Dec 21 2023
Scalable AI Tools For SEO: A Quick Guide For 2024 via @sejournal, @kristileilani

In 2023, AI became a part of the user interfaces of top search engines, social media networks, advertising platforms, productivity software, and SEO tools.

After a year of non-stop breaking news about generative AI research, large language models (LLMs), stealth AI startups, GPT wrappers, and AI integrations, it may be hard to determine which solution is best suited for your objectives.

But if you make a list of challenges you face throughout your workday, you’ll find there is  – or soon will be – an AI that makes handling those challenges simpler.

This quick guide offers over 100 of the best AI chatbots, tools, solutions, and training for everyone in SEO, from individual consultants to enterprise marketing teams.

Why AI Matters For SEO

Simply put, AI is or will be in just about everything you and your clients use.

  • Search engines like Google have been using AI for decades in ranking algorithms.
  • Bing offers AI-powered chat, summaries, and image creation capabilities.
  • Google is experimenting with similar features in the Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Notes.
  • The top advertising, business, marketing, productivity, and SEO platforms are integrating generative AI chat and tools.
  • Custom AI tools can be promoted as free or essential resources to build links, increase brand visibility, and generate leads/sales.

Observing how AI chatbots conduct web searches and learning how each search system works can provide insight into how to optimize content for both search engines and AI.

Scalable AI Tools For SEO: A Quick Guide For 2024Screenshot from Perplexity, December 2023

Especially since Bing AI is changing how search works, Perplexity strives to modernize PageRank for better answers, and Cohere aims to improve search results with rerank technology.

semantic search in aiScreenshot from Cohere, December 2023

Important Disclaimers About Using AI

With any AI tool or online service, it’s important to remember not to share confidential or sensitive information.

  • Humans may review the information you share for quality assurance purposes.
  • Information you share may be included in training data for future models. Some AI platforms allow you to opt out of training data in your user profiles, account settings, developer profiles, AI project settings, chat settings, etc.

Because AI tools use information scraped from the internet as part of the training data, AI-generated responses may not be accurate or unique.

  • Always fact-check generative AI content.
  • Never trust generative AI content for medical, legal, or similar advice.
  • Know what protections (if any) are available from your AI tools for users, subscribers, businesses, enterprises, and developers accused of copyright infringement.

Some AI tools are available for research or preview only. The content generated by them is not intended for publishing, resale, or commercial use.

While never enjoyable, it’s important to review the terms of service, content use policies, and other usage policies for tools you use, especially when you rely on them for personal or professional tasks.

The Top AI Chatbots

AI chatbots have come a long way since OpenAI released the ChatGPT “research preview” in November 2022.

Many can help you with analysis, content creation, coding, documents, images, research, summarization, and other complex tasks.

Best of all, a few – Bard, Copilot, and Pi – are free.

ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Poe offer free plans and premium subscriptions starting at $20 per month.

  • ChatGPT gives subscribers access to GPT-4, DALL·E, file uploads, beta features, web browsing with Bing, over 1,000 third-party plugins, the ability to create custom chatbots (GPTs), and soon, a store full of GPTs.
  • Claude by Anthropic offers a larger context window than most, making it better for tasks like summarizing large chunks of text and analyzing uploaded documents. Subscribers get access to the latest model and beta features.
  • Google Bard (Gemini Pro) connects to Google Docs, Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube, Flights, Hotels, and Maps.
  • Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4) uses the web and plugins from Instacart, Kayak, Klarna, and Shop.
  • Perplexity provides the best answers to questions with deep search and sources. Open-source models from Meta and Mistral AI are available in Labs. Subscribers can switch between GPT-4, Claude, Gemini Pro, and online LLMs.
  • Pi (Inflection-1) distinguishes itself as a more emotionally intelligent and personalized chat.
  • Poe hosts 27 official chatbots powered by the latest models from Anthropic, Google, Meta, Mistral AI, OpenAI, and Stability AI. It also allows you to create custom chatbots on many of those platforms. Subscribers get more access to the latest models.
Scalable AI Tools For SEO: A Quick Guide For 2024Screenshot from Poe, December 2023

Learn Prompt Engineering

Learn how to get the most out of AI chatbots with the following free courses and guides:

  • Six Prompt Engineering Strategies For Better Results (OpenAI)
  • Prompting Tips and Examples (Perplexity)
  • Best Prompting Tips For Text & Image Generation Bots (Poe)

AI Chatbots On Social Media

While Bard may have access to YouTube content, other social networks built AI chatbots into the platforms.

  • Meta launched a Meta AI chatbot that can generate images and search the web with Bing on Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
  • Quora integrates the ChatGPT bot from its AI platform, Poe, into some answers.
  • Snapchat’s My AI was one of the first AI chatbots that users could direct messages and integrate into group chats.
  • X, formerly known as Twitter, launched Grok for Premium+ subscribers, which has access to X posts/tweets as “sources” for responses.

Bytedance was working on an AI model, but the parent company of TikTok allegedly did it in a way that violated OpenAI and Microsoft TOS. This may delay the platform’s AI plans and affect the future availability of the CapCut plugin for ChatGPT.

While not a social media platform, you can also chat with Pi by Inflection on Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

AI Chatbots With Context

As you start to use AI chatbots more frequently, you may find yourself repeating certain details to get better responses.

Some platforms give you the option to add basic details about yourself, your work, and what you are trying to accomplish so that AI provides the best response for your needs.

  • ChatGPT lets users give context and specific directions with Custom Instructions.
  • Perplexity lets users offer context, specific directions, location, and language preferences in the AI Profile.

Custom Chatbots With Minimal Coding

When you need an AI chatbot that is more tailored to your needs, you can create custom chatbots in under ten minutes.

  • ChatGPT allows subscribers to create GPTs – chatbots that use GPT-4 with web browsing, DALL·E, and code analysis with custom instructions, knowledge files, and actions to complete specific tasks.
  • Microsoft Copilot Studio allows 365 users to create custom Copilot experiences.
  • Poe users create custom chatbots using eight of the most popular AI models. You can give each chatbot specific instructions to follow for each conversation and knowledge files to reference.

