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How to Sell SEO Services in 5 Steps+ Expert Tips & Templates

January 31, 2025/0 Comments/in Web Design News/by

Learning how to sell SEO isn’t easy.

Why?

Your prospects don’t want to buy SEO—they want to buy results.

I learned this the hard way.

After years of trial and error, I found a system. It consistently delivers what people want: more customers, revenue, and growth.

In fact, I’ve maintained a 75% close rate by focusing on one thing: demonstrating value before asking for the sale.

Think about it:

AI advancements. Nontraditional search results. Constant algorithm shifts.

SEO looks different every year. But these changes have made skilled SEOs more valuable than ever.

In this guide, you’ll learn my exact process for selling SEO services, backed by insights from industry veterans who’ve closed millions in SEO deals.

1. Prepare Your Sales Toolkit

As the saying goes, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

In other words, don’t wing it.

Sure, you can eventually throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks.

But if you want to successfully sell SEO services, you’ll need a few essentials.

Build Trust with Case Studies

Case studies are your bread and butter of selling.

They’re proof you know what you’re doing and an opportunity to show exactly what you can accomplish for your clients.

The key is to be specific.

You didn’t just increase demo requests.

You grew inbound leads by 40% with conversion-focused content marketing.

See the difference?

The more detail you provide, the easier it is for clients to envision these results for themselves.

And the likelier they are to trust you.

It’s especially helpful if you have a case study that addresses each client’s specific needs.

Kevin Indig, a growth advisor who has worked with companies like Nextdoor, Dropbox, Hims, and Reddit, believes there’s nothing more powerful than demonstrating real results.

Build out references and projects you can showcase. Very early on, it’s important to be able to show what the work for a client could look like at the hand of a live example.

If you’ve done it for someone else, you can do it for them, too.

Another perk?

Case studies are versatile.

Present them during client calls to get buy-in.

And highlight them on your site for prospects to read.

Pro tip: New to SEO? Exchange free or discounted SEO work for case studies and testimonials. For example, offer a free technical audit to a small business. Once they start seeing results, ask if you can document their success story.

Collect High-Impact Testimonials

Case studies are great.

But testimonials hit differently.

Why?

Because they come directly from your happy clients.

When clients explain the impact you’ve had on their business, it boosts your credibility with prospects.

So, let them be your ambassadors.

Follow these steps to collect testimonials:

Text or email clients a short feedback form
Ask them to share specific results (metrics help)
Keep it simple: “What was your biggest win from working with us?”
Offer to draft it for them (just get their approval)

Even better: Ask for a video testimonial.

If clients are willing to have their face and brand associated with your business, that’s a ringing endorsement.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

No matter how you collect the testimonial, what matters most is that it comes from a reputable person in the company.

Aim for a VP of marketing or founder for the most significant impact.

Pro tip: Place your best testimonials on high-traffic pages, such as pricing, services, and contact pages. Highlight them in post-discovery call emails and on social media to seal the deal.

Create a Lead Qualification System

Time is money.

Don’t waste it on unqualified leads.

Before you even have a first call with your prospects, ensure they fit your ideal client profile (ICP).

Make sure they:

Are the right type of company you want to work with
Are actually in need of your services
Aren’t looking to just sell you on something (it happens more often than you think)

Pro tip: Asking for project details is usually the best way to qualify a lead. It also helps you set expectations for your role and prepare for the initial discovery call. This way, you come to the meeting with a personalized approach that reflects what they actually need and explains how you can help.

So, how do you have a qualifying process before a prospect even reaches out to you?

Your contact form is your best friend here.

Add qualifying questions that will tell you from the get-go if this lead has potential.

Contact form in lead qualification system

Here’s what your contact form should ask:

Budget range
Services they need
Project details
How they found you

In my experience, the responses will tell you whether they’re a legitimate lead 95% of the time.

Further reading: What Are Lead Magnets?

Invest in a CRM

I won’t lie—not having customer relationship management (CRM) software was probably the worst mistake I’ve made as a consultant.

It took me around six months to finally realize this.

That’s six months of lost revenue, wasted time, and unnecessary stress.

If I ever had more than five leads contact me at once, it was just pure chaos managing them with a spreadsheet.

If you’re a solo SEO consultant or freelancer, I can’t recommend using a CRM enough.

You’ll be able to:

Manage and track your prospects
See which leads are hot, warm, or cold
See how long it’s been since a lead contacted you
Qualify that lead by seeing which company they’re from

I would personally recommend HubSpot as the best all-in-one CRM–especially if you’re a new SEO.

It can manage all your sales data and give you access to a full range of marketing tools.

But a few other CRMs worth looking into would be:

Semrush
Apollo.io
Salesforce
ClickUp

Decide on Your SEO Services

Want to know why many SEOs struggle to close deals?

They’re not specific enough about the SEO services they offer.

Here’s what I mean:

Don’t just say you “do SEO.”

Instead, decide what services you’ll offer and be specific when you describe them:

Technical SEO for enterprise companies
Content creation for B2B SaaS
Link building for ecommerce sites

Niche down whenever possible.

Once you control a niche, whether B2B SaaS, home care, or legal SEO, it will be much easier to grow from there.

I learned that the hard way when I first started posting on LinkedIn.

My niche and SEO posts were too broad.

The posts helped grow my followers quickly but not my revenue.

The majority of my followers were SEOs, not my actual ideal client profile.

So, I wasn’t generating leads.

That changed pretty quickly after I nailed down my niche.

After focusing my posts on B2B SaaS to help target my ICP—marketing VPs—I saw better results.

Instead of competing with every SEO agency out there, I have an easier time being seen by my ICP.

Plus, they know my services are designed specifically for them.

Another important decision will be how you want to structure your services.

Kevin recommends creating a clear distinction between freelancer and consultant work.

You need to know very clearly whether you want to do the work (freelancer) or guide/advise (advisor). Early on, I did a lot of the leg work because that’s where I felt most comfortable, but that didn’t match the advisor prices I charged and wasn’t what I actually wanted to do.

So, it’s important to know what work you want to do and where you can provide the biggest impact. If you want to advise, don’t agree to do any busy work. Focus on the strategy.

You’ll likely have to learn your preferences by trial and error at first.

But don’t be afraid to adjust if you have to.

Choose Your Pricing Model

Like your services, you’ll want to have your pricing figured out upfront, too.

This works well for a few reasons:

You understand your worth before going into a client call
You can use it to qualify leads before they reach out
You avoid being lowballed during calls

Let me break down the four main ways to price SEO services:

First, there’s retainer pricing.

Clients pay a fixed monthly fee for ongoing SEO work. You commit to a set number of hours each month.

Next, there’s package pricing.

This is what I use. Clients can choose from different packages that best suit their needs for SEO.

Here’s how I structure it:

SEO audit: $1,500
SEO consulting: $2,000
Fractional SEO: $3,500
Full management SEO: $6,000

Your third option is value-based pricing.

It’s riskier but can pay off big. You set goal targets with clients and get bonus compensation when you hit them.

Finally, there’s hourly pricing.

You bill based on actual time spent on SEO tasks. This is great for one-off projects.

Pro tip: Price your services based on value. Low rates might seem like a path to more clients, but they can attract lower-quality clients. My highest-paying clients are always my best clients—they pay on time, are pleasant to work with, and trust my expertise.

Keep in mind that every model is dependent on what works for you.

I’m personally a big fan of package pricing.

But that’s because I want my work to prioritize value over output.

Optional: Gather Proof You Can Rank

Want to know one of my best-selling tools?

My own SEO results.

Think about it:

What better way to prove your SEO skills than having prospects find your website through Google?

It’s an instant trust signal.

In fact, organic search is one of my most consistent channels for new leads.

But here’s the catch:

Don’t just rank for random topics.

Rank for topics related to your services:

Best SEO agencies for lawyers
Technical SEO for Shopify websites
B2B SaaS SEO consultant

There’s no denying that building SEO authority from scratch is tough.

I learned this firsthand when launching my site.

Competing against established SEO websites with zero website authority? Not easy.

Here’s my best advice: Run PPC campaigns while your SEO compounds.

This keeps your lead pipeline full while you build organic visibility.

Further reading: SEO vs. SEM: What’s the Difference?

2. Find Prospects

Successful SEO sales require a reliable lead-generation system.

Here’s how I use both inbound and outbound marketing to build a steady stream of qualified prospects.

Inbound Prospects

Inbound marketing is the process of creating valuable content that attracts potential customers to your site when they’re actively looking for solutions.

This is the channel I’m most familiar with.

And the one that provides the most long-term value.

With inbound, you can build a long-term community that’s invested in your brand and create a stronger pipeline for leads at a much lower acquisition cost.

So, how do you find high-quality leads? It depends on your services and industry.

Personally, I’ve found the most success with:

SEO: Targeting high-intent searches coming directly from my audience
Reddit: Answering questions on subreddits where my ICP is
YouTube: Creating videos that help my audience overcome industry challenges. Works great for repurposing content, too.
Email marketing: Nurturing my email audience by sending them highly valuable content directly to their inbox
LinkedIn: Posting thought leadership content that establishes me as an expert within my field

LinkedIn –Taylor Scher establishes as expert

As you can see, organic search and social are among my top traffic sources:

[missing ss]

When you’re starting out, I recommend playing around with each channel.

Once you find the channel that works, double down on it.

Pro tip: Don’t stretch yourself too thin. If you’re solo, it’s better to comfortably handle one or two channels than struggle with five. The goal is to build a community interested in your brand through quality content—not spam your audience.

Outbound Prospects

Outbound marketing is when you reach out to prospects through various methods rather than waiting for them to find you.

While I’m pro inbound marketing, it can be inconsistent.

Outbound can make up for that.

There are a few different ways you can target outbound prospects.

But the ones that work the best for me are:

Cold outreach
Social ads
PPC

For example, I use a template similar to this to reach out to potential prospects through email:

Hi [Name],I noticed [company name]‘s content showing up for [specific keyword] but ranking on page 2. Looking at your competitors [(Competitor 1)] and [(Competitor 2)], there’s a clear opportunity to capture more organic traffic with some technical improvements.

I’ve helped other [industry] companies like [reference company] improve their search visibility and recently published a case study breaking down the exact process we used to increase their organic traffic by [X]%.

Would you be interested in seeing the case study? It includes specific tactics you could implement, whether you work with us or not.

Either way, I’ve also spotted a few quick SEO wins for your site that I’m happy to share.

Best,
[Your name]

You can also use LinkedIn for outreach, but don’t expect to take the same approach as email.

Focus on social selling.

Interact with your ICP and find something in common with them.

Then, reach out to them.

Don’t treat them as just another automated message.

Focus on building an actual relationship with them.

Then, once the time is right, see if they’d be open to a coffee chat.

Ask if they’re facing any challenges with SEO and offer advice on how to help.

Chances are, they might just be willing to delegate that to you, anyway.

But when you’re deciding which marketing channels to use, I recommend this approach:

Pro tip: Blend one outbound channel with one inbound. Outbound brings quick wins, while inbound builds long-term success. Together, they offer a balance of quick wins and sustainable growth for long-term success.

3. Offer Strategy Calls

This step is often called a “discovery call.”

But I recommend using strategy call instead.

Why?

Well, you want to demonstrate perceived value before prospects even contact you—an additional incentive for them to take that next step.

And “strategy” implies they’ll get something tangible out of this call.

For example, point out issues they can fix right after the call. It’s an easy way to show you’re invested in them and have done your research.

Use this call to discuss your services and offer a glimpse into what working with you looks like to see the best conversion rates.

Learn More About Your Prospect

Use the first call strictly as a way to understand the company and what’s currently going on with its marketing efforts.

