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The SEO landscape is shifting fast. Traditional tactics like keywords, backlinks, and on-page optimization no longer guarantee visibility.

AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) are changing how content is accessed.

These systems favor structured, machine-readable data, making way for a new expert: the Content Engineer. This hybrid role builds scalable content systems optimized for search engines and AI.

What is a Content Engineer?

A Content Engineer designs and structures digital content systems to ensure they are scalable, easy to find, and ready for AI.

Unlike traditional content roles, they don’t just create content; they build the framework that allows content to be understood and used by machines.

To better understand their role, it helps to compare it with others. While there’s some overlap, a Content Engineer uniquely blends content strategy, technical skills, and systems thinking.

• Content Marketer: Focuses on content strategy, branding, audience engagement, and promotional efforts. A Content Engineer ensures AI can process the marketer’s brilliant ideas.
• SEO Specialist: Traditionally concentrated on ranking factors like keywords, link building, and site performance. While a Content Engineer deeply understands SEO, their focus extends beyond clicks to direct AI answers and programmatic scale.
• Technical Writer: Specializes in creating clear, concise documentation for technical audiences. Content Engineers draw on technical writing principles but apply them to broader content systems for AI consumption.
• Web Developer: Builds and maintains websites and applications. Content Engineers collaborate heavily with developers, often leveraging their coding skills to implement content systems rather than building entire sites from scratch.

A Content Engineer is the person who ensures that your content isn’t just on the internet, but ready for the intelligent internet.

Why the Role is Emerging Now

The emergence of the Content Engineer is not coincidental; it’s a direct response to fundamental shifts in how information is consumed and processed online.

A. Generative AI is Changing Search Behavior

AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews replace traditional search results with direct answers. Users get what they need without clicking through to websites.

When AI Overviews appear, organic click-through rates can drop by as much as 34.5%, highlighting the rise of zero-click searches. Meanwhile, Perplexity sends 96% less traffic to publishers than traditional search engines.

Content must be structured for AI using schema markup, clear formatting, and machine-readable elements to remain visible. If not, these systems are unlikely to surface or cite it.

B. Programmatic & Structured Content is Scaling

Manual creation can’t keep up as content demands grow more specific and personalized. Programmatic content strategies solve this by automating the generation of structured, scalable content. Content Engineers build systems that can create and manage thousands of variations efficiently.

For instance, an e-commerce site may need different product descriptions for each feature or color variant. A travel platform might require localized “things to do in [city]” pages across thousands of locations. These tasks are handled through structured templates and automation, ensuring consistency and accuracy at scale.

C. AI Search Feeds on Structured Data

ChatGPT, SGE, Perplexity, and other AI models thrive on structured data. They interpret schema markup, tables, FAQs, and clean information architecture more efficiently than unstructured text.

As BrightEdge notes, properly implemented schema isn’t just about rich results anymore; it’s about explicitly signaling your content’s meaning to search engines and, by extension, to knowledge graphs that feed AI.

Research indicates that while an AI search engine won’t “parse” your JSON-LD verbatim, schema makes your content more digestible to crawlers, increasing the likelihood that your information will be included or cited by AI overviews and answer engines.

Structured content is no longer a “nice-to-have” for SEO; it’s rapidly becoming AI’s fundamental language to understand and deliver information.

Key Responsibilities of a Content Engineer

A Content Engineer focuses on structuring, organizing, and optimizing content for humans and machines. Here are the key responsibilities that define the role:

1. Content Modeling

This foundational step involves identifying the content types a system will manage, mapping out their relationships, and specifying the required structured fields.

For example, a job listing model might include fields like “job title,” “location,” “salary range,” “responsibilities,” and “qualifications.” Structuring content this way ensures consistency and makes it reusable across systems..

2. Structured Data & Schema Implementation

This is where technical expertise becomes essential. Content Engineers implement schema markup (such as JSON-LD), Open Graph tags, and other metadata to help AI and search engines interpret content accurately.

They ensure these signals are consistently applied and maintained across dynamic pages, improving visibility and discoverability.

3. Headless CMS & Automation

Content Engineers use headless CMS platforms like Sanity, Strapi, or Contentful to manage content independently from its presentation.

They design flexible systems that automate the generation and deployment of large-scale content variants, streamlining workflows and increasing efficiency.

4. Programmatic SEO Execution

Programmatic SEO uses structured templates and data to efficiently generate large pages. Content Engineers define these templates and work with developers to build systems that automate page creation.

For example, a system might dynamically generate location-based or product comparison pages using live data, allowing for consistent and scalable content delivery.

5. AI Visibility Optimization

This forward-looking role focuses on structuring content so AI can easily understand and surface it.

Techniques include breaking content into digestible segments, crafting concise fact statements, and formatting them for embeddings, as well as numerical representations used by language models.

The goal is to make content easily retrievable, cite-worthy, and usable by LLMs as reliable data.

