No matter how perfectly crafted your PPC ads are, their success hinges on what happens after the click.
In 2025, optimizing your forms and follow-up processes is the key to turning traffic into high-quality leads and ensuring your campaigns deliver real results.
Why optimizing forms and follow-ups is essential
Google’s mantra, “Focus on the user, and all else will follow,” rings especially true in lead generation.
While PPC marketers often focus on perfecting ad copy, audience targeting, and bidding strategies, many overlook a crucial element: the post-click experience.
No matter how strong your campaigns are, they won’t deliver their full potential if your forms and follow-up processes aren’t optimized.
Refining these touchpoints will be key to attracting higher-quality leads and boosting your campaign results this year.
With optimized forms and strategic follow-ups, every click from your PPC campaign delivers value.
Whether you’re collecting leads through forms or other tools like chatbots or call tracking, the goal remains the same: guide future customers smoothly through your lead-gen funnel.
Here are the five key methods to perfect in 2025:
1. Crafting PPC forms for maximum conversions
The era of a one-size-fits-all approach is over.
Forms must be tailored to the specific needs of each industry, customer segment, and sales process to effectively serve both the user experience and the sales team’s ability to close deals.
It’s common knowledge that every additional field in a form introduces potential friction. Reducing the number of fields can significantly boost conversions.
However, simplicity must be balanced with the data necessary to qualify a prospect.
Different industries and businesses require varying levels of personalization.
Real estate or local services
The “sweet spot” for most industries is between 3 to 5 fields. However, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule. Simplified forms may overlook key insights needed to move leads down the funnel.
A/B testing a basic form (name, email, ZIP code) against a more detailed one (asking about intent and timeline) can help determine whether complexity improves or hinders conversions.
Another approach is using a multi-step funnel, where initial engagement leads to deeper qualification questions.
B2B SaaS or high-ticket services
These industries require more nuanced testing.
If a single landing page form doesn’t deliver quality leads, try multi-step forms to gather detailed information over time without overwhelming users.
Pest control service
A single-field form asking for a ZIP code to generate instant quotes works well, as users in urgent situations prioritize speed and simplicity over additional questions.
Education SaaS campaign
For an ebook offer like “How to double campaign ROI with automated email workflows,” a form asking only for a name and email maximizes conversions.
The user is in the early stages of the funnel, so simplicity reduces friction and captures basic contact info for future nurturing.
Higher education
Universities may require more flexibility in how they present questions.
Multi-step forms, broken into smaller sections on different landing pages (e.g., Step 1: Contact Information, Step 2: Program Interest), can help guide users without overwhelming them.
In addition, dynamic forms that adapt based on user input can also enhance engagement and personalization.
For example, tailoring follow-up questions when users select “Undergraduate” or “MBA” ensures that the form remains relevant to their needs, providing a more customized experience.
Finally, A/B testing different landing page strategies (i.e., comparing multi-step forms to single-step forms) helps determine which approach works best for your audience.
Platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and LinkedIn Ads offer built-in experimentation tools to make testing easier.
By leveraging these tools, marketers can refine their forms and landing pages to create a seamless, user-friendly experience that drives higher conversion rates.
Personalization is no longer a “nice-to-have” in CRO; it’s an expectation.
AI tools allow businesses to automate follow-ups by using the data collected from forms to deliver highly targeted actions, moving leads from marketing-qualified to sales-qualified.
Below are best practices for AI-powered follow-ups.
Instant responses
Outside of ensuring your webpage speed is optimized, try implementing AI-driven chatbots or automated emails to engage with leads immediately after form submission.
This prompt engagement can significantly enhance user experience and conversion rates.
Multi-channel outreach
Combine email automation with SMS or social media follow-ups to increase touchpoints and meet leads where they are most active.
This diversified approach can improve engagement rates and lead to nurturing effectiveness.
Hyper-personalization
Use AI to analyze user behaviors, preferences, and contexts.
This enables the delivery of highly personalized content and offers by leveraging tools such as heatmaps, live user tracking, and funnel analysis.
Behavior-based sequencing
If a user doesn’t engage with the first follow-up, AI can trigger tailored messages based on their behavior.
Use multi-channel outreach with AI automation to email follow-ups with SMS.
3. Beyond forms: Lead gen strategies without traditional forms
Not all lead gen businesses rely solely on forms.
Many companies operate in industries where forms aren’t the primary conversion tool.
Here’s how to optimize other lead collection methods:
Click-to-call campaigns: They are typically best for service-based businesses with clear “call now” CTAs in the ads and landing pages that use call tracking numbers to analyze ad performance.
Chatbots and conversational ads: Chatbots could be a supplemental move for ecommerce where a user may have quick questions in real time before making a purchase.
Paid social ads: Industries like education or business consulting, where simplicity is valued, can benefit from social ads on Meta or LinkedIn. These platforms allow users to submit their information without leaving the site, reducing lead friction. For international leads, click-to-WhatsApp messaging can minimize friction further.
While optimizing your forms and follow-ups is crucial, ongoing analysis of your campaigns is equally important.
This helps refine A/B testing strategies and continuously improve lead quality through:
Offline conversion tracking: Integrate CRM data into Google Ads to identify campaigns and keywords generating high-quality leads.
Qualifying fields: Add fields like budget or timeline to filter unqualified leads.
A/B testing: Test variations of form fields, layouts, and CTAs to improve conversion rates without sacrificing lead quality.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/How-to-optimize-PPC-forms-and-follow-ups-for-lead-gen-in-2025-800x450-Iqp2lF.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1450800http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-21 13:00:002025-01-21 13:00:00How to optimize PPC forms and follow-ups for lead gen in 2025
The start of the year is always a good moment to start or update your SEO roadmap. This is a structured collection of tasks you plan to do to enhance your site’s performance. If you already have one, great! If not, read this article to find out what you can do and why you need an SEO strategy.
An SEO roadmap is a strategic outline for enhancing a website’s visibility in search engines. It consists of all the SEO tasks you wish to perform in a given period of time. These tasks encompass keyword research, content strategy, and technical SEO.
We need a plan showing how people find our product or business. Once we know that, we’ll need to write content strategically targeting these people. At the same time, we’ll find a way to improve our website’s technical aspects to ensure it performs flawlessly.
The goal is to connect your SEO plan to the broader business goals. This will help you focus on the right things for the desired results. Of course, this isn’t just about performing better and properly managing your resources. It helps allocate time and budget effectively to areas with the most impact.
Setting up and managing an SEO strategy has many benefits. It provides a solid framework for tracking performance and fine-tuning it where necessary, helping you target the right people and stay ahead of the competition.
Why do you need an SEO roadmap for that?
While it’s easy to jump right into the SEO work you need to do, it’s better to have a roadmap. An SEO roadmap helps your decision-making process. It helps you prioritize the activities that drive the most value. And it gives you a sense of direction.
Setting up such an SEO roadmap will help you increase your website’s visibility in search. It will also help you target the right audiences and reduce costs by focusing on high-impact areas.
Your new strategy should support the overarching business goals. Often, that’s increasing sales. By increasing organic traffic, you can boost sales and revenue. It could also support brand awareness. Enhancing your brand’s presence in search engines makes it more recognizable. Plus, you’ll want to engage customers.
Building a solid, holistic SEO strategy also keeps you agile. You’re much more on top of things and able to respond to changes in search history trends or market conditions. This is another thing that gives you a leg up over a slightly less well-prepared competitor.
How to create an SEO roadmap
Before creating an SEO plan, you need to collect some insights. Clearly define what you want to achieve, and audit your site to get a feel for the issues you must fix. Then, the budget and availability of resources must be figured out to get the updates done. When you have everything, you can build out your SEO roadmap.
Define your goals and priorities
Creating a successful SEO roadmap begins with setting clear goals and establishing priorities. This step helps focus all efforts and align them with broader business objectives.
Set SMART goals
The most important thing is to work in a structured manner. You need a framework to verify if the work you’re planning is feasible and measurable. Here’s how to effectively define your goals and priorities using SMART criteria.
Set SMART goals: Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework ensures clarity and direction.
Specific: Clearly describe what you want to achieve. For instance, instead of saying “increase traffic,” specify “increase organic traffic by 20%.”
Measurable: Use metrics to track progress and evaluate success. Example: “Reach 50,000 monthly page views by the end of Q2.”
Achievable: Make sure the goals are realistic. Think about your resources and constraints. Consider current performance as a baseline.
Relevant: Align goals with business objectives. If brand awareness is your number one goal, focus on increasing visibility in search engine results.
Time-bound: Set a deadline to create urgency. Example: “Achieve a top 3 ranking for targeted keywords within six months.”
Of course, there are many other options. Consider frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. This method helps you prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, sorting them into four categories: do first, schedule, delegate, and don’t do. Use this matrix to categorize SEO tasks, focusing first on urgent and important ones, like fixing critical site errors.
Align with business objectives
Your SEO goals should fall in line with your overall business strategy. This way, SEO efforts will help your company achieve its goals. For example, if your company wants to grow its market share in a particular area, you should focus on local SEO. This means targeting local keywords and directories.
Not all tasks are created equal, so determine which ones will have the biggest impact and put them on your SEO roadmap first. Look for tasks that are easy to do and give you quick results, like fixing high-traffic pages. Also, focus on projects that match your main business goals, even if they take more time and resources.
Remember to meet with all the important people to ensure that your SEO goals are what they want and that they fit with the whole company’s goals. Talk to the marketing, sales, and product teams to understand what they want and how SEO can help them achieve it.
