Mar 7 2025
10 Top Converting Landing Pages That Boost Your ROI [With Examples] via @sejournal, @unbounce

This post was sponsored by Unbounce. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

Want to increase sign-ups, sales, or demo requests from your landing page?

How can you ensure your landing page is optimized for conversions?

Landing pages can make or break your conversions.

A well-designed landing page doesn’t just look good; it also seamlessly guides visitors toward action, such as signing up, purchasing, or booking a demo.

A high-performing landing page should align with your goals:

  • Capturing leads.
  • Driving sales.
  • Promoting an event.

The best landing page templates are designed with conversion in mind, featuring strategic layouts, persuasive copy, and clear calls to action.

So, let’s look at a few top-performing landing page examples to learn about why they work and how you should implement them.

1 & 2. FreshGoods & Radiant Yoga Studio: Great For A Clear & Compelling Unique Selling Point

The secret to beating the competition is positioning your brand so you’re the only one in your specific space.

How? By honing in on your Unique Value Proposition (UVP):

  • What is the one reason to choose you, your products, or services?
  • Where does your competition fall short?
  • How do you make your UVP stand out?

FreshGoods Landing Page

Landing pageImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Radiant Yoga Landing Page

yoga landing pageImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

These conversion-optimized landing page templates effectively highlight a USP throughout the design.

  • A clear and bold headline that immediately communicates the core benefit.
  • The supporting subheadline allows brands to reinforce the core USP message by expanding on the offer in a way that adds clarity without overwhelming visitors.
  • The strategic use of whitespace and strong typography ensures that the USP remains the focal point, making it easy for visitors to grasp the value of the offer at a glance.

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Define Your Unique Selling Proposition

A strong USP makes visitors feel like they’ve found exactly what they need. Instead of blending in with competitors, it positions your brand as the only choice.

  • Ask yourself: What is the one reason customers should choose you over others?
  • Example: FreshGoods & Radiant Yoga Studio’s landing pages showcase a crystal-clear UVP in their messaging and design.

Step 2: Craft a Compelling Headline & Supporting Headline

Your headline is your first impression, so you have to make it count. The supporting headline expands on that core message.

  • Best Practices:
    • Be specific: Instead of “The Best Marketing Tool,” try “Turn Clicks into Customers with AI-Powered Marketing in Minutes.”
    • Reinforce value: “No coding, no guesswork. Just smarter campaigns that drive real revenue.”

Step 3: Address Concerns with Reinforcing & Closing Statements

  • A reinforcing statement builds trust (“Trusted by over 10,000 businesses…”).
  • A closing statement eliminates hesitation (“Every second you wait is a sale you’re losing. Start your free trial now.”)

3 & 4. Vita Health & Orbit SaaS: Great For Hero Images & Visual Storytelling

Before visitors read a single word, visuals will capture their attention and convey meaning.

A strong hero image isn’t just decoration,  it sets the tone, builds trust, and instantly reinforces your message. The right imagery makes your offer feel more tangible, relatable, and desirable.

Vita Health Landing Page

health wearables landing page exampleImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Orbit Flow Landing Page

SaaS landing page example and inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

A landing page’s imagery is a strategic tool that helps communicate your offer, build trust, and nudge visitors toward conversion. Choose visuals that don’t just look good but work hard to sell.

A well-chosen visual:

  • Supports the UVP.
  • Evokes an emotion that drives action
  • Showcases the product, service, or outcome in action
  • Makes the page feel polished, professional, and credible

In addition to the visual, the full landing page benefits from:

  • Strong hero image placement
  • An opportunity to reinforce the messaging conveyed with the hero image throughout the page
  • White space highlights supporting visuals
  • Visual hierarchy guides site visitors down the page to the parts that matter.

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Choose the Right Hero Image

Before visitors read a word, visuals capture attention. A great hero image should:

  • Support the USP
  • Evoke emotion & drive action
  • Showcase the product, service, or outcome

Step 2: Guide the Visitor’s Eye

Strategic use of visuals can nudge visitors toward your CTA:

  • Eye gaze: People follow where others are looking in an image.
  • Angles & positioning: Lines or arrows subtly direct attention to the CTA.
  • Contrast & color: Key elements should stand out.

Step 3: Reinforce Messaging with Supporting Imagery

Don’t rely on just one image. Use:

  • Icons & illustrations
  • Graphs & charts
  • Customer photos & testimonials
  • Short videos or GIFs

Bonus Tip:

Use A/B testing to find the ingredients for maximum impact.

The right image can make or break conversions, so test different options. Some images resonate better with your audience, drive more engagement, or feel more aligned with your brand.

Some elements to test include:

  • People vs. product-focused visuals.
  • Static images vs. motion (GIFs or videos).
  • Close-ups vs. wider perspective shots.
  • Different background colors or lighting.

5 & 6. Serene Vista & Digital Foundry: Great For Clearly Conveying Benefits

Visitors specifically care about what it does for them.

That’s why benefits should take center stage on a conversion-optimized landing page, not just a list of features.

Serene Vista

Travel website landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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The Digital Foundry Landing Page

Marketing agency landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

  • The benefits are concise and audience-focused
  • Each feature section is well-spaced to garner attention
  • Benefits are integrated well into the page structure with the subheadings and images to help visitors scan

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Translate Features into Benefits

  • Feature: “AI-powered keyword research tool”
  • Benefit: “Find high-converting keywords in seconds—no guesswork needed.”

Step 2: Address Pressing Concerns

  • What pain points does your audience face?
  • How does your product solve them better than competitors?

Step 3: Qualify Your Audience

  • Use benefit-driven copy that attracts the right people:
  • Example: “Perfect for fast-growing teams who need to scale without the chaos.”

7 & 8. Revive Aesthetics & Smile Dental: Great For Social Proof That Builds Trust

Not all social proof is created equal.

The best reinforces your UVP, addresses concerns, and speaks directly to your audience.

See what we mean here.

Revive Landing Page

Health and spa landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Smile Kids Landing Page

Dentist landing page inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why These Landing Page Templates Work

  • The headshots paired with the social proof enhance trustworthiness and make a connection with site visitors because they can see themselves in the experiences being described.
  • The rounded shape and contrasting colors make the social proof stand out.
  • Located near the point of conversion.

How To Create This Landing Page

Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Social Proof

  • Customer testimonials & reviews
  • Case studies & success stories
  • Logos of recognizable brands
  • Ratings & review scores
  • Media mentions & awards

Step 2: Strategically Place Social Proof

  • Near the CTA: Reinforces trust before action.
  • Midway down the page: Nudges hesitant visitors.
  • In the hero section: Puts endorsements front and center.

