Lesson 4 of 8By Sana Afreen

Nothing could be more disappointing than your website not ranking on Google, despite your continued efforts to rank high. With a vast amount of content available on the internet, finding out the accurate answer on how to rank on Google would be close to impossible. Google has a few ranking factors, but it makes these ranking factors up of not just one but a wide variety of algorithms. To help your website rank on Google, we have come up with a few solutions.
Let’s get started with our first ranking factor, i.e., choosing relevant keywords.
When a user enters a search query, Google ranking refers to the position at which a webpage appears in Google SERPs. 
When you search for something on Google, the search engine displays a list of relevant web pages. The order in which these pages are displayed is determined by Google's ranking algorithm, which considers various factors to determine the relevance and quality of each page. A higher Google keyword ranking means that a webpage appears closer to the top of the search results, making it more likely to be seen and clicked on by users.
Achieving a high keyword ranking on Google is a primary goal for websites, and here are five reasons why:
To boost your Google keyword rankings, you need to know where the website currently stands in the search results. You can do this manually by entering your target keywords into Google (assuming incognito mode to prevent your personal search history from affecting the results). Alternatively, you can use specialized SEO tools that track your positions for the necessary keywords in just one click and show you additional data for ranking analysis. Among the most popular ones are SE Ranking Rank Tracker, SEO PowerSuite, and Spy SERP. 
The second way is more insightful and efficient. Tools provide detailed insights into your website's position for all the needed keywords across various locations and other data. For instance, you can monitor ranking fluctuations, check keyword cannibalization issues, or see the SERP features you get.

Now that you grasp the significance of ranking highly on Google and know your current positions on SERPs, the question arises: How can you climb to the top of the SERPs? It's a multifaceted journey involving numerous stages of website optimization. Let's delve deeper into these pivotal steps.
The aim of ranking websites on search engines is a dream of every marketer. But, to accomplish the task, we require a lot of effort.
However, targeting the right keywords and audience is the major tip to improve your website ranking. Along with that, creating well-optimized content will give a good boost to your website ranking. 
Your website can reach on top much sooner than you think, but only if you follow the steps mentioned below:
Moving further, let's discuss how creating high-quality content can help your website rank #1 on Google.
Stated below is an example of a Machine Learning video ranking #1 on YouTube search result.
Primary keyword: Machine learning
Secondary keyword: What is Machine learning

To outperform your competitors and excel in your niche, you must surpass them. Achieving this requires a careful analysis of their strategies. By conducting a thorough SERP analysis, you can gain valuable insights into ranking high on Google.
Upon selecting relevant keywords, your next step involves a detailed SERP analysis for each query. Begin by entering the keyword into Google and then analyze the top-ranking pages, focusing on their:
Moreover, pay attention to the Google SERP features displayed for the query. Maybe optimizing your website page to appear in SERP features is a good idea.

Understanding what users are looking for when they type in a specific query and tailoring your content to match that intent is essential for user satisfaction and search engine visibility. To effectively match your content with search intent:
1. Examine the keyword you're targeting. Is it informational, transactional, navigational, or commercial? This will guide you in understanding the user's purpose. Search a reason behind a user's query—whether they're seeking information, looking to purchase, comparing options, or exploring a topic.
2. Look at the top-ranking pages in Google for your keyword. Are they blog posts, product pages, comparison articles, or guides? This provides insights into what type of content aligns with user expectations. For example, if you type “what is SEO” in the search box, your SERP will most likely look like this:

3. Craft your content to fulfill the user's needs based on intent. For informational queries, provide in-depth explanations. For transactional queries, offer clear calls-to-action and product details.
By checking and matching your content to search intent, you provide value to users and increase the likelihood of higher engagement, lower bounce rates, and improved search engine rankings.
So what is high-quality content? We can explain it to you in simple words if you ask us. 
Quality content accomplishes its marketing goal. 
Marketing goals include increasing brand awareness, improving click-through rates, gaining leads, and gaining maximum social shares of a website.
Content Marketing Institute confirms that 88% of B2B companies give priority to content marketing. 
Content marketing involves a wide variety of content types, such as blog posts, newsletters, webinars, videos, and so on, to attract the target audience.
Below we have listed down some of the useful tips to consider while creating high-quality content:
Note: White hat technique is a technique used to improve search ranking on SERP. It follows search engine rules and policies
Note: When a reader stays on your web page for a longer time, Google will favorably rank your website. To increase user attention/dwell-time, always create comprehensive, long, and engaging content.
Some of the steps to create high-quality content are:
In the video format, showcased below is an example of high-quality content for the keyword: what is machine learning?

Moving onto the next technique, let's see how to Optimize on-page SEO.
On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing web page elements. On-page SEO includes:
Optimizing on-page SEO is easier than you might think. What follows is some practical advice.

