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Category: SEO

Unleash the Power of TV Ads: Drive Search Demand Effectively

I recently came across a fascinating insight on how TV ads don’t just create awareness, they actually spark searches. It made me realize just how crucial it is to be ready to capture this surge in interest effectively.

Every time a high-impact TV campaign airs, viewers like us are likely to head straight to search engines like Google and YouTube to learn more about the products or brands featured. The real challenge is not in generating that interest but in being prepared to capture it when it happens.

A great example of this is Fox Sports’ recent World Cup campaign. It highlights why SEO and PPC planning need to start way before an ad goes live to ensure we’re ready to meet the demand.

A World Cup Ad That Created More Than Just Awareness

DAIVID’s study ranked the most emotionally engaging World Cup ads, with Fox Sports’ “Miracle” leading the pack. This ad didn’t just create awareness; it generated a significant emotional response, prompting viewers to search for more information.

When “Miracle” aired, it wasn’t just an advertising victory; it was a roadmap of demand generation. Fox’s search teams needed to be ready to handle the influx of interest surrounding their branded terms well before the World Cup even began.

Throughout the ad, viewers are taken through an inspiring journey of Team USA winning the World Cup, and this prompted us to engage with various search queries like “U.S. World Cup 2026” and “Christian Pulisic.” It was amazing to see how emotional storytelling in advertising can drive such significant search activity.

Why This Matters for Search Marketing

Imagine the Fox ad airing; immediately, millions of us are reaching for our phones, searching for details on the U.S. World Cup team or the ad itself. The key takeaway here is the need for search campaigns to be live, optimized, and ready to meet this demand instantly.

One study highlighted that 75% of search activity related to a TV ad happens in the first two minutes. If our search strategy isn’t aligned and prepared beforehand, we risk losing significant opportunities to competitors.

Prepare for Four Types of Queries TV Ads Generate

The “Miracle” ad teaches us about the various search queries it generates, categorized into branded, campaign, asset, and category queries. Each type needs its own strategic approach, and preparing for them is crucial to capturing the interest they’re meant to drive.

Branded Queries

After an ad airs, simple branded searches like “Fox Sports” are the most common. It’s essential to ensure we’re capturing all potential impressions by boosting budgets accordingly.

Campaign Queries

Campaign-specific searches arise directly from the ad content, like “Miracle ad.” Building landing pages and keyword strategies around these queries before airing can capture significant interest.

Asset Queries

Queries related to elements like songs or celebrities in the ad, such as “song in Fox World Cup ad,” are common. Preemptively planning for these queries ensures we don’t miss out on highly engaged and curious viewers.

Category Queries

Viewers might search for solutions related to the ad’s theme, like “how to watch World Cup 2026.” Addressing these queries is vital to prevent losing traffic to competitors.

Strengthen Your Search Strategy and Creative Collaboration

As search marketers, we should be present during the creation process to identify searchable elements, align landing pages with ad content, and prepare teams for potential viewer questions.

A well-planned search strategy can significantly enhance a viewer’s journey from curiosity to conversion, ensuring that our hard-earned advertising dollars are not wasted.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

June 5, 2026
24/7 AI & SEO Monitoring: Safeguard Your Search Visibility

Have you ever felt the frustration of losing citations and conversions due to unforeseen technical issues? I know I have, which is why I am thrilled to introduce a real-time solution that keeps a watchful eye on potential AEO and SEO problems before they affect your performance.

This cutting-edge monitoring tool offers around-the-clock protection, ensuring that your online visibility remains intact at all times. No more sleepless nights worrying if your site is underperforming; you can now stay informed and proactive about your digital presence.

As someone who values efficiency and reliability, having a partner that seamlessly integrates into my workflow has been a game changer. With real-time alerts and intuitive reporting, I can address issues swiftly and maintain a competitive edge.

Inspired by this post on Conductor Blog.

