Top 7/10/25 gifts for under the Christmas tree’) to boost these when the time has come. That could be around the 45-day mark, but we would be okay with stretching that to 60 days. You’ll need to give Google and other search engines enough time to follow your links and find your specific holiday season SEO landing pages with deals.
3. Promote on social media and in your newsletter
Social media like X and Instagram can play a massive role in the success of your (online) Black Friday sale. Take Pinterest, for instance. Many people have a Pinterest Christmas wish list. As a merchant, it would be amazing to get your products on people’s wish lists, which can positively impact your reach and maybe even your sales.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to share your Black Friday gift pages on Facebook and other social media. Maybe even make short videos to post on TikTok. In the previous section, we mentioned the top ten lists. We all know these still work pretty well on social media. Yoast SEO can help you optimize your social media posts before you share them.
Email marketing
Last but not least, remember your email marketing! For many companies, newsletters provide a steady stream of income. Be sure to plan a good campaign for your newsletters.
For example, we recommend setting up holiday gift guides and sharing these. You can create an excellent overview of many gifts that many people will enjoy. ELLE and Target have pages like that, and so do more companies.
4. Introduce new products
The holiday season is an excellent time to pitch new products. If you know of potential bestsellers for the upcoming holiday season, start writing content about these products now. You can compare it to tech sites writing about concept iPhones, features that Apple might add, etc.
The more you write about new products upfront, the more likely the sales pages for these products will rank when it matters. You should link all pages you made in advance to that one main page you’ll set up when the product is released and available to buy. Treat that page like cornerstone content.
5. Add structured data to your product pages
When adding or changing your product pages to fit the holiday season, don’t forget to optimize them. Check, for instance, whether you’ve added structured data to your product pages. Rich results that show ratings and prices can give you an edge over your competitors. Our WooCommerce SEO plugin, Local SEO plugin (included in Yoast SEO Premium), or Yoast SEO for Shopify app can help you do this to improve your holiday season!
Example of a product appearing in the search results if you use structured data.
Don’t forget to optimize your e-commerce product feeds for Black Friday and holiday season SEO. This maximizes visibility and sales during this high-traffic online shopping period. Start by ensuring all product information, such as titles, descriptions, prices, and availability, is accurate and up-to-date. Check if the products that need them have relevant Black Friday keywords to enhance discoverability. Use high-quality, clear images to showcase your product.
Use the promotions feature in Google Merchant Center to prominently display special deals and discounts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This way, you’ll make your offers more attractive to potential buyers. Please update your feed regularly to reflect real-time inventory changes and fix errors to maintain product visibility.
7. Reuse content
There’s no shame in serving old wine in a new bottle. If you have a Black Friday or a Christmas gift guide for 2024, feel free to reuse it in 2025. Update the year and details like popular brands and products for that year. If the slug of your URL is /black-friday-guide-2024/, change it to /black-friday-guide-2025/ around August next year, and redirect the old URL to the new one. No need to create a new page. It would be a waste of nice inbound links not to reuse that old URL. Of course, this is even easier if you don’t include the year in the URL, so /black-friday-guide/ is also an excellent slug.
In the months before the holiday season, you could even simply repost popular posts from last year (a bit adjusted or updated if needed) on social media. Valentine’s Day might even become Secret Santa. Cyber Monday might match your child’s favorite gifts for Ramadan. These are probably small adjustments; perhaps just adding ‘this Ramadan’ to a meta description or title will do.
It’s a good idea to check and optimize your website for speed and mobile use. Trust us; you’ll get these recommendations from an SEO blog or consultant daily. And with good reason! Mobile, site speed, and user experience are essential to get people to spend money on your ecommerce business this Black Friday. When preparing your online store for the holiday sale season, this is as good a time as any to check your mobile website and site speed, and update or improve them if possible.
Investing in local SEO for Black Friday and Christmas shopping is essential for local businesses aiming to attract more customers. Begin by optimizing your Google Business Profile with accurate business information, including address, phone number, business hours, and any special Black Friday/Cyber Monday hours or promotions. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Use local keywords in your content, focusing on terms your community will likely search for, such as “Black Friday deals in [Your City].” Additionally, engage with your local community on social media by promoting special deals to drive more foot traffic to your store.
10. Create a measurement plan
All set? Remember to make a measurement plan to analyze your success. Write down all your plans, then think about how to track all your actions. This is key to knowing what to focus on next year. For detailed instructions on analyzing your Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Cinco de Mayo shopping, read our post with five tips to measure your holiday sales success.
What should you do when the holiday season is over?
How do you handle the product pages of holiday gift sets after the holidays? Even if the gift set or product was a great success, and you want to offer it again next year, it’ll take a while for the page to be relevant again. What is the best way to deal with these pages in the meantime?
Our advice: Keep the pages up. However, you don’t necessarily want them visible to people browsing your site. So, have the page up without linking, then link to it again during the holiday season. This is better than deleting it and starting again.
Conclusion on holiday season SEO
In short, now’s the time to buckle down and start writing holiday gift pages and content for new products. Remember to plan your social media promotion and analytics. After all, you can never start too early when your online business depends on the holiday season. Be prepared; begin now with your SEO. Good luck with your holiday season sale!
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If you’re not using AI in marketing, you’re already falling behind. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more and more prominent, and many have functions specifically designed to help marketers better promote their products and services.
Throughout this article, we’re going to dive deeper into what AI in marketing looks like, sharing the benefits of taking advantage of AI, how AI can be used in marketing, plus some AI marketing tools to get you started.
Key Takeaways
AI can provide a number of benefits for your marketing team, like speeding up tedious tasks, providing you with better insights, and boosting your overall results.
You can use AI as part of your content planning and creation process, to gather competitive insights, to improve your customer service, and more.
There are a number of AI tools that can help you automate processes and streamline your strategy.
Benefits of Using AI in Marketing
Why should you incorporate AI into your marketing strategy? There are so many benefits that these tools can bring to your team—if you use them right.
Speed Up Processes
AI can help marketers speed up processes and spend less time conducting certain tasks manually. According to HubSpot’s State of AI Report, 79% of marketers agree that AI helps them to spend less time on manual tasks, showing just how valuable these new tools can be.
Improve Personalization
AI can analyze customer data at scale, helping you to gather more insights and understand how to better personalize your content and segment your audience. Better personalization can provide your business with better results from your marketing campaigns.
Better Insights
Because AI can analyze data more effectively than humans can, you can get better insights. For example, AI analysis can help you identify trends earlier, forecast sales and customer behavior more efficiently, and help your marketing team make better decisions.
Cost Savings
Incorporating AI tools into your team’s daily processes can save time and resources, resulting in cost savings within your marketing budget. While AI shouldn’t replace core human workers, there are certain tasks that it can take off their plates, letting them focus on things that actually impact your business’s bottom line.
Higher ROI
Because AI tools can help your marketing team better understand customers, personalize campaigns, and ship better content, you’ll see a higher return on investment (ROI) as a result. Start using AI within your day-to-day marketing tasks to see how it can help improve your performance.
How AI Works With Marketing: 9 Use Cases
Because AI is a newer technology, you might not be sure how it works with marketing quite yet. However, there are a number of key use cases that AI can help with.
Content planning: AI chatbots can be a huge help in brainstorming content ideas. Tell the chatbot about your business and your overall content goals and ask for topics that you may not have covered yet. You can then run the ideas through an SEO tool to find top keywords to center your content around.
Content creation: While AI shouldn’t be handling the entire content creation process, it can still provide some assistance. Get help creating a comprehensive outline, get ideas for your introduction, or get AI to start with a summary that you can expand on.
Marketing automation: Incorporate AI tools into your marketing automation workflows to further your team’s productivity. AI tools can be used as a step within your workflows or they can help you set up new workflows, improving efficiency.
Customer service: AI can be a huge help within customer service. Use an AI-powered chatbot on your website to help answer basic customer questions while also escalating issues to a human service representative for larger issues. This can make sure your customer service team is only having to deal with major issues, with AI responding to all smaller queries.
Audience segmentation: AI tools can analyze large amounts of customer data, helping you to segment out your audience in a much more effective way than if your team were analyzing the information themselves. Segmentation can help you create more personalized campaigns and marketing efforts.
Social listening: Incorporate AI into your social listening strategy to more quickly analyze the data, understand overall sentiment, and generate a summary of overall customer conversations. This type of AI assistance can make your social listening strategy much more effective.
Competitive intelligence: Again, because AI is such a powerful tool when it comes to analyzing data, it can be a huge help when looking at competitive insights. Discover how your competitors are faring in comparison to your own performance, plus analyze market trends to see what you can expect in the future.
Predictive analytics: Similarly, AI can also be used to predict customer behavior, taking a look at past campaigns and forecasting future results based on historical data. This can be a huge help when creating new campaigns so that you can make them better than ever.
Administrative tasks: AI is also hugely helpful with basic administrative tasks like data entry, scheduling, pulling reports, and more. Use AI for the boring manual tasks to free up your team’s time for more important work.
3 Examples of AI in Marketing
Let’s look at some real life examples of businesses using AI in ways that market their products or make working with their business feel more appealing.
Spotify
Spotify is a music streaming service that recently launched its own AI product to help its users have a better listening experience. This AI product is called “DJ,” and it analyzes your top songs and plays music based on your past listening habits.
The DJ will play five songs that all come with a similar vibe, then come back onto the “mic” to share your next five songs. If there’s a set of songs that listeners aren’t interested in, they can tap the “DJ” icon to move onto the next set.
It’s a unique experience that really helps to set Spotify apart from other streaming platforms.
Curlsmith
Curlsmith is a beauty brand focused on curl care. It has a chatbot widget on its website to help customers find what they’re looking for.
As you can see, the chatbot responses are all “Automated with AI.” Customers can use this chatbot to:
Find the right products for their curl type
Check in on a recent order
Ask questions about shopping with Curlsmith
Ask about discounts
Change an order
There are programmed responses, but if a user says that they need additional help, there’s a conversational AI chatbot implemented as well that will analyze a user’s response in order to provide them with the best customer service.
Heinz
Heinz put together a creative ad campaign a couple of years ago and used AI to help them build it. The ad told the story of how the Heinz team typed “ketchup” into an AI image generator, and the output was a ketchup bottle with a logo that looked eerily similar to the Heinz logo.
The campaign essentially said, “even AI knows ketchup is Heinz,” and showcased several other prompts the team ran through the AI image generator, all including the word “ketchup,” and the output they received.
This was a creative way to incorporate AI tools in a marketing campaign that also provided an extremely effective result.
AI Marketing Tools to Use
If you want to get started incorporating artificial intelligence into your marketing strategy, you need to find the right tools to use. Below, we introduce you to six different AI marketing tools, each with its own use case.
ChatGPT – AI Chatbot
ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that can provide answers to anything you type into the text box. It can help with things like:
Brainstorming
Outlining
Conducting research
Optimizing content
Analyzing your market
But ChatGPT can honestly help with nearly any request you might have for it. You can also upload Excel files and have it analyze historical data, helping you generate predictive analytics, forecast customer behavior, and gather competitive insights, even without tools that are more catered to those capabilities.
