Have you ever wondered how to trick Google into thinking that you’re somewhere else? 🌎 Changing your location in Google Search can be incredibly useful, especially for performing SEO…
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Site Kit by Google is a free WordPress plugin that connects your site to important tools like Analytics, Search Console, and Ads. After installing, it’s easy to verify your accounts, after which you see data in your dashboard. That data is nice to have, but it has limits, especially if you need detailed reports.
Site Kit by Google is a fundamental analytics tool that helps you answer questions like:
How many people are visiting your site?
What page do they land on first?
Which keywords did they search to find you?
Are your ads earning clicks?
With Site Kit, Google puts the data right into WordPress, so you don’t need to go digging around different platforms to seek your data. The tool gets its data straight from each service, and shows the most important data in clear graphs, tables, and a flexible, customizable Key Metrics widget.
Who is it for? (and when it’s not enough)
But Site Kit is not the analytics tool to rule them all in WordPress land. It covers the basics well, but it won’t work for everyone’s goals. What it does do is make it incredibly easy to set up and run various Google Analytics accounts.
Site Kit by Google works well for:
WordPress users who want to track basic performance
People who prefer not to use extra plugins or code
Site owners who manage everything themselves
But it may feel limited if you:
Run ads at scale and need conversion-level insight
Use custom events or eCommerce tracking
Want to control every aspect of your website’s scripts and tags
It covers the basics well, but it’s not built for advanced setups.
What does it look like?
After installing and connecting Site Kit, you’ll find a new menu item in your WordPress dashboard. Clicking this will lead you to the dashboard where most of the statistics and settings live. You’ll also notice a new drop-down menu when you visit posts on your site. Thanks to this drop-down, you can quickly see statistics for this specific article without having to open Analytics.
Overview dashboard
The Dashboard gives you an overview of how your site is performing. Of course, depending on what services you connect your site to, you might see something like this:
Traffic and engagement insights from Google Analytics
Clicks and impressions from search traffic provided by Search Console
An overview of the top-performing pages
Earnings from Ads or AdSense, if you run ads, that is
Site speed performance powered by PageSpeed Insights
An overview of how different groups compare, for instance, new vs. returning visitors
Some sections also show trend indicators like arrows or percentage changes compared to the previous period. This will help you spot trends and act upon them. Click on any source to open a more detailed view in the corresponding Google tool.
Part of the Site Kit dashboard showing various stats and the Key Metrics widget at the top
Key Metrics widget
You can set up the Key Metrics section the way you want. Site Kit will ask you a couple of questions about your site’s goals and what you want to focus on. Then, it will suggest metrics to show at the top of the dashboard. You can choose which blocks you want to see, such as top converting traffic sources, new visitors, recent trending pages, and much more.
Admin bar stats
After Site Kit is active, you’ll also see a small dropdown at the top of your WordPress admin bar when you’re viewing your site. Click it, and you’ll get a mini-report showing page-specific stats, including search impressions, clicks, and traffic over time.
Site Kit will help you quickly find out how your content is doing, straight from the WordPress admin bar
What Google services can you connect?
Once installed, you can connect the following tools. Two of them — Search Console and Google Analytics 4 — are enabled during the initial setup. You can connect:
Google Analytics 4
Search Console
AdSense
Reader Revenue Manager
Google Ads
Tag Manager
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Site Kit will add your GA4 tag automatically, after which it shows data such as:
The number of visitors
Sources of sessions (organic search, direct, referral)
Average engagement rate
Session durations
The data shown is summarized, so if you want custom reports or event tracking, you need to open GA4.
Visitor grouping is the newest addition to Site Kit by Google
Google Search Console
After installing and connecting, you’ll get some key data from Search Console right inside your WordPress dashboard:
The queries people searched to find your site
Number of clicks and impressions
Unique visitors from search
Page-level performance in search
This kind of data is very helpful for content optimization purposes and to inform your SEO strategy.
AdSense/Ads (monetization)
If you use Google’s systems to run ads, Site Kit can show data on ad impressions, top-earning pages, and estimated revenue from auto ads, for instance. Simply connect the services to see the data. Remember that it doesn’t replace the AdSense dashboards, but it does give you quick insights.
Reader Revenue Manager
Reader Revenue Manager is a Google tool for adding subscription and contribution options to your website. It’s designed for publishers and content creators who want to monetize their content through reader support, such as recurring memberships or one-time donations.
With Site Kit, you can connect Reader Revenue Manager to your WordPress site in just a few clicks. Once linked, it adds the necessary code to your site automatically, so you don’t need to add tags or install it manually. This feature is optional in Site Kit and is mostly used by publishers offering paywalled or premium content.
PageSpeed Insights
Site Kit runs a PageSpeed test directly inside WordPress. In the PageSpeed Insights section, you’ll see both lab data and field data. Lab data is based on simulated testing in a controlled environment and helps you identify performance issues during development. Field data, on the other hand, reflects how real users experience your site across different devices and network conditions. Together, they provide a balanced view of how your pages perform.
The report shows load performance scores, data on Core Web Vitals (like LCP and CLS). It also gives suggestions for improving speed. But it only tests your homepage and doesn’t include custom settings. For full reports, you can still visit PageSpeed Insights separately.
Tag Manager
You can link a Google Tag Manager container through Site Kit. This lets you manage third-party scripts (like Facebook Pixel or custom tracking tags) from one place. The plugin doesn’t give you a full interface for editing tags — you’ll do that inside the Tag Manager platform.
Managing Analytics in Site Kit by Google
For most site owners or managers, Analytics and Search Console are the most important Google tools. Site Kit makes it easy to set those two services up properly. Of course, you can also use existing accounts.
Enhanced measurement support
GA4 also has Enhanced Measurement, which tracks scrolls, outbound links, file downloads, and other actions automatically. If you activate these in your GA4 property, Site Kit can track them. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to choose which ones to turn on from inside WordPress; you need to go into your GA4 settings for that.
Event tracking and tag insertion
Site Kit doesn’t support event setup or tracking reports inside the WordPress dashboard. If you need full control over events, you have to use GA4 directly or use Tag Manager to set up the custom events.
Limitations of Analytics in Site Kit
You’ll probably understand by now that Site Kit is not a replacement for GA4 — it’s a neat tool that gives quick insights and nothing more. You don’t get access to funnel reports, attribution models, or filters. You can’t edit events or see predictive metrics, and there’s no support for GA4 audiences or Google Analytics 360.
What’s Enhanced Conversion tracking?
With Enhanced Conversions, you can connect Google Ads clicks to leads or form submissions. This improves the reporting of these events when users are on different devices or block cookies. After setting this up, Site Kit will detect form submissions and pass the data to Google Ads.
Site Kit currently supports some of the most popular WordPress contact form plugins, such as Contact Form 7, WPForms, and Ninja Forms. However, if you use an unsupported custom form, Site Kit can’t automatically add enhanced conversions.
Again, Site Kit has many limitations in this area. For instance, it doesn’t support purchase-based eCommerce conversions or offline conversions. It also doesn’t support pixel-level tracking, third-party forms, popups, and embedded forms. So, it’s specifically designed for simple lead form submissions.
Key Metrics widget for quick performance insights
Key Metrics are a very valuable addition as they give quick insights into data of your choosing. They’re quick to understand but not very in-depth. For key strategy decisions, you’re going to need more data.
This widget pulls together important GA4 and Search Console data into a block on your dashboard. You can choose which metrics to show and reorder them. To change your selection, click the Change metrics button in the corner of the Key Metrics section. You can also rerun the question from the Site Kit admin settings.
Each metric includes a figure and a trend comparison from the previous period. For example, you may see engagement is “up 6%” compared to the last 28 days. Click any of them to open the full source report in GA4 or Search Console.
The widget has limitations. It doesn’t show custom events or real-time reporting, campaign attribution breakdowns, or GA4-specific collections like audiences or conversions. The widget and Site Kit, in general, are for broad insights, not advanced analytics.
The Site Kit Key Metrics widget shows various data that you can tailor to your needs and goals
Is Site Kit by Google enough for your goals?
Site Kit is a good starting point for most WordPress users. It brings together valuable Google data without having to do much work. But whether it’s enough depends on whether you need to get from your analytics and tracking tools.
SEO and content insights
Site Kit is not an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO. However, you can get data from Search Console that will help you understand how people find your website in the search results. With this, you’ll form an understanding of which content works well and how your site performs in the search results.
However, as mentioned, it’s not an SEO plugin, so you need to install a tool like Yoast SEO to do much of the heavy lifting. Plugins like these help with most SEO tasks, like fixing technical issues, adding structured data, and improving your content.
Monetization
If you’re running ads, Site Kit shows basic ad metrics like impressions, estimated earnings, and top-earning pages. It helps you monitor your ads without having to log into another app.
It doesn’t support advanced ad setups, and you can’t manually place ads. It’s also not possible to optimize layouts based on behavior or run A/B tests to find the best ad format. If you’re working with multiple ad networks, you’ll need a tool that can do a lot more than Site Kit.
Marketing analytics
For reporting basics, Site Kit will do just fine. You can see trends in users, sessions, referral sources, and engagement time — all brought to you by Google Analytics 4.
However, Site Kit doesn’t give access to campaign statistics, UTM tracking, or event-based funnels. It also doesn’t offer the option to set goals or segment traffic by behavior. For these kinds of insights, you need to dive straight into GA4 or use a more in-depth reporting tool. If you run marketing campaigns, track conversions, or use CRM tools, Site Kit won’t provide enough data.
eCommerce and advanced use cases
For eCommerce, Site Kit won’t cut it. It doesn’t integrate with WooCommerce and doesn’t offer a revenue tracking option. It also doesn’t have access to carts, products, transactions, or customer behavior. There’s no way to measure things like average order value or conversion rates.
For advanced eCommerce tracking, you need to set this up in GA4 directly or use other methods to access this data. Site Kit doesn’t support this at all.
Should you use Site Kit by Google?
Site Kit is a good option if you want a free tool to view traffic, search, and performance statistics without having to set up a bunch of tools. It’s very easy to use and useful enough for small websites.
If you’re running a huge publication or an online store, need to track custom campaigns, or manage a large number of ad accounts, Site Kit won’t cut it. That’s not to say it’s useless for those cases. One of its biggest draws is that it makes setting up GA4, Search Console, Ads, and Tag Manager accounts incredibly easy. It’s a great starting point to build your analytic toolkit upon.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-05-15 07:00:282025-05-15 07:00:28What is Site Kit by Google? A guide for WordPress users
“It’s often the primary piece of information people use to decide which result to click, so it’s important to use high-quality title text on your web pages.”
Our research backs that up.
We analyzed 11.8 million Google search results and found that most first-page results include some or most of their target keyword in the title tag.
In other words, a clear title tag that uses the keyword is your ticket to the first page.
But simply ranking isn’t enough.
Even if your page shows up in the search results, it won’t matter unless people actually choose to visit it.
That’s why your title tag also needs to be human-friendly. It’s your one chance to win the click.
That’s more than 10x fewer clicks and a massive difference in traffic.
So, a strong title tag doesn’t just help your page show up in search results.
It also encourages more people to click on your link, which can help your page move even higher in the rankings.
Side note: Our CTR study was conducted in 2019. With the introduction of AI Overviews and other SERP changes, click patterns have evolved. However, the core principle remains: higher positions still attract significantly more clicks than lower ones. For the latest on how search is changing, see Semrush’s 2025 AI Overviews Study.
There’s one more reason title tags in SEO are so important:
If you get the title wrong, Google might just rewrite it.
Likely to get rewritten. Also just annoying for readers.
Better:
“Email Marketing Guide for Beginners (2025 Edition)”
Front-loaded keyword, used once, in a natural way.
Want to try it out yourself?
Here’s an AI prompt you can use to incorporate these rules when writing your title tag:
You are a digital marketing specialist focusing on SEO and content strategy.
Your task is to craft a title tag that is clear, clickable, and offers context to enhance search engine ranking and user engagement.
