<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Auditing and optimizing Google Ads in an age of limited data" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Advertisers contacting Google Ads must now authorize support-led account changes — while keeping full responsibility for results.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Auditing and optimizing Google Ads in an age of limited data" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/09/Auditing-and-optimizing-Google-Ads-in-an-age-of-limited-data-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Advertisers contacting Google Ads support may now need to grant explicit authorization before they can even submit a help request — giving a Google specialist permission to access and make changes directly inside their account.</p>



<p><strong>Here’s what’s happening. </strong>Users are first routed to a beta AI chat. If they opt to submit a support form instead, they must tick an “Authorisation” box. The wording allows a Google Ads specialist, on behalf of the company, to reproduce and troubleshoot issues by making changes directly in the account.</p>



<p>The fine print is clear. Google doesn’t guarantee results. Any adjustments are made at the advertiser’s own risk. And the advertiser remains solely responsible for the impact on campaign performance and spending.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1002" height="1276" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Googe-support.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-469990" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Googe-support.jpeg 1002w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Googe-support-768x978.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1002px) 100vw, 1002px" /></figure></div>


<p><strong>Why we care.</strong> The required checkbox shifts more responsibility onto advertisers at a time when automation and AI already limit hands-on control. If support makes changes, the performance and spend risk still sits with the advertiser.</p>



<p><strong>Between the lines</strong>. This creates a trade-off between speed and control. Granting access could accelerate troubleshooting, but it also opens the door to account-level changes that may affect live campaigns — without any assurance of improved outcomes.</p>



<p><strong>The bottom line</strong>. Getting support may now mean temporarily handing over the keys — while keeping full accountability for whatever happens next.</p>



<p><strong>First seen. </strong>This new caveats to getting support was spotted by PPC specialist Arpan Banerjee who shared spotting the message on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/arpan301_googleads-ppc-performancemarketing-share-7430855150703095808-LdAB/">LinkedIn</a>.</p>


Advertisers contacting Google Ads support may now need to grant explicit authorization before they can even submit a help request — giving a Google specialist permission to access and make changes directly inside their account.
Here’s what’s happening. Users are first routed to a beta AI chat. If they opt to submit a support form instead, they must tick an “Authorisation” box. The wording allows a Google Ads specialist, on behalf of the company, to reproduce and troubleshoot issues by making changes directly in the account.
The fine print is clear. Google doesn’t guarantee results. Any adjustments are made at the advertiser’s own risk. And the advertiser remains solely responsible for the impact on campaign performance and spending.

Why we care. The required checkbox shifts more responsibility onto advertisers at a time when automation and AI already limit hands-on control. If support makes changes, the performance and spend risk still sits with the advertiser.
Between the lines. This creates a trade-off between speed and control. Granting access could accelerate troubleshooting, but it also opens the door to account-level changes that may affect live campaigns — without any assurance of improved outcomes.
The bottom line. Getting support may now mean temporarily handing over the keys — while keeping full accountability for whatever happens next.
First seen. This new caveats to getting support was spotted by PPC specialist Arpan Banerjee who shared spotting the message on LinkedIn.

Advertisers contacting Google Ads must now authorize support-led account changes — while keeping full responsibility for results.

Google Ads support now requires account change authorization

<div><img width="1418" height="796" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.36.19.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.36.19.png 1418w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.36.19-768x431.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1418px) 100vw, 1418px" /></div>From scroll-stopping creative to smarter budgets, learn why search tactics fail and what actually drives MQLs, SQLs and sales.

<div><img width="1418" height="796" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.36.19.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.36.19.png 1418w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.36.19-768x431.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1418px) 100vw, 1418px" /></div>
<p>Demand Gen marks a shift in Google Ads toward visual advertising beyond keywords and text. Relying on traditional strategies when testing it wastes budget, hurts performance, and limits opportunity. To succeed, you have to think more like a social advertiser than a search advertiser.</p>



<p>At SMX Next, Industrious Marketing owner Jack Hepp explained why many businesses struggle with demand gen campaigns — especially in B2B and lead generation — while also sharing insights relevant to ecommerce.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Why your Demand Gen campaigns are failing (and how to fix them)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/14RQ7-APBPo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-shift-from-intent-to-interruption">Understanding the Shift: From Intent to Interruption</h2>



<p>Demand Gen reflects Google’s shift from intent-first search advertising to visual, discovery-based campaigns. </p>



<p>Instead of targeting users actively searching for your service, you reach them as they scroll through YouTube, Gmail, or Discovery feeds. </p>



<p>This changes your approach: visual creative becomes the new keyword, replacing traditional targeting.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1438" height="728" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.14.36.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465911" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.14.36.png 1438w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.14.36-768x389.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1438px) 100vw, 1438px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-common-misalignments-in-demand-gen-strategy">Common misalignments in Demand Gen strategy</h2>



<p>Applying outdated search strategies can lead to failure with Demand Gen. The four main mistakes:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Expecting bottom-of-funnel CPAs from mid-funnel traffic.</li>



<li>Using overly broad, “spray and pray” targeting.</li>



<li>Running bland, generic creative.</li>



<li>Not knowing how to optimize without negative keywords.</li>
</ul>



<p>Success requires a social advertising mindset.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-campaign-structure-understanding-the-hierarchy">Campaign structure: Understanding the hierarchy</h2>



<p>Demand Gen uses a two-level structure. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Campaign-level settings</strong> control broad parameters like bidding strategy, conversion goals, and device targeting. </li>



<li><strong>Ad group–level settings</strong> control audiences, locations, and channels. </li>
</ul>



<p>Each ad group learns independently—insights don’t transfer—allowing precise audience segmentation with tailored creative.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-interruption-based-creative">Creating interruption-based creative</h2>



<p>You must stop their scroll within 3-4 seconds. Your creative must capture attention immediately, speak to a specific pain point, and present your solution. </p>



<p>Unlike search ads — where users are actively looking for you — Demand Gen interrupts browsing, so your message must be instantly compelling and problem-focused.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1426" height="778" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.16.46.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465912" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.16.46.png 1426w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.16.46-768x419.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1426px) 100vw, 1426px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aligning-visuals-to-the-customer-journey">Aligning visuals to the customer journey</h2>



<p>Match your offer to audience readiness. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Cold audiences need educational content like free guides or diagnostic tools. </li>



<li>Warm audiences respond to case studies, webinars, and comparison tools. </li>



<li>Hot audiences are ready for demos and direct purchase offers. </li>
</ul>



<p>Misaligning them — like pushing demos to cold audiences — guarantees failure from the start.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-problem-focused-creative">The power of problem-focused creative</h2>



<p>Generic ads with stock photos and basic headlines get scrolled past. Winning creative uses bold headlines, striking visuals, and problem-focused messaging. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>For example, “43% of cyberattacks target small businesses” speaks to a specific pain point, making the ad stand out and prompting engagement instead of a scroll.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bidding-and-budget-strategies">Bidding and budget strategies</h2>



<p>Demand Gen uses campaign goals rather than traditional bidding strategies: conversion-focused, click-focused, or conversion–value–focused. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Aim for 50+ conversions per month and budget 10–15x your target CPA to build enough data. </li>



<li>For click-based bidding, set budget based on desired traffic volume and target CPC. </li>
</ul>



<p>Demand Gen is highly data-reliant, so hitting these thresholds is critical to performance.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1424" height="776" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.24.32.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465913" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.24.32.png 1424w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.24.32-768x419.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1424px) 100vw, 1424px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-demand-gen-work-with-small-budgets">Can Demand Gen work with small budgets?</h2>



<p>Yes, with strategic planning. </p>



<p>Focus on mid- or upper-funnel audiences and optimize for MQLs instead of bottom-funnel conversions. This helps you reach 50+ monthly conversions for data density, even with smaller budgets. </p>



<p>Align your goals, targeting, and budget to generate enough conversion data.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1430" height="782" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.24.54.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465915" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.24.54.png 1430w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.24.54-768x420.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-the-right-audience">Building the right audience</h2>



<p>Avoid two extremes: </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Audiences that are too broad (billions of impressions) where Google can’t identify your target.</li>



<li>Audiences too narrow (a few thousand impressions) where you can’t build data density.</li>
</ul>



<p>The sweet spot: start with custom segments based on search terms or competitor websites, then layer in lookalike segments and strategic first-party data. Avoid optimized targeting at first — it works best to expand already successful campaigns.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-creative-in-targeting">The role of creative in targeting</h2>



<p>Your creative shapes who Google targets. The people who engage with your ads teach Google who to show them to next. </p>



<p>Performance peaks when your creative speaks to your ideal customer profile. Align messaging to the buyer’s stage — cold audiences need different messaging than hot prospects.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1438" height="772" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.27.09.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465916" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.27.09.png 1438w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.27.09-768x412.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1438px) 100vw, 1438px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strategic-exclusions">Strategic exclusions</h2>



<p>Use exclusions surgically, not broadly. It’s tempting to exclude like negative keywords, but over-excluding shrinks your audience too much.</p>



<p>Focus only on clear non-converters (e.g., specific age groups, locations, or audiences you know won’t respond). Give Google room to find engaged users within your parameters, rather than narrowing to the point of ineffectiveness.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-optimization-where-to-focus">Optimization: Where to focus</h2>



<p>Without negative keywords, optimize through three levers: creative, audience, and offer. Test multiple formats (video, image, carousel) and styles (UGC, testimonials, problem-focused messaging). Continuously refine what works with new hooks and data points.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1418" height="722" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.29.17.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465917" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.29.17.png 1418w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.29.17-768x391.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1418px) 100vw, 1418px" /></figure>



<p>Test offers to match audience readiness — cold audiences need educational content, while hot audiences need direct CTAs.</p>



<p>Prioritize post-click optimization: improve landing pages, strengthen tracking with CRM integration, and ensure clean data feeds Google’s learning.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-world-case-study">Real-world case study</h2>



<p>A telecommunications company targeting B2B managed IT services drove strong results by aligning all three elements.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Offer:</strong> An interactive quiz showing businesses how managed IT could reduce costs.</li>



<li><strong>Targeting:</strong> Custom segments based on proven search terms and competitor website visitors.</li>



<li><strong>Creative:</strong> Problem-focused messaging about cybersecurity threats to small businesses.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Results:</strong> </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>$10 cost per MQL.</li>



<li>3.8% conversion rate.</li>



<li>40% of quiz takers became SQLs.</li>



<li>20% increase in total SQLs.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1442" height="776" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.33.06.png" alt="" class="wp-image-465918" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.33.06.png 1442w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-18.33.06-768x413.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1442px) 100vw, 1442px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-takeaways">Key takeaways</h2>



<p>As you plan your next campaign:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Match your creative to your customer </strong>and their stage in the journey.</li>



<li><strong>Target the right audience</strong> at the right point in that journey.</li>



<li><strong>Test and optimize</strong> creative and offers to find what resonates and drives action.</li>
</ul>


Demand Gen marks a shift in Google Ads toward visual advertising beyond keywords and text. Relying on traditional strategies when testing it wastes budget, hurts performance, and limits opportunity. To succeed, you have to think more like a social advertiser than a search advertiser.
At SMX Next, Industrious Marketing owner Jack Hepp explained why many businesses struggle with demand gen campaigns — especially in B2B and lead generation — while also sharing insights relevant to ecommerce.






Understanding the Shift: From Intent to Interruption
Demand Gen reflects Google’s shift from intent-first search advertising to visual, discovery-based campaigns. 
Instead of targeting users actively searching for your service, you reach them as they scroll through YouTube, Gmail, or Discovery feeds. 
This changes your approach: visual creative becomes the new keyword, replacing traditional targeting.




