Welcome to another insightful week with The SEOs Diners Club newsletter. Leveraging over a decade of SEO expertise, I aim to distil the week's most critical developments into a concise read that will take less than seven minutes. Let's dive into the insights that matter.

Tips To Boost Your SEO Performance with GA4

Connect GA4 with Google Search Console to analyze organic traffic and set up events to get in-depth insights for your SEO.

Analyzing organic traffic by connecting GA4 with Google Search Console and gaining in-depth insights for SEO by setting up events have been very effective strategies in the projects we follow at Stradiji. Based on our experiences, I want to share how this process works and how you can get maximum efficiency from these tools.

Because I realized this: With the transition to GA4, most Google Analytics users are disappointed and do not even log in to GA4. However, GA4 can significantly contribute to your SEO efforts when used effectively.

Connecting GA4 and Google Search Console

Search Console data cannot be seen automatically in GA4. Therefore, we need to add this data to GA4 manually. Once we establish the connection and publish the reports, we can get precious data for queries and organic traffic analysis. In particular, using the "Queries Report" and "Google Organic Search Traf,” we could observe which search terms brought more traffic and which URLs performed better.

Analyzing Your Website's Organic Traffic

GA4 has several reports that analyze organic traffic. The "GA4 Acquisition Report" allows you to analyze traffic from search engines like Google and Bing in detail. This will enable you to evaluate which sources you get more traffic from and the quality of this traffic.

Analyzing Specific Website URLs

One of GA4's significant advantages is the possibility of analyzing organic traffic in general and at the specific URL level. With the "Landing Page Report," you can examine which pages attract more visitors and their behaviour. To do this, select the Reports > Engagement menu.

Setting up Events and Parameters

In GA4, creating events and parameters to understand how users interact with our Stradiji.com website has brought us great benefits. For example, we gained detailed information about user behaviour by tracking events such as page load, clicking on a link, or submitting a form. This data helped us evaluate the quality of our web traffic and the effectiveness of our strategies. You must go to Reports > Engagement > Events to do this.

Utilizing Other Traffic Channels

When analyzing Google Ads campaigns, using campaign data from GA4 was very useful in shaping my SEO strategies. For example, with the data I obtained from Google Ads Query Reports, I identified the keywords that triggered sessions and developed new content strategies based on this information.

To summarize;

These tools and reports offered by GA4 played a critical role in shaping my SEO campaigns. I think getting the most out of GA4 is possible by setting clear goals and focusing on the correct data. These experiences can be a roadmap for you to use GA4 effectively.

Google Updates Algorithm Targeting Deepfake Content

Google has updated its search algorithm to detect and remove harmful, deep fake content. This update is essential for safe and ethical internet use.

Google has updated its search algorithm to combat fake sexually explicit deepfake videos more effectively. The new algorithm is designed to speed up and prevent removing unauthorized and harmful content from search results. In particular, it aims to penalize sites that publish such content by lowering their rankings. Google is taking stricter measures to minimize the potential harm of this content to users.

As noted on Google's official blog, this update is part of other steps to protect users' information and security. For example, a new tool has been introduced that allows users to easily remove search results that contain personal information, such as personal contact information or other sensitive data.

Google has also expanded its policies on the removal of unauthorized personal sexual images. Users can now apply to remove non-consensual content from search results. These steps aim to provide a safer user experience online.

Importance for SEO experts and Site Owners:

This algorithm update is critical for webmasters. The lower rankings of sites hosting unauthorized or harmful content can negatively affect user traffic on these sites. At the same time, this update incentivises websites to review their content and provide a safe, ethical user experience. Gaining and maintaining user trust is a critical element of improving SEO performance.

Artificial Intelligence in Search: Best Practices and Future Trends

Short-term strategies and future SEO trends to help you stay ahead in the evolving AI-driven search landscape.

Staying up-to-date with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the SEO world is especially possible with tools like Google's AI Overviews and OpenAI's ChatGPT.

In this topic, I'll focus on how these tools work, how you can develop strategies today to optimize your site, and how you can adapt to future changes. While AI Overviews are not yet available in any country outside the US, that doesn't mean they never will be. We could see a broader rollout in the fourth quarter of this year, so it's essential to be prepared.