If you don’t use any other AI tool, you should at least have a ChatGPT account under your belt.
Pricing: Completely free for limited (but still extensive) use. To get access to more models and more capabilities, premium plans start at $20/month.
Jasper – Content Generation
If you’re looking for help with your content generation, Jasper is the perfect tool for you. The tool provides an intuitive workspace that makes it easy to generate content at scale, optimize content so it hits every mark, conduct research to fully flesh out your content, and more.
While Jasper is the ultimate content generation tool for marketers, it also offers AI agent capabilities. AI agents are tools that can operate autonomously, helping marketers get more done in less time.
Pricing: Plans start at $39/month/seat.
Midjourney – Image Generation
Midjourney is an AI-powered image generation platform. It was originally built through a Discord server (which still remains active), but now can be accessed through an easy-to-use web app. Users can input any text-based description, upload images for reference, and incorporate some of Midjourney’s built-in parameters to create images for any marketing needs.
Generate realistic images, animated images, surreal art, and more. Midjourney is also starting to delve into video generation, which can be a game changer for creating marketing video ads and commercials.
Pricing: Paid plans start at $8/month.
Hootsuite – Social Copy Generation
Hootsuite is a social media management platform, but it also offers a number of free AI-powered tools that can help marketers get ideas for their social copy and captions. Some of the available tools include:
Caption generator
Tweet generator
Video title generator
Video description generator
Hashtag generator
Username generator
Social media bio generator
Content ideas generator
Blog ideas generator
Take advantage of these completely free tools to help you brainstorm more ideas and captions for your social media content. These free tools are also their own example of AI in marketing, as they help promote Hootsuite alongside providing free value.
Pricing: The AI-powered generators are completely free to access. Hootsuite’s suite of social media management tools start at $99/user/month.
Zapier – Marketing Automation
Zapier is an AI-powered marketing automation platform that makes it easy for marketers to set up automated workflows. Zapier works via “zaps” that connect tools together to create an automation that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
For example, automatically add leads to your CRM, automatically add your new blog posts to your social media content calendar, or automatically add new customers to a spreadsheet for tracking.
These are some basic zaps, though. Zapier also offers a number of extensive workflows that incorporate their AI capabilities, helping marketers to automate more complex tasks as well.
Pricing: Free for up to 100 tasks/month. For more usage, paid plans start at $19.99/month.
Tidio – Chatbot
Tidio is a chatbot software that enables businesses to create their own AI-powered chatbots for their customers to interact with. Users can get customer support from your AI bot, chat with your bot about product suggestions, and make appointments all through your Tidio chatbot.
Train the Lyro AI assistant with your business information so they can help customers out, while also escalating more serious concerns or more unique questions directly to a human customer service representative.
Pricing: Plans are flexible based on the number of conversations you expect to have per month. Get access to the tool for free for 50 conversations or less. Plans start at $24.17/month for 100 conversations and go up from there.
FAQs
What are some examples of AI in marketing today?
Chat bots, a form of artificial intelligence, are a common occurrence on business websites. Other examples within marketing include ad targeting, dynamic pricing, and ChatGPT.
How is AI changing the marketing industry?
The greatest impact that AI has had on the marketing industry is in the automation of repetitive tasks. This frees up times for digital marketers to focus on larger-scale projects and higher level strategy.
How to use AI in digital marketing?
Use AI where it actually helps. Automate tedious tasks like reporting, scheduling, and customer service. Use it to speed up content planning and pull insights from your data faster. Let AI handle repetitive tasks so your team can focus on strategy and creative work.
Should you trust AI tools?
AI tools, in and of themselves, are nothing to be feared. There is nothing inherently bad about AI or AI tools. However, you do want to review any work that comes out of them to avoid concerns like plagiarism or inaccuracy.
AI Is the Future of Marketing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key part of marketing these days. You can use the tools to help generate content for your marketing campaigns, analyze results, predict upcoming trends, and so much more. To get even more ideas for how to use AI in your marketing efforts, check out our arsenal of AI tools.
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Think a website redesign is just about fixing your homepage or refreshing the layout? Think again.
Too often, these projects focus on changing the look or chasing the latest trends. But if your redesign doesn’t fix what’s actually broken, your site won’t perform any better or win you more business.
In this guide, I’ll show you what a website redesign really involves and walk you through my agency’s 11-step process — including mistakes to avoid.
Key Takeaways:
A true website redesign is more than just cosmetic, involving rebuilding your website to create a strong foundation for visual design, UX, SEO, and technical infrastructure.
Mobile devices have generated over 50% of all website traffic since 2017, so use a mobile-first approach during your redesign process to appeal to the largest percentage of users.
If you take a “set it and forget it” approach to website redesign, you’ll end up back where you started. Make a plan to monitor and optimize your site post-launch to keep hitting your goals.
What Is a Website Redesign?
A website redesign is a process that involves changing a site’s appearance, content, and functionality.
The goal? Developing a website that better meets both user needs and business goals.
A website refresh involves making small-scale changes (like making a few tweaks to the homepage layout). But a full redesign basically rebuilds your existing website from scratch.
A site redesign checklist typically includes these elements:
Visual Design: How the site looks, including the layout, color schemes, typography, and branding
User Experience (UX): How the site functions for users, including the navigation and interactive elements
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): How the site appears in search, including keywords and metadata
Site Architecture: How the site is organized, including page hierarchies, URL structures, and internal links
Technical Infrastructure: How the site functions on the backend, including site speed and security
Accessibility: How well all users can understand and interact with your website
When to Consider a Website Redesign Project
Not sure if a web design is really necessary? Here are a few signals that it’s time for an overhaul.
Outdated Design
Does your site look like it was designed in 2010? Potential customers might question if your business is still operating — or if it can meet their current needs.
New Branding or Positioning
Has your company refreshed its branding or updated its competitive positioning? Your site is one of the first places you’ll want to roll out these changes.
Subpar User Experience
Do site visitors frequently tell you they can’t find anything on your site?
Bad Mobile Experience
Is your site the opposite of mobile-friendly? Since 2017, mobile devices have generated over half of website traffic. Which means mobile responsiveness is essential for every site.
Content Management System Limitations
Does your content management system (CMS) limit your site’s functionality or the plugins you can add? Switching from WordPress, Webflow, or any other CMS is a great reason to rebuild your site from the ground up.
Poor Site Performance
Does your site take ages to load — even though you’ve tried everything to speed it up? A complete redesign gives you an opportunity to address technical issues.
How to Redesign Your Website in 11 Steps
Now that you know when it’s time for a redesign, here’s how to do it step by step. I’ll break down my process into phases, from discovery and planning to launch and performance monitoring.
Discovery and Planning
Start by doing research and getting clear on your strategy.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Website
The first step is understanding what’s happening on your website and benchmarking its current performance.
Use Google Analytics to check website visitor data like total traffic, bounce rates, and conversion paths.
Analyze SEO tool data and identify top-ranking pages — and those that don’t rank for many keywords.
The idea is to assess what’s working on your website and what isn’t. This way, you can preserve the elements that serve your site well (like top-ranking content) and update those that don’t (like a design that loads slowly on mobile devices).
Step 2: Conduct User and Competitive Research
Validate your research by talking with your actual prospects and customers. Add surveys to your site so you can automatically poll site visitors. Or reach out to customers manually.
Ask them what they like about your site, from the design to the functionality. Learn what they dislike about your site. Prompt them to highlight points of friction that prevent them from finding information or accomplishing tasks.
Then, make a list of competitors and analyze their websites. Identify areas where your competitors’ sites outperform yours and opportunities where your new site can do a superior job.
Step 3: Define Goals and Align Stakeholders
After auditing your website and understanding your current situation, you’re ready to set redesign goals. What does success look like for your new site?
Get crystal clear on what you want to achieve. For example, you might want to:
Create a better UX so website visitors can easily find the information they need. Which should make your site easy to navigate, decrease bounce rates, and build trust.
Implement a new CMS that integrates with the marketing automation tools your team uses. And that allows your team to publish new content more consistently.
Improve conversion rates by reducing friction for website users and guiding customers to next steps like signing up for a list, booking a call, or making a purchase.
Create a timeline and establish clear deadlines for each phase of the process.
Then, assemble a website design team with all essential stakeholders. For example, you’ll need someone to sign off on branding and design, website copy, SEO, and legal compliance.
Site Structure and Content Strategy
Map out the site architecture and content before developing mockups.
Step 4: Confirm the Navigation and the Content Strategy
Put your research to work. Design navigation that prioritizes user goals so your target audience can easily use the site. Add user-friendly navigation menus to simplify how they access important content.
Don’t forget about SEO best practices. Use a logical hierarchy that organizes content into categories. Make sure most content is no more than three clicks from the homepage.
While you’re at it, clarify your content strategy. Audit your existing content and determine if and how it fits into the new site structure.
Make a plan to combine redundant pages, unpublish outdated content, and identify content gaps that you’ll need to fill with new landing pages.
Step 5: Draft Website Copy
Now you’re ready to create or update the content for the most important pages on your website. Start with your homepage and then systematically work through product or service pages, use case pages, and industry pages. Include existing offer pages and conversion pages in this part of your website redesign plan.
Write for your audience, speaking to their goals and pain points
Incorporate your brand voice, including your style and tone of voice
Make website copy easy to skim with clear page structure and subheadings
Add calls to action (CTAs) that prompt prospects to take the next step
Design and Prototyping
This is where the redesign process gets visual — and when stakeholders weigh in.
Step 6: Create Wireframes and a Design System
Design wireframes that show the website navigation, user flow, and content placement. Then, create a design system that shows the color palette, typography, and visual style.
By now, you should start to get a sense of how the new site will look and feel.
I recommend incorporating accessibility into this stage of your website redesign strategy. Choose accessible colors with sufficient contrast and fonts that are easy for site visitors to read.
Step 7: Build Mockups or Prototypes
Next, turn your wireframes and visual guidelines into website mockups or prototypes. Again, start with the most important pages on your website — like your homepage and product or service pages.
Apply the design to actual content drafts so stakeholders can see how the web copy will fit on the site, complete with the text hierarchy, white space, navigation, and design elements.
Develop prototypes for various screen sizes. While mobile devices will likely make up a large percentage of your site traffic, they won’t account for all of it. Make sure your site is just as easy for desktop users to navigate.
Step 8: Get Stakeholder Sign Off
The key to a successful redesign is getting everyone on board with your decisions. So once you’ve confirmed major design and copy decisions, present the prototypes to your stakeholders.
Walk them through how users will navigate the site based on typical journeys. Explain why you’ve made certain design decisions or built specific pages.
Gather feedback and make necessary revisions. Document every comment and change throughout the process. Then, get your team to sign off on the design, UX, and copy.
Development and Technical Setup
Set up your new website for success with a strong technical foundation.
Step 9: Develop the Website
Now you’re ready to hand off the design to your development team. Work with the website developers to choose a CMS that supports your design, marketing automation, and compliance needs.
