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What Is Content Decay? How to Identify and Fix Declining Content

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Have you ever noticed a blog post that used to drive tons of traffic to your site suddenly isn’t performing like it used to?

Maybe it ranked on the first page of Google for a few months and brought in steady leads, and then…poof! Nothing. The traffic just disappeared, and you’re left wondering what happened.

If that sounds familiar, you’re dealing with content decay. Trust me, you’re not alone. Content decay happens when once-successful content loses its search rankings, traffic, and effectiveness over time. It’s frustrating, especially when you put so much work into creating it in the first place.

The good news is content decay isn’t an automatic death sentence for your copy. Let’s dive into what content decay actually is, how to spot it before it becomes a bigger problem, and how to fix it so your content can start performing again. Because let’s be honest: nobody has time to constantly recreate content from scratch when a little maintenance can bring it back to life.

Key Takeaways

  • Content decay is about declining user interest, not just old content. When user behavior shifts or new competitors emerge, previously successful content can lose rankings and traffic even if it’s still technically accurate. 
  • Monitor your content regularly using free and paid SEO tools. Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, and SEMrush can help you identify declining traffic and rankings before content decay becomes a bigger problem. 
  • You have multiple strategies to fix declining content. Quick wins include adding videos, tables of contents, and FAQ schema, while more comprehensive approaches involve expanding, consolidating, or pruning your existing content. 
  • Fixing content decay is more cost-effective than starting from scratch. Since your declining content already proved it could rank and drive traffic, strategic updates often deliver better ROI than creating entirely new content. 
  • Early detection is crucial for successful content recovery. Set up regular monitoring and alerts so you can address content decay before your rankings completely disappear from search results.

What is content decay?

Let’s get specific about what we’re dealing with here. Content decay is a gradual decline in your content’s performance over time. We’re talking about drops in organic traffic, search rankings, engagement rates, and conversions. It’s not just a bad month or a seasonal dip; it’s a consistent downward trend that shows you’re losing your grip on your audience.

But here’s the important part: content decay isn’t just about your content getting “old.” It’s actually a symptom of declining user interest, a much bigger issue. Think about it this way. When you first published that blog post, it hit all the right notes for E-E-A-T. It was timely, relevant, and answered questions people actively searched for. But as time goes on, user behavior changes, new competitors enter the space, and search algorithms evolve. Suddenly, once valuable content starts to feel stale or outdated.

Content decay happens because your audience’s needs and interests are constantly shifting. What they cared about six months ago might not be what they focus on today. They’ve moved on to more advanced topics, or perhaps new trends have emerged that make your content feel less relevant.

Ultimately, when users stop engaging with your content — by clicking away quickly, not sharing it, or not converting — search engines take notice and start pushing it down in the rankings.

How declining user interest happens

User interest decline isn’t a new concept. Think about how search queries for digital cameras completely plummeted after the iPhone was released. People didn’t suddenly stop taking photos. Instead, their interest shifted to a better solution that combined their phone and camera needs.

The same thing happens with your content. There are several reasons why user interest might drop over time. Sometimes people lose interest in a topic altogether (like how fewer people search for “how to burn CDs” these days). Other times, Google introduces new navigation features or rich results that answer users’ questions directly in the search results, leading to zero-click searches. A big disruptor in the search space, AI Overviews and now AI Mode, reduce the clicks necessary to get answers.

While personalizing content can be a great way to reach your audience, it can sometimes work against you. It might only rank for certain demographics or geographic areas now, limiting your reach. Algorithm updates can change what Google thinks is relevant, and increased competition means more players fight for the same audience attention. Even seasonality plays a role; your summer suncare content won’t get much love in December.

But fear not. The key in recognizing content decay often reflects broader shifts in user behavior rather than problems with the content itself. That’s why updating content strategically can bring it back to life.

How to recognize content decay when it happens

A tricky thing about content decay is that it can sneak up on you. One day, your content is performing well. The next thing you know, it’s barely getting traffic. There are some warning signs you can see before the decay completely tanks performance.

First, take a hard look at whether the content is outdated or irrelevant. This is especially true if you write about timely topics or include survey data. Content age does matter. A blog post from 2019 about “social media trends” will feel pretty stale by now, for example. If your content references old statistics, outdated tools, or strategies that aren’t effective anymore, users will bounce quickly.

Next, do some competitive research. Is your competitor’s content simply better than yours? Maybe they’ve updated posts with fresh data, better formatting, or a deeper dive into the topic. If you’re still writing short blog posts while your competitors have published 2,000-word comprehensive guides with videos and infographics, it can be a big red flag.

Take a minute to check for other URLs on your site covering the same topics. Content decay can sometimes happen because you’ve accidentally created competing pages that cannibalize each other’s traffic. 

The most obvious signs of content decay are performance metrics: declining organic traffic, higher bounce rates, lower time on page, and fewer conversions. Pay attention to how this content performs during algorithm updates or new feature rollouts. If your traffic drops significantly after an update, your content might no longer align with what Google considers valuable or relevant. Or, in the case of AI Mode, it might no longer meet the benchmarks that Google uses to serve that information up to customers as part of zero-click search. In cases like this, it can make sense to approach the user’s search priorities from a Search Everywhere perspective.

A graphic showing causes of content decay.

Use SEO tools to find decayed content

You can look for signs of content decay on your own, but SEO tools make it much easier to identify. Trying to track this information down in spreadsheets gets overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of content.

Google Search Console is a typical option for many people because it’s free and pretty robust. Checking the Performance report and filtering by specific pages or queries can show you consistent traffic declines over the past six months to a year. You can also look for the “Average position” column to see if rankings have dropped for key terms. If a page used to rank in spots 1-5 and now sits at position 15, it’s content decay in action.

Ubersuggest is another great tool for tracking content decay. The Site Audit feature can identify pages with declining organic traffic, and the Keyword Tracking tool can monitor how your target keywords perform over time. You can even set up alerts to notify you when rankings drop significantly.

Finally, there’s SEMRush. This platform takes it a step further with a Position Tracking tool that allows you to see exactly how your rankings change over time. The “Cannibalization” report is especially helpful when identifying multiple pages on your site that compete for the same keywords, a common cause of content decay.

The key to this is setting up regular monitoring to catch content decay as early as possible. Content repurposing becomes much easier when declining content is identified before it completely disappears from search results.

Content decay solutions

Now, for the good news: content decay isn’t permanent. Once you’ve identified which pieces of content are declining, you have several strategies to bring them back to life. The beauty of fixing content decay is that you’re working with content that already had some success, not starting from scratch. The key is choosing the right approach based on what’s caused the decay in the first place.

Embed a video

Adding a relevant video to your existing content can help boost engagement and time on page, two factors that often signal to Google that your content is valuable. A quick explainer video or a detailed walkthrough can help your content feel fresh and current. You can post these videos elsewhere (like YouTube or TikTok) for additional “Search Everywhere” relevance.

Optimize content for SEO

Sometimes, content decay happens because SEO best practices have evolved since you first published. Update your title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and internal linking structure to align with current SEO standards. You might also need to adjust keyword density or improve the content’s semantic relevance.

Add FAQ Schema markup

FAQ schema can help your content appear in rich snippets and AI Overviews, which gives you more real estate in search results. If your content answers common questions, adding this markup can help it regain visibility and attract more clicks.

Add a table of contents

Another organizational element that can help improve your content (and user experience)? A table of contents. This helps make your content more scannable, which is especially important for longer pieces that might experience high bounce rates.

Prune content

Sometimes, less is more. If sections of your content are outdated or no longer relevant, removing them can actually improve performance. Focus on keeping the most valuable, accurate information.

Re-promote

Your declining content might just need a visibility boost. Share it again on social media, include it in email newsletters, or mention it with internal links in newer blog posts to drive fresh traffic and engagement signals.

Add expertise

Enhance your content’s authority by adding expert quotes, case studies, or more detailed analysis. If your content feels surface-level compared to your competitors, deeper expertise can help it regain rankings.

Expand

Pruning is a great way to refresh content, but sometimes you may need to add something to improve it. If user intent has shifted toward more comprehensive coverage, you should expand content to better match what searchers want. That might look like turning a 1,000-word post into a 2,500-word guide.

Consolidate

If multiple pages compete for the same keywords, you could consolidate them into one stronger piece to eliminate cannibalization and concentrate ranking power. Updating content strategically often delivers better ROI than creating brand new content from scratch.

What is content decay?

Content decay is when a blog post or page that used to get solid traffic and rankings slowly starts losing visibility over time. Along with age, it happens when user interest shifts, competitors publish stronger content, or Google updates its algorithm. The result? Less traffic, fewer conversions, and lost opportunities. The fix: update, expand, or optimize the content to bring it back to life instead of letting it fade away.

Conclusion

Content decay isn’t the end of your hard work. By understanding it’s about declining user interest rather than aging content, you can strategically bring your best-performing pieces back to life.

The key to catching decay early is to regularly monitor it with the tools you have to work with, like GSC, Ubersuggest, and SEMRush. Once you know what’s in decline, you have options to remedy it: quick wins like videos and adding tables of content to comprehensive expansion or consolidation.

Fixing content decay is more cost-effective than creating brand-new content, especially when you know these pieces can succeed. They just need strategic updates.

Feeling overwhelmed by the process of identifying and fixing content decay? Don’t tackle it alone. Reach out to NP Digital for expert guidance on content strategy or check out an Ubersuggest demo to see how our tools can streamline your content decay monitoring and help prioritize which pieces need love first.

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The Real Cost of Customer Acquisition (And How to Cut It)

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If you don’t know how much it costs to acquire a customer, you’re flying blind. And if you do know, but you’re paying too much, you’re in trouble.

The simple fact is, scaling a business without understanding your customer acquisition cost (CAC) is like trying to fill a leaky bucket.

This post will break down what CAC is, how to calculate it the right way, and how to reduce CAC without killing your growth.

Key Takeaways

  • Customer acquisition cost should account for so much more than ad spend. When you’re only tracking ad spend, you’re missing the bigger picture of what it truly costs to win a customer.
  • A healthy CAC marketing strategy balances cost efficiency with long-term value. Alongside CAC, you should also consider LTV and payback period. These combined will tell you more about your success than CAC alone.
  • An increasing CAC isn’t always a bad sign. Use this time to evaluate your funnel, but also consider that this increased cost may contribute to increased value. 
  • You don’t need to kill growth to reduce CAC. Start with what’s already working: optimize your website, lean into organic, and automatic where possible. 
  • Your happiest customers are your best way of reducing CAC. Invest in keeping them because their LTV will not only reduce your CAC but it may bring in additional leads.

What is Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)?

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) refers to the total expense incurred in acquiring a new customer. 

Here’s the basic formula:

CAC = (Total Sales and Marketing Costs) / Number of New Customers Acquired

Sounds simple, but here’s where most people mess it up: they only include ad spend. 

You also need to include expenses such as:

  • Ad spend
  • Content creation (blog writers, video editors)
  • Marketing tools and software
  • Team salaries
  • Free trials, discounts, onboarding costs
  • Sales commissions and tools
  • Sales travel and events

Example: You spend $25,000 and land 500 customers. That’s a CAC of $50. 

Why CAC Matters More Than You Think

If you don’t have a handle on your CAC, you’re probably wasting money. Even worse? You might think you’re profitable when you’re not.

It’s not just about how much you spend, but whether you’re spending it efficiently.

The straight CAC calculation above isn’t the only one that matters, though. You should also consider the following metrics as part of your overall marketing strategy:

  • Lifetime Value (LTV) to Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) ratio: You want at least a 3:1. That means for every $1 you spend, you make $3.
  • CAC payback period: How long until you break even on a customer? The shorter, the better.
  • Channel-specific CAC: Know your per-channel numbers. SEO CAC might be $20, but paid social CAC could be $100. 

What’s a Good CAC? A Look at Industry Benchmarks

A “good” CAC depends heavily on your industry, pricing model, and the length of time your customers stay. But having ballpark figures can help you understand how your acquisition costs stack up. 

