One of the greatest failings of a PPC specialist is being unable to take a step back and see the big picture.

You can get lost in the weeds of account management and focus too much on vanity metrics, bidding strategy testing and reporting to forget about what the client ultimately wants from the account. 

To be fair, the client is often not great at communicating what that big picture looks like, and they, too, can often get lost in CTR and Search impression share metrics. 

I’ve had more conversations over the years with some clients on why average CPC is up year on year, why they aren’t top of the SERP on certain searches, or why the bounce rate is so high on a Shopping ad compared to a Search, rather than discussing how our overall business objectives are progressing. 

Campaign goals and objectives should be regularly discussed because they are the ultimate measure of success, vary among different people in the company and change over time.

With this in mind, I’ve come up with five considerations for setting up and adapting your PPC goals and objectives 

1. Alignment with overall business goals

Agencies often promise to improve campaign performance but may not know how the client defines performance. Sales teams who are involved in early discussions may have questionable PPC experience since they don’t regularly manage accounts.

Audits are carried out, recommendations are made and account management is handed over. Some conversations are had along the way about the account objectives, but often, this is done after an audit. 

This is odd to me, as without the goals, how do you have context for campaign goals, bidding strategies and account structure? 

Even when objectives are clear, different people involved in the discussions can cause the details to get lost in the setup and week-to-week management.

Those business goals must be the center of your initial campaign strategy and roadmap. Before handling an account, you need to answer the following questions:

• Is the measurement in place to track all the priority and secondary goals the client wants to track? 
• Does every campaign currently running, or planned to be built, have a specific goal that is aligned with the overall objective?
• Is the account structure proportionally reflective of these objectives?
• How does the business track the success of these objectives and goals? Can we have access to it (Shopify, HubSpot, etc.)?

There will be more specific questions to ask, which may have been covered in the briefing stage, but ensure these are documented and recorded as a reference point for future conversations.

Dig deeper: Setting PPC goals: How to tailor KPIs and metrics for each funnel stage

2. Channel and audience research

With the business priorities and sub-priorities set out, you now have to identify the biggest PPC opportunities that are available to match those priorities.

Research your audience and match their profile with a channel that will produce results based on each priority. Your budget and the client’s available resources will also dictate what channels you decide to invest in.

For example, a new insurance company may have a limited budget to generate brand awareness (priority) and initial leads (sub-priority). 

The first go-to strategy may have been Meta Ads to build awareness and Google Search ads targeting specific keywords for leads. However, the markets using these channels are notoriously competitive, and the average CPC/CPM is very high.

As a new company, they lack a strong brand name and the trust that comes with it. However, they have a young, savvy marketing team and a product targeting a younger audience.

Their team creates high-quality, engaging video content, evident from their YouTube channel, which has 10 times more subscribers than their Meta accounts.

YouTube suits their longer, product-focused videos, and their audience engages better there. Based on this, they decided to focus their advertising budget on YouTube with video in-stream ads for brand awareness and demand gen campaigns for leads.

Dig deeper: Un-silo your PPC campaigns: 4 tactics for more cohesive marketing

3. Enhanced measurement strategy 

It all goes back to your initial conversations. Once priority and sub-priority objectives are agreed upon, identify what needs to be tracked for each objective. Ensure the client agrees with this measurement strategy. 

If the main goal is to generate more revenue, set up revenue tracking for optimization and measurement. This defines success for the account, so client alignment is crucial. Secondary goals might include acquiring new users or increasing average order value (AOV).

Make sure new user acquisition is tracked in both the sales platform (overall) and search ads (platform-specific). This allows you to measure and report on new acquisition bidding strategies.

To measure AOV, implement basket-level data tracking to identify products with the highest AOV. This lets you test bidding on these products separately and measure any uplift.

Often, brand awareness is the most difficult objective to track, and each client will have different ideas on tracking it (e.g., clicks, sessions, views from videos, reach, impressions, etc). 

Some will look deeper, such as brand lift studies (limited to high spenders), direct traffic growth, returning user growth or brand traffic growth. 

It’s likely a combination of these factors and others. The key is to discuss these options with the client and, once agreed upon, make them the focus of advertising measurement, optimization and reporting.

Dig deeper: How to track and measure PPC campaigns

4. Reporting

With clear and measurable goals and objectives agreed upon, reporting should reflect this as transparently and plainly as possible.