I even recommend using a questionnaire to help you run through the call.

Here’s what I ask every prospect:

What do you hope to achieve with this call?
What are your long-term SEO goals?
What’s your current SEO strategy?
What makes your product unique?
Who are your decision-makers?
How does your sales process work?
What sets you apart from competitors?

I usually ask these questions to help prepare myself for the SEO audit in the next step.

But prospects also appreciate that you seem invested in their company.

You’re obviously not just pitching yourself and are actively looking to learn more about them—something that’s often rare during the discovery phase.

Focus on Early Wins

Here’s a persuasive tactic: Give prospects actionable tips during the call.

Point out easy fixes they’ve missed to highlight your expertise and prove your worth.

For example:

“I noticed your product pages aren’t targeting money keywords. Here’s a quick fix that could boost your traffic…”

“I researched some easy keywords you’d be able to rank for quickly. This includes…”

Keyword Magic Tool – How to grow tomatoes – Keywords

This gives prospects a reason to develop early trust with you.

This is something my friend Jacob Statler, founder of Stat Digital, highly recommends doing:

Show your prospects how you can get them quick wins that tie back to revenue. If possible, get them a win before working together during the sales process.
SEOs often give away high-level audits that they auto-generated with a tool, but these are usually not very actionable. I like to create mini-action plans of easy-to-implement opportunities. This builds trust and shows competency.

And if that quick win translates to results, all the better for you.

Highlight What Their Competitors Are Doing

This is such an underrated strategy.

If you think I’m joking, try it out for yourself.

I’ve been stumped before getting clients to commit to something.

But the moment I mention a direct competitor doing something they aren’t, they get tunnel vision.

This includes:

Their competitors’ top traffic channels
Articles their competitors have that they don’t
Articles their competitors created against them (this is my go-to if a client is ever opposed to creating alternative or category content)

Traffic Analytics – World Wildlife – Traffic Journey

It’s almost an immediate way to motivate your prospects, especially if you’re facing early resistance to a tactic you’re recommending.

You can conduct competitor research in a few ways, but I usually recommend using the following tools:

Semrush competitor analysis tools
SpyFu

Pro tip: Offer the SEO audit at the end of your strategy call or follow up with an email to get it scheduled right away.

4. Schedule an SEO Audit

Think about how many agencies and consultants are pitching your prospects right now. Chances are you aren’t the only one being considered.

If you don’t make an impression, you’ll get lost in the crowd.

The solution?

SEO audits.

Pro tip: Always lock in the audit with a hard date. Leaving the audit timeline open is a deal-killer. I schedule the audit presentation right after the discovery call. Vague follow-ups kill momentum.

Position the Audit as a Roadmap, Not a Selling Technique

Audits are my secret sauce for selling SEO services.

Why do they work so well?

I go above and beyond. While others send automated reports, I tailor each audit to my client.

This means I:

Never use a template; I always start fresh
Look at their product/offering/industry/ICP to put together my recommendations
Focus on specific tactics that drive value and have an expected outcome

I’ve found it not only gets additional buy-in but also keeps leads moving through the pipeline.

Once prospects see the issues affecting their site, they’re way more motivated to get started with services.

But this isn’t a selling technique.

If clients see the audit as a pitch, then you’re just another company pitching them.

When you position your audit as a roadmap, it’s much easier to present a legitimate vision for the client.

Ben Goodey, founder of the SEO growth agency Spicy Margarita, agrees that leading with value is essential.

My top advice for those looking to sell SEO? Know your audience doesn’t want to buy SEO. They’re business owners or team leaders who want to buy results—that is what you should focus on selling.

In my experience closing clients, the more freely you share your “how,” the more trust and enthusiasm you build with a client. So, share your tactics openly—people are typically willing to take a risk working with you if you’re an expert.

The idea is that the audit should be so helpful prospects can take the information and use it on their own.

“But why would you do that?”

Sure, it sounds like it wouldn’t make sense. But think about most companies that lack internal marketing teams.

Most of the time, they don’t want to handle marketing and SEO themselves.

They would rather outsource it to another team.

So, even though they COULD take the audit and run, chances are they’d rather have someone else manage it anyway.

Plus, if they do decide to move forward, it shows their level of trust in what you’re proposing.

Which is a great sign for longer-term engagements.

If you didn’t schedule the audit at the end of your strategy call, use this template to follow up by email:

Subject: Next Steps – [Company Name] SEO Strategy

Hi [Name],

Thank you for taking the time to discuss [Company Name]‘s SEO goals today. I wanted to follow up with a quick summary of what we covered and outline our next steps.

Your main goal: [specific goal mentioned in call]
Current challenges: [1-2 key challenges mentioned]
Priority areas: [2-3 areas of focus]

During our call, I noticed [specific quick win mentioned during call]. You can implement this immediately by [brief actionable step].

Next, I’ll prepare a comprehensive SEO audit for your site. Are you available to review the findings on [scheduled date/time]?

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Best,

[Your name]

Build a Reliable Stack for Conducting Your Audits

I keep my tech stack pretty consistent for most audits.

The ones I find helpful and recommend using are:

Google Search Console: Find crawling/indexing issues, quick SEO wins, and potential content topics
Screaming Frog: Uncover large-scale technical issues like missing canonicals or JavaScript issues
Google Analytics 4: Extremely useful if a client has set up conversion tracking. See what pages have previously driven conversions and how you can double down on that.
Semrush site auditing features: Identify housekeeping items to take care of, such as orphan pages, broken links, and redirect chains

Focus on Value, Value, Value

When you’re delivering the audit, focus on value.

And I don’t mean to just stuff it with data and overwhelm the client.

Remember: This is also for you, not just the client.

I find it helpful to start with an overall strategy, like how I’ll increase revenue by X% through SEO.

Then, I recommend SEO tactics that will help the client achieve the goal.

But this isn’t the time to be vague—I show exactly how I’ll hit that number.

SEO Tactic Objectives In Order of Priority

When you start with a goal, the client has an easier time understanding what you’re recommending and why.

So, let’s say the goal for a B2B SaaS company is to increase demos and freemium signups through SEO.

You’d focus your audit on:

Low-hanging fruit keywords tied to their money pages
Ways they can improve their site from a conversion rate optimization standpoint
Non-indexed pages that aren’t driving traffic
A full competitor audit
A content roadmap based on topics that would drive leads

Side note: There will be times when clients still choose not to work with you despite all your work—and that’s okay. As long as your overall close rate increases, that’s all that matters.

5. Send a Proposal or SOW

Now comes the easiest part.

Sending out the SEO proposal or statement of work (SOW).

If you ran your audit properly and the client showed interest in what you had to say, the proposal should be a piece of cake.

Still, there are a few things to keep in mind during this step of the process.

Include Audit Findings

For the beginning of the proposal, include findings from the audit.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.

I usually use:

Google Docs for the template
Canva for custom graphics
Data screenshots if I have access to GA4 and GSC
Google Sheets if forecasting is involved

You’ll want to touch on the recommended priority tactics and how you’ll approach them.

You can also include a monthly timetable to visualize how you would structure each month of the engagement.

For me, it usually looks like this:

Month 1: Start with conversion rate optimization, technical SEO, optimizing your product pages, going after quick wins, and taking care of any on-page housekeeping
Month 2: Continue going after quick wins, start building out BoFu content
Month 3: Continue creating BoFu content, creating link assets, and backlink opportunities
Month 4-6: Build out a solid profile of MoFu content, continue going after quick wins

Help your clients understand how you’ll approach each month for the engagement.

This way, they’ll have a better reference point for understanding what you’ll be working on.

The success behind selling SEO comes from value, trust, and transparency.

Don’t neglect any of them.

Highlight Your Goals/Strategy/KPIs

This will be similar to what you did for the audit but in more detail.

First, lay them out as a goals section.

Then, explain specifically how you’re going to work towards those goals.

Here’s an example of what this looks like on my proposals:

Now, let’s break this process down.

First, I summarize each goal:

“Goal #1: Increase the quantity and quality of demo requests and signups coming from SEO.”

Then, I add more detail to show I understand what success looks like:

“The main goal of this engagement will be to increase the quantity and quality of leads from SEO (and other channels). We’ll want to establish a benchmark for demo requests/signups and then measure that against the performance of the engagement.”

Finally, I outline my action plan:

“To do this, I’ll help your team focus on sales enablement content that can help convince users to take that next step. This will also involve building out bottom-of-funnel traffic that can bring in qualified users who are in the market for your type of product.”

I also include a section that discusses the main opportunity behind the project.

What’s the ultimate value that’s going to come out of this engagement?

I’ll often structure it similarly to the goals listed above.

But it’s usually a more general overview of the project as a whole.

You can also have a section on KPIs.

I generally save specific KPIs for the actual onboarding meeting (once they’ve signed the proposal), but I’ll usually have a section in the proposal that looks like this:

So, there are no specific percentages tied to those KPIs, just what we’ll be prioritizing.

Detail Contract Terms (Make Them Fair to the Prospect)

Ahh, the contract terms.

The fun part.

I highly recommend working with a lawyer on this one.

Your contract terms will be pretty consistent across most proposals, but they should be fair to you and the prospect.

The lawyer can help you put terms in place that safeguard you and your business during any engagement.

As for the actual general terms, I recommend including:

The hard start date so both parties can prepare appropriately
The length of the engagement so clients know how much to budget for
The pricing terms and dates
If the contract is rolling, month to month, or a fixed date project
The flexibility of the contract, meaning if clients are locked in or able to cancel at any time

Once you have that set, all you need now is a signature.

Then, you’re basically ready to get started with your client.

Bonus Tips to Keep in Mind When Selling SEO Services

Are you tired of hearing me talk yet?

I hope not.

I have some bonus tips that will help you refine your selling approach and close more leads.

Master the Follow-Up

My personal motto is simple:

Keep following up until you get a response.

Why?

Most leads won’t respond on the first try. Or the second. Or even the third.

So, reach out to prospects once a week to see where they are in the process.

This is where your CRM becomes your best friend.

It helps you:

Track when you last reached out
Set follow-up reminders
Note any previous interactions
Monitor prospect engagement

But here’s the catch:

This aggressive follow-up strategy works best with warm prospects.

Cold prospects? Not so much.

I won’t tell you to annoy your prospects.

But don’t be shy, either.

Use Traditional Sales Psychology

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m extremely grateful for that Sales 101 class I took in college.

I might’ve treated it as a joke in college, but that class has helped me drive thousands in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) just by using traditional sales techniques.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a schmoozer by any means whatsoever.

But psychologist Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasion work extremely well throughout this entire process:

Reciprocity

People feel compelled to return favors, which is why free audits work so well.

When someone gives us something, we instinctively want to reciprocate.

Not in a manipulative way but as a natural response to receiving something valuable.

This subtle tactic can help you turn prospects into clients.

Social Proof

Your reputation is one of your greatest sales tools.

People want reassurance that they’re making the right choice—especially for something as important as SEO.

You can pitch yourself all you want, but if you don’t have any proof of results, why should they believe you?

The more people who vouch for you, the more people will trust you.

This could be:

Case studies
Brands you’ve worked with
Testimonials

Whatever it is, let your existing/previous clients be your most vocal supporters.

Authority

Establishing authority is huge for building trust.

When people see you as an authority in your field, they’re more likely to trust what you have to say.

You can:

Post content specific to your ICP on LinkedIn
Write for highly authoritative websites
Collab with well-known industry leaders
Be a guest on or host webinars or podcasts

This establishes your expertise and authority in your field.

With that positioning, people already have a sense of trust in me before we even meet on a call.

It also makes prospects more excited to work with me.