The title tag is the web page title that appears on the search engine results page.
Let us discuss some of the ways to optimize on-page SEO:
It is a summary of the content of your web page. 
Let us discuss some of the ways to optimize on-page SEO:
The header tag provides structure to your site by identifying headings and subheadings of your web page. 
Optimize your tags by:
Below is an example of a well-optimized web page in terms of on-page SEO. The keyword used here is: Digital marketing certificate

So far, we have discussed 3 ranking factors on how to rank on Google. Next, we will look at how to optimize website level factors to improve website ranking.
Website level factors include a sitemap, security, and page speed. Optimizing these three elements will improve your rankings and traffic.
A sitemap is one of the important ways to enhance your website's ranking by providing information about the pages. 
Some of the crucial ways to improve sitemaps are:
According to EDGY, "Using sitemaps for SEO can increase your website's visibility and help get it indexed." 
Sites with HTTPS server boost in website rankings, whereas Google calls HTTPS as a ranking signal.
Some of the ways to improve site security are:
It is one of the most important ranking factors on Google. It is the time taken to load the content on a web page. 
Page speed with poor performance results in a high bounce rate and low average time spent on the web page.
Below are the ways to optimize page speed:
Note: Page speed with poor performance results in a high bounce rate and low average time spent on the web page. 
For example, Neil Patel had confirmed that Walmart experienced a decline in conversions when the page speed increased from one to four seconds.

Acquiring backlinks from other websites is one of the important ranking factors.
Neil Patel says, "75% of people will never scroll past the first page on a Google search." which indicates the ranking your website on the second, third, or fourth page of Google will not improve your website ranking.
In that case, building external links to your website can increase your organic search ranking.
Some of the benefits of link building are:
Now, you might be wondering: ‘What is a high-quality link, exactly? And how do I build them?’ That's what we are going to cover now.
Let us tell you a few essential techniques that could help in building links:
Note: Backlinko has confirmed that pages with more backlinks tend to rank higher than web pages with fewer backlinks
For example, the web page below has a high number of backlinks.
The below screenshot is taken from the Ahrefs tool:

According to Neil Patel, "A good site structure provides your site with site links."
Having many web pages on your website is no longer important. Still, it is essential to have a website appropriately grouped into categories so that based on the search query, Google can know what content to display on the search engine results page.
A well-defined website architecture helps in ranking. This way, bots can effortlessly access and index the content, which results in improved indexing and a higher probability of website ranking.
Following are the important techniques used to improve your website structure:
Keywords are still important for rankings, but subject relevance is equally important, and one of the ways to accomplish this is through a good website architecture.
Below is an example of a strong logical site structure, where individual sub-pages are connected to one another.

Internal links help users navigate your site, promote your main pages and give a deeper understanding of a particular topic or concept. As for Google, internal links help to understand and find all the pages for better crawling and indexing. Moreover, by passing link juice, they also signal to search engines the importance and relevance of specific pages.
Therefore, there is no way to do this without internal linking. Here are a few basic ways to do it effectively. 
The first rule is incorporating internal links in your website's navigation menus: footer, sidebar, header, etc. This gives users and search engines easy access to important pages and improves site structure.

Next, add contextual links across all the essential pages of your website.
Link relevant content together. The good idea is to create content hubs by identifying cornerstone content pieces that cover broader topics and are comprehensive guides. Link related blog posts or pages to these hubs, forming content clusters that signal your site's expertise to search engines.
Avoid the temptation to add links solely for the sake of quantity; each link should genuinely enhance users' and Google's navigation experience.
Another important thing is to work on an anchor plan. Use different anchor texts, mostly descriptive text that gives readers and search engines an idea of what they'll find when they click the link.
Bear in mind that internal links can become broken or outdated. So, you need to review and update these chains. Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor the effectiveness of your internal linking strategy. Analyze user behavior and engagement metrics to refine your approach.
Schema markup, also known as structured data, is a unified code that provides additional context to search engines about the content on your website.
Schema markup enhances search engine results by creating rich snippets—extra details displayed beneath a search result. You’ve definitely seen snippets with ratings, price, phone number, and event date, as shown in the screenshot below. This additional data improves click-through rates and user engagement and helps your content stand out.
Moreover, Schema markup benefits mobile users and voice search by presenting concise information that's easy to consume.
Adding schema markup requires embedding structured data in your website's HTML. You can manually code it or use tools like Google's Structured Data Markup Helper or Schema.org's Markup Generator.

