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UX Optimization Best Practices to Improve User Experience

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User Experience (UX) optimization isn’t just a design choice. It’s a conversion strategy. If your site is confusing, slow, or frustrating to use, people bounce. They won’t dig for what they need. They’ll leave.

And most won’t come back. According to the Baymard Institute, 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad user experience.

Good UX removes friction. It helps users find what they need faster, trust your content, and stay long enough to convert. It also signals to Google that your site is useful, which improves rankings, engagement, and retention.

This guide breaks down the UX best practices that actually move the needle. No theory. Just clear, actionable ways to make your site easier to use and more effective at turning visitors into customers.

Key Takeaways

  • Effective user experience (UX) optimization starts with understanding your audience. Use data, heatmaps, and behavioral insights to design around real user needs, not assumptions.
  • Simplicity wins. Clean layouts, clear navigation, and fast-loading pages make it easy for visitors to engage and convert.
  • Mobile-first design is essential. With most users browsing on phones, responsive layouts and touch-friendly interfaces are critical to user satisfaction and search visibility.
  • Great UX directly improves conversions. Every element, from your CTA to your checkout, should guide visitors smoothly toward a goal without friction.
  • Testing never stops. Continuous A/B testing, analytics tracking, and user feedback loops keep your UX aligned with evolving expectations and business results.

Why User Experience Matters

User Experience (UX) optimization improves more than just aesthetics, directly affecting how well your website performs. A frustrating layout, slow load time, or confusing interface can increase bounce rates, reduce conversions, and damage brand credibility.

When visitors arrive, they’re deciding whether to stay or leave within seconds. If key elements are hard to find or the mobile experience falls short, you lose them.

Clear, intuitive design helps users find what they’re looking for and take the next step. That might mean reading more, subscribing, or completing a purchase. It’s also a core part of conversion rate optimization, where even small UX changes can lead to measurable gains. CRO and UX are areas that more and more marketers are devoting increased budgets to.

A graphic talking about how marketers are spending CRO/UX budgets in 2025.

User experience also plays a role in how search engines evaluate your content. Signals like mobile usability, site structure, and page performance can influence your visibility, even if UX itself isn’t a ranking factor.

When you improve the way people experience your site, you improve nearly every performance metric that matters.

How UX Supports SEO

User experience and SEO share the same goal: helping people find what they need quickly and easily. SEO drives traffic, while UX keeps visitors engaged once they arrive.

Search engines now factor experience quality into rankings. Google’s Core Web Vitals evaluate how fast a page loads, how smoothly it responds, and how stable the layout feels as it renders. When pages perform well, users stay longer and bounce less, which signals quality to search engines.

Mobile usability plays a major role too. With mobile-first indexing, Google often ranks sites based on their mobile experience. A responsive design that works across all devices improves both accessibility and visibility.

Strong UX optimization helps your SEO work harder. The better your experience, the easier it is for users to explore, trust, and convert.

Next, we’ll break down the UX best practices that make those results possible.

UX Best Practices

The following UX best practices will help you design faster, simpler, and more effective experiences that keep users engaged from their first click to conversion.

Know Your Target Audience

Effective UX optimization starts with understanding who your users are and what they expect from your site. When you base design decisions on real data instead of assumptions, you can create experiences that feel natural, relevant, and easy to use.

Collect audience insights through analytics, user surveys, and behavior tracking. Build personas that capture motivations, preferences, and pain points. These details help you personalize the experience, from navigation to recommendations, in ways that feel helpful, not forced.

Personalization is a proven factor in increasing conversions, so it makes a good starting point for your UX improvements:

A graphic showing how much personalization impacts conversions.

Thrive Market is a strong example of user understanding in action. The healthy food retailer tailors its shopping experience through an onboarding quiz that asks about dietary needs and personal goals. Shoppers receive customized product recommendations and grocery lists that match their answers, which removes friction and builds trust from the first visit.

Thrive Market's homepage.

When you design around what your audience values most, engagement becomes effortless. The next step is to make that experience as simple as possible.

Keep Things Simple

Simplicity is one of the most powerful UX best practices. Users form an opinion about your site in seconds. Cluttered layouts and confusing navigation create friction. A clean, structured interface helps visitors find what they need quickly and trust what they see.

Research shows that 88 percent of users are less likely to return after a bad experience. Simplicity isn’t just a design preference. It’s how you keep people on your site and build trust with every interaction.

Apple’s website remains one of the clearest examples of simple, effective design. The layout uses generous white space, clean typography, and bold product visuals that highlight what matters most. Each page features short, direct copy and clear calls to action such as “Learn more” or “Buy.” This approach keeps attention focused and makes navigation effortless.

Simple design improves accessibility and reduces cognitive load. It helps users stay oriented and confident as they explore. Once your site feels easy to use, the next step is making sure it performs the same way on every device.

Build Around Mobile

Mobile traffic now dominates the web, and most users expect sites to work perfectly on their phones. If your layout isn’t responsive, you’re losing potential customers before they ever see your content.

Mobile UX design focuses on speed, clarity, and easy navigation. Pages should load fast, text should be readable without zooming, and buttons should be large enough to tap comfortably. A smooth mobile experience keeps users engaged and signals quality to search engines under Google’s mobile-first indexing. It also helps with cart abandonment.

A graphic showing what UX changes reduce cart abandonment.

Starbucks offers a strong example of mobile-friendly UX in action. Its responsive design adapts across screens, and the app’s ordering system is simple enough to use one-handed. Customers can browse, order, and pay in seconds, which builds loyalty through convenience.

The UX of the Starbucks app.

Source

Mobile UX optimization improves both experience and performance. When users can navigate easily, they stay longer and convert more often. Next, we’ll look at how to guide those users toward the actions that matter most.

Set Goals and Guide Users There

Every great UX design starts with a clear goal. Users should always know what to do next, and every part of your layout should make that path obvious. When visitors understand your purpose, they’re more likely to take action and complete the journey you’ve built for them.

Strong UX optimization is goal-driven. Each page should serve a specific purpose, whether it’s capturing a lead, driving a purchase, or encouraging engagement through smaller actions such as watching a video or subscribing to a newsletter. These soft goals build trust and move users closer to conversion.

Dropbox demonstrates this principle with focus and simplicity. Its homepage centers around a bold, high-contrast “Try Dropbox Free” call to action button that stands out from surrounding content. The message is clear, the design uncluttered, and the action frictionless. This clarity of direction keeps users moving toward sign-up without confusion or distraction.

The DropBox homepage.

When your site guides users naturally, you reduce hesitation and increase conversions. The next step is to make sure that experience loads fast enough to keep them there.

Focus on Loading Speed

Speed is one of the simplest ways to improve UX optimization. A slow site frustrates users, hurts engagement, and damages your search visibility.

A graphic showing the impact of page load time on organic ranking and conversion rates.

Fast-loading pages make your entire experience feel smoother and more trustworthy. They also reduce bounce rates and improve rankings because search engines use page performance as a quality signal.

There are practical ways to keep your site fast. Compress images, enable browser caching, and minimize heavy scripts or animations. Consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute resources more efficiently.

When users can access your site instantly, they’re more likely to explore and convert. The next step is making sure that navigation keeps those visitors moving in the right direction.

Use Clear Navigation

Navigation is one of the simplest ways to improve UX. Visitors should be able to find what they need without stopping to think about where to click next. When users can move through your site effortlessly, they stay longer and engage more.

A common rule of thumb is that users should reach any key content within three clicks. While it’s not a strict requirement, the idea still holds: fewer steps mean less frustration and more conversions.

Best Buy demonstrates this principle with effective breadcrumb navigation and well-structured menus. Each category flows naturally into the next, making it easy for shoppers to explore products without getting lost. Clear labels, consistent placement, and visible CTAs reduce confusion and build confidence as users browse.

Breadcrumb navigation on Best Buy's website.

Good navigation creates momentum. It guides users from curiosity to action and supports the next layer of UX design, establishing a strong visual hierarchy.

Design Hierarchy

Design hierarchy gives structure to your website and helps users focus on what matters most. It’s the principle of using layout, size, color, and placement to show importance and guide attention. When your visual elements follow a clear order, users can navigate your content naturally and confidently.

People don’t read web pages from top to bottom. They scan. Good design aligns with that behavior using visual cues to lead the eye in a predictable flow. Larger fonts, contrasting colors, and prominent placement signal priority and make it easier for visitors to decide what to do next.

Netflix provides a great example of design hierarchy done right. The homepage features bold hero images, clear typography, and obvious CTAs like “Play” and “More Info.” Each element has a specific purpose, guiding users from interest to action without confusion.

Netflix's design hierarchy.

Strong hierarchy keeps your design accessible, clear, and easy to use. The next step is to make sure every user can experience it the same way.

Make it Accessible

Accessibility is a core part of UX optimization. Every visitor should be able to navigate, understand, and interact with your site, no matter their abilities or the device they use. When your design works for everyone, you build trust and expand your audience.

Good accessibility starts with simple design choices. Use high-contrast colors for readability, add alt text to images, and make sure every function on your site can be accessed by keyboard. Provide captions for videos and use clear, descriptive link text so screen readers can interpret your content accurately.

Accessibility also includes transparency. Make privacy settings and cookie preferences easy to find and understand. When users know how their data is handled, they feel safer engaging with your content.

Collective Thoughts provides a strong example of accessibility done right. Each article includes an easy-to-find audio version, giving users multiple ways to engage with the same content.

Accessibility on Collective Thoughts' website.

For official standards, review the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Accessible design benefits every visitor and keeps your site usable across devices, which is especially important for complex actions like forms and checkouts.

Streamline Forms and Checkouts

Checkout friction is one of the biggest UX killers in e-commerce. Every extra click, field, or delay gives users a reason to leave. According to the Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate is nearly 70 percent.

Simple, efficient forms create a faster path to conversion. Ask only for essential information, and make sure labels are clear. Use autofill and progress indicators so users always know where they are in the process. Guest checkout options and flexible payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay remove unnecessary steps that slow people down.

Amazon set the standard for streamlined checkout. Returning users can buy instantly using saved details, skipping the typical multi-step process. That speed and convenience are why the feature became a benchmark for great UX optimization.

Amazon's checkout method.

When the path to purchase feels effortless, conversion rates rise. The same principle applies to browsing, users should be able to find what they want just as easily.

Use Product Filters and Site Search

Filters and search tools are essential to strong UX optimization. When users can find what they need quickly, they’re more likely to stay, explore, and buy. On large e-commerce sites, well-designed filters reduce decision fatigue and keep the experience organized.

Zappos is a standout example. Its product pages let shoppers filter by size, color, price range, and brand, all from a clean, intuitive sidebar. The site also uses smart search that suggests relevant products as you type, saving time and minimizing frustration. Every interaction feels smooth because the structure matches the way people actually shop.

The Zappos website.

Good UX best practices make discovery easy. Use predictive search, logical categories, and visual cues like color swatches to help users narrow results faster. When navigation feels effortless, users feel in control, and that control leads to more confident conversions.

The next step is communicating what happens after each click so users always know what to expect.

Test, Test, and Test Again

UX optimization is never finished. Designs that work today can feel outdated or confusing tomorrow. Regular testing keeps your experience aligned with real user behavior instead of assumptions.

Start by using analytics to identify where users drop off or hesitate. Tools like Google Analytics and ContentSquare reveal how people scroll, click, and move through your site. Session recordings and heatmaps show which elements attract attention and which ones get ignored.

ContentSquare's website.

A/B testing takes it further. Platforms such as Optimizely or VWO let you compare two versions of a page to see which performs better. Even small adjustments to headlines, layouts, or CTAs can have measurable impact.

The goal is consistent improvement. By testing, analyzing, and iterating regularly, you build a user experience that gets stronger with every insight. Next, we’ll look at how to measure that progress through key UX metrics.

Track Key Metrics for UX Success

Great UX is measurable. Tracking the right data shows whether your optimizations are actually improving the experience. Without clear metrics, you’re just guessing at what works.

Start with the fundamentals. Bounce rate tells you if visitors find your content relevant. Engagement rate shows how long they stay and how deeply they interact. Conversion rate reveals how effectively your UX supports business goals. Together, these numbers tell the story of your site’s performance.

Core Web Vitals are equally important. They measure loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, the technical foundations of user experience. Improving these signals helps both users and search engines trust your site.

Be sure to monitor these metrics regularly. When you track, analyze, and act on the data, your UX gets sharper and more effective over time. That ongoing improvement is what separates good experiences from great ones.

FAQs

What is user experience?

User experience (UX) is how someone feels when interacting with your website, app, or product. It includes everything from design and navigation to speed and usability. Good UX helps people find what they need quickly and enjoy the process, which builds trust and increases conversions.

What is UX optimization?

UX optimization means improving your site’s design, structure, and performance to make it easier and more enjoyable to use. It focuses on removing friction, improving speed, and guiding users toward clear goals. The result is higher engagement and stronger business results.

What are UX best practices?

UX best practices are proven methods for creating a smooth, intuitive digital experience. They include understanding your audience, simplifying design, using clear navigation, optimizing for mobile, improving accessibility, and testing regularly. These principles make your site more usable and trustworthy.

How do UX best practices impact SEO?

UX best practices directly affect SEO performance. Search engines reward sites that load quickly, work well on mobile, and provide a smooth, intuitive experience. While metrics like time on page or bounce rate aren’t direct ranking factors, strong UX helps users find what they need, stay engaged and complete tasks, which all contribute to better overall performance.

How can I improve website UX?

Start by analyzing how users interact with your site. Simplify your layout, improve page speed, and test your navigation flow. Use clear CTAs and make sure your content is accessible and easy to read.

What tools can I use to test my UX design?

Tools like Google Analytics and ContentSquare help you see where users click, scroll, and drop off. You can also run A/B tests with Optimizely or VWO to compare layouts and features. User feedback platforms such as UserTesting provide direct insights from real visitors.

What is mobile UX design?

Mobile UX design ensures your website works seamlessly on phones and tablets. It includes responsive layouts, readable text, quick load times, and tap-friendly buttons. Strong mobile UX improves accessibility, reduces bounce rates, and helps your site perform better in mobile search results.

Conclusion

Implementing these UX best practices can dramatically improve the user’s journey across your site, increase conversions, and elevate your brand reputation.

Remember, understanding your audience is extremely important. Everything you design should be with your users in mind. Keep things simple, prioritize accessibility, don’t forget about mobile, and never stop testing and refining.

Get started today by examining your site’s user experience and identifying areas for improvement. It may be time to revisit your mobile optimization. Or do your forms need streamlining for a smoother checkout process?

Every change you make can potentially improve your users’ experience and, by extension, your bottom line.

Read more at Read More

How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency That Actually Delivers

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You found a digital marketing agency that feels like the one.

The pitch was perfect. They “get” your goals. Their case studies are impressive.

But a few weeks later, reality starts to set in: slow responses, recycled strategies, and reports that don’t show any tangible results.

This scenario is painfully common, but it’s not inevitable.

Choosing an agency that performs as well as they sell is possible — if you know what to look for.

In this guide, I’ll cover:

  • Red flags that signal an agency might overpromise and underdeliver
  • Green flags that separate the great partners from the mediocre ones
  • Must-ask questions to help you spot these flags before you sign the contract

You’ll also get real-world advice from experienced marketing leaders who’ve seen both dream partnerships and nightmare contracts.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to choose a digital marketing agency in 2026. One that drives results instead of draining your budget.

First up: Vital questions to ask before jumping into a partnership.

Before You Hire a Digital Marketing Agency, Ask These Questions

Finding the right agency starts with understanding what you need and why.

Do You Have Product-Market Fit and a Clear Target Audience?

Even the best agency can’t sell a product that doesn’t solve a real problem for a defined audience.

If product-market fit isn’t there, your results will stall.

Ask yourself:

  • What pain points do we solve?
  • Who’s willing to pay for this?
  • Who else is competing for this audience?

Use a market analysis tool like Semrush’s Market Overview to confirm there’s real, sustainable demand.

For example, a quick search for Purina pet food shows strong growth and evenly distributed traffic — a clear sign of opportunity.

Semrush – Market Overview – Summary

That’s the kind of demand signal you want before investing in outside help.

Do You Have a Clear Goal for Your Marketing Strategy?

A marketing agency can help you refine your goals.

But you’ll get better results when you already know what success looks like.

Vague goals like “increase website traffic” sound good, but they’re too broad to measure. Instead, set SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Smart Goals

Here’s what a SMART goal looks like in action:

“Generate 120 qualified demo requests per month within four months by improving landing page copy and optimizing Google Ads.”

Clear goals like this help you find the right agency. And give them a focus to rally around and drive results.

Do You Have the Bandwidth to Manage an Agency?

Working with an agency isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of task.

Regular, consistent communication with your agency is part of this process.

Marketing Agency Commonication Loop

Sure, the level of autonomy will depend on the agency and the work.

