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5 Proven Ecommerce Growth Strategies ($0 to $100 Million)

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Want to know the most effective ecommerce growth strategy?

I studied successful online stores to find out what works best. While every store’s path is unique, clear patterns emerged.

Here are some examples:

BrandAnnual Revenue

*All figures in USD
Hush Blankets $48M Product Validation
Mid Day Squares $20M Content Marketing
TBH Skincare $6.5M Content Marketing
MX Store $65M Search Marketing
Who Is Elijah $13M Operational Efficiency

Whether your goal is to do $1M or $100M, it comes from executing the fundamentals.

I’ve distilled this guide to the five most impactful growth strategies, including:

  • Success metrics
  • Real-world examples
  • Requirements to execute
  • Expected timeline and results

Let’s start with the most important one.

1. Make Products Your Customers Actually Want

Strategy: Product Validation

Most ecommerce failures share one root cause: creating products nobody wants. Or products that are okay but never really get traction.

You follow trends. Copy competitors. Trust your gut.

Then invest thousands in inventory and marketing, hoping customers will buy.

The solution?

Talk to your customers.

One honest conversation today could prevent massive product failures tomorrow.

These chats reveal opportunities like:

  • Problems customers can’t solve with existing products
  • What their “perfect” product would look like, and missing features
  • Unexpected details that could help you differentiate your product

Conversations also build relationships. They turn customers into fans who drive growth through word-of-mouth.

Conventional vs Customer – Led Product Development

How Hush Blankets Grew to $48M Through Customer Conversations

By talking to customers, founders Aaron Spivak and Lior Ohayon turned $4,000 into $48M in 48 months.

For example, when summer sales dropped, they scheduled customer calls. The feedback was clear:

“We love the blanket, but we’re sweating. It’s in storage until winter.”
– Aaron Spivak

That single insight led to their breakthrough “ice fabric” technology, which:

  • Raised $1M on Kickstarter
  • Sold 3,000 units in 72 hours
  • Became their highest-margin product

The entrepreneurs continued talking to customers to inform product development.

“When people ask what our marketing hack is or which agency we worked with, they miss the point. We had 3,000 people on the phone tell us exactly what they wanted. That’s the real secret.”
– Aaron Spivak

How to Have Customer Conversations

It’s easy to overthink product research. But Hush proved that you just need to begin talking to customers.

Here’s a simple process to get started:

15 minute customer – Call structure

  1. Send a brief email with a link for a 15-minute call. The Hush team found this approach got better responses than long surveys or complicated feedback forms.
  2. Approach each conversation with genuine curiosity. Don’t defend your products or explain your constraints. Just listen. Ask what their perfect product would look like. Follow interesting threads that emerge.
  3. Start with five customers this week. That’s enough to spot patterns while being totally manageable. Even if you’re swamped, you can find 75 minutes for conversations that could transform your business.
  4. Take detailed notes using their exact words. In addition to product ideas, you can get feedback points and marketing content.

Customer Insights Template

The goal is to build such deep customer understanding that product failures become nearly impossible.

2. Build a Strong Brand Through Storytelling

Strategy: Content Marketing

When we consume 6 hours of content daily, attention is the most valuable currency in business.

Storytelling is how you earn it.

Why? Stories stick.

You may not remember product specs, but you likely recall Sara Blakely cutting the feet off her pantyhose to create Spanx. Or Patagonia’s founder testing gear on mountain expeditions.

Most brands miss by showing only the highlight reel—the wins, the perfect moments, and the polished content.

Telling raw, relatable stories is how you build a lasting brand.

How Mid Day Squares Built a $20M Chocolate Empire Through Storytelling

In 2018, Jake Karls and his co-founders launched Mid Day Squares with a radical commitment to transparency.

They documented everything about building the company—from production line disasters to legal battles to funding negotiations.

Instagram – Mid-day Squares – Reel

Mid Day Sqaures unconventional approach involved:

  • Sharing the entrepreneurial journey, not just the product (85-90% of content)
  • Showing behind-the-scenes wins and failures
  • Filming raw, unscripted moments

“When people ask what’s our marketing hack or which agency we worked with, they’re missing the point. Building in public and sharing our authentic story turned customers into fans who felt like they were buying from friends.”
– Jake Karls

Mid Day Squares grew to over $20 million in revenue. And Jake attributes much of their success to creative content.

But brand storytelling isn’t just for founder-led content.

How TBH Skincare Makes Customer-Focused Content

When Rachel Wilde started TBH Skincare, she took a different approach to content marketing.

In addition to founder stories, she created content on real customer experiences. It focused on honest education about acne treatment.

“I always say start with the customer. Understand what they want, and hit them with the right with the right message in the right place at the right time.”
– Rachel Wilde

This customer-first storytelling shaped every aspect of their content, including:

  • Focusing on raw, unfiltered customer results
  • Creating educational content that destigmatizes acne
  • Showing real people dealing with real skin issues

Instagram – tbh Skincare – Post

They allocated 80% of the marketing budget to content creation. It built a storytelling engine that helped customers see themselves in the products.

And it worked.

TBH Skincare grew to $14M ($22M AUD) in four years.

How to Start Creating Engaging Stories

Before investing in content, identify what makes your brand relatable. Here are some best practices to get started:

  1. Document your “why.” Beyond making money, what drives your company? What change are you trying to create?
  2. Choose your storytelling lane. Will you focus on founder content? Customer stories? Educational content? Pick an approach that plays to your strengths and resonates with your audience.
  3. Start small but consistent. You don’t need fancy equipment or a full content team. Both Mid Day Squares and TBH Skincare started with iPhones and posted daily while staying true to their story.
  4. Test and iterate. Track which stories resonate deeply. Look for patterns in engagement and sales attribution. Double down on what works.

Read more: What is Content Marketing? Complete Beginners Guide

What Makes Storytelling CRUCIAL

When you nail your brand’s narrative, you create compelling organic content.

But that’s just the beginning.

You’re also building marketing assets that drive results across every channel.

Your content becomes fuel for:

  • Paid media on Meta, Google, and TikTok
  • Email nurture sequences
  • Product pages that tell a deeper story
  • Blog content

“Most brands create different content for each marketing channel. We just document our journey and then adapt those stories for different platforms. It’s more authentic and way more efficient.”
– Jake Karls

The TBH Skincare team has found authentic stories outperform traditional ads across every channel.

“When you have a piece of content that really resonates with people, you can use it everywhere. Our best-performing ads weren’t planned campaigns—they were real moments we captured and then amplified.”
– Rachel Wilde

The lesson?

View storytelling as the key to better marketing. It’ll boost all your other channels.

3. Optimize Search Marketing (Paid and Organic)

Strategy: Search Marketing

Every day, billions of people tell Google exactly what they want to buy. Capturing this traffic isn’t cheap or easy—but it’s steady.

Paid search gives instant traffic but needs constant investment. Organic search is free but takes time to build up. Together, they drive consistent sales.

Read more: SEO vs. SEM: What’s the Difference?

How MX Store Uses Search to Drive $100M+ in Sales

When MX Store, Australia’s largest online motorcycle parts retailer, first tried Google Ads, their approach was typical.

Broad keywords. Generic ads. Homepage traffic.

Like throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping something sticks.

So they shifted their approach—led by marketing director Dan Turner.

“The key is perfect alignment. Your keyword matches the intent, your ad matches the keyword, and your landing page matches the ad. No disconnects.”
– Dan Turner

Here’s exactly what they changed:

  1. Built granular campaigns: Instead of lumping everything together, they created separate campaigns for each product category. Every campaign got its own custom landing page and clear conversion path.
  2. Analyzed search terms meticulously: Weekly reviews. Aggressive negative keyword expansion. Minimized wasted spend on irrelevant searches.
  3. Implemented systematic testing: Every ad needed a minimum of 5,000 impressions before making decisions. Proper budget allocation for each test. Regular creative refreshes.

The result?

A consistent 10x return on ad spend (ROAS).

How to Make the Most Out of Your Google Ads Campaigns

Before you spend a dollar on ads, understand your profit. Then, analyzing your competitors and keyword research follows.

Calculate Your Campaign Profitability

Work out how much you can spend to get a customer while making a profit. Without this calculation, you risk burning your ad budget on dud campaigns.

To avoid this mistake, note three metrics:

  1. Target cost per click (CPC)
  2. Expected conversion rate
  3. Maximum customer acquisition cost (CAC)

Here’s an example of the math:

  • Product price: $100
  • Profit margin: 50% (meaning you make $50 per sale)
  • Target ROAS: 3:1 (for every $1 spent on ads, you want $3 in revenue)
  • Expected conversion rate: 2% (2 out of 100 visitors buy)

The maximum CAC calculation is $50 profit ÷ 3 = $16.67 maximum ad spend per customer. With a 2% conversion rate, you can’t spend over $16.67 to acquire a customer while keeping campaigns profitable.

Do Keyword Research

Keyword research answers a simple question: are people searching for what you’re selling?

Start by Googling your products to see what ads are displaying.

For example, here’s what the ads look like for “pendulum lights.”

Google ads for "pendulum lights"

There are lots of ads, which implies they’re working.

You could theoretically follow this simple process of Googling, observing, and copying.

But, to reduce wasted budget, use a tool like Semrush. It’ll help you understand the demand and cost for profitable keywords.

Bonus: Here’s a link to a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription. That should give you enough time to plan your search marketing campaigns.

The first thing to do is check the keyword data.

Keyword Overview – Pendulum light – Overview

Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool shows that pendulum lights are searched 320 times a month. And the CPC is $0.77.

This is enough data to test a campaign. But if you want even more validation, spy on your competitor’s ads.

Analyze Your Competitor’s Campaign’s

Following the breadcrumbs of how your competitors do ads can save you months of time and money.

Staying with the lighting example, Lumens is a competitor.

According to Semrush’s Advertising Research tool, Lumens is attracting over 27k monthly users from ads.

Advertising Research – Lumens – Traffic

This tells us that they’re investing pretty aggressively in Google Ads. And they’ve likely done the work of testing and failing.

To validate this, you can check Lumens ads history.

For instance, they’ve been bidding on “outdoor wall lighting” for seven months straight.

Meaning: they’re seeing enough sales to continue the campaign.

Advertising Research – Lumens – Ads History

You can see what the ad looks like in Semrush. And Lumens has been tweaking their copy each month.

Lumens ad in Semrush

Using this data drastically increases your chances of successful ads.

Further reading: Google Ads Competitor Analysis: A How-to Guide (+ Top Tools)

Build Your SEO Foundations

Paid search delivers immediate results. Organic search builds free traffic over time.

In other words, start getting your foundations right today.

Here are two priority areas to focus on:

Optimize Your Product and Category Pages

Your product and category pages are your money-makers. So you want to maximize their SEO potential.

For product pages:

  • Write unique, benefit-focused product descriptions
  • Include technical specifications in a structured format
  • Add product schema markup for rich snippets
  • Use high-quality product images with descriptive alt text
  • Include real customer reviews and ratings

Further reading: 20 Effective Product Page Examples

For category pages:

  • Create helpful category descriptions that solve buying dilemmas and desires
  • Use clear subcategory structure (3 clicks max to any product)
  • Add internal links to best-selling or related products
  • Include filters and sorting options (price, size, color, etc.)

For inspiration, check out Ruggable’s “clean rugs” category page.

Ruggable – Search filters

Get Your Technical Foundation Right

You don’t need to address every technical detail.

