SEO
Google AIO Is Ranking More Niche Specific Sites
New data from BrightEdge shows significant changes to Google AI Overviews, prioritizing topic-specific sites and a stronger focus on ecommerce ahead of the year-end shopping season.
Google Core Update And AIO
An interesting insight from the data is that there is more overlap between AIO and Google’s organic search results, that there is more agreement between the two results. Is AIO mirroring the organic search results or are the organic search results more closely aligned with AIO?
The organic search results themselves changed after the August 2024 core algorithm update and so did AIO. BrightEdge’s data offers evidence of how Google’s organic search results changed.
BrightEdge data shows:
- The overlap of URLs cited in AI Overviews with those ranking in the top 100 increased from 37% to 41% post-update.
- This is following Google’s August 15th Core Update.
- The shift indicates that AI Overviews are prioritizing organic results more than before, pulling from lower-ranked results to create comprehensive responses.
BrightEdge data shows that AIO is ranking lower-ranked web pages for more precise answers. Something else to consider is that both AIO and the organic search results changed and it could be the criteria for ranking changed in a similar way for both AIO and organic, that the algorithms for both are doing something similar.
A significant characteristic of the last update is that it is showing less of the big brand sites and more of the independent niche sites. BrightEdge data shows that AIO is also ranking websites that are more precisely about a topic.
Keep reading because there’s more about that in BrightEdge’s data which could offer insights into what’s going on in the organic SERPs.
BrightEdge Dataset
Research was conducted using the BrightEdge Data Cube X, an SEO and content performance platform for researching industries. |
Data Cube X Facilitates:
- Comprehensive Keyword Research
- Competitive Analysis:
- Automated AI-Powered Content and Keyword Research
- Traffic Fluctuation Analysis
Non-Logged-In AI Overviews
Google has rolled out AI Overviews (AIO) to users that are not logged-in to Google accounts, expanding the audience for AIO to a greater amount of people. But it’s not showing across all industries. The data shows that the integration of AIO varies.
Within the context of users who are not logged in, Ecommerce search results for not logged-in users dropped in AIO is less than logged-in users by a whopping 90%.
Users that are not logged-in didn’t see AIO in the following topics:
- Education: 21% relative decrease
- B2B Tech: 17% relative decrease
- Healthcare: 16% relative decrease
Although there’s a decrease in AIO shown to non-logged-in users for ecommerce queries, there is an increase in product grids that are shown to these users compared to logged-in users. BrightEdge speculates that Google is better able to target logged-in users and is thus showing product grids to them on a more precise basis than to non-logged-in users.
More Product Comparisons
BrightEdge’s data indicates that Google AIO is showing more product comparisons and visuals.
Their data shows:
- In August, product carousels for apparel-related queries increased by 172%.
- The use of unordered lists across industries rose by 42%.
These adjustments make AI Overviews more user-friendly by organizing complex product features and specifications for easier decision-making.
All of those features allow users to make comparisons between products by what the products look like as well as by price. A takeaway from this data is that it may be increasingly important to show original product images (if possible) and to make sure that images shown are high quality and allow users to get a good sense of the product.
Data is always important and it’s a good way to make a product listing or product review stand apart from competitors. Any information that makes improves a consumer’s decision making is valuable.
A good example is for clothing where it’s not enough to indicate that something is a size small, medium or large. Sizes are inconsistent from manufacturer to manufacturer and even within a brand’s own products. So, for clothing, it may be useful to add comparison information about actual sizes within a product line in terms of inches or metric measurement so that a consumer can make an even better choice.
Comparison between products, especially within the context of a product review, is important. One of the product review best practices (and maybe a ranking factor) that is recommended by Google is a comparison of the product being reviewed. Google’s product reviews best practices recommendation is that publishers compare a product to another product so that users can presumably make a better decision.
Google recommends:
- “Cover comparable things to consider, or explain which might be best for certain uses or circumstances.”
According to BrightEdge:
“As the holiday shopping season approaches Google is refining AIO search results to focus on comparative content, which rose by 12% in August. AIOs prioritized product carousels with engaging imagery, which rose by 172%. Unordered lists (lists of items that are related but in no specific order, such as general searches for ‘winter boots’ or ‘iPhone cases’) also increased by 42%.”
Google AIO Rankings Are More Precise
A data point that all search marketers should be aware of is that Google is ranking more precise content in AIO in a way that might reflect on what is going on with the organic search algorithms.
BrightEdge discovered that generalist sites had massive decreases in rankings while specialists sites had increases. People like to talk about “authority sites” and what they’re usually referring to is “big brands” with a lot of money and reach. But that’s not authority, it’s just a big brand with reach.
For example, most people consider news organizations as authority sites. But who would you go to for SEO information, Search Engine Journal or big sites like the New York Times or Fox News? What the BrightEdge data shows is that AIO is making a similar consideration of what kinds of sites are actual authorities on a given topic and then showing those sites instead of a big brand site.
The obvious question is, does this have something to do with Google’s last core update in August? One of the goals of Google’s last update is to show more independent sites. If the AIO trends mirror the organic search results to a certain extent, then perhaps what Google’s algorithms are doing is identifying sites that are authoritative in a topic and showing those sites instead of a more general big brand site.
BrightEdge’s data shows that AIO rankings of generalist technology review sites dropped. TechRadar.com dropped by 47.3 and TomsGuide.com dropped by 16.4%. This trend was also seen in health related queries where the kinds of sites that AIO quotes also became more precise.
AIO showed less consumer-focused sites and blogs and began showing more sites that are precisely about health. The BrightEdge data showed that consumer news and general sites like VerywellHealth.com experienced 77.9% drop in AIO exposure and EverydayHealth.com virtually dropped out of AIO with a 95.6% decline.