Use clean, descriptive URLs with relevant keywords and a logical hierarchy. If necessary, create 301 redirects to update the location of content from your old website.
Largest Contentful Paint, which reflects content loading performance
Interaction to Next Paint, which reflects the responsiveness of your site
Cumulative Layout Shift, which reflects the visual stability of your site
Build SEO foundations into your site so you can easily optimize your content for search engine rankings. Incorporate schema markup and metadata into the backend to help each page rank for relevant keywords.
Step 10: Test and Optimize the Site
Before launching your new site, take time to test it thoroughly. Recruit team members and beta users to check how your site performs on various devices, browsers, and screen sizes. Check for consistent appearance and functionality.
Work with your dev team to create a testing checklist. This way, nothing will fall through the cracks. Here are a few elements to add to your list:
Broken links
Missing images
Formatting issues
Faulty integrations
Slow loading speeds
Form submission issues
Launch and Performance Monitoring
Go live with the new design and monitor performance closely.
Step 11: Launch and Monitor the Site
Now you’re ready to launch the redesigned website. With your dev team, go through a complete checklist to set the stage for a successful website launch.
Update DNS settings
Set up SSL certificates
Confirm any 301 redirects
Check analytics tracking
Monitor the site closely for the first day or two. Make sure your dev team is available to quickly address any bugs.
Then, regularly review technical aspects like page load speeds, performance aspects like conversion rates, and SEO aspects like keyword rankings. Use your insights to create a plan to continue optimizing your site.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Website Redesign
Don’t make the same missteps many web designers do. Watch for these mistakes to make the website redesign process as smooth as possible.
Mistake
Phase
How to Fix It
Missing Performance Benchmarks
Planning
Document baseline metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, and page load times before the redesign. Set specific goals for each.
Misaligned Goals
Planning
Set clear goals at the beginning of your redesign process. Communicate them to stakeholders and provide regular updates.
Navigation Issues
Strategy
Test the proposed navigation with a group of real users. Monitor how they use the site and where they get stuck.
Poor Mobile UX
Design
Use a mobile-first design, then scale up to a desktop design. Test for usability issues before launching the website.
Inconsistent Branding
Design
Create a style guide with branding guidelines, including hex codes, typography, font size, and spacing rules.
Ignoring SEO Essentials
Development
Establish your new URL structure and create 301 redirects as necessary. Implement structured markup and metadata.
No QA Process
Development
Assign a QA lead and recruit real users. Follow a clear checklist to test the site and make it easy for users to report bugs.
Post-Launch Neglect
Post-Launch
Use analytics and SEO tools to monitor site performance. Schedule 30-, 60-, and 90-day reviews and plan for continuous optimization.
FAQs
What is a website redesign?
It’s a full rebuild of your site, going beyond just a visual update. You’re reworking the design, structure, content, and functionality so your site works better for your users and supports your business goals.
How do you redesign a website?
Start by figuring out what’s working and what’s not. Talk to users. Check your analytics. Map out a new site structure and write better copy. Then design, develop, test, and launch. Keep it focused on solving real problems instead of chasing trends.
How often should you redesign your website?
Whenever your site stops pulling its weight. That might be every few years or sooner if your tech, brand, or audience changes. If it’s slow, confusing, or outdated, it’s time.
Why redesign a website?
Because the old one isn’t doing its job. Maybe it’s hard to use. Maybe it’s off-brand. Maybe it just doesn’t convert. A redesign lets you fix what’s broken and build a better experience for the people you want to reach.
Final Thoughts on Website Redesign
Many businesses make design decisions on a whim — no plan, no discussion, and no website redesign goals. This can lead to underwhelming results. Or worse, ongoing updates that leave customers confused.
But with a clear workflow to follow, your website redesign doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Use my 11-step approach to set clear goals, get everyone on board, and design a new website that gets the results you want.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-07-19 19:00:002025-07-19 19:00:00Website Redesign: 11-Step Process From Audit to Launch
Some YouTube videos gain millions of views, while others struggle to find an audience. The reason often comes down to the algorithm. YouTube’s algorithm isn’t guesswork—it’s a sophisticated system predicting what viewers will most likely watch and enjoy.
Whether you’re a marketer, content creator, or business owner, understanding how the YouTube algorithm works can help you grow your channel and reach more viewers. In this article, we’ll break down how the YouTube algorithm works in 2025 and share strategies to help you succeed.
Key Takeaways
The YouTube algorithm in focuses on understanding individual viewers through their behavior, preferences, and watch history.
YouTube serves videos in three main ways. The homepage shows videos based on viewer history, suggested videos appear alongside a video being watched, and search results combine relevance and viewer preferences.
Metrics like watch time, click-through rates (CTR), likes, comments, and shares are key factors in determining a video’s visibility.
Including YouTube Shorts, live streams, and playlists in your strategy can help you connect with wider audiences.
Regular uploads and active audience engagement signal to the algorithm that your channel offers value.
Features like polls, Q&A sessions, and multilingual subtitles increase engagement and appeal to diverse audiences.
Algorithm optimization has seven components: create a click-worthy title, add detail to your description, design an attractive thumbnail, increase watch duration, encourage action after the video, maintain engagement with video series and playlists, and improve content using analytics over the long term.
What Is the YouTube Algorithm?
The YouTube algorithm is a recommendation system that serves videos to users based on their histories and (if they’re actively searching) search queries. The algorithm evaluates over 80 billion signals, according to the official YouTube blog.
The algorithm matters because YouTube is a powerful organic channel. Understanding how to increase the reach of your videos can increase revenue significantly.
In fact, research conducted by my team at NP Digital found it’s the top organic social channel, outperforming sales from all other platforms by a large margin.
YouTube provides recommendations in four main areas:
Homepage: Features videos based on viewer history and content performance.
Suggested videos: Highlights related content next to the video being watched.
Search results: Combines relevance and viewer preferences to rank results.
Shorts: Shows short-form videos in the shorts feed based on user history.
Let’s look at each of these in detail.
Recommended Videos: A Whopping 70% of All Views
Recommended videos appear on the homepage and alongside videos on “watch pages,” on-screen at the end of videos, and in the suggested videos sidebar.
A mixture of personalization factors—based on the user’s history—and individual video performance signals are used to make recommendations.
Search Results: The Web’s Sixth Biggest Search Engine
Results page videos are served in response to YouTube search bar queries. The algorithm uses a mix of relevance (in relation to the search phrase) and personalization to rank videos.
Despite accounting for only 30% of views, the number of searches on YouTube is still high enough to make it the sixth largest search engine on the web. My research found that YouTube has 3.3 billion searches every day.
Shorts: Casual Scrolling
The “shorts algorithm” serves videos based on user history, in a similar way to the homepage and watch page suggestions. However, videos are viewed in a scrolling format, typically on mobile.
My team and I looked at the engagement levels of different types of content and found that shorts account for 31.3% of all social media content engagement, beating every other category. Shorts are excellent for building your audience, and I publish them regularly on my channel.
Trending: What’s Hot In Your Country
The “Trending” tab in YouTube displays videos that are going viral and generating high viewing figures. According to the YouTube Help Center, “Trending isn’t personalized and displays the same list of trending videos to all viewers in the same country.”
The YouTube Algorithm’s Evolution
The YouTube algorithm has evolved significantly over the years. Early versions rewarded videos based on view counts alone, encouraging clickbait tactics. In 2012, the focus shifted to watch time, prioritizing videos that kept viewers engaged for more extended periods.
In 2025, AI-driven personalization will play a central role. The algorithm analyzes viewer behavior to recommend videos that align with individual preferences. Metrics like watch time, click-through rates (CTR), and satisfaction surveys have a major impact on video ranking.
Short-form videos, like YouTube Shorts, are now a major factor in discoverability. They grab attention quickly, making them effective for engaging new viewers. Creators who include Shorts in their strategy often see significant growth in views and subscribers.
The evolution of the algorithm shows that success on YouTube depends on adaptability. Content that engages viewers across formats and metrics is more likely to gain visibility.
How the Algorithm Works: A Complete Overview
So, how does the algorithm work?
Let’s look at official and reputable third-party sources to piece together an understanding of what YouTube looks at to recommend and rank videos.
Official YouTube Documentation: Personalization and Performance
“…we start with the knowledge that everyone has unique viewing habits. Our system then compares your viewing habits with those that are similar to you and uses that information to suggest other content you may want to watch.”
“Our algorithm doesn’t pay attention to videos, it pays attention to viewers. So, rather than trying to make videos that’ll make an algorithm happy, focus on making videos that make your viewers happy.”
In addition, a paper published in 2016 titled Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations explained that the YouTube recommendation model works in two stages. Although it has evolved since the paper was published, there’s a strong likelihood that the underlying ideas have remained the same.
First, the algorithm goes through a “corpus” of millions of videos to retrieve a subset of videos that match the user’s preferences based on their history. Second, it evaluates multiple video and user factors to rank these candidates, returning what it determines to be the best-fit recommendations.
A Discussion Between YouTube Insiders: No One “Number”
In early 2025, YouTube Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie and Todd Beaupré, who leads the Growth and Discovery team, discussed the YouTube algorithm in depth.
Rene Ritchie asked, “We often hear from creators, ‘What’s the one number? Is it click-through rates? Is it watch time?” How do creators optimize for all of these factors?”
Beaupré answered by saying, “One thing to understand is there’s no single answer to that question, as much as creators would love to have one. But the reality is that we’ve enabled the system to learn that different factors have different importance in different contexts.”
He also added, “While we do look at how long people watch videos, it’s only one of the factors we consider…we introduced this concept of satisfaction…where we’re trying to understand not just viewers’ behavior but also how they feel.”
The key point is that YouTube considers a wide range of context-dependent factors. But the emphasis is on user “satisfaction.” Factors like relevance, watch time, and engagement all fit neatly into this category.
7 Key YouTube Algorithm Signals
A mix of official documentation and third-party testing highlights seven key areas that YouTube looks at in order to evaluate what Todd Beaupré calls “satisfaction.”
Here’s a working roundup of YouTube algorithm signals:
Content characteristics: The algorithm uses metadata, such as titles, descriptions, and transcripts, to determine a video’s relevance to a viewer’s query. Optimized metadata increases a video’s chances of being recommended.
Watch time: Longer viewing sessions suggest valuable content. While there is significant variance across topics, my team and I found that 3.06 minutes is the average watch time on YouTube, and this is a good benchmark to keep in mind for longer videos.
Click-through rate (CTR): This is the percentage of impressions that turn into clicks. Attractive titles and thumbnails draw more clicks and indicate relevance.
Likes, comments, and shares: Viewer interactions show the content’s relevance and appeal. Videos with strong engagement are more likely to be promoted.
Viewer behavior: Content is prioritized based on individual viewing history, likes, and repeated interactions. It also considers patterns among viewers with similar interests to recommend content.
Relevance:Research by the Pew Research Center found that 32% of adults in the US use YouTube to stay up to date with current events, making it one of the web’s most popular news platforms. Because of this, the relevance of news-related content is likely a strong ranking factor.