The CEO, CFO, head of sales or any member of the marketing team should be able to understand and interpret a report in the context of the priority and sub-priority objectives agreed upon.

A real-time dashboard is ideal because stakeholders can access reports from any time period without needing frequent email requests for specific data. It should reflect the agreed-upon KPIs for each campaign and metrics related to important objectives like profitability. Organize priority objectives on separate pages to avoid confusion.

You can use a simple test by asking a colleague not involved in the account if they can clearly identify the campaign objectives just by looking at the dashboard structure. 

If someone who also creates dashboards for clients can’t recognize the objectives within 30 seconds, CEOs and CFOs who don’t regularly view dashboards will likely struggle, too. 

Be patient with client feedback on the dashboard’s appearance and data content. Once they’re satisfied, your job is done. It’s also helpful to clearly state specific goals on the dashboard and define where each campaign stands in the sales funnel. 

This transparency is crucial, especially for new team members or those who don’t frequently review dashboards.

Dig deeper: 3 steps for effective PPC reporting and analysis

5. Consistent and structured communication 

With reporting nailed down, you have the foundation for consistent and structured communication among the different client stakeholders.

Carry out monthly report check-ins with your own interpretation of the report, as data alone will rarely tell the whole story and provide context. 

This can be communicated through regular weekly or bi-weekly comms with your day-to-day contact, most likely with the client’s marketing team. 

If possible, build in quarterly and annual reviews. This enables you and the client to regularly take a step back and monitor the overall progress of the objectives. 

Make sure that finance, sales and other leadership stakeholders within the company are brought into these meetings/calls to discuss the overall strategy and reconfirm on their side if their road map hasn’t changed. 

Don’t just rely on the marketing team to keep everyone updated. Often, there will be new members of the leadership team who weren’t involved in the initial discussions, so regularly reaffirming objectives and strategies will be welcomed. 

How often have you left annual reviews with the business leadership team feeling disappointed due to negative feedback? 

It was supposed to be a moment to celebrate the year-on-year increase in conversions and lower CPA, which you thought were the main campaign goals. 

However, it turns out the increased leads are low quality, and there are fewer sales conversions (thanks to the sales team for the updated information). Without their input and involvement, this issue wouldn’t have been identified.

These meetings require more preparation and can be stressful, as opinionated individuals, some of whom have bad memories, will scrutinize everything about the campaigns. However, your consistent and transparent reporting on agreed-upon metrics will serve you well. 

Issues like low-quality leads would have been caught earlier when setting primary objectives. (Remember, you should’ve gained access to the client’s HubSpot account initially, integrated it into our measurement setup and included it in our comprehensive report dashboard.)

As we’ve seen in the past few eventful years for online advertising, markets can significantly fluctuate. As the business goalposts shift, then so should your campaign approach. 

In the case of the insurance company mentioned earlier, after a year with their initial strategy, the annual review showed increased brand recognition and a small number of high-quality leads. 

Market analysis revealed that many competitors had exited the search markets, leading to a 30% decrease in average CPC compared to the inflated numbers of the previous year. 

After reviewing forecasting data, the company decided to pivot and revise its main objective to focus more on increasing lead numbers while preserving quality, with brand awareness becoming a secondary priority.

To achieve this, they decided to increase their marketing budget. Previously, their budget wasn’t sufficient for testing search ads. While lead generation was a secondary priority, they now have enough funds to give paid search a fair trial and increase lead volume to align with their primary objective. 

Their successful brand awareness campaign on YouTube over the past year featured innovative, engaging video ads that bolstered the company’s market reputation and established a stronger authority bias. 

This led to higher conversion rates and a more efficient return on investment from paid search than if they had launched the ads a year earlier, when they had minimal market presence and trust, resulting in higher average CPCs.

The scenario happened because of direct communication and clear reporting of primary objectives with senior stakeholders. It’s crucial to have everything agreed upon set up and performing well through the first four steps. 

However, if this isn’t regularly communicated to company decision-makers, you won’t be able to react swiftly and capitalize on market opportunities as they arise.

Dig deeper: How to deliver PPC results to executives: Get out of the weeds

In 2023, Google’s Gary Illyes stated that links are no longer the third most important Google ranking factor.

