Author: Adriana Stein While artificial intelligence has the potential to make you a more effective SEO or digital, using it for translation and localization in search engine optimization comes with business considerations that you need to take seriously. Website owners carrying out international SEO campaigns have a responsibility to present linguistically and legally accurate, helpful information, regardless of what country they’re in or what language they speak. And although Google has responded to how it perceives AI-generated content , AI is still limited when it comes to generating correct information. That means that when you use AI for direct translation, it’s absolutely necessary to have a human edit and fact check the output. Otherwise, you could publish content that’s not only wrong, but that gets flagged by a search engine—not to mention it won’t engage and convert customers in your international target regions. So, the question remains: Where and how does AI fit into multilingual SEO localization? As a multilingual SEO and marketing specialist myself (and someone who is currently learning my fourth language), I’ll share my perspective and concrete examples generated by AI. Table of contents: What AI is used for translation? The accuracy of AI translations Can AI translation replace human translation? Considerations for using AI tools in your multilingual SEO strategy Examples of ChatGTP for SEO localization Market-specific buyer personas Keyword localization International SEO blog post Meta description translation B2B homepage hero section translation What AI is used for translation? Nowadays, when people refer to AI for translation, they’re typically referring to generative AI technologies like ChatGPT . “ChatGPT is fine-tuned from GPT-3.5, a language model trained to produce text. ChatGPT was optimized for dialogue by using Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF) – a method that uses human demonstrations and preference comparisons to guide the model toward desired behavior.” — OpenAI , the creator of ChatGPT Other generative AI tools are also available, and they work much in the same way (meaning that they are susceptible to the common pitfalls I’ll discuss later). While Google Translate now includes some AI-powered features , it’s nowhere near as flexible as a tool like ChatGPT. Nevertheless, I’ll compare ChatGPT output with Google Translate to show you how far AI has (or hasn’t) come for multilingual SEO. How accurate are AI translations? This is how Mohammad Omar , CEO of AI data management firm LXT, describes AI’s value for translations: While he describes the nuances of languages perfectly, he’s missing a crucial point: Language nuances are where a real person is needed the most because they are so highly specific. In many cases, AI tends to fail miserably because it doesn’t account for subject context and cultural relevance . If brands want to maintain linguistic and legal accuracy (the basics for successfully operating in international markets), the context, environment, tone, and intent simply can’t be copy/pasted from auto-generated text. Language is an area that’s rather “subjective,” because people say things in many different ways. Even within the same language, dialects, regional differences, slang, and other components of speech can be drastically different. As a consultant that’s translated thousands of texts from German to English (and who leads a team of translators that does the same in 30 languages), I can wholeheartedly confirm that true multilingual SEO success is never a copy/paste job. Although AI translation can generate relatively decent outputs to help get you started (more on this below), it still 100% requires human oversight. From an SEO perspective, a successful process requires that someone that is fluent in the target language and someone that understands the business review any content to ensure that the correct intent and information are carried across from language to language. To put it simply: from a multilingual SEO and content perspective, AI tools can give you a head start, but you should never solely rely on them. Can AI translation replace human translation? As more AI platforms roll out, many of us digital marketers are wondering the same thing: Will AI replace human translators in the multilingual SEO process? To bring us closer to an answer, there are a few elements to consider. Translation, localization, and content adaptation processes are context-specific and must adhere to various legal regulations: The way that product names, titles, phrases, and concepts need to be stated for one website is likely entirely different for another. For example, there are vastly different regulations across different countries surrounding medical and healthcare messaging. If you copy/paste AI outputs here, you could end up a quick step away from a lawsuit. The generalization and lack of personality behind basic, AI-generated translations just isn’t good enough right now: Global companies that target specific regions can’t use the same approach everywhere. If you do this, native-language SEO competitors will always beat you, because they will always engage the local audience better. Plus, this could get you in trouble with Google. Using 100% AI-generated content still poses a risk for manual penalties , largely due to the question of quality, accuracy, or potential search engine ranking manipulation. Churning out thousands of AI-generated blog articles daily—regardless of the language—will negatively pique Google’s interest. Google expects content to demonstrate E-E-A-T : In the case of AI translations, it’s extremely important to maintain that first “E” (which stands for “experience”) in E-E-A-T by injecting actual human experience into the output. This consideration takes on another level of complexity when it involves a different language. When it comes to SEO content localization, this is always a must because one region’s audience is vastly different from another. Let’s also consider this from the view of large language models (LLMs), the process used in ChatGTP for translation. Here’s an abstract from “ Dissociating language and thought in large language models: a cognitive perspective ,” an academic paper by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, MIT, and UCLA: “Today’s large language models (LLMs) routinely generate coherent, grammatical and seemingly meaningful paragraphs of text. This achievement has led to speculation that these networks are—or will soon become—‘thinking machines’, capable of performing tasks that require abstract knowledge and reasoning. Here, we review the capabilities of LLMs by considering their performance on two different aspects of language use: ‘formal linguistic competence’, which includes knowledge of rules and patterns of a given language, and ‘functional linguistic competence’, a host of cognitive abilities required for language understanding and use in the real world. Drawing on evidence from cognitive neuroscience, we show that formal competence in humans relies on specialized language processing mechanisms, whereas functional competence recruits multiple extralinguistic capacities that comprise human thought, such as formal reasoning, world knowledge, situation modeling, and social cognition. In line with this distinction, LLMs show impressive (although imperfect) performance on tasks requiring formal linguistic competence, but fail on many tests requiring functional competence.” — Mahowald et al. (2023) What is highlighted here is precisely the limitations I described earlier: AI doesn’t understand specific linguistic contexts like a human can. With the concept of “formal competence,” we humans create stems from language processing mechanisms that are deep within our brain and built on years of experience. While AI can mimic and summarize our human experiences, it’s not the same as an actual person. So, will AI replace human translators and multilingual SEO strategists? Not even close. Considerations for using AI tools in your multilingual SEO strategy I’m not saying that you should avoid AI completely—it could be quite useful for certain types of tasks. A lot depends on the complexity of your business and your particular role within the company. In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether AI helps or hinders your efforts. If you do want to try to use AI to help with your multilingual SEO strategy, you need to use it strategically. From my experience, some of the biggest takeaways include: Fact-check everything: AI tools often summarize sources without verifying whether they’re actually trustworthy or accurate. Instead, do your own research and fact check any AI outputs, regardless of whether they’re translated or in a single language. Steer away from “set it and forget it” mass translation: Solely relying on AI outputs and copy/pasting them across your website is bound to be harmful over the long run. Any content directly translated by AI needs to be manually reviewed by a human digital marketing strategist for brand messaging , product information, and legal accuracy, as well as reviewed by a fluent speaker for language accuracy. Focus on SEO localization: SEO localization needs to happen during keyword research in order for multilingual SEO to be truly successful. AI can’t handle SEO localization, so translators and SEO strategists still need to be intimately involved in reviewing outputs. Do your own audience and market research: Again, AI summarizes information—often without context. The majority of digital marketers recognize the value of talking to real customers and understanding their experiences—it’s a crucial element of business success. Priel Manes, founder of Two Dots Consulting and business growth strategist for 350+ companies, emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding customer needs : So even if AI is in your tech stack, don’t let it fully replace your SEO strategists and translators—they remain essential for successful international SEO and digital marketing. Examples of ChatGPT for multilingual SEO localization To help you determine whether or not generative AI is useful for your situation, I’ve put together five examples demonstrating how ChatGPT could be used for multilingual SEO. Market-specific buyer personas Here, I wanted to see if ChatGPT could create market-specific buyer personas for a CRM (customer relationship management) company that’s based in the US, but wants to expand into Germany. I entered following prompt into the platform: Summarize buyer personas for a CRM company based in the US that wants to expand into Germany. List customer pain points, buying obstacles, and topics of importance in the German market surrounding data, lead generation, and marketing automation The output is decently accurate, but I know this because of my own experience (I’m from the US and have been living in Germany for the better part of a decade). Many companies outside of Germany don’t realize the importance of GDPR or how it affects brand messaging on a website in Germany. It’s also absolutely true that businesses must offer German language sales and customer service to be successful in the German market, so at least ChatGTP caught that. Nevertheless, the information is still basic and only a starting point. The potential I see here is that the output could be used to formulate appropriate customer research questions for a business that is entirely new to the market (but it definitely doesn’t fully replace doing your own in-depth customer research ). If I was using ChatGPT for a market I was unfamiliar with, I’d still 100% check with a local market representative to understand if what’s listed is correct. Never accept what ChatGPT gives you at face value, because the risk of misinformation is simply too high to ignore. Keyword localization Next, I wanted to see how ChatGTP handles SEO keyword localization for a heated tobacco company that’s based in the UK and wants to expand into Italy. I entered the following prompt: Localize the following English keywords into Italian and list the search volume (the English keywords were listed) The results were a direct translation, which isn’t the same as keyword localization. While this can be helpful as a starting point, Google Translate has long provided the same level of usefulness. For multilingual SEO to work, you need to identify search intent match keywords with search volume , which (in many cases) aren’t direct translations. ChatGPT isn’t capable of providing search volume either, so you’d still need to look that up manually, meaning that this use of AI is absolutely not a replacement for an SEO tool. In this context, I don’t really find AI useful at all, as both a human SEO strategist and SEO tools are still required. International SEO blog post Next, I wanted to see how well ChatGPT could write an SEO blog article for a contract management software company that’s based in the US, but has target audiences in France and Germany. I used the following prompt: Translate this blog article to French https://conga.com/resources/blog/5-reasons-why-your-business-needs-automated-contract-renewal-strategy My notes for this are similar to the above: it’s about as useful as Google Translate. ChatGPT removed internal links and missed some parts of the web page. So, in that regard, the output is actually even worse than doing your own copy/paste translation with Google Translate. While it seems like this could be relatively useful for easy topics, the output should still be manually proofread by a native speaker SEO strategist that understands the particular target market, target audience, and product nuances. However, the original blog didn’t adhere to SEO best practices , so if the original content were of better quality, the translation output might also improve. Meta description translation Another SEO task I wanted to test was to create meta description translations for the same contract management software company that’s based in the US but has target audiences in France and Germany (referred to in the example above). I entered the following prompt into ChatGTP: Translate the following German meta descriptions to English in the form of a table. Yet again, it translates the same as Google Translate, so I’m not really sure that it saves any time from what automatic translators already do. The one benefit is that you can copy/paste plain text and AI adjusts the formatting into a table (when you prompt it to). Regardless, if you’re doing true SEO localization, the meta description would need to include the new target keyword to support on-page optimization (as I explained above). So, this part will still require a manual proofread from a multilingual SEO strategist who has already identified the relevant keywords. B2B homepage hero section translation For my last attempt at using AI for multilingual translation, I tried translating a B2B homepage hero section for the same CRM company that’s based in the US and wants to expand into Germany and France. I entered the following prompt: Translate to German with 5 variations The World’s Most Loved CRM Platform​ With a commitment to creating customers for life, X Brand ranks as a Champion CRM platform two years in a row for the only people that matter—CRM users. ​ It’s time to let the platform do the work. I found the translation very basic, but the variations could be useful for localization. Many homepages go through iterations with copy variations, so this could be beneficial for A/B testing . However, as always, a native speaker marketing strategist (that understands the focus market, target audience, and product nuances) should proofread the output. AI is a translation and localization tool, not a human replacement Languages are one of the most subjective and abstract concepts in existence, so it’s hard to imagine AI being able to come anywhere close to human experiential understanding. With the various nuances that come from localizing one language to another, topped with the layer of SEO and a unique business strategy, humans will still be the ones driving your marketing (at least for the foreseeable future). However, I predict that many companies will perceive AI knowledge as an efficient skillset (regardless of whether it’s actually used in practice). So, regardless of how you view it, learning how to work with AI is a must to remain in the game. Adriana Stein - CEO and Founder at AS Marketing Originally from the US and now living in Germany, Adriana Stein is the CEO and founder of the marketing agency AS Marketing . She leads a team of multi-language SEO experts who develop holistic international marketing strategies for global companies. Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Crystal Carter In technical SEO , validating structured data markup (also known as schema markup) is the process of testing and confirming that your structured data can be read (or “parsed”) by search engine crawlers and bots. If the code is valid then it is “parsable,” and if it’s not valid, then it is “non-parsable.” It is important to validate your structured data markup because parsable markup on your website can help your business enjoy the many benefits of structured data, including Google rich results and better semantic entity recognition for your content. On the other hand, non-parsable structured data can trigger errors in Google Search Console , prevent rich results from showing, and potentially reduce your visibility in the SERP . So, whether it’s for new or existing content, validating your structured data should be an important part of your SEO workflow. Table of contents: How to validate structured data Understanding and resolving errors in a structured data validator Parsing errors Warnings Errors Tools to validate structured data Tools to validate structured data at scale How do you validate structured data? To validate your structured data markup, use a tool to test the code for parsability, identify errors, and verify that the code can be read by machines. Ideally, this should be carried out before you add any code to a live web page, but validators can also be an important tool to find and fix errors on existing pages. You can use structured data markup validator tools to test: The code snippet (independent of the page) by extracting the markup and testing the code itself. You’ll typically test the code if you created your markup using a structured data generator or have access to the original code. The benefit of this tool is that you can see the code in a clear, uncluttered way, making it easy to find and fix errors on a single section of your markup. The URL , which includes the structured data. For this purpose it should be a live URL, but does not need to be indexed. When you are validating a whole page, you may see multiple types of structured data markup at the same time if you have structured data present in the , , and/or of your HTML. The benefit of this approach is that your page is likely to be crawled by the testing tool. This means that if you have included any URL based node identifiers, then the tool will be able to extract the schema from those pages and show it in the test result. In my experience, it pays to use more than one validator to confirm that your schema is parsable. Different tools will have different configurations and priorities (for instance, some check primarily for rich results and will ignore other markup), so getting a second opinion makes it more likely that everything will be in working order. What do the errors mean in a structured data validator? When validating your code, here are some examples of warnings and errors that you may come across: Parsing errors Warnings Errors What is a “Parsing error” in schema? Parsing errors occur when schema validator tools cannot read your schema markup. Consequently, if you have a parsing error when you input your URL or code into a validator tool, you may not see any schema markup declared. This doesn’t mean that the code isn’t there, but it does likely mean that there is a syntax error or that the code has been added to the page incorrectly. It is important to validate that your code is parsable because unparsable structured data is not machine-readable—it is also not eligible for rich results. In cases where there is more than one set of structured data on a page, search engines may be able to parse some of the code but not all of it. In these cases, you will need to update and revalidate that section that is broken, taking care not to compromise the other code. In the example below, the validator on the SEO Pro Extension shows a message reading “No Structured Data found” when the code cannot be parsed. Alternatively, you may see a note for an “Uncategorised Error,” as in this example from Schema.org . In this case, we see that the markup has an extra comma and the validator highlights the line of code that is incorrect with an X. Common syntax mistakes that can prevent your schema from being machine readable include: Missing or unbalanced commas, [], {}, or () Using curly “” instead of straight "" quotation marks Using straight quotation marks in the content of the schema so that it breaks the string. How do you fix a parsing error in your JSON-LD schema markup? If the error is in the code, you will need to find which part of the code is incorrectly written and update the code with the correct syntax. What are “Warnings” in structured data validation? If you see a yellow warning for “Non-critical issues detected” in the Rich Results Testing tool (RRTT) or Google Search Console, this does not mean that your schema is unreadable. This is because these alerts typically show in Google tools when you omit a recommended schema property or type, rather than a required schema property. But, these “nice-to-have” recommendations are general guidelines and may or may not accurately reflect your content. Google’s documentation explains that accuracy is key: “In general, defining more recommended features can make it more likely that your information can appear in Search results with enhanced display. However, it is more important to supply fewer but complete and accurate recommended properties rather than trying to provide every possible recommended property with less complete, badly-formed, or inaccurate data.” — Google So, while you should certainly review these warnings, you should do so with the understanding that they may or may not apply to your current content. If the recommendations do not apply to your content, then you can