Start with:

  1. Fast-loading pages (aim for “good” in Google’s Core Web Vitals report)
  2. Mobile-first design
  3. Clean URLs with keywords
  4. Proper handling of product variations (canonical tags)
  5. XML sitemap for all important pages

Speed is especially important for ecommerce.

In 2019, eBay did a sitewide initiative to improve performance. Every 100-millisecond improvement led to a 0.5% increase in “Add to Cart.”

Further reading: Ecommerce SEO: 6 Proven Strategies to Rank Higher

Start Small, Scale What Works, Repeat

Begin with:

  • 2-3 focused paid campaigns
  • Helpful content on your product and category pages
  • Core technical optimization

Test everything. Double down on what works. Cut what doesn’t.

Every dollar should drive immediate sales (paid) or build long-term assets (organic).

4. Turn Email Into Sustainable Sales

Strategy: Email Marketing

The top brands drive 30-50% of their revenue through email marketing.

These email programs succeed by connecting three foundations we’ve covered:

  1. Products customers want (Strategy #1)
  2. Authentic storytelling (Strategy #2)
  3. Steady website traffic (Strategy #3)

But there’s a fourth element that ties everything together: systematic execution.

Let’s explore how to build an email program that turns subscribers into customers—and customers into repeat buyers.

Note: The best practices I’m about to share are inspired by Boyuan Zhao, an email and SMS consultant for Shopify brands. I recommend checking out his free four-hour training on YouTube. It’s some of the best content I’ve seen on email marketing.

Build a Quality Email List

Your email list isn’t just a number.

“Most brands obsess over list size. But I’ve found that smaller, engaged lists consistently outperform massive, unengaged ones.”
– Boyuan Zhao

Large lists built through aggressive tactics (giveaways, lead magnets, etc.) often convert at 1-2%.

Meanwhile, carefully grown lists using targeted pop-ups and organic signups can hit 8-15% conversion rates.

The math is simple:

  • 100,000 subscribers at 1% = 1,000 customers
  • 20,000 engaged subscribers at 10% = 2,000 customers

Plus, better engagement means higher deliverability. Which means more of your emails actually reach inboxes.

tbh Skincare – Mystery code

Start by optimizing your signup forms:

  • Test different offers (10% off vs. free shipping)
  • Use clear value propositions
  • Target exit intent to capture interested visitors
  • Avoid generic “Subscribe to our newsletter” messaging

Further reading: Email Marketing: The Definitive Guide

The Pattern Behind High-Performing Email Programs

You likely have a decent welcome series, abandoned cart emails, and a newsletter.

But to hit 50% attributed revenue to email, you need to think differently.

There are two shifts you need to make this happen.

Shift #1: Methodically Test Your Campaigns

“The brands consistently driving 50% of revenue through email aren’t doing anything revolutionary. They’re just incredibly systematic about execution.”
– Boyuan Zhao

This means:

  • Testing one element at a time
  • Tracking actual revenue (not just opens and clicks)
  • Making small, continuous improvements

The results compound over time.

Shift #2: Simplify Your Automations

How many emails are in your sequences?

Probably too many.

“I’ve found that a well-executed 3-email sequence often outperforms complex 10-email flows. It’s not about the number of touchpoints. It’s about delivering the right message at the right time.”
– Boyuan Zhao

Instead of building complex automations, focus on the fundamentals:

  • First impression (welcome)
  • Purchase intent (cart abandonment)
  • Post-purchase experience (reviews)
  • Reactivation (win-back)

Weave authentic brand storytelling into your automations and relentlessly test, test, test.

Do this, and you’re well on your way to more sales.

5. Optimize Operations for Profit (Free Calculator)

Strategy: Optimize Operations

Even if you have winning products and amazing marketing, you can fail if your operations suck.

How Who Is Elijah Learned the True Cost of Growth

In 2023, founders Raquel and Adam Bouris of fragrance brand Who Is Elijah learned two expensive lessons about business.

First, their discovery set promotion seemed like a slam dunk: sell fragrance samples for $1 plus shipping.

They sold 6,000 sets in 24 hours.

“Sales looked great because thousands and thousands a week were going out.”
– Adam Bouris

But the math told a different story.

Customers paid $1 plus $10 shipping. The actual shipping cost was $7-12 per unit. Add production, logistics, and overhead costs.

The result?

A 60% loss on every order. Ouch.

“We would’ve been better off turning the website off.”
– Adam Bouris

Meanwhile, their team had grown from 28 to 44 people, but profits weren’t following.

Their initial approach followed conventional wisdom:

  • Hire department heads from big corporations
  • Build specialized teams for every function
  • Add headcount to solve anticipated problems

Despite growing revenue, operational costs were suffocating the business.

“One of the biggest problems founders make is they worry about the now instead of what’s on the other side of that decision. We were hiring people to fix problems six months away. That’s so stupid.”
– Adam Bouris

Who Is Elijah made a complete operational reset, including two critical changes:

  1. Fixed unit economics:
    1. Stopped money-losing promotions
    2. Calculated true cost per order
    3. Built proper financial forecasting
  2. Optimized team structure:
    1. Cut their team from 44 to 21 people
    2. Moved full-time specialists to agencies
    3. Simplified internal processes
    4. Built systems

Profitability improved. They also became more agile and innovative.

“I learned how to be a CFO the hard way, but I’m glad that I went through the pain.”
– Adam Bouris

How to Build Better Operations

You can build efficient operations without an MBA or years of corporate experience. It starts with digging into four areas.

1. Understand Your Unit Economics

To understand your profitability create a system for tracking your unit economics.

Start with the three numbers that matter most:

1. Revenue per order

  • Average order value
  • Shipping revenue
  • Any other fees

2. Direct costs per order

  • Product cost
  • Shipping cost
  • Packaging cost
  • Payment processing fees

3. Operating costs per order

  • Marketing spend ÷ number of orders
  • Platform fees
  • Customer service time
  • Storage/warehouse costs

Here’s a basic calculator to help:

[CALCULATOR]

This is a starting point. The rest of your numbers (tools, complex calculations, etc.) can come later.

Pro tip: Use a tool like Cin7 to automate this tracking. The investment pays for itself by identifying profit leaks.

2. Build Systems, Not Band-Aids

When problems arise, the tendency is to:

  1. Hire someone to fix it
  2. Create a quick workaround
  3. Ignore it until it becomes a crisis

Instead, step back and design systems that prevent future issues.

Start with your three most time-consuming processes, e.g., order fulfillment, customer services, and inventory management.

For each process:

  1. Document exactly how it’s done now
  2. Identify bottlenecks and failure points
  3. Create standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  4. Build quality control checkpoints
  5. Add automation where possible

3. Optimize Your Supply Chain

Your supply chain impacts everything: cash flow, customer satisfaction, and profitability. Here’s how to optimize it:

First, map your current supply chain:

  • List all suppliers and their lead times (it’s essential to have 2nd and 3rd options)
  • Document shipping carriers and costs
  • Track inventory levels and turnover
  • Identify quality control points
  • Note payment terms and minimums

Then, negotiate better terms. Here’s an email template:

 

4. Automate Before You Hire

Before adding employees, see what tasks you can automate. Here are some processes to tackle first:

Process What to Automate Popular Tools
Order Management Order confirmation emails, fulfillment triggers, tracking updates Shopify Flow, Order Desk, Mesa
Shipping & Logistics Label creation, carrier selection, rate optimization ShipStation, ShippingEasy, Shippo
Customer Service FAQ responses, order status updates, return requests Gorgias, Zendesk, Re:amaze
Inventory Low stock alerts, reorder points, supplier notifications Stocky, TradeGecko, Skubana
Marketing Content scheduling, performance tracking, competitor monitoring Semrush, Buffer, Klaviyo

Turn Your Ecommerce Growth Strategy Into Reliable Sales

You don’t need to do everything at once. Start by answering these questions:

  1. Which customers can you chat with this week?
  2. What authentic stories can you share about your brand’s journey or customer impact?
  3. Where does your website rank for high-intent buyer keywords?
  4. How much of your revenue comes from email marketing?
  5. Do you know your true cost per order?

Pick the area that needs the most work. Focus there first.

If you want more ideas, read our ecommerce marketing guide, which has 11 ways to increase your traffic and sales.

The post 5 Proven Ecommerce Growth Strategies ($0 to $100 Million) appeared first on Backlinko.

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Optimizing LLMs for B2B SEO: An overview

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Optimizing LLMs for B2B SEO: An overview

We’re still in (very) early days for LLM (large language model) search, but fast-increasing user adoption is helping us draw insights on effective tactics for brands to deploy to appear in results on platforms like Perplexity, ChatGPT search, Gemini, and more.

This article looks at those tactics from a B2B lens, broken down by the following SEO initiatives:

Note that many of these tactics – but not all – should be familiar to SEOs who have experience with traditional search engines. 

Content strategy

The first step toward creating effective content for LLMs is to understand the nature of user queries. 

LLMs, more than traditional search engines, are host to conversational queries, like “How can I protect my business from ransomware attacks?” (where a similar Google query might be “ransomware attack protection for businesses”).

To adapt your content strategy, study the nature of the queries and create content that directly answers them. This includes conversational headings like “The best software to protect businesses from ransomware attacks.” 

In B2B, where the purchase journey is longer, it’s not as simple as optimizing for product-related queries; it’s essential to incorporate educational content to ease users into the awareness and engagement stages.

When it comes to the content itself, many of the principles of traditional SEO apply – particularly the need to go both broad and deep to establish authority and relevance. 

Incorporate supporting content like guides, case studies, and user testimonials. 

Make sure you’re working with pillar pages linking to in-depth blogs like “How CRM helps sales teams close deals faster.”

Remember that context matters a ton for LLMs for each piece of content (no matter the format). 

Optimize for nuanced, contextual responses by addressing multiple facets of a topic in the same piece. 

For example, a rich blog post for a fintech company could be titled “What is embedded finance? Benefits and challenges for SaaS platforms,” with subsections for: 

  • Benefits for startups.
  • Use cases in real-world scenarios.
  • Integration challenges and how to overcome them.

Semantic SEO

“Semantic SEO” is a relatively recent SEO initiative that means approaching content with respect to the full topic, not just keyword elements. 

In LLM SEO, the first item of semantic SEO is entity-based optimization, which includes:

For example, a cloud solutions provider can use schema markup to:

  • Mark up product pages with “Product” schema for solutions like “Cloud Data Storage Services.”
  • Build authority by linking to their business profile on Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and/or Crunchbase.

Because semantic SEO widens its focus from keywords, it’s essential to optimize for diverse phrases and synonyms instead of fixating solely on exact-match keywords. 

(You can use tools like Google Natural Language Processing or OpenAI embeddings to understand the relationship between tools.)

Let’s use a marketing automation platform as an example. 

Along with optimizing for a primary keyword, like “lead generation software,” include synonyms and variants like “Automated lead management tools” and “B2B marketing platforms.”

Dig deeper: ChatGPT search vs. Google: A deep dive analysis of 62 queries

Technical SEO

At this point, technical SEO for LLMs isn’t (by my understanding) all that different than technical SEO for traditional search engines. 

To increase your chances of showing up in LLM searches, tackle the following:

Data accessibility

  • Confirm content is crawlable and indexable by search engines and available for API integrations.
  • Optimize page speed and mobile performance for enhanced usability.

Structured data

  • Leverage structured data to signal intent and relevance clearly.
  • Implement detailed schema, such as “FAQPage,” “HowTo,” and “Product,” to improve how LLMs process your content.