SEO Benefits Of Creating Custom AI Chatbots And GPTs

Even if you don’t need a custom AI chatbot for yourself, think about it from an SEO perspective.

Making a free tool or inexpensive solution for you or your clients that can be promoted on a webpage = links, brand visibility, and a new tool for lead generation and sales.

You can also create a new product/income stream for your clients.

Learn How To Build Custom AI Chatbots

Learn how to build custom chatbots and GPTs with these free courses and guides:

  • ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers (DeepLearning.AI)
  • Quickstart Guide to Building Generative AI Copilots (Microsoft)

Built-In AI Chatbots And Features

You don’t always have to find a new tool to get AI assistance. Many popular business tools, software, and online services have built-in AI chatbots and features.

In addition to having AI with direct access to your company’s data, you have the confidence that comes with a platform you already trust for reliability and security.

The following are examples of platforms with scalable AI features for advertisers, marketers, agencies, teams, and enterprises.

Learn About Generative AI In Business

Learn how to utilize generative AI in business with the following free courses:

  • Introduction to AI for Business Users (Microsoft)
  • Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path (Google)
  • Generative AI for Executives (Amazon)

Automated AI Agents

Do you want to automate tasks with AI?

With Zapier (and plans starting at $20 a month), you can connect your ChatGPT account, Claude (via API), or Cohere (via API) to thousands of popular business applications to create automated workflows.

For example, I can create a workflow that connects Gmail, ChatGPT, and Slack and works when a new email matching a search is received.

Scalable AI Tools For SEO: A Quick Guide For 2024Screenshot from Zapier, December 2023

You can create advanced automated workflows that use your ChatGPT account or your OpenAI account with the Assistants API.

Actions For GPTs

Remember the custom AI chatbots mentioned earlier that ChatGPT subscribers can build with minimal coding?

If you’re willing to do a small amount of coding, Zapier also offers actions that connect GPTs to Zapier’s platform of app integrations.

Train AI Models And Build Generative AI Applications

If none of the AI chatbots and tools mentioned thus far provide the customized level of solution you need, then you may want to work with the following for enterprise AI solutions.

Learn How To Develop AI Solutions

Learn how to build AI products with the following courses and learning paths:

  • Generative AI Learning Plan for Developers (Amazon)
  • Machine Learning Engineer Learning Path (Google)
  • Develop Generative AI solutions with Azure OpenAI Service (Microsoft)
  • Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (Microsoft)

Conclusion

A common misconception is that AI is going to replace people at their jobs.

The reality is that AI could do most of the work that companies have outsourced for decades.

It’s the people who are willing to use AI to optimize workflows and increase productivity who will replace those who can’t or won’t adapt to the future of work with AI.

Featured image: Tada Images/Shutterstock

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Dec 20 2023
New Google Labs Design Includes AI Tools For Search & Creativity via @sejournal, @kristileilani

Google recently launched a new design for Labs with 12 artificial intelligence (AI) experiments, tools, and projects, showcasing a commitment to advancing AI technology.

google labs ai test kitchen new designScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

This redesign highlights a dozen AI products that could transform how AI is in most workflows and organizations.

From search to productivity, here are the AI experiments you can try or sign up for on the newly designed Google Labs website.

12 Google AI Experiments

Here are the 12 AI experiments from Google that have been appearing in popular products, including Search, Workspace, and YouTube.

1. Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)

This feature – now notably missing the ending date of December 2023 – quickly summarizes topics, generates fresh ideas, and simplifies follow-up research. It represents a significant advancement in how users can interact with and leverage AI for efficient information retrieval.

google sgeScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

2. TextFX For AI Writing Assistance

TextFX is an AI assistant for the creative writing process. While offering vast possibilities, users should note the need for accuracy checks.

Available from Google’s AI Test Kitchen, TextFX utilizes Google’s PaLM 2 and incorporates artistic insights to enhance artistic expression.

textfx google ai text kitchenScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

3. Google Bard With Extensions

Google Bard, now powered by Gemini Pro, seamlessly integrates with Google services like YouTube, Gmail, and Maps through extensions available in English, Japanese, and Korean.

Bard ExtensionsScreenshot from Google Bard, December 2023

4. NotebookLM For Research

NotebookLM, powered by Google AI, changes how you read, take notes, ask questions, and organize ideas, offering assistance – and sources.

For marketers, this could be customized in the future for meeting transcripts, book quotes, novel chapters, or corporate documents, providing a rich resource for research and idea generation.

Google AI notebooklmScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

In a Lab Session, video journalist Cleo Abram demonstrates how NotebookLM can assist with research by aiding complex tasks such as memory retrieval and fact-checking.

5. Duet AI For Google Workspace

Duet AI for Google Workspace enables collaborative AI-assisted writing, visualization, and organization, enhancing creative workflows. It works to simplify common tasks in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet.

To use Duet AI, users need an eligible Google Workspace plan. Those not currently using Workspace can begin by signing up for it.

duet ai google workspaceScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

6. A Game To Improve Image Prompting Skills

Say What You See is an AI experiment that teaches the art of image prompting.

The Google Arts & Culture Lab team, with the aid of Google AI, has created a series of images, and your task is to describe what you observe.

Your descriptions will be used to generate a new image that is inspired by the one you’re looking at. You’ll get three chances for each image to reach a certain level of visual similarity.

Keep an eye out for helpful tips that will guide you in refining your prompts.

learn image promptingScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

7. AI Experiments On YouTube

Exclusive to YouTube Premium members, this feature provides early access to experimental AI functionalities.

This option for Premium members gives marketers and advertisers a way to prepare video content to adapt to new YouTube features, such as AI-generated conversation topics and summaries.

8. Project IDX

Project IDX could become an invaluable tool for developers, offering a quick and seamless transition into development workflows within Google Cloud.