Today's AI-Powered Search Engine Tools

Google is still considered the most significant player in the SEO world. Automation has always been one element that makes Google searches effective, but with AI Overviews, this process has taken on a new dimension. Google's AI Overviews provide summary information directly on the search results page, allowing users to find answers to their questions without clicking through other websites. This feature has evolved with user feedback.

Optimizing Websites for Google AI Overviews

When Google performs a search and decides that it can offer summaries to users, the search engine is reaching out to a site's content. Optimizing for Google AI Overviews is mainly similar to optimizing for Google Search. It is essential to focus on keyword strategy and address issues related to brand voice and information accuracy. The E-A-A-T (Expertise, Competence, Trustworthiness) criteria should be considered.

Optimizing Websites for ChatGPT or Other Large Language Models (LLM)

A fundamental difference exists between a traditional search engine experience and an LLM-based chat platform. ChatGPT can access the web and respond directly to users' commands such as "search" or "find online".

Regarding optimization, methods similar to traditional search engine optimization should be applied in scenarios where LLMs are connected to the web. Some site owners may block ChatGPT from accessing their site to protect their content. I foresee that they will have to remove this restriction in the future.

Adapting SEO Metrics to the Rise of AI and LLMs

Traditional SEO metrics such as organic clicks, visibility and average rankings are changing. In particular, the ability of users to find answers to their questions without visiting a website, thanks to AI Overviews, can create a situation called "zero clicks". Since searches made on platforms other than Google do not appear in Google Search Console, it becomes challenging to measure SEO success. We know that Google is not working on this (at least for now).

Progress in SEO in the changing AI era

• Technical SEO: Your website needs to load fast, be secure (HTTPS) and be mobile-friendly.

• User intent: Understanding user intent and providing relevant content is critical.

• Content quality and relevance: Creating quality and helpful content that answers users' questions is necessary.

To cope with these changing dynamics in the SEO world, we must keep learning and adapting, so it's essential to follow best practices and update strategies.

Does Using the Wrong Hreflang Negatively Impact Your SEO Performance?

Check out whether incorrect hreflang tags harm SEO and the importance of correct language tagging, as Google's Gary Illyes explained.

The hreflang tag is used on your website to indicate that the same content is available for users in different languages or regions. These tags let Google and other search engines know which language or region a particular page is for. This way, users' search results will show content most relevant to their language and region.

For Google, hreflang tags are essential in improving the user experience and delivering the right content to the right users. Especially on multilingual or multinational websites, the correct use of hreflang prevents content from being presented in the wrong language, which increases user satisfaction. Google takes these tags into account to help users find the language and content they are looking for faster. If not applied correctly, users may encounter the wrong content, negatively affecting time spent on the site and interaction.

In this week's Search Off The Record podcast, Google's Gary Illyes points out incorrect hreflang tags may not directly harm SEO.

However, the correct specification of the language of the page is critical for the searchability of the content. In cases such as incorrect hreflang applications and incorrect identification of the language of the content, users may encounter content different from the language they expect. Although there have been improvements in Google's algorithms regarding language and country associations, the importance of content language in search results continues.

Advice for SEO Experts:

• Use the right hreflang: Use hreflang tags that accurately reflect the language of the content.

• Regular Check: Prevent potential errors by checking hreflang tags regularly.

• Follow Google Updates: Follow Google's language and country targeting updates and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Copy: A Sales Killer According to Research

Emphasizing "Artificial Intelligence" in marketing texts weakens consumer trust. Brands should use artificial intelligence carefully in product promotion.

A study by Washington State University reveals that using "artificial intelligence" (AI) in product descriptions reduces consumers' purchase intentions.

With surveys of more than 1,000 American adults, the research shows that products where AI is mentioned reduce emotional trust, and this effect is particularly pronounced for high-risk products.

As a marketing professional, I believe using AI in marketing copy requires caution. While AI has the potential to make products more innovative and appealing, it can also undermine consumers' emotional trust. Therefore, it may be wiser to focus on product features rather than emphasizing AI in marketing strategies. Brands should reassess their marketing tactics in light of these findings. Positioning AI correctly and maintaining consumer trust is critical to success.

