One way in is to identify and rank for trending keywords before these big sites catch up and dominate the SERPs.

Here’s how you can discover trending keywords for your niche before competitors:

Enter any topic into Google Trends and you’ll see how it has been trending.

You can also adjust the timeframe to identify any emerging trends:

The best part of Google Trends, in my opinion, is the Related queries section at the bottom. It shows topics that are rising in interest over your selected timeframe:

Look out for “breakout” terms, which means that the search term has experienced an increase in search volume of more than 5,000%.

The disappointing thing about Google Trends is that it doesn’t show you many trending keywords.

So, if you want to see a massive list of trending keywords, the best choice is to use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer.

Enter any topic, go to the Matching terms report, then click on the Growth column.

You’ll see >1.6 million keywords, sorted by the largest growth in search volume for the past three months. You can also select the timeframe by clicking the Period dropdown.

The best thing about using Keywords Explorer is that you get to see every important keyword metric, like its search volume (your country of choice or globally), its keyword difficulty (or how competitive it currently is to rank), its traffic potential (how much search traffic you could potentially get if you rank #1), its cost-per-click, and more.

You can even click on the SERP dropdown to see which pages are currently ranking for the keyword:

You can click on Identify Intents to find out what searchers are looking for when searching for this keyword:

So, not only can you find keywords that are trending, you’ll also get every piece of information you need to rank high for that keyword too.

Whatever’s trending on the Internet will find its way to the “front page of the Internet.” In short, Reddit is a one-stop shop to find trending keywords.

Start by entering a relevant keyword in the search bar and look for relevant subreddits. For example, these are some of the subreddits for “knives”:

Choose the most relevant subreddit, then sort by Top, and your preferred time period.

Scrolling through this subreddit, I found a discussion about “modern traditional knives”:

With 270 upvotes and 86 comments, this could be a potential topic to target if I sold knives online. But I can double-check if anyone’s searching for this keyword by entering it into Keywords Explorer:

Not a lot of search volume (yet), but there are people looking for it!

Many trends begin on social media so needless to say, it’s the place to go if you’re looking for trending keywords.

For X, you can click on Explore and you’ll see a For You tab. This shows you trends for the topics you’re currently interested in.

As you can see, X knows I’m interested in technology and thus shows me the latest news and trends in tech. However, this is subject to your personal algorithm, so depending on how you use X, it may or may not show you relevant trends.

So, a better way is to do a search for your topic and see what the top tweets are.

Instagram is less intuitive and doesn’t show you trends. So, you’ll have to make do by manipulating your algorithm to show you what’s popular in your niche or do a search and navigating to Tags:

Click on the hashtags to see which posts or topics are trending.

For TikTok, if you have a Business account, you’ll be able to access their Creative Center where they show you what’s trending now:

Like with Reddit, once you’ve noted down what’s trending in your niche, you’ll want to enter them into a keyword tool like Keywords Explorer to see if there is any search volume.

Whether as a personal project, an internal newsletter for your team, or one that gets sent out to your customers, curating a newsletter will keep you up-to-date on all industry trends like no other.

For example, I write the Ahrefs’ Digest, our free weekly newsletter. Every week, I have to scour social media, forums, and other industry newsletters for the best-published content.

Doing so keeps me up-to-date on everything that’s happening in the industry—what just happened, what people are talking about, and what people are publishing.

For example, 200 issues later, I know that right now, people in SEO and marketing are interested in:

As you can see, we’ve already covered some of these topics and will cover more in the future.

Final thoughts

Did I miss out on any methods to find trending keywords? Let me know on LinkedIn.

Entertainment viewing habits have changed dramatically in recent years, leading search ad platforms to introduce connected TV (CTV) video ad opportunities alongside standard video and display ads.

Both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads provide advertisers with convenient access to a wide range of inventory and scale through their platforms.

What’s especially useful is that CTV ads can be managed within the same platform as search PPC ads, making it easy for advertisers to streamline their campaigns.

This means advertisers can get started with CTV ads with minimal hassle, reducing management complexity and costs.

First, What Are CTV Video Ads?

CTV ads are video ads that play on connected TV devices. These TVs can connect to the internet and stream content from apps like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube.

Unlike traditional TV ads, which air during regular programming, CTV ads are shown while you’re watching your favorite streaming shows or movies.

CTV ads are basically the modern version of TV commercials, which are adapted for the streaming world.

Advertisers should pay attention to CTV ads because they offer a unique opportunity to engage audiences in a way that traditional TV advertising can’t match.