But generally, the best agencies keep the door to conversation open.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Provide materials and align on strategy and deliverables up front
  • Join weekly or biweekly check-ins (typically about an hour)
  • Review work and share feedback monthly

Pro tip: Assign one internal “agency owner.” Their job will be to keep decisions moving, share context fast, and unblock workflows.

Do You Know What Marketing Services You Need?

“Full-service marketing” sounds great. Until you realize you’re paying for tactics that get you nowhere.

There are many types of digital marketing agencies:

  • SEO and content: Drive organic growth through optimized content
  • PPC: Manage and optimize paid campaigns
  • Social media: Build brand awareness and affinity
  • Branding and design: Shape your visual identity and messaging
  • Video: Create video content that converts
  • Consultant: Help define priorities before execution

But before you pick one, identify what’s already working (and what’s not).

The more specific you are about your needs, the easier it is to find a partner whose strengths align with your goals.

Start by looking at your top-performing channels, campaigns, and content in analytics tools.

GA4 – Pages and Screen – Table

If content and partnerships drive results for you, that’s a hint about where to invest.

Next, check what’s working for your competitors.

For example, Semrush’s Organic Social tool reveals how your competitors generate traffic from social media.

Semrush – Organic Social – TCL & LG – Traffic Trend

And tells you exactly which platforms send the most traffic to their websites.

Semrush – Organic Social – TCL & LG – Top Sources

If others in your space are thriving on social while you’re not, that’s a clue to where you could expand.

Pro Tip: Before looking for an agency, ask yourself: Do I need strategy, execution, or both?

Is Your Internal Team Aligned on What You Need?

Clear goals mean nothing if your team isn’t aligned.

Without internal buy-in, even the best agency partnership can derail fast.

Marketing leader Eric Doty learned this the hard way.

After hiring an agency for a logo redesign (and spending weeks on revisions), leadership revealed they wanted to keep the full company name.

“In the end, we wasted around $15,000 on these iterations when all the company really wanted was to change the font.”

Avoid this by:

  • Defining who owns the agency relationship
  • Deciding who signs off on deliverables
  • Getting stakeholder input before work gets started

The 4 Quadrants of Marketing Agency Alignment

Once you’re aligned internally, you’re ready to align externally with your agency.

6 Red Flags That a Marketing Agency Will Waste Your Time (and Budget)

The sales call sounds great.

But how do you know whether the relationship will work long-term?

Don’t go in blind. Here are six warning signs and how to spot them.

1. They’re Not Willing to Invest Time in You

This isn’t something an agency will just come out and say directly. But there may be indications that they’ve currently got too much on their plate.

(And you’re about to be thrown onto the back burner.)

For one, look for a high amount of employee turnover. Employees leave when stress is high.

Check LinkedIn to learn about their employees and watch for downward growth trends.

LinkedIn – Company – Growth trends

You’ll also want to pay close attention to the discovery call.

If it’s all about them and nothing about you, that’s a sign they’re not taking the time to understand your business.

Calendly – Select a Date & Time

An agency that “yeses” you to death without adding ideas or offering pushback is another red flag.

They’re likely more focused on producing work as fast as possible than on providing a sustainable strategy.

Pro tip: Ask for a sample strategic recommendation on the call. Something lightweight like: “How would you improve our blog content?” The right agency will share high-level insights — not just a sales script.

And it’s never a good sign if they get defensive when you ask questions.

This can be an indicator that they’re not willing to invest time in the relationship.

Fractional CMO Amanda Milligan has had this experience.

Here’s her agency horror story:

I once hired an agency to help run paid social ads, and they did the absolute bare minimum. I had to point this out to get any attention, and by then, our three-month trial engagement was practically over, and we saw no results. While I don’t know for a fact it’s because we were on the lower end of their engagement value, it seems likely.

Looking at recent testimonials or mentions of the agency can help.

Recent testimonials

But sometimes, asking pointed questions is the best way to get an answer.

For example:

  • What’s your typical engagement type?
  • How long are your typical engagements?
  • How many clients does your team normally work with at once?

By asking these questions, you’ll get a better sense of the agency’s bandwidth.

Further reading: 7 Best SEO Tools Trusted by 7-Figure Agencies

2. Their Offerings Haven’t Evolved (or Have Evolved Too Much)

It’s no secret that marketing has evolved over the past few years.

And AI has only accelerated those changes.

So, if an agency hasn’t evolved its strategy to match the industry, it’s a sign they’re coasting on an outdated approach.

Want to find this out before the discovery call?

First, check the age of their case studies. Older case studies indicate a strategy that hasn’t changed.

Older case studies

Next, look at the wording on their services page.

If it sounds generic or dated, that’s a red flag.

In the example below, wording like “Taking over Google” is no longer fully relevant.

Plus, there’s no mention of local search or AI results.

(Which is odd, since they target local businesses.)

Pro tip: Trend chasing is another huge red flag. If you see a digital marketing agency that’s majorly pivoted without the data or case studies to back up those decisions, then you may want to steer clear.

Make sure they’re thinking ahead — not clinging to old playbooks — by asking:

  • How have your offerings changed in the past year?
  • How has your process changed since AI came on the scene?
  • How much does your team use AI when creating deliverables?
  • What’s your perspective on marketing in the AI era?

Further reading: Vibe Marketing: Hype, Reality, and Real Case Studies

3. They Won’t Allow for a 30-Day-Out Clause

Agencies don’t want to get burned.

But you don’t want to get stuck in a relationship that’s not working.

Shorter contracts may not have an out clause. But if you’re getting ready to sign a contract for a year or more, and there’s no way out of that relationship, that could be a red flag.

SEO Services Agreement

For longer contracts, a 30-day out clause is typical. That means you both can leave the contract if things aren’t working out.

If you ask for this clause and the agency is pushing back hard, that’s a warning sign.

Amanda agrees:

No failsafe means the agency knows retention is a problem. And they may be more focused on cash flow than results.

Again, communicating clearly is important here.

When in doubt, ask the digital marketing agency these questions:

  • How have you handled failed campaigns in the past? Did you course-correct mid-campaign, or offer free revisions?
  • What barriers to success do you see with our engagement?
  • What’s your policy for a 30-day out in the contract?

4. Communication Isn’t Clear or Easy

The way your agency communicates during the discovery phase is a key indicator of how they’ll communicate once that contract is signed.

Here are some key warning signs you could see early in the process:

  • You have to chase them for updates or next steps: If getting in contact with the agency is hard before you sign the contract, don’t expect it to improve later on.
  • You can’t get clear answers to your questions: Asking about timeline, resources, and processes is normal. If they can’t give you straight answers to basic questions, beware.
  • You have no idea who you’ll be working with: It’s typical to talk to a salesperson or account manager in the early stages. But if you get pushback when asking to speak to the people you’ll be working with, that’s a red flag.

Chelsea Castle, head of brand and content at Close, experienced this firsthand.

Here’s her agency horror story:

One of my biggest career mistakes was not speaking up sooner and louder about yellow flags with an agency. From the initial meeting, something felt off in our communication. There were bumps and issues throughout the entire nine-month engagement. We didn’t love the output, and they weren’t doing things we suspected they should be doing.

Collaboration and communication were messy. We ended up firing this agency and losing the five figures spent on them, which left us with no completed work. Talk about a challenging conversation with your CEO!

To know more about communication before signing the contract, ask questions like:

  • Who’s my main point of contact with your agency?
  • Who’s going to be working on the project with me?
  • Who will be included in the check-in meetings?
  • At what points in the process do you track metrics to assess if we’re on the right track?

Further reading: How to Advertise Your Business with a $500 Budget

5. They Promise More Than They Can Reasonably Deliver

Overselling can lead to disaster down the road. But, how do you know if an agency is selling something they can’t deliver?

First, look at the language they use to describe their services or results.

If they make exaggerated claims or promises, it’s worth pausing.

For example, this agency’s website has red flags written all over it:

Website – Red flags

(I wish this were a made-up website, but it’s not.)

Claims like this sound great, but it’s important to take a step back and look at the facts.

  • Can they actually back up their claims with real examples?
  • Can they reasonably guarantee results without knowing anything about the potential client?

Danni Roseman, a brand manager at a SaaS company, hired an agency that promised the world but didn’t live up to expectations.

I assumed a team would handle our project. We later found out that only one person had the expertise we needed. It wasn’t enough. Deadlines slipped, quality dropped, and “edits” turned into full rewrites on our end. Hand-holding your agency isn’t part of the deal.

An agency that’s focused on revenue may sell more than the team is capable of doing, and you’re left with the aftermath.

Another side to this is whether the team has experience using or integrating with your tech stack.

Eric once worked with an email marketing agency that promised big things.

But ended up having no experience integrating with Microsoft Teams (a must-have for his company).

They decided to lead a procurement process for us to find a tool that integrated with Teams. This turned into a massively bloated project, when, really, they should’ve just told me from the get-go that they had no experience with this tool.

So, how do you make sure that what the sales team is offering can actually be delivered down the road?

First, ask pointed questions like:

  • Who on your team has experience working with the tools in our tech stack?
  • How much experience does your team have with these tools?
  • How many years of experience does the team have in this type of project?
  • What’s the project (within the type of service you’re looking for) that you enjoyed working on the most?
  • Can you give me some names of people I can talk to about your work?

Lastly, get references.

The sales team is going to say everything right. You need something solid to back up those claims.

Further reading: 12 Best SEO Tools

6. Their Process Is a Big Black Box

Most agency websites say some version of “We do X for Y.” But can they explain how?

This is something you can check for on their website.

For example, what do their case studies look like? Are they just screenshots, or do they explain the process behind the work?

Here’s an example:

Example of case studies

What looks impressive at first glance melts away when you realize these are just screenshots.

No discussion of the work, no explanation.

Here are some other warning signs to look out for:

  • Their process isn’t up for discussion: If an agency tells you anything along the lines of, “Trust us, we’ll handle it,” beware
  • They’re using the same templated strategies for every client: On the discovery call, are they bringing ideas to the table? Do they take your unique situation into account?
  • Their reporting is focused on big-number vanity metrics: Case studies with numbers are great. But do those numbers tell you a story of real impact?
  • They can’t explain why something worked: This could mean the team has little understanding of the mechanics behind the results

Email marketing services

If you’re not sure about their process, ask questions like:

  • How do you approach new engagements?
  • How much time do you spend determining strategy?
  • How is the strategy adjusted as time goes on?
  • How often will we meet for check-ins?
  • Can you tell me about a project you worked on (in this vertical/type) that didn’t go well? How did your team handle that situation?

When you’re evaluating an agency, Chelsea’s advice rings true:

Ultimately, I think the biggest flag cannot be said; it can only be felt. Intuition and how you connect with someone are crucial in selecting and building long-lasting external relationships.

6 Green Flags You’ve Found a High-Performing Marketing Agency

Despite the horror stories we’ve discussed, great agencies do exist.

Here are the most common green flags — and tips for choosing a digital marketing agency that will actually deliver on its promises.

1. They Start with Questions, Not Tactics

The right agency feels like a partner.

They’re curious about your business and invested in your success.

On the discovery call, look for all of these green flags:

  • They start by asking deep questions about your business model, ICP, positioning, and goals
  • They’re comfortable pushing back respectfully if a strategy doesn’t align with best practices
  • They focus on how their work ties to your business outcomes, not vanity metrics

For example, KlientBoost, a PPC agency, doesn’t just offer standard strategy packages.

They ask questions about what the client needs, their goals, and their situation.

KlientBoost – Pricing

This information lets them tailor quotes to each client’s needs.

2. You Get Good Feedback From Third Parties

Good feedback, testimonials, and reviews are always a green flag.

First, check vetted, third-party review sites like Clutch.

Look for reviews that mention:

  • Quality of the digital marketing agency’s work
  • Communication style
  • Costs
  • Timing

Clutch Inbox Army – Reviews

Some reviews even include specific numbers and results.

Clutch – Review example

Another way to get feedback is to ask your network.

Ask around in your favorite Slack communities and check on Reddit or LinkedIn.

You’ll learn who’s worked with this agency and what their impressions are.

Slack – Community impressions

Chelsea swears by using your network to find good agencies.

The best hires for me have almost always come through network referrals. When a trusted friend or colleague makes a recommendation, they’re risking their reputation to vouch for them. So you can be confident they’re worth your time.

What should you do if you don’t have any network recommendations?

Check out industry award winners, says Chelsea:

When I needed to hire a web design agency, I looked at Webflow’s Webby winners. While many great agencies don’t get awards like this, it was a sure bet to start my search by looking at those recognized in this credible, trustworthy way. I ended up finding a fantastic partner who was great to work with.

Within awards like Webby, you’ll find some incredible projects (and the agencies that made them happen).

Websites & Mobile Sites

Pro tip: Browse Semrush’s Agency Partner directory to find top agencies in your area and read real client reviews.

Semrush – Company list – US

3. The Full Team Will Be Involved in Communication

Knowing who’s involved in your project can help you have more confidence in the work being done.

Plus, if it’s easy to talk to the team before the project gets started, it’s a good sign that communication will be top-notch after the contract is signed as well.

Ask early on who will be on calls with your team.

If you find out it’s more than just one account manager, that means multiple people are invested in your engagement.

For example, check out this about page from content agency Beam:

Beam Content – Meet the team

You see the founders of this team.

But you also see the content producers and their social profiles. This level of transparency is a green flag.

4. They’re Transparent About Scope, Pricing, Timing, and How Work Gets Done

Your agency should be very clear about vital details upfront.

This includes:

  • The scope of the projects they do
  • Timing they can commit to
  • Any processes they use

For example, KlientBoost creates marketing plans for clients.

But even before you give them any information or sign up for a call, they show you a sneak peek of what a marketing plan looks like for their clients.

KlientBoost – Marketing plan

Another aspect of transparency is pricing.

Knowing what you’ll pay (and exactly what that cost includes) is essential to the project’s success.

That’s why some agencies, like A2Media, show their pricing right on their homepage:

A2Media – Pricing

Of course, not every agency lists its pricing publicly.

And there are plenty of different pricing structures, each with its pros and cons.

Black Propeller – Pricing structure

When talking about rates, ask the agency why they take the approach they do.

Get estimates for what each type of project entails.

If you’re comfortable with those ranges and estimates, include those in the contract.

When you can get clear answers to these questions, it’s a good sign they’ll live up to their promises.

Further reading: 5 LLM Visibility Tools to Track Your Brand in AI Search

5. Their Own Marketing Is Top Notch

When you find an agency you like, check out their marketing.

Most of the time, it’s a good indicator of the quality of their work.

In the past year, I’ve had two fantastic experiences with marketing agencies.

And both of them had one key aspect that was a huge green flag for me: their brand marketing was on point.

Take A2Media, for example.

The founder, Ademola, regularly produces video content on LinkedIn that generates strong engagement with his niche audience.

LinkedIn – Ademola – Video content

Another example is Beam.

They offer great content services to clients.

But they also produce fantastic content on their own website that’s both interesting and fun to read.

Beam – Interesting & fun content

This pattern repeats itself over and over again.

KlientBoost’s LinkedIn video ads aren’t only hilarious but also deeply relatable.

LinkedIn – KlientBoost's video ads

Juice, a brand and web agency, has an incredibly stylish and fun website.

Juice – Agency homepage

If they do great work for themselves, it’s a positive sign they’ll do great work for you.

6. Your Personalities Match

Yes, personality is subjective. And judging a marketing agency on “vibes” might sound a bit woo-woo.

But remember, this is a relationship. Hopefully, a long-term one.

So, the right agency should also match your style and get your vision.

Here are some green flags when it comes to personality match:

  • Their team seems genuinely excited about your product and mission
  • They treat your team members with respect, regardless of title
  • Their company culture aligns with yours
  • You enjoy working with them
  • They make collaboration energizing, not draining

Chelsea saw a personality match early on with a video agency, which gave her the confidence to move forward.

From the very first call, it just felt right. The agency owner and I instantly clicked and saw eye to eye on many things. He asked thoughtful, intentional questions that signaled respect, expertise, and a desire to find the best way to work together that prioritized me and my team. We’ve been working with this partner for more than a year, and have every intention of holding onto them for as long as we can.

Bonus: They Have Proven Expertise in Your Vertical

We’ve covered the most vital factors to evaluate when choosing a marketing agency partner.

But niche experience is worth considering, too.

While it’s not a necessity, it can be a really great bonus when combined with what we’ve discussed above.

For example, this agency focuses on dental practices:

Wonderist Agency – Dental marketing

While this agency focuses on marketing for law firms:

WEBRIS – Marketing for law firms

From just those two websites, it’s clear that their approach, strategy, and personality are very different.

And they’re each uniquely qualified to help clients in their chosen industry.

Other agencies may not have experience in your specific vertical. But they can demonstrate proven experience in the services you need.

For example, let’s say you want an agency that can help you show up in AI responses.

Then, you come across a case study like this:

Single Grain – Case studies

Obviously, this agency has adapted its services to include AI search.

And has proven expertise in exactly what you need.