Handling misinformation: Channels with authority and consistent, trustworthy content are favored. The algorithm also flags and limits the reach of misleading videos, so aligning with YouTube’s policies is critical. According to YouTube, consumption of “borderline content” recommended by the algorithm is lower than 1%. This is content that doesn’t violate YouTube’s terms of service but comes close.
How to Improve Your Organic Reach: 7-Step Framework
Improving organic reach on YouTube is about focusing on three factors: engagement, relevance, and viewer satisfaction.
Creating useful, attention-grabbing content should be your priority. However, there are also powerful tweaks that can give your rankings an extra lift.
1. Pick a Catchy Title
YouTube looks at your video’s title to understand what it’s about. A well-crafted title makes it more likely that you’ll be recommended to users and appear in search results for relevant queries.
Here’s how to nail your video titles:
Pick a primary high-volume keyword: Enter the core topic of your video into the YouTube search bar to generate specific keyword variations and pick one of these for your title. You can also run potential keywords through a tool like Ubersuggest, as there is significant overlap between Google and YouTube search term volumes.
Describe a clear benefit: A catchy title isn’t just for telling the algorithm what your video is about. It’s also for building interest and driving clicks. Articulate a clear, precise outcome or benefit, as I have done with “social media mastery” in my video below. “How to” titles also work very well on YouTube.
Don’t get too hung up on tags: There’s no harm in adding tags in the Show more section of the Details page of the upload window. However, don’t worry too much about these as their value is limited. Three or four keywords that describe your video will do the job.
2. Optimize Your Description
Descriptions do more than summarize your video—they help the algorithm understand and categorize your content.
Here’s how to create a killer description:
Focus on the first two lines: These appear in search results. Start with an engaging preview that highlights what viewers will learn.
Provide details: Outline key takeaways and include timestamps for longer videos. Use bullets in your description to make it easy for readers to skim.
Add calls to action (CTAs) where appropriate: Direct viewers to related videos or encourage them to subscribe when it’s appropriate to do so.
Here’s an example of a helpful description from one of my videos. It’s comprehensive—giving plenty of info to YouTube—and pulls readers in with a clear description of what they’ll learn.
3. Create a Captivating Thumbnail
Your thumbnail is an invaluable opportunity to stop scrollers, restate the benefits of watching your video, and encourage clicks. And if you’re not a natural designer, AI tools can fill the gap.
Here’s how to create thumbnails that get noticed:
Reiterate the benefit in a different way: Use the thumbnail as an opportunity to reiterate the main promise or learning of your video in a slightly different way to attract viewers that may not have found your title compelling.
Keep your design professional (without breaking the bank): Platforms like Canva and Adobe Express, which now have AI features, create professional-looking thumbnails that grab attention.
Split Testing: Test different thumbnails across your videos to see which combinations perform best.
You can see a selection of thumbnails for my videos below. In all cases I include my ugly mug—ahem, beautiful visage—and reiterate the main promise of the video in a slightly different way to the title.
4. Aim for Longer Watch Durations
The algorithm rewards content that keeps viewers watching from start to finish. Strong video storytelling holds those eyeballs and boosts watch time.
Here are my four top tips for improving average watch duration:
Start strong: Hook your audience in the first 10 seconds with a clear and engaging statement.
Match expectations: Align your video content with what the title and thumbnail promise.
Add chapters: Divide longer videos into sections with timestamps so viewers can skip to the parts they’re most interested in.
Modify your strategy based on feedback: Analyze audience retention graphs in YouTube Studio to see where viewers drop off and refine your content strategy accordingly, removing sections that might be seen as boring or not useful.
I hit all these criteria in my video “I’ve Closed $100M+ in Sales, Here’s How to Sell Anything to Anyone.” It opens strong, provides exactly what it promises (with practical examples), includes chapters, and cuts all nonessential fluff.
Oh, and don’t be afraid of creating lo-fi (or low-fidelity) videos if your audience is already engaging with content that’s more casual. This content isn’t overly polished and is designed to communicate authenticity. My research found that it tends to outperform high-fidelity content.
5. Don’t Skip the Conclusion
How you end your videos matters. A good conclusion keeps viewers engaged and encourages them to either subscribe, watch another video, or visit a landing page.
Add all of the following to your conclusions:
End screens: Add an end screen with a CTA and a link to your landing page or subscribe button.
Verbal calls to action (CTAs): Suggest specific videos or playlists that viewers can watch next.
Add cards: Reference related content from your channel and use clickable cards to drive traffic to it.
Here’s an example of a video from Russell Brunson with an end screen that includes a CTA, a card of a related video, and links to his channel page (the picture of his face) and his commercial website.
6. Create Series and Playlists
Serial content keeps viewers engaged for longer and increases session time as they watch the whole series, which the algorithm values. Creating binge-worthy videos also encourages viewers to subscribe to your channel.
There are two ways to offer serial content:
Playlists: Group related videos into playlists that autoplay. This keeps viewers watching without needing to search for the next video.
Episodic, well-labeled series: Structure your content in a way that builds anticipation, such as a step-by-step tutorial or a multi-part series that is clearly labeled—“Part One,” “Video One,” etc.
When signing off from videos in a series, don’t underestimate cliffhanger endings. A teaser for what’s coming next can make all the difference in keeping viewers watching.
Here’s an example from my SEO Unlocked course on SEO fundamentals, with a link at the end of the video to part two.
7. Monitor Analytics to Find Opportunities
YouTube Studio offers tools to analyze your performance, refine your strategy, and align content with audience preferences.
Audience retention: Identify drop-off points and adjust your content to keep viewers engaged.
Click-through rate (CTR): Measure how well your titles and thumbnails attract clicks.
Engagement metrics: Look at likes, comments, and shares to understand what resonates.
Demographics and traffic sources: Learn about your audience and adjust to appeal to core groups.
Bonus Tip: Make the Most of YouTube Shorts
As we’ve mentioned before, YouTube Shorts are a powerful way to reach new audiences and promote your main content. Their quick, engaging format is perfect for grabbing attention. But they work slightly differently from long-form videos.
Follow these best practices for maximizing the reach of your shorts:
Focus on one idea: Keep it simple and clear. Shorts are most effective when they focus on a single concept.
Use captions: Many viewers watch without sound, so captions help convey your message.
Repurpose content: Highlight key moments from your long-form videos to attract new viewers.
Here’s an example from my YouTube channel. In under a minute, it delivers a quick lesson on social media engagement.
Adapting to Trends in 2025
Staying competitive on YouTube in 2025 requires keeping up with audience expectations and platform trends. Interactive content and a focus on sustainability and inclusivity shape how creators connect with viewers.
Interactive Content
Interactive features like polls, Q&A sessions, and community posts help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. These tools encourage participation, making viewers feel more connected to your content. This engagement also signals to the algorithm that your videos resonate with your audience.
This simple and easy addition makes the video more engaging and can even spark future conversations and video ideas.
Live streams are another way to build engagement. Use live chats to answer questions or collect feedback directly from viewers. These real-time interactions create a sense of community and keep your audience coming back for more.
Sustainability and Inclusivity
Audiences are increasingly drawn to creators who reflect their values. Content incorporating sustainable practices, like reducing waste during production, can appeal to eco-conscious viewers. Inclusivity is equally important. Multilingual subtitles, diverse representation, and accessible formats help you reach a broader audience while improving viewer satisfaction.
Focusing on these areas can strengthen your brand and improve your chances of gaining visibility on the platform.
Is AI Changing the Way the Algorithm Works?
I believe that the future looks bright for YouTube creators in the age of AI.
The algorithm has evolved significantly over the years. Early versions rewarded videos based on view counts alone, encouraging clickbait tactics. In 2012, the focus shifted to watch time, prioritizing videos that kept viewers engaged for more extended periods.
In 2025 and beyond, AI algorithms will continue to focus on relevance, watch time, click-through rates (CTR), and satisfaction. My view is that it will get better and better at measuring these signals, which means that high-quality content is the best path to success.
In addition, my team and I have found that AI engines often cite YouTube videos, with a 414% uptick in citations in AI overviews since launch. This points towards continued growth in the consumption of YouTube videos as AI search becomes more pervasive.
FAQs
How does the YouTube algorithm work?
The YouTube algorithm matches videos to viewers based on relevance, engagement, and personal preferences. It analyzes metadata, watch time, and viewer behavior to recommend content that keeps audiences engaged.
What is the YouTube algorithm?
The YouTube algorithm is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to determine which videos to recommend to users. It evaluates individual preferences, engagement metrics, and channel authority to prioritize content.
What 4 things does the algorithm prioritize on YouTube?
Watch Time: Videos with longer viewing durations and those contributing to session watch time perform better.
Engagement: Likes, comments, and shares improve visibility.
Relevance: Titles, tags, and descriptions matched to user queries.Viewer History: Recommendations based on past watch and search behavior.
Conclusion
Mastering the YouTube algorithm is about creating engaging content that connects with your audience. The algorithm prioritizes watch time, relevance, and engagement, so aligning your videos with these factors is critical.
Focus on building quality content that addresses viewer needs, optimizing it with strong YouTube SEO practices. Use features like interactive tools, live streams, and Shorts to connect with your audience and expand your reach. Embracing sustainable and inclusive practices can also strengthen your brand and attract diverse viewers. Whether you’re improving your video marketing strategy or experimenting with new formats, staying focused on your audience will keep your channel growing.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-07-17 19:00:002025-07-17 19:00:00How the YouTube Algorithm Works (Data-Backed Answer)
I asked ChatGPT: “What are the best resources to learn SEO in 2025?”
The response mentioned Backlinko twice.
Here’s the thing: We don’t rank #1 in Google for “best SEO resources.” (Ads, Reddit, and AI Overviews take up that real estate).
We haven’t even optimized for “best SEO resources,” but we got mentioned anyway.
That’s LLM seeding in action.
Organic traffic is dropping across the board. Large language models (LLMs) are now answering your audience’s questions directly, quietly hijacking the clicks you used to count on.
Maybe you’ve already seen the dip. Maybe you see the writing on the wall.
Either way, it’s time to fight back — with a new kind of visibility strategy.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
What to publish so LLMs actually cite you
Where to seed your content for maximum pickup
And how to track whether your brand is showing up
Get your brand into the conversation now — so you don’t get left behind.
What the Heck Is LLM Seeding?
LLM seeding is the practice of publishing content in the formats and places LLMs are most likely to scrape, summarize, and cite.
Here’s an example of a Backlinko article that encourages scraping with an LLM-friendly format:
In other words: You’re not just optimizing for Google.
You’re optimizing for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and any other LLMs or AI search engines your audience uses.
Here’s how it works:
You create AI-friendly content, such as comparison posts with tables and FAQ sections.
And publish it in places LLMs look for information. (More on this later.)
When people ask LLMs for information related to your industry, they mention your brand in the answer.
Often, they don’t include a link to your site.
Still, that mention sticks.
Users notice it, remember it, and later search for your brand directly.
Over time, these citations drive more branded searches, direct traffic, and trust in your name.