9 & 10. Livewell Lifestyle & Inner Handyman: Great For Turning Interest Into Conversions With Calls To Action

A landing page without a strong CTA is like a roadmap without a destination.

Your CTA is the single most important element that tells visitors what to do next.

And if it’s unclear, compelling, and easy to find, you’ll lose conversions.

A compelling CTA is a combination of copy, design, and placement that removes hesitation and drives action.

Livewell Landing Page

Healthy living landing page exampleImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Inner Handyman Landing Page

Local business landing page and website inspirationImage by Unbounce, 2025
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Why They Work

  • CTAs can be customized to stand out and get attention
  • CTA sizing and positioning make them clear focal points despite having multiple elements on the page. It ensures you get the most conversion power in every pixel
  • The CTA buttons are placed where it matters throughout the page, making sure the page attempts the conversion when and where it matters most

How To Recreate These Landing Pages

Step 1: Craft a Clear, Compelling CTA

A high-converting CTA should be:

  • Action-oriented: “Start Growing Today” vs. “Submit”
  • Benefit-driven: “Unlock Exclusive Access” vs. “Sign Up”
  • Urgent (if appropriate): “Claim Your Spot Today”

Step 2: CTA Placement for Maximum Impact

  • Above the fold: First CTA visible immediately.
  • After key information: CTA follows value explanation.
  • Near social proof or benefits: Reinforces trust.
  • At the end of the page: Captures hesitant visitors.

Step 3: CTA Design That Stands Out

  • Color contrast: The CTA should pop from the background.
  • Size & positioning: Large enough to be noticeable but not overwhelming.
  • Whitespace & directional cues: Ensures the CTA is the focal point.

Bonus Tip:

A/B test your CTAs for better conversions.

CTAs aren’t one-size-fits-all. Even small tweaks can make a huge impact on conversions, so A/B testing different variations is essential:

  • Wording – Try “Get Started” vs. “Try It Free”
  • Color – A bold button color vs. a softer, branded one
  • Placement – Above the fold vs. midway down the page
  • Size and shape – Larger buttons vs. compact ones
  • Personalization – “Start My Free Trial” vs. “Start Your Free Trial”

Build High-Converting Landing Pages Faster

A great landing page isn’t just about design.

It’s about strategy.

Every element, from your USP and hero images to your social proof and CTAs, is critical in guiding visitors toward conversion. When these elements work together, your landing page drives action.

But building a high-converting landing page from scratch can be time-consuming and complex. That’s why using proven, conversion-optimized templates can give you a head start.

With Unbounce, you get access to 100+ professionally designed landing page templates built for maximum conversions. Whether capturing leads, promoting a product, or running a campaign, these templates help you launch faster, test smarter, and convert better—without needing a developer.

Ready to build an optimized landing page that converts?

Explore Unbounce’s best-performing templates and start optimizing today!

Get  25% Off The 1st 3 Months!

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Shutterstock. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 28 2025
9 Trends You Should Watch To Keep Your Website Afloat in 2025

This post was sponsored by Bluehost. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

Is my website ready for 2025’s tech and SEO changes?

How can I keep my site fast, secure, and user-friendly?

What makes a hosting provider future-proof?

In 2025, the extent to which you adapt to emerging technologies, changing user expectations, and evolving search engine algorithms will determine if you’ll thrive or struggle to stay relevant.

Staying ahead of emerging trends is essential for maintaining a fast, secure, and user-friendly website.

Optimizing performance, strengthening security measures, and enhancing user experience will be key factors in staying competitive.

The first step to ensuring your website remains resilient and future-ready is choosing a reliable hosting provider with scalable infrastructure and built-in optimization tools.

1. AI-Powered User Experience

Artificial intelligence has transformed how websites interact with visitors, making online experiences more personalized, engaging, and efficient.

Use AI For Higher Conversion Rates

AI-driven personalization allows websites to deliver tailored content and product recommendations based on user behavior, preferences, and past interactions to create an intuitive experience.

The result? Visitors remain engaged, increasing conversions.

Chatbots and AI-powered customer support are also becoming essential for websites looking to provide instant, 24/7 assistance.

These tools answer common questions, guide users through a website, and even process transactions, reducing the need for human intervention while improving response times.

And they’re gaining in popularity.

71% of businesses in a recent survey either already have a chatbot integrated into their sites and customer service processes or plan to get one in the near future.

And they’re reaping the benefits of this technology; 24% of businesses with a chatbot already installed report excellent ROI.

Use AI For Speeding Up Website Implementation

AI is also revolutionizing content creation and website design.

Based on user data, automated tools can generate blog posts, optimize layouts, and suggest design improvements.

This streamlines website management, making it easier for you to maintain a professional and visually appealing online presence.

For example, many hosting providers now include AI-powered website builders, offering tools that assist with design and customization. These features, such as responsive templates and automated suggestions, can make building and optimizing a website more efficient.

2. Voice Search & Conversational Interfaces

Voice search is becoming a major factor in how users interact with the web, with more people relying on smart speakers, mobile assistants, and voice-activated search to find information.

To put this into perspective, ChatGPT from OpenAI reportedly holds 60% of the generative AI market, performing more than one billion searches daily. If just 1% of those are via its voice search, that equates to 10 million voice searches every day on ChatGPT alone.

Reports estimate 20.5% of people globally use voice search daily. And these numbers are increasing.

You need to adapt by optimizing for conversational SEO and natural language queries, which tend to be longer and more specific, making long-tail keywords and question-based content more important than ever.

To stay ahead, websites should structure content in a way that mimics natural conversation:

  • FAQ-style pages.
  • Featured snippet optimization.
  • Ensuring fast-loading, mobile-friendly experiences.

If this is an upgrade that makes sense for your industry, be sure that your host supports SEO-friendly themes and plugins that help websites rank for voice queries.

3. Core Web Vitals & SEO Best Practices

Google continues to refine its ranking algorithms, with Core Web Vitals playing a critical role in determining search visibility.

Implement Core Web Vital Data & Monitor Website Speed

These performance metrics, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), measure how quickly a page loads, how responsive it is, and how stable its layout appears to users.

Websites that meet these benchmarks not only rank higher in search results but also provide a better overall user experience.

One study found that pages ranking in the top spots in the SERPs were 10% more likely to pass CWV scores than URLs in position 9.

Ensure Your Website Is Faster Than Your Competitors To Rank Higher

As part of the prioritization of performance, mobile-first approach remains essential; Google prioritizes sites that are fast and responsive on smartphones and tablets.

Ensuring faster load times through optimized images, efficient coding, and proper caching techniques can make a significant impact on search rankings.

