We’ve researched and compiled this list of top marketing agencies to help you find the best agency for your business. Read their descriptions, past clients, and notable projects to find the best fit for your business.

Best Chicago-Based Digital Marketing Agencies

1. NoGood

At NoGood, our specialty lies in the intersection of creativity and performance. We leverage rapid experimentation and data analytics to drive measurable revenue, conversions, and scalable long-term growth for our clients.

New York, NY

SEM, Content Marketing, CRO

SaaS, Healthcare, Consumer

50-100 employees

2. Mabbly

Mabbly is a team of creative problem solvers and “active listeners” who work together to create impactful solutions.

New York, NY

Advertising, Brand Strategy, Social Media Management

Consumer Goods, Technology, Financial Services

1,500 employees

3. Rise Interactive

Rise Interactive is a Chicago-based, full-service marketing agency specializing in digital channel management and customer experience.

New York, NY

Advertising, Brand Strategy, Consumer Engagement

Retail, Technology, Healthcare

10,001+ employees

4. Solid Digital

Solid Digital calls themselves a “brand-focused digital agency” that builds effective website experiences and digital marketing strategies for B2B companies.

New York, NY

Advertising, Brand Strategy, Consumer Engagement

Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Healthcare

5,001-10,000 employees

5. Marcel Digital

Marcel Digital is a digital marketing firm that specializes in mobile & app marketing, as well as website development services.

Boston, MA

Creative Content Writing, Digital Strategy, Social Media Marketing

Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Healthcare

1,001-5,000 employees

6. Perfect Search Media

Perfect Search is a search and social agency that provides data-driven strategies powered by AI tools.

New York, NY

Digital Strategy, Brand Positioning, Creative Agency

Automotive, Beauty, Consumer Goods

5,001-10,000 employees

7.  222 Digital Marketing

★★★★★

222 Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency with a specialty in digital design and branding.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

222 Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency with a specialty in digital design and branding. Their strategy for developing a consistent brand message involves 34% social, 33% website, and 33% listings. Their focus on social involves creating positive word of mouth. Their website strategy focusses on mobile friendliness and responsiveness that creates a simplified conversion funnel. Lastly, listings involve optimizing business information on key referral sites.

Their vision is to be the most respected internet marketing agency that changes the way businesses speak, listen, and share online.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Content Marketing Services
• Local SEO
• Video Marketing
• Google Ads Management
• Web Development & Design

• B2B
• Consumer

• Chicago

View all case studies.

8. VisualFizz

★★★★★

Dentsu Creative, previously 360i, is one of the top digital marketing companies specializing in search engine optimization, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. With a strong focus on driving results in the digital realm, Dentsu Creative has established itself as a trusted partner for brands looking to maximize their online presence.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

VisualFizz is a full-service marketing agency with a B2B focus that specializes in brand, search, and web. They have developed their own unique sector called “VisualFizz Builds” which focuses specifically on the manufacturing and industrial space. However, they work with various clients, including mid-sized businesses and Fortune 500 companies, to create memorable marketing campaigns.

VisualFizz aims to help clients dominate online by implementing well-rounded digital tactics and techniques.

Here’s what Fred Levron, Dentsu’s global chief creative officer, had to say about Dentsu’s investment fund to finance gaming, film, and TV projects:

“We want Dentsu Creative to be the first choice for clients looking to operate in the entertainment space. With this new offering we will help brands act as entertainment companies that also happen to sell snacks, drinks or fashion.“

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Social Media Marketing
• Brand Strategy
• User Experience Design
• Search Engine Optimization
• Chicago Marketing

• SaaS
• Healthcare
• Ecommerce

• Chicago

View all case studies.

9. Social Media 55

★★★★★

Dentsu Creative, previously 360i, is one of the top digital marketing companies specializing in search engine optimization, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. With a strong focus on driving results in the digital realm, Dentsu Creative has established itself as a trusted partner for brands looking to maximize their online presence.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

Social Media 55 is a digital marketing and social media management company that helps brands increase their digital presence through custom digital marketing solutions. What sets them apart is their extensive knowledge and experience in niche industries. They have worked with brands in niches like bridal, book launch, trade show, politics, CBD, hotel, life-coach and more.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Shopify Services
• Influencer Marketing
• Web Development & Design
• Mobile App Marketing
• Social Media Advertising

• Real Estate
• Healthcare
• DTC

• Chicago

View all case studies.

10. The Motion Agency

★★★★★

The Motion Agency is a full-service marketing firm that builds consumer relationships through experiences.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

The Motion Agency is a full-service marketing firm that builds consumer relationships through experiences.

The Chicago-based agency prides itself on using research, creative strategy, public relations, and digital branding to create stand-out messages. The agency works closely with B2C and B2B industries to gain new insights recognizing the ever-changing nature of industries.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Digital Marketing Experts
• Full-Service Creative Agency
• Content Campaigns
• Public Relations
• Creative Content

• Education
• Retail
• Healthcare

• New York, NY

View all case studies.

11. Agency EA

★★★★★

Agency EA is a full-service brand experience agency focused on connecting brands with consumers through strategic marketing campaigns, digital engagements, and virtual events.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

Agency EA is a full-service brand experience agency focused on connecting brands with consumers through strategic marketing campaigns, digital engagements, and virtual events.

Founded in 1999 as Event Architects, the agency relies on creative innovation and strategic approaches to ensure unique brand experiences. Some of their recognized clients include Hilton, Intuit, Google, Samsung, Molson Coors, and the Obama Administration.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• B2B Events
• Mobile Marketing
• Digital Integration
• Creative Design
• Creative Branding Strategy

• Events
• DTC
• SaaS

• Chicago

View all case studies.

12. Rule29

★★★★★

Rule29 is a strategic creative agency and Certified B Corporation helping businesses clarify and develop their brand, communicate their story, and connect with the right audiences through strategy, design, and making creative matter.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

Rule29 is a strategic creative agency and Certified B Corporation helping businesses clarify and develop their brand, communicate their story, and connect with the right audiences through strategy, design, and making creative matter.

Their approach is based on mutual collaboration, commitment, and caring. They ensure they always get clients who value design thinking, appreciate design’s role as a competitive advantage, and embrace teamwork.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Brand Strategy
• Brand Management
• Advertising Campaigns
• B2B Event Marketing
• Product Launches

• B2B
• DTC
• SaaS

• Chicago

View all case studies.

13. Stevens & Tate Marketing

★★★★★

Stevens & Tate is a full-service marketing and advertising agency servicing clients nationwide.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

Stevens & Tate is a full-service marketing and advertising agency servicing clients nationwide. They specialize in broadcast advertising, interactive advertising, package design, media buying, and more.