Additionally, it enhances app optimization for multiple platforms, offering previews and simulators for different environments.

A standout feature is its generative AI assistance from Google’s Codey, which aids in code generation, completion, and translation, streamlining the development process significantly for SEO professionals.

9. Instrument Playground with MusicFX

This AI experiment allows users to generate, play, and compose music using AI.

It features over 100 instruments from around the globe, allowing for the generation of a 20-second sound clip tailored to specific moods or themes.

It also comes with a variety of modes, including Ambient, Beat, or Pitch, and an Advanced mode with a Sequencer for intricate compositions.

New Google Labs Design Includes AI Tools For Search & CreativityScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

Developed from Google AI’s Music LM research, this innovative platform offers a novel way for marketers to create distinctive, AI-generated soundtracks that resonate with their brand and audience.

The following shows how Google Bard and generative AI music tools enhance creativity.

10. Magic Compose For Text Replies On Android

For those uncertain about text replies, Magic Compose suggests responses with the appropriate tone and context.

11. AI Script Editor For Google Home

For those who can’t work remotely, the Script Editor’s experimental features allow users to create advanced home automation using AI, removing the need for coding expertise.

New Google Labs Design Includes AI Tools For Search & CreativityScreenshot from Labs.Google, December 2023

12. Magic Editor For Google Photos

Google Photos’ Magic Editor offers AI photo editing, which should lead to better tools for advertisers to use to edit ad campaign media faster.

Conclusion

In addition to the new design, Google shared a link to its Discord for AI Test Kitchen experiments and called for innovative AI experiment submissions, seeking projects that push the boundaries of what code can do and inspire other coders.

The bright new layout for Labs.Google and the range of AI experiments highlight Google’s relentless pursuit of innovation and its commitment to shaping a future where AI plays a pivotal role in everyday life.

It should also give marketers an idea of what new AI features will appear in search and what tools Google could have to offer for business, creativity, and productivity soon.

Featured image: IB Photography/Shutterstock

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Dec 11 2023
Zoom Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Via Improper Authorization via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Zoom issued an urgent security advisory about a flaw in the Zoom client that could allow a user to gain higher level privileges and access that they are not authorized for.

Zoom Clients And User Roles

The Zoom web client is what users use to access a meeting.

Improper authorization in a Zoom client is a security flaw that allows users to gain access to functionalities or data that they are not authorized for based on the user privilege levels assigned to them.

There are three levels of access called user roles in Zoom. User roles defines whether a user has the necessary privileges to perform particular actions or access various data resources.

The three levels are:

  • Owner: Highest privilege level that has access to everything
  • Admin: Can add, remove, or edit users plus manage account features.
  • Members: The lowest user role. Can only manage their own profile settings

Zoom Clients – Improper Authorization

The Zoom security alert warned that users can escalate their user role privileges.

According to the security advisory:

“Improper authorization in some Zoom clients may allow an authorized user to conduct an escalation of privilege via network access.”

This vulnerability is mitigated to a certain extent in that a user must first be authorized to the network in order to move on to the next step of escalating user privileges. That may be why the security issue has been assigned a severity rating of medium with a score of 5.5/10.

List Of Affected Zoom Clients

  • Zoom Desktop Client for Windows before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Desktop Client for macOS before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Mobile App for iOS before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Mobile App for Android before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Desktop Client for Linux before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Rooms Client for Windows before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Rooms Client for macOS before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Rooms Client for Android before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Rooms Client for iPad before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom VDI Client before version 5.16.0 (excluding 5.14.13 and 5.15.11)
  • Zoom Meeting SDK for Windows before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Meeting SDK for iOS before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Meeting SDK for Android before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Meeting SDK for macOS before version 5.16.0
  • Zoom Meeting SDK for Linux before version 5.16.0

Update Zoom Client Immediately

Users are advised to update their Zoom clients.

Zoom recommends:

“Users can help keep themselves secure by applying current updates or downloading the latest Zoom software with all current security updates from https://zoom.us/download.”

Read the Zoom security bulletin:

Zoom Clients – Improper Authorization

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Ink Drop

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Nov 29 2023
3 AI Video Generator Demos Powered By Stable Video Diffusion via @sejournal, @kristileilani

Stability AI announced the release of Stable Video Diffusion, a generative AI video model that can transform static images into video content.

As marketers look for innovative ways to create visual content, we offer a sneak peek into the future of video content creation with generative artificial intelligence (AI).

What Is Stable Video Diffusion?

Stable Video Diffusion is a foundation model in research preview from Stability AI with image-to-video capability.

It was designed to perform tasks like multi-view synthesis from a single image, a capability enhanced by finetuning on multi-view datasets.

Stability AI offers two versions, capable of generating 14 and 25 frames at frame rates ranging from 3 to 30 frames per second.

While the company is enthusiastic about incorporating feedback and updating the models with the latest advancements, it clarified that the model is not intended for real-world or commercial applications at this stage.

Stable Video Diffusion’s code is available on GitHub, and the necessary weights to run it locally can be found on the Hugging Face page. This paper includes detailed technical capabilities of the new model.

3 AI Video Generator Demos Powered By Stable Video DiffusionScreenshot from Stability AI, November 2023

How To Create Video From A Static Image: 3 AI Video Generator Demos

The following research demos powered by Stable Video Diffusion offer a glimpse into the future of visual content creation with generative AI.

1. Community Demo For Stable Video Diffusion – Img2Vid – XT On Hugging Face

I used this demo to create a downloadable GIF file from a ChatGPT-generated logo.

stable video diffusion image to video ai generator hugging face demoScreenshot from Hugging Face, November 2023

The resulting AI-generated video:

2. SVD On Replicate

I used this demo to generate a downloadable MP4 file from the same logo.

stable video diffusion demo replicateScreenshot from Replicate, November 2023

The resulting AI-generated video:

3. Stable Video Diffusion Playground On Fal

I tried this demo to create a downloadable GIF file.

stable video diffusion image to video generator gifsScreenshot from Fal, November 2023

Unfortunately, there were technical difficulties with the logo test. So here is an AI-generated GIF I created a few days ago using this demo and an image generated by DALL-E 3.

