The big theme of Google Marketing Live 2026 was integrating disparate AI features to make working between Google properties more fluid.

During the GML 2026 keynote, Google pros announced agentic commerce tools that follow shoppers across Google surfaces, a universal analytics experience that generates actionable insights from wherever you generate data, and much more. It’s clear Google is working to connect its many surfaces under one AI umbrella.

Here are the biggest takeaways from this year’s event.

Contents

• New contextual ad formats for AI Mode
• New Gemini-powered ads for Search
• Expanded features for Direct Offers
• New UCP-powered Universal Cart
• Integrated YouTube creator partnerships in Demand Gen
• Asset Studio updates
• More ad creative control with AI Brief
• New Qualified Future Conversions (QFC) metric
• New campaign type attribution for Demand Gen
• Expanded Google Analytics 360 as a unified measurement hub
• New Ask Advisor agentic marketing intelligence

How do your Google Ads results stack up to your competitors? Find out in Google Ads Benchmarks 2026: Competitive Data & Insights for Your Industry

The 11 biggest announcements from Google Marketing Live 2026

Google introduced a range of new and expanded tools and features at GML this year. These are our top picks, along with some early reactions from PPC pros.

1. New contextual ad formats for AI mode

Google introduced two new Gemini-powered ad formats that will appear when searchers use AI Mode. Each is designed to make product discovery more contextual and conversational.

Conversational Discovery ads

These ads appear as a natural part of the AI Mode response, written to answer the user’s query rather than interrupt it. Google uses Gemini to match the ad to both the query and the AI-generated response surrounding it, so the ad feels relevant to the conversation already happening.

Say you ask for fragrances to make your house smell like a fancy spa. Gemini then builds ad creative and copy to answer that query while highlighting the relevant features of your product.

Highlighted answers

When someone searches for recommendations in AI Mode, like “best apps for learning Spanish before a trip,” Google now serves a curated list of suggestions. Now, if your product or service is a strong match, your ad can appear directly on that list as one of the recommended options, rather than in a separate ad slot above or below the results.

2. New Gemini-powered ads for Search

Google also announced a pair of search ad upgrades during GML this year.

AI-powered Shopping ads

These are shopping ads with Gemini-written product descriptions that explain features in plain, helpful language based on what the user actually searched for.

Rather than showing a generic product title and price, the ad surfaces the specific attributes most relevant to that query. So if you’re searching for the perfect espresso machine, Gemini will instantly craft a custom write-up explaining the important features of each option and why it might be a good choice for you.

Business Agent for Leads

This new feature basically creates a custom AI agent within an ad. So a user can ask a question directly inside the ad and get a response pulled from the advertiser’s website. Then the user can submit a lead form that is pre-filled with their information.

By the time the lead reaches you, they have already engaged with your content and self-qualified to some degree. Google is currently testing this format in education, automotive, and real estate.

The general vibe is that these new ad formats can be a huge boon for marketers. But there’s some baggage from previous tech rollouts that weren’t fully supported. Adoption and acceptance will depend on how Google handles its advertisers in the coming months.

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Learn how your Google Ads are really performing. Get your Free Google Ads Grader report now!

3. Expanded features for Direct Offers

Google announced that it’ll be adding three upgrades to its Direct Offers pilot, which originally launched in January of 2026. Direct Offers highlight promotions at high-intent moments during a search session.

The expanded features let brands add more offer types and reduce friction for buyers:

• Promotion bundling: You can now upload a variety of promotions like discounts, giveaways, and local coupons, and Gemini will assemble the most relevant offer for each specific search.
• Native checkout: Retailers connected to Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol can now let shoppers complete a purchase directly from the ad, without being sent to a separate page.

• Travel expansion: Travel partners like Booking.com and Expedia will soon be able to surface special offers within AI Mode trip-planning results. If someone is researching a trip and your offer matches their plans, it can appear as part of that planning experience rather than as a separate ad.4.

4. New UCP-powered Universal Cart

UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol) is an open industry standard that lets agents, merchants, and payment providers communicate without custom integrations. It allows data like your inventory levels, pricing, loyalty benefits, and account information to flow between Google applications and surfaces.

During Google Marketing Live 2026, Google announced its Universal Cart, a persistent shopping cart powered by UPC that works across Google Search, the Gemini app, YouTube, and Gmail.

With a Universal Cart, shoppers can add products from any of Google surfaces, and the cart automatically tracks price drops and back-in-stock alerts on their behalf. When they’re ready to buy, they can complete the purchase directly on Google or head to the retailer’s site.

Google said the cart will integrate with Klarna and Affirm, giving shoppers a “Buy now, pay later” option.

In the coming months, Google says its direct buying capabilities will expand into hotel booking and local food delivery. So, users can book a room directly from AI Mode or order food from Google Maps.

5. Integrated YouTube creator partnerships in Demand Gen

When setting up Demand Gen campaigns, Google Ads will now surface relevant creator content that features your brand, including affiliate partnership videos. You can add that content directly into your campaign without leaving the platform.

Google’s data shows that adding creator assets to Demand Gen campaigns increases conversion lift by an average of 20%. For brands that have already worked with creators but haven’t connected those assets to paid campaigns, this makes that step much easier.

Google has been trying to sell YouTube as a conversion channel for a while now. Deeper Demand Gen integration and new features like Universal Cart may finally make it happen. It has a steep hill to climb with marketers, though.

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6. Asset Studio updates

Asset Studio, Google’s creative hub inside Google Ads, now integrates Gemini, Veo (video), and the new Gemini Omni model. It connects directly to Adobe, Canva, YouTube Studio, and other tools, so your existing assets show up in one library.

Another new feature for this year is built-in A/B testing that lets you swap creatives and measure incremental performance without duplicating campaigns.

For lean teams, this addresses a real production bottleneck. You can generate image and video variations, resize for different formats, and test what works, all without leaving Google Ads.

7. More ad creative control with AI Brief

AI Brief is a new feature that lets advertisers give Google’s AI a creative brief in plain language, including brand voice, target audiences, guardrails, and messaging guidelines. The AI interprets those inputs and generates ad guidelines, with previews you can review and refine before anything goes live.

This was one of the most well-received announcements this year. It directly addresses the most common concern about AI-generated ads: loss of brand control. You’re not approving individual ads, but you are setting the rules the AI follows when creating them.

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8. New Qualified future conversions (QFC) metric

This is a new metric that looks at signals like branded searches, video views, and site visits after ad exposure to predict profitable conversions up to six months out. It joins attributed branded searches, which tracks near-term intent signals after ad exposure, as an always-on metric in the Google Ads UI.

Google positioned QFC as a way for businesses with longer sales cycles to defend YouTube ads and upper-funnel spend before the conversion actually happens.

There are some questions about how effective this metric will be.

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9. New campaign type attribution for Demand Gen

Google is launching campaign type attribution, which shows the conversions that Demand Gen specifically contributed to, separately from other campaign types. Previously, Google de-duplicated conversions across campaigns, which made it hard to see what Demand Gen was actually doing.

This is the clearest apples-to-apples comparison tool Google has offered for Demand Gen performance. If you’ve been skeptical about Demand Gen ROI because the numbers felt blurry, this is what you’ve been waiting for.

10. Expanded Google Analytics 360 as a unified measurement hub

Google Analytics 360 is being rebuilt as a cross-channel measurement command center, powered by Meridian (Google’s open-source marketing mix model). It now includes performance data from TikTok, Pinterest, Snap, and other platforms in a single view, along with scenario-planning tools and conversational query support.

For marketers who currently juggle multiple dashboards, this is meant to consolidate cross-channel reporting into one place and connect it directly to budget planning.

Google is intentionally removing the technical friction for marketers to use data for better strategy. Several PPC pros noted how that’ll reshuffle who succeeds.

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11. Ask Advisor

Google is consolidating its various in-platform AI agents into one unified experience called Ask Advisor. It works across Google Ads, Merchant Center, Google Analytics, and Google Marketing Platform. The tool retains context across sessions and can take actions on your behalf, including launching campaigns, generating assets, and flagging optimization opportunities.

The practical benefit is reducing the number of tools you have to move between to manage a campaign. For small businesses without dedicated ops support, it functions as a persistent, knowledgeable assistant that can catch problems and surface opportunities you might not have time to find yourself.

AI wasn’t the biggest thing at GML 2026; it was the only thing

There wasn’t a single update that didn’t heavily incorporate agentic or generative AI during this year’s GML keynote speech. That’s not a surprise, but it is a reminder of where marketing is as an industry.

There’s a lot to be excited about. If Ask Advisor works as planned, it’ll make complex data more accessible and actionable for marketers who haven’t taken a four-week analytics course.

But there will be pushback, too. Consumers haven’t wholly embraced AI-generated creative yet. And many marketers are convinced that we’re not ready for 100% agent adoption.

Stay tuned as we dig deeper into the most important additions and expansions of AI in Google Ads.

The post Google Marketing Live 2026: Top 11 Announcements & Early Reactions appeared first on WordStream.

That’s not how it works anymore.

AI search engines don’t sort businesses into neat little boxes and hand users a tidy list. They synthesize answers. They pull in solutions the user never thought to ask about, and sometimes never would have considered on their own.

Ask AI how to whiten teeth, and the answer might include professional whitening, at-home kits, whitening strips, and charcoal toothpaste, all in one breath. That local dentist isn’t just competing with the clinic across town anymore. They’re competing with the drugstore aisle, YouTube, and a dozen self-serve solutions that all promise the same outcome.

So what does that actually mean for your business? And more importantly, what do you do about it? We’re going to break all of this down in this article.

Contents

• How AI search is changing (and broadening) your competitors
• Why is AI causing small businesses to lose visibility to the competition?
• How to position your business against AI-expanded competition
• A simple framework for AI-optimized competitive positioning

How AI search is changing (and broadening) your competitor set

Pre-AI search, it was pretty easy to understand who your competitors were and the best ways to stand out from them. You conducted a competitive analysis to identify top local businesses in your industry and the national chains serving your area. Then, you built your competitive positioning in response to those local competitors.

You controlled the narrative on your website, ads, and in marketing materials—and comparisons were mostly made with your direct local competitors. But with AI answers providing information about your business and sourcing competitors outside of your usual scope, it’s getting a little harder to control.

Here are the ways AI is impacting the competition and what that means for your business.

1. AI search expands your competitive set

Traditional search kept comparisons inside the category. Search “best HVAC company near me” and you’d mostly get local HVAC businesses. That made positioning pretty familiar:

• Better service
• Better reviews
• Better prices
• Better local reputation

AI tools work differently. They work at the problem level, not the category level.

A question like “What’s the best way to lower my heating bill this winter?” doesn’t just pull up HVAC companies. It surfaces smart thermostats, too.

Google promotes Nest thermostat as a tool that can help save energy over time. From the customer’s point of view, that’s a direct competitor to an HVAC service call, because both claim to fix the same thing.

That changes the game for how an HVAC company needs to frame its offer.

If your website only says “we do furnace repair and maintenance,” AI has very little reason to bring you into a broader conversation about energy savings. But if your content explains that heating bills often spike because of duct leakage, airflow imbalance, short cycling, or neglected equipment, now you’re something different.

You’re not just a vendor in a service category. You’re a trusted source that explains when a device-based fix helps, when it doesn’t, and when a system-level problem needs a real diagnosis.

That’s where AI visibility starts.

Get everything you need to know about showing up in AI search in our free guide: The AI Search Toolkit >>

2. Your real competitors are often substitute solutions

A substitute solution solves the same problem through a completely different product, service, or approach. It’s not a new concept. Economists have been talking about substitutes forever.

What’s new is how visible these substitutes have become inside AI-generated answers.

A user who asks how to whiten teeth does not just see dentists. They also see consumer products framed as viable alternatives. Smileactives markets a range of whitening products for at-home use and claims users can see results quickly depending on the product and application. Suddenly, a local dental practice is in an implicit head-to-head comparison with a $25 kit from the pharmacy, even though the dentist never intended to compete in that frame.

If your website only says “we offer professional whitening treatments,” that message is too thin. It describes the service without making the case for it.

A stronger angle explains what AI can actually use:

• What level of staining doesn’t respond well to over-the-counter products.
• When gum sensitivity or enamel issues make professional supervision worth it.
• How results actually differ across methods, and why a one-time cosmetic goal is a completely different situation than long-term oral health.

That kind of content does two jobs at once:

• It helps buyers make a smarter decision.
• It gives AI structured reasoning it can pull from when someone asks the question.

This is the broader shift. Your business no longer just competes with providers that look like you. It competes with anything that sounds like a plausible answer to the same question.

3. AI often recommends DIY before professional services

AI systems are shaped by the internet they summarize, and the internet is packed with how-to content, tutorials, explainers, and step-by-step videos. That gives DIY options a massive head start.

A homeowner asking how to fix patchy grass may get a DIY-heavy answer before they ever see a single local lawn service.

You see the DIY option in the AI Overview ahead of results from a lawn care company.

That doesn’t mean DIY wins. It just means DIY often gets introduced first.

The mistake a lot of businesses make is writing content as if the buyer has already decided to hire someone or make a purchase. They often haven’t. They’re still weighing their options:

• Do it alone
• Buy some products and follow a guide
• Hire a pro for part of it, or hand the whole thing off

A smarter positioning strategy meets that indecision directly:

• Which lawn problems are genuinely DIY-friendly?
• Which ones usually fall apart without the right equipment, soil analysis, or timing?
• What’s the cost of getting the sequence wrong?
• Why does patch repair fail when the real problem is compaction, shade, or disease?

Answer those questions on your site, and you stop being invisible to the buyer’s actual decision process.

4. AI creates new competitors across entire industries

One of the least obvious effects of AI search is that it removes the walls between industries when the end goal is the same.

Personal training is a good example. A local trainer used to compare themselves mostly against other trainers or gyms. Now they also compete with fitness apps, digital coaching platforms, and creator-led workout channels.

Freeletics describes its product as a personalized training app powered by an AI Coach that builds plans around goals, feedback, and fitness level. If a person asks how to get fit at home, both a personal trainer and Freeletics fit the intent. From the AI engine’s perspective, both are legitimate answers to the same problem.

That means a trainer’s site needs more than generic language about customized workouts. Almost every option in the answer set will claim customization.

A stronger positioning angle would focus on dimensions that apps struggle to replace:

• Real-time form correction.
• Injury prevention for specific limitations.
• Accountability through live interaction.
• Adaptation for confidence, motivation, and adherence.
• Feedback that changes not just the workout, but the person’s execution.

These are not marketing flourishes. They are decision criteria. AI systems are more likely to include you when those criteria are stated clearly and mapped to real situations.