June 4, 2026
Navigating Google’s Evolution: The New Era of AI and SEO

As I delve into Google’s expanded candidate set, I can’t help but sense a transformative shift in how search systems evaluate content. It’s fascinating to see how AI systems now approach broader pools of information, with visibility increasingly relying on verification, semantic relationships, and trust signals rather than just keywords.

This evolution pushes SEO from simply focusing on retrieval and ranking mechanics to something akin to forensic architecture. This approach gears systems to help machines verify and trust information on a larger scale.

Recently, I read an article on Google’s expanded candidate set, and it felt like the culmination of my five-year journey through the depths of AI and digital ecosystems. It’s reassuring to see the industry moving towards what I’ve been passionate about.

Throughout my 30-year career, I’ve always strived to meet current demands while anticipating future trends. This experience has honed my ability to identify emerging patterns and make proactive decisions aimed at where the industry is heading.

To grasp why this "selection crisis" is happening, it’s important to differentiate between a crawler and an AI agent. When Googlebot first emerged, it acted like a mechanical fetcher, following simple, rules-based logic to record, not understand, content.

Over time, this mechanical clerk has transformed into a forensic investigator, with advances like RankBrain, BERT, and the recent Gemini AI enhancing its capabilities immensely. These technologies herald a new age where AI systems synthesize broad content pools to deliver unique answers effortlessly.

The advent of ChatGPT in 2022 was a catalyst for shifting towards answer engines. This change, which I term the "selection crisis," now requires AI to selectively curate information, democratizing access to high-quality information regardless of user familiarity with search processes.

Those of us immersed in this transition quickly realized that AI systems now value information gain and atomic facts as primary currencies. In essence, succinct and precise information now carries greater weight than verbose content.

This understanding didn’t come overnight but from decades of dealing with problematic zombie facts and constant trial and error in high-stake industries like online pharmacies. Trust is fundamental here; it’s not just a catchy phrase but the backbone of sustained business.

In these industries, I learned early on the need for systems that not only find but also understand our digital presence. This realization led me to develop tools that address gaps in content credibility and reliability.

One significant hurdle I faced was the "commodity crisis." Managing multiple ecommerce sites selling identical products taught me the necessity of presenting unique, verified information that distinguishes us from the competition.

While building solutions like the E-E-A-T engine, atomic sandwich architecture, and forensic IG evaluator, I realized the tools must integrate seamlessly to address larger systemic issues like context debt and trust gaps.

In conducting a recent forensic audit across 28 digital entities, I confirmed this crisis of selection has infiltrated the general web. Now more than ever, systems evaluate not just keyword proficiency but verify the trustworthiness of sources at an unprecedented scale.

To tackle this, I’ve employed three pillars of forensic engineering: cryptographic authority using JSON Web Signature standards, semantic graphs that optimize relationship reading, and regulatory alignment mapping to the EU AI Act.

These pillars demonstrate the evolving landscape of answer engines, demanding that entities not only rank but also build credible and intelligible systems for AI to depend upon.

The SEO landscape is drastically changing, requiring us to go beyond retrieval to support machines in understanding and trusting your content’s credibility. It’s time to embrace this new frontier, assembling public domain frameworks into reliable AI-friendly structures.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

June 4, 2026
Mastering SEO: Strategies for Sustained Growth in 2026

Keyword research and on-page optimization still matter, but authority, distribution, and brand visibility now drive more organic growth.

Over the past 18 months, I’ve watched a shift in what drives SEO success. What worked in 2022 isn’t as effective today, yet many are stuck in the old ways.

One major realization emerged: Teams feel busy but ineffective because the old model doesn’t encompass all that’s needed to succeed now.

This isn’t about AI replacing SEO; it’s about evolving practices to keep pace with industry changes.

The list of SEO priorities has shifted, with an old emphasis on standalone keyword research no longer holding its former value.

High-volume content production and simple on-page optimization aren’t enough. They’re the foundation, but not the entire building.