User intent matching

Advanced SEO in both traditional search and LLMs incorporates an understanding of user intent into content. 

For B2B, this content should be strategically distributed across all stages of the buyer journey: awareness, education, technical understanding of solutions, and ultimately purchase intent.

For “instant” queries, provide actionable and direct responses, formatting answers in bullet points or concise paragraphs for LLM readiness while providing links to deeper resources. 

For example, a business offering AI-powered analytics can create content like: “What is predictive analytics in B2B?” and provide direct answers such as:

  • “Predictive analytics uses historical data to forecast future trends. For B2B, this helps identify potential leads and optimize sales strategies.”

Dig deeper: How to optimize for search intent: 19 practical tips

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Authority and trust

This is perhaps the area where we see almost no difference (yet) between LLMs and traditional search engines: establishing E-E-A-T principles is critical.

To do this (if you aren’t already), make sure your owned media:

  • Prioritizes experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness in all content.
  • Includes author bios, credentials, and citations to reinforce trustworthiness.
  • Cites reliable sources like Gartner, Forrester, or proprietary data studies.
  • Builds backlinks from authoritative domains to strengthen your site’s credibility.
  • Gains mentions in trusted publications to improve how LLMs perceive your brand.

For example, a logistics software company could secure backlinks from:

  • Industry publications like Logistics Management.
  • Mentions in business-oriented media like TechCrunch or Forbes.

Dig deeper: Decoding Google’s E-E-A-T: A comprehensive guide to quality assessment signals

AI feature optimization

This initiative is where SEO practices diverge most widely from traditional search engines. 

The way users interact with LLMs differs from how they interact with the Google search bar. 

For LLM-specific content enhancements:

  • Focus on content that answers “People Also Ask” and conversational follow-up queries.
  • Experiment with creating and optimizing content designed for direct API consumption.

For example, a tech consulting firm could create a resource hub for topics like “common cloud migration questions” with detailed Q&A formats that AI can surface easily.

If user behavior continues to feature more structured, question-based queries, make sure your content is designed to answer those directly. 

For example, a company specializing in ERP software can design content to appear for queries like:

  • “What are the best ERP solutions for mid-sized companies?”
  • “What is the ROI of implementing ERP software?”

Some LLMs (and we expect more to move in this direction) are multimedia-focused. 

For those, rich media integration – using videos, infographics, and charts to enhance engagement and improve content retrievability – will help spur inclusion in search results.

For example, a cybersecurity firm can enhance blogs with:

  • Infographics summarizing “5 types of cyberattacks businesses should watch for in 2025.”
  • Embedded videos explaining “How our threat detection tool works in real-time.”

Dig deeper: How to evolve your organic approach for the rise of answer engines

Continuous testing and adaptation

At this relatively early stage of LLM SEO maturity (and our understanding of it), continuous testing, measurement, and adaptation are among the most critical initiatives. 

At our agency, we focus on two fronts:

As you gather more information about what’s working, you can find common themes to deploy across your accounts. 

Dig deeper: How to cultivate SEO growth through continuous improvement

Optimizing for LLM-driven search in B2B

Because LLMs are in their infancy and because user behavior is changing so rapidly across the search landscape, find and regularly reference trusted sources to stay on top of trends and developments. 

In 12 months, this article might look woefully outdated, so it’s best to keep your finger on the pulse to adapt quickly.

Dig deeper: Decoding LLMs: How to be visible in generative AI search results

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Top 10 SEO expert columns of 2024 on Search Engine Land

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Search Engine Land's Top SEO columns of 2024

Since Search Engine Land launched, we have given SEO experts a platform to share their in-depth knowledge and timely insights – with the goal of helping you solve problems, manage challenges and understand the constantly shifting SEO landscape.

What follows are links to the 10 most-read, must-read Search Engine Land SEO columns of 2024 that were contributed by our fantastic group of Subject Matter Experts.

10. The SEO’s guide to Google Search Console

Dive into Google Search Console’s features and reports, plus how to navigate the tool like a pro, from basic setup to advanced SEO analysis. (By Anna Crowe. Published July 8.)

9. 15 AI tools you should use for SEO

Get more done in less time with these must-have AI tools to automate tasks, optimize content and improve your search engine rankings. (By Ludwig Makhyan. Published Sept. 27.)

8. How to use Google Search Console to unlock easy SEO wins

Steps for using GSC to review your traffic, analyze the search landscape and make impactful optimizations for quick results. (By Marcus Miller. Published Aug. 22.)

7. How to make your AI-generated content sound more human

Leverage AI like ChatGPT to generate more human-sounding long-form content. Refine prompts with details to produce engaging articles. (By James Allen. Published Feb. 26.)

6. Google recognizes content creators: A breakthrough for E-E-A-T and SEO

Google now highlights content creators as trusted sources in search results. Here’s why this matters for E-E-A-T and how SEOs can benefit. (By Jason Barnard. Published Sept. 25.)

5. How SEO moves forward with the Google Content Warehouse API leak

Addressing common questions, critiques and concerns following the massive Google Search leak and how your approach to SEO should change. (By Michael King. Published May 30.)

4. What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Understand what GEO is, how it’s revolutionizing digital marketing and key strategies to optimize for AI-driven search. (By Christina Adame. Published July 29.)

3. Unpacking Google’s massive search documentation leak

This breakdown unveils potential Google Search ranking factors, including details on PageRank variations, site authority metrics and more. (By Andrew Ansley. Published May 30.)

2. How Google Search ranking works

An in-depth analysis of how Google’s complex ranking system works and components like Twiddlers and NavBoost that influence search results. (By Mario Fischer. Published Aug. 13.)

1. ChatGPT vs. Google Bard vs. Bing Chat vs. Claude: Which generative AI solution is best?

Here’s a comparison of genAI tools ChatGPT, Bard, Bing Chat Balanced, Bing Chat Creative, and Claude based on four metrics. (By Eric Enge. Published Jan. 26.)

Top 10 PPC expert columns of 2024 on Search Engine Land

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Search Engine Land's Top PPC Columns of 2024

Search Engine Land gives PPC experts a platform to share their in-depth knowledge and timely insights – with the goal of helping you solve problems, manage challenges and understand the constantly shifting landscape of paid search, paid social, and display.

What follows are links to the 10 most-read, must-read Search Engine Land PPC columns of 2024 that were contributed by our fantastic group of subject matter experts.

10. Value-based bidding: Why it’s key to boosting your Google Ads

Discover how this bid strategy can optimize your Google Ads campaigns for the most valuable actions and overall profitability. (By Sarah Stemen. Published Feb. 7.)

9. Mastering Performance Max using scripts

Learn to negate poor performers, track disapproved products and exclude spammy placements with Google Ads scripts. (By Nils Rooijmans. Published Sept. 20.)

8. Google is hiding search data from advertisers and profiting

Here’s how it affects your ad campaigns and what you can do to optimize performance despite limited visibility. (By Mark Meyerson. Published Sept. 10.)

7. Google Ads for lead gen: 9 tips to scale low-spending campaigns

Looking to elevate your Google Ads lead gen efforts? Here are nine levers that can boost your PPC campaigns toward significant growth. (By Menachem Ani. Published Jan. 10.)

6. The Performance Max playbook: Best practices and emerging tactics for 2024

Strategies for running Performance Max campaigns in 2024, covering campaign structure, creative, budgeting and conversion tracking. (By Navah Hopkins. Published April 11.)

5. What Google’s query matching update means for future PPC campaigns

Learn about Google Ads’ latest improvements to query matching and brand controls and what it indicates about how keywords will evolve. (By Menachem Ani. Published July 10.)

4. 4 advanced GPT-4 capabilities to level up your PPC efforts

Leverage AI for PPC with improved prompts, data integration via plugins, custom GPTs, and API-enabled actions. (By Frederick Vallaeys. Published Feb. 1.)

3. ChatGPT for PPC: 17 strategic prompts you can use today

Learn how to use ChatGPT to level up your paid search efforts without sacrificing strategy, authenticity and creativity. (By Amy Hebdon. Published Sept. 3.)

2. What 54 Google Ads experiments taught me about lead gen

Two years of experiments reveal key findings on the best-performing bid strategies, keyword match types, campaign settings and more. (By Mark Meyerson. Published Aug. 29.)

1. How to analyze Performance Max search terms insights for PPC success

Google Ads fixed the bug preventing Performance Max search query data from showing in scripts. Here’s how to analyze it PPC optimization. (By Frederick Vallaeys. Published March 13.)

SEO for Plumbers: How to Rank Higher & Get More Customers

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Want to know why some plumbing businesses dominate Google’s first page while others struggle to get noticed?

It’s not luck.

These plumbing companies all focus on the same core SEO strategies.

Take Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors, for instance.

They appear in Google’s 3-Pack when prospective customers in their area search for “plumbing company” and other related keywords.

And they have notably more reviews than the competition.

Google Businesses – Plumbing company – Arizona

Their site also ranks for 3K keywords.

This helps Deer Valley Plumbing Contractors drive 2.7K organic visits to their website each month.

Traffic that would cost an estimated $44.7K per month in Google Ads.

Organic Research – Deer Valley Plumbing – Overview

The best part?

With SEO for plumbers, your business can achieve similar—or better—results.

In this guide, you’ll learn SEO fundamentals that’ll help your site rank higher, from local search to link-building.

But first, let’s start with a quick overview of what exactly plumbing SEO is.

What Is Plumbing SEO?

Plumbing SEO is a set of practices that increase a plumbing company’s website’s visibility in search engines like Google.

SEO for plumbers includes:

  • On-page optimization: Optimizing your service pages for key terms like “water heater repair” or “emergency plumber” by using strategic headers, meta descriptions, and location-based keywords that match how local customers actually search
  • Technical SEO: Making sure your plumbing website loads quickly on mobile devices, has intuitive navigation, including clear contact information, and works smoothly for emergency calls
  • Local SEO: Optimizing your Google Business Profile, service area pages, and local citations to show up in “near me” searches and Google Maps when homeowners need a plumber in your area
  • Content marketing: Creating helpful guides, FAQs, and service pages that answer common plumbing questions like “Why is my water heater leaking?” or “How to unclog a drain” to attract local homeowners searching for solutions
  • Link building: Building credibility and authority by getting featured in local business directories, home service websites, and plumbing supplier sites

Google SERP – Plumber near me

What Are the Benefits of SEO for Plumbers?

SEO has many benefits for plumbers—especially if you’re at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs).

This includes attracting more qualified leads, building authority, and increasing revenue—all without spending a dime on advertising.

Think about how people search for plumbers today.

When a homeowner’s water heater fails at midnight, or their kitchen sink backs up before a dinner party, they immediately grab their phone and search Google.

SEO increases your chances of showing up in these searches, helping you get more ready-to-hire leads.

And you have plenty of opportunities—246,000 people search for “plumbers near me” in the U.S. every month.

Keyword Overview – Plumbers near me – Volume

But that’s far from the only search term getting traffic.

Countless people search for standard and urgent plumbing-related terms monthly:

  • Emergency plumber: 27,100 monthly searches
  • Plumbing companies near me: 27,000 monthly searches
  • Best plumbers near me: 9,900 monthly searches
  • 24 hour plumber: 4,400 monthly searches

Keyword Overview – Emergency Plumber – Volume

When your website ranks at the top of Google for these terms, you’re essentially setting up a 24/7 lead generation system.