Ready to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency? Trust the Patterns (and Your Gut)

Choosing the right marketing agency comes down to spotting patterns.

  • Red flags: Overpromising, poor communication, and teams that won’t invest time in your success
  • Green flags: Thoughtful questions, killer third-party reviews, and teams that practice what they preach

But don’t forget the value of your gut reaction.

If something feels off during discovery, it won’t magically disappear once the contract is signed.

The best agency relationships start with a genuine connection.

As Chelsea says, “In any kind of creative work, sometimes you really do just have to go off vibes.”

When you find a team that gets your vision, respects your goals, and makes collaboration energizing, that’s your signal to move forward.

Before you head into discovery calls, read 5 Crucial SEO Trends (and How to Adapt).

Understanding what’s happening in SEO will help you ask better questions. And spot whether agencies are using outdated tactics or staying ahead of the curve.

The post How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency That Actually Delivers appeared first on Backlinko.

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AI SEO Myths, Debunked: A No-BS Guide For Marketers

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Marketers are making bold statements about AI SEO every day.

The problem?

Most of them are half-right at best.

“SEO is dead.”
“Long-form content is pointless.”
“AI SEO is just good SEO.”

Statements about AI SEO

Here’s the truth:

When it comes to AI, the answer is rarely that simple.

Are you trying to show up in ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews?

Do you want the AI to recommend your brand or cite your content?

Is the model pulling from training data or live web results?

Each of those questions has a different approach.

Trying to generalize only causes confusion.

So, let’s skip the hype and get specific.

This guide tests today’s biggest AI myths in SEO to uncover what’s true, what’s false, what’s complicated, and what all of it really means for your marketing strategy.

1. True or False: SEO Is Dead

False.

SEO still isn’t dead.

It’s just harder than it used to be.

This is where SEO is now

AI Overviews are stealing clicks.

Content volume has exploded.

And search behavior has fragmented.

Modern Search Journey

But that doesn’t mean SEO is dead.

What’s Actually Happening

The global SEO market is still growing at 16.7% a year.

SEO Industry Growth Projection

And Google Search itself continues to expand, according to Exploding Topics.

Google Daily Searches Growth

Also, so far it looks like AI tools are adding to search, not replacing it.

A Semrush study of 260 billion clicks found that Google usage stays steady — and even increases — after people start using ChatGPT.

Google usage stays steadyGoogle usage stays steady

That pattern makes sense when you think about how people actually use AI tools.

If you ask ChatGPT for “the best email marketing tools,” you’ll get a solid starting list.

But people often still return to Google afterward to compare pricing, read reviews, or see what others are saying.

Here’s the catch:

Sticking with traditional SEO alone is not a safe bet.

Semrush data predicts that, if current trends continue, AI search will overtake traditional search by 2028.

Google and LLM Unique Visitor Growth Projection (Moderate Case)

But even before AI went mainstream, people were searching beyond Google.

Back in 2022, Google data showed that about 40% of younger users preferred TikTok and Instagram for local searches.

Today, the search journey spans dozens of surfaces: Google, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Amazon, LinkedIn — and now, AI tools.

How People Search in 2025

SEO still drives discovery. It’s just one piece of a bigger visibility puzzle.

The future isn’t search engine optimization.

It’s search everywhere optimization — showing up wherever your audience looks for answers.

Takeaway: SEO isn’t dead. It’s diversified. Win by thinking beyond Google.

2. True or False: AI SEO Is Just Good SEO

True. And also false.

The fundamentals of SEO still matter.

But “just doing good SEO” won’t get you visibility in AI answers. That’s another AI myth.

What’s Actually Happening

Traditional SEO factors (metadata, structured HTML, schema markup, freshness) still help AI systems find your pages.

But AI answer engines trust what others say about you more than what’s on your own site.

AI analytics firm AirOps found that 85% of brand mentions in AI search come from third-party domains, not owned pages.

Off-Site Visibility in AI Search report

But that doesn’t mean on-site SEO no longer matters.

It’s the foundation of AI visibility.

AI engines are more likely to cite technically clean, current pages. They look for:

  • Metadata (title tags, meta descriptions, canonical tags)
  • Freshness signals (updated dates, last-modified tags)
  • Semantic HTML (clean heading hierarchy, proper use of <p> and <section>)
  • Schema markup

Side note: Google has confirmed that schema markup can help with AI visibility in its own products. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s smart technical hygiene. And it’s likely to become even more important as AI evolves.

That means your ranking foundation still matters, but it’s no longer enough.

AI visibility comes from combining:

  • On-site clarity: Technically optimized, easy-to-parse content
  • Off-site credibility: Brand associations built through mentions, citations, and expert recognition

Takeaway: SEO fundamentals get you indexed. Off-site authority gets you cited. AI SEO is about expanding what “optimization” means beyond your own site.

3. True or False: All AI SEO Works the Same

False.

Marketers talk about “showing up in AI answers” like it’s one game.

It’s not.

Google dominates the search landscape so much that traditional SEO is pretty unified — one platform, one algorithm, one analytics dashboard.

But there’s no single kind of AI visibility and no single playbook for earning it.

What’s Actually Happening

Every AI platform behaves slightly differently.

They draw from unique data pipelines, weigh off-site signals differently, and credit sources in their own ways.

For example, Google’s AI tools still echo its ranking system.

Originality.AI found that many Google AI Overviews come from the top 10 ranking pages.

Many Google AI Overviews come from the top 10 results

Other platforms look completely different.

Nearly 90% of ChatGPT citations come from pages ranked 21 or lower in Google.

Ranking Positions of LLM-Cited Search Results

But for brand mentions (answers that refer to your company), ranking seems to have more of an impact on ChatGPT.

Brands that rank on page one of Google show up more often in ChatGPT answers. Seer Interactive found a 0.65 correlation between high rankings and brand mentions.

Correlation of LLM Mentions by SERP Factor

In other words, if HubSpot ranks on page one for “CRM software,” ChatGPT is more likely to name it when users ask for the best CRMs.

Takeaway: Each platform plays by slightly different rules. Treat AI SEO like an ecosystem, not a checklist.

4. True or False: If You’re Cited by AI, You’ll Also Get Mentioned

Mostly false.

Mentions and citations aren’t the same thing — and one doesn’t guarantee the other.

  • Mentions = when your brand appears in the answer
  • Citations = when your content is trusted as a source

AI Search Visibility

You need both to stay visible long term.

What’s Actually Happening

If you had to choose, being mentioned matters more in the short term.

When someone asks ChatGPT for “the best CRM for small businesses,” you want your brand to show up, even without a link.

But long-term visibility compounds when you’re both seen and trusted.

Brands that are both mentioned and cited appear 40% more often in repeat AI searches, AirOps found.

Mentions Signal Staying Power

And that’s harder than you might think.

According to Semrush’s AI Visibility Index, fewer than 1 in 10 brands appear in AI answers as both mentioned and cited.

Semrush – AI Visibility Index Study – Source-Mention Overlap

Most only get one: they’re either mentioned without a link or cited without being named.

For instance, if I look up “What’s the best HR software for small businesses?” I get the following response from ChatGPT:

ChatGPT – Best HR software for small businesses

Of all the responses, only Rippling was mentioned as a good choice of software and cited as a source.

ChatGPT – Sources

Getting mentioned and cited consistently means playing a longer, smarter game.

To win both, you need to shape the way AI systems talk about your brand.

Earn mentions through off-site authority — PR, reviews, credible partnerships — and citations through trustworthy, reference-worthy content.

Takeaway: Mentions get you visibility. Citations earn you trust. You need both to last.

5. True or False: AI Engines Don’t Care About E-E-A-T

It’s complicated.

AI engines tend to cite pages that look trustworthy: clear sourcing, visible citations, and credible domains.

In other words, they look for the same things as Google’s quality control agents: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

What is E-E-A-T

It’s possible to get short-term wins with content optimized for large language models (LLMs) that skip traditional E-E-A-T.

But in the long term, trust signals still matter.

What’s Actually Happening

Google’s AI systems explicitly reference content quality and credibility when choosing what to cite.

Their guidance on “helpful, reliable, people-first content” directly ties to E-E-A-T.

How to appear in AI features

That means E-E-A-T signals still influence what gets surfaced in AI Overviews.

Outside Google, the pattern holds.

Different models vary, but most lean toward higher-quality, more credible domains.

For example, a 2025 study by PR platform Muck Rack found that 49% of AI citations came from trusted news outlets.

It’s not a formal E-E-A-T score, but it points in the same direction: engines reward credibility.

There are exceptions, though.

This may be because of the query fan-out process.

When AI engines use query fan-out, they break one question into many.

How LLM Query Fan-out Works

If a short page or definition answers a single sub-question directly, it might get pulled into that specific part of an AI answer.

Still, those are situational wins, not a replacement for authority.

And there’s more nuance here:

The Muck Rack study found that when questions got subjective — like asking for advice or step-by-step guidance — AI models pulled more from corporate blogs than authoritative news sources.

Muck Rack – Study

And SurferSEO also found that AI overviews often cite community sources like YouTube, Reddit, and Quora.

Top Domains Cited in AI Overviews

But, whether the LLMs are looking at official news sites, corporate blogs, or community sources, they consistently preferred credible content.

Credibility takes different forms. But AI systems pull from sources people trust most, whether institutional or experiential.

Clarity and organization make you easier to cite, but credibility will keep you there.

Plus, E-E-A-T keeps your content people-friendly as well as AI-friendly.

Takeaway: E-E-A-T still matters. It just needs to be paired with structured, clearly scoped content that AI systems can read and reuse.

6. True or False: Content Recency Matters Even More for AI Visibility

Mostly true.

Keeping content up to date has always been best-practice SEO.

And it’s also important for AI visibility on most of the public platforms.

But the relationship between freshness and visibility isn’t one-size-fits-all.

What’s Actually Happening

Seer Interactive found that nearly 65% of AI bot visits go to content published in the last 12 months.

Strong Content Recency Bias in LLMs

I checked this out for myself using ChatGPT. I asked the query:

How do I create an AI-optimized content strategy?

Then, I asked:

Can you show me the sources you used for that answer?

And it returned:

ChatGPT – Sourcesvwith Links & Dates

The earliest resource was from 2023.

(It didn’t find a date for the Airtable and RevvGrowth articles because they weren’t “visible in the header.”)

Finally, I asked why it chose those sources to answer the question.

It returned:

ChatGPT – Summary table

Note: It listed recency as its top criteria.

But there’s some variation in how important recency is.

Seer Interactive found that freshness matters most in fields like finance, HR, and tax, where outdated data loses credibility fast.

In travel, the window is broader.

Evergreen guides (“best destinations for weekend city breaks”) still perform, but regular updates help maintain visibility.

Travel Industry LLM Content Strategy

And in energy, for example, relevance often beats recency. Educational, evergreen pages (“green vs. renewable energy”) continue attracting AI hits years after publication.

Even instructional content in slow-moving niches can perform long after it’s published.

Seer found AI bots still visiting decking tutorials written 10–15 years ago — proof that quality evergreen content can still hold its ground.

Takeaway: Fresh content gets more bot activity. But credible, well-maintained evergreen pages still win trust. Especially when they’re the best answer for the human behind the query.

7. True Or False: Long-Form Content Is Pointless to Create Now

False.

Many marketers are making a simple mistake:

They hear “AI prefers short answers” and conclude “AI prefers short content.”

AI is more likely to use or cite content that is structured so it’s easy to understand.

But that’s not about length. That’s about structure.

What’s Actually Happening

AI systems don’t skip long pieces.

They skip messy pieces.

Content passages with clear headings helps models scan, interpret, and extract the right snippets.

There’s nothing to say your content needs to be short.

Example: Ask ChatGPT for “the best resources to learn SEO,” and you’ll often see Backlinko mentioned.

ChatGPT – Best resources to learn SEO

Those guides are deep, not brief.

They’re cited because they give a complete answer in a format both humans and models can follow.

Long-form content also compounds your odds of being mentioned.

AI visibility is a probability game.

The more your content earns human discussion, the more likely it is to appear when AI answers a question.

And humans don’t rave about shallow content.

People share and reference the pieces that teach them something new: frameworks, research, comparisons, stories.

Cutting them down for AI only strips out the context that makes your brand trustworthy.

Takeaway: Long-form isn’t outdated. It’s still a way to build authority, trust, and the kind of signal both readers and AI models rely on.

8. True or False: You Should Skip the ToFu Content Now

False.

This is one of the most persistent AI myths in content marketing.

“If AI answers everything, why bother with top-of-funnel (ToFu)?”

But ToFu content still matters. It just has a new job.

In the past, you could publish a big guide like “What Is SEO?” and watch it climb the rankings.

Those broad, educational posts drove traffic because people had to click through to learn.

Now, AI Overviews and large language models answer those same questions right on the results page.

Google SERP – What is SEO – AI Overview

But that doesn’t mean top-of-funnel content is dead.

It just means it’s working differently.

What’s Actually Happening

ToFu content isn’t the traffic engine it once was.

But it still powers two things your marketing ecosystem depends on: awareness and authority.

ToFu Builds Awareness

ToFu content helps new audiences discover your brand, even if they don’t click.

When someone searches “What is the best time to send marketing emails?” and sees your brand name in a featured snippet or short summary, that’s still visibility.

Google SERP – Best time to send marketing emails

It’s like a digital billboard.

People might not visit your site right away, but they’ll start to recognize your name the next time they see it.

The more consistently your brand shows up around key industry topics, the more familiar it feels to your future buyers.

That awareness pays off later when they’re comparing vendors or deciding who to trust.

ToFu Earns Credibility

Google and AI systems both reward depth of coverage.

They look for brands that explain an entire topic — not just their own product.

A Search Engine Land analysis of 8,000 AI citations found that AI systems repeatedly pull from in-depth, trusted sources, not surface-level articles.

If your site only has bottom-of-funnel pages like “Why Choose [Your Product],” algorithms see a narrow view.

But when you also publish foundational explainers and educational content, it shows that your brand understands the full landscape.

That matters for AI visibility too.

Takeaway: ToFU content strengthens your overall site signals. Even if ToFu posts don’t drive conversions, they reinforce your brand’s expertise across the funnel.

9. True Or False: You Should Publish 10x More Content with AI

False.

In theory, more content should mean more visibility.

In practice, that’s not what’s happening.

Teams feel pressure to publish faster because AI makes production easier.

But volume isn’t the same as reach.

Most scaled AI content dies in search before it ever earns authority.

What’s Actually Happening

Graphite, an AI growth agency, found that AI-generated articles overtook human-written ones in late 2024.

AI Content vs. Human

But growth has stalled since then.

Maybe because marketers have learned a simple truth:

Those posts rarely show up in Google results or AI citations, as Graphite’s research shows.

AI Content Image

AI content may be faster and cheaper, but it’s not being seen.

Publishing in bulk can give a brief traffic lift.

More indexed pages mean more impressions — for a moment.

But that growth rarely lasts.

Google’s March 2024 Core and Spam Updates cracked down on scaled content.

Google – Scaled content abuse

AI platforms seem to be taking the same approach. They reward original insight and authority, not sheer output.

Takeaway: If you want visibility in both Google and AI search, slow down and build credibility.

10. True or False: High-Quality Content Is All You Need to Appear in LLMs

It’s more complicated than that.

Many marketers assume that if they simply create great content, AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini will automatically surface it.

But “great” isn’t enough.

High-quality content is a requirement. It’s what gets your pages seen, crawled, and trusted in the first place.

But visibility in AI search depends on something bigger: how consistently your brand is referenced and recognized across the web.

What’s Actually Happening

LLMs generate responses using two data sources:

  • Training data: The static dataset the model was trained on months (or years) ago
  • The live web: Real-time crawling and retrieval from indexed pages, like Google AI Overviews or Perplexity

Each system rewards a different kind of visibility, and each treats “quality” in its own way.

Training-data systems reward brand association.

When a model relies on its training data, it draws on patterns it has already learned.

That includes which brands are consistently associated with which topics.

If your brand’s name and theme appear together across thousands of credible pages, that association becomes part of the model’s long-term memory.

For example, Canva is strongly associated with “simple design.” So, if you ask ChatGPT “What is the simplest design program?” it’s probably going to answer Canva.

ChatGPT – The simplest design program

That’s how brands build “semantic ownership” of an idea.

Over time, those associations become the model’s defaults, a durable moat that competitors can’t easily displace.

Quality still matters here.

It determines whether people read, share, and cite your work — the human behaviors that create the signals AI later learns from.

Meanwhile, web-indexed systems reward structure and authority.

When an AI system relies on live web data, the process looks more like search.

Models retrieve pages in real time, parse structure, and extract concise, factual snippets.

In this environment, “quality” means clarity, structure, and credibility.

For example, if someone asks an AI tool “best CRM software for small business,” the model pulls from pages that look like strong search results.

In this case, that would probably be list posts with clear headings, comparison tables, and trustworthy sources.