As streaming services continue to dominate the entertainment landscape, CTV ads allow advertisers to reach viewers who have cut the cord from cable and are consuming content on internet-connected devices.

The time people spend on streaming platforms is increasing, so CTV ads provide a direct and effective way to connect with engaged, attentive audiences in a variety of viewing environments.

In addition, the ad platforms help make CTV ads accessible to advertisers who found traditional TV out of reach.

The flexibility and data-driven approach of ad placements have become a powerful tool for maximizing advertising efforts as part of a well-rounded digital marketing strategy.

CTV Ad Campaign Purpose And Goals

CTV ads are most often used for brand awareness and upper-funnel goals.

These ads enhance brand recognition and visibility, expanding ad touch points across viewing platforms.

While their primary objective is to raise brand awareness, CTV ads can also support other stages of the marketing funnel to connect with potential customers.

Audiences can be targeted during their consideration and decision-making stages with messages and content designed to nurture leads and drive conversions.

Key Features Of CTV Video Ads

To fully understand why CTV ads are such a powerful strategy for advertisers, it’s important to highlight the key features that set them apart from traditional TV ads.

Targeted Advertising

Unlike traditional TV ads, CTV video ads can be targeted to specific audiences, similar to search ads and social media ads.

This means advertisers can customize their messages based on factors like age, interests, viewing behavior, and even location. This precision makes the ads more relevant and engaging for viewers.

Unskippable Formats

Many CTV ads are unskippable on TV screens, ensuring that the entire message reaches the viewer. This is a significant advantage over other video ad formats, where users can skip the ad after a few seconds.

Cross-Device Reach

Ads aren’t just limited to TV screens. They are also displayed on other devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. This multi-device reach allows advertisers to connect with viewers wherever they watch TV.

Measurable Impact

One of the key benefits of CTV ads is the ability to measure their effectiveness.

Advertisers can track metrics like ad completion rates, viewer engagement, and even business outcomes (site visits, sales, leads), gaining insights into how well the campaigns perform. Recent data suggests business outcomes have now become the primary success metric.

Even for seasoned PPC advertisers, diving into CTV ads can feel overwhelming at first.

The transition from search campaigns to video-based formats introduces new creative requirements and targeting options.

But don’t let the unfamiliarity hold you back. While the CTV setup process isn’t entirely intuitive, this article will guide you through the basics.

By leveraging the tools and strategies you already use in search ads, you’ll unlock new opportunities with CTV ads.

Google CTV Ads

Platforms

Google offers CTV ads in two ways. One is through the standard ad platform and the other is Display & Video 360 (DV360).

Google Ads (Standard Platform)

• Google Ads primarily offers access to YouTube and a select group of CTV apps and publishers that partner with Google.
• In the CTV space, Google Ads primarily focuses on delivering video ads through YouTube.
• The YouTube app is available on devices such as smart TVs, game consoles, and streaming devices (Roku, Amazon Fire).
• Ideal as a starting point for CTV campaigns, especially if you’re focused on YouTube and a few other platforms.

Display & Video 360 (DV360)

• DV360 provides access to a much broader range of inventory, including premium CTV networks, programmatic TV, and a wider array of third-party apps and platforms.
• It is designed for more complex, cross-channel campaign management. It allows for integrated planning, buying, and optimization across different media types, including video, display, audio, and native ads.
• DV360 is ideal for larger advertisers or agencies that are handling more advanced digital strategies.

Networks

YouTube Ecosystem

YouTube ads and YouTube TV ads are both part of YouTube’s ecosystem, and advertisers purchase both through the Google Ads platform.

However, while the buying process is the same, Google places the ads based on the type of content:

• YouTube Ads: Shown across YouTube’s main platform, including on YouTube Home, video watch pages, and in search results. These ads target users watching regular YouTube content (user-generated and professional videos) and can be skippable, non-skippable, or bumper ads.
• YouTube TV Ads: These ads are shown specifically on YouTube TV’s live streaming service. Similar to traditional TV ads, they appear during live broadcasts and on-demand content from major networks and cable channels.

Google TV Ads

Google TV ads are purchased through the Google Ads platform, just like YouTube ads. This allows for managing and measuring campaigns all in one place.

However, they are shown on smart TVs through the Google TV platform. It acts as an operating system for smart TVs and streaming devices that consolidates content into one easy-to-use interface.

• Access to content from various streaming services (like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+) across over 125 channels.
• Ads appear as in-stream video ads.

Note that when selecting the networks, YouTube must also be selected to access placements on Google TV.