Audit your website
Conducting a thorough website audit is critical in creating an effective SEO roadmap. This process helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. You can add the audit findings as improvement tasks to your roadmap.
Do a content audit
Most of the time, people find your website through your content. As such, it’s an essential part of your SEO strategy. But your content might have become a tangled mess if you’ve been at it for a while. A content audit can help inform your SEO roadmap and help you untangle that mess.
Review your existing content and see if it (still) meets user needs and aligns with your goals. Then, look for content gaps to determine whether your audience is interested in a topic you haven’t discussed on your site yet. If you find these or other opportunities, add them as tasks on your roadmap. Don’t forget to check the on-page SEO of your key pages.
You can do a proper content audit by hand, but tools like Semrush and Ahrefs make this process much more manageable.
Do a technical SEO audit
A technical audit will help uncover performance issues with the site. These issues might prevent search engines or users from properly accessing your site.
First, crawl your website using tools like Screaming Frog to see if it can be accessed properly. Uncover crawl errors and find out what’s happening on pages that are not available — accidental or not. Check for broken links or 404 errors and add these to your task list.
Evaluate and improve page load times, as speed affects user experience and rankings. Don’t forget Google’s core web vitals. Also, check that your site is responsive and functions well on mobile devices.
You should add those tasks to the roadmap if you find technical issues on your site that you want or need to fix.
Check the user experience
Every year, user experience is getting more important if you want to perform well in search engines. Make sure that your site is easy to navigate. It should have a logical structure that helps users find information quickly. Analyze site bounce rates and time to identify pages needing improvement. Again, if you find improvements to be made, add them to your SEO roadmap as tasks so you can work on them in a structured way.
Analyze the backlink profile
The web is built around links, and while links have become slightly less important over the years, they’re still an important topic for search engines. In your audit, please look at your backlinks and see if you can acquire high-quality, relevant backlinks. Unless you have a manual action for spam from Google, it probably isn’t worth your time to disavow all the toxic links pointing to your site.
Estimate time and resources
Before you fill out your SEO roadmap, you need to estimate accurately the time and resources you have available to you. Doing so helps set realistic timelines to achieve your SEO goals.
Evaluate team strengths and capabilities
When working with a team, assess the skills available to determine who can handle specific SEO tasks. Also, understand the workload your team can handle alongside other responsibilities.
Budget planning
While you need enough people for your project, you also need a budget. Find the tools and technologies you need for SEO and budget accordingly. Also, decide if you need additional expertise, such as hiring freelancers or an SEO agency.
Set realistic timelines
It’s important to set realistic goals and timelines for the project. Give each task in your SEO roadmap a deadline. If you’ve looked at your tasks in detail, you know how long it would take. Do consider delays, as things will likely have a different duration than you thought before — even if you thought it through. Don’t forget to plan work for different teams in advance so they know when to come in.
Prioritize tasks based on resources
Look ahead and see if you can mix quick wins with long-term projects. It’s good to have successful moments during the project, not only at the end. Focus on optimizing existing high-traffic pages first while planning a longer-term content strategy. Make sure that the most critical tasks receive proper attention and resources.
Review and adjust
Your SEO roadmap is never set and done — there are always things to adjust for whatever reason. It’s important to review and adjust your strategy regularly. This helps you refine your plans and jump on new opportunities. Or, you can finally fix that pesky new thing that keeps popping up.
Schedule regular reviews
Don’t just wait for reviews to happen — plan them in advance. Conduct in-depth reviews every quarter to evaluate the overall effectiveness of your SEO strategy. In addition, you should hold monthly meetings to discuss ongoing tasks, recent results, and anything that needs priority.
Analyze performance data
Analyze all data thoroughly before making decisions. Examine all relevant data, including traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates, to get a complete picture of performance. From that data, identify your successes and failures. Determine which strategies are working well and which need reevaluation.
Get feedback from stakeholders
Ask your teammates for their views on what’s working and what’s not. If possible, hold feedback sessions to develop new solutions for issues. When necessary, ask customers or executives for insights on how you can make sure that the SEO plan supports overarching goals.
Refine goals and strategy
For all your research, refine your goals to reflect the necessary changes. If you performed better than you thought, why not take those goals up a notch? If not, see what you can do to improve. Also, don’t forget to place manhours in areas that need the most help.
Implement changes and track impact
When you’ve collected all your insights and know what you need to do, you should develop a plan to implement them. For example, you could update your content strategy or invest in different platforms to compete. Of course, you need to monitor the effect of the changes you made to your SEO strategy — and adjust if necessary!
A roadmap is the groundwork for SEO success
This guide provides the steps needed to develop an effective SEO plan. It helps you find long-term success for your roadmap while aligning it with broader business objectives. Be sure to work diligently on the tasks in your strategy and analyze and adjust if needed.
Do you need help keeping up with SEO? Be sure to sign up for one of our SEO webinars!
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-21 12:03:452025-01-21 12:03:45How to create an effective SEO roadmap
Do you keep a manual spreadsheet that you update diligently every day? Maybe you only have access to weekly data?
Neither option is ideal, especially when you want to track a large volume of keywords, competitors and SERP features across multiple clients and different search engines.
SERP tracking tools allow you to enter all the keywords you want to monitor, along with their respective SERP features.
No more manual (and probably inaccurate) spreadsheets. And no more waiting for fresh data.
In this post, we’ll explore the key features to look for in SERP tracking software, and look at a shortlist of tools to consider and how they stack up against each other.
The best SERP Trackers:
AccuRanker – fastest and most accurate standalone daily SERP tracker, but more expensive.
Semrush Position Tracker is an accurate daily SERP tracker that’s part of a leading all-in-one SEO platform. The SERP Gap Analyzer app can analyze multiple data points across thousands of SERPs to identify existing and new content opportunities and provide actionable recommendations for improving rankings.
Disclosure: There are some affiliate links in this article. If you decide to purchase a tool through one of those affiliate links, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.
Why Should You Invest in SERP Tracking Software?
One of the leading indicators to validate your efforts, and justify an investment in SEO, is the ability to accurately track the movements of your SERP features and positions across different search engines, locations, and devices.
You need to be able to show progress. And the right SERP tracking software can help you do that at a granular level, and tie it back to key business objectives (more on this later).
SERP trackers will enable you to:
Monitor rankings across devices, locations, search engines and intent buckets.
Notify you when your ranking drops, so you can react quickly and fix any problems.
Track competitor performance, so you can identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Track where you are gaining and losing visibility across a range of SERP features – featured snippets, carousels, videos and more.
Show the correlation between rankings, traffic, and conversions/ revenue.
And a lot more.
9 Features to Look for in SERP Tracking Software
In this section, we’ll highlight the essential features you need to consider when looking for the best SERP tracking software.
#1. Access accurate on-demand ranking updates
SERP positions change fast, so you’ll need a SERP tracker that’s frequently updated with the latest accurate ranking data. You don’t want to have to wait days for tools to update. You need access to real-time on-demand data.
AccuRanker (aff) is a leader in this category. The software updates your keyword sets automatically every 24-hours, and if you want, you can refresh the rankings data on-demand with the click of a button:
#2. Monitor performance across SERP features
When you’re looking to rank in Position #0 or grab a specific SERP feature – AI Overviews, featured snippets, PAAs, video carousels, knowledge cards, etc – you first need to know which keywords trigger them and then find out which actions are needed to steal them from the competition.
For instance, keywords with existing top 3 rankings often only require minor content updates to grab a SERP feature.
With AccuRanker’s SERP Analysis tool, you can track the movement of 50+ different SERP features across all of your keywords in a single view, so you know exactly where all the opportunities are and how to capitalize on them.
AccurRanker’s dashboard will show you how many SERP features you’ve gained over time, and provide a filterable breakdown of the different types.
#3. Track SERP movement across all major search engines
Many SERP tracking tools will only allow you to track keyword rankings on Google.
But if you want to monitor your SEO correctly, especially if you have clients in countries like China and Russia, then you’ll need to track SERP movement across all the major search engines.
AccuRanker (aff) lets you choose from Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, and YouTube search engines:
#4. Granular tracking (by location and device)
You’ll also need to look for SERP tracking software that offers granular details as well as a high-level dashboard.
For example, you may want to track SERP movements for international or national campaigns, and all the way down to the zip code level so you can serve local clients.
Semrush (aff) lets you track keyword rankings at country, state, or city level, and compare keyword positions for desktop and mobile:
#5. Map SERP movements to traffic and revenue/ conversions
Tracking changes in your SERP positions is absolutely necessary. But how do you correlate higher rankings with traffic, conversions and revenue?
AccuRanker’s Landing Pages report helps you find out which URLs are driving the most traffic and revenue for your business.
AccuRanker integrates with Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics to provide deeper insights into landing page performance.
The Landing Pages report combines AccuRanker data – keywords, search volume, Share of Voice etc – with Google Analytics data – organic visitors, bounce rate, goals, revenue, load time etc – into one report so you get a complete picture of how SERP movements are affecting your bottom line:
#6. View historical rank performance
Most SERP trackers will only provide a “point-in-time” rankings update.
But with a tracker like AccuRanker, you can view the full rank history of a given term to see how performance has been trending over time, and compare rankings against your competitors:
#7. Run competitor comparisons
Rankings are always fluctuating, so it’s crucial to be able to track where you are gaining and losing ground to your competition to identify threats and opportunities.
Semrush distributes keywords into groups or buckets by position – e.g. 1-3, 4-10, 11–50, etc. – so you can track progress and compare ranking distribution against competitors:
Editor’s Note: My agency uses Databox to bring in rank distribution data from tools like Semrush to show the impact SERP movements are having on organic traffic and converions:
#8. Tag and segment rankings data
Most SERP tracking tools include keyword tagging functionality. But not all keywords are created equally, so you need to be able to view SERP performance by topic, funnel, content/ asset types, and devices.