Sites like MayoClinic.org experienced a 32.4% increase and citations of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services AIO increased by +83.2%. It’s not just a trend away from consumer and general news sites, it’s a trend toward more precise rankings of expert and authoritative content.
BrightEdge noted that the following precisely-focused sites experienced increases:
- Spine-Health.com +266.7%
- Arthritis.org +89.5%
- BrightEdge’s report observes:
“This demonstrates Google’s push toward more detailed, factual content in AI Overviews.”
AIO And Organic SERPs
Google has significantly increased the use of product carousels for apparel-related queries, reflecting a 172% rise. These carousels and grids allow for easier product comparisons based on visuals, pricing, and features.
AI Overviews and Google’s organic search results have more overlap than before. The reason for that may reflect a change to prioritize increasingly precise answers from sites that are authoritative for specific topics. Niche sites have gained prominence in both organic and AI Overviews while large more general sites have lost visibility.AI Overviews continues to evolve but the changes from last month indicate that there is a certain amount of agreement between what’s in the SERPs and AIO.
Read more about AI Overviews data at BrightEdge
Featured Image by Shutterstock/BobNoah
SEO
100 Most Asked Questions on Google in 2024
These are the 100 most asked questions on Google, along with their monthly search volumes.
# | Keyword | Search Volume |
---|---|---|
1 | what to watch | 876000 |
2 | what | 870000 |
3 | what is my ip | 746000 |
4 | what dinosaur has 500 teeth | 671000 |
5 | when is mother’s day 2024 | 585000 |
6 | how many weeks in a year | 497000 |
7 | when is father’s day 2024 | 438000 |
8 | how many days until christmas | 427000 |
9 | how to screenshot on mac | 389000 |
10 | what time is it | 370000 |
11 | how many ounces in a gallon | 368000 |
12 | when is easter 2024 | 361000 |
13 | how to screenshot on windows | 349000 |
14 | who won the super bowl 2024 | 349000 |
15 | what time is the eclipse | 347000 |
16 | what time is the super bowl | 326000 |
17 | what space movie came out in 1992 | 325000 |
18 | when is the super bowl | 322000 |
19 | when is easter | 318000 |
20 | how to tie a tie | 312000 |
21 | how many ounces in a cup | 303000 |
22 | what is project 2025 | 298000 |
23 | when is the super bowl 2024 | 293000 |
24 | when is thanksgiving | 288000 |
25 | when is the solar eclipse | 287000 |
26 | why women kill | 258000 |
27 | what is my ip address | 247000 |
28 | what we do in the shadows | 244000 |
29 | how many ounces in a pound | 243000 |
30 | how old is taylor swift | 242000 |
31 | what day is it | 241000 |
32 | when is father’s day | 238000 |
33 | when is super bowl 2024 | 232000 |
34 | what is today | 231000 |
35 | when is thanksgiving 2023 | 225000 |
36 | when is mothers day | 224000 |
37 | what is juneteenth | 215000 |
38 | how many cups in a quart | 206000 |
39 | when to work | 199000 |
40 | how many oz in a gallon | 198000 |
41 | when is memorial day 2024 | 192000 |
42 | what time is the debate tonight | 191000 |
43 | how to write a check | 188000 |
44 | how many quarts in a gallon | 188000 |
45 | how many people are in the world | 188000 |
46 | who shot trump | 188000 |
47 | how many seconds in a day | 185000 |
48 | what does gyatt mean | 182000 |
49 | how many oz in a cup | 178000 |
50 | what time is the solar eclipse 2024 | 177000 |
51 | who won the debate | 176000 |
52 | when is the next full moon | 175000 |
53 | what holiday is today | 173000 |
54 | who is running for president in 2024 | 173000 |
55 | when is daylight savings | 172000 |
56 | how long to boil eggs | 169000 |
57 | who called me from this phone number | 168000 |
58 | where the crawdads sing | 164000 |
59 | what time does the super bowl start | 162000 |
60 | where am i | 162000 |
61 | how many days till christmas | 161000 |
62 | how much house can i afford | 161000 |
63 | how to draw | 158000 |
64 | how many grams in an ounce | 155000 |
65 | how to train your dragon | 153000 |
66 | how to lose a guy in 10 days | 152000 |
67 | what time is the presidential debate | 148000 |
68 | how to take a screenshot on windows | 147000 |
69 | how to pronounce | 147000 |
70 | when is fathers day | 145000 |
71 | what is hamas | 145000 |
72 | how many tablespoons in a cup | 143000 |
73 | when calls the heart | 143000 |
74 | how to delete facebook account | 143000 |
75 | cindy lou who | 143000 |
76 | how many steps in a mile | 141000 |
77 | how old is joe biden | 141000 |
78 | when are taxes due 2024 | 141000 |
79 | how many liters in a gallon | 139000 |
80 | how i met your mother | 139000 |
81 | how to delete instagram account | 138000 |
82 | how many teaspoons in a tablespoon | 137000 |
83 | how to lower blood pressure | 137000 |
84 | what time does mcdonald’s stop serving breakfast | 137000 |
85 | how many cups in a gallon | 137000 |
86 | when is mardi gras 2024 | 136000 |
87 | when evil lurks | 135000 |
88 | when is the presidential debate | 132000 |
89 | how many feet in a mile | 128000 |
90 | how old is travis kelce | 127000 |
91 | what is rsv | 125000 |
92 | when does the time change | 123000 |
93 | how to deactivate facebook | 123000 |
94 | when does fall start | 123000 |
95 | how did matthew perry die | 123000 |
96 | how it ends | 122000 |
97 | when is black friday | 121000 |
98 | how many countries are there | 121000 |
99 | how to boil eggs | 118000 |
100 | what is mewing | 118000 |
# | Keyword | Search Volume |
---|---|---|
1 | what is my ip | 2,870,000 |
2 | what to watch | 1,760,000 |
3 | what dinosaur has 500 teeth | 1,450,000 |
4 | where is my train | 973,000 |
5 | what the font | 901,000 |