Common misalignments in Demand Gen strategy
Applying outdated search strategies can lead to failure with Demand Gen. The four main mistakes:
Expecting bottom-of-funnel CPAs from mid-funnel traffic.
Using overly broad, “spray and pray” targeting.
Running bland, generic creative.
Not knowing how to optimize without negative keywords.
Success requires a social advertising mindset.
Campaign structure: Understanding the hierarchy
Demand Gen uses a two-level structure. 
Campaign-level settings control broad parameters like bidding strategy, conversion goals, and device targeting. 
Ad group–level settings control audiences, locations, and channels. 
Each ad group learns independently—insights don’t transfer—allowing precise audience segmentation with tailored creative.
Creating interruption-based creative
You must stop their scroll within 3-4 seconds. Your creative must capture attention immediately, speak to a specific pain point, and present your solution. 
Unlike search ads — where users are actively looking for you — Demand Gen interrupts browsing, so your message must be instantly compelling and problem-focused.




Aligning visuals to the customer journey
Match your offer to audience readiness. 
Cold audiences need educational content like free guides or diagnostic tools. 
Warm audiences respond to case studies, webinars, and comparison tools. 
Hot audiences are ready for demos and direct purchase offers. 
Misaligning them — like pushing demos to cold audiences — guarantees failure from the start.
The power of problem-focused creative
Generic ads with stock photos and basic headlines get scrolled past. Winning creative uses bold headlines, striking visuals, and problem-focused messaging. 
For example, “43% of cyberattacks target small businesses” speaks to a specific pain point, making the ad stand out and prompting engagement instead of a scroll.
Bidding and budget strategies
Demand Gen uses campaign goals rather than traditional bidding strategies: conversion-focused, click-focused, or conversion–value–focused. 
Aim for 50+ conversions per month and budget 10–15x your target CPA to build enough data. 
For click-based bidding, set budget based on desired traffic volume and target CPC. 
Demand Gen is highly data-reliant, so hitting these thresholds is critical to performance.




Can Demand Gen work with small budgets?
Yes, with strategic planning. 
Focus on mid- or upper-funnel audiences and optimize for MQLs instead of bottom-funnel conversions. This helps you reach 50+ monthly conversions for data density, even with smaller budgets. 
Align your goals, targeting, and budget to generate enough conversion data.




Building the right audience
Avoid two extremes: 
Audiences that are too broad (billions of impressions) where Google can’t identify your target.
Audiences too narrow (a few thousand impressions) where you can’t build data density.
The sweet spot: start with custom segments based on search terms or competitor websites, then layer in lookalike segments and strategic first-party data. Avoid optimized targeting at first — it works best to expand already successful campaigns.
The role of creative in targeting
Your creative shapes who Google targets. The people who engage with your ads teach Google who to show them to next. 
Performance peaks when your creative speaks to your ideal customer profile. Align messaging to the buyer’s stage — cold audiences need different messaging than hot prospects.




Strategic exclusions
Use exclusions surgically, not broadly. It’s tempting to exclude like negative keywords, but over-excluding shrinks your audience too much.
Focus only on clear non-converters (e.g., specific age groups, locations, or audiences you know won’t respond). Give Google room to find engaged users within your parameters, rather than narrowing to the point of ineffectiveness.
Optimization: Where to focus
Without negative keywords, optimize through three levers: creative, audience, and offer. Test multiple formats (video, image, carousel) and styles (UGC, testimonials, problem-focused messaging). Continuously refine what works with new hooks and data points.




Test offers to match audience readiness — cold audiences need educational content, while hot audiences need direct CTAs.
Prioritize post-click optimization: improve landing pages, strengthen tracking with CRM integration, and ensure clean data feeds Google’s learning.
Real-world case study
A telecommunications company targeting B2B managed IT services drove strong results by aligning all three elements.
Offer: An interactive quiz showing businesses how managed IT could reduce costs.
Targeting: Custom segments based on proven search terms and competitor website visitors.
Creative: Problem-focused messaging about cybersecurity threats to small businesses.
Results: 
$10 cost per MQL.
3.8% conversion rate.
40% of quiz takers became SQLs.
20% increase in total SQLs.




Key takeaways
As you plan your next campaign:
Match your creative to your customer and their stage in the journey.
Target the right audience at the right point in that journey.
Test and optimize creative and offers to find what resonates and drives action.

From scroll-stopping creative to smarter budgets, learn why search tactics fail and what actually drives MQLs, SQLs and sales.

What it takes to make demand gen work for B2B and ecommerce

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Content-scoring-tools-work-but-only-for-the-first-gate-in-Googles-pipeline.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Content scoring tools work, but only for the first gate in Google’s pipeline" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Content-scoring-tools-work-but-only-for-the-first-gate-in-Googles-pipeline.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Content-scoring-tools-work-but-only-for-the-first-gate-in-Googles-pipeline-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Content-scoring-tools-work-but-only-for-the-first-gate-in-Googles-pipeline-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Google’s first-stage retrieval still runs on word matching, not AI magic. Here’s how to use content scoring tools accordingly.

Most SEO professionals give Google too much credit. We assume Google understands content the way we do — that it reads our pages, grasps nuance, evaluates expertise, and rewards quality in some deeply intelligent way. The DOJ antitrust trial told a different story.
Under oath, Google VP of Search Pandu Nayak described a first-stage retrieval system built on inverted indexes and postings lists, traditional information retrieval methods that predate modern AI by decades. Court exhibits from the remedies phase reference “Okapi BM25,” the canonical lexical retrieval algorithm that Google’s system evolved from. The first gate your content has to pass through isn’t a neural network. It’s word matching.
Google does deploy more advanced AI further down the pipeline, including BERT-based models, dense vector embeddings, and entity understanding systems. But those operate only on the much smaller candidate set traditional retrieval produces. We’ll walk through where each technology enters the process.
This matters for content optimization tools like Surfer SEO, Clearscope, and MarketMuse. Their core methodology — a mix of TF-IDF analysis, topic modeling, and entity evaluation — maps directly to how that first retrieval stage scores documents. The tools are built on the right foundation. The problem is that most people use them incorrectly, and the studies backing them have real limitations.
Below, I’ll explain how first-stage retrieval works and why it still matters, what the research on content scoring tools actually shows — and doesn’t show — and most importantly, how to use these tools to produce content that earns its way into the candidate set without wasting time chasing a perfect score.
How first-stage retrieval works and why content tools map to it
Best Matching 25 (BM25) is the retrieval function most commonly associated with Google’s first-stage system. 
Nayak’s testimony described the mechanics it formalizes: an inverted index that walks postings lists and scores topicality across hundreds of billions of indexed pages, narrowing the field to tens of thousands of candidates in milliseconds. 
Here’s what matters for content creators:
Term frequency with saturation: The first mention of a relevant term captures roughly 45% of the maximum possible score for that term. Three mentions get you to about 71%. Going from three to thirty adds almost nothing. Repetition has steep diminishing returns.
Inverse document frequency: Rare, specific terms carry more scoring weight than common ones. “Pronation” is worth roughly 2.5 times more than “shoes” in a running shoe query because fewer pages contain it.
Document length normalization: Longer documents get penalized for the same raw term count. All of these scoring algorithms are essentially looking at some degree of density relative to word count, which is why every content tool measures it.
The zero-score cliff: If a term doesn’t appear in your document at all, your score for that term is exactly zero. Not low. Zero. You’re invisible for every query containing it.
That last point is the single most important reason content optimization tools have value. If you write a comprehensive rhinoplasty article but never mention “recovery time,” you score zero for that entire cluster of queries, regardless of how good the rest of your content is. 
Google has systems like synonym expansion and Neural Matching — RankEmbed — that can supplement lexical retrieval and surface additional documents. But counting on those systems to rescue a page with vocabulary gaps is a risky strategy when you can simply cover the term.
After first-stage retrieval, the pipeline gets progressively more expensive and more sophisticated. RankEmbed adds candidates keyword matching missed. Mustang applies roughly 100+ signals, including topicality, quality scores, and NavBoost — accumulated click data over 13 months, described by Nayak as “one of the strongest” ranking signals. 
DeepRank applies BERT-based language understanding to only the final 20 to 30 results because these models are too expensive to run at scale. The practical implication is clear: no amount of authority or engagement signals helps if your page never passes the first gate. Content optimization tools help you get through it. What happens after is a different problem.
shows up.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with
What the research on content tools actually shows
Three major studies have examined whether content tool scores correlate with rankings: Ahrefs (20 keywords, May 2025), Originality.ai (~100 keywords, October 2025), and Surfer SEO (10,000 queries, July 2025). All found weak positive correlations in the 0.10 to 0.32 range.
A 0.24 to 0.28 correlation is actually meaningful in this context. But these numbers need serious qualification. Every study was conducted by a vendor, and in every case, the vendor’s own tool performed best. 
No study controlled for confounding variables like backlinks, domain authority, or accumulated click data. The methodology is fundamentally circular: the tools generate recommendations by analyzing pages that already rank in the top 10 to 20, then the studies test whether pages in the top 10 to 20 score well on those same tools.
The real question — whether following tool recommendations helps a new, unranked page climb — has never been rigorously tested. Clearscope’s Bernard Huang put it directly: “A 0.26 correlation is not the brag they think it is.” 
He’s right. But a weak positive correlation is exactly what you’d expect if these tools solve the retrieval problem — getting into the candidate set — without solving the ranking problem — beating competitors once there. Understanding that distinction is what makes these tools useful rather than misleading.
Why not skip these tools altogether?
Expert writers are terrible at predicting how their audience actually searches. MIT Sloan’s Miro Kazakoff calls it the curse of knowledge. Once you know something, you forget what it was like before you knew it. 
Clearscope’s case study with Algolia illustrates the problem precisely. Algolia’s writers were technical experts producing genuinely excellent content that sat on Page 9. The problem wasn’t quality. The team was using internal jargon instead of the language their audience actually typed into Google. 
After adopting Clearscope, their SEO manager Vince Caruana said the tool helped the organization “start writing for our audience instead of ourselves” by breaking out of internal vocabulary. Blog posts moved from Page 9 to Page 1 within weeks. Not because the writing improved, but because the vocabulary finally matched search behavior.
Google’s own SEO Starter Guide acknowledges this dynamic, noting that users might search for “charcuterie” while others search for “cheese board.” Content optimization tools surface that gap by showing you the actual vocabulary of pages that have already demonstrated retrieval success. 
You can do everything a tool does manually by reading top results and noting common themes, but the tools automate hours of SERP analysis into minutes. At $79 to $399 per month, the investment is justified when teams publish frequently in competitive niches or assign work to freelancers lacking domain expertise. For a solo blogger publishing once or twice a month, manual analysis works fine.
What about AI-powered retrieval?
Dense vector embeddings are the same core technology behind LLMs and AI-powered search features. They compress a document into a fixed-length numerical representation and can match semantically similar content even without shared keywords. Google uses them via RankEmbed, but they supplement lexical retrieval rather than replace it.
The reason is computational: A 768-dimensional embedding can preserve only so much information, and research from Google DeepMind’s 2025 LIMIT paper showed that single-vector models max out at roughly 1.7 million documents before relevance distinctions break down — a small fraction of Google’s index. Multiple studies, including findings on the BEIR benchmark, show hybrid approaches combining BM25 with dense retrieval outperform either method alone.
The bottom line for practitioners is clear: The AI layer matters, but it sits lower in the pipeline, and the traditional retrieval stage your content tools map to still does the heavy lifting at scale.
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
 
				
								
					MktoForms2.loadForm("https://app-sj02.marketo.com", "727-ZQE-044", 16298, function(form) {
						// form.onSubmit(function(){
						// });
						
						// form.onSuccess(function (values, followUpUrl) {
						// });
					});
				