ignore them and still be eligible for rich results. Examples of how to resolve structured data validation warnings Here are a few potential ways you can respond to structured data validation warnings: Update your schema if you have content on the page that could address the warning, or change your code to be more accurate. Plan to improve your page or adjust your strategy if you could eventually add content to your page or site that matches the field. Ignore the warning if you do not have content that matches the field and don’t plan to create any. If you see a warning for your product listing pages, review the Google Merchant listing structured data requirements . The requirements for Google Merchant Center are slightly different from the requirements for product snippets. Some product types, like clothing, have unique requirements, so review the required fields for your product type and include the relevant attributes in your markup. To illustrate what I mean, here are a few assessment scenarios: Warning on video schema without “contentURL” or “embedURL” when there is a video URL In this example, the warning suggests that the “VideoObject” schema markup doesn’t declare a “contentURL” or “embedURL.” Since the video has either: 1) a URL for where the content is hosted on the site, or 2) an embed link, you can fix this warning by updating the schema and reinspecting the page. The code includes a property that is not related to the schema type If you include a property that is not related to the schema type, you may see a warning that looks like this: In this case, where we have an author property added to restaurant schema, the easiest way to fix this is to delete the author property because it is nonsensical to assume that a restaurant has an author. But when I create schema, I sometimes see this warning for information that’s relevant. When this happens, you can visit the page for the Schema.org type , find a more relevant property and update your code with the best property for the page. For instance, in this case, I have changed the code to indicate that Bryant Terry is the founder of the restaurant (not the author). Product listing pages with warnings for “review” schema when the site has no reviews Product schema often includes warnings recommending that you add information like “review” and “aggregateRatings” into the schema. This is here because (generally speaking) reviews have the potential to offer great value to product listing pages for users and search engines. So, this warning is a general recommendation for product reviews. However, if you do not have reviews or ratings for this particular product, there is no current requirement to add them to your schema. Though you will still be eligible for rich results without these fields, you should review this recommendation for possible updates in the future. “Often warnings are a signal of future requirements,” said SEO consultant Jeannie Hill , “These schema warnings are a fantastic chance to give a business a competitive lead.” Blog pages with warnings for missing author “url” when there is no author page URL In this example from real BlogPosting markup on a blog article, there is a non-critical issue for Missing field "url" (optional) . When I reviewed this warning, the most important thing I looked for was whether the website actually had an author page with a URL. If it had an author page, then adding the URL here could improve the demonstrable E-E-A-T for the page and site overall. But in this case, the blog did not have an author page, so we initially ignored this warning and planned to start incorporating linkable author pages into the SEO strategy for the site. If you follow this workflow, you can update the BlogPosting schema when the author page URLs are live. What are “Errors” in structured data validation? General errors can be identified via structured data validation and they should be addressed immediately. In a non-Google validator, you may see errors that mean that your content cannot be read properly by machines. In Google’s validators (i.e., GSC and RRTT) the errors may be directly related to Google’s requirements for rich results eligibility. It is therefore possible to be error-free on a tool like validator.schema.org but also generate warnings on Google Search Console. Consequently, it’s very important to ensure that your code is valid across multiple validators. To illustrate what I mean, here are examples of when an error might occur in structured data validation: Using a schema type or property that is not a defined type Within Schema.org ’s vocabulary, there are over 1,000 schema types and properties. But when you write schema, you can only use types and properties that are referenced in this documentation. If you misspell or mistype a name for a property or type, you will get an error. The code is missing the required properties or types for Google’s rich results. Google’s documentation explains that certain aspects of the structured data are required in order to be eligible for rich results. In the example below, this web page is not displaying price information for their product within their structured data. This means that even though the markup is technically valid (i.e., would show as valid on validator.schema.org ) it still doesn’t meet Google’s specifications, triggering an error in Google Search Console. Fixing these errors can help to improve your SEO quickly, so it is worth investing time here. Which tools can you use to validate structured data? Whether you are carrying out a technical SEO audit or reviewing the SEO on a single page, you will need to use tools to test if your structured data is machine readable. The following tools can help you to validate, troubleshoot, and optimize the structured data on a single page or on your website at large. Validator.schema.org Created by Schema.org (which manages the schema vocabulary), this tool replaced Google’s structure data testing tool in 2020 and can help you troubleshoot syntax issues and parsing problems. Validator.schema.org allows you to test your schema markup via URL or using a code snippet. ChatGPT ChatGPT is also a reliable tool for troubleshooting errors in your structured data. If I notice an error and I am having difficulty identifying which part of the syntax is causing the problem, sometimes I can run it through ChatGPT to find the issue. I tend not to use ChatGPT for creating and validating code because if you are not careful with your prompts, then it will output code that is not valid and adds additional irrelevant information into your fields. So if you’re using a generative AI tool for schema review, always be sure to get a second opinion. Test.schema.dev Test.schema.dev is a free schema validation tool and has the added bonus of being able to prettify your schema. This makes it easier to see which lines in the code have issues or can be amended. Additionally, this validator is particularly strict with what is and is not allowed. When testing code, I have occasionally seen markup that showed as valid in validator.schema.org, but did not show as valid here. This can be an important tool in making sure that your code is robust and readable on multiple devices. Rich Results Testing tool The Rich Results Testing tool (RRTT) is a validator from Google that tells you if the schema on your page is valid and eligible for rich results. If you test your page or your code with this tool, you may not see all of the schema elements reflected in the testing output. That is because this tool specifically focuses on schema that generates rich results on Google. If you have a page that includes schema that does not trigger rich results, you may not see that schema in the RRTT. If the page includes structured data that has a combination of rich result-eligible schema markup and general schema markup, the RRTT may only validate the schema that is eligible for rich results. In the example below, the URL includes AboutPage structured data but the only structured data that the RRTT recognizes is the rich results-eligible FAQ. SEO Pro Extension SEO Pro Extension’s Schema panel gives you a snapshot of the valid schema that is present when your page loads. Since it’s a browser extension and doesn’t require you to leave the page, this tool is incredibly useful for a quick assessment of your content. Though you cannot manipulate the code to make corrections or adjustments, you can see the order of your schema types as they load on the page. If you added schema to your page and you do not see it displayed in the Schema panel, then there is an error in your code. Wix Advanced SEO panel Wix site owners have a built-in schema markup validator that will not allow you to submit schema markup unless your code is error-free. Accessible via the Advanced SEO panel in Wix pages , this is a tool that is incredibly helpful and allows you to mitigate mistakes before they happen. “We know writing structured data code may be a bit complex at times, so to make sure users don’t add broken and non-functional code to their site, we added validations to make sure there are no errors,” Einat Hoobian-Seybold , SEO product lead at Wix, said about the Wix structured data validator, adding, “If a Wix user has an error in the syntax, they will be notified about it before they push it live” Wix Velo In Velo , the Wix JavaScript Framework, you can also create schema markup using the Wix SEO API. Here, you can create variables based on visual elements on the page and add dynamic markup to your pages. Within this framework, you have a structured data markup validator that will trigger an error message if your code is incorrectly parsing and will suggest how you can improve your code. Single page validator URL inspection Code block inspection All schema Rich results validation Code editor panel Validator.schema.org Supported Supported Supported Not supported Yes ​ ChatGPT N/A Supported N/A N/A No ​ Test.schema.dev Supported Supported (freemium) Supported Not supported Yes Rich Results Testing tool Supported Supported Not supported Supported Yes SEO Pro Extension Supported Not supported Supported Not supported No Wix SEO tools N/A Supported N/A N/A Yes Wix Velo N/A Supported N/A N/A Yes GSC URL Inspection Supported Supported Not supported Some rich results No Tools to validate structured data in bulk While single-page assessments are valuable, bulk validation of websites or website folders can help you identify systemic issues in your schema markup. When you have content that uses the same schema template (such as a collection of recipes, for example) it is possible to have the same error repeat on multiple pages. Google Search Console Google Search Console Enhancements reports can show you which pages have valid schema markup and which pages are invalid. They also show warnings or errors for structured data that is eligible for the rich results that are included in these reports. For the purposes of SEO and general search visibility, this report is extremely important and any errors here should be resolved as quickly as possible. Brenda Malone , SEO technical strategist at NP Digital, carries out regular GSC audits and explains that structured data is an integral part of the process: “Correcting schema that is ‘on-error’ has made the [client’s] website eligible for rich snippets again,” she said, adding that these tasks are “crucial to maintaining the advantages that good, connected, properly-implemented schema provides.” It is important to remember that Google’s rich results reports do not include all of the structured data that is eligible for rich results. For instance, BlogPosting and LocalBusiness structured data markup are eligible for rich results and are present on the rich results gallery, however there is no dedicated rich results report for these structured data types in Google Search Console. In the past, I worked with teams that worried that since they do not see LocalBusiness results in Google Search Console, that the code is not valid, but this should be assessed separately with another tool. Screaming Frog With Screaming Frog , you can configure your web crawl to show which schema markup is valid across each of your web pages. This can allow you to identify gaps in your structured data markup and to audit your content at scale. For instance, in the example output below, you can see there are warnings for one of the pages. You can use Screaming Frog to generate a report and give recommendations for how to fix the issue. Semrush Markup Report The Semrush Markup report gives you information on which pages you have with: Valid structured data for Google rich results, and Valid Schema.org structured data. Wix GSC Site Inspection Using data from the Google Search Console API, you can carry out a bulk inspection of your Wix website with the Wix Site Inspection tool . Within the full report you can filter your results to show valid rich results or issues, optional fixes, unspecified issues, or no data. As you can see in the example below, there are filters to show the pages that have valid rich results. From the bulk report, you can click on a single page to see which rich results type is valid or to address other issues. Auditing your structured data: More than a valid argument Structured data can provide a range of benefits (including greater search visibility) depending on your business and how it operates online. But, your rich results must be valid in the first place to start seeing any of those benefits. Whether you’re working with just a few web pages or thousands, there are tools available to help you turn errors into parsable structured data that enhances the content you’re already creating. Start by validating schema on your high-value pages, then keep the momentum going until every part of your customer journey is enhanced with the relevant schema to improve your audience’s experience with your brand. Crystal Carter - Head of SEO Communications, Wix Crystal is an SEO & digital marketing professional with over 15 years of experience. Her global business clients have included Disney, McDonalds, and Tomy. An avid SEO communicator, her work has been featured at Google Search Central, Brighton SEO, Moz, DeepCrawl, Semrush, and more. Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Nati Elimelech As the digital landscape evolves, so do our strategies and perspectives. I’ve been a long-standing proponent of Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP; introduced in 2015 ), even advocating for it in lectures and client consultations during my time running an SEO agency. However, with the web becoming increasingly mobile-optimized and Google lifting AMP’s preferential treatment in its search features, I find my stance on AMP changing. I ran an informal poll on X/Twitter and realized that other SEOs were no longer recommending it either: In the next sections, I’ll explain why some SEOs are—after the better part of a decade—stepping back from AMP so that you can make the right decision for your website. Table of contents: The AMP conundrum Limited functionality due to JavaScript restrictions Design constraints due to AMP’s strict layout rules Dependency on Google for serving AMP ages Complexities in tracking user behavior Maintenance on both AMP and non-AMP versions of a page Limited ad formats (potentially affecting monetization) Google’s policy shift: The final nail in AMP’s coffin? Case study: Barry Schwartz’s experience AMP is trending downward, but it might still be valuable The AMP conundrum AMP, with its promise of faster load times, seemed like an ideal solution for the mobile web. However, it also presents significant challenges: Limited functionality due to JavaScript restrictions Design constraints due to strict layout rules Dependency on Google for serving pages Difficulties in tracking user behavior The need to maintain both AMP and non-AMP versions of a page Limited ad formats (potentially affecting monetization) These challenges highlight the complexities and trade-offs involved with using AMP. While it offers benefits in terms of speed and mobile optimization, these must be weighed against the limitations and dependencies that come with the platform. 01. Limited functionality due to JavaScript restrictions AMP restricts the use of custom JavaScript, limiting the functionality that can be implemented on a page. For example, if you want to create a unique interactive feature on your site, you might find that AMP’s JavaScript limitations prevent you from doing so. This can hinder creativity and innovation, leading to a more generic user experience (which can be the tipping factor for businesses in high-competition verticals). 02. Design constraints due to AMP’s strict layout rules AMP enforces strict layout rules to ensure fast loading times. While this can lead to quicker page loads, it also means that designers have less flexibility in creating visually appealing layouts. For instance, if you want to use a specific font or layout that doesn’t comply with AMP’s rules, you’ll have to compromise your design vision. This can make it challenging to create a distinctive and engaging visual identity for your site, impacting your overall branding efforts . 03. Dependency on Google for serving AMP ages AMP pages are often served directly from Google’s cache. While this can improve load times, it also means that you’re relying on Google to deliver your content. If there are any issues with Google’s servers or if Google changes its policies, it could affect how your pages are displayed. This dependency places a significant portion of control in the hands of a third party, which can be a risk for some businesses. 04. Complexities in tracking user behavior Tracking user behavior on AMP pages can be more complex than on regular web pages. Standard tracking tools might not work as seamlessly with AMP, requiring additional configuration or alternative solutions. For example, if you want to analyze how users interact with a specific element on your AMP page, you might find that your usual analytics tools don’t provide the insights you need. This can make it harder to understand your audience and optimize your site accordingly. 05. Maintenance on both AMP and non-AMP versions of a page If you implement AMP, you’ll often need to maintain two versions of each page: one AMP version and one regular version. This essentially doubles the work required for updates, maintenance, and quality assurance. In the context of SEO, this means that all structured data markup and other SEO tags must be present in both versions, and keeping parity between them can be challenging. For example, if you update content or fix a bug on the regular version of a page, you’ll need to make the same changes to the AMP version, including any related structured data. This can increase the time and resources needed to manage your site, making it harder to ensure consistency across both versions. 06. Limited ad formats (potentially affecting monetization) AMP places restrictions on the types of ads that can be displayed, limiting the options available to advertisers. If you rely on advertising revenue, this could impact your ability to monetize your site effectively. For instance, a specific ad format that performs well on your regular pages might not be allowed on AMP pages, leading to lower ad revenue. This constraint can be a significant consideration for sites that depend on diverse and flexible advertising options. Google’s policy shift: The final nail in AMP’s coffin? AMP’s appeal was significantly reduced when Google opened its “Top Stories” carousel to all pages meeting its page experience criteria in June 2021 . AMP’s decline (even in the eyes of Google) along with the inherent challenges mentioned above call into question its practicality in many scenarios. Case study: Barry Schwartz’s experience Barry Schwartz, a prominent figure in the SEO community, shared his experience with removing AMP from his site, Search Engine Roundtable. He reported no significant changes in overall traffic, a temporary spike in crawl rates, an increase in AMP errors, and some visibility issues in Google Discover. However, these issues were resolved and Schwartz concluded that the removal of AMP went smoothly overall. AMP is trending downward, but it might still be valuable for some websites As the web becomes more mobile-optimized, the need for a separate solution like AMP diminishes, and indeed, Google Trends data shows a declining interest in AMP over the years. You should base your decision to continue with or remove AMP on a careful evaluation of your specific circumstances. One way to assess the risk of moving away from AMP is to compare your site’s mobile performance against the AMP performance. If there isn’t a significant gap, it might be worth considering a move. However, it’s important to remember that, while performance is crucial, it’s just one signal incorporated into the page experience system/algorithm. AMP: The writing’s on the wall While AMP has played a significant role in the mobile web (and in shaping the technologies that the news industry relies on), it might be time to rethink its role in your SEO strategy. As someone who once advocated for AMP, I now find myself questioning this stance. This shift in perspective is a testament to the dynamic nature of SEO, reminding us to stay adaptable and forward-thinking in our approach. In short, let’s kill it with fire. Nati Elimelech - Head of SEO, Wix With over 15 years of experience and a focus in large scale website optimization, Nati was the CEO of a prominent SEO agency catering to some of Israel’s biggest brands. As the Head of SEO at Wix, he focuses on helping platforms be search-engine friendly and building SEO products. Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Gus Pelogia Writing page titles, performing keyword research, adding hreflang tags—typically, these SEO tasks don’t get any pushback and you can start doing them straight away, leading to quick wins. But what if you want to focus on larger, more ambitious SEO projects? Perhaps a project that will take several months before it goes live (and several more months after before you can even prove impact)? Let’s talk about the steps you can take to write an accurate and effective SEO proposal to get your clients or C-suite on board with your big plans. Table of contents: Why write an SEO proposal? From idea to project validation How to write a business case for your SEO proposal Pitching your proposal as an in-house SEO Pitching your proposal to SEO clients How to measure impact Why write an SEO proposal? First of all, winning a client is different from keeping a client over the long term. There are many reasons why clients may switch to different SEO agencies , but there’s also a powerful reason behind why they renew: trust in the people doing the work. While in-house SEOs work under a different set of circumstances, that same trust is crucial if you want to achieve results that justify your salary/retainer. To keep your clients or C-suite happy and build trust, you need to show in detail what optimizations you would like to implement, how they will potentially improve the business, and get everyone involved to understand and bet on these ideas with you.  