Leverage Structured Data To Tell Google What Your Website Is About

Structured data, on the other hand, helps search engines better understand a website’s content, improving the chances of appearing in rich snippets and voice search results.

4. Mobile-First & Adaptive Design

With mobile devices accounting for the majority of web traffic, mobile optimization remains a top priority in 2025.

Google’s mobile-first indexing means that search engines primarily evaluate the mobile version of a site when determining rankings.

A website that isn’t optimized for mobile results in overall poor performance, lower search rankings, and a frustrating user experience.

To keep up, many websites are adopting:

  • Adaptive design – Ensures that websites adjust dynamically to different screen sizes, providing an optimal layout on any device.
  • Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) – Combine the best features of websites and mobile apps, offering faster load times, offline capabilities, and app-like functionality without requiring a download.

Best practices for a seamless mobile experience include responsive design, fast-loading pages, and touch-friendly navigation.

Optimizing images, minimizing pop-ups, and using mobile-friendly fonts and buttons can also greatly enhance usability.

5. Enhanced Website Security & Data Privacy

Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated.

You must take proactive measures to protect your websites from attacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access.

Implementing strong security protocols not only safeguards sensitive information but also builds trust with visitors.

Key security measures include:

  • SSL certificates – Encrypt data transmitted between users and a website, ensuring secure connections—something that search engines and users now expect as a standard feature.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple verification steps before granting access, reducing the risk of compromised credentials.
  • Zero-trust security models – Ensures that all access requests, even from within a network, are continuously verified, minimizing potential security gaps.

Beyond technical defenses, compliance with evolving privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA is essential.

You must be transparent about how they collect, store, and process user data, providing clear consent options and maintaining privacy policies that align with current regulations.

6. Sustainability & Green Web Hosting

Every website, server, and data center requires energy to function, contributing to global carbon emissions.

Optimizing websites through lighter code, efficient caching, and reduced server load also plays a role in minimizing environmental impact.

Choosing a hosting provider that values sustainability is an important step toward a greener web.

For example, Bluehost has taken steps to improve energy efficiency, ensuring that website owners can maintain high-performance sites while supporting environmentally friendly initiatives.

7. AI-Generated & Interactive Content

AI tools can assist in creating blog posts, product descriptions, and videos with minimal manual input, helping businesses maintain a steady content flow efficiently.

Beyond static content, interactive features like quizzes, calculators, and AR are becoming key for user engagement.

These elements encourage participation, increasing time on site and improving conversions.

To integrate interactive features smoothly, a hosting provider that supports interactive plugins and flexible tools can help keep websites engaging and competitive.

8. The Role of Blockchain in Web Security

Blockchain is emerging as a tool for web hosting and cybersecurity, enhancing data security, decentralization, and content authenticity.

Unlike traditional hosting, decentralized networks distribute website data across multiple nodes, reducing risks like downtime, censorship, and cyberattacks. Blockchain-powered domains also add security by making ownership harder to manipulate.

Beyond hosting, blockchain improves data verification by storing information in a tamper-proof ledger, benefiting ecommerce, digital identity verification, and intellectual property protection.

9. The Importance of Reliable Web Hosting

No matter how advanced a website is, it’s only as strong as the hosting infrastructure behind it. In 2025, website performance and uptime will remain critical factors for success, impacting everything from user experience to search engine rankings and business revenue.

Scalable hosting solutions play a crucial role in handling traffic spikes, ensuring that websites remain accessible during high-demand periods.

Whether it’s an ecommerce store experiencing a surge in holiday traffic or a viral blog post drawing in thousands of visitors, having a hosting plan that adapts to these changes is essential.

Reliable hosting providers help mitigate these challenges by offering scalable infrastructure, 100% SLA uptime guarantees, and built-in performance optimizations to keep websites running smoothly.

Features like VPS and dedicated hosting provide additional resources for growing businesses, ensuring that increased traffic doesn’t compromise speed or stability. Investing in a hosting solution that prioritizes reliability and scalability helps safeguard a website’s long-term success.

Future-Proof Your Website Today

The digital landscape is changing fast, and staying ahead is essential to staying competitive.

From AI-driven personalization to enhanced security and sustainable hosting, adapting to new trends ensures your site remains fast, secure, and engaging. Investing in performance and user experience isn’t optional, it’s the key to long-term success.

Whether launching a new site or optimizing an existing one, the right hosting provider makes all the difference.

Bluehost offers reliable, high-performance hosting with built-in security, scalability, and guaranteed uptime, so your website is ready for the future.

Get started today and build a website designed to thrive.

GET STARTED WITH BLUEHOST TODAY

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Bluehost. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 11 2025
‘Helpful Content’ per Google’s Latest Guidelines

Last month I addressed Google’s updated guidelines for its quality raters, the thousands of people who manually review websites.

I explained Google’s emphasis on EEAT — the author’s Expertise and Experience and the site’s Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

Yet the guidelines (PDF) go beyond EEAT with instructions to determine a page’s quality. Google’s definition of “quality” is critical for search optimizers because its core search algorithm now includes a “helpful content” component.

The updated guidelines provide insights.

Helpful Content

Effort and originality

Google’s guidelines state a page’s main content depends on the goal and industry. The raters should determine the page’s goal and then evaluate whether the content achieves it. Financial institutions, the guidelines add as an example, differ from hobbyists’ sites.

Pages with vague or no goals deserve the lowest rating.

Raters should assign a quality rating of the main content based on effort and originality.

  • “Effort” reflects whether a page provides positive user experiences, such as translating a German poem into English.
  • “Originality” means adding new content instead of repurposing others’. The guidelines encourage raters to open more articles on top Google search results and check their similarity. The most unique and original should rank higher, per the guidelines, which state:

MC [main content] should add value compared to similar pages on the web.

An example of low-effort content is “best” lists based on existing reviews and lists with little added value.

Placement

According to Google’s guidelines, owners and creators should display the most helpful and essential content prominently — near the top of the page — so visitors can immediately access it.

Content that supports the page’s purpose without directly contributing to the goal can be valuable but placed in a lower, less prominent position. For example,

on recipe pages, the recipe itself and important supporting content directly related to the recipe should be prominently displayed near the top of the webpage.

The guidelines included an example of what not to do, citing a butterbeer recipe page that starts with a story of a family going to Universal Studios to try the beer that inspired the recipe — instead of leading with the recipe itself.

Accuracy

The guidelines repeatedly focus on what Google calls “Your Money or Your Life” topics, those that affect a person’s health, safety, financial stability, and well-being. The raters are to review YMYL pages more closely, checking factual accuracy as well as consistency with experts.

I advise clients to confirm YMYL claims with reputable sources and, when possible, quote them in the piece.