How Content Engineers Work with Other Teams

The Content Engineer doesn’t operate in a silo. Their role is inherently cross-functional, requiring close collaboration with various departments:

• SEO Teams: They work hand-in-hand to ensure the structured content aligns with overall keyword strategies, search engine guidelines, and evolving algorithm requirements.
• Developers: Collaboration with development teams is constant, as Content Engineers often rely on developers to implement the automation scripts, deploy content templates, and ensure the technical infrastructure supports the content systems.
• Design/Product Teams: Content Engineers ensure that the structured content supports user experience (UX) goals and product functionality, providing clean, organized data for designers to build intuitive interfaces.
• AI/ML Teams (if applicable): In organizations with dedicated AI or machine learning teams, Content Engineers play a vital role in ensuring that the content is clean, structured, and relevant for training models, and that it’s easily retrievable for AI-powered applications.

Real-World Examples of Content Engineering

Several prominent companies are already demonstrating the power of practical content engineering:

• Zapier: uses programmatic SEO to generate thousands of integration pages like “Connect Gmail to Slack.” This approach drives over 16.2 million organic visitors and 1.3 million keyword rankings, according to SEOMatic—results that would be impossible to scale manually.
• Notion: Structures help docs in a clear, logical way. AI models like ChatGPT often reference them due to their discoverability.
• NerdWallet: Uses templates and schema for credit cards and loans, making pages rich in data and optimized for both users and search engines.
• Canva: Generates thousands of landing pages for design templates (e.g., “free Christmas card template”) using programmatic SEO to capture search traffic.

Skills Needed to Be a Great Content Engineer

A Content Engineer must blend technical expertise with strategic thinking to succeed in the evolving world of AI-driven content. These skills help creators structure content effectively and optimize it for user experience and machine readability.

• Technical Foundations: A solid understanding of HTML, JSON-LD, and basic JavaScript is crucial for implementing structured data and working with content APIs.
• CMS Expertise: Familiarity with modern headless CMS platforms (e.g., Sanity, Strapi, Contentful) is essential for managing and delivering structured content.
• SEO Fundamentals (Deep Dive): While distinct from a traditional SEO specialist, a Content Engineer needs a firm grasp of technical SEO, programmatic SEO, and how search engine algorithms interpret content signals.
• Content Modeling Proficiency: The ability to design and maintain robust content models that support scalability and machine-readability is paramount.
• API & Automation Experience: Familiarity with APIs, webhooks, or static site generators (like Next.js, Hugo) is key to building automated content pipelines.
• Bonus: AI/ML Concepts: Experience with AI embeddings, vector stores, or Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) demonstrates a forward-thinking approach and direct relevance to optimizing content for advanced AI models.

Why Every Company Will Need One

AI search is changing how people find and engage with content, now rewarding structure, accuracy, and machine-readable formats.
Content engineers are key; they help businesses stay visible to AI, not just traditional search engines.
As a result, companies that build structured content systems will stay ahead. Demand for this skill is rising fast, with roles growing 8.6% above average by 2033.
At ClickRaven, we help software and service companies adapt to this shift, drive more traffic and conversions, and build content systems that thrive in AI-powered search.

Conclusion

The Content Engineer is no longer a specialized niche or a “nice-to-have” role; it’s rapidly evolving into a strategic necessity for any business serious about digital visibility and growth.

In an era dominated by generative search and increasingly intelligent AI agents, organizations that fail to invest in the systematic structuring and scalable delivery of their content will inevitably fall behind.

The future of online visibility belongs to those who can speak the language of AI, and the Content Engineer is the fluent translator.

The widespread adoption of AI content generation tools has introduced a concerning phenomenon: AI slop.

This term describes low-quality, generic and often incoherent content generated by AI systems without proper human oversight or refinement.

The increase in AI slop has created significant challenges across multiple domains.

Search engines struggle to distinguish between valuable, human-crafted content and algorithmically generated text that merely fills space.

Readers encounter increasingly frustrating experiences as they navigate through seas of repetitive, shallow content that fails to address their genuine needs and questions.

Content creators find themselves competing not just with human competitors, but with an endless stream of machine-generated material that can be produced at unprecedented scale and speed.

In this guide, we will explore:

• What constitutes AI slop
• Examine its various components and manifestations
• Analyze its impact on the content creation ecosystem
• Provide actionable strategies for creating high-quality content that stands apart from the algorithmic noise.

What is AI Slop?

The term AI slop emerged from the content creation community as a way to describe the noticeable decline in content quality that accompanied the mass adoption of AI writing tools.

AI slop is not just about grammatically incorrect or factually inaccurate content. It also describes content that lacks the depth, nuance and originality associated with human essence.

This type of content often feels hollow, repetitive and disconnected from genuine human experience or expertise.

What Makes Your Content Look Like AI Slop

Understanding the specific components that characterize AI slop is essential for creators who want to avoid producing such content. These include:

1. Generic and Formulaic Language Patterns

This is one of the most recognizable aspects of AI slop.

It includes overuse of certain phrases that have become synonymous with AI-generated content, such as “In today’s digital landscape,” “It’s worth noting that,” or “In conclusion, it’s important to remember.”

These phrases, while not inherently problematic, become markers of AI slop when they appear frequently and without purpose.

Additionally, AI slop often exhibits repetitive sentence structures, predictable paragraph organization, and a lack of varied vocabulary that would naturally occur in human writing.