AccuRanker allows you to segment and analyze SERP data across a host of metrics, including Share of Voice, Search Engine, Location, Rank Change, and a list of others:
#9. Generate white-label reports
Aside from accessing on-demand SERP data, you’ll also want to be able to put together an easy-to-digest report that clearly shows progress, either natively or through a third-party connection with a tool like Google Data Studio or Databox.
AccuRanker includes native white-label reports that can be scheduled to out to clients:
And also integrates with third-party tools like Google Data Studio:
“The thing that really got me using them heavily in the last month or two is their Google Data Studio connector.
Combining the tag feature, as well as the Share of Voice metric from AccuRanker has been a big help in making these reports immediately digestible.”
Ian Howells Co-Founder, Traffic Think Tank
7 Best SERP Tracking Tools to Consider in 2025
There’s countless SERP tracking tools on the market. But we’ve done the research to provide a shortlist of the best SERP trackers that provide most, if not all, the features listed above.
In this section, we’ll take a look at three dedicated SERP trackers, as well as three SERP tracking tools that are part of leading all-in-one SEO platforms, in case you don’t want to pay for a separate SERP tracker.
#1. AccuRanker
AccuRanker (aff) is a standalone SERP tracking tool used by SEO agencies and consultants to track rankings, monitor the competition and tie movements back to the traffic and conversions with the fastest and most accurate SERP data.
Over 32,000 companies trust the platform, including HubSpot, IKEA, and Kinsta.
“It’s by far the best keyword ranking tracker in the market and has a ton of great reporting functions. If you want visibility on large volumes of keywords housed within a nice dashboard – this is for you.”
MATTHEW HOWELLS-BARBY Co-Founder, TrafficThinkTank
Best SERP Tracking Features
AccuRanker has all the typical SERP tracking features, but it stands out from most other tools, as you can:
Run accurate on-demand updates of ranking data.
Assess market performance with its Share of Voice (SoV) metric.
Track rankings across all major search engines, including Google, Bing, YouTube, Baidu, and Yandex.
Track 50+ SERP features available for all of your keywords with the aggregated SERP analysis.
View historical rank performance (most just give a point in time snapshot).
Integrate with third-party software to allow you to bring traffic, goal, and revenue data into your ranking reports, and then visualize it beautifully in native reports or tools like Google Data Studio.
Agencies, SEO professionals, enterprise businesses and brands who need the most up-to-date and accurate ranking data, competitor monitoring, SERP analysis, and API access across all locations, devices and major search engines.
Pricing
AccuRanker has a range of subscription plans (aff) based on the number of keywords you want to monitor, starting at $116/month for up to 1,000 tracked keywords.
#2. Semrush Position Tracker and SERP Gap Analyzer
Semrush (aff) is an all-in-one SEO toolset for digital marketing professionals. Over 10 million users from leading brands such as Samsung, Vodafone and Booking.com use the platform.
Its Position Tracking Tool allows you to monitor SERP movements from an international level down to the local map pack across all device types.
Semrush boasts one of the most accurate daily rank trackers, making it easy to track competitors, monitor which URLs are gaining visibility in the SERPs, and segment ranking performance across tags, devices, location, and different SERP features.
Best SERP tracking features
The accuracy of Semrush’s Position Tracker rivals all the standalone SERP trackers, which is impressive considering it’s just one of the platform’s many SEM tools.
Monitor national, regional, and local search engine positions for any keyword.
Check the Visibility index (based on the average position of the domain’s ranking pages) to gauge how your target keywords perform.
Run side-by-side competitor comparisons.
Set a date range of 7, 30, 60, or 90 days to view historical rank changes.
Monitor SERP feature movements – videos, reviews, snippets, knowledge panel and more – and quickly spot new opportunities.
Collect accurate daily SERP ranking data of domains, subdomains, subfolders, or URLs for any keyword, including desktop and mobile rankings.
See the complete list of keywords appearing in the local pack of the SERPs.
Analyze your video rankings to instantly spot gains and losses in your YouTube SEO campaigns.
Generate branded or white-label SERP tracking reports.
Bonus SERP analysis feature:
SERP Gap Analyzer (aff) can be accessed in the Semrush App Center. The app scans Google’s SERPs for a topic and finds under-optimized content that you can improve on.
You can also enter your domain and scan thousands of SERPs to quickly uncover keywords that could benefit from optimized content. This can save you hours on manual keyword research and SERP analysis.
After submitting your domain with a seed topic, the app will return insights related to:
Ranking difficulty
Keyword suggestions
Weaknesses of competing websites
You can then expand on sections to uncover the specific weaknesses of competitors:
The SERP Gap Analyzer also integrates with Google Search Console to quickly uncover low-hanging fruit keywords and, based on the analysis of multiple SERP data points, provides actionable recommendations for optimizing content to improve rankings.
Semrush’s SERP Gap Analyzer is a unique app that goes beyond standard SERP tracking. It will identify areas to improve existing content, add new content, and provide actionable recommendations based on in-depth SERP analysis. This app could save your team hours on tedious manual analysis each month.
Who is it for?
Digital marketing professionals, SEO agencies, ecommerce brands, and large enterprises looking for a cost-effective all-in-one SEO platform that also provides an accurate, scalable SERP tracking solution.
Pricing
Semrush’ SEO platform has a range of subscription plans (aff), starting at $139.95/month.
Track rankings across most major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube and listings on Amazon.
Analyze the Top 100 SERP results for any of your keywords.
View historical data and assess competitor performance.
Track videos on YouTube and Google Videos.
Track ecommerce sites/products on Amazon.
Generate a variety of reports, including current ranking, progress, comparison, and benchmarks.
Who is it for?
SEM agencies, international companies, ecommerce brands and video marketers who want to get accurate SERP data across any location, across all devices in multiple different languages.
Pricing
ProRankTracker has a selection of pricing plans, starting at $39/month.
Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) is a standalone SERP tracker used by thousands of SEOs and brands such as Microsft to track SERP movements across devices and locations, plus build customized white-label reports.
Best SERP tracking features
Get fresh, accurate keyword rankings across all major search engines – Google, Yandex, Baidu, DuckDuckGo, Amazon, YouTube and more- in 170+ countries on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Track SERPs regardless of niche, location, or device.
Measure market share and perform in-depth competitor SERP analysis.
Monitor the aggregated list of websites you’re competing against for each keyword.
Segment data and build in-depth, white-label reports.
Integrate SERP data with third-party tools, such as Google Data Studio.
Who is it for?
In-house teams, agencies, and enterprises who want reliable SERP tracking data, competitor rankings, and comprehensive reports use AWR.
Pricing
AWR has a range of subscription plans, starting at $99/month.
SERPWatcher (affiliate) is the SERP tracking tool from Mangool’s all-in-one SEO platform. It is an affordable, easy-to-use tracker that is trusted by some of the world’s largest brands, including airbnb and adidas.
Best SERP tracking features
SERPWatcher’s Performance Index shows your website’s organic traffic potential across all tracked keywords, in addition to ranking and volume metrics.
Use SERPWatcher to:
Get daily ranking updates and check them in the SERP previews.
Track historical data by any time frame, such as weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
Get notified of all important rank changes via email alerts.
Track rankings in 52,000+ locations (states, cities, counties, DMAs), on any device.
Share interactive reports with clients and colleagues, plus schedule reports and set event-based alters via email.
Editor’s note:
The Mangools toolset also includes SERPChecker, a SERP analysis tool that helps you:
See all strengths and weaknesses of your competitors with 45+ SEO metrics.
Evaluate SERP positions.
Compare your website with competitors.
Scan Local Search results for 50,000 locations.
Detect Google SERP features influencing organic search results.
Who is it for?
Agencies, SEO professionals, startups and small business owners who want simplified SERP tracking and other easy-to-use SEO tools in one package use SERPWatcher by Mangools.
Pricing
Mangools has a range of subscription plans starting at $29.90/month.
SE Ranking is an all-in-one SEO toolset with a Position Tracking Tool that monitors keyword rankings in all the major search engines, across all locations and all devices.
Best SERP tracking features
SE Ranking claims to collect and store 100% accurate data by simulating user behaviour in a particular search engine and for a precisely targeted location.
You can use SE Ranking to:
Track SERPs in Google, Yahoo, and Bing for any location and device.
Track Google SERP features, Maps results, and Google Ads positions.
Perform side-by-side comparisons of your rankings with up to 5 competitors.
Get a visibility rating with all your search competitors (sorted by visibility score) based on your keywords.
Get a retrospective view of the Top 100 search results and features.
Share rankings with clients via a custom domain labeled with your brand.
Who is it for?
Digital agencies, SEO professionals, and small business owners who want accurate SERP tracking and other SEO tools in one package use SE Ranking.
Pricing
SE Ranking has a range of subscription plans, starting at $52/month. (Based on daily SERP updates for 500 keywords).
Nightwatch is one of the most accurate daily SERP trackers and is trusted by companies of all sizes, including Shopify, Scotiabank, and Coinbase. The tool lets you discover your exact search engine rankings from 107,296 locations worldwide.
Best SERP tracking features
Track your critical keywords in 107,296 locations worldwide across the search engine results page and map pack.
Track local SERP and map pack rankings down to a zip-code level with daily updates.
Access any Google Data Center on the planet for accurate local rank tracking.
Keep an eye on daily rankings on all the major search engines, including DuckDuckGo and Bing.