While LLM seeding is a new strategy, you’re not starting from scratch.
It builds on everything you already know about SEO, content marketing, and PR.
The difference? It requires a fundamental mindset shift.
You’re no longer optimizing for clicks. You’re optimizing for citations.
And instead of trying to rank #1, you’re influencing what AI tools say about your brand.
Adopting this new approach means rethinking how you show up online.
But it’s how you’ll stay visible and influential as search continues to evolve.
3 Big Benefits of LLM Seeding
Still chasing backlinks and rankings?
According to a Semrush study, AI search traffic will surpass traditional search by the end of 2027.
Shift your focus to LLM seeding now to stay competitive.
And prepare for a zero-click, LLM-driven world.
1. Brand Exposure Without Traffic Dependence
Here’s the problem:
Searchers no longer have to click search results to get the information they need.
Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode provide detailed answers to questions and step-by-step instructions.
LLMs allow searchers to bypass Google and other search engines entirely.
They provide product recommendations, summaries, answers … you name it.
For many site owners, this is resulting in a noticeable decline in traffic.
So, what’s the answer?
Becoming the answer.
When LLMs cite your brand, you become part of the conversation.
Which helps your brand stay top of mind, even without the click.
2. Authority by Association
One of the biggest wins of LLM seeding? Instant credibility.
When large language models mention your brand alongside industry leaders, it boosts your authority.
Case in point: I asked ChatGPT to recommend products for dogs with leaky gut.
It suggested Purina and Zesty Paws, two huge brands.
But it also recommended Adored Beast, a much lesser-known pet brand.
That’s the beauty of LLM seeding.
You don’t need a massive budget or a #1 ranking.
You just need to publish content that LLMs want to cite.
3. Leveled Playing Field
In traditional search, the highest-ranking content wins.
But LLMs work differently.
They prioritize the best answers, no matter what page they’re on.
In fact, almost 90% of ChatGPT citations come from positions 21+, according to Semrush’s study.
So, your comparison post on page 4 could get cited more than a competitor ranking in Google’s top 5 — if your content provides better answers.
Sounds good? Now, I’ll cover how to create LLM-friendly content.
What to Publish (So You Get Cited by LLMs)
LLMs are citation machines. But they need content from credible sources.
Here are the formats that consistently get picked up:
Structured “Best Of” Lists
Both readers and LLMs appreciate a “best of” list — especially ones with clear structure and useful comparisons.
For example, I asked Perplexity what the best mattresses are for back pain.
And review site Sleep Advisor was one of its sources.
This site publishes “best of” articles often and has a rigorous testing process, two important components of LLM citations.
But to get cited, your list needs to go beyond the basics.
Start by explaining how you selected the items on your list.
LLMs prioritize content that shows transparent, well-reasoned decision-making. (Just like your readers do.)
This added context also helps LLMs match your content to the questions people are asking.
Sleep Advisor includes details about its testing process upfront in articles so readers (and LLMs) can’t miss it.
Another AI-friendly component of a “best of” list?
Giving each item a “best” rating that matches search behavior:
Best for freelancers on a budget
Best for advanced analytics
Best all-in-one solution for remote teams
If you’ve used LLMs, you know they quote these phrases in responses.
But it also helps users self-identify, which can increase leads and conversions.
For instance, Sleep Advisor awards mattresses with targeted “best” ratings.
Like “best mattress for upper back pain” and “best mattress for stomach sleepers with back pain.”
Now, consider your content’s structure.
This is where semantic chunking comes in.
Semantic chunking means organizing your content into short, clearly labeled sections that focus on a single idea or answer.
Why does it matter?
Chunked content with natural language headers makes it easier for AI to parse, understand, and pull relevant snippets into responses.
Use the same layout for every entry. A repeatable structure signals credibility and makes your content easier to extract and cite.
For example:
Item name + best rating
Quick summary
Key features or standout capabilities
Pros and cons
Pricing
Take it even further by adding scoring systems or ratings.
Sleep Advisor awards a 1-to-5-star rating based on hands-on testing across categories like pressure relief, motion isolation, cooling, and responsiveness.
That kind of structured, criteria-based scoring makes your content more credible … and easier for LLMs to cite.
Overall, anything that makes your content easier to skim and read will also help make it LLM-friendly.
This includes bullet lists, tables, and summary boxes.
First-Person Product Reviews
Authentic, hands-on reviews are another format LLMs tend to favor.
Why?
Because real testing equals real credibility.
LLMs surface these types of reviews because they:
Include measurable outcomes
Follow repeatable testing processes
Use specific, quotable phrasing
Let’s look at Wirecutter’s electric standing desk review, for example.
They have a “Why you should trust us section” that states they’ve tested 40+ adjustable desks since 2013.
This is a clear, measurable signal of expertise.
So, get granular and provide all your testing details:
Explain how many items you tested
Describe who did the testing, what their credentials are, and when it was conducted
Outline your methodology or criteria
This shows LLMs and your audience that your review is authentic.
Short, declarative lines are also important to include because they’re extract-friendly.
Here’s an example from the Wirecutter article:
The Branch Duo Standing Desk is a good option if you have limited space or are over 5-foot-8. But it doesn’t offer nearly as many customizable features as the Uplift, and there’s no option to upgrade to an advanced keypad.
Did you notice it includes both positives and negatives?
Balanced statements show you’re giving a fair, experience-based evaluation, not a sales pitch.
That kind of transparency helps establish trust with users and LLMs.
Comparison Tables (Especially Brand vs. Brand)
Mid-funnel users use AI platforms to help make purchasing decisions.
This is why it’s crucial to create content that compares your product to alternatives.
The key?
Present it in a clean, structured format, such as a table or chart.
Like this Backlinko article that includes a table to help readers choose the best PPC tool for their needs.
To make your comparison tables citation-worthy, focus on three things:
Use-case verdicts: Don’t just compare features. Tell readers which option is better for freelancers, agencies, enterprise teams, and more.
Highlight tradeoffs: Include both strengths and weaknesses for each option to add credibility
Citation-ready phrasing: Make each recommendation easy to cite. Instead of “Tool A is more feature-packed,” write “Tool A is the best choice for teams on a budget that need features like multi-user logins and grammar checking.”
This kind of clarity makes it easy for LLMs to quote your content when users ask: “Which one is better for [my specific use case]?”
FAQ-Style Content
LLMs are trained on Q&A content from platforms like Quora, Reddit, and other public forums.
So, it’s no surprise that FAQ formats perform well. They match the structure LLMs were built to understand.
For this reason, you’ll want to add FAQ-style posts to your content rotation.
You can identify customer questions in the following ways:
Once you’ve chosen your questions, structure them as subheadings in your article.
And write concise responses that start with a direct answer.
Semrush’s SEO FAQ article is a good example of this LLM-friendly format.
It includes questions as clear subheadings, including:
What Is SEO?
How Long Does It Take to Rank on Google?
Why Has My Organic Traffic Dropped?
This is the type of post that probably wouldn’t rank super well in Google.
But is EXACTLY what LLMs use to train on.
Importantly, the content provides clear, direct answers to the questions.
Adding structured data is another smart way to help AI search engines and LLMs better parse and interpret your content.
WordPress plugins like RankMath and Yoast can automatically add FAQPage structured data to help increase your citations.
Opinion‑Led Pieces with Clear Takeaways
Want to increase LLM citations? Come up with a unique take on something in your industry.
This could be a contrarian industry opinion or a surprising prediction — anything works when it’s done well.
The caveat?
You’ll need industry authority, experience, and evidence to support your stance.
But remember — structure matters more than ever before.
Ensure it’s well-structured and easy to summarize.
Otherwise, it’s unlikely to stand out (or get cited).
For example, in a YouTube video (yes, LLMs can pull from video transcripts and descriptions), digital growth marketer Grace Leung challenges outdated content strategies.
She explains why they’re holding brands back and what to do instead.
Her format is viewer- and AI-friendly with defined sections and actionable takeaways.
And she shares a strong opinion throughout the piece that is backed up by her expertise.
Want to do the same?
Include details that help LLMs understand and trust your content:
Author credentials: Briefly explain who you are and why you’re qualified to cover the topic. This adds credibility for both readers and LLMs.
Content overview: State what the piece covers early on (in your blog post intro or video description) so it’s easy to parse and summarize
Internal links: Link to related posts or supporting content to signal depth and strengthen your topical coverage
In Grace’s case, her video’s description includes all of the above (and more): a video summary, quick author bio, newsletter link, and related content.
But it’s also another way to give LLMs more context about your content.
Make your visuals LLM-friendly with these tips:
Write full-sentence captions that explain what’s pictured and why it matters. Think: “Peach cobbler cookie from Good Cakes and Bakes, one of Detroit’s most beloved bakeries,” not just “Cookies on a plate.”
Reference visuals directly in your copy. Instead of skipping over an image, say, “As you can see in the photo, this bakery’s seasonal peach cobbler cookies are a local favorite.”
Add alt text that reflects both the subject and its importance. Try: “Peach cobbler cookie at Good Cakes and Bakes, a popular Detroit bakery known for seasonal desserts.”
Use descriptive file names, like detroit-good-cakes-peach-cookie.jpg, to reinforce meaning for AI crawlers.
Tools, Templates, and Frameworks
Offer valuable resources that solve real problems to get referenced in LLM conversations.
For instance, I asked Perplexity how I can check keyword rankings for free.
Depending on your industry, you might create free templates, frameworks, calculators, or interactive tools.
To make your resource citation-worthy, give it a clear, descriptive title that matches how users search.
Like “Budget Calculator for Freelancers” and “Free Grammar Checker.”
Include an intro that explains who it’s for, what it does, and how to use it.
Then, add supporting content (like examples, FAQs, or use cases) so LLMs understand its context and value.
The more useful and well-structured your resource is, the more likely it is to earn mentions from your target audience and AI platforms.
For example, our free rank checker lets users check rankings in seconds.
The tool’s design is clean and user-friendly.
And the description sums up the tool’s benefits well, which is important for scraping:
Discover who’s linking to you and your competitors to find the latest opportunities and enhance your backlink profile.
Since the tool is both easy to use and genuinely helpful, it’s recommended by third parties in blogs and forums.
These mentions are vital because LLMs pick up on them when deciding what to cite.
Where to Seed Your Content for Maximum LLM Pickup
Publishing great content is only half the battle.
The other half? Getting it in front of the right crawlers.
Publish in places that LLMs trust, crawl frequently, and find easy to parse.
Here’s where to focus your efforts:
Third-Party Platforms
Certain third-party platforms are LLM magnets.
Why?
Their clean layout, clear headings, and consistent quality make them easy for AI to read and cite.
This includes:
Medium: Repurpose your long-form blog content here. Medium’s minimalist layout and semantic structure make it ideal for LLMs. Include section headers, summaries, and internal links for added context.
Substack: A great home for newsletter-style content and thought leadership commentary. Its emphasis on editorial voice and topical depth adds authority and makes your content easier for AI to recognize as expert-driven.