Today’s success builds on the basics but requires efforts in entity work, original research, and distribution.

To make headway, we need to prioritize brand building, nurturing its presence across platforms.

For growth, focusing on unique research and proprietary data can set you apart.

Effective distribution and PR work are necessary for visibility, no longer relying on the content to naturally earn links.

In-house SEO leaders should consider reshaping teams to match the evolving needs.

Agency-side practitioners must adjust their offerings to stay relevant, emphasizing strategic activities over standardized deliverables.

The future of SEO still has robust potential for those willing to adapt and innovate.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

June 4, 2026
Unlock Business Growth by Aligning SEO and Affiliate Strategies
SEO and affiliate teams often influence the same metrics, such as revenue, rankings, and visibility in the digital landscape. By aligning these teams, we can cut costs and significantly enhance brand performance.

In many businesses, SEO teams and affiliates—partners promoting our products for commissions—operate separately. While the SEO team focuses on rankings and organic traffic, the affiliate team is busy cultivating partner relationships and handling commissions. However, rarely do these teams collaborate, missing out on boosting their collective impact.

Cross-departmental cooperation is essential for business growth. Collaborating with other teams helps me understand their views on success, expands my perspective beyond SEO, and reveals new opportunities for leveraging initiatives for SEO advancements.

A harmonious relationship between SEO and affiliate teams is crucial. Let’s explore the importance of this alignment for brand protection, LLM visibility, and tool sharing, and how this synergy can enhance efficiency, save costs, and bolster business performance.

Protect Your Brand and Search Terms

It’s crucial to maintain control over brand-related search terms and not let affiliates dominate them. With my clients, anything affecting organic performance falls under the SEO team’s domain.

Consider high-intent terms like:
- [brand] + discount code
- [brand] + promo code
- And many other variations
Allowing affiliates to rank for these terms can redirect your branded traffic and sales back to you, incurring unnecessary commissions. This costly situation can be easily avoided.

Dig deeper: The best affiliate networks by need and use case

How to Reclaim Your Rankings

Brands can lose their conversions to affiliates as well, like Trainline. The term “trainline promo code” garners 17,000 monthly searches in the UK, yet Trainline fails to optimize their promotional page for this term, losing traffic and conversions to affiliates.

The fix is simple: a focused adjustment of the meta title, H1, and main content to reflect these terms effectively.

By reclaiming control over these rankings, we:
- Increased organic revenue.
- Reduced affiliate expenses.
- Enhanced overall business profitability.
For instance, one brand we manage saw a boost in Share of Voice from 14% to 31% after a strategic content update, all overnight.

These victories benefit the entire business, not just SEO. This is the true purpose of SEO — driving business growth through insight and strategy.

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See terms.

How SEO and Affiliate Teams Can Work Together to Compound Returns

Affiliates generally produce content that enhances reputational signals like “Best of” and comparison articles. LLMs heavily weigh these signals, increasing our brand’s authority when mentioned in numerous reputable articles across our niche.

Educating affiliates on including our brand in such articles can provide:
- Increased affiliate visibility, leading to traffic and conversions from those placements.
- Enhanced LLM visibility, boosting reputational signals that inform AI models recommending our brand.
Technically, we need to manage affiliate tracking URLs correctly. No-indexing these URLs prevents them from being indexed in search results, avoiding potential indexing issues.

I monitor this with SEOTesting, which alerts me about newly indexed URLs, allowing us to swiftly address any tracking URLs that slip through.

Dig deeper: What incrementality really means in affiliate marketing

Collaborate with Affiliates Today

SEO and affiliate teams should not work in silos. Their synergy can save money and increase visibility. Affiliates can boost LLM visibility, while SEO data can empower affiliate decisions, driving business success together.

