Author Archives: SocialSignalCounter

Why Demand Gen is the most underrated Google Ads campaign type

Why Demand Gen is the most underrated Google Ads campaign type

As a Google Ads practitioner, you probably spend the bulk of your time optimizing Search, Shopping or Performance Max campaigns. That makes sense — the Google SERP is the foundation of Google Ads. But there is a big opportunity sitting right inside your Google Ads account that too many advertisers are ignoring. I’m going to […]

Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days

Why ecommerce SEO audits fail – and what actually works in 30 days

A $4 million Shopify brand recently showed me an SEO audit it received six months earlier – 127 pages, 53 action items, and a $12,000 price tag. Since then, the company has updated page titles and meta descriptions and added a few blog articles – 12 recommendations in total. The remaining 41 were not even […]

Core Update Favors Niche Expertise, AIO Health Inaccuracies & AI Slop

Core Update Favors Niche Expertise, AIO Health Inaccuracies & AI Slop

Welcome to this week’s Pulse: updates on rankings from December’s core update, platform responses to AI quality issues, and disputes that reveal tensions in AI-generated health information. Early analysis of Google’s December core update suggests specialized sites gained visibility in several shared examples. Microsoft and Google executives reframed criticism of AI quality. The Guardian reported […]

8 Changes Marketers Should Make In 2026

8 Changes Marketers Should Make In 2026

Paid media didn’t slow down last year. If anything, the platforms made sure we stayed busy. Google rolled out more AI-assisted ad creation features, new Performance Max reporting updates, and continued refining how AI-influenced results shape visibility across search. Microsoft pushed forward with its own set of AI tools inside Ads and Copilot, along with […]

Google doesn’t want you to create bite-sized chunks of your content

Google doesn’t want you to create bite-sized chunks of your content

Google’s Danny Sullivan, the former Search Liaison, said not to create bite-sized chunks of your content because you think Google’s AI results and other LLMs like that type of content. He said, “we don’t want you to do that” and that he spoke with Google engineers about it and they said the same thing – […]

Reddit Max Campaigns, Google Creator & Microsoft Targeting Updates

Reddit Max Campaigns, Google Creator & Microsoft Targeting Updates

Welcome to the first PPC Pulse of 2026! In this week’s update, Reddit introduces a new automated campaign type, Google expands its Creator Partnerships beta, and Microsoft announces new data-driven targeting capabilities. Reddit launched Max Campaigns, an automated campaign format designed to simplify setup and expand reach across its ad inventory. Google rolled out updates […]

From Simple Builders To Enterprise CMS

From Simple Builders To Enterprise CMS

WordPress powers hundreds of millions of websites. But when issues occur internally, the vulnerability of relying on a single platform becomes apparent. WordPress isn’t the only content management system (CMS) option. There’s a diverse marketplace of publishing platforms for those seeking alternatives. This guide provides an overview of leading WordPress alternatives across key website categories. […]

7 hard truths about measuring AI visibility and GEO performance

7 hard truths about measuring AI visibility and GEO performance

Fair warning: This article may make some people who’ve been hyping AI visibility tools uncomfortable. After 18 years in the search industry, however, my professional integrity doesn’t allow me to stay quiet. I have zero agenda here. Many of the misconceptions discussed below actually benefit me, both as the co-founder of an AI visibility tool […]

Microsoft launches Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents

Microsoft launches Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents

Microsoft is beginning to roll out its first agentic experiences within Copilot, it’s AI answer engine. Copilot Checkout allows shoppers to make purchases directly within Copilot without redirecting to external sites. This is done directly in the Copilot chat experience including across all Copilot surfaces such as Bing, MSN, and Edge. Plus, a new feature […]

Google’s John Mueller on SEO vs. GEO: Focus on audience behavior

Google’s John Mueller on SEO vs. GEO: Focus on audience behavior

Google Search Advocate John Mueller responded to a Reddit user who asked whether SEO is still “enough,” or if marketers now need to think about generative engine optimization (GEO). Mueller’s answer was simple: labels matter less than reality. “If you have an online business that makes money from referred traffic, it’s definitely a good idea […]