This means, there is currently no way to target only Google TV.

Looking strictly at CTV, YouTube TV has a massive opportunity for audience reach.

Google reported YouTube TV has surpassed 8 million subscribers, solidifying its position as the largest live TV streaming service in the U.S.

On the other hand, Google TV does not have a direct subscriber count like YouTube TV because it functions primarily as a content aggregation platform, offering a dashboard to access movies and TV shows from various streaming services.

According to Google, in the U.S., 60% of households now watch free, ad-supported streaming services and channels. Google TV and other retail Android TV OS devices will have 20.1 million addressable monthly active devices in the U.S. in 2023.

Various streaming services where Google TV ads are served:

• YouTube.
• Netflix.
• Hulu.
• Disney+.
• Roku.
• Paramount+.
• Peacock.
• Amazon Prime Video.
• HBO Max.
• Tubi.
• Pluto TV.
• Vudu.
• Sling TV.
• Apple TV.
• Discovery+.

Audiences

A major power play here is Google’s CTV ad’s access to world-class audience targeting.

In contrast to traditional TV ads, which rely on broad, regional airings with limited customization, Google Ads allow for precise audience targeting.

Advertisers can tap into a variety of options to reach specific viewers:

• Demographics: Gender, age, parental status, household income.
• Interests/detailed demographics: In-market, affinity, life events.
• Custom: Custom combinations, remarketing, customer match lists.
• Content: Keywords, topics, placements.

Ad formats

Although Google provides a range of video ad formats for YouTube, only a select few are available for Google TV/CTV.

These formats are short, unskippable, and designed to fit seamlessly into the streaming experience.

To access CTV ad placements, the “non-skippable” or “efficient reach” campaign subtypes must be selected in the campaign set-up.

Screenshot by author, October 2024

Bid Strategy

With Google TV ads, the only available bidding strategy is cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM).

This means you’re paying based on how many times your ad is viewed, not on clicks, which helps focus on maximizing reach.

Your Target CPM is the average amount you’re willing to spend for every thousand impressions. Google Ads then optimizes bids around this target to help you get the most unique views possible.

Google Summary

For most advertisers, Google Ads is a solid choice for CTV campaigns, especially if you’re focused on YouTube and a few select platforms.

It’s user-friendly and set up for targeting and reach. The user experience is familiar if you are a regular advertiser.

However, there may be volume issues if the platform favors serving on YouTube over Google TV.

The key to utilizing Google Ads in the CTV realm is leveraging YouTube’s extensive reach across these devices and platforms to engage viewers with impactful video content.

How To Target CTV With Google – Step By Step

Google Ads Standard Platform

To access Google TV settings in campaign creation, the campaign must be a video reach, non-skippable format.

Step-by-step selections:

1. New campaign.
2. Choose your objective: Awareness and consideration.
3. Select a campaign type: Video > Select a campaign subtype: Video reach > Select campaign subtype: Non-skippable reach or efficient reach.
4. Ad formats: Select from multi-ad formats.
5. Bid strategy: Pre-selected depending on the campaign subtype.
6. Enter budgets and dates.
7. Select networks > Select locations > Select languages.
8. Select any related videos with YouTube URL.
9. Additional settings: Devices, operating systems, advanced targeting for mobile phones and tablets.
10. Select frequency capping > Select ad schedule > Select audiences.
11. Create video ads: Provide the URL of the YouTube-hosted video to use as the ad.
12. Bid is pre-set at CPM.
13. Create campaign!

Microsoft CTV Ads

Platforms

Both Microsoft Ads platforms below cater to video advertising but target different environments and user behaviors.

Microsoft Ads (Standard Platform)

• Offers a streamlined approach to CTV advertising through the standard ad platform.
• Advertisers gain exclusive access to Netflix and a large video marketplace with 860+ CTV publishers, including major names like Disney+, Roku, Hulu, and more.
• Setting up campaigns is straightforward and quick, requiring few clicks and no setup fees.

Microsoft Invest

• Enterprise-level Demand-Side Platform (DSP) with a broader approach to video advertising across all screens, including CTV buying.
• Designed for larger advertisers and agencies with significant ad budgets, looking to manage extensive video advertising campaigns.
• A good fit for those with complex strategies and the need for advanced targeting and performance analytics.
• Here, advertisers can access Netflix placements through guaranteed programmatic buys.
• Smaller businesses or those with limited budgets may find it less accessible due to its enterprise-level features and focus.