Here is an example of one of the generic phrases in use on a live webpage:

2. Lack of Original Insight or Perspective

This type of content often rehashes widely available information without adding new analysis, personal experience or unique viewpoints.

In cases, where the content is factually accurate, it may fail to provide readers with anything unique that they couldn’t find in numerous other sources.

This in turn contributes to information redundancy for readers.

To indicate the lack of perspective, here is a brief example with markers of an AI response to a question about the importance of email marketing to a business:

3. Superficial Treatment of Complex Topics

Most AI systems often lack the deep domain expertise required to navigate complex topics appropriately.

The result is that complicated subjects are reduced to oversimplified explanations that miss important nuances and fail to address the subtleties, exceptions or contextual factors that human experts would naturally include.

Below is a screenshot example of how this kind of AI slop manifests:

4. Inconsistent Tone and Voice

This shows as sudden shifts between formal and informal language, inconsistent use of first or third person or tonal changes that don’t align with your brand’s purpose or audience.

An example, is the screenshot below of an introduction segment about Excel workflows (quite a serious topic).

As shown, the tone jumps from casual to formal which unless it is your preferred style to produce edgy content, is something to watch for.

5. Factual Inaccuracies and Outdated Information

Ever heard of AI “hallucinating answers”. A study shows that 42.1% of web users have experienced inaccurate or misleading content in AI Overviews.

This includes citations to non-existent sources, outdated statistics, or information that was never accurate to begin with.

These errors can often go unnoticed in cases where proper data verification is not done and may prove disastrous in real life applications.

Check this screenshot of how this inaccuracies might manifest in an AI-genereated content that requires data:

6. Excessive Length Without Substance

Sometimes these LLMs do generate verbose content that could communicate the same information more effectively in fewer words.

Especially for in-depth content, it might serve you a full page of additional words that do not add any meaning to the article.

The example below, for my article that required simple marketing hacks from ChatGPT, includes fluff (outlined in blue) that would make no difference to the article’s content when taken out.

7. Lack of Practical Application or Actionability

This is especially applicable for instructional or educational content.

AI often fails to provide concrete steps, real-world examples or give practical guidance that readers can actually implement, creating a disconnect between the content’s apparent educational value and its actual utility.

8. Inappropriate SEO Optimization

While using AI for SEO optimization can be a time saver, it might leave you with content that has keywords stuffed unnaturally and headings created solely for search engines rather than reader comprehension.

Example: “We offer digital marketing, SEO digital marketing, and digital marketing strategies in our digital marketing agency.” If you can hear the keyword when reading aloud and it sounds clunky or repetitive, it’s overused.

Impact of AI Slop on Content Creation

• Degradation of Content Quality Standards

As the internet becomes flooded with generic content, the baseline expectation for what constitutes acceptable content has shifted downward.

The abundance of mediocre content makes it more difficult for genuinely valuable content to stand out and reach its intended audience.

• Reduced Trust and Engagement from Audiences

Many users have developed a heightened sensitivity to content that feels artificial or generic, leading to decreased engagement rates, shorter time spent on content and reduced sharing behaviors.

This skepticism extends beyond obviously poor content to affect perceptions of all content, requiring creators to work harder to establish credibility and trust with their audiences.

• Search Engine Algorithm Adaptations

Search engines have begun implementing more sophisticated detection mechanisms and ranking factors that prioritize content demonstrating E-E-A-T, which is good challenge for content creators, who must now align their content to meet these quality standards.

• Information Saturation and Discovery Challenges

AI slop makes it increasingly difficult for users to find high-quality, relevant information.

This problem is particularly acute in educational and instructional content, where poor-quality information can have real-world consequences.

• Impact on Professional Industry

The availability of AI tools has led some creators to rely heavily on automation to create generic marketing copies that lead to loss of brand credibility and originality.

Conversely, successful creators have developed new skills in prompt engineering, AI collaboration and quality control.

Industry responses have varied, with many organizations implementing new editorial guidelines and content policies specifically designed to address AI slop.

Some platforms have introduced labeling requirements for AI-generated content, while others have adjusted their algorithms to better detect and deprioritize low-quality material.

How to Create High-Quality Content

Creating content that stands apart from AI slop requires a strategic approach that leverages AI tools effectively while maintaining human creativity, expertise, and judgment.

Here are some strategies to help you get a headstart in creating content that adds value:

Start with Human Expertise and Original Insight

Before touching any AI tool, invest time in learning your subject deeply.

• Stay updated on industry trends
• Conduct original research and studies
• Reflect on your personal experiences and technical expertise
• Document perspectives shaped by your own journey, things no AI or competitor could fabricate

Example:

Instead of  “AI helps create informative content” in your article, go for “After leading 20 client workshops in fintech, I distilled insights into a guide on emerging compliance issues later refined using AI tools.”

Develop a Clear Content Strategy Before Writing

• Clarify who you’re writing for (Target audience)
• What challenges they face and what unique solution you’re offering
• Then build a brief that includes your main point, supporting arguments and the value your reader will walk away with.

Why it works:
Without this clarity, even advanced tools can lead you off track or toward generic fluff that do not reflect your authenticity as a brand.

