Best SEO Tools in 2025: Your Essential Digital Toolkit  Vocal
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Google: Not all sites will fully recover with future core algorithm updates  Search Engine Land
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Updated 26 June 2025 at 18:49 IST
The landscape of digital marketing is undergoing a seismic shift as artificial intelligence takes centre stage. From campaign planning to real-time optimisation, AI is empowering marketers to understand audiences like never before, automate complex processes, and deliver personalised experiences at scale. 
Artificial Intelligence has rapidly become the defining force behind the transformation of digital marketing. As brands and agencies adapt to a landscape shaped by ever-increasing data and shifting consumer behaviors, AI stands out as the catalyst for innovation, efficiency, and measurable results. In India, the evolution is particularly pronounced, with Digital Marketing Companies in India leveraging AI to deliver campaigns that are not only more targeted but also more responsive to real-time consumer needs.
The traditional approach to digital marketing relied heavily on broad segmentation and generalized messaging. AI has shattered these limitations by enabling true personalization at scale. Modern algorithms analyze vast streams of customer data—ranging from browsing history to purchase patterns and social media activity—to identify individual preferences and predict future actions. This allows marketers to craft messages, offers, and experiences that resonate on a personal level, fostering deeper connections and higher conversion rates.
Personalization is no longer about addressing customers by their first name in an email. AI enables dynamic content creation, where every touchpoint—be it an ad, a landing page, or a chatbot interaction—is tailored to the user’s unique journey. The result is a seamless, relevant experience that feels intuitive and engaging, setting new standards for customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
One of the most significant advancements brought by AI is the ability to anticipate customer behavior through predictive analytics. By processing historical data and identifying patterns, AI-powered tools can forecast which users are most likely to engage, convert, or churn. This foresight empowers marketers to allocate resources more effectively, optimize campaign timing, and design proactive retention strategies.
Predictive analytics also supports smarter budget allocation. Marketers can now identify high-value prospects and prioritize them with tailored offers, maximizing the return on every marketing dollar spent. This shift from reactive to proactive marketing is redefining how brands approach customer acquisition and retention in the digital age.
AI’s impact goes beyond strategy and analytics—it is fundamentally changing the way campaigns are managed. Automation tools powered by AI take over repetitive tasks such as bid adjustments, audience segmentation, and performance monitoring. This not only reduces the manual workload for marketing teams but also ensures that campaigns are constantly optimized for the best possible results.
Real-time data analysis allows AI systems to make instantaneous adjustments to ad placements, messaging, and targeting. This agility is crucial in today’s fast-paced digital environment, where consumer preferences and market dynamics can shift overnight. By automating these processes, brands can maintain a competitive edge and respond to opportunities or challenges as they arise.
The era of mass marketing is giving way to hyper-targeted campaigns, thanks to AI’s advanced audience segmentation capabilities. Machine learning models analyze diverse data points to identify micro-segments within larger audiences. Marketers can then deliver highly relevant content to each segment, increasing engagement rates and reducing wasted ad spend.
This precision targeting extends across channels, from search and social media to programmatic advertising and email. AI ensures that the right message reaches the right person at the right time, driving higher click-through rates and conversions. As consumers become more discerning, this level of relevance is essential for capturing attention and building trust.
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants have become integral to digital marketing campaigns. These tools provide instant, round-the-clock support, guiding customers through their purchase journey and answering queries in real time. Unlike traditional customer service channels, AI chatbots learn from each interaction, continuously improving their responses and recommendations.
Conversational AI goes beyond simple Q&A. It can upsell, cross-sell, and even personalize product suggestions based on user behavior. This not only enhances the customer experience but also drives additional revenue opportunities for brands. With AI handling routine interactions, human agents are free to focus on more complex and value-added tasks.
Content remains at the heart of digital marketing, and AI is playing an increasingly important role in both creation and optimization. Natural language processing algorithms can generate basic content for ads, emails, and social media posts, freeing up human creatives to focus on strategy and storytelling. AI also analyzes engagement metrics to determine which content resonates most with different audience segments, informing future content strategies.
Visual content is not left behind. AI tools optimize images and videos for different platforms and audiences, ensuring that every asset is both appealing and relevant. This data-driven approach to content creation leads to higher engagement and more effective campaigns.
AI’s ability to process and analyze massive datasets in real time is transforming how decisions are made in digital marketing. Marketers now have access to actionable insights that were previously unattainable, from granular audience behaviors to macro-level market trends. This data-driven approach supports smarter strategy development, campaign optimization, and performance measurement.