The finalized code must be added to the page through the site’s admin panel or directly to the HTML file.
You can also implement structured data with the help of CMS. CMS developers provide special software that structures the code. For instance, All In One Schema Rich Snippets and Markup (JSON-LD) structured in schema.org modules; Drupal employs Microdata and Schema.org extensions, while Joomla uses Google Structured Data.
A continuous content optimization process is essential to maintain and improve your rankings over time. Google's search algorithms are dynamic and constantly evolving. Content that ranks well today might not maintain its position tomorrow.
The first step in content optimization is conducting periodic content audits. You need to identify outdated, irrelevant, or underperforming content. You can do it with the help of the major of analytic tools. Track key performance metrics such as bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rates. Delete unnecessary pages that are duplicates, have not had any sessions in the past year do not focus on specific keywords or offer minimal value to your audience. 
Other pages should be improved by updating content:
Don’t forget to regularly publish new content on relevant topics to demonstrate your expertise and authority in your niche.
Maintain a balance between optimization and natural, engaging content.
Content marketing tools by SE Ranking, Clearscope, MarketMuse or Letterdrop can help you improve your content effectively.
The search engine frequently updates its algorithms to enhance user experience, provide accurate results, and thwart black-hat SEO practices. Certain algorithm updates target practices like keyword stuffing, link spam, poor mobile usability, weak E-A-T signals, etc.
Now, Google makes thousands of changes every year. These updates can significantly impact your website's rankings, making it essential to stay informed to avoid penalties.
Here's how to stay on top of algorithm updates:

UX signals are behavioral patterns that affect your page rankings. Among the most crucial are click-through rate and bounce rate. In essence, it's important to Google that users click often on your snippets and stay on the pages for a long time.
Google Analytics will be your best friend when it comes to measuring your bounce rate. 

Google Search Console will help you to monitor CTR.

Once you spot UX issues, try to do everything possible to follow basic rules to improve user experience: 
Google Business Profiles increase your chances of appearing in local search results (so-called Google Local Pack), a coveted spot at the top of SERPs. This leads to higher visibility among users in your area.

According to surveys, 21% of customers use the Internet to search for local businesses daily, and 35% do so multiple times every week. Having a Google Business Profile is essential if you have a physical business.
If you haven't already, claim your business profile, providing accurate and consistent information, including: 
Add high-resolution photos that showcase your products, services, and location. Visual content increases engagement and provides a glimpse into your business. Choose accurate business categories to help Google understand your services and match you with relevant searches.
Once you're in the local pack, track your results: monitor the number of views, website visits, searches by keywords, phone calls, direction requests, reviews, etc. 
Remember to promptly update data if there are changes to your address, phone number, or other details.
Without a clear understanding of how your SEO strategies are performing, you're essentially flying blind. By identifying which strategies yield the best results, you optimize your resources, saving time and money.
First, define KPIs that align with your goals, such as organic traffic, conversion rates, and engagement metrics.
Second, utilize SEO tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other trustworthy SEO tools to access detailed data about your website's performance.
Don’t forget to continuously track your target keywords' rankings using SEO tools or specialized rank-tracking software. This helps you understand your visibility and track progress.
Off-site engagement aims to boost the value of your content by the practice of earning links from other authoritative websites. The impact of link building on SEO is high. A website owner needs to develop an effective and long-term approach to link building rather than earning links through non-authoritative websites.
Attaining backlinks from multiple domains is crucial, as they help in bringing referral traffic to your website.
Some of the off-site engagements are:
The below example has a high number of views within a period of 1 month:

And with that, we have come to the end of this article on ‘How to rank on Google’.
In this article titled ‘how to rank on Google’, we discussed the top 16 techniques that could rank our websites well on search engines. Focusing on these techniques alone will drive more organic traffic to your website and improve your search rankings without risking a Google penalty.
Whether you’re an experienced Digital marketer or you’re aspiring to break into this exciting industry, enrolling in our Post Graduate Program in Digital Marketing will help you master Digital Marketing techniques and strategies and become an AI-powered marketer. 
Sana Afreen is a Senior Research Analyst at Simplilearn and works on several latest technologies. She holds a degree in B. Tech Computer Science. She has also achieved certification in Advanced SEO. Sana likes to explore new places for their cultures, traditions, and cuisines.
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In the bustling digital marketplace, where effective small business web design can make or break a customer relationship, entrepreneurs find themselves at a crossroads. How do they compete with larger enterprises that have sprawling teams and endless resources?
2025 is a vibrant time for innovation, with artificial intelligence (AI) acting as both a leveler and a game-changer. AI is no longer just the stuff of science fiction; it’s a tangible force shaping the landscape of web design and SEO, providing small businesses with the tools they need to create engaging, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing websites.
Imagine your website as the storefront of your business—except it’s open 24/7, accessible to potential customers worldwide. In that scenario, you’d want it to be as inviting and easy to navigate as possible, right? This is where AI steps in.
From automating mundane design tasks to providing personalized user experiences, AI is reshaping how websites are developed and maintained, and it’s doing so in a way that is both cost-effective and transformative.
AI tools for SEO and website personalization bridge the gap, empowering small businesses to compete with larger enterprises. It’s not just about keeping up with the big players—it’s about redefining who gets to play in the first place. As we dive further into this dynamic blend of technology and design, businesses of all sizes will find new and innovative ways to connect with their audiences, making AI not just an option but a pivotal part of modern web design strategy.
Table of Contents
Artificial intelligence in web design isn’t just about robots taking over tasks. It’s about enhancing human creativity and improving the functionality of websites—making them faster, smarter, and more attuned to user needs.
Each time a small business manager contemplates rebranding or refreshing their site, AI offers a suite of tools that streamline this journey, democratizing design so that even modest budgets can yield impressive online presences.
The heart of any website lies in its user experience (UX). A site that’s a pleasure to use can turn visitors into customers in the blink of an eye. AI enhances small business web design by analyzing vast amounts of user data to refine experiences.
For example, AI algorithms can track how visitors move through a site, what they click on, and even how long they linger on particular pages. This data is gold for businesses—allowing them to tweak designs to better meet user expectations.
This insight is well captured by Mack Media Group, which illustrates how AI can sift through data to design bespoke user interfaces that intuitively adjust to user behaviors. From predictive text to customized content suggestions, AI is enhancing UX by making websites more responsive and tailored to individual preferences.
The promise of using AI in design lies in automation—the sheer ability to streamline processes traditionally labor-intensive and time-consuming. AI tools automate coding and layout generation, enabling designers to concentrate on creativity and strategy to empower small businesses. Adopting AI in small business web design companies ensures reduced errors and regular, efficient updates.
As reported by Digital Ocean, AI tools can streamline back-end processes for small businesses. By taking over repetitive tasks, AI enables designers to innovate, experiment, and iterate faster—a boon for small businesses eager for agility in their operations.
AI, however, also brings fears and challenges. Will machines make designers obsolete? The answer lies in synergy. AI tools for SEO and automated web design technologies complement, rather than replace, the creative process in small business web design. Tools like generative design, profiled in Frontiers in AI, show how AI can assist humans in ideation, bringing out the best in both machine efficiency and human creativity.
For newcomers in the digital space, understanding the integration of AI in web design and SEO is crucial. AI tools for SEO offer insightful data analysis that elevates small business web design by optimizing content with strategic keywords. This process involves both automated web design technologies and user experience technology to ensure seamless site performance.
For small businesses aiming to optimize their SEO strategy, integrating AI technologies offers transformative opportunities. Here are some actionable insights on leveraging AI effectively:
Implementing these insights empowers small businesses to leverage AI for SEO, enhancing their web presence and competitiveness in the digital marketplace.
As we traverse the digital landscape of 2025, one timeless principle remains crucial: credibility. If your website doesn’t instill trust within the first few seconds, potential customers may bounce off faster than you can say, “Hello, are you there?”
Think of your website as your business’s digital handshake—a weak one might leave a bad impression. For small businesses, where every interaction counts, establishing credibility through web design is not just beneficial, but it’s essential.
We now live in a time where artificial intelligence and automation rule, and some consumers might feel uncertain about the authenticity of what they encounter online. This uncertainty means it’s critical for businesses to emphasize transparency and sincerity. AI has the power to personalize user experiences so specifically that it can occasionally feel a bit unnerving. This is why creating a transparent AI experience is a key factor in building trust.
A fantastic way to build trust is by being upfront about how you use AI on your website. For instance, if AI tools track user behavior to offer personalized advice or product suggestions, make that clear to your visitors. It’s about ensuring customers understand the value your AI brings, thus building confidence in your site.
Effective small business web design not only captures user attention but also leverages credibility to maintain it. Credibility is about creating a digital space that reflects reliability and quality, where potential customers can feel confident about doing business. Imagine visiting a site riddled with broken links or low-resolution images. Chances are, your trust would waver, wondering if other aspects of the service might lack care and quality.
Research from UADV highlights that a website’s design directly influences its credibility, which in turn affects consumer trust and business success. Users make snap judgments based on the site’s appearance and functionality. Maintaining a clean, professional appearance coupled with high functionality reassures users they are dealing with a reputable business.