Use AI for Research and Ideation Not Final Drafts

Use AI to brainstorm headlines, surface counterpoints or map out structural outlines.

Reserve the actual thinking; the opinions, conclusions and bold statements for yourself or brand perspective.

Instead of a flat response like this on your LinkedIn post “ChatGPT gave me a decent post on remote work” go for  “I used ChatGPT to explore opposing views on remote productivity, then built a piece from my experience managing hybrid teams across 3 continents.”

Implement a Rigorous Fact-Checking Process

• When it comes to AI sources, trust but verify
• Cross-check data with primary sources like actual data from studies, dashboards etc.

Why it matters:
Accurate content isn’t just ethical, it’s also a signal of authority. Fact-checking improves your credibility and helps you learn the material more deeply.

Maintain a Consistent Voice and Tone

Even if AI drafts your first version, you must rewrite it to sound like you.

Your tone, humor, cadence and values should be present in every paragraph.

Why it matters:
People connect with people. A consistent, authentic voice builds trust, something AI-generated content often lacks.

Go Deep Instead of Broad

Avoid skimming topics. Instead, offer detailed analysis, practical examples and actionable tips on a specific angle of the subject.

As an introduction, “This post covers everything about marketing,” it is very general and lacks a certain hook for a reader.
Go for depth, e.g “This guide breaks down how micro-SaaS startups can use newsletter ads to grow their first 500 users.”

Incorporate Personal Experience and Case Studies

• Share what happened when you applied a tactic (objectives)
• Discuss what worked and what didn’t (KPIs)
• Share your opinions on what you’d do differently (Follow-up actions)

Why it works:
Readers want proof. Lived experience outperforms hypothetical advice and the details make your content resonate with your target audience.

Create a Quality Control Workflow

• Build in checkpoints before you publish
• Review for originality, clarity and alignment with your brand voice
• Ask a peer to point out what feels vague or too polished to be personal

Why it matters:
This added friction makes your content sharper and prevents generic phrasing from slipping through.

Engage in Continuous Learning

Commit to reading widely, writing often and upgrading your tools and knowledge to deepen your own expertise.

Take time to monitor or encourage feedback for your work and adapt accordingly.

Final Thoughts

Too often, we ignore the subtle warning signs in AI-generated content and skip the critical step of verifying what we read.

Success lies in understanding how to use AI tools strategically as enhancements rather than replacement of you.

The distinction between high-quality human-enhanced content and generic AI slop will likely become even more pronounced, as AI technology continues to evolve.

Creators and marketers who master this balance find themselves at a significant advantage by being able to produce higher-quality content more efficiently while maintaining the authenticity and depth that audiences value.

If you’ve ever wondered why your website isn’t showing up on Google—or why it’s not bringing in traffic—chances are, technical SEO is the missing piece.

And don’t worry, I’m explaining this like you’re five. Because that’s how simple technical SEO should be.

Let’s go through 25 key fixes one by one, like a friendly guide walking you through the backstage of your website.

1. Make Sure Google Can See Your Website

What it is: Think of Google like a visitor at your house. If your door is locked, they can’t come in. Your website has a special file called robots.txt that tells search engines what they’re allowed to see. If it says “stay out,” then Google won’t look at anything.

Why it’s important: If Google can’t access your site, it won’t be able to rank it. That means nobody will find you in search.

How to fix it:

1. Type yourwebsite.com/robots.txt in your browser.
2. Look for a line that says Disallow: /—that blocks everything.
3. If it’s there, change it to Allow: / or delete the line.

How to test it:

• Go to Google Search Console
• Use the URL Inspection Tool
• Type in your homepage URL
• If it says “URL is on Google,” you’re good. If not, check your robots.txt again.

2. Submit a Sitemap

What it is: A sitemap is like a table of contents for your website. It lists all the pages you want Google to know about.

Why it’s important: It helps Google crawl your site more efficiently. Especially useful for new websites or large sites with lots of pages.

How to fix it:

1. If you’re using WordPress, install Yoast SEO or Rank Math.
2. These plugins automatically create a sitemap for you (usually at yourwebsite.com/sitemap_index.xml).
3. Log into Google Search Console
4. Click on Sitemaps on the left
5. Paste your sitemap URL and click submit

How to test it:

• Google will show “Success” under submitted sitemaps
• It will also tell you how many pages were discovered

3. Fix Broken Links (404 Errors)

What it is: A broken link is like giving someone directions to a store that no longer exists. When they get there, they hit a dead end, also known as a 404 error page.

Why it’s important: Broken links frustrate visitors and tell Google your site isn’t well-maintained. Too many of them can hurt your rankings.

How to fix it:

1. Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console
2. Find all pages or links that return a “404 Not Found” error
3. Decide how to fix them:
   • If the page still exists, update the link to the correct URL
   • If the page was deleted, either remove the link or redirect it to a related page

How to test it:

• Click each link to make sure it opens a real page
• Use a free broken link checker like BrokenLinkCheck.com

4. Ensure Mobile-Friendliness

What it is: Your website needs to work well on mobile phones. That means it should load quickly, text should be readable without zooming, and buttons should be easy to tap.