6 Essential Plumber SEO Strategies

Ready to outrank your competitors and capture more high-value plumbing leads?

These six SEO strategies work together to boost your search visibility. And convert website visitors into paying customers.

1. Keyword Research

The first step of any plumber SEO campaign is keyword research.

This involves identifying relevant keywords based on key metrics like search intent, volume, and keyword difficulty. And conducting research into your competitors’ keyword strategies.

Understand Keyword Metrics

A tool like Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool is helpful for conducting keyword research.

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

Enter a seed keyword like “plumbing company” into the Keyword Magic Tool.

Keyword Magic Tool – Plumbing company – Search

You’ll see a list of keyword ideas and some important information about each term.

This includes “Intent.”

Keyword Magic Tool – Plumbing company – Keywords Intent

Search intent is the reason behind a user’s search—it tells you why they searched and what they were hoping to find.

There are four types of search intent.

Including:

  • Informational: These are searches where people want to learn something, like “how to fix a clogged toilet.” This type of content works best as detailed guides and tutorials.
  • Navigational: When searchers are looking for a specific plumbing business or page like “Jerry’s Plumbing Company” or “Plumbing Pros hours of operation”
  • Commercial: The person wants to know more about a product or business, such as “best plumbers in Austin” and “sink repair.” Use these in product comparison articles, testimonials, and service pages.
  • Transactional: The person is ready to hire and might search “hire a plumber” or “call a plumber.” Use strategic calls to action (CTA) and keywords like “hire” and “book now” on your site.

For example, “plumbing company” has commercial intent.

Keyword Magic Tool – Plumbing company – Keyword

This means the user’s goal for this search is to research plumbing company options, read reviews, and view services, making it a good term to target on a service page.

But if someone searches “how to fix a leaky faucet,” (which has informational intent), they expect to find detailed DIY instructions with photos or videos.

See the difference?

Rainbow Restoration – How to fix leaky faucet

Next, let’s look at two other crucial metrics:

  • Volume: The number of monthly searches for a keyword
  • Keyword Difficulty (KD): A rating showing how hard it is to rank for that keyword from zero to 100

Keyword Magic Tool – Plumbing company – Volume & KD

While you’ll likely have broad keywords on most pages, if you have a newer site (or one that lacks authority), you’ll also want to target terms that’ll be easier to rank for in the SERPs.

Local keywords often have this perfect combination—moderate search volume with lower competition in specific service areas.

For example, “plumbing companies in phoenix, arizona” gets 70 searches per month and has a low keyword difficulty score of 27.

Keyword Magic Tool – Plumbing companies – Arizona, Phoenix

You might use this term on a location page to target local customers.

Continue researching keywords to target on each page of your site—making sure to adjust your focus for each page’s specific purpose:

  • Service pages should target specific plumbing solutions: Water heater repair, drain cleaning, radiator installation
  • Location pages need geographic terms: Local plumbing company, plumber in [city], 24/7 plumbers in [city]
  • About pages should emphasize trust and credentials: Licensed plumber, family-owned plumbing, plumbing company hours
  • Resource pages should answer common questions and concerns: How to fix a leaky faucet, signs you need repiping, water heater maintenance tips

Answer User Questions

Your target audience likely has a lot of questions about plumbing problems and hiring a plumber.

These questions make great topics for FAQ pages and blog posts.

Here’s how to find them using the Keyword Magic Tool:

Search for a broad keyword like “drain repair” and apply the “Questions” filter.

Keyword Magic Tool – Drain repair – Questions

The tool will return options like:

  • How to repair tub drain: 320 volume; 29 KD
  • How to repair shower drain: 210 volume; 30 KD
  • How to repair a leaking shower drain: 170 volume; 23 KD

All of the above topics have informational intent, which means they’d work well as step-by-step tutorials on your blog.

Plus, answering these questions with high-quality content will help you establish expertise.

As you review the questions, pay attention to volume and KD scores—the lower the KD, the easier it’ll be for you to rank for each term.

Research Competitor Keywords

You don’t have to start from scratch when finding keywords—analyze what’s already working for your successful competitors.

A tool like Semrush’s Keyword Gap can help you with this.

First, enter your URL and up to four competitors’ URLs. Hit “Compare.”

Keyword Gap – Bill Howe – Search

Now, you’ll see an overview of your site’s keyword performance compared to your competitors.

Including how many ranking keywords you and each of your rivals have.

Keyword Gap – Bill Howe – Keyword Overlap

As you review the reports, pay special attention to three key opportunities:

  • Missing: Keywords your competitors rank for but you don’t
  • Weak: Keywords where competitors outrank you
  • Untapped: Keywords where at least one competitor ranks

These are opportunities to target these keywords on existing pages.

And create new content to knock your competitors off the SERPs.

Keyword Gap – Bill Howe – Details for filters

If they have a blog post on how to clear a clogged drain, create a better version with step-by-step photos and videos.

If they list services, include pricing guides and customer case studies.

Aim to outrank them with higher-quality content that diverts traffic away from their site to yours.

2. Local SEO

Local SEO is vital for plumbers.

Why?

Because when someone conducts a search with local intent, such as “plumber near me” or “plumber in [city],” Google shows three local businesses at the top of the page.

Google Businesses – Plumber in Queens New York

This is the 3-Pack I mentioned earlier in the article—and it’s prime real estate for plumbers.

Let’s make sure your business shows up there.

Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Start by claiming your free Google Business Profile (GBP). If you’re not sure how to do this, follow Google’s tutorial.

Add your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) to your profile.

Double-check that you’ve entered everything correctly.

Accurate NAPs show Google your business is trustworthy, which helps increase your chances of ranking in the Map Pack.

Google Map Pack – Plumber in Phoenix

Next, create a keyword-rich business description that includes important terms for your business.

This will be the services you offer and any standout features like “local plumbing business” or “emergency plumbing repair.”

For example, Maloney Plumbing and Drain Services included key terms like “plumbing repair” and “drain clearing” in their company overview.

They also referenced the location they serve: “Phoenix.”

Maloney Plumbing and Drain Services – Overview – Key terms, location

Add as many relevant service categories as possible—from sewer cleaning to garbage disposal installation.

Maloney Plumbing and Drain Services – Services

The photos section isn’t just about showing you exist.

Your images should build trust and show potential customers exactly what to expect:

  • Uniformed technicians (shows professionalism)
  • Branded trucks (proves you’re established)
  • Actual repair work (demonstrates expertise)
  • Team in action (builds credibility)

Maloney Plumbing and Drain Services – Photos

Finally, post updates.

This shows searchers and Google that you’re an active business with up-to-date information.

But it also lets you share vital details, communicate with customers, and highlight promotions and events.

Maloney Plumbing and Drain Services – Updates

With your GBP filled out, it’s time to focus on earning positive reviews—lots of them.

Collect and Manage Online Reviews

Reviews matter more than you may realize.

Seventy-one percent of consumers will not consider using a business if it has an average review rating below three stars.

Google also states that one of the three ranking factors for local search is “prominence,” which is defined by how popular a business is online and offline.

(Prominence includes review count and average review rating.)

Maloney Plumbing and Drain Services – Prominence

So, how do you get more positive reviews?

You ask for them.

Most importantly, you make it easy for past clients to leave reviews.

For example, Total Service Plumbing created a dedicated review page on their website that links to each of their location’s Google Business Profiles.

Smart.

Total Service Plumbing – Review page

While having a page on your website is helpful, you’ll want to take a multi-pronged approach to collecting reviews.

For example:

  • Send a follow-up text right after completing a service
  • Include a review link in your invoice emails
  • Create QR codes on your business cards and service vehicles
  • Train your technicians to ask satisfied customers for reviews

Pro tip: Use a tool like Semrush’s Review Management to make it easy to track and reply to all your reviews (even negative ones) from your Google Business Profile and other directories. This shows you value customer feedback and want to improve your services.

West Plumbing LLC – Customer feedback

Build Local Citations

A local citation is any mention of your business on the internet.

This includes your basic contact details, like your NAP.

Think Yelp, Angi, and Porch.com.

The key? Keep your information consistent everywhere.

Yelp – Consistent business information

Consistent business information tells search engines your business is legitimate and trustworthy.

But manually searching and verifying your citations is not a productive use of your time (or your team’s).

Use a tool like Semrush’s Listing Management tool to automate this process.

Listing Management automatically checks for issues like missing phone numbers and incorrect addresses and updates them for you.

Listing Management – Ranshav – Plumbing and heating example

This makes it easy to maintain updated and accurate listings across multiple directories and keep your local SEO on point.

3. On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is the practice of improving webpage elements so your website ranks higher in SERPs and earns more relevant traffic.

Here’s how to optimize your plumbing site.

Use Your Target Keyword in the Right Places

Every webpage has specific spots where keywords make the biggest impact.

This includes the following elements:

  • Title tag: This is the title that shows up in search results. Limit this to 50-60 characters and include the target keyword as close to the front as possible.
  • Meta description: This is the summary that appears under the title tag in search results. Include the target keyword and keep it under 155 characters.

Nick's- Plumbing – Title tag & meta description

Pro tip: SEO plugins like RankMath and Yoast SEO make it fast and easy to customize title tags and meta descriptions on your site. The plugins will also alert you when you’ve forgotten to add metadata, helping ensure you keep up with on-page optimization.


You’ll also want to add your target keyword to the H1 (aka the headline) of each page.

For example, plumbing company Benjamin Franklin uses the keyword “Residential Leak Detection Services” on its H1 for one of its service pages.

H1s tell Google and readers what your page is about.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing – Leak Detection Services – H1

Pro tip: Every service page needs a unique H1—aka, don’t use “Plumbing Services” on multiple pages.

Use subheads (H2, H3, H4) to organize your content. Include keyword variations in them naturally.

For example, Benjamin Franklin uses “The Types of Plumbing Leaks We Repair” as an H2 and has “Common Signs of Plumbing Leaks” underneath as an H3.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing – Using subheadings

You’ll also want to add descriptive alt text to your images.

This helps Google understand what your images show and ensures your site is accessible for those using screen readers.

For example, alt text for this image could be: “Professional plumber in uniform inspecting under-sink plumbing while showing digital tablet to homeowner in kitchen.”

Plumbing services in Phoenix – Image

Further reading: SEO Content: Complete Beginner’s Guide

Implement Schema Markup

Schema markup is code that helps search engines understand your content better.

It’s a ‌common practice to put this code on all webpages, especially service and location pages.

When done right, it can make your listing stand out with rich snippets that include:

  • Your business logo
  • Star ratings
  • Service prices
  • Availability hours

Like this plumbing company that shows up when searching for “clogged drain repair in San Diego.”

The listing features a 4.8 star rating and shows the business has over 8K votes, helping to instill confidence in searchers.

Rooter Hero Plumbing – Star rating

Use Google’s free Schema markup generator tool.

Select “Local Businesses” for the data type.

Enter the URL of the webpage and click “Start Tagging.”

Google Structured Data Markup Helper – Benjamin Franklin Plumbing

This takes you to the webpage where you highlight or tag the content needed for the code.

Google Structured Data Markup Helper – Create HTML

Once you’re done tagging the page, click “Create HTML.”

Google Structured Data Markup Helper – Script block

Copy the script block and paste it to the head section of your webpage’s HTML.

Too technical for you?

Hire a developer or tech-savvy friend to help you with this step.

It’s worth the hassle, as it can help your plumbing business stand out in the SERPs.