Was he lying?

A recent study by Internet Marketing Ninjas showed that over 96% of websites in the Top 10 search results have more than 1,000 backlinks from unique domains.

And only 0.3% have less than 100.

Clearly, websites that rank well in Google Search tend to have more high-quality backlinks.

What is the key to earning those precious nods from other websites?

Content-based link building.

What is content-based link building?

Content-based link building is a strategy used in SEO to acquire backlinks by creating and promoting high-quality content.

Instead of actively soliciting links from other websites, which can be seen as spammy or manipulative, content-based link building focuses on creating valuable, informative or entertaining content that naturally attracts links from other sites.

What types of content tend to earn the most links?

There are two critical elements: relevance and value.

Your content should resonate with other websites, filling a gap in their content or sparking a new idea.

Think long-form content – comprehensive guides, groundbreaking research, visually stunning infographics and forward-thinking opinion pieces – content with a certain “stickiness” that encourages other sites to link back to it as a trusted authority.

Content that attracts high-quality links often falls into certain categories, including:

• Case studies
• Industry reports
• Controversial or opinionated pieces
• Interviews with industry experts

How to write link-worthy content

Creating content that attracts links isn’t rocket science. You simply need to focus on providing helpful information that answers the burning questions of your target audience.

When you do, you’ll become the default authority in your industry.

Readers respond to engaging headlines, subheadings and eye-catching visuals that segment the text.

To add credibility, illustrate your points with specific data and relatable examples that resonate with your audience.

Dig deeper: How to create linkable assets with ChatGPT

7 effective content-based link building strategies

Want to turbocharge your website’s visibility? Focus on building quality backlinks with these seven strategies.

1. Create linkable assets

Develop valuable resources like infographics, whitepapers or interactive tools that naturally attract links. These linkable assets provide unique value that other sites will want to reference and share with their audience, helping you earn valuable backlinks.

2. Guest posting

Reach out to relevant websites in your niche and offer to write a high-quality guest post. This lets you tap into their audience while earning a backlink to your site. But make sure to choose only reputable sites that are aligned with your target audience.

3. Broken link building

Find broken links on relevant websites, then reach out to the site owner and offer your content as a replacement. This technique helps site owners fix their broken links while allowing you to earn a valuable backlink and demonstrate your expertise.

4. Skyscraper technique

Find popular content in your niche, then create an even better version. Reach out to sites linking to the original piece and let them know about your improved resource. If your content is truly valuable, many of these sites will update their links.

5. Expert roundups

Create a roundup post featuring insights from industry experts. Reach out to these experts and let them know they’ve been featured. Many will share the post with their audience, driving traffic and earning natural links.

6. Resource pages

Many websites have resource pages that link to helpful content on a specific topic. Find relevant resource pages in your niche and reach out to suggest your content as a valuable addition. If your resource truly adds value, you can earn a high-quality link.

7. Digital PR

Create newsworthy content like original research, surveys or industry reports. Pitch this content to journalists and publications in your niche, and if they cover your story, you’ll earn authoritative links from trusted media sites.

The key to any link building strategy is to focus on providing genuine value. Your content needs to be link-worthy – something that other sites would want to reference and share with their audience to enhance the user experience.

Dig deeper: How to use digital PR to drive backlinks and business growth

The role of social media in content-based link building

Today’s social media landscape offers a unique chance to build relationships and earn links.

Get your audience buzzing by asking thought-provoking questions, sparking lively discussions and responding to comments.

As your social engagement rises, you’ll naturally attract links from people who stumble upon your content.

Another tactic is to mention influencers and thought leaders when sharing your content. If you’ve referenced their work or included their insights, tag them in your social posts, and many will reshare the post with their followers, expanding your reach and increasing your chances of earning links.

Connect with journalists and publications in your industry. Engage with their posts, and when the timing is right, pitch your content for a chance to land valuable backlinks and boost your brand’s visibility.

Remember, link building is about more than just creating great content – it’s about getting that content in front of the right people. Harness the power of social media to promote your content, build relationships and get those high-quality links pointing to your site.

The future of link building: Adapting to the rise of AI-generated content

The future of content is being rewritten by AI and the landscape is shifting rapidly.

These days, artificial intelligence is cranking out incredibly realistic content at lightning speed, making it easy for marketers to whip up social media posts, blog articles and ad copy.