Why AI is causing small businesses to lose visibility to the competition

Most SMB websites were built for a different era of search. They describe services. They mention geography. They list reviews and trust markers.

Maybe a few FAQ pages and some blog content. That structure still works for local pack results and branded searches. But it falls short in AI-mediated discovery because it assumes the comparison starts inside the category.

It often doesn’t.

The buyer’s comparison starts earlier and wider than it used to. And a lot of SMB sites miss the real question behind the query. They just name the service they want to sell.

Look at the difference between these two pages:

• “Affordable HVAC repair in Dallas”
• “Why your heating bill is still high even after installing a smart thermostat”

The first describes an offer. The second enters the actual decision space the customer is living in, and the one AI is trying to explain.

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This is why many businesses feel like AI is skipping them. It’s not always about domain authority or ad budget. Sometimes the content just doesn’t give the model anything useful to work with.

AI needs substance it can extract:

• When an alternative works, when it breaks down
• What trade-offs matter
• Who should choose which path, and what’s the risk of making the wrong call.

If your site never answers those questions, AI has no reason to surface you when someone asks them.

What are the biggest challenges businesses are facing with their websites and SEO? Free download >> Small Business Website Trends Report

How to position your business against AI-expanded competition

AI is expanding your competition and making it harder to control the narrative around your business. How can you fix this? You need to position against substitutes directly instead of pretending they are irrelevant.

Here are four ways to do that.

1. Acknowledge alternatives openly

Businesses often avoid naming substitutes because they think that gives the alternative more oxygen. In practice, silence creates ambiguity. AI fills ambiguity with whatever it already finds elsewhere.

• If you offer whitening, write the comparison page: Professional teeth whitening vs. at-home whitening kits
• If you run an HVAC company, publish: Can a smart thermostat lower your heating bill on its own?
• If you sell lawn services, create: DIY lawn repair vs. professional lawn treatment: when each makes sense

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This kind of content helps buyers and gives AI a reusable structure.

2. Explain when DIY fails

DIY-focused content gets traction because it feels cheap, immediate, and empowering. That makes it attractive in AI answers. Your job is to explain the failure conditions clearly.

That means content like:

• When whitening strips produce uneven results.
• When thermostat upgrades fail because the issue is mechanical.
• When overseeding fails because the underlying problem is soil compaction.

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Good comparison content does not mock the DIY option. It explains its limits.

3. Position around outcomes, not service labels

Buyers care about outcomes first.

They want lower bills, better-looking teeth, healthier lawns, less pain, better sleep, more leads, stronger security, or faster recovery. Your site should reflect that. Service pages still matter, but outcome pages often make it easier for AI to understand and easier for buyers to choose.

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4. Create extractable comparison content

AI systems favor content that is easy to parse and summarize. Clear headings, structured comparisons, and concise explanations increase the chances your content appears in AI answers.

These formatting patterns are similar to what works in featured snippets and AI Overviews, which we break down in this guide to creating AI-optimized content for search visibility.

Need help figuring out what makes your business the best and how to position it to customers? Download our guide: How to Do a SWOT Analysis (With Examples & Reusable Template) >>

A simple framework for AI-optimized competitive positioning

If you want a repeatable way to apply this thinking to your content strategy, start with three questions every time you create a new piece of content.

1. What problem does the customer actually have?

Not what service they’re looking for, but what underlying problem are they trying to solve? Lower heating bills. Whiter teeth. A healthier lawn. Getting fit.

Starting from the problem instead of the service category forces you to think like your customer and like an AI, both of which lead to better positioning.

2. What substitute solutions exist?

Make a realistic list. Include products, apps, DIY guides, online tutorials, and adjacent services that solve the same problem differently.

If you’re not sure what’s out there, ask an AI, and it will tell you exactly what it’s recommending to your potential customers.

3. Why is your solution better for certain situations?

This is where you earn your place in the AI answer. Be specific about the situations where your approach wins: complex problems, safety-sensitive work, cases where long-term results matter, scenarios where guaranteed outcomes are worth paying for.

This isn’t about being defensive. It’s about being genuinely useful to someone trying to make a good decision.

Positioning around the problem instead of the service category is what helps AI understand when to recommend you. And once AI understands when to recommend you, you’ll start showing up in conversations you didn’t even know you were missing.

Take on the AI-expanded competition with ease

AI search has quietly expanded what “competition” actually means. A dentist now competes with whitening kits. An HVAC company competes with smart thermostats. A lawn care business competes with YouTube tutorials. A personal trainer competes with a $15 app.

The businesses showing up in those AI answers aren’t always the ones with the best traditional SEO or the biggest ad budgets. They’re the ones that positioned themselves most clearly against the full range of solutions a customer might consider. That’s the shift worth internalizing.

Winning in AI search isn’t just about optimizing for keywords or climbing rankings. It’s about recognizing that when someone asks an AI for help, your real competition is every possible answer to the same question—not just the business down the street. And the best way to win that competition is to engage with it directly: acknowledge the alternatives, explain the trade-offs, and make a clear, honest case for when your solution is the right one.

The businesses that figure this out early will have a real advantage. The ones that don’t will keep optimizing for a competitive landscape that no longer exists.

The post How AI Expands Your Competitor Set & What to Do About It appeared first on WordStream.

To celebrate, we’re back and better than ever with more PPC data and insights for this year! We looked at over 13,000 search advertising campaigns across 23 industries running between April 2025 and March 2026 to bring you the freshest averages for four key metrics in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads—including click-through rate, cost per click, conversion rate, and cost per lead.

Plus, we’re sharing expert analysis and actionable tips to help you maximize your business’s search strategy with data-backed confidence.

You’ll also get a look back at the last 10 years of search ads benchmarks!

Let’s jump in before I get emotional. After all, I’ve been writing these benchmarks for the last five years; which is half the total years they’ve been alive and, like, 20% of the total years I’ve been alive (give or take).

Contents

• Key search ads trends: The big picture
• Microsoft and Google Ads benchmarks for every industry
  • Average click-through rate
  • Average cost per click
  • Average conversion rate
  • Average cost per lead
• What these search ad benchmarks mean for your business
• How Google Ads benchmarks changed over the years

On the go? Take this data with you! Download our free 2026 Google Ads benchmarks report here.

Key search ads trends: The big picture

Overall, year-over-year results from 2025 to 2026 were fairly stable. The differences between the numbers are much more mellow compared to our 2025 and 2024 reports, where we saw significant fluctuations, including a 12% increase in CPC and 25% increase in CPL.

In fact, perhaps the biggest highlight from our latest benchmarks is that, for the first time in five years, overall average cost per lead in Google and Microsoft Ads has actually gone down.

Here are the key search ads takeaways and trends for 2026 based on our latest data analysis:

• Metrics overall are quite stable year over year. This is a welcome surprise after years of flux and steeply increasing prices!
• That said, costs have gone up a LOT since we started these reports in 2016. CPC is over twice what it was 10 years ago ($2.32 versus $5.42), and CPL has increased by about 13%, with a $59.18 average in 2016 versus a $66.69 average in 2026. Factors such as inflation and competition have caused search ads costs to rise over time.
• In 2026, CPL went down for the first time in five years. This marks the first time we’ve measured a decrease in CPL since before 2020! The industries that did see increases in CPL aligned with those impacted by tariffs, including automotive and retail.
• Conversion rate increased for a whopping 87% of industries. This comes after a nice increase in CVR last year as well. Which is great news—with costs increasing, it’s heartening to know that the users engaging with ads are actually converting, making search ads a worthwhile investment for driving leads.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a ton of new features, core updates, and more across Google’s platforms. The fact that average Google Ads metrics have mellowed a bit could indicate a more stable search landscape.

“Seeing an overall drop in cost per lead for the first time since before 2020 is a big signal that advertisers who’ve adapted to search platform changes are getting more stable and predictable results,” said Pepe Hernandez, a senior director of optimization strategy at LocaliQ.

Advertisers could be settling into a rhythm with a search environment that’s more automated by optimizing ads with AI Max and taking AI Overviews into consideration when planning campaigns.

“With campaign types like Performance Max and other AI-driven settings such as AI Max, it’s become a lot easier to generate leads at a lower cost,” said Brett McHale, Founder of Empiric Marketing.

Want to optimize your Google Ads results fast? Start with a free, instant account report using our Google Ads Grader!

Microsoft and Google Ads benchmarks for every industry

Check out the Microsoft and Google Ads benchmarks across all metrics and industries for 2026.

Click to enlarge

Average click-through rate

Driving clicks is your key to unlocking search ads success, as users need to click on your ads first before they can convert into customers.

The average click-through rate in Google Ads in 2026 is 6.64%.

Click-through rate directly connects to your business’s bottom line, as higher-performing ads are more cost-efficient and resonate better with your audience. So, you want to maintain a high CTR across your search campaigns.

“Click-through rate is vital to assess the relatability and relevance of your ads to your target audience,” said Colby Flood, Founder of Brighter Click.

To improve CTR, start by looking at your ad copy and creative to ensure your ads are as enticing and relevant as possible—you could even have Google’s automated features, like AI Max for search campaigns, help you do this.

“Test out different ad copy styles, or let AI Max try, and see what shifts yield the right kind of clicks and conversions,” said Stephanie Scanlan, Vice President of Customer Success at LocaliQ.

“A shift in language can bring you more consumers ready to click on high-dollar products,” Stephanie said.

The industry with the highest click-through rate was Arts and Entertainment, at 12.75%. This was followed by Finance and Insurance and Travel, at 9.83% and 9.82%, respectively.

The industry with the lowest click-through rate was Automotive—Repair, Service and Parts, at 5.56%. This was followed by Dentists and Dental Services and Health and Fitness, at 5.66% and 5.81% respectively.

Average click-through rate: YoY

Our clients are seeing fairly stable CTRs year over year. This is in contrast to market trends, which show lower click-through rates not just for organic results but even for paid ads. We attribute this to optimization tech in the LocaliQ platform.

“Our clients are seeing greater improvements than the broader industry. This outperformance is driven by our platform’s focus on campaign optimization strategies such as Smart Bidding, AI Max, intent‑based keyword management, and visual‑first creative,” said Katie Ashafa, a senior director of optimization strategy at LocaliQ.

Industries that saw the biggest improvements in CTR year over year were Education and Instruction (up 31.71%), Beauty and Personal Care (up 18.21%), and Finance and Insurance (up 18.01%).

The industries that had the biggest drops in CTR performance year over year were Health and Fitness (down 19.08%), Career and Employment (down 10.50%), and Restaurants and Food (down 9.89%).

“Specific industries will continue to see ebbs and flows based on what is happening in the world. The increase in the Beauty and Personal Care category is expected as influencer culture on consumerism has reached an all-time high,” Stephanie said.

“Likewise, with economic concerns brewing in news reports, we’re seeing more people searching for finance or insurance help.”

Average cost per click

Cost per click is the first budget-related metric advertisers focus on when assessing campaign performance. You want to shoot for a super high click-through rate whenever you can, but also be mindful of how much you’re paying for clicks.

The average cost per click in Google Ads in 2026 is $5.42.

The whole point of pay per click advertising is to, well, pay for clicks! If you’re paying for every single one of the (hopefully) many, many clicks your ads bring in, you’ll want those clicks to run you the lowest price possible. This will stretch your Google Ads budget further—which is why maintaining a low cost per click is so important.

However, when you work to lower your cost per click by, say, culling costly keywords from your keyword lists, consider that a higher average CPC can be worth it if it’s getting you closer to your conversion goals. This is dependent on your business’s advertising objectives, of course, but it’s not crazy to keep higher CPC campaign assets running if they’re converting well.

“Focusing too much on cost per click can lead you to cheaper clicks that don’t convert. I pay close attention to conversion rate and cost per lead in relation to CPC,” said Cliff Sizemore, Senior Marketing Manager at LocaliQ.

Managing your cost per click is where it becomes very apparent how much of a balancing act PPC can be!

Industries with the lowest CPCs included Arts and Entertainment ($1.63), Restaurants and Food ($2.05), and Travel ($2.14).

Meanwhile, industries with the highest CPCs included Attorneys and Legal Services ($9.87), Home and Home Improvement ($8.33), and Dentists and Dental Services ($8.00).

Average cost per click: YoY

Education and Instruction saw the biggest decrease in CPC in 2026—down 22.79%. Runner up was Beauty and Personal Care, which saw a 18.95% decrease in CPC, followed by Automotive — For Sale, with average CPC down 5.81% for that industry.

In contrast, Real Estate was the industry with the biggest year over year CPC increase, up 27.27%. Personal Services and Health and Fitness both had a CPC increase of about 23.41%.

Average conversion rate

Your average conversion rate is an indicator of how effective your business’s ads are at turning clicks into customers. You can track tons of different meaningful actions (on your site or offline) as conversion events in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. A conversion rate tells you how frequently users who click on your ads complete those tracked actions.

The average conversion rate in Google Ads in 2026 is 8.18%.

This PPC metric is crucial for measuring the pace of leads moving through your sales funnel. Basically, a high conversion rate is something all accounts should strive for, since it indicates that your ads are working as intended.

Animals and Pets (16.22%), Automotive—Repair, Service, and Parts (15.51%), and Education and Instruction (13.14%) were the three industries with the highest CVRs.

Finance and Insurance (2.64%), Furniture (2.99%), and Career and Employment (3.05%) were the three industries with the lowest CVRs.

Average conversion rate: YoY

One of the industries with the lowest overall average CVR this year also saw the biggest decreases in CVR compared to 2025. Career and Employment CVR dropped by 29.42%. This industry was followed by Automotive—For Sale, which saw a CVR decrease of 22.56%, as well as Business Services, with its CVR down 5.65%.

Beauty and Personal Care saw the biggest year-over-year CVR increase, up 32.34%. Followed by Personal Services (up 26.69%) and Animals and Pets (up 24.10%).

This is the second year in a row Career and Employment has dropped year over year in terms of average conversion rate. Unemployment rates have slightly increased over the years compared to when our benchmarks first started, but an unstable job market doesn’t mean businesses in this industry should give up on advertising.

Career and Employment brands tend to face many advertising restrictions, so it can be easy for those taking advantage of the campaign and targeting types they can use to be positioned ahead of competitors that are quick to throw in the towel.

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Average cost per lead

The “bread and butter” of any Google Ads performance report, and the metric businesses care about most, is cost per lead.

The average cost per lead in Google Ads in 2026 is $66.69.

I first started coining the cost per lead as the “money metric” for search ads back in our 2023 benchmarks report, and I still stand on that. Cost per lead links your ad performance back to your business’s bottom line, as a measure of how much it costs to acquire a conversion from your ads. In other words, your cost per lead tells you if you’re getting the most “bang for your buck” with search ads.