Networks

Microsoft Ads CTV ads appear on a wide range of content on popular streaming platforms and connected TV apps, including services like Hulu and Roku.

This broad network is not Microsoft-owned or branded. Some premium networks and streaming platforms where the ads are served:

• Netflix.
• Roku.
• Hulu.
• Max.
• Fox.
• Disney+.
• Peacock.
• Paramount+.
• LG Channels.
• Discovery+.
• Samsung TV Plus.
• Pluto TV.
• Tubi.
• Vudu.
• Amazon Fire TV.
• Apple TV.
• Sling TV.
• Showtime.
• YouTube TV.
• Crackle.

Screenshot by author, October 2024

Audience

Microsoft CTV ads provide powerful audience-targeting capabilities that are far beyond what traditional TV ads can offer.

Microsoft CTV ads use millions of first-party data points and advanced tools to reach audiences.

This level of precise targeting supports campaigns that are more efficient and more impactful than traditional TV ads.

Advertisers can leverage the following targeting for their campaigns:

• Demographics: Key demographic factors such as age, gender, etc.
• Genre Targeting: Align ads with specific content genres like action, comedy, business, or sports.
• In-Market Audiences: Users actively researching or planning to buy products or services similar to advertisers.
• Similar Audiences: Expands reach by targeting people who exhibit behaviors and interests similar to those of the existing audience.
• Customer Match: Advertisers use their own customer data (such as email lists) to match to known users on Microsoft and subsequently target ads to them.
• Remarketing: Re-engage people who have interacted previously with the brand.

Note: Microsoft provides a real-time audience meter on the right side of the set-up page. This instant feedback indicates if the targeting becomes too narrow, warning the campaign cannot be saved.

Screenshot by author, October 2024

Ad Formats

Video ads are responsive, meaning their format adjusts automatically to fit the experience of the CTV streaming service or page where they appear. The placement of the CTV ads depends on both the video quality and bid.

Both online video ads and CTV ads can run on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. For outstream video campaigns, placements are available only on desktop and tablet.

• Online Video Ads: Play across devices within web content, including websites and apps, engaging users while they browse. They may appear in instream and outstream placements on the Microsoft Advertising Network. Instream placements include ads that appear while people stream media online.
• Outstream-Only Video Ads: They appear outside of traditional video content, such as within articles or social feeds, and integrate naturally into page content.

Creating CTV ads is simple – just provide:

1. A destination URL.
2. The video to upload.

Also available are AI-generated “recommended videos” that pull text and images from your final URL to create a video ad using predefined templates.

Screenshot by author, October 2024

Bid Strategy

Microsoft Advertising uses cost-per-completed view (CPCV), optimizing bids based on the price the advertiser is willing to pay per completed video view.

With automated bidding, bids are adjusted automatically to meet performance goals. CPCV should typically range between $0.01 and $0.20. for CTV ads here.

Screenshot by author, October 2024

Microsoft Results

According to Microsoft and Roku internal data, recent research shows that using CTV ads on the Microsoft Ads platform leads to some notable results.

Advertisers see an 18% increase in click-through rates for audience ads, along with a 9% lift in brand searches from users who were exposed to these ads.

Advertisers can access custom measurement solutions and brand lift studies at no extra cost while running these ads.

How To Target CTV With Microsoft – Step By Step

Microsoft Ads Standard Platform

Step-by-step selections:

1. New campaign.
2. Choose your goal: Brand awareness > Select a campaign type: Connected TV (CTV).
3. Enter budget.
4. Bid strategy: Cost per completed view (CPCV).
5. Enter bid and frequency capping > Enter locations.
6. Netflix terms and conditions: Includes video quality and other restrictions.
7. Enter age, if applicable > Enter gender, if applicable.
8. Select audiences.
9. Genre, if applicable.
10. Enter ad schedule.
11. Ad: Add videos and the Final URL
12. Save!

Top Takeaways

Integrating CTV ads into digital strategy is an effective way to grow reach and enhance overall performance, all with simpler ad management than ever before.

Today, we takeaway:

• Simplified Management: CTV ads can be managed within the same platform as search PPC ads, streamlining campaigns and reducing costs.
• Enhanced Audience Targeting: Ads provide precise targeting for reaching engaged viewers across streaming platforms, making ads more relevant and impactful.
• Growing Opportunity: With the shift toward streaming services, CTV ads are a valuable way to reach cord-cutters and expand the campaign’s reach.

More resources: 

Featured Image: vectorfusionart/Shutterstock

At its core, a PR report is about presenting the impact of your hard work.