But while this tech is undeniably cool, it’s also making link building a bit of a puzzle.

The web is awash with AI-generated content, making it tough to cut through the noise and earn those prized high-quality backlinks.

What will give you a unique advantage is your human touch. It’s all about tapping into people’s emotions, sharing real-life experiences and offering genuine perspectives – things that AI systems are still struggling to master.

With AI-generated content on the rise, creating truly exceptional content is more crucial than ever. Here are three things to keep in mind when generating link-worthy AI content.

• Prioritize E-E-A-T: Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines are more important than ever. Create content that showcases your unique expertise and experiences to build trust with your target audience.
• Focus on user intent: Instead of just targeting keywords, create content that addresses the underlying needs and questions of your target audience. Use tools like Answer the Public to uncover the topics and queries that users are searching for.
• Experiment with new formats: While long-form content can be great for link building, don’t be afraid to experiment with shorter, more visual formats like infographics, videos and interactive tools. These can be highly shareable and help you stand out in a sea of text-heavy content.

AI may be wreaking havoc on the link building landscape, but it also presents new opportunities for those willing to adapt and innovate.

By focusing on creating unique, valuable content that meets the needs of your target audience, you can continue to earn high-quality backlinks and establish your website as a go-to resource in your industry.

Google is rolling out Local Services Ads on its Maps app, starting with iOS, to help advertisers generate more leads directly from the navigation platform.

Why it matters. This expansion brings local business ads to a highly-intent user base actively searching for nearby services, potentially increasing lead generation for advertisers.

How it works. Google will automatically create and display ads on Maps using businesses’ current Local Services Ads data.

The catch. Advertisers can’t opt out of Maps placement without also pausing their Search ads.

Why we care. This could be good news for advertisers with a chance at increased visibility on Google Maps, providing exposure to users actively searching for local services, potentially at the moment of need. However, advertisers should also be aware that this bundling limits flexibility in campaign management and may affect budget allocation strategies

Key details.

• Launch limited to iOS version of Google Maps mobile app
• Uses existing ad data and user reviews to create ads
• No additional data required from advertisers
• Billing and pricing remain the same as Search ads
• Advertisers only charged for qualified leads
• Existing bids will be used for Maps ads

First spotted. This announcement was spotted on Matt McGee on X. He shared the email he received:

Examples of it live. Search Engine Land’s Barry Schwartz spotted a few examples on a search:

Between the lines. This move leverages Google’s dominant position in local search and navigation to create new ad inventory.

The bottom line. For local businesses, this update could increase visibility to potential customers when they’re looking for services, but it also binds Maps and Search ad placements together.

Google seems to have a bug where it has not indexed new content across both large and smaller publishers over the past several hours. The issue seemed to have started at about 5 p.m. ET, when Google Search was not showing most of the new content that content creators were publishing to their websites.

What are we seeing. Sites as large as AP News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Fox News, CNBC and even small sites like the Search Engine Roundtable, are all seeing issues with new content not being shown in the Google Search results.

This can be a Google Search bug with indexing or serving or maybe some rendering issue with the Google Search interface.

Here are some examples of the Google Search results filtered to show content published in the past hour from some of these publications that publish dozens of stories per hour. You can see some sites have no pages shown for content published on them in the past hour, some have one, some have three and so on:

Checking Google Search tools. So when I was debugging this after covering this issue a few hours ago on the Search Engine Roundtable, I noticed the story I published on this news was not indexed by Google and is still not indexed a few hours later. The content published on this site normally gets indexed within minutes by Google Search.

Google Search Console’s URL inspection tool still says the URL is not indexed, hours later:

When I search for the story headline, filter by content published recently, or even search by the URL of the story, Google Search is not returning it.

No word from Google yet. I have reached out to Google but have still not heard back on this issue. Google has still not published an issue update on the Google Search Status dashboard – I suspect they will eventually.

Spam update the issue. Is it possible that the June 2024 spam update broke Google Search? That is hard to say and it is, of course, just speculation. But we know with the last core update, Elizabeth Tucker from Google said their main goal was to ensure that algorithm update did not break Google. We also know that sometimes Google experiments cause issues in Google Search.