“Cost per lead is an important in-platform metric for measuring paid search success. But it’s even more important to track search leads to the down-funnel pipeline and revenue. High lead volume means nothing if those leads aren’t converting into revenue,” said Kevin McClary, Head of Performance Marketing at Gorilla 76.

Cost per lead is just one of many metrics that tell a complete story about your campaign performance. You want to squeeze the most out of your ads with the least amount of spend, but in many industries, advertisers can run campaigns with a high cost per lead and still turn a profit.

The industry with the lowest cost per lead in Google and Microsoft Ads in 2026 is Arts and Entertainment at $26.84. This is followed by Automotive—Repair, Service & Parts, at $29.96, and Restaurants and Food, at $30.57.

On the opposite end, the industry with the highest cost per lead in Google and Microsoft Ads in 2026 is Attorneys and Legal Services, at $131.63. This is followed by Furniture, at $106.70, and Real Estate at $102.51.

Average cost per lead: YoY

Industries that saw the highest year over year increases in cost per lead included Automotive—For Sale (up 13.90%), Health and Fitness as well as Career and Employment (both up 7.26%), and Automotive—Repair, Service, and Parts (up 5.12%).

In contrast, industries with the biggest year over year decreases in cost per lead were Travel (down 39.35%), Beauty and Personal Care (down 34.95%), and Physicians and Surgeons (down 29.54%).

What this data tells us about how to improve your own Google Ads performance

You’ve got the latest data, you’ve got context on how results in the search landscape have evolved, and now, you’re ready to apply everything to your strategy. Here’s everything you need to know to tackle your search ad campaigns in 2026 based on our findings.

1. Prioritize which search ads metrics you measure based on your goals

Our search ads solutions for our customers analyze much more than just the four metrics we’ve consistently covered in these benchmark reports. We’ve kept our search ads benchmarks focused on CTR, CPC, CVR, and CPL because they’re core metrics that provide a strong high-level view of campaign performance.

However, there are a ton more key performance indicators advertisers can, and should, consider when analyzing their accounts.

To accurately measure and optimize your search ads results, you’ll want to prioritize your metrics based on your unique business needs and goals. That way, you’re considering data points that matter most when making adjustments in your account.

“I usually tell people to try not to over-focus on any one metric. For example, CTR and CPC can look good on paper, but they don’t mean much if traffic isn’t converting. Especially in niche or lower-volume spaces, efficiency might matter more than volume,” said Varun Penatsa, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Demand Gen, at Freshpaint.

Try playing around with the reporting capabilities within the Google Ads and Microsoft Ads platforms to see what additional metrics you could be sleeping on that could easily get pulled into a custom report.

“We encourage clients to evaluate the effectiveness of their entire paid ad strategy, rather than over‑indexing on individual, top‑of‑funnel metrics,” Katie said. “For example, if click-through rate declines but the clicks driven are higher quality and convert at stronger rates, that lower CTR alone does not warrant concern,” Katie said.

Google Ads reporting has improved exponentially since 2016, so tailor your view to the metrics that give you the best insight into your business’s bottom line!

2. Don’t be afraid to make regular changes in your account

Many small business advertisers have been running search ads for a few years now. It can be easy to hit cruise control once you feel confident in your account structure, but you’ll still want to regularly monitor and optimize your account. The data we’ve collected over the last 10 years puts into perspective just how much the search ad landscape can change from year to year, so don’t be surprised if your strategies from years prior are no longer effective.

Just be sure to allot time for a consistent account health check and be ready to pivot as needed. There’s nothing wrong with flexing your approach to search ads according to factors like the current economy, audience trends, and more.

Most PPC campaign changes take 30 days to stick, so it’s recommended to audit your campaigns monthly at a minimum.

This example small business campaign has been running since 2018, but it still has changes recorded as recent as last month.

3. Supplement your search ads campaigns with automated features

Automation is the name of the game in Google Ads in 2026. For instance, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns both allow your ads to appear within the Google Ads search environment in addition to other placements. In other words, these campaigns give you more visibility for the same amount of effort. Try incorporating these fully automated campaign types into your account to balance your manually controlled search campaigns.

Also, you may want to expand your standard search campaign capabilities with automated features such as AI Max and Smart Bidding. AI Max can help your ads reach valuable, meaningful SERPs beyond what you’ve set up to target. Additionally, Smart Bidding is a go-to strategy for most advertisers looking to maximize their bids and budgets.

“Many accounts now lean on features like PMax and AI Max, which make it easier for the advertiser to take advantage of AI,” said Navah Hopkins, Ad Product Liaison at Microsoft.

“AI-powered ad campaigns tend to have higher conversion and relevancy rates. With automation, while there might be fewer clicks to the site directly from a standard search campaign, business is still happening at a profit,” Navah said.

Source

4. Nail down your account basics

Many advertisers end up with results that fall behind the average performance in their industry because they let account basics slip. We recently analyzed over 15,000 Google Ads accounts and found that the foundational parts of campaigns have a huge impact on performance.

“Despite how much AI is involved in targeting and optimization now, the fundamentals haven’t changed when it comes to improving conversion rates over time,” Brett said.

In fact, adding just one negative keyword to your search or campaigns can triple your conversion rates.

The most effective accounts nail down their structure and focus on fundamentals like CTR and Quality Score to drive strong Google Ads results.

“Platforms are rewarding tighter alignment between keywords, ads, and landing pages,” Pepe said.

Is your account’s foundation rock solid? Find out, and get tips to strengthen your strategy, with our free guide to the perfect Google Ads account structure!

5. Get more granular with your targeting optimizations

In PPC, it’s all about quality over quantity when it comes to clicks and leads. To keep up with the pace in your industry, you’ll want to put your efforts toward audiences that are more likely to turn into customers.

“Being more intentional about your target audience, content on your landing pages, and thinking about the user journey can make a difference in your ability to drive a higher ROI,” said Katy Towe, a senior director of optimization strategy at LocaliQ.

Also, don’t let a high CPC keyword stop you from sourcing your best quality conversions.

“These benchmarks showcase that it isn’t about putting your ads and marketing efforts in front of all searches but the right searches,” Stephanie said.

“Our ability to optimize for conversion value demonstrates the growing need to tailor your campaigns to who your consumer is for your business. In recent years, it was about casting a wide net. Now, we can get much more granular on targeting with custom audiences, remarketing lists, interest and demographic lists, and lookalike audiences,” Stephanie said.

These types of optimized targeting lists ensure you’re showing ads to audiences better set out to convert. Plus, changes we’ve seen in the Google and Microsoft platforms emphasize putting your ads in front of more specific audiences.

“Advertisers should focus on showing their ads to a precise audience, with the right language, at the right time, and at the right cost,” Stephanie said.

6. Use data to inform your campaign optimizations

While you don’t want to constantly make changes within your Google Ads account, you do want to make regular optimizations to improve your campaigns. Try deploying different ad creatives, targeting, or bidding tests on a consistent basis to see what makes the biggest impact for your business.

“Get test ideas by asking yourself, ‘Do certain products or services yield a better conversion result at a certain time of the day or week? Have I crafted the right message for my ideal audience?’ Then take the data from the experiments to make decisions on the next steps and optimizations for you to make,” Stephanie said.

Try adding some power words from our study of top-performing Google Ads.

It’s also important to pull the right data so you can understand how your optimizations are contributing to campaign improvements.

“If you’re only tracking how many leads your campaign drove, you’re missing the point. You need to know which of those leads actually turned into customers, and that needs to feed into how you’re bidding—not just how you’re reporting,” said Katia Hausman, Vice President of Paid Media Products, LocaliQ

For example, with conversion value tracking, you can collect data on the worth of each action a potential customer takes after seeing your ad.

“The biggest standout here is the CPC and CVR increases coupled with a cost per lead decrease. This is especially important as platforms are shifting and brand and performance marketing converge. If there ever was a proof point to pivot to conversion value tracking, this is the proof point,” Navah said.

How Google Ads benchmarks changed over the years

Here at WordStream and LocaliQ, we believe in practicing what we preach. Many of our dedicated experts working with businesses that use our digital solutions reference these Google Ads benchmarks frequently when talking strategy—myself included when I was on our support team back in the day. The benchmarks have always been one of the most accurate ways to gauge an account’s performance.

“This report helps guide us to accomplish the client’s overall goal. We use trends and benchmarks to help us know if we are on the correct path to success, or if we need to pivot,” Pepe said.

Over the years, dozens of trusted industry publications have agreed that our benchmarks were the best resource for this use.

In fact, our benchmarks reports have yielded over 2 million total visits and more than 196,000 backlinks (so far).

However, the numbers we would reference back when our benchmarks were just taking off look a lot different than the norms on Google Ads now. And, when I say they “look different,” I mean in more ways than one… Check out how our report’s design has evolved!

Here’s a look back at the average search ads performance from our first benchmarks report in 2016:

• Click-through rate: 1.91%
• Cost per click: $2.32
• Conversion rate: 2.70%
• Cost per lead (which we called CPA, or cost per action, back then): $59.18

This data is such a blast from the past! Since then, averages across the board have roughly doubled or tripled.

For one, more businesses have gotten into PPC since then, so overall averages have naturally increased as more ads appear on the SERP and competition increases. Now, nearly half of all small businesses we recently surveyed in our small business trends report are using paid search advertising, and that’s been trending upwards year over year.

But we have seen other reasons for general increases over the years. For example, we reported in 2024 that Google admitted to having raised search ad prices to meet revenue goals during its antitrust trial.

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There are many other factors behind why overall performance averages in Google and Microsoft Ads have fluctuated over the years (does “COVID” ring a bell to anyone?), and that’s why we’ve been so dedicated to consistently running back this report each year. When you’re comparing your current Google Ads account performance to industry averages, we understand that having the most up-to-date information is crucial.

Google Ads Benchmarks 2026: How to take action in your account now

Thinking back on 10 years of Google Ads benchmarks just brings a tear to the eye. We started releasing this data to inform business owners and advertisers with tangible advice that empowers confident account management decisions, and 10 years later, that’s still our MO. With these benchmarks as a guiding light, you can set your business ahead of industry competition and focus on optimizations that make an impact on your account.

For more help making the most of your search ads, see how our solutions can maximize your campaign strategy!

About the data

This report is based on a sample of 13,474 US-based search advertising campaigns running between Apr 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. Each subcategory includes at minimum 52 unique active campaigns. “Averages” are technically median figures to account for outliers. All currency values are posted in USD.

The post Google Ads Benchmarks 2026: Competitive Data & Insights for Every Industry appeared first on WordStream.

But you don’t want your Father’s Day message to be like a pencil with two erasers…pointless. (Get it!?)

You want it to resonate with your audience, communicate something important from your business, and be sensitive to those who may find Father’s Day difficult.

So we’re sharing Father’s Day messages that will hit those marks you can use in your social posts, email marketing campaigns, and more.

Contents

• Father’s Day email greetings
• Father’s Day social media messages
• Father’s Day messages for SMS
• Father’s Day quotes
• General Father’s Day messages
• AI-generated Father’s Day wishes
• Tips for your Father’s Day messages

Father’s Day greetings for email

Copy, paste, and customize these Father’s Day email messages.

Promotional email

Say thanks to the dad or father figure in your life.

We’ve got plenty of gifts for dad as part of our Father’s Day sale!

Stop in before Father’s Day or shop with us online for 30% off your purchase.*

You don’t want to miss this

Business logo
Business contact information
*Terms and conditions

📣 Speaking of promoting your business… Free guide >> The 30+ Best Ways to Promote Your Business (With or Without Money)

Event email

Looking for something fun to do with your dad or the father figure in your life this Father’s Day? Join us for our Father’s Day event!

On DAY from TIME-TIME, you can enjoy:

• Specifics of event here
• Specifics of event here
• Specifics of event here

Don’t miss this opportunity to make fun memories!

Let us know you’re coming here.

Business logo
Business contact information
*Terms and conditions

Father’s Day opt-out email

We know Father’s Day can be a difficult time for some. If you prefer not to see Father’s Day emails from us this year, we invite you to opt out below.

Button: Opt out

You’ll still hear from us about other events, promotions, and announcements.

Thinking of you,
Business name

Business logo
Business contact information
*Terms and conditions

Father’s Day wishes for social media

Use these Father’s Day messages on social media.

• Whether you’re a dad or like a dad, we want to wish you a Happy Father’s Day. Your love is the greatest and most precious gift in the world
• Happy Father’s Day to all those celebrating a special person in their lives. And to those struggling today, just know we’re thinking of you.
• We don’t say it enough, so say it extra today: Thanks for everything you do, dads.
• Happy Father’s Day to our dad (and father figure) customers!
• Cheers and beers! Father’s Day is here
• It’s not a dad bod. It’s a father figure

Source

Get copy-and-paste social media posts ready for Father’s Day and more holidays in our free social media template!

Father’s Day messages for SMS

Use these messages in your SMS marketing this Father’s Day:

• One for you, one for dad! Stop in for BOGO [product name] today through Father’s Day.
• Our Father’s Day sale is happening NOW! Don’t miss out. Check out our great deals [link]
• Looking for Father’s Day gift inspo? How about [product/service]? Get it 30% off TODAY ONLY [link]
• Happy Father’s Day! Stop in today for a special treat.
• Don’t forget Dad! We’ve got everything you need for a fantastic Father’s Day! [link]

Father’s Day quotes

You can use these Father’s Day quotes on social media, in your emails, and more.

• “A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.” – Unknown
• “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me.” – Jim Valvano
• “No man stands taller than when he stoops to help a child.” – Abraham Lincoln
• “A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” – Unknown
• “My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.” – Clarence Budington Kelland
• “My father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see a future.” – Liza Minnelli
• “A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.” – Unknown

And, we had to include a couple of funny ones:

• “A father carries pictures where his money used to be.” – Steve Martin
• “Raising kids may be a thankless job with ridiculous hours, but at least the pay sucks.” – Jim Gaffigan

Source

😌 Free guide >> The 130+ Best Words & Phrases for Marketing with Emotion

General Father’s Day wishes for any business or occasion

Here are some more general Father’s Day greetings you can adapt for any of your marketing needs around this holiday.

• From all of us at [Business Name], we wish you a very Happy Father’s Day!
• If Father’s Day is hard for you, just know that you are loved and cared for.
• Wishing everyone a very Happy Father’s Day!
• Thanks to all the dads and father figures giving their time, support, and love. You’re appreciated!
• Dad, you are rad! Happy Father’s Day!

Source

AI-generated Father’s Day messages

To round out our list, we asked AI tool ChatGPT to come up with some messages you can copy and paste.

• Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, grandpas, stepdads, father figures, and mentors who show up with strength, support, and love every day. We appreciate all that you do
• Here’s to the dads who fix things, teach lessons, crack jokes, and make life better along the way. Wishing you a relaxing and well-deserved Father’s Day!
• Father’s Day is a chance to celebrate the dads and father figures who make a difference every day. From big moments to everyday support, we’re grateful for all they do.
• Wishing you and your family a wonderful Father’s Day weekend from all of us at [Business Name].
• Still searching for the perfect Father’s Day gift? We’ve got you covered. Stop by this week to find something Dad will actually love
• Celebrate Dad with something special this Father’s Day! Shop our Father’s Day favorites before they’re gone.
• Father’s Day is almost here! Whether you’re shopping for Dad, Grandpa, or another father figure, we’ve rounded up gifts and favorites perfect for celebrating the occasion.
• Shop now before Father’s Day and make his day extra special.
• Cheers to all the amazing dads out there
• Celebrating the father figures who make life better every day
• Father’s Day favorites are here
• Give Dad something he’ll actually use this year
• To the dads who always show up — today’s for you
• Big thanks to all the hardworking dads in our community
• Making Father’s Day gifting easy this year
• Don’t forget Dad this Father’s Day
• Weekend plans: celebrating Dad
• Here’s to dads, mentors, coaches, and role models everywhere

Quick tips for your happy Father’s Day messages

Before you schedule your Father’s Day greetings, here are some tips to keep in mind

• Be sensitive. Father’s Day can be a complicated or sad time for some. Keep that in mind as you plan your marketing campaigns around Father’s Day and schedule your messages.

• Use inclusive language. Many people can act as a father figure—stepfathers, uncles, brothers, fathers-in-law, and other trusted adults. That’s why it’s so important to use inclusive language where appropriate in your Father’s Day messages.
• Adjust your message. Depending on where and how you’re using your Father’s Day greeting, you may need to make tweaks to what we’re sharing. Customize these ideas and examples for your needs and the specific channel you’re sharing it on so it’s most effective for you.
• Stay on brand. It’s always important to keep your brand guidelines and brand personality in mind when selecting or creating marketing messages for your business. And Father’s Day is no exception.

Here are some Canva templates you can customize for social media to stay on brand:

[Facebook] [Instagram] [X]

Make Father’s Day memorable

Use these Father’s Day messages and greetings for memorable marketing. Just remember our tips: be inclusive, be sensitive, and stay on brand. And, to all the dads and father figures reading this: Happy Father’s Day!

Want more messages for your marketing? We’ve got you covered:

• Spirited 4th of July Messages & Greetings for Your Customers
• Back-to-School Messages for A+ Marketing
• Perfect Labor Day Messages & Greetings for Customers & Employees
• Halloween Greetings & Sayings for All Your Marketing Needs
• Thanksgiving Greetings & Messages for Customers, Comrades, & Coworkers
• Ready-to-Go Black Friday Messages & Email Templates
• Perfectly-Worded Christmas & Holiday Greetings
• Happy New Year Wishes & Images (Plus a Creative Word List!)
• Genuine Thank You for Your Order Messages, Templates & Images
• Valentine’s Day Messages for Your Clients (with Email Templates!)
• Memorial Day Messages for Your Customers, Coworkers & Community

The post 46 Father’s Day Messages & Quotes for All Your Marketing Needs (+Templates) appeared first on WordStream.

OTT ads, or over-the-top ads, show up when people watch their favorite content on streaming apps, YouTube, and more. Not only do OTT ads get you in front of a huge audience, but they also offer modern features, like interactive experiences, that help you capture leads, gather data, and convert viewers into customers.

In this guide, we’ll show you five OTT advertising examples that make use of traditional marketing techniques and modern ad platform features. Then we’ll dig into the details of OTT as an advertising platform so you can run high-performing ads of your own.

Contents

• 5 outstanding OTT advertising examples
• What is OTT advertising?
• What are OTT devices?
• What are OTT services?
• What is OTT advertising?
• What are the benefits of OTT advertising?
• How is OTT advertising priced?
• Tips from OTT video examples

5 outstanding OTT advertising examples

OTT advertising gives you several ways to engage and convert customers that traditional television ads don’t. Let’s look at a few examples to explore how you can take advantage of these powerful features.

The best aspect of all of these OTT ads is that they’re available to any business, big or small. Meaning, a local dentist or car dealer can easily copy the strategies of these big brands.

Looking for more conversions? Download 14 Super-Fast Ways to Boost Conversions

T. Rowe Price: OK to email

Advertising during your audience’s favorite shows has always been a good option to capture attention. But T. Rowe Price uses an innovative feature of OTT advertising to turn viewers into actionable leads.

The brand did it by letting viewers get more information sent directly to their email inbox simply by tapping the “OK” button on their ROKU streaming device.

Source

Why this OTT advertising example works

This ad removed friction for the viewer. They don’t have to go to a different device or stop enjoying their program to take the next step in their path to purchase. Reducing friction is a great way to improve lead generation and conversion rates.

Ring Camera: Add to cart

TV-era marketers would absolutely drool over this OTT advertising example. In it, Ring created a shoppable ad experience by including a way for viewers to add an alarm system to their Amazon cart right from their viewing device.

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Why this OTT advertising example works

Immediate gratification is a powerful emotional driver in consumer marketing. This ad gives viewers the immediate satisfaction of placing a product they just saw in their shopping cart (putting it one click away from shipping). This type of OTT ad would be a perfect pairing for your limited-time sales promotions and sense of urgent advertising.

Volvo: Ad Selector

Most businesses, regardless of size, can benefit from segmenting their audience. Doing so makes it possible to send super-relevant messages to groups of people who share common characteristics, needs, and interests.

Volvo appealed to three different market segments by creating three separate video ads. Then it used the Disney platform’s Ad Selector feature to let viewers choose which option they prefer.

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Why this OTT advertising example works

Volvo’s ad worked for two reasons. First, it made the ad experience much more relevant for each viewer. And second, it gave the brand a way to gather valuable first-party data about its audience. If most people chose the “Skater” option, Volvo could double down on that audience in its social media and display ads.

Maybelline: Binge Ad

Binge Ads are a type of OTT ad offered by several streaming services that allow brands to sponsor an ad-free episode for viewers. They typically show up after someone has watched two or three episodes of a show in a row.

Beauty brand Maybelline used this type of OTT ad on the Peakcock app to promote its Super Stay Coffee Addition lipstick line.

Source

Why this OTT advertising example works

Building brand awareness is as important as it’s ever been. And giving your buyers something valuable is a good way to generate positive awareness for your brand and products. It’s the backbone of many organic social media and SEO strategies. Now, you can apply it to OTT advertising.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital: In-Stream ad

Great storytelling is the heart of an effective ad. That goes doubly true for video ads people will see as they’re watching an entertaining or educational video on an OTT service.

In this example, the Och Spine Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital used its YouTube In-Stream ad to tell the story of how they helped a patient recover from a debilitating spinal tumor.

Source

Why this OTT advertising example works

The ad tells a compelling story in just 30 seconds. That’s brief enough to keep people from skipping, but still enough space to create a connection with the hospital’s target audience. These types of customer stories are fantastic topics for in-feed video ads.

Now, let’s get into the details of OTT advertising so you’re fully prepared for success.

What is OTT?

OTT (over-the-top) is video content delivered via the internet rather than traditional cable or satellite. It’s called “over-the-top” because the content goes directly to viewers over their internet connection, bypassing the traditional TV provider entirely.

Here’s a little more behind the name. The actual term for a cable box is set-top box. Because back in the day, when TVs were big clunkers and cable boxes were small, they sat on top of the TV. But even when screens became flat, and cable boxes got placed elsewhere, the term set-top box remained.

Memories, anyone?

Streamed content, on the other hand, does not require a cable box because it’s delivered via the internet. It bypasses, or goes over, set-top boxes. Hence, the term over-the-top.

What are OTT devices?

Basically, any device that displays video and connects to the internet is an OTT device. This includes:

• Smartphones, computers, tablets, and laptops.
• Connected TVs
  • Smart TVs (Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV).
  • Regular TVs using a device (Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Chromecast).
  • Regular TVs using gaming consoles.
  • Wi-Fi Blu-ray players.

Is OTT the same as connected TV?

OTT and connected TV (CTV) are sometimes used interchangeably. They are not the same, though. CTVs are just one device on which you can watch OTT media.

What are OTT services?

OTT services are the apps that stream over-the-top content to your device.

There are several OTT services and apps out there, and they follow various models.

Transactional video on demand (TVOD)

• This is where you pay for individual pieces of content.
• Examples of TVOD streaming services include iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and Vimeo.

Advertising-based video on demand (AVOD)

• Here, you can access streamed content for free, but with ads.
• Examples of AVOD streaming services include TubiTV, YouTube, and Hulu Ads.

Subscription video on demand (SVOD)

• For those who don’t want to see ads, you can pay for a subscription to see ad-free content.
• Examples of SVOD streaming services include Disney+, Hulu+, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix. (Note: many of these services now show ads at the lower paid tiers).

Multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs)

• These are streamed content providers where you pay for a combination of both streamed and broadcast content.
• Examples of MVPDs include DirecTV, Sling, and YouTube TV.

To recap: You watch OTT (streamed) content (Schitt’s Creek) on an OTT device (iPhone) through an OTT streaming service (Netflix).

What is OTT advertising?

OTT advertising t is the practice of showing ads to consumers when they’re watching streamed (OTT) media. You can do this in a few different ways:

• Programmatic: Here, automation is used to serve OTT ads across multiple networks through demand-side platforms (DSPs) like Rocket Fuel, MediaMath, AppNexus, TubeMogul, and more. (This guide to programmatic advertising explains it in-depth)
• Platform direct: This is where you would purchase ads directly from the provider of the OTT device (such as Roku or Amazon Fire TV from our connected TV illustration).
• Publisher direct: Here, the exchange happens directly with the OTT service provider (our OTT streaming services above).

Source

What are the benefits of OTT advertising?

There are many reasons advertisers, especially at local businesses, are turning to over-the-top ads as an effective means of generating revenue.

The OTT audience is growing

More people are watching TV through streaming services than ever before, while fewer are watching traditional cable.

Cord-cutters now make up nearly half of all US internet households (about 56 million homes), with another 12% who never had cable to begin with. The OTT streaming market reflects that shift, growing from $221 billion in 2025 to a projected $264 billion in 2026.

OTT ads offer better targeting

With traditional cable TV advertising, the only way to target is by choosing a designated market area (DMA). There are just 210 DMAs across the entire U.S., meaning you’ll inevitably be reaching locations you don’t need (or want) to.

But with OTT advertising, you can target:

• Zip codes (much like with PPC geotargeting)
• Devices
• Demographics
• Behaviors

Local businesses can target OTT ads for their markets.

OTT advertising works without third-party cookies

Not only is streamed content becoming more popular, but it also provides opportunities for cookieless targeting. Here’s how:

• First, there’s contextual advertising—which does not require cookies because you’re targeting categories of TV/video content rather than individuals.
• Second, streaming subscription services collect sufficient first-party data from users (through registration and logged-in activity) to enable effective targeting.
• Third, there are still ways to report on the effectiveness of your OTT ads using IP addresses and timestamps.

OTT video ads have high completion rates

Viewers cannot skip OTT ads, install ad blockers, or change the channel (they’re only on one). And when served an ad, they complete watching it 95% of the time.

Short, unskippable OTT ads have a high completion rate.

Yes, they could leave the room, but with consumers viewing content on mobile devices (on the train or in the car, for example), this is less likely.

How is OTT advertising priced?

To help you get even more familiar with this form of video marketing, here are some OTT pricing models and metrics to understand:

• CPM: Cost per thousand impressions.
• CPV: Cost per view, meaning how much you’ll pay for every time a video ad starts.
• CPCV: Cost per completed view. Here, you only pay for ads that have finished playing all the way through.
• VCPM: Cost per viewable impression, which is when the ad is viewed for at least two seconds.
• CPH/CPS: Cost per hour, cost per second. Here, you pay for the total time 1000 viewable impressions generate.
• CPE/CPI: Cost per engagement/cost per interaction, such as with a lightbox ad.

Tips from OTT video ad examples

When you pay attention to OTT ads, you’ll see a few best practices show up in the best ones. Use them to make your next ad more successful.

Target your personas

When you know your audience well, you can use language, images, and topics that resonate with the individuals in your audience. Be sure to consider all of your customer personas when coming up with OTT video ad scripts and ideas.

If you’re not sure which segment of your audience to target, just ask them.

Be relatable

For the most part, traditional TV commercial ads feel “distant” from us. We feel like a brand is advertising to us. With online video ads and personalized targeting, viewers expect more relatable and personable content.

Market with emotion

This is a best practice for any form of marketing, but video is the most effective medium for marketing with emotion. Use emotional images, emotional music, and emotional words to have a memorable and meaningful impact on your viewers. Can I say emotional one more time? (Yes.)

And yes, humor is an emotion.

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Use voice-overs

It’s a best practice with social media video ads to make it so that the message is communicated without the sound on. This is true for OTT ads, but you also have to remember that even though people can’t skip your OTT ad, they can tune out, switch to a different device while it’s playing, or go in the other room. So it’s important to have a voiceover in your ads that conveys the message with sound, as this will still afford your brand some form of exposure to your viewer.

Copy these OTT advertising examples

OTT advertising gives you the audience attention of traditional TV ads with the advanced targeting, tracking, and conversion tools of modern digital marketing. The examples and tips we’ve included in this guide will give you a great start on trying out this valuable channel.

When you do get started, remember what the best brands do with their OTT ads. They use interactive features, focus on storytelling, and get to know their specific audience so their messages are extremely relevant. With those ideas in mind, you’ll generate the best ROI from your OTT ads.

The post 5 OTT Advertising Examples (+Over-The-Top Ads Explained) appeared first on WordStream.

In my years as a PPC consultant, clients were always looking for tips, hacks, and tools to help them save money. Lucky for me, I had a trick up my sleeve that would almost always deliver budget-saving results: ad scheduling.

Ad scheduling is one of my personal favorite underrated moves to make when maximizing a campaign’s performance. While it sounds limiting to set your campaign’s ads to show only at certain times, it actually makes the most sense, as most businesses have certain times of the day or week where their potential customers are most active online.

In this article, I’m going to uncover the money-saving magic, as well as the finer details, of ad scheduling. I’ll talk about what ad scheduling is and how it cuts costs while boosting conversion rates. Plus, I’ll walk through the steps for how to set up ad scheduling in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Meta Ads.

