Over the past year, Google has tried to turn Performance Max’s “black box” reputation around with updates that give marketers a clearer view of what’s working and where their ads are running. PMax has come a long way, but it still works best when there’s a smart strategy behind it.
Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are where people go to discover brands. It’s never been easier to make short-form video content, but good video starts long before you hit record. You need clarity on your audience, your story and messaging, and what happens after you hit “post.”
Google recently retired the num=100 parameter, which told Google to load 100 search results on one page instead of the usual 10. Many SEO tools relied on it to capture more ranking data at once, but that extra data made reports look bigger than reality by counting “ghost” impressions and inflated keywords. Now that it’s gone, your reports might look lower, but your actual visibility likely hasn’t changed.
Instead of clicking through links on search result pages, users are getting instant answers from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. That shift is pushing AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) into the spotlight. AEO helps your content show up in zero-click results like Google’s AI Overviews, while GEO increases your chances of being cited in AI-generated responses.
As of July 10th, professional and creator Instagram accounts are officially being indexed by Google, which means your Reels, photos, and captions can now appear in search results. But visibility isn’t guaranteed. The way you write captions, use alt text, and structure your profile all play a role in whether your content gets picked up.
You’ve launched Facebook ads, sent out newsletters, and used QR codes at trade shows to drive traffic to your new site. Now traffic is up, but it’s not clear which effort actually moved the needle. Without the right tracking in place, it’s easy to double down on the wrong channels or cut budget from what’s really working. That’s where UTMs come in. These small URL add-ons show exactly where your traffic is coming from, so you can stop guessing and start making decisions backed by data.