Track your SERP features and discover placements to rank globally and locally.
Identify decaying content and “low-hanging fruit” ranking opportunities using custom segments.
Analyze the performance of transactional keywords, groups of pages, and more.
Import data from Google Analytics and Search Console to bolster reporting.
Create eye-catching, easy-to-interpret white-labeled reports using the drag-and-drop editor.
Who is it for?
Nightwatch has three different plans – Starter, Optimize and Agency – that cater to the needs of companies of all sizes, from freelancers and SMBs to agencies and larger enterprise businesses.
Pricing
Nightwatch offers a 14-day free trial, and paid plans start at $32/month for up to 250 keywords.
Which SERP Tracking Tool is Right for Your Business?
SERP tracking software is essential for monitoring your SEO performance, competitors, and spotting new organic growth opportunities.
We looked at the seven top SERP tracking tools – four standalone trackers, plus three SERP trackers that are part of all-in-one SEO toolsets.
My recommended standalone SERP tracker is AccuRanker (aff). But if you’re looking for a solid tracker that’s part of a leading all-in-one SEO platform, I recommend Semrush (aff).
At a minimum, when you’re evaluating a SERP tracking solution, remember to check for these key features:
Access accurate on-demand ranking updates
Track SERP movement across all major search engines
Granular tracking (by location and device)
View historical rank performance
Run competitor comparisons
Tag and segment rankings data
Generate white-label reports
Let us know in the comments which SERP tracker you’re using.
You can sell your products online in many marketplaces, and all these platforms benefit from SEO. From improving your photos to writing better product descriptions, on-page SEO is key if you want your product listings to rank in search.
Marketplace SEO is about making a platform with many sellers — like Airbnb, Etsy, or Amazon — easy to find on search engines. It means improving product details, organizing the site well, and using customer reviews and content. Optimizing the listings on these platforms helps more people find the products and increases sales for everyone involved.
For instance, Etsy gives store owners plenty of options to improve their product listings by writing detailed product descriptions or adding great images. As a result, every well-optimized, handcrafted item ranks in the search results. Similarly, Airbnb allows property owners to update their listings with local keywords so that they appear when users search for accommodations in specific areas.
Effective marketplace SEO means that when someone searches for “vintage leather bags,” Etsy listings are among the top results. Or when a traveler looks for “secluded cabin in Vermont,” Airbnb’s optimized listings pop up. The result, of course, is to quickly connect marketplace buyers and sellers.
An Airbnb listing appearing in a Google search for a key term
On-page SEO for marketplaces
You can use on-page SEO as a tool for marketplace SEO. Doing so directly impacts how easily potential customers find your listings. Take the time to optimize elements like titles, descriptions, and images. Ultimately, you’ll find that your marketplace listings will be more visible in search results. This visibility, of course, should hopefully lead to more clicks and more sales.
When each page is optimized correctly, search engines better understand your content, which improves your rankings. This means your marketplace appears in front of the right audience at the right time.
Optimizing images
For marketplace SEO, you need good images to capture attention and show the quality of your products. If possible, make sure that your images are high-resolution and professionally shot. All your images should be relevant and showcase the product from more than one angle to give buyers a good feel for it.
Add clear alt text like “handmade ceramic mug” to make your images more accessible and to help search engines recognize what the image shows. This improves the SEO of your marketplace listings and makes them more appealing to users who use speech-based browsers.
Don’t forget to optimize the image itself. Compress files to maintain quality while reducing load times, as slow-loading images can drive users away. Tools like Squoosh can help with compression without losing quality. Ensure file names are descriptive and include keywords where appropriate, such as “organic-cotton-shirt.jpg,” to boost search visibility further.
Great photography and branding make your products stand out
Create great titles and meta descriptions
Titles and meta descriptions can draw users from search engine results. Crafting an engaging title means more than just adding keywords; it should capture what the page is about. Keep it short but descriptive, like “Elegant Summer Dresses – Affordable Fashion Online.” This approach catches users’ attention and clearly tells them what to expect. Ensure the titles aren’t too long so they appear fully in search results without getting cut off.
Descriptions provide more details about your listing. A good meta description should highlight features and benefits. It should also mention why people should click on your listing instead of your competitors. Here’s a good example: “Discover our range of elegant summer dresses crafted from breathable fabrics for comfort and style. Perfect for any occasion, at prices you’ll love.” This has all the keywords, and it speaks to the customer. Keep it short, accurate and engaging.
Writing great product descriptions
Product descriptions sell your products. If you want to sell your products, you must invest plenty of time in writing great product descriptions. Start by understanding your target audience and use those insights to address their needs and concerns. Write naturally and incorporate all the keywords you want the product to rank for.
Many sellers simply list features, but explaining these in context is better. Here’s an example: “This eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush is designed for comfort and sustainability, reducing your carbon footprint while providing a gentle clean.” By writing this way, you set your products apart from your competitors.
Another way to make your products stand out is through storytelling or vivid language that paints a picture. Here’s one: “Imagine sipping your morning coffee from this handcrafted ceramic mug, its unique glaze reflecting the artisan’s touch.” Instead of simply listing details, you appeal to the buyer’s emotions. This also offers a way to make the shopping experience more personal.
Whatever you do, try to avoid using the text provided by the manufacturer, as these will be used on thousands of sites. Try to make it unique for you and your customers.
An example of a good product description for an Etsy item
Using product specifications properly
You must list specifications to help customers decide if they want to buy this specific product. It’s important to list these product specifications with care. Make sure to present details such as product identifiers, dimensions, materials, weight, and compatibility in a way that’s easy to scan.
This makes it easy for customers to find the information they need quickly. It also helps search engines index your content more effectively. Including specifications can give customers more confidence in buying the product, as they know exactly what they are purchasing.
Additionally, think about the unique features that specifications can highlight. For instance, computer shoppers would love to know what kind of processor a laptop has. Shoppers use these details to compare products based on specific technical attributes. Where applicable, use bullet points to present data clearly and concisely.
Implementing Schema markup
You can’t live without a schema markup if you want to improve your marketplace SEO. Schema markup adds structured data to your products, which helps search engines understand and interpret your products. If you do it well, your products might get rich results, like added star ratings, pricing, and availability.
For instance, an item with a product and reviews markup might show a 4.8-star rating and price directly in Google. These listings appeal to customers and could lead to a better CTR.
If you want to add schema to your products, you need to use specific types of markup relevant to your marketplace, such as Product, Review, and Offer schemas. Tools like Yoast SEO can implement schema code for you automatically. Whatever you do, don’t forget to test your structured data to make sure it’s correctly implemented and up-to-date.
Properly set up products with structured data will get rich results in Google
Use Yoast SEO for Shopify
Working on your online store can be tiresome, but luckily, there are tools to help you. Yoast SEO for Shopify is a great app that makes managing it much easier. It has content optimization features, AI tools for creating awesome titles and meta descriptions, and many schema enhancements. Together, these features help your store’s visibility in search
Conclusion to marketplace SEO
For your marketplace to succeed, you need on-page SEO. Work on product visibility and engagement by improving images, creating clear meta tags, and refining product details. Tools like Yoast SEO for Shopify simplify this process. These methods can attract more visitors and improve your marketplace’s performance.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-16 14:29:462025-01-16 14:29:46Marketplace SEO tips to improve product listing visibility
Amazon recently announced significant changes to its product title policy, set to take effect Jan. 21. This update marks a shift in how sellers approach product listing titles on the Amazon platform.
Titles have long been considered the most important piece of structured data on a product detail page for Amazon SEO.
This is especially true as the title appears not only on the search engine results page (SERP) and product detail page but also as the advertising copy for most ad types.
In the private label Amazon spaces, in particular, title construction has prioritized exact keyword phrase matches in titles, leading to an increase in lengthy and unclear titles as sellers try to squeeze in as many keyword phrases as possible – a practice Amazon now aims to address through these policy changes.
Amazon has progressively tightened character limitations across various listing fields in recent years.
The new policy establishes a universal 200-character limit for most product categories, with some apparel categories facing even stricter constraints of 125 characters.
Amazon has always said it wanted concise titles. However, most sellers have found that longer titles can help with indexing and ranking.
Amazon’s policy limits titles to 80 characters. (We usually recommend 100-200 characters.)
This new restriction is not entirely unforeseen, as we have seen Amazon more aggressively enforce the existing 200-character title length in several categories in 2024.
Disallowing special characters
Amazon has never been a fan of emojis in titles or decorative symbols, and they are now getting even stricter by only allowing a handful of special characters.
“The special characters !, $, ?, _, {, }, ^, ¬, and ¦ are not allowed, unless they are part of the brand name.”
You can still use pipes “|” and dashes “-” to break up your title, but most other special characters are being restricted with this new policy.
The exception for this new policy for special characters is if the special character is part of the brand name.
This will likely mean that the brand used in the Brand Registry and the trademark would include that special character.
For example, if your brand was trademarked and registered as “TaDa!” Then you could include that in your title as it is part of your brand name.
Amazon also says that some special characters will only be allowed in specific contexts:
“Other special characters, such as ~, #, <, >, and *, are allowed only in specific contexts. For example, you may use these symbols as product identifiers (“Style #4301”) or measurements (“<10 lb”).”
“Decorative usage of special characters is not allowed. For example, the title “Paradise Towel Wear Co. Beach Coverup << Size Kids XXS >>” is non-compliant because of the excessive use of symbols around the size.”
Keyword repetition restrictions
The most significant change addresses keyword repetition in titles.
The new policy limits the use of the same word to no more than twice, with exceptions for prepositions, articles, and conjunctions.