Approach this step-by-step:
1. Determine the primary topic or keyword of the page to ensure the title is clear and relevant.
2. Use power words or emotional triggers to enhance the clickability and engagement of the title.
3. Naturally integrate the primary keyword to provide context, avoiding keyword stuffing.
Adhere to these guidelines:
1. Keep the title concise and between 50–60 characters.
2. Avoid vague or generic language that fails to clearly convey the page’s content.
3. Balance keyword usage with readability and natural language.
Keyword is: [INSERT YOUR KEYWORD HERE]
For example, for the keyword “marketing strategy,” ChatGPT gave me:
Marketing Strategy Guide: Build a Plan That Gets Results
Proven Marketing Strategy Tips to Grow Your Business
How to Create a Marketing Strategy That Works
Effective Marketing Strategy Examples + How to Use Them
Marketing Strategy Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Approach
Not bad for a few seconds of work, right?
Optimize Your Title Tags for Search Engines
You need titles that both Google and humans love.
These optimization tips help search engines understand and rank your content higher.
1. Match Your Title to What People Are Searching for
Before you write your title tag, look at what’s already showing up in Google for your keyword.
This helps you understand what searchers want and what kind of content Google is rewarding.
Here’s how to do it:
Google Your Keyword
Type your keyword into Google and look at the top 5–10 results.
Look for Patterns
Are most of the results lists?
That usually means people are exploring or comparing their options. Try a title like “Top 10…” or “Best Tools for…”
Do they include the current year?
People want the latest updates. Add the year to your title to show it’s fresh.
Are the pages explaining a concept?
People are looking for information or education. A title like “What Is X? [+ Examples]” works well.
Do you see a lot of tutorials?
People want a walkthrough. Go with a how-to title like “How to Do X Step-by-Step”.
When your title matches what people are looking for, they’re more likely to click. And Google is more likely to show your page.
2. Keep It Short
If you go too long, you risk Google rewriting it.
If you go too short, you miss an opportunity to engage your readers.
When we analyzed 4 million search results, we found that titles between 40-60 characters have the best click-through rate.
Titles in this range get 8.9% more clicks on average.
So, that’s a good starting point. But here’s what really matters:
Google truncates title tags based on pixels (the actual width of the letters), not characters.
Around 580–600 pixels is the max width before your title gets cut off.
And on mobile, titles often get truncated even earlier.
So while ~40–60 characters works most of the time, it’s not guaranteed.
Want to check your title before hitting publish?
Use a free tool like the Mangools SERP Simulator. Just make sure to switch it to mobile view first.
Readers (usually) read from left to right, so the keywords will stand out to them
One exception here:
For listicles, it’s often better to lead with the number.
Think “5 Powerful AI Tools for Content Creation” rather than “Content Creation Tools: 5 Powerful Options.”
It gives readers a clear idea of what to expect.
4. Give Each Page a Unique Title Tag
Google doesn’t like duplicate or boilerplate titles:
“Titling every page on a commerce site “Cheap products for sale”, for example, makes it impossible for users to distinguish between two pages.
Long text in the <title> element that varies by only a single piece of information (“boilerplate” titles) is also bad.”
So if you duplicate your SEO title tags (or just change a single word), you’re more likely to have them rewritten.
Instead, take a moment to craft a unique title tag for every page.
One that accurately reflects the content and intent of that specific URL.
Pro tip: Skip your brand name in most title tags. It often shows up anyway and can count as duplicate content. If you include it, add it at the end with a dash, colon, or pipe.
5. Match the Title to the Content
Simple, but important.
Your title has to accurately reflect what’s on the page.
Google might rewrite your title if it doesn’t match your content.
More importantly, you’ll annoy your readers, and they’ll bounce right off the page.
Also, remember to be specific, not vague.
Generic titles like “Home” or “Services” don’t help readers know what they’ll see if they click.
6. Vary Your Title and H1 Tags
If your title and H1 are identical, you’re missing an opportunity to hit additional keywords.
Plus, you’ll typically want to use the title tag to say what the page is about, and the H1 to get more detailed or conversational.
For example:
vs.
The title tag is contextual and clickable. It includes a number, a benefit, and a clear topic.
The H1 tag is more conversational and reader-friendly. It’s aimed at people who already know what’s on the page.
You can also include multiple variations of your keywords (e.g., “email marketing tips,” “email campaigns,” “email marketing”) without repeating yourself.
Once the audit is complete, go to the “Issues” tab and type “title tag” into the search box.
The tool will show you a list of issues related to title tags — like duplicates, titles that are too long, or ones that match the H1 exactly.
Click on the issue to see the list of affected pages.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
You can also use Screaming Frog to spot title tag issues.
Download the free version of the app (available for Windows, Mac, or Linux). Then, follow the installation steps.
Open the tool, type your homepage URL into the search bar at the top, and click “Start.”
Screaming Frog will begin crawling your site. This can take a minute or two.
Once the crawl is done, click “Page Titles” to see a full list of your website’s title tags.
Use the filter dropdown or look at the “Issues” column to find problems.
Watch the Right Metrics
Here are the numbers to keep track of:
CTR: If you update a title and your CTR jumps, it’s probably working. You can check this in your Pages report in Google Search Console.
Impressions without clicks
This means you’re showing up in search results, but nobody’s clicking. Go back to the 3Cs. Is it clear, clickable, and contextual?
Ranking changes
If a page drops in search rankings after a title change, maybe Google doesn’t like the new version.
Or, maybe you’ve missed the user intent this time round.
Try this: Want to see if your new title works better? Pick one underperforming page, change the title tag, and track the CTR in Google Search Console over the next few weeks.
If clicks go up (and rankings stay steady), the new title is probably stronger.
Steal These Winning Title Tag Formulas
Writing title tags from scratch every time? No, thank you.
Below are three proven formulas that we use at Backlinko to craft headlines that stand out.
List or Number Formula
Formula: X [Unique Adjective] [Topic]
Why it works: Lists provide clarity and set expectations but need unique adjectives to grab attention.
The Keyword-Colon Formula
Formula: [Content Topic]: [Actionable promise]
Why it works: Directly addresses the topic and hooks the reader with an actionable promise.
The Keyword-Question Formula
Formula: [Keyword Question]? [Promise]
Rationale: Answers the reader’s question head-on and draws them in with a clear benefit.
Need More Ideas?
We analyzed 150+ real title tags from top-ranking SEO content and combined that with AI-trained insights from thousands more.
The result?
Over 50 proven, plug-and-play formulas you can use to boost clicks and match search intent — no guesswork required.
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You’re setting goals. Publishing content. Reporting on growth.
But deep down, you’re still asking: “Are we aiming too high? Too low? Are we even on track?”
That uncertainty is normal — but it’s also a signal that you need an SEO forecast.
At Backlinko, we do SEO forecasting throughout the year. We use it to map planned content, track production costs, and project traffic and revenue gains.
This approach lets us prioritize effectively. Pivot when content underperforms. And build lasting trust with our stakeholders.
As Leigh McKenzie, our Head of SEO puts it:
“Forecasting is hard, and imperfect, but it’s essential. It forces you to tie effort to outcome. And to build trust, we always present a range (best case, expected case, and failure case), not just a single optimistic projection. That honesty helps us make better decisions — and earn buy-in.”
This guide gives you two proven forecasting methods.
Plus, a spreadsheet to project SEO traffic in minutes, right now.
Just upload your site’s performance data from Google Search Console (GSC), and this SEO forecasting tool will do the calculation for you:
If you’re the kind of person who learns best by doing, you don’t have to wait. Jump right in with our forecasting template.
If your site has at least 16-24 months of traffic data, statistical trend analysis is the most reliable way to forecast growth.
Why?
Statistical trend analysis relies on your actual traffic data. Not guesswork, not keyword volume projections, but how your site has performed over time.
It’s also the most technical method.
Normally, this kind of forecasting would require time series modeling or scraping in Python.
But to make it more accessible, we’ve built a custom SEO forecasting spreadsheet that handles the math for you.
Based on similar past campaigns, you estimate this could boost your organic traffic by 20-30%.
So, you enter +30% in the Aggressive Adjustment field.
Now imagine the opposite:
Budget cuts slow down content production, or your writer’s on leave.
You’d weigh that in and enter, let’s say, -15% in the Conservative Adjustment to reflect that slowdown.
If you’re not sure what numbers to put in these fields, here are some places to start:
Past internal data: Look at traffic lift from similar initiatives (e.g., “last time we launched 10 blog posts, traffic increased by 18% in two months”)
Operational inputs: Fewer resources, delayed launches, or technical issues? Model that in with a -10% to -20% dip.
External benchmarks: Use data from tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or industry studies to inform your assumptions (e.g., “content updates to your competitors’ sites led to +15% traffic on average”)
Even if your percentages aren’t perfect, the act of modeling a range makes your forecast stronger and way more reliable.
How to Present Your SEO Forecast
A clear presentation turns your traffic projections into a strategic tool. One that you can use to align your team, make a case for investment, or guide quarterly planning.
Here’s how to present it effectively:
1. Start with a Visual Overview
Begin with a chart that shows your traffic forecast over time — whether that’s based on keyword data or historical trends.
Why lead with a visual?
Charts turn raw numbers into a clear story. They show trends, dips, and momentum at a glance. Like this:
And this helps stakeholders understand where you’re headed without having to dig into spreadsheets or data tables.
The goal is to answer this question at a glance: “What kind of growth are we expecting, and how confident are we in that number?”
If you’re using our spreadsheet template, the built-in dashboard does this for you:
You can:
Share your screen and walk through the forecast live
Take a screenshot of the chart and summary and paste it into a report or slide deck
Export the chart as an image to use in a strategy doc
Pro tip: If you need something more advanced or reusable, you can recreate the chart in Google Looker Studio — a free tool for building custom reporting dashboards.
If you’re using Semrush to estimate traffic potential for new content, you can still visualize it.
Let’s say you’re targeting the “memory foam mattress” topic and want to target the following keywords:
Create a new Sheet and enter your keywords and potential monthly visits. A simple one, like this:
Then, insert a bar chart to show estimated traffic per topic with potential traffic on the x-axis and each keyword (or topic cluster) on the y-axis.
Like this:
Note: This gives you and your stakeholders a quick way to see which topics are worth prioritizing. And how much they might contribute to your organic growth.
2. Frame It Around Business Outcomes
Don’t just show how traffic might grow.
Show why it matters, too.
In your presentation, lead with:
The expected growth potential
What content or actions will drive that growth
How it supports high-level goals like lead generation, revenue, or product visibility
The clearer the link between SEO activity and business outcomes, the easier it is to get support and alignment.
3. Connect Your Forecast to Potential Revenue
While traffic forecasts are powerful, tying them to business results makes them even more persuasive.
If you want to show potential ROI, you can estimate how much revenue your forecasted traffic might drive using a simple formula:
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Google Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) is a free, online tool that allows users to transform their data into informative, visual, and easy-to-read reports and dashboards. This helps marketers…
Whenever you move content, change domain names, or simply tweak a page’s URL, you’ll likely use a redirect. This ensures your users (and Google) get to the right page, and it preserves the SEO value from your backlinks.
You can use .htaccess redirects specifically to do this.
But I get that messing with your site’s server files can sound daunting.
So the goal of this guide is to make .htaccess redirects as accessible as possible.
To help, there are two free resources you’ll find in this post:
A simple spreadsheet to automatically generate rules for the most common scenarios
I’ll explain when to use these below. But if you want, you can download them now and follow along with the resources.
Here’s the plan:
We’ll start with a walkthrough to find your .htaccess file and get ready to make changes (feel free to skip this part if you have it ready to go)
We’ll then go through the most common .htaccess redirect use cases in detail
Then we’ll go through a cheat sheet of the symbols and flags you can use to build custom .htaccess rules
Finally, we’ll show you how to make sure everything is working properly and how to pinpoint issues
Sound good? Let’s go.