They have a solid client base in B2B, Real Estate, Hospitality, Food Retail, Healthcare, and Senior Living. Their motto is always “Make Things Happen” for their client partners.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Marketing Strategy
• Brand Development
• Inbound Marketing
• Print Design
• B2B Marketing

• B2B
• DTC

• Chicago

View all case studies.

14. Laughlin Constable

★★★★★

Laughlin Constable is an independent, full-service ad agency with offices in Milwaukee and Chicago.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

Laughlin Constable is an independent, full-service ad agency with offices in Milwaukee and Chicago. They tap into their Midwestern roots to take brands to the next level. They aspire to spark a change in every business that they work with.

They’ve continually evolved their services to include all disciplines, from design to mobile and analytics. They strive to create a culture that allows them to produce the best work and, in turn, the best results for their clients.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Video Production
• Digital Marketing Campaigns
• Public Relations
• Marketing Automation
• Experience Design

• Healthcare
• DTC

• Chicago

View all case studies.

15. JumpFly

★★★★★

JumpFly helps its clients develop, implement, and manage advertising channels, such as Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Amazon Ads, and Facebook Ads, that enable them to maximize internet advertising results.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

View Detail

JumpFly helps its clients develop, implement, and manage advertising channels, such as Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Amazon Ads, and Facebook Ads, that enable them to maximize internet advertising results.

Their full-service approach enables clients to focus on their core business while achieving the best possible results from their digital marketing efforts. As an agency, it is a Premier Google Partner, Facebook Marketing Partner, Microsoft Select Partner, and Snapchat Certified with an A+ rating from the BBB.

More Information

Key Services

Industries

Locations

• Amazon Advertising
• Development & SEO
• Paid Social
• Facebook Advertising
• Shopping Campaigns

• Education
• DTC

• Chicago

View all case studies.

16. Arc Worldwide

★★★★★

Arc is the lead shopper and retail agency within Publicis Groupe. Everything they do makes any brand irresistible, calling it Irresistible Commerce.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

17. Cramer-Krasselt (C-K)

★★★★★

Cramer-Krasselt (C-K) is one of the largest independent agencies in the US, with over $500 million in billings and 69% of revenue from digital media.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

18. Eight Bit Studios

★★★★★

A people-friendly, technology, design, and mobile innovation partner, Eight Bit Studios is a Chicago-based marketing agency that prides itself on its world-class product UX, design, and delivery.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

19. Nerdery

★★★★★

More than just a consulting firm, Nerdery is a premier digital product consultancy that partners with its clients on their digital journey.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

20. Codal

★★★★★

Codal is a UX design and development agency that develops digital solutions that modernize and scale businesses quickly.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

There are plenty of marketing agency options in the Chicago area, and hopefully, this post has provided some insight into some of the best options.

Every marketing agency will be different, and you want to find the one best suited to achieving your company’s goals. When hiring an agency to become part of your business’s marketing wing, you need to have clear goals, mutual trust, and understanding to be successful.

Ready to discover how our expertise can drive your brand’s growth and success?

The post 20 Best Marketing Agencies in Chicago in 2025 appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

The 18 Best Marketing Agencies in the United States

1. NoGood

At NoGood, we’re an award-winning digital marketing agency, born in New York with hubs across North America. We’ve been recognized as industry leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) and have been invited to South by Southwest (SXSW) several times to share our insights and strategies that have driven growth for some of the largest and fastest growing companies in the U.S. We’ve also won 2 marketing DRUM awards and a Webby. Our track record of excellence has solidified our position as a top performer in the industry.

New York, NY

SEM, Content Marketing, CRO

SaaS, Healthcare, Consumer

50-100 employees

2. Wieden+Kennedy

Wieden+Kennedy is widely acknowledged as a premier digital marketing firm in the United States as well as around the world. Their extensive track record of crafting unforgettable and impactful advertising campaigns is a testament to their unparalleled expertise.

New York, NY

Advertising, Brand Strategy, Social Media Management

Consumer Goods, Technology, Financial Services

1,500 employees

3. Ogilvy

Ogilvy has cemented its position as a powerhouse in the industry through its rich history, exceptional reputation, and expansive global presence. Founded by David Ogilvy, the agency has since become a household name, ranking as one of the top advertising agencies in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and more.

New York, NY

Advertising, Brand Strategy, Consumer Engagement

Retail, Technology, Healthcare

10,001+ employees

4. BBDO

BBDO has long established itself as a prominent player in the industry. With a rich history dating back to 1891, BBDO has consistently demonstrated its ability to deliver compelling campaigns. Their mastery of storytelling and engagement lies at the heart of BBDO’s approach.

New York, NY

Advertising, Brand Strategy, Consumer Engagement

Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Healthcare

5,001-10,000 employees

5. Digitas

Digitas, a full-service digital marketing agency, has firmly established itself as a leader in the digital marketing space. With a deep understanding of the digital landscape, Digitas harnesses the power of data to drive their marketing strategy and elevate customer experiences.

Boston, MA

Creative Content Writing, Digital Strategy, Social Media Marketing

Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Healthcare

1,001-5,000 employees

6. Grey Advertising

Grey Advertising, a full-service digital agency based in New York City, has a global presence in over 96 countries. With over 100 years of experience, Grey Advertising has solidified its position as go-to digital marketing experts for notable clients from diverse sectors.

New York, NY

Digital Strategy, Brand Positioning, Creative Agency

Automotive, Beauty, Consumer Goods

5,001-10,000 employees

7. Dentsu Creative

Dentsu Creative, previously 360i, is one of the top digital marketing companies specializing in search engine optimization, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. With a strong focus on driving results in the digital realm, Dentsu Creative has established itself as a trusted partner for brands looking to maximize their online presence.

New York, NY

Social Media Marketing, SEM, Email Marketing

Automotive, Fashion, Consumer Goods

501-1,000 employees

8. Ignite Visibility

Ignite Visibility is a leading performance marketing agency that specializes in delivering a multichannel strategy across a range of services. Ignite Visibility’s clients recognize them for their professionalism, effective communication, and timely delivery of projects.

San Diego, CA

SEO, PPC, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing

B2B, eCommerce

250-1,000 employees

9. Blackhawk

Blackhawk is a full-service marketing agency, and they’re trusted by their clients to bring clarity, expertise, and a practical approach to growing their brands and business. Blackhawk brings together expertise in strategy, creative, and technology to drive growth for their partners.

Austin, TX

SEO, Search Ads, Social Media

Consumer, Real Estate, Travel

11-50 employees

10. Metric Theory

Metric Theory is a performance digital marketing agency with offices across the United States. They’ve worked with notable clients like GoFundMe and FabFitFun, and they specialize in driving results for B2B tech companies and consumer brands.