			
See terms.
How to actually use content scoring tools
This is where most guidance on content tools falls short. The typical advice is “use Surfer/Clearscope, get a high score, rank better.” 
That misses the point entirely. Here’s a framework built on how these tools actually intersect with Google’s retrieval mechanics.
Prioritize zero-usage terms over everything else
The highest-leverage action these tools identify is a term with zero mentions in your content. That’s a term where your retrieval score is literally zero, and you’re invisible for every query containing it. Going from zero to one mention is the single most impactful edit you can make. Going from four mentions to eight is nearly worthless because of the saturation curve.
When reviewing tool recommendations, filter for terms you haven’t used at all. Clearscope’s “Unused” filter does this explicitly. 
Ask yourself: Does this missing term represent a subtopic my audience would expect me to cover? If yes, work it in naturally. If the tool suggests a term that doesn’t fit your angle — a beginner’s guide doesn’t need advanced technical terminology — skip it. 
A high score achieved by forcing irrelevant terms into your content is worse than a moderate score with genuinely useful writing. As Ahrefs noted in its 2025 study, “you can literally copy-paste the entire keyword list, draft nothing else, and get a high score.” That tells you everything about the limits of chasing the number.
Be selective about which competitor pages you analyze
Default settings on most tools pull from the top 10 to 20 ranking pages, which frequently includes Wikipedia, major media outlets, and enterprise sites with overwhelming domain authority. These pages often rank despite their content, not because of it. Their term patterns reflect authority advantage, not content quality, and they’ll skew your recommendations.
A better approach: Look for pages that rank for a high number of organic keywords on mid-authority domains. 
Ahrefs’ data shows the average page ranking No. 1 also ranks in the top 10 for nearly 1,000 other keywords. A page ranking for 500 keywords on a DR 35 site has demonstrated broad retrieval success through vocabulary and topical coverage, not just backlinks. Those pages contain term patterns proven effective across hundreds of separate retrieval events, not just one. 
In most tools, you can manually exclude specific URLs from competitor analysis. Remove the Wikipedia pages, the Amazon listings, and any high-authority site where you know authority is doing the work. What’s left gives you a much cleaner picture of what content actually needs to include.
Use tools during research, not during writing
The worst workflow is writing with the scoring editor open, watching your number tick up in real time. That pulls your attention toward keyword insertion instead of communicating expertise. Practitioners reporting the worst experiences with these tools tend to be the ones writing to a live score.
The better workflow: Run the tool first. Review the term list. Identify gaps in your outline, especially terms with zero usage that represent subtopics you should cover. Then close the tool and write for your reader. 
Run it again at the end as a sanity check. Did you miss any major subtopics? Add them. Is the score significantly lower than competitors? That’s information worth investigating. But your job is to build the best page on the internet for this topic, not to match a number.
Understand that content is one player in the game
NavBoost, RankEmbed, PageRank-derived quality scores, site authority, click data, and engagement signals all operate on the candidate set that first-stage retrieval produces. Content optimization gets you through the gate. It doesn’t win the race. 
If you optimize a page, push the score to 90, and don’t see ranking improvements, that doesn’t mean the tool failed. It likely means the other ranking factors — backlinks, domain authority, and click signals — are doing more work for your competitors than content alone can overcome.
This is especially important when scoping on-page optimization projects. Be honest about what content changes can and can’t accomplish. If a page is on a DR 15 domain competing against DR 70+ sites, perfect content optimization is necessary but probably not sufficient. 
When a client asks why they’re not ranking after you pushed their score to 95, the answer shouldn’t be “we need more content.” It should be a clear explanation of which part of the problem content solves — retrieval — which parts it doesn’t — authority, engagement, brand — and what the next strategic move actually is.
Focus on going beyond, not just matching
The philosophy behind these tools — structure your content after what top results cover — is sound. You need to demonstrate topical relevance to enter the candidate set. But the goal isn’t to produce another version of what already exists. 
The pages that rank broadly, the ones that show up for hundreds or thousands of keywords, consistently do more than match the competitive baseline. They add original research, practitioner experience, specific examples, or angles the existing results don’t cover.
Surfer SEO’s December 2024 study supports this. It measured “facts coverage” across articles and found that top-performing content by keyword breadth had significantly higher coverage scores than bottom performers. 
The content that ranks for the most queries doesn’t just include the right terms. It includes more information, more specifically. Use the tool to establish the floor of topical coverage. Then build the ceiling with value the tool can’t measure.
A note on entities
Google’s Knowledge Graph contains an estimated 54 billion entities. Entity understanding becomes most powerful in the later ranking stages where BERT and DeepRank process final candidates. 
Some content tools are starting to incorporate entity analysis, but even the best versions present entities as flat keyword lists, missing the relationships between entities that Google’s systems actually evaluate. 
Knowing that “Dr. Smith” and “rhinoplasty” appear on your page is different from understanding that Dr. Smith is a board-certified surgeon with published research at a specific institution. That relational depth is what Google processes, and no content scoring tool currently captures it. 
Treat entity coverage as an additional layer beyond what keyword-focused tools measure, not a replacement for the fundamentals.
complete picture of your search visibility.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with
Retrieval before ranking
Content optimization tools work because they’ve reverse-engineered the vocabulary of the retrieval stage. That’s a less exciting claim than “they’ve cracked Google’s algorithm,” but it’s the honest one, and it’s supported by what the DOJ trial revealed about Google’s infrastructure.
Use these tools to identify missing terms and subtopics. Be skeptical of exact frequency targets. Exclude high-authority outliers from your competitor analysis. Prioritize zero-usage terms over further optimization of terms you’ve already covered. 
Understand that a perfect content score addresses one stage of a multi-stage pipeline and use the competitive baseline as your floor, not your ceiling. The content that ranks the broadest isn’t the content that best matches what already exists. It’s the content that covers what already exists and then goes further.

Google’s first-stage retrieval still runs on word matching, not AI magic. Here’s how to use content scoring tools accordingly.

Content scoring tools work, but only for the first gate in Google’s pipeline

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Bot detection maze" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>SerpApi says Google is stretching the DMCA to protect ad revenue, not copyrights — casting the case as a fight over access to public SERPs.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Bot detection maze" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/bot-detection-maze-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>SerpApi is asking a federal court to dismiss Google’s lawsuit, arguing the company is misusing copyright law to restrict access to public search results.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The motion was filed Feb. 20, according to a blog post by SerpApi CEO and founder Julien Khaleghy. </li>



<li>Google sued SerpApi in December, alleging it bypassed technical protections to scrape and resell content from Google Search.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>The details:</strong> SerpApi argues Google is improperly invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). According to Khaleghy:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The DMCA protects copyrighted works, not websites or ad businesses.</li>



<li>Google doesn’t own the underlying content displayed in search results.</li>



<li>Accessing publicly visible pages isn’t “circumvention” under the statute.</li>
</ul>



<p>Google’s complaint alleged SerpApi:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Circumvented bot-detection and crawling controls.</li>



<li>Used rotating bot identities and large bot networks.</li>



<li>Scraped licensed content from Search features, including images and real-time data.</li>
</ul>



<p>SerpApi said it doesn’t decrypt systems, disable authentication, or access private data. Khaleghy said SerpApi retrieves the same information available to any user in a browser, without requiring a login.</p>



<p>Khaleghy also argued Google admitted its anti-bot systems protect its advertising business — not specific copyrighted works — which he said undermines the DMCA claim.</p>



<p>SerpApi cites the Ninth Circuit’s <em>hiQ v. LinkedIn</em> decision warning against “information monopolies” over public data. It also cites the Sixth Circuit’s <em>Impression Products v. Lexmark</em> ruling to argue that public-facing content can’t be shielded by technical measures alone.</p>



<p></p>



<p><strong>Catch up quick:</strong> The lawsuit follows months of escalating legal fights over scraping and AI data use.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Oct. 22:</strong> <a href="https://searchengineland.com/reddit-sues-perplexity-serpapi-scraping-google-463681">Reddit sued SerpApi, Perplexity, Oxylabs, and AWMProxy</a> in federal court, alleging they scraped Reddit content indirectly from Google Search and reused or resold it. Reddit claimed the companies hid their identities and scraped at “industrial scale.” Reddit said it set a “trap” post visible only to Google’s crawler that later appeared in Perplexity results. Reddit is seeking damages and a ban on further use of previously scraped data.</li>



<li><strong>Oct. 29:</strong> <a href="https://searchengineland.com/serpapi-reddit-lawsuit-response-463962">SerpApi said it would “vigorously defend” itself</a>, calling Reddit’s language “inflammatory” and arguing public search data should remain accessible.</li>



<li><strong>Dec. 19:</strong> <a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-sues-serpapi-466541">Google sued SerpApi</a>, alleging it bypassed security protections, ignored crawling directives, and scraped licensed Search content for resale. SerpApi responded that it operates lawfully and that accessing public search data is protected by the First Amendment.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> SerpApi claims that, under Google’s interpretation of the DMCA, statutory damages could theoretically total $7.06 trillion — a figure it said exceeds U.S. GDP. The number reflects SerpApi’s calculation of potential per-violation penalties, not an actual damages demand.</p>



<p><strong>What&#8217;s next. </strong>The case now moves to the court’s decision on whether Google’s claims can proceed.</p>



<p><strong>Why we care:</strong> The outcome could reshape how SEO platforms, AI tools, and competitive intelligence software access SERP data. A win for Google could make third-party search data harder or riskier to obtain. A win for SerpApi could strengthen arguments that publicly accessible search results can be scraped and collected.</p>



<p><strong>The blog post.</strong> <a href="https://serpapi.com/blog/google-v-serpapi-motion-to-dismiss-why-were-in-the-right/">Google v. SerpApi: We’re filing a Motion to Dismiss. Here’s why we’re in the right.</a></p>



<p><strong><em>Dig deeper. <a href="https://searchengineland.com/inside-google-searchguard-467676">Inside SearchGuard: How Google detects bots and what the SerpAPI lawsuit reveals</a></em></strong></p>


SerpApi is asking a federal court to dismiss Google’s lawsuit, arguing the company is misusing copyright law to restrict access to public search results.
The motion was filed Feb. 20, according to a blog post by SerpApi CEO and founder Julien Khaleghy. 
Google sued SerpApi in December, alleging it bypassed technical protections to scrape and resell content from Google Search.
The details: SerpApi argues Google is improperly invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). According to Khaleghy:
The DMCA protects copyrighted works, not websites or ad businesses.
Google doesn’t own the underlying content displayed in search results.
Accessing publicly visible pages isn’t “circumvention” under the statute.
Google’s complaint alleged SerpApi:
Circumvented bot-detection and crawling controls.
Used rotating bot identities and large bot networks.
Scraped licensed content from Search features, including images and real-time data.
SerpApi said it doesn’t decrypt systems, disable authentication, or access private data. Khaleghy said SerpApi retrieves the same information available to any user in a browser, without requiring a login.
Khaleghy also argued Google admitted its anti-bot systems protect its advertising business — not specific copyrighted works — which he said undermines the DMCA claim.
SerpApi cites the Ninth Circuit’s hiQ v. LinkedIn decision warning against “information monopolies” over public data. It also cites the Sixth Circuit’s Impression Products v. Lexmark ruling to argue that public-facing content can’t be shielded by technical measures alone.