Filler

Google asks raters to assign pages as low-quality if there’s excessive content that prevents readers from quickly finding the information they came for. An example filler page, according to the guidelines, offers:

tutorial instructions on how to make a basic craft and lots of unhelpful “filler” at the top, such as commonly known facts about the supplies needed or other non-crafting information.

Filler can result in a poor experience for people who visit the page, especially if placed prominently ahead of helpful content for the purpose of the page.

Misleading titles

Google considers title tags as main content since they often appear in search results.

The guidelines instruct raters to label exaggerated or shocking titles as low quality, and misleading titles as the very lowest, offering this example of “exaggerated”:

A page titled “Eat the Healthiest Foods in the WORLD to Extend Your Life!!!!” for a list of tips on how to add more fruits and vegetables to meals.

Intrusive ads

Despite rumors and assumptions, Google doesn’t consider ads on a page as a red flag, stating:

The presence or absence of Ads alone is not a consideration for page quality rating.

However, ads send unhelpful signals when they prevent visitors from interacting with the main content.

Per the guidelines, this page should receive the lowest rating:

The MC [main content] is deliberately obstructed or obscured due to Ads, SC, interstitial pages, download links, or other content that is beneficial to the website owner but not necessarily the website visitor.

And this page should receive a low rating:

The Ads or SC [Supplementary Content, such as navigation links or content behind tabs] significantly distract from or interrupt the use of the MC.

Google also instructs raters to assign the lowest ratings to pages that deceptively hide ads or disguise them as main content, navigation links, or contextual links.

How to Help

It’s possible none of these rating guidelines directly impact rankings, but they inform us of Google’s priorities.

In short:

  • Make sure a page’s purpose is clear.
  • Display the critical info prominently, typically at the top of the page. Avoid filler content that doesn’t serve the page’s goal or purpose.
  • Add unique value. Product pages, for example, could include sizing charts, comparisons, and Q&As. Pages with vendor lists should include the author’s experiences with those products.
  • Solve the searcher’s intent fast and efficiently. Include additional value cautiously and less prominently.
  • Avoid pop-ups or other elements that make pages hard to use
  • For YMYL topics, cite trusted sources and include quotes from experts.
Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 4 2025
5 New SEO Ranking Challenges You’re Facing Right Now [& A Fix] via @sejournal, @bright_data

This post was sponsored by Bright Data. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

Struggling to adapt your SEO strategy to ever-changing AI-driven SERPs?

Have the most recent Google updates left your rank-tracking methods outdated?

What happens when you can no longer deliver key information on traffic sources?

Generative AI (GenAI) technologies like Google Gemini and Bard are reshaping search results.

This is creating unprecedented challenges, especially when it comes to the elephant in the room: “The New Position 0.”

In this article, we’ll help tackle the key ways to:

The Latest Google Updates & What They Mean For You

Just this week, Google rolled out unexpected changes to SERP structures, causing widespread disruptions for many SEO strategies that rely on SERP rankings.

These updates led to outages and inaccurate data across the industry, forcing many businesses to quickly adapt to avoid prolonged disruptions.

“The disruptions caused by Google’s latest SERP changes left many platforms unable to deliver accurate data to their users. Our clients, however, were unaffected thanks to our immediate response and robust infrastructure. If not for the media and search community, they wouldn’t have known there were any changes.” – Ariel Shulman, VP Product at Bright Data

Generative AI has fundamentally altered how search engines deliver results.

Classic SERP features have become central to understanding user intent and the user journey.

Until now.

The SERP layout we know and love has changed.

These overall changes present challenges for rank-tracking platforms tasked with capturing and analyzing SERPs:

  • Dynamic Content: AI-generated answers often feature multimedia, conversational snippets, or interactive elements, making parsing and analyzing data increasingly complex.
  • Personalization: Search results now adjust based on user history, geography, and device type, requiring platforms to capture nuanced, context-specific data.
  • Position-Zero Dominance: The growing prominence of position zero highlights the need for precise tracking and optimization insights tailored to this feature.

The challenge for rank-tracking platforms is clear: adapt to these AI-driven shifts or risk leaving users without the insights they need to thrive.

What Is Position 0 On Google?

Position 0 on Google refers to any of the featured snippets that appear at the very top of the search engine results page (SERP), above all organic search results.

It’s a special box that highlights concise information in response to a query, often in the form of a paragraph, list, or table.

For example, if you search for “How to tie a tie,” the featured snippet might display step-by-step instructions directly at the top. Being in Position 0 can boost your SEO strategy significantly since it’s considered premium real estate in search rankings.

The featured snippet is designed to provide users with quick answers to their questions without requiring them to click on a website. It’s highly coveted by website owners because it significantly increases visibility and click-through rates.

However, it’s becoming more difficult to track what is ranking in position 0 due to 5 different issues that baffle the current MarTech stack.

So, let’s dive deeper: What did Google change that you’ll need to change?

1. New Changes To SERP Layout Makes Ranking & Organic Clicks More Difficult

As we’re seeing in real-time, AI technologies like Google Gemini (previously Bard) and Microsoft’s Bing AI are reshaping SERP layouts.

So far, SERP structures are evolving rapidly with AI updates.

Elements like conversational answers or rich media snippets appear inconsistently, requiring you to constantly adapt your SEO strategy and data collection methods.

SERP - web scraping with AIO

The New Order Of Search Results

Instead of seeing Google Ads placements, featured snippets, positions 1-3, and People Also Ask, we’ll now be seeing:

  1. Google Ads take up more space, with up to 4 results that could also contain additional expanded site links.
  2. Google AI Overviews (AIO) now dominate the SERP above the fold, pushing positions 1-10 below interactive snippets.
  3. Featured Snippets take the space where positions 1-3 used to live, pushing position 1 down further.
  4. People Also Ask also comes before position 1.
  5. Position 1 starts here.

However, this is not its final state. The new layout of SERPs is dynamic; it will continue to change, and you have to be ready.

Position 1 No Longer Dominates

With position 1 pushed down at least 3 scroll lengths, this is no longer the top clicked result.

Additionally, the layout of a searcher’s query will also vary based on new advances in SERP personalization.

Now, clicks are possible in many new locations on the SERP, such as in a cited link for Google’s AI Overview (AIO).

These are not as easily trackable nor attributable.

SEO analysts and SEO strategists will see a massive impact on their traffic data and how they optimize their content to display above the fold.

Google’s AI Overview (AIO) Steals Top Clicks

Finally, position 1 on Google SERPs has seen its decline from providing at least 33% of organic search clicks to just 11% as of January 2025 depending on the search term.

Organic CTR declined ~70% when an AIO was present on the SERP.