San Francisco, CA

SEM, Ad Creative, Video

B2B, Retail

51-200 employees

11. Firebelly Marketing

Firebelly is an award-winning social media marketing agency with the mission of creating meaningful social connections. Their services span organic, paid, and studio offerings, so they’re well equipped to help you and your brand, whether you’re already established or just starting out. They focus almost exclusively on food and beverage brands.

Indianapolis, IN

Content, Social Media, Influencer Marketing

Food & Beverage

11-50 employees

12. AMP Agency

AMP is an agency with offices across the United States. Their expertise lies in developing comprehensive marketing strategies and pushing the boundaries of your digital presence. They strive to take your brand in a bold direction, and they’re proud of their reputation as innovators in the field.

Boston, MA

Brand Strategy, Creative, Social Media

Automotive, Consumer, Financial Services, Technology

201-500 employees

13. LYFE Marketing

LYFE Marketing is an award-winning agency focusing heavily on social media advertising and management. They use social media platforms and their main channel for helping businesses get in front of their target audiences, drive traffic, and increase overall revenue.

Atlanta, GA

Social Media, PPC, Email Marketing, Video Marketing

B2B, eCommerce, Healthcare

51-200 employees

14. Major Tom

Major Tom is a full-service marketing agency that provides both strategic innovation and top-tier tactical execution. They’ve worked with brands like PepsiCo, DoorDash, and Criteo, and they’ve been successful because your team at Major Tom is handpicked for your organization, and they do the work to understand your brand inside and out.

New York, NY

SEO, Paid Media, Content Marketing, Web Development

B2B, eCommerce, Beauty

51-200 employees

15. Mad Fish Digital

Mad Fish Digital values collaboration, innovation, and accountability to ensure they can deliver the results their clients deserve. They have wide-ranging experience, from PPC and SEO to content marketing and social media. They’re well-prepared to provide whatever guidance you and your brand might need to find marketing success.

Portland, OR

SEO, Paid Media, Content Marketing, Design

B2B, Consumer, Travel & Hospitality

11-50 employees

16. Funnel Boost Media

Funnel Boost Media (FBM) is an all-inclusive digital marketing agency that specializes in a wide range of services. They work with small to medium businesses to improve their online presence and build successful marketing campaigns that will help them meet their goals.

San Antonio, TX

SEO, PPC, Web Development

Financial Services, Healthcare, Automotive, Home Services

11-50 employees

17. Straight North

Straight North is a digital marketing agency that helps small to mid-market sized businesses generate leads and revenue with online strategies. They have a team of over 100 experts, and they leverage cutting-edge technology, data and research, and impactful creative to build a custom approach for each client they work with to drive long-term success.

Chicago, IL

SEO, Paid Media, Web Design

Technology, Healthcare, Retail

51-200 employees

18. Disruptive Advertising

Disruptive Advertising seeks to partner with authentic brands and marketers. They really believe in the companies they work with, so all of their creative energy and years of expertise go toward their work – driving growth for your business. Their team is made up of top-notch talent that are all passionate about what they do, so they can have a real impact on your results.

Pleasant Grove, UT

SEO, Paid Media, Email Marketing

B2B, eCommerce

51-200 employees

Best Marketing Companies in the United States: Final Thoughts

When choosing a marketing agency, it’s crucial to consider your specific needs and goals. Each agency highlighted in this article brings unique strengths and expertise. Whether you require strategic communications, digital marketing, Google Ads, or conversion rate optimization, selecting the right agency can significantly impact the success of your marketing efforts.

If you’re seeking a marketing agency that offers the art of creativity and the science of performance, NoGood is a compelling choice. Our commitment to sustainable growth and proven track record of successful outcomes make us an excellent partner for businesses looking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Ready to discover how our expertise can drive your brand’s growth and success?

FAQs

The post 18 Top Marketing Agencies in the USA for 2025 appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

SEO landing pages are conversion-focused pages on your website that are optimized to rank highly for a specific target keyword. SEO landing pages are important for gaining organic visibility in the SERP for queries being conducted by your target audience. These landing pages generate attention, interest, desire, and action (AIDA). Search Engine Optimization landing pages focus on serving users based on each user’s search intent.

Need Help Building, Launching, and Optimizing Landing Pages

Understanding Search Intent and Keyword Research

An effective landing page is created and optimized based on the user search intent. Understanding what the user’s intent is will help you decide what type of content to create and the conversion path you should implement on your landing page.

When conducting relevant keyword research for your landing page, you will see that there are 4 different types of search intent.

1. Navigational

Keywords are navigational if the user is trying to find a specific destination. Typically, these are users looking for login pages, specific company information, or “near me” searches for local businesses. It is unlikely that you will be utilizing navigational keywords when optimizing website landing pages. 

2. Informational

Informational keywords are the most common for educational landing pages targeting top-of-funnel (TOF) users. These users want to learn more about a specific topic or problem they are experiencing. These queries often contain who, what, when, where, and why directives and are most commonly utilized for blogs.

3. Transactional

Users conducting searches with transactional-related keywords are looking to complete a conversion action. These queries may contain specific product or service names or “buy” directives. These keywords are most often used to optimize product/service landing pages.

4. Commercial

Commercial keywords are typically users who are problem and solution-aware and are likely to convert but want more information first. These keywords may be comparing two companies or products or questions about a specific product or service. It is common to use commercial intent keywords to optimize competitor landing pages.

Now that you’ve identified your user’s search intent and the type of content you should create, you can effectively optimize your landing page to meet their needs.

Optimizing Landing Pages for Search Intent

The bones of any effective landing page start with an AIDA design framework, high-quality, helpful, and shareable content, and then a well-optimized conversion funnel. The AIDA landing page design framework is to help you generate Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Google’s helpful content guidelines will help ensure your users receive value while also increasing your chances of ranking highly in the SERP. Lastly, a conversion funnel can include things like downloadable content offers, calculators, audits, tools, and more.

AIDA Landing Page Design Framework

Attention

You have under 8 seconds to capture someone’s attention once they land on your website. Use your landing page hero section and H1 tag like you would a hook to an essay. Once you have a user’s attention, they are more likely to continue to read, which is the first step in minimizing your bounce rate. You can capture someone’s attention through hero section design elements and through messaging.

For example, you can utilize font types, styles, and colors to make your headline stand out. You can also implement a captivating and powerful image. If you have returning users who are logged into an account, you can also utilize zero and first-party data to customize the messaging for each individual person. When focusing on the messaging, essay guidelines around hooks can be helpful. Hooks that are thought-provoking, funny, factual, or novel can help draw readers in.

Now that you’ve captured the reader’s attention, it’s important to keep them engaged with interest.

Interest

Generating interest involves understanding your audience’s needs, and the search intent can help. For example, you can generate interest by showing readers empathy and understanding. Readers need to be able to resonate with your messaging and feel like you can provide a potential solution to their problem.