Analyze Current Pages for On-Page SEO Opportunities

As you add more pages to your site and blog, you’ll want to make sure you’ve properly implemented on-page optimization.

Semrush’s On Page SEO Checker can help you with this—it automates the process, so you don’t have to check each page manually.

Enter your URL and click “Get ideas.”

On Page SEO Checker – Ranshaw – Get ideas

Click the “View all pages & ideas” to view the full list of pages it found to optimize.

On Page SEO Checker – Ranshaw – Overview

Click the blue “Ideas” button for any page to view the suggestions.

On Page SEO Checker – Ranshaw – Optimization Ideas

For example, you’ll see recommendations like avoiding keyword stuffing in content, creating more informative contentm, and providing more relevant meta descriptions.

It’ll also give you tips on how to score featured snippets for certain keywords.

Make the necessary changes to help give your site a boost in the SERPs.

On Page SEO Checker – Ranshaw – Optimization Ideas – Content

4. Content Marketing

Creating helpful, high-quality content for your audience is a big part of SEO.

It can also drive long-term results and steady organic traffic over time.

Let’s look at how you can use content marketing to attract leads and instill confidence in prospective customers.

Answer Questions in Your Blog Posts

People who have a clogged toilet might not want to hire a plumber right away.

They might first try to fix the problem themselves—this is when they try to find answers online.

As a plumber, you’re in the best position to teach them how to unclog a toilet.

Like Benjamin Franklin did on its blog:

Benjamin Franklin Plumber – Blog topic

With step-by-step instructions, Benjamin Franklin gives its target customers the information they need to handle the job themselves.

Benjamin Franklin Plumber – Plumbing topic instructions

But they also include hiring a pro as an option to encourage those who don’t want to DIY to give them a call.

Nice.

Benjamin Franklin Plumber – Call a Plumber

Sounds simple enough, right?

Well, you’ll be competing in the SERPs with countless other plumbers who are targeting the same keywords for the same topics.

So, how do you stand out?

By following Google’s quality guidelines for content: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

Here’s how:

  • Prove your expertise. Include an author bio at the end of your content and highlight your experience as a plumber, including any certifications, years of experience, education, and more
  • Include step-by-step photos and videos: Guide your readers through each step with high-quality photos and videos that show you know your stuff
  • Add expert insights and quotes: Share firsthand tips that showcase your experience and include quotes from SMEs on your team to infuse your content with more authority and trust

Create Location and Service Pages

Location and service pages are exactly what they sound like.

They’re dedicated webpages for every service and location of your business.

If you have 10 different plumbing services, you need to create 10 separate pages describing each service.

For example, Jimmy Joe’s Plumbing has a separate page for everything from backflow prevention to home remodeling plumbing.

Jimmy Joe's Plumbing – Service pages dropdown

If you have multiple locations, you’ll also want to create dedicated pages for each one.

Like John the Plumber did in Florida.

Its site has pages for each location with city-specific content on each one.

John the Plumber– Service Areas dropdown

Pro tip: Create unique content for each location page—don’t copy/paste. Duplicate content is a big no-no in SEO and can negatively impact your rankings.

Include Semantic Keywords in Your Content

Semantic keywords are keywords that are related to your target keywords.

It’s important to add semantic keywords to your content because it helps Google understand the context of your content.

You can use keyword research tools to find related keywords based on a seed keyword.

But you can also type a word in Google and view the People Also Ask section.

For example, typing in “heater installation” reveals semantic and question keywords you can target in content.

People Also Ask – Heater installation

5. Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the process of improving your website’s technical aspects.

In other words, it needs to be fast, mobile-friendly, and secure.

But if you’re not a technical person, don’t worry.

I’ll teach you how to run an audit and check your site’s speed with user-friendly tools.

Run an SEO Audit

An audit can identify issues with your site, particularly page errors that affect your site’s performance and health.

For instance, broken links and pages can damage your website’s ranking and authority.

Tools like Ahrefs and Semrush offer free website audit tools.

For example, Semrush’s Site Audit tool lets you audit up to 100 pages per month on Semrush’s free plan.

Enter your website’s URL and click “Start Audit.”

Site Audit – Ranshaw – Start Audit

You’ll get an email when the report is ready.

The tool will provide an overview of your site’s performance.

This includes everything from a site health score to categorizing site issues by severity: Errors (high), Warnings (medium), and Notices (low).

Site Audit – Ranshaw – Overview

Click on the “Issues” tab to learn how you can improve your site’s pages.

Site Audit – Ranshaw – Issues – How to fix it

Some common errors you might see include:

  • Keyword cannibalization: When multiple pages have the same or similar target keywords and the same search intent
  • Keyword stuffing: When target keywords are used excessively on the page
  • Thin content: The content doesn’t have any (or little) value to readers and doesn’t meet search intent

Improve Loading Speed

If it takes your site longer than three seconds to load, 53% of visitors will abandon it, according to Google Consumer Insights.

So, if you have a slow site, it could be causing you to lose valuable plumbing leads.

Use a free web speed analysis tool like GTMetrix to check your site’s loading speed.

Enter your website’s URL and click “Test Now.”

GTmetrix – Test your website speed

After the analysis, you’ll get a grade, which tells you how well your site is performing, along with an overview of Core Web Vitals metrics.

Core Web Vitals measure the speed, interactivity, and visual stability of your site.

GTmetrix – Country plumber – Report

Scroll to the “Top Issues” section to learn what your site’s errors are and how to fix them.

GTmetrix – Country plumber – Report – Top Issues

Prioritizing technical SEO helps ensure your site delivers the fast and intuitive experience users expect.

6. Link Building

Link building is the process of getting other sites to link to a page on your website.

These links, called backlinks, play a big role in your site’s search ranking.

Here’s how to build your backlink profile, starting with a little competitor research.

Spy on Your Competitors’ Backlink Profiles

Use Semrush’s Backlink Analytics tool to learn valuable information about your competitors’ backlink profiles.

This includes the total number of referring domains and backlinks they receive and their authority score.

Backlink Analytics – Roto-Rooter – Overview

View the “Referring Domains” report to see who is linking to your competitors.

(So you can try to get them to link to you, too.)

Backlink Analytics – Roto-Rooter – Referring Domains

Some referring domains might be directories you can add your business information to, and others may be sites you can try to guest post on.

Find and Reach Out to High-Quality Link Prospects for Guest Posting

Think about plumbing-related content that a website within your industry might be interested in.

Some examples of websites that might feature plumbers include:

  • Home improvement blogs
  • Real estate blogs
  • Home insurance blogs

Here’s an example of a guest blog from Precision Air & Plumbing for a home insurance website.

City Building Owners Blog – Common Plumbing Problems

Finding websites that publish plumbing-related content can take time.

One way to speed things up is to use a tool like Semrush’s Link Building Tool.

Enter your URL and click “Start Link Building.”

Link Building – Black Diamond Today – Search

Add your keywords, like “plumber in chicago” and “emergency plumber chicago” and click “Keywords” on the bottom.

Link Building – Black Diamond Today – Add keywords

This brings you to the next page, where you can add competitors.

Click “Start Link Building.”

Link Building – Black Diamond Today – Competitors

Click “View prospects” on the pop-up.

View link building prospects – Black Diamond Today

Sort the list by highest AS (Authority Score).

This shows you the most reputable websites on this list.

Link Building – Black Diamond Today – To In Progress

Use your judgment to choose websites that are likely to accept guest posts.

Click on the icon to open the link to see plumbing-related content that’s published on the prospect’s website.

Link Building – Black Diamond Today – To In Progress – wikiHow

In this example, we clicked on wikiHow’s link and learned that the co-author is a professional plumber.

This points out an opportunity to reach out to major sites and offer your expert input for articles.

This can be a great way to build backlinks for your site while highlighting you as an industry expert.

wikiHow – Author Bio

Make a list of prospects and pitch topics that match what the sites publish and are relevant to your target audience.

While not all sites will provide backlinks, it’s still a valuable way to get your name—and your plumbing business’s name—some positive press mentions online.

Further reading: 6 Best HARO Alternatives (Expert Review)


Keep Track of Your Best Links

When it comes to backlinks, focus on quality over quantity.

This is why it’s a good idea to check for low-quality backlinks.

Low-quality links can come from:

  • Sites or content that are unrelated to your industry
  • Sites with low domain authority
  • Sites with low-traffic
  • Sites with spam content

These links may hurt your site’s ranking.

Check for toxic backlinks with Semrush’s Backlink Audit tool.

In the Overview tab, click on the number in red (your total toxic backlinks) under the Overall Toxicity Score.

Backlink Audit – A Better Plumber – Overview

This shows you all of your site’s toxic backlinks and their source pages.

Hover over each of the links to see the reason why the link was labeled as toxic.

Backlink Audit – A Better Plumber – Toxic

If you determine the link needs to go, try reaching out to the website owners and requesting to have the link removed.

If you can’t get these links removed, you can disavow them as a last resort.

Disavowing links tells Google not to take these links into account when determining rankings for your pages.

Google advises to disavow links only when:

  • You have a lot of spammy or low-quality links to your site
  • Your site has received a Google penalty because of the link

Read Google’s guidelines on disavowing links before attempting this step.

If disavowing is the right move, the Backlink Audit tool can help you with this process.

Click the blue icon featuring a circle with a slash (“Move to Disavow list”) to move URLs to a disavow list.

Backlink Audit – A Better Plumber – Toxic – Move to Disavow list

Go to the “Disavow” tab.

Backlink Audit – How to manage toxic backlinks

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On the next page, you’ll see the links you’ve added to the tab. Click the “Export to TXT” button.

Backlink Audit – A Better Plumber – Disavow

Go to the Google Disavow Tool and upload the .txt file.

Once done, Google will no longer consider these links when ranking your site or pages.

Get More Customers with Plumber SEO

SEO isn’t a quick fix.

But it’s one of the most effective ways to get new plumbing customers.

With a bit of research and help from tools like Semrush, you can flood your business with high-quality leads (without spending a fortune on ads).

I’m talking crushing your local competition in Google Maps, ranking #1 for emergency plumbing keywords, and turning your website into a 24/7 lead generation machine.

Ready to rank higher for local keywords?

Check out the top local SEO tools for plumbers that will help you dominate the SERPs.

The post SEO for Plumbers: How to Rank Higher & Get More Customers appeared first on Backlinko.

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What Is Generative AI and How Does It Work?

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Generative AI refers to technology that uses machine learning models to create content. Machine learning models are computer programs that seek to replicate aspects of human intelligence.

These models can produce various content formats, including code, text, visuals, audio, and video.

Various programs have the ability to learn almost any kind of information.

For example, different generative AI models can understand coding, visual, scientific, and human languages.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is a popular example of a model that understands and produces textual content.

In this article, we’ll explore how this and other gen AI tools work.

How Generative AI Works

Gen AI uses libraries of existing material to produce original content. Here’s how the process works.

Step 1: Users Provide Prompts

The technology generates content based on user prompts.

Depending on the tool you use, you may be able to enter freeform, text-based prompts.

Suppose you want to generate a description for a new ecommerce item.

A simple ChatGPT prompt could look like this:

“Write a 100-word product description for [insert product details]. Use a friendly, upbeat tone of voice.”

Some AI tools use parameters rather than freeform input.

For example, Semrush’s Ecommerce Booster app generates ad descriptions based on keywords, text length, readability, tone of voice, and format settings.

Step 2: Generative AI Models Produce Content

Once the system receives the user’s prompt, it uses machine learning models to generate content.