My professional reputation adds a perceived value to my services.

As a result, prospects aren’t as likely to question my prices since they know the value my work delivers.

People don’t want to work with the smooth-talking ‘SEO expert’ who promises the world but doesn’t deliver.

They want a partner or team member they can relate to and trust.

Someone who’s passionate about what they do, genuinely invested in helping them, and overall seems like a fun person to work with.

That’s why I’ve been so focused on demonstrating value over selling.

Focus on being seen as a partner, not just another vendor.

Further reading: Guest Blogging: The Definitive Guide

Scarcity

Scarcity works surprisingly well.

People get FOMO.

It’s a common human experience.

As a solo consultant, I’m not interested in scaling to take on unlimited client profiles.

I want a small batch of handpicked SEO clients who are invested in working with me.

Usually, this comes out to five to 10 monthly clients based on the scope of services.

If I stretch myself too thin, I can’t give every client the attention they deserve.

So, if I have multiple prospects who are interested in that last position, my availability becomes scarce.

And as my scarcity increases, pricing can follow.

That’s not to say you should have leads fight over that last spot.

But it is something to mention to your prospects, as it can make you seem like a more desirable candidate.

Keep Leads Interested

While each hard-set date will help keep prospects interested, they can still get distracted.

Other agencies may poach them, they can get pulled in new directions, or their schedule may become too tight.

Even the slightest hesitation can derail your efforts.

So, beyond moving them throughout the sales process, you can keep them interested in a few ways.

Post Client Wins on LinkedIn

Case studies work.

We know this.

But it’s another thing to put it out there for everyone to see–especially when you can use it as an opportunity to explain that case study in detail.

It also makes you way more desirable, so it might even trigger FOMO for them if they feel like others might reach out to you because of that case study.

LinkedIn – Taylor Scher – Case studies work

Even from one case study post, I had three to four qualified leads reach out.

Provide a Reference from a Previous Client

This shows a huge amount of transparency that is surprisingly rare.

LinkedIn – Taylor Scher – Recommendations

Even before they ask, offer them a client referral from a similar industry.

Focus on the Relationship, Not the Sale

People buy from individuals they trust, not just from salespeople.

Especially in the early stages, when a prospect can easily move on to another offering, you can keep yourself memorable by focusing on developing a relationship.

Be likable.

Be funny.

Be authentic.

Be personal.

Go beyond just being seen as an SEO provider.

Treat every prospect as an opportunity to develop valuable relationships, not generate sales.

And even if the lead falls through, that relationship still has value.

It can lead to future opportunities like a referral or a personal connection request.

Even if that lead doesn’t work out, it’s still an opportunity to expand your network for future opportunities.

Sell SEO Services Like a Pro

Selling in SEO is just a matter of delivering early value to your prospect.

I’m not even a salesperson.

I’m just an SEO who had to force myself to learn sales.

And honestly, if I can do it, you can do it, too.

Learn how to translate the value of your work into a language your prospects understand.

Now that you know how to sell SEO services, you can start landing clients more consistently.

But first, make sure you have the right tools to deliver the results your clients deserve.

Check out our article on the best SEO agency tools on the market.

Including some free options you can use today.

The post How to Sell SEO Services in 5 Steps<br>+ Expert Tips & Templates appeared first on Backlinko.

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SEO automation: Tools and tips for SEO success

January 30, 2025/0 Comments/in Web Design News, Yoast SEO/by

SEO is like a never-ending story. There are always things to do. And these things need your undivided attention, from keyword research to content audits and performance reporting. Many of these are repetitive, recurring, and time-consuming. And that’s why you need SEO automation.

What is SEO automation?

By automating SEO, you use tools and software to do the repetitive optimization tasks for you. These tools don’t eliminate the need for a person to be involved, but they can do the heavy lifting. These tasks often contain data-heavy and time-consuming work.

Think of all the manual work you must do to run an SEO campaign. You have to crawl your website for technical errors, do keyword research, track how your ranking develops, and generate insightful reports — important work but tedious. SEO automation tools take these tasks and do them for you. These tools work faster and more accurately than you do. As a result, you can focus on the fun stuff — the creative and strategic work.

For example, you could manually try to find broken links on your site, but that would take forever. An automated tool can do that in minutes and provide a nice report. For your content, keyword research tools can generate a list of terms to target in just a few minutes. You’ll even get search volume data and information about the level of competition.

The benefits of SEO automation

Automating your SEO has many advantages. Handing over repetitive tasks can save you a lot of time, leaving you with more time to work on your strategy and content. Automation is also more accurate in handling data, which leads to fewer errors and, thus, more dependable data. SEO automation streamlines your work and allows you to scale quickly once your site grows.

Tasks you can automate right now

Today, most SEO automation tools are designed to handle specific tasks. We’ll list the most common tasks you can automate.

Keyword research

Keyword research is the foundation of SEO. It is also very time-consuming to do manually. You’re looking at search volumes, competition, relevancy, and more, and you’ll have to make deductions from that. It’s not weird that almost everyone uses keyword research tools such as Semrush and Wincher to do the hard work.

Keyword research tools can automatically:

Generate lists with relevant keywords for your topic or niche.
Give essential supporting data such as search volume and difficulty.
Suggest related keywords that you can use to build up your.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you run a gardening blog. Keyword research tools like Semrush can identify not only popular keywords like “best gardening tools” but also related terms such as “gardening tool maintenance” or “best hoes for gardening in specific conditions.” These insights allow you to build content clusters that improve your site’s authority.

Content optimization

Content optimization is another field in which SEO automation comes in. For instance, Yoast SEO can analyze your content to make sure it is properly optimized for search engines. An SEO tool like this gives feedback on:

How you use keywords in your content and suggest improvements to make.
How readable is your content, and are your sentences too complex?
Where and how you can add relevant links to other content on your site.
Improvements to make to your meta descriptions and titles (with AI in Yoast SEO’s case)

Yoast SEO is a very popular plugin for WordPress and Shopify. It helps you optimize each post or page on your site to make it user-friendly, search-engine-friendly, and, of course, make that process as easy as possible.

Website audits

Automatically auditing your website regularly is also a popular form of SEO automation. Such an audit can help you catch issues that might influence your site’s performance. These can include:

Broken links.
Slow loading speeds.
Missing meta tags.
Duplicate content.

Tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb can perform these audits automatically. These tools even let you schedule recurring audits, so you’re always updated on your site’s health. In addition, the tools provide actionable reports that highlight what needs fixing.

Rank tracking

There are many ways to gauge your site’s performance; one of the most important is to check its rankings. However, tracking your rankings manually is a lot of work. Luckily, rank-tracking tools such as Wincher, Semrush, and Ahrefs make this incredibly easy. These tools automate this process and provide you with regular updates on your keyword positions.

Among the things these tools can track are:

Changes in your rankings over time.
The performance of specific target keywords.
Competitor rankings for similar keywords.

You get all kinds of reporting for your rankings. Plus, with the built-in alerting systems, you are always on top of things without constantly monitoring them.

SEO reporting

Another part of your SEO work that can be automated is reporting. Building custom reports is grueling work that can take hours of precious time. Luckily, tools like Looker Studio can combine data from different sources, such as Google Analytics, Search Console, Semrush, and others, to build custom dashboards that update automatically.

With proper SEO automation tools, you can create reusable templates for your reports, so you have something predefined to start from. These can also be generated automatically at scheduled times to save you even more time.

How to get started with SEO automation

At one point, you will be ready to start automating your SEO workflow. But where do you start?

Find the tasks you need to automate

Think about your work and find the tasks that take the most time or recur most often. Such tasks are often the best options to automate. For example, if you spend much of your time on reporting, that would be a good option.

Choose the right tools

Not all tools are created equal, so choose one that does what you want them to do. Here are some options, but there are many others.

Yoast SEO: Optimizes on-page SEO and provides content suggestions.
Semrush: Offers keyword research, content outlines, and optimization
Google Search Console: Tracks performance and identifies site issues.
Screaming Frog: Conducts in-depth site audits.
Looker Studio: Automates reporting by integrating with Google Analytics and other data sources.

Start small

Diving head-first into SEO automation might be exciting, but it will probably not end well. Please start small. Pick a couple of time-consuming tasks and see how you can make them more manageable and insightful. Once you see what works and what doesn’t, build from there.

Final thoughts on automating your SEO

SEO automation is a handy way to save time, improve data accuracy, and scale your work. We’re not looking to replace people but rather support them in their jobs. Tools can do many tasks, from keyword research to audits and data analysis. This leaves you more time for your high-impact work!

Start small and experiment with a range of tools. You’ll find what works and what doesn’t, which will help you fine-tune your process. Ultimately, you want SEO automation to help you work smarter, not harder.

The post SEO automation: Tools and tips for SEO success appeared first on Yoast.

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Technical SEO: Don’t rush the process

January 28, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

In an era where efficiency is key, many businesses question the time and resources spent on technical SEO audits.

However, cutting corners in this critical area can lead to incomplete insights and missed opportunities.

Let’s dive into why technical SEO deserves a firm investment in both human effort and time, starting with the often-overlooked challenge of crawl time.

Crawl time: The primary hindrance

Reducing human resource time in your SEO or digital marketing department by cutting technical SEO may be unwise.

Why?

The primary factor behind the time taken for audits is crawl time.

With today’s complex web architectures, this is inevitable.

Ecommerce websites, in particular, have rapidly expanding footprints with countless product and blog pages.

Each product often includes multiple images, increasing the number of on-site addresses exponentially.

Employers and clients frequently ask:

“Why do these audits take so long? Can’t you just focus on the top issues and save time?”

The answer is both “yes” and “no.”

While focusing on top issues can slightly reduce the time spent on commentary and data visualization, most of the time taken in technical SEO audits is crawl time.

The impact on overall audit accuracy remains negligible because the crawl itself – rather than data analysis – dominates the timeline.

While some argue crawl time is machine time and should not affect human effort, this is only partially true.

Dig deeper: 7 tips for delivering high-impact technical SEO audits

Platforms like Semrush or Ahrefs can streamline crawling if properly set up, monitored, and funded to handle all web properties continuously.

However, exporting, pivoting, and analyzing data still require significant manual effort.

Technical SEO experts can rarely rely on platform-generated reports without further refinement.

For instance, most SEO crawlers struggle with identifying true duplicate content.

Often, what is flagged as duplicate turns out to be parameter URLs, which Google ignores for indexing.

Similarly, failed canonical tag implementations can falsely appear as duplicate content.

Using tools like Screaming Frog adds another layer of complexity.

While highly cost-effective and powerful, it outputs raw spreadsheets requiring manual analysis. Its issues tab is rarely accurate without further data filtering.

As a client-side tool, Screaming Frog also requires the user’s machine to remain active during crawls.

If employees are using personal machines, they may be reluctant to leave them running overnight without proper compensation.

Additionally, the tool does not automatically adjust crawl rates, necessitating human supervision to avoid unintentional DDoS-like behavior.

While crawl time is primarily machine-driven, human oversight and intervention are often required.

Assuming that reducing crawl time will significantly shorten technical SEO audits can lead to inaccurate results and neglected insights.

Dig deeper: Top 6 technical SEO action items for 2025

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HTML tag mutuality

HTML tag mutuality, particularly with hreflang tags, demonstrates why reducing crawl time is inadvisable if you want accurate technical SEO insights.

As SEO has evolved, mutually dependent HTML tags, like hreflang tags, have become increasingly common.

Hreflang tags define relationships between pages in different languages and must always be reciprocal.

If one page links to another with a hreflang tag, but the destination URL does not return the same tag, the relationship is invalid and ignored by Google.