Desire

Creating desire takes empathy and understanding a step further. Readers likely will have objections and questions. The desire section of your landing page is designed to address these objections and questions by focusing on the features and benefits of your product or service. This is also the section where you can create urgency by implementing limited-time offers, countdowns, or time-focused factual claims.

Action

Action is the art of persuasion. This section is your call to action that encourages users to enter your conversion funnel. Depending on the search intent of a page this action may be asking the users to schedule a demo, book an appointment, or download additional content.

For example, a landing page that is targeting an informational intent keyword could be more effective with a downloadable content offer. High-quality content offers like eBooks, guides, or checklists give the user something tangible to take with them and enable you to collect emails for re-marketing. A commercial intent page may prompt users to request a free audit or consultation. Transactional intent landing pages should always reduce friction toward the purchase action.

Search Experience Optimization: How UX and SEO Work Together

Google’s Helpful Content Guidelines

Focusing on people first and search engine second content is the key to an effective landing page. Google provides official guidelines, E-E-A-T, that can help you lead your content in the right direction. However, these guidelines should also include helpfulness, as the main goal of landing pages is to ensure users receive the value and answers they need to make a decision.

Helpful

Does the content satisfy the user’s search query or need for information?

Experience

How much first-hand experience does the creator have with the subject?

Expertise

How much does the creator have expertise, skill, or knowledge of the subject?

Authoritativeness

What is the reputation of the author and the website? Are they reputable sources for information on the subject?

Trustworthiness

How accurate, honest, safe, and reliable is the page?

On-page SEO Landing Page Strategies

Title Tags

Title tags are a part of Google’s SEO ranking factors and, therefore, should always contain your target keyword. These will appear in search results, link previews, and browser tabs. Title tags should be between 50-60 characters to avoid being truncated in SERP. Including the most important words first can ensure that you’re able to effectively and efficiently deliver your message to readers. 

Typically, your title tag should either exactly match or be closely aligned to your H1 tag for consistency. Users read title tags to understand the contents of a landing page, and if the title tag and H1 contain significant variation, it can confuse the reader and cause a high bounce rate. It can be helpful to review the existing SERP for your target keyword to understand what title tags Google is deeming as the most effective. However, don’t simply copy and paste the #1 position’s title tag. You should ensure your title tag is unique and eye-catching to make your landing page stand out.

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are not a ranking factor but can help improve the click-through rate of your landing page. Even though they’re not a ranking factor, they should still include primary or secondary keywords, as Google will sometimes highlight meta description words that match a user’s query.

Meta descriptions should provide initial value to users before they even land on your page by calling out features, benefits, or key facts. Considering user intent can help you provide users with an answer to their questions before landing on your page. Additionally, including a call-to-action at the end of your meta description can encourage users to take the next step toward visiting your page.

Headings

Implementing a proper heading structure can create a better user experience by making the content more digestible and easier to navigate. Additionally, including primary and secondary keywords, as well as clear and concise answers directly below each section heading, can help improve your SERP ranking. Clear and concise answers directly below section headings can optimize your landing page for featured snippets, which will increase your organic visibility.

Alt Text

Image alt text is important for accessibility, user experience, and image organic traffic. Alt text is specific descriptions of images that can help the visually impaired, provide additional context, or provide information if the image does not load. Alt text can also help images rank in Google image results by including keywords. However, avoiding keyword stuffing and focusing more on the user experience is important. You do not need to apply alt text to icons or images that are purely decorative or described with an existing caption.

Internal Linking

Internal links are important for indexibility and passing link equity between pages. They can also keep a user on your website longer by providing them with additional helpful information on the same or similar topic. It’s important to use keyword-rich anchor text but to avoid using the same anchor text for two different pages.

When positioning internal links, placing them closer to the top of your page can help reduce bounce rate and improve dwell time. Additionally, it is important to be aware of tap targets being too close on mobile devices. This happens when two or more internal links are too close together and could result in the user accidentally clicking the wrong link. This creates a frustrating user experience.

Schema

Implementing structured data can improve your organic rankings and increase the chance of being featured in rich snippets. Depending on the type of schema that you implement, it can add additional elements to your SERP ranking that can improve your landing page CTR. For example, AggregateRating schema for product pages displays a star rating in search results based on user reviews of your product. 

URL Optimization

URLs are a ranking factor and should be simple, descriptive, and include relevant keywords. A well-optimized URL can improve the user experience by providing breadcrumbs that indicate where a user is located within your website. Landing page URLs should also be limited to 3 hierarchical levels, as pages that live deeper in this hierarchy are deeper within a crawl path and may not be seen as important when Google crawls and indexes your website.  

Now that you have a strategically designed landing page with on-page SEO best practices implemented, you should focus on optimizing your landing page speed.

Optimizing Page Loading Speed and Core Web Vitals

Google Core Web Vitals is a quantifiable way to measure on-page user experience. There are 3 main Core Web Vital metrics that can be optimized:

Largest Content Paint (LCP)

LCP measures how quickly the largest element on your page loads. A ‘good’ LCP is 2.5 seconds or less. A study published by Portent found, “A site that loads in 1 second had a conversion rate 3x higher than a site that loads in 5 seconds.” This means that not only can a good LCP improve your conversion rate, but it can also lower your bounce rate and improve your organic ranking.

The most common reason for a slow LCP is “slow resource load times” with your hero image. Unlike images below the fold that can be “lazy loaded”, hero images are one of the first elements to load. A well-optimized hero image should be a WebP format and contain specific size attributes based on device type. I recommend avoiding videos or gifs in your hero section unless necessary as they can create significant negative impacts on your LCP if not properly implemented.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

INP replaced the first input delay (FID) earlier this year and measures how quickly your page responds with every user interaction as opposed to the first interaction with FID. INP focuses on the interaction that takes the longest and good INP is under 200ms. 

The easiest way to reduce your INP is by reducing your page size which can be accomplished through optimizing your landing page images. Similar to LCP, this can mean converting to WebP images, adding size attributes, and compressing your images as much as possible without sacrificing quality. A Google case study revealed that The Economic Times saw a 50% reduction in bounce rate after improving their INP. Improving your INP can lower your bounce rate, increase your conversion rate, and improve your organic search engine rankings.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

CLP measures unexpected shifts in layout above the fold on your landing page. This can create a frustrating user experience if a user intends to click a specific button and that button suddenly shifts and a user clicks on something different by accident. This can result in disruptions in your conversion funnel and higher bounce rates. A good CLS score is under 0.1.

Similar to LCP and INP, image optimization can help improve your CLS score. Adding dimensions to your images will indicate to the user’s browser how much space to reserve for each element when the page loads.