In practice, this means a word can appear twice but not three times.
This change poses a challenge for sellers with traditionally repeated keywords to incorporate as many keyword phrases as possible into their titles.
During Amazon’s AMA on Jan. 8, it was clarified that plurals and different forms of the same word will also count as repeated usage.
Exceptions for brand names
The policy makes an important distinctionregarding brand names. Words appearing within brand names are treated separately from their use in product descriptions.
“The brand name is also not allowed more than twice. If part of the brand name appears in the title in different context, then it is not considered a duplicate. For example, in ‘Old Navy and Navy Blue,’ the word ‘Navy’ is not considered a duplicate.”
One issue with this is how Amazon will determine where the line is if a keyword is used in a separate context.
Amazon has also clarified that they will consider titles that repeat words, such as “loaf pan, muffin pan, baking pan,” to be duplicates.
It looks like they will be looking for duplicates with a much wider net than anticipated when this was first announced.
Implementation timeline and process
Amazon will begin notifying sellers of non-compliant titles after Jan. 21, providing a 14-day window for resolution.
Non-compliant titles can be identified and managed through the Manage All Inventory tab in Seller Central.
If you have a brand with special characters or your primary purpose in your brand name, you will want to check for alerts as soon as the policy goes into effect in Seller Central in the Manage Inventory page.
If you think you were flagged in error, you should submit a case to Seller Support as quickly as possible. This will allow you time to escalate the issue as needed before your 14-day compliance window is up.
Changing titles in bulk
If you need to change multiple titles it is always best to do that with a flat file (.csv upload). To do this, you would take the following steps:
Use the downloaded file to update titles. You can then use this file to update many listings all at once. You may be able to use find and replace within Excel to speed up title changes.
Upload the files to Amazon. After the file processes, check for errors. It is also a good practice to wait 24 hours and visually check all updated listings to ensure the title changes are reflected in the system. Make sure you understand how flat file updates work and that you have the field that indicates full or partial updates completed correctly.
Schedule time on Jan. 21 to review any recommended changes from Amazon. If you believe you should have an exception or if your listing was flagged in error, you may need to submit a ticket.
Future implications
This is a fundamental change in how sellers will approach titles (and, in turn, their ad copy). Amazon changes policies often, so it could be that they relax these requirements.
However, I think these restrictions could help us enter a new era of more thoughtful and meticulously crafted titles that are ultimately more focused on catering to the customer than search algorithms.
After all, clear, helpful titles are what turn browsers into buyers.
Note: Links to Amazon Seller Central pages are generally accessible only to registered sellers who have an active Amazon Seller account.
With the right bidding strategy, you can take control, optimize performance, and drive better conversions.
Let’s break down the essentials to get started.
Manual CPC: The best starting point for new campaigns
The simplest way to launch a new campaign, especially in a new or low-budget account, is to start with Manual CPC bidding.
This lets you test comfortable bid levels and adjust based on results.
Monitor these campaigns closely:
Start with a bid.
Increase it if volume is low.
Track ad position, CTR, CPC, and conversions.
For example, if impressions are too low, your bid is likely too low.
If you see high conversions, clicks, and a strong Impr. (Abs. Top) %, test lowering your bid to reduce CPC and CPA.
It’s a constant balance to find the optimal bid for your budget.
You can add negative keywords based on the search terms you see coming through and better control your spend, as there won’t be any surprises with average CPCs.
However, automated bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions in a new campaign or ad account may result in extremely high CPCs for your target keywords.
For instance, a small business may find a $100 CPC unacceptable, and spending can escalate quickly.
Once you’ve gathered enough performance data from impressions, clicks, and conversions, you can test switching to automated bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions.
Alternatively, if you have a higher budget and are prepared to spend more upfront to collect data, you can launch a new campaign using Maximize Conversions immediately.
Pairing keyword match types and bidding strategies for success
Keyword match types and bidding strategies will vary depending on your budget and the average CPC in your industry.
Broad match keywords perform significantly better with automated bidding (i.e., Maximize Conversions) because it can automatically test many variations of your broad match keywords to find the best search terms with high conversion rates.
This is much more difficult to achieve with manual bidding for broad match keywords.
For more specific terms, often used in B2B lead generation, phrase and exact match are preferred to keep search terms focused and avoid wasting money on irrelevant searches.
Both automated and manual bidding can be effective with these match types, as you may not want to target a wide range of variations or related terms.
Many industries rely on extremely specific keywords where slight variations or related terms no longer make sense to target.
Industries like home services, local businesses, attorneys, medical, education, insurance, and ecommerce often benefit from using broad match with automated bidding since many relevant search terms are available.
Testing broad match keywords with automated bidding is worthwhile if you have the budget.
Other keywords in an ad group to better understand keyword intent.
In my experience, this approach has been far more effective than the old broad match, which attempted to expand to terms it deemed related.
However, negative keywords remain critical and should always be a priority on any PPC management checklist.
Maximize Conversions: Benefits, challenges, and best practices
The Maximize Conversions bidding strategy is often used to gather data for a specific ad campaign.
It can initially result in high CPCs and CPAs because it tests various combinations to determine what generates the most conversions over time.
Unlike a human monitoring CPC and CPA during a new campaign launch, Google focuses on maximizing conversions within your budget but lacks the data to perform optimally at the start.
In other words, Maximize Conversions doesn’t immediately deliver the results its name suggests.
If enough conversions aren’t gathered during the learning phase, it may spend significant amounts with no conversions.
This occurs because platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, or Meta Ads are trying to identify the right audience or keywords that could convert.
If the initial keywords or audience don’t work, the system will test others.
This is not an instant process, and in some cases, hundreds of clicks and substantial costs may yield no conversions.
While results typically improve if the right audience or keywords are targeted, success is not guaranteed.
Many advertisers pause campaigns after excessive ad spend with no conversions, where testing manual bidding first might have been a better option.
Maximize Conversions can be particularly effective with audience targeting in Display Ads or Video campaigns for lead generation or ecommerce.
These campaign types often launch well with Maximize Conversions because their CPCs tend to be low, and automation can efficiently test various audiences or placements much faster than manual CPC bidding.
For these types of campaigns, a tCPA or tROAS may not even be necessary if the strategy is delivering ample conversions.
Refining Maximize Conversions with tCPA or tROAS
A Target CPA (tCPA) or Target ROAS (tROAS) can be applied after you have determined your average CPA or ROAS, or you can choose to set up Maximize Conversions with a tCPA or tROAS from the start – both approaches are acceptable.
However, this setting can be restrictive if it is based on assumptions without supporting data.
To avoid overly limiting the campaign early on, you may consider launching with a higher tCPA or tROAS than your ideal target.
Ecommerce tends to be simpler with automated bidding because a sale is a sale.
Lead generation, however, involves additional challenges such as lead quality issues or fake leads.
For this reason, CRM and call-tracking software integration are essential to monitor lead quality by source and ad campaign.
For ecommerce, Maximize Conversion Value is an excellent option for prioritizing higher-priced products over lower-priced ones to boost your overall ROAS for the campaign.
However, it’s often best to start with Maximize Conversions and switch to this setting after gathering sufficient sales data.
This option can also be applied to lead generation if different values are assigned to different leads.
For instance, filling out a form for an appointment can be assigned a higher conversion value than simply providing an email for a free download.
Portfolio bidding: Strategies for complex campaigns
Portfolio bidding refers to shared bidding strategies that can be applied to one or multiple campaigns, offering additional settings not available at the campaign level.
These strategies are particularly useful when CPCs are increasing rapidly, as portfolio bidding allows you to address this issue immediately.
Unlike campaign-level settings, portfolio bidding enables you to set both a Target CPA and a Max CPC simultaneously.
This is especially beneficial in industries where target keywords typically have low CPCs.
It can also be useful in competitive industries or for expensive keywords to avoid $200 CPCs that could harm account performance.
For instance, you can set a target CPA of $50 with a max CPC of $8.
This approach is far more effective than using the Maximize Conversions bid strategy, which may test CPCs as high as $150 – three times your target CPA.
Even with a 100% conversion rate, this would exceed your goal by a wide margin.
This is a clear example where automation benefits from human guidance to ensure it aligns with your advertising goals when its default testing logic doesn’t make sense.
Portfolio bidding can also be valuable for ecommerce.
For example, setting a target ROAS of 300% with a max CPC of $10 directs automation to adjust bids to achieve a 300% ROAS while capping clicks at $10 each.
This keeps the automation in check and focused on achieving your desired outcomes.
Performance Max: Aligning automation with campaign data
Performance Max campaigns do not always deliver “maximum performance,” as the name suggests.
For campaigns heavily reliant on automation, it is generally best to use Performance Max after establishing proof of concept with Search, Shopping, Video, or Display campaigns.
Starting with a new account that lacks performance data and expecting Performance Max to optimize everything independently is risky.
While it can sometimes succeed, it performs significantly better when supported by proven performance data, such as a customer list to help match your target audience or at least a remarketing audience of website visitors.
Exploring less common bidding strategies
Some less commonly used strategies include Target Impression Share, which adjusts bids to maximize impression share.
This prioritizes showing your ad as frequently as possible without monitoring other metrics. It is primarily used by large brands with nearly unlimited budgets.
Even for branded keywords in branded campaigns, it is unwise to pay excessive CPCs ($100 or more) just to maintain a top position.
The Maximize Clicks strategy adjusts bids to generate the highest possible number of clicks. However, this is not cost-effective for most advertisers unless they are large brands with substantial budgets.
Switching from Maximize Clicks to Maximize Conversions, a common practice, is not recommended.