A messy blog without structure or citations wouldn’t make the cut.

Takeaway: High-quality content is your ticket in, not your winning hand. Authority, structure, relevancy, and consistent brand signals are what actually get you cited in LLM answers.

How to Level Up Your SEO Strategy for AI Visibility

You’ve seen the myths. You understand the reality.

Now, here’s what to actually do about it.

The good news? You don’t need to blow up your entire SEO strategy.

Most of what you’re already doing still works.

You just need to expand where you’re looking and what you’re measuring.

Start Measuring What You Can’t See

Your analytics are lying to you by omission.

When someone discovers your brand through ChatGPT and visits you three days later, it shows up as direct traffic or a branded search. Zero attribution to the AI mention that started the journey.

Claude – Traditional Google Search vs ChatGPT Response

So you’ll need to:

Track the indirect signals.

  • Rising branded searches while organic clicks decline? That could be LLM discovery.
  • Direct traffic holding steady despite fewer Google clicks? Same thing.
  • Sales calls where prospects say “found you through AI”? You’re getting cited.

Use dedicated AI tracking tools.

Options include Peek.ai and ZipTie.Dev. For more comprehensive features, Semrush Enterprise AIO is a good option, especially if you need full-funnel visibility and advanced reporting.

Semrush AIO – Backlinko – AIO Overview

Further reading: 5 LLM Visibility Tools to Track Your Brand in AI Search

Build Authority in Overlooked Spaces

Build authority in the long-tail spaces where AI systems are already mining for answers.

Pick one narrow topic and own it completely.

Not “email marketing” — think “email deliverability for SaaS companies sending 100K+ messages monthly.”

To understand the types of prompts your audience uses in LLMs, use the Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit.

It surfaces real prompts from a large database and organizes them by search intent.

Semrush – AI Visibility Toolkit – Backlinko – Your Performing Topics

Publish multiple angles: beginner guides, advanced tactics, case studies, and common mistakes.

When AI systems look for expertise on that specific topic, you want your brand to dominate the conversation.

Get Cited Where Your Competitors Already Are

LLMs pull from expert clusters: groups of authorities that consistently appear together.

Here’s how to join that circle:

  • Guest post strategically: Target sites that already cite your competitors in AI answers
  • Participate in expert roundups: Even without a backlink, these mentions feed the associative web that LLMs learn from
  • Show up in communities: A thoughtful Reddit comment or detailed LinkedIn post can carry citation weight

Reddit – Shared experience comment

Create Content Worth Citing

Be structured, not short.

Use clear headings that answer sub-questions directly.

Chunk each section so that it can stand alone.

Chunked vs. Unchunked Content

Maintain E-E-A-T signals. Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness still matter, especially for Google’s AI tools.

Life at Home – IKEA – Microsite

But pair them with clearly scoped content that AI systems can easily read and reuse.

And keep it fresh. Update stats, examples, and screenshots regularly.

Google SERP – Inspirational quotes about running

Get Your Teams Working Together

Getting cited in AI answers is a team sport.

How to optimize your website for AI search

The foundation starts with three teams working in sync:

  • Developers make your site technically accessible — clean crawlability, proper structured data, fresh metadata
  • SEOs structure content so AI can extract it — clear heading hierarchies, scannable paragraphs, strategic schema markup
  • Content teams create information worth extracting — genuine expertise, original insights, regular updates

Further reading: Check out AI Optimization: How to Rank in AI Search for more on cross-functional strategy.

Let Your Community Build Your Authority

When customers share your insights in Reddit threads or LinkedIn comments, they’re creating citation pathways that AI systems discover and value.

Create frameworks and original research people want to reference.

Reddit – Answer questions & interactions

Show up where your audience hangs out.

Contribute genuine expertise in forums and communities.

Every thoughtful answer associates your brand with your core topics.

Don’t Abandon What’s Working

Organic search remains a primary traffic driver — about 44% of visits in the U.S. in Oct 2025, according to SE Ranking.

Organic – Social – AI traffic media

So it’s a good idea to keep up your best-practice on-page SEO habits.

Keep optimizing site structure. Fix technical issues. Build backlinks from credible domains.

Think of LLM optimization as an expansion strategy, not a replacement.

Focus on Influence, Not Just Traffic

Traditional SEO measurement focuses on clicks and conversions.

LLM visibility measurement focuses on influence created.

Track metrics that matter for long-term influence:

  • Visibility score changes across different LLM models
  • Branded search growth (the downstream effect of AI discovery)
  • Market share shifts vs. competitors in AI answers

Competitor Comparison – Brand Share of Voice over time

When you see visibility increases, correlate them with branded search spikes in Google Search Console (GSC) to estimate real business impact.

AI SEO: Trust Data Over Hype

LLMs are evolving fast. So are the rules that shape visibility.

That’s why myths about AI don’t hold up.

The truth is more nuanced.

So don’t chase every new “AI SEO hack.”

Follow marketers whose opinion you already trust.

Then test, track, and adapt based on what actually moves the needle for your brand.

Want to go deeper?

Check out our full AI Search Strategy Guide and learn how to get your brand both mentioned and cited.

The post AI SEO Myths, Debunked: A No-BS Guide For Marketers appeared first on Backlinko.

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How to make products machine-readable for multimodal AI search

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Making products machine-readable in the era of visual and multimodal AI search

As shopping becomes more visually driven, imagery plays a central role in how people evaluate products.

Images and videos can unfurl complex stories in an instant, making them powerful tools for communication. 

In ecommerce, they function as decision tools. 

Generative search systems extract objects, embedded text, composition, and style to infer use cases and brand fit, then 

LLMs surface the assets that best answer a shopper’s question. 

Each visual becomes structured data that removes a purchase objection, increasing discoverability in multimodal search contexts where customers take a photo or upload a screenshot to ask about it.

Visual search is a shopping behavior

Shoppers use visual search to make decisions: snapping a photo, scanning a label, or comparing products to answer “Will this work for me?” in seconds. 

For online stores, that means every photo must answer that task: in‑hand scale shots, on‑body size cues, real‑light color, micro‑demos, and side‑by‑sides that make trade‑offs obvious without reading a word. 

Multimodal search is reshaping user behaviors

Visual search adoption is accelerating.

Google Lens now handles 20 billion visual queries per month, driven heavily by younger users in the 18-24 cohort. 

These evolving behaviors map to specific intent categories.​

General context

Multimodal search aligns with intuitive information-finding. 

Users no longer rely on text-only fields. They combine images, spoken queries, and context to direct requests.​​

Quick capture and identify

By snapping a photo and asking for identification (e.g., “What plant is this?” or querying an error screen), users instantly solve recognition and troubleshooting tasks, speeding up resolution and product authentication.​

Visual comparison

Showing a product and requesting “find a dupe” or asking about “room style” eliminates complex textual descriptions and enables rapid cross-category shopping and fit checking.

This shortens discovery time and supports quicker alternative product searches.​

Information processing

Presenting ingredient lists (“make recipe”), manuals, or foreign text triggers on-the-fly data conversion. 

Systems extract, translate, and operationalize information, eliminating the need for manual reentry or searching elsewhere for instructions.​

Modification search

Displaying a product and asking for variations (“like this but in blue”) enables precise attribute searching, such as finding parts or compatible accessories, without needing to hunt down model or part numbers.​

These user behaviors highlight the shift away from purely language-based navigation. 

Multimodal AI now enables instant identification, decision support, and creative exploration, reducing friction across both ecommerce and information journeys. 

You can view a comprehensive table of multimodal visual search types here.

Dig deeper: How multimodal discovery is redefining SEO in the AI era

Prioritize content and quality for purchase decisions

Your product images must highlight the specific details customers look for, such as pockets, patterns, or special stitching. 

This goes further, because certain abstract ideas are conveyed more authentically through visuals. 

To answer “Can a 40-year-old woman wear Doc Martens?” you should show, not tell, that they belong.

Original images are essential because they reflect high effort, uniqueness, and skill, making the content more engaging and credible.

Source: Mark Williams-Cook on LinkedIn

Making products machine-readable for image vision

To make products machine-readable, every visual element must be clearly interpreted by AI systems. 

This starts with how images and packaging are designed.

Products and packaging as landing pages

Ecommerce packaging must be engineered like a digital asset to thrive in the era of multimodal AI search. 

When AI or search engines can’t read the packaging, the product becomes invisible at the moment of highest consumer intent. 

Design for OCR-friendliness and authenticity

Both Google Lens and leading LLMs use optical character recognition (OCR) to extract, interpret, and index data from physical goods.

To support this, text and visuals on packaging must be easy for OCR to convert into data.

Prioritize high-contrast color schemes. Black text on white backgrounds is the gold standard. 

Critical details (e.g., ingredients, instructions, warnings) should be presented in clean, sans-serif fonts (e.g., Helvetica, Arial, Lato, Open Sans) and set against solid backgrounds, free from distracting patterns. 

This means treating physical product labeling like a landing page, as Cetaphil does.

Cetaphil product packaging
Source: AdAge

Avoid common failure points such as:

  • Low contrast.
  • Decorative or script fonts.
  • Busy patterns.
  • Curved or creased surfaces.
  • Glossy materials that reflect light and break up text.

Here’s an example:

Document where OCR fails and analyze why. 

Run a grayscale test to confirm that text remains distinguishable without color. 

For every product, include a QR code that links directly to a web page with structured, machine-readable information in HTML.

High-resolution, multi-angle product images work best, especially for items that require authenticity verification. 

Authentic photos, where accuracy and credibility are essential, consistently outperform artificial or AI-generated images.

Dig deeper: How to make ecommerce product pages work in an AI-first world

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.

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Managing your brand’s visual knowledge graph

Ecommerce product images on ChatGPT

AI does not isolate your product. It scans every adjacent object in an image to build a contextual database. 

Props, backgrounds, and other elements help AI infer price point, lifestyle relevance, and target customers. 

Each object placed alongside a product sends a signal – luxury cues, sport gear, utilitarian tools – all recalibrating the brand’s digital persona for machines. 

A distinctive logo within each visual scene ensures rapid recognition, making products easier to identify in visual and multimodal AI search “in the wild.” 

Tight control of these adjacency signals is now part of brand architecture. 

Deliberate curation ensures AI models correctly map a brand’s value, context, and ideal customer, increasing the likelihood of appearing in relevant, high-value conversational queries.

Run a co-occurrence audit for brand context

Establish a workflow that assesses, corrects, and operationalizes brand context for multimodal AI search. 

Run this audit in AI Mode, ChatGPT search, ChatGPT, and another LLM model of your choice.

Gather the top five lifestyle or product photos and input them into a multimodal LLM, such as Gemini, or an object detection API, like the Google Vision API. 

Use the prompt: 

  • “List every single object you can identify in this image. Based on these objects, describe the person who owns them.” 

This generates a machine-produced inventory and persona analysis.

Identify narrative disconnects, such as a budget product mispositioned as a luxury or an aspirational item, undermined by mismatched background cues. 

From these results, develop explicit guidelines that include props, context elements, and on-brand and off-brand objects for marketing, photography, and creative teams. 

Enforce these standards to ensure every asset analyzed by AI – and subsequently ranked or recommended – consistently reinforces product context, brand value, and the desired customer profile. 

This alignment ensures consistent machine perception with strategic goals and strengthens presence in next-generation search and recommendation environments.

Brand control across the four visual layers

The brand control quadrant provides a practical framework for managing brand visibility through the lens of machine interpretation. 

It covers four layers, some owned by the brand and others influenced by it.

Known brand

This includes owned visuals, such as official logos, branded imagery, and design guides, which brands assume are controlled and understood by both human audiences and AI.

Loreal product on AI search

Image strategy

  • Curate a visual knowledge graph. 
  • List and assess adjacent objects in brand-connected images. 
  • Build and reinforce an “Object Bible” to reduce narrative drift and ensure lifestyle signals consistently support the intended brand persona and value.

Latent brand 

These are images and contexts AI captures “in the wild,” including:

  • User photos.
  • Social sightings.
  • Street-style shots. 

These third-party visuals can generate unintended inferences about price, persona, or positioning. 

An extreme example is Helly Hansen, whose “HH” logo was co-opted by far-right and neo-Nazi groups, creating unintended associations through user-posted images.

Helly Hansen on Google Search

Shadow brand

This quadrant consists of outdated brand assets and materials presumed private that can be indexed and learned by LLMs if made public, even unintentionally. 

  • Audit all public and semi-public digital archives for outdated or conflicting imagery. 
  • Remove or update diagrams, screenshots, or historic visuals. 
  • Funnel only current, strategy-aligned visual data to guide AI inferences and search representations.

AI-narrated brand

AI builds composite narratives about a brand by synthesizing visual and emotional cues from all layers. 

This outcome can include competitor contamination or tone mismatches.

Image strategy

  • Test the image’s meaning and emotional tone using tools like Google Cloud Vision to confirm that its inherent aesthetics and mood align with the intended product messaging. 
  • When mismatches appear, correct them at the asset level to recalibrate the narrative.

Factoring for sentiment: Aligning visual tone and emotional context

Images do more than provide information. 

They command attention and evoke emotion in split seconds, shaping perceptions and influencing behavior. 

In AI-driven multimodal search, this emotional resonance becomes a direct, machine-readable signal. 

Emotional context is interpreted and sentiment scored.

The affective quality of each image is evaluated by LLMs, which synthesize sentiment, tone, and contextual nuance alongside textual descriptions to match content to user emotion and intent.

To capitalize on this, brands must intentionally design and rigorously audit the emotional tone of their imagery. 

Tools like Microsoft Azure Computer Vision or Google Cloud Vision’s API allow teams to:

  • Score images for emotional cues at scale. 
  • Assess facial expressions and assign probabilities to emotions, enabling precise calibration of imagery to intended product feelings such as “calm” for a yoga mat line, “joy” for a party dress, or “confidence” for business shoes.
  • Align emotional content with marketing goals. 
  • Ensure that imagery sets the right expectations and appeals to the target audience.

Start by identifying the baseline emotion in your brand imagery, then actively test for consistency using AI tools.

Ensuring your brand narrative matches AI perception

Prioritize authentic, high-quality product images, ensure every asset is machine-readable, and rigorously curate visual context and sentiment.

Treat packaging and on-site visuals as digital landing pages. Run regular audits for object adjacency, emotional tone, and technical discoverability. 

AI systems will shape your brand narrative whether you guide them or not, so make sure every visual aligns with the story you intend to tell.

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Instagram Marketing: Strategy Guide & Proven Tips for 2026

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Instagram remains one of the most powerful platforms for growing a brand online.

With more than 2 billion active users, Instagram marketing has long been a must if you’re in fashion, beauty, fitness, food, travel, or ecommerce. But it’s not just for visual-first industries anymore. Service businesses and B2B brands are winning here, too.

The catch? You can’t just post and hope for the best. To succeed on Instagram, you need to post the right content to stay relevant to current followers while bringing in new ones.

To grow, you need a smart content strategy and an understanding of how the algorithm works.

This guide will walk you through proven Instagram marketing tips to help you attract followers and drive engagement.

Key Takeaways

  • Instagram marketing works best when it’s intentional. Know your audience, post with purpose, and build content that connects rather than just fills a feed.
  • Consistency beats frequency. Three to five quality posts a week, backed by Reels and Stories, is often enough to stay visible and relevant.
  • Short-form video drives discovery. Reels and Stories remain the fastest way to reach new audiences and spark engagement.
  • Engagement fuels the algorithm. Comments, saves, and shares can carry more weight than likes, so encourage interaction and conversation.
  • Authenticity wins. From influencer partnerships to user-generated content, real voices and experiences build more trust than polished ads.

What Is Instagram Marketing?

Instagram marketing uses the platform’s creative tools and community reach to help brands build genuine connections and grow their business. At its best, it blends storytelling with strategy, with visuals to pull people in and a message that keeps them interested.

That 1-2 punch should be present in everything from organic posts and Stories to paid ads, influencer partnerships, product tagging, and more. 

Glossier’s Instagram feed. The header shows the Glossier logo, 3.2 million followers, and bio text that reads “Skin first. Makeup second.™ Official Beauty Partner of the WNBA.” Highlight covers feature product categories like Holiday, CP Plush Blush, Skylight, Banana Pudding, and Lip Glaze.

(Image Source) 

The payoff can be tremendous. After all, many of Instagram’s 2 billion users actually want to connect with businesses. More than 60 percent of those on Instagram use the platform to follow or research brands and products.

This makes Instagram a top channel for building brand awareness and showing off your products. It’s a platform for building real relationships with your audience.

You just need to know how to use it the right way.

Why Should Marketers Care About Instagram?

Instagram is now as much a discovery engine as it is a visual app.

Its audience spans every major demographic. Nearly 30 percent of users are 18 to 24, almost 32 percent are between 25 and 34, and engagement among users over 35 continues to grow. 

In other words, your customers are already scrolling here. 

What makes Instagram especially valuable is the intent behind that activity. Ninety percent of users follow at least one business on the platform. 