Contents

• What is ad scheduling?
• Ad scheduling benefits
• How to set up ad scheduling in:
  • Google Ads
  • Microsoft Ads
  • Meta Ads

What is ad scheduling?

By default, all ad campaigns across platforms are due to run 24/7. Ad scheduling is the practice of limiting your campaigns to run only on certain days of the week and hours of the day. This way, you can ensure your ads are only showing during specific days/times that you know you’ll get the highest return on ad spend.

Ad scheduling saves you money by only showing your ads on the days and times they perform best.

For example, I can look at my data to identify that Mondays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. are my best converting times. But on the opposite end, I spend on clicks on Sundays at 3 a.m. that are not converting. Therefore, I may want to adjust my ads to only run on weekdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and not on weekends when I know this will be wasted spend.

If you’ve been in the PPC game a long time, you may also know ad scheduling by its old name from many years ago, when it was called “dayparting.”

Want to learn even more money-saving tips? Found out where you can save spend with our Free Google Ads Grader!

Why use ad scheduling?

Ad scheduling in Google Ads is assigned at the campaign level for any campaign type. This even includes automated campaigns, like Smart or PMax campaigns, which is a huge advantage. Why? While these automated campaigns do the heavy lifting for you, you’re not able to control much since they run on their own via Google’s algorithm. With ad scheduling, you can still regain at least some control over the campaign’s behavior. In fact, some campaigns, like PMax, may prompt you to assign a schedule in the setup process.

Additionally, being able to set this solely at the campaign level, regardless of campaign type, will help unify your ad groups and make things easier to manage at a high level.

Plus, even if you want to run ads 24/7, you can still leverage ad scheduling through bid adjustments. Both Google and Microsoft Ads allow for this. You can use this feature to pay more or less per click during specific hours on certain days, depending on how you’d expect to perform.

So, one workaround would be to set up an ad schedule that would still be inclusive of all hours and days. Then, add on schedule sets of what days or hours you’d want to bid up or down on to manage those separately. Or, even if you still wanted to leverage ad schedules to stop running 24/7 you can still apply bid adjustments on a more restrictive ad schedule. However, with any bid adjustment, they will only be taken into account if the campaign is on a manual bid strategy.

So, though the requirement is to have a manual bidding strategy to try out this loophole, it’s truly not one size fits all, and there are opportunities for bid adjustments for every account type!

An example of an ad schedule bid adjustment in play with a campaign’s location targeting.

How to set up ad scheduling in Google Ads

Before you set up scheduling in Google Ads, there are three things about time zones you need to know:

1. Google ad schedules default to the time zone your account is set to.
2. Once you set up your Google account, the time zone you set cannot be changed later on.
3. You can only choose one time zone.

This means that if you’re running Google ads in multiple time zones, you’ll need to stretch your ad schedule to cover both zones. So if you want your ad to show on both the east and west coast from 1-4 p.m. in both time zones, you’ll need to do the math and set your ad schedule for 1 p.m.-7 p.m. This isn’t ideal if you don’t want to run past 4 p.m. on the East Coast. This means that, in some cases with Google ad scheduling, wasted spend is unavoidable. But if you do the math, you can mitigate this as much as possible, and still see a return that’s well worth it.

One possible workaround would be to create separate campaigns and adjust those ad schedules zones accordingly, but this account structure gets hairy, and you’ll still need to do the math.

Now that you have that in mind, here are the steps to set up ad scheduling in Google Ads.

1. View your historical data

The key initial step to setting up a strong ad schedule in Google Ads is to analyze your historical data. You can do this by navigating to “where and when ads showed” under the reports section of the platform, or go to “ad schedules” under the audiences, keywords, and content section.

Either way, Google Ads will show you a view that includes a few different insights, like:

1. Ad schedule: Where you click into to actually set up or adjust a new or current ad schedule assigned to your selected campaign.
2. Day and hour: A combination of data with both information on best/least performing days and times together.

2. Consider additional scheduling factors

Aside from using data to see what historically works, you also need to take into account other factors that might not be accounted for in the data.

For example, if you know your business is only open on weekends or vice versa, you can adjust your ad schedule accordingly.

3. Select your schedule

Once you identify what days and times you want to schedule your ad, you can navigate over to the ad schedule subsection to set it up. Click the blue edit pencil, and Google will provide a drop-down with any and all available options for days and hours.

With this, you can even take it a step further and break up your ad schedule. You could set ads to run in the morning, take a pause during lunch hour, then enable them again in the afternoon. I encourage you to play around with different combinations to see what options you have and what you think would work best for your business.

For more cost-saving Google Ads tips, download our free guide to 6 easy ways to save money on Google Ads now!

How to set up Microsoft ad scheduling

As with Google Ads, Microsoft Ads also allows you to apply an ad schedule to any campaign type at the campaign level. But overall, Microsoft gives us more flexibility with ad scheduling. How? Not only does it allow us to set at the campaign level, but it can also be set at the ad group level.

Another major advantage of Microsoft Ads schedules is that your ad schedule dynamically adjusts to the time zone of the viewer. That’s right, while it may take more finesse to incorporate all time zones into your scheduling plan on Google Ads, over on Microsoft, the platform does the heavy lifting.

One thing to note here is that if you’re leveraging Microsoft Import to copy your Google Ads components over to Microsoft, then you’ll quickly find that you’ll want to manually manage your ad schedules between platforms since you’ll most likely be setting them up differently.

Microsoft also has two different spots where you can create and adjust ad schedules. The first being the campaign level settings, and the second being the actual ad schedule section on the left-hand panel.

Once there, the setup is essentially similar to Google Ads, where you can layer and select individual or groups of days/times that you prefer to run. Just like we talked about with Google Ads, you may want to hop into the Ad Schedule section for Microsoft and evaluate the day and hour data sections.

How to set up ad scheduling in Meta Ads

Not to be confused with Facebook Ad Set start and end dates, ad scheduling on Meta Ads shares similar spend-restricting qualities with Google and Microsoft. However, it’s only an available option when leveraging a lifetime budget instead of a daily budget.

Once you’re in a Meta campaign’s ad set that’s leveraging a lifetime budget, simply click into the “Show More Options” portion of the Budgets & Schedule section of the ad set editor.

From there, you’ll be able to select what days or times you’d like to show, just like in Google and Microsoft. Since Facebook can show to such large audiences, this is a great tool to ensure you always show at the right time: when it’s worth your money!

Save time and money with ad scheduling for your small business

On top of saving money, ad scheduling can be incorporated into your digital marketing strategy according to your business’s unique needs. There’s a place for ad scheduling for every small business, whether you are active on one or all of these three platforms, or want to continue running 24/7 while leveraging bid adjustments. Just keep the important details mentioned above in mind so you can get the highest return on ad spend. For more ways to maximize your paid campaigns across platforms, see how our solutions can help!

The post Ad Scheduling: How to Set It Up Right In Google, Meta, & Microsoft Ads appeared first on WordStream.

That’s why I’m sharing June marketing ideas to help your business create campaigns that make a seasonal splash this month.

And thankfully, June has tons of great themes, causes, and holidays to make your summer marketing campaigns hot! After this post, you’ll be set up for free and easy June marketing wins so you can stay connected with your customers and attract even more of them.

Contents

• Marketing ideas for June holidays
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion marketing ideas in June
• June national awareness causes and themes
• June national day highlights
• Full list of national days/holidays

Marketing ideas for June holidays

Let’s kick off our full list of June marketing ideas with two major holidays in June: Flag Day and Father’s Day.

Flag Day

Celebrated every June 14, Flag Day is a great way to continue to celebrate America, after Memorial Day has passed and July 4th is still a few weeks away. It commemorates the day that the stars and stripes were adopted for the flag. Here are some marketing ideas for this day:

• Incorporate an American flag theme into your offerings: American flag cookies, jewelry, clothing, and more.
• See if you can find a creative way to incorporate stars and stripes into your content.
• Offer discounts on red, white, or blue products you offer, whether that clothing, paint, or, in the case below, fabric:

Get more marketing ideas ready to go for June (and every month of 2026) in our free marketing calendar template!

Father’s Day

Of course, you can offer discounts and sales on this day, but here are some other ways to promote your business. We’re always looking for ways to think outside the [tie] box when it comes to Father’s Day gifts.

• Father’s Day gift guide: Compile some great gift ideas into a blog post, some of which can be your offerings. See if you can create a persona for the dads of your target audience. Are they young fathers? Old-timers? Gardeners? Gadget lovers? Readers? There are tons of Father’s Day gift guides out there, so keep it targeted for your audience.
• Gift baskets: Spare moms and kids from having to come up with ideas and put together creative gift baskets or combinations. Seeing everything together and artfully arranged gives added appeal.

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• Restaurants: Supply gift cards to your restaurant with a bottle from a local distillery or winery.
• Spa or salons: Run specials on men’s grooming supplies. Moms who come in to redeem their gift certificates from Mother’s Day will love the one-stop shopping!
• Don’t forget about last-minute shoppers! While diligent shoppers make careful decisions to find the right brand or product, last-minute shoppers are looking to make the fastest decision with the lowest risk.
• Make your flexible return policy prominent in your marketing copy, such as with “No hassle returns!” or “No return deadlines!”

Here are some more resources to help with your Father’s Day marketing:

• Inspiring Father’s Day Instagram Captions & Ready-to-Post Images
• Happy Father’s Day Messages & Greetings (+Templates)

Now, let’s continue on to other June marketing ideas based on national days and monthly observances

Flip a Coin Day

The first day of June every year is Flip a Coin Day. This holiday was made to celebrate math, but you can have some fun with it in your marketing content. Here are some ideas:

• Run a coin flip discount day: For each purchase, have customers flip a coin and call heads or tails. If the customer wins, they get a percentage discount based on the value of the coin. Quarter flips = 25% off, dime flips = 10% off, and nickel flips = 5% off. Of course, you can adjust the discounts depending on your budget and customer volume.

• Create content about decision-making. You can use the below blog post title formulas for just about any industry:
  Don’t Leave It to Chance: How to Choose a [X] Wisely
  It’s a Toss-Up: Should You Use X or Y?
  Can’t Make Heads or Tails of X? Read This
  Don’t Flip a Coin When Deciding on Your Next [industry] Partner.
• Gyms and trainers can share or run a coin flip workout.

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Donut Day

People love Fridays. And people love the donuts. And on the first Friday in June, they come together on National. Donut. DAY.

• Create a new tradition: Local bakeries, if you want to do something beyond just discounts and coupons, announce to your audience a week or so in advance that you’ll be introducing a brand-new, never-before-seen donut on this day—with a limited supply! Post little teasers on social media and your website to generate some excitement and mystery. Better yet, continue the tradition annually. Your patrons will look forward to it every year!
• Fitness businesses can offer or share an after-Donut Day workout. Donuts are delicious, but not exactly marketing materials for the fitness industry. Host or post a Day After Donut Day workout.
• Show customer appreciation: Bakeries can post pictures of their loyal customers, tagging them (with their permission)

World Environment Day

We know that consumers look for businesses that support causes they care about—one of which is environmental protection. Here are some ways to show your support for this cause, which occurs every year on June 5:

• Collect donations for a charity or offer limited edition eco-friendly items.
• Offer waste-reducing freebies with purchase, like a reusable bag or metal straws.
• Even just creating visuals with appealing and earthy tones for your June 5th Instagram post can make a mark.

Best Friend Day

National Best Friend Day, which occurs annually on June 8, is a relatable holiday and a great excuse for a sale. Run buy-one-get-one sales, promote your referral program, or run a tag-a-friend social media contest.

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Iced Tea Day

While not everyone drinks it, National Iced Tea Day (every June 10) is a reminder that summer is here and the weather is beautiful, which puts everyone in a good mood. Here are some simple ways to celebrate:

• If you collaborate with a local coffeehouse or bakery that specializes in tea, you can host a pop-up at your business and offer free tea for guests, or a coupon for a free tea with purchase.
• If you have a brick-and-mortar location, hand out iced tea samples to get foot traffic and spread brand awareness!
• Simply engage your audience on social media with questions about their iced tea preferences. Alternatively, you could share iced tea fun facts or recipes to get plenty of likes, comments, and reactions.

Nature Photography Day

Nature Photography Day, which occurs annually on June 14, is more than, well, nature photography. It’s about using images to raise awareness and advance conservation and protection efforts for plants, wildlife, and landscapes.

Post some of your best nature photos on social and accompany them with an eye-opening stat pointing to the need for conservation.

Summer solstice

The summer solstice is the first, and longest, day of summer. This is the perfect time of year to launch a summer collection, throw a beach-themed event or sale, or offer a beach blanket or koozie with a purchase.

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Take Your Dog to Work Day

This excellent day is observed annually. on the Friday after Father’s Day. Invite employees to bring their pooches to the office, and don’t be shy about advertising their presence on Meta, TikTok, or LinkedIn. The promise of a puppy is enough motivation for people to brave the summer heat and stop by your shops. And of course, this is the perfect contest opportunity.

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Insurance Awareness Day

Insurance Awareness Day occurs every June 28, and there’s plenty you can do with this June marketing idea, even if you’re not directly in the insurance industry. You can post a video to create buzz or share tips on how to assess your insurance, like with the example below:

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Other ideas:

• Lawyers and accountants can blog about the benefits of insurance for individuals and business owners, or resurface old posts on the topic.
• Doctors and dentists can encourage patients to check out their insurance to make sure they have adequate coverage, or provide tips for connecting with insurance companies about procedures.
• Massage therapists, chiropractors, and fitness centers should encourage clients to check their insurance benefits—many insurance companies offer coverage for massage and chiropractic treatments or subscriber discounts for joining a fitness center or gym.
• Travel agents, bed and breakfasts, and hotels can use this day to blog about the benefits of travel insurance.

And let’s not forget about pet insurance…

More June marketing ideas

How about a few more June marketing ideas? Check these out.

• Repeat Day (Saturday, June 3): Re-run past promotions and campaigns that were popular among your customers.
• Cancer Survivor’s Day (Sunday, June 7): Spotlight a team member or customer who is a cancer survivor, or simply post inspirational articles, quotes, and photos.
• Selfie day (Wednesday, June 21): You know the drill!
• Public Service Day (Friday, June 23): Feature a prominent member of the community on social media or offer a discount to those in the public sector who show ID.Try out these June marketing ideas

Diversity, equity, and inclusion marketing ideas in June

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in your marketing should be a constant throughout the year, but here are a few observances you can include specifically in your June content plans:

LGBTQ+ Pride Month

The LGBTQ+ community is one of freedom, creativity, and expression. So why not incorporate those themes into your associated campaigns?

And why not with a pride art or pride flag contest? Encourage your social media followers, or even other businesses and nonprofits in your neighborhood, to create their own pride flag or pride art and post it to social media. Make sure they use a specific hashtag so you can gather all entries and pick the winner(s).