While day-to-day PR reports get into the nitty gritty of media monitoring, periodic reviews and campaign washups take a step back, looking at wider context, learnings, and next steps.

Let’s get into examples of both…

Here are five real-world PR report examples that stand out for their clarity and focus.

The “Exec-friendly one-pager” PR report from Rise at Seven

The “PR supplement” report from Cedarwood Digital

This PR report example from Cedarwood Digital gives a quick snapshot of digital coverage, showcasing the campaign’s success in terms of links and authority.

The “supplement” report is great for clients who don’t need full PR play-by-plays—either because they’re more invested in other channels, or because reporting is regular enough that they’re already up to speed.

This is an example Digital PR report that we attach to our SEO report – we find it’s quite top level – but it works well for our clients.

The “monthly deep-dive” PR report from Distinctly

This is a solid example of a monthly PR report from Lauren Field, Senior Digital PR Manager at Distinctly, offering the exec summary and next steps up front, followed by a deeper-dive into campaign activities, organic visibility, media coverage, and competitor analysis.

It’s clear from the content that the Distinctly team reports on results across multiple channels, and throughout the entire sales funnel. If you’re looking to report holistically on your PR performance, get inspiration from the full report here.

The “campaign wrap up” PR report example from Kaizen

This PR report from Shakira Sacks, PR Lead at Kaizen, is a great example of a well-structured campaign wrap-up.

It follows a logical and easy-to-read flow, moving through Campaign Overview > Results > Wider Impact > Next Steps.

High-level performance summaries, paired with the right amount of context, make this report ideal for mid-level managers or clients.

For more inspiration, check out the report in full here.

The “live coverage” PR dashboard from Escherman

This live reporting dashboard, built by Andrew Bruce Smith, Founderof Escherman agency, integrates cross-channel PR metrics like coverage authority and social shares.

PR dashboards don’t tend to give the recipient a whole lot of context. As such, they tend to be better for internal teams, or clients who prefer regular updates and minimal hand holding.

Different audiences will be interested in different ways of measuring goals. For example, on-the-ground teams are more likely to care about granular KPIs like the number of dofollow links.

C-suite or Directors, on the other hand, will want to see the top-level impact of your strategy.

They’ll prefer overarching PR KPIs like share of voice uplift across a number of campaign-relevant terms.

Or even site-level share of voice uplift vs. competitors.

That’s why a lot of PR pros go for more visual tools like Looker Studio or Canva.

If your audience is a senior exec, they’ll typically want a well-designed report featuring top-level summaries, carefully curated stats, and performance headlines.

Clients usually expect a white-labeled report with a healthy amount of context on deliverables and results, given they’re not involved in the day-to-day of it all.

And on the ground PRs or internal teams (like you) need live, granular reports, to iteratively review and develop strategy. In-platform data, spreadsheets, and Looker dashboards are format favorites for these bread-and-butter PRs.

Ahrefs’ new PR reporting dashboard is a great example. It gives you a live overview of link and search performance based on your Content Portfolio (ie. your own specified list of URLs).

Here’s what it looks like:

There’s a tendency in PR to over-report. Carving out a clear narrative arc will keep you on track.

The best PR reports I’ve seen stick to this loose formula to deliver healthy insight:value.

• Exec summary (goal and campaign overview)
• Top wins
• Expectation vs reality (carefully curated charts that guide the story)
• Recommendations and next steps

PR campaign report template

Ready to create your own PR report? Here’s a simplified template you can customize for your campaigns…

Grab the template here

Ongoing media coverage template

This next PR report template comes from Digital PR Lead, Alice Walker-Gibbons, from Embryo Digital.

If you’re analyzing the impact of your ongoing media coverage, this Google Sheets example will give you some key metrics to consider in your PR reporting.

Grab the template here.

Quarterly PR report template

Alex Jones, Head of Digital at Cartwright Communications, has developed a follow-along template that reflects his team’s approach to PR reporting.

Here’s what he has to say:

For digital PR reporting, we often split our monthly and quarterly reports into the following Primary Owned Goals:

• Volume of links
• Quality of links
• Relevance of links
• Domain Rating
• Trust Flow

We also add in the share of voice and sentiment analysis if these contribute to the client’s goals. We then split our reports into Secondary Shared Goals (SSGs):

• Keywords/rankings
• Traffic/sessions
• Conversions
• Revenue growth

Essentially, we want to analyze ranking and keyword changes in line with links acquired and then the impact on traffic and sessions. This can also tie back goal completions and any revenue driven as a result.

Wrapping up