Increased Organic Visibility with Essential Landing Page SEO

If you have implemented the AIDA design framework, H-E-E-A-T quality content guidelines, on-page SEO optimizations, and improved your Core Web Vitals, you should see increased organic visibility for your landing page. As a result, you may also experience higher CTRs and should see an improvement in your CVR. The #1 take away should be to always keep the user at the forefront and the search engines second and that will set your website up for success.

The post Boosting Visibility through Essential Landing Page SEO appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

Looking to implement Search Experience Optimization for your brand?

Google Core Web Vitals

One of the most common ways you may see UX and SEO working together is through Google Core Web Vitals. If you’re unfamiliar with Core Web Vitals, it is a quantifiable way to measure the quality of user experience through metrics that assess page load speed, page responsiveness, and visual stability.

User experience metrics, like Core Web Vitals, are a cornerstone of search engine algorithms..especially Google. If your website is slow, hard to navigate, or not providing relevant content for users, then you will see an increased bounce rate and declines in rankings, traffic, engaged sessions, and ultimately conversions.

Google’s E-E-A-T Content Guidelines

Aside from technical metrics that can be optimized through UX design best practices, it’s also important to consider content quality as part of your positive user experience. Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines are designed to provide users with the most helpful and relevant content related to their queries. Writing content in line with these guidelines is the key to writing for users, not search engines, improving your user experience and organic rankings.

UX Principles That Improve SEO Performance

User Personas

The foundation of both SEO and UX is knowing who your users are. User personas are made-up characters based on real user demographics, behavior, and data that are meant to represent your ideal clients or customers. A more engaging and relevant experience is achieved when you create experiences and content that speak to these personas. Enhancing time-on-page and decreasing bounce rates—two crucial SEO metrics—are made possible by this relevance.

User Journey Mapping

Visualizing the actions a user takes from the time they arrive on your website until their last interaction is known as user journey mapping. Through this process, you can pinpoint problem areas, maximize touchpoints, and create a seamless user flow. Quick and easy navigation helps users find what they’re looking for faster, which improves user satisfaction and SEO metrics like time on page and conversion rates.

User Testing

You can learn more about how real users interact with your website by conducting user testing. To improve the quality of the user experience, you can make data-driven decisions by identifying areas of confusion and friction. These improvements could come in the form of AB testing to increase conversions or content optimizations to make it more relevant. Consistent user testing guarantees that your website stays in line with search engine algorithms and user expectations.

Attention to User Interests

Your content strategy can be substantially improved by keeping a close eye on your users’ interests. Use resources such as social listening platforms to compile user interest and preference data. In addition to making your website more interesting, adapting your content to these interests also helps your website meet search intent, which is important for SEO. User-relevant content has a higher chance of being shared, linked to, and referenced, which increases organic traffic and boosts your SEO rankings.

How UX and SEO Work Together

Responsive Web Design

Google prioritizes mobile-optimized sites in its rankings. Part of mobile optimization is ensuring your website has a responsive design that adapts to various screen sizes. One way to do this is to use CSS in the <style> section of your HTML to add image size attributes.

Another responsive web design practice is using media queries that assess screen size before executing image size directives.

This media query states that if a mobile screen is at least 780 pixels wide, “full-width-img” class images with up to 90% of the screen can be automatically centered by equally wide margins.

Responsive web design is factored into the visual stability, or Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), within Google Core Web Vitals. As previously mentioned, this is how Google will quantify your mobile user experience and will then use that information to determine your organic ranking.

Intuitive Navigation

When developing your website navigation, there are several menu types to choose from, each with its own benefits. Horizontal navigation designs are the most common and intuitive because they’re simple, intuitive, and easy for users to find. Dropdown menus are more common for larger websites. However, with dropdown menus, it’s important to prioritize the hierarchy of information so as not to overwhelm users with choices. Additionally, on mobile devices, dropdown navigation menus can become easily overwhelming taking up most, if not all, of a mobile viewport.

There are many options for website navigation styles, but utilizing a sitemap in the design process can help you choose the most effective solution. A sitemap is a list of all the pages on your website. This should help you prioritize what pages are the most important for your users to access and can form the base of your intuitive navigation.

Ease of navigation can help you reduce bounce rates and improve internal linking across your site; two important SEO ranking factors. If users are able to easily find what they are looking for, they’re less likely to exit your site. Additionally, the pages that are linked in your navigation will appear across all pages creating important structural connections between each page.

Quality Content

High-quality content plays a crucial role in reducing bounce rates, improving SEO rankings, and increasing your conversions.

When developing relevant content, it’s important to review the Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) for your target keyword to ensure that you are writing content that aligns with user intent. For example, the search query “performance marketing agency” can have a commercial/transactional intent. Therefore, optimizing a service page for this keyword would be the most relevant content.

However, the keyword “what to look for in a performance marketing agency” can have a commercial/informational intent, and users may not be ready to convert yet. This keyword may require longer-form educational content that would be best served in a blog format. By reviewing the top results in SERP, you should be able to identify the content type required.

In addition to relevant primary keywords, overloading your content with keywords (“keyword stuffing”) can be detrimental to both user experience and SEO. Keyword stuffing makes your content feel unnatural and hard to read, driving users away. Search engine algorithms are also able to identify and penalize this tactic. Instead, it’s important to focus on the natural inclusion of relevant keywords and writing for users, not search engines. This will make your content more engaging and credible, ultimately benefiting your SEO efforts and providing a better experience for your users.

As you begin to develop your content, readability and structure will help contribute to an improved user experience and crawlability. Users often skim through content, so breaking it down into digestible chunks with headings, subheadings, and bullet points can make a big difference.

Use a clear hierarchy with H1, H2, and H3 tags to organize your content. This helps search engines understand the structure of your page and rank it accordingly. For users, a well-structured page is easier to navigate, making it more likely they’ll find the information they’re looking for. For search engines, they also favor content that is well-structured and easy to read. Keeping readability in mind can reduce bounce rates and improve engagement metrics.

Loading Speed

A fast-loading site is crucial for a good user experience and better SEO. Load speed is factored into Google Core Web Vital’s Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and First Input Delay (FID). To optimize website speed, you can compress images, leverage browser caching, use a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and minimize JavaScript to speed up load times. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify areas for improvement. Remember, every second counts—long loading times can lead to higher bounce rates and lower search rankings.

Interactive Elements

Interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and sliders can significantly enhance user engagement. They make your site more dynamic and can encourage users to spend more time exploring. However, balance is key; don’t overload your site with too many interactive features that could slow it down.

Additionally, supplementary content like FAQs, how-to guides, and related articles can be a goldmine for enhancing UX and SEO. FAQs address common queries, improving user satisfaction by providing quick answers. How-to guides and related articles keep users engaged longer. Well-implemented interactive elements and supplementary content can lead to a longer time on the page and better SEO performance.