Waitlist For Text-To-Video Interface

Interested individuals and organizations can sign up for a waitlist to access a new upcoming web experience from Stability AI featuring a text-to-video interface, which will showcase the practical applications of this technology.

The release of Stable Video Diffusion marks a significant step in the evolution of generative AI technology, paving the way for future innovations in marketing and advertising technology.

Featured image: rafapress/Shutterstock

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Nov 13 2023
List Of 16 GPT SEO AI Tools Publicly Available Right Now via @sejournal, @martinibuster

OpenAI recently offered paid subscribers the ability to create their own custom GPT and many in the search community have created and shared the tools.

Here is a partial list of some of the latest SEO related GPT agents that have been created and shared within the past few days.

The ability to create ones own custom GPT is an important evolution of ChatGPT for the search community because virtually any AI-based tool can be created without knowing any code.

One needs a paid OpenAI subscription in order to use the following tools.

It’s useful to check out what’s possible with the tools. They serve as inspirational examples of what can be done with personalized AI agents.

In terms of privacy, while I didn’t check every custom GPT, the content submitted to the tools are not shared with the person who created them.

The privacy information is visible by clicking the “i” information icon that’s next to the custom GPT author’s name.

The list of AI agents is organized into the following four categories:

  1. Content Quality
  2. Analytics
  3. SEO Analysis
  4. Content AI Agents

Content Quality

Content Helpfulness and Quality SEO Analyzer
International SEO Aleyda Solis (LinkedIn profile) created and shared a custom GPT that evaluates and compares competitor content with your own.

The analysis evaluates for how closely the comparison content aligns to Google’s guidelines for the concepts of helpfulness and quality. It also evaluates for relevance to the targeted search queries.

SearchQualityGPT – Content Analysis of EEAT
Analyzes how closely content aligns with Google’s concepts of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

It might be interesting to test this tool by having it analyze top ranked content in the health niche to see what it has to say about that content.

If you’re rolling your own custom GPT then it may be helpful to test it on content that is known to be authoritative or expert.

Analytics

GA4 Commander

Scott Hendison, CEO of Search Commander (LinkedIn profile), created the GA4 Commander. It offers step-by-step guidance on using Google’s analytics tool GA4 and links to documentation.

SEO AI Tools

On-page SEO analyzer
Provide a URL and your pet keywords and the agent offers an on-page SEO analysis.

The accuracy or utility of a tool is only as good as the person who created it.

People tend to think of SEO as something with objective truths that are beyond dispute.

But the reality is that what constitutes SEO is not objective at all, it’s very subjective. If we all agreed on what proper SEO is people wouldn’t be having arguments about it on social media.

Which is why I say that every tool is only as good as the person who created it. If their idea of SEO aligns with yours then the output of the tool may feel satisfactory.

But if their definition of SEO is different, then maybe the person who created it is wrong or maybe they know a little more than you do.

Always keep an open mind.

Competitive Analysis AI
This tool requires users to share background information of the industry the website is in. Other information the tool needs is a competitor list and details of the which specific areas of SEO you need help with.

Screenshot of Information Need for Competitive Analysis AI

List Of 16 GPT SEO AI Tools Publicly Available Right Now

SEO Analyzer
Offers SEO analysis, website audit, competitive analysis and SEO recommendations.

The tool requires the following information:

  • Website URL
  • Competitor URLs
  • SEO Goals & Challenges
  • Brief description of current SEO strategy
  • Access to analytics data (if possible)
  • Target audience and keywords

Content AI Agents

Quiz Master
This tool is interesting because it will create multiple choice questions based on submitted content.

Some of these custom AI agents, like this one, can inspire an idea of a different agent. For example, this custom GPT made me think of a different one that analyzes content in order to create a list of all the questions that are answered by each block of content.

That output may offer an idea of what the web page is relevant for, which may or may not be what the author intended.

ArticleGPT – Article Writer
The description of the tool says that it’s an expert at “SEO-optimized article writing.”
And yes, we know that “SEO-optimized” means Search Engine Optimized-Optimized.

Article Expert – Article Writer
This is another tool that is described as an expert in Search Engine Optimized-Optimized content. This tool differentiates itself by offering a side of AI generated images to go with the content.

Article Assistant
This tool seems promising because it will go out and do the research for the article. Just tell it what you want.
Examples of what to ask the tool to do are:

  • Draft a professional article on recent tech innovations
  • Write a detailed article on health and wellness trends

StyleMaster
This custom GPT matches the writing style of article examples submitted for it to analyze. Just upload samples of the content and the tool will generate content in that style.

Blog Expert – Blog post writer
This tool writes blog posts.

Magic Writer – Article Writer
This tool offers to be an “SEO-optimized Writer Buddy.”

Viral Hooks Generator
Offers engaging sentences and phrases that are useful for articles, social media. It’s just the phrases and not titles, headings or complete articles.

ChatSEO – Drafts and Improves Content
The agent helps improve content as well as create a draft of new content.

Content Curation
This tool generates content according to whatever parameters are needed.
For example, you can ask it to create content about trending viral news for the past week or to write a listicle article of top rated products or generate content about ten SaaS tools launched within the past month.

For SEOs By SEOs

There’s a DIY quality about these new tools that reminds me of the early days of punk when regular folks decided they could make music too. OpenAI has made it possible for non-coders to make the exact AI tool that they need without having to pay expensive monthly fees.

We’re living through a new moment in SEO where the power of AI is within reach of virtually anyone.

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Nov 8 2023
Google Simplifies The Search Console Page Experience Report via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has announced upcoming changes to Search Console, designed to help website owners holistically improve page experience.

In a blog post, Google says the current page experience report will transition into a new page linking to general guidance.