Here’s what CAC looks like across industries: 

  • Startups (Seed to Series C): $400 to $900, depending on vertical and funding stage
  • Ecommerce: $86 average, with ranges between $45 to $150 depending on AOV and product type
  • B2B:
    • Legal: $1,245
    • IT/Managed Services: $1,180
    • SaaS: $702
    • Financial Services: $1,067

More important than how you compare to others in your industry is how you compare to yourself. 

A low CAC doesn’t always mean you’re doing great, but one that is steadily decreasing while other metrics grow or remain steady (like revenue, orders, etc) is a step in the right direction.

How to Calculate Your Real CAC

You can’t fix what you can’t measure. And most businesses underestimate their CAC because they forget to include the full picture.

Here’s what you need to add up:

  • Ad spend (across all channels)
  • Content creation and creatives (even for organic content)
  • Marketing and sales tools
  • Team salaries (and commissions) and benefits
  • Discounts and returns
  • Agency fees or freelancers
  • Any customer onboarding or support costs

Example: If the above costs $80,000 and you receive 1,000 new customers, your CAC is $80.

A graphic showing how CAC works.

Now, what if you have a subscription model?

In subscription-based businesses like SaaS, CAC should be spread over the average customer lifetime. For example, if your CAC is $300 and your average customer stays for 15 months, you’re paying $20 per month for each customer.

This helps align acquisition costs with the recurring revenue they generate and gives you a clearer view of profitability over time. 

Top Mistakes That Drive CAC Through the Roof

Here’s what I see killing CAC marketing strategy time and time again:

  1. Ignoring team and tool costs: Your tools and salaries count.
  2. Living off paid ads: Paid channels get expensive fast. Branch out into organic marketing.
  3. Chasing volume over quality: If customers churn fast, your CAC increases.
  4. No attribution strategy: Without solid tracking, you over-invest in what looks good but doesn’t convert.
  5. Short-term promotions: They boost conversions but often attract low-LTV customers.

Fix these, and your CAC will drop. Fast.

Multi-Touch Attribution for Smarter CAC Tracking

While I mentioned attribution strategy above, it deserves its own section. Why? The attribution model you use can make or break your CAC tracking. 

Modern buyers interact with multiple touchpoints before making a purchase. If you rely on first-click or last-click attribution, you’re missing out on valuable information.

That’s why multi-touch attribution is the best approach.

With multi-touch attribution, you distribute credit across every interaction. 

For example, imagine a customer who first clicked on a Google ad, then read your blog, and finally converted via an email promo.

With first-touch, you’re giving all the credit to Google, which can result in costly increases to your ad budget. With last-touch, you’re giving all the credit to email, which can result in a failure to support other avenues (like your blog). 

Multi-touch attribution enables you to assign a portion of the CAC to each of those channels, providing a clearer understanding of what’s truly effective.

Here’s how it helps reduce CAC:

  • Allocating spend intelligently. See which touchpoints drive conversions (so you can invest more) and which are merely noise (so you can reduce spend).
  • Forecasting smarter. Use historical multi-touch data to estimate the true cost of new customer acquisition.
  • Aligning teams. When sales and marketing see that both of their teams contributed to a conversion, it improves alignment and resource sharing.

Multi-touch attribution makes for more accurate CAC, which makes for smarter decisions.

How to Lower Customer Acquisition Cost Without Killing Growth

Let’s talk solutions. Here’s how to lower your CAC and still scale like a champ.

Dial in Your Website and Funnel

Your website is your best salesperson, so make sure it’s optimized to convert.

Consider the following changes that can have a big impact:

  • A/B test headlines, calls to action, images, and offers
  • Improve site speed
  • Remove friction from the checkout or sign-up flow
  • Minimize form fields and unnecessary steps

Also consider incorporating referrals and similar customer acquisition strategies into your funnel.

Dropbox is a notable example of this, achieving a 3,900% growth rate in just 15 months. 

Their “give and get storage” model rewarded current users and their invitees with 500MB each of additional storage. Referral links were integrated directly into onboarding, and the system provided transparent tracking so users saw their progress.

This virtually zero marketing cost strategy made this campaign all the more successful and led to decreased CAC while driving explosive growth.

Go Big on Organic

If you focus only on paid channels, you could be unnecessarily bloating your CAC. Organic marketing can naturally decrease CAC by driving more customers will significantly less cost than paid channels.

How?

  • Create SEO-driven blog content that solves your customers’ problems
  • Repurpose blog content into videos and short-form social posts
  • Stay active on platforms where your audience actually hangs out
  • Lean into user-generated content (UGC) and word-of-mouth marketing

Don’t forget email, too. Automated drip campaigns keep leads warm and buyers engaged long after the first click.

Retention as an Acquisition Strategy

Keeping customers is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones.

Take Glossier as an example. In a 2018 interview, the founder stated that repeat purchasers drove over 50% of revenue. That, combined with their customer-led growth strategy, has turned Glossier into the cosmetic powerhouse it is today.

If you want to lower your CAC by nurturing existing relationships, focus on:

  • Onboarding experience: Drive early wins and product adoption with an exemplary onboarding experience.
  • Referral programs: Reward your customers for sharing your product/service and generating warm leads.
  • Loyalty perks: Identify which loyalty perks your customers appreciate (such as discount codes or free products) and use them to encourage repeat business.

Remember, happy customers are your best marketers. This retention approach won’t only lower CAC, but it will also boost LTV.

Get Smart With Paid Ads

Organic marketing is important, but paid ads aren’t the enemy. A bad ad strategy is, though. Here’s how to tighten up your strategy for improved CAC: 

  • Refine targeting and use lookalike audiences built from high-value customers
  • Optimize for return on ad spend (ROAS), not just impressions
  • Test lower-lost platforms (like Pinterested and Reddit)
  • A/B test your campaigns, including headlines and creative

The greatest tip of all: be ruthless with underperforming campaigns. Pause, tweak, or cut them fast so your ad campaign doesn’t quickly devolve into a money pit.

Automate and Streamline

How much time and money are you spending on manual processes? Automate as much as you can to lower CAC and reduce friction. 

Here’s how:

  • Automate onboarding emails and customer education series
  • Use AI to personalize offers and predict behavior
  • Align sales and marketing teams with shared CRM workflows

Efficiency means a lower CAC. It’s that simple.

Tools to Help You Track and Optimize CAC

You don’t have to do this alone. There are various tools available to support your CAC optimization journey.

Monitor User Journeys: GA4

A Google Analytics landing page.

GA4 helps you understand exactly how users move through your site.

From first click to conversion, you can identify drop-off points and optimize touchpoints that matter most.

Track Attribution: Northbeam

Northbeam.io home page

Northbeam provides multi-touch attribution, showing which channels and campaigns drive conversions.

No more guessing which ad gets the credit.

Make Smarter SEO Decisions: Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest home page

Lowering your CAC starts with attracting the right traffic. That’s where Ubersuggest comes in.

Ubersuggest can help you identify high-intent, low-competition keywords your ideal customers are already searching for. By targeting those terms, you can drive more organic traffic without paying for every click.

With Ubersuggest, you can spend less time on acquisition and get more qualified leads in the door.

Automate CRM: HubSpot

HubSpot CRM landing page

HubSpot streamlines customer management with automated workflows, lead nurturing, and pipeline tracking. 

Automate Email Sequences: Klaviyo

Klaviyo home page

Klaviyo makes email marketing smarter with data-driven automations that respond to customer behavior. These keep engagement high and CAC low.

Visualize Customer Drop-Off: Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg homepage

Crazy Egg shows you where users click, scroll, and drop off on your site. Use heatmaps and session recordings to quickly resolve friction. 

FAQs

What is customer acquisition cost?

CAC is the cost of convincing a potential customer to buy a product or service. It includes everything you do to attract a new customer, like your advertising, the staff you employ, and your tools.

How do I calculate customer acquisition cost?

Take your total expenses spent on acquiring customers over a specific time and divide it by the number of customers you gained in that same time.

How do you lower customer acquisition cost?

Start by fixing your funnel. If your site’s clunky or confusing, you’re paying to lose people. Then, build out organic channels like SEO, email, and referrals, which scale without burning cash. Use multi-touch attribution to track what’s actually working, and cut what’s not. Automate where it saves time, and keep your best customers happy so they’ll do your marketing for you.

Conclusion

Customer acquisition cost is a reflection of how well your business turns effort into growth. 

If it’s too high, don’t panic. Instead, get curious.

Where’s the waste? Where’s the friction? Start small: optimize your funnel, test organic channels, and automate what you can. 

The goal isn’t to spend less, but to spend smarter. So measure often, adjust quickly, and remember that your best customers often bring the next ones with them.

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How to Advertise Your Business with a $500 Budget

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You want more customers, and you’re ready to advertise your business.

But how should you do it?

There’s Google Ads. Instagram. Flyers. Billboards. TikTok. And dozens of other online and offline options.

Some deliver better results than others:

Average Monthly SEO Retainer by Industry Competitiveness

But that doesn’t mean they’ll work for you:

Reddit – Right channels for your business

You have to find the right channels for your business, not just the ones that are popular.

At the agencies I’ve worked with, I’d often see small businesses like auto repair shops and restaurants boost ad returns by 50-200% — just by switching to better-fit channels.

In this guide, I’ll help you pinpoint the winning channels for your business — the ones that can unlock real revenue potential.

I’ll go through it step by step in three phases, covering:

  1. How to choose the right channels
  2. How to set up winning campaigns
  3. How to measure your results (and what to do with the data)

And I’ll show you exactly how I’d do it if I had a starting budget of $500.

Note: Want a quick list of ad ideas? Grab this free sheet with 30 ways to promote your business.

Phase 1: Choose the Right Channels to Advertise On

There are dozens of channels you can use to advertise your business.

But unless you have a lot of time and budget, you can’t be everywhere.

Popular Advertising Channels

In this phase, we’ll find out which ones are actually worth testing for your business.

I’ll use a local furniture store as a running example. But you can follow the same steps no matter what you sell.

Let’s start with the step most people skip:

Step 0: Should You Even Invest Money in Paid Ads?

If you’re short on time and want results fast, paid ads can absolutely work.

But that doesn’t mean they’re the best move right now.

Think of it like this:

  • Paid ads = renting attention. You pay, you get traffic. Stop paying, the traffic stops too.
  • Organic marketing = earning attention. It takes longer, but the traffic builds over time (and keeps going even when you stop).

Paid Ads vs. Organic Growth: What You Get Over Time

Ideally, you’d do both.

Paid gets you quick wins, while organic builds trust and visibility in the long run.

But when you’re working with limited time and budget, you’ll need to choose:

  • Want calls, sales, or visits this week? Paid ads are your fastest bet.
  • Want to build long-term traffic without spending monthly? Start with organic.

(Check out our ultimate SEO tutorial to get started with organic marketing.)

If you’re ready to move forward with ads, let’s lock in your #1 goal.

Step 1: Pick One Result You Want from Your Ad

You can’t run effective ad campaigns until you know what you want it to achieve.

Your goal decides everything, from where you advertise to what your ad looks like.

One goal = one outcome = one high-converting ad.

Not “get more attention.”

Not “build awareness.”

We’re talking actual business outcomes, like:

  • Phone calls
  • Website visits
  • DMs
  • Online orders
  • Store walk-ins
  • Form submissions

Can ads do more than one thing? Sure.

But when you’re starting out, trying to get five outcomes with one campaign just spreads your budget thin and hurts your ROI.

So pick one.

Ask yourself: “When someone sees my ad, what’s the one action I want them to take?”

Let’s say I run a local furniture store. I’m not trying to sell sofas online, I just want people to visit the showroom.

That’s my goal, and everything in the ad should lead there.

Make yours just as clear (and measurable).

Pro tip: Use the SMART framework to help you choose the right goal.

SMART

Step 2: Find Out How Your Last 20-30 Customers Found You

Before you spend a dollar, look at how your last 20-30 customers found you.