Also, depending on your business, you can give away a couples-themed service, such as a couples massage session or photoshoot.

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Black Music Appreciation Month

Black artists have had unparalleled influence and impact on the music industry. Amplify the voices of Black creators this month by creating a shareable playlist of songs you love from Black artists.

This unique trick is sure to help your business stand out while also fitting diversity and inclusion into your marketing. It’ll also help to make your brand more memorable as the playlist will cause your audience to think of your business while they listen. You could even take it a step further and host an event where you and your customers can listen to the playlist together.

Juneteenth (June 19)

While this June holiday has over 155 years of history behind it, Juneteenth just became federally recognized in 2021. You’ll want to close down your regular operating hours for this day and give your employees the day off to process and learn from Black history. In the meantime, partner up with a local Black-owned business or organization for the day. Whether you’re volunteering at a nearby Black history resource center or cross-promoting with a Black-owned brand, you can post about the partnership on social media to help inspire and educate your customers.

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Additional observances in June that help promote diversity, equity, and inclusion include:

• National Caribbean American Month
• National Soul Food Month
• PTSD Awareness Month
• National Loving Day (for interracial marriage) – annually on June 12

June national awareness causes and themes

June is home to National Safety Month, National Great Outdoors Month, and more. Let’s go through some great ways to market your business in June with these June awareness causes.

Download our free, definitive guide to social media (simplified!) to see how you can quickly become social savvy for June!

Safety Month

Safety is a versatile topic that can apply to just about any audience. For example, here are some evergreen blog post ideas for different audiences:

• Cyclers: 10 Must-Have Features for your Child’s Helmet; 10 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid When Riding at Night
• Parents: Quiz: Are You Truly Keeping Your Baby Safe?
• Businesses: 5 Ways to Safeguard Your Network Against Hackers
• Millennials: 8 Social Media Safety Tips You Didn’t Know You Needed

You could also take a more seasonal approach by creating content around staying safe in the summer, or by handing out travel-sized sunscreen bottles in your store or with online orders for a limited time.

Great Outdoors Month

After brutal winters and busy school years, people are always particularly excited to get outside in June. Here are some ways to apply this theme to your marketing:

• Create a blog or social media post on the best places around your state to get outside and experience nature. Ask your followers to share their favorite spots, too.
• You could also run a month-long email campaign that points out new ideas and places to visit each week.
• If you hold indoor classes, host them outside!
• Run a sidewalk sale (because hey, outdoors doesn’t have to mean sitting atop a mountain).
• If there’s a local business near you that sells outdoor gear, see if they’ll donate some products for an “outdoors essentials” kit or even just a discount that you could offer in a giveaway. In return, you can promote their business on social media or even offer to donate your products at a relevant time.
• Turn a beautiful outdoors image into a media ad you can run on the Google Display Network and other owned media ad sites, like the USA Today Network. As a bonus, you could also turn this display ad into an eye-catching print ad or direct mailer.

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Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month happens every June to remind folks of the 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older that live with Alzheimer’s disease. People dealing with Alzheimer’s and other related Brain diseases are also beloved grandparents, parents, friends, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and valued members of their community. Here is how your business can show it cares about this cause this June:

• Spread awareness in your campaigns by acknowledging this observance in your copy and creative.
• Donate money or volunteering time to a local senior center.

Candy Month

I would have assumed Candy Month falls in October, but actually it’s in June. This is great news for your business, as there’s plenty to play around with in your campaigns to connect with Candy Month. For example, you could hold a “guess how many” candy jar contest or sweepstakes.

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Summer vacation/graduation

Celebrate the end of the school year with specials geared toward high school or college graduates. Some marketing ideas for you:

• Moving companies can run special promotions for college grads.
• Restaurants can offer a gift card to graduates who post a picture of themselves at their restaurant wearing their cap and gown.
• Catering and events businesses can post the dates during which their services are still available.
• Don’t forget about running sales for graduation and teacher gifts!

More June monthly themes and observances

Here are more June awareness themes that you can use as a compass for your social media posts, blogs, emails, and promotions.

June national day highlights

There is an observance day for just about every niche out there that can be a fit for June marketing campaigns. The full list (with dates) is at the bottom of this post, but here are some notables:

And there you have it. A basketful of ideas and examples to keep your brand creative, attractive, and authentic! For more ways to squeeze the most out of your campaigns this June, see how our solutions can help!

Also, be sure to check out these other monthly marketing resources:

• May Marketing Ideas (and Examples) for Any Business or Budget
• Summer-Ready June Content Ideas
• Free and Creative July Marketing Ideas
• Easy & Engaging August Marketing Ideas
• Back-to-School Messages for A+ Marketing

Full list of June holidays and observances

And as promised, here’s the list of June holidays and observances.

June 1

• Go Barefoot Day
• Say Something Nice Day
• Penpal Day
• World Milk Day
• National Nail Polish Day
• Global Day of Parents
• National Leave The Office Early Day

June 2

• National Rotisserie Chicken Day

June 3

• Repeat Day
• National Black Bear Day
• National Running Day – First Wednesday in June

June 4

• Clean Beauty Day
• Hug Your Cat Day

June 5

• National Veggie Burger Day
• World Environment Day
• Donut Day – First Friday in June

June 6

• D-Day
• Eyewear Day
• Higher Education Day
• Gardening Exercise Day
• Bubbly Day – First Saturday in June
• Trails Day – First Saturday in June

June 7

• World Caring Day
• World Food Safety Day
• Cancer Survivor’s Day – First Sunday in June

June 8

• Best Friends Day
• World Brain Tumor Day
• SAFE Day

June 9

• National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
• National Movie Night
• Call Your Doctor Day – Second Tuesday in June

June 10

• Iced Tea Day
• Herbs and Spices Day

June 11

• Making Life Beautiful Day

June 12

• Red Rose Day
• Loving Day

June 13

• Kitchen Klutzes of America Day
• Random Acts of Light Day
• First Lady’s Day
• Weed Your Garden Day
• Sewing Machine Day
• Rosé Day – Second Saturday in June

June 14

• Army Birthday
• Flag Day
• Children’s Day – Second Sunday in June

June 15

• Smile Power Day
• Nature Photography Day

June 17

• Garbage Man Day
• Eat Your Vegetables Day
• Mascot Day

June 18

• National Splurge Day
• International Sushi Day

June 19

• Juneteenth

June 20

• World Productivity Day

June 21

• Daylight Appreciation Day
• Selfie Day
• Father’s Day – Third Sunday in June
• Summer solstice/first day of summer/ longest Day of the Year

June 22

• HVAC Tech Day

June 23

• National Hydration Day
• National Pink Day

June 24

• National Take Back Lunch Break Day
• National Pralines Day

June 25

• Global Beatles Dazy
• National Catfish Day
• National Strawberry Parfait Day

June 26

• Beautician’s Day
• National Barcode Day
• National Chocolate Pudding Day
• International Day Against Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
• Take Your Dog to Work Day – Friday After Father’s Day

June 27

• Sunglasses Day
• PTSD Awareness Day

June 28

• Logistics Day
• Insurance Awareness Day

June 29

• Camera Day

June 30

• Meteor Watch Day
• Social Media Day

The post 58 Free June Marketing Ideas for Sizzling Campaigns appeared first on WordStream.

Their experience jives with consumer behaviors. 61% of buyers say they’ve discovered a new brand or product on social in the last 12 months. And social media is now the most preferred channel for product discovery among consumers aged 18 to 44.

To meet customers where they search and drive more traffic to your website, you need an intentional social media optimization strategy.

In this guide, we’ll define search engine optimization and then break down a successful social media optimization strategy into 21 tactics. We’ll start with quick wins you can do today, and then cover long-term techniques that’ll keep your social presence growing for years to come.

Contents

• What is social media optimization?
• What are the benefits of social media optimization?
• Social media optimization quick wins
• Long-term social media optimization tactics

What is social media optimization?

Social media optimization (SMO) is the practice of refining your social media profiles, content, and posting strategy to increase visibility, engagement, and traffic across social platforms and search engines.

SMO covers everything from keyword-rich bios and consistent branding to choosing the right formats, posting times, and platform-specific features that push your content to more of the right people.

Brands like Duolingo use social media optimization to build large online followings that translate into more customers.

Ready for even more social success? Download The Definitive Guide to Social Media Marketing (Simplified!)

What are the benefits of social media optimization?

If you’re spending any time posting to social media platforms, optimizing your efforts will help you get a lot more in return. Here are a few specific ways SMO will benefit your business:

• Gain visibility where your audience already spends time: Optimized profiles and content get surfaced by social media algorithms to more people on the platforms they’re already scrolling.
• Enjoy higher engagement rates: When your content matches what your audience actually wants to see, the likes, shares, and comments follow. Social platforms then reward that engagement with even more reach.
• Build a stronger search engine presence: Optimized social profiles rank in Google. A well-built Facebook or LinkedIn page can show up right alongside your website when someone searches your business name or category.

Optimized social media content appears on many search engine results pages.

• Increase visibility with AI platforms: AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews draw on social content to answer user questions. An optimized presence makes it more likely your business gets mentioned.
• Drive more referral traffic to your website: Strategic links, calls to action, and content that creates curiosity drive people from your social profiles to your site, where they can actually convert.
• Present a consistent brand that builds trust: SMO means your bios, visuals, tone, and messaging line up across every platform. That consistent brand personality makes your business look credible and professional before a customer ever reaches out.
• Get sharper audience insights: An important aspect of SMO is paying attention to what performs well, which tells you what your audience actually cares about. That will guide future social media strategies so they drive even better results.

Oatly maintains a consistent brand personality that’s attractive to its target audience.

9 quick social media optimization wins

Let’s start with a handful of ways you can optimize your social media presence in a few minutes. Not only are each of these quick and easy, but they’ll also have a huge impact on how many people see and engage with your content.

1. Optimize your profile and bio

Each social media platform offers some type of profile page you can customize, and they each have some space to write a bio. Together, they act as the home base for your brand for curious visitors and help algorithms and AI know what your account is all about.

What’s allowed in our bio varies by social site. But there are a few rules that apply to them all:

• Fill out all available business information (name, phone number, address if applicable, website, etc.)
• Use relevant keywords to help algorithms identify your page.
• Use clear, professional, recognizable header, profile, and banner images.
• Include a link to your website,

This coffee bar makes good use of its bio, including keywords, location information, and hours of operation.

2. Use the 80/20 rule for promoting products in organic posts

If you want to create long-term, compounding growth through social media, you’ll need to be more than just transactional. That means sharing educational, entertaining, community-building content that gives people a reason to follow you, even when they’re not ready to buy what you sell.

The general rule of thumb is that about 80% of your content should be helpful, brand-building posts, and the other 20% can feature a specific product, service, or promotion.

Goldieblox mixes purely educational posts with its product promotions.

Get an entire year’s worth of social media content ideas in this free resource >> Your Copy & Paste Social Media Calendar

3. Use hashtags strategically

Hashtags categorize your social media content so that people searching or following specific topics can find it, even if they don’t already follow you. That’s why they’re so important for growing beyond your current audience.

Try using a mix of popular hashtags, like #newhome, location hashtags, like #realestatedenver, and niche hashtags, like #firsttimehomebuyerfinancing.

There is a lot to learn about these little bits of copy. These guides will help:

• Hashtag Ideas for Every Industry & How to Use Them for Your Business
• Popular Instagram Hashtags (+How to Find & Use the Right Ones)
• TikTok Hashtags for Better Discoverability
• Creative Hashtags for Every Day of the Week

4. Add closed captions

92% of users view videos with the sound off on mobile. Closed captions, or subtitles, make sure your message reaches the majority of viewers.

Subtitles help make how-to videos easier to follow along.

Adding subtitles is a great way to make your videos more accessible to people with hearing disabilities.

5. Use the right image size

Social media platforms have different rules for the image and video sizes you can use. Follow the rules, and your content will be fully and correctly displayed.

We’ve compiled the latest image sizes for the most popular social networks here.

6. Add alt text to your profile images

Alt text is a short written description attached to an image that tells search engines what the image shows and makes your content accessible to people using screen readers. And it isn’t just for SEO-ing your website.

You can also add those important keywords in the alt text of your social media posts. Check out the advanced settings section in your social network of choice to update it.

7. Post at the right time

When you post on social media can influence how algorithms prioritize your content. That’s because recency is often a ranking factor (new content gets priority), and because early engagement can signal that your content deserves more exposure.

The best time to post depends on several factors, like your time zone, when your audience is online, and the rules of each platform. We’ve dug through the data for each major social network to give you a head start:

• The Best Time to Post on Instagram (For Every Scenario)
• The Best Time to Post on Facebook (+Why it Matters)
• The Best Time to Post on TikTok For Your Business
• The Best Time to Post on LinkedIn for Maximum Engagement
• The Absolute Best Time to Post on YouTube

8. Use compelling calls to action (CTA)

A key component of social media optimization is getting people to take the next step towards buying from your business. A strong CTA helps move people from viewer to buyer.

Most social media platforms offer a set menu of CTA buttons you can add to a post. But don’t let that stop you from including another one in the copy or caption.

Adding a big, bold CTA is one of the easiest and most effective social media optimization strategies.

9. Fill out all business info

Never miss a chance to offer more details about your business. Especially when you can do it for free on social media platforms.

This is especially true on Facebook and LinkedIn, where there are copious places to include business descriptions, images, links, and more.

Fitbit maximizes its Facebook presence with plenty of details about its business.

11 advanced social media optimization tactics

With those quick wins knocked out and your social media presence on the rise, let’s take it to the next level with these more advanced (but still very doable) optimization tactics.

10. Use social media management tools

We’re listing this first because it can help with just about every other strategy on this list. Social media tools come in many flavors, but they typically fit in three categories:

• Paid social media management tools: These are comprehensive tools that usually have scheduling, content creation, and tracking features. Hootsuite and Social Sprout are examples.
• Native social media tools: These include the tools built into each social platform. Facebook’s analytics dashboard and TikTok tools for creators belong in this category.
• Free social media optimization tools: These third-party tools are available at no cost and typically focus on a single aspect of optimization. WordStream’s Facebook Ads Performance Grader and Ahrefs Free AI Social Media Hashtag Generator are part of this group.

11. Engage in the comments

Social media gives you an incredible two-way communication channel that most other marketing platforms can’t match. Use it to create community, encourage discussion, and learn more about your followers and customers.

There’s a big bonus here. Your additional comments and conversations with followers are a signal to algorithms that your content is popular and deserves to be shown in more people’s feeds.