Keywords that attract the most clicks do not necessarily generate the most conversions. Instead, start with manual CPC and then transition to Maximize Conversions (with or without a target CPA).
This ensures a cohesive strategy, as both approaches aim to optimize for conversions.
In contrast, gathering data through Maximize Clicks does not align with the goals of Maximize Conversions.
Additionally, Google is phasing out Enhanced CPC bidding. If you currently use this strategy, we recommend transitioning to manual CPC or an automated option in the first quarter of 2025.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Google-Ads-logo-on-smartphone-800x450-djLCbi.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1450800http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-07 14:00:002025-01-07 14:00:00Automated bidding in Google Ads: How to get the best results
Google will update its cryptocurrency and related products policy this month, refining the rules for advertising crypto-related services in the United Kingdom.
As the crypto industry grows, clearer advertising rules aim to protect consumers and ensure compliance with local regulations, fostering a more transparent environment.
What’s changing:
Beginning Jan. 15, advertisers offering cryptocurrency exchanges targeting the UK must meet specific requirements and obtain certification from Google.
Ads for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets will only be permitted if the advertiser is registered with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Hardware wallet ads are allowed, but they must strictly provide storage services without engaging in trading, selling, or exchanging assets.
Certification requirements:
Advertisers must comply with all local legal requirements and secure Google’s certification to promote their products.
Non-compliance with these rules may lead to ad disapproval or account suspension.
Why we care. Crypto businesses targeting the UK can now reach audiences through Google Ads, provided they adhere to FCA regulations and Google’s certification process.
This update opens opportunities for regulated crypto firms while ensuring consumer protection through vetted advertisers.
What’s next:
Google’s policy update will apply globally to all advertisers offering financial products targeting the UK.
Advertisers are encouraged to review and pursue certification before Jan. 15 to avoid disruptions.
Bottom line. Google’s updated policy reflects its commitment to aligning with financial regulations, creating a safer ecosystem for crypto advertising while supporting compliant businesses.
Want to know why some plumbing businesses dominate Google’s first page while others struggle to get noticed?
It’s not luck.
These plumbing companies all focus on the same core SEO strategies.
Take Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors, for instance.
They appear in Google’s 3-Pack when prospective customers in their area search for “plumbing company” and other related keywords.
And they have notably more reviews than the competition.
Their site also ranks for 3K keywords.
This helps Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors drive 2.7K organic visits to their website each month.
Traffic that would cost an estimated $44.7K per month in Google Ads.
The best part?
With SEO for plumbers, your business can achieve similar—or better—results.
In this guide, you’ll learn SEO fundamentals that’ll help your site rank higher, from local search to link-building.
But first, let’s start with a quick overview of what exactly plumbing SEO is.
What Is Plumbing SEO?
Plumbing SEO is a set of practices that increase a plumbing company’s website’s visibility in search engines like Google.
SEO for plumbers includes:
On-page optimization: Optimizing your service pages for key terms like “water heater repair” or “emergency plumber” by using strategic headers, meta descriptions, and location-based keywords that match how local customers actually search
Technical SEO: Making sure your plumbing website loads quickly on mobile devices, has intuitive navigation, including clear contact information, and works smoothly for emergency calls
Local SEO: Optimizing your Google Business Profile, service area pages, and local citations to show up in “near me” searches and Google Maps when homeowners need a plumber in your area
Content marketing: Creating helpful guides, FAQs, and service pages that answer common plumbing questions like “Why is my water heater leaking?” or “How to unclog a drain” to attract local homeowners searching for solutions
Link building: Building credibility and authority by getting featured in local business directories, home service websites, and plumbing supplier sites
What Are the Benefits of SEO for Plumbers?
SEO has many benefits for plumbers—especially if you’re at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs).
This includes attracting more qualified leads, building authority, and increasing revenue—all without spending a dime on advertising.
Think about how people search for plumbers today.
When a homeowner’s water heater fails at midnight, or their kitchen sink backs up before a dinner party, they immediately grab their phone and search Google.
SEO increases your chances of showing up in these searches, helping you get more ready-to-hire leads.
And you have plenty of opportunities—246,000 people search for “plumbers near me” in the U.S. every month.
But that’s far from the only search term getting traffic.
Countless people search for standard and urgent plumbing-related terms monthly:
Emergency plumber: 27,100 monthly searches
Plumbing companies near me: 27,000 monthly searches
Best plumbers near me: 9,900 monthly searches
24 hour plumber: 4,400 monthly searches
When your website ranks at the top of Google for these terms, you’re essentially setting up a 24/7 lead generation system.
6 Essential Plumber SEO Strategies
Ready to outrank your competitors and capture more high-value plumbing leads?
These six SEO strategies work together to boost your search visibility. And convert website visitors into paying customers.
1. Keyword Research
The first step of any plumber SEO campaign is keyword research.
This involves identifying relevant keywords based on key metrics like search intent, volume, and keyword difficulty. And conducting research into your competitors’ keyword strategies.
Understand Keyword Metrics
A tool like Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool is helpful for conducting keyword research.
Enter a seed keyword like “plumbing company” into the Keyword Magic Tool.
You’ll see a list of keyword ideas and some important information about each term.
This includes “Intent.”
Search intent is the reason behind a user’s search—it tells you why they searched and what they were hoping to find.
There are four types of search intent.
Including:
Informational: These are searches where people want to learn something, like “how to fix a clogged toilet.” This type of content works best as detailed guides and tutorials.
Navigational: When searchers are looking for a specific plumbing business or page like “Jerry’s Plumbing Company” or “Plumbing Pros hours of operation”
Commercial: The person wants to know more about a product or business, such as “best plumbers in Austin” and “sink repair.” Use these in product comparison articles, testimonials, and service pages.
Transactional: The person is ready to hire and might search “hire a plumber” or “call a plumber.” Use strategic calls to action (CTA) and keywords like “hire” and “book now” on your site.
This means the user’s goal for this search is to research plumbing company options, read reviews, and view services, making it a good term to target on a service page.
But if someone searches “how to fix a leaky faucet,” (which has informational intent), they expect to find detailed DIY instructions with photos or videos.
See the difference?
Next, let’s look at two other crucial metrics:
Volume: The number of monthly searches for a keyword
Keyword Difficulty (KD): A rating showing how hard it is to rank for that keyword from zero to 100
While you’ll likely have broad keywords on most pages, if you have a newer site (or one that lacks authority), you’ll also want to target terms that’ll be easier to rank for in the SERPs.
Local keywords often have this perfect combination—moderate search volume with lower competition in specific service areas.
For example, “plumbing companies in phoenix, arizona” gets 70 searches per month and has a low keyword difficulty score of 27.
You might use this term on a location page to target local customers.
Continue researching keywords to target on each page of your site—making sure to adjust your focus for each page’s specific purpose:
Service pages should target specific plumbing solutions: Water heater repair, drain cleaning, radiator installation
Location pages need geographic terms: Local plumbing company, plumber in [city], 24/7 plumbers in [city]
About pages should emphasize trust and credentials: Licensed plumber, family-owned plumbing, plumbing company hours
Resource pages should answer common questions and concerns: How to fix a leaky faucet, signs you need repiping, water heater maintenance tips
Answer User Questions
Your target audience likely has a lot of questions about plumbing problems and hiring a plumber.
These questions make great topics for FAQ pages and blog posts.
Here’s how to find them using the Keyword Magic Tool:
Search for a broad keyword like “drain repair” and apply the “Questions” filter.
The tool will return options like:
How to repair tub drain: 320 volume; 29 KD
How to repair shower drain: 210 volume; 30 KD
How to repair a leaking shower drain: 170 volume; 23 KD
All of the above topics have informational intent, which means they’d work well as step-by-step tutorials on your blog.
Plus, answering these questions with high-quality content will help you establish expertise.
As you review the questions, pay attention to volume and KD scores—the lower the KD, the easier it’ll be for you to rank for each term.
Research Competitor Keywords
You don’t have to start from scratch when finding keywords—analyze what’s already working for your successful competitors.
A tool like Semrush’s Keyword Gap can help you with this.
First, enter your URL and up to four competitors’ URLs. Hit “Compare.”
Now, you’ll see an overview of your site’s keyword performance compared to your competitors.
Including how many ranking keywords you and each of your rivals have.
As you review the reports, pay special attention to three key opportunities:
Missing: Keywords your competitors rank for but you don’t
Weak: Keywords where competitors outrank you
Untapped: Keywords where at least one competitor ranks
These are opportunities to target these keywords on existing pages.
And create new content to knock your competitors off the SERPs.
If they have a blog post on how to clear a clogged drain, create a better version with step-by-step photos and videos.
If they list services, include pricing guides and customer case studies.
Aim to outrank them with higher-quality content that diverts traffic away from their site to yours.
Because when someone conducts a search with local intent, such as “plumber near me” or “plumber in [city],” Google shows three local businesses at the top of the page.
This is the 3-Pack I mentioned earlier in the article—and it’s prime real estate for plumbers.
Add your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) to your profile.
Double-check that you’ve entered everything correctly.
Accurate NAPs show Google your business is trustworthy, which helps increase your chances of ranking in the Map Pack.
Next, create a keyword-rich business description that includes important terms for your business.
This will be the services you offer and any standout features like “local plumbing business” or “emergency plumbing repair.”
For example, Maloney Plumbing and Drain Services included key terms like “plumbing repair” and “drain clearing” in their company overview.
They also referenced the location they serve: “Phoenix.”
Add as many relevant service categories as possible—from sewer cleaning to garbage disposal installation.
The photos section isn’t just about showing you exist.