The updated report will also include a dashboard view of individual Core Web Vitals and HTTPS reports that will remain part of the platform.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Google shares an example of the updated report:

Google Simplifies The Search Console Page Experience ReportScreenshot from: twitter.com/googlesearchc, November 2023.

The changes enable a more comprehensive view of the elements of a good page experience. This includes Core Web Vitals, HTTPS, and other usability factors.

Context On Page Experience Factors

Page experience has become a key component in Google Search rankings over the past few years.

It includes Core Web Vitals metrics like Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift that measure site performance and responsiveness.

Page experience also encompasses mobile-friendliness and HTTPS encryption.

The changes to the Search Console page experience report provide consolidated guidance across all these factors in one place rather than through scattered reports.

While you may be concerned about losing granular data from individual reports, Google has assured that aggregated data will remain available through the Core Web Vitals report.

Google Addresses Key Page Experience Questions

In an FAQ section at the bottom of Google’s blog post, the company clarifies how page experience influences search rankings and results.

When asked if good page experience is required for top story carousel placement, Google said it’s not an eligibility requirement as long as the content meets policies.

Google also noted page experience is evaluated on a page-specific basis through its core ranking systems. While relevant content remains the priority, page experience can help sites stand out when multiple high-quality pages are available for a query.

Google emphasizes taking a comprehensive holistic to optimization rather than focusing on individual metrics scores. Updates to the Search Console page experience report will provide simplified guidance to make that process easier.

Closing Thoughts

These changes reflect Google’s evolving way of communicating data and SEO-related recommendations around the page experience ranking system.

While parts of the page experience report are being retired, the focus remains on consolidating insights and guidance that you can act on to enhance visitor experiences.

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Oct 25 2023
How To Reduce Your Email Bounce Rate & Boost Email Marketing Campaigns via @sejournal, @zerobounce1

When you’re reaching out to a mass email list with your business offering, the last thing you want is to see that your last email blast didn’t make it to the full audience you aimed for.

These email bounces waste time and money. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

A bounce rate higher than 2% can shatter your entire email marketing strategy by sabotaging your email deliverability.

In fact, according to marketing standards, you want your bounce rate to be as close to 0% as possible and never more than 2%.

See how many bounces your next campaign may get >>>

The good news? You can take steps to avoid this common problem for good and calibrate your campaigns for better email deliverability.

Read on to find out how bounces hurt your business and what you can do today to boost your email marketing success.

What Is A Bounce Rate?

Your bounce rate is the percentage of emails you send that bounce or do not make it to a recipient’s inbox.

There are two types of bounces – hard bounces and soft bounces – and each has a different effect on your email marketing campaign.

In both cases, however, your message won’t make it to the intended recipient.

What Is A Hard Bounce?

A hard bounce indicates a permanent issue with the email address.

It’s invalid or possibly never existed.

There’s no hope of your email getting through with that address, so make sure to remove it from your email list.

What Is A Soft Bounce?

A soft bounce happens when a temporary issue causes your email to not be delivered.

The mailbox was full, your email was too large, or the domain was down. Your email provider will keep trying to deliver your message, but it may end up permanently bouncing.

Make sure to remove permanent bounces from your database.

What’s Wrong With Getting Email Bounces?

Getting bounces is antithetical to email marketing because you’re sending your emails because you want a real person to open and read them.

It’s frustrating and demoralizing when that doesn’t happen.

  • Bounces waste money. Email services charge based on the number of email addresses on your list, as well as how many emails you send. If you’re getting bounces, you’re pouring dollars down the drain.
  • Bounces waste time. Why would you put all of this work into your emails only to have them result in a pile of bounces?
  • Bounces affect your email deliverability. They send notice to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that you’re likely a spammer and should be treated as such. Fewer people will see your emails because they’re now going to the junk folder.

Is It Possible To Have A 0% Bounce Rate?

Perfection is unattainable, but it is an ideal to strive for.

You may want to achieve a 0% bounce rate. However, there are many factors out of your control:

  • A Full Mailbox: Your customer may have a valid email address, but their mailbox is full. This will result in a soft bounce.
  • Issues With Email Providers: The contacts on your list rely on other email providers, so you can’t dictate what happens on their end.
  • Glitches: You’ve likely witnessed an email that bounced for no discernible reason. Sometimes an unexplained phenomenon or glitch is to blame.

Any of these may be the culprit for a bounce.

They’re why the expected email marketing bounce rate benchmark is 2%, but it’s also why your target should be to reach perfection – 0%.

The concept of “aim small, miss small” applies. If you shoot for 0%, you may get close.

If you try to hit the benchmark, you may veer into the danger zone.

How To Reduce Your Bounce Rate

Now that you know the risks of a high bounce rate, let’s explore the most reliable ways to keep bounces at bay and help your emails reach the inbox.

How To Reduce Your Email Bounce Rate & Boost Email Marketing CampaignsImage courtesy of ZeroBounce.Net, October 2023

Step 1: Validate Your Email List

You can remove invalid email addresses from your list once they bounce, but the damage is already done.

To keep your email deliverability high, you want to avoid bounces in the first place – and the most effective way to do it is by using an email validator.

An email validation service checks your email list for invalid email addresses so you can remove them before they cause harm.

The process is easy and fast – on average, you can verify 100,000 contacts in less than an hour.

Email databases decay at an average rate of 23% a year, so remember to validate your contacts at least once a quarter.

How To Reduce Your Email Bounce Rate & Boost Email Marketing CampaignsImage courtesy of ZeroBounce.net, October 2023

Step 2: Set Up An Email Validation API

After you verify your entire email list, you can go a step further and prevent it from acquiring bad data with an email validation API.

The API is your second layer of defense against bounces, working in real-time to protect the health of your email list.

Once you connect the API to your sign-up and registration forms, it blocks invalid emails right at the point of capture.

For instance, if someone mistypes an email, it prompts them with a message asking them to enter the right address. Aside from that, a trustworthy email validation API blocks bots and fake sign-ups, thus protecting your email deliverability.