LinkedIn articles: These articles are indexed well and often tied to real profiles (which gives your content a credibility bonus in LLMs)
Trusted Industry Publications
LLMs are more likely to trust and cite content that comes from respected industry sources.
So, create a strategy to share content and quotes in high-impact publications to boost your LLM visibility.
Here’s how:
Create Guest Posts
No, guest posting isn’t dead — it’s just not all about the links anymore.
It’s about visibility.
Choose topics that align with popular LLM prompts (like product comparisons, trends, or how-tos).
And format your content clearly with subheads, summaries, and data points.
Offer Expert Quotes
Reach out to journalists, editors, and bloggers in your niche.
Provide non-promotional, insight-driven quotes to increase your chances of being featured in articles that LLMs frequently reference.
Tools like HARO or Featured.com can help you find opportunities to share your expertise.
Get Featured in Roundups
As you’ve learned, LLMs love “best of,” “top tools,” and “expert tips” formats.
Pitch to writers creating these lists — whether newsletters, LinkedIn posts, videos, or blog posts.
And make it easy to include your brand by providing a concise, structured blurb with supporting context or proof points.
User-Generated Content Hubs
Why do LLMs and AI search engines love user-generated content hubs?
Because they’re full of real people asking real (often long-tail) questions. And subject matter experts providing highly specific, detailed answers.
Ones you often won’t find elsewhere.
That makes these platforms powerful spots to seed your expertise.
Here’s where to focus:
Reddit
LLMs cite Reddit more than any other source, according to Semrush.
So, if Reddit wasn’t on your radar before, it should be now.
Participate in relevant subreddits where you can highlight your expertise and add genuine value.
Answer questions and respond to comments.
And then do it all over again.
Make Reddit a part of your regular rotation to boost your chances of LLM citations.
Quora
Reddit may be the darling of LLMs, but Quora isn’t far behind.
For this reason, you’ll want to add this platform into the mix as well.
Side note: Quora is the most commonly cited website in Google’s AI Overviews, according to Semrush’s AI search study.
Provide comprehensive answers to industry questions.
Include specific examples, comparisons, or step-by-step explanations to increase your chances of LLM citations.
But don’t let formatting slide just because you’re on an informal platform.
Add clear headlines, subheads, and bullet points to increase your chances of LLM scraping.
GitHub Discussions
Have a technical brand?
Get involved in community discussions beyond your product.
Share helpful bug fixes, answer questions, and offer support.
Building credibility makes it easier to reference your tool or solution when it’s genuinely relevant.
Niche Forums and Public Facebook Groups
Don’t overlook specialized communities.
LLMs scan niche forums and public Facebook groups for in-depth, experience-based insights.
Look for active, topic-specific forums like:
ContractorTalk: Home improvement and construction professionals
Chronicle Forums: Equestrian and horse care advice
GardenWeb forum: Gardening and plant tips and advice
AVS Forum: Home theater and tech product discussions
Contribute regularly with meaningful, non-promotional input.
Answer niche questions, clarify common misconceptions, or share first-hand experience.
These authentic contributions increase your chances of getting cited in AI-generated responses where nuance and expertise matter most.
Editorial-Style Microsites
Want to boost your chances of getting cited by LLMs? Build an editorial-style microsite.
These standalone sites tend to carry more credibility than heavily branded company pages.
Why?
Because you can structure them like independent publications.
Like this microsite IKEA built to highlight original research:
The goal is to create a trusted, well-organized resource that covers your entire industry, not just your own product.
For example, IKEA’s microsite includes statistics on happiness and enjoyment at home, which ties into its core offering: home products.
To earn trust (from both readers and LLMs), focus on E-E-A-T signals.
Include author bios with credentials, cite reputable sources, and make your editorial policies easy to find.
Clearly state who’s behind the site and why it exists.
Comparison and Review Sites
Content from review platforms is often cited in LLMs, and for good reason.
Sites like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius follow a formula that attracts LLMs:
Pinterest: Ideal for visual brands — but only if your pins include rich descriptions and link to structured content
Instagram: As of July 2025, Instagram posts (if opted in) can be indexed by search engines and LLMs. Add captions, alt text, and hashtags to help shape how your brand appears in AI platforms.
How to Track LLM Seeding Success
Here’s where things get tricky.
Understanding LLM impact isn’t as straightforward as tracking clicks or traffic.
So, how do you measure this influence?
Here are a few smart ways to assess your brand’s visibility across LLMs.
Branded and Direct Traffic Growth
Noticed something weird going on in Google Search Console lately?
Your impressions are increasing … but clicks are decreasing.
LLMs might be to blame.
For example, at Backlinko, our impressions increased by 54% over the past three months, while our clicks decreased by 15%.
Here’s what’s happening:
Users see your brand mentioned in AI responses, make a mental note, then research you directly days or weeks later.
They’re not clicking through immediately. They’re bookmarking your name in their minds.
This creates declining organic clicks paired with stable or growing branded searches. And it’s the signature pattern of LLM influence.
Here’s how to spot it in your data.
Open Google Analytics (GA) and go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.
Compare your direct traffic trends over the past three to six months.
If your direct traffic increased, this is a positive sign that LLMs are mentioning your brand.
Next, compare these patterns to your organic traffic changes in Google Search Console (GSC).
Go to Performance > Search results.
Declining clicks + growing direct traffic = LLM visibility.
If your data is pointing to LLM influence, this is a good thing.
But it’s important to verify your findings with manual prompt analysis.
Pro tip: Getting branded traffic? Great. Now, ensure your branded SERP is optimized so users searching for your name land on high-converting pages. Like product quizzes, comparison guides, or testimonials.
Brand Mentions in AI Tools
The clearest way to gauge your LLM visibility is to see if (and how) your brand shows up in AI-generated answers.
Run manual prompts across different tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini.
Use a private or incognito browser to avoid skewed results from past queries or personalization.
Then, search the way your audience would … naturally and with clear search intent.
Try prompts like:
Best project management tools for remote teams
What is the best project management software for startups
Top budget-friendly productivity tools for small businesses
Document the sentiment and context of each mention.
Are you positioned as a budget option? A premium choice? The innovative newcomer?
Do certain LLMs recommend your product more or less?
Document these results monthly in a spreadsheet or tracking doc.
Include the tool used, the prompt, the exact language cited, and your position in the response.
This lets you identify shifts in brand positioning, message clarity, and which prompts consistently trigger mentions.
Not showing up yet?
You’ll still learn what LLMs are citing so you can reverse-engineer how to get included.
Pro tip: Make your LLM citations work harder. Add email capture opportunities to your top pages. (Especially ones on topics LLMs are likely to mention.) Use content upgrades, templates, and discounts to turn visitors into subscribers.
Unlinked Brand Mentions
Not every brand mention includes a link to your site, making this influence harder to track.
But since LLMs weigh authentic, third-party references heavily when determining what content (and brands) to trust and cite, these mentions are vital.
Set up alerts for your brand name, product names, and key team members.
As you get mentions, dig into the context.
Are you being cited as an expert?
Recommended as a tool?
Compared to a competitor?
If you’re not getting many mentions, look for opportunities to contribute.
Pitch newsletter authors or podcast hosts with useful, non-promotional content that fits their audience.
Join relevant discussions, offer expert insights, and speak at industry events.
Continue tracking mentions over time to measure whether your efforts result in increased LLM visibility.
LLM Visibility Across Platforms
We’re all used to tracking rankings and referral traffic.
But those signals no longer tell the full story.
Tracking your performance across AI platforms is now a core part of measuring your success.
But you’ll need specialized tools for this.
Semrush’s Enterprise AIO lets you track how your brand is perceived and cited in popular AI platforms.
Once you set it up with the AI models and prompts that you want to track, it’ll tell you how your LLM visibility compares to competitors.
That’s just scratching the surface. You can also track your brand’s overall market share, sentiment, and consumer engagement across AI platforms.
Semrush’s AI Toolkit also lets you track how your domain and overall brand are perceived by individual models. It’s not super customizable yet, but you can still gain a lot of insights.
From there, individual reports break those metrics down by platform.
This gives you a clear view of where you’re gaining traction. And where you may be falling behind.
For example, pet company Petlibro currently holds a much smaller market share in ChatGPT than its competitors.
But in Google’s AI Mode, Petlibro significantly outperforms those same brands.
This is important data because it shows that performance can vary widely by platform.
And tells you where to focus your efforts.
The toolkit also provides sentiment analysis reports so you know how AI platforms describe your brand.
Whether positively, neutrally, or negatively.
This gives you a clearer picture of how LLMs frame your brand in their responses.
Petlibro, for instance, has a 64% favorable overall sentiment score, indicating generally positive positioning.
But also room to strengthen how it’s perceived.
You can drill down further to see what’s behind your sentiment score.
Both the positives and the pain points.
For Petlibro, strengths like convenience, automation, and food freshness drive favorable mentions.
On the flip side, app connectivity issues and limited advanced features are flagged as recurring concerns.
This insight tells you what to highlight in content.
And identifies potential fixes to maintain or improve sentiment.
You’ll also learn the types of queries users ask about your brand. And the intent behind them.
For Petlibro, the majority are educational, followed by research-based queries.
This tells you exactly what types of content to prioritize in your LLM seeding strategy.
For Petlibro, the toolkit suggests creating comparison charts, highlighting smart features, and showcasing testimonials that reinforce brand strengths.
As you gather data, refine your seeding strategy.
Double down on what’s working, whether it’s a specific content format, platform, or message.
And use gaps in visibility or sentiment as signals for where to publish, what to say, and how to position your brand for maximum LLM impact.
Make LLMs Work for You, Not Against You
Moral of the story? Don’t fight the machine — work with it.
AI isn’t coming. It’s here.
And it’s already changing how your audience discovers, evaluates, and chooses brands.
The brands that get cited in AI answers will win mindshare — even if they never rank #1 or get a single click.
That’s what LLM seeding is about.
You’re not optimizing for traffic. You’re engineering trust.
You’re not chasing backlinks. You’re earning brand mentions.
So, if you want to stay relevant?
Get your brand into the conversation now so you don’t get left behind.
Then, use our Search Everywhere Optimization guide to expand that visibility across every surface your customers trust — from AI to Amazon and beyond.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-07-16 15:48:372025-07-16 15:48:37LLM Seeding: A New Strategy to Get Mentioned and Cited by LLMs
Enter your domain and up to four competitors’ domains. Click “Compare.”
Scroll to the “All keyword details for [your site] report.”
Pay attention to the following:
Missing: Keywords that all the other domains rank for, except you
Untapped: Keywords that at least one of the other domains ranks for, except you
This reveals content gaps where your competitors are already succeeding.
Instead of guessing what topics might work, you’re targeting proven winners with a strategy to outrank them.
Mine Online Communities
Online communities are GREAT for finding your customers’ burning questions.
For example, say you have a recipe blog and want to create content for specific diets.
Head over to the Paleo subreddit, and you’ll notice lots of questions about dessert:
Why is this important?
Most people ask questions on Reddit because they couldn’t find their answer on Google.