Even non-mutual tags, such as canonical tags, often reference external addresses that also need to be crawled.

Crawling only one section of a site (e.g., one language variant) leaves you unable to verify whether hreflang tags point back as required.

This can result in unflagged errors that are critical for site performance but remain undetected due to partial crawl data.

Similarly, canonical tags, though not requiring mutuality, can also pose challenges.

If a canonical tag points to a page outside your crawl sample, you cannot confirm whether it references a valid address.

Here is a diagram of how canonical tags and hreflang tags should interface:

These issues illustrate how incomplete crawl data can hinder a thorough technical SEO audit.

Partial data forces you to rely on assumptions rather than concrete evidence, making it unwise to reduce crawl time to expedite audits.

Dig deeper: 4 of the best technical SEO tools

Links and redirects

Producing accurate crawl data has required significant effort since the early days of the web, long before HTML tag mutuality became common.

Pages have always linked to others using the <A> tag.

If your crawl sample includes links pointing to addresses outside of it, you cannot verify whether those links function correctly without crawling the destination pages.

Some cloud crawling platforms address this by checking the status codes of external or redirected pages without analyzing their full HTML.

While this can help in certain cases, it often defers deeper issues that remain unexamined.

Redirects present similar challenges.

If a page in your crawl sample points to a destination outside it, you cannot fully analyze the redirect chain.

This can lead to inaccurate redirect-shrinking recommendations, potentially causing significant problems for the site.

Dig deeper: How to prioritize technical SEO tasks

Be careful when reducing technical SEO time

There is no substitute for investing the necessary time in technical SEO.

While incomplete crawl samples or unattended crawls might seem like a way to reduce audit production time, they often create more issues than they solve.

Cutting corners can lead to overlooked problems, so it’s crucial to give your audits – and the experts conducting them – the time they require.

This doesn’t even account for the manual checks SEO professionals perform in addition to crawling, data handling, formatting, and analysis.

These combined efforts make it clear that the time spent on technical SEO is justified.

Avoid excessive pruning or shortcuts in this discipline.

If you must work with partial crawl data, ensure at least 70% crawl completion – 50% at an absolute minimum.

Anything less risks compromising the accuracy of your audit.

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The top 5 strategic SEO mistakes enterprises make (and how to avoid them)

January 28, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

Enterprise SEO comes with unique challenges: massive websites, coordination across departments, and the need for a strategic vision.

Without careful planning, common SEO mistakes can lead to wasted resources and underperformance in the search results.

This article explores some of the top strategic mistakes enterprises make with SEO and, more importantly, how to avoid them.

1. Failing to secure the ‘right’ buy-in for SEO initiatives

When you get buy-in from the right people in your organization, you can rest assured the SEO program will have more resources and prioritization.

This is not just about the CMO seeing the value in SEO, either. SEO must be seen as a strategic business initiative all the way to the top.

Case in point: An enterprise client of my SEO agency knew that their SEO program would only be successful if every department with a stake in the website’s success were on board.

The company chairman called a meeting to discuss the value of SEO.

This is not common but was necessary for this project. Every key team got behind the SEO program, and the company experienced massive results.

So, what are some of the common challenges when securing buy-in? One of the biggest is a lack of understanding of SEO’s value.

The C-suite is working hard on their own initiatives and areas of expertise. They may not fully grasp how SEO contributes to business growth and revenue.

This is where you come in.

Show them the data, like how people are searching for the things your organization provides.
Explain to them how SEO supports the customer journey in many different ways.
Demonstrate how SEO can support company goals.
Illustrate how SEO drives revenue and its long-term ROI compared to initiatives like digital advertising.
Address common misconceptions about SEO as a non-essential or supplementary activity.
Pilot a small project or address the “quick wins” and give tangible results.
Propose an SEO plan that can be executed with current resources, but that could be scaled later.
Assign an SEO champion within each department to advocate for best practices and drive implementation across teams.

Having SEO conversations can be an eye-opener for leadership. And it may be just the thing they need to take notice of SEO as an essential marketing program.

Once you get buy-in from the right groups, you can break down those business silos that can slow progress in an enterprise organization.

Dig deeper: How to convince leadership why they can’t ignore SEO

2. Underinvesting in SEO continuing education or training

Continuing education is one of the most powerful tools in your SEO team’s toolbelt.

It can:

Help your team stay proactive, not reactive, in the ever-changing world of SEO.
Facilitate better collaboration between internal teams and external SEO vendors.
Empower your team to innovate and test new strategies.

Any good SEO professional or team will naturally want to stay up-to-date with what’s happening in the SEO world. It’s a requirement to succeed.

But the question is, how are you supporting them in their continuing education?

Make time

Ensure that employees are allowed the time for continuing education, not just working on projects.

For employees, this means not trying to cram learning in after hours but as a part of their regular work week without feeling stressed about it.

Give support

What educational opportunities resonate with your SEO professional or team?

Give them the freedom to choose and the budget to buy. This includes virtual and in-person events, professional memberships and materials.

Foster knowledge sharing

Since you’re working on making SEO a strategic business initiative, all stakeholders will benefit from learning about SEO.

Invest in SEO training for other teams beyond marketing, for example, the C-suite or IT, to create a baseline knowledge of SEO at the company.

Host internal workshops regularly to share insights and updates about SEO, too.

Test what’s been learned

Encourage your team to test what they learn through small-scale experiments or pilot projects.

Dig deeper: 5 questions to evaluate any SEO training course

3. Ineffective hiring and onboarding of an SEO agency

When companies are ready to partner with SEO agencies, they must hire and onboard effectively for the best chance at a productive partnership.

Missteps here can lead to misaligned goals, wasted resources and subpar performance. So what to do?

When hiring an SEO agency, be sure to:

Properly vet the agency.
Evaluate the agency’s company ethics and level of expertise.
Figure out if the services offered are actually what you require to succeed.
Make sure the agency’s processes mesh well with your company culture.
Watch out for any red flags that signal a poor-quality agency.

The onboarding process is just as important as the hiring process. Here are some important things to consider as you forge a new partnership with an SEO agency:

Make sure they know your business: Share detailed insights into your company’s history, products, services and market positioning.
Define roles and responsibilities: Clearly outline the tasks and expectations for both your team and the agency.
Establish regular communication channels: Set up consistent meetings and reporting to keep things aligned.
Set realistic expectations: Agree on achievable timelines and outcomes.

Dig deeper: How to hire an SEO agency: The definitive guide

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4. Overlooking the value of maintaining high-quality content

Enterprise companies usually need volumes of content for their SEO programs to compete in the search results.

With the sometimes overwhelming amount of content needed, it can be easy to lose sight of quality while trying to hit targets.

With multiple teams and departments contributing content, enterprises also struggle with inconsistency in quality, tone and SEO best practices.

Here are some tips for high-quality enterprise SEO content:

Establish centralized guidelines and quality control

Managing content at the enterprise level requires consistency and collaboration:

Create a centralized content quality framework for all departments. Include standards for tone, formatting, SEO best practices and E-E-A-T.
Provide cross-departmental training to establish a baseline understanding of SEO principles for all contributors.
Consider a dedicated quality control person in each department to review and approve all content before publication.

Prioritize search intent

Focus on creating content that addresses the needs of your target audience first. Decide how you will maintain this quality while scaling content as needed.

Meeting search intent will result in higher engagement and better rankings than producing high volumes of generic content.

Use tools to monitor and optimize performance

Use analytics to measure content performance and identify gaps. Regularly refresh top-performing, outdated or underperforming content to maintain relevance and effectiveness.

I recommend spending 50% of the time refreshing older content.

Ensure AI-generated content meets quality standards

While AI tools can be valuable for scaling production, human oversight is key.

Have a system in place to uphold quality when using AI-generated content. Make sure it meets your brand’s standards and complies with Google’s quality guidelines.

Dig deeper: How to survive the search results when you’re using AI tools for content

5. Not prioritizing technical SEO

Enterprise websites can be massive, creating unique challenges for technical SEO. Unfortunately, these challenges compound at scale.

Even the best SEO strategies can fail if technical SEO isn’t handled well.

But technical SEO at the enterprise level isn’t just about fixing bugs; it’s about creating sustainable processes.

Prioritize processes and cross-departmental responsibilities

Enterprise websites need workflows for technical SEO issues. Start by creating clear systems that outline how to identify, prioritiz, and resolve issues.

Assign ownership to specific teams, such as IT or web development, to ensure a quick response when challenges arise.

Finally, educate teams about the importance of technical SEO and their responsibilities.

For example, content creators should structure new pages with proper tags and metadata, while developers should ensure site changes are vetted for SEO implications.

When all departments work together, technical SEO becomes a seamless part of the workflow.

Use automation and tools to manage complexity

With massive websites and multiple teams, automation and tools are helpful for enterprise SEO.

Here are some tips:

Centralize and align your toolset: As much as possible, streamline your SEO tools into a unified system that integrates with the platforms you use.
Focus on scalable tools: Invest in tools that can grow with your website’s needs.
Automate the repetition: Use automation for predictable, time-intensive technical SEO tasks.
Monitor, refine, repeat: Regularly audit tool performance and workflows to ensure tools are aligned with your SEO goals as they evolve.

Plan for long-term maintenance

As your website grows, so will its technical challenges. A proactive approach will sustain SEO performance:

Schedule technical audits before major initiatives.
Stay ahead of the curve by aligning site initiatives with emerging search engine changes.
Make sure SEO is built into any major update to a website.

Avoiding common SEO mistakes is the path to enterprise success

Success at the enterprise level is defined by adopting the right mindset and workflows. This means creating a culture that prioritizes SEO as a strategic initiative and embedding it into every department that has a stake in the website.

With a clear vision, a commitment to improvements and the right processes, your enterprise can stand out in the search results and achieve sustained search growth.

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Microsoft Performance Max testing LinkedIn targeting, measurement tools

January 27, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

Microsoft Ads: How it compares to Google Ads and tips for getting started

Microsoft Ads will soon roll out four major updates to Performance Max, significantly expanding your ability to target, measure, and optimize your campaigns.

These updates will give advertisers more granular control over their automated campaigns while introducing LinkedIn’s professional targeting data — a unique advantage over competing platforms.

What’s new. Here are the four new features:

LinkedIn integration. Advertisers in six major markets (U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, France, and Germany) will be able to tap into LinkedIn’s professional targeting data, including company, industry, and job function signals.
Reporting gets granular. Advertisers will be able to analyze performance by audience segments and track individual asset performance, providing clearer insights into what’s working.
Smart conversion tracking. New conversion value rules will let advertisers adjust values in real-time based on business-specific factors like location and device usage, making automated bidding more precise.
New customer focus. You will be able to enable specific targeting of new customers, with options to either increase bids for new customers or focus exclusively on acquiring them.

Why we care. Should these long awaited changes fully roll out, it should give you more precise control over automated campaigns while providing better measurement tools and access to professional audience data. For B2B marketers especially, the LinkedIn targeting integration across represents a significant competitive advantage with these new sophisticated audience targeting opportunities.

What’s next. These features are in pilot, suggesting Microsoft is gathering feedback before a broader rollout.

Bottom line. Microsoft is positioning Performance Max as a more sophisticated alternative to competing automated ad platforms by leveraging its unique access to LinkedIn’s professional network data.

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Ex-Hubspotters reveal 5 SEO insights about HubSpot’s traffic woes

January 27, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

HubSpot’s SEO collapse has been the talk of the SEO world for the last several days.

As a reminder, here’s a screenshot of HubSpot’s organic traffic drop, based on Semrush data:

Among the endless reactions and perspectives, two former HubSpot employees shared five good reminders about SEO strategy.