Others having issues. I posted the news on social media, including X and there are a lot of folks noticing this issue now. Just click through to my post on X and you’ll see a lot of the replies and quotes:

White-label link building can transform your SEO strategy. It allows you to focus on other crucial parts of your digital marketing or an SEO agency.

How? 

You simply outsource your link building to a professional team while keeping full control. 

Sounds easy, right?

Specialized agencies create backlinks for your brand. They handle the entire process, often including creating content and linkable assets.

Why is this important? 

Picking the right white-label link building agency is key. A team of experts will deliver results without compromising your brand.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to wisely select the best white-label link building services.
• How it works.
• What to look for in a service provider.

What are white-label link building services?

White-label link building services involve a specialized agency building backlinks on behalf of another agency. The primary agency then presents these links to their clients as their own work.

These services are essential for SEO campaigns but require specialized skills, which many digital marketing and SEO agencies lack.

This is where white-label services come in.

Who benefits from white-label link building:

• SEO agencies without a dedicated link building team. They need to deliver high-quality links but lack the resources to do so internally.
• Independent SEO experts. They may need to scale their efforts without the time or manpower to handle link building themselves.

White-label link building services include everything from guest posting to securing high authority backlinks – or, simply, websites that have demonstrated credibility and trustworthiness and are typically rewarded with organic visibility by search engines. The main goal is to boost a client’s search engine rankings through effective strategies.

Here’s why you might consider white-label tactics:

• Your client demands high-quality links, but your team lacks the expertise.
• Your in-house team is overwhelmed with requests.
• You want to offer link building services without the overhead of hiring a full team.
• Testing the waters with such services before committing to an in-house team.

Professional services allow you to access experts who know how to build effective links quickly and efficiently.

How white-label link building works

The white-label method involves a specialized agency managing the entire process of acquiring backlinks on behalf of another agency. This allows the primary agency to offer comprehensive link building services to its clients without having to build an in-house team.

Here’s how a professional white-label link building team operates:

Step 1: Understanding client needs

The process begins with understanding a client’s product, service and goals. 

The primary agency provides this information to the white-label partner, outlining the target landing pages and desired outcomes.

Step 2: Identifying relevant opportunities

The white-label agency identifies the most suitable websites. They focus on sites that align with the client’s goals and industry, ensuring the links are relevant.

Step 3: Creating content and outreach

Next, the agency creates high-quality content. This can include guest posts, linkable assets or other types of content. 

They then contact publishers, collaborating to secure placements and ensuring the content is published on authoritative sites – sites that are helpful, useful and trusted and respected by other websites, people and search engines.

Step 4: Reporting and analytics

Once the links are placed, the agency provides detailed reports and analytics. 

The primary agency can then present these results to their clients under their own branding, maintaining full transparency and control.

Why hire a white-label link building agency?

Here’s a list of only a few advantages you can get from hiring a professional white-label link building agency:

• Expertise: These agencies hire experienced outreach specialists who know all the ins and outs of getting effective links. Their expertise ensures high-quality results that meet the specific needs of different industries.
• Connections: Pro agencies have built relationships with trusted publishers and websites. They have the tools and connections to secure high-quality results faster than an in-house team.
• Quality links: Professional agencies use best practices to get quality backlinks from reputable sources, boosting your SEO.
• Scalability: A good agency can easily adjust to your requirements. Whether you need a few high-quality links or many, they can manage it effectively.
• Full service: Such agencies often go beyond just link building. They can create content and offer other relevant services, such as SEO audits, keyword research, and social media management, adding value for you or your clients.

By hiring a team of experts, SEO firms and independent specialists can deliver excellent link building services, improving their clients’ SEO results.

How to choose a white-label link building agency

As you may already have guessed, choosing the right team is essential for delivering top results to your clients. 

Here are key factors to consider before making up your mind.

Case studies

A reputable agency should have a portfolio of genuine, successful case studies that showcase their expertise and specialization in your niche.

Look for detailed examples of their past work and verify their authenticity to gauge the agency’s ability to deliver the results you need.

Reviews

Client reviews provide insights into an agency’s performance. 

Platforms like Clutch and G2 offer scores and detailed feedback from previous clients. Checking these reviews will help you assess the agency’s reliability and effectiveness.