AIO not only makes it difficult to obtain clicks, but one final change has made it nearly impossible to attribute clicks to positions.

In short:

  • You will lose traffic.
  • You will lose visibility into where your traffic is coming from.
  • You will lose the ability to strategize your content for visibility on SERPs.

What does this mean?

Google AIO and other dynamic SERP features are the new Position Zero.

2. Dynamic & Lazy-Loading SERP Content Hides Key SEO Data

Many SERP elements, especially those influenced by AI, load dynamically based on user interaction.

As we know from past SEO knowledge, dynamic and lazy-loading content cannot be seen by bots and scrapers until something triggers the content to load.

Therefore, to retrieve all the necessary data, you’ll need to simulate interactions like clicks and scrolls, which adds complexity and latency.

3. Google’s Anti-Bot Measures Removes Your Visibility To Rankings

As you can see so far, dynamic and personalized search results are more prominent.

Your favorite SEO keyword research and rank-tracking tools rely on bots to crawl the web for key data to help you build your SEO strategy.

However, Google has removed a large piece that makes that data scraping possible: bots.

Google’s evolving anti-bot measures further complicate real-time data collection, pushing platforms to the brink of what their systems can handle.

Sophisticated anti-bot defenses, such as CAPTCHA challenges, IP-based blocking, and JavaScript obfuscation, make real-time data collection a significant hurdle. Many traditional scraping tools cannot meet these challenges.

4. Personalized & Regionalized SERPs Removes Control Data

Control data is something that remains the same from one experiment to another. It enables you to have direct comparisons to build conclusions from when you’re building your SEO strategy.

The old SERP’s control data was the standardized layout. SERP layouts and results were similar enough for the same search query, meaning you could compare multiple searches for the same query to create conclusions that drove your strategy.

Now, user-specific factors like location, language, and device type create unique SERP views with vastly different orders of results.

It’s no longer simple to look at SERP data for [What is a 5-star hotel?] and know which link was clicked from which position:

  • User 1 could have been served your link in an AIO, which would not show up in classic SEO tools.
  • User 2 could have clicked on your link in position 1, which would show up in classic SEO tools.

Capturing this variability at scale while maintaining accuracy is critical yet immensely difficult.

5. Evolving Answer Content & Embracing Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

AI-generated responses are constantly updated, with position-zero content shifting based on new data and context.

These AI-generated responses are part of an evolution of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) called Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).

You’ll need tools that have been updated to extract data from Answer Engines in real-time.

How To Gain Traffic From Position 0 & Regain Organic Traffic from SERPs

To regain your lost traffic, you’ll need to refer to more sophisticated tools to gain access to new SERP data streams to inform your organic traffic strategy.

Tools that previously helped you understand your position on SERPs are now outdated.

Rank-tracking platforms that have upgraded should be ready and able to collect data using more modern sources that align with the roadblocks above.

These tools don’t just need to collect data, they need to deliver actionable insights to help their users optimize for “The New Position 0” based on the data and AIO’s best practices. By extracting the right data and presenting it clearly, platforms empower users to improve their strategies effectively.

Here’s how platforms are leveraging Data from GenAI results:

1. Emphasizing Content Designed for AEO

Platforms will need insights into which content types (e.g., FAQs, schema markup, and structured data) are prioritized by AI-driven search engines. This will help their users create concise, authoritative content that aligns with SERP preferences, improving visibility and relevance in position zero.

2. Focusing on Position Zero Metrics

They will need metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), impressions, and engagement specific to position zero. These metrics will help their users monitor performance and refine their strategies to maintain or improve their rankings.

3. Supporting Regional and Device-Specific Insights

Platforms will need geo-targeted and device-specific data to provide segmented insights. This will help their users tailor their optimization efforts to specific regions, languages, or devices, ensuring their strategies are more precise and effective.

4. Adjusting to Conversational Queries

They will need data on conversational and intent-driven search queries. This will help their users align their content with how large language models prioritize conversational patterns, resulting in higher engagement and relevance.

SEO tools using Bright Data’s toolkit have access to all this data in real-time and at scale. That’s why the leading SEO tools choose Bright Data as their go-to data provider. Platforms leveraging these insights position themselves as indispensable tools for helping their users dominate “The New Position 0.”

Conclusion

As “The New Position 0” continues to redefine search, rank-tracking platforms face mounting challenges in delivering accurate, actionable data. Choosing the right data collection partner is no longer optional, it’s the key to staying ahead. Platforms leveraging Bright Data’s SERP API are equipped to meet these challenges, empowering their users to succeed in an AI-driven search landscape.

Bright Data’s proactive approach meant their clients experienced uninterrupted services during the disruptions that affected many in the industry. SEO tools leveraging Bright Data’s SERP API maintained seamless operations, continuing to deliver accurate, real-time insights to their users without issue.

Integrating your platform with Bright Data’s SERP API is quick and straightforward. Want to see what it’s all about? Check out the documentation here or test it out in the SERP API playground to see if it’s the perfect match for your SEO tool. When data matters, companies choose Bright Data.

This article has been sponsored by Bright Data, and the views presented herein represent the sponsor’s perspective.

Start Free Trial

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Bright Data. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Jan 28 2025
‘Your Money or Your Life,’ Defined by Google

Google hires human teams to review the search results for various queries and assign quality ratings for each ranking URL. Google says the purpose is to help ensure helpful content for searchers.

The ratings do not impact search results directly, but Google’s guidelines for the human raters suggest its ranking priorities — what it looks for — and algorithmic scrutiny.

Here’s Google’s video explainer:

Google updated the guidelines (PDF) last week.

A recurring focus is what Google calls “Your Money or Your Life” topics, which can include ecommerce. Google’s human raters are to review YMYL pages more closely.

YMYL Topics

Your Money or Your Life topics affect a person’s health, safety, financial stability, and well-being.

Some pages clearly fall into that category; others are not as straightforward. Google provides a few examples in the latest guidelines.

Type of Topic Clear YMYL Topic Possible YMYL Topic Unlikely YMYL Topic
Information Evacuation routes for a tsunami Weather forecast Music award winners
Personal opinion Personal view of why a racial group is inferior Personal view of why a exercise is inferior Personal view of why a rock band is inferior
Ecommerce and product reviews Purchasing prescription drugs Review of a car Purchasing pencils

YMYL and EEAT

Sites that provide health- or money-related advice or sell products that can affect health or wealth must have clear signs of (i) high-level expertise and (ii) first-hand experience with the topic.