With AI, marketing is no longer a guessing game. Every decision is backed by evidence, reducing risk and increasing the likelihood of success. As the volume and complexity of data continue to grow, AI’s role as a strategic advisor will only become more critical.
While AI offers tremendous benefits, it also raises important ethical questions around data privacy, transparency, and bias. Marketers must ensure that AI-driven campaigns respect user consent and adhere to regulatory standards. At the same time, the human touch remains essential—AI should augment, not replace, human creativity and empathy.
Striking the right balance between automation and authenticity is key to building lasting customer relationships. Brands that use AI responsibly and transparently will earn greater trust and loyalty from their audiences.
India’s digital marketing landscape is uniquely positioned to benefit from AI adoption. With a rapidly growing internet user base and increasing digital literacy, Indian marketers are leveraging AI to overcome challenges such as language diversity, regional preferences, and complex consumer journeys. The integration of AI is helping brands reach new markets, engage diverse audiences, and drive business growth in ways that were previously unimaginable.
As the founder of a digital marketing consultancy, Vijay Sood observes that the shift towards AI-powered marketing is not just a trend but a necessary evolution. The ability to harness data, automate processes, and deliver personalized experiences is setting new benchmarks for success in the industry. Marketers who embrace AI are better equipped to navigate the complexities of the digital ecosystem and deliver results that matter.
The revolution sparked by artificial intelligence is still in its early stages. As technology continues to advance, we can expect even greater integration of AI into every facet of digital marketing—from creative development to customer engagement and beyond. The focus will increasingly shift towards delivering value at every touchpoint, using AI to anticipate needs, solve problems, and create memorable experiences.
In conclusion, the rise of AI is redefining what is possible in digital marketing. Brands that adapt quickly and thoughtfully will not only stay ahead of the curve but also shape the future of the industry. As this transformation unfolds, organizations like SwiftPropel are at the forefront, helping clients navigate the opportunities and challenges of this new era with insight, integrity, and innovation.
Published 26 June 2025 at 18:49 IST
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Boost SEO results with powerful keyword research
Written by Backlinko Team
If you have a website, keyword mapping should be a priority.
Why?
Because it can help you get more visitors, leads, and conversions. Noticeably more.
At Backlinko, keyword mapping helps us reach 500k+ organic sessions every month.
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll find everything you need to get started with keyword mapping.
Plus, a free keyword mapping template.
But first, let’s start with the basics.
Keyword mapping is the process of organizing target keywords into groups and assigning them to specific pages on your website.
And creating a detailed keyword map to keep track of important details. Including keyword volume, difficulty, and more.
Like this:
Why not just scribble it all down on a napkin?
Creating a detailed keyword map ensures you have a permanent, organized document to guide your SEO strategy. Which helps keep you consistent in your optimization efforts.
And gives your website content a serious advantage on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Not sure SEO keyword mapping is worth the effort? Here’s a look at the benefits it can provide:
At Backlinko, we use keyword mapping to avoid cannibalization and ensure a strong internal link network. This allows our users to easily find information on any core topic.
Keyword mapping helps us think strategically about our ideal customers and how to design our website to best meet their needs.
Leigh McKenzie, head of SEO at Backlinko, said:
We start the keyword mapping process with a content strategy that targets our ideal customer profiles (ICPs) and covers our main content pillars: SEO, Content Marketing, Link Building, and Digital Marketing more broadly.
Since the SEO industry is constantly changing with new techniques, tactics, and terminology, we first evaluate our existing content library to ensure everything is still relevant and accurate.
Then, we do new keyword research (based on audience intelligence or competitor analysis) to identify new article topics.
Ready to learn how to create a keyword map? Download our free keyword mapping template to follow along with our step-by-step tutorial below.
Download now: Keyword Mapping Template
Once you’ve downloaded the template, rename it in the upper left.
Here’s a peek at some of the terminology and columns in the template:
Note: The “Pillar Pages” and “Cluster Topics” columns represent primary keywords. The “Keyword Variations” column represents secondary keywords.
Before using the keyword mapping template, you’ll need to create three keyword lists:
Side note: Already have these keyword lists for your site? Jump to step 3.
Start by choosing one of your blog’s main topics.
For example, if your blog’s niche is gardening, you might choose a main topic like “gardening tools” or “gardening tips.”
Got it?
Now you’re ready to dive into keyword research and build your keyword lists.
Pillar page keywords represent your site’s main topics. You’ll assign them to your site’s pillar pages.
Note: Pillar pages are in-depth articles or ultimate guides. Cluster posts are subtopics that support a pillar page. Linking a group of pillar and cluster posts to each other creates a “topic cluster” that can boost your site’s topical authority.