Or because the answers on Google don’t feel authentic enough.
This means there’s a HUGE opportunity for you to swoop in and answer that question with your content.
Pro tip: Use AI tools to analyze thousands of Reddit threads and Quora questions in minutes. Ask AI to identify patterns in customer questions to help you spot common pain points and preferences.
These community questions should become the backbone of your content strategy in two key ways:
Pain point mapping: Track which questions appear repeatedly to identify the biggest challenges your audience faces. Then, prioritize these topics in your content calendar.
Content format planning: Pay attention to HOW people ask. A “how do I” question might work best as a tutorial, while “what’s the best” questions are perfect for comparison posts or roundups.
You can even create a dedicated FAQ hub on your site that directly answers these community questions.
This approach builds trust fast because you’re solving real problems your audience is actively searching for.
Prioritize topics with solid search volume, clear search intent, and manageable difficulty.
Then, consider if your team can realistically create quality content on this topic.
Do you have the expertise, resources, and time to do it justice?
Finally, think about your differentiation opportunity.
Can you add a fresh angle, better examples, or unique insights that competitors haven’t covered?
If a topic checks all four boxes, green light it.
Once you’ve validated your topics, assign each one to its corresponding awareness stage:
Most aware topics: What questions do prospects ask right before buying? What final objections need addressing? Turn these topics into pricing guides, comparison pages, and tutorials.
Product aware topics: Are competitors ranking for “best [solution category]” terms? Create your own version with honest comparisons and clear differentiators.
Solution aware topics: Are people asking “how to choose” or “what type of [X]”? Build educational content that explains the options and subtly positions your solution as the best fit.
Problem and unaware topics: What recurring pain points did you identify in your topic research? Turn those insights into content that validates the problem and builds awareness.
Pro tip: Want to reach more customers on more channels at all stages of their journey? Experiment with different content types. Try blog posts, videos, lead magnets, ebooks, infographics, success stories, interactive content, and more.
Step 3: Create Comprehensive Content Briefs
Coming up with high-impact topics is only half the battle.
The other half?
Turning those ideas into content that actually performs. That’s where a content brief comes in.
Content briefs eliminate guesswork and align your entire team on what you’re creating and why.
They prevent scope creep, reduce revisions, and ensure every piece of content serves a clear business purpose.
And they can be as short or detailed as you like.
My vote? Make them comprehensive.
The more direction you provide upfront, the less time you’ll spend on revisions.
And the more likely your content will resonate with your audience.
Every brief should include the basics. Like the topic, primary keyword, and article format.
But creating trulyhelpful content requires doing more than the minimum.
That’s why we include audience insights like the following in our briefs at Backlinko.
Target audience level: Beginner, intermediate, or advanced
Awareness stage: Where are they at in their journey?
Reader pain points: The challenges your audience faces
Pro tip: Ask your product, sales, and support teams to contribute to briefs. They can flag upcoming features, share common prospect questions, and identify knowledge gaps worth addressing.
This context helps writers match their tone, examples, and approach to your specific audience.
Another essential brief component? SERP analysis.
Include the most notable competitors’ URLs in the brief for writers to use as inspiration. And leave notes on any gaps you can fill to outrank your competition.
Expert quotes break up visual flow while adding credibility and fresh perspectives to your content.
Pro tip: If you use AI tools to support content creation, inject original insights, quotes, and real-world examples to maintain your authority and trust.
Research
Great content is built on great sources.
While trustworthy sources vary by industry, prioritize these sources as a general rule:
Academic research and peer-reviewed studies
Government data (.gov sites)
Industry surveys from recognized research firms
Industry-leading websites and blogs
Company earnings calls and official statements
Fill in knowledge gaps with expert insights and quotes.
At Backlinko, we often feature expert input from industry veterans to add unique insights and authority to our content.
Visuals
There’s no way around this:
If you want people to read and share your content, it needs to look GREAT.
This is why we go the extra mile to use high-res screenshots.
These crisp, annotated screenshots prove you’ve actually done what you’re teaching.
And make complex processes instantly understandable.
Charts and data visualizations transform boring numbers into compelling stories that support your key points and make them stick.
We also use custom-designed guides to differentiate my content from competitors.
And boost perceived value.
Examples
When it comes to content, there’s one thing I’ve found to be true almost 100% of the time:
People LOVE examples.
When you hear the words “for example,” your brain breathes a sigh of relief.
It makes learning easier and more relatable.
That’s why we include TONS of examples in every post:
Including examples makes your content easier to understand.
But it also signals E-E-A-T to readers and Google.
Even better? AI can’t replicate it.
When you share specific examples, you demonstrate real-world experience that generic content simply can’t match.
Does adding examples take more work than simply saying, “do this”?
Sure.
Is it worth it?
Definitely.
Statistics
Nothing builds credibility faster than strong statistics.
When you back up claims with data from reputable sources, it sends trust signals to both readers and Google.
But not all statistics are created equal. The key is finding data that’s both credible and compelling.
Original data works even better than citing existing studies.
Whether it’s a full-scale study or a LinkedIn post, it attracts readers and backlinks.
And gives you a serious competitive edge.
Here are the best ways to source original data:
Conduct surveys of your audience or industry
Analyze your customer data for trends and insights
Compile industry benchmarks from multiple sources
Track performance metrics over time
Interview experts and quantify their insights
Pro tip: Don’t focus solely on new content in your strategy — revisit and refresh older posts, too. Add new stats, update examples, and optimize for today’s search behavior to give them a second life.
Step 5: Promote Your Content
Without strategic promotion, even your best content might never reach your target audience.
The question is: How do you promote your content the right way?
Here are a few simple strategies that actually work.
Create Email Newsletters
This is HUGE.
An email list is the #1 content promotion tool on the planet. Period.
In fact, there isn’t even a close second.
Remember:
Your subscribers are made up of people who LOVE your stuff.
In other words:
They’re people who are very likely to spread the word about your content.
That’s why we share most of our posts with our email subscribers:
As you can see, our email doesn’t look like a stuffy corporate newsletter.
In fact, the email looks like it could be from a friend.
This is EXACTLY how you want your emails to look.
So, how did it do?
That single email generated 14,067 total visitors:
Nice!
Curate Content Roundups
In case you’re not familiar with them, roundups are posts that curate (or “round up”) awesome content from the week.
The best part?
There are roundups in almost every niche, shared everywhere from social media to email marketing.
For example, this is a LinkedIn roundup from the digital marketing niche:
Here’s why promoting your content to link roundups works so well:
Your pitch actually makes their life easier (yes, really).
I’ll explain…
Roundup curators struggle to find content to include in their roundup.
And when you suggest your new post, you deliver awesome content on a silver platter.
This means there’s no arm-twisting required to get a link.
For example, here’s a LinkedIn roundup that featured one of Backlinko’s articles:
Step 6: Track and Measure Performance
Now it’s time to see how well your content strategy is working.
The question is: How do you know if your content “worked”?
The key is organizing your metrics into two categories that actually matter: business impact and engagement.
Business Impact Metrics
These metrics directly connect to revenue and business growth.
Problem/Unaware content: Blog subscriptions, social follows
If you see conversions moving up, it’s probably a sign that your content marketing is working.
So, you want to add more of that content type to your editorial calendar.
That said:
It’s sometimes hard to track content’s indirect sales impact.
For example:
Brian Dean’s (Backlinko’s founder) conversions that come directly from YouTube were super low:
And if he ONLY looked at Google Analytics, he’d probably say: “YouTube is a waste of time.”
But when he dug a little bit deeper, he could see that his YouTube channel was a HUGE driver of subscribers and sales.
Customers cite his YouTube channel as the main reason that they decide to make a purchase:
This shows that YouTube content is paying off.
Leads Generated
Not all leads are created equal.
Track qualified leads your content generates — people who fit your customer personas and have buying potential.
For example, use UTM parameters on content links to see which pieces drive the most leads.
If you have a CRM, tag leads by source, so you know which content influenced them.
And score leads based on engagement. Did they read one post or download three guides?
Connect this back to the awareness stages from Step 1:
Most Aware content should generate high-intent leads ready for sales conversations
Product Aware content should generate leads actively evaluating solutions
Solution Aware content should generate leads seeking education and guidance
Problem/Unaware content should focus on list building and brand awareness
If your content isn’t generating the right leads for its stage, reassess the intent and quality.
Traffic Quality
Raw traffic numbers mean nothing if visitors bounce immediately.
Focus on engaged traffic — people who actually consume your content and take the next steps.
Key metrics to track:
Pages per session: 2+ indicates genuine interest
Average session duration: Benchmark against your industry average
Bounce rate by content type: Identify which formats keep people engaged
Return visitor rate: Shows you’re building an audience, not just attracting one-time visitors
That said:
Content marketing and SEO can take time to kick in.
For example, look at the traffic numbers from the early days of Backlinko:
As you can see, it took about six months for things to really take off.
And if we gave up early on because content “wasn’t working,” we wouldn’t have seen the huge traffic spike that got us going:
Backlinko has only continued to grow since.
Persistence pays off when you combine strategic content with consistent execution.
Engagement Metrics
These metrics show how well your content resonates with your audience and predicts future business impact.
Views and Reach
Track how many people your content reaches across different platforms and channels.
What to track:
Platform-specific reach: YouTube views, LinkedIn post impressions, blog sessions
Audience quality: Use analytics to see if viewers match your ideal customer profile
Cross-platform performance: Which channels drive the most engaged traffic to your site
Search Visibility and Rankings
Search visibility is more volatile than ever.
But position tracking remains crucial for monitoring your content’s performance.
Here’s what to monitor:
Keyword clusters: Are you ranking for related terms beyond your primary keyword?
Featured snippets: Track snippet wins and losses and identify opportunities using a tool like Semrush’s Position Tracking
SERP features: Monitor video carousels, image packs, and People Also Ask boxes
Click-through rates: Use Google Search Console to see if higher rankings actually drive more clicks
LLM appearances: Are LLMs driving people to your site? Check Google Analytics’ traffic acquisition report to see referral traffic from ChatGPT and other AI platforms.
Monitor how long people stay engaged with your content.
High engagement time signals that your content provides real value.
For example, check your average engagement time per blog post.
Compare your top performers to identify patterns in the topics that resonate most with your readers.
If you’re on YouTube or another video platform, monitor watch time and audience retention. This will tell you where viewers drop off to improve future videos.
Use this data to find your stickiest topics. Pay attention to the subjects that make people read multiple pages or watch entire videos.
If engagement drops at specific points, you know where to strengthen your content.
The best content gets people talking, sharing, and coming back for more.
Start by looking at the comments on your blog, videos, and social media posts.
Comments that ask follow-up questions or share personal experiences signal real engagement, not just passive scrolling.
Then, check the native analytics data for any social platforms you’re on.
For example, Pinterest tells you how many times your pins are saved to boards.
And Facebook tells you how many times users interacted with your content.
Along with providing details on views and follows/unfollows.
Don’t forget to monitor brand mentions across social platforms.
Tools like Semrush’s Brand Monitoring, Mention, or even Google Alerts can catch when people are talking about your content without tagging you directly.