6 | where to watch india national cricket team vs australian men’s cricket team | 895,000 |
7 | how many weeks in a year | 875,000 |
8 | when is mother’s day 2024 | 772,000 |
9 | where to watch india national cricket team vs england cricket team | 770,000 |
10 | que significa | 679,000 |
11 | how many ounces in a cup | 679,000 |
12 | cuando cobro | 660,000 |
13 | how many days until christmas | 642,000 |
14 | quando eh o prox carnaval | 638,000 |
15 | who called me | 617,000 |
16 | how to screenshot on mac | 598,000 |
17 | what is my ip address | 590,000 |
18 | when is easter 2024 | 590,000 |
19 | how i met your mother | 532,000 |
20 | when is easter | 530,000 |
21 | when is father’s day 2024 | 528,000 |
22 | how to screenshot on windows | 522,000 |
23 | cuando juega boca | 521,000 |
24 | how to tie a tie | 505,000 |
25 | what time is it | 503,000 |
26 | what we do in the shadows | 503,000 |
27 | where to watch sri lanka national cricket team vs india national cricket team | 503,000 |
28 | why women kill | 462,000 |
29 | how many seconds in a day | 446,000 |
30 | how to delete instagram account | 446,000 |
31 | where to watch india national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team | 441,000 |
32 | where to watch south africa national cricket team vs india national cricket team | 419,000 |
33 | who won the super bowl 2024 | 403,000 |
34 | what is today | 402,000 |
35 | qué significa | 397,000 |
36 | how many ounces in a gallon | 394,000 |
37 | where the crawdads sing | 394,000 |
38 | when is mothers day | 393,000 |
39 | when is black friday | 391,000 |
40 | cuando juega river | 384,000 |
41 | what is love | 381,000 |
42 | what space movie came out in 1992 | 376,000 |
43 | where am i | 369,000 |
44 | when is father’s day | 366,000 |
45 | какой сегодня праздник | 362,000 |
46 | how to make money online | 361,000 |
47 | when is the super bowl | 352,000 |
48 | what time is the eclipse | 351,000 |
49 | what is ai | 346,000 |
50 | how are you | 346,000 |
51 | what time is the super bowl | 340,000 |
52 | when is thanksgiving | 333,000 |
53 | what day is it | 331,000 |
54 | how to lose a guy in 10 days | 323,000 |
55 | how to draw | 322,000 |
56 | who won the election 2024 | 321,000 |
57 | what is project 2025 | 320,000 |
58 | where to watch zimbabwe national cricket team vs india national cricket team | 320,000 |
59 | when is the solar eclipse | 317,000 |
60 | how to delete facebook account | 317,000 |
61 | how to train your dragon | 316,000 |
62 | when is the super bowl 2024 | 310,000 |
63 | cuando juega argentina | 303,000 |
64 | how to deactivate facebook | 301,000 |
65 | when evil lurks | 300,000 |
66 | how to pronounce | 299,000 |
67 | how old is taylor swift | 296,000 |
68 | who is erin carter | 294,000 |
69 | where to watch olympics 2024 | 293,000 |
70 | how many ounces in a pound | 291,000 |
71 | cual es mi ip | 291,000 |
72 | how many days till christmas | 287,000 |
73 | how to lose weight fast | 282,000 |
74 | how to calculate percentage | 281,000 |
75 | where to watch india national cricket team vs bangladesh national cricket team | 281,000 |
76 | where to watch new zealand national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team | 279,000 |
77 | when is fathers day | 275,000 |
78 | when is thanksgiving 2023 | 267,000 |
79 | how many days in a year | 265,000 |
80 | when is the next full moon | 265,000 |
81 | where to watch india national cricket team vs south africa national cricket team | 264,000 |
82 | how many countries in the world | 264,000 |
83 | why is my husband yelling at me | 262,000 |
84 | how it ends | 260,000 |
85 | when is super bowl 2024 | 256,000 |
86 | how many people are in the world | 254,000 |
87 | где посылка | 252,000 |
88 | que pasa salta | 249,000 |
89 | que hora es | 247,000 |
90 | where to watch pakistan national cricket team vs india national cricket team | 247,000 |
91 | where to watch india national cricket team vs new zealand national cricket team | 246,000 |
92 | cuando es el dia del padre | 245,000 |
93 | where to watch australian men’s cricket team vs india national cricket team | 243,000 |
94 | how to make money | 242,000 |
95 | who is the richest person in the world | 240,000 |
96 | what is hamas | 237,000 |
97 | que significa traka | 235,000 |
98 | what holiday is today | 235,000 |
99 | who called me from this phone number | 233,000 |
100 | how long to boil eggs | 232,000 |
Top Google questions by growth
Many popular questions don’t change from year to year. For example, people have been asking measurement-related questions since forever (e.g., ” how many cups in a gallon”). I ask that often too.
But there are new questions, too. These are the questions that have seen the most growth recently.
1. Who shot Trump
Monthly search volume: 188,000
Change in search volume over the past 3 months: +73M%
The spike in searches for this keyword was due to the assassination attempt on the former U.S president and then presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for the 2024 presidential election. Searches for this topic has dwindled since then.
2. Where to watch summer olympic games
Monthly search volume: 82,000
Change in search volume over the past 3 months: +19M%
The spike in searches was due to the 2024 Summer Olympics which was held in Paris. It concluded on 11 August 2024, which is why searches around this topic have died off since then.
3. How to register to vote in the US
Monthly search volume: 70,000
Change in search volume over the past 3 months: +16M%
The spike in searches is due to the upcoming 2024 United States presidential election. It is set to be held on November 5, 2024. I foresee searches will go the way of the Summer Olympics once the election concludes.