The guidelines provide much detail on how the raters should assess EEAT — the Expertise and Experience of the author and the Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness of the site — by reviewing these elements:

  • Contact page (with the address) or customer support page (important for online stores that process payments).
  • About page detailing the business’s history, milestones, awards, and achievements. The Organization schema type can help search engines extract the essential info.
  • Shipping and return policies, terms of service, cookie policy, privacy policy.
  • Detailed author profiles describing expertise and experience.
  • Positive branded search results that reflect the business’s reputation. Google encourages raters to search for the site and author names.
  • Original “opinion” or “expert” content.
  • Detailed methodology for product reviews.
  • Citations from trusted sources (government, official) on content pages.

Google also lists elements that should not be considered for evaluating EEAT:

  • Ads (unless they prevent visitors from reading or engaging with a page).
  • Broken links (unless excessive).

None of those EEAT elements are confirmed algorithm factors; Google includes them in the guidelines to assist human evaluators. The factors are Google’s definition of EEAT and presumably have a ranking role — algorithmic or manual — for all sites, especially YMYL-focused.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Jan 26 2025
Google Updates Search Quality Rater Guidelines: What To Know via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has released its first major update to the Search Quality Rater Guidelines since March.

Human evaluators use the Search Quality Rater Guidelines (PDF link) to assess the quality of search results. Although these guidelines don’t directly affect rankings, they provide useful insights into what Google views as high-quality content.

This update reflects Google’s evolving approach to determining quality, particularly regarding AI-generated content and new types of spam.

Here’s what you need to know.

Key Highlights From The January Update

1. Added Generative AI Definition

Section 2.1, “Important Definitions,” now formally addresses AI-generated content, providing clear guidance on how raters should evaluate machine-learning generated materials.

The definition reads:

“Generative AI is a type of machine learning (ML) model that can take what it has learned from the examples it has been provided to create new content, such as text, images, music, and code.”

2. Lower vs. Lowest Quality Content

Sections 4.0 through 4.6 have been substantially revised, introducing detailed subsections on new forms of spam and low-quality content. The update identifies three key areas of concern:

Expired Domain Abuse

“Expired domain abuse is where an expired domain name is purchased and repurposed primarily to benefit the new website owner by hosting content that provides little to no value to users.”

Site Reputation Abuse

“Site reputation abuse is a tactic where third-party content is published on a host site mainly because of that host site’s already-established ranking signals, which it has earned primarily from its first-party content.”

Scaled Content Abuse

“Scaled content abuse is a spam practice described in the Google Search Web Spam Policies. Scaled content abuse occurs when many pages are generated for the purpose of primarily benefiting the website owner and not helping users.”

The guidelines specifically address AI-generated content under scaled content abuse:

“Using automated tools (generative AI or otherwise) as a low-effort way to produce many pages that add little-to-no value for website visitors as compared to other pages on the web on the same topic.”

3. Identifying AI Generated Content

Section 4.7 provides specific examples of how to identify and rate AI-generated content. Under “Lowest: Scaled content abuse cancers,” the text reads:

“The contents of the page show it is created with generative AI with likely no original content and provides no value to users. For example, the article starts with ‘As a language model, I don’t have real-time data and my knowledge cutoff date is September 2021.’ The end of the text of the article appears to be cut off with an incomplete sentence ‘Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): Pancreatic NETs are a rare type of pancreatic cancer that can have a poor’”

4. New Technical Requirements

The guidelines now specify that raters must turn off ad blockers to ensure accurate evaluation:

“Some browsers such as Chrome automatically block some ads. As a rater, you are required to turn off any ad blocker capabilities of the browser you use to view webpages for rating tasks. Check your browser settings before rating tasks to ensure your ratings accurately reflect how people experience the page without ad blocking settings and extensions.”

Key Takeaways

Here are the key takeaways for content creators and SEO professionals:

  1. AI Content Strategy: The guidelines clarify that while AI tools can be used in content creation, the focus must be on providing unique value rather than mass-producing generic content.
  2. Quality Over Quantity: The expanded sections on spam and low-quality content emphasize Google’s continued focus on rewarding high-value, original content.
  3. Technical Considerations: The new ad blocker requirements suggest increased attention to how users experience web pages, including advertising.

Next Steps

When producing content for your website, keep these tips in mind:

  • Focus on creating original, valuable content that serves user needs
  • Avoid using AI tools to mass-produce content
  • Ensure your content demonstrates genuine expertise and authenticity
  • Pay attention to how your content appears to users with and without ad blockers
  • Be particularly careful with YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics when using AI tools

Following these guidelines can help ensure you create content that aligns with Google’s quality standards.

Featured Image: Masha_art/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Dec 19 2024
18 Essential Accessibility Changes To Drive Increased Website Growth via @sejournal, @skynet_lv

This post was sponsored by “Skynet Technologies USA LLC”.

Did you know that 1 billion people have not reached you or your customers’ websites yet.

1 billion potential customers are waiting for businesses to step up and do what’s right.

Find out if your website is accessible to 1 billion people >>>

Accessibility isn’t just a compliance checkbox anymore – it’s a growth strategy.

The demand for scalable, innovative accessibility solutions has skyrocketed.

And your competition is already making these improvements.

For agencies, this means an unprecedented opportunity to meet clients’ needs while driving revenue.

Learn how you can generate additional revenue and boost your clients’ SERP ranking by gaining access to:

Ready to get started?

How Accessibility Improvements Can Increase Growth

The digital economy thrives on inclusion.

There is a large market of individuals who are not included in modern website usability.

With over a billion people globally living with disabilities, accessible digital experiences open doors to untapped markets.

Do Websites Need To Be Accessible?

The short answer is yes.

How Does An Accessible Website Drive Traffic?

Traffic comes from people who have needs. Of course, everyone has needs, including people with disabilities.

Accessible websites and tools cater to all users, expanding reach to a diverse and often overlooked customer base.

Global Potential & Unlocking New Audiences

From a global perspective, the global community of people with disabilities is a market estimated to hold a staggering $13 trillion in spending power.

By removing barriers and ensuring inclusive digital experiences, you can tap into this 1 billion-person market and drive substantial economic growth.

Digital accessibility helps to increase employment opportunities, education options, and simple access to various banking and financial services for everybody.

Boosts User Experience & Engagement 

Accessibility improvements run parallel with SEO improvements.

In fact, they often enhance overall website performance, which leads to:

  • Better user experience.
  • Higher rankings.
  • Increased traffic.
  • Higher conversion rates.

Ensures Your Websites Are Compliant

Increasing lawsuits against businesses that fail to comply with accessibility regulations have imposed pressure on them to implement accessibility in their digital assets.