These models train using libraries that may contain billions of pieces of existing content.

As they train, the models learn the components and structures of this existing content. Then, they use what they’ve learned to generate “new” material. (It’s not truly new as it’s based entirely on existing content.)

The mechanics of the content generation process vary, depending on the type of output.

Some of the most common models include:

  • Large language models (LLMs): Algorithms that use large data sets to predict the next output (word) in a piece of content—typically used to generate textual content
  • Generative adversarial networks (GANs): Deep learning systems that use two competing neural networks to produce new output, mostly for visual or audio content generation
  • Variational autoencoders (VAEs): Neural network systems that encode and decode input to create new output, often to generate visual or code content

Gen AI vs. Other Types of AI

The standard generative AI meaning doesn’t include all types of artificial intelligence.

Unlike gen AI, so-called “normal” AI analyzes and synthesizes data rather than generating new outputs.

Here are two other types of AI:

  • Conversational AI: Uses natural language processing (NLP) techniques to analyze human language, understand what users are saying or typing, and provide relevant responses. This type of AI is most common in chatbots and AI assistants.
  • Predictive AI: Analyzes historical data to anticipate outcomes from specific events and suggest actionable steps. This kind of AI is common with data analysts who need to manage risk and make data-driven decisions.

Popular Gen AI Tools

Now that we’ve covered a comprehensive generative AI definition, let’s take a closer look at some of the most widely used gen AI tools.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that produces text responses to prompts.

Like this:

ChatGPT can do a range of tasks, like creating lists, producing code, and answering questions.

It also generates outlines and creative content.

How does ChatGPT work?

It uses generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) technology to produce human-like responses to text prompts.

OpenAI also offers custom GPTs—versions of ChatGPT that perform specific tasks using personalized prompts.

For example, you could create a custom GPT to edit written content to reflect your brand voice.

Further reading: ChatGPT for SEO: Ultimate Guide, Tips & Prompts

Claude

Like ChatGPT, Claude is an AI chatbot that generates text responses to prompts.

Claude can also analyze the content you upload (like a spreadsheet or a PDF).

It then provides summaries or answers questions based on your prompts.

Claude can assist with tasks like AI copywriting and content generation, too.

In your prompt, you can include guidelines for the format and style of content you want to create.

Gemini

Similar to ChatGPT and Claude, Gemini (formerly Google Bard) is another AI chatbot that provides text responses to prompts.

Like this:

As a Google app, Gemini is integrated with many Google products. This lets you verify its responses via Google Search with one click.

You can also prompt Gemini to summarize files in Google Drive, like a virtual assistant.

Microsoft Copilot

Another AI chatbot, Microsoft Copilot generates multimedia responses to prompts.

Along with producing a text answer, it shows you relevant images and links from Bing’s search results.

DALL-E

DALL-E is a text-to-image generative AI tool developed by OpenAI (creators of ChatGPT) that generates images based on prompts. Like this one:

In addition to describing the contents of the image, prompts can also request a style.

The more specific and detailed your prompt, the more likely the image will meet your needs.

DALL-E uses a diffusion model to analyze images and look for patterns in the components.

Then, the image generation app uses what it’s learned to piece together its own AI image.

Note: A diffusion model adds random noise (variations) to available training data. Then, it reverses the process to recover the data and create new combinations of information.

Midjourney

Midjourney is a text-to-image generator that uses diffusion models and LLMs to create realistic content.

Like this:

Compared to DALL-E, Midjourney’s prompts are often much more complex.

For example, prompts typically need to include things like style and composition guidelines to get the best results.

Unlike many other generative AI tools, Midjourney isn’t a standalone app but a Discord bot. To use it, you’ll need to join the Midjourney Discord server and prompt the bot.

What Can You Use Generative AI for?

Here are the most common applications of generative artificial intelligence today.

Marketing

Generative AI tools let you quickly brainstorm marketing campaign ideas as well as draft blog posts and articles.

AI marketing software also helps with rewriting content and applying a consistent tone of voice.

For example, a tool like Semrush’s ContentShake AI generates written and visual content in seconds.

Even better?

It guides you through the whole process—from ideation to publication.

Here’s how to use it:

Head to the app and click “My own idea” from the main dashboard.

Then, enter your topic and hit “Start writing.”

Review the suggested title, target keywords, word count, tone of voice, and readability level.

Then click “Create article.”

Read through the AI-generated article.

Hit “Publish” to proceed as is or “Go to regenerate” to start again.

To edit and optimize the content manually (which we recommend you do), click “Go to editor.”

Use ContentShake AI’s preset prompts to speed up the optimization process.

You can even enter your custom prompts in the chat window.

Another Semrush tool, the SEO Writing Assistant, includes AI features to help you write online marketing content faster.

It also checks the SEO potential of your work.

Head to the tool and click the “+ Analyze new text” button on the tool dashboard.

If you’ve used the tool before, click the “Set a new goal” drop-down.

If you’re using this tool for the first time, input the keyword you intend to target and click “Get recommendations.”

Draft or outline your content.

Then, use SEO Writing Assistant’s AI features to improve your writing.

Select any phrase, sentence, or paragraph and click “Expand” to elaborate on those sections.

Review the content for accuracy and style.

Then, click “Accept,” “Reject,” or “Try again.”

Alternatively, open the “Smart Writer” drop-down and select “Rephraser.”

Input your text and choose one of the four optimization options.

Then, click “Rephrase.”

Review the AI-generated ideas and click “Rephrase” again to generate more.

Use the copy button to choose where to paste the text, or click “Replace and close” to insert it where the cursor is positioned.

Use the AI-powered Smart Writer to elaborate on existing content.

Write at least a few sentences.

Then, click “Compose” to generate more copy.

Select the “Ask AI” feature to submit custom questions or prompts.

Then, click “Ask.”

As you create your content, keep an eye on the score in the upper right corner.

This score factors in readability, tone of voice, originality, and SEO. The higher the score, the better optimized your content is and the easier it is to read.

Advertising

You can take advantage of AI advertising tools to generate both copy and creatives for your paid promotions.

For example, Semrush’s AI Writing Assistant allows you to compose ad headlines quickly.

Open the app from the Semrush App Center and select “All Tools” > “Social Media & Ads.”

Then, choose either “Facebook Headlines” or “Google Ads Headlines” to generate ad headlines.

Or “Facebook Primary Text” or “Google Ads Description” for ad description text.

Then, select a language, creativity level, and tone of voice.

Next, input your audience and product name details and write a short product description.

Click “Generate” when you’re ready.

Review the results and save any headlines you like—or copy and paste them directly into your ad platform.

To generate complete ad creatives, open Semrush’s AdCreative.ai.

Enter your domain or landing page and click “Import Brand” to add brand elements.

The app automatically identifies your brand name, logo, and colors.

Review them and click the “Create Brand” button.

Note: If you’ve already set up a brand, click “Create a Brand” from the “Brand Setup” section to add a new one to your dashboard.

From the list of asset types, select “Ad Creatives.”

Choose the creative format that best fits the advertising platform and hit “Next Step.”

Click the “Generate Texts” button to create text with AI.

Then click “Next Step.”

Input some information about the content you want to generate.

Then click “Save & Generate.”

Upload a background image, crop it if necessary, and enter a project name (optional).

You can also use the app’s image search engine to source background images.

Finally, click “Generate.”

Check the box below each of the AI-generated assets you want to use, and hit the “Download” button.

You can now upload the digital assets to your ad platform and set up your ad campaign.

Media

Film, animation, and gaming studios use generative AI to produce creative content more efficiently.

With advanced AI tools, they can generate realistic 3D models, avatars, and video content.

For example, large gaming studios can use gen AI to create more photorealistic characters or speed up game design workflows.

Coding

Software developers are able to code programs and applications with generative AI tools like GitHub Copilot.

The benefits include writing more consistent code in various programming languages, debugging code faster, and improving developer efficiency.

Healthcare

Generative AI models serve the medical industry across a wide range of applications.

For example, medical researchers use gen AI for genome sequencing and drug research. While health practitioners use them for medical imaging and assigning accurate medical codes.

Automotive

Auto manufacturers use AI models to improve vehicle design and implement in-vehicle AI-powered virtual assistants.

Generative design inspired BMW’s “Alive Geometry” in the Vision Next 100 concept car, which enables shape-shifting parts that interact with the driver.

[ss: bmw-vision-next.png]

Image Source: BMW

Many manufacturers also provide basic customer service using AI before involving human agents.

A 2023 Deloitte report anticipates that generative AI will lead to a 20% equipment availability increase and a 10% annual maintenance cost decrease for the automotive industry.

Data Synthesis

It’s impossible for generative AI models to learn or improve their processes and computations without training data.

However, training data doesn’t necessarily exist for every possible industry or use case.

To resolve this issue, generative models can themselves produce synthetic data for training purposes.

They also effectively address challenges and ethical concerns that may otherwise prevent industries from using generative AI.

For example, gen AI tools may create larger datasets for underrepresented groups. Or generate datasets that offer a more fair version of the original data.

Benefits and Limitations of Generative AI

To set appropriate expectations for any AI-generated content you produce, you should familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of using these models.

Benefits of Generative AI

  • Produces almost any type of digital media based on a brief prompt
  • Creates different types of content in a consistent style or format defined by the user
  • Gives individuals and teams of any size the capacity to create large volumes of content
  • Allows users to save time and money on the content creation process
  • Simplifies lengthy content or expands on short content in seconds

Here’s an example prompt using ChatGPT to tighten up a very wordy explanation of the law of inertia.

As compelling as these benefits are, they don’t necessarily mean anyone should create exclusively AI-generated content.

Human feedback, fact-checking, and manual editing can help ensure higher quality and improved accuracy.

Further reading: 15 Benefits of ChatGPT (+8 Disadvantages)

Limitations of Generative AI Tools

The main limitations of generative AI tools are that they:

  • May reflect biases or inaccuracies present in their training content
  • May not cite original sources or attribute concepts accurately
  • Offer insufficient transparency into their technology and methods
  • Can’t think independently or generate new ideas
  • Lack firsthand experience and personal opinions

Here’s what happened when we asked Notion AI to generate an opinion about the TV show “Family Guy”:

Although these limitations may seem daunting, they shouldn’t prevent you from using generative AI applications to improve your business’s efficiency.

Then, use your human intelligence to detect AI-written content bias, ethical considerations, and attribution issues. And tweak the content as necessary.

Concerns Surrounding Generative AI

Although gen AI can certainly be used for good, it has the potential to create serious concerns.

As an example, deepfakes are digitally altered photos or videos that make the subject appear to be another person.

They can be used to maliciously propagate false information.

Although deepfake detectors can increasingly identify images and videos that simulate another person, foolproof methods to alleviate these concerns don’t yet exist.

Instead, it’s essential to analyze content closely for anomalies. And to adhere to security protocols to protect sensitive information.

Because generative models create content that emulates existing visual, audio, and textual patterns, they have the power to mislead.

Particularly, their ability to mimic human language can be used for social engineering.

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity defines this as:

“All techniques aimed at talking a target into revealing specific information or performing a specific action for illegitimate reasons.”

For example, gen AI models can encourage people to disclose sensitive information. Or compromise either personal privacy or their company’s security.

And as generative AI becomes more advanced, the infrastructure these models require may reach an unsustainable scale.

Keeping up with computational demands and coming up with the capital necessary to fund it is an ongoing concern for AI model developers.

A History of the Development of Generative AI

Generative AI has consistently made headlines since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 (and other foundation models shortly after).