And many search for products and recommendations directly in-app. That mix of scale and buyer intent makes it one of the best social platforms for brand awareness and conversions alike.

But there’s a bigger reason marketers should care: Search is changing.

AI-powered search models like Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT are increasingly pulling content from social platforms like Instagram to understand what’s relevant and credible. That means your brand’s Instagram presence can also strengthen your broader SEO and “search everywhere” strategy.

Even if you’re not ready to run full campaigns, Instagram gives you real-time feedback on what resonates. Watch how your audience engages, and use those insights to shape smarter content across every channel.

Unique Instagram Features for Marketing

Instagram gives marketers a full toolbox, and knowing which tool to use can make all the difference.

  • Posts are your foundation. They’re where your brand identity lives. Think of them as the grid that tells your story at a glance. Static images, carousels, and graphics still perform well when they’re cohesive and recognizable. Think of your feed as your brand’s first impression.
  • Stories add the real-time connection. They disappear after 24 hours (unless added as a highlight) but consistently drive some of the highest engagement on the platform. Brands use them for behind-the-scenes content, polls, quick updates, or product drops. These types of content feel personal and urgent.
  • Reels are Instagram’s growth engine. Short-form video gets prioritized in the algorithm and can extend your reach far beyond followers. Brands like Gymshark and Duolingo use Reels to blend education, entertainment, and personality into discoverable content that quickly builds awareness.
  • Livestreams are about interaction. They let you talk directly to your audience, host Q&As, or spotlight a new launch. The immediacy builds trust in a way that pre-edited content can’t.
  • Instagram Shop turns discovery into purchase. With product tags, collections, and integrated checkout, followers can go from seeing your post to buying in seconds.

Used together, these features create a seamless customer journey: discover, engage, convert.

How to Get Your Brand Started on Instagram

This may all sound great in theory, but how do you actually start marketing your brand on Instagram? We’ve got you covered.

Zero In on Your Target Audience on Instagram

Before you post anything, get crystal clear on who you want to reach with your Instagram marketing strategy (and why you’re on the platform in the first place). A more focused audience makes everything else easier, from your content strategy and captions to your hashtags and ad targeting.

Start by defining your ideal customer: age, interests, behaviors, and what kind of content grabs their attention. Then look at where your brand overlaps with that. 

For example, Nike Running focuses on athletes chasing progress. 

Screenshot of the official Nike Running Instagram profile. The page shows the Nike Running logo in orange, with 6.1 million followers and 2,045 posts. The bio reads, “Don’t just run. Choose running. All-new Pegasus, Vomero, and Structure are out now. Beaverton, Oregon,” followed by a link to Nike Running’s site and a grid of images.

Glossier, on the other hand, speaks directly to beauty fans who love minimal, real-life aesthetics. 

Instagram post from Perfume & Diamond comparing four Glossier fragrances: Original, Doux, Rêve, and Fleur (labeled “NEW 2025”). Each bottle is shown side by side with its color gradient design and lists of scent notes. 

Both Nike and Glossier know exactly who they’re talking to, and it shows in everything they post.

When you understand your audience, you create relevance. And that’s the foundation of every successful Instagram marketing strategy.

Optimize Your Instagram Profile

Your Instagram profile is your brand’s first impression. 

A complete, well-structured profile is a little like a digital business card. It helps followers (and Instagram’s algorithm) understand who you are and why you’re worth following.

Start by switching to a Business or Creator account. It unlocks analytics, contact buttons, and access to Meta’s ad tools. You’re going to need all that if you want to grow strategically.

Then, fill out every available field. Add your profile photo (ideally a recognizable logo or product image), and write a bio that clearly communicates what your brand offers and who it’s for. Short, specific, and benefit-driven wins every time.

You’ll also want to make sure to include:

  • Contact information: Include your physical address, email address, and phone number so followers can contact you directly. When you include this contact information, Instagram automatically builds related buttons (Call, Get Directions, Email).
  • Category or categories: These groupings appear as circular topics under your name and are a simple way to showcase what your brand is about. Check out our page to see how we do it.
  • Call-to-action buttons: You can tailor your buttons to your business offerings (like Book Now or Order Food) to allow visitors to take specific actions, like making an appointment or booking a reservation. To incorporate these buttons into your profile, select Edit profile and tap Action buttons.
Neil Patel’s official Instagram profile. The page shows his verified account with 639K followers and 2,379 posts. His bio reads: “New York Times bestselling author. Top 100 entrepreneur under 30 by Obama. Top 10 marketer by Forbes. Co-founder of @npdigitalglobal.” Highlight icons include AnswerThePublic, Ubersuggest, NP Digital, and Ads Grader. The grid features Neil’s face in multiple posts.

Don’t skip the category tag under your name, either. It instantly tells visitors what industry you’re in. And if you have multiple offerings, use Story Highlights to organize them into quick-reference guides for new followers.

A complete profile signals professionalism, boosting the odds your content reaches the right audience.

Do Some Starter Keyword Research

You might associate keyword research mostly with Google, but it’s the foundation of visibility for Instagram marketing, too.

While the platform is built on visuals, discovery still happens through words—in captions, hashtags, and even alt text. That’s how Instagram decides what content to show in search and suggested feeds.

Start simple: Type topics related to your brand into the Instagram search bar. 

The auto-suggestions you see? Those are real queries your audience is making right now. Take note of recurring terms and relevant hashtags with active engagement.

Getting a sense for the language your audience uses and weaving it naturally into your posts is how you win. You’ll show up in more searches and connect with people looking for what you offer.

Start Posting High-Quality Content

What you post (particularly how it looks) and how often you show up matter just as much as what you say.

On Instagram, your visual identity is your brand voice. Keep the colors you use, the tone of your images, and your captions consistent. Your feed is basically a digital storefront. Every post should look like it belongs there.

Color psychology still plays a major role. Specific colors trigger an emotional reaction in the viewer. When selecting a color palette for your Instagram posts, choose hues that embody your brand’s identity and message.

Drybar, for example, uses a consistent yellow-accent theme across posts, reinforcing brand identity with visual consistency.

Drybar’s official Instagram grid. The feed features a bright, cohesive color palette centered on the brand’s signature yellow, accented with white and soft gray tones. Posts include product shots of hair tools and styling products, behind-the-scenes salon images, and upbeat quotes or tips framed in yellow.

Next, experiment with formats. 

Standard image posts build brand identity, while Reels boost reach. Stories help you stay top of mind with daily updates, and carousels are great for educational or step-by-step content. 

Your goal isn’t necessarily to use every format. It’s more important to focus on the ones that fit your brand’s style and message.

Then there’s timing. Consistency often beats volume. A predictable cadence (say, three to five posts per week) trains both the algorithm and your audience to expect you.

Finally, use hashtags and keywords strategically. Three to five specific, niche hashtags usually outperform generic ones. 

The same goes for captions. Natural language that your audience would search for is the way to go. Don’t get too wrapped up in buzzwords.

Remember: Every post reinforces who you are and why you matter to your audience.

Engage With Followers

Everyone wants to be heard, and your Instagram followers are no different. So, ensure they know you hear and appreciate them by liking their posts and replying to their comments.

Every comment, message, and tag is an opportunity to build trust. And trust fuels growth on Instagram.

Start by responding to comments and DMs quickly. It shows your audience there’s a real person behind the brand. You can also use interactive features like polls, Q&As, and emoji sliders in Stories to invite two-way conversations.

Example of the emoji slider feature on Instagram Stories. It asks the question, “Do you think Facebook is still relevant for businesses?” with a slider range starting at “Over It!” and ending at “Still here for it!”

(Image Source)

Don’t stop there. 

Reply to comments on your Reels, reshare user-generated content (UGC), and tag followers or partners when it fits naturally. 

Brands like Supergoop and Alo Yoga do this well. They answer questions in comments, repost community photos, and encourage followers to tag friends who’d love the product.

Supergoop leverages engagement-inviting posts to engage its audience. This post asks the question, “Which SPF are you choosing?”

(Image Source)

Today, engagement is as much about connection as it is visibility. The more you show up for your audience, the more likely they are to engage and keep you in their feed.

Track Your Analytics

Instagram has some pretty comprehensive analytics that lets you gain both a bird’s-eye view of your performance and a granular view.

Start with Instagram Insights, available for all Business and Creator accounts. You’ll see metrics like reach, impressions, profile visits, and website clicks. These tell you how far your content travels and how effectively your Instagram marketing efforts drive action.

  • Reach and Impressions: Show how many unique users saw your content and how often. A spike can signal that a post hit the right tone or format.
  • Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, saves, and Reels interactions show what truly resonates. Saves, in particular, are a sign of high-value content.
  • Conversions: Use UTM links or Meta Business Suite to track traffic, leads, and sales coming from your Instagram content or ads.

For deeper analysis, tools like Sprout Social, Later, or Hootsuite give you expanded reporting and trend tracking over time.

Don’t just collect data for the sake of collecting it. Put it to good use. 

If a certain post drives unusually high engagement, study the caption, image style, or timing. Apply those insights to your next batch of content.

Tracking consistently turns your strategy from guesswork into a growth engine.

Top Tips for Instagram Marketing

With billions of active users, Instagram is a major platform for businesses to market their products and services. However, it can be challenging to stand out from the crowd with so many brands vying for attention.

If you need help getting started, here are our top tips for marketing on Instagram.

1. Run Competitive Research

Even if you’re not currently using Instagram marketing as a strategy, your competitors most likely are. 

Start by identifying three to five brands in your niche with active accounts and solid engagement. 

Look at what and how often they’re posting and which formats (Reels, carousels, Stories) get the most traction. Notice the tone of their captions, how they respond to comments, and what hashtags they consistently use.

Tools like Sprout Social, Later, or even Instagram’s built-in dashboard can help you track competitor activity and spot trends over time.

2. Post Product Teasers That Will (Gently) Urge People to Buy

What if you could sell more products by posting product teasers on Instagram?

Well, you can.

Instagram is a great place to advertise your products. And if you play your cards right, you won’t annoy or scare users off with advertisements.

The trick is subtlety.

If you’re too pushy, followers will drop like flies. However, product teaser posts are a simple way to spark curiosity without looking like you’re trying too hard.

This works in almost any industry. For example, Starbucks teases its audience by promoting seasonal drinks with sharp imagery without trying to force people to buy them.

Instagram photo from Starbucks featuring a hand holding an iced gingerbread chai drink with the caption “and it’s just an iced gingerbread chai.

When you tease products people are interested in and don’t push them into buying anything, they’ll be more likely to pull the trigger and buy something.

If not, they might at least engage with your post by liking it, commenting on it, or sharing it with a friend. 

A good product teaser shows just enough to make people want more. Use strong visuals or behind-the-scenes clips to highlight what makes your product unique without spelling everything out.

So, don’t be afraid to show off the goods by posting product photos. Just do it gently. 

3. Practice Instagram SEO to Optimize Your Posts

Instagram has quietly become a search engine of its own. Besides scrolling, people search for content, products, and creators using keywords, hashtags, and topics. 

That’s where Instagram SEO comes in.

Start by weaving the keywords you found earlier into your captions, alt text, and on-screen text in Reels. Instagram now indexes these areas, which means using natural, descriptive language helps your content show up in relevant searches.

Your username, display name, and bio also play a role. Make sure they clearly reflect your brand and niche. For example, “@JessiesVeganBakery” will always outrank “@JVBakes” for a user searching “vegan bakery.”

Avoid keyword stuffing, but do post with intent. If your audience can search it, say it.

4. Create Sponsored Ads

Instagram ads give brands the reach and precision targeting to get in front of exactly the right audience, even if they don’t follow you yet.

Using Ads Manager, you can run campaigns across feed posts, Reels, and Stories, each tailored to different goals like awareness, traffic, or conversions. Reel ads in particular perform well right now, thanks to high engagement and seamless integration into organic content.

A social media ad example for a brand called "luckyshrub" showing images of a woman with houseplants and several potted plants. Overlaid is a blue and white chart labeled "Audiences."

 You can start small by boosting your top-performing posts to test which visuals and messages resonate most. 

Once you see what works, scale those efforts with targeted campaigns using custom or lookalike audiences.

Focus on clean visuals, short captions, and strong calls to action that feel natural in the feed. 

And don’t forget your analytics. Performance data from your ads is a goldmine for refining your content and organic strategy.

5. Use Instagram Reels and Stories

Short-form video is how audiences consume content today.

Reels help you get discovered. They’re Instagram’s most visible format, with strong algorithmic push and viral potential. Use them in your Instagram marketing strategy to educate, entertain, or inspire. Quick how-tos, behind-the-scenes clips, or shareable tips work especially well.

Stories keep your audience close. They disappear fast, which makes them perfect for time-sensitive content like product launches, polls, or limited-time offers.

Image alt text: An image of Instagram highlighting where stories can be found. Instagram marketing tips.
3 examples of Instagram stories

The key to success is consistency and repurposing. A single short video can live as a Reel, a Story, a YouTube Short, and even a LinkedIn post. 

Keep videos under 30 seconds, add captions for sound-off viewing, and use on-screen text or stickers to guide attention.

6. Partner With Influencers for a Wider Reach

The fastest way to reach potential customers on Instagram is through influencers who already have a large following.

Many people will buy services or products based on what they see in their feeds from the influential people they follow. They trust them.

Start small with your influencer marketing efforts. 

You don’t need a celebrity or a million followers to make an impact. Nano- or micro-influencers (creators with smaller but more engaged audiences), for example, can be effective because their recommendations feel personal and real.

For instance, La Croix runs campaigns with micro-influencers who post genuine lifestyle content using their product. These smaller creators drive engaged, niche audiences.

Micro-influencer Hannah Picchi stands in front of a wallpapered wall with large floral prints, posing with peace signs in both hands. She’s wearing a pink “La Croix” T-shirt.

The first step is identifying a few influencers with an audience relevant to your product or service. Look for creators who genuinely align with your brand values and audience.

Study how they engage. Are followers commenting, saving, and sharing? That’s the kind of credibility you want to borrow.

Once you’ve found a match, build a relationship, not a one-off post. Offer creative freedom so influencers can present your product in their own voice. That authenticity performs better than scripted ads.

7. Come Up With an Interactive Branded Hashtag

If you want instant engagement, interactive hashtags are a great way to get it.

Customers can then use the tag to post user-generated content. This allows users to search through all posts relating to your brand.

It also lets you easily search through images you might want to consider reposting on your page.

Creating a hashtag that your company (and other users) can search for is essentially free advertising.

Whenever someone posts a photo using the tag, they expose your company to their followers.

Campaigns like #ShotOniPhone (Apple), which has netted more than 31 million posts, show how branded hashtags can extend far beyond a single promotion. 

Instagram hashtag page for #shotoniphone. The grid shows a variety of popular photos and videos, including a cityscape with the London Eye, a white dog in a car, and a Highland cow in a misty field.

They create recognition and give fans a sense of belonging.

8. Post at The Right Times (and Don’t Over-Post)

Posting at the right time on Instagram matters. However, over-posting is a surefire way to turn off your existing followers.

If all they see is your brand on their news feed, they will probably unfollow you as fast as possible.

However, you want to post consistently to stay in their news feed regularly. One of the best ways to do this is to only post during peak days and hours when your followers are online.

Recent studies from Later and Sprout Social all point to a similar pattern: Engagement peaks mid-morning to early afternoon, Tuesday through Thursday.

Specifically, Later’s 2025 data shows strong performance between 7–9 a.m. and 11 a.m.–1 p.m., while Sprout Social finds Tuesdays to Thursdays, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. to be the sweet spot.

That said, those are benchmarks, not rules. Use Instagram Insights to see when your followers are most active and schedule posts accordingly.

Aim for three to five posts per week, focusing on quality and rhythm. If you’ve got more to share, batch content into carousels or Stories instead of pushing out multiple posts in a row.

Consistency beats frequency every time. Post when it matters, not just because you can.

9. Use User-Generated Content

People trust people more than brands. That’s why user-generated content is one of the most powerful tools in Instagram marketing.

When customers post real photos or videos of your product, they’re giving you social proof money can’t buy. Reposting that content on your feed or Stories builds community and credibility (and helps fill your content calendar).

To encourage UGC, ask followers to share how they use your product with a branded hashtag or tag your account directly. Feature their posts regularly and give credit in captions or Stories. That recognition goes a long way.

Brands like GoPro built entire communities on UGC, turning their customers into ambassadors. 

A GoPro Instagram post showing a dog taking a selfie-style photo in a grassy field with three other dogs behind it. Example of user-generated content (UGC).

Even smaller brands can replicate GoPro’s approach. All it takes is a clear ask and consistent engagement.

10. Build Strong Captions

A great photo or Reel grabs attention, but your caption keeps it.

Captions are where your brand voice comes through. They add context, personality, and a reason for people to engage. The best captions feel natural, not scripted. 

Write like you’re talking to a friend, not broadcasting to a crowd.