1. SEO takes time

Pruning content and focusing on E-E-A-T were among the many obvious remedies SEOs pointed out following the news of HubSpot’s apparent organic traffic decline.

Well, these aren’t simple tweaks for a brand the size of HubSpot. They’re massive undertakings, according to this LinkedIn post by Bianca Anderson, HubSpot’s former SEO strategist (who is now manager, organic growth for hims and hers):

“When HubSpot began optimizing for EEAT, it required overhauling processes in a way that significantly slowed the output of net-new content AND optimizations. Additionally, pruning a blog at HubSpot’s scale, with thousands of articles, is no small task and takes extensive effort to execute effectively (and SMARTLY).
“…fixing this kind of thing isn’t an overnight process. It’s not as simple as mass redirects. This type of work can take YEARS to properly execute.”

Dig deeper. How long SEO takes to work

2. Google’s algorithm is extremely volatile

This may feel like an obvious observation for many of you reading, but Anderson made an important point about how volatile Google’s algorithm has been lately:

“Algorithm updates over the past two years have been unprecedented in their volatility (I know we all know this, but just want to emphasize) — it’s been an onslaught. Major brands like HubSpot and WordStream, are feeling these changes deeply.”

Dig deeper. Google algorithm updates.

3. There is no shared definition of ‘content quality’

Google is not the sole arbiter of quality, according to this LinkedIn post by Braden Becker, former principal growth marketing manager at HubSpot (who is now the global SEO lead for Faire):

“I believe their quality standards are vastly more sophisticated than they were when I was working on the HubSpot Blog, and the company is surely paying a little for that. But just because Google makes a grand decision on a big website doesn’t mean the victim objectively deserved it.”

Becker highlighted another key point about quality:

“There’s a difference between ‘quality’ and ‘the most helpful answer’ to a given search term. I think Google consistently focuses on the latter, despite not always being clear about that.”

Dig deeper. Mastering content quality: The ultimate guide

4. SEO strategies must always evolve

SEO strategy is fluid, Becker said:

“You try to do what’s right for the business at the time. What worked, we kept doing. And what didn’t work, we stopped doing.”

Anderson added:

“From what I’ve seen, TOFU (top-of-funnel) non-ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) targeting content seems to be the most impacted. Is this partly the result of a wide-scale strategic de-prioritization? Maybe. I don’t know.
“What I do know is this: HubSpot has been actively working on this long before these traffic declines became more publicly known.”

Dig deeper. Evolving SEO for 2025: What needs to change

5. Traffic is not a leading metric of success

Traffic and revenue are not the same thing, as Anderson pointed out:

“Traffic is cool, but it should rarely be a leading metric of success (especially now). Conversions or other core KPIs that drive business matter far more.”

Dig deeper. SEO KPIs to track and measure SEO success

Bottom line. Peter Rota, senior technical SEO manager, HUB International, made several great points in this LinkedIn post. Of note:

We can only see a portion of what happened – we don’t have Google Analytics or Google Search Console data.
We don’t know how many of these keywords brought meaningful visitors.
We don’t know whether any of this lost traffic impacted their sales/revenue. We might get more insight Feb. 12 – that’s the date when HubSpot is expected to release its Q4 results.

Rota added:

“In SEO, you can literally do everything right, and one day, Google could be like know what, we’re changing things. No site is truly ‘white hat,’ and everyone thinks they’re doing amazing SEO until you get hit.
“We all have access to the same public data, but the reality is that the SEOs who are working/ worked at HubSpot only know the true story of what happened.
“So, stop giving advice, stop thinking you know better. They literally wrote the book on inbound marketing and have taught many of us SEO or we’ve learned something from them.”

More analysis. Leading international SEO expert Aleyda Solis wrote a good analysis of Hubspot’s (public) rankings and traffic data in Hubspot’s Blog Organic Search Traffic Drop: What happened? Is it really that bad? What does it mean for SEO?

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Top Google Ads recommendations you should always ignore, use, or evaluate

January 27, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

Google Ads recommendations often spark debate among advertisers.

While some are highly situational and require careful consideration, others can actively harm your account’s performance.

However, some recommendations offer valuable insights or significantly improve results when applied effectively.

This article explores the most common recommendations:

Those that should be ignored because they typically do more harm than good.
Those worth evaluating for the insights they provide.
Those that are almost always worth using to optimize your campaigns.

Recommendations I always ignore

Some recommendations are so poor that they are instant dismissals.

On rare occasions, one might be useful. However, spending hours looking through them all to find a single good one is a waste of time.

Optimize your budgets

Google is good at math. Their automated bidding generally works well. However, it seems they can’t do math regarding budgets.

Raising your budget by $46,200 per week to receive $35,600 more in conversion value is a quick way to go out of business.

After reviewing all 50 of these recommendations, I found that every single one would have caused a significant drop in ROAS or doubled the CPAs. In some cases, the CPAs were 10 times higher.

That’s why I always ignore budget recommendations.

Add broad match keywords

Broad match has its place, but only after carefully evaluating your account.

No one should blindly use this match type because it was a recommendation.

If your lost impression share budget is greater than 10%, and you primarily use exact and phrase match, adding broad match usually worsens your performance.

Your bid strategy dictates how well broad match will work for a campaign. You must evaluate your bid strategy before using broad match.

Choosing to use broad match is decided by performance, bid methods, and budget.

Your overall strategy will determine your choice to use or skip broad match, not an automated recommendation.

Dig deeper: Automated bidding in Google Ads: How to get the best results

Remove redundant keywords

At first glance, this seems like a good recommendation.

You have almost the same keyword multiple times, so removing the duplicates can make your account easier to manage.

However, removing these keywords causes Performance Max to trump your search campaigns.

Since search campaigns have higher conversion rates than PMax campaigns, this recommendation often results in fewer conversions.

This is another recommendation you can always ignore as it can only hurt your performance.

Dig deeper: Why advertisers should reassess Google Ads recommendations

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Always evaluate

Some Google Ads recommendations are always worthy of evaluation.

These are my favorite recommendations that cause me to examine the account in more detail.

Remove conflicting negative keywords

Keyword conflicts occur when one of your negative keywords is blocking one of your keywords from showing.

These are always worth fixing, though fixing doesn’t always mean removing the negative keyword. Sometimes, it involves pausing the keyword instead.

Unfortunately, Google doesn’t check negative keyword lists for conflicts.

In about 90% of accounts I review, lists older than five years contain at least one conflict, and sometimes even thousands.

Many people ignore this recommendation because they want to temporarily block a keyword or aren’t sure if they want to show for it or not.

However, these keywords can still receive impressions and clicks.

If the search term matches your keyword and the negative keyword isn’t in the search term, the keyword can still show an ad.

This means you are showing for keyword variations but not the keyword itself.

These should always be examined and action taken to pause the keyword or remove the negative keyword.

Make your headlines and description more unique

I don’t care about ad strength since lower ad strength ads often outperform higher ad strength ads. I also ignore the recommendation to add more headlines.

Fewer headlines reduce the potential combinations, increase the data for each ad combination, and often improve your CTR and conversion rates.

However, most of the RSA recommendations are useful.

Google Ads - Make your headlines and description more unique

The recommendation to make your headlines and descriptions more unique often means you:

Have too many headlines related to the keywords in the ad group.
Don’t have enough CTAs, USPs, or benefit statements in your ads.

Adding a variety of assets generally improves both CTR and conversion rates.

When you see the recommendation to make your headlines more unique, examine your headline assets.

Then, make the necessary adjustments to ensure you are using a variety of headlines and not just headlines related to your keywords.

If you get a recommendation to include popular keywords in your headlines but already have two or three headlines with keywords from your ad group, it may indicate your ad group has too many disparate keywords.

In this case, consider splitting your ad group into smaller ones.

Review your keywords and check if your headlines match them well. If some keywords aren’t well represented in the ad, move them to a new ad group with more relevant headlines.

Always use

Some recommendations are always worth using. These are usually related to missing keywords, ads, or extensions.

Add extensions to your ads

Accounts grow and change, and it’s easy to miss something.

Almost everyone wants to use the sitelink and callout ad assets.

When I see this recommendation, I generally add the appropriate ad extension.

There are some exceptions, such as a recommendation to add the call extension to an ecommerce account.

Most accounts want to use several extensions, so it’s worth examining when you see a missing extension recommendation.

Disapprovals

Ad extensions or ads that have been disapproved don’t show. It’s a good idea to examine your disapprovals and fix them so they can be displayed.

These are straightforward recommendations. View what is disapproved, fix it, and resubmit it for approval.

The best way to see your top recommendations

The repair category offers the most useful recommendations, but the card view makes it difficult to identify which campaigns or accounts need the most attention.

Switching to the table view provides a clearer, at-a-glance overview of all your campaigns or accounts.

The table view will show your campaign or account and the number of ad groups without ads, keywords, or other disapprovals.

The table is highly efficient, allowing you to spot issues, address them, and move on to the next campaign.

Among Google’s recommendations, the repair category is the most valuable to review regularly.

Decoding Google Ads recommendations for smarter ad management

Overall, Google Ads recommendations often have a poor reputation, as many seem designed to push advertisers to spend more or surrender control over their accounts.

This has led many advertisers to tune them out entirely.

However, hidden within these recommendations are valuable insights that can genuinely improve performance.

The next time you encounter a recommendation, don’t dismiss it outright.

Instead, evaluate it carefully to see how it could benefit your account.

Read more at Read More

9 Ecommerce Website Examples to Copy for Better Results

January 24, 2025/0 Comments/in Web Design News/by

Many ecommerce websites obsess over flashy designs and trendy layouts.

Big mistake.

Instead, you should focus on conversion-centered design.

That’s the blend of buyer psychology, user experience, and strategic design working together to turn visitors into customers.

Doing this can get you:

More sales
Higher average order values
Better conversion rates

Below, I’ve handpicked nine effective ecommerce website examples that follow a conversion-focused design. Use them as a blueprint to create your own online store that converts.

Crème de la Crème: Our Favorite Ecommerce Website Examples

Short on time to review every ecommerce website example on this list?

Focus on these three.

Study them. Use them as a template for your store. And watch your conversion rates improve.

1. Crutchfield

Crutchfield is a large electronics retailer specializing in audio, video, and car tech.

The company grew its business on expert product knowledge and top-tier customer service.

Their website stays true to this focus.

They have designed it with the customer experience in mind.

Despite offering thousands of products, the layout is clean, organized, and easy to navigate.

Take the homepage, for example.

It provides links only to popular products and categories.

By limiting the options to these key choices, it avoids overwhelming shoppers. (While also letting them dive deeper to find exactly what they need.)

Click one of these product category links, and you’ll find the pages are just as well-organized.

Take the “Smart Home” category, for example.

Easy-to-read text and clear images make sure you move through the site with ease.

The content is also easy to skim, which simplifies browsing and finding information.

Scroll down the page, and you’ll see options to search for products in different ways:

By use
By brand
By compatibility
By subcategory

This lets you shop in the way that works best for you.

You can either search for a specific product or browse through the available options.

Now, check out the navigation bar.

The mega menu is clear and simple, with dropdowns that guide you to the right section.

But what if you already know the specific product you’re looking for?

The intuitive search bar helps you with that.

It gives suggestions as you type—aka predictive text—to speed things up.

Once you’ve searched, narrowing the results is just as easy.

You can filter with options like:

Price
Features
Availability of virtual audio demo

Select the filters you want, and voilà, you customize your search results.

And you know what that means:

The quicker you can find a product, the more likely you are to buy.

Now, let’s look at the product pages.

They’re a perfect mix of SEO and user experience (UX).

For example, breadcrumbs show exactly where you are on the site and make it easy to go back a step.