However, the technology existed long before this date.

We list some major generative AI advancements in the table below.

A Brief History of Generative AI
1947 Intelligent machinery
In one of the first recorded references to artificial intelligence, Alan Turing used the term “intelligent machinery” in a research paper. The study explored whether machines could spot rational behavior.
1950 Turing Test
Turing developed the Turing Test, which evaluated conversations between machines and human brains to identify machine responses.
1956 Dartmouth AI conference
The Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, considered the birth of AI, brought together AI experts.
1961 ELIZA chatbot
Joseph Weizenbaum developed the ELIZA chatbot, a psychotherapy program that could converse with humans. And one of the first examples of generative AI.
1980s RNN architecture
Several researchers advanced recurrent neural network (RNN) architecture. Furthering the development of this bidirectional artificial neural network.
1997 LSTM networks
Josef Hochreiter and Jürgen Schmidhuber invented long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, significantly improving the accuracy of AI models.
2014 GANs and VAEs
The development of GANs and VAEs dramatically advanced generative AI technology.
2017 Transformer models
Newly developed transformer models allowed gen AI systems to create natural language text for the first time.
2018 OpenAI GPT
OpenAI released GPT, a neural network that could generate human-like text and converse with users.
2021 OpenAI DALL-E
OpenAI introduced DALL-E to generate digital images from prompts through deep learning.
2022 OpenAI ChatGPT, Midjourney beta
OpenAI launched ChatGPT (also known as GPT-3.5), a transformer-based model that one million users adopted in only five days.
Text-to-image generator Midjourney launched in beta the same year.

What Does Generative AI Mean for the Future?

While generative AI’s timeline is relatively long, many significant developments have happened in a few short years.

Given this rapid evolution, it’s reasonable to expect that gen AI will continue to develop quickly.

So, what will AI look like in the future? And how could it affect your industry?

Here are a few developments to monitor:

  • Increased adoption of generative AI tools: In many industries, companies are already pressuring leaders to implement AI tools. A Qualtrics survey of customer experience professionals revealed that 75% feel the pressure to use generative AI for business.
  • More advanced AI prompts: The more companies adopt generative AI strategies, the more advanced their prompting skills are likely to become. With extensive testing, users will probably develop more specific, nuanced prompts for producing higher-quality content.
  • Higher volume of AI-generated content: As more individuals and business processes use gen AI tools, the amount of AI-generated content will increase. Harvard Professor Latanya Sweeney predicts 90% of online content creation will no longer be by humans.
  • Improved AI detection: As AI evolves, AI detection tools may become more sophisticated. Increasingly advanced tools will better address issues with cybersecurity, deepfakes, and other growing concerns—potentially making AI content more credible.

Further reading: 15 Must-Watch AI Trends to Empower Your Business

Use Advanced AI Tools to Improve Your Content

Whether you’re just getting started with generative AI or looking for ways to level up your AI skills, you need the right tools at your disposal.

Tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Semrush’s AI-powered suite are game-changers for content creation.

Not sure which one to pick?

Check out our in-depth guide to the top 5 AI writing generators, where we break down the features, pros and cons, and pricing of the best tools on the market.

The post What Is Generative AI and How Does It Work? appeared first on Backlinko.

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21 Google Search Tips to Find Exactly What You Want

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Here are 21 Google search tips that will help you:

  • Refine your searches to get the right answers faster
  • Search the web without typing a query
  • Discover cool things you never knew Google could do

At the end, we’ll also show you how you can get your site to appear in more Google’s search results.

(Spoiler alert—it involves something called search engine optimization, or SEO.)

But first, the tips.

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Basics

To do a Google search, launch your browser, navigate to the search engine, and type what you’re looking for into the search bar.

Alternatively, if Google is your browser’s default search engine, type your query into your browser’s address bar.

You can type:

  • Words (like “electrolysis”)
  • Phrases (like “electrolysis process”)
  • Questions (like “what is electrolysis”)

You don’t need to type in full sentences.

Then, hit “Enter” or “return” on your keyboard to run the search.

Don’t worry about your spelling or grammar. Google is good at autocorrecting misspelled queries.

After you run your search, Google will display relevant results. Use the tabs at the top to see only certain types of results.

For example, click “Images” to view only image results, or “News” to view results from news sites:

Google may also display topics at the top of the search results. Click them to add to your query and narrow your search:

For example, clicking the “women’s” topic that Google displays on the search engine results page for “cute shoes” will update the search query to “women’s cute shoes”:

2. Filter Your Results

Filter the results to see only those published within a certain period or that match your query word for word.

To do this, click the “Tools” option at the top of the Google search results. “Any time” and “All results” drop-down menus will appear.

Click “Any time” to filter for results published within the last hour, 24 hours, week, month, or year. Or within a date range of your choice.

Click “All results” to choose whether to see all results or only verbatim ones that closely (or exactly) match your search query.

For example, if you’re searching for a person named “Rob Downey,” turning on the “Verbatim” filter ensures you get results for people named Rob Downey.

And not Robert Downey Jr., the actor.

3. Search Within Websites

Add “site:[domain]” to your search query to view results from a specific site.

This Google search tip also works for viewing results from specific site subdirectories, like “[domain]/blog”:

Pro tip: Use other Google search operators to further refine your search and find exactly what you’re looking for.

4. Perform a Reverse Image Search

A reverse image search uses an image to look for information. It’s helpful for learning about something you have a picture of but don’t know the name of.

Run a reverse image search in Google by clicking the camera icon at the right of the search bar.

Upload your image to Google, or paste an image link into the provided field. Then click “Search.”

Google will analyze your image and suggest relevant results.

image search results

5. Search with Your Voice

If you can’t type your query, do a voice search—where you speak your query.

Select the microphone icon at the right of the search bar:

Let Google access your microphone if prompted. Then, say your query out loud.

Google will transcribe your speech and search for what you said. If the transcription is inaccurate, correct it and rerun the search.

6. Get a Direct Answer

Google has partnered with other sites to provide answers to certain types of queries directly on the results page. As a result, you don’t have to click a search result to get an answer.

This is useful when you just want a straightforward answer. Like a stock price:

Try these Google search hacks for triggering direct answers:

To Get a Direct Answer for: Use This Query:
Weather in a certain place “Weather in [country or city]”
Time in a certain place “Time in [country or city]”
Stock prices “[Stock ticker symbol] price”
Definitions “Define [word]” or “[word] meaning”

Note: Direct answers are different from featured snippets and AI Overviews. Like direct answers, featured snippets and AI Overviews offer answers directly on the search results page. But featured snippets contain information extracted from sites, while AI Overviews contain AI-generated information.

7. Find Exact Match Results

Enclose your search query in double quotation marks to view results that contain your query exactly as it appears.

This Google search tip is helpful for looking up the sources of quotes.

Let’s say you want to check which blog post provided this advice: “You should never pay for dofollow backlinks.”

Doing a Google search for that line without quotation marks may get you results with some words missing or in a different order:

But rerun the search with quotation marks, and you’ll get the sentence’s source right away:

8. Exclude Certain Results

Add a minus sign before certain words to exclude results with these words from the search results.

Here’s an example:

Searching for “caterpillar” usually gets you information on the Caterpillar construction equipment manufacturer.

To get information on the insect, instead, search for “caterpillar -construction”:

Another Google search tip is adding the minus sign before the “site:” operator to exclude a certain website from the results.

For example, to find mentions of your brand on any site except yours, search for “[your brand name] -site:[your domain].”

9. Find Files

Get only results with a certain file format by adding “filetype:[file format]” to your search query. Supported formats include:

  • pdf: For PDF files
  • doc: For Microsoft Word documents
  • xls: For Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
  • ppt: For Microsoft PowerPoint slides

If you’re looking for a PDF document for example, search “[document name] filetype:pdf.”

10. Run an Advanced Search

An advanced search gets you results that meet requirements like:

  • Containing all of a certain selection of words
  • Containing none of certain selection of words
  • Being in a certain language
  • Originating from a certain country
  • Having certain usage rights

To run an advanced search, do a regular Google search first. Then, select “Tools” > “Advanced Search” on the search results page.

Fill out the advanced search fields as required, then hit the “Advanced Search” button to run the search.

11. Turn On Dark Mode

Google offers a dark mode feature for doing searches in a dark-colored interface.

Turning on dark mode may reduce eye strain. It may also decrease blue light exposure, which can make it easier to sleep after spending a lot of time in front of a screen.

Google automatically enables dark mode if this is your device’s default setting. Learn how to change your device’s color settings here:

Alternatively, if your device’s color setting is light mode, here’s how to enable dark mode for a one-off Google search:

From your desktop device, go to the Google homepage. Select “Settings” at the bottom right and then “Dark theme: Off.”

If you’re using a mobile device, the “Dark theme: Off” option will appear directly at the bottom of the Google homepage.

12. Manage Explicit Results

Adjust Google’s SafeSearch settings to control whether you see search results containing adult content and graphic violence.

Click the gear icon at the top right of the search results. Then click on “SafeSearch.”

You’ll see three settings:

  • Filter: Exclude explicit results entirely
  • Blur: Blur explicit images but not explicit text or links
  • Off: Don’t censor any results

Click your preferred option. Google will save your choice and apply it to all future searches.

Note: You may not be able to change your SafeSearch settings if your network administrator has locked them.

13. Do Math

Google can help with math calculations.

If your calculation involves simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, type it into Google’s search bar and run the search.

The search results page will show the answer.

To perform more complex calculations involving trigonometric functions, logarithms, and more, search for “calculator.”

Google will give you a scientific calculator you can use.

14. Convert Units of Measurement

Convert units of measurement by searching “[number] [source unit of measurement] in [desired unit of measurement].”

For example:

  • 6’2 in cm
  • 100 kg in pounds
  • 25 deg c in kelvin

15. Convert Currencies

Google “[number] [source currency] to [desired currency]” to convert currencies using the real-time exchange rate.

You’ll also see a chart of the exchange rate’s movements over time. Hover your cursor over the chart to learn the exchange rate on different days.

16. Start a Timer or a Stopwatch

Search for “timer [duration]” to have Google start counting down from that duration automatically.

Click “Stop” if you need to pause the timer and “Reset” to reset it.

Alternatively, search for “stopwatch” to get a stopwatch. Activate it by clicking “Start.”

Tip: Check your device’s sound levels if you don’t hear the timer go off.

17. Activate a Bubble Level

Google offers a built-in level tool—also known as a bubble or spirit level—on mobile devices. It provides a rough guide of how horizontal or vertical a surface is.

This Google search tip is helpful when you need to see whether that new shelf you’ve installed is straight, but you don’t have a level handy.

Use it by searching for “bubble level” or “spirit level” on your mobile device. Then, tap “Touch to activate.”

If prompted, grant Google access to your device’s motion and orientation sensors.

18. Set Up Search Alerts

Get notifications whenever there are new results for a Google search query.

For example, you can set up an alert for every time someone publishes a post that includes your name or your brand. Or topics relevant to you, like “vegan recipes.”

To do so, go to Google Alerts and type the query you want to monitor into the “Create an alert about…” field.

You’ll see sample results for your alert.

Click “Show options” to configure settings like how often you want to receive notifications and the results’ language and quality.

Then, click “Create Alert” to finish the setup. Google will start alerting you of new results at your preferred frequency.

19. Track Packages

Google can provide shipping updates for packages delivered by UPS, FedEx, and other supported shipping providers.