Step 3: Remove Unengaged Subscribers From Your Email List

Building an email list takes effort, so many companies want to hold on to the email contacts they gather.

The bigger your list, the higher the ROI is the common mindset.

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Oct 19 2023
Google Analytics Removes 4 Models, Adds Custom Metrics via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has announced updates coming soon to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) properties.

As of mid-October 2023, specific attribution models will be removed from the platform.

At the same time, Google is introducing a new “calculated metrics” feature that allows you to create custom metrics tailored to your business needs.

According to a statement from Google, the First Click, Linear, Time decay, and Position-based attribution models will be phased out for all GA4 properties next month.

The default attribution will switch to paid and organic data-driven models for any accounts currently using those models. Other models like Last Click will remain available.

Removing the rule-based attribution models marks a shift toward automated, AI-driven attribution in Google Analytics.

Implications Of Removing Rule-Based Attribution

Removing the four attribution models could impact marketers who have optimized campaigns and strategies around those models.

This could push Google Analytics users toward Google’s AI-powered attribution models. This reliance on Google’s proprietary systems could make it harder to understand how attribution works.

To offset this change, Google Analytics is launching calculated metrics – a way for users to combine standard or custom metrics using mathematical formulas.

As an example, Google said a calculated “Item margin” metric could subtract “Item COGS” from “Item price.”

“You can adjust any metric to fit your business needs or logic,” explains Google’s announcement. Calculated metrics allow weighting, discounting, and combining other metrics.

Utilizing Calculated Metrics

According to Google, calculated metrics enable direct decision-making by letting users incorporate fundamental business logic into the metrics.

Users with admin access can build up to five calculated metrics per standard property or 50 for Analytics 360 properties.

The new feature will be available across reports, explorations, and the Analytics API.

While calculated metrics provide more customization, there are potential downsides.

Allowing users to create complex calculated metrics could lead to confusion or inconsistencies across teams and reports.

Proper governance will ensure that calculated metrics are well-documented and structured logically. Users will likely need training on how to build metrics that provide actual value rather than overly complex formulas.

Preparing For The Changes

To avoid these changes, Google recommends auditing your existing attribution setups. Any reports or strategies relying on the four removed models must be transitioned to alternate attribution methods.

Testing different attribution models ahead of time is advised. Marketers should develop a plan for how calculated metrics will be created, managed, and utilized in their organization.

Google’s advanced notice of the changes gives analytics teams time to prepare. However, adapting workflows and strategies to align with Google’s evolving platform will remain an ongoing balancing act.

Looking Ahead

The changes reflect Google Analytics’ continued evolution as it adapts to a post-cookie world.

While rule-based attribution goes away, custom-calculated metrics provide more flexibility to tailor metrics to specific business use cases.

Featured Image: IB Photography/Shutterstock

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Oct 19 2023
The 19 Best Market Research Tools Of 2023 via @sejournal, @annabellenyst

Building a successful business is no easy feat, especially in a world where consumers have more options – and distractions – than ever before.

That’s why market research is essential to any business marketing plan and marketing strategy.

Market research lets you learn more about our target consumers and their behavior, spot emerging trends, uncover important data, and make informed business decisions.

But with so many target consumers out there and so many places and methods to reach them, where should you start?

In this article, we’ll cover some of the best market research tools available to you across a variety of tactics and approaches.

Let’s get started.

1. SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkeyScreenshot from SurveyMonkey, September 2023

One of the more well-known survey tools, SurveyMonkey offers a broad list of features and capabilities for creating audience surveys.

Whether you want to create your own survey or choose from one of its 250+ expert-created templates, SurveyMonkey offers a user-friendly interface that enables you to customize your surveys to your needs.

It also offers a suite of helpful features, including AI-powered knowledge to help you pose the right questions, as well as built-in reporting and analytics.

Pricing:

  • SurveyMonkey offers a free Basic tier with unlimited surveys featuring up to 10 questions and 10 responses per survey.
  • Individual plans start at $39/month with unlimited surveys and questions, and up to 15,000 responses per year.
  • Team plans start at $25/user/month, starting at three users. This level also gives you unlimited surveys and questions, but offers 50,000 responses per year.

2. Typeform

TypeformScreenshot from Typeform, September 2023

Typeform is an easy-to-use tool focused on helping users create intuitive and engaging forms, surveys, quizzes, polls, and more. Its selling point is the ability to create truly conversational, beautiful forms.

With Typeform, you can create slick surveys with customizable interactive elements, such as images and videos, that encourage your audience to take action. Its focus on interactivity makes it an appealing tool for market research.

Typeform offers plenty of useful features – from conditional logic to creating dynamic surveys – that adapt based on answers to real-time data analytics and integrations with tons of popular tools, from Slack to Google Analytics.

The company even offers a standalone video tool, VideoAsk, where users can create “video forms” to prompt responses.

Pricing:

  • Typeform offers a Free plan with unlimited typeforms and 10 responses per month.
  • Paid plans start at $25/month billed annually for Basic, $50/month billed annually for Plus, and $83/month billed annually for Business.
  • The company also offers an Enterprise plan.

3.  BuzzSumo

BuzzsumoScreenshot from Buzzsumo, September 2023

BuzzSumo is a content research and analysis tool that can help you gather some powerful market insights.

Regarding market research, BuzzSumo can help you understand the content landscape in your industry (and beyond), find out what’s resonating with your target consumers, identify influencers in your niche, and track how your content is performing vs. your competitors’.

The BuzzSumo tool analyzes articles (over 5 billion!) and social media posts across the internet to identify top-performing content. It allows you to comb through five years of data so that you can discover the right content ideas for your audience.

Pricing:

  • 30-day free trial (no credit card required).
  • Membership tiers start at $159/month billed yearly for Content Creation (individual) plan, $239/month billed yearly for PR & Comms plan, $399/month billed yearly for the Suite plan, and $999/month billed yearly for the Enterprise plan.