4. How did rich homie quan die
Monthly search volume: 28,000
Change in search volume over the past 3 months: +11M%
Rich Homie Quan (real name: Dequantes Devontay Lamar) was an American rapper. The spike in searches was because Rich Homie Quan was found unconscious at home on September 5, 2024. His girlfriend told 911 that he was on the couch in the morning and had not moved when she returned home later. He was later pronounced dead at an Atlanta hospital on the same day at the young age of 34. An autopsy has been performed, but the cause of death is currently unknown.
5. What is demure
Monthly search volume: 23,000
Change in search volume over the past 3 months: +5.6M%
The word “demure” is an adjective that means “reserved, modest, and shy.” However, this particular spike was because of TikTok creator Jools Lebon. In a video that has now more than 30 million views, Jools used the phrase “very demure, very mindful” to describe herself. It went viral and many creators on social media started replicating the catchphrase in their own content.
Looking at the dip in searches, it is likely that this trend is, like most Internet trends, merely temporary and will die off soon.
Here’s how to find the most asked questions in your niche:
- Go to Keywords Explorer
- Enter a relevant keyword
- Go to the Matching terms report
- Toggle the Questions tab
For example, if you search for “coffee”, you can see 142,000 questions which you could potentially create content for.
Want to do keyword research for your site? Sign up for Keywords Explorer.
SEO
An In-Depth Guide For Businesses
Social media marketing is all about being where your audience is.
If your target audience is active on a platform, then you should be, too. And if you’re looking to speak to a younger demographic, Snapchat can be a powerful marketing tool for your business.
Snapchat is the fifth largest social media network in the world – but it’s one of the most misunderstood (and underestimated) by marketers.
So, if you’re concerned about missing the boat on this platform, you’re not alone. You’re also not out of touch – you just need a comprehensive guide to get started. And you’re in the right place.
In this updated guide to Snapchat marketing, we’ll provide you with a deep dive into the multimedia messaging platform, explain who’s using it, and give you the strategies you need to add it effectively to your marketing mix.
Why Use Snapchat For Marketing? (Is It Still Relevant?)
Successful marketers focus on grasping every opportunity to reach potential customers – and Snapchat continues to offer unique opportunities.
As of 2024, Snapchat boasts over 406 million active daily users, with more than 80% of them being 34 or younger. The platform reaches 90% of the 13-24-year-old population worldwide and 75% of 13-34-year-olds in over 25 countries.
This makes it an ideal platform for targeting Millennials, Gen Z, and, increasingly, Gen Alpha.
While it might not have the massive user base of Facebook or YouTube, it drives impressive engagement. According to recent data, the average Snapchat user opens the app over 40 times per day and spends about 30+ minutes daily on the platform – which means people interact with their social circles on Snapchat more than any other social network.
Yet, when it comes to marketing, Snapchat is a relatively untapped territory. While every brand seems to have a Facebook and Instagram presence these days, comparatively few have a foothold on Snapchat. And that just means more opportunity for your brand.
The boon of Snapchat is how it’s optimized for authenticity. Given the ephemeral nature of the app and the more unfiltered style of content approach, brands can use the platform to connect with their audience in ways that feel genuine and immediate – which is more valuable than ever.
And, as if all of this wasn’t enough, Snapchat has established itself as a competitive force in the social commerce market. With its augmented reality (AR) shopping experiences, you’re able to build immersive shopping experiences for users through the app – something most other platforms can’t compete with.
By now, it should be crystal clear why Snapchat could be a strong addition to your marketing strategy. So, how do you get started? Let’s break it down.
How Does Snapchat Work? A Brief Overview
If your social media experience is primarily with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X (Twitter), Snapchat’s interface may initially feel like a whole new world.
Snapchat’s design is unique – it’s built for spontaneity, exclusivity, and in-the-moment content creation. When you open the app, it goes directly to the camera, making it super easy for you to capture and share videos and photos (called “Snaps”) in just a few seconds.
You can then edit these Snaps using a variety of filters, stickers, and AR Lenses before sending them directly to your chosen friends or adding to your “Story,” which remains viewable for 24 hours. There’s also a newer Spotlight feature, similar to TikTok, for sharing short-form videos with wider audiences.
The app offers a host of other features, including a Snap Map, an AI-powered chatbot, and disappearing direct messages. Long story short: There are a bunch of innovative and creative ways for brands to engage with audiences on Snapchat.
What Brands Are Best Suited To Snapchat Marketing?
Let me be clear: Snapchat isn’t for every brand. There’s a reason why it’s less frequented than some other social media platforms. That said, if your target audience includes younger consumers, it’s absolutely worth considering.
Brands that are best suited to Snapchat are those that present a youthful image and tone and prioritize authenticity, “realness,” and creativity. If your brand image is highly professional or you have red tape around your marketing efforts, you should likely look elsewhere.
Lifestyle brands, fashion labels, beauty products, entertainment companies, and tech startups – these are the kinds of companies that typically see success on the app.
But really, the opportunity exists for any type of brand that is interested in using Snapchat’s tools to create immersive, engaging content that resonates with the platform’s users.
How To Get the Right “Tone Of Voice” For Snapchat
I mentioned tone above – and on Snapchat, tone of voice is a big deal. The platform itself is playful and casual, so you’re not likely to find success using an overly formal or professional tone.
Instead, your brand should focus on having a genuine conversation with users and infusing your content with humor.
Here are some tips for nailing the Snapchat tone of voice:
- Keep it light: People go to Snapchat to be entertained. Leave your hard sales pitch at the door.
- Prioritize authenticity: It’s a place to show the human side of your brand, whether it’s through user-generated content or behind-the-scenes Snaps.
- Engage, engage, engage: Snapchat has a ton of interactive tools for engaging directly with users, like polls, Q&As, and more. Put them to use!