Why it’s important: Most people use their phones to browse. If your site doesn’t work on a phone, they’ll leave. Google also checks mobile experience before deciding to rank your site.

How to fix it:

• Use a responsive theme that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes
• Make fonts large enough to read on a small screen
• Avoid using pop-ups or elements that cover content

How to test it:

• Go to Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test, enter your URL, and check the result

5. Speed Up Your Website

What it is: Imagine clicking on a website and waiting 5 seconds for it to load. Annoying, right? Slow sites lose visitors fast.

Why it’s important: Page speed affects user experience and rankings. Google wants to show fast-loading sites.

How to fix it:

• Compress large images using tools like TinyPNG
• Use a caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache)
• Use a reliable, fast hosting provider
• Limit heavy scripts (especially those that load ads, popups, or animations)

How to test it:

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. Aim for a score above 90 on mobile

6. Use HTTPS, Not HTTP

What it is: HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP. It keeps your site safe by encrypting data.

Why it’s important: Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal. Plus, browsers now mark HTTP sites as “Not Secure,” which scares visitors away.

How to fix it:

1. Get a free SSL certificate from your hosting provider (most offer this)
2. Use a plugin like Really Simple SSL (if on WordPress)
3. Set up a redirect so all traffic goes from HTTP to HTTPS

How to test it:

• Visit your site and make sure the URL starts with https://
• Look for a padlock icon next to your URL in the browser

7. Remove Duplicate Content

What it is: Duplicate content means having the same content on more than one page. For example, if two pages have the same product description word-for-word.

Why it’s important: Google gets confused. It might not know which page to rank—or it might ignore both.

How to fix it:

• Merge similar pages into one stronger page
• Use a canonical tag (a special code that tells Google which version is the “main” one)
• Avoid copying content from other websites

How to test it:

• Use Siteliner.com to scan for duplicates
• Or use Copyscape to make sure your content is original

8. Set a Preferred Version of Your Website

What it is: Some websites can be accessed in multiple ways:

• http://example.com
• https://example.com
• http://www.example.com
• https://www.example.com

Google treats these like different sites unless you tell it otherwise.

Why it’s important: If you don’t choose one preferred version, Google may split your rankings between them.

How to fix it:

• Set up 301 redirects from all alternate versions to one preferred version
• Choose the same preferred domain in Google Search Console

How to test it:

• Type all four versions in your browser and check that they all redirect to one version (e.g., https://example.com)

9. Fix Redirect Chains

What it is: A redirect is when one URL automatically takes you to another. A redirect chain is when a URL redirects to another, and then that one redirects again—and maybe again.

Why it’s important: Each hop in the chain slows things down. Google might stop following the chain altogether.

How to fix it:

• Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find redirect chains
• Update links to point directly to the final URL in the chain
• Example: Instead of A → B → C → D, go straight from A → D

How to test it:

• Enter a URL into Screaming Frog and look for chains in the report
• Click links manually and watch the browser bar—if it jumps through more than one URL, you have a chain

10. Remove Unnecessary Redirects

What it is: Sometimes, people link to a page that’s redirecting—but they could have just linked to the final page directly.

Why it’s important: Each redirect slightly delays page loading. Clean, direct links are better for users and search engines.

How to fix it:

• Find links on your site that point to redirecting URLs
• Update them to link directly to the final page

How to test it:

Click the link and watch the browser bar. If it hops to another page, and then another, you need to fix it.

11. Fix Orphan Pages

What it is: An orphan page is a page on your site that nobody links to. It’s floating out in space with no path leading to it.

Why it’s important: If there’s no link to the page, Google (and visitors) might never find it. It’s like building a great room in a house but forgetting to add a door.

How to fix it:

• Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find orphan pages
• Add internal links to those pages from other relevant articles or your main menu
• For example, if you have a blog post about “summer shoes,” and your orphan page is about “summer sandals,” link them together!

How to test it:

• Crawl your site again with Screaming Frog to make sure those pages are now linked from at least one other page

12. Add Structured Data (Schema Markup)

What it is: Structured data is extra information you add to your website’s code that helps Google understand what your content is about—like telling Google, “Hey, this is a recipe!” or “This is a product!”

Why it’s important: It can help you appear in fancy search results, like star ratings, FAQs, and product details. These are called “rich results” and they catch more attention.

How to fix it:

• Use plugins like Schema Pro or Rank Math if you’re on WordPress
• Or use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate the code manually

How to test it:

• Use Google’s Rich Results Test to check if it’s working

13. Use Descriptive, Unique Titles on Every Page

What it is: The title tag is what shows up as the big blue link in search results. It tells people (and Google) what your page is about.

Why it’s important: If your titles are boring, duplicate, or missing, nobody will click on your results—and Google might not rank them well.

How to fix it:

• Make sure every page has a title that is clear, unique, and includes relevant keywords
• Keep titles under 60 characters so they don’t get cut off

How to test it:

• Use Screaming Frog to find pages with missing or duplicate title tags

14. Write Unique Meta Descriptions

What it is: This is the short summary that appears below the title in search results. It doesn’t directly impact rankings, but it affects whether someone clicks.