For example, if you search “top link building companies” on Clutch, here’s what you’ll see:

Realistic guarantees

A reliable agency will give you a clear idea of the results you can expect. 

They provide realistic expectations and focus on delivering quality links rather than quantity. Therefore, they should specify how many links they can build and their quality. 

Steer clear of agencies that make unrealistic promises.

Safe link building practices only

Ensure the agency uses only no-risk or low-risk methods.

These can be, for example:

• Guest posting: Writing and publishing valuable articles on reputable websites in your niche to build authority and reach a wider audience.
• Skyscraper technique: Creating high-quality content that improves upon existing popular content and reaching out to sites linking to the original.
• Connectively (ex-HARO): Providing expert quotes to journalists which can potentially result in backlinks and increased visibility.
• Linkable assets: Creating valuable content like infographics, videos and comprehensive guides that attract natural backlinks.

Using these methods indicates they focus on proven tactics for building backlinks.

Getting just what you need

Depending on your business niche and requirements, you can get links only from websites suitable for your needs. This helps you maintain control over the quality and relevance of the links being built.  

Many agencies skip this step, but it’s a valuable feature to look for.

That’s why we have it at Editorial.Link.

Note: Once you choose an agency, remember that detailed reporting is crucial. The agency should provide clear and comprehensive reports that show the progress and impact of its efforts. This transparency helps you keep track of the campaign’s effectiveness.

Choosing a white-label agency: Red flags

Knowing what to avoid when choosing your perfect white-label agency will help you make a smart choice and safeguard your investment. 

Here are some red flags to keep an eye on.

Low-quality link building

Low-quality link building can damage your SEO efforts. To ensure a white-label agency avoids these practices, ask for their methods, request case studies and inquire about their approach to maintaining quality and compliance with search engine guidelines.

Avoid agencies that use link farms, which are sites created solely to host paid links. These sites often have poor content and low relevance. 

For example, Google has deindexed many websites for deceptive link schemes, excessive link exchanges, paid links and other manipulative practices that violate its guidelines.

Similarly, beware of Private Blog Networks (PBNs) and forum links, as they offer minimal to no SEO value and can even result in penalties.

Unrealistic guarantees

Be cautious of agencies that make grand promises, like guaranteeing top rankings or a massive number of backlinks quickly. 

These “pie in the sky” promises are often too good to be true.

Low prices

Quality comes at a price. And obtaining high-quality links requires significant effort and resources.

Attractive offers like “600+ links for $10” on platforms like Fiverr.com often result in low-quality links that do more harm than good. So your best bet is to stay away from such “experts.”

Building a solid link profile requires investment; cheap solutions rarely deliver the desired results.

By avoiding these pitfalls, you can select a team that provides genuine value and supports your SEO goals.

Conclusion

White-label link building is a smart move for agencies and SEO experts. It lets you offer top-notch services without overextending your resources. This approach ensures quality results and allows you to focus on other important things.

A good white-label program is flexible and can be customized to fit your needs and your clients’ requirements, making the process smooth and efficient for everyone.

Partnering with a reputable team of experts at Editorial.Link means you can provide your clients with an added service that enhances the work you’re already doing.

Traditional search engines like Google, once the uncontested gatekeepers of online discovery, are now sharing the stage with the likes of TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest. These social platforms are becoming new hubs for information discovery. 

This shift, which I call the migration to social search, is largely driven by Gen Z and millennials, who prefer the visual, interactive and community-driven nature of these platforms. 

For brands, this means rethinking strategies to meet audiences where they spend time and engage most.

This article tackles the factors fueling social search, from user-generated content (UGC) to the power of authenticity. We’ll also discuss how you can adapt your brand’s marketing approach to thrive in this changing landscape, offering practical insights for leveraging social search effectively.

How social search is redefining online discovery

Social search is a major change from traditional search engines, focusing on social signals, user-generated content and community-driven discovery of information and brands.

Unlike traditional search engines like Google, which use algorithms to index and rank webpages by factors like keywords and backlinks, social search uses data from social platforms to provide more personalized and relevant results while still considering traditional search factors like keywords at times. 

Traditional search engines operate by users entering a query and getting a list of results based on the algorithm’s relevance. It can also be a friction-filled experience where publishers and brands are concerned with sending signals to Google instead of focusing on meeting audience needs. This can be frustrating for late millennials and Gen Z, who grew up with social platforms at the forefront of their online experience.