Search Experience Optimization Metrics

As you fully integrate UX and SEO, there are a few key user engagement metrics that will help you measure the success of your search experience optimizations. These are the numbers that tell you whether your website is doing its job both for users and search engines.

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is a straightforward metric: it measures the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate often signals that users aren’t finding what they need, fast. If people are bouncing, it tells Google your page might not be relevant for the search terms it’s ranking for. Lowering your bounce rate by improving content relevance and layout can boost your SEO.

Conversion Rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, whether that’s filling out a form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. UX plays a massive role here. If your site is difficult to navigate or confusing, users won’t convert. But when your UX is on point, it not only improves conversions but also sends positive signals to search engines. High conversion rates indicate that your site is valuable and relevant, which can, in turn, improve your search rankings.

Time on Page

Time on page refers to how long a visitor stays on your page after clicking through from a search engine results page (SERP). Longer times typically mean that users are finding your content engaging and useful. Search engines interpret this as a sign of quality. So, by focusing on UX elements like engaging content, easy navigation, and interactive features, you can increase time on page and improve rankings.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-through rate is all about the percentage of people who click on your link when it appears in search results. While the CTR is influenced by factors like meta titles and descriptions, UX also plays a role. A well-designed, appealing site can make users more likely to click on your link when they see it again in future searches. Improving your CTR can lead to better rankings over time.

Loading Times

Search engines reward fast-loading sites because they offer a better user experience. Slow loading times can frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates. By optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing code, you can speed up your site, delight users, and climb higher in search rankings.

Final Thoughts

From responsive web design to intuitive navigation, quality content, and faster loading times, every detail matters. A seamless, enjoyable experience not only keeps visitors coming back but also boosts your search engine rankings.
Stop treating UX and SEO as separate silos.

Integrate these strategies to create a website that not only ranks well but is also helpful for users. Shifting your mindset from search engine optimization and user experience optimization to search experience optimization, you can create a digital presence that is both user-friendly and search-engine-optimized, ultimately driving more organic traffic and improving overall performance.

The post Search Experience Optimization: How UX and SEO Work Together appeared first on NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency.

2024 is the year we step out of traditional SEO practices and shift our mindset to being user experience optimizers. These are the top 5 SEO trends driving that change this year.

1. AI-generated content and the effect on rankings

In March 2024, Google released one of the largest Core Algorithm updates to date. This new update is designed to “…address new and evolving abusive practices that lead to unoriginal, low-quality content showing up on Search.” Google is planning to reduce low-quality content in search results by 40%, meaning we’re going to see the most fluctuations in keyword rankings that we’ve ever seen from other algorithm updates.

This update is such a big deal because, for the last year, a lot of people have been using artificial intelligence (AI) to mass produce content highly designed for search engines and not users. Those are the people who are going to be the most negatively impacted by this update and it is going to force teams to re-think how they utilize AI in their workflows.

How Can You Prepare?

Focus on expert content: Your team should be focusing on creating expert point-of-view content that provides unique and valuable insights that are not yet being talked about in search results. Your users should be able to read one piece of content, have all of their questions answered, and be able to apply what they’ve learned to achieve their goals. Use the questions below that are derived from Google’s helpful content update to analyze your content quality.

Stop thinking of AI as a content-writing tool: I can’t stress this one enough. There are many benefits to using AI in your SEO workflows like speed, idea generation, and optimization. However, AI should not be used to write content in 2024! AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude are simply summarizers of what’s already in search results. These models are trained on existing data and can’t provide unique and original perspectives/insights.

Shift your mindset from “search engine optimizer” to “user experience optimizer: Focus on user-first content over search engine-first content, and the search engines will follow

2. Increased focus on mobile user experience

Even though Google has been rolling out mobile-first indexing for the last 7 years, it has officially “completed” in Q4 2023. The finalization of this rollout is forcing us to shift from SEO experts to search engine experience (SXO) experts. SXO is the intersection of SEO, CRO, and UX. Along with continuing to optimize for mobile speed performance, we need to learn mobile-friendly website design practices to improve functionality.

Moving forward, these are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will indicate a positive mobile experience for users.

Mobile Traffic Share: the total percentage of your overall website traffic that comes from mobile devices. If you are seeing an improvement in your mobile traffic share this is a leading indicator that your website is properly optimized to be ranked by Google and is effectively engaging users.

Mobile Search Rankings: the keyword rankings and visibility of your website pages in mobile search results. Regardless of your audience’s primary device, review your visibility and ranking across both desktop AND mobile devices. Even if your users do not primarily enter your website through mobile devices (for example, B2B or Healthcare companies), positive mobile rankings can be a positive indicator for desktop rankings and visibility.

Mobile Bounce Rate: the percentage of website visitors who exit your website after viewing one page. Lowering your mobile bounce rate through helpful content, clear CTAs, relevant internal links, and page speed will help inform your strategy on what pages you should focus on for mobile optimization efforts.

Although these KPIs are not official Google ranking factors, they will help you quantify the impact of your mobile optimization efforts and identify areas of opportunity.

How Can You Prepare?

Mobile-friendly design: I will always leave creative design to the experts. However, there are SEO strategies for achieving a responsive web page design.

1. CSS Media Queries: allow you to apply specific styling rules based on device type, size, or orientation.

2. Fluid Layouts: Using relative units like percentages instead of fixed units like pixels allows you to resize content proportionally based on the screen size.

3. Flexible Images: Using CSS to resize images proportionally to their container will prevent distortion or overflow.

Optimize for touch: A common mobile experience issue is tap targets being too small or too close together. Interactive elements like buttons and links should be large enough (48x48px), or have enough space around them, to be easy enough to tap without overlapping with other elements.

Simplify conversion points: Implementing an AI chatbot to answer the most common product questions while keeping the user on the site can reduce the time spent between discovery and conversion. If a user has to wait to receive a call or email before making the decision, they are less likely to convert. Additionally, e-commerce brands have been catering to mobile users by implementing text-to-shop. If users consent to SMS messaging, you can track which SMS links they click, what products they view, and what conversion actions they’ve taken.

3. SGE (Search Generative Experiences) by Google

Google’s primary focus has always been to reduce the amount of follow-up searches and get users quality information faster. To do this, they’ve recently started implementing Search Generative Experiences (SGE). SGE is an AI-powered summary of search results at the top of the SERP. In addition to providing a summary, Google SGE may also provide linked sources, relevant imagery, the most common follow-up questions, and a follow-up search functionality.

While this functionality provides an improved user experience through zero-click searches, it also significantly increases competition for the number one search result. Additionally, the more featured results that Google implements means that users may never have to click through to a website to find what they are looking for which in turn can negatively affect your CTR and search traffic. However, it is possible to strategically structure your content to be SGE-friendly to increase your chances of being featured in these results and increase your website visibility.