And the product names and descriptions are also clear and easy to understand. They even include target keywords to help with search rankings. A nice touch.

What’s more, the reviews and testimonials are right where you can see them.

These help build credibility as you read more about the product.

Then, to make it easier for potential customers to click the buy button, Crutchfield uses “anxiety reducers” in strategic locations.

For example, near the “add to cart” button, microcopy highlights benefits such as:

Free lifetime tech support
60-day price-drop protection
60-day returns

Smart move. Why?

Asking someone to take action, like adding to cart, can trigger hesitation.

These anxiety reducers help ease buyer concerns and make the next step feel safer.

But what really sets Crutchfield’s website apart is how clear their focus on customer service is.

(After all, that’s their brand differentiator.)

On every page, they make it clear how quickly you can reach them.

First, their phone number is always visible at the top of every page.

And no matter where you are—homepage, category page, or product page—they always feature tech experts.

This reassures shoppers that a real, knowledgeable human is always ready to help.

These elements build trust in their business while making the shopping experience stress-free.

That’s why they top my list of ecommerce sites with conversion-focused designs.

How Crutchfield Looks on Mobile

Crutchfield’s mobile site is just as user-friendly as the desktop version. It ticks all the big mobile SEO boxes.

Pages load fast, and the search and filter options are clear, simple, and easy to tap.

All the trust signals are still there, too.

And here’s a superb touch:

The PayPal “Buy now” button gets prime placement on mobile, unlike the desktop version.

(While we obviously don’t know for sure, the team likely tested this and found it boosted mobile sales.)

Takeaways

Prioritize user experience: Focus on customer needs to help boost conversions and SEO.
Make your value proposition obvious: What makes your store and products different? Make sure visitors see that on every page.
Design product pages for people AND search engines: They should load fast, give clear details, and guide shoppers to buy.

Further reading: SEO Behavioral Factors: How User Actions Impact Rankings

2. Bang & Olufsen (B&O)

Bang & Olufsen is a global leader in luxury audio and visual technology.

They’re known for sleek design features, cutting-edge sound, and refined Scandinavian craftsmanship.

Their website matches their brand, as the minimalist design oozes elegance.

Plus, the generous white space makes each product look like a museum piece.

The clean layout and modern font (Beosupremen) complete the Scandinavian aesthetic.

Browsing the site feels less like online shopping and more like exploring an art exhibit.

Now, check out the product pages.

It feels like something out of a premium lifestyle magazine.

High-resolution images capture your attention immediately.

Plus, the detailed, well-crafted descriptions speak to reason AND emotion.

The best part?

B&O have managed to do all this while optimizing for SEO.

For example, their product pages use keywords in the H1 tag instead of just the product name.

(In this case, “portable speaker.”)

They also use the keyword naturally throughout the page a few times.

Side note: H1 tags are the main headings on a webpage. Adding target keywords here can boost your SEO and make the page’s purpose clear to visitors.

And there’s more:

Bang & Olufsen’s website does a great job of linking online browsing with in-store visits.

Their homepage displays a call to action encouraging shoppers to “Experience in store.”

The same CTA copy also appears on product pages reinforcing B&O’s physical presence.

And here’s why that matters:

It shows they’re more than an online retailer.

This adds credibility and sophistication to the brand. It also helps boost buyers’ confidence in the brand’s legitimacy.

How Bang & Olufsen Looks on Mobile

Bang & Olufsen’s mobile site keeps the same luxury vibe.

The minimalist design stays the same, with clean layouts and space for products to stand out.

The high-quality images load quickly and look stunning.

Navigation is just as smooth.

The large, clear buttons are easy to tap, and everything responds quickly to your touch.

All this comes together to create the premium, elegant feel you’d expect from B&O.

Takeaways

Speak luxury through subtlety: Skip the loud banners and hard-sell tactics. They create a salesy feel that cheapens a premium brand.
Balance image quality with page speed: Showcase your products with high-quality images. Also compress them so they load fast and stop visitors from bouncing.
Create a seamless shopping experience: Link your website to your offline stores. This makes everything feel more cohesive.

3. Misen

Misen sells high-quality cookware for home chefs and hobby cooks.

They transform everyday kitchen tools into aspirational must-haves.

Their website fully reflects this goal.

Bold typography and bright colors grab your attention.

And the compelling copy inspires you to level up your cooking skills.

What sets Misen’s website apart?

It speaks to four distinct decision-making styles.

Just look at their product pages to see this at work.

First, Misen wins over methodical buyers with:

Detailed specs
Material breakdowns
Clear explanations

This gives these logic-driven shoppers the data to make a confident purchase.

For emotion-driven buyers, Misen uses vivid images and GIFs, like the knife slicing through a grape.

These visual elements spark desire and help you imagine using the product yourself.

To attract competitive buyers, Misen uses bestseller badges and review counts.

These elements trigger FOMO and appeal to the desire to choose the best product.

Finally, for practical buyers, Misen features close-up shots of knives in action.

You’ll see hands gripping tools, before-and-after cooking shots, and precise cuts.

This gives practical buyers proof that the product delivers on its promises.

So go visit Misen’s product pages.

Study them. Copy what works. And your conversions will thank you.

How Misen Looks on Mobile

Misen’s mobile site proves that rich content and video can work on smaller screens.

They also embrace long copy, pairing text and visuals with precision.

Images appear right where they’re needed, making browsing smooth and intuitive.

But that’s not all.

Social proof, like user-generated content (UGC), appears at just the right moments to nudge shoppers to buy.

Misen’s mobile pages make it clear:

Premium design and performance can work perfectly even on smaller screens.

Takeaways

Design for different buyer mindsets: Show your product working in multiple ways to appeal to different buyer types.
Make images tell stories: Skip stock images and basic product photos. Show your products in action to evoke curiosity and desire.
Keep mobile fast but premium: Compress images to load high-res product shots and videos quickly. This keeps the premium feel while boosting performance.

Top tip: Want to know if images are slowing down your site? Run Semrush’s Site Audit. It flags issues like uncompressed images and slow-loading pages. Fixing these can help keep your site fast.

Note: A free Semrush account lets you audit up to 100 URLs. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription.

Large Ecommerce Website Examples

Large ecommerce sites face a big challenge:

Managing thousands of products while staying fast and user-friendly.

The best sites drive conversions by focusing on key elements like:

Fast load times
Simple navigation
Streamlined checkout processes

These elements aren’t optional. They directly impact conversions, user experience, and customer satisfaction.

4. Sephora

Sephora is a global beauty retailer with a wide selection of products.

The website feels like browsing a sleek, organized beauty aisle (without the crowds).

One of Sephora’s smartest conversion plays is “Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS).”

It’s a way to reduce cart abandonment, and Sephora makes it impossible to miss.

But that’s just the start of their user-friendly design.

Their intuitive navigation menu makes browsing simple.

The menu dropdown appears instantly when you hover, and categories are easy to find.

Bold fonts highlight main categories, while subcategories use lighter fonts.

This makes scanning super easy, so you can easily find what you’re looking for in the mega menu.

The category pages keep this same attention to detail.

Popular filters like “Vegan” and “Clean” sit right at the top, making it easy to sort by preference.

The site also uses faceted navigation. This lets shoppers filter results based on specific criteria, like price or brand.

It’s especially helpful for large ecommerce sites with extensive product catalogs.

Now, let’s look at Sephora’s product pages.

Key product details like price, availability, and shipping info are clearly displayed.

This gives potential customers the details they need to make a confident purchase decision.

The product photos do some heavy lifting, too.

First, Sephora uses unedited images to show real results.

It also includes influencer videos that show real people using the product.

Then, there are photos with ingredient callouts that highlight key benefits.

As you can see, everything about Sephora’s product pages encourages action:

Clear product details help visitors understand the value
Social proof like unedited photos and videos builds trust in the products

These elements work together to make it easy for visitors to take the next step and buy.

Side note: Images can have a huge impact on conversions. But don’t rely on standard shots. Mix in other types of visuals, such as influencer content and action shots, to bring the product to life. And make sure to pair them with conversion-focused copy that drives home the product’s benefits.

How Sephora Looks on Mobile

The mobile experience on Sephora is just as user-friendly.

But you’ll notice one big difference from many ecommerce site designs:

The hamburger menu is missing.

Instead, Sephora uses a scrollable text-based menu at the top.

And a bottom navigation bar that pops up when tapped.

This design isn’t typical, but it reflects Sephora’s customer-first approach.

How so?

Their customer research has shown that the hamburger menu was causing friction. So they removed it.

This move paid off.

According to Andrew Birgiolas, UX Lead at Sephora:

“We (also) discovered that a bottom navigation helps users quickly orient themselves in the app and allows them to multitask.

The changes we made were good for our users—and for our business. We saw immediate improvements in app engagement, satisfaction, and perception of speed, which ultimately led to increases in conversion and revenue that surpassed our expectations.”

Takeaways

Bridge online business and in-store shopping: If you offer in-store pickup, make it impossible to miss. Don’t bury it in the checkout process.
Simplify navigation: Use scrollable menus with clear, readable labels that guide customers naturally.
Make data-driven decisions: Ask your customers what they like and don’t like about your site and make changes based on these insights. And use tools like heatmaps to find out what elements of your site are acting as stumbling blocks.

5. RevZilla

RevZilla is a shop for motorcycle enthusiasts.

They offer a range of products from riding gear to bike parts.

A big part of their conversion strategy?

Building a community.

Their “Riders Preferred Membership (RPM)” offers members exclusive perks and benefits.

The moment you land on the site, it’s clear that members get special treatment.

This taps into a powerful psychological driver: the need to belong.

But RevZilla’s strategy goes beyond community.

The site is also filled with customer-centric features that speed up the buying process.

Just look at the header.

You’ll find a search bar and the “SHOP YOUR RIDE” button.

The search bar supports average users just browsing the site. These are the shoppers casually exploring options or researching gear.

But “SHOP YOUR RIDE?”

It’s for riders who know what they’re looking for and want to find products fast.

Just enter your bike’s make, model, and year…

…and the search results instantly filter into products that fit your ride.

How about that for search personalization?

RevZilla also uses dynamic personalization.

It detects the customer’s location and updates shipping details automatically.

It’s a small touch, but it makes customers feel seen.

And the customer-focused design elements don’t stop there.

Check out their “Find Your Perfect Helmet” tool:

It’s an interactive product quiz that asks simple questions to match users with the right helmet.

This interactive element boosts engagement.

It also reduces decision fatigue, making it easier for customers to buy.

This is exactly the kind of thoughtful design that makes shoppers feel like the entire site was built just for them.

How RevZilla Looks on Mobile

RevZilla’s mobile site is perfectly adapted for mobile users.

The sticky header keeps essential navigation tools within reach at all times.

This includes the search bar and the “SHOP YOUR RIDE” feature.

Navigation on mobile is also smooth and responsive.

Filters, buttons, and dropdowns are perfectly sized for touch, and navigation paths are simple and clear.

The checkout process is just as thoughtful. It’s designed for speed and simplicity.

There are also progress indicators that show you where you are in the process. And form fields are kept to a minimum.

Plus, RevZilla offers guest checkout, which is a way to reduce cart abandonment.

Takeaways

Build a community, not just a customer base: When customers feel seen, heard, and valued, they’re more likely to stick around and spend more.
Personalize the shopping experience: The more personalized the experience, the more engaged users become—and engaged users convert. Could your ecommerce website emulate the “Shop Your Ride” feature?
Optimize the checkout process: Guest checkout, clear next steps, and fewer form fields remove friction. This makes it easier for users to complete their purchases.