Your images should build trust and show potential customers exactly what to expect:
Uniformed technicians (shows professionalism)
Branded trucks (proves you’re established)
Actual repair work (demonstrates expertise)
Team in action (builds credibility)
Finally, post updates.
This shows searchers and Google that you’re an active business with up-to-date information.
But it also lets you share vital details, communicate with customers, and highlight promotions and events.
With your GBP filled out, it’s time to focus on earning positive reviews—lots of them.
Collect and Manage Online Reviews
Reviews matter more than you may realize.
Seventy-one percent of consumers will not consider using a business if it has an average review rating below three stars.
Google also states that one of the three ranking factors for local search is “prominence,” which is defined by how popular a business is online and offline.
(Prominence includes review count and average review rating.)
So, how do you get more positive reviews?
You ask for them.
Most importantly, you make it easy for past clients to leave reviews.
For example, Total Service Plumbing created a dedicated review page on their website that links to each of their location’s Google Business Profiles.
Smart.
While having a page on your website is helpful, you’ll want to take a multi-pronged approach to collecting reviews.
For example:
Send a follow-up text right after completing a service
Include a review link in your invoice emails
Create QR codes on your business cards and service vehicles
Train your technicians to ask satisfied customers for reviews
Pro tip: Use a tool like Semrush’s Review Management to make it easy to track and reply to all your reviews (even negative ones) from your Google Business Profile and other directories. This shows you value customer feedback and want to improve your services.
Build Local Citations
A local citation is any mention of your business on the internet.
This includes your basic contact details, like your NAP.
Think Yelp, Angi, and Porch.com.
The key? Keep your information consistent everywhere.
Consistent business information tells search engines your business is legitimate and trustworthy.
But manually searching and verifying your citations is not a productive use of your time (or your team’s).
Use a tool like Semrush’s Listing Management tool to automate this process.
Listing Management automatically checks for issues like missing phone numbers and incorrect addresses and updates them for you.
This makes it easy to maintain updated and accurate listings across multiple directories and keep your local SEO on point.
3. On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is the practice of improving webpage elements so your website ranks higher in SERPs and earns more relevant traffic.
Here’s how to optimize your plumbing site.
Use Your Target Keyword in the Right Places
Every webpage has specific spots where keywords make the biggest impact.
This includes the following elements:
Title tag: This is the title that shows up in search results. Limit this to 50-60 characters and include the target keyword as close to the front as possible.
Meta description: This is the summary that appears under the title tag in search results. Include the target keyword and keep it under 155 characters.
Pro tip: SEO plugins like RankMath and Yoast SEO make it fast and easy to customize title tags and meta descriptions on your site. The plugins will also alert you when you’ve forgotten to add metadata, helping ensure you keep up with on-page optimization.
You’ll also want to add your target keyword to the H1 (aka the headline) of each page.
For example, plumbing company Benjamin Franklin uses the keyword “Residential Leak Detection Services” on its H1 for one of its service pages.
H1s tell Google and readers what your page is about.
Pro tip: Every service page needs a unique H1—aka, don’t use “Plumbing Services” on multiple pages.
Use subheads (H2, H3, H4) to organize your content. Include keyword variations in them naturally.
For example, Benjamin Franklin uses “The Types of Plumbing Leaks We Repair” as an H2 and has “Common Signs of Plumbing Leaks” underneath as an H3.
You’ll also want to add descriptive alt text to your images.
This helps Google understand what your images show and ensures your site is accessible for those using screen readers.
For example, alt text for this image could be: “Professional plumber in uniform inspecting under-sink plumbing while showing digital tablet to homeowner in kitchen.”
Enter the URL of the webpage and click “Start Tagging.”
This takes you to the webpage where you highlight or tag the content needed for the code.
Once you’re done tagging the page, click “Create HTML.”
Copy the script block and paste it to the head section of your webpage’s HTML.
Too technical for you?
Hire a developer or tech-savvy friend to help you with this step.
It’s worth the hassle, as it can help your plumbing business stand out in the SERPs.
Analyze Current Pages for On-Page SEO Opportunities
As you add more pages to your site and blog, you’ll want to make sure you’ve properly implemented on-page optimization.
Semrush’s On Page SEO Checker can help you with this—it automates the process, so you don’t have to check each page manually.
Enter your URL and click “Get ideas.”
Click the “View all pages & ideas” to view the full list of pages it found to optimize.
Click the blue “Ideas” button for any page to view the suggestions.
For example, you’ll see recommendations like avoiding keyword stuffing in content, creating more informative contentm, and providing more relevant meta descriptions.
It’ll also give you tips on how to score featured snippets for certain keywords.
Make the necessary changes to help give your site a boost in the SERPs.
It can also drive long-term results and steady organic traffic over time.
Let’s look at how you can use content marketing to attract leads and instill confidence in prospective customers.
Answer Questions in Your Blog Posts
People who have a clogged toilet might not want to hire a plumber right away.
They might first try to fix the problem themselves—this is when they try to find answers online.
As a plumber, you’re in the best position to teach them how to unclog a toilet.
Like Benjamin Franklin did on its blog:
With step-by-step instructions, Benjamin Franklin gives its target customers the information they need to handle the job themselves.
But they also include hiring a pro as an option to encourage those who don’t want to DIY to give them a call.
Nice.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Well, you’ll be competing in the SERPs with countless other plumbers who are targeting the same keywords for the same topics.
So, how do you stand out?
By following Google’s quality guidelines for content: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
Here’s how:
Prove your expertise. Include an author bio at the end of your content and highlight your experience as a plumber, including any certifications, years of experience, education, and more
Include step-by-step photos and videos: Guide your readers through each step with high-quality photos and videos that show you know your stuff
Add expert insights and quotes: Share firsthand tips that showcase your experience and include quotes from SMEs on your team to infuse your content with more authority and trust
Create Location and Service Pages
Location and service pages are exactly what they sound like.
They’re dedicated webpages for every service and location of your business.
If you have 10 different plumbing services, you need to create 10 separate pages describing each service.
For example, Jimmy Joe’s Plumbing has a separate page for everything from backflow prevention to home remodeling plumbing.
If you have multiple locations, you’ll also want to create dedicated pages for each one.
Like John the Plumber did in Florida.
Its site has pages for each location with city-specific content on each one.
Pro tip: Create unique content for each location page—don’t copy/paste. Duplicate content is a big no-no in SEO and can negatively impact your rankings.
Include Semantic Keywords in Your Content
Semantic keywords are keywords that are related to your target keywords.
It’s important to add semantic keywords to your content because it helps Google understand the context of your content.
You can use keyword research tools to find related keywords based on a seed keyword.
But you can also type a word in Google and view the People Also Ask section.
For example, typing in “heater installation” reveals semantic and question keywords you can target in content.
5. Technical SEO
Technical SEO is the process of improving your website’s technical aspects.
In other words, it needs to be fast, mobile-friendly, and secure.
But if you’re not a technical person, don’t worry.
I’ll teach you how to run an audit and check your site’s speed with user-friendly tools.
Run an SEO Audit
An audit can identify issues with your site, particularly page errors that affect your site’s performance and health.
For instance, broken links and pages can damage your website’s ranking and authority.
For example, Semrush’s Site Audit tool lets you audit up to 100 pages per month on Semrush’s free plan.
Enter your website’s URL and click “Start Audit.”
You’ll get an email when the report is ready.
The tool will provide an overview of your site’s performance.
This includes everything from a site health score to categorizing site issues by severity: Errors (high), Warnings (medium), and Notices (low).
Click on the “Issues” tab to learn how you can improve your site’s pages.
Some common errors you might see include:
Keyword cannibalization: When multiple pages have the same or similar target keywords and the same search intent
Keyword stuffing: When target keywords are used excessively on the page
Thin content: The content doesn’t have any (or little) value to readers and doesn’t meet search intent
Improve Loading Speed
If it takes your site longer than three seconds to load, 53% of visitors will abandon it, according to Google Consumer Insights.
So, if you have a slow site, it could be causing you to lose valuable plumbing leads.
Use a free web speed analysis tool like GTMetrix to check your site’s loading speed.
Enter your website’s URL and click “Test Now.”
After the analysis, you’ll get a grade, which tells you how well your site is performing, along with an overview of Core Web Vitals metrics.
Core Web Vitals measure the speed, interactivity, and visual stability of your site.
Scroll to the “Top Issues” section to learn what your site’s errors are and how to fix them.
Prioritizing technical SEO helps ensure your site delivers the fast and intuitive experience users expect.
6. Link Building
Link building is the process of getting other sites to link to a page on your website.
These links, called backlinks, play a big role in your site’s search ranking.
Here’s how to build your backlink profile, starting with a little competitor research.
Spy on Your Competitors’ Backlink Profiles
Use Semrush’s Backlink Analytics tool to learn valuable information about your competitors’ backlink profiles.
This includes the total number of referring domains and backlinks they receive and their authority score.
View the “Referring Domains” report to see who is linking to your competitors.
(So you can try to get them to link to you, too.)
Some referring domains might be directories you can add your business information to, and others may be sites you can try to guest post on.
Find and Reach Out to High-Quality Link Prospects for Guest Posting
Think about plumbing-related content that a website within your industry might be interested in.
Some examples of websites that might feature plumbers include:
Home improvement blogs
Real estate blogs
Home insurance blogs
Here’s an example of a guest blog from Precision Air & Plumbing for a home insurance website.
Finding websites that publish plumbing-related content can take time.
One way to speed things up is to use a tool like Semrush’s Link Building Tool.
Enter your URL and click “Start Link Building.”