Because chances are, your next customers will come from the same places.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Think back to recent calls, emails, or walk-ins
  • Skim your DMs or contact form entries
  • Ask your team: “Where did that lead come from?”

You’re looking for repeat mentions, or anything that stands out.

For example:

If 12 out of 30 found you on Google? That’s a sign to use Google Ads.

If multiple people say they found you on Instagram? That’s your sign to create ads on Instagram.

If you don’t have the answers yet, start collecting data now.

Ask every new lead: “How did you hear about us?”

Track the next 30 manually. Write each one down in Google Sheets or Docs.

Here’s what that might look like for my local furniture store:

Where Our Last 10 Customers Came From

Note: If you’re a brand new business with zero customers, clearly you won’t have any data yet. You can still use advertising channels, but your market research and competitor analysis (see below) will become even more important.

Step 3: Analyze How Your Top Competitors Are Advertising

Your competitors are already advertising. Which means they’ve already spent time and money figuring out what works.

So instead of guessing, reverse engineer them.

Here’s how it might look for my local furniture store:

One competitor sends weekly promo postcards. Another runs billboard ads on the freeway and has flyers at the nearby mall.

That tells me they’re spending heavily on local print and outdoor ads (and likely getting results from it).

I won’t copy them blindly. But I’ll take notes:

  • What channels they’re using
  • What offers they’re promoting
  • Whether they’re trying to drive foot traffic, calls, or website visits

Then I’ll go online.

I’ll start by manually checking if my competitors are running ads on major platforms.

Many ad platforms have public ad libraries you can search.

Like Google’s Ad transparency, where I can see if my competitors are running ads on Google Search, Google Shopping, and YouTube:

Google Ads – Transparency Center – Bel Furniture

I can also look up their Instagram or Facebook ads in Meta’s Ad Library:

Meta – Ad Library – Bel Furniture

TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest have similar ad libraries.

I’ll go to each one manually and check what they’re running.

If I want to save time and go deeper, I’ll use a tool like Semrush’s Advertising Research.

I simply plug in my competitor’s domain and instantly see:

All the keywords they’re bidding on in Google Ads and how much they’re paying per click:

Advertising Research – EmmaMason – Paid Search Positions

The exact text they’re using in their ads:

Advertising Research – EmmaMason – Ads Copies

And what landing pages they’re using in their campaigns:

Advertising Research – EmmaMason – Pages

To analyze competitors’ display and social ads, I’ll use the AdClarity App.

It shows how much they’re spending and how visible those ads are:

Semrush – AdClarity – EmmaMason

It also shows what kind of ad creatives they’re using:

Semrush – AdClarity – Advertising Intelligence – EmmaMason

Both tools give me a sharper picture of what’s working in my niche.

If I’m researching just one or two competitors, I’ll stick to manual checks.

But if I’ve got five, seven, or more? I’ll use Semrush. It saves time, and it surfaces details I’d miss on my own.

Once I’ve gathered everything, it’s time to look for overlap:

Let’s say two of my top competitors are running Google Ads for “recliner sofa,” and both are pushing showroom visits in their CTAs.

That’s a clue that these ads drive in-store visits that lead to sales.

Or maybe I notice all three competitors are mailing out seasonal promo postcards.

That’s not something I planned to do. But if everyone’s doing it, there’s probably a reason.

This is how to use competitor data to narrow down which channels are actually worth testing.

Pro tip: Use our free Google Ads competitor analysis tool if your rivals are using search ads.

Step 4: List the Channels Your Audience Pays Attention To

Before you finalize your three channels, sanity-check them.

Just because a platform is popular doesn’t mean your audience is paying attention there.

You need to use what you know about your ideal customer’s habits to spot the right fit for your business specifically.

For instance, for my furniture store, let’s say I know that most of my buyers are homeowners in their 40s or 50s shopping for higher-ticket items.

(Ideally, you’ll have internal data to help here, but tools like Semrush can help here with their demographics feature.)

Based on that insight, they’re probably searching on Google, browsing Facebook, checking mailers, and listening to local radio. Not scrolling Snapchat or TikTok.

So I’ll cross those off my list, and I’ll focus on the ones that match how they already consume info.

To validate that, I’ll use Semrush’s Audience Intelligence app.

The tool’s Online Habits report shows when my audience is most active and how likely they are to use each social network.

Semrush – Audience Intelligence – Online Habits

Meanwhile, the Media Affinity report shows which offline sources (e.g., newspapers, radio, and magazines) they pay attention to.

It also shows what kinds of online media they prefer:

Semrush – Audience Intelligence – Media Affinity

If I see strong signals around Google and local news (but nothing for Instagram or YouTube), I know which channels belong on my list.

That way, I’m picking channels based on actual behavior, not assumptions.

Step 5: Pick 3 Channels Worth Testing

You’ve done the research. Now it’s time to lock in your top three channels.

Pick channels that line up with your goal, your audience’s behavior, and what’s already working for others in your space.

And make sure they fit your budget.

For example, some competitors can afford to run full-page ads in The New Yorker, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Or they may run radio ads that can cost up to $1400 for a 30-second spot, depending on the state.

That’s fine if you’ve got the budget and it’s where your target audience is reading or listening. But if not, skip it.

Remember: in this guide, we’re working with a $500 test budget.

For my furniture store, I’m going with:

  • Google search ads
  • Facebook ads
  • Direct mail postcards

Write yours down. These are the first three channels you’ll test.

Need help choosing your three ad channels?

We put together a detailed prompt you can upload to Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT.

It’ll ask you a few questions, then suggest three ad channels that fit your business, goals, and budget.

It’s not a replacement for manual research. But it can help you move faster, with a starting plan that actually makes sense.

Download the prompt file and drop it into your LLM tool to get started.

Note: This works best with reasoning models.

Phase 2: Set Up and Launch Your Campaigns

In this phase, you’ll choose what to promote, craft your offer, build the ads, and launch your first campaign.

Here’s what this process looks like at a glance:

Your Campaign Launch Plan

I’m working with a small $500 budget, and I’m treating this as a live test.

The goal: get your ads live, see how people respond, and make sure everything runs the way it should.

Step 6: Learn How Each Channel Actually Works

Before you build anything, learn how your three chosen channels actually work.

You don’t need to master everything.

But you do need to know:

  • What ad formats are available (text, video, image)
  • How targeting works (location, age, intent, behavior)
  • What counts as a result (clicks, calls, visits, impressions)

That’s how you avoid beginner mistakes to launch campaigns that achieve positive ROI. (And save you from wasting time and money.)

Let me walk you through the three channels I picked.

How to Advertise Your Business on Google Search Ads

Google search ads appear when someone actively searches for something you sell.

For example, I can bid on the keyword “buy recliner sofa queens.” This way, whenever someone searches this phrase, my ad might appear.

Google SERP – Buy recliner sofa queens

Google search ads follow the pay-per-click (PPC) model. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

These are great for local businesses.

Why?

Because they let you show up right when someone’s actively looking to buy.

But to make them work, you need to know the basics, like:

  • How to pick keywords that match what buyers are actually searching for
  • How bidding works (so you don’t overspend on low-intent clicks)
  • What affects your ad rank, like your Quality Score and relevance
  • How to track results like “Get Directions” or “Call Now” clicks

Further reading: How to Use Keyword Match Types in Google Ads

How to Advertise Your Business on Instagram or Facebook

In my example, I also chose Facebook for one of my channels.

But Facebook and Instagram both use the same Meta ad platform.

So I can run one ad and show it on both platforms if I want.

Instead of targeting keywords (like Google Ads), you can reach people based on:

  • Location (like everyone within 10 miles of your store)
  • Demographics (homeowners aged 35–55)
  • Interests and behaviors (e.g., “interior design” or “recent movers”)

You can choose from image ads, videos, carousels, or Stories.

Meta lets you set your own budget and charges you per result (like per click, impression, or DM).

Facebook Library – Meta Ad Details

Before you run your ad, there are a few things you should understand to ensure good ROI:

  • What ad format matches your goal
  • How Facebook’s algorithm picks who sees your ad
  • What action you want people to take, and how to optimize for it

How to Advertise Your Business Locally with Postcards

Postcard campaigns are straightforward.

You create a physical card, choose the delivery area (like ZIP codes or neighborhoods), and send it to local homes through a provider like USPS Every Door Direct Mail or FedEx.

But to get real results, you need to understand the fundamentals:

  • How to target delivery routes effectively (without needing a mailing list)
  • What goes into pricing, including printing, postage, and quantity requirements
  • How early to plan your drop date so cards arrive during your promo window
  • How to track responses, like adding a unique offer code or asking “how did you hear about us?”

This is one of the simplest ways to advertise your business locally if you’re trying to drive foot traffic fast.

Where to Learn More

Some channels are simple. Like designing a flyer and dropping it off.

Others take more time and practice to get right. Like running Meta ads or setting up Google Ads campaigns.

You don’t need to master every feature. But you do need a handle on how your chosen channels actually work.

That way, your campaign isn’t based on guessing. It’s grounded in real data.

That’s why I’ve put together a free resource library with guides for all major channels. This will help you get up to speed with how each channel works.

Download the free resource library with curated guides for popular ad channels.

Step 7: Choose One Product or Service to Promote

Don’t try to promote everything all at once.

When you focus on one product or service, everything gets easier — from writing the ad to measuring results.

Pick something simple, proven, and easy to sell. Ideally:

  • A best-seller
  • Something seasonal or in demand
  • Something customers already ask about often
  • Something your competitors are actively promoting

For my furniture store, I might go with loft chairs. They’re popular and high-margin.

And one of my competitors is promoting them in Google ads:

Google Ads – Loft chairs

You can test other products later. But for your first campaign, keep it focused.

Step 8: Create a Clear, Time-Sensitive Offer

Even the best ad won’t work if there’s no reason to act.

That’s what your offer does. It gives people a reason to click, call, or visit now — not “later.”

Great offers are:

  • Easy to understand in 1-2 seconds
  • Focused on one product or service
  • Time-sensitive (like “ends soon” or “limited quantity”)
  • Backed by a clear benefit (like discount, free bonus, or fast delivery)

For my furniture store, I’ll offer “25% off all loft chairs until Sunday, June 22, while stock lasts.”

Like this competitor does:

Loft chairs – Competitor's ad

It’s clear. It’s specific. And it makes people move.

A lot of small businesses don’t want to cut into their margins. That’s totally fair.

There are plenty of other ways to make your offer feel urgent, without lowering your price.

You could offer:

  • Free delivery (especially if competitors don’t)
  • A small bonus (like a free cushion or add-on service)
  • Priority scheduling (e.g., “Book this week for earliest delivery”)
  • A real deadline (something that ends or runs out, like an event or quantity)

Write down your offer clearly before you move on. This is what you’ll build your ad around.

Step 9: Define the Action You Want People to Take

Every ad needs one clear next step.

Click. Call. Visit. Book.

Not all four. Just one.

For my furniture store, I want people in my showroom.

So across Google Ads, Facebook, and postcards, the action would be the same: to get directions to my store.

One of my competitors does this with Google ads:

Google Ads – Competitor's ad

Whatever action you choose, make it obvious.

  • If you want calls, put the number up front
  • If you want bookings, link straight to your calendar
  • If you want foot traffic, use a bold address or a map pin

Step 10: Build Your Ad Content

This is where it all comes together — your channel, your offer, and your CTA.

Now you decide the ad format, write the copy, and choose (or design) the visuals.

For my furniture store, I’m running three ads across three channels: Google Search, Facebook, and postcards.

On Google, I’ll keep it tight. The ad will match what someone’s searching for. Like “recliner chairs near me.”

The headline? Something like: “20% Off Loft Chairs – This Week Only.”

The description line makes it actionable: “Visit our showroom in Queens. Free parking. Sale ends Sunday.”

No fluff. Just keywords + urgency + next step.