Catch up quick: The lawsuit follows months of escalating legal fights over scraping and AI data use.
Oct. 22: Reddit sued SerpApi, Perplexity, Oxylabs, and AWMProxy in federal court, alleging they scraped Reddit content indirectly from Google Search and reused or resold it. Reddit claimed the companies hid their identities and scraped at “industrial scale.” Reddit said it set a “trap” post visible only to Google’s crawler that later appeared in Perplexity results. Reddit is seeking damages and a ban on further use of previously scraped data.
Oct. 29: SerpApi said it would “vigorously defend” itself, calling Reddit’s language “inflammatory” and arguing public search data should remain accessible.
Dec. 19: Google sued SerpApi, alleging it bypassed security protections, ignored crawling directives, and scraped licensed Search content for resale. SerpApi responded that it operates lawfully and that accessing public search data is protected by the First Amendment.
By the numbers: SerpApi claims that, under Google’s interpretation of the DMCA, statutory damages could theoretically total $7.06 trillion — a figure it said exceeds U.S. GDP. The number reflects SerpApi’s calculation of potential per-violation penalties, not an actual damages demand.
What’s next. The case now moves to the court’s decision on whether Google’s claims can proceed.
Why we care: The outcome could reshape how SEO platforms, AI tools, and competitive intelligence software access SERP data. A win for Google could make third-party search data harder or riskier to obtain. A win for SerpApi could strengthen arguments that publicly accessible search results can be scraped and collected.
The blog post. Google v. SerpApi: We’re filing a Motion to Dismiss. Here’s why we’re in the right.
Dig deeper. Inside SearchGuard: How Google detects bots and what the SerpAPI lawsuit reveals

SerpApi says Google is stretching the DMCA to protect ad revenue, not copyrights — casting the case as a fight over access to public SERPs.

SerpApi moves to dismiss Google scraping lawsuit

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/07/The-SEOs-guide-to-Google-Search-Console-800x450.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Google Search Console" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/07/The-SEOs-guide-to-Google-Search-Console-800x450.png 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/07/The-SEOs-guide-to-Google-Search-Console-600x338.png 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/07/The-SEOs-guide-to-Google-Search-Console-200x113.png 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/07/The-SEOs-guide-to-Google-Search-Console-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/07/The-SEOs-guide-to-Google-Search-Console-1536x864.png 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2024/07/The-SEOs-guide-to-Google-Search-Console.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Dive into Google Search Console's features and reports, plus how to navigate the tool like a pro, from basic setup to advanced SEO analysis.

Search Console is a free gift from Google for SEO professionals that tells you how your website is performing. It’s the closest thing to X-ray vision we can get. 
With data-packed amenities, SEO professionals can scavenge through to locate stashes of hidden nuggets like clicks and impressions from search queries, Core Web Vitals, and whatever other surprises lie within your website. 
Custom regex filters take you around your million-page website. 
And while all SEO professionals hope to avoid any catastrophic SEO-related events with Google’s AI Overview, all we can really do is be prepared. 
For starters, keep reading this guide below on Search Console. 
It’s engineered to withstand zombie pages, Helpful Content bloodbaths, core update mood swings, and AI Overview siphoning your clicks like we’re in Mad Max, the Search Edition. This guide is exactly what you need when the SEO industry gets dicey. 
What does Search Console do? And how does it help SEO?
Search Console is a free website analytics and diagnostic tool provided by Google. Search Console tracks your website’s performance in Google search results (and, hopefully soon, in Gemini and AI Mode). 
This is the closest thing we have to first-party search truth. 
As an SEO director, I use Search Console daily. I monitor content performance, validate technical fixes, and track branded and non-branded query growth. It helps me prioritize what I should focus on in my SEO strategy. 
shows up.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with
How do I set up Search Console?
Getting set up on Search Console is quick and easy, but may require technical support. 
First, you need to have a Google account. 
Next, go to Search Console https://search.google.com/search-console. 
If you don’t see any profiles listed, you’ll need to choose a domain or prefix URL and verify your website ownership. 

So, how do you choose between a domain versus a prefix URL? Let me walk you through the differences. 
Domain property is the default recommendation
A domain property includes all subdomains but no protocols (HTTP:// or HTTPS://) and no path strings (/sub/folder/). 
A domain property provides a comprehensive view of how your website performs in Google search results because it automatically includes the HTTP, HTTPS, www, and non-www versions of your site. 
I recommend setting up domain properties first. 
To set up a domain property in Search Console, remove the HTTPS and trailing slashes. 

After you hit continue, you can verify your ownership via a DNS TXT record. 
I recommend going this route as it is the easiest. 
You’ll need to log in to your hosting provider to submit the TXT file. 

Another option is to verify through the CNAME. If you have technical support, this could be an easy alternative. 

If you run an ecommerce site, Search Console lets you set shipping and return policies and connect to Merchant Center data. 
This pairs nicely with your schema markup: Product + Offer + shippingDetails + returnPolicy lets Google read your store like a label with price, availability, delivery speed, returns, etc. 
URL prefix property allows you to dissect sections of a site 
A URL prefix property includes the HTTPS or HTTP protocol and path string. This means that if you want to really dive into a section of your website, like /blog/ subfolder or a blog.website.com subdomain, you can do this. 
After I set up my domain property, I created individual URL prefix properties for each subdomain, HTTP versions, and the/blog/ subfolders. 
By having multiple URL prefix properties, I can dig deeper into sections of the website to help troubleshoot. 
I can also create reporting specific to the website’s sections that may be more relevant to my co-workers. 
For example, I work with customer support team members looking for data on how their Help Center content is performing. 

Key moments in history for Search Console
Some really crazy stuff has happened with Search Console over time. Search Console is notorious among many SEO professionals as a delicacy, an incessant phantom of manual actions, and a culprit behind a better understanding of our website health.
I’ve compiled a short history of my SEO bromance with Search Console over the years to give you a glimmer of how we got here. 
June 2005: Google Webmaster Tools (now called Search Console) was launched. 
May 2015: Google changed the name to Google Search Console from Google Webmaster Tools.
June 2016: Search Console tests new mobility usability report. 
September 2016: Search Console improves Security Issues report. 
September 2018: Search Console released the Manual Actions report, “Test Live,” and request indexing features added for the URL inspection tool, and upgraded to 16 months of historical data.
November 2018: Google experiments with domain properties. 
June 2019: Search Console adds mobile-first indexing features. 
May 2020: Search Console adds Core Web Vitals report. 
November 2021: Search Console rolls out new design. 
September 2022: Search Console launches new HTTPS report. 
November 2022: Search Console adds Shopping tab listings feature.
September 2023: Search Console rolls out new Merchant Center integrated reports. 
November 2023: Google released a new robots.txt report. 
August 2024: Search Console Recommendations launch.
June 2025: Search Console Insights refreshes.
October 2025: Query Groups introduced.
November 2025: Branded vs non-branded filter added.
November 2025: Custom annotations added to performance charts.
December 2025: AI-powered report configuration experiments begin.
December 2025: Weekly and monthly chart views introduced.
December 2025: Social channel performance begins to appear in Search Console Insights (limited rollout).
Was Google preparing us for AI through Search Console all along?
Alright. Zoom out with me for a second.
All of these updates are not random. They tell a very clear story.
Search Console is evolving from a technical reporting tool into a visibility intelligence tool for the AI era.
Google is moving from: “Here are 1,000 queries.” to “Here’s a topic cluster and how it’s performing.”
The weekly/monthly views and annotations encourage trend-level analysis. 
Google recognizes discovery journeys aren’t linear anymore with the introduction of social reporting. 
Breakdown of Search Console for SEOs 
While some SEO professionals may be waiting in the tunnels for Skynet and AIO to take over, there’s one thing we can all still depend on: Search Console. 
So before you join your freelance mission with SEAL Team 6, walk through the anatomy of Search Console. 
Overview
The Overview section in Search Console provides a bird’s-eye view of all data sets users can uncover in Search Console. 

Search Console Insights
Search Console Insights shows which pages are popping off and which are dying in the corner. The Insights view is a digital equivalent of a snack tray. 
In an AI running wild like an overcaffeinated squirrel, I’ll take this instead of analyzing 50+ tabs. This is Google’s attempt to slide into your emails and whisper, “Hey, you might want to see this.”

URL inspection
The URL inspection tool lets you see what Google sees for a given URL. 
The URL inspection tool is one of my favorite SEO tools.
Unfortunately, today, you can only inspect one URL at a time. However, if you use the Search Console URL inspection API, you can test up to 2000 URLs per day. 
The test will show if the URL is indexable and explain why it may or may not be indexed. 
You can also request a URL be indexed. 

Search results
Search results are every content marketer’s favorite report in Search Console. It shows search traffic over the past 16 months (with comparisons), along with search queries, devices, countries, and search appearances. 
It will also show you which pages rank for specific queries. 
I use this report to show which pages are performing best and which are performing worst. It also helps troubleshoot any major drops or spikes in traffic. 
You can segment this report based on clicks, impressions, and CTR. 

The AI-powered configuration (Experiment) inside the Performance report is where things get interesting.
Instead of manually stacking filters, comparisons, regex, device splits, country filters, and date ranges, you can now describe the analysis you want and let Google build the report for you.




You can ask it questions like: 
“Compare blog traffic month over month.”
“Show me queries containing ‘how to’.”
“What happened to USA traffic last week?”
“Compare mobile vs desktop performance in the last 28 days.”
“Show non-branded queries for the past 3 months.”
“What pages lost clicks this month?”
“Show changes for mobile users.”
Discover
The Discover report in Search Console shows your content’s performance in Google search results. 
You can filter by pages, countries, search appearances, and devices, like the search results report. 




Google News
The Google News report in Search Console tells you how your content performs under Google News in Google search results. 
You can filter the report by page and device. 

Pages
Pages indexing report in Search Console shares which pages in Google can find (or not find) on your website. 
The pages report is valuable for every technical SEO. This report offers tons of quick wins for technical SEO. I always start with this section when auditing a website. 
If you see an increase in pages indexed or not indexed, you’ll want to investigate why it’s happening. 

Video pages
The video indexing report shows how many pages on your website are indexed with video content. 

Sitemaps
The sitemap report allows you to submit all your XML sitemaps to Search Console. Ideally, you have at least one XML sitemap to submit. 
You’ll need to submit all your XML sitemaps, including any video, image, or language-specific ones. 

Removals
The removals tool in Search Console lets you temporarily block pages from Google. 
Remember, these must be pages that you own on your website. You cannot submit pages you do not own. 
This is the fastest way to remove a page from your website. However, I recommend working on a long-term solution if you want this web page permanently removed. 

Core Web Vitals
The Core Web Vitals report uses real-world data to tell you how your pages perform. 
Again, this is based on a URL level. 
The report is grouped into mobile and desktop with segments of poor, needs improvement, and good. 
The report is based on LCP, INP, and CLS user data. 
Only indexed pages will be included in the Core Web Vitals report. 

HTTPS
The HTTPS report tells you how many indexed pages on your website are HTTP or HTTPS. 
If you notice any HTTP pages on your website, you should convert them to HTTPS. Google indexes the HTTPS version to protect searchers’ security and privacy. 




Product snippets
Product snippets are part of the structured data reporting in Search Console that showcases which products have product markup on the page. 
Currently, Google only supports product snippets for pages with one product. 
Be aware of Google’s algorithm updates. There can be changes in impressions and clicks for product snippets. 

Merchant snippets
Merchant snippets are also part of the rich result report in Search Console and serve as extensions of your Product snippet. 
Merchant snippets are like getting a golden ticket. It provides more enhanced features in the SERPs, like carousels or knowledge panels. 

Shopping tab listings
Shopping tab listings are also part of the rich result reports in Search Console and showcase the pages listed in the Shopping tab in Google search results. 
If you’re an ecommerce marketer, you’ll want to live inside this report. 
If you don’t see this information in Search Console, make sure your website’s structured data fits within the Merchant listing structured data requests. 

AMP
The AMP report in Search Console shows all the AMP pages on your website and potential issues you may need to troubleshoot. 
If AMP is a big part of your SEO strategy, you’ll want to ensure you reach zero in the critical errors section of the report so Google can detect your AMP pages. 
While AMP is considered legacy, it’s relevant for some publishers. 