The most important part of explaining and getting your client/stakeholders on board with a large project is getting them to understand their own involvement. Often, clients hire SEO agencies and expect them to simply “do their magic.” This can work for some, but what happens when you need other stakeholders to actively work on something? Here are some examples: Stakeholder SEO project Internal subject matter experts Article review for blog Internal UX employee Design a new page type Client POC (marketing or sales) Send you a weekly report of locations that clients/customers/patients are converting from Other service suppliers (i.e., dev agency, design agency, freelance writers, etc.) Get the client to secure additional budget to hire other suppliers If you need resources from your client or C-suite, it’s crucial to discuss and reiterate deadlines, meet the other stakeholders, and make it very clear that, without their involvement, you cannot deliver what the business needs.  Understanding their role will allow them to secure the resources required, even if it’s as simple as a weekly file export or as complex as meeting other suppliers and creating a new workflow from scratch. From idea to project validation It’s easy to fall in love with an idea—it happens to me every other day. SEOs are always learning and trying to figure out what is “working” right now and Google is always rolling out new updates or features—a new featured snippet, a new speed metric, a new acronym. Some of these new SEO considerations can have a huge impact, but others might just end up being “nice to have.” Do you need all your pages to have a “Good” INP score ? Do you need to nest every structured data field? Since I started working as an SEO product manager, I’ve changed my approach on SEO from “ticking all boxes” to “prioritize what I can prove will have an impact.” It’s not a matter of not executing certain work, but instead choosing your priorities, because we don’t have unlimited time or resources. This alone takes a lot of tasks out of consideration.  Let’s say, for example, you want to create an internal linking  project for an eCommerce marketplace. You found a way to link related categories and display links to pages that fall under certain criteria (e.g., most popular this month, certain search volume , on sale, etc). Your proposal involves lots of high-value pages and you believe it can improve business metrics, so you’re all in. However, if this feature just works on blog pages, you might not have a large impact on the business. Traffic may increase, but that alone usually doesn’t pay the bills. If you have a small number of 404 pages , unless those pages earned external backlinks or users are reaching them often, fixing them won’t have a direct SEO impact. Sure, you don’t want users to have a poor experience, but you can’t come back to your client/boss and justify a month’s work by fixing 404s in deep pages and hoping that it’ll lead to more sales. You might agree or disagree with me on the importance of those tasks, and that’s okay. The mindset I want to share here is:  How can you validate the success of your project? What metric do you expect to improve by doing this activity? Do you see yourself and the client understanding the impact of this project three, six months down the road? Here are some easy examples: Optimization & expected outcome Associated metric By adding this structured data, I expect to increase CTR to [page type].  CTR increase By blocking [Bingbot], I expect to be removed from [Bing Chat].  Pages removed By creating an HTML sitemap, I expect [pages] to get indexed quicker.  Indexing speed By redirecting these broken links, I expect to gain [50] backlinks to [page type]. Number of backlinks Over time, you start realizing that some optimizations are simply nice to have, but you won’t be able to pinpoint an impact (SEO or business-wise) and since these tasks can’t be validated, they will naturally be a smaller priority. How to write a business case for your SEO proposal You can and should find potential pitfalls before your clients do. When I started writing business cases (before bringing an SEO proposal forward) was when I started distinguishing whether certain ideas could get validated and actually had a strong chance of bringing in ROI…or whether I just fell in love with an idea (that actually didn’t have potential). My business cases have images but are written in a word document (Google Docs or Microsoft Word), not slides. You might need slides to pitch this in a room full of people, but I personally only fully understand and get confident about my idea once I have a long-from document. Why not also share this ahead of the meeting with your stakeholders, so they are prepared when they meet you, instead of trying to understand everything with you looking at them? For your business case, you can use Wix’s SEO agency project proposal template  or this detailed business case example  that I created. Below is a shorter version of the latter, in which I pitch to create “near” pages for a hotel chain: Background Provide background and set the scene for your pitch. Explain the problem you have, how this would be a solution, and the issues with taking a simpler route or keeping things the way they are now. Example: Hotels have huge competition from Online Travel Agencies (OTAs; e.g., Booking.com , Tripadvisor, etc). While your main target keywords are wide terms such as hotels in [city], the bigger the city, the more search results are dominated by OTAs. Opportunity How big is the opportunity? What page types are covered? How many sessions, impressions, or sales can be earned? Example: Although OTAs own the organic results, you can still rank on Google Maps and in the local pack. We believe that Google could display your hotel in these spaces if you have a page targeting specific nearby attractions (e.g., hotels near [attraction]) and got reviews  from guests mentioning the nearby attractions (Note: this is a hypothesis, not a guarantee). Technical debt This is an overall view of optimizations to be implemented. These should be double-checked by the teams/people who are executing them to make sure they're relevant and representative of their work (also a great chance to get them up to date and build excitement). I tend to keep this top level, not adding every single task, because that might add noise, especially developer tasks (not being read by developers). Example: SEO: Keyword research to map opportunities Creative: Take photos of the hotel and nearby attractions UX: Design new page template Dev: Code new page template created by UX Sales: Offer a special package for guests going to the attraction Receptionist: Remind guests to leave a review when they check out Minimum viable product (MVP) The smallest possible version of this project, required just to test impact, before a full release. Example: Five attractions (Client needs to decide which ones align with their goals) Three unique photos per page (Client needs to hire a photographer) Timeline Expected milestones for various parts of the project. This keeps the project top-of-mind for stakeholders and shows progress. Example: Page prototype to be presented by [date] and approved by [date] Page content to be written by [date] Release pages by [date] Measure early impact in [30 days] Measure final impact in [90 days] Decide if expansion to [50] more pages is worthwhile Estimated impact The metrics you’ll use to measure the success of this project. You can have SEO metrics in the early stages (indexation, rankings) but ultimately, you need to tie this to business metrics (bookings, leads, sales). Example: Increase Google Business Profile (GBP)  impressions by [%] Increase GBP booking by [%] Generate [XX] bookings to special packages related to attractions I find it more advantageous to write out and refine my business cases instead of creating slides—you can do either or both, as long as there’s an opportunity for your client or manager(s) to give feedback on your proposal. Pitching your proposal as an in-house SEO In-house SEOs have some great advantages when it comes to obtaining support from other teams. You’re more aware of the people available, their skills, and competing projects (from SEO and other departments), so the pitch is more about who can work on it and when. I recommend that you meet with stakeholders (one on one, if possible). Sit down with the decision makers in design, UX, product, content, and other departments to show them your idea and to hear their opinions, questions, criticism, and potential integrations. And, highlight what those teams stand to gain from your initiative so that expectations are aligned. Working for a global enterprise, I noticed it’s much easier to sell a project when everyone gets some impact instead of just doing something for “SEO reasons”:  Can you identify pages using a common taxonomy or tags and use this to display related products to buyers, but also to improve internal linking? How about the classic case that faster-loading pages are good for users, even though we’re aiming to get a “Good” score from Google? Can you create a top menu or footer that points to your high-conversion pages, but is also the most common destination a user wants to navigate to once they’re on your website? If you can cover several needs with one project, you’re saving the business money and building a stronger proposal. Pitching your proposal to SEO clients Now that I have the experience of working in-house, when I look back on my agency years, I realize that I didn’t have as much context as I assumed about my clients’ needs and issues. They won’t always have time to give you every detail about why something is not a priority or can’t be done. Having worked on both sides, I learned to work with the resources available to me: Does the client care about being in the press? You can consider digital PR campaigns. Do you want to implement structured data but don’t have access to the back end? Use Google Tag Manager. Try to understand if they have a developer you can rely on and what resources they can commit to your SEO proposal. Half-day per week for three months? Great, here are the five things we’re going to implement over this period.  Each SEO will have their own strategy, but I find it best to start small (you can call it an MVP, minimum viable product), implement a few things to show that all these tags, links, response codes, and JavaScript can actually bring business through the door, before you ask for more. Once the small projects start showing results (remember, each project should have an execution, estimated impact, and measuring plan), then you grow to bigger ones. Do you want a new CMS feature? Need to give different directives to different bots? Do you want to run six months of link building campaigns ?  For all of those potential projects, go back to the business case chapter to check if your SEO proposal is comprehensive.  How to measure impact I know it can be hard to measure SEO impact given so many factors that can affect the SERP— algorithm updates , new competitor pages, seasonality, external events, and then finally the SEO changes you implemented. Although it’s hard to pinpoint, you can still look for ways to isolate changes to evaluate impact, even if it’s directional. Consider our hotel example above in the business case section :  Can we measure if the new attractions-related pages started ranking? Did the hotel start showing up in the local pack after the change? It’s essential to plan how you intend to track impact. Discuss with your team or client and agree on which metrics and/or data you’ll assess and stick to these metrics during your analysis period. I learned the hard way, but you don’t need to: start tracking everything and take screenshots ahead of time, so you can show a before and after. Organize them in a folder and name your files appropriately. If possible, I recommend testing first on your personal website. For instance, when I started trying to get a knowledge panel , I first did it for my own name. This way, I could come to my manager and show a great example first—and then get the buy-in to spend time building one for my company. I learned how to execute first, nearly risk-free and without the pressure—if I failed, no one would even know. Even failing would tell me that something doesn’t work, which would allow me to move on to other tasks and strategies. If you want to get serious about measuring impact at scale, I highly recommend SEO A/B testing . There are a few tools available that help with this, such as SearchPilot and SplitSignal, but you can also try doing it yourself for free. Giulia Panozzo wrote a great causal impact guide  for Women in Tech SEO, where she explains step-by-step how to set up SEO A/B tests using free tools. I use a similar methodology and this removed a lot of guesswork, while supporting my current and future initiatives. I do think about SEO differently since I started doing SEO A/B tests. Be aware that not every test will be positive or reliable. Framing these as experiments is very important because you can take some of the pressure off and, even if something doesn’t go according to the plan, you tick an experiment off of the opportunity list and can move on to the next. To avoid getting disheartened by a test that didn’t have a positive outcome, I try to always have a few tests going at the same (ideally, to different pages), so even if something didn’t work, something else does. Lastly, I recommend you reflect on what went wrong: Can you still reframe a test? Let’s say if you added a lot of internal links with commercial anchor text but saw no uplift. Can you run this again using anchors and pages that have lower competition? Can you add more internal links to these pages? Did you give enough time for Google to recrawl all pages? The point is: don’t give up on the first negative result. Create a winning SEO proposal and focus on continuous improvements SEO is rarely a case of implementing and leaving. We’re always chasing more links, monitoring indexed pages, working to maintain a “Good” page speed score, optimizing content, and so on. But, there has to be a method to the madness if you want to keep your C-suite happy or maintain profitable client relationships. Proving the impact of specific changes in SEO isn’t always easy, so if you find something that works well for a website, keep trying to improve further. A lot of initiatives I work on as an SEO product manager happen on the back of a previous test, an MVP, or a test done in one locale that’s expanding to others. Whether you’re working to get a new client or to keep a delighted one, building SEO proposals can help you do more with less, build trust, and secure more resources (and budget) to grow with them! Gus Pelogia - SEO Product Manager Gus Pelogia is a journalist turned SEO since 2012. He’s currently an SEO product manager at Indeed, the top job site in the world. Every day, he writes tickets for small and large initiatives and works in a cross-functional team with writers, UX, engineers, and product managers. Twitter  | Linkedin

Author: Duane Brown As a marketer or business owner, you need to get the most return on investment as possible from the platforms and tools you use. If Google Ads is one of those platforms, you might wonder how you can get your budget to go further (after all, who has an unlimited ads budget?). Sharing your first-party data—the data you already have from your customers—with Google Ads can enable you to do just that. With Wix’s Zapier integration, you can automate data sharing with Google Ads to not only improve your audience lists and conversions, but also free up more time to focus on other strategic aspects of your business.  Let’s get started. Table of contents: Why you should share your first-party data with Google Ads Tools to automate ad management and optimization The customer data you’ll send to Google Ads How to use Zapier to automate data sharing between Wix and Google Ads Getting started Ways to use Wix customer data and Google Ads together Why you should share your first-party data with Google Ads Feeding customer data to Google Ads helps you guide the machine learning algorithms that power your campaigns. The more data Google Ads has about what resonates with your customers, the more efficiently it can run your campaign, which can translate to higher ROI and decreased costs. Plus you’ll be less stressed, which is already a huge bonus. First-party data is your life preserver as Google deprecates third-party cookies  As Google gets ready to remove third-party cookies  from its Chrome browser, more businesses are starting to pay attention to their first-party data (the data you own related to customers that have made a purchase on your website). This is because Google’s changes don’t affect your first-party data. What’s more, the privacy changes baked into Apple’s iOS 14.5 update  showed many marketers and business owners how valuable all that first-party data could be in this new privacy landscape.  So, how can you leverage your first-party data? How first-party data fuels better ad campaigns The big reason you want to get your customer data into Google Ads is to help Google’s AI learn more about your customers. Google can only optimize your campaigns when it has accurate data. So, the more data you can feed Google’s AI, the better your ads will potentially perform.  Now, just because you feed Google this data doesn’t mean your campaigns will magically improve. You still need to build the right campaigns and manage them correctly. If you’re already on top of this and you do share your customer data with Google Ads, then you are going to enable your campaigns to work even better.  Also, when it comes to optimizing your Ads account, keep in mind that Google only looks at data over the last 30 days . So keeping your data fresh in Google Ads is another reason to do this (in addition to the time saved by automating this task).  Next, let’s look at some tools you can use to automate various aspects of campaign management and optimization. Tools to automate ad management and optimization There are lots of ways you can automate porting your customer data into Google Ads. Plus, there are lots of tools you can use to automate work being done in and outside of Google Ads.  While the sections after this one will focus on leveraging Zapier to automate data sharing between Wix websites and Google Ads, the tools and options below are excellent complements that are valuable in their own right. Optmyzr Optmyzr  is excellent if you need to manage your Google campaigns and want more flexibility then what Google Ad Manager offers. You can set up more advanced rules and scripts that alert you to issues inside your Ads account. Plus, the platform also works with Microsoft and Amazon Ads, which means you have one central place to manage your different paid search campaigns.  The time savings alone is worth the price of entry. You should probably be spending at least $5,000/month to even consider using a tool like this, but it is helpful if you want something to use alongside Google Ad Manager. Feedonomics Shopping feeds are eCommerce brands’ bread and butter. If you run shopping campaigns (including Standard Shopping or Performance Max), then you are going to need a shopping feed. If your store has thousands of SKUs, then you would likely be better off using a third-party feed management tool to manage your shopping feed.  Feedonomics  should be the first tool you look at when it comes to feed management. My agency, Take Some Risk, has used tons of tools and apps and Feedonomics is the best of the best.  For example, it has a support team located around the world, which means you can get support almost 24/7. Their team has worked on thousands of feeds and understands the value of well built shopping feeds. Their data governance product  means you get alerts when something goes wrong. And, the platform’s relationship with Google gives users access to betas and alphas before many large advertisers.  Supermetrics Reporting  and pulling conversions data might be your least favorite task, but we all have to report or monitor how our campaigns perform. Tools like Supermetrics  enable you to pull data from Wix, Google Ads, and many other platforms so you can build custom reports.  Let’s say, for example, that you want to pull purchase data from Google Ads but you also get offline leads on your site. You can use Supermetrics to pull data from multiple sources and centralize that data in a report you have built in Google Sheets or Looker Studio . Unlike Zapier, that moves data from platform A to platform B, Supermetrics is about pulling data from platform A and B, and letting you use it to build reports in your tool of choice.  Zapier If you need to connect two platforms together and there is no native integration between the two platforms, then Zapier  should be your first port of call. There are tons of competitors on the market these days but Zapier is the grandfather of the industry.  My agency has been using it the last few years and we love how simple and easy it is. If I have data in Wix and I want to send that data to Google ads, Zapier can create that connection between the two platforms and automatically send the data on a regular basis. The customer data you’ll send to Google Ads As I mentioned before, you generally want to upload customer data to Google Ads to either help build audience lists or increase the conversion data the platform has access to. There are limits on what data you can upload to Google Ads, which includes (but is not limited to): Email address Phone number First name Last name City State/Province Country Zip/Postal code Attribution data (e.g., currency and conversion names) The above is the minimum data that Google Ads will accept. Sometimes you can upload other data, but it will depend on what you are trying to do. If you want to upload something else, you may be trying to do something more advanced, which I don’t recommend for your first attempt with tools like Zapier. How to use Zapier to automate data sharing between Wix and Google Ads Let's say you want to update your Google Ads audience lists once per day: Perhaps you have a remarketing list of people who abandoned their shopping carts and you want to show them ads after leaving your online store, or you may have customers that already purchased items and you want to stop showing them ads from your brand on Google.  