Google Search Ad Mockup – Local furniture store

On Facebook, I’ll go visual. I’ll use a clean image of the actual loft chair in a styled room.

Furniture Store Postcard

The headline might match the offer (“20% Off Loft Chairs”) and the text could highlight one feature. Like “Reclines fully, fits small spaces.”

The CTA button would be something like “Get Directions.” Like this:

Carousel Ad

For postcards, I’ll design it around simplicity.

Large product photo. Bold offer right up top. Short subtext that reinforces the benefit.

And the bottom section will show store hours, our address, and a small map.

Postcard Ad Mockup

No matter the channel, the roles of each part of your ad are the same:

  • Your offer is what grabs attention
  • Your visual or headline is what earns you that extra half-second before they scroll or toss it
  • Your CTA tells them exactly what to do

If anything’s vague, crowded, or trying to do too much, it gets ignored.

So before you launch, ask yourself:

  • Would I stop for this?
  • Would I click it?
  • Would I know what to do next?

If the answer isn’t yes within 3 seconds, it’s not ready yet.

But if it is ready, it’s now time to work out how to get the most out of your ad budget.

Step 11: Allocate Your $500 Budget Across the 3 Channels

Not every advertising channel costs the same to get results. And not every channel works the same way.

That’s why you don’t want to split your $500 evenly.

Instead, think through each channel using three simple questions:

  • How much does it cost to show up on this channel?
  • How likely is this channel to drive your goal?
  • What’s the minimum budget I need to test it properly?

Let’s walk through my setup.

For my ads on three channels, here’s how I’d split the budget:

Google Ads: $250

People are literally searching for what I sell. So the intent is high — and I want to show up.

But clicks cost more here.

$1.11 is the average cost per click for a keyword like “buy lounge chair.”

Keyword Overview – Buy lounge chair – CPC

Just to give you a sense of scale:

If I spend $250 at $1.11 per click, I’ll get roughly 225 clicks. (This is an estimate. CPC is an average, not a fixed price per click.)

And if just 5% of those people visit the showroom, that’s 11 visits.

That’s why I’m putting the biggest share of my budget here.

It costs more to show up, but the intent is also higher. And that makes it worth testing.

Facebook Ads: $130-$150

I can reach local homeowners for less on Facebook than I can on Google Ads.

These ads aren’t as targeted by intent, but they’re great for visuals and awareness.

I’ll test a couple of versions to see what lands.

Postcards: $100-$120

These have a flat cost with no bidding to worry about.

I’ll send around 500 cards to homes near the store and track if anyone brings one in.

This will cost me approximately $115 to print at FedEx.

FedEx – Quick postcards

Will this split be perfect? No.

But that’s not the point.

You’re not trying to get every dollar “right.”

You’re testing to see which channel shows real promise. Then you can double down in the next round with more data, more confidence, and better returns.

Step 12: Launch All Ads Within the Same 1-2 Day Window

You’ve built the ads. You’ve set your budget.

Now it’s time to launch.

And when you do, launch everything at once.

Here’s why:

If your Google ads go live on Monday, your Facebook ads on Wednesday, and postcards land the week after, that’s three different tests. You won’t know what’s working and what’s just a matter of timing.

Launching all campaigns within the same 1-2 day window gives you a clean read.

Same market. Same conditions. Real signals.

That means:

  • Hit “publish” on your digital ads
  • Confirm your start dates on each platform
  • Submit postcards for mailing (or schedule the drop if you’re batching it)

And once they’re live, don’t touch anything.

No tweaking. No pausing. No panic edits.

You’ll optimize later.

In the next phase, you’ll learn how to track the results and double down on what’s working.

Note: Setting up and launching your first ad campaign takes time.

It has a steep learning curve and can feel overwhelming.

Here are a few things that’ll make it easier:

  • Check our resource library, where we’ve curated useful links for various ad channels to help you learn how to maximize your budget
  • Hire freelancers from platforms like Upwork or Fiverr for setup or design help
  • Use digital marketing tools like Semrush, Canva, and ChatGPT to move faster

Phase 3: Measure What Worked and What to Do Next

Your ads are live. The budget’s spent.

This phase is simple: Check your results, keep what worked, and fix or cut what didn’t.

Over the next few steps, you’ll learn how to track, compare, improve, and reallocate budget across your three channels.

This will help ensure your next ad campaign achieves better ROI (and avoid you wasting money).

Step 13: Track One Clear Result per Channel Over 14 Days

Don’t try to measure everything.

Just focus on the one action you wanted each ad to drive.

For my furniture store, here’s what I’m tracking:

  • Google search ads: How many people clicked “Get Directions”
  • Facebook ads: How many tapped the CTA or sent a message
  • Postcards: How many walked in with their card and/or mentioned the offer

Log your results in a simple spreadsheet, and check once a day for 14 days.

Two weeks should give your ads enough time to generate meaningful data for this small $500 budget.

Here’s how my spreadsheet might look:

Furniture Store – Ad Tracker

Ad platforms generally provide detailed campaign reports that show metrics like clicks, impressions, cost, and more.

Like Google Ads:

Google Ads – Ads

And Facebook:

Meta – Ads Manager

If you’re running offline ads, they’re harder to measure.

But here’s what I’ve seen work:

  • Add a promo code they need to show in-store
  • Ask every customer how they heard about your business
  • Use a unique phone number or custom page link for each flyer or postcard

You don’t need a fancy tool — just a clear record of what happened.

Because you’ll need that data to figure out what paid off, and what didn’t.

We’ll get into that next.

Step 14: Compare Results to Cost

You’ve seen what happened. Now it’s time to make sense of it.

Ask this question: Was this ad worth my money?

Let’s say, for my furniture store:

  • Google search ads brought in about 11 showroom visits (from 75 clicks)
  • Facebook ads brought four (from 48 DMs)
  • Postcards yielded 8 walk-ins

Let’s say 10 of those visits turned into customers, and each sale averaged $350.

That’s around $3,500 in revenue from a $500 budget.

If I have a 30% profit margin, that’s $1,050 in profit.

This isn’t deep analytics.

It’s a simple check to understand your ROI.

Later, as you test more channels and scale up your spend, you’ll want better tracking systems. But for your first campaign, this level of insight is enough.

Next, we’ll figure out why certain channels didn’t perform and what to do about them.

Step 15: Diagnose What Didn’t Work (and Fix It)

Some ads hit. Some didn’t. That’s normal.

The important part is knowing why.

Because a low-performing channel doesn’t always mean it was the wrong channel.

It might just mean the message was off. Or the audience was too broad. Or the offer didn’t land.

In my experience working with clients, there are four main reasons an ad doesn’t perform:

  • Wrong channel: It simply wasn’t built to drive the result you wanted
  • Weak targeting: The right message reached the wrong people
  • Low-impact creative: The ad didn’t stop the scroll or earn attention
  • Flat offer: The incentive wasn’t strong or urgent enough to act on

Go back to your underperforming ads and assess them against these factors. Write down where the breakdown likely happened.

And don’t just look at what failed: do the same for what worked.

For my Google Search ads, here’s what likely helped:

  • The offer matched exactly what people were searching for
  • The copy was short, specific, and action-focused
  • The CTA (“Get Directions”) matched the goal: showroom visits

For my postcards campaign, here’s what may have held it back:

  • I didn’t promote the right product
  • The headline didn’t stand out enough
  • The design felt too busy for a quick glance
  • It arrived too early and lost its urgency by the time the sale started

Don’t guess. Use your campaign data to spot friction and fix it before the next round.

Step 16: Plan Sprint 2 with Smarter Inputs

Your sprint 1 campaign is done. Now it’s time to level up.

You’ve seen what worked. You’ve seen what didn’t.

Here’s what you’ll typically do in the second sprint:

  • Finalize your channels, keeping what worked, and replacing what flopped.
  • Set a new, slightly bigger budget, and allocate it accordingly
  • Refine or upgrade your offer (e.g., stronger incentive, tighter deadline)
  • Create fresh creatives for each channel
  • Lock in your next 1-2 day launch window
  • Track results like before

How Each Ad Sprint Works

In my case, for my next cycle, I’ll:

  • Double Google Ads spending (most visits, clean way to track ROI)
  • Rework the Facebook ad entirely (lots of clicks, poor conversion rate)
  • Replace postcards with flyers (cheaper, easier to test)

And I’m going to increase my budget to $1,000. Because now I know what works, I’m comfortable putting in more.

Eventually, as every subsequent sprint improves based on data, we’ll optimize our ads even further.

And with that, our ROI will go up.

Launch Your First Ad Campaign

How you advertise your small business comes down to three things:

  • Knowing how each ad channel works
  • Having practical ways to promote your product or service
  • Following a clear, step-by-step roadmap

To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a downloadable worksheet that includes:

  • A resource library to learn the top ad channels
  • A list of real ways to promote your business across different channels
  • A checklist to launch your first campaign

Download it here.

Then, when you’re ready to go beyond ads, read our article on 19 digital marketing tactics that actually work.

The post How to Advertise Your Business with a $500 Budget appeared first on Backlinko.

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Meta Description 101: Definition, Importance & Tips

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A meta description is a short text that tells the reader what’s on the page before they click. 

You’ve probably heard they’re important for SEO.

But are they really?

That’s what you will learn from the article. I will also share 11 actionable tips on how to write effective meta descriptions and answer a few common questions. 

Key takeaways

  • Meta descriptions don’t affect rankings directly but they can do it indirectly by improving click-through rates and user experience.
  • Google rewrites ≈70% of all meta descriptions, but it still recommends writing quality descriptions. 
  • Good meta descriptions concisely summarize the page, include target keywords, align with search intent, and encourage searcher clicks by showcasing page value. 

What is a Meta Description

Meta description is a short HTML tag that summarizes the page content. 

Here’s what it looks like for my blog:

Neil Patel's meta description.

Readers can’t see meta descriptions on the page without inspecting the code.

But they can see it in the snippet on the search engine results page, below the page URL and title.  

Neil Patel's meta description as it appears in Google.

Its job: to show readers what the page offers and persuade them to click. That’s why people often call it a page’s elevator pitch.  

Are meta descriptions still important for SEO?

The short answer: meta descriptions aren’t very important for SEO. 

Surprised? I bet you aren’t the only one. 

After all, writing meta descriptions has always been one of the core on-page SEO best practices.

Let’s unpack why. 

Meta descriptions aren’t a ranking factor for Google.

However, many SEO believe they improve rankings indirectly.  

This is based on the assumptions that:

  • Compelling meta descriptions improve click-through rates (CTRs).
  • CTRs are a user signal that Google considers when ranking pages. More people clicking on your page signal to Google it satisfies their search intent.
  • Well-written meta descriptions improve the user experience. They show readers what they can find on the page and help them decide if they want to visit on it or not. If they do, they’re less likely to bounce, and bounce rates are a quality signal for Google.

All sounds logical but no recent large-scale studies confirm the positive impact of meta descriptions on CTR or traffic. 

Experiments conducted by SEOTesting earlier this year indicated that optimizing meta descriptions barely affected traffic and a 2023 case studies by SearchPilot showed that removing them improve CTRs. 

A Linkedin post by Ryan Jones.

Google Rewrites Most Meta Descriptions

One reason why meta description optimization has limited impact is that Google replaces about 70% of them with content directly from the page.

Let me show you an example from one of our recent articles:

As you can see, the meta description tag reads “Discover what GPTBot is, how it works, and what its presence means for your website’s SEO, privacy, and AI data usage policies.”

Meta description code for the Neil Patel article: What is GPTbot?

However, if you search for “GPTBot,” that’s not what you find in the result snippet:

The What is GPTbot meta description as it appears in Google.

The snippet above was taken from the Key Takeaways section.

Key takeways for the What is GPTbot article.

The Verdict: You Should Still Write Meta Descriptions

If Google rewrites most meta descriptions and they don’t move traffic, why bother with them?

First, social media platforms like Facebook still display the original meta description when users share the page. So, by skipping it, you reduce its visibility and shareability. 