Free PPC Reporting Tools: 8 Best Solutions

Discover the best free tools to analyze your PPC campaigns and optimize your performance with Google Ads, Meta Ads Reporting, and Microsoft Advertising.

PPC (Pay-per-Click) reporting has become critical to evaluating the success of advertising campaigns. Free tools offer excellent solutions, especially for advertisers with budget limitations. I'll share eight free tools that stand out in this regard.

1.Looker Studio: Formerly known as Google Data Studio, this tool allows users to create interactive reports. Visual reports and customizable filtering options make it easier to analyze data.

2. Google Ads/Google Sheets Plugin: Developed by Google, this free plugin allows you to export ad reports and organize the data to Google Sheets. You can use it to show specific campaigns or filter data.

3. Meta Ads Reporting: Meta's (formerly Facebook) in-house reporting section allows you to create pivots tables and graphs.

4. Microsoft Advertising Reports: Microsoft's reporting tools show standard campaign data and negative keyword overlaps.

5. Google Analytics: tracks PPC traffic and analyses user behaviour. Especially with GA4, it is possible to see how ad traffic interacts with website behaviour. Suppose you have connected your Google Ads account and enabled auto-tagging. In that case, you can view Google Ads data in the Ads section and essential activities you have prioritized for your business (such as form filling, sales, etc.).

Explorations provide a good starting point for creating reports that can be customized to include only specific traffic. Examples of this traffic include traffic from paid channels and particular dimensions and metrics. For example, you can create a funnel report that shows how much ad traffic reaches each step of the buying process.

Another value that Google Analytics offers for PPC reporting is the ability to see how ads work in the conversion process along with other channels such as organic search, social media, referral and direct traffic. This allows for a more comprehensive analysis of ads' performance and engagement.

6. Google Ads Editor: You can view and edit performance data. Consider it as an alternative tool for reports.

7. Microsoft Advertising Editor: Works similar to Google Ads Editor but optimized for Microsoft ads.

8. Ad Preview Tool: The preview tool of Google Ads allows you to test how ads appear based on geographical regions.

These tools can help you manage your ad campaigns more efficiently and, when used correctly, offer significant advantages. With these tools, brands can monitor their performance and optimize their strategies. The fact that they are free makes them especially attractive for businesses looking for budget-friendly solutions.

Recommended Tools & Services

• WhitePress: WhitePress is a content marketing platform that enables accessible article publishing across 90,571 websites in 30 languages, offering native copywriting and automated global publication services.

• Cannibalization Explorer Looker Studio Report is a tool for identifying keyword cannibalization and providing insights into how keywords perform across different pages.

• SurferSEO is a tool that helps you create and optimize content for SEO. It analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keywords and gives you suggestions on how to improve your content. Surfer AI also has a feature that can generate ready-to-rank articles in minutes.

• Copilot Pro: Copilot Pro is available for $20/month for cloud-based GenAI models and $27/month with Microsoft 365. It is integrated with Microsoft 365 applications and provides access to GPT-4 Turbo and advanced AI rendering tools.

• AlsoAsked is a helpful tool that can boost your visibility in the “People Also Ask” section of Google's search engine results page.”

• Semrush Map Rank Tracker is a Google-changing tool for local businesses looking to dominate their niche and attract more customers. I've been using the free version for a while now, and I'm impressed with its ease and effectiveness.

• ContentShake AI is an intelligent writing tool that combines AI with real-life competitor insights. It guides you from ideation to publishing directly to the blog, generates SEO-friendly articles, and helps you optimize them for organic traffic and engagement.

• Microsoft Clarity has recently introduced a feature called Copilot, which incorporates Generative AI through Large Language Models (LLMs) into the analytics tool. This integration aims to make data more accessible and understandable for users by leveraging the same technology created by OpenAI, which powers the new Bing or ChatGPT.

• InLinks is an SEO tool that uses a knowledge graph to optimize content for search engines. It automates internal linking and schema markup, simplifying SEO processes and content strategies.

Subscribe to my newsletter to stay informed about the latest in SEO and digital marketing. Next week, I'll continue to share the newest insights, tactics, and strategies for navigating the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape.

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Best,

Mert Erkal