In both cases, you’ll want to keep our audience lists updated to make sure that you are showing (or not showing) ads to the right people. Let’s walk through how to do this with Wix and Zapier. Getting started First, start by heading to Wix’s Zapier page . From here, use the search bar to search for Google Ads (the app you want to send your data to).  Of course, you could also send your data to Microsoft Ads, your CRM tool, or any number of other platforms, but for this article, we’re going to keep the focus on sending data from Wix to Google Ads. Under the “Create your first workflow” section, Zapier lists the most popular workflows (or what they call “recipes”). For this particular example, the one we want is “Add Contact to Customer List With Email in Google Ads for Automation Rule in Wix,” as it lets us add our customer data from Wix into Google Ads to build an audience list.  Once you click on the workflow card, you will see the integration screen for this workflow. Click on “Try this template” to be taken to the workflow dashboard, where you can log into your platform and set up the workflow. The first thing to do is sign into your Wix account.  Then, you will need to sign into your Google Ads account. If you happen to have a Google Ads Manager account, you will need to designate which sub-account has the audience list you want to automate updating. You only need to do this if this is the first time you are using Zapier. Next, look to set up filters or other actions to tell Zapier how it should handle your data when it goes from Wix to Google Ads.  There may be certain scenarios where you do not want to import your data, such as when you only want to import data based on a type of email address (e.g., Gmail vs. Yahoo) or only data from customers that spend a certain amount of money with your business. Once you pick the filter option, you can tell Zapier how to filter your data. If I want to filter by email provider, then I can tell Zapier to filter based on what the email address does (or does not) contain. For Google Ads, I only want to share the email addresses that end in “ gmail.com ” because Google has a hard time matching non-gmail addresses to Google Accounts (Google needs to match the email address so they know who they are showing the ads to). I will simply pick “(Text) Contains” and then in the next box, add “ gmail.com .”  This will tell Zapier to only send customer data to Google Ads if it’s a Gmail address. Save the changes and then run a test workflow. If you don't get any errors, you are ready to publish your workflow and have your audiences (with Gmail accounts) uploaded in Google Ads. This is just one example use case—there are tons of other ways you can use Wix customer data and Google Ads together.  Ways to use Wix customer data and Google Ads together Here are some of the other amazing options that could help save your business time while optimizing conversions: Send offline conversions to Google Ads If you have products that have longer sales cycles, you can capture that customer data in Wix and then, when that person does purchase, you can send that customer data to Google Ads using Zapier.  You will need to combine Zapier and offline conversions  tracking in Google Ads, but this is a great way to automate this longer sales cycle and upload the conversion data. This works well if your business also gets a lot of phone calls before someone buys. Update Google Ads campaign statuses If someone makes a new purchase on your site, you could add a rule to update your campaigns in Google Ads.  If you have just run low on inventory for a popular product, you can have Zapier pause your campaign so you don’t advertise something that is nearly out of stock. Generate Google Ads reporting If Google Ads is your only marketing channel, you could set up a workflow to generate a report every time you make 10 sales. That way, you can keep track of how well your business is doing as you grow in sales each week. Track leads If your business uses an intake form, you can have Zapier send that lead data to Google Ads so you can track which of your campaigns is driving a lead on your site.  Of course, you can still send and track purchases on your site, but this helps you see which campaigns are driving a lead and then  a purchase for your business. Online privacy is evolving—leveraging your first-party data helps your business evolve, too There are lots of ways you can capture customer data on your Wix site. The first thing you always want to do is figure out what customer data (AKA first-party data) you have access to, and then consider how you can use that data to your advantage in your Google Ads account. Once you do that, you can look at how to automate that data to help drive better results and more efficient campaigns for your business. Duane Browne - Founder & Head of Strategy at Take Some Risk Inc. Duane has lived in 6 cities across 3 continents and visited 55+ countries globally. He works with brands including LARQ, Birdies, Pela Case, FTD, and Tiger Companies. Him and his team, at Take Some Risk, help eCommerce brands grow through strategy, PPC marketing, and data. Linkedin

Author: Colt Sliva Google Trends is one of the mightiest SEO research tools available. It’s also free, and if you know how to take full advantage of its features, it may become one of the most impactful options in your tool belt. In this article, I’ll walk you through Google Trends use cases and features so you can identify opportunities to use the tool for competitive insights. Whether you’re a small business owner learning how people search for your products or a working SEO, these techniques have an evergreen place in your strategy. As a brief overview, the competitive advantages lie in a few key areas: Google Trends provides years of historical data, sometimes going as far back as 2004 for some search terms. This is a superpower when data sources like Google Search Console are limited to 16 months. While the data is relative and doesn’t give absolute traffic numbers, it does help you estimate the current macro environment for a search trend. If you do have traffic data for a term, you can use Google Trends to review its historical trends to estimate previous ranges of traffic. Google Trends is as close to real-time data as you can get within Google’s black box of search data. The “ Trending Now ” section provides current trending entities and events based on news sources and active searches. Lastly, Google Trends can yield insights into how Google groups traffic together, which can help inform the topics you cover on your website. So, let’s jump into five Google Trends tactics that can make it a potent tool for your search optimizations. Table of Contents: 01. Explore search intent 02. Identify top, rising, and breakout keywords 03. Target the right distribution channel 04. Target the right location 05. Compare time frames 01. Explore search intent Understanding the questions people are asking (so you can create a document with the answer) is a big part of SEO. When you can find the right questions to answer, that is a working definition of addressing search intent . Google Trends provides some insight into search intent by tagging different types of searches (as shown in the example below). Let’s take the query Apple , for example—it could be the technology company or it could be the fruit. The search volume for the keyword is the sum of intent for both of those. Additionally, the Apple topic can receive traffic from similar searches, like Mac , because the intent is the same. The example Google’s documentation gives is London, Capital of UK, and Londres all being included under the same topic: “Topics are a group of terms that share the same concept in any language. You can find topics below your search term. For example, if you search London, and choose the corresponding topic, your search includes results for topics like ‘Capital of the UK’ and ‘Londres,’ which is ‘London’ in Spanish.” — Google Trends Help This helps take many unstructured searches that people make and consolidate it into a single search result. Pick the search term with the topic that is the most specific option for your audience. That is the version of the keyword that will best represent potential traffic. Compare this to the broader “Search Term” (this is the blue line in the example above) and look at the size of the difference. That gap will inform the competitiveness between topics. In the example above, the fruit will rarely receive traffic from its head term Apple , whereas the topic and the technology company are far more likely to receive traffic for this keyword. 02. Identify top, rising, and breakout keywords Google Trends highlights “Breakout” keywords (terms that had a tremendous increase in search frequency, probably because these queries are new and had few, if any, prior searches). This gives you access to near-real-time insights (whereas most search reporting is generally lagging behind by days). These breakout trends can last anywhere from a few hours to months. They can also change the SERPs in that content surrounding a trending topic is more likely to rank while people are searching for a breakout term. After entering your search term, you can use the Related Queries card (shown above), to sort related search terms by “Rising” or “Top.” The “Top” option can help you find certain niches (or long tail variations ) around a topic that are driving interest in real time, which may be helpful for building a breadth and depth of keywords around a topic . Select the “Rising” option to sort queries with the largest increase in search frequency since the last time period. You can use this option to identify trends early on and create content for them. Being early to a search trend is like creating luck for yourself. In addition to the related queries for a specific topic, you can look at what is trending in real time or within the last day . This search trends list is organized by a common topic as well as a trending piece of content. You are also provided with an estimated number of searches that made the topic trend. This number is sometimes not as high as you would expect and provides a rough estimate on what it takes to get content trending . 03. Target the right distribution channel Organic search starts with the search box, but has many distribution channels (YouTube, Google News, Google Shopping, etc). Google Trends offers a few of those distribution channels as filterable options. This is because these channels offer very different experiences tailored to a particular search intent (like seeking out breaking news with News Search or eCommerce via Google Shopping, for example). If you are a news publisher, filtering by “News Search” is key. Search behavior in Google News is oriented toward content that has a short half-life. So, this filter can help identify trending content opportunities to cover in Google News. If you create video content, filtering by “YouTube Search” can help you discover how viewers may be hunting for content. This type of content commonly leans toward multimedia-related queries, such as music, entertainment, movies, or video of an event. For eCommerce businesses, the most helpful filter will be “Google Shopping.” There is generally less data for this filter, but it does have very clear product intent behind it. 04. Target the right location Location can be a very important ranking factor in organic search. Different regions have different cultures, experiences, and search behaviors . Take the topic of Air Conditioning , as an example: In the southern United States, air conditioning is in greater demand year round. In a northern US state, the demand actually peaks higher than the south briefly, but quickly dissipates. That experience could inform how companies should operate and market in different locations. To filter and compare locations, hover over a searched keyword and click the three vertical dots that appear. Then select “Change filters” and modify the location (this option will only appear if you are comparing two or more keywords). 05. Compare time frames Similar to filtering locations, you can also filter over different time frames. This can help answer questions around turbulent times (like during core algorithm updates and holidays). Check Google Trends to see if your traffic changes are related to seasonality or if it is related to ranking changes. Looking back at the Christmas season for 2021 compared to 2022, there is a sizable gap between the two (2022 peaks at a relative score of 84 out of 100). This dip in search interest might have contributed to traffic and/or conversion declines for Christmas-related content from 2021 to 2022, for example. Hanukkah inverted that trend, with 2022 trending higher. During the 2022 Hanukkah season, sites on the topic of Hanukkah and Judaism would have likely experienced a higher number of search impressions. Understanding how these macro trends shift around the holidays can help explain what is going on with site traffic or how to better market to your website visitors. Stay ahead of consumer interest with Google Trends It’s instinctual for people to be curious about the next big thing. Creating content early and often is a powerful strategy, whether it’s SEO, SEM, or social media marketing. Target your locale with the right distribution strategy and during peak seasons for a potent marketing combination that can put you and your website ahead of competitors. Colt Sliva - Senior Technical SEO Analyst Colt Sliva is a technical SEO who has experience working with SaaS, eCommerce, UGC Platforms, and News Publishers across the Fortune 500. His main area of study is SEO at scale, automations, and breaking things to see how they really work. Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Abby Gleason TikTok is where pop culture begins. The social media platform has invented its own language. “BookTok,” “cottagecore,” “hair theory”—the list goes on. None of these terms existed before TikTok emerged, but they now have a huge impact on how people search across platforms. Yes, I am saying that the unique terms you see on TikTok have ripple effects on Google Search, advertising, and across other social media. They are keywords , and should be seen as such. Want an example? Let’s refer back to “BookTok,” a term that references the reading community on TikTok. This is a word that did not exist prior to TikTok’s arrival in 2016, but since then has become a pop culture phenomenon, impacting Google Search, Instagram, Twitter and more: Put simply, if you aren’t using TikTok for keyword research, you’re missing out on major opportunities. This platform is one of the best places to find emerging keywords in your niche—an SEO tactic that has become especially important since traditional keyword research tools do not do a great job of surfacing trending terms (like ChatGPT). In this article, I’ll show you exactly how TikTok and SEO intersect, and how you can take advantage of that overlap to attract more visitors to your site. Table of contents: What does TikTok have to do with SEO? Examples of SEO content that leverage TikTok trends But, what if my audience isn’t on TikTok? How to conduct keyword research on TikTok How write about TikTok topics for SEO What does TikTok have to do with SEO? TikTok is where you can find high volume, low competition search trends that very few are writing about for SEO. I am suggesting that search marketers should view TikTok keywords as viable, valuable search terms that they can target to rank in Google. The logic goes as follows: If a topic like “BookTok” has 135 billion views on TikTok, one can assume that some of that interest carries over to Google Search. As you can see from the Google Trends results I shared earlier , that search interest has grown exponentially and has brought websites targeting BookTok a lot of SEO traffic. It may help to think about TikTok trends somewhat akin to cultural phenomena, like the Super Bowl. The event creates waves of search demand for everything from tourism in the host city to buffalo dip recipes. (Just for fun, check out search spikes for “buffalo dip recipes” in the past five years. Recognize a pattern?) What’s trending in the world—which is essentially culture—is a driving force in search demand. Traditional SEO keyword research tools don’t do a great job of staying up to date with emerging or seasonal keywords , so you need to equip yourself with other methods to find them. While there are many ways to find trending keywords , I want to hyperfocus on TikTok because it’s a cultural epicenter, and therefore a topic idea gold mine that few search marketers seem to be taking advantage of. I ran a poll in early 2023 asking who used TikTok for keyword research, and 83% (of the 150 respondents) said no. If you target trending topics as they’re happening, you’ll have the first-mover advantage for driving SEO traffic, and the added benefit of showing your audience your brand has its finger on the pulse. Relevance + awesome content = brand loyalty. Examples of SEO content that leverage TikTok trends While targeting TikTok trends in your SEO content might not be mainstream yet, there are plenty of brands that have used this tactic successfully: Architectural Digest writes about the TikTok design trend “cluttercore,” which refers to the joy of cluttering your space with items that make you happy—the antithesis of minimalism. The brand shared an editorial perspective on this trend and it’s been rewarded in search results. This page currently ranks #1 in Google for the term cluttercore , which drives 53,000 searches per year, with a 0/100 keyword difficulty (according to Keywords Everywhere ). In another example, Glamour covers one of TikTok’s latest beauty philosophies: “hair theory,” which sets out to prove that your hairstyle can transform your entire appearance and the way you’re perceived. The article defines the term “hair theory,” recognizing that the audience might see this term on TikTok or hear about it in conversation, and want to understand what it means. This page currently ranks #2 in Google for the term hair theory , which drives 29,000 searches per year, with a 0/100 keyword difficulty, according to Keywords Everywhere. I could share dozens more examples, but you get the point: TikTok trends are often low-hanging fruit, and brands are earning SEO traffic by sharing their perspectives on them. But, what if my audience isn’t on TikTok? I hear you. Depending on your business, your audience might very well be completely inactive on TikTok. I’m certainly not suggesting your brand invest resources in creating your own TikTok trend-related content if it doesn’t make sense to. The idea isn't necessarily that your audience has TikTok accounts and is actively engaged on the platform, but that TikTok is still a valid place to identify cultural trends in your industry. For instance, Chia Pets have been one of TikTok’s many obsessions. If you're a garden center, you may not think your audience is impacted by TikTok. However, you may see Chia Pet sales rise as your customer base expands as a result of this trend. Your results with this strategy will depend on your industry, your brand, and your creativity. So, keep an open mind and do a bit of research on TikTok to see if this process could work to attract more web traffic to your site. How to conduct keyword research on TikTok While finding relevant topic ideas on TikTok may initially seem like finding a needle in a haystack, it’s actually fairly straightforward. 01. Start with audience research Before you start with keyword research, you have to know your audience. What are they interested in? What questions do they have about your product or industry? To understand your customer base, conduct user interviews, talk to customer-facing teams , or use tools like Sparktoro to get a sense for where your audience spends time online. For instance, if you sell young adult clothing, and your audience research reveals that your potential customers also spend time watching Netflix, that can give you more ideas for topics to dig into. Example: After the hit TV show Wednesday aired on Netflix, searches for Wednesday clothes skyrocketed. If your young adult clothing brand created a “ Wednesday ” category page, you can imagine how the traffic might start flooding in. 02. Check out TikTok’s Creative Center Want to find topic ideas on TikTok? An excellent place to start is TikTok’s free Creative Center . This is one of the most efficient ways to browse what’s trending in your country for a variety of industries and topics. I like to look through top hashtags and videos to see what topics come up. Keep a spreadsheet handy, and get ready to jot down ideas. Note: The popular hashtags shared here can be a bit broad. For instance, looking up “Home Improvement” trends takes me to topics like #gardening and #PlantTok (a community for plant parents on TikTok). Clicking into a hashtag gives you more specific information about each topic. For instance, #PlantTok shows me trends over time, top videos, and audience insights (like age range and related interests). This may have been how I discovered Chia Pets were back in style… 03. Browse specific topics on TikTok The Creative Center can provide some quick wins, but to get the widest breadth of topic ideas, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and dig into some videos. Do a TikTok search for your industry or product and look for themes. For example, check out the interior design hashtag on TikTok. In five minutes of searching, I identified that top videos included topics like: NYC thrifting How to furnish a 7x7 foot room Material combinations The videos in each hashtag are sorted by popularity, and many videos boast millions of views. One can assume that topics that drive that much engagement on one platform might also perform well in search. 