How Can You Prepare?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Focus on providing clear and concise answers to users’ most popular questions. By structuring your content in question-answer format, you can increase your chances of being featured in SGE, common answer engines, and voice searches. Besides answering the questions from Google’s “people also ask” section, try to think of the information you would like to know if you were the reader. What follow-up questions would you have? Can you identify common knowledge gaps and fill them for users?

Identify available featured results: When writing a new piece of content, take note of what featured results are displaying for your target search terms. If there is a featured snippet, what information is it providing, and how can you add value? If there are featured images, how can you optimize your creative assets to provide value to the user? This will provide insight into search intent and how you can structure your content to satisfy their intent.

Create a digestible content structure: Use headings, subheadings, bulleted lists, and shorter paragraphs to make it easier for the user to consume and for search engines to scan. This can also be achieved through concise summaries of benefits, strategies, or insights.

4. Zero click searches

Zero-click searches will force us to not only optimize for organic traffic but also organic impressions. If you’re a conversion-focused business, like eCommerce, then pursuing a zero-click content strategy on commercial queries might not be advantageous. However, if you are a reliable source of information, like an industry-leading blog, then a zero-click content strategy will likely help you increase brand awareness and authority.

However, your business may be in the middle. You may provide a product or service, but you also provide resources to help educate your target audience. In this scenario, a combination of what we know as traditional SEO, creating digital content for traffic, and SGE / AEO (creating content for impressions) will help you both educate and convert your target audience.

How Can You Prepare?

Create a blended content strategy: Start by creating a content strategy that is 60/40 or 70/30 SEO vs. AEO. Do this by analyzing the SERP for your target search query and identifying which keywords have featured results. If you see Google’s generative search summary, a featured snippet, a knowledge panel, or people also ask section, then this is going to be a keyword to apply AEO practices to. If you see a keyword that has little to no featured results and people are required to click on the results, then this is where you create conversion-focused blog content. Having a blended content strategy will help you address each part of the user journey and properly nurture your lead funnel.

Optimize for zero-click searches: When creating AEO content, focus on creating content that directly answers common user questions related to your product, service, or industry. This content will likely be centered around long-tail keywords with informational intent. The format and structure should be easily scannable by search engines using proper headings, subheadings, or bulleted lists.

Implement structured data: Structured data can help search engines better understand the context and content on your pages which will increase the likelihood of obtaining a position in featured results. For example, FAQ or Q&A schema can help your chances of ranking in people also ask or in featured results. LocalBusiness schema is important if you are trying to attract people to a physical location and can increase your visibility in local packs.

5. Video SEO

Recently, I’ve seen an increase in both YouTube and TikTok videos in search results. Again, as Google tries to address user intent and minimize additional searches, it is learning that some queries are better answered in video format. This shows an increased focus on not only ensuring written content ranks well but also ensuring video content ranks well.

There are many platform-specific strategies to get your YouTube videos to rank organically within YouTube and TikTok videos to show organically on the “For You” page. But, there are also ways that you can optimize your video content to help them rank in Google SERPs.

How Can You Prepare?

Implement video schema: Video schema provides search engines with information about your video title, description, thumbnail URL, upload date, duration, and more. This information can then be used to display your videos in rich snippets at the top of search results that attract more clicks and increase visibility.

Transcribe your videos: Not only is video transcription helpful for accessibility, but it can also be crawled and indexed by Google to better understand the content of your video. This will allow Google to identify relevant keywords and serve your video to the right audience to increase organic visibility.

Promote your videos across all channels: Sharing your videos across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, email newsletters, and your website will increase the visibility and engagement of your videos. Higher video engagement can positively impact the ranking of your video in search results. You can encourage users to engage with your video content by asking questions, creating discussions, and sharing unique perspectives.

As algorithms continue to evolve and user needs shift, we are going to move farther away from traditional SEO practices and closer towards SXO. These 2024 SEO trends are some of the leading indicators of that shift that will force us to focus more on user experience and less on search engine appeal. Remember, if you put the user first, the search engines will follow.

Stay up-to-date on Future Trends in SEO, AEO, and SXO by Joining Our Newsletter!

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I feel like oftentimes people forget that search engines are more than just Google or Bing. What they don’t realize is that any platform that is used as a search engine has best practices that can be followed to gain more organic visibility. This has led to a rise in SEO strategies for platforms like Pinterest and YouTube. Now, 40% of GenZ say they prefer to use TikTok and Instagram as search engines over Google. This has sparked rapid growth in TikTok SEO Strategies.

But what about Spotify? Since the pandemic, podcast listening has more than doubled and over HALF A BILLION people worldwide listen to a podcast. Not to mention that Spotify itself has a similar amount of active users on their platform that do everything from listening to music and podcasts, but also reading books. If you haven’t joined the green side yet, you might rebuttal with, “What about Apple Music?” Well, Spotify holds just over 30% of the global streaming market, with Apple in second place at only 15%.

It’s safe to say that if you’re an artist or a podcaster trying to make it on Spotify, you need to refine your Spotify SEO strategy.

How Do I Get Noticed by the Spotify Algorithm?

There are three ways for your podcast or song to be found on Spotify; search, playlists, or featured by Spotify. From an SEO perspective, I like to think of these three visibility methods as the keywords, backlinks, and the Google algorithm respectively.

Optimize for Spotify Search Using Keywords

You can leverage keywords on Spotify by creating keyword-rich playlists and optimizing your artist or podcast homepage.

Keyword-Rich Playlists

Some of the most important ranking factors when it comes to playlists are playlist titles and descriptions. For example, if you are a musical artist trying to promote songs that would be good to listen to while working out, analyze the Sptofy search results for words related to “workout”. You’ll find that both the words “workout” and “work out” have entirely different results.

The word “workout” displays a workout mix playlist which indicates this may be an appropriate keyword for you to target. Whereas, “work out” features the song “Work Out” by J Cole. Although a great song…it’s not exactly aligned with hitting the gym.

Once you’ve landed on your primary keyword, make sure you’re utilizing it in both your playlist title and description.

Playlists are a great way to increase organic visibility for newer artists or podcasters. You can include your content among content from your favorite artists/podcasters. The content from other popular artists or podcasters will help your playlist gain popularity and help listeners discover your content.

To increase the click-through rate (CTR) on your playlist, ensure you’re including relevant and eye-catching covert art that attracts your target audience. For example, if you’re creating a workout playlist for runners, you could include the cover art of someone running that your target audience can identify with.

Artist and Podcast Homepage Optimizations

It’s no secret that a catchy and memorable podcast name is going to help your content stand out. Alex Cooper, host of “Call Her Daddy”, Spotify’s number one most listened-to podcast among women globally, famously battled the media empire, Barstool Sports, for her intellectual property (IP) back in 2020. She won and was able to cement a $60 million deal with Spotify for the show. With over 5 million weekly listeners, Call Her Daddy, is easily one of the most recognizable podcast names globally.