Compliance with ADA, WCAG 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, Section 508, Australian DDA, European EAA EN 301 549, UK Equality Act (EA), Indian RPD Act, Israeli Standard 5568, California Unruh, Ontario AODA, Canada ACA, German BITV, Brazilian Inclusion Law (LBI 13.146/2015), Spain UNE 139803:2012, France RGAA standards, JIS X 8341 (Japan), Italian Stanca Act, Switzerland DDA, Austrian Web Accessibility Act (WZG) guidelines aren’t optional. Accessibility solution partnerships ensure to stay ahead of potential lawsuits while fostering goodwill.

6 Steps To Boost Your Growth With Accessibility

  1. To drive growth, your agency should prioritize digital accessibility by following WCAG standards, regularly testing with tools like AXE, WAVE, or Skynet Technologies Website Accessibility Checker, and addressing accessibility gaps. Build accessible design frameworks with high-contrast colors, scalable text, and clear navigation.
  2. Integrate assistive technologies such as keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and video accessibility. Focus on responsive design, accessible forms, and inclusive content strategies like descriptive link text, simplified language, and alternative formats.
  3. Providing accessibility training and creating inclusive marketing materials will further support compliance and growth.
  4. To ensure the website thrives, prioritize mobile-first design for responsiveness across all devices, adhere to WCAG accessibility standards, and incorporate keyboard-friendly navigation and alt text for media.
  5. Optimize page speed and core web vitals while using an intuitive interface with clear navigation and effective call-to-action buttons, and use SEO-friendly content with proper keyword optimization and schema markups to boost visibility.
  6. Ensure security with SSL certificates, clear cookie consent banners, and compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Finally, implement analytics and conversion tracking tools to gather insights and drive long-term growth.

We know this is a lot.

If this sounds good to you, let us help you get set up.

How Can Digital Accessibility Partnerships Supercharge Your Clients’ SEO?

Partnering for digital accessibility isn’t just about inclusivity — it’s a game-changer for SEO, too!

Accessible websites are built with cleaner code, smarter structures, and user-friendly features like alt text and clear headings that search engines love.

Plus, faster load times, mobile-friendly designs, and seamless navigation keep users engaged, reducing bounce rates and boosting rankings. When you focus on making a site accessible to everyone, you’re not just widening your audience—you’re signaling to search engines that the website is high-quality and relevant. It’s a win-win for accessibility and SEO!

12 Essential Factors To Consider For Successful Accessibility Partnerships

  1. Expertise: Look for a provider with a proven track record in digital accessibility, including knowledge of relevant global website accessibility standards and best practices.
  2. Experience: Consider their experience working with similar industries or organizations.
  3. Tools and technologies: Evaluate their use of automated and manual testing tools to identify and remediate accessibility issues.
  4. Price Flexibility: Explore pricing models that align with both the budget and project requirements. Whether for a single site or multiple sites, the service should be compatible and scalable to meet the needs.
  5. Platform Compatibility: Ensure seamless accessibility integration across various platforms, providing a consistent and accessible experience for all users, regardless of the website environment.
  6. Multi-language support: Enhance user experience with global language support, making websites more inclusive and accessible to a global audience.
  7. Regular check-ins: Schedule regular meetings to discuss project progress, address any issues, and make necessary adjustments.
  8. Clear communication channels: Establish clear communication channels (for example: email, and project management tools) to facilitate efficient collaboration.
  9. Transparent reporting: Request detailed reports on the progress of accessibility testing, remediation efforts, and overall project status.
  10. KPIs to measure success: Review the partner’s historical data, especially those similar projects in terms of scale, complexity, and industry.
  11. Evaluate technical expertise: Assess their proficiency in using various accessibility testing tools and ability to integrate different APIs.
  12. Long-term partnership strategy: Compare previous data with the current one for improvement and optimization process. It is crucial for a long-term partnership that there is a specific interval of review and improvements.

    Scaling Accessibility With Smart Partnerships

    All in One Accessibility®: Simplicity meets efficiency!

    The All in One Accessibility® is an AI-powered accessibility tool that helps organizations to enhance their website accessibility level for ADA, WCAG 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, Section 508, Australian DDA, European EAA EN 301 549, UK Equality Act (EA), Indian RPD Act, Israeli Standard 5568, California Unruh, Ontario AODA, Canada ACA, German BITV, Brazilian Inclusion Law (LBI 13.146/2015), Spain UNE 139803:2012, France RGAA standards, JIS X 8341 (Japan), Italian Stanca Act, Switzerland DDA, Austrian Web Accessibility Act (WZG), and more.

    It is available with features like sign language LIBRAS (Brazilian Portuguese Only) integration, 140+ multilingual support, screen reader, voice navigation, smart language auto-detection and voice customization, talk & type, Google and Adobe Analytics tracking, along with premium add-ons including white label and custom branding, VPAT/ACR reports, manual accessibility audit and remediation, PDF remediation, and many more.

    • Quick Setup: Install the widget to any site with ease—no advanced coding required.
    • Feature-Rich Design: From text resizing and color contrast adjustments to screen reader support, it’s packed with tools that elevate the user experience.
    • Revenue Opportunities: Agencies can resell the solution to clients, adding a high-value service to their offerings while earning attractive commissions through the affiliate program.
    • Reduced development costs: Minimizes the financial impact of accessibility remediation by implementing best practices and quick tools.

    Agency Partnership: Scaling accessibility with ease!

    • Extended Service Offerings: The All in One Accessibility® Agency Partnership allows agencies to offer a powerful accessibility widget – quick accessibility solution into their services, enabling them that are in high demand.
    • White Label: As an agency partner, you can offer All in One Accessibility® under their own brand name.
    • Centralized Management: It simplifies oversight by consolidating accessibility data and reporting, allowing enterprises to manage multiple websites seamlessly.
    • Attractive Revenue Streams: Agencies can resell the widget to clients, earning significant revenue through competitive pricing structures and repeat business opportunities.
    • Boost Client Retention: By addressing accessibility needs proactively, agencies build stronger relationships with clients, fostering long-term loyalty and recurring contracts.
    • Increase Market Reach: Partnering with All in One Accessibility® positions agencies as leaders in inclusivity, attracting businesses looking for reliable accessibility solutions.
    • NO Investment, High Return: With no setup costs, scalable features, and up to 30% commission, the partnership enables agencies to maximize profitability with their clients.

    Affiliate Partnership: A revenue opportunity for everyone!

    The All in One Accessibility® Affiliate Partnership program is for content creators, marketers, accessibility advocates, web professionals, 501 (c) organizations (non-profit), and law firms.