Breadcrumbs
The breadcrumbs report is also part of the rich result report in Search Console, which tells you if your breadcrumb structured data is correct and readable by Google. 
Breadcrumbs are essential to maintain a healthy site architecture and user experience. If you see any errors in the breadcrumbs, I recommend prioritizing this quickly.

FAQ
The FAQ report is also part of Search Console’s rich results report, which shares insights into which pages received the FAQ snippet. 
However, with Google’s changes to visibility of HowTo and FAQ rich results, you may see this fluctuate quite a bit. 

Profile page
The Profile page report reflects which pages are getting the profile page markup. You’ll want to validate and clean up any makeup you may be missing because these offer interesting SERP features.
It’s almost like a card functionality similar to the recipes. 

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
 
				
								
					MktoForms2.loadForm("https://app-sj02.marketo.com", "727-ZQE-044", 16298, function(form) {
						// form.onSubmit(function(){
						// });
						
						// form.onSuccess(function (values, followUpUrl) {
						// });
					});
				
			
See terms.
Review snippets
Review snippets showcase your validation of review markup on pages. 
You should check that all your markup is valid. If you notice any errors, work on updating those specific pages. 
With Google’s algorithm updates, I’ve seen significant fluctuations in review snippets. Always double-check if it’s a bug, an algorithm update, or a true markup error. 

Sitelinks searchbox
The sitelinks search box is a feature of the rich result report in Search Console that tells us in more detail any errors you may have with your Sitelinks Search Box markup. 

Unparsable structured data
The unparsable structured data report in Search Console aggregates structured data syntax errors that prevent Google from identifying the specific structured data type. 

Videos
The video indexing report in Search Console has expanded dramatically over the last few years, giving us more detailed information on how your videos perform in search results. 
You can dissect whether the video is outside the viewport, too small, or too tall. If you’re building a video content strategy, it really helps to elevate your game with your UX team. 

Manual actions
If you’re running your SEO strategy properly, you’ll hopefully never have to worry about the manual action report. 
But if you’re one of the unlucky ones who gets hit with a manual action, Google will tell you in this report in Search Console. 
A manual action occurs when a human reviewer at Google determines that a specific page or pages are not compliant with Google’s spam policy. 

Security issues
The Security issues report in Search Console will tell you if your site was hacked or harmful. 
Google will actually email you now to notify you when you receive a security issue. 
Check out this beauty I received within the first week of starting to work on a new site. 


Links
The Links report in Search Console allows you to view all your site’s internal and external links. You can view the top link pages, top linking sites, and top linking text. 
This is a legacy report, so I’d be cautious about relying on it in case Google decides to depreciate it. 

Settings
If you need to verify ownership or add a new user, you should check the settings in Search Console. 

Two cool reports under Settings in Search Console go undiscovered, but these are two of my favorite reports.
Robots.txt: The robots.txt report tells us which pages Google can crawl or any potential issues preventing Google from crawling your site. 




One of the challenges I run into when working with developers is that they often choose to disallow it in the robots.txt file instead of adding a noindex, nofollow tag. 
This report will help audit any technical updates with your dev team. 
The robots.txt report is only available if you set up a domain property. 
Crawl stats: The crawl stats report shows Google’s crawling history on your website. It can be sorted by how many requests were made and when, server response, and availability issues. 
It tells SEO professionals if Google is encountering problems when crawling your website. 
This report is only available if you have a domain property or a URL prefix at a root level. 

Search Console is like stepping onto a planet dedicated to SEO professionals
That’s a lot to unpack. But the gist is that Search Console is a place where you can get information about how your website is performing. 
All of the above is just part of the early phases of Search Console’s transformation. Google also hopes to add Google’s AI Overview data in the future. So, that seems like a worthwhile endeavor, seeing as there is no tool to support AIO data today. 
And I know you all must be hoping Google’s AI Overview doesn’t overtake your jobs. That would suck. It would likely mean the end of times. 
But in the insane event it does, at least you’re covered on how Search Console got here today. 
Until then, you’ll have to make do with luxe URL inspections, regex filters, and manual action surprises.

Dive into Google Search Console's features and reports, plus how to navigate the tool like a pro, from basic setup to advanced SEO analysis.

The SEO’s guide to Google Search Console

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Tips-for-SEO-newbies.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Tips-for-SEO-newbies.png 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Tips-for-SEO-newbies-768x432.png 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/03/Tips-for-SEO-newbies-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>Early-career SEOs should prioritize business context, search intent, technical basics, and hands-on research before relying on AI tools.

SEO is a fast-moving, marketing-centric industry that will always keep you on your toes. If you’re just getting started, it can feel overwhelming without a guide.
There are many facets and specializations in SEO that come later in a career — local, technical, content, digital PR, UX, ecommerce, media — the list goes on. But that level of specialization isn’t where junior professionals should begin.
Much like a liberal arts degree or an apprenticeship, newcomers should first develop a broad understanding of the discipline before choosing a focus. Here’s how to build that foundation in SEO.
1. Start with the business
Whether you’re in-house or at an agency, resist the urge to jump straight into “solution mode” when beginning an SEO project. 
Instead of immediately focusing on meta tags, keywords, backlinks, or URL structure, start by understanding the business itself.
Here are some key questions to consider as you browse the website:
What product or service is being sold?
Who is the target audience? (If you’re in-house, who is your company trying to sell to?)
Why does the company believe customers should choose them over competitors? (Common differentiators include price, unique features, or benefits.)
If you have the time or opportunity, dig deeper by asking your boss or client these business-focused questions:
What are the company’s goals and targets?
What is the three- to five-year plan for the business? (Are there plans to launch new products or expand into new markets?)
Who are the main competitors, and what are they doing?
A sample of onboarding business questions from Building a Business Brain by FLOQ Academy
Even without that level of detail, the first three questions provide a useful frame of reference for determining the best SEO approach.

  
shows up.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with




2. Be curious, ask questions
SEO now touches nearly every aspect of digital marketing. 
Because of that, SEOs often become social butterflies, regularly collaborating with other departments and specialties.
I’ve been in SEO for 15 years now (which makes me feel old), but I continue to ask my clients questions every day. 
This field encourages curiosity, so rather than feeling frustrated by what you don’t fully understand, embrace being the one to ask the “dumb questions.” 
There’s no such thing as a dumb question, by the way.
Dig deeper: How to become exceptional at SEO
3. Build from the foundations of SEO
As mentioned earlier, SEO has many specializations. Some, like video or local SEO, are referred to as “search verticals.”
If you’re new to the field, start with the basics: the website and how Google presents search results.
Once you understand the business, try a simple exercise to analyze your site’s optimization. 
Open a key product, category, or service page in one window. In another, search for a term you think users would enter to find that page. 
Compare what appears in the search results with your own page and the pages that rank for that term.

For example, in a search for “running shoes,” a few things stand out:
The intent is somewhat mismatched. Nike’s category page targets users who are researching with intent to buy or are already planning a purchase. However, the search results display articles comparing different running shoes.
Scrolling down, you might see an image carousel, a “Nearby Stores” section, and “People Also Ask” results.
If I were a new SEO at Nike and assumed the “running shoes” category page could rank for the “running shoes” query, I would rethink that after reviewing the search results. 
If ranking for that broad term were a priority, I would create a running shoe comparison article featuring high-quality images of real people using the shoes — maybe even a video, if budget allowed.
If your page aligns more closely with the search results, analyze the top-ranking pages and adapt successful elements to your own site. 
Do most of them have an on-page FAQ while yours doesn’t? 
A product video? Detailed specs? User reviews? 
How is the content itself structured? Are there jump links? Short paragraphs? Lots of lists, bulleted or numbered?
Be critical and specific about what you can improve. (Never copy content directly.)
At its core, SEO is about identifying what Google deems important for a given product or service, then doing it better than the competition. 
Many SEOs get caught up in tools and tactics and forget to examine the search results themselves. 
Break that habit early and make reviewing Google’s search results a key part of your research process.
4. Dabble in the technical side and build relationships with your developers
Technical SEO is one of the more complex specializations in the field and can seem intimidating. 
If you’re using a major CMS, your technical foundations are likely solid, so today, much of technical SEO focuses on refinements and enhancements.
While it’s important to develop technical knowledge, a great way to start is by building relationships with your development team and staying curious. 
Asking questions makes learning more interactive and immediately relevant to your work. 
Exploring coding courses or creating your own website can also help you develop technical skills gradually instead of all at once.
Some argue that you can be a good SEO without technical expertise — and I don’t disagree. 
However, understanding a website’s inner workings, how Google operates, and even how large language models (LLMs) function can help you prioritize your SEO efforts. 
Code is Google’s native language, and knowing how to interpret it can be invaluable when migrating a site, launching a new one, or diagnosing traffic drops.
Dig deeper: SEO prioritization: How to focus on what moves the needle
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
 
				
								
					MktoForms2.loadForm("https://app-sj02.marketo.com", "727-ZQE-044", 16298, function(form) {
						// form.onSubmit(function(){
						// });
						
						// form.onSuccess(function (values, followUpUrl) {
						// });
					});
				
			
See terms.
5. Learn the different types of information Google shows in search results
The way search results are presented today vastly differs from 10 or 15 years ago. 
Those who have been in the industry for a while have had the advantage of adapting gradually as Google has evolved. 
Newcomers, on the other hand, are thrown into the deep end, facing a wide range of search features all at once — some personalized, some not, and some appearing inconsistently. 
This can be challenging to grasp, even for experienced SEOs.
Google has invested heavily in understanding user intent and presenting search results in a way that best addresses it. 
As a result, search results may include:
Videos.
Images.
People Also Ask.
Related Searches.
AI Overviews.
AI-organized search.
Map results.
Nearby shopping options.
Product listings.
People Also Buy From.
News
Building visibility for each of these features often requires a unique approach and specific considerations. 
These search result types are now industry jargon, so a glossary can help you learn SEO terminology.
6. Learn the different types of query intent classifications
Google’s mission is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” 
As part of this, Google works to understand why people search for something and provides the most relevant results to match that intent. 
To do this, they classify queries based on intent.

The Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, a handbook Google provides to evaluators who manually assess website and search result quality, also touches on understanding user intent: 
“It can be helpful to think of queries as having one or more of the following intents. 
Know query, some of which are Know Simple queries.
Do query, when the user is trying to accomplish a goal or engage in an activity.
Website query, when the user is looking for a specific website or webpage.
Visit-in-person query, some of which are looking for a specific business or organization, some of which are looking for a category of businesses.”
When conducting keyword research, it’s helpful to analyze both your site and the queries you’re targeting through this lens.
Many SEO professionals also use these broader, traditional intent categories, though they don’t always align perfectly with Google’s classifications:
Informational: Who, what, when, where, how, why.
Commercial: Comparison, review, best, specific product.
Transactional: Buy, cheap, sale, register.
Navigational: Searching for a specific brand.
Rather than focusing solely on keywords, take a step back and consider the intent behind the search. Understanding intent is essential for SEO success.
Dig deeper: Why traditional keyword research is failing and how to fix it with search intent
7. Do the research yourself before finding ways to use LLMs
Your company may already have guidelines for using LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude for tasks such as keyword research, content creation, or competitor analysis. 
However, if you’re new to SEO, I strongly recommend completing at least one full project using tools like Google Search Console, Semrush, or Ahrefs without LLM support. 
While AI can speed up the process, relying on it too early has drawbacks:
Slower learning curve: If an LLM does the heavy lifting, you miss the experience of making strategic trade-offs, such as choosing a low-volume, mid-competition keyword over a high-volume, high-competition one.
Lack of instinct for accuracy: Without firsthand research experience, it’s harder to recognize when an LLM generates inaccurate information or pulls from an unreliable source.
Reduced impact: Google is increasingly sophisticated in detecting “repetitive content.” Relying too much on LLMs for mass content creation could hurt performance, whereas a more focused, strategic approach might yield better results.
While it may be tempting to jump straight into strategy rather than hands-on execution, senior SEOs develop their strategic mindset through years of practical work across different clients and industries. 
Skipping this foundational experience could make it harder to recognize large-scale patterns and trends.
Dig deeper: Why you need humans, not just AI, to run great SEO campaigns
8. Understand how GEO/AEO is different
While this channel represents a small percentage of market share compared to traditional Google search, the C-suite and other stakeholders are concerned with — and starting to pay attention to — their brand’s visibility in LLMs. 
There are difficult conversations around measurability, impact, and how much time we should invest in optimizing for a relatively small channel, but that’s a different article. As a newcomer to SEO, it’s important to understand how this type of search is different. A few things to look into include:
How LLMs actually work: Do they truly “know” information, or is something else happening? Short answer: yes, something else is happening. It’s important to understand what that is and how it works. When unsure, rely on the LLM’s own documentation. Industry experts to follow include Lily Ray and Dan Petrovic.
How LLMs train on data and how RAG impacts this: Develop a basic understanding of how these systems evaluate website content when generating answers.
How people claim they can influence LLM output: Some tactics are high risk, such as publishing large volumes of self-promotional listicles. Others are lower-risk, longer-term activities, like ensuring a site is crawlable in plain HTML, making sure LLM agents aren’t blocked by firewalls, and structuring HTML to be more bot-friendly. If many of these lower-risk tactics sound familiar, they should — they overlap with traditional SEO practices.
If you’re feeling advanced, explore concepts like query fan-out and MuVERA, or research what engineers at DeepSeek, OpenAI, Google, and Claude are currently developing.

  
complete picture of your search visibility.
      
Start Free Trial
    
Get started with




Laying the groundwork for SEO success
SEO offers endless opportunities once you master the fundamentals. If you’re just starting out, focus on these core areas:
The business.
The search results.
User intent.
Keep it simple. Stay focused. Be business-led. 
Build your SEO expertise on a strong foundation, and your career will grow from there.

Early-career SEOs should prioritize business context, search intent, technical basics, and hands-on research before relying on AI tools.

8 tips for SEO newbies

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot of Google Search Console" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>This seems to be impacting everyone - so it is likely a Google reporting bug.

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Screenshot of Google Search Console" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2019/02/google-search-console-interface-ss-1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>
<p>Google&#8217;s page indexing report within Google Search Console is missing a block of data earlier than December 15th. It seems like some sort of reporting bug that is impacting all users.</p>



<p>Google has not yet commented on the reporting issue but again, it is widespread and impacting everyone.</p>



<p><strong>What it looks like. </strong>Here is a screenshot from Vijay <a href="https://x.com/VijayChauhanSEO/status/2025814181283574164">on X</a> but you can see it yourself by checking your page indexing report:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1914" height="1158" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/google-search-console-page-indexing-report-missing-data.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-469877" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/google-search-console-page-indexing-report-missing-data.jpg 1914w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/google-search-console-page-indexing-report-missing-data-768x465.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/google-search-console-page-indexing-report-missing-data-1536x929.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1914px) 100vw, 1914px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Why we care. </strong>I&#8217;d check back in a day or two to see if this data returns or if Google posts a notice about the issue.  Right now, no one is able to access that data, so everyone is in the &#8220;same boat.&#8221; </p>



<p>Google will hopefully fix the data, and you can run your reporting and analysis if you have not done so yet for those data ranges.</p>



<p><strong>Update</strong>: John Mueller from Google replied <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/johnmu.com/post/3mfjphbocuc2m">saying</a>, &#8220;This is a side-effect of the latency issue from early December. This isn&#8217;t a new or separate issue.&#8221;</p>


Google’s page indexing report within Google Search Console is missing a block of data earlier than December 15th. It seems like some sort of reporting bug that is impacting all users.
Google has not yet commented on the reporting issue but again, it is widespread and impacting everyone.
What it looks like. Here is a screenshot from Vijay on X but you can see it yourself by checking your page indexing report:




Why we care. I’d check back in a day or two to see if this data returns or if Google posts a notice about the issue.  Right now, no one is able to access that data, so everyone is in the “same boat.” 
Google will hopefully fix the data, and you can run your reporting and analysis if you have not done so yet for those data ranges.
Update: John Mueller from Google replied saying, “This is a side-effect of the latency issue from early December. This isn’t a new or separate issue.”

This seems to be impacting everyone - so it is likely a Google reporting bug.

Google Search Console page indexing report missing data prior to December 15

<div><img width="1921" height="1072" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Traditional search results vs AI-generated answer with brand citations" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature.jpg 1921w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature-768x429.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature-1536x857.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px" /></div>How to get your brand cited, recommended, and discovered by AI search engines — a step-by-step framework.

<div><img width="1921" height="1072" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Traditional search results vs AI-generated answer with brand citations" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature.jpg 1921w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature-768x429.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature-1536x857.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px" /></div><div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1921" height="1072" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-469152" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature.jpg 1921w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature-768x429.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-feature-1536x857.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px" /></figure></div>


<p>Gartner predicted traditional search volume will drop 25% this year as users shift to AI-powered answer engines. Google’s AI Overviews now reach more than 2 billion monthly users, ChatGPT serves 800 million users each week, and Perplexity processes hundreds of millions of queries every month.</p>



<p>Getting found online is no longer just about ranking on Page 1. It&#8217;s about being the source AI engines cite when they generate an answer.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s the job of generative engine optimization (GEO) — and in 2026, it&#8217;s no longer optional. This guide shows you how to build, execute, and measure a GEO strategy that actually works.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-geo-and-why-2026-is-the-tipping-point">What is GEO — and why 2026 is the tipping point</h2>



<p>GEO is the practice of structuring your content and digital presence so that AI-powered search platforms — including ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot — can retrieve, cite, and recommend your brand when answering user questions.</p>



<p>If traditional SEO was about earning a spot among 10 blue links, GEO is about earning a place among the two to seven domains large language models typically cite in a single response. The competition is tougher, but the payoff is big: when an AI engine names your brand in its answer, it delivers an implicit endorsement no organic listing ever could.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="447" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-1.jpg" alt="SEO vs generative engine optimization key differences comparison chart" class="wp-image-469156" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-1.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-1-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure></div>


<p>Several forces make 2026 the tipping point. AI search adoption is moving beyond experimentation as users form platform loyalty, choosing their preferred AI engine the way they once chose between Google and Bing.</p>



<p>At the same time, GEO has gone mainstream at the enterprise level, with dedicated conferences, agency specializations, and a growing ecosystem of purpose-built tools. Academic research reinforces this shift. A Princeton study that coined the term, along with a 2025 paper on citation bias in AI search, shows that AI engines strongly favor earned media—authoritative third-party sources—over brand-owned content.</p>



<p>Understanding this dynamic isn’t optional. It’s the foundation of any effective GEO strategy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-practical-geo-framework-assess-optimize-measure-iterate">A practical GEO framework: assess, optimize, measure, iterate</h2>



<p>Treating GEO as a one-time content tweak is the biggest mistake you make. In reality, GEO demands the same ongoing discipline as SEO. The framework below lays out a repeatable structure to get it right.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="1375" height="768" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-2.jpg" alt="Four-phase GEO framework: assess, optimize, measure, iterate cycle”" class="wp-image-469157" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-2.jpg 1375w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-2-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1375px) 100vw, 1375px" /></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-1-assess-your-ai-search-readiness">Phase 1: Assess your AI search readiness</h2>



<p>Before you optimize anything, you need a baseline. Most brands obsess over Google rankings yet have no visibility into how AI engines perceive and present their brand. That’s like running a business without ever checking your bank balance.</p>



<p>An effective GEO audit should answer a few core questions:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Are major AI engines citing your content at all? </li>



<li>Can AI crawlers read and understand your structured data? </li>



<li>How does your brand show up in AI-generated answers — accurate, positive, neutral, or wrong? </li>



<li>Where are competitors earning AI citations that you’re missing?</li>
</ul>



<p>The audit doesn’t need to take months. Tools like <a href="https://geoptie.com/free-geo-audit" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored nofollow">Geoptie&#8217;s free GEO Audit</a> can assess your site’s AI search readiness and surface actionable insights in minutes—giving you a clear starting point before you invest in optimization.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-2-optimize-your-content-for-ai-engines">Phase 2: Optimize your content for AI engines</h2>



<p>This is the tactical core of any GEO strategy. Focus your optimization on four areas: content structure, entity authority, technical foundations, and content freshness.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structure-content-for-ai-retrieval">Structure content for AI retrieval</h3>



<p>AI engines don’t read content the way people do. They break pages into individual passages and evaluate each one for relevance, clarity, and factual density. Every section needs to stand on its own.</p>



<p>Start each section with a clear, direct answer. Then expand with context.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Use a clean heading hierarchy (H2 and H3) to signal the topic of each passage.</li>



<li>Add brief TL;DR statements under key headings so they can stand alone as answers.</li>



<li>Include FAQ sections. AI engines rely heavily on clear question-and-answer pairs when building responses.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-build-entity-authority">Build entity authority</h3>



<p>GEO focuses on entities — your brand, your people, your products — not just individual pages. Strengthen those entity signals to increase the odds that AI engines recognize your brand and cite it with confidence.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Keep your brand mentions consistent across the web. </li>



<li>Publish clear, detailed About and author bio pages. </li>



<li>Pursue a Wikipedia presence when it makes sense. </li>



<li>Actively build and manage your knowledge panel.</li>
</ul>



<p>Research shows AI engines favor earned media — third-party coverage, reviews, and industry mentions — over content on your own site.</p>



<p>Digital PR and thought leadership aren’t just brand plays anymore. They’re direct GEO levers.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nail-the-technical-foundations">Nail the technical foundations</h3>



<p>Technical GEO optimization overlaps with traditional SEO, but it adds AI-specific layers.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Implement schema markup — especially Article, Organization, FAQ, HowTo, and Breadcrumb — to help AI engines parse your content.</li>



<li>Review your robots.txt file to ensure AI crawlers like GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot aren’t blocked.</li>



<li>Consider adding an llms.txt file to guide AI systems on how to interpret your site.</li>
</ul>



<p>And don’t ignore the fundamentals. Fast load times, clean site architecture, and mobile optimization still drive discoverability and crawlability.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prioritize-freshness-and-depth">Prioritize freshness and depth</h3>



<p>AI engines weigh recency when selecting sources. A guide published in 2024 with no updates will lose ground to a 2026 article on the same topic.</p>



<p>Refresh your cornerstone content regularly. Add updated data, new insights, and a clear “Last updated” timestamp.</p>



<p>Original research, proprietary data, and expert commentary attract citations. If you publish something no one else has — a benchmark study, a unique dataset, or a framework built from your experience — AI engines have a reason to cite you over a dozen lookalike alternatives.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="447" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-3.jpg" alt="GEO content optimization checklist with nine actionable items" class="wp-image-469158" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-3.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-3-768x429.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-3-measure-your-ai-search-performance">Phase 3: Measure your AI search performance</h2>



<p>Measurement is the biggest gap in most GEO strategies today. Marketers who’ve spent years refining Google Analytics dashboards often have no comparable visibility into AI search performance.</p>



<p>Track the metrics that matter:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Measure AI citation frequency — how often your brand appears in AI-generated answers.</li>



<li>Track share of voice — your mentions versus competitors across AI platforms.</li>



<li>Monitor citation sentiment — whether AI accurately and positively presents your brand.</li>