Start with a strong first line. It’s what shows before the “See more” cutoff. Use it to spark emotion or action. Then add value: Tell a quick story or ask a question that invites responses.

Short captions (under 125 characters) tend to perform better for quick-scrolling users, but don’t be afraid of longer ones when you’re telling a meaningful story. Just keep the tone consistent and conversational.

End with a clear next step—a question, call-to-action, or tag—to turn engagement into connection.

On Instagram, your visuals stop the scroll, but your captions build the relationship.

11. Got Products In Your Content? Tag Them

Instagram marketing has evolved into a full shopping experience, where users can tap a tag, view pricing and details, and buy directly from your post or via your website. 

That’s frictionless marketing.

Dolce Vita Instagram Shop product page featuring the “Alenna Heels Midnight Crinkle Patent.”

Product tags help your content reach new customers through Instagram’s Shop tab, search, and recommendations, and they also make it easier to track conversions from your posts.

You can tag products in photos, carousels, Reels, and even Stories, linking them to your catalog in Commerce Manager. When paired with influencer or creator posts, product tags create a powerful, connected path from discovery to purchase.

Tagging products turns your organic content into a storefront. 

12. Understand the Instagram Algorithm

Instagram’s algorithm decides what content gets seen, and it’s smarter than ever.

At its core, the algorithm rewards relevance and interaction. It looks at how users behave—what they like, comment on, save, and share—then prioritizes similar content in their feed, Stories, and Reels tabs.

The biggest ranking signals are:

  • Engagement quality: Saves, shares, and comments weigh more than likes.
  • Consistency: Accounts that post regularly stay visible.
  • Relationships: Content from people or brands users interact with most appears first.
  • Format variety: Using Reels, Stories, and carousels helps signal an active, valuable account.

To work with the algorithm, focus on genuine engagement over volume. Encourage conversation, use relevant hashtags and keywords, and post when your audience is most active.

13. Keep Track of New Updates and Features

Instagram never stops evolving.

The biggest changes on the platform revolve around AI and personalization. 

Instagram is testing AI content recommendations that surface posts based on visual themes, tone, and engagement signals, not just hashtags. That means smart captioning, keyword use, and audience insights are more important than ever.

You’ll also see new tools for creators and brands, like AI-generated captions and image editing, expanded product tagging for Reels, and enhanced analytics dashboards that show cross-platform performance.

The platform’s Creator marketplace has also expanded, making influencer partnerships easier to manage directly within Instagram. That’s a huge win for brands running multiple campaigns.

The key is to experiment early. Every new feature gives you a short-term visibility boost while competitors lag behind. Keep an eye on the Meta for Business blog or @creators account. Both regularly preview what’s coming next.

FAQs

What is Instagram marketing?

Instagram marketing is the use of the platform’s tools, features, and content formats to build awareness, connect with customers, and drive sales. It includes everything from organic content (photos, Reels, and Stories) to paid campaigns, influencer partnerships, and user-generated content.

How do I market on Instagram?

Whether you’re a global brand or a local small business, Instagram gives you space to grow your audience and drive real results. Here’s where to start:

Boost what’s working: Promote high-performing posts to reach more of your target audience.

Switch to a Business or Creator account: This unlocks analytics, ads, and call-to-action buttons.

Optimize your profile: Include a clear bio, branded visuals, and a link to your site or store.

Start posting consistently: Mix images, Reels, and Stories to see what connects best.

Engage your community: Respond to comments, run polls, and encourage user-generated content.

Is Instagram marketing effective?

Instagram marketing can be incredibly effective when done correctly. Instagram remains one of the highest-performing social platforms for engagement and return on investment (ROI). According to Sprout Social’s 2025 report, 29 percent of consumers make purchases on Instagram, and Instagram came in second at 22 percent of marketers reporting it as the highest-ROI social channel.

Conclusion

While wading into the world of social media marketing may seem overwhelming, employing these Instagram marketing tips makes your descent simple.

As you grow your following and interact with your target audience, be sure to keep an eye on your metrics. Look at what’s available from the app itself and those from external platforms like Google Analytics.

From there, double down on what works and adjust quickly when things change, because they always do.
If you need help scaling, consider partnering with Instagram marketing agencies that specialize in strategy, content, and growth.

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Canonical URLs: definitive guide to canonical tags 

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Imagine telling someone that www.mysite.com/blog/myarticle and www.mysite.com/myarticle are actually the same page. To you, they’re the same, but to Google, even a small difference in the URL makes them separate pages. That is where the canonical tag steps in. In this guide, we will walk you through what a canonical URL is, how URL canonicalization works, when to use it, and which mistakes to avoid so that search engines always understand your preferred page version.

Table of contents

Key takeaways

  • A canonical URL is the main version of a webpage that you want search engines to index, avoiding duplicate content issues
  • The canonical tag, placed in the HTML head, signals which URL is the preferred version to search engines
  • Using canonical URLs helps consolidate link equity, improves crawl efficiency, and enhances user experience
  • Implement canonical tags in scenarios like duplicate content, URL versions, and syndicated content to inform search engines which URL to prioritize
  • Yoast SEO can automate canonical URL handling, reducing manual errors and ensuring consistency across your site

What is a canonical URL?

A canonical URL is the main, preferred, or official version of a webpage that you want search engines like Google to crawl and index. It helps search engines determine which version of a page to treat as the primary one when multiple URLs lead to similar or duplicate content. As a result, it avoids duplicate content and protects your SEO ranking signals.

All of the following URLs can show the same page, but you should set only one as the canonical URL:

  • https://www.mysite.com/product/shoes
  • https://mysite.com/product/shoes?ref=instagram
  • https://m.mysite.com/product/shoes
  • https://www.mysite.com/product/shoes?color=black

What is a canonical tag?

A canonical tag (also called a rel="canonical" tag) is a small HTML snippet placed inside the section of a webpage to tell search engines which URL is the canonical or master version. It acts like a clear label saying, “Index this page, not the others.” This prevents duplicate content issues, consolidates ranking signals, and supports proper canonicalization across your site.

Here’s an example of a canonical tag in action:

Canonical URL HTML example

This tag should be placed on any alternate or duplicate versions that point back to the main page you want indexed.

How does URL canonicalization work?

Canonicalization is the process of selecting the representative or canonical URL of a piece of content. From a group of identical or nearly identical URLs, this is the version that search engines treat as the main page for indexing and ranking.

Once you understand that, canonicalization becomes much easier to visualize. Think of it as a three-step workflow.

How the canonicalization process works

Here’s how the canonicalization works:

Search engines detect duplicate or similar URLs

Google groups URLs that return the same (or almost the same) content. These could come from:

  • URL parameters
  • HTTP vs. HTTPS versions
  • Desktop vs. mobile URLs
  • Filtered or sorted pages
  • Regional versions
  • Accidental duplicates like staging URLs

You signal which URL is canonical

You can guide search engines using canonical signals like:

  • The rel="canonical" tag
  • 301 redirects
  • Internal links pointing to one preferred version
  • Consistent hreflang usage
  • XML sitemaps listing the preferred URL
  • HTTPS over HTTP

The strongest and clearest hint is the canonical tag placed in the head of the page.

Google selects one canonical URL

Google uses your signals, along with its own evaluation, to determine the primary URL. While Google typically follows canonical tags, it may override them if it detects stronger signals such as redirects, internal linking patterns, or user behaviour.

Once Google settles on the canonical URL, search engines will:

  • Consolidate link equity into the canonical page
  • Index the canonical URL
  • Treat all non-canonical URLs as duplicates
  • Reduce crawl waste
  • Avoid showing similar pages in search results

Canonical tags are a hint, not a directive. Google may still distribute link equity differently if it deems the canonical tag unreliable.

Reasons why canonicalization happens

Canonicalization becomes necessary when different URLs lead to the same content. Some common reasons are:

Region variants

For example, you have one product page for the USA and one for the UK, like: https://example.com/product/shoes-us and https://example.com/product/shoes-uk.

If the content is almost identical, use one canonical link or a clear regional setup to avoid confusion.

Pro tip: For regional variants, combine canonical tags with hreflang to specify language/region targeting.

Device variants

When you serve separate URLs for mobile and desktop, such as: https://m.example.com/product/shoes and https://www.example.com/product/shoes.

Canonical tags help search engines understand which URL is the primary version.

Protocol variants

Sorting and filtering often create many URLs that show similar content, like:

https://example.com/shoes?sort=price or https://example.com/shoes?color=black&size=7

A single canonical URL, such as https://example.com/shoes, tells search engines which page should carry the main ranking signals.

Also read: Optimizing ecommerce product variations for SEO and conversions

Accidental variants

Maybe a staging or demo version of the site is left crawlable, or both https://example.com/page and https://example.com/page/ return the same content

Canonical tags and proper URL canonicalization help avoid these unintentional duplicates.

Some duplicate content on a site is normal. The goal of canonicalization in SEO is not to eliminate every duplicate, but to show search engines which URL you want them to treat as the primary one.

In practical aspects

In practice, canonicalization comes down to a few key things:

Placement

The canonical tag is placed in the head of the HTML, for example:

link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/preferred-page" /

Each page should have at most one canonical tag, and it should point to the clean, preferred canonical URL.

Identification

Search engines examine several signals to determine the canonical version of a page. The rel="canonical" tag is important, but they also consider 301 redirects, internal links, sitemaps, hreflang, and whether the page is served on HTTPS. When these signals are consistent, it is easier for Google to pick the right canonicalized URL.

Crawling and indexing

Once search engines understand which URL is canonical, they primarily crawl and index that version, folding duplicates into it. Link equity and other signals are consolidated to the canonical page, which improves stability in rankings and makes your canonical tag SEO setup more effective.

The main rule for canonicalization is simple: if multiple URLs display the same content, choose one, make it your canonical URL, and clearly signal that choice with a proper canonical tag.

Why do canonical tags matter for SEO?

Google’s John Mueller puts it simply: ‘I recommend doing this kind of self-referential rel=canonical because it really makes it clear for us which page you want to have indexed or what this URL should be when it’s indexed.’

And that’s exactly why canonical tags matter; they tell search engines which version of a page is the real one. This keeps your SEO signals clean and prevents your site from competing with itself.

They’re important because they:

  • Avoid duplicate content issues: Canonical tags inform Google which URL should be indexed, preventing similar or duplicate pages from confusing crawlers or diluting rankings
  • Consolidate link equity: Canonicalization works similarly to internal linking; both are techniques used to direct authority to the page that matters most. Instead of splitting ranking signals across duplicate URLs, all information is consolidated into a single canonical URL
  • Improve crawl efficiency: Search engines don’t waste time crawling unnecessary duplicate pages, which helps them discover your important content faster
  • Enhance user experience: Users land on the correct, up-to-date version of your page, not a filtered, parameterized, or accidental duplicate

When to use canonical tags?

Canonical tags are useful in various everyday SEO scenarios. Here are the most common scenarios where you’ll want to use a rel=canonical tag to signal your preferred URL.

URL versions

If your page loads under multiple URL formats, with or without “www,” HTTP vs. HTTPS, and with or without a trailing slash, search engines may index each version separately. A canonical tag helps you standardize the preferred version so Google doesn’t treat them as separate pages.

Duplicate content

Ecommerce sites, blogs with tag archives, and category-driven pages often generate duplicate or near-duplicate content by design. If the same product or article appears under multiple URLs (filters, parameters, tracking codes, etc.), canonical tags help Google understand which canonical URL is the authoritative one. This prevents cannibalization and protects your canonical SEO setup.

Also read: Ecommerce SEO: how to rank higher & sell more online

Syndicated content

If your content is republished on partner sites or aggregators, always use a canonical tag that points back to your original version. This ensures your page retains the ranking signals, not the syndicated copy, and search engines know exactly where the content was originally published.

If syndication partners don’t honor your canonical tag, consider using noindex or negotiating link attribution.

Paginated pages

Long lists or multi-page articles often create a chain of URLs like /page/2/, /page/3/, and so on. These pages contribute to the same topic but shouldn’t be indexed individually. Adding canonical tags to the paginated sequence (typically pointing to page 1 or a “view-all” version) helps consolidate indexing and keeps rankings focused on the primary page.

Pro tip: For paginated content, use self-referencing canonicals (each page points to itself) unless you have a ‘view-all’ page that loads quickly and is crawlable.

Also read: Pagination & SEO: best practices

Site migrations

When you change domains, restructure URLs, or move from HTTP to HTTPS, using consistent canonical tags helps reinforce which pages replace the old ones. It signals to search engines which canonicalized URL should inherit ranking power. During migrations, canonical tags act as a safety net to prevent duplicate versions from competing with each other.

Implementing canonical URLs and canonical tags

URL canonicalization is all about giving search engines a clear signal about which version of a page is the preferred or canonical URL. You can implement it in several simple steps.

Using the rel=”canonical” tag

The most common way (as shown multiple times in this blog post) to set a canonical URL is by adding a rel="canonical" tag in the head section of your page. It looks like this:

link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/preferred-url"/

This tag tells search engines which URL should carry all ranking signals and appear in search results. Ensure that every duplicate or alternate version links to the same preferred URL, and that the canonical tag is consistent throughout the site.

You can also use rel="canonical" in HTTP headers for non-HTML content such as PDFs. This is helpful when you cannot place a tag in the page itself.

Pro tip: While supported for PDFs, Google may not always honor canonical HTTP headers. Use them in conjunction with other signals (e.g., sitemaps).

Also, ensure the canonical tag is as close to the top of the head section as possible so that search engines can see it early. Each page should have only one canonical tag, and it should always point to a clean, accessible URL. Avoid mixing signals. The canonical URL, your internal links, and your sitemap entries should all match.

Setting a preferred domain in Google Search Console

Google lets you choose whether you prefer your URLs to appear with or without www. Setting this preference helps reinforce your canonical signals and prevents search engines from treating www and non-www versions as different URLs.

To set your preferred domain, open your property in Google Search Console, go to Settings, and choose the version you want to treat as your primary domain.

Redirects (301 redirects)

A 301 redirect is one of the strongest signals you can send. It permanently informs browsers and search engines that one URL has been redirected to another and that the new URL should be considered the canonical URL.

Use 301 redirects when:

  • You merge duplicate URLs
  • You change your site structure
  • You migrate to HTTPS
  • You want to consolidate link equity from outdated pages

Of course, redirects replace the old URL, while canonical tags suggest a preference without removing the duplicate.

With Yoast SEO Premium, you can manage redirects effortlessly right inside your WordPress dashboard. The built-in redirect manager feature of the SEO plugin helps you avoid unnecessary 404s and prevents visitors from landing on dead ends, keeping your site structure clean and your user experience smooth.

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Additional canonicalization techniques

There are a few more ways to support your canonical setup.

  • XML sitemaps: Always include only canonical URLs in your sitemap. This helps search engines understand which URLs you want indexed
  • Hreflang annotations: For multi-language or multi-region sites, hreflang tags help search engines serve the correct regional version while still respecting your canonical preference
  • Link HTTP headers: For files like PDFs or other non-HTML content, using a rel="canonical" HTTP header helps you specify the preferred URL server-side

Each of these methods reinforces your canonical signals. When you use them together, search engines have a much clearer understanding of your canonicalized URLs.

Implementing canonicalization in WordPress with Yoast

Manually adding a rel="canonical" tag to the head of every duplicate page can be fiddly and error prone. You need to edit templates or theme files, keep tags consistent with your sitemap and internal linking, and remember special cases, such as PDFs or paginated series. Modifying site code and HTML is risky when you have numerous pages or multiple editors working on the site.

Yoast SEO makes this easier and safer. The plugin automatically generates sensible canonical URL tags for all your pages and templates, eliminating the need for manual theme file edits or code additions. You can still override that choice on a page-by-page basis in the Yoast SEO sidebar: open the post or page, go to Advanced, and paste the full canonical URL in the Canonical URL field, then save.

  • Automatic coverage: Yoast automatically adds canonical tags to pages and archives by default, which helps prevent many common duplicate content issues
  • Manual override: For special cases, use the Yoast sidebar > Advanced > Canonical URL field to set a custom canonical. This accepts full URLs and updates when you save the post
  • Edge cases handled: Yoast will not output a canonical tag on pages set to noindex, and it follows best practices for paginated series and archives
  • Developer options: If you need custom behavior, you can filter the canonical output programmatically using the wpseo_canonical filter or use Yoast’s developer API
  • Cross-domain and non-HTML: Yoast supports cross-site canonicals, and you can use rel=”canonical” in HTTP headers for non-HTML files when needed

Both Yoast SEO and Yoast SEO Premium include canonical URL handling, and the Premium version adds extra automation and controls to streamline larger sites.

Must read: How to change the canonical URL in Yoast SEO for WordPress

rel=“canonical”: one URL to rule them all

Canonical URLs may seem like a small technical detail, but they play a huge role in helping search engines understand your site. When Google finds multiple URLs displaying the same content, it must select one version to index. If you do not guide that choice, Google will make the decision on its own, and that choice is not always the version you intended. That can lead to split ranking signals, wasted crawl activity, and frustrating drops in visibility.

Using canonical URLs gives you back that control. It tells search engines which page is the primary version, which ones are duplicates, and where all authority signals should be directed. From filtering URLs to regional variants to accidental duplicates that slip through the cracks, canonicals keep everything tidy and predictable.

The good news is that canonicalization does not have to be complicated. A simple rel=”canonical” tag, consistent URL handling, smart redirects, and clean sitemap signals are enough to prevent most issues. And if you are working in WordPress, Yoast SEO takes care of almost all of this automatically, so you can focus on creating content instead of wrestling with code.

At the end of the day, canonical URLs are about clarity. Show search engines the version that matters, remove the noise, and keep your authority consolidated in one place. When your signals are clear, your rankings have a solid foundation to grow.

The post Canonical URLs: definitive guide to canonical tags  appeared first on Yoast.

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YouTube Marketing Strategy: Grow Your Channel

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If you’re getting into video marketing, there’s no better channel than YouTube.

It’s right behind Google, and the No. 2 social media platform after Facebook. Oh, and it reaches more than 2.5 billion monthly active users (MAU).

That’s a lot of eyes. And it’s why your YouTube marketing strategy matters.

Think about it. Searchers often click video first for “how to,” reviews, and comparisons. If your video answers the question clearly, you win two placements (on YouTube AND Google) with one asset.

That search role matters more now. Google results and AI Overviews are citing YouTube videos far more often. That means the right video can earn visibility on YouTube and in Google’s AI-enhanced results. 

Here’s how to take advantage of YouTube’s massive reach and growing role in search.

Key Takeaways

  • YouTube is still a search engine first. Optimize every video like a web page. Titles, keywords, and descriptions all matter.
  • Short-form video drives discovery. Use Shorts to grab attention and push viewers toward your long-form content.
  • Consistency beats virality. One great upload won’t build your channel, but showing up weekly will.
  • Engagement fuels growth. Comments, likes, and watch time tell YouTube your content deserves more reach.
  • Cross-promotion multiplies exposure. Share clips across LinkedIn, Instagram, and email to spark early momentum and feed the algorithm. 

Why Market on YouTube?

Short-form video is where attention stacks up right now. 

More than 120 million people watch YouTube every day. That’s reach you can’t ignore. 

It also fits how people search. Viewers type questions into the platform, often searching for product comparisons or “how-to” content. That’s the magic of YouTube marketing: Your video can rank on YouTube and, increasingly, get pulled into Google’s AI results. 

The numbers are staggering. Total YouTube citations are up more than 400 percent in AI Overviews alone, per Ubersuggest data.

A bar chart showing YouTube citations in AI Overviews has increased 414 percent in total, 651 percent for how-to queries, and 592 percent for visual demonstrations.

Shorts adds even more surface area. YouTube confirmed 200 billion daily Shorts views in 2025. That’s a firehose of discovery for quick tutorials, comparisons, and teasers that push to deeper content. 

And it’s accessible. You don’t need a studio. A phone, a clear topic, and tight editing are enough to compete in most niches. 

Start with one Shorts series and one weekly long-form video. Just be sure to use chapters as well as strong titles and descriptions that read like answers. Steer clear of slogans. 

New to planning video content? This video marketing primer will help. 

YouTube gives you search demand, social discovery—and now large language model (LLM)-level visibility—all in one place. That mix is hard to match.

A chart showing YouTube SEO growth vs. blog SEO growth over a 12-month period.

Part 1: Find Your Place in the YouTube Landscape

There are now more than 100 million YouTube channels. That’s a massive jump from just a few years ago. 

You’ll find everything from tech reviews and finance breakdowns to ASMR and speed cleaning. There’s even a channel about a lawyer who picks locks.

YouTube channel page with video thumbnails for @LockPickingLawyer

With that much competition, your YouTube marketing strategy has to start with clarity: who you’re talking to, what kind of content they actually want, and where you can add something different.

That means:

  • Pinpointing your target audience.
  • Choosing the video formats that match their attention span.
  • Studying competitors to see what’s working and where the gaps are.

Once you know your lane, everything else—your topics, cadence, and growth plan—gets a whole lot easier.

Figure Out Your Target Audience on YouTube

YouTube is too big to win by going broad. “Everyone” isn’t an audience. The sweet spot is finding a niche that’s specific enough to stand out but big enough to grow.

Start with who already buys from you. Look at your website analytics and social media insights to see who’s engaging most. 

Age, interests, and location all help. Tools like Google Analytics and YouTube Studio can show you what your current audience searches for and watches next.

Then, build a quick buyer persona:

  • Who are they? (job title, interests, pain points)
  • What do they search on YouTube?
  • When and how do they watch? On desktop, mobile, or TV?
  • What tone or style do they respond to?

Once you define that persona, brainstorm content they’d actually click. If your viewers are marketing managers, short “how-to” clips might work better than 20-minute explainers.

You don’t need to reach everyone, just the right people often enough that YouTube’s algorithm starts recognizing your audience and recommending your videos to more like them.

See the Types of Videos Your Target Audience Likes

It’s not enough to know who your target audience is. You need to understand what kind of videos they like to watch. There are hundreds of different types of videos on YouTube:

Start by checking what’s already working in your niche. Search your main keywords on YouTube and filter by “Most Viewed.” Make note of formats that dominate the results:

  • How-to tutorials: Great for education-driven niches.
  • Explainer videos: Ideal if you sell products or software.
  • Case studies or success stories: Perfect for B2B audiences.
  • Listicles and tips videos: Work well for lifestyle and marketing content.
  • Shorts: YouTube’s fastest-growing format, great for quick insights, teasers, or trends.
  • Livestreams: Build community and drive real-time engagement.

Use YouTube Analytics to compare your own watch times, click-through rates (CTR), and retention graphs. You can also plug your top-performing videos into Ubersuggest and use the Content Ideas tool to see related topics gaining traction.

Ubersuggest's interface.

Don’t settle for just copying what’s popular. The goal is to spot patterns in what your audience values, and then make those formats your own.

Short-Form Videos

Short-form video is the new default. YouTube Shorts now gets over 200 billion views a day, which means your audience is already scrolling there.

People love short-form content because it’s fast, visual, and snackable. They can learn something, laugh, or get inspired in under a minute. For brands, that’s a huge opportunity to build awareness and trust without needing a big budget.

Use Shorts to highlight quick takeaways, answer common questions, or tease a longer video. Think of them as “trailers” for your main content.

Repurpose what you already have:

  • Cut 15- to 60-second clips from your best-performing videos.
  • Turn customer quotes or stats into vertical video slides.
  • Use one key insight per clip. Don’t cram in too much.

Shorts also travel well. You can cross-post them to Instagram Reels, TikTok, and LinkedIn to expand your reach without doubling your workload.

Start small, stay consistent, and you’ll see which ideas hook your audience fastest.

Check Up on Your Competition

You’re not creating in a vacuum. Every niche on YouTube already has leaders. Studying them is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your YouTube marketing strategy.

Start by searching your main keywords and noting who consistently ranks on the first page. Those are your real competitors. 

Then use tools like vidIQ or TubeBuddy to see what’s driving their performance. Pay particular attention to metrics like average views per video, upload frequency, engagement rate, and keyword use.

Go beyond views, too:

  • What video formats do they use most? Tutorials, reviews, Shorts? 
  • How do they open and end each video? 
  • What topics or questions show up repeatedly in their comments?

Your goal isn’t to find the gaps. If competitors focus on broad topics, go deeper. If they post irregularly, show up consistently. 

Learn the playbook, then rewrite it in your own voice.

Part 2: Create A Great Channel Layout and Organize Your YouTube Content

First impressions matter. 

When people land on your channel, they should instantly know who you are, what you talk about, and why they should subscribe.

Here’s my channel:

The home page for Neil Patel’s YouTube channel.

My value proposition and color scheme are simple and match my website. The banner says how often I publish new videos. My trailer is like an extension of the value prop.

A clean, consistent channel layout builds trust fast. 

Start with a short trailer that introduces your niche and what viewers can expect from you. Use a simple banner that matches your website’s look and feel, and make sure your “About” section includes a clear description, publishing cadence, and links to your website or lead magnets.

Videos sorted by the categories “past live streams” and “multiple playlists” on Neil Patel’s YouTube channel.

Group your videos into playlists organized by topic or intent, by tutorials, product demos, case studies, or Shorts, for example. Playlists help with binge-watching and signal YouTube that your content fits together, which improves discoverability.

The goal is to make your channel feel like a well-organized library, not a random drop box of uploads. 

Next, I’ll show you how to plan your upload schedule and design thumbnails that get clicks.

Create Regular YouTube Content With a Content Calendar

The algorithm rewards consistency. So does your audience.

A good posting rhythm might be one long-form video per week and two to three Shorts. That balance keeps your channel active without burning you out.

A content calendar helps you make that consistency sustainable. Tools like Notion, Trello, or Google Sheets work fine for scheduling. 

Plan your topics by theme (e.g., SEO tips one week, case studies the next) and map your filming and editing days so uploads never sneak up on you.

Track ideas that come from your comments or analytics. If a video starts outperforming, use it as a springboard for spinoff Shorts or deeper follow-ups.

Think of your calendar as a publishing system and pillar of your overall content marketing strategy. It keeps you accountable and makes sure every video ladders back to your larger YouTube marketing strategy.

Design the Right YouTube Thumbnails

Your thumbnail is the visual hook. It’s what earns the click.

Today’s best-performing thumbnails are simple, bold, and emotionally clear. 

  • Avoid clutter and heavy text. 
  • Focus on one focal point: a face, an object, or a clear action shot. 
  • Add minimal copy (four words or fewer) that reinforces the video title rather than repeating it.

Bright, high-contrast colors still grab attention, but brand consistency matters more. Stick to the same font, color palette, and framing so viewers instantly recognize your channel.

Latest video thumbnails on MrBeast’s YouTube channel

(Image Source)

Pro tips:

  • Faces win. Thumbnails with expressive faces tend to get higher click-through rates.
  • Use visual contrast. Use a light subject and dark background (or the reverse).
  • Keep it honest. Don’t mislead viewers with clickbait. You’ll hurt retention and trust.
  • Design mobile-first. Nearly 70 percent of views happen on phones, so test how your thumbnails look small. According to NP Digital, B2C content gets nearly 60 percent of views on mobile, with just under 50 percent for B2B content.
A graph showing the mediums via which people consume YouTube content, broken down by B2B and B2C content. Mobile leads the way, followed by computer, TV, and tablets.

Tools like Canva and Figma make quick testing easy. Create two to three versions, check CTR in YouTube Studio, and double down on what performs.

Part 3: Use YouTube SEO to Increase Traffic

YouTube is more than a social platform. It’s the second-largest search engine after Google, with more than 20 million videos uploaded every day. 

That’s your competition.

The good news? You can still rank high without ads if you know how to optimize your videos for search.

In this section, we’ll cover the basics, like how to research keywords, write clickable titles and descriptions, and structure your videos for discoverability. 

If you want a deeper dive into the full process, check out my full guide on YouTube SEO.

Keyword Research on YouTube

Every strong YouTube SEO strategy starts with keyword research. You can’t optimize what you haven’t defined.

Look for keywords your audience is already searching for. Tools like Ubersuggest, TubeBuddy, and vidIQ can show search volume, competition level, and related keyword ideas directly from YouTube data.

Here’s the key: YouTube search intent isn’t always transactional. It’s informational. 

So, focus on “how to,” “best,” “tutorial,” and “review” phrases. They’re gold because they match how users search when they’re ready to learn or buy.

Writing Great Descriptions

Your description is prime SEO real estate. YouTube gives you 5,000 characters to work with. Use it.

Start strong. Mention your focus keyword in the first 25 words and naturally repeat it two or three times throughout. Use short paragraphs or bullet points so it’s easy to skim.

Structure your description like this:

  1. Hook: One or two sentences that summarize the value of the video.
  2. Context: Expand on the topic, naturally using keywords.
  3. Next steps: Include links to related videos, your website, or lead magnets.
A video description for “The ChatGPT Study That Could Explode Your Traffic” on Neil Patel’s YouTube channel.

Add timestamps for long-form videos and external links above the fold (before the “Show More” cutoff).

Above all, don’t keyword stuff. Write like you’re helping a person, not an algorithm. The algorithm will notice anyway.

How to Write a Great YouTube Title

This is one area you cannot ignore. Even if your content is great, it won’t matter if you can’t get people to actually click on your video in the first place.

A strong title can make or break your video’s performance. You only get about 50 to 55 visible characters on desktop, so every word counts.

Good titles combine clarity, curiosity, and keywords. For example:

  • “SEO for Beginners: 5 Fast Ways to Rank Higher on Google”
  • “I Tried YouTube Shorts for 30 Days. Here’s What Happened”

Keep it natural, and don’t force full keyword phrases if they sound robotic. Use parentheses or numbers to add clarity:

  • “Email Marketing Tips (That Actually Work in 2025)”
  • “Top 10 Tools for Video Editors”

Business Insider does a solid job of writing concise, compelling (and clickable) titles:

Thumbnails and titles of various videos on the Business Insider YouTube channel.

Avoid ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation. It reads like spam.

Pair your title with a strong thumbnail so the story connects visually. YouTube reads that combination as a signal of quality and relevance.

Add Closed Captions and Transcripts on Videos

Captions do more than make your videos accessible. They make them searchable.

When you upload closed captions or full transcripts, YouTube indexes that text. That means every word in your video becomes a keyword opportunity.

Turn on auto-captioning, but always edit the results for accuracy. If you already have a script, upload it as a transcript to save time.

Bonus: Captions help with international reach. You can upload translated subtitles for new audiences without creating new videos.

Think of captions as the hidden SEO layer that boosts both accessibility and discoverability.

Use YouTube Tags

Tags used to carry major weight in YouTube SEO; now, they play a smaller but still useful role.

Use tags to help YouTube understand your video’s context, especially if your topic has alternate spellings or similar keywords.

Start with 5 to 8 targeted tags, mixing broad and long-tail terms. For example:

  • “Video marketing”
  • “YouTube marketing strategy”
  • “How to grow on YouTube in 2025”

Avoid adding dozens of unrelated tags, as it can dilute your relevance score. 

Drive Likes, Comments and Subscriptions

Engagement is fuel for the YouTube algorithm. When people like, comment, and subscribe, YouTube sees your content as valuable and pushes it to more viewers.

But don’t just say, “Like and subscribe.” Give people a reason. For example:

  • Ask a question mid-video to prompt comments.
  • Add a simple end-screen with a subscribe CTA.
  • Thank viewers for specific feedback in your next upload.

Subscriptions signal trust, comments signal community, and likes signal quality. Each tells YouTube, “This video was worth watching.”

Track engagement in YouTube Studio, and use those patterns to adjust your intros, pacing, and calls to action (CTAs).

Part 4: How to Produce a Great YouTube Video

Every strategy we’ve talked about so far leads here: the video itself. Your titles, thumbnails, and descriptions only work if the video delivers real value and keeps people watching.

Think of this section as the engine behind your YouTube marketing strategy. It’s where ideas turn into content that earns retention, watch time, and trust—the three metrics that drive long-term growth.

Let’s break down how to build better videos from script to finish: how to structure your story, hold attention, and guide viewers to take the next step.

Build Your Video Script

You don’t need a Hollywood script, but you do need a plan. Even spontaneous creators outline what they’ll say before hitting record.

A good YouTube script keeps your message tight, your pacing smooth, and your delivery confident. An outline like this is a good starting point:

  1. Hook (0-10 seconds): Why this topic matters now.
  2. Setup: What you’ll cover and what viewers will get from it.
  3. Main content: Teach, demonstrate, or share insight clearly.
  4. CTA: What to do next. That might be to watch, subscribe, or click a resource.

Write in your speaking voice. In other words, lean into short sentences and natural pauses.

The best videos feel conversational but stay focused. Always come back to why your audience should care. If a line doesn’t serve that, cut it.

Pro tip: record a test run. If your energy dips or you ramble, your audience will, too.

Create a Great Opening and Sustain Viewer Attention

YouTube’s data says the first 15 seconds of a video is your make-or-break moment.

So, start fast. Skip the long intro slides or slow fades. Jump straight into the payoff: the problem you’re solving or the question you’re answering.

Great openings often share three traits:

  • Strong hook: Lead with curiosity or a bold promise.
  • Visual movement: Add a quick cut, prop, or change in camera angle early.
  • Context: Tell them what they’ll learn and why it matters, quickly.

A good example is my video titled “How to Master Social Media in 2025.” 

Here, I:

  • Lead with the outcome (“Master Social Media in 2025”), not just the topic.
  • Open with quick b-roll of trending social platforms before it cuts to me on camera; the motion and pattern change instantly catches the eye.
  • Establish relevancy and immediacy within the first few seconds.

In your videos, keep the momentum with pattern shifts every 15 to 20 seconds: zooms, graphics, or scene changes. 

An average view duration of 50-60 percent is considered good, while anything above 70 percent is considered excellent. Hitting at least that 50 percent mark is key to YouTube continuing to push your video to new audiences.

Create Calls to Actions Through Info Cards and End Screens

A video without a next step is a dead end.

Use info cards and end screens to guide viewers while attention is still high.

  • Info cards: Add mid-video links to related videos or playlists. Drop them right after a key insight, not randomly.
  • End screens: Use the last 20 seconds to point to one next video, a playlist, or a subscribe button, but never all three.

Keep CTAs natural. Instead of “Please subscribe,” try, “If this helped, you’ll love my next video on [topic]. It’s linked right here.”

Check out this example from TPMvids.

An end-screen CTA for a TPMvids YouTube video titled “Top 10 Disney Fails & Animatronics Malfunctions.”

These small nudges turn casual viewers into repeat watchers and subscribers, which boosts session time. And that’s one of the biggest ranking signals in YouTube’s algorithm.

Part 5: Promoting Your YouTube Channel

YouTube’s recommendation system drives most discovery, but it’s not magic. You still have to push your videos into the world. 

While most YouTube traffic comes from internal algorithmic recommendations, external shares and embeds drive some of the most engaged views, around 8–15 percent of total watch time. 

And that can kickstart the algorithm to promote your video further, making promotion off-platform invaluable.

Promotion is where strategy meets visibility. In this section, we’ll cover four proven ways to get your channel in front of more viewers: 

  • Cross-promotion on other platforms
  • Collaborations
  • Influencer partnerships
  • Community engagement

Using Cross Promotion With Your Other Social Media Accounts

Don’t just drop your YouTube link everywhere. Tailor it. Each platform favors a different video format and audience mindset:

  • Instagram Reels / TikTok: Slice up your most shareable Shorts or punchy moments. Add captions and a CTA like, “Full breakdown on my channel.”
  • LinkedIn: Share thought-driven clips or behind-the-scenes content that adds professional context.
  • Facebook / X (Twitter): Post native teasers or thumbnails linking directly to your newest upload.
  • Blog or email list: Embed full videos to keep people on-site longer.

Here’s an example of a short clip my team dropped on TikTok.

Neil Patel speaks in a video clip posted on TikTok.

Cross-promotion works best when each post feels native to the platform. Don’t treat it like a copy-paste link dump.

Cross-Promote With Other Channels

Collaborations are the fastest way to borrow trust. Find channels with overlapping but not identical audiences. In other words, look for similar topics or complementary angles.

Start by searching your niche keywords and filtering by upload date to spot active creators. Tools like Social Blade can reveal engagement and audience size before you reach out.

Pitch collaborations that add value to both sides:

  • Co-host a live Q&A or short challenge.
  • Swap “guest clips” where each creator adds one insight to the other’s video.
  • Build a joint playlist that benefits both channels’ discovery.

When you collaborate, you tap into built-in credibility. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to introduce your content to qualified viewers.

Consider Influencer Marketing

One of the fastest ways to grow a YouTube channel is to borrow someone else’s audience. 

Influencer marketing makes that possible.

You don’t need to work with A-list creators to see results. In fact, micro-influencers often drive better engagement than large creators. Their audiences feel more connected, which means more real traffic for you.

BusinessInsider's YouTube Page.

Start by looking for creators in your niche who share your target audience but don’t post the same type of content. 

If you teach SEO, partner with a design or copywriting channel. You’ll both reach new viewers without stepping on each other’s toes.

Collaboration videos still work great. Film a challenge, swap expert tips, or make a guest appearance on each other’s channels. Just make sure the partnership feels natural and mutually beneficial. Forced collabs turn viewers off.

As your channel grows, return the favor. Supporting smaller creators builds goodwill and can bring you some of the most loyal fans you’ll ever get.

Build a Community on YouTube By Engaging With Your Audience

Community is what turns viewers into advocates.

Reply to comments within the first hour of posting. It boosts engagement signals and shows you’re active. Use the Community tab to post polls, updates, or behind-the-scenes thoughts between uploads.

Other smart plays:

  • Host live streams or ask-me-anythings (AMAs) to build real-time interaction.
  • Shout out viewer ideas or feedback in future videos.
  • Ask your audience for input on new topics or titles.

Channels with active comment threads and regular audience participation tend to hold viewers longer. Engagement sends a strong signal to YouTube that your content is resonating, which helps videos appear more often in recommendations. 

Your videos start the conversation that your community keeps going.

Part 6: YouTube Marketing Tools

Even great ideas fall flat without the right setup. 

The good news? 

You don’t need a production studio to run a professional channel. But you do need the right stack of tools.

Start with video creation and editing.

  • Descript lets you edit videos by editing text. It’s perfect for quick cuts, captions, and repurposing clips for Shorts or LinkedIn.
  • CapCut and Premiere Rush are ideal for mobile and social-first editing, simple, fast, and powerful enough for branded content.
  • If you’re producing tutorials, tools like Loom or ScreenPal (formerly Screencast-O-Matic) make screen recording easy.

Next, focus on optimization.

  • TubeBuddy and vidIQ plug directly into YouTube Studio to help with keyword suggestions, tag ideas, A/B testing for thumbnails, and SEO checklists.
  • Canva streamlines thumbnail design with preset YouTube templates and brand color kits.

For analytics, lean on data:

  • YouTube Studio gives detailed retention graphs and click-through data, but pair it with Ubersuggest or Google Analytics to see how YouTube traffic flows to your website.
  • Tools like Social Blade let you benchmark against competitors and spot growth trends.

Part 7: YouTube Paid Advertising

Organic reach takes time, but YouTube ads can fast-track visibility when done right. Paid campaigns let you target by audience, topic, and intent. That way, your content reaches the people most likely to act.

Let’s break down the core ad types and how to make them work.

Understand the Main YouTube Ad Formats

YouTube offers several ad options, but these three drive the most results for marketers:

  • Skippable in-stream ads: Appear before or during videos. Viewers can skip after five seconds, so make your hook count. The first line and first visual should tell them why to keep watching.
  • Non-skippable in-stream ads: Capped at 15 seconds; best for brand awareness or quick product demos.
  • In-feed video ads: Show up in search results and “related videos” sections. These work like organic videos, ideal for promoting tutorials or long-form educational content.

Best Practices for YouTube Ad Success

  • Hook immediately. Your first five seconds decide everything. Lead with a visual or statement that grabs attention.
  • Target precisely. Use audience segments—custom intent, remarketing lists, or lookalike audiences—to reach people ready to buy.
  • Keep it short and focused. Under 30 seconds is best for direct-response goals; longer formats work for storytelling or education.
  • Add a clear CTA. Whether it’s “Learn More,” “Subscribe,” or “Shop Now,” make it obvious and actionable.
  • Test variations. Run A/B tests on thumbnails, headlines, and CTAs. Even small tweaks can double performance.

Pairing paid ads with your organic content strategy multiplies reach. You build awareness fast and nurture those viewers with helpful videos afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best strategy for YouTube?

The best YouTube strategy starts with clarity. Know exactly who you’re creating for and what value you bring. Focus on consistent uploads, strong storytelling, and search-optimized titles and descriptions. Promote your videos across other channels, collaborate with related creators, and use analytics to refine what’s working. When your content and audience focus align, growth follows.

How to grow your YouTube channel?

Growth comes from momentum. Post regularly (at least once a week), engage with your community, and optimize each video for SEO. Create a mix of long-form and short-form content, and always include clear calls to action that turn viewers into subscribers. Collaborate with other creators to tap into new audiences and expand reach faster.

How do you attract subscribers on YouTube?

Creating highly engaging videos is the first step to attracting subscribers. But you also need to write great titles and descriptions, work hard to promote your videos, and collaborate with other YouTubers to raise brand awareness.

How to gain subscribers on YouTube?

Viewers subscribe when they trust your content and know what to expect. Make your videos clear, consistent, and valuable from the start. End each one with a reason to subscribe, like “new videos every Tuesday” or “more quick tips coming next.” Reply to comments, mention loyal fans in videos, and use playlists to keep new viewers watching longer.

What is the best content to create on YouTube?

The best content teaches, entertains, or solves a problem—ideally, all three. Tutorials, reviews, and “how-to” videos tend to perform best, especially when tied to specific search intent. Short-form videos (YouTube Shorts) are perfect for quick tips and discovery, while longer videos build authority and watch time. Test formats, watch your analytics, and double down on what your audience finishes watching.

Conclusion

Congrats on making it through this full YouTube marketing guide. Now you’re set to become the next YouTube star.

Start small, stay consistent, and focus on value over virality. Every upload teaches you something about your target audience and sharpens your message.

So grab your camera and get your ideas out there. Your next great video could be the one that changes everything.

You might not see huge traction after your first video, and that’s okay. Keep showing up with quality, purpose, and a plan. Over time, those small wins compound into serious momentum.

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Web Design and Development San Diego

Introducing the Branded queries filter in Search Console

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We’re happy to announce we’re providing an additional tool to analyze the performance
of your website by query type in the Search Console Performance Report:
the branded queries filter. This new feature is designed to help analyze the queries driving traffic
to your site by automatically differentiating between branded and non-branded queries.

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Google Ads quietly rolls out a new conversion metric

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How Google Ads’ AI tools fix creative bottlenecks, streamline asset creation

A new column called “Original Conversion Value” has started appearing inside Google Ads, giving advertisers a long-requested way to see the true, unadjusted value of their conversions.

How it works. Google’s new formula strips everything back:

Conversion Value
– Rule Adjustments (value rules)
– Lifecycle Goal Adjustments (e.g., NCA bonuses)
= Original Conversion Value

Why we care. For years, marketers have struggled to isolate real conversion value from Google’s layers of adjustments — including Conversion Value Rules and Lifecycle Goals (like New Customer Acquisition goals). Original Conversion value makes it easier to diagnose performance, compare data across campaigns, and spot when automated bidding is boosting value rather than actual conversions.

In short: clearer insights, cleaner ROAS, and more confident decision-making.

Between the lines:

  • Value adjustments are useful for steering Smart Bidding.
  • But they also inflate numbers, complicating reporting and performance analysis.
  • Agencies and in-house teams have long asked Google for a cleaner view.

What’s next. “Original Conversion Value” could quickly become a go-to column for:

  • Revenue reporting
  • Post-campaign analysis
  • Troubleshooting inflated ROAS
  • Auditing automated bid strategies

First seen. This update was first picked up by Google Ads Specialist Thomas Eccel when he shared spotting the new column on LinkedIn

The bottom line. It’s a small update with big clarity. Google Ads is giving marketers something rare: a simpler, more transparent look at the value their ads actually drive.

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82% of marketers fail AI adoption (Positionless Marketing can fix it) by Optimove

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Picture a chocolate company with an elaborate recipe, generations old. They ask an AI system to identify which ingredients they could remove to cut costs. The AI suggests one. They remove it. Sales hold steady. They ask again. The AI suggests another. This continues through four or five iterations until they’ve created the cheapest possible version of their product. Fantastic margins, terrible sales. When someone finally tastes it, the verdict is immediate: “This isn’t even chocolate anymore.”

Aly Blawat, senior director of customer strategy at Blain’s Farm & Fleet, shared this story during a recent MarTech webinar to illustrate why 82% of marketing teams are failing at AI adoption: automation without human judgment doesn’t just fail. It compounds failure faster than ever before. And that failure has nothing to do with the technology itself.

The numbers tell the story. In a Forrester study commissioned by Optimove, only 18% of marketers consider themselves at the leading edge of AI adoption, even though nearly 80% expect AI to improve targeting, personalization and optimization. Forrester’s Rusty Warner, VP and principal analyst, puts this in context: only about 25% of marketers worldwide are in production with any AI use cases. Another third are experimenting but haven’t moved to production. That leaves more than 40% still learning about what AI might do for them.

“This particular statistic didn’t really surprise me,” Warner said. “We find that a lot of people that are able to use AI tools at work might be experimenting with them at home, but at work, they’re really waiting for their software vendors to make tools available that have been deemed safe to use and responsible.”

The caution is widespread. IT teams have controls in place for third-party AI tools. Even tech-savvy marketers who experiment at home often can’t access those tools at work until vendors embed responsible AI, data protections and auditability directly into their platforms.

The problem isn’t the AI tools available today. It’s that marketing work is still structured the same way it was before AI existed.

The individual vs. the organization

Individual marketers are thirsty for AI tools. They see the potential immediately. But organizations are fundamentally built for something different: control over brand voice, short-term optimization and manual processes where work passes from insights teams to creative teams to activation teams, each handoff adding days or weeks to cycle time.

Most marketing organizations still operate like an assembly line. Insights come from one door, creative from another, activation from a third. Warner called this out plainly: “Marketing still runs like an assembly line. AI and automation break that model, letting marketers go beyond their position to do more and be more agile.”

The assembly line model is excellent at governance and terrible at speed. By the time results return, they inform the past more than the present. And in a world where customer behavior shifts weekly, that lag becomes fatal.

The solution is “Positionless Marketing,” a model where a single marketer can access data, generate brand-safe creative and launch campaigns with built-in optimization, all without filing tickets or waiting for handoffs. It doesn’t mean eliminating collaboration. It means reserving human collaboration for major launches, holiday campaigns and sensitive topics while enabling marketers to go end-to-end quickly and safely for everything else.

Starting small, building confidence

Blain’s Farm & Fleet, a 120-year-old retail chain, began its AI journey with a specific problem: launching a new brand campaign and needing to adapt tone consistently across channels. They implemented Jasper, a closed system where they could feed their brand tone and messaging without risk.

“We were teaching it a little bit more about us,” Blawat said. “We wanted to show up cohesively across the whole entire ecosystem.”

Warner recommends this approach. “Start small and pick something that you think is going to be a nice quick win to build confidence,” he said. “Audit your data, make sure it’s cleaned up. Your AI is only going to be as good as the data that you’re feeding it.”

The pattern repeats: start with a closed-loop copy tool, then add scripts to clean product data, then layer in segmentation. Each step frees time, shortens cycles, and builds confidence.

Where data meets speed

Marketers aren’t drowning in too little data. They’re drowning in too much data with too little access. The 20% of marketing organizations that move fast centralize definitions of what “active customer,” “at risk,” and “incremental lift” actually mean. And they put those signals where marketers work, not in a separate BI maze.

“There’s massive potential for AI, but success hinges on embracing the change required,” Warner said. “And change is hard because it involves people and their mindset, not just the technology.”

The adoption lag isn’t about technology readiness. It’s about organizational readiness.

Balancing automation and authenticity

Generative AI took off first in low-risk applications: creative support, meeting notes, copy cleanup. Customer-facing decisions remain slower to adopt because brands pay the price for mistakes. The answer is to deploy AI with guardrails in the highest-leverage decisions, prove lift with holdouts and expand methodically.

Blawat emphasized this balance. “We need that human touch on a lot of this stuff to make sure we’re still showing up as genuine and authentic,” she said. “We’re staying true to who our brand is.”

For Blain’s Farm & Fleet, that means maintaining the personal connection customers expect. The AI handles the mechanics of targeting and timing. But humans ensure every message reflects the values and voice customers’ trust.

The future of marketing work

AI is moving from analysis to execution. When predictive models, generative AI and decisioning engines converge, marketers stop drawing hypothetical journeys and start letting the system assemble unique paths per person.

What changes? Less canvas drawing, more outcome setting. Less reporting theater, more lift by cohort. Fewer meetings, faster iterations.

Warner points to a future that’s closer than most organizations realize. “Imagine a world where I don’t come to your commerce site and browse. Instead, I can just type to a bot what it is I’m looking for. And I expect your brand to be responsive to that.”

That kind of conversational commerce will require everyone in the organization to become a customer experience expert. “It doesn’t matter what channel the customer uses,” Warner explained. “They’re talking to your brand.”

The path forward

There is no AI strategy without an operating model that can use it. The fix requires three fundamental changes: restructure how marketing work flows, measure lift instead of activity and enable marketers to move from idea to execution without handoffs.

The path forward requires discipline. Pick one customer-facing use case with clear financial upside. Define the minimum signals, audiences and KPIs needed. Enforce holdouts by default. Enable direct access to data, creative generation and activation in one place. Publish weekly lift by cohort. Expand only when lift is proven.

Warner expects adoption to accelerate significantly in 2026 as more vendors embed AI capabilities with proper guardrails. For brands like Blain’s Farm & Fleet, that future is already taking shape. They started with copywriting, proved value and are now expanding. The key was finding specific problems where AI could help and measuring whether it actually did.

AI will not fix a slow system. It will amplify it. Teams that modernize the way work gets done and lift the language of decisions will see the promise translate into performance.

As Blawat’s chocolate story reminds us, automation without judgment optimizes for the wrong outcome. The goal isn’t the cheapest product or the fastest campaign. It’s the one that serves customers while building the brand. That requires humans in the loop to point AI in the ri

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