How To Create A Snapchat Strategy For Business
So, you want to create a successful Snapchat strategy. You can just start posting content sporadically, right? Wrong.
You need to start by understanding your brand’s goals and audience, and then determining the type of content that will best help you reach those people on Snapchat specifically. Here are some steps you can take to start building your Snapchat strategy:
- Decide what you want to achieve on the platform. Maybe it’s brand awareness, community building, or increasing sales – once you know your goals, you can build your content approach around them.
- Know your audience. As with any kind of marketing strategy, this is crucial.
- Experiment and be creative. Try your hand with some of Snapchat’s different tools (like Bitmoji, AR Lenses, filters, etc.) to create content that resonates with your audience. Don’t just choose one type of content and settle – you can (and should) experiment with a variety of Snaps, Stories, and Spotlight videos.
- Be consistent. All great marketers know that consistency is key – and it’s the same story on Snapchat.
- Keep a good balance. Of course, you want to sell your brand to users, but don’t go all in on self-promotional content. Make sure you’re balancing organic, engaging storytelling with talking about yourself.
- Learn (and follow) Snapchat best practices. This is a no-brainer. Spend time on the platform to find what works, and see how you can adopt it in your own strategy.
Types Of Content That Work Best On Snapchat
Snapchat is all about driving engagement. What does that look like in action? Here are some examples of content approaches that work particularly well on the platform.
1. Sneak Peeks & Teasers
Launching a new product or service? Snapchat is a great place to drive excitement by giving your audience teasers or sneak peeks at what’s to come.
You might think about dropping hints about the product, sharing a quick glimpse, or some other behind-the-scenes moments to encourage anticipation among your Snapchat followers.
Warner Bros., for example, has used teaser content to promote its upcoming movie releases.
2. Behind-The-Scenes Content
Speaking of behind-the-scenes, this type of content is tailor-made for Snapchat.
Showing your audience what goes on behind the curtain at your brand is a clever way to create a sense of exclusivity and make people feel like insiders.
3. User-Generated Content (UGC)
You’ve heard about user-generated content – well, Snapchat is a place where UGC really thrives. Consider prompting your followers to create their own Snaps that feature your products or brand, and then share them along with a custom hashtag. Then, you can amplify the strongest ones in your own Stories.
UGC is proven to be a highly effective way to generate social proof, increase brand loyalty, and build a stronger social community.
Javy Coffee is one example of a brand that leveraged UGC by featuring real customer testimonials and stories about how they enjoy the coffee concentrate. This helped the company create relatable ads that resonated with its audience.
4. Interactive Content
One thing that separates Snapchat from most other social media platforms is its interactivity. And brands have plenty of opportunities to get in on the action!
Try devising interactive moments for your followers, whether it’s a simple poll, a challenge, or a unique AR Lens. These allow users to really get involved and have a fun experience with your brand – and can lead to new UGC for you, as well.
For example, e.l.f. Cosmetics used AR Lenses combined with Bitmoji to allow users to virtually try on makeup, creating a highly interactive experience for its audience.
5. Exclusive Offers
Want to really impress your Snapchat followers? Reward them. From promo codes to exclusive discounts or early bird access to new products, there is no shortage of ways to treat your audience.
It’s great for them but beneficial for you, too. It gives people a reason to keep engaging with your content and following your brand.
Advertising On Snapchat
While organic content is at the heart of Snapchat, the platform also offers some unique and powerful paid advertising options. The company also rolled out a new ad platform update in August 2024 that provides enhanced analytics, improved targeting, and more.
1. Snapchat Ads
Served to users in between user-generated content, these are full-screen, vertical video ads. They’re not dissimilar to Instagram Stories, and can include interactive elements such as having a user swipe up to visit a website.
The Salvation Army’s Snapchat Ads featured videos depicting real-life stories of individuals impacted by its services, emphasizing themes of hope and transformation. These ads connected emotionally with viewers and included a swipe-up option to learn more or donate, making the content both impactful and actionable.
2. Sponsored AR Lenses
One of Snapchat’s unique offerings is its custom AR Lenses, which brands can create for users to experience.
You can create Lenses that allow users to virtually “try on” products, for example, put people in a humorous visual setting or even have them play games. At times, they can even respond to users’ movements or the environment around them.
These can be hyper-engaging and drive a lot of interactions – like Volkswagen did when it used an AR Lens to enable people to experience its ID.3 electric vehicle virtually. Using the Lens, people could place a virtual model of the car in their environment, explore its features, and even change the color.
3. Filters
These are static overlays that you can apply to your Snaps once they’re created – and brands are able to design their own to delight Snapchat users. These are typically non-interactive but are fun visual enhancements that enable people to add some creative flair to their content.
Post Consumer Brands created its own custom Snapchat Filter to promote its Honeycomb cereal – and it was very sweet!
4. Dynamic Ads
Snapchat’s Dynamic Ads enable brands to automatically create and deliver personalized ads to users based on their behavior and interactions with your company. For example, if a user visits your website and looks at a specific hat, Snapchat might serve them an ad for that product.
If you work for an ecommerce company, these might be particularly interesting to you, as you can automate ad creation based on your product catalog – so you don’t need to lift a finger.
Fashion brand Free People has used Dynamic Ads to automate personalized ads for users, ensuring that those who viewed specific items on its website were later served ads featuring those exact products on Snapchat. It resulted in a 396% increase in demand.
5. Commercials
These are non-skippable Snapchat video ads that usually appear within the platform’s premium content, like Snap Originals.
They’re short – three to six seconds for a Standard Commercial and up to 180 seconds for an Extended Play Commercial (though users can skip after the first 6 seconds) – and are optimized for high visibility.
They typically focus more on storytelling than some of the other ads on the network.
Let’s Get Snapping!