Five-star reviews speak volumes, but a stellar web design closes the deal. Consistent branding, authentic testimonials, secure transactions, and a seamless user experience are components that work together to inspire confidence and encourage visitors to stay longer, explore further, and ultimately, convert into loyal customers.
You’re ready to spruce up your website with AI-powered tools and gain that credibility we’ve been discussing. But with an abundance of web designers and AI tools out there, making informed choices is paramount.
When choosing a web design partner, you’re not just buying a service—you’re embarking on a relationship that’s crucial for your digital identity. It’s important to find a designer whose vision aligns with your goals. Start by considering their portfolio. Does their style resonate with your brand? Look for versatility in the work they’ve done with previous clients.
Ossisto advises small businesses to prioritize designers who are familiar with current trends and capable of integrating AI seamlessly into their projects, ensuring that the technology enhances, rather than overwhelms, the user experience. It’s also beneficial if they can demonstrate successful outcomes in past AI integrations.
As you explore how designers using AI can help small businesses, asking the right questions ensures you select the best web design partner. Here are a few worth considering:
Understanding their methodology will help you gauge whether they can meet your specific needs, particularly with AI’s marketing potential in mind.
Past successes often indicate future results. Look for evidence of improved performance metrics, such as increased user engagement or conversion rates.
Collaboration is key. Ensuring that a designer values your input can make the whole experience smoother and more rewarding.
While AI can add sophistication, it should not complicate the user journey. Ask about their strategies to maintain simplicity in design.
SEO experts emphasize that finding a web design partner isn’t just about skills—it’s about compatibility and a shared vision. Choose a partner who listens, understands your brand’s voice, and uses their expertise to amplify it digitally.
AI-powered website modernization can be intimidating, but by prioritizing credibility in your design and choosing the right partners, you’ll not only enter the digital world confidently but also stand out. Remember, in the world of websites, first impressions last, and lasting impressions count.
Let’s dive into the world of AI in web design and witness its transformative power through real-world examples. In 2025, small businesses are not just adopting AI; they’re thriving because of it. AI for e-commerce utilizes advanced customization and user experience technology to predict shopping behaviors effectively. These case studies highlight the benefits of AI in web design, showcasing its transformative impact on small businesses.
Consider a local boutique that decided to step into the e-commerce realm. With a limited budget but big dreams, the boutique employed AI to create a personalized shopping experience for their customers.
AI tools analyzed customer data to predict shopping preferences, resulting in a site that suggested products tailored to individual tastes. By deploying AI-driven personalization, the boutique experienced a remarkable 25% sales boost and an impressive 15% rise in return customers over six months. The boutique’s digital transformation caught the eye of DesignRush, which praised their innovative use of AI for enhancing customer satisfaction.
Another standout example comes from a regional healthcare provider aiming to streamline patient-doctor communication. They leveraged AI to automate appointment booking and manage patient inquiries through intuitive chatbots.
Frontiers in AI highlights how such implementations reduced manual workload by 30% and improved patient response times by half. Patients found navigating their healthcare needs simpler and faster, leading to increased satisfaction rates and fewer missed appointments.
A nonprofit organization that connects volunteers with community projects used AI to redesign its website, aiming to boost both engagement and donations. Through AI-powered analytics, the nonprofit gained insights into user behavior, enabling them to optimize their site layout and content.
This strategic revamp resulted in a 40% surge in user engagement and a 20% increase in donations. The organization’s success story demonstrates how AI can drive impactful change, garnering praise from digital marketing experts like Advertising Week.
As we advance through 2025, it becomes increasingly evident that AI is more than just a technological trend; it is a necessity for businesses aiming to maintain competitiveness in the digital age. The future of web design lies in AI’s ability to enhance engagement, refine user experiences, and streamline operations, irrespective of a business’s size.
Small businesses stand at a pivotal point—embracing AI doesn’t just upgrade their websites but elevates their entire digital presence. From creating personalized experiences to automating behind-the-scenes work, AI offers the best website design companies a path toward efficiency and innovation. Through strategic AI integration, small business web design companies enhance customer engagement.
As small businesses navigate the digital transformation, integrating AI into web design and SEO processes becomes a crucial step. This FAQ section addresses common queries to assist you on this journey.
Answer: Yes! AI enhances SEO by analyzing trends and optimizing content strategies with precision. By using advanced algorithms, AI identifies pertinent keywords such as “small business web design” and “AI tools for SEO,” helping your site achieve higher search engine rankings.
Answer: AI tools vary in cost, but many are designed with affordability and scalability in mind for SMEs. These solutions often offer flexible pricing models that cater to the specific needs and budgets of small businesses, making advanced technology accessible to all.
Answer: While results can vary, many businesses begin to see improvements in site traffic and engagement within a few months of implementing AI-driven SEO strategies. These tools focus on increasing efficiency in “web design for small businesses” by streamlining processes and delivering actionable insights.
Answer: AI significantly improves areas such as site speed, personalized user experiences, and design efficiencies. By automating tasks in “website personalization” and aiding in user experience technology, AI helps to craft more engaging and dynamic websites.
The majority of AI solutions for SEO and web design prioritize user-friendliness and straightforward implementation, often necessitating minimal technical expertise. Many platforms offer comprehensive support and integrations that can seamlessly fit into your existing digital framework.
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Zihan Lyu
March 29, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
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Highlights from today’s newsletter:
🔍 SEO in a Zero-Click World — AI overviews are eating your traffic
💬 Why shoppers trust Reddit over Google
📈 Predictive audiences are outpacing traditional targeting
🧠 CMOs must shift from brand builders to business drivers