Why it’s important: Good meta descriptions = more clicks. More clicks = more traffic.

How to fix it:

• Write a 1–2 sentence summary for each page
• Include keywords naturally
• Make it sound like a mini-ad or teaser

How to test it:

• Check the HTML of your pages or use SEO plugins
• Use Screaming Frog to find missing or duplicate meta descriptions

15. Use Only One H1 Heading Per Page

What it is: An H1 tag is your page’s main headline. It’s like the book title. Other headings (H2, H3, etc.) are chapter or section titles.

Why it’s important: Having multiple H1s confuses search engines. They want to know: what is this page mainly about?

How to fix it:

• Check your page editor (like WordPress) and make sure there’s only one H1
• Use H2 and H3 for subheadings

How to test it:

• Use a browser extension like SEO Meta in 1 Click or Web Developer Toolbar

16. Avoid Thin Content

What it is: Thin content means pages with very little useful information—usually under 300 words, or just fluff.

Why it’s important: Google wants to rank pages that actually help people. If your page is too short or empty, it probably won’t rank.

How to fix it:

• Add more useful content: answer common questions, include visuals, write real examples
• Merge thin pages into one better resource if they’re about the same thing

How to test it:

• Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find pages with very low word counts

17. Use Clear, Clean URLs

What it is: A clean URL is short and easy to read. Example: yourwebsite.com/blue-running-shoes is better than yourwebsite.com/page?id=4738201.

Why it’s important: Clear URLs are better for users and give Google more context.

How to fix it:

• Go into your site settings and make sure URLs use words, not numbers
• Remove unnecessary words like “and,” “the,” or weird characters

How to test it:

• Just look at your URLs. Are they readable? Descriptive?

18. Check for Crawl Errors

What it is: Sometimes Google tries to visit your pages and runs into errors (like 404s, server errors, or blocked pages).

Why it’s important: If Google can’t access your pages, it can’t index them. And if they’re not indexed, they won’t appear in search.

How to fix it:

• Go to Google Search Console
• Click on Pages > Why pages aren’t indexed
• Fix the issues shown (usually broken links, incorrect redirects, or blocked content)

How to test it:

• After fixing, re-submit the pages in Search Console and wait for them to be re-crawled

19. Avoid Mixed Content (HTTPS + HTTP)

What it is: If your website is HTTPS (secure) but still loads images or scripts over HTTP (non-secure), that’s called mixed content.

Why it’s important: It creates security warnings in browsers and breaks trust. Google also dislikes insecure setups.

How to fix it:

• Update image, script, and stylesheet URLs to HTTPS
• Use plugins or search-and-replace tools to do this in bulk

How to test it:

• Use WhyNoPadlock.com or browser developer tools

20. Minimize JavaScript That Blocks Content

What it is: JavaScript can be useful, but too much of it—or poorly used code—can slow down your site and hide content from Google.

Why it’s important: If important content can’t be seen or loaded quickly, your rankings suffer.

How to fix it:

• Defer non-essential scripts
• Remove scripts you don’t need
• Use a plugin to load scripts asynchronously

How to test it:

• Run PageSpeed Insights and check if “Reduce unused JavaScript” appears in the suggestions

21. Add ALT Text to Images

What it is: ALT text is a short description added to your images. Google can’t “see” pictures, so this helps it understand them.

Why it’s important: Improves SEO, helps visually impaired users, and allows your images to show in Google Images.

How to fix it:

• For every image, add a clear and simple description in the “ALT text” field
• Use your main keyword if it makes sense naturally

How to test it:

• Right-click the image > Inspect, and check for the alt="..." attribute

22. Compress Large Images

What it is: Large image files slow down your page speed.

Why it’s important: Slow pages = bad rankings and unhappy users.

How to fix it:

• Use tools like TinyPNG, ShortPixel, or ImageOptim
• Save images in WebP or compressed JPEG/PNG format

How to test it:

• Use PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix and look for “Efficiently encode images” in the report

Here is the full image SEO guide you can follow to ensure your images are well optimized for search engines.

23. Use Pagination Properly

What it is: When you split a long list (like blog posts or products) into multiple pages, that’s pagination.

Why it’s important: If not done correctly, search engines may not crawl your full content, or may treat each page as duplicate content.

How to fix it:

• Add rel=”next” and rel=”prev” tags in the HTML (developers can help)
• Or use a “Load more” button instead of numbered pages

How to test it:

• Use Screaming Frog or view source code to confirm the presence of pagination tags

24. Block Low-Value Pages from Indexing

What it is: Some pages (like thank-you pages, login pages, internal searches) don’t need to show up in Google.

Why it’s important: Indexing junk pages wastes crawl budget and can dilute your site’s relevance.

How to fix it:

• Add a noindex meta tag to those pages
• Or block them in robots.txt

How to test it:

• Search site:yourdomain.com/page-url in Google to see if it’s indexed

25. Check Core Web Vitals

What it is: These are three performance metrics Google uses:

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): how fast the main content loads
• FID (First Input Delay): how fast the page responds to interaction
• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): does stuff jump around as it loads?