This battle over name rights is a strong example of the importance of creating a catchy show title. Spotify’s guidelines for SEO-optimized show titles include skipping the following:

• Common or colliding names
• Unique spelling and special characters
• Long titles
• Generic words

They recommend adhering to the following title guidelines:

• Keep it short (three to four words).
• Avoid abbreviations, punctuation, and misspelled words that confuse the algorithm.
• Include a keyword that reflects your content.
• Be creative.

The second most important section of your podcast page is the description. The description is a known Sptofiy ranking factor and should include the following:

• The podcast host’s name
• Topics covered on the show
• Any abbreviations of the show’s name
• Stick to a hundred characters or less.
• Introduce yourself.
• Include primary and secondary keywords.
• Link your socials.

If you’re stuck, and looking for ways to optimize your podcast profile, review other podcasts within your category who produce similar content. How are they structuring their descriptions? What keywords can you identify? What do you wish they included in their profile? This information can help ensure your podcast homepage remains competitive.

If you’re a musical artist looking to optimize your artist profile then your About page is the perfect place to start. It can help to think of words that your fans might use to describe your music. To help you start developing your list, you can ask family and friends how they would describe your music. These keywords will help your artist profile gain visibility when listeners are searching for specific “vibes”, genres, or types of music.

It’s important that you don’t just simply enter a bulleted list of these keywords, but weave them in thoughtfully through your description. As much as you’re trying to rank and gain visibility, your fan experience should always remain the most important.

Besides important keywords, an artist profile should include the following key elements:

• Related genres
• Instrument you use
• Your musical influences
• Artists
• New songs
• Gig dates
• Music video

These are just a few examples of how to optimize your podcast and artist profiles for Spotify SEO. Spotify provides helpful resources for podcasters on optimizing show art, episode titles and descriptions, podcast promotions, and more. For artists, Music Gateway provides additional resources to artists for increasing organic reach across Spotify.

Building Backlinks on Spotify Using Playlists

In traditional search engine optimization backlinks are used to increase your authority and organic visibility. The equivalent for podcasters and artists on Spotify are playlists. The three types of playlists on Spotify are user-generated playlists, Spotify-curated playlists, and algorithm-generated playlists.

User-generated Playlists

User-generated playlists are created by independent Spotify users and can be shared publicly or privately. As previously mentioned, you can create your own playlists to increase visibility, but you can also ask other playlist creators to include your content in theirs.

Going back to the workout playlist example, some fitness influencers will create playlists of their favorite music to listen to while working out and share it with their followers. This presents an opportunity for you to send your music to influencers who have publicly available playlists and enjoy your genre of music. If they agree to add your music to their playlist this can be a free way to increase distribution on Spotify and discover new listeners.

Additionally, if you’re a podcaster, you can reach out to influencers who have created a list of their favorite podcast episodes and ask to be included. However, it’s important to pursue playlists that align with your content and brand. Do not ask to be on playlists for the sake of getting mentioned. Make sure your content will provide value and align with the listeners’ interests.

Spotify-curated Playlists

Spotify-curated playlists are a free way for artists to increase their distribution organically. To submit your song for playlisting it cannot be your first release, but you also do not have to be a superstar. Spotify says, “-more than 150,000 artists were playlisted for the first time across 2020 and 2021.”

You can submit your unreleased song for playlisting via your Spotify for Artists profile.

Algorithm-generated Playlists

This final playlist type relies mostly on chance. The featured songs on these playlists are entirely based on Spotify’s algorithm. For example, if you’re a Spotify user and see the “Daily Mix” section of your Spotify account, these are algorithms generated based on your listening history. However, as an artist, you can increase your chances of being listed on these playlists by implementing the artist profile optimizations listed above.

The Science of Creating Algorithm-Friendly Spotify Tracks

The Spotify algorithm utilizes a combination of artist-sourced metadata, raw audio signals, and natural language processing models to categorize and distribute the content on their platform.

The artist-sourced metadata is sourced from your Spotify for Artists pitch form and is then submitted to the Spotify database. This information is then fed into content-based models and the recommendation algorithm.

Spotify says the approach they take to track representation is made up of two primary components:

1. Content-based filtering, aiming to describe the track by examining the content itself.
2. Collaborative filters, aiming to describe the track in its connection with other tracks on the platform by studying user-generated assets.

The second step of content-based filtering is perhaps the most impressive part of the Spotify algorithm; raw audio signals. This is where Spotify assigns numeric values to attributes of each song to help compare it to similar songs on the platform. Numeric values are applied to attributes such as danceability, energy, and valence (positivity level), just to name a few.

This means that tracks with similar scores can then be paired together in algorithm-generated playlists or Spotify-curated playlists. This also means that technically speaking, a song can be ENGINEERED to have similar numerical attributes as popular hits to increase the chance of being bucketed together.

In fact, Spotify for Developers has an interactive web API that allows you to gather these numerical values for any track on Spotify. Here’s how you can utilize this tool to evaluate how your songs stack up against some of your favorite music.

1. You must be signed into your Spotify user account on a desktop browser.
2. Open Spotify and start playing the song you would like to analyze.
3. Right-click on the song, hover over “Share” and click “Copy Song Link”
4. Copy the 22-digit Spotify ID after “open.spotify.com/track/”. Stop before you reach the question mark in the URL.
5. Paste the song’s Spotify ID into the “id” field in the web API tool.

Now, you should see a response sample in the right-hand column with that song’s numerical attributes. Spotify also provides an explanation for each metric in the center of the page that discusses what it means and the associated ranges. This is where the intersection of science and art meets!

Lastly, Spotify analyzes associated text with natural language processing models. This analysis reviews lyrics, web-crawled data, and user-generated playlists. The lyric analysis scans for locations, brands, and people mentioned in the song that can create additional context. Web-crawled data comes mostly from music blogs and digital media to understand how people describe the song or artist. Then, by analyzing user-generated playlists, the NLP identifies the types of playlists the song is featured on and associated trends. For example, if a song appears on feel-good playlists, it’s a feel-good song.

All of these components combined make up the “Technical SEO of Spotify”. Similar to traditional search engine optimization, this backend data provides more context to algorithms to enable them to serve users more relevant content. It can also be optimized and refreshed to help increase visibility.

Ranking organically on Spotify has many of the same strategies you would find with Google. Creating shareable content, optimizing your content with keywords, obtaining backlinks, and making technical optimizations are the base elements of a Spotify SEO strategy. Whether you’re a musical artist who’s trying to convert from being a SoundCloud rapper or you’re an aspiring true crime podcaster, these strategies can help you expand your reach and get discovered.

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