The closer these teams operate, the more beneficial the results for the business.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
June 3, 2026
Navigate AI-Driven Searches with Engaging Reading Strategies

I’ve realized that AI Overviews are fundamentally changing how users interact with search results. Gone are the days of simple, task-oriented searches. Today, AI Overviews encourage users to dive into comprehensive reading sessions right on the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Let’s talk about some critical insights. AI Overviews merge multiple search intents into a single reading session, disrupting the traditional understanding of search behavior. Winning what I call the ‘second impression’ is crucial for different types of web pages.

Recently, I teamed up with Eric Van Buskirk from Clickstream Solutions to analyze vast amounts of anonymized clickstream data. We discovered that time-on-SERP is no longer solely dependent on search intent when AI Overviews are in play.

Historically, search intent—navigational, informational, etc.—predicted user behavior. But with AI Overviews, now users spend similar amounts of time regardless of their initial intent.

These insights are crucial. Consider Google’s change in approach: it’s less about presenting links and more about providing exact answers. This requires us to think differently about how we engage users.

For operators like me, understanding the significance of the ‘second impression’ helps us adapt our strategy for product, category, and blog pages.

In product detail pages (PDPs), it’s important to manage schemas and compare competitors’ offerings. On category detail pages (CDPs), having visible filters and vast product arrays can make all the difference.

$```json { "alt": "Visual guide outlining three playbooks for PDP, CDP, and Blog content focusing on trust and relevance signals.", "caption": "Discover strategic playbooks for product detail, category detail pages, and blogs to boost trust and relevance. Enhance online visibility with targeted schema and content strategies.", "description": "This image presents a structured guide titled 'THE_SECOND_IMPRESSION_HAS_3_PLAYBOOKS', focusing on enhancing online trust and relevance through three types of content: Product Detail Pages (PDP), Category Detail Pages (CDP), and Blogs. It details strategies like using product schemas, comparison review counts, and exposing filter facets for better Google sitelinks. The guide emphasizes the importance of visible publication dates and article schemas. Ideal for SEO and content strategists aiming to enhance SERP visibility. Source: Growth Memo." } ```$

As for blog content, I’m focusing on credibility signals like publication dates and author names within schema markup to gain trust and validation clicks.

Instead of predicting user behavior as before, the new focus is on optimizing my content’s visibility and trustworthiness in an AI-influenced SERP landscape. This shift doesn’t change our core content strategy but adds new layers of intricacy to how we optimize for SERP.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

June 3, 2026
Unveiling Google Search Console’s AI Controls and Reports

As someone who eagerly follows Google’s updates, I was thrilled to learn about the latest developments in Google Search Console. Recently, Google has started to roll out new Search Generative AI performance reports. These reports, along with a feature to block your content in AI responses, are designed to give website owners more control.

Currently, these features are being introduced to a select group of website owners in the UK, but there are plans to expand access in the near future. This gradual rollout allows us to get accustomed to these changes before they become widely available.

Exploring the Search Generative AI Performance Report

The new AI performance report in Google Search Console is something I’ve been anticipating. Although it doesn’t cover everything, it does provide some important insights into how our content is performing within AI responses, AI Mode, and AI Overviews on Google Search. The report includes data on impressions, pages, countries, devices, and dates. However, a notable omission is click data, so we’re left guessing about the exact number of searchers clicking through to our sites from AI responses.

Google stated:

– We’re rolling out new insights for website owners regarding their pages’ appearances in generative AI Search features. These insights include impressions metrics and information on which pages appear in AI responses and in which countries. We’re working closely with website owners to determine what insights would be most helpful and will expand the metrics available over time.

Additionally, Google shared more details about the metrics we can expect:

– Impressions: Frequency of your site’s URLs appearing in generative AI features in Search and Discover.

– Pages: Identifying URLs that appeared within AI features.

– Countries: Understanding visibility on a country basis.

– Devices: Identifying the devices used to view your website. Available for Search results.

– Dates: Monitoring performance with hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly granularity.

I inquired about click data from a Google representative, who mentioned that they are exploring additional metrics that will help inform our strategies in the future.

Initially, this report is available to a subset of users in the UK, with plans to expand globally in the future.

If you want to explore more about this report, I recommend checking out the Google help center document.

Introducing AI Blocking Controls

Another exciting feature Google introduced is the ability to block your content from appearing in AI search features like AI Overviews, AI Mode, or AI Discover. Google described this as a “new toggle” within Google Search Console, allowing us to decide whether or not our site should be part of these AI search features.

Google notes that opting out will prevent your site from receiving traffic or impressions from these features. Importantly, this control won’t affect your ranking in standard search results outside of generative AI Search features, so there’s no risk of negatively impacting core web search visibility.

Again, like the performance report, this toggle is currently available to a subset of UK website owners, with plans to widen access as they complete further testing. Google had promised these controls after facing some backlash from the EU, and it’s promising to see them starting to roll out now.

One study even showed that 1/3rd of SEOs are willing to block Google from showcasing their content in AI search features.

Why It Matters

As site owners and publishers, many of us have been asking for control over how and if our content appears in Google’s AI features. Now, we have just that. Although it’s initially limited, I’m hopeful these features will eventually be available to all.

Moreover, we’ve been requesting AI Search reporting from Google from day one. With Google’s announcement following Bing’s release of its own AI performance report, we’re taking a significant step forward. While Google’s report currently targets UK site owners and lacks click data, it holds promise for a global rollout soon.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

June 3, 2026
Why ‘It’s Just SEO’ is Limiting Our Industry’s Growth

I’ll be honest; the ongoing discourse around the GEO debate feels like a distraction from a much more significant transformation. AI systems are reimagining how brands, sources, and recommendations are surfaced, demanding our full attention.

It’s both impressive and frustrating how search has managed to spark such passionate debate at a time when it should be becoming more pivotal to clients. Yet, our industry is stuck in arguments that render us irrelevant.

So, who truly owns the future of search? That’s the real question we need to tackle.

Who defines the next phase of search? Who secures the budget? Who articulates the shift from a list of links to a machine-driven recommendation system?

The phrase “it’s just SEO” has caused considerable damage. It sounds like the calm, seasoned wisdom you’d expect from a search veteran. However, it lacks strategic depth. It’s a meme that constrains one of the most substantial commercial opportunities in years.

Why Memes Matter in Search

Memetics isn’t a new concept. Richard Dawkins introduced it in “The Selfish Gene” in 1976, suggesting that ideas spread through culture in a fashion similar to genes. Susan Blackmore expanded on this, claiming we’re essentially ‘meme machines’ built to propagate cultural information. The most resilient ideas aren’t necessarily true; they’re the stickiest.

Take “Happy Birthday to You,” it’s memorable and universally known not because it’s brilliant, but because it’s easy to replicate and emotionally fulfilling. Slogans and professional clichés endure for their simplicity and utility, not their accuracy.

SEO and GEO are entangled in a memetic struggle. This issue is amplified as the phrase “it’s just SEO” became predominant when GEO appeared, driving a wedge into meaningful conversation.

When GEO first came into the discussion, reactions varied. While some recognized the need for new tools and methods, others viewed it as a threat, repelling it with the phrase “it’s just SEO” — turning it into a chant and then a weapon. It was an ideal meme, short and socially protective.

The follow-up meme “GEO grifter” did even more harm, framing advocates of GEO as opportunists and stifling exploration and innovation. This behavior causes harm when consensus forms based solely on repetition, with the algorithms rewarding those repeating the framing, creating a false sense of agreement.

Clients Seek Certainty, Not Acronyms

I’ve observed firsthand at conferences like BrightonSEO that many marketers are already leveraging generative systems. They don’t need debates over terms; they’ve adapted to new processes accordingly.

