SEO and PPC are two of the most important strategies for increasing your website’s visibility. While they both aim to attract more traffic, they operate differently. They also serve different purposes. Here, we’ll discuss SEO vs. Pay-per-click advertising and how to choose the best option for you.
As we all know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It consists of everything you do to get your site higher rankings in the original search results. Those tactics are thoroughly researching which keywords to target, writing high-quality content, and making sure that your site is structurally and technically sound. The goal is to get the organic traffic you want by making your site relevant and authoritative.
Pay-per-click (PPC), on the other hand, is all about paying for ads — the sponsored listings — that appear at the top of search results. So, every time someone clicks your ad, it costs you money. As it lets you target advertising based on user demographics, this model can lead to immediate results.
An example of PPC ads vs organic results for a search term in Google
What’s the difference between SEO and PPC?
SEO and pay-per-click advertising are both popular options to get traffic to your site. However, both options have their advantages to help you reach those goals.
Cost structure
For SEO, the costs mostly lie in the initial work and ongoing maintenance. You have to invest in creating high-quality content, optimizing your site, and reaching out to build good links and relationships. With SEO, there are no direct costs per click, but it does require consistent effort and resources to get results.
With PPC, you pay every time someone clicks your sponsored listing. To make it manageable, you set a budget; when this budget runs out, your ads will no longer be visible. PPC gives you control over budget, but costs can quickly ramp up — especially in high-demand markets or for competitive keywords.
Time to results
We always say that SEO is a marathon and not a sprint. Building authority takes time, so it can take months to see rankings go up. But the wait is worth it, as it leads to better and more stable results in the long run.
PPC is more direct and to the point. Launch a campaign, and the visitors should come in straight away. As such, this is a great tool for time-sensitive stuff like promotions and launches or when you need instant visibility and reach.
Sustainability and impact
SEO is the more sustainable option. With your initial work done, you can reap the rewards for a long time. Of course, there’s always more to do with your SEO tasks, but that’s normal. Building a brand is something that will pay off big time. With PPC, you get an incredible boost for a short period — the time you pay for the sponsored listings.
Targeting capabilities
SEO targets users based on content and keywords. You can target your content on different search intents, but the options are not as direct as with PPC. This offers more precise options, allowing you to publish ads to specific demographics, locations, times, and user behavior.
Flexibility and control
With SEO, you do put yourself in the hands of search engine algorithms. Algorithm updates could harm your rankings. As a result, you should reevaluate your strategy. You have control over everything on your site, but not search engines. PPC, though, does give full control over your ads. It makes it easier to adapt to changes and needs.
Measurement and analytics
It’s important to measure your success. For SEO, you are looking at a longer period and need to keep track of traffic and keyword rankings. It can be difficult to get usable insights from data. With PPC, you get detailed insights that show you how your campaigns are doing. You’ll also get the tools to adjust instantly.
SEO and PPC, while different channels that require different skills and have different goals, can really complement each other in the long term. To me, PPC is considered more of a science than the art of SEO. The great thing about PPC for SEOs is that it not only attracts quicker returns (that can also be calculated with more precision) but also provides the same accurate and actionable data for SEOs. I have always found data from PPC extremely useful in directing an SEO strategy.
Alex Moss – Principal SEO expert at Yoast
Pros and cons of SEO
Both SEO and PPC have their pros and cons. Let’s go over these.
Pros of SEO
SEO is cost-effective in the long run. Once you have a strategy and an optimized site, it can continue attracting traffic without additional costs, leading to a sustainable traffic source.
Ranking well gives your site a sense of trust and credibility, as people trust sponsored listings less than organic search results. High rankings can boost your brand. Of course, higher rankings lead to a high CTR, and many users simply skip ads because they don’t like them.
As SEO improves the general user experience of the website, it will become a better investment for your money overall. Investing in SEO can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Cons of SEO
Of course, SEO isn’t the end-all solution to everything. For one, building up authority and higher rankings takes a lot of time. It’s not the solution if you want quick results. You must also work on your strategy, content, and site quality. The more work you put in, the better your results can be. And as search engines keep evolving, you must evolve as well.
SEO operates in a highly competitive landscape. For some markets, it’s almost impossible to break into the top ten of the results. Plus, it might take a ton of money to do that. And that’s another con for SEO: the results are uncertain due to algorithm changes, competition, and market conditions.
Pros and cons of PPC
Pay-per-click advertising also has its own good points and bad points, as you’ll read below:
Pros of PPC
The biggest benefit of PPC is getting immediate results for your money. You can set up campaigns quickly and get results going without much hassle. You also have full control over the budget, so you only pay for what you want to pay for.
PPC is also flexible and precise. You have much control over who you target and when, leading to more precise results. And if your strategy needs adjustments, you can update your sponsored listings quickly. Pay-per-click ad systems give you all the data you need to make the proper decisions.
Cons of PPC
One of the main drawbacks of pay-per-click is that costs could rise quickly. Another main drawback is that you’ll only get results as long as you pay — no money, no results. This makes PPC a viable option only for specific campaigns.
How well ads perform also depends on how users perceive them — ad fatigue is a thing. You must experiment with placements and forms to see what works best. For this, you should adhere to the rules of the platforms on which you’re running your ads.
Conclusion SEO vs Pay-per-click
Whether you choose between SEO and PPC depends on your needs, strategy, and timeline. SEO is amazing for long-term results, while PPC can quickly produce results. Most businesses will probably use a combination of both. You can use the strength of both strategic tools in your toolset to get the results your business is looking for.
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Google resolved a six-month-long headache for online merchants by restoring filtered product download capabilities in Merchant Center Next, bringing the platform’s functionality back in line with its classic version.
The context. In digital commerce, precision matters. Merchants often need to:
Troubleshoot specific product listings.
Optimize particular product categories.
Analyze subsets of their inventory.
The previous limitation essentially forced merchants to sift through massive, unwieldy files — like finding a specific book in an entire library by dumping all books on the floor.
Why we care. The update allows merchants to export specific product subsets instead of being forced to download entire product feeds, a critical feature for businesses managing large, complex inventories.
First seen. This fix was first brought to our attention by Emmanuel Flossie on his blog.
Bottom line. A seemingly small technical fix can represent a significant operational improvement for digital businesses, underscoring how platform features directly impact merchant efficiency.
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Google Product Studio is now available within Google Business Profiles. This allows you to edit the background scenes of your products within your local listing using Google’s AI features. Product studio is already available within Google services including Google Merchant Center and Google Ads, and is now available within Google Business Profiles.
More details. Google community manager, Kara, posted about this news in the Google Business Profile forums and wrote:
“We’re excited to announce that you can now change the background scene of your product with Product Studio, a generative AI tool which helps you create engaging imagery to showcase your products.”
Here is what the feature looks like in my account – it says “Transform your product images with Al Quickly generate lifestyle scenes. To get started, upload a product image and select a theme.”
How it works. Google has a more detailed help document on this feature over here but here is how to quickly access this feature in your Business Profile.
To generate a scene for your product, click Edit productsGet started.
Select the image you want to edit.
Wait until the background from your image is removed.
Select a theme for your product.
Choose a generated image from the editor.
If you’re satisfied with the image, click Add image to product.
You’ll receive a confirmation to save the image, click OK.
Once you saved the generated image for your product, from the product editor:
Fill out the fields in the form.
To submit your product, click Publish.
US only. Google did not that “Only merchants in the US can use scene generation in product editor.” Google added, “When you use Product Studio, you agree to the Terms of Service (TOS).”
Why we care. If you manage products within your Google Business Profile account, quickly being able to make those products look more appealing to searchers might be a great thing to increase conversions and sales. Of course, you want to make sure you are happy with how Google’s AI improves your images and only accept changes that you feel will make a positive change to those images.
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Valentine’s Day is an interesting shopping event for ecommerce stores. Customers are looking for gifts that help express their love for one another, with flowers, jewelry, and other interesting options. It’s a great opportunity to attract and convert online shoppers. Here are some SEO tips to help make the most of your Valentine’s Day sale!
As with most sales, you need to plan ahead. Begin planning your Valentine’s Day SEO strategy as early as possible. Ideally, you’d start several months in advance. Research keywords related to Valentine’s Day and your industry to see what comes up. When the sale comes, you’ll be inspired and have new ways to promote your products. If you set up gift guide pages, do so in advance so search engines have enough time to index your pages. This increases your chance to rank when the shopping rush begins.
Create a landing page specifically for your Valentine’s Day sale. Use it to highlight your best deals and popular items that make great gifts. Keep the URL simple and undated so that you can update and reuse it yearly. This approach helps you build SEO value over time while keeping backlinks intact. It also makes your seasonal campaigns easier to manage in the future.
It doesn’t have to be just jewelry or flowers; there are plenty of interesting gift options, like tea
Optimize your product pages
Your product pages will probably see the most traffic and conversions, so be sure to optimize them. Use proper related keywords in the places where they make sense, but don’t overdo it. For example, instead of “Rose bouquet,” try “Classic rose bouquet for Valentine’s Day.” Yoast SEO for Shopify or WooCommerce SEO can help you do this.
Consider conveying that your products are made with a good heart without relying on traditional red heart symbolism. This could involve creative descriptions, imagery, or design elements that convey a sense of warmth, kindness, and generosity without being overtly literal.
As always, add high-quality images to your sales pages with descriptive alt-text, such as “red roses for Valentine’s Day delivery.” This will make your product pages more accessible and understandable for search engines. If you sell jewelry, create specific pages with phrases like “Valentine’s Day jewelry sale.”
When you have options to deliver your product, include the final delivery date in your communication to build trust and ensure customers receive their items on time.
Lego published a great gift guide on its site, including great images and content
Create gift guides and seasonal content
Content marketing drives traffic to your site. Good content can help shoppers find the perfect gift. For SEO purposes, Valentine’s Day gift guides can serve well. Make guides like “Top 10 gifts for her” or “Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day.” In these guides, link to the proper product pages to make it easy for shoppers to buy the listed products.
Keywords like “Unique Valentine’s Day gift” or “Valentine’s Day flower delivery” work well in blog content. There are plenty of relevant content ideas. For instance, you could create themed infographics or videos to share on social media.
Focus on local SEO for delivery or pick-up
Is your business locally oriented, and do you offer local delivery or in-store pick-up? Optimize your sales for local searches! Edit your Google Business Profile and add details about your Valentine’s Day sales, opening hours, and local delivery options. Don’t forget to use location-specific keywords in your content.
Build a bond with your customers and encourage them to leave reviews. Positive reviews are an important part of building your local business. Use local SEO properly to attract customers needing last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts or same-day delivery.
Use social media and influencers
Social media is a great tool for promoting your Valentine’s Day deals. Remember to post appealing images of your products, such as flower arrangements, gift boxes, or jewelry. Depending on your business, Instagram and Facebook are especially good for showcasing your Valentine’s gifts. You might even try TikTok if you’re good at video content. TikTok even published a guide to help you with your Valentine’s Day sale.
Remember to think about influencers who like your brand. Influencers can create authentic content to drive traffic to your site. Be sure to include special offers to make them actionable.
Use user-generated content
Social media is also a great place to encourage customers to share their Valentine’s Day experiences with your products. Ask them to post photos of the gifts they purchased, the stories of how they were received, or even a review of the experience of buying from your store. You could even create a branded hashtag and promote it in your social media and email campaigns.
As your website is the focal point, remember to add these posts to it. User-generated content helps build trust and acts as social proof. It’s great for potential customers to see that other customers have had an excellent experience with your business. Seeing happy customers share photos of their Valentine’s Day flower arrangements or jewelry gifts can help others do the same. In addition, you are creating a human connection with your customers.
Run exclusive Valentine’s Day promotions
It’s not just about inspiring customers to want to buy but also about getting them to buy it. Special offers help shoppers complete that last step. Create urgency with limited-time deals, such as “20% off Valentine’s Day gifts for 48 hours.” You can also offer free shipping or discounts on bundles for couples.
Don’t forget to use your email newsletters to announce these promotions. Write subject lines like “Valentine’s Day sale — Shop the perfect gift now” to grab attention and get clicks to your site.
For a jewelry store, this is always a busy time, so it needs to come prepared
Add festive details to your website
A subtle way to get shoppers in the mood for Valentine’s Day is to add small festive design elements to your store. For example, you can update banners, landing pages, and CTA buttons with a subtle Valentine’s theme, such as hearts or pink and red color schemes. But be sure to keep it subtle.
You can directly link your Valentine’s Day landing page or related content from your website’s header navigation during the sale to improve your SEO. Many ecommerce stores use dynamic navigation to feature seasonal categories like “New In,” “Back to School,” or “Holiday Deals.” Adding a Valentine’s section makes it easy for shoppers to find your offers quickly.
Offer last-minute shopping options
Some people like to shop at the last moment, so please also cater to them. You can always offer digital gift cards and same-day delivery services. Highlight these offers prominently on your website with phrases like “Still looking? Get it today!” or “Instant Valentine’s Day gifts.”
PPC ads like “last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts” in search or on social media help target people needing an urgent solution. It’s a quick and easy solution to get sales from customers running out of time.
You won’t be the only one looking for last-minute Valentine’s gifts!
Track and adjust your strategy
Last but not least, monitor the campaign’s performance. Use analytics and internet marketing tools to track keyword rankings, traffic, and conversions. Find out which products or pages perform well and adjust your strategy where needed. For example, if certain keywords like “Valentine’s Day exclusive jewelry sale” drive traffic, create more content around those topics.
Keep an eye on your competitors, too. If they offer something unique, consider how you might adapt your approach.
That’s it for Valentine’s Day SEO
Planning and great content are the most important things to make your Valentine’s Day sale successful. A targeted campaign can attract more shoppers to your store. Optimize your product pages, create engaging content, and promote your offers via social media and email campaigns. Now, you’ll be ready to turn the season of love into a successful sales season.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-28 11:56:442025-01-28 11:56:4410 SEO tips for your Valentine’s Day sale
Want more buyers and sellers from Google without relying on Zillow or Redfin?
Or more leads for listings that support your cold-calling and door-knocking efforts?
Then, become skilled at real estate SEO.
SEO is about ranking your site in search engine results pages (SERPs). This will attract qualified buyers and sellers to your agency.
Just look at Campion & Company, a small real estate agency in Boston. They outrank Zillow for high-value property searches like “Burrage Mansion.”
And that’s just one keyword.
This agency ranks for 19K different search terms on Google—all driving potential buyers directly to their listings.
All thanks to SEO.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to conduct keyword research for high-intent terms, create lead-generating content, and dominate the local SERPs.
But first, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of SEO.
Why Is SEO Important for Real Estate Sites?
Real estate SEO helps your listings show up in search results when people look for homes online.
This includes Google Maps when people search for things like “realtor” in your area.
Why does this matter?
According to a study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 100% of Americans who bought a house in 2024 used the internet to search for a home.
And more than half (52%) of recent buyers found the home they ultimately purchased online.
SEO lets you reach these buyers when they’re actively looking to buy.
But it’s also a cost-effective way of capturing online demand.
For example, the cost-per-click of a Google ad for the keyphrase “real estate companies in West Palm Beach Florida” is $5.67.
But SEO can get your business to appear directly under those ads without spending a dime.
This puts you in direct control of lead generation. Which means no more relying on expensive ads or third-party directory sites.
Sounds ideal, right?
Now that you’ve seen what real estate SEO can do for your business, let’s start with the most important first step:
Conducting a quick technical audit to see if Google can actually find your website.
(Because if it can’t, other SEO strategies don’t matter.)
Step 1: Make Sure Google Can Find Your Property Listings
The best way to check if Google knows your site exists?
This will tell you which pages from your site are in Google’s index, which aren’t, and why.
Some red flags to watch out for:
Your indexed pages WAY outnumber your actual pages (this usually means Google’s finding pages it shouldn’t)
Google’s only indexed a fraction of your pages (meaning potential clients can’t find most of your listings and services)
Important pages show up under “Error,’” “Valid with warnings,” or “Excluded”
Not sure why Google isn’t indexing your pages?
The “Why pages aren’t indexed” report is your friend here.
It’ll tell you exactly what’s wrong—like a redirect error or improper canonical tags—and how to fix it.
If you have unindexed pages, you can manually request indexing.
This is super helpful for new listings you want to appear ASAP.
Pro tip: Don’t have the time or desire to handle SEO issues? Delegate them to a pro. A skilled website manager can tackle indexing issues, implement fixes fast, and keep your site climbing the rankings—while you focus on closing deals.
Step 2: Find Keywords That Drive Leads
To increase leads, you need to show up on Google for the terms homebuyers search for in your area.
But it’ll take a strategic plan to beat the big real estate directory sites.
For example, here’s what the search results look like for “Raleigh homes.”
Directory sites dominate the SERPs, including Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin.
Enter a neighborhood into the search bar and click “Search.”
The tool will return a list of keywords and important metrics for each one.
This includes:
Search volume: The average number of monthly searches for a specific keyword in Google
Keyword difficulty (KD): A score from 0-100 that estimates how hard it would be to rank on the first page of Google for that keyword
Search intent: The primary purpose or goal behind a user’s search query—informational (learn), commercial (compare/buy), navigational (find site), or transactional (take action)
While the list will typically include some long-tail keywords already, you can add filters to narrow it even further.
Here’s how:
Select the “KD %” filter and type “0-50” in the custom range.
Then, click the “Intent” filter and select “Transactional” and “Commercial.”
Filtering this list for “Commercial” and “Transactional” will limit the list to terms people search when they’re looking to buy a home.
Now, you have a list of long-tail keywords you can use to optimize your property page.
For example, “boylan heights raleigh homes for sale” receives 40 searches a month and has a keyword difficulty score of 3, meaning it should be super easy to rank for.
It also has transactional intent, which tells you these searchers are ready to buy.
Even better?
The SERP for this keyword is a mix of directory sites and local realtors, so you know you’ve got a shot at ranking.
Now that you’ve got your target keywords, it’s time to use them strategically on your property pages.
Step 3: Optimize Your Property Pages for Conversions
It should describe the page’s contents and include the main keyword.
It doesn’t have to be the exact keyphrase—you can use a variation of your target keyword in your H1 like We Know Boise Real Estate did.
H2s are the main subheadings that go underneath your H1 to organize your content and make it easy for readers to find what they’re looking for.
Include the location name in some of your page’s H2’s as well:
This makes it crystal clear to search engines exactly what this page is about, which increases your chances of ranking.
Just ensure your page headings read naturally and avoid keyword stuffing.
Include Internal Links
Internal linking connects your location pages together, helping you rank higher in search results.
It also keeps website visitors engaged longer as they explore other pages on your site.
For example, We Know Boise’s Barber Valley page includes hyperlinks to every other neighborhood in East Boise:
When you click a neighborhood, it takes you to a dedicated page on We Know Boise’s site for that location.
This lets Google understand the relationship between these pages on your site.
Which will help you rank for your target keywords—and ultimately land more leads.
Pro tip: Don’t gate your content. Requiring visitors to provide personal details to view property listings can negatively impact your SEO efforts. Many potential clients will hit the “back” button and head to one of your competitor’s sites instead, reducing your chances of ranking.
Create Detailed Listing Pages That Convert Browsers into Buyers
The more information you provide on your property pages, the more likely visitors are to book a viewing.
It also helps with lead qualification, as they’ll know upfront if the listing is likely to be a fit.
Include:
A detailed description of the property
A description of the local amenities
High-quality images of the entire property
A map showing the property’s location
Look at the big directory sites for inspiration when creating your listings.
For example, Trulia includes high-quality images and essential information like address and price prominently at the top of the listing.
They follow this up with a “Local Information” section that includes a map, description of the area, and information on local restaurants, shopping, and schools.
Next, comes the “Home Highlights” at a glance, such as the HOA fee, price per square foot, and how long the property has been listed.
Then, an expandable drop-down menu with even more details like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and more:
Trulia also showcases what locals say about the area to give prospective buyers an inside look into the area:
Notably, they also include an interactive mortgage calculator set to the home’s listed price.
Doing something similar will help you get more leads from your property pages.
Step 4: Dominate Local Search Results with Your Google Business Profile
Search “[your location] real estate agents” in Google.
The top organic result is almost certain to be a Google Local Pack—a SERP feature that appears for location-specific searches—featuring three local realtors:
It goes without saying that you should prioritize landing in one of those three spots through your real estate SEO strategy.
This is especially vital for a local realtor since the rest of the organic results are likely to be dominated by directory sites:
Here’s how to optimize your site to appear in the Local Pack for your area:
Enter your business name, category, location, and contact information
Verify your business by the method offered to you by Google (usually by a phone call or a postcard sent to your business’s address)
Fill Out and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Once your Google Business Profile is verified, fill it out with as much information as possible—including all the areas you have listings:
Add plenty of high-quality photos of your team, current listings, and properties sold.
Do this regularly to show Google you’re a legitimate business worthy of ranking at the top of the Local Pack.
Plus, it’ll help sell your company to potential clients—and agents who might be looking for a new agency.
You also have the option of writing a brief description of your business, which will appear under the heading “From [your business’s name]’:
Include target keywords in this section.
Things like:
[Your area] real estate
[Your area] homes for sale
[Your area] real estate agent
[Your area] realtor
Encourage and Respond to Customer Reviews
It’s good practice to ask all your customers to leave you a review on Google.
After all, 35% of people say a real estate agent’s reputation is the most important factor when they’re choosing a realtor to sell their home, according to NAR’s study.
Plus, the more positive reviews you receive on Google, the more likely you are to appear in the Local Pack for relevant searches.
Your business’s overall rating and review highlights will appear on your Google Business listing:
As a best practice, respond to every review you receive on Google.
This includes the positive ones:
And the not-so-positive ones:
This will show potential clients that you care what people have to say about your business and respond to their feedback.
It’s also another signal to Google that you’re a well-run business that deserves to sit at the top of its local results.
Get as Many NAP Citations as You Can
NAP (name, address, and phone number) citations are a huge deal when it comes to local SEO.
The more websites that list your company’s NAP correctly, the more confident Google is that those details are correct—and that you’re a legitimate business worth sending searchers to.
But manually adding and updating citations isn’t a good use of anyone’s time.
Instead, use a tool like Semrush’s Listing Management, which automates the process.
By connecting your Google Business Profile, the tool will automatically distribute your details to vital directories for your industry.
Search your business to find out how many correct NAP citations it has online:
The tool will show you where your NAP details are listed incorrectly—or not at all to help you improve and expand your presence.
Use Google Posts to Advertise Property Listings
Google Posts are updates that appear at the bottom of your Google Business Profile.
They’re the perfect place for you to advertise your latest listings.
Plus, Google is less likely to display your Business Profile at the top of local search results if it’s inactive. Which means making a Google Post about each of your new listings will help you rank in the Local Pack.
Create a Google Post by clicking “Add update” in your dashboard:
Step 5: Start a Blog to Establish Your Agency as an Industry Leader
Rank for more keywords and strengthen your site’s authority by creating a blog.
Write High-Quality Blog Content
Blog content can drive highly relevant traffic to your site.
The key is finding topics homebuyers are actively searching for online.
Search for your service area in the tool, such as “Cambridge MA.”
You’ll see an Overview report with keyword data.
Click “View all keywords” under the “Questions” report.
Now, you’ll see a list of questions people ask Google about this area.
Including the search volume for each term, intent, and keyword difficulty.
Review the list to find questions that would make great blog post topics.
Ensure they’re relevant and aim for low difficulty and moderate search volume.
For example, “What is there to do in cambridge ma” gets 320 searches per month and has a low keyword difficulty score of 20.
This means it should be fairly easy to rank for, which is especially important if you have a new site or one that lacks authority.
Create Neighborhood Guides
Neighborhood guides are a tried-and-true way to rank in the SERPs. (Note: these can work well as site pages or blog content.)
For example, Trulia created a neighborhood guide for every neighborhood where they have listings.
That subfolder drives 611.2K visits to the Trulia site each month.
And it has 11K backlinks:
These pages work.
And your content marketing strategy should revolve around them.
But how can you compete with Trulia, Zillow, and Redfin’s neighborhood pages?
With high-quality, comprehensive content that highlights your local expertise.
For example, New Orleans real estate agency Crescent City Living has a neighborhood guide that outranks all the directory sites for “Seventh Ward New Orleans”:
How’d they do it?
Well, compare Crescent City Living’s guide to Trulia’s, and you’ll see significant differences:
Crescent Living’s page was clearly written by someone who knows the area.
It describes Seventh Ward’s colorful Creole cottages and beloved Marching 100 band.
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It provides data and insights that will help you target the right keywords for your audience.
More data isn’t always better.
So, focus on the key metrics: search volume, keyword difficulty, and search intent.
Search Volume: The average monthly searches for a keyword
Keyword Difficulty (KD%): A measure of how hard it is to rank for a keyword. It’s based on the link profiles of the top 10 ranking pages.
Search Intent: The purpose behind a user’s search query. It’s categorized as transactional, informational, commercial, or navigational.
Stick to these essentials to guide your keyword strategy effectively.
Define Commercial Opportunities
The commercial value of a keyword varies for each business.
What may be a high-value commercial keyword for a competitor might not be for you.
For example, let’s say you have top-rated resorts in Mexico. You might see “all-inclusive resorts in Mexico” as a valuable keyword.
Now, imagine you manage one outdated, overpriced resort there. Your chance to profit from this keyword is likely much weaker.
When evaluating a commercial opportunity, ask: Will this page convert visitors?
Categorize each keyword into the following:
0. Not Likely: We don’t offer anything related to the user’s intent
1. Unlikely: We offer something related to the user’s intent, but it doesn’t directly address the user’s needs
2. Potential: We offer a solution that could meet the user’s intent
3. Likely: We provide the best solution for the user’s intent
This approach helps focus your efforts on the most commercially valuable keywords.
Pro tip: Before using a keyword, check its intent. Analyze the top-ranking content in the search results. A keyword like “Mexico vs. Ecuador” might seem perfect for a travel site selling flights to both. However, a quick Google search may reveal that the user intent is related to soccer, not travel.
By knowing what users want, you can avoid irrelevant keywords. This will ensure your content matches user intent.
It also increases your chances of ranking and converting.
Step 3: Create a Keyword Map
Once you’ve gathered your keywords, the next step is to build an SEO keyword map.
Here’s how:
List existing pages: Use an SEO spider tool like Screaming Frog. It will list all existing pages.
Filter irrelevant pages: Remove any pages that won’t serve as SEO landing pages. Focus only on those that have the potential to drive organic traffic.
Pair pages with keywords: Use Google Search Console (GSC) to find queries that generate the most clicks for each page.
Assign target keywords: Assign one keyword from your research to each relevant page.
Avoid keyword cannibalization: Target each keyword with only one page. This prevents competition between your own pages for the same search query.
SEO for travel websites often involves optimizing destination-specific and service-related keywords.
These efforts help drive organic traffic to your site.
By mapping keywords to pages, you’ll have a clear strategy. It’ll help you optimize existing content and find gaps for new content.
Step 4: Form a Content Strategy
With your keyword research and keyword map in place, it’s time to create an SEO content strategy.
To maximize organic revenue, prioritize content targeting bottom-of-the-funnel keywords.
These are high-intent keywords where users are closest to making a booking decision.
By focusing on this stage first, you’ll drive more immediate conversions and revenue.
Target Commercial Keywords
In your keyword sheet, filter for keywords with commercial scores of two or three.
This filter will give you keywords with high commercial intent. They’ll match what you offer.
Think “Cancun resorts,” “flights to Hawaii,” “Las Vegas hotels,” or “Punta Cana excursions.”
For each keyword:
If a landing page is ranking, optimize its content to boost performance
If none of your pages are ranking, decide whether to create a new landing page or optimize an existing one
Finally, create a timeline and roadmap for implementing these optimizations.
This helps ensure steady progress toward your content goals.
Build Topical Authority
After covering your commercial keywords, it’s time to move up to the middle of the funnel.
Focus on keywords like “things to do in Miami,” “best time to visit Japan,” and “best beaches in Puerto Rico.”
These keywords are primarily informational and have lower conversion rates.
Cluster these topics to help search engines understand your content.
You’ll signal to search engines that your site is a trusted travel resource.
Blog pages often cover these topics best. But you can use landing pages if they fit your strategy.
Create a Topic Map
Up to this point, your SEO content strategy has been based on keyword data.
Now, it’s time to explore new topic ideas by leveraging topic maps.
To do this, use an AI tool like Claude or Chat GPT to uncover relevant topics for specific destinations.
Here’s an example of a prompt you can use:
“Please provide a table listing the key topics related to travel in Mexico. The table should have three columns: categories, subcategories, and subtopics. Each subtopic should have its own row.”
Then, copy your topic map to a sheet. Use a ChatGPT plugin like Whimsical Diagrams to visualize it.
Use the following prompt: “Generate a mind map from this table: {paste table}.”
Repeat this process for each destination you serve.
Add any new topics to your content roadmap.
Cover a wide range of content that appeals to search engines and your audience.
This approach fills gaps in your strategy. It keeps your content fresh and competitive.
Tap Into the Travel Content Loop
The travel experience is cyclical.
Here’s how the journey typically unfolds:
Inspiration: “That’s beautiful, where is that place?”
Education: “Tell me more about this place”
Booking: “Let’s go there”
Inspiration again: After the trip, the traveler dreams of new adventures. This sparks the loop once more.
Travelers constantly seek beauty, adventure, and new connections.
Your content strategy should reflect this ongoing loop.
To build a successful travel content strategy off the back of this loop, think beyond SEO. This is especially true for inspiration, where social media is vital.
SEO is about fulfilling a need for information.
So, focus on education and answering users’ specific questions.
Inspiration, however, often comes to people when they’re not actively searching for it.
That’s why inspirational content must be:
Visual and destination-focused
Pushed to users, igniting wanderlust
Once the audience is captivated by a destination, they might seek more information. That’s where SEO comes in to guide them further down the funnel.
When planning content, ensure synergy between inspirational and informational content.
For example, let’s say you publish an SEO-optimized article like “The Best Time to Visit Costa Rica.”
Coordinate with your social media team to release visual, inspirational content.
This integrated approach keeps your audience engaged at every stage of their journey. Whether they’re exploring on social media or searching for information online.
Step 5: Establish a Content Creation Process
Your content strategy is ready.
Now it’s time to establish a streamlined content creation process.
Here’s how that might look:
Keyword selection: Choose primary and secondary keywords based on your content calendar
Writer briefing: Provide clear, detailed briefs for high-quality content
Write: Focus on comprehensive, unique content that goes beyond top-ranking pages
Edit: Align with the brand’s tone and ensure scannability
Optimize: Fine-tune for SEO—headings, body content, internal links, and meta
Add photography: Use images that follow guidelines and enhance user experience
Publish and promote: Share across social, email, and other channels to maximize reach
Translate: Expand reach by targeting non-English keywords
Pro tip: After headlines, image captions are the most read by users. Add a commercial message or a call to action to your image captions. It will help boost engagement.
To AI or Not AI?
When it comes to your content creation process, a key question is how much of it should involve AI.
The answer depends on your goals.
One thing is certain—it’s tough to stand out in a sea of mass-produced AI content by just publishing more AI content.
Craftsmanship and authenticity are what make content truly stand out.
“To beat AI, become more human.” – Wesley van der Hoop, PPC + SEO at Unique Vacations Ltd.
For example, let’s say you’re writing about “the best restaurants in Amsterdam.”
Instead of simply copying the list from TripAdvisor, go beyond the surface:
Experience the destination firsthand
Talk to locals and uncover hidden gems that aren’t widely covered
Engage with restaurant owners. Try their signature dishes. Share deeper insights than current online articles.