4. Qualaroo

qualarooScreenshot from Quaraloo, September 2023

Want to capture user feedback and deepen your understanding of market trends? Qualaroo might be the tool for you.

Qualaroo is a customer and user feedback tool that claims to be “10X more valuable than email surveys.” Using Qualaroo, you can add a survey to a page on your website or integrate it into your product.

The tool uses behavioral triggering to show surveys or feedback prompts in response to specific user behavior, so you know you’re targeting the right people with the most relevant questions.

Qualaroo also offers visual customization so you can get the branding right, automatic language translation, a library of survey templates, audience targeting, and IBM Watson Sentiment Analysis to help you organize your results.

Pricing:

  • 15-day free trial (no credit card required).
  • Plans start at $69/month billed annually for Essentials, $149/month billed annually for Premium, and $299+/month billed annually for Business tier.

5. SpyFu

SpyFuScreenshot from SpyFu, September 2023

SpyFu is a great choice if you’re looking to conduct competitive analysis as part of your market research efforts.

It allows you to effectively “spy” on your competitors by viewing their marketing strategies, advertising history, what keywords they’ve bought on Google Ads, and more – which can help you find gaps in the market and optimize your own approach.

You can feed the SpyFu tool a URL, and it will instantly show you its results for SEO topics like organic keywords, top pages, backlink analysis, total traffic, competition, and more.

Not only can SpyFu help you gain an understanding of the SEO landscape for your industry and gain a competitive advantage, but it can also tell you how hard it might be to dominate a specific niche.

Pricing:

  • SpyFu offers paid plans starting at $16/month for Basic, $36/month for Professional, and $149/month for Team (billed annually).

6. Ahrefs

AhrefsScreenshot from Ahrefs, September 2023

Another great tool for SEO and competitive analysis, Ahrefs is a popular choice of many marketers for good reason.

Using Ahrefs, you can learn more about the search landscape of your market, discover what keywords your customers are searching for, track your competitors, and analyze content in your industry to inform your own strategies.

With its keyword and content capabilities, Ahrefs will help you find gaps and opportunities in the market so that you can improve your content, your site, and your search visibility.

Pricing:

  • Website owners can sign up for Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for free limited access to its Site Explorer and Site Audit tools.
  • Paid plans start at $83/month for Lite, $166/month for Standard, $333/month for Advanced, and $833/month for Enterprise (billed annually).

7. Delve AI

Delve AIScreenshot from Delve AI, September 2023

User personas are a crucial facet of an effective marketing strategy – and as such, developing them is a common step in any market research process.

Thanks to tools like Delve AI, it’s easier than ever to build user personas.

Delve AI offers a suite of persona-building tools based on your needs and the data available to you. Depending on what stage your business is in, you can generate:

  • Competitor personas using Delve AI’s data.
  • Social personas based on your social audience.
  • Customer personas using your customer information.
  • Live personas for your website based on Google Analytics data.

Beyond its multi-channel capabilities, Delve AI uses AI algorithms for accuracy in personas, offers behavioral insights, real-time updates to your personas, and more.

Pricing:

  • The company offers a free Lite plan.
  • Business plans start at $71/month for Standard, $159/month for the Growth tier, and $439/month for Pro (billed annually).
  • Agency plans start at $167/month for Standard, $343/month for Growth, and $687/month for the Pro tier (billed annually).

8. Sprout Social

Sprout SocialScreenshot from Sprout Social, September 2023

We don’t need to tell you about the importance of social media when it comes to connecting with your audience and driving business success. It can also play a major role where market research is concerned.

Sprout Social offers a robust suite of social media management features. Perhaps the most useful for market research are social listening features – which allow you to track market trends, industry keywords, and social conversations – and its competitor analysis capabilities.

It also provides insights into audience demographics, behavior, and interests, which you can use to inform your marketing approach.

Pricing:

  • Free 30-day trial.
  • Plans start at $249/month for Standard, $399/month for Professional, and $499/month for Advanced.
  • Sprout Social also offers an Enterprise tier plan.

9. Google Trends

Google TrendsScreenshot from Google Trends, September 2023

How can you supercharge your market research efforts? Look to search data.

Google Trends is an incredible tool that enables you to analyze real-time and historical search data to discover market trends, up-to-date consumer insights, and more.

By using this tool to access the latest information on how people search on Google, you can spot emerging interests and opportunity areas, and keep an eye on what consumers are most interested in.

It also offers location filtering so that you can see what’s trending in any given market.

Pricing:

10. Statista

StatistaScreenshot from Statista, September 2023

If you’re looking for data and statistics on pretty much anything in the world of business and marketing, you might want to check out Statista.

It’s a business intelligence platform that provides “statistics, reports, and insights on over 80,000 topics from 22,500 sources in 170 industries.” This means that if you’re looking for specific market research insights, Statista most likely has something to fit your needs.

From in-depth reports to data visualizations and industry forecasts, Statista can give you reliable insights into what’s happening in markets around the world, and highlight market and consumer trends.

Pricing:

  • Free Basic account available.
  • Paid accounts start at $149/month for Starter and $490/month for Personal (billed annually), with more options available.

11. Qualtrics

QualtricsScreenshot from Qualtrics, September 2023

If you’re looking for something extremely robust, Qualtrics’ market research platform is an all-in-one, AI-powered solution for your market research needs.

It offers a suite of features and capabilities, including:

  • Panel Management: Enables you to create research panels from email lists, site visitors, social followers, and more.
  • On-Demand Respondents: Companies can pay for access to survey respondents that match their target demographic.
  • Product Development: Get access to early feedback on your new products and services from customers.
  • Purchase Behavior: Explore data on what is fueling purchase decisions among your target customers.
  • And more.

While it requires a more dedicated investment, Qualtrics’ software is scalable and powerful. It comes with automation and integration with many other tools, and customers have access to a support team.

Pricing:

  • Qualtrics offers a free survey maker tool with up to 500 responses.
  • For pricing details, reach out to the Qualtrics team.