How to Set Up .htaccess Redirects
Before you can create redirects, you need to access your .htaccess file. This file lives on your server and controls various aspects of how your website behaves.
It looks something like this (for a WordPress site in particular):
Note: You’ll only have an .htaccess file if your website runs on an Apache web server. If you’re not sure if your site does, get in touch with your developer.
There are two main ways to access and edit your .htaccess file:
Through your hosting provider’s control panel
Via an FTP client
I’d personally recommend the first option if you’re an absolute beginner. Or if you just want to keep the technical stuff to a minimum.
That’s not to say that using an FTP client is difficult (or that every hosting platform is a piece of cake to navigate). But generally, your file manager is going to be a bit more intuitive.
Important: Regardless of which method you use, always make a backup of your .htaccess file before editing it. One small mistake can bring your entire site down.
Editing .htaccess Through Your Hosting Control Panel
Most major hosting providers offer a file manager in their control panel that lets you edit files directly.
The general workflow looks something like this, although some of the specifics might vary between hosts:
Log in to your hosting account
Find the File Manager (usually in cPanel or a similar dashboard)
Navigate to your website’s root directory (often called public_html)
Find the .htaccess file
Note: Your .htaccess file might be hidden by default. If you don’t see it, look for an option to “Show Hidden Files” in your file manager settings.
Once you find it, you can usually right-click and select “Edit” to make changes.
As an example, here’s how the interface looks in the cPanel platform. First, I navigate to my domain’s website dashboard and find the file manager:
And in there I can see public_html:
I then click my .htaccess file:
Simple.
Via FTP
You can also use an FTP client like FileZilla, Cyberduck, or WinSCP. These give you similar access, but you can do it directly rather than through your hosting provider.
To get started, download and install an FTP client. We’ll go with Cyberduck for the example below.
Then connect to your server using your FTP credentials (your host can provide these — mine were under Files > FTP Accounts):
Then, within the FTP client, navigate to your site’s root directory.
It’s probably named public_html, which may open automatically. Then, find and download your .htaccess file:
Note: I had to go to View > Show hidden files to see mine. No matter which FTP client you’re using, there’s a good chance you’ll need to do the same.
Make your changes in a text editor, and then upload the modified file back to the server. You might be able to skip the download/upload step and make edits directly, depending on the tool you use:
What About WordPress?
If you’re running a WordPress site, you usually don’t need to edit your .htaccess file to set up redirects.
These plugins are perfect if you’re not comfortable editing server files or if you just need to set up a couple of redirects quickly. But they won’t help you much for more complex redirections or when you’re performing a full site migration.
Other SEO plugins, like Rank Math, offer redirect managers alongside options to edit your .htaccess file within the WordPress dashboard:
Adding redirects directly to your .htaccess file (or indirectly via a plugin like Rank Math) often results in faster performance since it cuts out the middleman (the plugin). And once you know how to do it, it’s not all that technical anyway.
(It won’t always be the best option from a performance perspective. But generally it’s going to be faster.)
Other platforms like Shopify and Wix don’t give you direct access to .htaccess files. In these cases, you’ll need to use the platform’s built-in redirect tools instead.
The same may be true for WordPress site owners if your site runs on WordPress.com, rather than external hosting with a WordPress.org installation.
Before you start making changes to your .htaccess file, bear the following in mind:
You need to have an .htaccess file: If you don’t already have an .htaccess file, you can create one in your public_html folder (WordPress will often create one for you automatically).
It’s easy to make mistakes: Making changes to your .htaccess file without knowing what you’re doing can have major consequences for your site. Ideally consult with your developer before implementing .htaccess redirects, and make any major changes on a staging site if possible to make sure they work properly.
The rules below are just guides: I’ve included lots of examples of redirect rules below with explanations of what they do. But you may need to modify them to ensure they work properly on your site.
Enable mod_rewrite: Most modern hosting environments will enable the mod_rewrite module by default (which you want, and therefore likely don’t need to worry about). If your redirects aren’t working, reach out to your hosting provider to see if this is the problem.
Enable Options + FollowSymLinks: You may or may not need to enable this in your .htaccess file (usually you won’t need to worry about it). Again, reach out to your host if you’re not sure.
Now that you know how to actually get into and edit your .htaccess file, let’s look at how to create different types of redirects.
Free resource: Make your life even easier with our handy .htaccess redirect cheat sheet. Just add your domain or URLs to automatically generate rules you can copy and paste into your .htaccess file.
How to Redirect a Single URL
Redirecting a single URL to another is probably the most common redirect you’ll create. It’s perfect for when you’ve:
Changed a page’s URL structure
Merged two pages into one
Moved specific content to a new location
This type of redirect is straightforward and requires just one line of code in your .htaccess file.
Note: As with all the redirects I’ll discuss below, you need to make sure the new page is a live URL. Otherwise, the user or search engine will run into a 404 error as it’s a broken link. While a powerful file, .htaccess doesn’t automatically create the new pages for you.
Here’s the code you’ll need to add to your .htaccess file (swapping out the URL path and domain for your own):
Redirect: Tells the server you want to create a redirect
301: Specifies a permanent redirect (more on this below)
/old-page: The path of the original page (relative to your root directory)
https://yoursite.com/new-page: The full URL of the destination page
Important: For the first part (old page), you only need the path without your domain name. For the second part (new page), you need the complete URL, including https:// and your domain.
Note: No matter which type of .htaccess redirect you use, make sure you stay consistent with regard to your site’s URL structure. Specifically, if you include a trailing slash at the end of your URLs (e.g., /page-1/), make sure you include that in your redirect rules.
Permanent vs. Temporary Redirects
The 301 in our example above indicates a permanent redirect. This tells search engines to update their index with the new URL and transfer the SEO value from the old page to the new one.
If you’re only redirecting temporarily (like for maintenance or a seasonal promotion), use 302 instead:
If you’re trying to preserve SEO rankings (and your website’s authority), always use 301 redirects for permanent URL changes. Search engines treat 301s as permanent and 302s as temporary, which affects how they transfer link equity.
How to Redirect a Subfolder
Sometimes you need to redirect an entire section of your website rather than just a single page. This is common when you are:
Moving a blog or product category to a new location
Consolidating content from multiple sections
Redirecting a subfolder automatically handles all pages within that folder. So you don’t need to set up individual redirect rules for each one.
Here’s the code to add to your .htaccess file:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-folder/(.*)$ /new-folder/$1 [R=301,L]
Let’s break down the key parts:
RewriteEngine On: Activates Apache’s rewrite module (required for this type of redirect*)
^old-folder/: Matches the beginning of URLs that start with your old folder
(.*)$: Captures everything after the folder name
/new-folder/$1: Sends visitors to the new folder, maintaining the rest of the URL path
[R=301,L]: Specifies a permanent redirect and tells the server to stop processing rules after this match
You don’t need to know what this means. But it’s an important line to include for some .htaccess redirect rules. You only need to include it once (unless you also have “RewriteEngine Off” in your file before a given rule).
Subfolder Redirect Example
Let’s say you have a blog at:
https://yoursite.com/blog/post-name
And you want to move it to:
https://yoursite.com/articles/post-name
Your redirect code would look like this:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^blog/(.*)$ /articles/$1 [R=301,L ]
This will redirect:
/blog/first-post to /articles/first-post
/blog/category/tech to /articles/category/tech
Any other path that starts with /blog/ to the relevant /articles/ path
Important: Order Matters
The order of your .htaccess rules matters. This isn’t going to be an issue if you’re just redirecting a single URL.
But if you want to redirect some parts of a subfolder to one place and others elsewhere, you need to be careful.
Let’s look at an example to make this clearer:
Imagine you have a blog subfolder with a special /featured/ section. You want to redirect your /blog/ content to an /articles/ subfolder, but the featured posts should go to /featured-content/.
Here’s the WRONG order:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^blog/(.*)$ /articles/$1 [R=301,L]
RewriteRule ^blog/featured/(.*)$ /featured-content/$1 [R=301,L]
Why is this incorrect?
Because any time a user (or Google) requests a URL on your site (say, your site.com/blog/featured/your-post/), Apache first checks if it matches the /blog/ structure.
In this case, it does. So it would redirect:
yoursite.com/blog/featured/your-post/
To:
yoursite.com/articles/your-post/
The URL no longer matches the /blog/featured/ structure, so the second rule would never apply to it. Meaning all your featured posts would just redirect to the new /articles/ subfolder.
Here’s the correct order:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^blog/featured/(.*)$ /featured-content/$1 [R=301,L]
RewriteRule ^blog/(.*)$ /articles/$1 [R=301,L]
This first checks for the /blog/featured/ structure and redirects it to the new /featured-content/. So your post at:
yoursite.com/blog/featured/your-post/
Would redirect to:
yoursite.com/featured-content/your-post/
And then in this case it no longer matches the /blog/ structure, so the second rule wouldn’t apply. Which is what we want.
For any non-featured blog URLs, like yoursite.com/blog/post-2/, they’d redirect per the second rule to yoursite.com/articles/post-2/ (because the first rule wouldn’t apply to them without the /featured/ part of the URL).
Redirecting a Subfolder to a Different Domain
Before I show you how to redirect your entire site to a new domain, it’s worth noting that you can also redirect a subfolder to a completely different domain. This is useful if you’ve moved a section of your site to a new website.
Here’s the rule to use:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^old-folder/(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/folder/$1 [R=301,L]
For example, you could use this if you moved your support section to a dedicated support site:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^support/(.*)$ https://support.yourcompany.com/$1 [R=301,L]
How to Redirect to a New Domain
Moving to a new domain is a big step. Whether you’re rebranding, switching from a .org to a .com domain, or consolidating multiple websites, you need to make sure your visitors (and search engines) can find your new site.
A domain-wide redirect ensures anyone visiting your old domain automatically lands on your new one. This preserves both the user experience and authority you’ve built up through backlinks.
Here’s the code to add to your .htaccess file on your old domain:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?olddomain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301]
Let’s break down what this does:
RewriteEngine On: Activates the rewrite module
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?olddomain.com$ [NC]: Checks if someone is trying to access your old domain, where:
^(www.)?: Matches both www and non-www versions of your site
[NC]: Makes the match not case-sensitive (so OLDDOMAIN.com would also match)
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301]: Sets up a permanent redirect to the new domain, where:
^(.*)$: Captures the entire URL path after the domain
https://newdomain.com/$1: Redirects to the same path on your new domain
[L,R=301]: Makes it a permanent redirect and stops processing other rules for that request
Remember: If you already have RewriteEngine On elsewhere in your .htaccess file (and you don’t also have RewriteEngine Off), you don’t need to add it again.
Domain Redirect Example
Let’s say you’re changing from:
https://pettraining.com/dog-care/grooming
To:
https://pawacademy.com/dog-care/grooming
The redirect will automatically maintain the same path structure. This means visitors to any page on your old domain will land on the corresponding page on your new domain. (You’ll obviously need to have corresponding URLs on the new domain.)
Important: You need to place this .htaccess rule on your old domain’s server, not the new one.
Domain migrations require careful planning. But when you do it properly, they can transfer most of your SEO value and ensure your audience can find your new online home. For more on how to do it right, check out our website migration checklist.
Redirect www to Non-www (or Vice Versa) on New Domain
If you’re also changing from www to non-www (or vice versa) during your domain migration, you can combine these redirects:
RewriteEngine On
# First redirect old domain to new domain
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(www.)?olddomain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301]
# Then handle www to non-www on new domain
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.newdomain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301]
How to Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
Redirecting from HTTP to HTTPS isn’t just a good practice — it’s practically mandatory. HTTPS encrypts the connection between your visitors and your website. This protects sensitive information, while also being a light Google ranking factor.
(I’m not suggesting you redirect to HTTPS for a ranking boost. It really is just the default best practice nowadays more than anything else.)
If you’ve installed an SSL certificate but visitors can still access your site through unencrypted HTTP, you’ll want to set up a redirect to ensure everyone gets the secure version.
Here’s the code to add to your .htaccess file:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
This is what each part does:
RewriteEngine On: Activates the rewrite module
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off: Checks if the connection is currently not using HTTPS
^(.*)$: captures the entire URL path
https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI}: Redirects to the same URL but with https:// instead of http://
[L,R=301]: Makes it a permanent redirect and stops processing other rules
This redirect will change:
http://yourwebsite.com/products/item
To:
https://yourwebsite.com/products/item
The redirect preserves the entire URL structure — only the protocol changes from HTTP to HTTPS.
Unlike other redirects, you don’t need to customize this code with your domain name. The %{HTTP_HOST} variable automatically uses whatever domain the visitor is trying to access.
In other words: you can just copy and paste this in as is.
BUT:
Before adding this redirect, make sure:
You have a valid SSL certificate installed on your server
All site resources (images, scripts, etc.) are accessible via HTTPS
Your site functions properly when accessed via HTTPS
Your SSL certificate covers all subdomains if you’re redirecting them to HTTPS as well
And most importantly: make sure you don’t already have a method in place to force HTTPS, as this can cause redirect loops and other potential performance issues.
While .htaccess is one way to implement HTTPS redirects, you may have other options (perhaps ones that are already doing this for you):
Hosting control panel: Many hosting providers offer one-click HTTPS enforcement through their control panel (maybe even doing it by default)
WordPress settings: If you’re using WordPress, check the “WordPress Address” and “Site Address” settings under Settings > General (both should start with https://)
Plugin solutions: WordPress plugins like Really Simple SSL can handle the redirect for you
How to Redirect WWW to Non-WWW
Should your website be www.yoursite.com or just yoursite.com? This seemingly small detail actually matters a lot for consistency, user experience, and SEO.
Having both versions accessible can create duplicate content issues. So you should pick one format and redirect the other to it.
In most cases, there’s no definitive technical advantage to either format.
But non-WWW is shorter, cleaner, and easier to say in conversation.
Most modern websites lean toward the non-www version, but either choice is fine as long as you’re consistent.
Let’s look at how to redirect the www version to the non-www version (then I’ll show you how to reverse this if you prefer www).
Here’s the code to add to your .htaccess file:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%1/$1 [L,R=301]
Breaking this down:
RewriteEngine On: Activates the rewrite module
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.(.*)$ [NC]: Checks if the URL starts with “www” where:
(.*)$: Captures the domain name without the www
^(.*)$: Captures the entire path after the domain
https://%1/$1: Redirects to the same URL without www where:
%1: Refers to the domain captured in the RewriteCond
$1: Refers to the page path
[L,R=301]: Makes it a permanent redirect and stops processing other rules
This redirect will change:
https://www.yourbusiness.com/about-us
To:
https://yourbusiness.com/about-us
What About Non-WWW to WWW?
If you prefer the www version instead, simply reverse the logic (you need an extra RewriteCond line as well):
This checks if the URL does NOT start with www and then adds it.
This is another rule you can simply copy and paste into your .htaccess file. But as with HTTP redirects, you need to make sure you’re not already redirecting via another method. Otherwise you might run into redirect loops and other issues.
Outside of your .htaccess file, you can force www/non-www via:
DNS settings: Some DNS providers let you set a preferred version when configuring your domain
Hosting control panel: Many hosts offer settings to enforce www or non-www
WordPress settings: In WordPress, check the “WordPress Address” and “Site Address” fields under Settings > General (both should use your preferred format)
Make sure to test all versions of your domain to ensure they all lead to your preferred version:
http://yoursite.com
http://www.yoursite.com
https://yoursite.com
https://www.yoursite.com
All four should ultimately end up at the same place (ideally https://yoursite.com if you’re going with non-www, or https://www.yoursite.com if you prefer www).
Other Types of .htaccess Redirect
While the above covers the most common .htaccess redirect scenarios, the file is incredibly versatile and can handle many other specialized redirect situations.
Let’s explore some other redirect types that might come in handy for specific use cases.
Note: As with any .htaccess rules, it’s easy to make small mistakes here that can have big consequences, and you may need to modify the examples below to work with your specific situation. So consult your developer if possible.
Redirect Based on Query Parameters
Sometimes you need to redirect based on what appears after the question mark in a URL. These are URL parameters, and they’re useful for tracking and organizing site content.
Here’s an example .htaccess redirect rule for managing URL parameters (also known as query strings):
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^product=widget$
RewriteRule ^products.php$ /widgets/? [L,R=301]
This redirects /products.php?product=widget to /widgets/ while removing the query string.
The question mark at the end of the destination URL tells the server to strip the original query parameters rather than passing them along.
Redirect to a Specific Port
If you need to redirect to a different port (like for a development environment), use this rule:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^dev/(.*)$ http://localhost:8080/$1 [L,R=301]
This would redirect requests for /dev/page to http://localhost:8080/page.
Custom Error Page Redirects
You can set up custom pages for various HTTP error codes.
For example, you can send users and search engines to dedicated error pages:
The symbols in .htaccess redirects can look cryptic at first glance. Those carets, dollar signs, and brackets serve important purposes that aren’t immediately obvious.
Rather than trying to learn what they all do, below is a handy reference you can return to whenever you need to create or modify your redirects.
. matches a literal period rather than any character
|
Pipe
Acts as OR operator
cat|dog matches “cat” or “dog”
Flag Options
Flag
Full Name
Purpose
L
Last
Stops processing rules if this one matches
R=301
Redirect (301)
Creates a permanent redirect
R=302
Redirect (302)
Creates a temporary redirect
NC
No Case
Makes the match case-insensitive
QSA
Query String Append
Adds query parameters from the original URL
F
Forbidden
Returns a 403 Forbidden status
G
Gone
Returns a 410 Gone status (resource permanently removed)
PT
Pass Through
Passes the request to other modules for further processing
RewriteCond Variables
Variable
What It Contains
%{HTTP_HOST}
Domain name from the request (e.g., example.com)
%{REQUEST_URI}
The path part of the URL (e.g., /folder/page/)
%{QUERY_STRING}
Everything after the ? in a URL
%{REQUEST_FILENAME}
The full path to the requested file
%{HTTP_USER_AGENT}
Information about the visitor’s browser
%{HTTPS}
“on” if the connection is secure, “off” otherwise
%{REMOTE_ADDR}
The visitor’s IP address
Pattern Matching Examples
Here are a few examples of the kinds of rules you can set up once you get the hang of all the symbols, flags, and variables:
URL Paths
^about$ matches ONLY the exact URL “/about” (not “/about-us” or “/about/team”)
^about(.*) matches “/about” plus anything after it (“/about-us”, “/about/team”, etc.)
File Types
.(pdf|docx|xlsx)$ matches URLs ending in .pdf, .docx, or .xlsx (for specific file handling)
^((?!.html).)*$ matches any URL that does NOT end with .html (for handling non-HTML requests)
Flag Variations
RewriteRule ^blog/(.*)$ /articles/$1 [R=301,L] creates a permanent (301) redirect that browsers and search engines will cache
RewriteRule ^blog/(.*)$ /articles/$1 [R=302,L] creates a temporary (302) redirect that won’t be permanently cached by browsers (useful during site testing)
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/blog/articles matches URLs with path exactly “/blog/articles” (this is case-sensitive on many servers)
Pro tip: When creating complex patterns, build them incrementally and test each step. It’s easier to debug a simple pattern than a complex one.
How to Check Your Redirects Are Working
You’ve done the hard work, so let’s now find out how to make sure you’ve set it all up correctly.
Below are a few ways to check your redirects. The best one depends on the nature of your redirects and how many you’ve set up.
Manual Testing
The simplest way to test your redirects is to manually check them in your browser.
Just enter the old URL you’ve redirected and watch the address bar to see if it changes to the new URL.
For a more detailed view of what’s happening, use your browser’s developer tools:
Open developer tools (F12 in most browsers, or right click then “Inspect”) on the redirected page
Go to the “Network” tab
Reload the page and look for the redirect chain and status codes
In the example below, you can see it has redirected from the URL /position to /positioning:
Online Redirect Checkers
Several free tools can test your redirects and provide more technical details. One example is HTTP Status Code Checker.
These tools show you the entire redirect path, status codes, and how long each redirect takes to process:
Testing Multiple URLs
If you’ve set up many redirects (like a subfolder or domain-wide redirect), testing every URL manually isn’t practical.
The HTTP Status Code Checker tool does let you test multiple URLs…
But this won’t be suitable for entire site redirects or when you have hundreds (or thousands) of redirects set up.
You could use a crawling tool and compare the crawl results to your sitemap, but that’s still going to be quite tedious.
Instead, consider using a tool like Semrush’s Site Audit.
Just pop your domain in, let the audit run, and then go to the “Issues” tab. Type in “redirect” to flag relevant issues.
In particular, look out for:
# incorrect pages found in sitemap.xml: This will highlight any of your pages in your sitemap that are redirecting elsewhere
# pages have a WWW resolve issue: This will highlight issues if you haven’t specified which version (www or non-www) you prefer (e.g., via .htaccess redirects)
No redirect or canonical to HTTPS homepage from HTTP version: This checks if your homepage is set up to serve the secure HTTPS version
# redirect chains and loops: These create a bad user experience and can impact your SEO
# URLs with a temporary redirect: Double check these redirects are indeed meant to be temporary
# URLs with a permanent redirect: Check these URLs are supposed to redirect, and make sure they redirect to the correct place
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-05-12 16:09:042025-05-12 16:09:04How to Create .htaccess Redirects (Most Common Use Cases)
While there is no guarantee that any particular site will be added to Google’s index, sites that follow the Search Essentials guidelines are more likely to appear in Google’s search results.
How to Identify Keyword Stuffing on Your Site
Not sure if your content crosses the line from optimized to overkill?
Here’s how to spot keyword stuffing before Google and your readers do.
Manual Calculation
Old-school, but it works:
Count how many times your target keyword appears in your content
Divide by your total word count
Multiply by 100 to get the percentage
Side note: AI tools can help you calculate keyword density, but their results may not be entirely accurate. I tested ChatGPT against a manual calculation and found it was off by 28%. After prompting it to recheck its work, ChatGPT was able to provide the correct answer. But this process actually took longer than just calculating it myself.
So, how do you know if your percentage is “good” or “bad”?
Keep in mind that the ideal keyword density doesn’t exist.
As Leigh McKenzie, Backlinko’s head of SEO, says:
You can’t fake relevance by jamming your target phrase into every heading. A natural, readable flow matters more. As a general rule, if your keyword density creeps above 2–3%, it’s worth taking a second look.
Use keywords intentionally. But write like you’re talking to real people, not search engines. That’s what both the algorithm and AI actually reward.
Manual Assessment
One of the most effective ways to identify keyword-heavy content is to read it aloud.
If something feels stiff, repetitive, or robotic, your readers will feel it, too.
Ask yourself:
Would I write this way if SEO wasn’t a factor?
Does this content feel valuable and informative?
Would real people enjoy reading this?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” it’s time to revise.
WordPress Plugins
Using WordPress?
Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math can help flag potential keyword stuffing.
These tools provide readability scores and keyword density calculations.
But keep in mind that these tools may miss subtle issues.
And typically won’t flag anything until it’s really obvious.
So, it’s best to use them as a guide rather than a final verdict.
On Page SEO Checker
Want a smarter, more in-depth look at keyword usage on your pages?
Our natural language understanding models look at a search in context, like the relationship that words and letters within the query have to each other. Our systems start by deciphering or trying to understand your entire search query first. From there, we generate the best replacements for the misspelled words in the query based on our overall understanding of what you’re looking for. For example, we can tell from the other words in the query “average home coast” that you’re probably looking for information on “average home cost.
Same goes for grammatically incorrect or just plain awkward keyword phrasing like:
“Running shoes cheap”
“How to train dog fast”
Yes, people search like this:
But you shouldn’t mirror that phrasing word-for-word.
Or you risk lowering the readability and trustworthiness of your content.