The What is GPTbot article as it appears on Facebook.

Secondly, Google itself still recommends it as means of “controlling the snippet.” Essentially, Google may use it in the SERP snippet if it answers the user query better than what Google finds on the page.

Google's guidance on controlling snippets.

So although adding meta descriptions isn’t critical for SEO, still do it. 

Yes, Google often replaces them. But you have a 30% chance that it doesn’t. If you skip the tag, you give up control of the first impression your page makes in SERPs without a fight. 

How to Write a Meta Description: 11 Top Tips.

With the theory out of the way, here are 11 tips for writing meta descriptions that searchers (and Google) will like. 

  1. Stay Under 156 Characters and Front-Load

To ensure readers can see your meta description, don’t go over 156 characters and put the most key info in the first 110 characters. 

Google cuts off the snippet based on pixel length: 960 pixels on desktop and 680 pixels on mobile. That’s roughly 145-155 and 110-130 characters, respectively.

Writing tools, like NeuronWriter below, feature snippet simulators, so you can preview it as you’re crafting your description, so you don’t overflow.

Neuronwriter's snippet simulator.
  1. Check Existing Snippets

Analyzing the snippets for your keyword helps understand what kinds of descriptions Google prefers.

For example, all the meta descriptions for “motorcycle helmet” feature words like collection, range, or selection, kinds of helmets (full face, open face, flip up, etc) and brand names. 

Mimick it when crafting your homepage or category page descriptions. 

A Mega Motorcycle Store meta description.
  1. Satisfy Search Intent

Your meta description must reflect the search intent. Or in other words, it spell out what need it satisfies or problem that it solves. 

For example, the article ranking #1 for ”keto diet’ has a definition of the diet and a brief explanation of how it works because the keyword has informational intent and that’s the kind of information users are after. 

A Healthline meta description.

In contrast, the meta description for the homepage of Next, the UK retailer, aligns with the transactional/navigational intent. Anyone looking for ‘Next’ is likely shopping, so “Shop the latest women’s, men’s and children’s fashion…” nails it. 

A Next Direct meta description.
  1. Highlight the Benefits

To win searchers’ clicks, show them what they will gain.

For a blog post or a guide, state what they will learn. 

Like the meta description for the guide to fitting kitchen worktops, which promises to show the reader how to install it themselves without hiring a professional fitter. 

A B&Q meta description.

For a product page, show potential customers its unique value proposition and how it will change their lives for better. 

Slack’s meta description is a perfect example. It explains what the product does (“is a new way to communicate with your team”) and shows its advantages over alternatives (“faster, better organized and more secure than email”).

Slack's meta description HTML.
  1. Use Active Verbs & Add a Compelling CTA

An effective meta description drives user action through a compelling CTA.

For a blog article, this could be “visit to learn”, for a software product page, “start free trial now”, and for a car, “Book a test drive today,” just like in the Toyota Yaris example. 

The Toyota meta description starts with an imperative “enrich” which is also a common tactic to prompt readers to act. 

A Toyota UK meta description.
  1. Clearly Describe the Page Content

Effective meta descriptions summarize the page content accurately to tell the potential readers what they can find in the article to help them decide if it’s relevant.

That’s what the meta description for the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine article on how to build a garden pergola does.  It tells them what the article includes (advice, ideas) and how it’s structured (a list). 

A BBC Gardeners World Magazine Meta Description.

Inaccurate or misleading meta descriptions backfire: if the reader expects something else from the page, they bounce. This hurts the page rankings by signaling Google that the page isn’t relevant.  

  1. Include Primary Keywords Naturally

Including target keywords in your meta description is another way to signal relevance and help the meta description stand out.

How so?

Google boldens words and phrases related to user query in the snippet.

For example, when I searched for “climbing shoes,” it returned multiple results with the keyword boldened, including the one from Rock + Run product category page. 

A Rock + Run meta description.

But embed the keywords naturally. 

Keyword stuffing makes no sense because A) meta descriptions aren’t a ranking factor, B) Google considers it a spammy practice will most likely replace such descriptions.

And it will do it for your own benefit because it makes text hard to follow, negatively affecting the user experience, which may harm your brand perception. 

  1. Make Your Meta Descriptions Stand Out

Stand-out meta descriptions catch user attention and stop them from scrolling past.  

You can achieve this with:

  • Eye-catching phrases
  • Sensory descriptions
  • Rhythm and rhyme
  • Alliterations 
  • Witty puns, jokes and idioms (like “make a splash” in the M&S description).
A Marks & Spencer meta description.

Beware of clickbait — sensational wording, contrarian opinions, or half-truths. These might be fine for certain sectors, like celebrity news sites, but won’t cut it in ecommerce or SaaS.  

Likewise, spammy claims like “best in the world” don’t inspire confidence while misleading and overpromising can bite you back: users won’t get what they expect and will bounce. 

  1. Match Your Brand Voice

Whatever the vibe of your home or product pages, match it in the meta descriptions. If you nail, you will improve brand recognition. If you get it wrong, you will undermine visitor trust.

For example, Naked Coffee’s home page tag perfectly mirrors the tone of its site and social media content. 

A Naked Coffee meta description.
  1. Write Unique Descriptions for Every Page 

Google recommends writing unique meta descriptions to differentiate pages. 

An example of Google recommendations for meta descriptions.

Duplicate meta descriptions confuse readers and don’t help them choose the right page.

They also signal that you may not care much about the user experience (read “you’re lazy”).  

You can quickly identify meta description issues like duplicates by running the SEO Audit with Ubersuggest. 

Ubersuggest's SEO audit function.
  1. Be Consistent Across the Website

A consistent meta description format across your website provides a predictable user experience.

Mind you, it doesn’t mean ALL pages across the whole website should follow the same format.

But definitely pages of the same category. For example, all category pages and all product pages within the same category. 

How to Write Meta Descriptions At Scale

For large websites with hundreds or thousands of pages, writing meta descriptions manually isn’t always feasible. 

The solution?

Write them manually for the mission-critical pages, like your homepage, category pages, or top-converting product pages. 

And generate the rest automatically, using:

  • Programmatic SEO: Create content from templates using data from structured databases or spreadsheets. Setting it up requires a certain level of technical expertise but once done, you can generate thousands of meta descriptions within minutes. 
  • AI chatbots: Build a spreadsheet with all your pages, for example, by downloading it from the SEO tool, and prompt ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to create the descriptions. Make sure to provide all the details, like the desired length and what it should include. The downside is that you still need to import these to your CMS. 
An AI-generated meta description prompt.
  • CMS plugins: Install a plugin like AI for SEO (WordPress) or Metagen (Shopfiy) to generate meta in bulk. You can do it either with AI or by inserting variables, like 

Whatever approach, always review and edit the descriptions manually to avoid embarrassing misfires. 

FAQs

To finish, let’s answer a few frequently asked questions about meta descriptions.

What is a meta description in SEO?

It’s a short summary that shows up under your page title in search results. It doesn’t help you rank directly, but it can boost clicks by telling people what they’ll get if they visit your page. Think of it as your page’s pitch, fast, clear, and built to earn the click.

How to write meta descriptions for SEO?

To write an effective meta description, consider including relevant keywords and phrases that accurately describe the content on your web page.
Additionally, ensure:
Your meta description is unique and compelling.
You use active language.
That you highlight the benefits or solutions visitors can find on your page. 
You include a call-to-action.

Do meta descriptions affect SEO?

While Google doesn’t count meta descriptions as a ranking factor, meta descriptions still play a vital role in your SEO. 
Why? The brief summary you provide in a meta description gives users an idea of what to expect. This entices viewers to engage as they can see that your content meets their needs.
Optimized meta descriptions can also enhance click-through rates.

How long should a meta description be for SEO?

The standard length for meta descriptions is 155 characters, but up to 160 is acceptable.  Don’t forget to check the pixel widths of your meta descriptions to avoid truncated results. For mobile aim for 680 pixels, and for desktop 960 pixels.

Conclusion

Meta descriptions aren’t very important because they aren’t a ranking factor and Google rewrites most of them. 

But if you don’t provide a meta description, you voluntarily surrender control over how users see your page in SERPs. This means missed opportunities to attract users and shape your brand image online. 

That’s why writing meta descriptions is still one of the core SEO best practices. 

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What is Google AI Mode? 

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Google AI Mode is search with a brain. It uses AI to answer questions directly, so it’s no longer about just blue links. Type, talk, or upload a photo, and it gives you a useful summary plus follow-ups. Here’s how it works and why it matters. 

Table of contents

Say hello to Google’s AI Mode

Google AI Mode is a feature in Search that uses generative AI to deliver full, conversational answers instead of just showing a list of links. It breaks questions into parts, pulls information from across the web, and presents a direct, useful response at the top of the results page. 

This new feature doesn’t replace traditional search just yet, but it does build on it. As a result, it changes how people explore information and how content gets surfaced. 

Are you curious about how this works? Check out the video below to see Google AI Mode in action while planning an autumn trip to Banff, Canada.

Search becomes a lot smarter 

AI Mode handles different types of input, not just text. You can type a question, say it out loud, or upload a photo, and it works out what you mean. That flexibility makes it easier to search however and whenever it makes sense, whether you’re speaking into your phone, typing at your desk, or pointing your camera at something you want to learn more about. 

It also uses what Google calls query fan-out. That means it quietly rewrites your question into a bunch of related ones and looks for answers across those variations. Ask something broad, like “best credit card for travel,” and the system may branch off behind the scenes, looking at fees, perks, user reviews, and so on. 

AI Mode also pays attention to context. It keeps your previous queries in mind and follows the thread. You can ask follow-ups and get refined answers without starting from scratch. 

An example of a search in Google AI Mode

How Google AI Mode works in practice 

Using Google AI Mode feels different from standard search, and that shows up in how it delivers answers. 

When someone asks a question, AI Mode doesn’t just take the words at face value—it tries to understand the intent behind them. It rewrites the query in several different ways behind the scenes, each one focused on a specific angle.  

For example, a search like “what are the best places to travel in fall” might also trigger more specific questions in the background, like “pleasant weather and fewer crowds,” “fall foliage and scenic beauty,” or “unique experiences and cultural events.” AI Mode runs all of those in parallel, scans multiple online sources for useful information, and pieces together a response that covers what the user likely meant, even if they didn’t spell it out. 

The response doesn’t look like a typical search results page. Instead of a list of links, users see a short summary stitched together from different sources. It reads more like an answer than a directory and can include images, maps, and more. 

With AI Mode, you can also keep the conversation going. You could ask follow-up suggestions like “compare destinations in Canada,” “check visa requirements for Canada,” or “see average weather in British Columbia”. It helps users toward the next thing they might want to know without making them start over. The video at the top of this article shows this in practice.

The opening screen of Google’s AI Mode where you enter your questions

Behind the scenes, AI Mode uses passage-level retrieval. Rather than ranking entire pages, it scans individual sections, like a single paragraph, list, or sentence, to find the parts that answer specific pieces of the question.  

That means a well-written section buried halfway down a product guide or FAQ could be surfaced, even if the full page wouldn’t normally show up high in the results.  

This alone could make us rethink visibility. It’s less about a page’s overall ranking and more about whether any part of it directly addresses what someone is asking. 

The focus of content is changing 

AI Mode shifts how content gets discovered. It’s less about ranking in the traditional sense and more about providing answers that are both useful and directly relevant to what someone is asking. 

The system is looking for content that fits into a specific response. That means structure matters, like clear headings, focused sections, and formatting that makes key points easy to extract. But usefulness on its own doesn’t guarantee visibility. The content has to align with the intent of the query in a very specific way. 

Covering a topic from different angles helps. It gives your content more chances to match how people frame their questions, even when those questions vary in wording, detail, or focus. Visibility often depends not just on quality, but on precision. 

Google AI Mode does several searches at the same time, while also looking at a large number of sites

What does Google AI Mode mean for SEO? 