04. Search Google for “[industry] TikTok trends” It may seem deceptively simple, but searching Google for TikTok roundups can quickly clue you into what people are most interested in about your industry on the platform. For example, a search for interior design TikTok trends gave me ideas like: Cottagecore Grandmillennial Maximalism Boho decor Monochrome These are topics that may not easily be found through more traditional keyword research methods, as many are relatively new terms, like “cottagecore” or “grandmillennial.” 05. Follow creators in your industry A great way to stay on top of TikTok trends is to simply be active on TikTok. Follow creators and hashtags to stay up-to-date on the latest trending topics, and track them for your keyword research efforts. And if you simply can’t dedicate time to monitoring another marketing channel, see if top creators on TikTok are active on other platforms you use. Maybe they’re also active on Instagram, or perhaps they have a weekly newsletter summarizing their content. By keeping an eye on creators in your industry, you’ll stay up to date with the latest trends and can create content that ranks based on it. How write about TikTok topics for SEO You’ve got your list of topics—now what? Depending on the topic, there are several effective ways to target each keyword. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 01. Define the term/trend Terms like “hair theory” or “cottagecore” do not refer to obvious or mainstream trends. People who hear about these trends in conversation or see them pop up on social media might naturally look for a definition. For example, they might search What is cottagecore? (It’s an aesthetic that celebrates a rural lifestyle, but it’s impossible to know that without context). You can seize this opportunity by creating content that clearly defines the term and the context behind it: What does it mean? How did it become popular? What are some examples of this concept? You may even go a step further and share how it’s impacting an industry (like yours) or culture (like your audience’s). Tip: Google your term and see what the autocomplete and People Also Ask features reveal. This can clue you into popular questions about your topic or give you even more topic ideas to run with. 02. Explain how to lean into the trend Your brand may be in a unique position to explain how readers can incorporate the trend into their lifestyle. For example, “How to embrace the cottagecore aesthetic in your home” could be an effective angle. This content will be especially compelling if your brand has authority on the topic and solutions to fit the need. If you’re a home goods retailer, this content could even drive users to your product pages as a way to embrace the trend. 03. Roundups Another approach is to create roundups related to each topic. Sticking with the “cottagecore” example, this could include: Homes that are embracing the “cottagecore” trend Our favorite “cottagecore” influencers on Instagram Most affordable “cottagecore” brands To get ideas for roundup topics, you could do a Google search for best [topic] and see what autocomplete comes up with. 04. Product-focused content TikTok trends might even influence your product offerings. You can tweak your positioning to capitalize on a popular trend and reap the benefits in search. Consider showcasing your product(s) which reflect a popular trend. Going back to the home goods retailer example, this may involve creating an entire category dedicated to “cottagecore” and featuring it on your homepage or linking to it from your blog. Culture = keywords New search terms are created on TikTok constantly, and if you want to keep up, you have to be there. This may involve spending one hour on TikTok each month to gather new content ideas, or it may mean regularly checking in with top creators to see what’s trending. Regardless of the frequency, incorporate this platform into your keyword research process and you’ll almost certainly find emerging, low competition topics to target. Or at the very least, you may get some new interior design ideas for your home. Abby Gleason - SEO Product Manager Abby Gleason is a content-focused SEO with 6+ years experience leading successful organic search strategies for SaaS and eCommerce brands. She loves to share her learnings and has been published on Moz, Semrush, Search Engine Land and more. Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Joshua George More relevant content means more potential traffic from search engines, right? No, not always. Too much similar content (i.e., duplicate content) can actually hurt your Google rankings. For eCommerce stores, one of the first issues to look into and resolve is keyword cannibalization, which can result in wasted effort, user confusion, and essentially competing against yourself in search results. To help you get the most return (and organic visibility) from your SEO efforts, let’s take a look at what keyword cannibalization is, how it can affect eCommerce sites, and how you can go about resolving it for potentially more traffic and conversions. Table of contents: What is keyword cannibalization? How cannibalized keywords can hurt your SEO How keyword cannibalization happens on eCommerce websites How to identify cannibalized keywords on your eCommerce site How to resolve keyword cannibalization 01. Combine content into a single page 02. Delete unnecessary pages and implement 301 redirects 03. Determine the canonical URL Tactical tips to resolve common eCommerce keyword cannibalization issues What is keyword cannibalization? In a nutshell, keyword cannibalization refers to having two or more pages on your website rank for the same keyword. This could result in weaker rankings, competing against your own content in search results for the same query, and even confusing potential customers. The most common occurrence of cannibalized keywords in a website is when a site owner (mistakenly or otherwise) creates content identical to something that was already published on the site. Both pages would likely contain similar (if not the same) content, leading Google to index them both for the same search term. How cannibalized keywords can hurt your SEO At first, keyword cannibalization doesn’t seem too bad. So what if multiple pages rank for the same keyword? That means there’s more opportunity for you to get more clicks on your website when shoppers search that term, right? This line of thinking assumes that your pages rank on the first page of Google Search for their keyword(s). Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. While you could get a few clicks to these pages, addressing this issue is much better over the long run because keyword cannibalization can: Diminish the authority of the more relevant page. If you have a page already ranking for its target keyword, its position could drop if search crawlers find another page with similar content. So, while the identical page may get indexed for the search terms, you may lose organic traffic that would have otherwise gone to the original page. Decrease the impact of your links and anchor text. Cannibalization affects your link building efforts because you have to spread your link acquisition to both pages instead of just one. Waste crawl budget. Google (and other search engines) will only spend a finite amount of time crawling your site (i.e., “crawl budget”). Unmitigated keyword cannibalization may mean that the search engines are crawling duplicate content instead of new pages, which could result in other important pages not getting crawled or indexed (thus not appearing in search results). Be a sign of poor page quality. Optimizing two or more pages for the same keyword (intentional or otherwise) shows that you don’t have a proper eCommerce SEO strategy . Let’s put additional context to the disadvantages cannibalized keywords bring to your site’s SEO performance: The top three positions on search engine results pages (SERPs) generate click-through rates of 25.6%, 10.15%, and 6.87%, respectively (as of February 2023, according to Advanced Web Ranking ). As an example, let’s pretend one of your most important pages ranks at the top of search results for a keyword. If you create content that significantly overlaps and isn’t substantively unique or distinct from an existing page, Google may knock your existing page down a position or two, if not even lower (because of the reasons listed above). That means even if your pages rank on the second and third positions on SERPs for the same keyword, you’re still likely to lose traffic because the first position gets more clicks than any other two search results positions combined. How keyword cannibalization happens on eCommerce websites Among the various website types, eCommerce sites are the most prone to keyword cannibalization. This is because an online store’s site structure and product inventory can give rise to SEO issues that make crawling more difficult for search engines. Below are instances when keyword cannibalization may happen on eCommerce websites: Faceted navigation Faceted navigation helps users find pages or products on your online shop with much more granularity than a regular navigation menu. It enables users to filter product listings according to attributes like price, customer rating, weight, brand, and others. Amazon lets you do this when you visit one of its category pages (as shown below). While faceted navigation provides value for visitors and helps convert them into customers, it doesn’t have the same positive effect on your SEO. Some sites generate new URLs whenever visitors create filters to find the products they’re looking for. If you don’t address these additional URLs, Google will crawl and index them. And if you have thousands of visitors using your faceted navigation, that means thousands more pages for the search engine to crawl and index. This becomes a problem, especially when multiple URLs with similar (if not the same) content rank for keywords that you optimized your product pages for. The original page’s ranking might be negatively impacted because Google will also spread out its resources to continue indexing for the page(s) generated using faceted navigation. URL parameters in ad campaigns You may have run ad campaigns for your landing pages and created URL parameters to monitor their performance. Tools like Google’s Campaign URL Builder let you add URL parameters to help you track where users found your page, the marketing channel used to promote the page, and others. If you track the page on Google Analytics , you will see more information about its overall performance. From here, you can make the necessary changes to the campaign and improve its results. However, here’s the caveat: Google considers the original page URL different from your landing page with URL parameters, even though the content may be identical. If your landing page with URL parameters gains traction, Google may crawl and index it for the same keyword as the landing page without the parameters. Poor keyword optimization This beginner’s mistake usually happens when you target the wrong keywords for your pages. In the case of eCommerce sites, you may have targeted a long tail keyword that overlaps with a short tail keyword you’re already ranking for. For example, you optimized for the keyword best deadbolt smart lock with a product page but you also created another page for the keyword what is the best deadbolt smart lock. You may argue that, because they don’t have the same number of words within them, one keyword is different from the other. But, Google treats them identically because they have similar search intent . A quick Google search should confirm this. Below are the results for best deadbolt smart lock: Barring the featured snippet, the results are the same when you search for what is the best deadbolt smart lock: How to identify cannibalized keywords on your eCommerce site Now that you’re familiar with some of the causes of keyword cannibalization that can plague eCommerce sites, it is up to you to identify these pages and assess whether these issues threaten your SEO performance, and find the best approach to fix them. That said, below are ways you can identify them: Run a “site:URL + keyword” search Google Search can give you an overview of indexed pages that may be cannibalizing keywords. To do this, use the “site:[URL]” search operator . It searches pages exclusively on the domain you enter here. In this case, replace [URL] with your domain URL and enter your keyword beside it in the search bar. As for the keyword, you’ll need to have an idea of the terms you want to check. Get started by typing in your most valuable keywords or search terms that your product pages are already ranking for. You want to see if your site has similar pages that may cannibalize your search position for the same keyword. In this case, let’s look at the online store Slimfold for the keyword thin wallets. Here’s what the search query would look like: site:slimfoldwallet.com “thin wallets” I enclosed the keyword with quotation marks because I want Google to check pages on the site that include the exact phrase within the content. Below is a snapshot of the results: Six pages match the query. However, Google may return vaguely matching results, meaning the pages aren’t necessarily ranking for the same keyword. To know for sure, visit each page in the results and verify if the content is identical to the other pages on the list. Perform host clustering While using “site:[URL]” helps you find potential keyword cannibalization issues, it doesn’t give any insight into a given page’s value on the search results for a keyword. In a regular Google search, the search engine only shows you up to two of the best-performing pages from a domain . So, if the domain has multiple pages ranking for the same term, you wouldn’t necessarily find out about them all here. However, you can show all pages ranking for a keyword (regardless of domain) by adding “&filter=0” at the end of the SERP URL. This is referred to as “host clustering” and by doing so, you reveal potential keyword cannibalization issues on your eCommerce site. As an example, here’s a snapshot of the SERP for the search query thin wallets: The SERP URL for this query is: https://www.google.com/search?q=thin+wallets As you can see, there’s only one result from Amazon on the page. Now, check the search results after performing host clustering by changing the URL to: https://www.google.com/search?q=thin+wallets&filter=0 As you can see, Amazon has multiple pages indexed for the search term! This normally happens in eCommerce sites that sell products with similar and identical descriptions. Since they share words like “slim,” “thin,” and “ultra thin” in the page’s title tag , Google treats each page with varying degrees of attention. That means it will try to show these pages on search results for terms like “thin wallets,” “slim wallets,” and other similar queries. So, instead of just focusing on ranking the page optimized for “thin wallets,” Google also picks up the other pages with synonymous titles. As a result, these pages pull down the top Amazon page intended to rank for the query. Suppose you have the same issue on your online store. In that case, you need to learn how to differentiate identical yet different product pages from one another to prevent Google from indexing them for the same keywords. We will discuss potential ways you can resolve this problem later in this guide. Use Google Search Console Google Search Console (GSC) can also show you possible keyword cannibalization issues by giving you direct access to queries that your pages rank for. Upon logging into your account, go to your Performance report . Review the Queries table (below the search performance chart) and select one to review what pages rank for that keyword (the search performance chart and tables will update according to your selection). Next, select the Pages tab (as shown below) to see which pages on your online store get impressions and clicks from the search term. If you see more than one page here, that means Google indexed multiple URLs from your site for this keyword. However, in certain instances the URLs may come from the same page. For example, if you use a table of contents with jump links on your blog posts (like this article does), Google can crawl your page for these sections and show them in search results. In this case, you don’t need to do anything. Refer to your SEO tool Instead of manually searching for cannibalized pages on your site, you can automate the process using Semrush’s Cannibalization Report. Other tools offer similar capabilities, but for our purposes, I’m just going to focus on this particular tool. Semrush’s Cannibalization Report lists the cannibalized keywords that need your attention. To access this feature, you must enter keywords you want to track on your site from the Position Tracker page. After setting up the keywords in Semrush, you will see a Cannibalization Health score (on a scale of 0–100). A score of 100 means Semrush didn’t detect keyword cannibalization issues on your website. From the report, click on the cannibal page that you want to analyze. It’ll show you keywords the page is showing for on SERPs. Next, identify which keywords are irrelevant to the page and make the necessary changes. How to resolve keyword cannibalization Once you have confirmed which pages on your site cannibalize keywords, you need to know which approach is the best for fixing them. Below are potential solutions to each of the keyword cannibalization issues mentioned above. 01. Combine content into a single page Merging pages that rank for the same keyword is ideal if the affected pages have the same search intent (i.e., commercial, transactional, informational). This also makes link building easier, as you can just point backlinks to a single page instead of scattering them to different pages. To do this, identify the page you must keep (i.e., distinguish it from the other pages ranking for the same keyword). Again, host clustering is an excellent way to find out which page Google values the most—the higher the page’s ranking is, the more important Google deems the page to be. However, this process doesn’t consider the number of actual keywords the page is ranking for or its backlink profile. To get more context about the page (for better decision making), use Google Search Console to determine which pages generate the most impressions and clicks from which queries. You can also use a tool, like Ahrefs, to identify which page has the most backlinks pointing to it. 02. Delete unnecessary pages and implement 301 redirects Next, you’ll consolidate content and delete the extra pages. The goal is to salvage as much content as possible from the pages you plan to delete and to continue to put it to good use. If the content of the pages repeats information that already exists on the page you’re keeping, you can go straight to deleting their URLs. However, consider keeping a draft of the content for future use (i.e. repurposing it as a guest post or social media post). Before deleting the rest of the URLs, replace the internal links to pages you plan on removing with the one you will keep. Doing so prevents broken links on your website, which facilitates crawlability for search engines and the user experience for your human visitors. Below, I’ve used Ahrefs to find links pointing to the pages to replace (although you can also do this on other backlink tools). In Ahrefs, go to Backlink profile > Internal backlinks and find the URL of the page you’ll delete. Here, you will see the pages linking to it that you will need to update the link URL for. After deleting the pages, redirect them to the page you will keep. This helps prevent 404 error pages that disrupt the user experience and points visitors to the correct page. You can do this manually by configuring your .htaccess found in the root directory of your web host. If the file doesn’t exist, create one. When editing the file, use the template below: Redirect /old-url-path /new=url-path Replace “/old-url-path” with the page you deleted and “/new-url-path” with the one you kept. Enter the same command on the next lines until all the deleted pages redirect to the correct one. If done correctly, your site will redirect users visiting the deleted pages to the correct one. Note: Wix site owners can also set up single 301 redirects or redirect multiple URLs at once using the Group Redirect feature. 03. Determine the canonical URL Canonicalization helps point search engines to the original or correct version of a page. This makes it ideal when the pages ranking for the same keywords are URL parameters (you probably don’t want to delete pages with URL parameters since you’re tracking them for your ad campaigns). At the same time, trying to delete the pages that your faceted navigation automatically generates would be cumbersome, especially if you have thousands of pages using this feature on your site. To set the canonical URL, add the canonical tag inside using the code below: Replace the URL with one where you want the pages with URL parameters to point to. Note: Wix site owners can set the canonical URL within the Wix Editor to help Google acknowledge the correct page on your site. Tactical tips to resolve common eCommerce keyword cannibalization issues Here are some additional tips to help you address the common eCommerce keyword cannibalization scenarios I described earlier : Faceted navigation — Go to GSC and identify pages generated by faceted navigation. Add the canonical tags in these pages’ section and link back to the page that you want Google to crawl and index. URL parameters in ad campaigns — Before launching your campaign, add the canonical URL on the section of the landing page. This tells Google not to index the page from the outset, helping you to avoid cannibalization altogether. Poor keyword optimization — Identify product pages that are ranking for an incorrect intent. Then re-optimize them for queries that reflect the appropriate intent. If your cannibal pages are blog posts, consider merging them to form a single resource page instead of maintaining multiple posts. It will also help if you create a keyword matrix to prioritize keywords you must optimize for your site. For keyword cannibalization, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure Keyword cannibalization is just one of the many culprits of poor SEO performance. But if not addressed properly, it can be a significant roadblock to achieving success with your eCommerce website. After all, if potential customers aren’t able to find your brand in the search results or are confused on which listing to click on, they’ll likely go elsewhere. Following the steps outlined above helps you identify and remedy this issue, but you should also continuously monitor for cannibal pages to ensure your eCommerce website isn’t wasting its crawl budget. If done correctly, you should be able to drive more organic traffic to your store and enjoy more sales and conversions! Joshua George - Founder of ClickSlice Joshua is the founder of ClickSlice , a results driven SEO agency in London. He has almost a decade of experience as an SEO consultant and has provided SEO training for the British government. Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Lily Ugbaja I once ran a blog that barely scratched 100 organic sessions per day in the first two years—the majority of its traffic came from Pinterest. One day, as I scrolled through Pinterest, I noticed a topic that I would never have come up with on my own, so I published a blog post on it. What happened next was wonderful, but curious: My blog’s Google search traffic went from less than 100 daily sessions to nearly 1,000 daily sessions in less than two months. It turns out I had stumbled on a high-volume keyword that was just starting to trend. Over the next weeks, I looked for patterns to understand how I could find more SEO keywords like that: I discovered a keyword research technique that helps to grow traffic to new domains by finding and analyzing keywords on competitor sites with skewed traffic profiles (i.e., when a site's two or three top-performing pages receive significantly more traffic compared to the rest of the site). Testing my theory on another website (which was four to six months old at the time), I saw the site go from 0 to 100 daily organic sessions within three months. That number of sessions may not seem impressive, but it certainly shows that I achieved the goal of ranking the new domain and it’s a great starting point to gather data to formulate a longer-term SEO strategy. You don’t need to wait six months for traffic to start rolling in, and you don’t need to build tons of links first. Just find the keywords your less obvious competitors are ranking for, and target them. Table of contents: How skewed traffic profiles offer opportunities for new domains 01. Find the first 100 URLs ranking for your main keyword 02. Filter ranking domains by age 03. Isolate domains with skewed website traffic distribution 04. Analyze top-ranking pages to identify potential keywords How skewed traffic profiles offer opportunities for new domains Skewed traffic profiles can often be attributed to high-volume keywords that a site inadvertently targeted. The site owner likely published a blog post based on a personal interest or reader requests and doesn’t have a strategy to replicate their results. This often means that the keyword they’re ranking for is one that many other publishers haven’t discovered yet—making it a low-competition keyword. Here’s an example of what this might look like in practice: A site has published 100 blog posts and is getting 20,000 monthly pageviews. But, 15,000 of those pageviews come from only three (of the 100) blog posts. It’s likely that the publisher didn’t intend to target the keywords that are bringing in traffic for those three posts. This tactic is even more effective when you identify a new domain with a skewed traffic profile: Older domains often have backlinks (which are a search ranking factor) from other sites. This means they tend to rank higher for relevant keywords. If your skewed traffic site is on an older domain, there’s a chance the brand/site owner has just started doing SEO and are ranking for keywords that a newer site like yours may struggle to rank for. But, if you have a new domain, it’s highly likely that you can rank for the same keywords as other, younger domains, since you’re also likely to be starting from scratch in terms of your backlink profile. Why not just target the keywords your obvious competitors are targeting? Your obvious competitors are the ones that show up in the search results for your core keywords. In the eCommerce industry, that’s often Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or other well-known retailers. For local search queries, the top results are often Yelp or Tripadvisor pages. This looks different for each keyword and industry, but the point is that you’re unlikely to outrank these mature brands with your relatively new domain. This is because there are many factors that can work in favor of older domains: Google might still be “figuring out” what your new domain is about, whereas the top domains for that keyword may be over a decade old. Mature businesses/domains likely dedicate resources to SEO, which might be tougher for newer brands that simply don’t have those resources. Established competitors may have generated valuable backlinks from other reputable publishers, which would be unlikely for a new domain to replicate. For these reasons (and many more that I won’t list here), targeting keywords with low competition at the domain level (by identifying skewed traffic profiles) is an effective way to get Google to rank your new domain. 01. Find the first 100 URLs ranking for your main keyword The first step of this process is to conduct keyword research to find as many relevant competitor domains as possible for your skewed organic analysis. Start your research with your main keyword so that you’re accounting for every domain that is loosely related to your niche. If you’re not sure what your main keyword is , think about your main offering (what you sell or provide) and who your audience is. I’ll use the keyword content marketing as an example for this article. It’s unlikely that the sites you’re looking for would rank in the first ten, twenty, or even thirty results for your main keyword because they just don’t have enough authority. That’s why we want to cover at least 100 URLs. You’ll need access to an SEO tool , like Semrush , for several steps in this process. First, plug your keyword into the tool to see what sites rank for the term. Next, export the search analysis so that you can use it in the next step. 02. Filter ranking domains by age I use domain age instead of domain authority (DA) because a higher DA is often a byproduct of rankings, which are influenced by the site’s backlink profile (which you’re not in a good position to compete against as a new domain). If a site about your domain age or less is ranking for a keyword, there’s a high chance you can rank for it as well (even if your DA is not as high). How to check domain age To identify the age of relevant domains, copy the URLs you extracted in the last section and paste them into a bulk domain age checker tool (like Bulk SEO Tools , shown below) to find their registration dates. Next, you’ll need to organize your findings. Sort the domain list by “Date created” and export it as a CSV. In your CSV file, delete all sites older than yours and filter out domains that are outside your niche. For URLs with incomplete data in this tool, you can review the URL’s historic ranking data by using a rank tracking tool to see when the page started ranking. In the example below, you can discern that the domain is around three years old (at the time of publishing). 03. Isolate domains with skewed website traffic distribution Analyze the traffic profile of each of the remaining domains in your CSV file with a tool like Semrush. You’re looking for sites with a handful of posts (mostly one or two) driving the majority of the pageviews to the domain overall. For illustrative purposes, a skewed traffic profile may look something like the example below. Notice that there’s a relatively large dip in pageviews between the top page and the second-highest performing page, and there’s also a large dip between the second-highest performing page and all other pages. Page Skewed traffic profile ✅ Distributed traffic profile ❌ Top blog post 1 74.5% of pageviews 27.9% of pageviews Top blog post 2 16% of pageviews 23.2% of pageviews Top blog post 3 3.5% of pageviews ​18.6% of pageviews Top blog post 4 3% of pageviews 16.2% of pageviews Top blog post 5 2.8% of pageviews 13.9% of pageviews​ Here’s what a skewed traffic profile would look like in a tool like Semrush: Here we have a website with overall monthly traffic of around 45K, where two blog posts are driving over 17% of traffic with just six keywords. You can see that these two blog posts account for nearly 47% of traffic to the site. Though there are 306 ranking pages on the website, almost half the traffic is via these two pages. This traffic suggests that the keywords those two blog posts rank for are low-competition keywords that the publisher inadvertently targeted. 04. Analyze top-ranking pages to identify potential keywords Once you find a site with a skewed traffic profile, analyze the top-ranking pages to see what keywords they rank for. Let’s say you’re analyzing a page about personal loans from Nerdwallet, for example. You can run an organic research report in a tool like Semrush for that exact URL. That way, you’ll see only the keywords that page is ranking for. Filter the results by traffic to find the main keyword the page ranks for. This will be the primary keyword you target for your article because it’s already proven to have the best chances for a new domain. For example, if a page about personal loans gets the majority of its traffic from the keyword best personal loans , then the latter will be your primary keyword. Rule out variables To rule out extenuating circumstances that could lead to outliers in your data (like a link-building campaign , for example), run a quick analysis to find the top-ranking pages for that keyword as well. Your keyword tool should show at least three to five sites around your site’s DA rating in the top 10 for that keyword to be viable for your website. You have the keywords—all that’s left is to create the content Even without optimizing every aspect of your content, the keywords you’ll find using this keyword research method should be relatively easy to rank well for. But, of course, the best results come from publishing search-optimized articles that consider search intent and focus on creating value for the reader. To that end, always: Analyze what’s ranking on the search engine ranking pages (SERPs) for your keyword. Evaluate the content you create for logic and actionability . Utilize keywords naturally in your content. Add keyword rich meta descriptions and descriptive alt tags for image search. But, look beyond individual keywords, too. After a while, more competitors tend to discover hidden-gem keywords and if their brand has greater authority than yours, they could displace your content. Invest in content around the entire topic (we call them topic clusters ). That way, you don’t just rank for a keyword, you completely own the SERPs for those topics. Lily Ugbaja - Fractional Content & Growth Manager Lily is a content marketing consultant for brands like Zapier and HubSpot. For seven years, she has built and managed content sites (including three of her own) that rely on SEO as the main distribution channel. In her spare time, she writes the marketing newsletter Marketing Cyborg . Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Veruska Anconitano Despite a myriad of transformations in recent years, SEO remains a pivotal component of the digital user’s journey. However, traditional SEO approaches focusing solely on keywords or backlinks are no longer enough. The true game changer in today’s SEO is understanding the user’s search intent —the information they are seeking when they type a query into a search engine. While explicit intent, dictated by the specifics of a query, has been a focal point of SEO strategies for years, implicit intent—the unspoken, often unrecognized motivations and desires of searchers—is frequently overlooked. In this blog post, I’ll delve into the nuances of implicit search intent, highlighting its significance for an engaging SEO strategy and detailing how marketers can leverage it to drive traffic, improve user experience, and ultimately, rank higher on search engine results pages. Table of contents: What is search intent in SEO? Understanding implicit search intent Why context is key to search intent Examples of implicit search intent How to use implicit search intent for better SEO What is search intent in SEO? Search intent has been a widely accepted way to approach keyword research for a long time now, and understanding it is essential if you want to produce content that ranks well on search engine results pages and provides users with the information they need to convert. Typically, SEOs group search intent into four categories : Informational Navigational Commercial Transactional Marcus Tober has done an outstanding job of explaining keyword search intent and its four types in his article “ Keyword intent: What you need to know about how customers search .” This is what we call “explicit search intent”—the clear and direct purpose that a user has in mind when searching online. It is precisely what the user is searching for, as expressed directly by the keywords and phrases they use in their search. In fact, the keywords and phrases a user types into a search engine serve as a window into their needs at that given moment. These specific and pointed search terms are not randomly chosen, but purposefully used to retrieve the most relevant and useful information as per the searcher’s requirements. Let me break it down with some examples tied of the four search intent categories: Informational intent : If a user searches how to grow tomatoes indoors , they are explicitly looking for information on indoor tomato cultivation. Their choice of keywords makes it clear that they need a guide, tips, or steps on how to achieve this. Navigational intent : A search term like OpenAI Github repository shows that the user is trying to navigate to a specific web page (in this case, OpenAI’s repository on Github). They’re not looking for information about OpenAI or Github; they want to reach a particular location on the web. Commercial intent : If a user searches best DSLR cameras 2023 , they are looking for comparisons, reviews, or listings of the top DSLR cameras for the year 2023. They may not be ready to buy just yet, but they’re gathering information to make an informed purchase in the future. Transactional intent : When someone searches the phrase order Nike Dunk Low online , their intention to make a purchase is explicitly shown through the keyword order . The user is likely prepared to buy and is looking for a retailer so that they can make the purchase. While there are still numerous ways in which we still use explicit search intent today, such as when we search for experiences (e.g., best Paris food tour ) a sole emphasis on this element can potentially jeopardize the effectiveness of our SEO and go-to-market strategies. In fact, another aspect of search intent is often overlooked— implicit (or underlying) search intent. What is implicit search intent? Implicit search intent refers to the underlying reason behind a user’s search query that may not be explicitly stated in the search query itself. It involves understanding the user’s search behavior, context, and preferences to infer their true intent. It also involves empathy. When a user searches for the best way to track time (for example), we assume they are looking for software or apps to track their time (and probably thousands of companies think the same and see this as a huge opportunity). However, your audience may not be looking for products—people also often search for solutions to their problems and want to feel understood (remember: empathy) . What if the user struggles with time management and wants to find a technique or method to balance their personal and professional life? This is an example of implicit search intent —something the user doesn’t explicitly ask for, but implies through their search query. In the past, users would type precise queries to ask Google for specific information. Today, users “search to optimize their lives. It lets them feel more confident and less anxious.” And over time, Google has become more intelligent and can now serve users customized search results based on their location and search behavior. As a result, a search query is now made up of two parts: the explicit aspect (what the user types into the search bar) and the implicit aspect (the underlying intent or problem the user is trying to solve). For brands and SEOs that prioritize international and multilingual search , implicit search intent takes on even more nuance. This involves understanding the user’s context, the location in which they are searching, and what is happening in that particular place at that moment, which I’ll cover in an upcoming article. Why context is key to search intent In sociology, context refers to the circumstances, conditions, environment , or background information surrounding a particular event, situation, or concept. It provides the framework for understanding and interpreting what is happening and how what is happening influences life/culture/your audience in a specific place. In other words, context is the broader setting that shapes the meaning of something, and it can include factors independent of the user. Considering this, it can be inferred that contextual factors significantly impact our emotions, behaviors, and objectives, ultimately shaping our personal and social circumstances. Imagine attending a live concert of your favorite artist in a large stadium filled with fans. The lights are flashing, the music is loud, and everyone around you cheers and dances. In this social context, you are likely to perceive the performance as highly enjoyable and memorable, as the crowd’s energy and the event’s atmosphere amplify your positive feelings. Now let’s say you’re watching the same artist perform, but you’re streaming the performance from a bus on your way to school or work. Given this context, you may find the performance lackluster or underwhelming. Your environmental context dampens your expectations and impacts how you experience the performance. If we look at this from an SEO and marketing perspective , the concept of context becomes easier to understand. In this case… Context refers to the events, situations, and occurrences that happen in a particular location at a specific moment. These factors can greatly influence the user’s need to search for information about a particular topic. Implicit intent becomes more clear when you consider all of the factors above. Implicit search intent pertains to a user’s unspoken needs or wants they may not even know they have. This type of intent is often influenced by emotional or psychological factors affecting a user’s search behavior. Think about it: When something happens around you (or something affects you), you need to find solutions, answers, and anything that can help you decipher what is happening in order to respond to it efficiently. This imperative translates into a specific way of searching online, both for physical and non-physical items (i.e., digital content, services). This could manifest in search behavior such as emotional shopping, looking up trending terms due to FOMO, and so on. Examples of implicit search intent Different types of implicit search intent can influence a user’s behavior and search queries. On an elementary level, we can identify two big macro-categories of underlying search intent: Emotional intent : This type of intent relates to the user’s emotional state or desires, which may not be explicitly expressed in their search query. For instance, a user searching for comfortable shoes for nurses may be looking for comfortable shoes suitable for a nurse’s job (which requires a lot of standing and walking). However, if we consider the implicit emotional intent of the user, we can extrapolate more information about their underlying feelings and motivations. For example, the user may feel physically exhausted and need relief. Their implicit emotional intent may be to find shoes that provide immediate comfort and relief from their foot pain. Contextual intent : Contextual intent refers to the situation or context motivating the user’s search query. Let’s imagine a user searching for best pizza near me on their mobile device. Based on this search query, it is clear that the user is looking for nearby places that are highly rated and well-reviewed. But if we consider the user’s contextual implicit intent, we can identify more reasons behind this search. For example, if the user is searching for pizza places during lunchtime on a weekday, they may be looking for a quick and convenient option to order and eat within a short timeframe. Alternatively, if the user searches for pizza places just ahead of the Superbowl (in the US), they may be looking for a restaurant that can deliver numerous pizzas for a party on game day. Implicit search intent Description Emotional intent Relates to the user’s emotional state or desires, which may not be explicitly expressed in their search query. Contextual intent Relates to the situation or context motivating the user’s search query. Within the two categories listed above, we can identify more specific subcategories that are harder to spot: FOMO : The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a potent emotional driver that can prompt users to search for information on a specific topic, product, or destination. In the travel industry, when a particular destination gains popularity within a specific country or social group, users may search for information merely to stay up-to-date with the conversation, even if they do not intend to visit that place. Let’s say the Indonesian Tourism Board has planned a massive viral campaign in the UK to promote Bali as a destination. People have started to see advertising everywhere and become curious about the destination. They start searching for information on Bali—not necessarily because they are interested in traveling there, but because they want to be part of the conversation and not miss out on what everyone is talking about. In this case, the users’ search behavior is driven by the fear of missing out and a desire to be part of the context in which Bali has