SEO in a Zero-Click World
Google’s AI Overviews are absorbing search traffic, with 57% of queries now ending in zero clicks. Users get answers without visiting a website, forcing brands to rethink their approach to visibility.
To stay relevant, SEO strategies need to focus on content structured for AI recognition, expert-backed credibility, and tracking brand mentions in AI-generated results. Traditional ranking tactics are losing ground, and measuring success now goes beyond clicks—it’s about ensuring your brand is part of the AI-driven conversation.
The ClickZ team has been reporting live from Shoptalk 2025 this week. Check out our exclusive insights from interviews with exhibitors and innovators at the event 👇
A Sharp Take on AI from Shoptalk 2025
At Shoptalk 2025, while most were hyping AI, Sabrina McPherson (SVP, Strategy, Publicis Sapient) delivered what brands actually need: focus.

Forget shiny tools—alignment beats automation.
The biggest unlocks? Fixing internal friction, clarifying priorities, and recognizing that AI only works if your org is ready for it.
Why Shoppers Now Search “Product + Reddit”
At Shoptalk 2025, Reddit’s Anna Haffner nailed a key shift: consumers aren’t searching to discover—they’re searching to verify.

In a landscape flooded with sponsored content, platforms like Reddit are where shoppers go for unfiltered opinions. Brands like Sephora, Nike, and Rent the Runway are embracing this by listening, not broadcasting—using AMAs, product-first content, and tools like Reddit Answers to build real trust.
Follow us on LinkedIn for all the interview insight snippets
Also, here’s what we heard from the main stage at Shoptalk—keynote insights you don’t want to miss. 👇
Sunday Riley on Winning Across Generations
Sunday Riley broke down what it takes to build a brand that resonates from Gen Z to Boomers. Her advice? Tailor the message, not the mission.

From optimizing claims by age group (think breakouts vs. fine lines) to treating QVC as a two-way dialogue, Riley shared how success lies in platform-specific storytelling and deep customer understanding—not one-size-fits-all branding.
Storytelling, AI & Speed
On stage at Shoptalk 2025, leaders from Meta, Sephora, and WHP Global made it clear: AI is already reshaping how brands craft stories—and there’s no slowing down.

As Meta’s Karin Tracy and Sephora’s Celessa Baker put it:
“The train has left the station—and we want to be first on it.”
*This is just a taste of what we uncovered. Read the full insights from Unofficially Shoptalk and stay ahead of the curve.

Essential Priorities for CMOs and Marketing Executives in 2025
As CMOs and marketing executives look toward 2025, they face a challenging landscape that necessitates strategic agility and operational excellence. The most successful CMOs will effectively bridge the gap between strategic planning and execution. Gartner’s recent research highlights the three essential priorities that marketing executives should focus on in 2025 to drive enterprise growth.
In the midst of disruption and transformation pressures, CMOs must prioritize the execution of their strategic plans. Many, however, struggle to convey their value to CEOs and CFOs, who may not see marketing as a driver of growth. To overcome this challenge, CMOs should harness marketing’s strengths, transforming it into a forward-looking customer insights engine that shapes enterprise strategy and commercialization efforts.
The Growth Gap: Are CMOs Falling Short Despite Stronger CEO Relationships?
The Boathouse 2025 CEO study reveals a critical issue: despite CMOs improving their relationships with CEOs, their influence on financial outcomes is waning. As growth becomes CEOs’ primary focus, CMOs must align marketing goals with business objectives and demonstrate revenue impact. Effective solutions include developing P&L fluency, implementing attribution frameworks, and proving marketing’s financial contribution.
Marketing Leaders on Bridging The Skills Gap
Marketing leaders are navigating a skills gap by blending technical and behavioral training, emphasizing content access and peer learning. With hybrid work affecting connectivity, fostering connection through internal mentoring and job rotation is essential. Both AI’s benefits and the challenges of keeping pace with evolving digital tools highlight strategic development programs.

AI’s integration into search technologies threatens traditional brand visibility by changing how consumers make purchasing decisions. Brands must adapt by focusing on sponsored recommendations, platform-specific SEO, and PR efforts to maintain market presence. This shift necessitates strategic adaptation to remain competitive in the AI-driven landscape.
Predictive audiences use AI and machine learning to analyze customer behavior, allowing marketers to target individuals with high conversion potential. This method goes beyond traditional lookalike models by focusing on user intent rather than demographics, resulting in more efficient ad spend and better customer engagement.
Brands employing predictive audiences can achieve enhanced personalization and optimize their marketing efforts with precision, even in the face of data-sharing reluctance from consumers.
Omnichannel marketing fosters seamless consumer experiences by integrating data and messaging across all touchpoints, crucial for emerging regulatory compliance. This holistic strategy enhances customer engagement and conversion rates while ensuring consistent brand communication. Brands must adopt omnichannel approaches to remain effective in the complex regulatory landscape.

I created this ad in 34 seconds from a bad photo of my dinner. And….
No design skills. No ad background. Just one AI prompt—and a solid tofu dinner.
AI is making high-quality creative accessible to anyone, fast. The real differentiators now?
Real people. Raw content. Strong personalities.
The Modern CMO: From Brand Builder to Business Driver
Being a CMO in 2025 isn’t about owning brand—it’s about owning outcomes. As Taylor Morrison’s CMO shared, the role now demands cross-functional fluency, a sharp eye on revenue impact, and the foresight to connect with customers before they’re ready to buy.