Yes, Snapchat is still an effective marketing platform for reaching younger audiences – but you must be mindful about your strategy and approach.
With its unique blend of high engagement, unique creative tools, and loyal audience, Snapchat offers brands a variety of ways to connect with their target consumers.
Hopefully, this guide has given you the insights and inspiration you need to build a successful Snapchat marketing strategy in 2024.
Now, it’s time to put these ideas into action and start Snapping your way to success.
More resources:
Featured Image: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock
SEO
6 Things You Can Do to Compete With Big Sites
Zillow, Trulia, Redfin. These names appear in almost every conversation about buying, selling, or renting property. This is not because people are particularly interested in these platforms but because they’ve become the default starting point for most property searches.
The best illustration of this is that out of over 4.5M keywords that Zillow ranks for, bringing them an estimated 32.7M visits from search, the top keyword is “zillow”. And did you know that’s a more popular search term than “houses for sale” or even “apartments”?
You might think there’s really nothing left for realtors and agencies. But here’s the twist: their niche focus is their secret weapon. These local experts can outshine the big names, proving that sometimes, being small is the biggest advantage.
This is where SEO comes in. SEO (search engine optimization) for real estate involves strategies to boost your visibility in Google’s organic search results. This visibility brings free, consistent traffic that grows as you create more optimized content.
The opportunity for boutique, small, and medium real estate businesses lies in four key areas:
- Hyperlocal keyword targeting.
- Long-tail keywords with high intent.
- Local link building.
- Exceptional customer service that fuels positive reviews, boosting your local search rankings.
In other words, you need to do SEO better where it counts.
In this article, I’ll share strategies and tips from SEO experts in the real estate sector, along with insights from high-performing niche sites. Our focus is exclusively on SEO, so we won’t cover search ads or listing your business on aggregators, as you’re likely already doing those.
SEO for real estate faces a few specific challenges. It’s good to know them to understand how to shape your strategy.
Big sites dominate the share of voice. National real estate portals and aggregators often outrank smaller agencies. They’ve got tons of backlinks, tons of well-ranking pages fueled by inventory from practically every possible source, and they are well-optimized for Google. It just so happens that all of that is called authority, which Google likes to promote in search engine result pages (SERPs).
A huge challenge is figuring out where big competitors leave content gaps and missed keyword opportunities. Big real estate platforms dominate the market, so you need to dig deep into what they aren’t addressing.
Both local and national competition. Big sites will appear in both national and local search results. Moreover, chances are on the local level, you’ll be competing with local players who already started investing in SEO.
Our biggest SEO challenge is standing out in local searches amidst fierce competition because we are battling local real estate investors and also national companies.
Real estate SEO is incredibly local. Unlike other industries, where a broad audience can be targeted, real estate businesses must rank well in specific cities or neighborhoods. This means you’re not just competing with the big-name RE platforms but also with other local agencies, making it even harder to stand out.
Serving both sides of the market. As a real estate agent, you’re practically a one-person marketplace serving both sellers and buyers.
Each agent has different ambitions, so they need to ensure their SEO strategy aligns with their overall business goals.
Many topics within real estate will count as Your Money or Your Life (YMYL). In recent years, Google has recognized that certain subjects, including real estate, require higher standards of trustworthiness.
Any content should go through multiple fact checks before publication, and each data point should be well sourced with an external link where possible as this will aid authority.
Now, let’s see what we can do about those challenges.
A well-optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) is crucial to outrank aggregators and local competition. As you probably already know, this free listing appears in Google Search and Maps.
I won’t go into the basics of GBP profiles. I’m sure most of you already have one, and if not, you can get up to speed with our full guide for beginners.
What I’d like to emphasize here is two things.
A GBP is one of your best bets to outrank both big sites and local competitors. I can’t even cite a specific expert here because they’ve all said the same thing. That’s because the so-called map pack featuring GBPs often shows on top of regular organic results.
A GBP is your answer to big brands. They have the marketing budgets, the authority on Google, and brand awareness. A GBP gives you a strong local presence backed by reviews and the effort you take to make the profile stand out.
You have to keep in mind that the profile is not just something that people will see only once, and only if they find it through Google. Even if they discover you in other ways, they will circle back to the GBP to see if you can be trusted.
Secondly, there are a few things that can make or break a GBP:
- Listing each branch separately.
- Giving people reasons to leave a positive review.
- Showing who you are and how you work in the photos feed.
Make sure you list branches separately. This is important because Google ranks GBPs based on the distance of the searcher or the location used in the query to the business (among a few other things). So if you want to be visible in all of the cities or neighborhoods where you have a physical address, make sure to list them separately.
Reviews are one of the most impactful ranking factors for GBPs. Virtually everything about them counts: how many are there, what’s the overall ranking, are they fresh, do you respond to them, etc.. Google pretty much reads them just as a potential client would.
Obviously, the goal is to get as many positive reviews as possible. But here’s the tip: not all of them need to come from actual real estate transactions. You can receive excellent reviews by just being helpful.
Next, list ALL your services. By listing all services, you increase your chances of appearing in a wider range of relevant searches. Example below:
Finally, consider adding photos of your team and client interactions. This isn’t about Google rankings — it’s all about how people think. Photos of your team and happy customers help new clients feel like they know who they’re trusting with their biggest assets. Most GBPs just show normal real estate photos. Just make sure to ask for their permission first.
I’ve gathered a few examples of photo feeds that stood out in my research. Photos like these draw attention yet don’t require much effort to make.
Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into search engines to find what they’re looking for. In SEO, you use keywords as topics for your content so that when someone uses the keywords, they can find your content.
The keyword strategy should focus on niching down if you’re a small or medium-sized real estate business (or you’re working for such a client). Keywords with high search volume are usually harder to rank for. Plus, these big keywords often relate to the national market, not your local area. They’re less likely to bring you leads from nearby customers.