6. Spread Out Keyword Usage
Don’t use a bunch of keywords in a single paragraph or section.
Distribute them naturally throughout your content, from the introduction to the conclusion.
This creates a more cohesive piece that flows naturally while still signaling relevance to search engines.
If you don’t have any manual actions, you’ll see this message:
If you have a manual action, you’ll see a report with the number of issues detected.
And a description of each one.
Like unnatural links, cloaking, thin content, and — you guessed it — keyword stuffing.
If you received a penalty, you’ll need to address the issues and submit a reconsideration request.
Fix the Issues
Once you’ve identified the problem pages, it’s time for cleanup.
But this isn’t just about fixing one page. It’s about showing Google you’ve changed your approach.
Here’s what to focus on:
Rewrite keyword-stuffed content: Focus on clarity, depth, and user intent. Cut repetition and use natural phrasing and keyword variations.
Remove hidden keywords: If you used any black hat tactics, such as white text on white backgrounds, keyword-stuffed alt tags, or hidden links, remove them from your site
Upgrade the content: Check that each page meets search intent, thoroughly covers the topic, has meaningful information gain, and includes E-E-A-T signals. Like high-quality sources, author expertise, and expert insights.
Audit your site: For best results, consider following the above steps for every page on your site (if possible) — not just the ones Google flagged. This may improve your chances of getting the penalty removed.
Request a Review
Once your content is cleaned up, go back to Search Console and follow these steps:
Open the “Manual Actions” section and click “Request Review.”
Next, you’ll be asked to check a box confirming you fixed all of the issues.
You’ll also need to explain what you fixed and how you did it.
Don’t copy and paste generic language. Be honest, transparent, and direct in your answer.
Explain the following:
What caused the issue
The exact steps you took to fix it
The outcome of your efforts
Expect to wait anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for a response.
You’ll get an email with Google’s decision when the review is complete.
If your first request is denied, you can try again.
Stop Stuffing. Start Optimizing.
Google doesn’t count keywords anymore.
Why should you?
Ranking in 2025 isn’t about gaming the algorithm — it’s about creating content that actually helps people.
So, leave the keyword stuffing to 2005 and focus on what modern readers and search engines want:
Helpful, trustworthy content.
Ready to write content that reads and ranks well?
Check out our SEO best practices guide. It’s packed with proven strategies for writing high-performing content without sacrificing quality or user experience.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-05-12 16:07:492025-05-12 16:07:49What is Keyword Stuffing? How to Avoid Doing SEO Like It’s 2005
Large teams or agencies that need unified analytics, collaboration tools, and social listening
Starts at $249/month; 30-day free trial available
Note: This is not the most extensive list of social media management tools. Instead, I’m sticking to what the title says and only including the very best options.
1. Buffer
Best for content creators and small teams that need help generating content ideas and staying consistent with posting
Pricing: Starts at $6 per month per channel; limited free forever plan available (for up to three channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel per month)
Buffer is a simple social media management tool designed to help you plan, create, and schedule content across platforms.
It has a simple layout, a Kanban-style board, AI tools to help you write posts faster, and many other features that let teams work together easily.
Here are the platforms you can manage with Buffer:
Facebook
Instagram
Threads
TikTok
LinkedIn
YouTube
X/Twitter
Pinterest
Google Business Profile
Bluesky
Mastodon
Here’s what I love about Buffer:
Manage Your Content Workflow with a Built-in Kanban Board
Buffer gives you a simple, visual way to manage your entire content workflow. You don’t need a separate project management tool.
You can plan, track, and organize your social posts using a built-in Kanban-style layout. This makes it easy to track how your content moves from idea to publication.
You can drag and drop posts through each stage, tag them by type or campaign, and convert any idea into a live post when you’re ready to publish.
Each idea card acts like a mini workspace. You can add notes, upload images, assign tags, or even use AI to shape your post.
And when you’re ready to turn an idea into a real post, just click “Create Post”:
From there, you can choose which social media platforms to post on, edit your text, and schedule it. All without leaving the ideas board:
This is a seamless workflow from idea to publishing. You don’t even need to switch tabs within the tool.
Create a Custom Link in Bio Page
Buffer’s Start Page lets you build a mini landing page to use in your social media bio.
On this page, you can add buttons to your blog, shop, podcast, or freebies — whatever you want people to check out. It’s like a custom homepage for your content.
There are templates to get you started:
But you can also customize it with your brand colors, fonts, and layout:
When you publish your page, you can track views and clicks to see what your audience is interested in:
Whether you’re a creator, freelancer, or a small business, Start Page helps you lead your followers to the content you want them to see.
Stay Consistent with a Weekly Posting Goal
Buffer helps you build a sustainable content routine. It lets you choose a posting goal, like once, three times, or five times per week:
Once you select your frequency, Buffer will automatically recommend the best time slots and add them to your queue:
The tool recommends time slots based on when your audience is active.
With this feature, you don’t have to guess when or how often to post.
Just pick a consistency level that fits your bandwidth and goals.
This is helpful if you’re overwhelmed or inconsistent. With your target already set, Buffer takes care of when to post so you can focus on what to post.
Use AI assistant to draft tailored post captions for different social media platforms
Analytics doesn’t support creator accounts for Instagram and LinkedIn; it’s limited to business pages
Manage comments and replies from one dashboard
2. Planable
Best for marketing teams that need a centralized hub to collaborate on all types of content
Pricing: Starts at $39 per month; free plan available (limited to 50 posts)
Planable is a tool built for social media teams to plan, collaborate on, and schedule content together — all in one place.
It’s designed to streamline approvals, keep your calendar organized, and make team (and client) communication seamless.
Here are the platforms you can manage with Planable:
Facebook
Instagram
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
TikTok
Google Business Profile
YouTube
Pinterest
Threads
And here’s what I love about Planable:
Collaborate with Your Team in Real-Time
Planable makes it easy to work with others and communicate through every step of content development.
For example, your team can leave comments directly on each social media post. This removes the need to send the post back and forth:
You can even invite your team members and clients and give each one a unique set of permissions. These include view, edit, publish, approve, or analyze.
You can also make multiple approval workflows and set collaboration levels.
Let’s say you’re part of an in-house marketing team working with an external copywriter. You could create a custom workflow like this:
Stage 1: Content team creates the post and adds a caption
Stage 2: Design team steps in to finalize visuals
Stage 3: The client gives final approval before the post goes live
Once the client approves the content, you can:
Automatically schedule the post to publish at the assigned time (or keep manual control if you prefer)
Lock the content to prevent last-minute edits or accidental changes
What’s cool is that internal team comments won’t be visible to clients.
You can also hide certain posts from clients to prevent them from seeing unfinished drafts:
And if anything ever goes off track, you can see the version history. It lets you see exactly who did what and roll back to a previous version if you need to.
Manage All Your Marketing Content in One Place
Planable helps you schedule, preview, and collaborate on posts for all major platforms in one place.
You can plan your content in a calendar view to visualize what’s going live, where it’s going, and when:
But what sets Planable apart is its ability to go beyond just social. You can also write and organize blog posts, newsletters, and other content with the same team setup.
So if your team is posting on Instagram and TikTok, writing email newsletters, and posting on the blog, you can check and edit everything in one place.
Planable keeps it all in sync, so your team stays aligned and consistent — no matter how many channels you’re managing.
Note: While you can manage blog content in Planable using the same workflows as social posts, it doesn’t integrate directly with CMS platforms. So you’ll still need to copy and paste your final draft manually.
Organize Your Content into Campaigns
In Planable, you can group your social media posts into dedicated campaigns.
This makes it easy to plan, manage, and execute content around specific themes, product launches, or events:
Each campaign can act as a central hub for your content. You can add posts to different social media, work with others, and see how your posts are doing, all in one place.
For example, if you’re launching a new product, you can create a “Product Launch” campaign. Inside that campaign, you can:
Keep internal notes (like your campaign objective, key results, and what content the campaign should include)
Organize all launch-related posts and visuals for future posts
View when each post is scheduled to go live with the calendar view
Check consolidated analytics across multiple platforms
This kind of campaign structure helps your team stay focused and aligned. It also ensures every piece of content supports a bigger goal, like driving signups for an event or promoting a product launch.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Craft your social media captions with AI in the Planable post editor
Currently no integration with CMS platforms to post blog content on your site directly
Import visuals directly from Canva into your posts; no need to download or re-upload designs
Analytics is only available for business accounts, not creator profiles
Schedule the first comment on Instagram and LinkedIn posts
Get post and account performance insights with built-in analytics
3. SocialBee
Best for businesses that want a built-in AI assistant to help plan strategy and generate content
Pricing: Starts at $29 per month; 14-day free trial
SocialBee is a social media management tool that helps you manage all your content in one place. One unique thing this tool offers is a built-in AI assistant that takes tasks off your hands (more on this later).
Here are the platforms you can manage with SocialBee:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
X/Twitter
TikTok
YouTube
Pinterest
Google Business Profile
Bluesky
Threads
SocialBee also offers universal posting. This means you can collaborate with your team on content for a blog or newsletter for example. However, as is the case with Planable, there is currently no integration to post these directly on other platforms.
Here’s some more detail about a few of SocialBee’s best features:
Build a Content Strategy with AI Copilot
SocialBee’s AI Copilot is like having a creative assistant built into your social media tool.
It helps you build a personalized content strategy, come up with content ideas, and draft social media captions.
So, how does it work?
Let’s say you run social media for Tattly, a creative brand selling artist-designed temporary tattoos.
Copilot will ask you a set of questions about your brand, goals, and audience:
Based on your input, the AI Copilot recommends the best platforms to focus on and suggests a weekly posting frequency:
Copilot also suggests content categories that match your business and tone:
It then generates the posting plan based on your content categories:
And finally, it generates the posts. You can use the captions as-is or use AI suggestions as inspiration:
Create Evergreen Content Categories
SocialBee lets you recycle posts on autopilot by marking a content category as evergreen:
This means any post you add to that category will automatically be re-added to your posting queue once it goes live. You don’t need to reschedule it manually.
But why would you want to post the same content over and over?
It’s a great way to keep your content calendar full without constantly creating new content. You can use it to reshare timeless posts like tips, customer testimonials, or motivational quotes:
For example, reposting a helpful blog tip every four to six weeks keeps it fresh in your audience’s feed without feeling repetitive. Especially if you’re recycling through a variety of other content in between.
Plus, new followers may miss these posts the first time around, but still get value from them.
This keeps your content calendar active, saves you time, and ensures your best posts continue delivering value long after they’re first published.
Turn Links Into Posts
SocialBee lets you import a bunch of links and instantly generate social media posts for them:
Just paste in your links, assign them to a content category, and SocialBee will generate a basic post using the page title and link:
From there, you can edit the draft to boost engagement and tailor it to your audience. Like by adding a hook or takeaway.
This is especially helpful if you run a blog or regularly share curated content. It gives you a head start on posting, so you’re not starting from scratch every time.
Compared to hiring freelancers on your own, SocialBee’s concierge service saves you time and guesswork.
You get vetted specialists, ongoing 1:1 communication, and fixed pricing. And you don’t have to go through the process of scouting talent and managing contracts.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Turn articles into social media posts in seconds
The mobile app is very limited at this time, sometimes not even working at all
Use Canva, Unsplash, and GIPHY integrations for visuals
4. Canva
Best for content creators and small businesses that want to design and schedule content from one place
Pricing: Starts at $15 per month; 30-day free trial available
With its built-in Content Planner tool, Canva lets you design, write, and schedule posts across multiple platforms in one place.
If you’re already using it to create visual content, it might be enough to handle your entire content workflow. Especially if you heavily rely on graphics in your social media posts.
Here are the platforms you can manage with Canva:
Instagram Business Page
Facebook Page
X/Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Tumblr
While more limited than some of the other tools on this list, there are still a lot of reasons to love it as a social media management tool.
Here are my favorite features:
Schedule Posts Right From the Design Dashboard
Canva makes it easy to go from designing a social media post to scheduling it for publishing. You can do it without even leaving the design screen.