    • Revenue Growth through Referrals: The All in One Accessibility® affiliate partnership allows affiliates to earn competitive commissions by promoting a high-demand accessibility solution, turning referrals into consistent revenue.
    • Expanding Market Reach: Affiliates can tap into a diverse audience of businesses seeking ADA and WCAG compliance, scaling both revenue and the adoption of accessibility solutions.
    • Fostering Accessibility Awareness: By promoting the All in One Accessibility® widget, affiliates play a pivotal role in driving inclusivity, helping more websites become accessible to users with disabilities.
    • Leveraging Trusted Branding: Affiliates benefit from partnering with a reliable and recognized quick accessibility improvement tool, boosting their credibility and marketing impact.
    • Scaling with Zero Investment: With user-friendly promotional resources and a seamless onboarding process, affiliates can maximize returns without any costs.

    Use Accessibility As A Growth Engine

    Endeavoring for strategic partnerships with accessibility solution providers is a win-win for agencies aiming to meet the diverse needs of their clients. These partnerships not only enhance the accessibility of digital assets but also create opportunities for growth, and loyalty, top search engine rankings, boost revenue, improve compliance with legal standards, and make you to contribute into digital accessibility world.

    With Skynet Technologies USA LLC, Transform accessibility from a challenge into a revenue-driving partnership. Let inclusivity power the success.

    Ready to get started? Embarking on a digital accessibility journey is simpler than you think! Take the first step by evaluating the website’s current WCAG compliance with a manual accessibility audit.

    For more information, Reach out hello@skynettechnologies.com.

    Learn More

    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Skynet Technologies. Used with permission.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Dec 10 2024
    Google Site Reputation Abuse: FAQ Addresses Concerns via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

    Google has released FAQ guidance on its site reputation abuse policy.

    The update covers important points about managing third-party content and recovery processes.

    Breaking Down Third-Party Content Rules

    Google wants to clarify what counts as a violation. Using third-party content is not a problem in itself.

    A violation happens when that content is used to take advantage of a site’s existing rankings.

    Google explains:

    “Having third-party content alone is not a violation of the site reputation abuse policy. It’s only a violation if the content is being published in an attempt to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site’s ranking signals.”

    This is especially important for publishers using:

    • Freelance writers
    • White-label services
    • External content creators
    • User-generated content

    Google defines third-party content as:

    “Content created by a separate entity than the host site,” including “users of that site, freelancers, white-label services, content created by people not employed directly by the host site.”

    Recovery Options: What Works & What Doesn’t

    Publishers who want to fix manual actions now have clear instructions on what to do with their content:

    What Not to Do:

    • Don’t move content to subdirectories or subdomains.
    • Don’t redirect URLs that have received penalties.
    • Don’t just move content without proper documentation.

    As stated in the FAQ:

    “Moving content to a subdirectory or subdomain within the same site’s domain name: This doesn’t resolve the underlying issue and may be viewed as an attempt to circumvent our spam policy, which may lead to broader actions against a site in Google Search.”

    However, Google notes that:

    “Moving content to a new domain: This is far less likely to be an issue if the new domain has no established reputation and you follow our spam policies.”

    What to Do:

    • Move content to new domains that do not have a good reputation.
    • Use “noindex” tags and make proper reconsideration requests.
    • Apply “nofollow” attributes for any necessary cross-linking.

    Affiliate Content Gets Green Light

    Good news for publishers: Google confirmed that affiliate content is not affected by this policy.

    The documentation clarifies:

    “The policy is not about targeting affiliate content… Affiliate links marked appropriately aren’t considered site reputation abuse.”

    To comply, publishers must properly mark their affiliate links. This means you can continue to earn money through legitimate strategies while following the new rules.

    Technical Implementation Guidelines

    For websites under manual action, Google has outlined important technical requirements:

    1. Using a noindex tag alone will not remove the penalty automatically.
    2. You must submit reconsideration requests through Search Console.
    3. You need to document all steps taken to fix the issues.

    The documentation reads:

    “You still need to reply to the manual action in Search Console and explain that the content has been noindexed. We recommend doing this rather than letting the manual action remain against your site.”

    The guidance also addresses linking practices:

    “If you link from the old site to the new site, make use of the nofollow attribute for those links on the old site.”

    Forward-Looking Implications

    This FAQ release shows that Google is improving how it communicates policy changes.

    The clarifications arrive at a crucial time as publishers work to align their strategies with Google’s evolving standards while maintaining sustainable businesses.

    Featured Image: Mameraman/Shutterstock

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Dec 10 2024
    Google’s Site Reputation Abuse Policy, Explained

    Google announced its site reputation abuse policy in March 2024 as part of a core update to its organic search algorithm.

    Google defined site reputation abuse as “when third-party pages are published with little or no first-party [editorial] oversight or involvement, where the purpose is to manipulate Search rankings by taking advantage of the first-party site’s ranking signals.”

    News sites that publish recommendations from third parties are example abusers, per Google. To date, they reportedly include CNN Underscored, Forbes Advisor, and WSJ Buy Side.

    Google has since expanded the policy to include any third-party content with or without oversight.

    Manual Penalty

    Google enforces compliance with its reputation abuse guidelines via manual actions. If it considers a site an abuser, Google will notify the verified owner of a manual penalty in Search Console.

    The penalty doesn’t affect the entire site, only the section that hosts the third-party content. To date, only sites that receive the manual action notice are penalized.

    But in an update last month, Google stated it could algorithmically detect “if a section of a site is independent or starkly different from the main content of the site.” When the detection occurs, Google says it will treat that section as a separate site and not apply the main site’s authority.

    Thus expect Google to monitor and enforce site reputation abuse algorithmically.

    Recovery

    There’s no recovery from this penalty. If your site hosts third-party content in the manner Google defines, there’s no way to fix it, even with editors or reviewers.

    Moreover, moving the penalized section to another subdomain or subdirectory will make matters worse, as Google explains in the policy circumvention section of its “Spam policies,” stating:

    Circumvention includes but is not limited to:

    • Using existing or creating new subdomains, subdirectories, or sites with the intention of continuing to violate our policies.
    • Using other methods intended to continue distributing content or engaging in a behavior that aims to violate our policies.

    Google adds:

    If a site continues to engage in actions intended to bypass our spam policies or content policies for Google Search, we may take appropriate action, which may include restricting or removing eligibility for some of our search features (for example, Top Stories, Discover) and taking broader action in Google Search (for example, removing more sections of a site from Search results).

    The best response for penalized sites is to develop traffic-generating content that doesn’t come automatically from third parties.

    How to Prepare

    Google’s site reputation abuse penalty thus far applies only to the offending sections, not sitewide. But I foresee it becoming sitewide if the policy becomes part of the core algorithm, such as what occurred with the helpful content updates.

    So noindex your third-party content now. Recovery from Google’s core algorithm updates can take months and years.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments