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By Andres Tovar, Edited by Maria Bailey 

Trying to stand out on YouTube without turning it into a full-time job? These five beginner-friendly strategies use smart tools and content repurposing to help you build traction and grow your audience efficiently.

Key Takeaways

  • Discover beginner-friendly YouTube strategies that help entrepreneurs grow their audience without needing to go viral.

YouTube is full of opportunity, but also a lot of noise. For entrepreneurs looking to grow their brand, attract leads or build trust at scale, YouTube can be an invaluable asset. But getting started can feel overwhelming when subscriber counts and views don’t come quickly.

The good news? You don’t need to go viral or become a full-time creator to see meaningful results. With the right strategy, consistent execution and a willingness to learn as you go, YouTube can become a powerful tool for your business.

Here are five beginner-friendly ways to build traction — without spending all your time editing videos.

1. Develop a consistent content calendar

Consistency is one of the most important drivers of YouTube growth. While top creators often post several times a week, even beginners should aim for at least one video per week.

Start by planning a content calendar that aligns with your production capacity and your audience’s interests. Use keyword research tools to identify long-tail topics your audience is already searching for. This will help guide your video ideas and ensure you’re creating content that drives discovery.

A clear content calendar helps avoid gaps in publishing and keeps your viewers engaged.

2. Use tools to optimize titles, SEO and thumbnails

Small details — like titles, tags and thumbnails — can make or break your video’s visibility. YouTube’s algorithm prioritizes content that gets clicks and watch time, so optimization matters.

Fortunately, there are tools out there that can help automate this process. They let you test different titles, analyse thumbnails and suggest keywords based on performance data.

Creators who use these tools tend to grow faster. The right tools save time and help your videos perform better from the start.

3. Make the most of end screens

End screens are clickable elements you can add to the last 5 to 20 seconds of your video. They’re a powerful yet underused tool for boosting engagement and guiding viewers to your next piece of content.

By linking to other videos or adding a subscribe button, you increase watch time and encourage channel growth. YouTube rewards longer viewer sessions, so strategically linking your own content creates a positive feedback loop.

Always include end screens in your videos — it’s a simple, low-effort way to keep viewers on your channel longer.

4. Use YouTube Shorts to increase visibility

Shorts are YouTube’s answer to TikTok — and they’re one of the fastest ways to get discovered by new viewers.

A smart way to use Shorts is by repurposing clips from your long-form videos. Shorts that get more than 10,000 views typically generate 12 to 18 new subscribers. With their short runtime and high completion rate, they’re a low-cost way to grow your channel and introduce viewers to your brand.

5. Share your content across other platforms

Your Shorts and long-form videos can do double duty. By posting clips to Instagram, X and TikTok, you expand your reach and attract viewers who may not find you on YouTube alone.

Sharing repurposed video content across platforms builds brand awareness and funnels new followers back to your YouTube channel. This cross-platform traffic can also help your channel perform better in YouTube’s own algorithm.

And since the content is already created, it doesn’t require much additional effort—just smart repurposing.

Unlock growth without chasing virality

Growing a YouTube channel takes time, but it doesn’t require going viral or grinding out endless edits. With consistent effort, optimized content and strategic distribution, you can build a loyal audience and position your business as a trusted voice in your niche.

By Andres Tovar

Andres Tovar is the co-founder and managing partner of Noetic Marketer, a digital marketing agency specializing in the higher education, ecommerce and professional services industries. He is a growth consultant and fractional CMO for companies, small and big.

Edited by Maria Bailey 

Sourced from Entrepreneur

By Pawel Rzeszucinski,

For the better part of two decades, online search was synonymous with Google. Businesses fine-tuned their digital presence for keywords, meta tags and backlink strategies, all with one goal: Land on page one of the search results. But the landscape has changed. We’re entering a new era, one where the question is no longer who ranks first but who gets cited by the AI.

The arrival of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude has introduced a fundamentally different way to retrieve information. These tools do not point users to a list of links. Instead, they deliver direct, synthesized responses, drawing from vast corpora of public content. And they are beginning to reshape the expectations of how people search altogether.

From Search Results To Synthesized Answers

The shift may feel subtle at first, but the implications are significant. Users no longer have to skim through a dozen articles to piece together an answer. Instead, AI models offer the summary upfront. This isn’t just more convenient; it’s structurally different. It bypasses the traditional web entirely.

We’re seeing this play out even within Google’s own ecosystem. With the rollout of its AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience), Google has begun integrating AI-powered summaries at the top of many results pages. The outcome? A recent analysis found that when these AI summaries are present, traditional organic click-through rates can drop by as much as 70%. Even paid ads take a hit. What we’re witnessing is not a slight dip in traffic; it’s a reallocation of user attention away from web pages and toward machine-generated summaries.

At the same time, standalone AI assistants are gaining traction. ChatGPT now ranks among the most visited websites globally, with hundreds of millions of monthly users. It has also become a starting point for research, brainstorming and decision making tasks once firmly in Google’s territory. Even smaller players like Perplexity are gaining momentum, offering a hybrid search-chat experience that combines AI answers with cited sources—an early glimpse into what next-gen search may look like.

What This Means For Your Business

If your company’s discoverability strategy still relies heavily on traditional SEO techniques, it’s time to recalibrate. The notion of “ranking” is being replaced by something more ephemeral: being included, referenced or cited by an AI system that synthesizes answers in real time.

This new landscape rewards clarity, trust and technical readiness over clever keyword placement. It values the ability to be understood by machines just as much as being read by humans. And it places a premium on domain authority, not in the SEO sense, but in the broader sense of being seen as a reliable, high-quality source of truth.

Here is what digital marketing teams should be doing right now:

1. Write for answers, not just algorithms. Content must be structured in ways that make it easy to extract and reuse. That means addressing questions clearly, using plain language and front-loading the value. Think in terms of what an LLM might quote or paraphrase when constructing a response. Analyse how people phrase their interactions with LLMs and adjust your content to fit this design pattern.

2. Demonstrate authority through quality. AI models tend to draw from reputable, high-quality sources. This includes industry publications, well-maintained blogs, peer-reviewed research and sites with a history of accurate information. Superficial content created purely for traffic will struggle to earn citations. Instead, focus on depth, originality and trust signals like author bios, clear sourcing and consistent topical expertise.

3. Invest in structured data. Schema markup and structured metadata can help machines understand your content more effectively. It is not glamorous work, but it is essential if you want to be eligible for rich results, snippets or inclusion in AI-generated overviews. Especially for product, event or FAQ content, proper tagging increases the odds that your site is seen as “machine-readable.”

4. Go beyond Google. Traffic diversification is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity. Web crawlers that feed LLMs are increasingly pulling from non-traditional platforms to find fresh, credible content. Forums like Reddit, niche communities, technical Q&A sites and public newsletters are becoming valuable sources for both real-time conversations and training data. These platforms signal human engagement and topical relevance—two things that LLMs often prioritize when generating responses.

The Strategic Imperative

This is not just a shift in how people search. It’s a shift in who controls the gateway to information—and how your company earns a spot in that conversation. Google may still dominate the market by volume, but AI tools are reshaping the experience of search. And user habits are changing faster than most brands are reacting. Traditional SEO isn’t going away. But it is becoming only one piece of a much more complex discoverability puzzle. Being “AI-visible” is the next frontier.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Pawel Rzeszucinski,

COUNCIL POST | Membership (fee-based)

Pawel Rzeszucinski is Senior Director of Data and AI at Webpros. Read Pawel Rzeszucinski’s full executive profile here. Find Pawel Rzeszucinski on LinkedIn and X. Visit Pawel’s website.

Sourced from Forbes

By Oleg Levitas

After nearly two decades helping local businesses improve their SEO, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat: Companies invest in service pages, blog content and social updates—but without a strong local SEO strategy, their rankings plateau, leads slow down, and local visibility falls short.

In 2025, generic service pages and scattered blog posts likely won’t go far in local SEO. Search engines prioritize organized content, topical depth and clear relevance. They need to see what you offer, where, and how your pages connect.

That’s what a local content cluster strategy is designed to solve. It can bring your content into focus, strengthen your authority, and help your business show up in the searches that lead to real customers.

Understanding Local Content Cluster

The local content cluster strategy is a smart, strategic way to structure your website—one that mirrors how people search and how search engines understand relevance. Instead of treating every page separately, you build around a central topic—usually a core service. A pillar page provides an overview, with supporting pages covering related details and search-driven questions.

Next, you add location pages SEO-optimized for each town or neighbourhood you serve. These should go beyond changing city names, reflecting local context and terminology that will help users and search engines trust you.

Why does this structure work? In my experience, there are three main reasons:

• It helps users get answers faster, without jumping between disconnected pages.

• It signals depth and topical authority SEO to search engines.

• It strengthens internal linking, improving flow and visibility across your site.

With this strategy, you’re no longer chasing broad terms like “garage door repair near me.” Now, you rank for high-intent searches like “garage door sensor replacement in Marshfield MA” or “opener spring cost in Plymouth”—the searches that convert.

How To Build A Local Content Cluster Strategy That Ranks

If you’ve already built out service pages and started covering local areas, you’re halfway there. But unless they’re built to work as a system, it’s less likely that they’ll earn rankings—or results. These three steps can help you take your setup to the next level.

1. Make sure everything aligns. Your website and Google Business Profile should tell the same story—same services, areas and details. If these are misaligned, it can weaken trust and give search engines less reason to rank you.

2. Write location pages that feel local. A big mistake I see many businesses make is copying one location page and swapping in different city names. To create location pages that are SEO-optimized to rank, each needs to reflect the area it targets. Mention real neighbourhoods, landmarks or local challenges—details that show you understand the place, not just the Zip code.

3. Use internal links to create flow. Strong internal linking ties your local content cluster together. Connect FAQs, service pages and location pages to your pillar page to guide users and give search engines the clarity to rank your site. And don’t forget schema markup—add it to your service and location pages to help search engines understand what you do and where.

A 90-Day Plan For Building Your Strategy

The good news is that you don’t need to implement your local content cluster strategy all at once. I’ve found that this 90-day rollout can allow companies to move in phases, building structure step by step.

Weeks 1-2: Planning And Keyword Research

• Identify your core services and the geographic areas you serve.

• Develop a keyword list based on search volume and buyer intent.

• Use a topic cluster SEO model to outline your content: one pillar page, supporting pages, and location pages SEO-targeted for nearby towns.

Weeks 3-5: Creating The Core Content

• Write your pillar page with comprehensive service coverage.

• Create three to six supporting pages that address detailed questions and subtopics.

• Focus on structure, problem-solving and user intent.

Weeks 6-8: Adding Local Context And Linking It Together

• Write location pages that reflect the cities you serve. Be specific.

• Reference landmarks, neighbourhoods or seasonal concerns that matter locally.

• Link these pages to your pillar page and supporting content. Smart internal linking helps reinforce your authority.

Weeks 9-12: Technical Optimization

• Improve your mobile usability and page speed.

• Fix broken links and tighten your internal linking structure.

• Monitor performance, and optimize pages that aren’t getting traction.

This approach isn’t aiming for quantity. You’re building a clear, connected strategy that will help your business stay visible long-term.

What Slows Down Local SEO (And How To Avoid It)

Even with the right structure in place, I often see local SEO strategies fall short because of the following execution gaps:

• Duplicate Or Thin Location Pages: If only the city name changes, Google may not index the pages. Include local context that matters—to users and Google.

• Keyword-Stuffing: Overusing phrases like “garage door repair Marshfield MA” makes content difficult to read and less credible.

• AI-Generated Content With No Editing: AI tools can help, but all content still needs human review and judgment. Quality matters.

• Poor Mobile Experience: If your site is hard to use on a phone, many people won’t stay—and search engines notice that.

SEO for local businesses typically works best when you stop gaming the system and deliver helpful, well-structured content that earns visibility. And the more relevant and useful your content is over time, the better future pages should start to perform.

The Local Visibility Strategy That Drives Results

In my experience, long-term success in local SEO doesn’t come from shortcuts. It comes from strategy—specifically, one that combines structure, clarity and intent. When done right, local content clusters for SEO can improve rankings, guide local traffic and give every page on your site a clear purpose, showing search engines what you offer and why customers should choose you.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Oleg Levitas

Oleg Levitas, a visionary SEO Expert, founded Pravda SEO to revolutionize how local businesses dominate search rankings. Read Oleg Levitas’ full executive profile here. Find Oleg Levitas on LinkedIn. Visit Oleg’s website.

Sourced from Forbes

By

You’ve got the camera. You’ve got the talent. You even have a slick little website that screams “I take this seriously.” So why does it feel like you’re shouting into the void? Spoiler: it’s not your work, it’s your SEO (or, more accurately, the lack of it).

Most photographer websites look great but function like a sealed vault when it comes to Google. If the world’s biggest search engine can’t figure out what you do, who you do it for, or where you are, you’re basically a very talented ghost.

In this article, we’re going to fix that. We’ll cover why Google doesn’t care about your pretty pictures, what SEO actually means in plain English, and how to make your site go from “meh” to magnetic. No tech-speak. No marketing guru nonsense. Just straight-up strategy, wrapped in sarcasm and served with a side of clarity.

Why Google Doesn’t Care How Pretty Your Site Is

This part stings a little, but it’s important to hear: Google doesn’t care how gorgeous your site is. It doesn’t care about your cinematic reels, that custom typeface you bought, or the way you cleverly laid out your galleries. Google isn’t a person, it’s a machine. It doesn’t see your work. It reads your site. And if all it finds is a bunch of beautiful images with no context, no structure, and zero information about what those images mean… it bails.

Google is trying to answer questions. If someone searches for “natural light family photographer in Southern Arizona,” but your homepage just says “Welcome to my site” and your images are all titled IMG_9273.jpg, guess what? You’re not getting that traffic.

Imagine Google as an overworked librarian trying to organize an infinite number of books. Your site is a photo book with no title, no chapters, no captions, just vibes. And unfortunately, vibes don’t rank.

How to Tell If You’re Invisible (Without Needing a Degree in Data Science)

You don’t need fancy tools or spreadsheets to know if your site’s underperforming. You just need to look at it the way your potential clients do. Open your site in a new tab, pretend you’ve never met you, and ask yourself:

  • Do I instantly know what kind of photographer you are and where you’re located?
  • Is it obvious what I’m supposed to click on next?
  • Do your images have filenames and alt text that describe what’s in them?
  • Is your “About” page helping me trust you, or is it just a list of facts about your camera gear and coffee preferences?
  • Can I contact you in two clicks or less, or is it buried under a dropdown like a game of hide-and-seek?

If you can’t answer these questions with a confident “yes,” don’t panic. Most photographers are in the same boat: amazing work, buried under a confusing, text-light, SEO-optional website that might look great but doesn’t function for search.

Let’s fix that, yeah?

What SEO Actually Is (and Why It’s Not Black Magic)

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, but if that phrase makes your eyes glaze over, let’s simplify it. SEO is about helping Google (and other search engines) understand your site well enough to confidently send traffic your way.

When someone types “portrait photographer near me” into Google, the search engine scans all the content it’s indexed and tries to serve the best match. If your site doesn’t clearly say what you do, where you do it, or who you serve, Google’s not putting you on that list, no matter how good your work is.

SEO isn’t trickery. It’s structure. It’s clarity. It’s thinking like your client and the algorithm at the same time. It means:

  • Writing in a way that mirrors how your ideal client searches.
  • Structuring your pages so Google can understand your hierarchy.
  • Using the right words in the right places, headlines, page titles, alt text, and blog posts.
  • Keeping your site fast, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly.

You don’t need to learn to code. You just need to start thinking about your site as a place people land, not just something you launch.

What Google Loves (And What It Couldn’t Care Less About)

Google’s love language is clarity. It adores:

  • Homepages that say what kind of photographer you are and where you’re based.
  • Page titles that aren’t just “About” or “Gallery,” but “About | Utah Brand Photographer.”
  • Fast load speeds. (Massive uncompressed photo files? Yeah, Google hates those.)
  • Internal linking. (A blog post that links to your services page? Yes, please.)
  • Actual text. Not just pretty pictures floating in white space.

What Google doesn’t like:

  • Generic sites that feel empty or hard to crawl.
  • Pages without headings or structure.
  • Sites with no updated content or context.
  • Portfolio-only websites with zero keywords.
  • File names like IMG_8632.jpg and alt text fields left completely blank.

Google isn’t trying to punish you, it’s just trying to give its users the best answer to their question. If your site doesn’t provide that answer, you’re not in the conversation.

Easy SEO Fixes You Can Make This Week

Let’s get you on the map. Literally. You don’t need a complete overhaul, just a few strategic changes to get Google’s attention and give it something worth indexing.

  • Add a clear value statement on your homepage. A single sentence that includes your specialty and location is all you need to start. “I’m a New York portrait photographer specializing in candid, natural-light sessions for families and creatives.”
  • Rename your top 20 images. If you’re still uploading files as DSC_0487.jpg, stop. Rename them to something like miami-florida-family-photo-session-2024.jpg.
  • Use alt text like a storyteller, not a robot. Alt text is a quick sentence that describes what’s in the image, this helps Google “see” what your image is showing. Keep it short and descriptive: “Mother and daughter walking along a white sandy beach in San Diego.”
  • Update your page titles and meta descriptions. These are what show up in search results. Your homepage title should include your location and specialty. Your meta description should give a reason to click. Title: “Southern Utah Elopement Photographer | Wild & True Photography” Meta: “Natural, adventurous elopements in Southern Utah’s wildest places. See galleries, get planning tips, and book your session today.”
  • Audit your contact page. Can people reach you in two clicks? Does your form work on mobile? Is your location listed somewhere on the page? These all impact local SEO and conversion.

None of this is hard. It just requires intention. You don’t need more effort. You need more alignment.

SEO Isn’t a Trick, It’s a Service

Let’s be honest, SEO can feel dry. But it’s really just the art of making your website useful. To Google, yes, but more importantly, to your clients. It’s not about chasing an algorithm. It’s about understanding that your work deserves to be seen, and search engines need a little help connecting the dots.

You don’t need to game the system. I mean, seriously, do you think any of us can outsmart a trillion-dollar company? You just need to describe yourself clearly. Keep your site structured. Use words people are already typing into Google. And show up consistently with content that reflects who you are and what you offer.

That’s not “strategy.” That’s just being findable.

What’s Coming Next

Now that you’ve got a solid handle on why your site might be invisible and how to start changing that, we’re going to dive into the engine behind visibility: keywords. Not the spammy kind. The real ones. The phrases your clients are already searching for, the ones that will help you write better content, create better service pages, and actually show up when it matters.

You don’t need to write more (not necessarily, though more content does tend to be advantageous over time), you just need to write smarter. That’s what we’ll tackle in Part 2.

But for now? Take five minutes and go look at your homepage. Ask yourself:

If someone landed here for the first time, would they know what I do and how to book me?

If the answer is “probably not,” that’s okay, you just found your starting point.

By

Rex is a commercial photographer and branding strategist based in Saint George, Utah. He helps businesses look less boring, market like grown-ups, and actually get noticed instead of merely blending into the background. He also shoots portraits, products, and whatever else catches his eye before the caffeine wears off. rexjones.photo

Sourced from Fstoppers

By Brett Wilson

Despite recent market turmoil, the AI revolution continues apace as new breakthroughs in models and architectures get applied across a growing number of industries.

While AI’s impact on advertising is widely debated, one area is moving so quickly—with implications so potentially far-reaching beyond its narrow format—that advertisers should start planning around it now: AI search.

A potential searchpocalpypse

Anecdotally, many of us rely on AI search and seek it out—even if we don’t know we’re doing it. While official numbers are spotty, independent studies suggest that over 11% of Google searches now feature AI-generated summaries. Newer AI answer engines like Perplexity—which tops 20 million queries daily for its paid enterprise product—as well as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT search are also gaining ground, thanks in part to timely investments in brand advertising.

The consequences of this are not escaping notice. In carefully worded statements during Google’s most recent earnings call, its chief business officer touted its own AI Overviews product, noting that “AI Overviews continue to drive higher satisfaction and search usage” while delivering revenue at “approximately the same rate” as conventional search results.

While Google has a massive incentive to get this right, it is likely to struggle with some near-term misses. AI and large language models are popular precisely because they get people answers and information faster than clicking around—and that probably means fewer (though potentially higher-intent) searches long term. In all, Gartner predicts that traditional search engine volume will decline 25% by 2026.

There’s also an open question around the optimal ad formats and pricing models for AI search. AI-generated answers take up a lot of real estate normally occupied by ads on Google, making an update on where and how ads appear—and associated growing pains—all but inevitable.

It’s worth noting that Perplexity’s ad format, a sponsored follow-up question, is more akin to native advertising, with the company charging a CPM rather than a cost per click. Microsoft is also continuing to experiment with different ad formats for Copilot with varying success.

An era of inflation and less advertising surface area

If ever there were a year to spend big at the upfronts, this is it. As users get answers faster via AI and potential cracks emerge in traditional search volume and performance, new formats, and other ad mediums may need to pick up the slack.

For many direct response advertisers, display is the closest substitute to search. Unfortunately, display is also likely to get hit as fewer searches translate to less organic traffic for publishers. While some anecdotal evidence suggests that this may not be happening evenly yet as Google and others better embed source links into AI answers, ultimately a trend of fewer or materially different searches spells trouble for search-dependent aggregators and publishers that drive a lot of display volume.

All of this puts renewed pressure and a premium on video, TV, and social advertising. Although video on demand CPMs are forecasted to decline slightly in 2025—partially counteracting a spike in social—this may be short-lived or change quickly.

The collapse of traditional SEO is also likely to contribute to CPM inflation. Brands that rely on organic search—such as Chegg and Hubspot—are seeing their traffic decline significantly, putting a hole in go-to-market strategies that only paid media can likely fill in the short term. Over time, content marketers will need to retool to market to agents and get into LLM training data.

AI-native consumer expectations

As users grow accustomed to immediate AI answers, brand marketers face a parallel challenge of meeting these heightened expectations across every other touch point.

What this looks like will vary by industry, but the opportunities are there for the taking. After spending years investing in first-party data and related infrastructure, brands can now leverage this foundation to fine tune LLMs for a variety of applications and force the integration points that matter across their stack.

Ultimately, where AI lives will determine how the ecosystem evolves. Brands can control more of this future or cede it to walled gardens.

A decade ago, advertising was one of the earliest industries to deploy AI at scale, as systems relying on traditional machine learning models informed everything from programmatic bidding strategy, budget forecasting, targeting, click-through rate optimization, and more. By making the right moves in an evolving space, brand marketers can once again lead the way forward in AI.

Feature Image Credit: Malte Mueller/Getty Images

By Brett Wilson

Brett Wilson is general partner at Swift Ventures. He was formerly vp and gm of advertising at Adobe, as well as CEO and co-founder of TubeMogul.

Sourced from ADWEEK

By Al Sefati, Edited by Chelsea Brown

Generative AI is looking to reshape the search landscape forever. Here’s how you can leverage its power and efficiency.

Key Takeaways

SEO has long been a moving target. Back in the early days, “success” looked like stuffing keywords into web pages and trying to game the algorithm with backlinks. Then came the era of “Content is King,” user intent and semantic search — ultimately shifting the balance from tricks to value … black hat to white hat.

However, today, a new force is looking to reshape that search landscape: generative AI search.

Tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), as well as my favourite one, Perplexity, are changing how search engines understand, rank and present content.

All of a sudden, traditional SEO tactics aren’t enough. Content isn’t just competing with other websites — rather, it’s up against AI-generated summaries, direct answers and dynamic search results. And really, it’s transforming SEO.

If you’re a marketer, content creator, SEO expert or business owner, you’ve got to understand these changes. It’s the only way you’re going to stay competitive in this brand-new world of search.

SEO before generative AI: The old-school playbook

Before we entered the era of the bots, SEO was all about mastering the basics — and then some. Here’s what it used to look like:

Traditional SEO practices:

  • Keyword research and optimization: You focused on exact-match terms and strategically placed them throughout content.
  • Backlink building: You would build a network of links to boost domain authority and improve rankings in the SERPs.
  • On-page and technical SEO: You placed emphasis on making sure your pages had meta tags, header tags and site structure — all in the name of better indexability.

But despite the structured approach, there were major growing pains. SEO was not always efficient — nor was it scalable.

The challenges:

  • Manual content creation: In order to craft high-quality content that ticked all of the SEO boxes, you needed to invest time and resources.
  • Scaling personalized content: It’s hard to create content tailored to different audience segments — and impractical when having to do this to scale.
  • Data-heavy strategy development: There is little room for flexibility when you also have to analyse data, monitor trends and refine tactics — all slow and cumbersome processes.

But generative AI has flipped the script here, and there are new solutions to old SEO headaches. Let’s take a look at how the times have changed.

AI’s disruptive influence on SEO: From content to search behaviour

Generative AI has ushered in a revolution in SEO. According to a survey conducted by Statista in 2023, 13 million people “used generative AI as their primary search tool for online searches.” That figure is only set to skyrocket to 90+ million by 2027 (for the record, that’s a mere two years away).

It’s changing everything from content creation to how search engines rank results. Here’s a breakdown:

Content creation and optimization

  • Automated content generation: AI tools have the ability to generate high-quality, SEO-optimized content at scale — adding ease and efficiency.
  • Real-time content updates: The bots can adjust content in real time based on user behaviour and search trends. This ensures your site stays relevant and up-to-date.

Search engine algorithms adaptation

  • Context and intent: AI has the ability to read intuitively, like a human. So, the content behind queries and user intent is more important than matching keywords alone.
  • E-E-A-T principles: Search engines are now placing more weight on the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness of content. And this is an area where AI reigns supreme.

User behaviour and search patterns

  • AI-driven search assistants: As voice and chat-based AI assistants have become increasingly prevalent, search must adopt a conversational approach — and this influences how content is optimized.
  • Personalized search results: Users demand personalized, human-like interactions with search engines. AI, ultimately, can offer targeted results based on the preferences and behaviours of the person.

And statistics are highlighting this shift, too. According to a 2024 report by SEMRush, 65% of businesses report better SEO results due to AI integration, 67% observe boosted content quality through AI, and 68% realize higher content marketing ROI via AI.

At the end of the day, this isn’t some flash-in-the-pan trend. This is an evolution of how SEO works. AI can make processes faster, smarter and savvier than ever before.

There is a double-edged sword

For as ground-breaking as AI has been in the past few years, it’s not all smooth sailing.

One of the biggest hurdles lies in maintaining content authenticity and quality. Sure, AI can churn out content faster than you can say “writer’s block,” but there’s a huge risk of AI-generated “fake news” slipping through the cracks.

That’s why it’s key to make sure a human with a working cerebral cortex is manning the content creation process. Someone has to take the wheel to keep things grounded in relevance and truth.

To make matters murkier, we also have to address the issue of dependence on AI tools. Yes, automation feels easy, but the risk of becoming addicted is real. You must strike a balance between the efficiency of AI and the creativity that only has a home in your head. Don’t be tempted by over-reliance on AI, but it’s like allowing your Tesla to drive you home after a night out because you want to take a nap.

Sometimes, you’ve got to trust your gut and use your brain.

The road ahead

Looking into our crystal ball, let’s state the obvious: Generative AI isn’t going anywhere. And it’s only going to get more powerful.

SEO strategies need to evolve alongside it. The best marketers will be those who become friends with the bots — using the technology to improve content, refine user experiences and stay ahead of the search engines. And know that human creativity will remain at the heart of content. Only a person can bring that unique spark.

For SEO professionals and digital marketers, the future means transitioning from the manual to the automatic, from human strategy executions to human strategies but AI execution. Take advantage of the power and efficiency of AI tools and trends.

By Al Sefati 

Al Sefati is CEO of Clarity Digital Agency and an omnichannel marketing strategist and AI-driven digital transformation consultant. With 20+ years of experience, he helps brands grow through smart strategy, performance marketing, and data.

Edited by Chelsea Brown

Sourced from Entrepreneur

By AL SEFATI

Ditch the manual processes with AI’s help, but don’t leave it all to technology.

SEO has been evolving for years, but artificial intelligence has accelerated that evolution at lightning speed. Over the past decade, search engines have gotten smarter, user behaviour has pivoted, and the race to rank on page one has become more cutthroat than ever. But just when marketers thought they had their jobs all figured out, AI showed up and flipped the script.

All of a sudden, AI isn’t just helping marketers tweak headlines—it’s generating entire articles, rewriting meta descriptions, and even predicting search intent before users have the chance to press “enter.”

AI has turned SEO from a manual slog into a strategic game of chess, where success depends on how well you can leverage machine learning without losing human touch.

Let’s delve into how AI has turned the world of SEO upside down—transforming everything from content creation to technical audits—and what it means if you’re a marketer trying to stay relevant.

If you’re still clinging to old-school tactics, it’s high time that you caught up.

The painful SEO tasks we leave behind

SEO once lived in the land of laborious keyword research, mind-numbing audits, and tedious tweaks that required an army of marketing professionals—just to keep up.