CMOs who thrive? They speak the language of the C-suite, tie engagement to profit, and lead transformation that actually moves the business.
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How to Write an AI Use Policy for Marketing
An AI Use Policy is essential for marketing and communications teams to ensure transparency, accountability, fairness, and privacy in the deployment of AI tools. It advises communications managers to lead AI governance efforts, collaborate with IT and legal departments, and perform routine audits. By piloting AI applications and training staff, organizations can protect against misuse and enhance public trust.
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26th June 2025: Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how content is ideated, created, and distributed. What began as a tool for automating basic tasks has now matured into a powerful partner for writers, marketers, and creative professionals. With the growing demand for high-quality, engaging content across platforms, the rise of AI in storytelling is both a timely development and a necessary evolution. However, the future of content does not rest in machines alone. It lies in the synergy between human creativity and machine efficiency.
Understanding the AI Content Boom
The recent surge in AI-generated content can be traced back to advances in natural language processing and machine learning. Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, Claude, and other platforms are now capable of generating full-length articles, social media posts, product descriptions, and ad scripts. These tools can analyze massive data sets, identify trending topics, and produce content in seconds. The growth in AI-generated material has been driven by a need for speed and volume in digital marketing. Businesses are competing for attention across multiple platforms, and AI provides the ability to meet those demands. However, this increase in volume has sparked debates around quality, originality, and the authenticity of AI-produced content.
Why AI Alone Is Not Enough
AI tools are exceptional at analyzing data, spotting patterns, and generating grammatically correct content. But they often lack emotional intelligence and contextual awareness. These are essential elements in effective brand storytelling. Storytelling involves more than correct sentence structure or keyword usage. It requires a human understanding of tone, cultural relevance, and audience emotion. A machine can summarize facts or write a product description. But it cannot fully grasp the subtlety of humor, the depth of empathy, or the cultural nuance that makes a story stick. When stories are entirely AI-generated, they may feel generic, impersonal, or out of touch. These shortcomings highlight the need for human input to create content that truly connects with readers.
The Role of Humans in AI-Assisted Storytelling
Humans bring an irreplaceable layer of creativity, emotional depth, and ethical awareness to content creation. They understand narrative pacing, character development, and how to create suspense or evoke empathy. These are skills that AI lacks, even as it becomes more advanced.
In a collaborative content environment, humans act as strategists, editors, and quality controllers. They decide what story needs to be told, define the voice of the brand, and edit AI drafts for nuance and tone. This kind of partnership enables content teams to work more efficiently while still producing material that is emotionally engaging and strategically sound.
By guiding AI tools with strong prompts and refining outputs through editing, human creators maintain control over narrative direction and ensure alignment with brand values.
Personalization at Scale with a Human Touch
One of the most significant advantages of AI in content is its ability to personalize messaging at scale. AI can process user behavior, location data, browsing history, and more to generate targeted messages for specific segments. This allows brands to tailor content for different audiences with a level of efficiency that is impossible to achieve manually. Despite these strengths, AI alone cannot determine the emotional appropriateness of a message. It may deliver a perfectly timed product recommendation, but without sensitivity to the customer’s mindset, it risks coming across as cold or irrelevant. That is why human input is critical. Humans shape the tone, pace, and narrative so that messages feel warm, genuine, and respectful.
When human storytelling instincts are combined with AI’s ability to personalize, the result is content that resonates deeply while still being scalable.
Real-World Creative Models Evolving with AI
Across industries, content creation is shifting toward collaborative workflows that blend AI tools with experienced professionals. Editorial agencies and independent writing firms are adapting to this change by embedding AI into their internal processes while preserving human-led storytelling as the foundation.
One example of this evolving approach is seen at Beyond Words Writing, a professional writing service that has embraced AI as a support tool while continuing to prioritize human intuition and creativity. Rather than fully automating content, they use AI to accelerate research, outline generation, and consistency checks. However, every final piece of content is shaped by writers and editors who understand the client’s voice and audience.
This model reflects the broader industry shift. The future of storytelling lies not in replacing human writers, but in empowering them with tools that expand what is possible.
Creative Efficiency Without Losing the Soul
AI allows teams to move faster. It can help brainstorm topic ideas, draft content outlines, optimize SEO keywords, and even write initial drafts. This frees up creative professionals to focus on storytelling, design, and strategic thinking. The result is more content produced in less time, without necessarily increasing workload. However, faster production should not mean lower quality. AI-generated content still requires human review to ensure it is engaging, factually accurate, and consistent with brand messaging. Writers and editors remain essential in evaluating whether the content reflects the values and goals of the organization.
With human-AI collaboration, brands can avoid burnout while still maintaining creative integrity. This is especially important as content demands continue to grow across video, blogs, social media, and emerging platforms.
Ethical Storytelling and Brand Responsibility
As AI becomes more embedded in content strategies, ethical concerns have come to the surface. Questions around plagiarism, misinformation, and data privacy are growing. If left unchecked, AI could unintentionally produce biased, inaccurate, or insensitive content. This puts a brand’s reputation at risk. Human intervention helps ensure that ethical standards are upheld. Editors can verify facts, apply cultural sensitivity, and assess whether the AI-generated material meets legal and industry guidelines. Furthermore, businesses need to be transparent about how content is created. If AI tools are involved in the process, this should be clearly disclosed to maintain customer trust.
Ethical storytelling is not only about avoiding mistakes. It is about building a brand that values honesty, inclusivity, and responsibility. These values cannot be automated. They must be upheld by the people behind the stories.
Emotional Connection as a Competitive Advantage
In a world flooded with content, emotional resonance is what sets great storytelling apart. People remember stories that made them feel something. Whether it is humor, inspiration, empathy, or excitement, emotional response drives engagement and loyalty. AI can mimic tone but it cannot feel emotion. It does not understand irony, personal history, or social context in the way humans do. Emotional intelligence is what allows human writers to understand what their audience is going through, what matters to them, and how best to speak to those experiences.
By collaborating with AI, writers can use data to guide their narratives but still rely on human intuition to inject meaning and warmth. This emotional layer is what transforms functional content into memorable storytelling.
Teaching AI the Brand Voice
AI tools work best when they are trained on a specific dataset. This includes past blogs, social media posts, and internal communications. By feeding these materials into the system, brands can teach AI to replicate their tone and vocabulary. However, even a well-trained model needs ongoing human direction. Writers and content strategists must continually fine-tune AI-generated outputs to maintain voice consistency. They ensure that the tone remains appropriate for different formats and audiences. They also watch for subtle shifts in brand identity that require updating the training data.
Maintaining brand voice is not a one-time task. It is an ongoing process that requires active human participation. AI can help reinforce that voice, but it cannot define it on its own.
Scaling Content for Multichannel Ecosystems
Modern marketing is omnichannel. Content must be adapted for websites, social media, email newsletters, podcasts, and more. Each platform has its own format, audience expectation, and algorithmic preference. Meeting these demands requires agility. AI helps streamline the repurposing process. A single blog can be transformed into social media captions, email intros, or video scripts with the help of generative tools. This allows brands to maintain a consistent message across platforms without duplicating effort.
However, not every channel is the same. What works on Instagram may not work on LinkedIn. Human editors adapt AI-generated content to fit platform-specific norms while ensuring that it still resonates with the target audience. This collaborative process is what makes multichannel marketing effective, efficient, and emotionally engaging.
Preparing for the Future of Storytelling
Looking ahead, the content industry will continue to evolve. AI will become more advanced, voice assistants more prevalent, and interactive content more immersive. Brands that want to stay ahead must invest in both technology and human talent. Creative teams will include writers, designers, data analysts, and AI prompt specialists. They will work together to produce content that is both data-driven and emotionally powerful. This is not about replacing humans with machines. It is about enhancing human potential through collaboration.
The brands that thrive will be those that treat AI as a creative partner rather than a shortcut. They will use it to improve workflow, increase personalization, and expand storytelling possibilities, without sacrificing authenticity or ethical standards.
Conclusion
The AI content boom is not the end of human creativity. It is a new beginning. It invites marketers, writers, and brands to reimagine the way stories are created, shared, and remembered. When used wisely, AI becomes more than a tool. It becomes a co-author. The future of brand storytelling is not artificial. It is collaborative. It is powered by both data and emotion, technology and imagination. Human-AI collaboration will not just be a useful option. It will become the new standard in content creation.
By embracing this partnership, brands can scale smarter, connect deeper, and tell better stories than ever before.
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Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 85F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..
Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: June 26, 2025 @ 8:12 am