Just search for “[shipping provider] package tracking.” Provide your package’s tracking number and click “Track via [shipping provider].”

Google will display your package’s shipping status right there in the search results.

20. Play Games

You can play certain games directly from Google’s search results page.

This is less of a Google search tip and more of a fun way to use Google.

To play games, search “minesweeper,” “snake,” “pac man,” “solitaire,” or “tic tac toe” to load the relevant game:

Alternatively, you can play a text adventure where you’ll get a scenario in text format. And your response—also in text format—affects what happens next.

Try it by searching for “text adventure.” Then right-click the search results page and select “Inspect.”

Your browser’s developer tools will appear. Navigate to the “Console” tab.

Under the large “Warning!” heading in the console’s messages, you’ll see a question: “Would you like to play a game?”

And two response options: “Yes” or “No.”

Scroll to the bottom of the console log, type your response, and then hit “Enter” or “return” on your keyboard to start playing.

21. Discover Easter Eggs

You’ll sometimes find special messages or features on the Google search results for certain queries.

Here are some examples:

Search for fonts like “Calibri,” “Comic Sans MS,” and “Courier font,” and Google will display results in the respective font.

Ask Google “the answer to life, the universe, and everything” and it will reply “42”—which is a supercomputer’s reply to the same question in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a science fiction book by Douglas Adams.

Meanwhile, Google the “BTS” Korean boy band and you’ll see a purple heart near the top left of the search results page.

Select the heart, and purple balloons will appear on the screen. Click them to pop them. The balloons containing microphones reveal messages from BTS’s band members when popped.

Make Google Search Work for You

Applying this list of Google search tricks will get you more relevant answers to your questions—and quicker, to boot. Some of these tips also make Googling more fun.

But apart from learning how to search on Google effectively for others’ pages, how would you like your pages to appear in Google’s search results?

You can appear higher for relevant search queries by using SEO.

SEO is the process of helping search engines discover and understand your site so they can display your site’s pages for relevant queries.

Optimize your site well to increase its chances of ranking higher in search results and receive more organic traffic.

Read these guides to get a foundational knowledge of SEO:

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Top 10 PPC news of the year 2024 on Search Engine Land

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The world of digital marketing in 2024 has been nothing short of transformative, with Google once again taking center stage in many of the year’s biggest developments. From the ongoing debates about third-party cookies to advancements in Google Analytics and the rising distrust among advertisers, the year was marked by shifts that tested the adaptability and resilience of marketers everywhere.

As we enter the last few weeks of the year, let’s take a look at the top newsworthy headlines according to pageviews.

10. Google Ads phasing out card payments

In June Google notified some high-spending advertisers that they would need to stop using credit or debit cards for Google Ads payments by July 31, 2024. Affected accounts needed to transition to bank-based payment methods or risk suspension.

  • Advertisers expressed frustration, citing financial strain, loss of cashflow flexibility and lack of benefits.
  • Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that only a small subset of advertisers would be impacted.

9. Google Ads ad copy: what works and what doesn’t in 2024

Optmyzr analyzed over 1 million Google Ads to uncover key insights into ad copy strategies, focusing on metrics like CPA, CTR, and ROAS. The findings challenge conventional wisdom and highlight opportunities for marketers to improve performance.

The report covered:

  • Ad strength – its misleading
  • Pinning Assets – against Google’s recommendations, it could be worth pinning all headlines
  • Sentence case vs Title Case – sentence case is a clear winner especially for RSAs
  • Creative length – shorter headlines performed better

8. Google is shutting down websites made with business profiles

Google Business Profile (GBP) websites were discontinued in March 2024. Visitors to these websites were redirected to the associated Business Profile form March until June 10 and from then it will be a “page not found error” they would see whenever such a link is clicked.

This caused the need of a new site for brands who had GBP websites, using platforms like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, Google Sites, or GoDaddy

7. Advertisers don’t trust Google

2024 saw advertisers trust level at an all time low as the Department of Justice’s laid out a damning case against Google, releasing a document even, detailing extensively why there should be trust issues against Google.

It took little coaxing to have several advertisers let us know why their trust is at an all time low. Advertisers complained of manipulative practices, lack of transparency, erosion of trust and much more.

6. Costs increasing

Advertising spend on Google search ads in the U.S. increased by 17% year-over-year in Q4 2023, with steady click growth at 8% and cost-per-click (CPC) rising by 9%, according to Tinuiti’s Q4 2023 Digital Ads Benchmark Report.

The rise in ad spend and growing confidence in paid media suggest advertisers adapted to challenges in 2023, leveraging mobile and emerging platforms like PMax to drive performance.

However by April, despite CPCs being up, spend was plateauing as advertisers were seeing a decline in clicks.

5. Google exposes competitor data

Advertisers are used to the odd Google Ads reporting glitch here and there, however in August, a unique one happened where competitor data was exposed.

Advertisers were unable to manage campaigns or access critical performance data. Additionally, a serious data breach has exposed unrelated item IDs, product titles, and Merchant Center information, potentially revealing competitors’ sensitive information.

It took a week for the issue to be fully resolved.

4. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) adds new dimensions

In February, GA4 introduced eight new dimensions to enhance tracking and analysis of paid and organic traffic sources. With new dimensions like Manual source, Manual medium, Manual Campaign and more, these dimensions provide deeper insights into user behavior and performance across channels.

3. Google Ads discrepancies

In July, advertiser Brais Calvo Vázquez’s discovered that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) includes a hidden report that allows users to compare conversion data exported to Google Ads, helping to identify and explain discrepancies between the two platforms.

This tool, accessible by appending “/advertising/key-event-differences” to a GA4 property URL, provides advertisers with insights to improve campaign accuracy and performance.

Some users have had access to this report for over a year, indicating it may have been in extended testing. Google made no comment to this discovery.

2. Search Partner Update

February Google announced introducing greater advertiser control over ad placements within its Search Partner Network (SPN). Starting March 4, advertisers using Performance Max (PMax) campaigns will gain access to impression-level reporting for SPN sites. Additionally, exclusions applied at the account level will extend to SPN placements, YouTube, and display ads.

The changes aim to provide advertisers with enhanced transparency and control, allowing them to safeguard their brand reputation. The SPN includes websites and apps that display search ads, extending beyond Google’s main properties like YouTube and Google Discover.

1. Third Party Cookies

There had been back and forth about third party cookies for years now and whether to deprecate it and in 2024, Google had high hopes of going ahead with doing getting rid of it. However, their hopes were dashed almost as soon as they started their tests.

In January the report was Google started phasing out third party cookies. They were axing cookies from 1% of browser traffic, and the speculation at that stage was that they would phase out third-party cookies by the second half of 2024 as a crucial move in its Privacy Sandbox initiative.

In February due to concerns raised by UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, Google were stopped in their tracks form going ahead with the third party deprecation until concerns around its proposed Privacy Sandbox changes were sufficiently appeased. According to Google’s documentation:

  • “The Privacy Sandbox initiative aims to create technologies that both protect people’s privacy online and give companies and developers tools to build thriving digital businesses.”

However CMA had lots (39 and counting) of concerns, the three key ones being:

  • Google would still benefit from user data whilst competitors would be limited form this data,
  • That they will show favoritism towards their ad tech,
  • Publishers and advertisers won’t able to detect fraudulent activity.

In April the deadline for third party cookie deprecation moved from end of 2024 to 2025, conceding to the concerns the CMA raised in February. The had put evidence together that they were still doing the right by the industry and wanted to give the CMA enough time go over all the documentation they had provided.

Later that same month the concerns increased to 111 with the primary concern now being that Google will become too dominant in the market if their Privacy Sandbox solution went ahead.

After a couple of months of silence, the final decision came – Google scraps plans to kill third-party cookies in Chrome. The new promise is to introduce a new experience in Chrome whilst the Privacy Sandbox AMI will continue to be developed for alternative solutions.

That is a wrap on 2024. Several major talking points there, unsurprisingly mostly focused around Google there. What do we think 2025 will bring us? I reckon a lot more AI updates and experts truly needing to different themselves from those who just use AI as their selling point. It would also be interesting to see whether the Google we know now will have all its brands still intact by this time next year.

Google ads rolls out Brand Report for enhanced advertiser insights

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Top 10 Google Ads mistakes to avoid in 2025

Google Ads introduced Brand Report, a new dashboard tool that gives advertisers consolidated insights into reach and frequency across campaigns.

The tool simplifies how brand advertisers track campaign performance by providing deduplicated metrics in one place, rather than scattered across multiple reports.

The details. Brand Report consolidates data from multiple tools, streamlining analysis of KPIs and demographic performance.

  • Advertisers can filter results by age, gender, and other on-target demographics.
  • Accessible directly in the Google Ads dashboard under “Insights and reports.”

Why we care. This update is significant because it finally solves the headache of piecing together reach and frequency data from multiple places.

By providing deduplicated metrics in one dashboard, you can now easily see who they’re actually reaching across campaigns, spot where they’re overspending on the same audiences, and make faster, smarter decisions about their brand advertising investments.

Key requirements:

  • Available at the single account level (no multi-account or MCC support).
  • Metrics cover a max of 92 days and up to 10,000 campaigns.
  • Requires 10,000+ impressions per campaign for data to populate.
  • Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns are excluded.

What’s next. You should now look out for when other campaign types, like Search, Performance Max and Shopping, will be included in the reports.

Google December 2024 spam update done rolling out

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Google’s June 2024 spam update rollout is now complete. The spam update started on December 19, 2024, about seven days ago, finishing on December 26, 2024. This was the third spam update of the 2024 year and started a day after Google completed the December 2024 core update.

This update was a general and broad spam update, it was not a link spam update and did not automate the site reputation abuse policy, which is still only done via manual actions.

Google wrote, “The rollout was complete as of December 26, 2024.”

What we saw. While the update was announced the day after the December core update, it does seems that it hit very hard within a few days and was much more widespread than some previous spam updates. Although, it is still a bit too early to dig too much into the update. If you were hit by this update, you may notice the rankings drops in Search Console. Keep in mind, holiday traffic can be very volatile and low for many sites, so look at rankings and not traffic for this specific update.

Previous spam updates. The last spam update was on June 20, 2024 and was named June 2024 spam update, it completed on June 27.

Here’s our past coverage of confirmed Google spam updates:

Why we care. This Google update took a lot of us by surprise, since it happened only a day after the core update and just days before the holiday season. We were taken back by Google releasing an update that will end close to, or into the holiday season.

This is the 7th Google search algorithm update we had in 2024, including four core updates and now three spam updates. It is unclear exactly what type of spam this targets but if you noticed any ranking changes during this update, it might have been related to this spam update.

Spam updates. Google linked to its standard spam updates documentation that reads:

“While Google’s automated systems to detect search spam are constantly operating, we occasionally make notable improvements to how they work. When we do, we refer to this as a spam update and share when they happen on our list of Google Search ranking updates.

For example, SpamBrain is our AI-based spam-prevention system. From time-to-time, we improve that system to make it better at spotting spam and to help ensure it catches new types of spam.

Sites that see a change after a spam update should review our spam policies to ensure they are complying with those. Sites that violate our policies may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all. Making changes may help a site improve if our automated systems learn over a period of months that the site complies with our spam policies.

In the case of a link spam update (an update that specifically deals with link spam), making changes might not generate an improvement. This is because when our systems remove the effects spammy links may have, any ranking benefit the links may have previously generated for your site is lost. Any potential ranking benefits generated by those links cannot be regained.”

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