Why it’s important: Good scores = better rankings and happier users

How to fix it:

• Optimize images and fonts
• Reduce JavaScript
• Improve server response times

How to test it:

• Go to Google Search Console > Core Web Vitals
• Run a test on PageSpeed Insights or use Chrome’s Lighthouse tool

Final Tip

Don’t try to fix everything in one day. Start with the basics: speed, crawlability, and mobile-friendliness. Fix 2–3 things per week, and before you know it, your site will be faster, cleaner, and ranking better.

Bookmark this guide. Run through it every few months. Your future self—and your rankings—will thank you.

Most people don’t think of images when they hear “SEO.”

But here’s the truth: optimized images can boost your rankings, speed up your website, and even help you show up in Google Images.

That means more clicks, more traffic, and a better experience for your visitors.

In this guide, we’re not just going to throw buzzwords at you. We’ll walk through how to optimize images for SEO step-by-step, like you’re sitting next to someone explaining it over coffee.

Whether you’re running a blog, a small business website, or an online store, this guide is for you.

1. What Is ALT Text (and Why Should You Care)?

Imagine you’re blind and using a screen reader to browse the web. When it gets to an image, it reads a short line of text that tells you what’s in that image. That line is the “ALT text.”

But screen readers aren’t the only ones reading it. Google uses ALT text to understand what your images are about. And if it can’t understand your images, it won’t show them in search results.

Why ALT Text Matters:

• It makes your site accessible for visually impaired users (a legal and ethical must!)
  
• It gives Google extra context for ranking your pages
  
• It helps your images appear in Google Image search, driving extra traffic
  

How to Write Great ALT Text:

1. Be descriptive: Describe exactly what’s in the image.
   
2. Be concise: You don’t need a paragraph. One sentence is plenty.
   
3. Be natural: Include keywords only if they make sense. Don’t stuff them in.
   

Examples:

• ❌ image123.jpg
  
• ✅ close-up of a chocolate cake with strawberries on top
  

How to Add ALT Text:

• In WordPress: When uploading an image, look for the “ALT text” field
  
• In HTML: Add alt=”your description here” inside the <img> tag
  

How to Check Your ALT Text:

• Right-click the image > Inspect (in Chrome)
  
• Look for alt=”…” in the image code
  

2. How (and Why) to Compress Your Images

Ever been on a site that loads painfully slow? Big, bloated images are often the cause.

Image compression reduces the file size so your site loads faster—without making the image look ugly.

Why This Helps SEO:

• Google uses site speed as a ranking factor
  
• Faster pages keep users from bouncing
  
• Smaller images save bandwidth for mobile users
  

Tools to Compress Images (Before Uploading):

• TinyPNG
  
• ImageOptim for Mac
  
• Squoosh from Google
  

WordPress Plugins That Do It Automatically:

• ShortPixel
  
• Imagify
  
• Smush
  

Pro Tip:

Always compress before uploading. Uploading large images and relying only on plugins means wasted space and processing time.

How to Test If Images Are Too Large:

• Go to Google PageSpeed Insights
  
• Look for the “Efficiently encode images” warning
  
• If you see that, compression can help
  

3. Choosing the Right File Format (It Actually Matters)

Not all image formats are created equal. Some are great for photos, others for simple graphics.

Common Formats:

• JPEG/JPG: Great for detailed photos, keeps file size small
  
• PNG: Best for logos or graphics with transparency (but bigger file sizes)
  
• WebP: Modern format that’s smaller and high-quality (use if supported)
  

What to Do:

• Use JPEG for photos
  
• Use PNG for icons, logos, and transparent backgrounds
  
• Use WebP whenever possible—it’s lighter and loads faster
  

Most image optimization tools let you convert formats easily.

Bonus Tip:

Don’t upload screenshots as PNG if they’re just full-color photos. Convert them to JPEG.

4. Resize Images to Match Their Display Size

Let’s say your site shows product photos at 600px wide. But you upload a 3000px-wide image. That’s 5x bigger than needed.

Your page wastes time loading extra pixels nobody ever sees.

Why This Matters:

• Large images waste bandwidth
  
• They slow your page down
  
• Visitors on slow internet will hate it
  

How to Fix It:

• Use a tool like Canva, Photoshop, or even Preview (Mac) to resize images before upload
  
• Aim for display size ×2 (for high-res screens)
  

Example: If your layout shows images at 800px, upload them at 1600px max

How to Check:

• Right-click > Inspect > look at the actual display size vs file size
  

5. Enable Lazy Loading for Images

Lazy loading means your images won’t load until someone scrolls to them.

This speeds up the first view of your page—which Google loves.

Why Use Lazy Loading:

• Improves Core Web Vitals (important for SEO)
  
• Loads only what’s needed when it’s needed
  
• Speeds up the “above-the-fold” experience
  

How to Implement Lazy Loading:

• In HTML: Add loading=”lazy” to your <img> tags
  
• In WordPress: Use plugins like:
  
  • WP Rocket
    
  • Autoptimize
    
  • LiteSpeed Cache
    

How to Test Lazy Loading:

• Open a page with lots of images
  
• Open dev tools > Network tab > Refresh
  
• Scroll slowly—images load as you scroll
  

Quick Checklist (Print or Save This):

• ✅ Write ALT text for every image
  
• ✅ Compress images before uploading
  
• ✅ Use JPEG for photos, PNG for logos, WebP when possible
  
• ✅ Resize images to actual display size (x2 for retina)
  
• ✅ Turn on lazy loading for images
  

Final Thoughts

Images are often the heaviest part of a webpage—and the most overlooked when it comes to SEO.