Google AI Mode could shift what we aim for. Visibility now depends on whether your content can deliver value right away, often in small, specific pieces. Google’s pulling answers from across the web: a sentence from one page, a stat from another, maybe a checklist from a support article. 

That might feel limiting, but it opens up opportunities. If others are still optimizing for old patterns, there’s space to improve. Recognizing this shift early can give your brand a real advantage. 

It also rewards a stronger understanding of how people search. Pages, tools, and features that directly answer real questions and make that answer easy to find stand a better chance of getting picked up. 

Find out how to optimize your content for AI LLM comprehension using Yoast’s tools.

Google added an AI Mode button to its search homescreen

Where it’s going 

Google is folding AI Mode into regular search experiences. On some questions, especially ones that ask for a comparison, a definition, or a plan, it’s already showing AI-generated results first. 

That approach is expanding. More queries will likely trigger this kind of response over time, which means the way content gets surfaced will keep shifting. Long, keyword-heavy pages won’t offer the same payoff they once did. What works now is content that’s clear, helpful, and flexible enough to match how people explore a topic. 

Chances are, AI Mode isn’t a side feature for long. It’s looking more and more like the future of Google Search. 

How to access Google AI Mode 

AI Mode is rolling out now in the U.S. and India. If you’re using Google Search or the Google app, you’ll start to see a new AI Mode tab either at the top of the results page or right in the search bar. This gives you access to more advanced AI responses, improved reasoning, and a deeper view of web content through follow-up questions and linked sources. 

If you don’t see AI Mode yet, it’s likely still rolling out. Expect it to appear automatically soon. Once it shows up, you can use it without any special sign-up or activation. Once Google figures out monetization, we’ll see it roll out AI Mode to more countries soon. 

You can also access it from search results. If Google thinks your query fits, a “Try in AI Mode” option may appear automatically. Trying it out firsthand gives the clearest insight into how responses are built and how your content appears. 

Meet Google’s AI Mode 

Google AI Mode signals a shift in how search works. It’s not just about rankings anymore. It’s about how helpful your content is and how easily it can be used to respond to real questions. 

This change gives SEO and content teams a reason to look at their work differently. Clear structure, focused writing, and alignment with how people search all play a bigger role in visibility. 

It’s a good time to step back, reassess what’s working, and explore areas you may have overlooked. For many, this is a chance to improve useful content, refine formats, and meet search expectations in new ways. 

The post What is Google AI Mode?  appeared first on Yoast.

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Web Design and Development San Diego

Introducing the Google Trends API (alpha): a new way to access Search Trends data

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We’re excited to announce the Google Trends API alpha test. This new API will help
Researchers, Journalists, and Developers to understand Search behaviors and patterns.
While Trends data is available through the Trends website, the API provides new ways to
use the data inside your organization in a scalable way.

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28 Google rich snippets you should know in 2025 [guide + infographic]

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Google SERP (search engine results page) is full of handy features and enriched organic results nowadays – the so called rich snippets. In this guide I will show you…

The post 28 Google rich snippets you should know in 2025 [guide + infographic] appeared first on Mangools.

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What Is Trendjacking & How to Do it for Your Brand

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Do you remember the viral “Little Miss?” meme revival from 2022?

That’s a great example of trendjacking, or inserting your brand into viral online conversations.

It felt like every brand — from global airlines to your local coffee shop — jumped into labeling themselves. Some were hilariously on-point and others…well, not so. For every well-executed moment like a wellness brand that tailored their take to be timely, irreverent, and match their core voice, dozens more missed the mark. And like it or not, audiences can tell.

That’s the fine line with trendjacking. What was once a cheeky social media trick has become a high-stakes play for many modern social media marketers. To stand out and not alienate, brands need more than speed. They need emotional intelligence, audience awareness, and restraint to not jump on every viral moment.

How can you harness what’s trending without sounding tone-deaf or jumping the shark? Let’s break down the basics of effective trendjacking and how you can approach it in a smart way.

Key Takeaways

  • Trendjacking is the practice of inserting your brand into viral conversations in a way that feels timely, relevant, and authentic.
  • Success requires cultural awareness, audience alignment, and speed. Not every trend is right for every brand.
  • Smart brands use social listening tools and planned content workflows to catch trends before they peak.
  • Measuring trendjacking goes beyond likes. Look at sentiment shifts and meaningful engagement.
  • The future of trendjacking will likely be shaped by AI tools, new platforms, and the growing demand for authenticity.

What Is Trendjacking?

Trendjacking is the practice of injecting your brand into a popular or viral conversation to boost visibility, engagement, or relevance. Brands jump on trending topics like memes, social media challenges, or major pop culture moments to join the conversation in ways that are timely and clever.

Trendjacking really gained traction during the heyday of Twitter (now X), when brands like Oreo seized viral moments (the “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout) and earned massive engagement for real-time creativity. That post was a signal to marketers that being culturally responsive could pay huge engagement dividends. 

An Oreo Cookie post on Twitter.

Trendjacking isn’t a completely new strategy, though. It has its roots in the older PR strategy of newsjacking. Popularized by David Meerman Scott, newsjacking focused on inserting brands’ perspectives into breaking news stories to get media coverage. Trendjacking is just an evolution of that strategy, tapping into a broader range of online moments. 

When you do it well, trendjacking can help your brand show personality, relevance, and humor. But it’s not a strategy without risks, especially if you do it without considering nuance or alignment to your brand’s values.

How to Pull off an Effective Trendjacking Campaign

Let’s say you’re ready to drive into trendjacking. How do you do it right? Like many effective social media strategies, the best trendjacking campaigns start long before a trend even surfaces. Success often hinges on preparation and cultural awareness, but the real secret is the agility to act fast without sacrificing your brand’s integrity.

Identify Potential Trends

Trendjacking starts with awareness. The earlier you spot a trend, the better your odds of leading the conversation rather than chasing it.

Start with traditional sources. Social listening tools such as AnswerThePublic, TikTok Creator Search Insights, or Sprout Social can surface what’s gaining traction across different platforms. The latter can help you keep an eye on places like X, Bluesky, TikTok’s trending page, Reddit threads, and even Google Trends to stay ahead of the curve. Using these tools doesn’t just tell you what’s trending. They help you catch the wave before it crests.

Effective trendjacking goes deeper than identifying meme formats or hashtags, though. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Why is this trending?
  • What emotion is it tapping into?
  • What cultural shift or behavioral insight is at play?

Take, for example, the “Girl Dinner” trend. It wasn’t just a meme. It was a commentary on autonomy, wellness fatigue, and the pushback against curated perfection.

@liviemaher

#girldinner #medievaltiktok

♬ original sound – Olivia Maher

In addition to staying on top of developing trends, think ahead. Certain events almost always spawn viral moments: award shows, the Met Gala, political debates, and major sporting events are excellent fodder for trends. Develop a calendar of these events and build a properly resourced team that can act when the internet lights up.

Assess the Trend’s Relevance

Before you jump into the trend, assess whether or not it’s right for you. Ask important, hard questions, like “Does this trend actually align with our brand?” and “Will our audience care?” Finally, will it feel authentic or forced?

Many brands falter here. Chasing a trend that’s off-brand does more than fall flat; it risks damaging your credibility. The Duolingo x Scrub Daddy “cursed collab” worked because both brands share a quirky, unfiltered tone. If a serious financial brand tried the same joke? Cue the confused and cringing followers.

Assess risk, too. Some trends carry baggage, like political undercurrents, social controversies, or rapidly shifting sentiment. Your internal team should include diverse perspectives to help flag possible missteps.

Beyond relevance, hopping on the trend should add to your brand’s story. If it doesn’t connect to your values or content pillars, it might be better to skip it. Not every viral moment is worth jumping into. Restraint is often what separates trend-chasers from trend leaders. 

Produce the Content—Quickly!

Once you’ve vetted a trend, it’s “go time.” Timing is everything in trendjacking. Wait too long, and you’re just adding noise to an already crowded feed.

In practice, your team needs a streamlined workflow to move from idea to pressing the publish button in hours, not days. Empower social managers with decision-making autonomy. Maintain a library of pre-approved assets like brand visuals, fonts, and tone examples so your team can capitalize on trends without needing to create a full-scale design from scratch.

Creating internal “trend kits” or rapid response playbooks can help your team execute quickly and safely. Remember: the most memorable trendjacks feel both spontaneous and strategically on-brand because they are.

Creating Impactful Trendjacking Content

Once you’ve identified the right trend and confirmed it makes sense for your brand to participate, the real magic begins: creating content to hit the sweet spot of relevance, creativity, and authenticity. Not every trendjacking post needs to be laugh-out-loud funny or ultra-slick, but it should always bring something fresh and on-brand to the table. Some tried-and-true strategies for creating trendjacking content that resonates include:

1. Customize by Platform

What works on TikTok might not work on LinkedIn, and vice versa. Tailor your content’s tone, format, and visuals to the platform you’re posting on. Wendy’s built their brand on X with snarky one-liners, but the food chain takes a more curated and visual approach on Instagram.

A Wendy's tweet series.
A Wendy's Instagram reel.

2. Embrace the Weird (Strategically)

Humor, absurdity, and left-field creativity often fuel viral trends. But you can’t force it. Duolingo’s TikTok presence leans fully into weirdness, but it’s consistent with their edgy, millennial-savvy voice.

Add Value. Don’t Just Copy

Don’t simply copy-paste a trending meme format. Add your brand’s POV, a clever twist, or insights that enhance the original. For example, Canva recently leveraged the app’s ability to create color schemes with the growing popularity of Labubu toys.

A Canva Labubu ad.

4. Prioritize Authenticity

Your audience can smell a cash grab a mile away. If the trend doesn’t align with your values or voice, skip it. If you really feel like you need to participate, subtly nod to the trend without trying to dominate it. Engage, like, or reply to accounts that have posted content in the trend without creating new assets on your own.

5. Keep the Content High-Quality

Even in a fast-moving trend cycle, visuals (and sound) matter. Low-res graphics or clunky text overlays can kill your momentum. Use templates or pre-approved brand assets to keep things polished under pressure.

r/funny - graphic design is my passion.

Trendjacking is not the time to let the copywriter have the keys to the Canva account.

When Trendjacking Goes Wrong…

Trendjacking is a real double-edged sword. When done right, it’s clever, memorable, and engaging. When done wrong, it’s also memorable, but for the wrong reasons; it’s tone-deaf, confusing, or even damaging to your brand. Avoid these common pitfalls.

Tone-deaf or Insensitive Posting

Some trends are tied to serious or sensitive events, and misjudging the tone can result in intense backlash. That’s what happened to Pepsi in 2017 for their ad that featured Kendall Jenner, which co-opted protest imagery to sell soda (and promptly got called out for trivializing real social movements).

Just because a topic is trending doesn’t mean it’s safe territory. Assign someone on your team to assess social sentiment and cultural context before engaging.

Jumping in Too Late

Timing is critical. A trend that peaked two days ago may already feel stale, especially if your post doesn’t add anything new. Joining late makes your brand look like it’s scrambling to stay relevant, not leading the conversation.

To avoid this, consider streamlining your approvals process and having brand-safe assets ready to go.

Misunderstanding the Trend

One of the fastest ways to make a brand look out of touch is to misinterpret the trend altogether. Imagine someone at your company wanted to tweet a meme that referenced “Netflix and chill,” without realizing its NSFW subtext. The internet might notice and not in a good way.

Before trendjacking, do a quick sentiment check. What does this trend actually mean to the people participating in it?

Forcing the Fit

If the trend doesn’t suit your brand voice, values, or audience, don’t force it. It’s painfully obvious when a B2B SaaS brand shoehorns itself into a Gen Z meme format meant for fashion or pop culture. This usually results in low engagement at best and audience cringe at worst.

Brands need a straightforward internal process for evaluating the risk of trendjacking campaigns. Who gets to greenlight? What criteria does the content meet? Building a lightweight risk assessment checklist or review board (creative + legal + DEI leads) can help you act quickly and responsibly.