Let’s say you run a small cafe and you’re launching a new seasonal breakfast menu. You design an Instagram post in Canva with a mouth-watering photo of your meals.
Once you’re happy with the design, you click “Share” > “Schedule” right from the top menu:
This built-in scheduling tool helps you post regularly on social media without making more work for yourself.
Instead of switching between tools, you can design, schedule, and publish all from one place.
Design and schedule content without switching platforms
Lacks advanced collaboration tools, such as content approvals, needed for larger teams
Pre-designed visuals tied to calendar events and holidays
5. Hootsuite
Best for teams that need social selling tools and CRM integration
Pricing: Starts at $149 per month; 30-day free trial available
Hootsuite supports everything from collaborative content planning to lead generation and social selling.
It has tools that help your team save time and work efficiently. Like CRM integrations, a smart inbox, and auto-replies for Instagram.
Here are the platforms you can manage with Hootsuite:
Facebook
Instagram
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
Pinterest
TikTok
WhatApp Business
Threads
Here are my favorite Hootsuite features:
Automate Instagram DMs with Comment Keywords
Hootsuite lets you send automated Instagram DMs to your audience:
You can use this feature to deliver lead magnets, coupon codes, or event registrations.
For example, if you’re a fitness coach offering a free meal plan, you could post a Reel with the caption:
“Drop the word MEAL below and I’ll DM you my 7-day meal plan.”
When someone comments “meal,” Hootsuite instantly sends them your custom message with the link.
Here’s how it works:
You choose a keyword and write a message you want to send when someone comments that word on your post.
This method keeps your audience engaged without the hassle of replying to everyone yourself. And because the response is instant, your followers get what you promised right away. No matter when they comment.
Cool, right?
Turn Social Conversations Into Sales
Hootsuite helps you move leads from social interactions to closed deals without leaving the dashboard.
You can reply to comments and DMs, save the conversation in your CRM, and follow up to turn that lead into a customer:
But how’s that possible?
Hootsuite integrates with CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and SugarCRM to streamline this process.
This means your social media manager and sales rep can collaborate in real time. If a follower responds to a campaign or clicks on a product post, you can turn that engagement into a lead profile.
If your business relies on social selling, this feature is a game-changer.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Manage inbound messages, engagement, and scheduling in one place
DM automation is limited to Instagram only
Integrate Hootsuite with your CRM and project management platform
6. Sprout Social
Best for large teams or agencies that need unified analytics, collaboration tools, and social listening in one platform
Pricing: Starts at $249 per month; 30-day free trial available
Sprout Social is a premium social media management platform. It combines publishing, engagement, analytics, and social listening all in one place.
Here are the platforms you can manage with Sprout Social:
Facebook
Instagram
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
TikTok
Pinterest
Threads
YouTube
Google Business Profile
Now let’s talk about what I love most about Sprout Social:
Respond to Every Message in One Place
Sprout’s Smart Inbox pulls direct messages (DMs), comments, and mentions across all your connected platforms.
You don’t need to bounce between tabs or apps. Instead, your entire team can view and respond to each message or comment from one space:
Your team can even tag messages, assign them to teammates, and leave internal notes to add context:
Sprout Social also tracks your inbox activity. This lets you check how your team handles audience engagement across different platforms.
For example, you can see metrics like:
Number of received vs. actioned messages and action rate
Response rate and average time to action
Performance trends across time or by platform
This helps you reply faster, keep your support organized, and make sure you don’t miss any messages. Even when you’re constantly receiving messages at scale.
Track and Visualize Performance Across the Channels
Sprout Social gives you two powerful ways to analyze your results:
Cross-network reporting: To track performance across all your social media channels
Profile-specific reporting: To dive deeper into individual accounts (like your Instagram or LinkedIn)
This dual setup helps you see the big picture while still being able to zoom in on the details.
View High-Level Metrics in One Dashboard
Its profile performance report shows key stats. Such as views, clicks, engagement, and interaction rate across all your social platforms:
You can also track how your audience has grown over time with the Audience Growth graph:
This makes it easy to see whether your efforts are growing your followers.
That way, you can identify which platforms are bringing the most momentum. And which ones might need a strategy tweak.
Analyze Content with Post Performance Reports
Sprout Social also gives you post performance insights across all your connected accounts. Or you can focus on a specific platform.
You can view and compare individual post metrics. Like total engagement, reactions, and comments:
This helps you quickly spot top-performing posts and patterns behind them. This lets you replicate what’s working — without constantly jumping between dashboards.
Listen to What Your Audience Is Saying Online
Sprout Social helps you understand what people say about your brand, industry, or competitors across social media and the web.
You can track specific keywords, hashtags, or brand mentions in real time.
For example, if you manage social media for a coffee shop, you might track the keyword “espresso.”
The conversation breakdown shows the words and phrases people use when they talk about espresso. Such as “recipes,” “easy,” and “home.”
These terms are ranked from highest to lowest engagement:
You can use these words to get content ideas or write relatable captions to match what your audience is saying.
It’s a quick way to spot trends and stay relevant.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
All-in-one place for managing publishing, engagement, and analytics across many social media platforms
Can be overwhelming for solo users or small teams due to the number of tools included in Sprout Social
Advanced analytics to track cross-platform or profile-specific performance
Ready to Choose Your Social Media Management Tool?
The right social media management tool depends on your content needs and workflow:
Go with Sprout Social if you’re a large team or agency that needs everything in one place, including analytics, collaboration, customer care, and social listening
Pick Hootsuite if your team is focused on lead generation and social selling, and you want powerful CRM integrations and sales automations
Choose Planable if you need advanced collaboration features and want to manage all kinds of content in one place
Go with Buffer if you’re solo or on a small team and want to stay consistent with posting using a simple, organized workflow
Try SocialBee if you want extra help either from AI or a real human handling your strategy and content
Stick with Canva if you’re already using it for design and want a streamlined way to schedule your posts without switching tools
Want to explore new platforms to grow on? Check out our list of new social media platforms so you can stay ahead of the curve.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-05-12 16:06:342025-05-12 16:06:346 Best Social Media Management Tools (Tried & Tested)
It covers everything from keyword research to competitor tracking for full campaign lifecycle visibility.
Perfect when you’re knee-deep in data but need insights fast. Like onboarding a new client or cleaning up a messy account.
Find High-Value PPC Keywords Fast
Keyword research shouldn’t feel like a full-time job.
Semrush’s Advertising Toolkit makes it simpler.
Start with the Keyword Magic Tool.
Type in a general term like “indoor planters.” You’ll get a full list of related long-tail keywords, complete with cost-per-click (CPC) and search volume.
Within seconds, you’ll find high-potential keywords that fit your budget.
Now, if you want to know what your competitors are bidding on, use the Keyword Gap tool.
Let’s say you’re running campaigns for plantologyusa.com.
Add a few competitor URLs — like mygardyn.com and thesill.com — and Semrush will show keywords they’re targeting, but you’re not.
Plus, terms they’re outranking you for.
Instead of reinventing your keyword list, you see what’s driving results for others.
And where you may be leaving money on the table.
Bonus: You can easily export your keyword lists from Semrush into Google Ads. Or, use them as the base for Meta campaign planning.
Side note: Google Keyword Planner also offers keyword data straight from Google. It’s solid for search volume, but it lacks Semrush’s competitive context.
Reverse Engineer Your Competitors’ PPC Strategy
Want a fast, clear read on what your competitors are spending in paid search?
Head to Semrush’s Advertising Research Tool and plug in their domains.
For example, if you’re running PPC for Toolstation, you might want to analyze Screwfix’s paid search strategy.
“What are your competitors doing, and how well is it working for them?”
With up to 15 years of historical data, you get a full market view of paid search trends.
This allows you to evaluate what’s effective (and what’s not) in your competitors’ strategies so you can plan your own campaigns with a lot less guesswork.
Get Detailed Insights Into Your Competitors’ PPC Campaigns
SpyFu’s PPC Research tool gives you a full breakdown of any of your competitor’s paid search strategies.
All you need is their domain.
Let’s say Salesforce is a competitor. Enter its domain and you’ll instantly see:
Enter a few competitors’ domains into the Kombat tool, and SpyFu gives you a side-by-side comparison.
Let’s say you’re managing PPC for Monday.com.
Enter salesforce.com, pipedrive.com, and zoho.com, and Kombat will show you:
A Venn diagram of shared vs. unique keywords
The “Core Keywords” all three are bidding on
“Potential Ad Waste,” which are keywords you’re paying for but no one else is
It’s one of the fastest ways to identify keyword gaps and wasted spend.
Plus, you’ll see where competitors are doubling down.
(And if you’re managing client accounts, it’s one of the fastest ways to deliver data-backed insights that make you look like the expert that you are.)
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Affordable alternative to pricier PPC tools. Great for small agencies that need competitors’ insights without enterprise-level costs.
It’s easy to rely too heavily on competitor data. And when you do, you stop spotting new trends and start sounding like everyone else.
Price
SpyFu offers two plans:
Basic: $39/month with limited searches and exports. Best for occasional use.
Professional: $79/month with unlimited access, full history, and API. Ideal for agencies and power users.
Free limited account available
3. Google Ads Editor
Best for bulk editing & offline ad campaign management
You can use it to work on your campaigns offline and make bulk edits faster than the standard web interface allows.
If you’re managing large Google Ads accounts with lots of campaigns and hundreds of ads, this tool will keep you sane.
Work on Campaigns Offline
Once you install the editor, download your Google Ads account to your computer.
From there, you can build, edit, and review campaigns even without Wi-Fi.
You can:
Create or pause ads
Edit ad copy, targeting, bids, or URLs
Add new keywords or remove underperformers
Review performance data and account structure
Then, when you’re ready, hit “Post.”
And the updates go live. Just like that.
It’s a great option if you’re on the go or stuck with bad Wi-Fi.
Or, if you just want to batch edits without Slack pinging you every 11 seconds.
Save Time with Bulk Edits
Making one change inside the Google Ads interface? No problem.
Making 100? Use the Google Ads editor.
Instead of tweaking each ad one at a time, you can apply changes across multiple campaigns, ad groups, or entire accounts.
All in one go.
One standout feature: Search and Replace.
It lets you update ad copy, URLs, headlines, or any other text-based field across your entire account.
Need to swap “Spring Sale” with “Summer Sale” in 150 ads?
Do a quick search to find the ads, apply the change in bulk, and move on.
You can also import bulk changes using a spreadsheet.
Or, update bids, budgets, keywords, and schedules without the usual click-edit-repeat routine.
It’s a real time-saver for teams managing large accounts or agencies juggling multiple clients.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Saves hours on large-scale edits
Has a bit of a learning curve, so it’s best for intermediate and advanced users
Price
Google Ads Editor is free to use.
4. Optmyzr
Best for enterprise-level PPC automation & tracking
Get Optmyzr when you’re ready to scale your campaigns without scaling your workload.
This platform gives you the tools to automate PPC campaigns for Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Ads.
If you’re constantly chasing budget issues or fixing the same problems every week, Optmyzr helps you automate the checks, alerts, and tweaks that eat up your time.
So, you can finally stop doing all the repetitive stuff and make room for more important work.
Like watching that YouTube video you’ve had open in a tab since Tuesday.
Automate Campaign Management and Catch Problems Early
Optmyzr helps you eliminate tedious PPC tasks so you can stop doing things a robot would happily handle.
(And save your brainpower for decisions that actually need it.)
Use the Rule Engine to set up custom automation using if/then logic.
You can pause underperforming keywords, flag return on ad spend (ROAS) drops, or trigger emails when daily spend spikes.
You can also automate trend monitoring, clean up low-CTR ads, and optimize ad groups for better conversions.
The Rule Engine is highly flexible. But it’s not plug-and-play.
You’ll need to be comfortable defining your own logic and setting up workflows.
The advantage?
That level of customization makes it especially powerful for high-stakes accounts where fast, automated reactions can protect performance and budget.
Find the Root Cause of Any PPC Performance Drop
When performance dips, your first question is usually: Why?
(After the panic and checking multiple dashboards a few too many times, that is.)
Optmyzr’s PPC Investigator helps you answer that fast with a visual cause-and-effect breakdown.
Pick a top-level metric like Conversions or ROAS. Then, use the “Why did [X] change?” dropdown to compare time periods (e.g., last 30 days vs. previous period).
The chart updates instantly to show how the other related metrics changed.
For example, if conversions dropped, PPC Investigator might show that clicks actually increased.
But, your budget was reduced during the same period.
Now, you’re not viewing the conversion dip in isolation. You’re seeing the bigger picture.
Instead of guessing, you can identify which metrics changed at the same time and start connecting the dots.
It won’t hand you the answer, but it gives you a starting point for figuring out what’s really going on.
And that makes digging into the “why” a whole lot easier.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Highly customizable, making it perfect for agencies and enterprise teams that want tailored workflows and automation
Steeper learning curve for PPC teams unfamiliar with rule-based logic or scripting
Price
Optmyzr starts at $249/month for accounts spending up to $10K/month. Plans scale with ad spend.
14-day trial available.
5. Adalysis
Best for ready-to-go ad automation and tracking
If your PPC systems are already up and running, Adalysis helps keep them healthy.
It acts as a performance-monitoring layer for your Google and Microsoft Ads accounts with 100+ built-in audits.
You’ll get early alerts when performance is subpar. Plus, practical recommendations to fix issues.
Perfect for teams managing large accounts who want automation that’s ready to go. Not something they have to build first.
Get Alerts the Moment Your KPIs Go Sideways
Adalysis keeps a constant watch on your campaigns, scanning for issues before they turn into expensive surprises.
It flags issues the moment your metrics start drifting off course.
You can set alerts for:
CPA rising above target
Conversions dipping
Budgets maxing out too early
Campaigns suddenly losing impressions
So, what does that actually mean?
It means you won’t be caught off guard by issues that could have been flagged days earlier. Like lost conversions.
You’ll know right away while there’s still time to fix it.
Automate Budget Adjustments
Manually adjusting budgets across dozens of campaigns is a time suck.
Worse, one mistake can throw off your entire month.
Adalysis gives you two ways to manage your budget.
Manual pacing with alerts
Full automation based on performance goals
With manual pacing, you can set daily or monthly spend targets and monitor progress in a visual dashboard.
Color-coded indicators show whether you’re overspending, underspending, or on track.
You can also set alerts — or auto-pause campaigns — when spending crosses custom thresholds.
Prefer a hands-off approach?
Switch to Full Automation, and Adalysis dynamically adjusts budgets based on your goals.
Whether that’s more conversions, a better CPA, or higher ROAS.
Just set your budget and goal, and the system takes care of the rest.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Significantly reduces time spent on PPC management, making it ideal for high-volume campaigns or managing multiple accounts
It leans on its built-in structure, which may not offer as much flexibility as some advanced users want
Price
Adalysis starts at $149/month for up to $50K in monthly ad spend. Pricing increases in tiers based on ad spend.
Free trial available.
6. Google Looker Studio
Best for ad campaign visualization and reporting
If you’re managing multiple accounts across platforms, reporting can eat up your entire week.
Google Looker Studio helps you build reporting dashboards using data from Google Ads, GA4, Search Console, BigQuery, Google Sheets, and more.
The result?
One central place where your team (and your clients) can track campaign performance.
See the Full PPC Picture
Google Looker Studio’s biggest strength is turning raw data into clear visual dashboards.
So, you can stop sending spreadsheets to numbers-averse clients. And start telling a story they can follow.
You can pull in data from Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Facebook Ads (via partner connectors).
Then, layer in insights from Google Analytics, your CRM, ecommerce platform, or email tools.
This gives you a single view of your paid campaigns.
Plus, how they connect to everything else happening in the funnel.
Create Shareable, Client-Ready Reports in Minutes
Whether you’re a freelancer, agency lead, or in-house PPC manager, someone always wants to “see the numbers.”
Google Looker Studio makes it easy to turn Google Ads data into interactive reports that highlight performance and campaign impact.
Once you’ve set up your dashboard, you can:
Share it via a link or scheduled email
Embed it into webpages, client portals, or internal platforms
Set access permissions (view-only, comment, or edit)
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Completely free to use with no limits on users, reports, or connected platforms
Some PPC connectors (like Facebook Ads) require paid third-party tools
Price
Google Looker Studio is free to use.
7. ChatGPT
Best for ad copy and campaign analysis
ChatGPT is quickly becoming a must-have for PPC marketers.
You can use it to brainstorm headlines, write ad copy, refresh underperforming creative, and even analyze landing pages.
The catch? It’s only as good as your prompt.
But once you know how to guide it, the possibilities open up fast.
Generate Creative Ad Copy Faster
Need new ad copy ideas?
ChatGPT can help you brainstorm faster than you can type “A/B test.”
You can ask it to:
Write multiple ad variations in seconds
Refresh underperforming copy with a new tone
Explore different angles or CTAs
But the real magic happens when you feed it your brand’s data.
If you’re on the Pro Plan, you can create a project and upload your brand voice and tone guide, product descriptions, audience insights, offers, and more.
Once those are added to your Project files, ChatGPT starts responding like it actually knows your business.
Goodbye lifeless B2B buzzwords.
Break Down Competitor Messaging for Strategic Insights
ChatGPT can help you reverse-engineer competitor landing pages and ad copy so you can learn from them.
Here’s how:
First, find a competitor’s ad or landing page.
Next, use a tool like WebtoPDF to convert the page into a PDF. Upload that file to ChatGPT.
From there, it’s all about how you prompt it.
Skip the generic “analyze this” request.
Instead, ask for specifics:
What benefit is this page emphasizing most?
What emotional triggers are being used?
What objections are they trying to overcome and how?
This turns ChatGPT into a strategic analyst.
It helps you understand what’s working for others and how you can do it better.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Extremely versatile. Whether you’re writing ad copy or planning campaigns, ChatGPT adapts to what you need
You’ll still need to double-check tone, facts, and fit. Especially for client-facing work
Price
ChatGPT has three tiers:
Free Plan: Includes GPT‑4o mini with limited features
Plus Plan: $20/month with access to its most advanced models
Pro Plan: $200/month for unlimited access to all models and much higher usage limits
Note: Never used ChatGPT before? I’ve put together an in-depth guide on “How to Use ChatGPT” with practical tips to help you get started right away. And if you’ve been using it for a while, you’ll still find a few advanced tricks you probably didn’t know it could do.
Find the Right PPC Tool for Your Goals
The fastest way to waste money on ad tech? Choosing a tool that doesn’t solve your specific problem.
Whether you’re trying to outsmart competitors, automate time-consuming tasks, or finally get reporting off your plate, the best PPC tool depends on what you’re trying to fix.
Choose the statement that sounds most like you to find the best tool for your needs.
Use the table below to quickly find the PPC tool that fits your needs.
Just look for the challenge you’re facing and see the tool that can help you solve it.
You can pick one or a few, depending on what you need most.
PPC Pain Point
Recommended Tool(s)
I want to see what my competitors are doing
Semrush: Find missed keywords + ad history SpyFu: Spot keyword gaps + spend patterns
My ad copy is getting stale
ChatGPT: Rewrite fast + extract insights Bonus: Combine with Semrush/SpyFu for real campaign ideas
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Below, I’ll go through 19 example sitemaps and explain the key best practices to help you build your own.
Beyond XML, HTML, and visual sitemaps, I’ve categorized the examples below by site type. This way, you can find examples of sitemaps from websites like yours.
Note: If you haven’t created a sitemap yet, or you want to learn more about optimizing them, check out our dedicated sitemap guide first.
Which Type of Sitemap Do You Need? (XML vs. HTML)
Before jumping into examples, you need to know which type of sitemap is right for your website.
There are two main types: XML and HTML. Each one serves a different purpose.
Note: I’ll also provide an example of a visual sitemap below, but XML sitemaps (the kind you submit to Google Search Console) are the focus here.
XML Sitemap Examples
XML sitemaps are designed specifically for search engines, not humans.
They use a structured format that tells Google and other search engines about the pages on your site and when they were last updated. (This means they can affect your site’s SEO.)
You’ll usually find them at URLs like “yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml” or “yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml” (if you have multiple sitemaps).
XML sitemaps won’t directly improve your rankings. But they can help search engines find and then index your content.
Important: You don’t need an XML sitemap. But honestly, as long as you set it up properly, there’s no reason not to have one.
There are a few ways you can implement XML sitemaps. Below are three examples showing the most common styles you’ll come across.
The sitemap for HTTPStatus.io is fairly simple. The site offers a tool for checking the HTTP status of your URLs. But it also has some pages explaining integrations and what different status codes mean.
Beyond the main tool and some knowledge base style articles, there aren’t that many pages on the site to map.
If you also have a simple site, don’t overcomplicate your sitemap.
Forbes uses an XML sitemap index, found at forbes.com/sitemap_index.xml.
This is an index of multiple sitemaps, like /forbes_2008_sitemap.xml and /news_sitemap.xml.
In this case, the 2005 sitemap contains URLs published in 2005:
While the news sitemap contains news-themed URLs:
You’ll see that Forbes includes various different attributes in its sitemap. Most of these aren’t essential. Google also ignores many of them, like <changefreq> and <priority>.
But if you use the <lastmod> value and it’s “consistently and verifiably accurate,” Google may use it to understand how often to crawl your pages.
In other words: don’t use this to try and pretend you’ve significantly updated your content when you’ve just changed the date.
We’ve used Yoast (a WordPress plugin) to create our sitemap index. That’s why it looks like a more styled page than the previous two examples.
If you have a WordPress site, plugins like Yoast and RankMath can create sitemaps for you.
In our case, we’ve split our sitemap up into different categories like posts, pages, tools, and hub resources.
Here’s what the /post-sitemap.xml looks like:
Best Practices for XML Sitemaps
Follow these best practices when creating your XML sitemap:
Each sitemap file should contain no more than 50,000 URLs and be smaller than 50MB (for larger sites, use multiple sitemaps and a sitemap index)
Don’t include duplicate content, redirected pages, or non-indexable pages in your sitemap — this can confuse search engines and waste crawl budget
Only adjust the “lastmod” attribute when you make significant updates to pages (and don’t use it to “fake” content freshness)
Configure your CMS or server to automatically update your sitemap when you make content changes
Note: Many content management systems like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix automatically update your sitemap when you add, move, or adjust pages.
HTML Sitemap Examples
HTML sitemaps, unlike XML sitemaps, are designed for your human visitors.
These are actual pages on your website that list all your content in a hierarchical structure. You’ll typically find them at URLs like “yourdomain.com/sitemap” (although it can vary depending on the site’s URL structure).
They help visitors find what they’re looking for when they can’t access what they need via your navigation menus.
However:
Your users should be able to find what they need via your navigation menus and internal links. An HTML sitemap is not a substitute for good UX design.
(But it can supplement it.)
You should consider creating an HTML sitemap if:
Your website has deep content hierarchies
You run an ecommerce store with many product categories
Users frequently search for specific pages on your site
Your website caters to less tech-savvy audiences who might need navigation help
You don’t need to choose between XML and HTML sitemaps. You can use both simultaneously.
Lovevery’s HTML sitemap sorts its products into categories like Play Kits and Course Packs. It also highlights two of their main products right at the top: The Play Gym and The Montessori Shelf.
It also subdivides the Play Kits by age. This makes it easy for users to find products they need for their child.
Best Practices for HTML Sitemaps
Here are best practices to follow if you want to create an HTML sitemap:
Logically structure your HTML sitemap to mirror your site’s actual architecture
Use anchor text to describe the linked page and avoid generic labels like “click here” or “read more”
Use consistent indentation, typography, and spacing to show hierarchies
Place a link to your HTML sitemap in your site’s footer so it’s accessible from every page
Update your HTML sitemap when you add or remove content
Visual Sitemap Example
Visual sitemaps represent your site’s architecture graphically. They use shapes, colors, and lines to show how pages are connected.
They’re helpful during site planning and development, but you won’t submit these to Google, and your users won’t see them either.
Here’s an example of a visual sitemap for a website that sells coffee products:
Follow these tips to create a useful visual sitemap:
Limit your visual sitemap to core pages and pathways to avoid clutter
Establish a clear key for what each shape, color, and connector represents (like categories and products, or levels in the hierarchy)
Cluster similar pages together visually to show content relationships (and opportunities for internal links)
Show the intended user pathways through your site to identify potential navigation issues before they become problems
Share your visual sitemap with team members and clients early — it’s much easier to revise a diagram than to restructure a fully-built website
Next, I’ll go through examples of XML sitemaps for different types of websites. While HTML and visual sitemaps have their place, it’s your XML sitemap that matters most for SEO.
Blog Sitemap Examples
A well-structured blog sitemap ensures all your content remains discoverable. This includes older posts that may have fallen off your main navigation or recent posts list.
For sites that regularly publish new content, an automatically updating blog sitemap can help maintain your search engine visibility across your entire content archive.
But there are also some extra sitemaps in there that I wouldn’t recommend you include.
For example, there’s a sitemap for affiliate links…
…that just links to pages with a single image on them:
(This one’s URL was /pillow/, but the image is a jacket.)
Your sitemap should contain only your important pages you want Google to index. So you should avoid including any links to pages that don’t add value for users.
NerdWallet has a main sitemap at /wp-sitemap.xml. It contains further sitemaps of posts, reviews, other types of posts, authors, and more.
But there are also other sitemaps for specific region versions of the site:
/uk/sitemap.xml
/ca/sitemap.xml
/ca/p/sitemap.xml
/au/sitemap.xml
While NerdWallet generates its main sitemap either via a custom setup or plugin, it generates its region-specific ones with Yoast:
All of these sitemaps follow a simple structure, listing the URL and date it was last modified. (The Yoast ones also include the number of images on the page — a small and not super important detail.)
Considering NerdWallet has tens of thousands of pages and multiple regional versions of the site, this is an impressively straightforward example of a blog sitemap.
Best Practices for Blog Sitemaps
If you have a blog, follow these best practices for your sitemap:
List your blog posts in reverse chronological order (newest first) to highlight your most recent content
Group posts by their primary categories to create logical content clusters that search engines can understand
If you substantially update a post, reflect this in your sitemap’s “lastmod” parameter (WordPress plugins like Yoast often do this for you)
Unless your category and tag pages contain unique content, keep them out of your sitemap to avoid duplicate content issues
Ensure the URLs in your sitemap exactly match the canonical URLs of your published posts
A well-structured sitemap for your local business website can help Google find and index all of your location pages and other important content. This is especially true for businesses with lots of locations or complex service offerings.
Pimlico Plumbers is London’s largest independent plumbing company. But even with lots of service areas all around the city, Pimlico’s sitemap is simple and organized.
The most notable sitemap here is the location-sitemap.xml file:
This is a useful way for Pimlico to organize all of its locations in an easy-to-find way. This potentially helps Google find and index its location pages.
Best Practices for Local Business Sitemaps
Sitemaps for local businesses don’t require too much in the way of dedicated best practices.
But you should:
Include your location pages if you have multiple
If you have lots of locations, you may want to categorize them in a separate sitemap file
Make sure to update any key page URLs and add a “lastmod” parameter when you do
Ecommerce Store Sitemap Examples
With potentially thousands of products, categories, and filters, ecommerce sites can end up with pretty complex sitemaps.
But with a bit of logical organization, you can ensure your sitemap helps (rather than hinders) your ecommerce site’s SEO.
Ruggable offers thousands of products. But its sitemap index just consists of four simple individual sitemaps covering:
Products
Pages
Collections
Blog posts
Here’s what the extensive product sitemap looks like:
This single sitemap contains 1,000+ individual product URLs.
This creates a simple overall sitemap setup, while still being well below the limit of 50,000 URLs per sitemap.
Best Practices for Ecommerce Sitemaps
Follow these best practices for your ecommerce sitemap:
Every available product should have an entry in your sitemap
Remove or deprioritize permanently discontinued products to avoid wasting crawl budget
Exclude filter combinations that create duplicate content issues (like sorting options or non-essential URL parameters)
If you serve multiple countries or languages, include hreflang attributes to help Google understand which version to show users in specific regions
For stores with thousands of products, consider creating separate sitemaps for different categories and linking them with a sitemap index
Large Website Sitemap Examples
Large websites with thousands or millions of pages face unique challenges when it comes to sitemaps. Sitemaps have a URL limit of 50,000 per individual sitemap. So it’s often impossible to keep every page within just a single file.
This means sitemap indexes and automated updating are essential for larger websites.
Weather.com is a HUGE site. Like 50+ million pages huge.
(This is just Google’s estimate and it’s not always that accurate. But there’s no doubt there are A LOT of pages on Weather.com.)
The site will tell you the weather pretty much anywhere on earth with its own dedicated page. So it needs a robust sitemap setup that goes beyond simple categories.
In fact, it needs several sitemaps:
/en-US/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/pt-PT/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/de-DE/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/fr-FR/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/es-US/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/es-ES/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/en-IN/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/en-GB/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
/en-CA/sitemaps/sitemap.xml
Within each of these, there are yet more sitemaps:
These categorize URLs by things like:
Videos
News
Articles
Forecast types (ten-day, weekend, today etc.)
And within these, there are individual URLs:
This leads to an extensive but essentially well-organized sitemap that covers millions of potential locations.
Note: For obvious reasons, I can’t verify if Weather.com’s sitemap contains every one of its indexable URLs. For sites at this scale, what’s key is just ensuring your sitemap contains all of your most important pages.
So it’s no surprise that the site needs a massive sitemap. So massive in fact that eBay needs to compress its many sitemaps. You can tell because its sitemap URLs end in .xml.gz, with .gz referring to “gzip” (a compressed file format).
You need to download these and then decompress them to view them. But when you do, you’ll find they often have 40K+ URLs in them.
I downloaded a few just out of curiosity, and I found 48K URLs in one of the “browse” sitemaps:
Another had 40K URLs, so the average is likely somewhere between those numbers. On the .com domain, I found at least 1,600 individual sitemaps in total across:
/PRP-0-index.xml (this contains links to individual listings)
/VIS-0-index.xml (this contains individual listing links along with image links)
/NGS-0-index.xml (this contains all the store pages)
/BROWSE-0-index.xml (these links are for search pages — hence “browse”)
If they all have at least 40K URLs in them (I’m not manually verifying that), we can assume there are at least 64 million URLs in eBay’s sitemap in total. But I imagine it’s more like 70-80 million.
And that’s just the .com domain. There are similar sets of sitemaps for its regional domains:
So this is an example of a truly massive sitemap. And you can see eBay sorts it into just four broad sitemap indexes, each one with hundreds of individual, compressed sitemaps.
Best Practices for Large Site Sitemaps
Follow these best practices for large sitemaps:
Use a sitemap index file to organize multiple child sitemaps, keeping each under the 50,000 URL and 50MB size limits
Configure your system to automatically generate and update sitemaps when content changes, as manual management becomes impossible at scale
Only include canonical versions of pages
Consider compressing your sitemaps to save bandwidth if you have lots of large sitemap files
SaaS Sitemap Examples
A well-structured SaaS sitemap encourages Google to index your most important pages.
SaaS websites are often complex, and so sitemap indexes are usually the go-to for this kind of website.
ClickUp’s sitemap is clean and simple — even though the SaaS site has tens of thousands of pages and 10+ regional versions.
ClickUp’s main sitemap index splits into:
/sitemap-landing.xml: Landing pages
/blog/sitemap.xml: Blog posts
/sitemap-next.xml: Various types of pages, including feature pages, events, and resources
/sitemap-programmatic.xml: Pages ClickUp has generated programmatically
Then there are a bunch of sitemaps for templates, more programmatic pages, and region-specific blog posts.
Like this one for Spanish speakers in Spain:
It’s worth noting that many of these sitemaps exist on a cdn.web.clickup.com subdomain. (The individual URLs within the sitemap aren’t on this subdomain.)
This might provide a small performance boost in terms of how fast Google can crawl the sitemaps, along with a bit of server load reduction. But I don’t imagine it would be a game changer for most sites.
It’s also not something you absolutely need to do for large sitemaps. But it could still be worth considering.
Docusign’s sitemap index contains individual sitemaps for things like blog posts and PDFs.
But what makes it an interesting sitemap example is the way it implements hreflang for its language and regional variants.
For example, here’s the /en-gb/ sitemap for English speakers in the UK:
But this actually highlights one of the reasons many site owners stick with just one form of hreflang implementation (often putting it in each individual page’s code). When you have lots of URLs and different language versions of them, it can be tough to keep them updated.
(Even Google warns that this can become an issue.)
Including hreflang attributes in multiple locations (like the page’s source code and in your sitemap) means you have two sets of alternate URLs to manage.
Let’s look at the first example in the screenshot above (/docusign-iris-agreement-ai). We see the sitemap tells search engines there are five variants of the URL:
en-au
en-ca
en-gb
en-sg
en-us
But the page’s source code (see below) suggests there is also a variant for Spanish speakers in Mexico (es-mx):
And in fact it doesn’t explicitly include en-us. Instead it opts for just en for the English/US version (/blog/docusign-iris-agreement-ai).
Perhaps the sitemap or page code just hadn’t updated yet (other pages don’t all show the same issue).
But if you have widespread cases like this, it could lead to Google having trouble knowing which versions of your site to serve to users. Or it might ignore your hreflang tags altogether.
Best Practices for SaaS Sitemaps
If you run a SaaS site, do the following to optimize your sitemap:
Prioritize feature and landing pages that target your primary conversion keywords
Include your knowledge base and technical documentation
Organize pages based on where they fit in the customer journey, from awareness to consideration to decision
Exclude pages like dashboards that are behind a login
Remove tracking parameters and unnecessary URL variations to prevent duplicate content issues
Consider implementing hreflang if you target a global audience — but make sure you don’t create any conflicts
Corporate Sitemap Examples
A well-designed corporate sitemap makes it easier for Google to index high-value pages. These could include pages about investor relations and press releases, along with leadership profiles.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is Taiwan’s largest company. It’s also one of the world’s most important manufacturers of computer chip components.
So it’s no surprise that it has sitemaps covering important pages like:
Annual reports
Business contacts
Policies
Declarations
TSMC uses Drupal to create its sitemap. This automatically adds change frequency and priority values, but Google ignores these.
Deloitte is another major firm with a huge global presence. Its sitemap index primarily contains sitemaps for all of its regional variants.
Like this German variant:
These sitemaps contain everything from staff profiles to services and events.
Best Practices for Corporate Sitemaps
If you’re creating a sitemap for a corporate or business website, follow these best practices:
Include important quarterly reports, annual statements, and shareholder information pages to make them more discoverable for search engines like Google
Prioritize press releases, media kits, and company news to support your PR efforts and media visibility
If you have a large global presence, consider using different sitemaps for each regional variation
Don’t include any internal portals or pages that are behind a login
How to Find Issues with Your Sitemap
Putting together a sitemap is fairly straightforward. But it’s still easy to make mistakes (as some of the examples above show).
To make sure your sitemap is valid, use a sitemap validator, like this one:
But just because your sitemap is valid doesn’t mean it’s error-free.
To check for the most common sitemap issues, use a tool like Semrush’s Site Audit.
Just enter your domain, run the audit, and head to the “Issues” tab. Then type “sitemap” into the search bar:
The tool will highlight issues like:
Sitemap formatting errors
Incorrect pages in your sitemap (like pages with redirects, non-canonical URLs, or URLs with errors)
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