become popular. They may not even want to travel to Bali, but their search behavior is influenced by their need to stay connected and up-to-date with the conversation. Fear : Fear can also drive search behavior, as users may search for solutions, answers, and positive reinforcement when something wrong or scary happens in their environment. Their search behavior may not be driven by fear, but rather by a desire for reassurance and coping mechanisms. For instance, when a recession is looming in a country, users in that specific country may search for information not only on how to recession-proof my finances (explicit intent) but also on topics like learning to cook at home (implicit intent). In this case, the implicit intent may be driven by a fear of not having enough money in the future and a need to learn new skills to better manage their finances. However, the user may not explicitly state their fear in their search query but express it indirectly by looking for related solutions. In Ireland, the search volumes for Tesco Clubcard increased as the cost of fuel and essential items rose. This led people to look for ways to shop and save money while collecting points to redeem at Tesco. Motivation : Motivation can drive search behavior as users seek resources to help them accomplish a goal. Motivation plays a very important role in the health and beauty industry, and understanding users’ real needs and interests is crucial for success. Imagine someone who wants to lose weight and get in shape (we all have this desire, don’t we?). They may search for information about achieving their goals, such as healthy diet plans, exercise routines, and weight loss tips. While practical advice is helpful, this user may also seek content that motivates and inspires them to stay committed or solutions that allow them to stick to their healthy habits without explicitly addressing this need. For example, a user may search for healthy meal delivery services or meal prep ideas . Even though their explicit intent is to find resources to help them manage what they eat, their implicit intent may be driven by a desire for convenience and simplicity, as meal delivery or prepping can make it easier for them to stick to a healthy diet. In this case, the user’s search behavior is driven by their implicit search intent to make healthy eating more accessible and manageable, which will ultimately help them achieve their goal of losing weight. Environment : Environmental factors play a crucial role in shaping users’ implicit search intent, as their specific surroundings or situation can prompt them to search for information relevant to their needs. For instance, a Spanish user planning a trip to Thailand and searching for elephant sanctuaries in Thailand may have an underlying desire to understand more about the ethical and humane treatment of the animals in these places. In this example, the user’s implicit search intent is driven by their concern for animal welfare and a desire to have an ethical and responsible travel experience. They may not explicitly state their concern for animal welfare in their search query, but it is an essential factor driving their search behavior. Biases : Biases are commonly viewed as negative, but they can be crucial in driving users’ implicit search intent by helping them identify and meet their specific needs/preferences. This is particularly evident in luxury products, where owning certain high-end items in specific markets is often associated with a high social status. For instance, a user may search for most expensive designer handbags or luxury watches for men not necessarily to purchase these items, but to reinforce their behavior of displaying social status through luxury products they already own. In this case, the user’s implicit search intent is driven by their desire to showcase their social status and reinforce their behavior of wearing high-end products and keeping up with trends. Subcategories of implicit search intent Description FOMO Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) drives users to search for information to stay up-to-date or be part of a popular conversation, even if they don’t intend to engage directly. Fear ​Fear-driven intent leads users to search for solutions, answers, and reassurance when they encounter something wrong or scary in their environment. Motivation Motivation-driven intent prompts users to search for resources and information that will help them accomplish a particular goal. Environment ​Environment-driven intent arises from specific surroundings or situations that prompt users to search for relevant information. Biases ​Bias-driven intent involves users searching for information that aligns with their specific needs, preferences, or desire to reinforce certain behaviors. How to use implicit search intent for better SEO Unraveling the implicit intent behind a user’s search query can be a complex process, demanding more effort than recognizing explicit search intent. To truly comprehend your target market, it is essential to have an understanding of the socio-cultural environment they live in. This might include grasping the socio-political climate, the dominant cultural attitudes (e.g., individualistic vs. collectivistic ), and the balance between their online and offline experiences, among other things. Conducting market research is imperative and accounting for these elements can help unveil the rationale behind a query, offering a wealth of opportunities to enhance your SEO efforts. In fact, while implicit intent may not be as apparent as explicit intent, it provides valuable insights into a user’s requirements and aspirations. Harnessing this effectively can substantially improve your SEO strategy. Here are a few ways to leverage this: Content innovation : Recognizing the implicit intent of your audience enables you to develop personalized content that meets their distinct needs. This knowledge could make you a pioneer, generating content for niche areas that users may not anticipate finding in search engines. Take again, for example, the query comfortable shoes for nurses . Not only can we create content around the shoes, but we could also consider addressing the emotional aspects of nursing, providing a more comprehensive approach to engaging this specific audience. User experience (UX) enhancement : Implicit search intent can provide valuable insights for improving your site’s UX. If users exit your site quickly (indicating a high bounce rate), this could signal that they struggle to find what they need. For instance, if users from the UK search for Bali due to the Indonesian Tourism Board campaign (see example above ), they likely expect to find specific pages discussing the campaign’s highlights. If users struggle to find this information and leave your site, it’s a possible indicator that you need to make improvements. Better use of long-tail keywords : Although identifying implicit intent might be challenging, it can guide you towards better performing long tail keywords . These more specific keyword phrases cater to the precise needs of users, attracting more targeted, high-quality traffic. For example, given the scenario of learning to cook at home and the spike in Tesco Clubcard searches , targeting long tail keywords related to affordable, healthy Tesco products or ingredients for easy-to-prepare, cost-effective dishes could be an effective tactic. It’s worth noting that implicit search intent often leads to low or zero-volume keywords with high ranking potential and strong conversion power. Incorporating these three components can be a transformative shift for your SEO approach. By prioritizing highly targeted content, you stand a chance to not only emerge as an industry leader but, more importantly, make headway with your audience. This strategy can greatly diminish the distance between your brand and your users, fostering engagement and a stronger connection. Deciphering implicit search intent is your key to brand success Traditional SEO methods—focusing on elements such as keywords and backlinks—have served us well, but today’s digital landscape demands a more nuanced approach. The rise of personalized user experiences has changed the game, and to stay ahead, we need to evolve our tactics. Integrating explicit and implicit search intent is the foundation of this evolution. Embracing this dual approach of catering to both explicit and implicit intent can set your brand apart from the rest. It provides an opportunity to lead your industry by delivering highly targeted content that truly resonates with your audience. But, the benefits don’t stop at industry recognition. The real advantage lies in building meaningful connections with your users. By truly understanding their search intent, you’re able to reduce the gap between your brand and its patrons, fostering stronger relationships and driving higher engagement. Moreover, this strategy is not merely about improving your search ranking (though that is a definite perk). It’s about enriching the user’s journey from the moment they initiate a search to the moment they find what they’re looking for on your site. It’s about transforming their experience from a transactional interaction to a meaningful connection. By capitalizing on this shift, you can redefine the way users interact with your brand to propel growth. This approach is not just about keeping pace with the constant change of the digital landscape, but most of all about enriching user experiences and forging meaningful connections—setting the stage for continued success and evolution. Veruska Anconitano - International & Multilingual SEO Consultant Veruska is an SEO consultant that works at the intersection of SEO and localization to help companies enter non-English-speaking markets. She follows a culturalized approach to SEO and localization, leveraging cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and data. Twitter | Linkedin

Author: Veruska Anconitano Understanding implicit search intent is crucial in SEO (and, arguably, for overall digital marketing as well). But, it becomes even more critical in international SEO  because it is closely linked to knowledge of the market and its unique characteristics, as well as the target audience and their particular needs/challenges .  As a consequence, implicit search intent should inform the multilingual marketing strategies you create. I’ve already written about implicit search intent  in great detail, but let’s take a look at why it takes on an even more central role when marketing to international audiences, and what you can do to identify implicit intent for a competitive advantage that maximizes conversions, not just rankings. Table of contents: Explicit vs. Implicit search intent What is implicit search intent? Why is implicit search intent important in multilingual SEO? Understand what’s happening in the regions you’re marketing in Understand each market’s unique characteristics Understand regional differences How to identify implicit search intent for multilingual SEO Conduct country-based user research Perform cross-data analysis Monitor user behavior for trends and changes Delve into local cultural and social factors Tips for securing buy-in from stakeholders Explicit vs. Implicit search intent If you want to produce content that achieves high rankings in search results and provides users with the information they need, then you need to understand explicit search intent .  In the SEO industry, we generally categorize search intent into four categories :  Informational Navigational Commercial Transactional  I refer to this as “explicit” search intent because the search query directly reflects the purpose the user has in mind when they conduct the search. For example, the query [Buy Samsung Galaxy S22 online in the UK] has the following explicit intent: — Action ( Buy ): The user wants to make a purchase. — Product ( Samsung Galaxy S22 ): The specific item the user wants to buy is clearly stated. — Location and method ( online in the UK ): The user specifies both the method (online) and the location (UK) for the purchase.]  However, another crucial aspect of search intent—particularly with regards to nuanced audiences, like you’ll find with multilingual SEO —is often overlooked: implicit (or underlying) search intent. What is implicit search intent? Implicit search intent  refers to the underlying motivations and circumstances behind a user’s search query that aren’t explicitly expressed in the search query itself. I’ve already written an article  that explores implicit search intent in great detail, so I’ll keep this explanation more concise. When a user searches for [the best way to lose weight], it’s generally assumed they’re seeking advice and suggestions—a notion seemingly shared by Google, as evidenced by the search engine results page ( SERP ). However, this might be a scenario where searchers are seeking proactive solutions, rather than mere advice for weight loss. Consider this: losing weight is a challenging endeavor for many. Establishing and adhering to a routine demands significant commitment and dedication.  What if the audience is searching for a practical solution, like a product/program/personal trainer to actively assist in their weight loss journey, rather than just advice?  This could exemplify “implicit search intent,” where the user’s query subtly suggests a desire for a solution, even though it’s not directly requested. In years past, search users would enter more literal search queries (e.g., [rent kayak lake tahoe] to find the results they were looking for, giving rise to “keyword-ese”—something of a search engine hack born from the limitations of the technology at the time. Over time, Google’s systems improved to serve users more nuanced results based on their location and search behavior.  Consequently, you can now look at a search query based on its two constituent parts: the explicit aspect (what the user types into the search bar) and the implicit aspect (the underlying intent or problem the user is trying to solve). I’ve already mentioned the four explicit search intents above. For the sake of brevity, I’ll recap two the main implicit search intent categories: Implicit search intent Description Emotional intent Relates to the user’s emotional state or desires, which may not be explicitly expressed in their search query. Examples of emotional search intent include: FOMO, fear, motivation, biases, etc. Contextual intent Relates to the situation or context motivating the user’s search query. Examples of contextual search intent include: Environment, current events, cultural context, time sensitivity, etc. For international businesses pursuing multilingual SEO, these concepts become even more crucial as the audience’s circumstances, environment, and even current events can dictate your campaign’s success.  Let’s take a look at some examples of how this might play out and what you need to understand to make implicit search intent work for your brand. Why is implicit search intent important in multilingual SEO? Understanding the market(s) you’re running campaigns in will help you see beyond what users are searching for, enabling you to create content and messaging that is not only brand safe , but also resonates with your target audience to maximize conversions. 01. Understand what’s happening in the countries/regions you’re marketing in By identifying the underlying emotional motivations and intent behind a user’s search, you can provide more relevant and personalized content to your audience while avoiding the mistake of targeting keywords that don't convert.   Let’s say, for example, you’re targeting American consumers looking for information on mobile phones and want to expand into the Italian market. You notice that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a monthly search volume  of over 130,000 and is marked as a transactional keyword. Your initial reaction may be to translate your existing content about the product into Italian  to capture users’ interest and increase your chance of a conversion .   However, the new market you want to expand to may be very different from the one(s) you’re already operating in. Italy has one of the lowest salaries in Europe , and consumers face high inflation rates, further eroding their purchasing power.  The implicit search intent behind the high-volume keyword [iphone 15 pro max] may differ from what you initially thought. For instance, users may be looking for a cheaper alternative based on the phone’s specs or searching for a reason to prioritize buying this phone over spending money on something more substantial.   Thus, translating your existing content 1:1 and keeping the same angle may not be appropriate in this context . It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t localize that page for Italian users. But, if you do, you must find a different angle for your content that addresses your Italian audience’s underlying emotional motivations and intent. Even the Italian word for “inflation,” which is “inflazione,” is experiencing a surge in search popularity. This is something a brand should take into consideration: when a term like this rises in popularity, it means something is going on, and the effects can be felt across various segments, niches, and platforms. 02. Understand each market/audience’s unique characteristics Let’s say a company targets Spanish-speaking users in Mexico for a new line of running shoes. The company’s keyword research in Mexico shows that [tenis para correr] (English: running shoes) has high search volume and is marked as a transactional keyword. The company creates content around the shoe’s performance and features to target users’ explicit search intent.   However, the company may be missing out on an opportunity to address the implicit search intent of Mexican users, who may be searching for durable running shoes that can withstand Mexico’s harsh terrain and climate conditions.  By understanding this implicit search intent, the company could optimize its content to highlight the shoe’s durability and reliability in challenging environments, which would better resonate with Mexican audiences and improve engagement rates. Keywords that reflect this strategy (often long tail ) may not have the same search volume, but the converting power would undoubtedly be higher. 03. Understand regional differences Imagine your company is marketing to French-speaking users in France and Canada for a new line of winter jackets. Your keyword research shows that [manteau d’hiver] (English: winter coat) has high search volume and is designated as a transactional keyword in both countries. So, you pursue your users’ explicit search intent and create content and pages around the jackets’ features and performance. However, by analyzing regional differences in implicit search intent, you may discover that French users in Canada are more interested in jackets that can withstand extremely cold temperatures, as Canada experiences harsher winter weather than France.   On the other hand, French users in France may be more interested in fashionable jackets, as temperatures are significantly higher in France than in Canada during winter. How to identify implicit search intent for multilingual SEO I’ve shown (above) that tapping into implicit search intent requires a deep understanding of the user’s behavior and motivations, as well as practical knowledge about the country the user lives in, their social surroundings, and current events that might influence their online behavior.  But, how can you learn all of these details to make tactical, informed decisions about your campaigns? There are several ways to approach this: Conduct country-based user research Surveys, focus groups, and other research methods  can help businesses learn their target audience’s preferences, behaviors, and pain points. Analyze the responses/results of your research to better understand the underlying motivations and needs that drive your audience’s search queries.  For example, a business targeting runners in India may conduct a survey to gain insights into their target audience’s running shoe preferences . The survey could ask questions about:   The most popular running shoe brands in India The features that runners look for in a running shoe The biggest challenges faced by Indian runners when it comes to finding the right shoe etc. By analyzing the responses to this survey, the business might discover that Indian runners are looking for lightweight and breathable shoes, as the weather in India can be hot and humid—a requirement that’s unlikely to be reflected in the search terms this target audience uses (and thus, not addressed via explicit search intent categorization). Armed with this knowledge, the business could better tailor their content to address its audience’s requirements, starting with keyword research and improving its engagement rates and sales in the Indian market.  The bottom line:  Work with your business intelligence team to get the most out of the research. Perform cross-data analysis Cross-data user behavior analysis helps you identify patterns and trends that can speak to your audience’s implicit search intent(s). This analysis may involve examining various user data sources, including: Search queries Website analytics Social media engagement Etc.  Let’s take Japan and the query [moisturizers] as an example: While this query may seem straightforward, a cross-data analysis could reveal that Japanese users are particularly interested in products that provide intense hydration (rather than just a basic moisturizer).  This could inform a business’s content in the Japanese market, as they may want to emphasize the hydrating properties of their products to better appeal to this audience. Additionally, the analysis may reveal that Japanese users are more likely to engage with content featuring user reviews , indicating that businesses should focus on creating this content to improve engagement rates. The bottom line:  Do not assume that if something works in one market, it can work worldwide. Cross-reference data and study your target market’s unique characteristics. Monitor user behavior for trends and changes It’s essential to monitor trends and changes in user behavior to identify emerging implicit search intent.  For example, your company sells home decor products and you notice a trend of users in Germany searching for [minimalist decor ideas] or [minimalist home design] in your website analytics .  