<li>And measure AI-referred traffic — visits and conversions from AI search, tracked through GA4 attribution.</li>
</ul>



<p>The challenge is that traditional SEO tools don’t track these metrics. You need purpose-built GEO platforms that query AI engines directly and monitor brand performance over time.</p>



<p>If you want a quick snapshot, <a href="https://geoptie.com/geo-rank-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored nofollow">Geoptie&#8217;s free Rank Tracker</a> shows your position across multiple AI engines instantly. It’s a practical starting point before you commit to a full monitoring setup.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-4-iterate-and-scale">Phase 4: Iterate and scale</h2>



<p>GEO isn’t a launch-and-forget initiative. The AI search landscape shifts fast — models update, citation patterns change, and competitors adapt. Your strategy needs to evolve just as quickly.</p>



<p>Use your performance data to see what’s earning citations — and why. Identify which AI platforms drive the most value in your vertical. Track where competitors are gaining or losing ground.</p>



<p>Then scale what works. Repurpose high-performing content across formats. Turn a well-cited guide into a data page, a video script, and a set of targeted FAQ entries.</p>



<p>Build a cross-functional GEO workflow. Generative engine optimization isn’t just the content team’s job. It lives at the intersection of content marketing, SEO, digital PR, and product marketing.</p>



<p>Platforms like <a href="https://geoptie.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored nofollow">Geoptie</a> bring audit reports, competitor intelligence, citation analytics, and content optimization into one dashboard. That makes it practical to manage the entire cycle in one place instead of stitching together multiple tools.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-4.jpg" alt="Geoptie dashboard tracking AI search visibility across multiple engines" class="wp-image-469160" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-4.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2026/02/Torr-20260223-4-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-now-is-the-time-to-build-geo-capability">Now is the time to build GEO capability</h2>



<p>GEO isn’t a passing trend. It’s the new foundation of digital discovery.&nbsp;</p>



<p>As AI search adoption accelerates through 2026 and beyond, the gap between brands that invest now and those that wait will only widen.</p>



<p>The playbook is straightforward:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Assess where you stand today. </li>



<li>Optimize your content and technical foundation for AI retrieval. </li>



<li>Measure performance across the platforms that matter. </li>



<li>Then iterate relentlessly.</li>
</ul>



<p>Brands that build this discipline into their marketing stack now will earn compounding advantages as AI becomes the primary way customers discover, evaluate, and decide who to trust.</p>



<p>The question isn’t whether GEO matters. It’s whether you’ll lead or follow.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ready-to-take-control-of-your-ai-visibility">Ready to take control of your AI visibility?</h2>



<p><a href="https://geoptie.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored nofollow">Geo</a><a href="https://geoptie.com/">ptie</a> gives you everything you need to master GEO from one platform. Run comprehensive GEO audits, track AI rankings across ChatGPT, Google AI, Perplexity, Claude, and more, analyze competitors, monitor citations, and build AI-first content—all in one place.</p>



<p>Whether you’re new to GEO or scaling an established strategy, Geoptie turns insight into action from day one. <a href="https://geoptie.com/app" target="_blank" rel="noopener sponsored nofollow">Start your free 14-day trial</a> and see exactly where your brand stands in AI search.</p>


Gartner predicted traditional search volume will drop 25% this year as users shift to AI-powered answer engines. Google’s AI Overviews now reach more than 2 billion monthly users, ChatGPT serves 800 million users each week, and Perplexity processes hundreds of millions of queries every month.
Getting found online is no longer just about ranking on Page 1. It’s about being the source AI engines cite when they generate an answer.
That’s the job of generative engine optimization (GEO) — and in 2026, it’s no longer optional. This guide shows you how to build, execute, and measure a GEO strategy that actually works.
What is GEO — and why 2026 is the tipping point
GEO is the practice of structuring your content and digital presence so that AI-powered search platforms — including ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot — can retrieve, cite, and recommend your brand when answering user questions.
If traditional SEO was about earning a spot among 10 blue links, GEO is about earning a place among the two to seven domains large language models typically cite in a single response. The competition is tougher, but the payoff is big: when an AI engine names your brand in its answer, it delivers an implicit endorsement no organic listing ever could.

Several forces make 2026 the tipping point. AI search adoption is moving beyond experimentation as users form platform loyalty, choosing their preferred AI engine the way they once chose between Google and Bing.
At the same time, GEO has gone mainstream at the enterprise level, with dedicated conferences, agency specializations, and a growing ecosystem of purpose-built tools. Academic research reinforces this shift. A Princeton study that coined the term, along with a 2025 paper on citation bias in AI search, shows that AI engines strongly favor earned media—authoritative third-party sources—over brand-owned content.
Understanding this dynamic isn’t optional. It’s the foundation of any effective GEO strategy.
A practical GEO framework: assess, optimize, measure, iterate
Treating GEO as a one-time content tweak is the biggest mistake you make. In reality, GEO demands the same ongoing discipline as SEO. The framework below lays out a repeatable structure to get it right.

Phase 1: Assess your AI search readiness
Before you optimize anything, you need a baseline. Most brands obsess over Google rankings yet have no visibility into how AI engines perceive and present their brand. That’s like running a business without ever checking your bank balance.
An effective GEO audit should answer a few core questions:
Are major AI engines citing your content at all? 
Can AI crawlers read and understand your structured data? 
How does your brand show up in AI-generated answers — accurate, positive, neutral, or wrong? 
Where are competitors earning AI citations that you’re missing?
The audit doesn’t need to take months. Tools like Geoptie’s free GEO Audit can assess your site’s AI search readiness and surface actionable insights in minutes—giving you a clear starting point before you invest in optimization.
Phase 2: Optimize your content for AI engines
This is the tactical core of any GEO strategy. Focus your optimization on four areas: content structure, entity authority, technical foundations, and content freshness.
Structure content for AI retrieval
AI engines don’t read content the way people do. They break pages into individual passages and evaluate each one for relevance, clarity, and factual density. Every section needs to stand on its own.
Start each section with a clear, direct answer. Then expand with context.
Use a clean heading hierarchy (H2 and H3) to signal the topic of each passage.
Add brief TL;DR statements under key headings so they can stand alone as answers.
Include FAQ sections. AI engines rely heavily on clear question-and-answer pairs when building responses.
Build entity authority
GEO focuses on entities — your brand, your people, your products — not just individual pages. Strengthen those entity signals to increase the odds that AI engines recognize your brand and cite it with confidence.
Keep your brand mentions consistent across the web. 
Publish clear, detailed About and author bio pages. 
Pursue a Wikipedia presence when it makes sense. 
Actively build and manage your knowledge panel.
Research shows AI engines favor earned media — third-party coverage, reviews, and industry mentions — over content on your own site.
Digital PR and thought leadership aren’t just brand plays anymore. They’re direct GEO levers.
Nail the technical foundations
Technical GEO optimization overlaps with traditional SEO, but it adds AI-specific layers.
Implement schema markup — especially Article, Organization, FAQ, HowTo, and Breadcrumb — to help AI engines parse your content.
Review your robots.txt file to ensure AI crawlers like GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot aren’t blocked.
Consider adding an llms.txt file to guide AI systems on how to interpret your site.
And don’t ignore the fundamentals. Fast load times, clean site architecture, and mobile optimization still drive discoverability and crawlability.
Prioritize freshness and depth
AI engines weigh recency when selecting sources. A guide published in 2024 with no updates will lose ground to a 2026 article on the same topic.
Refresh your cornerstone content regularly. Add updated data, new insights, and a clear “Last updated” timestamp.
Original research, proprietary data, and expert commentary attract citations. If you publish something no one else has — a benchmark study, a unique dataset, or a framework built from your experience — AI engines have a reason to cite you over a dozen lookalike alternatives.

Phase 3: Measure your AI search performance
Measurement is the biggest gap in most GEO strategies today. Marketers who’ve spent years refining Google Analytics dashboards often have no comparable visibility into AI search performance.
Track the metrics that matter:
Measure AI citation frequency — how often your brand appears in AI-generated answers.
Track share of voice — your mentions versus competitors across AI platforms.
Monitor citation sentiment — whether AI accurately and positively presents your brand.
And measure AI-referred traffic — visits and conversions from AI search, tracked through GA4 attribution.
The challenge is that traditional SEO tools don’t track these metrics. You need purpose-built GEO platforms that query AI engines directly and monitor brand performance over time.
If you want a quick snapshot, Geoptie’s free Rank Tracker shows your position across multiple AI engines instantly. It’s a practical starting point before you commit to a full monitoring setup.
Phase 4: Iterate and scale
GEO isn’t a launch-and-forget initiative. The AI search landscape shifts fast — models update, citation patterns change, and competitors adapt. Your strategy needs to evolve just as quickly.
Use your performance data to see what’s earning citations — and why. Identify which AI platforms drive the most value in your vertical. Track where competitors are gaining or losing ground.
Then scale what works. Repurpose high-performing content across formats. Turn a well-cited guide into a data page, a video script, and a set of targeted FAQ entries.
Build a cross-functional GEO workflow. Generative engine optimization isn’t just the content team’s job. It lives at the intersection of content marketing, SEO, digital PR, and product marketing.
Platforms like Geoptie bring audit reports, competitor intelligence, citation analytics, and content optimization into one dashboard. That makes it practical to manage the entire cycle in one place instead of stitching together multiple tools.

Now is the time to build GEO capability
GEO isn’t a passing trend. It’s the new foundation of digital discovery. 
As AI search adoption accelerates through 2026 and beyond, the gap between brands that invest now and those that wait will only widen.
The playbook is straightforward:
Assess where you stand today. 
Optimize your content and technical foundation for AI retrieval. 
Measure performance across the platforms that matter. 
Then iterate relentlessly.
Brands that build this discipline into their marketing stack now will earn compounding advantages as AI becomes the primary way customers discover, evaluate, and decide who to trust.
The question isn’t whether GEO matters. It’s whether you’ll lead or follow.
Ready to take control of your AI visibility?
Geoptie gives you everything you need to master GEO from one platform. Run comprehensive GEO audits, track AI rankings across ChatGPT, Google AI, Perplexity, Claude, and more, analyze competitors, monitor citations, and build AI-first content—all in one place.
Whether you’re new to GEO or scaling an established strategy, Geoptie turns insight into action from day one. Start your free 14-day trial and see exactly where your brand stands in AI search.

How to get your brand cited, recommended, and discovered by AI search engines — a step-by-step framework.

Mastering generative engine optimization in 2026: Full guide by Tor.app

<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-800x450.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Search marketing jobs" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-800x450.jpg 800w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-600x338.jpg 600w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-200x113.jpg 200w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-150x84.jpg 150w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing-550x310.jpg 550w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2021/10/hiring-in-search-marketing.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></div>Land your next job in SEO or PPC. These brands and agencies are hiring to fill open search marketing positions right now.