Use a keyword research tool like Semrush’s Keyword Magic or Google Keyword Planner to identify keywords that match your site’s main topic.
For this example, we used the Keyword Magic Tool.
Note: A free Semrush account gives you 10 searches in the Keyword Magic Tool per day. Or you can use this link to access a 14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription.
Enter your main site topic into the search bar and click “Search.” We used “gardening tips.”
Enter your site’s URL into the purple search bar for personalized data (including a keyword difficulty score tailored to your domain).
Scroll down to view the results.
Then, select the keyword you think is the best match for your pillar page topic.
Our “gardening tips” search turned up keywords like “beginner gardening tips” and “vegetable gardening tips.”
These might make great cluster topic keywords. Or they might work for a different pillar page down the road.
But they’re not as great for a pillar page on “gardening tips.”
Because we want a keyword that describes our main topic perfectly.
We’re in luck.
There’s an exact match, “gardening tips,” at the top of the keyword results page.
The estimated monthly search volume is 1,600, which is a good amount of traffic.
The keyword difficulty score is rated as “difficult,” meaning we’ll need many referring domains and optimized content to help this page rank. For our example site, this is attainable.
Pro tip: Have a newer or less authoritative site? Look for keywords with lower keyword difficulty scores to help increase your chances of ranking.
Next, we’ll check the keyword’s search intent. Search intent, sometimes called “user intent,” is the reason behind a person’s search.
And it’s a big deal in keyword mapping.
Matching keywords with the correct search intent makes it easier for Google to index your pages correctly.
Which can ultimately result in more traffic to your website. It also helps searchers find the type of content they’re looking for, reducing bounce rate.
The most common types of search intent are:
Check the “Intent” column next to the keyword in the Keyword Magic Tool.
“I” indicates “informational” search intent, “C” indicates “commercial,” and so on.
Our “gardening tips” keyword has both an “informational” and “commercial” intent. But what’s most important is the “informational” intent.
Since we’re creating an ultimate guide, this intent works well. Informational blog content like how-to guides, tips, and listicles is almost always a good match for “informational” search intent.
Pro tip: You can manually verify search intent by analyzing the SERP results for your keyword. For instance, searching ‘gardening tips’ primarily returns informational articles and guides, confirming its informational intent.
Once you’ve decided on your keyword, save it to a keyword list in Semrush.
Check the box next to the keyword(s) you want to save. Click “+ Add to list.”
Click “Create new empty list” and give your keyword list a name. We named ours “Pillar page keywords.”
Repeat this process for the other two lists you’ll build next (“Keyword variations” and “Cluster topic keywords).
Cluster topic keywords represent subtopics of your pillar pages. Each cluster topic page you create will link to its main pillar page. And the pillar page will link back to the cluster.
This creates a strong, topic-driven internal linking strategy.
You can find popular subtopic ideas using your initial keyword research.
For example, our main keyword was “gardening tips.” Which turned up a handful of great subtopic ideas.
Like “raised bed gardening tips” and “spring gardening tips.”
Long-tail keywords, like the two above, work well for cluster posts.
Why?
Because long-tail keywords are highly specific search terms that tend to have lower keyword difficulty scores.
Add the subtopic keywords to your “Cluster topic keywords” lists in Keyword Magic.
Keyword variations are phrases that have similar meanings to the original keyword.
Including different keyword variations increases the chances of capturing a wider audience who might phrase their searches differently.
It can also improve your website’s visibility on SERPs by covering more search queries and increasing your chances of ranking for related terms.
Find keyword variations by looking at your search results in Keyword Magic Tool.
For example, “tips on gardening,” “gardening tips and tricks,” and “tips for gardening” appeared in our original search for “gardening tips.”
Add the variations to your “Keyword variations” list.
If you haven’t already, download our free keyword mapping template.
Now, open your keyword mapping template and add your pillar page keywords to column “A.” Add monthly search volumes to column “C” and KD scores to column “D.”
When you’re finished, it should look like this:
Next, enter your cluster topic keywords in column “B,” alongside their volume in column “C” and KD scores in column “D.”
Like this:
Next, add your keyword variations to the map. Enter these in column “E” as a group.
Add search volume in parentheses behind each keyword.
Like this: “tips on gardening (210), gardening tips and tricks (170).”
No KD% score needed.
Here’s what it looks like in the keyword map:
Next, get out your calculator to tally up the total search volume for each row.
Why?
Recording the total search volume provides a comprehensive view of potential traffic, helping you prioritize high-impact content. This strategy also ensures you focus on keywords that drive the most value, enhancing your SEO efforts.