Use the niche market to your advantage and focus on using long-tail keywords with low to medium competition. Rather than looking to target broader terms like “real estate” or “investment property UK”, target more specific phrases like “luxury homes in Manchester” or “affordable property in york”.
A huge challenge is figuring out where big competitors leave content gaps and missed keyword opportunities. Big real estate platforms dominate the market, so you need to dig deep into what they aren’t addressing.
Tools like Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer show what words people use when looking for real estate to buy or an agent to help them sell. Let’s look at how you can use this tool to find the best types of keywords.
Local and hyperlocal real estate keywords
Local and hyperlocal keywords are search terms that are highly specific to a particular geographic location or small community. These keywords typically include:
- Neighborhood names.
- Street names.
- Local landmarks.
- Local attractions.
- Zip codes or postal codes.
- Specific districts within a city.
- Names of local businesses or institutions.
- City comparison (e.g., Portland vs. Austin).
Rather than targeting neighborhood key terms alone, you should also hit landmarks, popular streets, and more. Build expertise and authority through neighborhood-specific landing pages with unique local content. You sacrifice some volume, but you attract highly qualified traffic and increase your chances of showing up at the top of the right search results pages.
To find your keywords in Keywords Explorer:
- Type in broad terms related to the area you operate. For example, in Las Vegas that could be “las vegas, arts district, charleston heights, fremont street, green valley, henderson, los prados, sumerlin, twin lakes, unlv”.
- Go to the Matching terms report.
- In the Include filter add types of the real estate you offer. For example “real estate, house, condo, homes, properties”. Make sure to use the Any mode.
From that point, you can use additional filters to refine results. For example, to find low to medium-difficulty keywords set the KD filter to Max 30.
As you browse through the keywords, add them to a list.
Here are some examples I found:
Questions and real estate buying/selling terminology
Answers to popular questions and terminology allow you to attract customers seeking information first, show off your relevant listings, and get people to contact you for more details.
You can use these same seed keywords to find questions that buyers and sellers are asking. All you need to do is use the Questions tab:
For example, here’s a page explaining some of the basic terms. It generates an estimated 795 organic visits each month.
Local guides
These keywords include a geographic location and offer insights about the local area, like neighborhoods, restaurants, bars, attractions, or real estate market trends.
For instance, Live Love Santa Cruz, a boutique real estate, targets various keywords related to local services and attractions. I’ve listed some keywords where she ranks in the top 10: sushi, beaches, surfboard services; you get the idea. It’s practically a local guide’s blog attached to a real estate business.
To find these keywords, you can again use the standard set of locations and these modifier keywords: “best, things, top-rated, event*, guide, list, tips, map, information, resource, transportation, park*, recreation, shopping”. You can add your own or ask AI to expand this list.
Sidenote.
The asterisk acts as a wildcard for modifier keywords. It will automatically include all the words that start with “park.”
Since these keywords can have irregular structures, it’s a good idea to use competitive keyword research.
To do this, type in “blogs about [local area]” or “[local area] blogs” in Google. If you’re an Ahrefs user, you can use the toolbar to reveal SEO data for each site. Choose sites with the most traffic (ST) and click the KW link.
This will show you the keywords the site ranks for — your new source of content inspiration.
Unique features and buying scenarios
Brandy Hastings from SmartSites and Ally Dyck from seoplus+ mentioned a specific subset of keywords: properties with unique features and specific buying scenarios. For instance “pet-friendly apartments in [suburb]” or “townhomes for sale with low HOA fees”. These keywords typically have low search volume, but they’re high in intent.
Here are some of the ideas you can use for keyword modifiers: “for, near, with, buyer, close to, invest, relocate, retire, in”. Use them with seed keywords related to the type of realty you offer.
- Type in types of real estate as seed keywords.
- Open Matching terms report.
- Set the following filters. Include: add the modifier words mentioned above. Optional filters for finding easier keywords: KD up to 30, Lowest DR Up to 40 in top 10.
- Open the Cluster by terms tab.
From there, look for the areas you serve and browse keyword ideas.
Don’t expect to get leads from every organic visit — it’s a very important thing to understand with this source of traffic.
Real estate decisions take time, and users are often at different stages of their journey. Your goal should be to engage visitors and guide them toward taking the logical next step rather than pushing for an immediate conversion.
I like to think holistically about the different stages someone may be at as they’re researching an area or neighborhood. Informational guides can be really useful for the earlier stages as people are just learning about a place and determining if it’s a good fit. Things like neighborhood overviews, school profiles, guides to local amenities. Then as people start narrowing down their search, more transactional pages optimized for queries like “homes for sale in Neighborhood X” can be effective.
Here’s a simple example of this concept. One of the pages that generates the most traffic for Hudsons Property is a guide to renting and buying a home in London. Each guide links to other relevant content on the site, including London areas.
The visitor can learn not only how to buy or rent but also where. The area guides take them a step further in their buyer’s journey, providing a form to inquire about real estate options.
And that is the whole idea. Each page needs to deliver a logical next step for the visitor to get in touch.
Here are some other ways real estate sites try to engage visitors.
Highlight selected real estate in a neighborhood guide. Even if someone is not ready to buy yet, pictures of nice homes will likely draw them in.
Get Calendly and integrate it with your site. This will give people a quick and easy way to contact you, without back-and-forth with setting up meeting dates.
Encourage contact by making a special offer, such as a free valuation.
Keep main contact options visible at all times. You can include them in a floating menu bar. Simple yet effective. It reduces the time to find contact details and demonstrates your openness.
Within seconds, visitors form lasting impressions about your credibility and professionalism. If they feel something is off, they will leave.
Establishing trust isn’t just about appealing to human psychology — it’s also a critical factor in Google’s ranking algorithm, built into the EEAT concept.