Add your keywords, like “plumber in chicago” and “emergency plumber chicago” and click “Keywords” on the bottom.
This brings you to the next page, where you can add competitors.
Click “Start Link Building.”
Click “View prospects” on the pop-up.
Sort the list by highest AS (Authority Score).
This shows you the most reputable websites on this list.
Use your judgment to choose websites that are likely to accept guest posts.
Click on the icon to open the link to see plumbing-related content that’s published on the prospect’s website.
In this example, we clicked on wikiHow’s link and learned that the co-author is a professional plumber.
This points out an opportunity to reach out to major sites and offer your expert input for articles.
This can be a great way to build backlinks for your site while highlighting you as an industry expert.
Make a list of prospects and pitch topics that match what the sites publish and are relevant to your target audience.
While not all sites will provide backlinks, it’s still a valuable way to get your name—and your plumbing business’s name—some positive press mentions online.
Once done, Google will no longer consider these links when ranking your site or pages.
Get More Customers with Plumber SEO
SEO isn’t a quick fix.
But it’s one of the most effective ways to get new plumbing customers.
With a bit of research and help from tools like Semrush, you can flood your business with high-quality leads (without spending a fortune on ads).
I’m talking crushing your local competition in Google Maps, ranking #1 for emergency plumbing keywords, and turning your website into a 24/7 lead generation machine.
Ready to rank higher for local keywords?
Check out the top local SEO tools for plumbers that will help you dominate the SERPs.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00Dubado Solutionshttp://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.pngDubado Solutions2024-12-29 22:57:522024-12-31 17:32:29SEO for Plumbers: How to Rank Higher & Get More Customers
Google reviews play a huge role in a brand’s success.
Especially positive reviews.
That means it’s a good idea to think about how to get more Google reviews for your business.
To illustrate why, let’s go over some of the advantages.
Benefits of Getting Google Reviews
By collecting Google reviews, you can:
Learn what customers think about you: This includes what they like and dislike about your business, so that you know what’s working and what to improve on
Increase visibility: Having more good Google reviews can improve your business’s Google local pack rankings
Persuade people to buy: A product’s number of reviews is the second most influential factor affecting prospects’ perception of its quality and decision to buy it, according to research
Once you have control of your GBP, choose a verification method (email, text message, etc.).
Google may take up to five business days to verify your profile. You can use it to collect Google reviews after that.
Pro tip: Use a tool like Semrush’s Listing Management to automatically distribute your information to GBP and dozens of other directories all at once. You can also manage these listings within the tool.
2. Provide an Excellent Experience
If you wow customers with amazing products, services, and customer support, they’ll be more likely to leave you a Google review.
This is the best way to get good Google reviews.
Why?
Because people are more motivated to take action when they feel strongly about something.
Like writing a glowing review to tell others about their phenomenal experience with your business.
3. Share Your Google Review Link
Share your Google review link everywhere users may see it so they can easily leave you a review.
There are a few ways to get your Google review link through your GBP.
After creating your Google review link with the tool, enter your email address into the “Wait! There’s more…” section and click “Send me QR & prints.”
Then, check your inbox for QR code assets you can use.
5. Respond to Current Reviews
Responding to your Google reviews signals that you take feedback seriously.
This can motivate prospects to leave reviews in the future after they become customers.
Plus, research from Shout About Us reveals that up to 76% of customers may update their negative reviews if you reply and take steps to address their concerns.
So, respond by:
Thanking customers for their feedback—whether positive or negative
Sharing the follow-up actions you’ve taken in response to negative feedback
A tool like Semrush’s Review Management makes it easy to monitor and respond to your Google reviews.
Here’s how it works:
Open the tool and enter your business’s name, site, or phone number into the search bar.
Then, select your business from the drop-down menu.
Click the “Try it now” button on the page that loads.
Follow the steps to sign up for Semrush Local.
Once you’ve set up the tool, click the “Review Management” tab.
Scroll down the page to see your reviews.
Click the “Not Replied” filter to view only those you haven’t responded to yet.
The tool will suggest AI-generated replies to your Google reviews.
Modify any reply as you see fit and click “Reply” to submit it.
Take a page out of Giordano’s book if you can.
The pizza chain replies to every Google review it gets—both good and bad.
6. Send a Feedback Email
Emailing customers to ask for a Google review right after they buy from you is a good way to get reviews while their experiences are still fresh in their minds.
Here’s an example of an email requesting a Google review from Love and Logic:
Note: Trying to influence reviews through tactics like offering incentives, discouraging negative feedback, and buying or faking reviews violates Google’s policies and can result in penalties.
You can also use an email marketing platform to automate your customer feedback emails instead of sending them manually.
7. Design Physical Review Cards
Creating physical cards asking for Google reviews works well if you interact with customers in offline situations like:
Running a brick-and-mortar shop—where you can place review cards at the checkout counter
Delivering physical goods to customers—where you can include a feedback card in the package
Some cards have QR codes for customers to scan, but you can also use cards embedded with near-field communication (NFC) technology.
If you do, customers just need to activate their phone’s NFC feature and tap it against the card to visit your Google review page.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00Dubado Solutionshttp://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.pngDubado Solutions2024-12-28 14:06:532024-12-31 17:32:29How to Get More Google Reviews: 9 Proven Tips
The world of digital marketing in 2024 has been nothing short of transformative, with Google once again taking center stage in many of the year’s biggest developments. From the ongoing debates about third-party cookies to advancements in Google Analytics and the rising distrust among advertisers, the year was marked by shifts that tested the adaptability and resilience of marketers everywhere.
As we enter the last few weeks of the year, let’s take a look at the top newsworthy headlines according to pageviews.
Advertisers expressed frustration, citing financial strain, loss of cashflow flexibility and lack of benefits.
Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that only a small subset of advertisers would be impacted.
9. Google Ads ad copy: what works and what doesn’t in 2024
Optmyzr analyzed over 1 million Google Ads to uncover key insights into ad copy strategies, focusing on metrics like CPA, CTR, and ROAS. The findings challenge conventional wisdom and highlight opportunities for marketers to improve performance.
The report covered:
Ad strength – its misleading
Pinning Assets – against Google’s recommendations, it could be worth pinning all headlines
Sentence case vs Title Case – sentence case is a clear winner especially for RSAs
Creative length – shorter headlines performed better
8. Google is shutting down websites made with business profiles
This caused the need of a new site for brands who had GBP websites, using platforms like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, Google Sites, or GoDaddy
It took little coaxing to have several advertisers let us know why their trust is at an all time low. Advertisers complained of manipulative practices, lack of transparency, erosion of trust and much more.
The rise in ad spend and growing confidence in paid media suggest advertisers adapted to challenges in 2023, leveraging mobile and emerging platforms like PMax to drive performance.
Advertisers are used to the odd Google Ads reporting glitch here and there, however in August, a unique one happened where competitor data was exposed.
Advertisers were unable to manage campaigns or access critical performance data. Additionally, a serious data breach has exposed unrelated item IDs, product titles, and Merchant Center information, potentially revealing competitors’ sensitive information.
It took a week for the issue to be fully resolved.
In July, advertiser Brais Calvo Vázquez’s discovered that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) includes a hidden report that allows users to compare conversion data exported to Google Ads, helping to identify and explain discrepancies between the two platforms.
This tool, accessible by appending “/advertising/key-event-differences” to a GA4 property URL, provides advertisers with insights to improve campaign accuracy and performance.
Some users have had access to this report for over a year, indicating it may have been in extended testing. Google made no comment to this discovery.
The changes aim to provide advertisers with enhanced transparency and control, allowing them to safeguard their brand reputation. The SPN includes websites and apps that display search ads, extending beyond Google’s main properties like YouTube and Google Discover.
1. Third Party Cookies
There had been back and forth about third party cookies for years now and whether to deprecate it and in 2024, Google had high hopes of going ahead with doing getting rid of it. However, their hopes were dashed almost as soon as they started their tests.
In January the report was Google started phasing out third party cookies. They were axing cookies from 1% of browser traffic, and the speculation at that stage was that they would phase out third-party cookies by the second half of 2024 as a crucial move in its Privacy Sandbox initiative.
“The Privacy Sandbox initiative aims to create technologies that both protect people’s privacy online and give companies and developers tools to build thriving digital businesses.”
However CMA had lots (39 and counting) of concerns, the three key ones being:
Google would still benefit from user data whilst competitors would be limited form this data,
That they will show favoritism towards their ad tech,
Publishers and advertisers won’t able to detect fraudulent activity.
In April the deadline for third party cookie deprecation moved from end of 2024 to 2025, conceding to the concerns the CMA raised in February. The had put evidence together that they were still doing the right by the industry and wanted to give the CMA enough time go over all the documentation they had provided.
Later that same month the concerns increased to 111 with the primary concern now being that Google will become too dominant in the market if their Privacy Sandbox solution went ahead.
After a couple of months of silence, the final decision came – Google scraps plans to kill third-party cookies in Chrome. The new promise is to introduce a new experience in Chrome whilst the Privacy Sandbox AMI will continue to be developed for alternative solutions.
That is a wrap on 2024. Several major talking points there, unsurprisingly mostly focused around Google there. What do we think 2025 will bring us? I reckon a lot more AI updates and experts truly needing to different themselves from those who just use AI as their selling point. It would also be interesting to see whether the Google we know now will have all its brands still intact by this time next year.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ppc-news-2024-search-engine-land-dURRNR.jpeg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=110801920Dubado Solutionshttp://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.pngDubado Solutions2024-12-27 13:00:002024-12-31 17:42:04Top 10 PPC news of the year 2024 on Search Engine Land