These organic mentions often indicate the highest quality engagement.
Build Authority into Your Content Strategy
Creating a content strategy takes work, but the ROI is worth it.
When you align content with customer awareness levels, prioritize high-impact topics, and measure what matters, you stop guessing and start growing.
Your next step?
Build topical authority.
The more comprehensively you cover a topic, the more likely you are to show up everywhere that matters.
Including AI search, traditional search, social media, videos, and much more.
Read our Topic Clusters 101 guide to learn how to create clusters that boost visibility and conversions.
Midway through the year is a good time to see how your SEO is holding up. Search habits shift, rankings change, and AI is reshaping how people find information. A mid-year SEO checkup isn’t about starting over. It’s a check-in to spot what’s working, what’s not, and what to adjust going forward.
Traffic and rankings: What’s changed since January?
Start your mid-year SEO review by checking how your site is performing, not just on the surface level, but deeper down. Look beyond overall traffic and into individual pages and search queries. What’s still working? What’s losing visibility? The goal is to spot slow shifts early, before they turn into bigger problems.
Organic traffic trends
Start with a traffic check in GA4. Compare your organic numbers from January to now, then narrow in on which landing pages have gained or lost ground. After that, use Search Console to see how impressions and clicks line up with the shifts. Look across different devices and locations, as you might notice mobile traffic dropping while desktop stays level.
As you review, think about what’s changed. Are certain types of content sliding? Is the homepage steady while deeper articles get less visibility? Has something in the layout or search results changed how people interact with your site? These patterns will help you figure out where to adjust.
Keyword movement and SERP features
GA4 won’t show you how keywords are doing. For that, use Search Console or Semrush, if you want a more detailed view. It gives you a clearer view of how your top queries are performing and whether their positions are trending up or down. Focus on terms sitting somewhere between positions five and fifteen. These are close to the edge and can shift either way with the smallest change.
Keep an eye out for new queries your site is now appearing for. Also, check if your content is showing up in features like video carousels, People Also Ask, or AI Overviews. These placements affect clicks, even if rankings stay flat.
If CTR is dropping, it might be because the answer’s already visible in the search result. That’s common with broad questions or terms that Google can answer directly with a snippet or summary. Some of these shifts started with recent algorithm updates. If you saw a change around that time, that might explain it.
Being on page one isn’t always enough now. What matters more is how your page shows up and whether it stands out next to everything else.
Where’s the gap?
Ranking alone doesn’t mean a page is performing well. Some are still showing up in search but aren’t pulling their weight anymore. Take a look at your top pages from Q1 and compare them to what’s performing now. If something dropped, check for changes. Did the URL structure shift? Was the copy updated? Did anything break during a migration or redesign?
Segmenting traffic helps spot patterns during your mid-year SEO checkup. Blog content might be holding steady while product pages quietly slip. Or maybe a location page that once performed well is now buried. Sorting traffic this way makes it easier to see where things are improving and where they’ve gone quiet.
And don’t ignore branded versus non-branded search. If branded terms are down, it may reflect lower awareness. If non-branded terms fell off, that usually points to stronger competition or a shift in search demand. Either way, those are signs to act on, not ignore.
What to do next in your mid-year SEO review
As you review performance, note content that’s lost traffic and look at how it aligns with current keyword trends. Some pages may need updates, while others might be better merged or repurposed. If certain pages are still ranking but getting few clicks, flag those, too, as there may be issues with title tags, metadata, or how the content is framed.
Also, look for signs of new search interest or shifts in consumer behavior that are driving unexpected traffic. Those insights can help guide your Q3 and Q4 planning. A detailed mid-year SEO checkup now helps prevent bigger issues later. Small drops or mismatches in intent can add up over time, especially if you miss the early signs. Use your data to make informed decisions, not just to complete a report.
Audit and refresh your content
Not all content holds its value over time. Some pages stop performing due to outdated content, and others never performed well to begin with. A mid-year SEO audit helps you figure out what’s worth updating, combining, or removing altogether.
Focus first on content that’s lost traffic or rankings. Use Google Search Console to spot declines in impressions and clicks, then compare that with GA4 engagement metrics. If a page ranks but no longer drives real value, or doesn’t match what users are looking for, it likely needs attention.
Google wants people-first content. So if your site relies on thin tutorials, vaguely rewritten definitions, or pages written more for search engines than real users, those pages may be dragging down your overall SEO performance.
When refreshing content, lead with clarity. Remove fluff, update stats, and make sure your answer matches the search intent. Don’t just rewrite, make the page genuinely better. In some cases, the fix might be cutting it entirely. If a page hasn’t contributed value or activity recently, rethink why it’s there.
Diversify and focus on video
Search results are more visual than they used to be. Video clips now show up in carousels, featured snippets, and AI responses. If your site is still relying on just blog posts, you’re missing opportunities to be seen.
Short videos, especially how-tos, demos, and explainers, can increase visibility on Google, YouTube, and Discover. They also help with engagement, keeping visitors on your site longer.
Start by turning high-performing articles into videos. Post them to YouTube, embed them on your site, and add basic schema markup. Just a few clear, well-structured videos can increase your presence in search results and help reach users who don’t want to read through long text.
Video doesn’t need to be expensive or overly produced. What matters is that it’s useful, focused, and easy to watch. During your mid-year SEO checkup, you might need to improve your video strategy.
Adapting to AI and zero-click searches
More users are getting answers directly on Google, without clicking anything. With AI Overviews becoming more common across search results, especially for question-based queries, your content needs to work even when there’s no obvious incentive to visit your page.
That means clear structure, clean markup, and highly readable content that makes it easy for Google to understand the core answer quickly. Place key information high on the page and use a strong title, meta description, and subheadings. Organize your content with scannable sections so it’s more likely to appear in featured results.
Don’t ignore FAQ or how-to formats, as these can still help Google identify your page’s purpose. Structured data reinforces clarity for both traditional search and AI-generated summaries.
Zero-click doesn’t mean zero opportunity. Content that’s referenced in AI answers or shown in SERP features can strengthen brand visibility, build trust, and lead to familiar users returning via other channels later.
What AI Mode means for search visibility
In addition to AI Overviews, Google is adding a feature called AI Mode. This is a new search experience built for more complex, multi-part queries. It pulls information from several sources and delivers a conversational response with helpful links.
Instead of listing links, AI Mode breaks down the query, runs multiple related searches, and returns one detailed answer. There’s less space for traditional rankings, but a chance for useful, well-structured content to be included. If your impressions are rising but clicks aren’t, your content may already appear in these summaries.
While AI Mode is still rolling out, it shows where search is likely headed. And it’s not just Google, as tools like ChatGPT (Search) and Perplexity show that AI-powered discovery is already expanding. As this grows, you might have to rethink how you see content. Learn how to optimize for LLMs using Yoast SEO’s tools.
Refresh your keyword strategy
Midway through the year is a good time to check if your keyword strategy still aligns with how people are searching. Start with Search Console and any SEO tools you use, and look for shifts in rankings, drops in CTR, or signs that user intent has changed. Some keywords may still rank but deliver less value, while others may be gaining traction.
Take another look at the SERPs. Are AI Overviews, snippets, or video results pushing your links down? If your content no longer fits the query, it may need a rewrite or a new format.
Also consider what’s surfaced since Q1. Seasonal queries, comparison searches, and longer questions might now be worth targeting. Even if they bring less volume, they often convert better. Use what you find to adjust your focus for the second half of the year.
Technical SEO clean up
Great content alone isn’t enough if your site’s technical side is holding it back. A mid-year SEO checkup is a good time to inspect the foundation. See how your site loads, how it’s crawled, and whether pages are being properly indexed.
Start with speed. Use Google’s Core Web Vitals tools to review page load performance. Fix common issues like oversized images, unnecessary scripts, or layout shifts that hurt usability. These things don’t just impact rankings; they also affect how users experience your site, especially on mobile.
Look at crawlability. Search Console can show you which pages aren’t being indexed, where crawl issues are popping up, or if valid content is being skipped. If strong content still isn’t performing, this could be why.
In your mid-year SEO checkup, you should also see your internal linking. Important pages should be easy to reach. If key articles or landing pages are buried under layers of clicks or orphaned entirely, Google’s crawlers (and readers) may never find them.
Finally, check out your structured data. Schema still gives your content a better chance of being understood by search engines.
A light technical review every few months helps keep things healthy. You don’t need to fix everything at once, but leaving small issues unsolved can turn into long-term performance headaches.
Monitor competitors and trends
Search isn’t static, and neither are your competitors. Even if your strategy hasn’t changed much since Q1, theirs might have. A mid-year SEO checkup is a smart idea to see who’s gaining ground, what kind of content is outperforming yours, and what shifts are happening in your space as a whole.
Start by checking who’s around you in the search results, especially for your highest-value keywords. Are the same domains showing up? Has a competitor overtaken you with fresher content, a better format, or a new angle? Sometimes it’s less about Google’s algorithm and more about someone else simply doing it better.
Use ranking and backlink tools to identify newer content that’s climbing. What’s different? Is it shorter, clearer, or more visual? Has it earned links or been widely shared? These observations can shape not just what you publish next, but how you structure and present it.
Whether you’re in an aggressive or stable position, awareness is part of strategy. Without reviewing what others are doing, you don’t have a clear view of what winning looks like right now or how quickly that picture is changing.
Set clear goals for the rest of the year
After reviewing performance, updating content, tightening technical issues, and refreshing keywords, the next step in your mid-year SEO checkup is setting focused goals for the rest of the year.
Keep them specific. A goal like “get more traffic” is too vague to drive clear action. Use what you’ve learned, whether that’s from rankings, audit results, or crawl reports, to define outcomes that are tied to your time, resources, and business needs.
Look for low-effort wins and long-term improvements. Fix pages that rank but don’t get clicks. Update content that dropped after an algorithm change. Strengthen internal links to help strong posts on the edge of page one move up. These small changes can improve results with less time than starting from scratch.
If AI features are reducing your traffic on top queries, consider focusing more on visibility than clicks. That might mean leaning into content formats that stand out in summaries, like FAQs or short-form video.
You can also set process goals: publish more consistently (maybe using workflow improvements from Yoast SEO’s Google Docs add-on), clean up old content, reduce crawl waste, or make reporting easier. These are just as important as traffic-focused targets, and they’re often easier to maintain over time.
Your goals don’t need to be dramatic. Often, refining what already exists brings more gains than chasing something new. Revisit your targets regularly and track your progress without overthinking it. Most importantly, stay flexible heading into Q4, when search activity and competition both tend to spike.
Workflow improvements also help, for instance, by integrating Google Docs and Yoast SEO
Do your mid-year SEO checkup
Search has changed a lot since January, and it’s not slowing down. A mid-year SEO strategy review gives you the chance to course-correct, refocus your efforts, and keep momentum going into the back half of the year.
You don’t need to overhaul everything. Just fix what’s broken, improve what matters, and make better decisions with what you know now. Stay consistent, track what shifts, and keep building.