Lack of Crisis Planning

Even with the best of intentions, things can go sideways fast. That’s why it’s smart to develop a basic crisis response protocol before engaging with fast-moving or culturally sensitive trends. Know who will respond, how quickly, and what steps to take if content sparks backlash. 

Measuring Success and Finding Learnings for the Future

With your trendjacking content out in the world, it’s time to answer the big question: Did it work?

Start by measuring the basics: likes, shares, reach, and impressions. These top-level metrics help assess immediate visibility and initial audience reaction.

Smart marketers go further, though. The most impactful trendjacking efforts don’t just rack up views. They strengthen brand equity and move the needle on meaningful outcomes. Ask yourself:

  • Was the engagement meaningful? Analyze the sentiment and depth of conversation in your engagement. Did people share it with thoughtful comments or tag their friends, or was the engagement just a flood of indifferent likes?
  • Did it shape perception or sentiment? Use social listening tools to see if brand sentiment improved during and after the campaign. Google Analytics and UTM parameters can help tie social moments back to web traffic and conversion goals.
  • Did it drive real behavior? Track clicks, sign-ups, or sales lifts during and after the campaign. This is another instance where Google Analytics and UTM parameters can help tie those moments back to web traffic and conversion goals.
  • Did it strengthen community? Great trendjacking does more than entertain. It builds a sense of belonging. If the post sparked DMs, follow-up content ideas, or user-generated content (UGC), that’s a sign your audience is invested.

Want to level up your campaign? Try aligning your trendjacking posts with keyword-focused content or campaign themes. This gives your SEO strategy a boost, especially in a world where Search Everywhere is the norm (and users can Google the trend and stumble onto your brand).

Upcoming Trendjacking Trends

The art and science of trendjacking will only evolve as the digital landscape shifts. Marketers who want to stay ahead of the curve will need to keep a pulse on what’s trending and how those trends take shape and spread. The future of trendjacking will evolve thanks to things like AI, new platforms, and the rise of “unpolished” realness.

1. AI-powered Content Creation

AI is creating massive shifts in real-time marketing as tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Runway help brands generate reactive content faster than ever. From clever captions to custom visuals, the future of trendjacking likely includes AI-enhanced creativity. The big challenge for brands is to remain authentic in the face of automation.

A social chatbot interaction creating an Instagram ad for Labubu.

Could ChatGPT help brands jump on the enthusiasm for Labubu without spending the time to go out and source a doll? Possibly.

2. New and Niche Platforms

Instagram, TikTok, and X may reign supreme among platforms, but that won’t always be the case. Bluesky is becoming increasingly popular, and YouTube Shorts has challenged TikTok as a vehicle for short-form video content creation. Expect trendjacking to require more platform-specific fluency, understanding not just the content but the culture of each channel.

3. The Rise of “Unpolished” Realness

Consumers are tired of overproduced content. The next wave of trendjacking will favor brands that show up with honesty, humor, and heart. Even if that means posting something that feels more lo-fi than high-concept. Authenticity isn’t just a “nice to have” anymore. It’s a prerequisite for engagement.

A bobespizza Instagram ad.

Bobe’s Pizza may be a small Indiana brand, but they lean on authentic content that resonates with their core audience.

The bottom line is that the future of trendjacking isn’t about being fast. It’s about being fast, smart, and real while building systems to let your brand respond with agility and intention.

FAQs

What is the difference between trendjacking and newsjacking?

While both strategies involve jumping into timely conversations, the difference lies in what you’re responding to. Newsjacking is about inserting your brand into breaking news stories — typically through PR or expert commentary — while trendjacking taps into broader online trends, like memes, pop culture moments, or viral challenges. Trendjacking is more social and creative, whereas newsjacking is often more formal and media-facing.

What is an example of trendjacking?

A classic example is Oreo’s “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout. The brand reacted in real time with a witty graphic and caption, and the internet loved it. More recently, brands like Ryanair and Duolingo have gone viral for trendjacking TikTok memes using their unique, offbeat brand voices. The key to successful trendjacking? Speed, creativity, and cultural fluency.

What is the trendjacking strategy?

When done well, trendjacking helps brands increase visibility, boost engagement, and connect with audiences in a culturally relevant way. It shows your brand has personality and a pulse. Beyond racking up likes, the real value comes from building brand affinity, sparking conversations, and staying top-of-mind in an increasingly noisy digital space.

Conclusion

Trendjacking is about moving fast and smart. When you do it right, it can drive massive visibility and deepen brand affinity. It takes planning, awareness, and a clear voice to avoid the pitfalls and stand out in the scroll. Whether it’s memes, moments, or movements, show up with purpose.

If you need help crafting an agile social strategy that’s authentic and audience-focused, contact NP Digital to help you lead the conversation, not just follow it.

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How to prep your Shopify or WooCommerce store for Black Friday before the rush starts  

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Table of contents

Black Friday is the biggest rush of the year for most ecommerce businesses, and it is right around the corner. The most successful merchants prepare for Black Friday early and follow a structured plan to prepare their stores, ensure visibility, and convert first-time visitors into long-term customers.

This guide breaks down your preparation into three categories: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each section builds on the last so that you can grow your readiness over time, regardless of your team size or budget.

Basic: Start with what you can control for Black Friday

These actions lay the groundwork for everything else. Without these, no advanced strategy will stick.  

1. Optimize your metadata  

First impressions matter, and your metadata is the first thing users see in search results. So make it count and leave a lasting impact. 

Why it matters: Strong metadata can improve visibility and attract more clicks. When your titles and descriptions align with what shoppers seek, your chances of standing out rise significantly.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Prioritize metadata for high-traffic products and category pages.  
  • Include seasonal keywords such as “Black Friday deals” or “holiday gift ideas.”  
  • Keep titles and descriptions concise and compelling.  

With Yoast SEO for Shopify and Yoast WooCommerce SEO, you can preview and improve your metadata in real time. The tools flag missing or duplicated fields and guide you on how to write content that earns clicks.  

  2. Optimize product pages for both humans and search engines

Product pages are the moment of truth. They’re where curiosity turns into clicks and clicks turn into customers.  

Why it matters: No matter how great your traffic or ads are, most people will leave without buying if the product page feels confusing or incomplete. A well-structured page improves your chances of ranking in search and helps buyers feel confident in their decision.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Lead with benefits, not just specs. Tell shoppers how the product fits into their lives.  
  • Use bullet points and headers to make details skimmable.  
  • Reinforce trust by showing stock levels, customer reviews, and delivery clarity.
  • Bulk update how you showcase your product on Shopify using Yoast SEO for Shopify Content Templates feature.

Yoast WooCommerce SEO and Yoast SEO for Shopify help your product pages appear cleanly and clearly in search results. They add structured data behind the scenes and check your content for SEO and readability so you can focus on turning visitors into buyers. 

3. Use internal links to guide traffic  

Internal linking guides customer to surface key pages, maps user behavior, and boosts your site’s SEO. 

Why it matters: Internal linking helps search engines understand your site structure, distributes authority to key pages, and guides visitors toward high-converting content. It keeps users engaged, supports SEO, and makes your promotions easier to surface across your site.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Link to your Black Friday page from key blogs and evergreen content.  
  • Feature top categories or bestsellers in your navigation.  
  • Use anchor text that aligns with what users are searching for.  

Yoast WooCommerce SEO offers internal linking suggestions as you write, making keeping your content connected and strategic easier. 

Fast wins and common pitfalls

Once you have set up the basics, some steps can help you boost impact quicker and avoid costly missed opportunities. 

Fast wins:

  • Swap stock photos for original product shots 
  • Double-check coupon logic and expiration dates 
  • Test any gift wrap or personalization options on product pages 

Big pitfalls to avoid: 

  • Waiting until November to publish seasonal content 
  • Using duplicate product descriptions from suppliers 
  • Letting broken links or outdated pages remain live 

Intermediate: Strengthen your SEO and campaign strategy  

Once the technical foundation is stable, it’s time to focus on your content and promotions.  

4. Test and improve your site’s speed  

Site speed directly impacts user experience, especially during high-traffic periods like Black Friday. Slow-loading pages frustrate shoppers and lead to lost sales.  

Why it matters: A fast site supports smoother browsing and quicker checkout. Search engines consider page performance in rankings, and users are more likely to buy when the experience feels seamless.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Use performance monitoring tools to identify slow pages.  
  • Compress and resize large images to reduce page load times.  
  • Deactivate unused plugins (WooCommerce) or apps (Shopify).  
  • Clean up excessive code or bulky page elements.  

While Yoast SEO is not a speed optimization tool, clean site structure and proper internal linking help improve crawlability and engagement, indirectly supporting performance. 

5. Create a focused Black Friday landing page  

Your landing page is the command center for your seasonal promotions. It’s where visitors decide to browse further or bounce. 

Why it matters: A dedicated page gives your Black Friday campaign direction and cohesion. Instead of scattering your offers across the site, it provides a clear path for shoppers to follow. It simplifies navigation, allows for better internal linking, and gives you a consistent, trackable URL for email campaigns, ads, and site banners. Plus, it’s reusable! Just update the content each year.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Create a short, memorable URL like /black-friday-deals and keep it live year-round.  
  • Showcase limited-time offers, bundles, top-selling categories, and exclusive discounts.  
  • Use persuasive headers, quick-loading images, and CTA buttons that lead directly to product pages.  
  • Answer common buyer concerns upfront, e.g., shipping deadlines, return windows, and local pickup options. 

6. Segment your email list and automate flows  

Email isn’t just another marketing channel during Black Friday; it’s your direct line to customers ready to buy.  

Why it matters: Blasting the same message with monotonous tone to everyone no longer works. Crafting compelling emails with personalized messages that resonate with the reader is key to email marketing. People are more likely to open, click, and shop when an email speaks to their pain points and highlights the solution. A segmented email list means you’re talking to people based on what they care about: early access, bundles, or a product they viewed or left in their cart.

Actionable tips:  

  • Break your list into clear segments, e.g., loyal customers, cart abandoners, and holiday-only shoppers.  
  • Map out your flow: teaser email, early access offer, launch announcement, final hours.  
  • Track performance with UTM parameters like utm_campaign=bf25 so you can optimize in real time. 

For more on syncing content and email, check out our basics of email marketing blog post.

7. Create content that helps people find your deals earlier  

Buyers don’t always search for discounts. Many start with questions or ideas like “affordable gifts for coworkers” or “best tech gift under $100.”  

Why it matters: Helpful blog posts and gift guides pull in people who aren’t searching for your brand yet. These early touchpoints introduce your products and lead them toward your Black Friday offers.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Write guides and roundups tied to real shopper intent.  
  • Use long-tail keywords that match seasonal search habits.  
  • Add smart internal links to featured products or your Black Friday landing page. 

Fast wins and common pitfalls

Once your product pages are polished, tighten up the surrounding details.

 Fast wins:

  • Set a calendar reminder for your campaign email and social media schedule 
  • Add an announcement banner linking to your Black Friday page 
  • Test your email signup and welcome flow to catch any issues 

Big pitfalls to avoid: 

  • Forgetting to link email campaigns to relevant landing pages 
  • Using inconsistent messaging and UTMs across channels 
  • Launching your Black Friday page too late for indexing and ranking 

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Advanced Black Friday preparation: Boost visibility, trust, and retention  

If you’re already doing the essentials well, these strategies will help you scale.  

7. Improve your chances of showing up in local search  

If you offer in-store pickup or have a physical store, don’t miss out on the people searching near you. Shoppers looking for same-day purchases often skip past online-only stores.  

Why it matters: When someone searches for a product near them, being present in the results can drive instant foot traffic and build trust before they even walk in.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Ensure your name, address, and phone (NAP) are identical across all pages and listings.  
  • Update your opening hours and add clear pickup instructions.  
  • Add content to your site that mentions your location, city, or neighborhood.  

Yoast Local SEO is included in the Yoast WooCommerce SEO. It helps you create and manage local schema and landing pages that appear in search. (It is not available for Shopify.)  