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun 26, 2025–
(NYSE: ONTF) As B2B organizations turn to content-rich experiences to drive both customer engagement and revenue, Envista Forensics, a global leader in forensic consulting and engineering services, is building a scalable, certification-driven marketing engine with ON24, a leading first-party customer engagement platform for B2B sales and marketing. With the ON24 AI-powered Analytics and Content Engine (ACE) and engagement capabilities, Envista has propelled webinars into a top revenue-generating channel, reducing content creation time by 50% and increasing output by 40%.
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81, of Mandeville, LA, native of Princeton, passed June 17. Service to celebrate the life, 11 a.m. Friday, June 27, Chapel of Memorial Funeral Directory, Athens Rd., Princeton. Visitation one-hour prior. Entombment, Resthaven Memorial Park Mausoleum, Princeton.
57, of Princeton, passed June 21. Service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, June 26, in the Chapel of the Memorial Funeral Directory, Athens Rd., Princeton. Burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Princeton.
44, of Princeton, passed June 16. Service to celebrate the life will be 11 a.m. Thursday, June 26, at Johnston Chapel Baptist Church, Halls Ridge Rd., Princeton. Friends may visit 10 a.m. Thursday until service time.
91, of Princeton, passed June 16. Service 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, the the Chapel of Memorial Funeral Directory, Athens Rd., Princeton. Friends from noon until service hour. Burial in Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Princeton.

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