12. Temper

TemperScreenshot from Temper, September 2023

It’s important to stay on top of how your customers feel about your business, services, and products – and Temper provides a super simple way to do just that.

The concept is simple: Come up with a simple question you want to ask your question, and your customers can respond by clicking a smiley face that corresponds to how they feel.

You might want to ask your customers, “How do you feel about our new product?” or “Please rate your experience with our customer support team.” With just a little bit of code, you can place a Temper widget on your webpage, in a blog post, or in an email footer and get quick feedback on audience sentiment.

Pricing:

  • Plans start at $12/month for Hobby tier, $49/month for Pro, $89/month for Business, and $199/month for White Label.
  • Temper offers a 60-day risk-free, money-back guarantee.

13. Quora

You’ve likely heard of the question-and-answer site Quora, but have you considered its potential as a market research tool?

Quora is an online community where real people can go to ask questions about anything they’d like, and share their experiences and opinions with others via answers.

It offers a unique opportunity for brands to conduct market research within their specific industry or area by connecting with Quora’s diverse community of consumers, professionals, and others.

Try searching Quora for topics related to your business or niche, and look at what types of conversations are trending. Or, you could ask a question yourself!

It’s a great tool for engaging your audience, keeping an eye on your competitors, and even developing new ideas for content, product development, and more.

Pricing:

  • Quora is free to use, though it also offers separate business solutions.

14. Crunchbase

CrunchbaseScreenshot from Crunchbase, September 2023

Crunchbase is a handy tool for getting a good picture of your industry landscape and how your competitors are faring.

It’s a database of companies that includes information like funding round data, investors, and financial information for each business. It also includes information such as employee headcount, leadership data, and more.

You can search Crunchbase by region or industry, allowing you to see how other companies in your niche are growing, and who is deciding to fund them. This can help you identify investment opportunities and market gaps, or even just gauge the overall health of your industry.

Pricing:

  • Crunchbase offers a Free plan where you can preview profile pages at no cost.
  • Paid options start at $29/month for Starter and $49/month for Pro (billed annually).
  • An Enterprise option is also available with custom billing.

15. Google Market Finder

Google Market FinderScreenshot from Google Market Finder, September 2023

Another excellent market research tool from Google is Market Finder. This free, interactive tool is focused mostly on researching target markets – so you can use it to discover which markets might have the most potential for your company, monitor demand for your products or services, and more.

There are two primary features within Market Finder:

  • Test your export readiness. By providing your company’s URL and completing a short quiz, the tool will grade your “readiness” to expand into new markets abroad.
  • Dive into new markets. You can take another short quiz that will suggest new market recommendations based on the information you provide, as well as external data like search volume and Google Ads.

Market Finder can also integrate with your Google Analytics data for more accurate information.

Pricing:

16. Semrush

Market ExplorerScreenshot from Market Explorer, September 2023

Semrush is a one-stop marketing tool that can be leveraged to gain incredibly useful market research insights.

The company offers features dedicated to this type of research, such as its Market Explorer tool, which enables you to get quick information on your specific industry, conduct an analysis of market share, and benchmark your business against your competitors. You can also use the tool to analyze the potential of a new niche or market region for your business.

You might also find Semrush’s traffic analytics tool useful, as it allows you to go deeper with competitive analysis and target consumer demographics.

Pricing:

  • Semrush offers a free account with limited capabilities.
  • Paid accounts start at $108.33/month for Pro, $208.33/month for Guru, and $416.66/month for Business (billed annually).

17. Pew Research Center

Pew Research CenterScreenshot from Pew Research Center, September 2023

While not a traditional marketing tool, the Pew Research Center is a widely known and respected resource that can be super effective when it comes to market research.

The site hosts a robust catalog of reports, surveys, and research covering everything from tech and digital media to politics, cultural trends, and more. The data is unbiased and credible, offering a unique perspective into what today’s consumers think and feel on various topics.

You can use the Pew Research Center as a tool to further hone your market research efforts, providing you with insights into the attitudes and behaviors of your target consumer, as well as the various factors that are impacting their desires and purchasing decisions.

Pricing:

18. Exploding Topics

Exploding TopicsScreenshot from Exploding Topics, September 2023

We all know the saying, “I liked it before it was popular” – well, with Exploding Topics, your business can be the one to say this.

Exploding Topics helps you spot trends before they become super popular by analyzing searches, mentions, and conversations across the web to identify products, topics, and industries that are on the rise.

You can use Exploding Topics as a resource to help you predict shifts in the market and consumer interests, which can inform everything from your product design and strategy to your marketing approach.

It’s a lot like Google Trends, with some key differences; it pulls in data from a variety of sources and is focused on highlighting emerging trends before they take off.

Pricing:

  • Exploding Topics offers a free version of its Trend Database.
  • Paid tiers begin at $39/month for Entrepreneur, $99/month for Investor, and $249/month for Business (billed annually).

19. Loop11

Loop11Screenshot from Loop11, September 2023

In today’s day and age, you can’t build a successful business without an effective website. But how can you know whether your website will resonate with your target consumer?

You can use Loop11, a usability testing platform that helps facilitate user testing of your products.

Loop11 makes it simple to create a usability test and secure participants.

It enables you to view the user’s experience through video, audio, and screen recordings. Then, it presents you with in-depth insights and UX metrics to help you understand what’s working with your website, app, or product and what’s preventing people from converting.

Pricing:

  • Free 14-day trial with full capabilities.
  • Paid plans start at $179/month for Rapid Insights, $358/month for Pro, and $533/month for Enterprise (billed annually).

In Summary

Market research is key to any business plan, no matter what industry you’re in, what stage of growth your business is at, or what customers you’re serving.

From competitive analysis to keyword research, user feedback, and more, focusing on your market research efforts will pay dividends to your business in the long run.

And while there are plenty of different ways to approach market research, these represent some of the best tools available to you – and can be a great jumping-off point for you to get started.

More Resources: 

Featured Image: LAONG/Shutterstock

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