Luxury Ecommerce Websites

Luxury ecommerce sites need to radiate sophistication and exclusivity on screen.

Not an easy task.

So, how do they create that kind of experience?

With:

High-quality visuals that capture the product’s exclusivity
Minimalist layouts that create a refined and polished aesthetic
Curated design elements that reflect the brand’s elegance

But here’s the real challenge:

How do they exude elegance without slowing the site down?

And if that’s not tricky enough, they also have to nudge customers toward a purchase.

In a subtle way, of course.

6. Tiffany & Co.

World-renowned luxury jewelry store, Tiffany & Co. transforms online shopping into a refined experience.

The site carries the same aura of exclusivity as stepping into one of their flagship stores.

The moment you land on the site, you’re unmistakably in Tiffany’s world.

The iconic Tiffany blue frames every page. And you can feel the elegance in every detail.

The typography is subtle and unobtrusive.

(Just like a butler. Always present but never in the way.)

Then, there are the visuals.

High-resolution images take center stage, showcasing the craftsmanship of each product.

Even the mega menu exudes refinement.

Generous white space, carefully chosen fonts, and a clean layout come together to create a truly luxurious feel.

And here’s something that goes against typical ecommerce best practices:

You won’t find star ratings, review snippets, or social proof bars anywhere on the site.

What’s more, the luxury feel goes beyond design choices.

Tiffany & Co. doesn’t rush you into a purchase.

Instead, they make it clear that a slower, more personal shopping experience is an option if you want it.

For example, they offer virtual consultations with jewelry specialists.

This helps customers make better decisions through one-on-one advice.

Then, for diamond purchases, experts are readily available for personalized guidance.

And for customers who want to see and feel the pieces in person, they can easily book in-store appointments.

Yes, these paths to purchase may take longer.

But they make the target audience feel seen and valued.

After all, when you’re spending thousands on jewelry, the experience matters as much as the product.

How Tiffany & Co. Looks on Mobile

The mobile experience keeps Tiffany & Co’s signature elegance intact.

A standout feature is the “Mobile Virtual Try-On” tool.

It uses augmented reality (AR) to let customers see how jewelry looks on them using their phone’s camera.

This feature reduces purchase anxiety and gives customers the confidence to move forward.

Takeaways

Make your site look the part: Prioritize minimalist design, lots of white space, and uncluttered layouts.
Skip the hard sell: People don’t generally buy luxury items on impulse. Embrace a slow, thoughtful approach and do away with urgency tactics.
Break best practices if they don’t fit your brand: Skip review stars and ratings if they feel off-brand. But make sure you replace them with stronger conversion triggers like brand authority. Or, say, Anya Taylor-Joy’s face on your homepage.

7. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is one of the most iconic and recognized names in fashion.

Its website carries the same confidence and authority that only a legacy brand can.

The colors are rich and striking.

And the oversized product images command attention.

Then, there’s the iconic LV monogram which signals status and quality.

Head to one of their product page, and you’ll see something unique.

The first image is often a lifestyle shot.

It’s like seeing the product on the runway which helps reinforce the brand’s aspirational nature.

Next, check out the unique navigation menu.

Click the hamburger icon, and a list of product categories slides in.

Click one of the product categories and a subcategory appears.

Choose one and click. And yet, another subcategory slides in.

Louis Vuitton – Menu – Woman – Leather goods

It’s an approach that’s visually clean and easy to follow, thanks to the ample white space.

And if you use the search function, a full-screen window will appear with images of trending products and bestsellers.

As you type, search is predictive, and results populate instantly.

No need to hit enter. Everything happens in real time.

All these design elements make the site feel like LV truly understands its customers.

And that’s exactly how you want your customers to feel—luxury site or not.

How Louis Vuitton Looks on Mobile

Louis Vuitton’s mobile site keeps the same smooth, refined experience.

For example, the “Find in Store” option is easily accessible.

And search works just as beautifully as it does on desktop.

Predictive search offers instant results that make browsing fast and easy.

Takeaways

Create a great search experience: Use predictive search or quick links to trending products. These can make browsing easier and more engaging.
Offer omnichannel flexibility: Add features like “Find in Store” to improve user experience. These give customers more control over how they shop, which helps increase sales.

Subscription-Based Sites

Subscription ecommerce sites have one job:

Convince people to pay every month.

Tough business.

To do that, they must clearly show value and build trust.

Key elements include clear pricing, smooth signups, and risk-free trials.

The goal? Make it feel easy to start and enticing to stay.

Side note: The FTC’s “Click-to-Cancel” rule requires subscription sites to make a cancellation as simple as signing up. So your website should make it just as easy to cancel as it is to join.

8. HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a major name in the meal kit delivery space.

Its website has a clear focus:

Stand out in a crowded market.

Here’s how they do this.

The homepage makes their unique selling points clear.

It starts with a bold value proposition for why visitors choose them:

15-minute meals (for people looking for speed and convenience)
America’s #1 meal kit (social proof)
Up to 10 free meals + free breakfast for life (attention-grabbing incentives)

The “Get Started” CTA is perfectly placed for warm visitors ready to buy.

And the image next to it isn’t just eye candy—it’s functional.

Each image is paired with text, making it easy for visual scanners to find key information.

Plus, to make the subscription even more appealing, HelloFresh emphasizes control and choice.

For example, customers can browse menus before committing.

This makes the process feel flexible and low-pressure.

Plus:

Key features and benefits are clear throughout the site.

You’ll see images that show just how easy the meals are to prepare—kids can even get involved.

And the onboarding process?

It’s friction-free.

The first step is simple: enter your zip code to confirm deliverability.

This way, customers immediately know if HelloFresh delivers to their area.

(So they don’t waste time going through the process only to find out it’s unavailable.)

From there, the entire process is busy-user-friendly, with minimal typing required.

This keeps the experience effortless—exactly what customers want when signing up for a subscription.

How HelloFresh Looks on Mobile

Unfortunately, HelloFresh’s mobile site doesn’t match the sleekness of its desktop version.

For example, some text in the hero section of the homepage is hard to read.

One smooth aspect, however, is the signup process.

The same progress indicators show the steps you need to take.

And moving from step to step feels intuitive and smooth.

It’s the kind of signup you can complete while watching a Netflix show on your couch.

This low-friction process makes it so much easier to complete the signup process.

Takeaways

Lead with your differentiators: Show visitors why you’re better than the competition as soon as they arrive.
Don’t make signups a chore: When shoppers are ready to commit, make it quick and easy.

9. First Day

For our last ecommerce website example, let’s look at First Day—a store that sells supplements.

Unlike HelloFresh, they offer many products with both one-time payment and subscription options.

If you look closely, it’s clear that getting people to subscribe is a major focus.

The navigation menu, for example, includes only three links:

Shop
Learn
Subscribe and Save

The “Subscribe & Save” link takes you to a dedicated page explaining a First Day subscription.

Giving the page its own spot in the nav bar underscores its importance.

But here’s the best part:

First Day doesn’t rely solely on this page to sell subscriptions.

Instead, they integrate subscription nudges throughout the site.

It’s on the hero section of the homepage, for example:

And the product pages also reinforce the subscription as the preferred option:

Yes, a “One-Time Purchase” is available. But it’s downplayed compared to the subscription.

Now, you might think all these subscription nudges would feel overwhelming or pushy.

But here’s the thing:

First Day’s site integrates them so naturally that they don’t ruin the shopping experience.

And that’s the key for subscription sites like this: aligning business goals with a user-friendly experience.

How First Day Looks on Mobile

First Day’s mobile site keeps the subscription focus.

For example, when you click the navigation icon, the first button takes you to the “Subscribe & Save” page.

The product pages also maintain its emphasis on subscriptions as the preferred option.

But what’s even more impressive is how the site seamlessly integrates this focus.

For example, the product pages continue to use conversion-focused design best practices.

Look at the product descriptions. They’re laid out for easy scanning.

This helps users quickly absorb important information.

Plus, the site reinforces trust with credibility boosters.

You’ll see customer reviews all throughout, for example.

And there’s even a section for media mentions.

Together, these features create an experience that draws visitors in and keeps them informed.

And they’ve managed to do all this while consistently promoting their subscription option throughout.

The result?

Visitors have plenty of chances to see the value of subscribing—a must for any subscription website.

Takeaways

Design with your subscription goals in mind: If your goal is to get more subscriptions, ensure visitors see the benefits clearly. And don’t be afraid to nudge them towards subscribing (naturally) across your site.
Balance business goals with UX: Design your site to guide customers toward goals like subscribing or purchasing. But make sure it doesn’t ruin the shopping experience.

How to Create a Conversion-Focused Ecommerce Website

1. Optimize for User Experience

Make it easy for visitors to find what they came for, fast.

Here are some areas to prioritize:

Simplify navigation so users can browse with ease
Structure category pages to make product discovery simple
Streamline the checkout process to reduce friction and speed up purchases
Create persuasive product pages that highlight key benefits and drive action
Design for a mobile-first experience

The key is to make the experience foolproof.

As the book Making Websites Win says:

“Design your processes for what you perceive to be a busy, lazy, drunk, amnesiac idiot—what lawyers call a “moron in a hurry” (really). Even geniuses with time on their hands will be grateful that you did.”

2. Speed Up Your Site

Page speed affects everything: SEO, conversions, and brand perception.

And so speeding up your site is one of the most impactful changes you can make.

For example, Vodafone ran an A/B test focusing only on page speed improvements.

The results? As much as 8% increase in sales.

[VISUAL]

Faster pages can drive higher revenue. Period.

So you can’t afford to ignore it.

Further reading: Page Speed and SEO: The Complete Guide

3. Match Pages to Visitor Needs

Visitors come to your site for different reasons.

Some are browsing. Some are comparing. And others are ready to buy.

Build a site that serves all of them.

For example, on your homepage, visitors are usually in the browsing stage, so grab their attention quickly.

Introduce your brand and key offers and be clear about what makes your products different.

Like Huel’s homepage:

However, on product pages, visitors have different expectations.

They might be comparing products. Or are ready to buy.

Make it easy by including comparison tools and clear product details.

Give people what they need at each stage of their journey. And they’ll be more likely to click checkout.

Build an Ecommerce Site That Converts

The ecommerce website examples above show you how to design for conversions.

But even the most user-friendly site isn’t that great if no one visits.

Enter: ecommerce SEO.

It’s one of the best ways to get in front of ready-to-buy shoppers.

Learn how to do it right by checking out our ecommerce SEO guide for proven traffic-boosting strategies.

The post 9 Ecommerce Website Examples to Copy for Better Results appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More

6 Steps to Win at Real Estate SEO

January 23, 2025/0 Comments/in Web Design News/by

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.

Organic Research – Campionre – Positions

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.

Keyword Overview – Real estate companies in West Palm Beach Florida – CPC

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?

The Index Coverage report in Google Search Console.

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.

This means the chances of ranking on the SERP for that keyword are slim.

But there’s a way around this—long-tail keywords.

Research Valuable Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are highly specific terms that get fewer searches per month and have less competition. These keywords also tend to be longer.

The lower difficulty of these terms makes them easier to rank for on your property pages than broad terms like “raleigh homes.”

The key is finding long-tail keywords that have decent search volume and low difficulty.

Here’s how:

First, make a list of all the neighborhoods where you have property listings.

Then, use a keyword tool like Semrush’s Keyword Magic to research terms.

Note: A free Semrush account gives you 10 searches in the Keyword Magic Tool per day. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription.

Enter a neighborhood into the search bar and click “Search.”

Keyword Magic Tool – Boylan heights – 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)

Keyword Magic Tool – Boylan heights – Keywords

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.

Keyword Magic Tool – Boylan heights KD & Intent filters

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.