EEAT is how Google’s systems are trained to determine a page’s credibility. The acronym stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, with the last element being the most important.
It basically means that a website exhibiting strong EEAT signals is more likely to rank well in search results because Google aims to provide users with credible and reliable information.
Here are some ways you can cater to potential customers and Google.
Getting a TLS certificate is an absolute must. This protects sensitive information, like login credentials and personal details, from being intercepted by malicious actors. It also displays a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar, visually signaling to users that the website is secure.
On Dana Fitzpatrick’s site, I found these few hundred pixels that clearly establish this realtor’s credibility. It features impressive performance data, a compelling testimonial, and a series of recognitions highlighting her experience.
On Nathan Sherman’s site, I found this:
And I couldn’t agree more — these sold properties acts as strong testimonials. They’re not just a list of past transactions; they’re a visual showcase of an agency’s success story.
Moreover, they catch your eye, because not every agency keeps their sold properties in a visible spot on their site. I know it caught my attention when I first saw this after looking at dozens of real estate sites.
Here’s a real estate business that went the extra mile, although with very simple means. Room Real Estate captured the family business spirit in a short video. This video introduces the visitor to two generations who have worked hard for their success.
There’s going to be a lot of visual content on your site, so make sure the images are compressed and the code is optimized. This will keep your site fast which, again, matters both to visitors and Google.
Real estate websites often rely heavily on images and virtual tours, which can slow down site speed if not optimized properly. In one case, we improved a client’s site speed by compressing images and restructuring their code, which led to a significant boost in their search rankings.
Mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor and a must-have if you want your visitors to stick around. Photos of houses and apartments look better on a big screen, but many of your visitors will use a smartphone instead.
To illustrate, here’s the mobile vs desktop distribution looks on most real estate-related keywords I’ve seen so far.
It’s very easy to test your site for these factors. You can use free tools such as our Webmaster Tools. The tool will show you affected pages, tips on how to fix them, and whether the changes you implemented worked.
That said, fixing those things will require some technical skills. So unless you’re a realtor by day and a web developer by night, you might want to get someone to help you.
Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are links from one website to another. Search engines like Google see these links as votes of trust.
Link building is one of the pillars of SEO as more backlinks from unique domains can improve your search rankings.
There are many tactics to get backlinks, so you need to choose wisely. Based on expert opinions and an analysis of high-performing real estate sites, here’s where you can get quality backlinks:
- Directories.
- Press.
- Podcasts, shows, and public speaking.
- Local organizations, schols, and events.
- Your terminology and data pages.
Let’s look at them in more detail.
1. Directories
Directories are organized listings of websites, typically categorized by topic, industry, or location. For example, Circa is a niche directory for old house listings. They also feature agents and brokers.
Getting your site on a directory is pretty simple. Depending on where you’re listing, you might just add your info yourself, fill out a form and wait for approval, or “pay to play”.
A quick search of online directories or business listings will give you enough sites to keep you busy for a few hours (for example this list from HubSpot). On top of that, I’d recommend you also check out our advanced guide to this type of link building and find some hidden gems.
2. Press
Backlinks from the press come from providing journalists and bloggers a reason to mention you, and therefore, link to you.
For instance, you can offer expertise like Michael Bondi.
Or get your listings featured like Berkshire Property Agents.
You will find lots of requests from journalists requests on HARO, Help a B2B Writer, and similar sites.
Consider reaching out to local press outlets with real estate-focused story ideas. For example, you could propose an article exploring ‘Why there’s a surge of homes for sale in [specific area]’. Alternatively, offer your expertise to journalists working on real estate-related pieces.
If you have a bit more budget, you can hire a PR or link building agency to seek out the right opportunities.
3. Podcasts, shows and public speaking
These events often list speakers or participants on their websites, providing an opportunity for valuable backlinks from reputable sources.
Whenever you get a chance to appear on a show, conference, or lecture, ask for a link back to your site.
4. Local organizations, schools and events
Local organizations, schools, and events often link to sponsors, businesses that are involved in charities or community initiatives, and helpful resources.
These backlinks might need a bit more effort but the benefits of networking will likely surpass SEO. Here are a few ideas to try:
- Join local business associations and chambers of commerce.
- Reach out to local schools and offer to participate in career days or provide educational resources about real estate.
- Sponsor local sports teams or cultural events.
- Volunteer for community service projects or organize charity events.
- Create and share valuable content about the local real estate market, homebuying tips, or neighborhood guides.
- Offer free workshops or seminars on real estate topics for community members.
- Partner with local non-profits for fundraising initiatives.
- Offer internship opportunities to local students interested in real estate.
5. Terminology and data pages
Citing data and facts is one of the most popular reasons to link. Become the source, and you might earn lots of links this way passively.
To get an idea of what kind of resources earn links in real estate, you can look at competitors’ sites in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer. Just paste their domain and go to the Best by links report.
Tip
Before investing time in link building, I strongly encourage you to read our beginner’s guide. Learn how to tell good links from links that are less likely to give you a boost, and which practices could possibly hurt your site.
Final thoughts
I’d like to leave you with two more tips.
I’ve seen many realtors create video content for YouTube, including virtual property tours, and neighborhood showcases. However, just a few of my sources mentioned this strategy. For inspiration, check out Brad McCallum’s channel. To find keywords for YouTube SEO, you can use tools like vidIQ.
Finally, I want to quickly discuss your KPIs. Since buyer’s journey in this business can be quite long, a good idea would be to track the correlation between SEO metrics and closed deals. To crunch the numbers, simply ask ChatGPT.
We measure the ROI of SEO from the number of quality leads that are generated by our website and then correlate them with closed deals, giving a clear picture of how organic search is contributing to our bottom line.
Got questions or comments? Send me a message on LinkedIn.
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