SEO has always been difficult to sell against paid counterparts due to previous uncertainties and failures. Nonetheless, good SEO generates tangible success. Failing to clarify the changes will see budgets drift elsewhere, especially to paid avenues.

The B2B Institute’s Findings

According to LinkedIn’s B2B Institute, growth for B2B brands stems from being easy to locate. Digital environments now demand visibility across new platforms.

The report views GEO as an extension of SEO and emphasizes establishing authority, relevance, and credibility. Discoverability is altering, yet core principles endure.

The 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dilemma

“It’s just SEO” oversimplifies a vast concept. When someone insists GEO is “just SEO,” I must ask — which kind? Each interpretation involves different practices and focuses.

If our response to generative systems is “helpful content,” we’re on the wrong track. The future demands more than vague promises; it requires adopting digital PR, brand strategies, and tactical marketing insights.

No Name, No Funding

Markets can’t invest in what they don’t recognize. Naming GEO is crucial as it turns abstract threats into actionable categories. Without a name and a defined category, the industry will fail to secure the investments needed to thrive in an altered landscape.

Ultimately, whether we call it GEO, AI search visibility, or SEO evolved, defining it ensures survival and growth. Brands that embrace this will capture opportunities that arise as search evolves.

A New Framing for Change

It’s time to acknowledge change and redefine the narrative. The transformation involves becoming the recommended brand — present, visible, and credible. It’s about expanding SEO to embrace the broader spectrum of digital marketing.

Adapting to these shifts will ensure brands maintain their visibility as search continues to evolve. Those clinging to outdated debates are at risk of missing out entirely.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

June 2, 2026
Google’s May 2026 Core Update Completes with Major Impact

I’ve been closely monitoring the latest from Google, and I’m excited to share that the Google May 2026 core update has been fully rolled out. This significant update, which began on May 21 and wrapped up by June 2, caused notable fluctuations in search rankings.

This was the second major core update of 2026, following the March updates and the February Discover update. Google’s updates are always intriguing, and this one was no different in terms of impact and scope.

Here’s what Google shared. I checked Google’s Search Status Dashboard where it’s officially stated: Released the May 2026 core update. Expect the rollout to take up to 2 weeks.

On LinkedIn, Google emphasized that this update aims to prioritize relevant and satisfying content for searchers—it’s all about enhancing the quality of results.

Observations from the field. Almost immediately after the announcement, many of us in the industry felt its effects. By Saturday, May 23rd, significant ranking changes were noticeable, with continued fluctuations observed into the following week.

I found a Semrush volatility chart illuminating, highlighting how dynamic the search landscape was over the 30-day period post-update.

If you felt the impact. Google has reiterated there are no specific fixes if a site is negatively affected. Focus on the long-term goal of creating content that’s truly beneficial for users, not just search engines.

For creators who feel their content isn’t ranking as desired, Google suggests reviewing their guidelines on creating helpful and reliable content.

To expand your knowledge about these updates, Google provides detailed documentation on their core updates page.

Reflecting on past core updates. Regular updates are the norm, with past changes in March, December, and June of 2025. These follow predictable patterns but carry unique impacts each time.

Why this matters. If you’ve noticed changes to your site’s performance, it’s crucial to adapt by crafting quality content. In an era where AI interactiveness in search results is increasing, leading to potentially reduced site traffic, being in the top position remains indispensable.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

June 2, 2026
Enhance Content Creation with Reusable Skills in Profound

Have you ever wished you could create a set of instructions once and use them across all your content in Profound? That’s exactly what Skills help me achieve. These are reusable instruction sets that simplify my content creation process.
By configuring my team’s writing style, AEO best practices, or content guidelines as a Skill, I’m able to seamlessly integrate these parameters into my workflows without the need for repetition. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency across all my projects.
Imagine having a tool that enhances your productivity and quality simultaneously, that’s what Skills in Profound offer me—an efficient way to maintain high standards in content creation.

Inspired by this post on Try Profound Blog.

June 1, 2026

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