12. Move negative conversations to private messages

Stay on social long enough, and you’re bound to get a negative message or twelve. It’s critical that you respond to them quickly and professionally because people are watching. A misstep could cost you followers, which is the opposite of most optimization goals.

There are two steps to follow. First, show compassion. Second, move the conversation to a private channel.

Moving customer concerns to private channels can keep a small incident from becoming a social media crisis.

13. Use social media SEO

Social media platforms work similarly to search engines in that an algorithm, or an AI system, decides which content to show on a user’s screen. And that’s why social SEO is an important part of long-term social media optimization.

To boost your social SEO, find and use relevant keywords in your:

• Bio
• Captions
• Post titles
• Video descriptions
• Video scripts
• Document file names
• Image alt text (as mentioned before)

This sporting goods outfitter loaded its Instagram profile with lots of keywords.

14. Customize your thumbnail images

A thumbnail is the preview image people see before clicking on your video or post. It works like a book cover, motivating people to open and view your content. And that engagement becomes contagious as more people see and watch what you’ve shared.

Your thumbnail image should tell people exactly what they’ll get when they click. It helps to express some emotion and add enough color contrast for it to stand out.

Match your thumbnail to your message and audience. 

15. Learn from your competitors

Your competitors offer a masterclass in what to do (or not do) to get results on social media. Tracking their actions is a powerful takeaway that should be a recurring part of your SMO.

To start, simply look for your closest competitors’ accounts, see what kind of content they publish, how often, and the results it gets. If you’re in the lawn care industry and your biggest competitor gets a ton of engagement on how-to videos, add them to your strategy.

You can also peruse the Meta Ad Library (Facebook and Instagram ads) and the TikTok Ads Library to see what their paid promotions look like.

16. Make use of all formats

Social media platforms let you post a variety of content types in various formats. Systematically try each one to learn which generates the best results (and which you can keep up with).

For example, on Instagram alone, there are video and static-image feed posts, carousels, Reels, Lives, and Stories.

Get Sunday makes use of video ads, still images, and Stories in its Instagram account.

17. Share user-generated content (UGC)

There are two common challenges with optimizing your social media presence. One is that it’s hard to create enough content to post constantly. The other is that it’s hard to get in front of new audiences quickly.

UGC—photos, videos, reviews, or posts that your customers create about your brand—addresses both of those hurdles. That’s because it’s a free source of new content and, when you tag the creator, you can get in front of their social network.

Chewy’s customers post about their products, giving the brand access to fresh, trusted content.

18. Add UTMs to your links

UTMs are short tracking codes you add to the end of a URL that let you track where traffic comes from. They don’t change anything about how the link operates for viewers. They just create a unique URL that you can single out for different channels.

For SMO, UTMs make it possible to tell if a link to your website came from Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Or, you can create them for a specific promotion. That’ll let you know if a discount code or a new product drop is better at driving traffic.

19. Use polls and ask questions

We’ve mentioned a couple of times that getting engagement is both a goal of SMO and a way to generate even more engagement. Polls and questions are excellent ways to get that engagement snowball rolling.

Here’s a simple and powerful example. Staples used an Instagram Story Ads Poll to ask the age-old question of which way the roll should go.

This kind of cultural quiz can drum up a lot of buzz. But you can also use this tactic to learn about your customers and even guide things like product or service design. Just ask which colors or features your followers like most, for example.

20. Test, track, and tweak

The final social media optimization tactic is also the most important. Nothing in social is set it and forget it. You have to be intentional in trying new things, identifying which ones work, and adjusting your strategy to improve.

This isn’t only to find new tactics that work best now. It’ll help you adapt as social evolves. Whether it’s the influence of AI or the rise of a new social network, you’ll be ahead of the curve if you have a solid testing method in place.

Here are a few questions to ask as you design each test:

• Who will run the test?
• What parameters are you comparing (copy variations, video vs still images, different platforms)?
• Which social media metrics will you use to measure the outcome?
• What will you do with the data?

Social media optimization starts with an audit

We’ve shared 20 of the best ways to optimize your social media presence. But before you dig into any of these tactics, you should take a beat to figure out where you are.

If you’ve never posted on social for your brand before, then you’re done. But if you’ve been active already, start with a social media audit. That will give you a baseline for things like follower counts and engagement rates to build off of. It will also offer early insights into what’s worked in the past, so you’re not starting from scratch.

The post Our 21 Best Social Media Optimization Tactics (With Examples) appeared first on WordStream.

Brand personality can level the playing field and help small businesses win over customers’ hearts (and wallets) even with a limited budget. That’s because an intentional brand personality makes your business more memorable and relevant to the people you need to influence. The return on that is immeasurable.

In this guide, I’ll explain exactly what a brand personality is and how you can develop one that woos even the most skeptical of buyers. Plus, I’ll dissect standout examples from brands that have crafted unmistakable personalities.

Contents

• What is brand personality?
• Why does brand personality matter?
• How to develop your brand personality (7-step framework)
• 5 brands doing brand personality right

What is brand personality?

Brand personality is the set of human qualities a brand consistently shows through how it looks, speaks, and behaves. It includes each detail that helps your brand become recognizable, relatable, and, ideally, adored.

Your brand personality guides will guide your decisions, from visual design and messaging to customer interactions, and help your audience understand what the brand stands for in consistent and sometimes subtle ways.

Every aspect of Red Bull’s brand image screams bold, edgy, and unapologetically extreme. 

It’s good to note that brand personality is different from brand voice.

Let’s break it down. Brand personality defines all aspects of your presence. It is the set of human traits the brand embodies, like confident, playful, thoughtful, or rebellious.

Brand voice is how the brand speaks. It is the expression of that personality in words, tone, and language choices.

In simple terms, personality is the character, and voice is the way that character communicates.

Every successful business, big or small, has a very distinctive brand personality. For example, Oatly comes across as outspoken and a little rebellious, using humor and blunt honesty to challenge industry norms. Olipop feels optimistic and modern, with a friendly, wellness-first tone that makes better-for-you choices feel easy. Airbnb’s personality is warm and human, centered on belonging and curiosity, inviting people to experience places as locals.

Say it with feeling! Get 135 of the Best Words & Phrases for Marketing with Emotion

Why does brand personality matter?

Brand personality matters because it’s often the reason people notice a brand, remember it, and feel something about it—often before they ever even consider what they sell. It’s how you “live rent-free” in your target audience’s head until they’re ready to buy.

More than anything, your brand’s personality quietly shapes how it shows up in the world and why that presence makes a difference. Here’s why brand personality plays such an important role:

• It makes a brand recognizable: A clear personality helps people identify your brand instantly, even when your logo or name is not front and center.
• It builds trust through consistency: When a brand sounds and behaves the same way over time, it feels reliable. That reliability is what turns familiarity into trust, which in turn becomes loyalty.
• It guides better decisions: A strong personality acts as a filter, helping you decide what fits and what does not, from campaign ideas to customer experiences.
• It creates an emotional connection: People do not connect with products or services alone. They connect with brands that feel human, align with their values, or reflect who they are.
• It sets you apart when offers look alike: In competitive categories, personality becomes the differentiator, giving customers a reason to choose you when everything else feels interchangeable. This is especially important for services, where differentiation happens through human interaction, tone, and experience rather than tangible features or specs.

How to develop your brand personality: 7-step framework

Your brand personality shouldn’t be an afterthought. That said, developing a brand personality is not about picking adjectives off a list just to check a box. It is about making intentional choices that reflect who you are, who you are for, and how you want to show up consistently over time. This framework keeps the process practical and easy to follow.

1. Start with your truth (not your aspirations)

Before you define how you want to sound or feel, get clear on what is already true about your business. Look at why the company exists, how decisions are made, and what you would still stand for even if no one were watching.

In this review, include your founding story and how your values show up in action. For many small businesses, the founder’s personality naturally shapes the brand’s personality as well. A strong brand personality is always rooted in reality, not aspiration.

2. Understand the emotional needs of your audience

Brand personality lives in the relationship between you and your audience. To shape it well, you need to understand not just who your audience is, but how they want to feel when they interact with a brand like yours. Are they looking for reassurance, momentum, belonging, confidence, or escape?

The goal is to understand those needs and use your brand personality as an anchor for how you show up across everything you do.

This is what Pandora, the leading global jewelry brand, does with its well-known customizable charm bracelets. Or as they would say: Mini charms, big meanings. Pandora positions itself as a brand that helps people tell their own stories. It has a romantic, personal, and emotionally expressive brand personality, with a strong emphasis on sentiment over status.

Make your marketing even more meaningful. Download 26 Brilliant Ways to Use Psychology in Your Copywriting (with Examples)

3. Define your personality traits with intention

Once you understand your foundation and your audience, you can define your core personality traits. Three to five traits are usually enough, as long as each one is specific, meaningful, and actionable.

Focus on your audience’s perception here. Confident is better than professional. Curious reads more useful and interesting than innovative.

For every trait, clarify what it means in practice, and just as importantly, what it does not mean. This prevents vague language and makes the personality easier to apply consistently.

Remember Apple’s “Think different” campaign? It embodies Apple’s essence: calm, confident, and precise, letting craftsmanship speak for itself.

4. Create a personality statement and brand style guide

Once your traits are defined, bring them together in a clear personality statement and supporting brand style guide.

The personality statement captures the essence of your brand in a few grounded sentences, making it easy for anyone to understand how the brand should feel. The style guide then translates that personality into practical direction, from voice and tone to visual cues and examples of what to do and what to avoid.

And since AI is becoming so prevalent in marketing, make sure to create AI brand guidelines, too.

This step turns abstract traits into shared language and everyday tools, helping everyone show up in a way that feels consistent and intentional.

5. Translate personality into behavior

A brand personality is not just a PDF that collects digital dust. In other words, a brand personality only matters if it shows up in real decisions. This is where many brands fall short.

Ask how your personality influences the way you write headlines, design packages, handle complaints, onboard customers, or say no to opportunities. If your brand is bold, where do you take risks?

Let’s say a core tenet of your brand is caring. How does that show up when something goes wrong? If you can’t identify the traits in everyday situations, your brand personality serves only as a decorative label, which means you’ve missed the point.

One of the clearest ways brands translate personality into behavior is through mascots. Duo, the iconic green owl from Duolingo, is the obvious example. Duo’s chaotic, persistent behavior reinforces the brand’s playful and relentless personality. That personality shows up consistently in notifications, social posts, and product copy.

6. Turn your employees into brand ambassadors

Employees are the most powerful carriers of your brand, because they bring its personality into real conversations and everyday moments. That starts with helping them understand what the brand is and how it should feel in practice.

When people are empowered to make decisions through the lens of brand personality, they stop following scripts and start showing up with confidence. The ultimate goal is to turn everyday interactions into consistent, on-brand experiences. And encouraging your employees to share content around it all.

7. Stress-test it for consistency and longevity

Before locking anything in, test your brand personality against real scenarios. How does it hold up in a crisis? Does it work across channels, teams, and growth stages? Will it still feel right in five or ten years? Here’s the thing: a good personality should be flexible enough to evolve, but strong enough to remain recognizable.

5 businesses doing brand personality right

It’s time to see brand personality in action and get your creative gears turning. These businesses show what happens when brand personality is clear, consistent, and woven into every decision.

Heinz: confident and iconic

Talking about brand personality, one can’t help but mention Heniz. Heinz’s brand personality is confident, dependable, and unapologetically classic. It presents itself as the authority in its category, grounded in heritage and quality rather than trends.

There’s a sense of quiet confidence in how Heinz shows up, trusting that consistency, familiarity, and great taste speak for themselves. At the same time, the brand knows how to use wit and cultural relevance, reinforcing its iconic status without trying too hard to prove it. And that’s perfectly reflected in their latest campaign, which unveiled the Heinz Dipper, a French fry box with a built-in ketchup compartment for dipping on the go.

Native: honest and reliable

Native is another excellent example of a strong brand personality. Native’s personality is honest, approachable, and feel-good.

The brand speaks with straightforward clarity about making products that are clean, simple, effective, and free of unwanted ingredients. Native makes sure its brand personality is front and center in their advertising as well—reliable, welcoming, and focused on helping people feel confident about what they use on their bodies.

Headspace: calm and supportive

Headspace’s brand personality is calm, reassuring, and human. It positions itself as a friendly guide, making mindfulness and mental health feel accessible instead of intimidating. The brand knows how sensitive the topic of mental health is. That’s why it speaks in a warm, simple way that reduces pressure and invites people to start where they are.

There’s a strong sense of empathy in how Headspace shows up, acknowledging stress, overwhelm, and everyday struggles without dramatizing them. The brand builds trust through its gentle visuals and clear language.

This approach is reinforced through Ebb, Headspace’s empathetic AI companion, which offers personalized recommendations based on how you’re feeling.

Petbarn: caring and knowledgeable

If you have a pet, there’s no need to explain how important pets are to people. Petbarn knows this. The moment you open its website, you can tell it’s a trusted partner for pet owners, combining genuine affection for animals with clear expertise and guidance.

Petbarn’s brand personality is caring, practical, and deeply pet-focused. And so is the way they communicate—warm while staying grounded in helpful advice and real solutions.

The brand highlights the bond people have with their pets and reflects that care across its messaging, while also reinforcing reliability through education, services, and everyday support. It’s in the thoughtful details, like personalizing their search bar with your pet’s name after completing your pet’s profile.

Cherrypick: helpful and intuitive

Cherrypick’s brand personality is helpful and practical. The brand positions itself as an everyday assistant that simplifies meal planning and grocery shopping without adding extra complexity. Its voice feels clear and reassuring, focused on saving time and reducing decision fatigue.

What makes Cherrypick stand out is how seamlessly it fits into daily routines. By bringing recipes, meal planning, and grocery ordering into one place, the brand communicates ease and efficiency at every touchpoint. It uses bold design, colorful visuals, and witty copy to communicate its mission. Cherrypick exists to make healthier, more sustainable food choices easier and more affordable by removing friction from everyday cooking and shopping.

Brand personality is what keeps your brand consistent

Brand personality is what holds everything together. It shapes how people recognize you, how they feel when they interact with you, and whether your brand feels cohesive or fragmented over time. When it’s clear and consistently applied, it creates trust. When it’s not, even strong tactics can feel disjointed or forgettable.

If you’re unsure of your current brand perception, ask AI. Tell your tool of choice to review available mentions of your brand across Google, Reddit, and other online locations. Then have it summarize the overarching themes.

The post Brand Personality: Definition, Examples, & How to Build Your Own appeared first on WordStream.

In this easy guide to keyword research, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to find the best keywords for your business, including what keyword research is and why it’s essential, along with the steps and tools to perform easy and effective keyword research.