Social platforms, on the other hand, integrate users’ preferences, behaviors and interactions. This means search results are influenced by what the user regularly engages with, leading to a more personalized and dynamic search experience than traditional search.

For example, searching [best restaurants] on Google typically shows results based on online reviews and search rankings.

On social platforms like Instagram or TikTok, the same search emphasizes restaurants that friends, favorite creators and top influencers in their demographic have visited and tagged or are trending within their engaged communities.

Dig deeper: How to leverage social search for effective on-site optimization

The rise of social search among Gen Z and millennials

The move toward social search is led by Gen Z and millennials, who are digital natives and avid social media users. They tend to prefer social platforms’ interactive, visual and community-focused aspects for finding information and making choices.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest have become essential tools for these audiences. TikTok, for instance, is not just a platform for entertainment but a powerful search tool where users can find everything from cooking recipes to travel tips, all delivered through engaging short-form videos. The hashtag system and algorithm-driven feed ensure that users constantly discover new and relevant content based on their interests and the latest trends.

Instagram, with its visually rich environment, serves as a search engine for lifestyle content. Whether looking for fashion inspiration, home decor ideas or dining options, users rely on the visual content and influencer recommendations that populate their feeds.

Pinterest operates similarly but focuses on idea generation and project planning, making it a go-to for DIY enthusiasts and hobbyists. It has also become a place users turn to when they are ready to buy but seek inspiration, meaning it can be leveraged to gain conversions quickly when other platforms move users through the buyer journeys at a much slower pace. 

The preference for these platforms is rooted in their ability to provide instant, visually engaging and socially validated information. 

Gen Z and millennials trust recommendations from peers and content creators they follow, influencing their choices of brands and products. This makes social search a powerful tool for discovery and decision-making.

As these generations dominate digital engagement, social search’s influence will grow, compelling brands to adapt their strategies. 

Your brand must create content optimized for both traditional search engines and social platforms, leveraging UGC, engaging with communities meaningfully and repurposing content to ensure wide coverage across this emerging search universe.

Factors driving the migration

User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is key in enhancing search relevance and engagement on social platforms. Brands like Gymshark have effectively used user-generated content on TikTok and Instagram to create a more engaging and authentic connection with their audience.

By encouraging users to share their own content featuring Gymshark products, the brand amplifies its reach and enriches the pool of content available for search marketing queries.

This user-driven content includes workout routines, progress photos and testimonials, all tagged with the brand’s hashtags and shared widely within the community. This enables Gymshark to gain visibility for searches it wouldn’t ordinarily rank for.

Gymshark’s use of UGC, especially during Gymshark66, has turned its customers into brand ambassadors who generate buzz and foster community around the brand.

This content boosts the brand’s visibility and authenticity, making it more relatable and trustworthy to potential customers while continuing to develop fanatics and advocates​.

Trust and authenticity

Social search thrives on trust and authenticity, leveraging peer/creator/influencer reviews, testimonials and real-life experiences to influence purchase decisions.

Unlike traditional search results that may feel impersonal, social search results often include personal endorsements and experiences from real users. This peer validation is crucial for users who highly value the opinions of their peers and favorite influencers. 

Instagram and TikTok excel at providing these authentic experiences. When users search for product reviews or recommendations on these platforms, they often encounter genuine, unscripted content from everyday users. The algorithm will also return influencers they trust. 

This layer of social proof is powerful, as it builds credibility and influences purchasing behavior more effectively than traditional advertising ever could​.

Dig deeper: Search, social and retail: The future of digital brand experiences

Visual and interactive content

The appeal of visual content and short-form videos is a significant driver of the migration to social search.

Younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, are drawn to visual content’s dynamic and engaging nature, which is more immersive and easier to consume than text-heavy formats.

Social platforms cater perfectly to these preferences by prioritizing video content that demands attention and conveys information quickly.

Short-form videos, in particular, are highly effective for social search. They offer concise, engaging snippets that are easy to watch and share. This format aligns well with the fast-paced consumption habits of younger audiences. 

For example, TikTok’s algorithm curates content based on user interactions, ensuring that the most relevant and engaging videos surface at the top, thus enhancing users’ overall search experience​ .