8. Use structured data to stand out in search  

When someone searches for a product and your listing shows price, availability, or reviews, that’s not luck. That’s structured data.  

Why it matters:  Rich snippets give your products more space in search results, credibility, and clicks.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Add structured data (schema) for Product, Offer, and Review to top-selling listings.  
  • Use Google’s tools to check that your schema is implemented correctly.
  • Use product variant schema to improve your chances of showing in rich search results.

Yoast SEO for Shopify and Yoast WooCommerce SEO automatically adds this, but you can also fine-tune it for special products or campaigns if needed.  

9. Set up post-purchase flows before the sale starts  

Black Friday may be over at checkout, but it’s just the beginning of your relationship with a new customer.  

Why it matters: People who buy during Black Friday often need reassurance and support. They’re far more likely to come back if they feel taken care of.  

Actionable tips:  

  • Set up automated flows for thank-you messages, setup tips, and review requests.  
  • Offer a discount for a second purchase or referral.  
  • Guide people back to your product pages or Google review profile.  

Taking care of this now means you can focus on fulfillment and service during the Black Friday rush. 

Fast wins and common pitfalls

A thoughtful follow-up and last check make sure you build on opportunities and are ready for what might come your way.

 Fast wins: 

  • Recheck your sitemap to ensure new pages are indexed 
  • Update your business hours and contact details in your footer 
  • Enable review requests to trigger automatically post-purchase 

Big pitfalls to avoid: 

  • Making last-minute technical changes with no buffer 
  • Ignoring mobile performance and checkout testing 
  • Overlooking schema validation or broken structured data 

Final thoughts  

Preparing for Black Friday is about being proactive, not reactive. Every SEO improvement you make now, from product pages to local visibility, will help you attract more shoppers and turn clicks into customers.  

Yoast gives you the tools to stay ahead: clearer product listings, stronger search visibility, and smart automations that scale with your store. Whether you’re using Shopify or WooCommerce, optimize now to be ready before the crowds arrive.  

Explore:

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Holiday season SEO: 10 tips to start preparing!

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The summer is well on its way. Should you already start preparing for Black Friday and the holiday season? Yes! They’re the biggest sales of the year, and ranking in Google is something you take time to do. It’s never too early to start getting your deals ready. So, if you are a merchant with an online store or an ecommerce business, let’s start working on your holiday season and Black Friday SEO immediately!

Don’t forget that Black Friday (November 28, 2025) and Cyber Monday (December 1, 2025) are kicking off this year’s holiday shopping season. You can set up a lot of content for all occasions. In this post, we’ll review some things you can do to prepare!

Table of contents

Holiday shopping this year

Today, people are used to shopping online. It’s easy and convenient. You don’t have to travel only to find something out of stock. Plus, online stores often offer payment plans. Shopping online is so popular that online sales during the holiday season keep hitting record after record. And the numbers will only continue to rise. That’s why it’s safe to assume that people will buy many (if not most) holiday gifts online this year.

Staying on top of trends to prepare for the holiday season is good. E-commerce is still growing, and consumers expect more every year. Here are some actionable tips for the upcoming Black Friday and holiday season to improve your SEO:

  1. Discount deals and alternative payment options (Buy now, pay later) should be part of your ecommerce strategy
  2. Brands should provide a consistent purchasing experience across digital/online and physical stores
  3. To minimize returns, brands should make their product pages as comprehensive as possible
  4. Holiday season marketing campaigns should be tailored to each platform to ensure maximum effectiveness

Online is where it’s at

Of course, in-store or curbside pick-up will still prove popular. However, most people research their ecommerce purchases online – sometimes weeks in advance! So don’t be surprised when the holiday shopping season starts well before Black Friday and continues for weeks.

Extending Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other holiday season online deals for a few days or weeks can be a good idea. This is especially true if you want to prevent huge crowds from gathering at your store on a specific day. That won’t be a good shopping experience for anyone involved, so spreading these deals over an extended time is probably better.

Start preparing in time

Dive into the data you amassed during previous Black Friday and Cyber Monday events, and see if you can come up with improvements for your e-commerce holiday season SEO. Bear in mind that it takes a while for content to rank. So, to keep up with the competition, try to get your content in gear at least 45 days ahead. That’s often recommended. Of course, you can always start preparing earlier if that works better for you. Your schedule could look something like this:

  1. 45 Days in advance: Post your promotion to your website calendar and post a save-the-date post on social media and in your email newsletter.
  2. 7 Days in advance: Post upcoming events/promotions on social media and via email. Try to encourage other (small) businesses to share it with their followers.
  3. 1 Day in advance: Post an event reminder on social media.

It’s a good rule to remember these steps and time frames. However, you can do much more than set up new pages and renew old ones. Let’s look at a few practical tips.

1. Do holiday season keyword research

Keyword research is important all year, but especially during the season when your online store starts having big sales. You have probably worked on this research previously, but now is the time to dive in again. There are always things to learn, like developments in your industry, changes in consumer behavior, or new trends and topics to discuss.

Start early with your research to give yourself enough time to produce high-quality, helpful content that helps reach those new audiences. While using generative AI tools to generate holiday season SEO content for your e-commerce business is enticing, please be careful with that. Generative AI can help you do your job, but it can’t replace your valuable insights and opinions.

Do look into using Yoast SEO to optimize your content for LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini.

2. Set up holiday season gift pages

First, we must consider what category or particular landing pages make sense for the upcoming holidays. You can always set up pages like ‘Best gifts for parents/millennials/teens’, ‘Newest deals for your 6/10/12-year-old’, and ‘Best friend/grandparents/coworker discounts’. You could also think of ‘Top 10 gifts for outdoor/skiing/parasailing enthusiasts’ and ‘Top 3 deals for stay-at-home parents’, etcetera.

Make sure the page titles and meta descriptions of these gift landing– or category pages fit the upcoming holiday season. You can reuse these gift pages for Hanukkah or your summer sale. Find (old) content that fits the holidays, rewrite titles and meta descriptions to match the upcoming season, and chances are you won’t have to do that much work to get them up to date. Be sure to write proper product descriptions and improve the product images. Learn how to write great product descriptions using our product-specific analysis in WooCommerce SEO and Yoast SEO for Shopify.

To increase the chances of your gift pages ranking, boost their internal linking structure. You can also link the previous all-year holiday season pages, such as specific Christmas landing pages (‘Top 7/10/25 gifts for under the Christmas tree’) to boost these when the time has come. That could be around the 45-day mark, but we would be okay with stretching that to 60 days. You’ll need to give Google and other search engines enough time to follow your links and find your specific holiday season SEO landing pages with deals.

3. Promote on social media and in your newsletter

Social media like X and Instagram can play a massive role in the success of your (online) Black Friday sale. Take Pinterest, for instance. Many people have a Pinterest Christmas wish list. As a merchant, it would be amazing to get your products on people’s wish lists, which can positively impact your reach and maybe even your sales.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to share your Black Friday gift pages on Facebook and other social media. Maybe even make short videos to post on TikTok. In the previous section, we mentioned the top ten lists. We all know these still work pretty well on social media. Yoast SEO can help you optimize your social media posts before you share them.

Email marketing

Last but not least, remember your email marketing! For many companies, newsletters provide a steady stream of income. Be sure to plan a good campaign for your newsletters.

For example, we recommend setting up holiday gift guides and sharing these. You can create an excellent overview of many gifts that many people will enjoy. ELLE and Target have pages like that, and so do more companies.

4. Introduce new products

The holiday season is an excellent time to pitch new products. If you know of potential bestsellers for the upcoming holiday season, start writing content about these products now. You can compare it to tech sites writing about concept iPhones, features that Apple might add, etc.

The more you write about new products upfront, the more likely the sales pages for these products will rank when it matters. You should link all pages you made in advance to that one main page you’ll set up when the product is released and available to buy. Treat that page like cornerstone content.

5. Add structured data to your product pages

When adding or changing your product pages to fit the holiday season, don’t forget to optimize them. Check, for instance, whether you’ve added structured data to your product pages. Rich results that show ratings and prices can give you an edge over your competitors. Our WooCommerce SEO plugin, Local SEO plugin (included in Yoast SEO Premium), or Yoast SEO for Shopify app can help you do this to improve your holiday season!

an example of a google search result for a product, in this a listing of a PlayStation 5 sold by Walmart
Example of a product appearing in the search results if you use structured data.

Read more: Structure data with Schema.org: the ultimate guide »

6. Check your product feeds

Don’t forget to optimize your e-commerce product feeds for Black Friday and holiday season SEO. This maximizes visibility and sales during this high-traffic online shopping period. Start by ensuring all product information, such as titles, descriptions, prices, and availability, is accurate and up-to-date. Check if the products that need them have relevant Black Friday keywords to enhance discoverability. Use high-quality, clear images to showcase your product.

Use the promotions feature in Google Merchant Center to prominently display special deals and discounts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This way, you’ll make your offers more attractive to potential buyers. Please update your feed regularly to reflect real-time inventory changes and fix errors to maintain product visibility.

7. Reuse content

There’s no shame in serving old wine in a new bottle. If you have a Black Friday or a Christmas gift guide for 2024, feel free to reuse it in 2025. Update the year and details like popular brands and products for that year. If the slug of your URL is /black-friday-guide-2024/, change it to /black-friday-guide-2025/ around August next year, and redirect the old URL to the new one. No need to create a new page. It would be a waste of nice inbound links not to reuse that old URL. Of course, this is even easier if you don’t include the year in the URL, so /black-friday-guide/ is also an excellent slug.

In the months before the holiday season, you could even simply repost popular posts from last year (a bit adjusted or updated if needed) on social media. Valentine’s Day might even become Secret Santa. Cyber Monday might match your child’s favorite gifts for Ramadan. These are probably small adjustments; perhaps just adding ‘this Ramadan’ to a meta description or title will do.

Keep reading: Should I update or delete old content? »

8. Optimize for page and user experience

It’s a good idea to check and optimize your website for speed and mobile use. Trust us; you’ll get these recommendations from an SEO blog or consultant daily. And with good reason! Mobile, site speed, and user experience are essential to get people to spend money on your ecommerce business this Black Friday. When preparing your online store for the holiday sale season, this is as good a time as any to check your mobile website and site speed, and update or improve them if possible.

To start, look at Google’s Core Web Vitals and use these to improve your site. Here are five ways to boost your Core Web Vitals scores.

Read on: How to check site speed »

9. Local business? Focus on local SEO

Investing in local SEO for Black Friday and Christmas shopping is essential for local businesses aiming to attract more customers. Begin by optimizing your Google Business Profile with accurate business information, including address, phone number, business hours, and any special Black Friday/Cyber Monday hours or promotions. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Use local keywords in your content, focusing on terms your community will likely search for, such as “Black Friday deals in [Your City].” Additionally, engage with your local community on social media by promoting special deals to drive more foot traffic to your store.

10. Create a measurement plan

All set? Remember to make a measurement plan to analyze your success. Write down all your plans, then think about how to track all your actions. This is key to knowing what to focus on next year. For detailed instructions on analyzing your Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Cinco de Mayo shopping, read our post with five tips to measure your holiday sales success.

What should you do when the holiday season is over?

How do you handle the product pages of holiday gift sets after the holidays? Even if the gift set or product was a great success, and you want to offer it again next year, it’ll take a while for the page to be relevant again. What is the best way to deal with these pages in the meantime?

Our advice: Keep the pages up. However, you don’t necessarily want them visible to people browsing your site. So, have the page up without linking, then link to it again during the holiday season. This is better than deleting it and starting again.

Conclusion on holiday season SEO

In short, now’s the time to buckle down and start writing holiday gift pages and content for new products. Remember to plan your social media promotion and analytics. After all, you can never start too early when your online business depends on the holiday season. Be prepared; begin now with your SEO. Good luck with your holiday season sale!

Keep on reading: eCommerce usability: the ultimate guide »

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