However, prior to the robots entering the picture, SEO was a frightening world of:

Manual content creation and optimization

  • Keyword research was your best friend (and sometimes your arch nemesis).
  • Long-form content and exact-match keywords ruled the day.
  • Content refreshes were cumbersome, often tied to quarterly or even annual audits—there was no such thing as a quick win.

Technical answer engine optimization and audits

  • Manual site audits were the SEO equivalent of spring cleaning—finding broken links, fixing slow load times, and wrestling with indexing issues.
  • Metadata, schema markup, and internal linking were updated on an agonizing slow timetable.
  • Backlink strategies were a pain. They required outreach, relationship building, and an unrealistic amount of patience.

User behaviour and search patterns

  • Search intent was largely keyword-driven and based on what people typed into search engines—not necessarily what they meant.
  • Personalization was more of a pipe dream than a reality.
  • Feedback loops for user engagement were slow—honestly, think months to make sense of how your content was performing.

If your SEO strategy involved juggling all the above, trust me when I say you weren’t alone. It was a soul-crushing game. But then just like that, in walked AI.

AI is moving quickly

AI has thrown yesteryear’s SEO playbook out the window and replaced it with something much more powerful.

The rise of AI-driven tools has completely transformed how we approach everything from content creation to technical audits. In fact, according to Statista, 13 million people were already using AI as their go-to search tool for online queries in 2023. And by 2027, that number may explode to 90 million. Friends, that’s only two years away.

With AI-generated content, do we still need human writers? Automated content creation is no longer a pipe dream, it’s a reality. AI crafts high-quality content that is tailored to specific search intent in a fraction of the time. And now, real-time content updates are the new norm, confirming that articles stay relevant even as user behaviour shifts and search algorithms change. AI is mastering topic clustering and semantic search optimization, making it easier for search engines to understand the context of content.

Audits and search assistants

With smarter SEO audits, we can say goodbye to manual labour and hello to automation. AI-powered SEO audits automatically identify and fix common issues—think broken links, slow load times, and poor indexing—without you lifting a finger. Predictive analysis is now a thing, allowing AI to foresee potential technical problems and fix them before they tank your rankings. Lastly, metadata updates and schema enhancements? Automated. What used to take hours is now done in seconds.

AI-driven search assistants are providing personalized, conversational, and intent-based search results, so every search feels like it was made just for you. Scaling personalization is now a breeze, with AI adapting content and search experiences to individual users—because who doesn’t love content that really gets them? And real-time A/B testing and user behaviour analysis ensure that your content is always fine-tuned for maximum engagement.

AI and search engines

Search engines are getting smarter—focusing on context, information, and intent. The spotlight is now on E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness), and AI is perfectly positioned to meet those demands. As search algorithms evolve, AI will course correct content to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring that your site never misses a ranking beat.

AI is here, and it’s revolutionizing SEO in ways we’ve only dreamed about. If you’re not on board yet, you better start adjusting your strategy—because this new era of SEO isn’t waiting for anyone.

Quality over quantity: Avoid the AI pitfalls

Sure, AI makes content creation a breeze, but there is a catch—AI can sometimes serve up a side of misinformation, plagiarism, or low-quality content. Let’s face it, AI can be straight up unethical at times.

It also cannot build relationships or conduct public relations. That’s where a human’s heartbeat is important—only a person can fact-check and cut the BS.

Also, while AI tools are a marketer’s dream, don’t fall into the trap of over-relying on them. Too much automation could turn your brand voice into a zombie, leaving creativity and strategy in the dust.

Balance is always key.

What’s on the horizon?

The future of SEO lies in the strategic integration of AI into broader marketing and content strategies. As AI continues to evolve, its insights will become a central part of shaping more effective campaigns. SEO professionals will need to adapt nonstop, keeping pace with AI-driven updates to search engine algorithms—shifting from tactical execution to strategic oversight. And just remember, with great power comes great responsibility. A human with imagination, creativity, and a brain must always be at the helm.

By AL SEFATI

Sourced from Inc.

By Michael Thompson

Introduction

Did you know that 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine? If your business isn’t ranking on Google, you’re missing out on valuable traffic and potential customers. Whether you’re a local business or an e-commerce store, implementing the right Frisco SEO strategies can significantly impact your visibility and revenue. With over 90% of online experiences starting with a search engine, optimizing your website is crucial to ranking higher on Google and attracting more customers. At Fast Hippo Media, we specialize in helping businesses achieve top rankings and drive consistent organic traffic. In this blog, we’ll explore expert tips to improve your Google rankings with the help of a trusted Frisco SEO company.

1. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO

Google prioritizes local search results for users searching for businesses in their area. To improve your rankings in SEO Frisco, ensure your website is optimized for local SEO by:

  • Claiming and verifying your Google My Business listing.
  • Adding accurate Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) across all directories.
  • Using Frisco SEO services to optimize your content with location-based keywords.

2. Focus on High-Quality Content

Content is king in the digital world, and Google rewards websites that provide valuable and relevant information. To enhance your rankings:

  • Publish blog posts, case studies, and guides related to your industry.
  • Use SEO company Frisco experts to conduct keyword research and target the right audience.
  • Ensure your content is original, engaging, and solves user problems.

3. Improve Your Website’s Technical SEO

Technical SEO is crucial for better indexing and rankings. Trusted SEO agency Frisco will help you optimize:

  • Website Speed: A slow-loading site can reduce your rankings and increase bounce rates.
  • Mobile Friendliness: Over 60% of searches now come from mobile devices.
  • Secure HTTPS Protocol: Google favours secure websites over non-secure ones.

4. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks from authoritative websites signal to Google that your content is trustworthy. To strengthen your backlink profile:

  • Guest posts on reputable industry websites.
  • Partner with a Frisco SEO consultant to build quality links naturally.
  • Avoid spammy, low-quality links that can harm your rankings.

5. Leverage On-Page SEO Best Practices

Optimizing individual pages is key to improving rankings. Your Frisco SEO agency should help with:

  • Title Tags & Meta Descriptions: Ensure they include your target keywords.
  • Internal Linking: Helps Google understand site structure and improves user experience.
  • Alt Text for Images: Helps with accessibility and image search rankings.

6. Utilize Social Media for SEO Benefits

While social media doesn’t directly impact rankings, it can drive traffic and engagement. Consider:

  • Sharing blog posts and website links across social platforms.
  • Engaging with local communities to increase brand awareness.
  • Encouraging user-generated content and reviews to boost credibility.

7. Monitor & Analyse Your SEO Performance

SEO is an ongoing process. Regular tracking and adjustments are necessary to maintain rankings. Use tools like:

  • Google Analytics to track visitor behaviour and website performance.
  • Google Search Console to monitor keyword rankings and technical issues.
  • Hire the best SEO company in Frisco to conduct regular SEO audits and improvements.

Conclusion

Improving your Google rankings requires a combination of technical expertise, high-quality content, and strategic optimization. By implementing these Frisco SEO tips, you can improve your online presence and attract more customers. If you’re looking for expert guidance, Fast Hippo Media is a trusted Frisco SEO company dedicated to helping businesses achieve long-term success. Start optimizing today and watch your rankings soar!

By Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson is a highly skilled SEO expert at Fast Hippo Media, specializing in Frisco SEO services. With many years of experience in digital marketing, Michael helps businesses enhance their online visibility, drive organic traffic, and achieve top search engine rankings. 

Sourced from https://digitalmarketingblogtx.wordpress.com/

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By Steve Hall

In the highly competitive world of e-commerce, building a recognizable and trustworthy brand is crucial for success. With an overwhelming number of online stores vying for attention, businesses need innovative strategies to stand out. Guest posting is a highly effective approach that has proven its worth over time. This method involves contributing content to other websites in your niche, and it offers tremendous potential for boosting your brand’s visibility, authority, and reach.

This article will explore how guest posting can significantly boost your e-commerce brand and why it should be part of your digital marketing strategy. Along the way, we’ll discuss how certain niches, like sports, can use targeted guest posting strategies by leveraging opportunities.

Increased Brand Visibility and Reach

Guest posting allows you to tap into an established audience, giving your brand instant exposure to a broader group of potential customers. When you contribute high-quality, relevant content to authoritative websites within your niche, you position your brand in front of readers who may have yet to encounter your e-commerce store.

Writing informative and engaging content related to your products or expertise in sports can subtly introduce readers to your brand while providing them with valuable information.

The more exposure you get through guest posts, the more likely readers will recognize your brand, which can increase traffic and conversions for your e-commerce store. This awareness is crucial in building a brand that resonates with its target audience.

Improved SEO and Domain Authority

Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital for the success of any e-commerce website. One of the most significant benefits of guest posting is its ability to strengthen your SEO efforts by building backlinks to your site. Backlinks, or links from external websites to your e-commerce site, are one of Google’s ranking factors. When you guest post on authoritative websites, those backlinks signal to search engines that your website is credible and relevant.

For instance, if you write a guest post for a sports website that offers guest post opportunities, including a link to your store, it can enhance your SEO profile. The more high-quality backlinks you obtain, the higher your website is likely to rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). Improved search rankings lead to greater organic traffic, giving your e-commerce brand more chances to convert visitors into customers.

Moreover, guest posting helps to diversify your backlink profile, reducing the risk of penalties from search engines. Building links through various reputable sites increases your domain authority, further boosting your site’s ability to rank.

Establishing Authority and Trust

One of the most powerful ways guest posting can boost your e-commerce brand is by establishing you as an authority in your niche. When you regularly publish insightful and valuable content on well-regarded websites, your audience begins to see you as an expert.

This authority doesn’t just lead to respect among your peers; it also fosters trust with potential customers. People are more likely to buy from brands they perceive as knowledgeable and trustworthy. You showcase your expertise non-promotionally by contributing guest posts on topics related to your e-commerce products or services. This builds credibility, making your audience more inclined to choose your products over a competitor’s.

For example, if your e-commerce store focuses on selling sports equipment, writing educational pieces for sports websites about training tips, product reviews, or sports science can help you establish yourself as a go-to source of information in the industry.

Building Relationships and Networking

Guest posting is not only about reaching new customers; it also helps you build relationships within your industry. Contributing to blogs, websites, and platforms in your niche fosters partnerships with other content creators, influencers, and business owners. These relationships can open up further collaboration opportunities, such as co-promotions, joint ventures, or influencer partnerships.

Additionally, networking with editors and blog owners creates a positive reputation within your industry. This can lead to more guest post invitations, cross-promotions, and potential media coverage, boosting your brand’s visibility.

In the sports niche, for instance, contributing to a website blog section can help you connect with fellow sports enthusiasts, coaches, or influencers. These relationships may result in opportunities to feature your e-commerce products in their content, guest appearances on podcasts, or sponsorships in sports-related events.

Targeted Traffic and Qualified Leads

Unlike paid advertising, which can bring in untargeted or uninterested visitors, guest posting tends to attract more qualified leads. Since guest posts are typically hosted on niche-specific websites, you’ll reach an audience already interested in your offer. If your e-commerce store sells fitness apparel or sports gear, this audience will likely click through to your website, explore your products, and purchase.

The key to generating qualified leads through guest posting is to offer valuable, actionable content while subtly promoting your brand. Instead of aggressively advertising your products, focus on providing solutions, tips, and information that align with your audience’s interests. This will naturally lead interested readers to your website, where they can explore your offerings further.

Enhancing Content Marketing Strategy

Guest posting is a natural extension of your content marketing efforts. In today’s digital landscape, businesses must consistently produce high-quality content to engage audiences and keep them returning. By diversifying your content distribution through guest posts, you’re expanding your content marketing reach and driving more traffic to your e-commerce website. For instance, if your e-commerce store focuses on the sports industry,

Publishing sports guest post on sports websites that accept can help you distribute your content to an audience already passionate about your products. At the same time, you’re adding new layers to your content marketing strategy, such as blog posts, articles, and tutorials, which provide long-term value to your audience.

Conclusion

Guest posting is a powerful and cost-effective strategy for growing your e-commerce brand. From increasing visibility and improving SEO to establishing authority and attracting qualified leads, the benefits of guest posting are undeniable. By contributing valuable content to reputable websites, particularly those within your niche, you can position your brand as a trusted authority while driving traffic and boosting sales

By Steve Hall

Sourced from ADRANTS

By Sana Uqaili

ChatGPT has been around for over six months, and while the initial excitement of having a “robot assistant” may have faded, it continues to surprise with new use cases.

In this post, we’ll explore some effective ways to leverage ChatGPT for SEO, digital marketing, and management tasks, making your workflows more efficient and impactful.

1. Keyword Research with ChatGPT

While ChatGPT isn’t the best standalone keyword research tool, it can still play a crucial role in the process.

Standard keyword tools often give everyone the same results, increasing competition for those keywords.

However, ChatGPT can help you think outside the box by suggesting unconventional seed keywords.

For example, if you’re researching keywords for a golf website, you can ask ChatGPT to generate a list of related terms that are less obvious, helping you uncover untapped opportunities.

You can then input these keywords into traditional tools like Ahrefs or Keywords Explorer to find easy-to-rank topics.

This method has helped me find keywords with over 35,000 monthly searches that competitors haven’t yet capitalized on.

Combining ChatGPT’s creative output with a robust keyword tool can give you an edge in finding less competitive but highly valuable topics.

And if you’re looking to put your entire content strategy on autopilot, Expert Writer AI is the perfect tool to streamline your keyword research, blog writing, and affiliate marketing efforts all in one go.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

2. Short-Form Copywriting Made Easy

One of the best uses of ChatGPT is for short-form copywriting, like creating email subject lines, meta descriptions, or ad copy.

While the tool is decent out of the box, I’ve found that refining the prompts produces even better results.

Start by setting the tone or voice you want the copy to have.

For instance, you might tell ChatGPT to write in the voice of a specific persona or with a particular tone, like humorous or formal.

You can also ask ChatGPT to generate multiple variations, giving you more options to choose from.

Here’s a personal example: When writing ad copy for a new product launch, I asked ChatGPT to generate five different versions of a Facebook ad.

This gave me a variety of angles to work with and sparked new ideas that I hadn’t thought of initially.

To take it a step further, you can use Expert Writer AI to automate your content strategy and blogging process, ensuring high-quality, optimized content without the manual effort.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

3. Using ChatGPT as a Query Builder

For marketers who use advanced tools like Ahrefs or Web Explorer, ChatGPT can help create complex search queries that save time and find valuable opportunities.

By teaching ChatGPT specific search operators and combining them creatively, you can discover potential backlink opportunities or unlinked brand mentions.

For example, you can instruct ChatGPT to construct a query that finds mentions of your brand across the web that aren’t currently linking to your site.

This is a great way to identify opportunities to reach out and build more backlinks, ultimately improving your site’s authority and search engine ranking.

4. The Free Consultation Trick

One of my favorite ways to use ChatGPT is what I call the “free consultation.”

It works just like those free consultations businesses offer when you’re about to hire them for a service.

You can ask ChatGPT for advice on a wide range of topics, from podcasting to SEO strategies, and get actionable responses instantly.

For example, when I wanted to start a podcast but didn’t know how to differentiate it from others, I asked ChatGPT for creative suggestions.

It helped me come up with unique ideas, such as interviewing small business owners instead of just SEO experts.

The best part? This advice comes without the high price tag that often comes with professional consultations.

Even if you don’t follow every suggestion ChatGPT provides, it’s a great way to get your creative gears turning.

You’ll often leave these “consultations” with new insights and strategies you hadn’t considered.

5. Creating Long-Form Content with ChatGPT

Initially, ChatGPT wasn’t great at creating long-form content because the results often felt generic and boilerplate.

However, with GPT-4 and a well-defined workflow, the tool can now produce a decent first draft of long-form content.

There are two key factors that will make ChatGPT effective at writing longer content.

First, you need to choose the right topic — one that doesn’t require deep expertise.

For example, topics like “how to take a screenshot on a Mac” are ideal because they are straightforward and don’t require specialized knowledge.

Second, providing a detailed outline ensures that the structure and flow of the content meet your standards.

By giving ChatGPT an outline with bullet points, subheadings, and key details, you’re able to steer the content in the right direction.

The AI then becomes more of a tool that helps you flesh out ideas, rather than doing all the work for you.

Once ChatGPT provides a first draft, you can edit, add multimedia, and refine the tone to ensure the content meets your audience’s expectations.

6. Automating Email Replies with ChatGPT

One of the most time-saving uses of ChatGPT is for responding to detailed emails.

Instead of spending 20 minutes crafting a thoughtful response, you can provide ChatGPT with a rough outline and let it do the heavy lifting.

For example, when replying to a candidate who asked multiple questions about a job role, I gave ChatGPT a brief outline of what I wanted to say.

The AI created a professional yet casual response that sounded natural and saved me a ton of time. I even had ChatGPT adjust the tone to match my style, making the email sound more authentic and less corporate.

Final Thoughts

As AI continues to evolve, we’re discovering new ways to use tools like ChatGPT in our daily workflows.

Whether it’s conducting keyword research, writing ad copy, or responding to emails, ChatGPT offers solutions that make tasks faster and more efficient.

And if you’re looking to automate your content creation and marketing strategy, Expert Writer AI is the perfect solution for setting everything on autopilot.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

With the right combination of AI tools and a bit of creativity, you can take your digital marketing game to the next level.

Stay tuned for more tips and tutorials, and start leveraging AI to streamline your workflow!

Note: This article contains an affiliate link to an external site. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I might get a commission at no additional cost to you.

Feature Image Credit: Dastmyer SEO AI Image Creator

By Sana Uqaili

A content strategist and SEO specialist who can get your website ranked on the first page of Google in a matter of weeks! Visit dastmyerseo.com for more info.

Sourced from Medium