Keyword Overview – Boylan heights Raleigh homes for sale

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.

Google SERP – Boylan heights Raleigh homes for sale

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

Landing qualified leads starts with on-page optimization.

Your title tags, meta descriptions, and page structure tell Google and potential buyers exactly what they’ll find on your site.

Getting these elements right puts you in control of your lead generation.

Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

These on-page elements tell searchers and search engines what each page on your site is about.

They can also help you get more clicks from the SERPs.

A title tag is the clickable blue text that appears in Google search results.

It should be 50 to 60 characters total since long title tags may be truncated or rewritten by Google.

And it needs to feature your target keyword.

Otherwise, Google might struggle to understand what the page is about—and what searches to rank it for.

Not sure how to write a title tag? Take inspiration from the big directory sites.

Many follow the exact same pattern—”[Place name] Real Estate & Homes For Sale”:

This format is popular because it hits both variations of the typical search people will use to find homes for sale in an area:

[Place name] houses for sale
[Place name] real estate

Google SERP – Waveland woods houses for sale

A meta description is a snippet of text that appears under the title tag in the SERPs.

This on-page element tells searchers what the page is about and entices them to click through to read your content.

Zillow – Homes for sale – Meta description

While meta descriptions don’t directly impact where a page ranks in Google, it’s still helpful to include your target keyword in them.

Doing this reinforces what the page is about when readers are scanning the search results.

And can drive more clicks to your site.

Keep your meta description under 155 characters to prevent it from getting cut off.

Add Page Headings

A H1 tag is the headline or title of a webpage.

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.

Trulia – High quality images & essential information

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.

Trulia – Local Information & Description

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.

Trulia – Interactive mortgage calculator

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:

Google SERP – New Orleans real estate agents – Local

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:

Google SERP – New Orleans real estate agents – Organic

Here’s how to optimize your site to appear in the Local Pack for your area:

Create a Google Business Profile

First things first: Create a Google Business Profile (if you haven’t already).

Here’s how:

Sign into a Google account (if you’re not already logged into one)
Head to the Google Business Profile Manager and click the “Manage now” button
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:

Galiano Realty – Business's overall rating

As a best practice, respond to every review you receive on Google.

This includes the positive ones:

And the not-so-positive ones:

Galiano Realty – Respond to negative review

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.

Listing Management – Galiano Realty – Results

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.

Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool is great for this purpose.

Here’s how it works:

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.

Keyword Overview – Cambridge ma – Questions

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.

Keyword Magic Tool – Cambridge ma – Keywords

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.

Redfin Blog – Low KD & moderate search volume

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.

Trulia’s page, on the other hand, is a programmatically generated list of stats.

Which site would you trust to give you the best information about the neighborhood?

Step 6: Track Your Success with Key Performance Metrics

There are literally hundreds of SEO metrics you could track.

And while you’ll want to keep an eye on traffic, rankings, time on page, and more, inquiries and leads are what really matter.

Use Google Analytics (GA4) to see how many site visitors complete a “Key event” on your site.

This could be filling out a form or requesting a property viewing.

Pro tip: Not sure how to set up tracking? Read this guide to get started: Google Analytics 4 Events Guide.

Ready to Launch Your Real Estate SEO Strategy?

Optimizing your real estate site can bring in leads year-round.

It can also help you compete with the likes of Zillow and Redfin in the SERPs.

While understanding SEO is half the battle, having the right tools makes implementation faster and more effective.

Check out our guide to the 5 Best Local SEO Tools to secure your spot in Google’s Map Pack and outrank local realtors.

The post 6 Steps to Win at Real Estate SEO appeared first on Backlinko.

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24 Up-To-Date PPC Statistics to Know

January 23, 2025/0 Comments/in Web Design News/by

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most effective paid channels helping businesses increase visibility and build awareness.

If you’d like to learn about the state of PPC in 2025, find the latest data on PPC usage, most used ad platforms, and PPC benchmarks, we’ve curated a list of 24 essential PPC statistics to help you answer these questions.

General PPC Statistics

Among surveyed pay-per-click (PPC) marketers, Google (98%), Facebook (76%) and Instagram (70%) are the most widely used advertising platforms (Statista)

Here’s a full breakdown:

Digital Advertising Platform	Share of PPC Professionals
Google (excluding YouTube)	98%
Facebook	76%
Instagram	70%
Microsoft (Bing)	67%
YouTube	67%
LinkedIn	48%
TikTok	31%
Pinterest	24%
Amazon	17%
X (Twitter)	15%
Reddit	11%
Apple Search	11%
Snapchat	9%
Quora	4%
Yandex	2%
Baidu	1%
Yahoo! Japan	1%
Other	6%

Among PPC practitioners with a monthly budget between $50K and $500K, Google, Facebook, and YouTube are the top 3 most used advertising platforms (PPCsurvey)

Advertising Platforms for PPC Practitioners

Here are the exact numbers:

Ad Platform	Adoption ($50K – $500K PPC budget)
Google (excluding YouTube)	99%
Facebook	79%
YouTube	75%
Instagram	74%
Microsoft (Bing)	73%
LinkedIn	46%
TikTok	28%
Pinterest	20%
Amazon	15%
X (Twitter)	11%
Reddit	10%
Apple Search	7%
Snapchat	6%
Quora	4%
Yandex	1%
Baidu	1%
Yahoo! Japan	1%
Other	8%

73% of B2C marketers stated their organization used PPC advertising in the last 12 months (Content Marketing Institute)
64% of B2B marketing professionals say they used PPC advertising at their organization in the past year, which is only behind the usage rate of social media advertising at 73% (Content Marketing Institute)
93% of marketers say pay-per-click (PPC) as a marketing channel is “effective” or “highly effective”, making it the 2nd most effective channel after content marketing (96%) (eMarketer)
Only 10% of surveyed marketing professionals identify PPC as a primary focus for their budget allocation (eMarketer)
Among surveyed marketing specialists worldwide, 49% claim it became harder managing PPC campaigns today than 2 years ago (PPCsurvey)
Among in-house teams, the average monthly PPC spend is $950,000, while freelancers usually manage an ad budget of around $575,000 per month (PPCsurvey)

Here are the exact numbers:

Monthly PPC spend In-house Freelancer

More than $3M 5% 3%

Between $500K and $3M 14% 10%

Between $50K and $500K 41% 38%

Between $5K and $50K 29% 33%

Under $5K 11% 16%
According to surveyed B2B marketers, PPC advertising ranks as the most effective paid channel for content marketing activities, with 61% of respondents citing it as effective, followed by social media advertising (49%), and sponsorships (48%) (Content Marketing Institute)

Monthly PPC spend	In-house	Freelancer
More than $3M	5%	3%
Between $500K and $3M	14%	10%
Between $50K and $500K	41%	38%
Between $5K and $50K	29%	33%
Under $5K	11%	16%

Search Ads Statistics

Paid search spending in the US is estimated to reach $124.59 billion in 2024, showing an 11.1% year-over-year increase (eMarketer)
The average cost-per-click for advertisements on Google ads stood at $1.16 (eMarketer)
The average cost per click for search ads across multiple industries on Amazon was $1.50 (eMarketer)
The average benchmark bounce rate for paid search is 43.9% (Contentsquare)
The average click-through rate for Google search ads is 3.17%, based on data collected from multiple industries (WordStream)
On average, paid search campaigns are reported to generate a conversion rate of 2.55% (Contentsquare)
Paid search accounts for 29.7% of total media ad spending in the US (eMarketer)
Analysis of over 43 billion website visits found that paid search accounts for 23% of traffic share, behind direct (27.6%) and organic search (26.7%) (Contentsquare)
The share of new visitor traffic attributed to paid search is 27.6%, which is more than any other marketing channel (Contentsquare)
Paid search accounts for 39.5% market share of digital advertising, more than any other advertising format (display, video or audio) (IAB)
In the US, Google dominates the search advertising market, accounting for 50.5% of the total search ad spending (eMarketer)
Amazon’s share of the overall search ad spending in the US is 22.3% (eMarketer)
75.78% of Google’s revenue came from advertising in Q1-Q3 2024 (Alphabet)

AI Use for PPC Statistics

75% of PPC professionals say they use generative AI at least “sometimes” for writing ads. Other common use cases include keyword research (60%) and writing emails (52%) (PPCsurvey)

Here are the exact numbers:

Use Case	Share of PPC Professionals Who Use AI at Least “Sometimes”
Writing ads	75%
Keyword research	60%
Writing emails	52%
Audience research/analysis	48%
Writing/editing scripts	45%
Landing page optimization	41%
Generating insights and suggestions	41%
Strategy	38%
Campaign creation	38%
Reporting	31%

Among PPC professionals that use AI at least “sometimes” for writing emails, 71% claim they’re satisfied with results generated by AI (PPCsurvey)

Use Case	Share of PPC Professionals Satisfied with AI Results
Writing emails	71%
Writing ads	69%
Writing/editing scripts	64%
Keyword research	59%
Landing page optimization	55%
Strategy	52%
Campaign creation	52%
Reporting	51%
Audience research/analysis	51%

The post 24 Up-To-Date PPC Statistics to Know appeared first on Backlinko.

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Posts

1. Prepare Your Sales Toolkit

Build Trust with Case Studies

Collect High-Impact Testimonials

Create a Lead Qualification System

Invest in a CRM

Decide on Your SEO Services

Choose Your Pricing Model

Optional: Gather Proof You Can Rank

2. Find Prospects

Inbound Prospects

Outbound Prospects

3. Offer Strategy Calls

Learn More About Your Prospect

Focus on Early Wins

Highlight What Their Competitors Are Doing

4. Schedule an SEO Audit

Position the Audit as a Roadmap, Not a Selling Technique

Subject: Next Steps – [Company Name] SEO Strategy

Build a Reliable Stack for Conducting Your Audits

5. Send a Proposal or SOW

Include Audit Findings

Highlight Your Goals/Strategy/KPIs

Detail Contract Terms (Make Them Fair to the Prospect)

Bonus Tips to Keep in Mind When Selling SEO Services

Master the Follow-Up

Use Traditional Sales Psychology

Reciprocity

Social Proof

Authority

Scarcity

Keep Leads Interested

Post Client Wins on LinkedIn

Provide a Reference from a Previous Client

Focus on the Relationship, Not the Sale

Sell SEO Services Like a Pro

Table of contents

What is SEO automation?

The benefits of SEO automation

Tasks you can automate right now

Keyword research

Content optimization

Website audits

Rank tracking

SEO reporting

How to get started with SEO automation

Find the tasks you need to automate

Choose the right tools

Start small

Final thoughts on automating your SEO

Crawl time: The primary hindrance

HTML tag mutuality

Links and redirects

Be careful when reducing technical SEO time

1. Failing to secure the ‘right’ buy-in for SEO initiatives

2. Underinvesting in SEO continuing education or training

Make time

Give support

Foster knowledge sharing

Test what’s been learned

3. Ineffective hiring and onboarding of an SEO agency

4. Overlooking the value of maintaining high-quality content

Establish centralized guidelines and quality control

Prioritize search intent

Use tools to monitor and optimize performance

Ensure AI-generated content meets quality standards

5. Not prioritizing technical SEO

Prioritize processes and cross-departmental responsibilities

Use automation and tools to manage complexity

Here are some tips:

Plan for long-term maintenance

Avoiding common SEO mistakes is the path to enterprise success

1. SEO takes time

2. Google’s algorithm is extremely volatile

3. There is no shared definition of ‘content quality’

4. SEO strategies must always evolve

5. Traffic is not a leading metric of success

Recommendations I always ignore

Optimize your budgets

Add broad match keywords