AI should play the role of an assistant, not the solution.
That said, AI can still assist in the content creation process.
It can help create content briefs, structure the content, and suggest data points.
This lets writers focus on the human elements. They can craft unique, authentic content that AI cannot replicate.
In this hybrid approach, AI handles repetitive tasks.
Meanwhile, your team focuses on insights, experiences, and personal connections.
Step 6: Set Up Tracking and Measuring
Begin by measuring your current performance to understand where you stand.
Define and track both macro and micro conversions. Use your travel site’s analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics 4).
For most travel websites, the macro conversion will be bookings and revenue.
Micro conversions may include actions like account creation or requests for more information.
They can also involve newsletter sign-ups, brochure requests, and travel guide downloads.
Once tracking is set up, integrate SEO tools like Google Search Console (GSC).
Use a rank tracker to gain deeper insights into what’s happening on the SERPs.
Finally, create easy-to-understand dashboards that blend different data sources. They let you track progress and show results to stakeholders at performance meetings.
Step 7: Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Local SEO is essential for improving visibility.
It’s particularly important for attractions, restaurants, bars, and accommodations at popular destinations.
Google can struggle to determine which of your pages to prioritize.
It can also lead to crawling, indexing issues, and loss of link equity.
In severe cases, it can also trigger manual penalties.
The seven most common types of duplicate content on travel websites are:
Destination descriptions: Frequently reused descriptions of popular travel destinations across multiple accommodation pages
URLs with filtering parameters: Filtering options (e.g., “?sort=price”) generate different URLs. These may show similar content.
Pagination: Ensure paginated lists of destinations or accommodations are distinct or canonicalized
URLs with UTM parameters: Parameters like “?utm_source=social-media” track traffic. But they can also create duplicate content issues.
Split URL tests: A/B testing may create duplicate content. It does this by generating alternative versions of the same page.
Dynamic URLs with session IDs: When indexed, they can cause duplicate content issues
M-dot URLs: They’re rare today. But if used, link them to their desktop versions.
Use Semrush’s Site Audit tool to identify duplicate content. Mitigate it by implementing canonical tags.
Use Structured Data
Structured data helps search engines better understand and display your content.
For travel websites, this can lead to rich results like pricing and star ratings.
These features can help boost click-through rates.
Structured data can also improve your site’s rankings.
How?
By providing search engines with clearer context for your content.
Pro tip: To further enhance SEO, implement structured data using the LocalBusiness schema. This helps search engines understand and validate your business information. It includes key details like category, location, and operating hours. Properly structured data can positively impact your rankings in local searches.
Step 9: Optimize UX with a Mobile-First Approach
Users have been living in a mobile-first world for some time, and Google was quick to follow.
Travelers may book on desktop. But they often make the decision to book on mobile.
Focus on quick load times and ensure strong Core Web Vitals performance.
Search engines like Google favor fast-loading content.
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Search engines want to show users the most accurate, up-to-date information possible, which may lead to changing the order of search results.
For example, “best restaurants near me,” results change as you move locations, new restaurants open in your area, or customer reviews change.
Also, changes to ranking algorithms may reorder search results drastically.
When Google updates its algorithms, it usually offers guidance to site owners in its Search Central Blog.
Presenting the Best Answers
Search engines show more than simple links.
They display special SERP features to present answers quickly and enhance the user’s experience.
For example, a user searching for “sugar cookies” may be looking for recipes, nutritional facts, or a list of ingredients.
Google returns varied results to satisfy all of these potential intents.
But a user searching for “buy sugar cookies” has transactional intent.
Google returns product results to make it easier for users to locate key information about the product.
SERP features can make the search experience more enjoyable for users.
Common types include:
Popular Products: A list of products with key information like price, reviews, and shipping information
Organization: A knowledge panel with key information about a business like founders, history, social media profiles, and more
Local Business: A knowledge panel featuring key information about a local business like address, phone number, and hours of operation
FAQs: A list of questions and answers about a topic
Paid search results may also appear at the top of the SERPs.
To qualify, sites need to set up Google Ads campaigns and bid for specific keywords.
AI Overviews, featured snippets, and People Also Ask boxes often appear for informational searches.
Like this:
These features deliver quick answers and can increase visibility for pages that earn these placements.
Turn Your Search Engine Knowledge into Rankings
While many factors could be at play, understanding how search engines work is an essential first step to helping your content rank higher for the keywords that matter most to your audience.
Armed with this knowledge, you can boost your site’s visibility and get your pages in front of the right people.
The next critical step?
Making sure your website’s technical foundation helps search engines efficiently crawl, index, and rank your content.
Check out our technical SEO guide to optimize your site for better search visibility.
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.
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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!
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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.
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