And here is where an “ace” of social search emerges. Social algorithms can show users relevant content before they even search for it. This means brands can engage users earlier in their journey, placing themselves at the center of the conversation from the start – something traditional search can’t do.

Additionally, social platforms’ interactive elements (e.g., likes, shares and particularly the extension of conversation via comments) further boost engagement and content visibility. 

Users are more likely to trust and act on content widely endorsed by their peers, creating a feedback loop that continuously elevates the most relevant and popular content within social searches.

Implications for brands and marketers

Adapting SEO strategies

As social search gains prominence, you must adapt your brand’s SEO strategies to include platforms beyond Google, embracing this search universe.

This means understanding the unique algorithms and search behaviors on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest. 

Traditional SEO practices such as keyword optimization, link building and on-page SEO remain relevant but must be integrated with social search techniques alongside this, allowing you to amplify what is possible with search marketing.

Brands should create content optimized for both traditional search engines and social platforms. This requires thorough research to understand platform-specific keywords and hashtags and integrate them into content. 

Engaging with trending topics (e.g., “challenges”) further enhances visibility and relevance in social search results through continuous trend monitoring.

Dig deeper: How to navigate SEO in a multi-platform world

Content creation and distribution

To succeed in social search, you must develop a robust content creation and distribution strategy.

• Leverage influencers/creators: Collaborate with influencers aligned with your brand values to amplify reach. Their endorsement can enhance engagement and credibility, especially when integrated as contributors to your online blog content.
• Engage with communities: Actively participate in relevant online communities to boost brand presence and cultivate an engaged fan base. Respond to comments, join discussions and share UGC.
• Content quality is key: Prioritize high-quality visual and video content that is engaging, shareable and visually appealing to capture audience attention.
• Repurpose and recycle content: Extend reach by repurposing content across platforms. For instance, a blog post can be transformed into Instagram stories, a Pinterest infographic or a TikTok video. This strategy maximizes content value and effectively reduces SEO and marketing costs by leveraging each activation.

Dig deeper: Why creator-led content marketing is the future of search

A social search case study: Sephora’s ‘Black Beauty is Beauty’ campaign 

Sephora’s “Black Beauty is Beauty” campaign exemplifies the effective use of social search to enhance brand engagement and authenticity.

This initiative celebrates Black beauty and amplifies Black voices, leveraging social search strategies to create a resonant and inclusive movement at a time when traditional search missed the intent of audiences.

UGC

• Sephora encouraged customers and influencers to share their beauty stories using the hashtag #BlackBeautyIsBeauty on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. 
• This strategy boosted campaign visibility and fostered a sense of community. Customers shared authentic content, such as photos and videos of their beauty routines, which increased the campaign’s credibility and relatability.

Trust and authenticity

• The campaign’s success hinged on trust and authenticity. By partnering with Black influencers alongside black-owned brands, Sephora ensured that the campaign message reached a wider audience through trusted voices. 
• This peer validation was critical in building credibility and influencing purchase decisions, making the campaign more effective than traditional advertising.

Visual and interactive content

• Sephora utilized visually rich content, including a short film, to demand audience attention. Makeup tutorials, product reviews and personal beauty stories were shared widely, enhancing user engagement. 
• The visually appealing content ensured the campaign was both informative (meeting search needs also) and captivating.

Sephora’s “Black Beauty is Beauty” campaign showcases the power of social search. By leveraging UGC, fostering trust and authenticity and creating engaging visual content, 

Sephora successfully connected with its audience and amplified its inclusive message. This case study highlights the importance of adapting to social search trends and building meaningful community connections.

Adapting your brand strategy to the era of social search

The migration to social search represents a fundamental shift in how audiences discover and engage with content online. As platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest continue to redefine the search landscape, brands must evolve to meet users where they are most active and receptive. 

By embracing user-generated content, fostering authenticity and creating visually engaging experiences, you can tap into the power of social search to build deeper connections with your audiences.

The key takeaway is clear: social search is not just a trend but a transformative force in digital marketing. Brands that adapt quickly, prioritizing community engagement and platform-native content, will be best positioned to thrive in this new era. 

As we navigate this search universe, the opportunities for meaningful interaction and impactful brand storytelling are boundless. The future of search is social, and the time to embrace it is now.

Dig deeper: Search universe analysis: A deep dive