Looking to take the next step in your search marketing career? 
Below, you will find the latest SEO, PPC, and digital marketing jobs at brands and agencies. We also include positions from previous weeks that are still open.
Newest SEO Jobs 
.wp-block-rss__item-title{padding-top:20px;}



(Provided to Search Engine Land by SEOjobs.com) 

SEO Coordinator
February 23, 2026 
Job Description **Currently hiring in Louisiana** Are you obsessed with SEO and always eager to learn what’s next? Do you follow industry changes, test new ideas, and look for ways to sharpen your skills? We’re looking for someone who is hungry to grow, excited to dive deeper into strategy, and motivated to turn knowledge into […]

Sr. SEO Manager
February 23, 2026 
About Us At Ideal Living, we believe everyone has a right to pure water, clean air, and a solid foundation for wellness. As the parent company of leading wellness brands AirDoctor and AquaTru, we help bring this mission to life daily through our award-winning, innovative, science-backed products. For over 25 years, Los Angeles-based Ideal Living […]

SEO Manager
February 23, 2026 
Job Description COLAB Marketing is seeking an experienced and results-driven SEO Manager to lead our organic search strategy across multiple client accounts. This is a full-time, in-office position for someone who understands both the technical and strategic sides of SEO and thrives in a fast-paced agency environment. We’re looking for someone who doesn’t just “do SEO,” but understands how […]

Digital Marketing Specialist
February 22, 2026 
What’s in it for you? Competitive salary with annual salary review and bonus. FULLY paid top tier medical, dental, & vision benefits for you and your family. Outstanding paid time off policy. Flexible work arrangement Student Loan Assistance, up to $5,000 annually as eligible. Learning and Development Opportunities including Tuition Reimbursement. Highly engaged culture, stable […]

Sr. Digital Marketing Executive
February 21, 2026 
Overview Job Description: We are looking for an ambitious and proven Senior Digital Marketing Executive with 3+ years of experience and in-depth knowledge of digital marketing platforms. Responsible for generating quality traffic for our website (the US-based website and traffic needed also from the USA). Responsibilities Hands on experience in creating marketing campaigns for PPC […]

Digital Marketing Manager (SEO & Paid Media)
February 20, 2026 
Job Description Shaka Wear is a premium streetwear brand built on authenticity, quality, and cultural impact. Known for our heavyweight basics and iconic street silhouettes, we’ve grown from local staple to global name — driven by a loyal community and a powerful online presence. We’re looking for a Digital Marketing Manager (In-Person) who can take […]

SEO Specialist – Full time Contract
February 20, 2026 
Overview You will be working with an internal team that functions as an SEO helpdesk for a large international client in the hospitality sector with over 120 locations worldwide. The helpdesk receives a wide range of SEO-related requests from internal senior members and locations via email daily, and it is their responsibility to triage, process, […]

Senior SEO Analyst
February 20, 2026 
Job Description Salary: Up to 80K Position: Senior SEO Analyst Company: Mason Interactive Job Overview: As a Senior SEO Analyst at Mason Interactive, you will take a leading role in optimizing search engine performance for our diverse clientele. This position requires an individual who can combine deep technical SEO knowledge with creative problem-solving to enhance […]

Growth/Digital Performance Marketing Lead (SEO/AEO, CRO, UX)
February 19, 2026 
Company Description Thought Industries powers the Business of Value – enabling enterprises to unlock growth across the customer lifecycle. From our Boston headquarters, we help organizations drive measurable impact, maximize customer lifetime value, and fuel innovation through our leading enterprise solutions. Unlock growth with us – where your potential meets boundless possibilities. Job Description We’re […]

Marketing Strategist (SEO, ORM)
February 19, 2026 
Job Description Marketing Strategist (SEO, ORM & Marketing Automation, Mortgage Industry) Location: Hybrid – Irvine, CA Job Type: Full-Time   Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 300 Company. Mutual of Omaha Mortgage is inspired by hometown values and a commitment to being responsible and caring for each other. We exist for the benefit of our customers […]

Newest PPC and paid media jobs
(Provided to Search Engine Land by PPCjobs.com) 
.wp-block-rss__item-title{padding-top:20px;}



Paid Media Manager
February 23, 2026 
Paid Media Manager Location: Dallas or Plano, TX Work Model: In-office initially, hybrid flexibility after 6 months Role Overview Angel Reyes & Associates is hiring a Paid Media Manager to serve as the hands-on owner of our paid search programs. This is a senior, execution-focused role responsible for day-to-day performance, optimization, and agency management across […]

Performance Marketing Manager
February 22, 2026 
Garner’s mission is to transform the healthcare economy, delivering high-quality and affordable care for all. We are fundamentally reimagining how healthcare works in the U.S. by partnering with employers to redesign healthcare benefits using clear incentives and powerful, data-driven insights. Our approach guides employees to higher-quality, lower-cost care, creating a system that works better for […]

Digital Marketing & Marketing Automation Manager (PPC Expert)
February 20, 2026 
Company Overview Natran Green Pest Control is not just a job, it’s a career!  We’re searching for dedicated professionals who are passionate about the green movement, sustainability, and want to be part of a team that focuses on creating a healthy environment!   Our culture is centered on continuous learning, communication, and teamwork at every level of […]

Performance Marketing Manager
February 20, 2026 
Job Description Mirage is the leading AI short-form video company. We’re building full-stack foundation models and products that redefine video creation, production and editing. Over 20 million creators and businesses use Mirage’s products to reach their full creative and commercial potential. We are a rapidly growing team of ambitious, experienced, and devoted engineers, researchers, designers, […]

Social Media Coordinator (Paid Social, Influencers)
February 20, 2026 
Job Description DEL Records, Inc. is on the lookout for a dynamic Social Media Manager to elevate our Social Media team! If you’re passionate about music, events, and digital storytelling, we want you on board. Join us and play a pivotal role in connecting fans with their favorite artists and events. Responsibilities: Develop and implement […]

Other roles you may be interested in
Meta Ads Manager, Cardone Ventures (Scottsdale, AZ)
Salary: $85,000 – $100,000
Develop, execute, and optimize cutting-edge digital campaigns from conception to launch
Provide ongoing actionable insights into campaign performance to relevant stakeholders
Senior Manager of Marketing (Paid, SEO, Affiliate), What Goes Around Comes Around (Jersey City, NJ)
Salary: $125,000
Develop and execute paid media strategies across channels (Google Ads, social media, display, retargeting)
Lead organic search strategy to improve rankings, traffic, and conversions
Search Engine Optimization Manager, Method Recruiting, a 3x Inc. 5000 company (Remote)
Salary: $95,000 – $105,000
Lead planning and execution of SEO and AEO initiatives across assigned digital properties
Conduct content audits to identify optimization, refresh, pruning, and gap opportunities
Senior Manager, SEO, Kennison & Associates (Hybrid, Boston MA)
Salary: $150,000 – $180,000
You’ll own high-visibility SEO and AI initiatives, architect strategies that drive explosive organic and social visibility, and push the boundaries of what’s possible with search-powered performance.
Every day, you’ll experiment, analyze, and optimize-elevating rankings, boosting conversions across the customer journey, and delivering insights that influence decisions at the highest level.
Backlink Manager (SEO Agency), SEOforEcommerce (Remote)
Salary: $60,000
Managing and overseeing backlink production across multiple campaigns
Reviewing and approving backlink opportunities (guest posts, niche edits, outreach-based links, etc.)
PPC Specialist, BrixxMedia (Remote)
Salary: $80,000 – $115,000
Manage day-to-day PPC execution, including campaign builds, bid strategies, budgets, and creative rotation across platforms
Develop and refine audience strategies, remarketing programs, and lookalike segments to maximize efficiency and scale
Performance Marketing Manager, Mailgun, Sinch (Remote)
Salary: $100,000 – $125,000
Manage and optimize paid campaigns across various channels, including YouTube, Google Ads, Meta, Display, LinkedIn, and Connected TV (CTV).
Drive scalable growth through continuous testing and optimization while maintaining efficiency targets (CAC, ROAS, LTV)
SEO and AI Search Optimization Manager, Big Think Capital (New York)
Salary: $100,000
Own and execute Big Think Capital’s SEO and AI search (GEO) strategy
Optimize website architecture, on-page SEO, and technical SEO
Senior Copywriter, Viking (Hybrid, Los Angeles Metropolitan Area)
Salary: $95,000 – $110,000
Editorial features and travel articles for onboard magazines
Seasonal web campaigns and themed microsites
Paid Search Marketing Manager, LawnStarter (Remote)
Salary: $90,000 – $125,000
Manage and optimize large-scale, complex SEM campaigns across Google Ads, Bing Ads, Meta Ads and other search platforms
Activate, optimize and make efficient Local Services Ads (LSA) at scale
Senior Manager, SEO, Turo (Hybrid, San Francisco, CA)
Salary: $168,000 – $210,000
Define and execute the SEO strategy across technical SEO, content SEO, on-page optimization, internal linking, and authority building.
Own business and operations KPIs for organic growth and translate them into clear quarterly plans.
Search Engine Op imization Manager, NoGood (Remote)
Salary: £80,000 – $100,000
Act as the primary strategic lead for a portfolio of enterprise and scale-up clients.
Build and execute GEO/AEO strategies that maximize brand visibility across LLMs and AI search surfaces.
Note: We update this post weekly. So make sure to bookmark this page and check back.

Land your next job in SEO or PPC. These brands and agencies are hiring to fill open search marketing positions right now.

The latest jobs in search marketing

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Google Shopping Ads - Google Ads" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>An incident affecting Feeds on the Google Merchant Center status dashboard could disrupt product listings and Shopping ad performance.

<div><img width="1920" height="1080" src="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Google Shopping Ads - Google Ads" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads.jpg 1920w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads-768x432.jpg 768w, https://searchengineland.com/wp-content/seloads/2025/05/Google-Shopping-Ads-Google-Ads-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
<p>Google Merchant Center is investigating an issue affecting Feeds, according to its public status dashboard.</p>



<p><strong>The details:</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Incident began: Feb. 4, 2026 at 14:00 UTC</li>



<li>Latest update (Feb. 20, 14:43 UTC): “We’re investigating reports of an issue with Feeds. We will provide more information shortly.”</li>



<li>Status: Service disruption</li>
</ul>



<p>The alert appears on the official Merchant Center Status Dashboard, which tracks availability across Merchant Center services.</p>



<p><strong>Why we care.</strong> Feeds power product listings across Shopping ads and free listings. Any disruption can impact product approvals, updates, or visibility in campaigns tied to retail inventory.</p>



<p><strong>What to watch</strong>. Google has not yet shared scope, root cause, or estimated time to resolution. Advertisers experiencing feed processing delays or disapprovals may want to monitor the dashboard closely.</p>



<p><strong>Bottom line.</strong> When feeds stall, ecommerce performance can follow. Retail advertisers should keep an eye on diagnostics and campaign delivery until more details emerge.</p>



<p><strong>Dig Deeper.</strong> <a href="https://merchants.google.com/status/incidents/v1tATafZfsUsdiZEJEqc">Merchant Center Status Dashboard</a></p>


Google Merchant Center is investigating an issue affecting Feeds, according to its public status dashboard.
The details:
Incident began: Feb. 4, 2026 at 14:00 UTC
Latest update (Feb. 20, 14:43 UTC): “We’re investigating reports of an issue with Feeds. We will provide more information shortly.”
Status: Service disruption
The alert appears on the official Merchant Center Status Dashboard, which tracks availability across Merchant Center services.
Why we care. Feeds power product listings across Shopping ads and free listings. Any disruption can impact product approvals, updates, or visibility in campaigns tied to retail inventory.
What to watch. Google has not yet shared scope, root cause, or estimated time to resolution. Advertisers experiencing feed processing delays or disapprovals may want to monitor the dashboard closely.
Bottom line. When feeds stall, ecommerce performance can follow. Retail advertisers should keep an eye on diagnostics and campaign delivery until more details emerge.
Dig Deeper. Merchant Center Status Dashboard

An incident affecting Feeds on the Google Merchant Center status dashboard could disrupt product listings and Shopping ad performance.

All About
Digital Marketing

Read the Latest Trends and Headlines in Digital Marketing.

Here are some of the latest headlines on digital marketing insights, search, and ecommerce:

Free Consultation

Reach out with any questions you might have regarding how RSO can help you with digital marketing.

All About Digital Marketing

Read the Latest Trends and Headlines in Digital Marketing.

Here are some of the latest headlines on digital marketing insights, search, and ecommerce:

Free Consultation

Reach out with any questions you might have regarding how RSO can help you with digital marketing.

All About
Digital Marketing