By digging into this trend a bit further, you discover that users are not only looking for design inspiration, but also searching for ways to simplify their lives and reduce clutter, as evidenced by:   Behavior patterns in which users navigate from product pages to blog posts or articles about minimalist lifestyles/decluttering. High engagement on content related to lifestyle simplification (guides, blog posts, etc). Google Analytics or Search Console showing searches that often co-occur with terms that suggest this implicit search intent, such as [how to declutter], [minimalist lifestyle benefits], or [simplifying home life]. The implicit search intent behind these queries may be to create a more organized and calming living space. Knowing that, you can start experimenting with a new type of content, providing tips and tricks for decluttering and simplifying one’s home to address your audience’s implicit needs and motivations.  The bottom line:   Trends shape user search behavior , so it’s crucial to keep an eye on trends in countries you’re marketing in to gain insights for your SEO (and overall SEM) strategy. Delve into local cultural and social factors To truly understand implicit search intent, you must delve into the cultural, social, and legal factors that shape it. A country’s unique characteristics and policies can significantly influence its people’s interests and needs, and businesses need to pay attention to these nuances to create content that resonates and converts.  This means checking relevant local sources (news, regulating bodies, user-first research , etc.) and using them in your SEO strategy.  For instance, in Finland, winter tires are a seasonal need for driving in snowy conditions—as well as a legal requirement. Therefore, Finnish users searching for [winter tires] may have different implicit search intent than users in other countries (it’s not just about surviving the snow, it’s also about local laws). Understanding this can help businesses tailor their content and advertising to meet the unique demands of their Finnish audience. The bottom line:  Collaborate with local people(s) to understand the specific circumstances and conditions that can affect your tactics and strategy. Integrate implicit search intent into your business’s wider objectives for better implementation and impact For implicit search intent to make an impact on your international campaigns, it’s not just you and your team that needs to embrace it—your stakeholders must understand and support it as well if you want to keep bringing results over the long run. To secure stakeholder buy-in:  Start by presenting data-driven insights  that illustrate the tangible benefits of this approach, such as increased engagement and customer satisfaction.  Highlight the long-term benefits  and sustainable growth potential of an ethical approach in new markets, emphasizing the enhanced customer experience and loyalty it fosters.  Show the competitive edge  this strategy offers by providing examples of successful implementations by competitors and contrast this with the risks of not adapting, including potential damage to the company’s reputation.  Suggest initiating a pilot project to demonstrate the strategy’s effectiveness  in a controlled setting while stressing the importance of cross-departmental collaboration involving SEO, marketing, and content teams to address the target audience’s emotional and psychological needs comprehensively.  Encourage continuous learning  through workshops or training sessions for stakeholders. Set realistic expectations , clarifying that while results may take time, they lead to more sustainable and ethically sound outcomes.  Lastly, emphasize the need for ongoing feedback and adaptation  to ensure the strategy remains effective and relevant, thereby securing necessary stakeholder support into the future. By communicating these points effectively, you can weave a narrative that emphasizes implicit search intent’s importance and connects it with your organization’s wider objectives and principles, paving the way for successful implementation and market impact. Veruska Anconitano - International & Multilingual SEO Consultant   Veruska is an SEO consultant  that works at the intersection of SEO and localization to help companies enter non-English-speaking markets. She follows a culturalized approach to SEO and localization, leveraging cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and data. Twitter  | Linkedin

Author: Jamie Indigo Before May 2020, your site’s performance depended on who you asked. Different tools, platforms, and services all offered their own version of what “fast” was and how it was defined. This led to a number of problematic “performance-enhancing” solutions. Page taking too long to achieve DOMContentLoaded? Why not punch out a bunch of holes and load content in later! It’s not like actual humans will be stuck with the terrible headache that comes when a page suddenly wedges itself between a header and a footer. Actually, it is like that. When workarounds to subvert technical definitions of performance make the experience worse for actual humans, it fundamentally undermines the entire endeavor. So we needed a unified, human-centric definition of performance. Enter Core Web Vitals. Table of contents: What are Core Web Vitals? Real User Monitoring data vs. Lab data Real User Monitoring data Lab Data Origin-level data vs. URL-level data vs. Platform-level data Core Web Vitals metrics explained Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) First Input Delay (FID) Interaction to Next Paint (INP) The differences between RUM and Lab metrics A practical SEO workflow for optimizing Core Web Vitals What are Core Web Vitals? Core Web Vitals were originally announced by the Chromium team in May 2020. Chromium is a free and open-source web browser project that powers major browsers like Chrome, Opera, and Microsoft Edge. It also powers the web rendering services used by Google Search and Bing Search, respectively. The Chromium team studied business key performance indicators and how they relate to various performance metrics. The data pointed to a couple of key takeaways: Users have an incredibly short attention span. If a user can’t tell a page is loading, they leave. If tapping a button doesn’t seem to work, the user leaves. If a user accidentally taps the wrong button because everything suddenly shifted, they leave and never come back. This led the team to craft the first iteration of the unified human-centric metrics we now refer to as Core Web Vitals (CWV). 01. Is it loading? — Largest Contentful Paint 02. Can I interact? — First Input Delay 03. Is it visually stable? — Cumulative Layout Shift For more details on these specific metrics, jump ahead to the metrics defined section . These changes became part of Google’s ranking systems as the Page Experience signal (more on this below). Core Web Vitals: Real User Monitoring data vs. Lab data As alluded to above, there are two types of data we can use to improve site performance and SEO outcomes (real user data that comes from the field and lab data). Before I explain the nuances of each, let’s look at why there needs to be two types of data in the first place. In order to troubleshoot effectively, you need detailed data. In order to maintain user privacy, you need to limit the amount of detailed data you collect. It’s a balancing act. Each page load has a unique set of circumstances. A user trying to buy a new umbrella on their smartphone while waiting at a rainy metro station will have a much different experience than the dev sitting in the office telling you, “It works on my machine.” The balance between protecting real user data and providing insights means that Core Web Vitals has two modes: Limited metrics available for Real User Monitoring (RUM) data and the detailed metrics available as Lab data . Real User Monitoring and Lab data are both types of CWV—the differences come from how they are gathered and used. Real User Monitoring data Source: The Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) , which provides metrics for how real-world Chrome users experience page loads for a URL. Aliases: Field data, CrUX data Used in: Search Console's Page Experience Report, CrUX Dashboards CrUX data is collected by Chrome and published on the second Tuesday of every month in a publicly accessible dataset in BigQuery , Google’s platform for managing and analyzing data at scale. In order for a user’s page load metrics to be included in CrUX data, the user must: Enable usage statistic reporting Sync their browser history Not have a sync passphrase set (so that Google can read your Chrome data) Use a supported platform including desktop versions of Chrome (i.e., Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, and Linux operating systems) or Android versions of Chrome (such as native apps using Custom Tabs and WebAPKs ). This means that not all Chrome page loads are included. Some notable page loads left out of CrUX are: Chrome on iOS Native Android apps using WebView Other Chromium browsers (like Microsoft Edge, for example) In order for a page to appear in the dataset, it must: Be indexable Not be part of a Single Page Application Have a minimum number of visitors to anonymize user data (Google has not disclosed the exact number)* *CrUX strips easily recognized fragments and parameters like UTMs from URLs and groups them together. If your site uses parameters to differentiate pages (i.e., ?productID=101) instead of unique URLs, this can result in the URLs being grouped together. The benefits of Real User Monitoring Data As with any methodology, RUM data has its strengths and potential weaknesses. Some of its more compelling advantages include: Inclusion in the Helpful Content Update — The Page Experience Ranking Signal was folded into the Helpful Content update in April 2023. Captures true real-world user experience — You test your site using Lighthouse in your browser or a technical SEO crawler and everything looks great! But then the latest batch of Crux data comes out and it says your site is a dumpster fire. Testing from your office can’t emulate all the variables (viewport, device processing capacity, network connectivity) experienced by real users. Enables correlation to business key performance indicators — The key to getting both stakeholder and developer buy-in is showing the results of your work. As you prioritize improvements, tie them to a quantifiable KPI and share the results! The potential drawbacks of Real User Monitoring data For all its advantages, RUM data isn’t perfect. Its drawbacks come primarily in the form of limitations: RUM data may not be available for every page —If a page doesn't meet a minimum number of page loads, it’s omitted for user privacy. Only a restricted set of metrics is available — Three metrics can only get you so far. CWVs are a simplified representation of your rendering strategy. Limited debugging capabilities — In order to resolve a poor CWV score, you'll need to get under the hood. The big three metrics give you a place to start. RUM data availability Real User Monitoring data pulled from the BigQuery dataset is available in multiple locations. These include: Google Search Console — Aggregates sitewide performance, groups issues together based on behavior patterns, and provides example URLs. CrUX API — Allows you to query URL-level data for the most recent month’s dataset. CrUX History API — Allows you to query the previous six months of historical CrUX trends. PageSpeed Insights — Provides URL-level and origin summary data along with Lab data for the test page load. As an extra bonus, the CWV assessment for the URL is shareable via a link! PageSpeed Insights API — Allows you to bulk query URL-level RUM data. You can also collect Core Web Vitals for every real user page load by running Google’s web-vitals library on your site. This tiny modular library enables measurement for all the Web Vitals metrics on real users in a way that accurately matches how they’re measured by Chrome and reported to other Google tools. Note: Wix site owners can view real user data via the Site Speed Dashboard , which shows your website’s Core Web Vitals as well as a performance estimation from Google’s PageSpeed Insights, even if your site doesn't meet GSC’s traffic thresholds. What should I do if RUM data isn’t available for a URL? Not all pages will have enough data to be available in the CrUX data set. If you test a page and see “The Chrome User Experience Report does not have sufficient real-world speed data for this page,” don’t fret. You have two options: 01. Test other URLs that use the same template/resources as the unavailable URL. 02. Use Lab data instead. Lab Data Source: Lighthouse , Google’s automated, open-source tool for improving web performance. Aliases: Lighthouse data, Synthetic data Used in: Debugging, QA The benefits of Lab data When you discover an issue affecting Real User Metrics, Lab data allows you additional deep dive insights. Lab data: Is helpful for debugging performance issues — RUM data’s three high-level metrics can only get you so far. With lab data, you can dig deeper into key technical moments that affect the big picture. Allows for end-to-end and deep visibility into the UX — Lighthouse allows you to test user flows . It utilizes Puppeteer to script page loads and trigger synthetic user interactions, capturing key insights during those interactions. This means that performance can be measured during page load and during interactions with the page. Offers a reproducible testing and debugging environment — We can’t fix what we can't see. Lab data allows you to recreate issues affecting real users in a way that allows engineers to replicate and isolate the variables. The potential drawbacks of Lab data If you've ever raised an issue only to hear “it works on my machine,” then you’ve experienced the drawbacks of Lab data—it exists in a digital petri dish. Might not capture real-world bottlenecks — The conditions of a local environment can’t emulate all the variables impacting real users (such as device usage or network connection). Cannot correlate against real-world page KPIs — Each business has its own unique goals. Lab data alone can’t help improve ROI or be matched 1:1 with KPIs. Can show tests passing on that one dev’s machine — No one likes their ticket being marked “will not do.” A lot of the variability in your overall Performance score and metric values is not due to Lighthouse. Browser extensions, antivirus, and A/B tests are just some of the reasons Lab data can fluctuate. Additional metrics available in Lab data In addition to the metrics comprising Core Web Vitals, Lab data also provides metrics helpful for diagnosing underperforming CWVs! These include: Time to First Byte (TTFB) — How long it takes your server to respond to a request for the page. Slow server response times are one possible cause for long page loads. First Contentful Paint (FCP) — How long it takes the browser to render the first piece of DOM content after a user navigates to your page. Images, non-white elements, and SVGs on your page are considered DOM content; anything inside an iframe isn’t included. Speed Index — Is a calculated metric that shows how quickly the contents of a page are visibly populated. Lab data availability Lighthouse powers auditing tools across the internet, including: PageSpeed Insights — As mentioned earlier, this tool allows you to query a single page. PageSpeed Insights API — Also mentioned above, this API allows you to pull Lab data in bulk. Chrome DevTools — Built into Chrome, this panel allows you to audit a single page at a time. Node CLI — Allows you to programmatically audit pages using a headless version of Chrome. Core Web Vitals: Origin vs. URL vs. Platform CWV is available for individual URLs, origins, and for platforms. Each level of data is uniquely suited for different purposes: URL-level data is used for the Page Experience ranking signal. Use URL-level data when optimizing for rankings. Origin-level data is an aggregate for all URLs on a given domain across both http:// and https:// connections. An origin could be www.example.com or subdomain.example.com. If your site resolves without www, then it could use example.com. Origin-level data is typically used for high-level monitoring (via the CrUX Dashboard ) or competitive research (via the Chrome UX Report Compare Tool) . Technology-level data represents the aggregate metrics across sites using a specific technology platform. If you’re considering re-platforming your site and want to consider which of the major technologies could give you a competitive edge, HTTP Archive’s Core Web Vitals Technology Report looks at aggregated performance across 2,000 technologies. Core Web Vitals metrics defined Below are the CWV metrics that present-day SEOs are concerned with, but know that these metrics are designed to evolve. Core Web Vitals actively announces new experimental metrics and solicits feedback before making changes. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Represents: Is the page loading? Goal: LCP < 2.5 seconds Available as: RUM and Lab Data Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the time from when the page started loading until the render of the largest image or text block is visible within the initial viewport. For a good score, LCP must be 2.5 seconds or less . The node [read as: element on page] representing the Largest Contentful Paint tends to follow a page template. For example, you have an eCommerce site that uses the same template for all product detail pages. The product image is the largest visual element in the template. If you use a standard template for your product pages and the product image is the largest visual element in the initial viewport, then all optimizations for the product image load will benefit most of your product pages. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) Represents: Is the page visually stable? Goal: CLS < 0.10 Available as: RUM and Lab Data Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the total of all individual, unexpected layout shifts that occur during the page’s entire loading phase. An unexpected layout shift occurs any time a visible element changes its position without user interaction. For a good score, CLS must be 0.1 or less . Cumulative Layout Shift tends to follow a specific element. If you’re having trouble reproducing CLS issues for your site, it’s probably your cookie banner or a promotional prompt pushing content down the screen. If you’d like to learn more about the metrics, Wix’s Support Center offers additional details and insights. First Input Delay (FID) Represents: Can I interact with the page? Goal: FID < 100ms Available as: RUM Ineffective on: Single Page Applications (SPAs) Deprecation date: March 2024, to be replaced by Interaction to Next Paint (below) First Input Delay (FID) measures the time from when a user first interacts with a page (e.g., by clicking on a link or button) until the browser is actually able to process that interaction. For a good score, FID must be 100 milliseconds or less . One of the most common causes of slow First Input Delay is JavaScript keeping the browser’s main thread busy. It can’t respond to a user interaction because it’s too busy running scripts called by the page. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) Represents: Can I interact with the page? v2.0 Goal: INP < 200ms Available as: RUM Promotion date: March 2024, to replace First Input Delay Within a year of CWV’s launch, the need for a better responsiveness metric was clear. First Input Delay's accuracy past the initial page load for single page applications is dubious. INP measures the visual feedback that accompanies user input (think tapping a thumbnail to see a product image, typing information into a form, or clicking an “Add to Cart” button). The metric reported is the longest latency encountered. For a good score, INP must be 200ms or less . Interactivity is primarily powered by JavaScript though can sometimes be controlled by CSS. The optimization concepts used for FID JavaScript optimization will remain relevant with this new replacement metric. The differences between RUM and Lab metrics The metrics comprising Core Web Vitals differ slightly depending on whether you’re using RUM or Lab data. First Input Delay requires user interaction for measurement. At this time, Lab data can’t accurately replicate a user’s interactions. Instead, Lab data uses Total Blocking Time. This metric has slightly different thresholds. Metric RUM Data Lab Data Largest Contentful Paint X X First Input Delay X ​ Interaction to Next Paint X ​ Total Blocking Time ​ X Cumulative Layout Shift X X A practical SEO workflow for optimizing Core Web Vitals It’s important to remember that optimizing for CWVs affects all your users—every medium, channel, and device will benefit. If you’re looking for where to start, here’s a quick framework as a jumping-off point: 01. Start with Google Search Console’s Core Web Vitals Report. You should always start with RUM data since we know that’s impacting real users. Google Search Console groups together pages with similar issues. As you click through the mobile or desktop reports and into a specific metric, you’ll be able to see a count of pages along with sample URLs and RUM data for them (if available). 02. Run PageSpeed Insights to join Lab data to the RUM data. Comparing Lab data with RUM data side by side provides a more detailed look at the mechanics causing the underperforming metric. Scroll down the page. Just below the render screenshots, you’ll find a helpful selector that lets you see which Opportunities and Diagnostics are relevant for the metric you’re targeting. Performance matters because it matters to humans The same audience you’re trying to reach is constantly being bombarded by companies wanting the same thing from them. All these calls to action are taxing. Providing an experience that delivers what it says on the tin, in an easy-to-use format, is key to keeping your users engaged and coming back. As you work on Core Web Vitals, remember that these efforts benefit every user—regardless of the traffic’s referrer or channel. Jamie Indigo - 100% Human Technical SEO Jamie Indigo isn’t a robot but speaks bot. As a technical SEO, they study how search engines crawl, render, and index. They love to tame wild JavaScript and optimize rendering strategies. When not working, Jamie likes horror movies, graphic novels, and D&D. Twitter | Linkedin