Once you nail down your keywords, you can start to have fun with your campaigns, so let’s get it done and dusted. Use these recommendations and tips to show up exactly where your potential customers are looking!

Contents

• What is keyword research?
• Why is keyword research important?
• How to do keyword research in 10 steps
• Our favorite keyword research tools

What is keyword research?

Keyword research is the process of finding the terms people use to search for information on a topic, as well as how often those keywords are used in search engines like Google and Bing. Keyword research is the best way to find new, relevant keywords to expand your paid and organic search marketing campaigns.

“Keyword research helps you discover and prioritize the search terms that truly matter to your business and goals—so your ads appear for the right searches, not just more searches. The strongest keyword lists aren’t the largest; they’re filtered by intent, ensuring every click has a clear purpose,” said Jennah Patel, Senior Manager of Marketing Operations at LocaliQ and WordStream.

Keyword research can be conducted through a variety of tools that we’ll discuss in more detail below, but the main goal is to find the right search terms that have intent aligned with your business’s content and offerings, along with decent search volume.

In addition to search volume, other keyword metrics may be helpful when conducting research and prioritizing which keywords to target, such as:

• Cost per click (CPC)
• Competition (how difficult it is to rank for that keyword)
• Your own site authority

Why should you do keyword research?

Keywords are the building blocks of not only your online presence, but also your business growth, since keywords help you get found by customers online. Google processes over 14 billion search queries each day. That’s a lot of keywords! But you can’t just target any and every keyword. You need to do your research to find the most fruitful ones for your business.

You want your content to consistently target the terms and topics your audience is interested in. There’s an art and science to it.

If your targeted keywords’ search volumes are too low, leads won’t be able to discover your ads or organic listings, visit your website, and turn into paying customers. But if the keywords you’re trying to rank for or bid on are too popular, you might not get on the SERP at all or end up overpaying for your ad clicks.

Here are three areas where having the right balance of quality keywords is most critical.

For SEO

The first and most obvious reason we need keyword research is to optimize for organic search. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps Google bots crawl and index our websites to rank organically on the search engine results pages (SERPs). One of the primary ways that search engines decide what to rank is by crawling for keywords that show relevance between the user’s search query and the content on your website.

Keyword research is a critical step in building your business’s SEO strategy. 

 See how businesses like yours are approaching keyword research this year with our latest small business website trends report that covers SEO, GEO, and the future of traffic!

To fuel your content strategy

We all know that SEO and content go hand-in-hand. Without content on your website, strong SEO will not follow.

“Effective content strategies start with keyword research,” says Search Engine Land columnist Nate Dame. “Modern keyword research provides significant insight into what audiences want and need.”

Every single piece of content on your site, whether it be a 300-word blog post or a 5,000-word guide, should be written with SEO in mind. That is, it is focused around a keyword that strikes the right balance between high search volume and competition.

For paid campaigns

Marketers often think about SEO and content when referring to keyword research, but most of your paid campaigns should also be keyword-focused. Whether it be your paid search ads, display ads, remarketing, or social media campaigns, all of these strategies need to be centered around the terms that people are searching for.

For example, with paid search, you’re literally bidding on individual keywords. Keywords make up your ad groups, which make up your campaigns. If these keywords have low search volume, then your ads are going to get little or no traction. Also, if your keywords do not pertain to your target audience, you’re going to get the wrong people clicking on your ads, which wastes your precious budget.

The bottom line is that keyword research is key in all search marketing campaigns!

“Keyword research is especially critical when launching a new campaign, expanding into a new service or category, or when performance shifts and results start to plateau or decline,” Jennah said.

How to do keyword research like a pro in 10 steps

Keyword research may sound intimidating, but it’s actually much easier than you’d think. Here are the steps to get you off to a productive start.

1. Understand keyword intent

Before we get into the logistics of how to conduct keyword research, it’s critical to mention the importance of keyword intent. Keyword intent is the reason a person is searching for something in the first place.

There are four main types of keyword intent:

1. Informational: Searching for specific answers or background knowledge on a topic.
2. Commercial: Searching to research a purchase.
3. Transactional: Searching to make a purchase.
4. Navigational: Searching for a specific site or brand.

You can see why this would be important for keyword research, right? If you’re unable to understand the true intent of your keywords or if the keywords you’re targeting have the wrong intent that isn’t aligned with your business goals, then they are essentially useless.

Let’s take paid search as an example. The keywords “wedding cake” or “wedding cake ideas” show a very different intent than “buy wedding cake in Boston” or even “wedding cake shops near me.” These latter two options have much higher commercial intent, meaning they indicate that the goal is to find a store and purchase a cake.

People searching those keywords are closer to the bottom of the funnel, the point of purchase.

So while it makes sense to target commercial keywords with shopping ads, conversion-optimized landing pages, and other content that makes it easy to buy, the intent of higher-funnel, less commercial keywords might be better met with a blog post full of wedding cake ideas.

Being able to truly understand your prospects’ intent is critical to being successful at keyword research and search marketing in general.

Find the best keywords for your business with our easy Free Keyword Tool.

2. Brainstorm a list of broad topics related to your business

Start thinking of the different categories and topics that pertain to your business. Start broad, and don’t worry about getting too specific right away.

For example, if you’re a bakery, you might break down your topics by the types of baked goods you sell, like cakes, quiches, croissants, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc. It can help to use a Google document or an Excel spreadsheet and create tabs for each of these main topics you’ve brainstormed.

3. Use keyword tools to find specific keywords within each topic

Alright, this is where the fun begins! You really need to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and think about how you would discover your business if you were them. If you’re a marketer with little customer-facing interaction, it can help to speak with your sales team to see the language that new leads typically use.

You can start with a simple brainstorm. Let’s go back to our bakery example for this one, focusing on the “cakes” category. Since you make cakes for special occasions, you might write down some keywords like “wedding cakes,” “affordable wedding cakes,” “stylish wedding cakes,” “summer wedding cakes,” etc. Then you may focus on other occasions that you sell cakes for, like birthdays or anniversaries. You’ll then recall that people often search for specific flavors like “red velvet” and “marble.”

Oh, and location is important! You should mention your target locations in some of your keywords to help you show up in local results.

Should you stop there? NO! Instinct will only get you so far. It’s easy to miss whole pockets of relevant keywords that you should be targeting, or you may find that the keywords you think would drive traffic are so low-volume that they won’t get you anywhere. You need to use keyword tools to make sure you’re surfacing all the relevant keywords that should be in your content plan and search campaigns.

Type each of your main topics (“cakes,” “cookies,” etc.) into a keyword tool to get a list of related keywords, their associated search volume, and other data. You can also type in any specific keywords from your brainstorming session to see what kind of volume they get.

Remember, if they’re far-fetched or too specific, keyword research tools will reveal that your keywords are not worth focusing on. On the other end of the spectrum, your keywords might be too broad, resulting in super high search volume or a high level of competition. If you’re a small, local bakery, you wouldn’t want to compete with a global cookie company. Rather, your keywords should be more targeted to your location.

Keyword research tools will help you discover which keywords are worth investing in. The list of the top tools below will help you determine which ones to try first.

4. Consider competitor keywords

Don’t forget to put your spy gear on when conducting keyword research! It’s important not to forget about the competition when pursuing keywords found through keyword research.

For instance, when a keyword has very high search volume, it can often be seen as much more competitive. But how can you be sure your competitors are ranking for such terms? Well, as mentioned, one of the easiest ways is Google! Simply Googling the keywords you’re looking to target to see what is currently ranking is a great approach.

What about your paid search competitors? You can use the Google Ads Auction Insights report to see how your main competitors are doing compared to you, in terms of impression share, average position, and more.

Once you know who you’re competing with, you can use a tool, like WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool or Ahrefs, to see what keywords they’re ranking for. Just drop in their URL instead of a keyword or topic.

To gain background from your competitors in paid search, think about how you can be more compelling. For instance, you can add assets to your ad or try writing more emotional, intriguing ad copy, which may entice searchers to choose your wedding cakes over the not-so-tasty cake shop down the street.

Here are some more tips on how to write ads that get high CTR (which in turn raises your Quality Score and saves you money!).

5. Include questions in your keyword list

One of the best ways to build brand trust and affinity is to provide great answers to your prospects’ burning questions.

Targeting questions will allow you to get right at the problems your customers are having, in turn leading them to discover your business and engage with your content. Question keywords can also benefit you greatly in the organic search results. If you provide the highest quality answers to difficult questions, your credibility will rise, allowing you to rank higher on the SERPs.

So how do you find these ideal questions? What questions are your searchers asking? If you can figure this out, then you’ll have a long list of informative keyword phrases to incorporate into your SEO, paid search, and content strategy.

If you’re at a standstill when it comes to brainstorming questions, there are some really great keyword tools out there, like Answer the Public. This awesome free tool, with a super weird homepage, works like so: Type in a keyword, and behold the beautiful visual that appears, with a circular display of questions grouped by the word they start with (where, which, who, how, why, etc.):

If my intent was to sell cleaning services, I could target some high-intent questions from the list, like “who offers cleaning services” or “where to hire a residential cleaner.” You’ll also find higher-funnel questions that people in the market for a maid or cleaner need help with, like “how much does a maid cost in [location].”

The next step would then be using one of your keyword research tools to get search volume data for these questions, as well as other helpful metrics to ensure the keywords are worth pursuing. One strategy would be to target as many of these keywords as possible in a single “ultimate guide” type resource for maintaining home cleanliness.

6. Research the associated costs for your PPC keywords

Let’s take a moment to review some of the specific considerations related to keyword research for PPC, or paid search marketing. Keyword research for paid search can be a bit more daunting, since your budget is on the line. Keeping cost in mind will help you determine if certain keywords are in or out of budget for your upcoming campaigns.

You want to ensure you’re able to bid high enough to rank in the first 0-3 slots on Google, but not so high that you’re paying an absurd amount for one single click. Pay attention to these metrics when researching and deciding on keywords for your ad groups. Our latest Google Ads benchmarks report can help you get an idea of what the average keyword might cost your business.

7. Do negative keyword research

Conducting negative keyword research is just as important as regular keyword research when it comes to PPC, because if you’re not excluding irrelevant words, you could be wasting money on irrelevant clicks. You’d be amazed at how much money you can waste this way. This is especially important when using broad or even phrase match types.

Also, just typing your keyword into Google and seeing what appears as suggestions to search for can help you identify negative keyword terms. For instance, if you’re selling cakes, you’re probably not interested in showing up for any “recipe” queries, since you’d have to pay for those low-intent clicks.

Our study of over 15,000 Google Ads accounts found that adding just one negative keyword can triple conversion rates.

8. Include commercial intent keywords

Your goal in getting seen on Google, whether organically or through ads, is likely not just to drive clicks, but also to increase conversions.

However, if you’re actually looking to target the most interested and qualified searchers, driving more conversions and sales, you should focus most of your budget on commercial intent keywords, such as those containing words like “buy now,” “discount,” “free shipping,” brand names, and any other terms that demonstrate the searcher is ready to make a purchase.

While you may still need to target keywords outside of this bucket, I’d recommend allocating a higher budget to keywords with high commercial intent since they’re the most likely to have the highest return.

Find more tips on how to allocate your Google Ads budget to different keyword types here.

9. Group your keywords properly

Once you’ve identified your high-intent, commercial, appropriately priced keywords, you need to group them in order to configure your campaign. Small groupings of tightly related keywords are how you should approach structuring your ad groups. If you have a long list of keywords, and this task seems daunting, you could lean on AI to take the first stab.

10. Use AI to cross-check your keyword research

You’ll want to be extremely careful using AI for keyword research, since our research on AI in SEO, as well as AI in PPC, showed that no AI tool can provide 100% accurate keyword data.

However, like I just mentioned, AI can be helpful for keyword list organization or updates. You could also use AI to build off a list you manually created. Just be sure to give your final AI-powered keyword list another final edit before using it, in case an AI tool throws in a wildcard term you don’t want. You might also need to test a few AI tools to see which would be best for your keyword research, since they are all slightly different in their user experience as well as their topic and platform-specific expertise.

Our 5 favorite keyword research tools

You may want to check out our latest list of the best keyword research tools (free and paid), but here are our favorites.

#1: WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool

WordStream’s keyword research tool not only provides keyword ideas and search volume, but it also gives you the ability to filter by industry and country to get more targeted data.

Results will show you search volume, CPC, and competition for both Google and Bing on one page. You can then get the results emailed to you for free.

“My go‑to tools include Google Keyword Planner, WordStream’s keyword tool, the Google search bar and related searches, and AI tools like Copilot—all of which are most effective when paired with a strong intent-focused filter,” Jennah said.

#2: Google’s Keyword Planner

If you’ve got a Google Ads account, then you’ve got access to Google’s free Keyword Planner. To navigate to this tool, log in to your Google Ads account and click the “Tools” bar on the right.

There are lots of ways to use Keyword Planner for keyword research. You can:

• Enter a broad topic to get specific keyword ideas
• Upload an existing list of keywords to check their search volume, seasonal trends and other data
• Enter a website URL (your own, or someone else’s) to see what keywords they are bidding on and ranking for

#3: Moz’s Keyword Explorer

If you’re looking to go down more of a premium route for your keyword research, I’d recommend exploring Moz’s Keyword Explorer. You can start a free trial of the paid tool to see if it’s worth the investment.

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#4: Semrush

Semrush is another great tool that allows for extensive keyword research with both a premium paid and a free version to try. The free version still provides very useful information, from organic search volume and CPC to competitive info and a list of organic search results for each keyword.

For more in-depth analysis with 10,000 results per report, you can upgrade to the paid version, but depending upon your goals, the free version just may do the trick.

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#5: Google!

Google itself is an underrated keyword research tool. You can start typing a keyword into Google to get more helpful suggestions. For example, see some of the keywords that appear when I type “wedding cakes” into Google.

“Wedding cake with flowers” and “wedding cake ideas” could not only be keywords worth bidding on, but they could also be keywords worth creating additional content on. For instance, a blog post on “wedding cake ideas” or a comparison chart of “wedding cake prices.”

When you’re considering keywords to target, you can also use Google to see what’s already ranking. Get a sense of the competitive landscape.

Ask yourself questions like:

• Is the SERP highly commercial? I.e., are there lots of ads? Does it make more sense to enter the ad auction with an ad than to try to rank organically?
• Are the top-ranking sites much larger than you? (It’s hard to compete with the likes of the New York Times and Forbes.)
• Do the current results meet the intent of the keyword? If not, you could swoop in and beat them with a better answer to the question!

You should also look for SERP features like the “People also search” box and related searches at the bottom of the SERP. Including these additional related keywords in your content can help you meet the searcher’s intent and help your content rank!

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