And maximizing your website’s visibility and engagement.
For each row:
For our example, our Total Volume for this row is 2,150
In this step, we’ll match each row of keywords to an existing or future page on your site.
Let’s start with the first row.
In this example, the first row contains the primary keyword “gardening tips.”
If you already have a published piece of content that matches the primary keyword, add its URL to column “G.”
Like this:
Don’t you have a piece of content that matches the primary keyword? Leave column “G” blank.
Next, move to column “H” and select a status from the drop-down menu.
Which status should you choose?
The next and final step is column “I,” “Last Updated.”
This column only applies if you have an active URL entered in column “G.”
Otherwise, leave it blank.
Use this space to note when you last optimized this post for the keywords in your map. If you haven’t optimized or created it yet, leave it blank.
Repeat the process for each row in the template.
It should look something like this:
Congrats! You’ve just completed your keyword map.
Now what?
Use your completed keyword map to optimize website content and plan new content.
We will show you how in the final step below.
Start with your existing site pages, if you have any.
For example, let’s say you already have a pillar page called “The Ultimate Guide to Gardening Tips.”
Its keywords are:
To optimize the pillar page so it aligns with your keyword map, use the primary keyword in your:
Add each of the secondary keywords (keyword variations) at least once within the blog post.
Apply the same techniques when creating new pillar pages and cluster posts.
Update the “Status” and “Last Updated” columns in your keyword mapping template each time you optimize or create another page.
Your completed map also shows where you have content gaps.
Any row without an existing “Target URL” in column G is a gap you’ll want to fill with new content.
Your new keyword map will help you plan what content to add or update next. And ensure that you don’t miss out on or duplicate any site keywords.
Further reading: On-Page SEO: The Definitive Guide
Some of the most popular free keyword mapping tools include:
For example, Google Keyword Planner is free to use. It can help you find new topic ideas related to your main keyword.
Go to: “Google Ads” > “Solutions” > “Keyword Planner” and enter a keyword. Then, click “Get Results.”
Like we did with “gardening tips.”
Our gardening tips keyword produced new subtopics we hadn’t thought of before.
Like “backyard decor ideas,” “composting tips,” and “cheap container gardening ideas.”
While this can be a great way to research new terms, Google only shows a range for monthly search volume—unless you’re actively using Google Ads and hitting an undisclosed monthly spending requirement.
If you find keywords with potential, drop them into the Keyword Overview to see a more precise estimation.
Need more in-depth insights?
A paid SEO tool like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Surfer SEO may be worth the investment.
While many of Semrush’s tools have free, limited access, a paid subscription offers even more features and tools.
For example, Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder tool simplifies and automates the keyword mapping process.
Here’s how:
Enter your site’s main keyword and click “Create list.”
Like we did here with the “gardening tips” keyword.
When your report is ready, you’ll have a full, customized strategy built around your keyword. Including a list of suggested pillar page and cluster topic keywords.
For the keyword “gardening tips,” it gave us ideas like “vegetable gardening” and “rose plant” as pillar pages.
And suggested cluster topics such as “Hanging basket flowers” and “water hose.”
Earlier, we were thinking that the keyword “vegetable gardening” would make a good cluster topic keyword. But this strategy suggests using the keyword for a pillar page.
And that’s not a bad idea. So, we’ll give it some thought.
Scroll down the page for even more pillar and cluster keyword suggestions.
Ahrefs is a comprehensive suite of SEO tools that can help you with keyword mapping.
For example, drop a keyword into its Keywords Explorer tool, and it’ll generate thousands of ideas. It’ll also automatically cluster keywords, helping speed up your keyword mapping efforts.
Surfer SEO’s Topic Explorer helps you analyze site topics and provides suggestions for supporting cluster pieces. It can also show you what topic clusters your competition covers.
Enter a keyword, and the tool will generate a map with subtopics. We entered “gardening tips,” and it suggested additional pillar page ideas (called Topics), such as “Home Gardening” and “Planting Guide.”
It also provides keyword ideas, along with the keyword difficulty and search volume for each term.
Keyword mapping is one of the smartest SEO moves you can make.
It helps you think strategically about every topic, keyword, and page on your site. Boosting rankings and the user experience in the process.
But keyword mapping is just the start.
You’ll need a comprehensive SEO strategy to drive year-round organic traffic.
In our SEO Strategy Guide, learn how to analyze SERP results and create content that outranks your competitors.
Backlinko is owned by Semrush. We’re still obsessed with bringing you world-class SEO insights, backed by hands-on experience. Unless otherwise noted, this content was written by either an employee or paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
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