But now you know how to:

• Make them faster
  
• Make them readable to Google
  
• Make them work for your rankings, not against them
  

Best of all? You didn’t need to learn any code.

If your site is still slow or your images are unoptimized, start small. Pick one of these tips today, and do another one tomorrow. SEO is about stacking small wins—and image SEO is an easy place to start.

Need help with your specific site? Let me know. I’ll walk you through it.

Let’s say you just launched your website. It looks great, it has all your services, maybe even a blog post or two. Now what?

How do people find you on Google?

This is where SEO comes in.

In this guide, I’ll explain what SEO really means, how it works, and how to start using it—in plain, non-technical language. Whether you’re a small business owner, startup founder, or total beginner, this is for you.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.

It simply means making changes to your website and content so that search engines like Google can:

1. Find your pages
2. Understand what your pages are about
3. Decide to show them to people searching for something relevant

In other words: SEO helps your website show up when people search for things on Google.

If you sell handmade soap, and someone types “natural lavender soap for sensitive skin” into Google—you want your page to show up, right?

That’s SEO.

How Does SEO Work?

To understand SEO, you have to know what happens behind the scenes when someone types something into Google.

Here’s a simple version of what Google does:

1. Crawls your site (like a robot scanning all your pages)
2. Indexes your pages (stores them in its giant library)
3. Ranks them (decides which page should show up first for each search)

To help Google do this well, your site needs to be clear, helpful, trustworthy, and easy to navigate.

Let’s break it down further.

Key Concepts to Understand

1. SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)

The SERP is what you see after typing a question or phrase into Google.

It includes:

• Organic results (these are the ones SEO helps with)
• Ads (people pay to show up here)
• Featured snippets, AI overviews, people also ask, and more

Your goal in SEO is to appear in the organic results—ideally near the top, because most people don’t scroll far.

2. Keywords

Keywords are the words or phrases people type into Google.

For example:

• “how to bake banana bread”
• “best hiking shoes for beginners”
• “accounting software for freelancers”

To rank on Google, your content needs to match the intent behind those keywords. That means:

• If someone wants a guide, give them a full tutorial
• If they want to compare products, create a comparison
• If they want to buy, show them pricing and features

Keyword research is the process of figuring out what people search for, how often, and how hard it is to rank.

3. Links (Backlinks and Internal Links)

Backlinks are when other websites link to your site. Think of it like a vote of confidence.

• The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more Google trusts your content.
• That trust helps your pages rank higher.

Internal links are when you link from one page on your site to another.

• This helps users navigate your site
• It helps Google understand how your pages relate to each other

4. Crawling and Indexing

Google uses bots (called spiders or crawlers) to scan the web.

• Crawling is when the bot visits your site and checks out your pages.
• Indexing is when Google stores that information and decides whether your page should be shown in search.

If your site has broken pages, weird code, or missing information, Google might skip it or not understand it well.

That’s why technical SEO—making sure your site loads fast, works on phones, and is structured clearly—is so important.

What SEO Looks Like in Practice

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you run a local dog grooming business in Seattle.

You create a page titled “Professional Dog Grooming Services in Seattle.”

You include:

• A clear description of your services
• Prices
• Photos
• Customer reviews
• Your location and hours

You also:

• Add this page to your website’s menu
• Submit your site to Google using Search Console
• Ask a local pet blogger to mention your service (earning a backlink)

Now when someone nearby searches “dog grooming near me” or “pet grooming Seattle,” Google might show your page—especially if your competitors aren’t doing SEO.

That’s the power of SEO.

Why SEO Matters

• It brings free traffic to your website
• It compounds over time: the longer you invest, the more results you get
• It builds trust and authority with your audience
• It helps you get discovered by people actively searching for what you offer

You don’t need to be an expert to get started.

You just need to:

• Create helpful content
• Make your site easy to use
• Learn a little at a time
• Keep showing up

SEO is like planting seeds. It takes time, but once things start growing, the results keep coming.

What’s Next?

Now that you understand what SEO is, you might want to:

• Learn how long SEO takes to work → [Read our SEO Timeline Guide]
• Discover what search intent is → [What Is Search Intent and Why It Matters?]
• Fix common tech issues on your site → [Beginner’s Guide to Technical SEO]

Let’s take it one step at a time. You’ve already started.

Welcome to SEO.

If you’re like most people, Google is your go-to search engine due to its unmatched popularity and domination. It might not, however, always provide the greatest experience for everyone. Whether you want new viewpoints, increased privacy, or more customized search results, there are numerous options to consider.

Here are 25 excellent Google search engine alternatives to consider. These search engines each have unique features, privacy benefits, or specialized search capabilities.

AI-Powered Search Engines

AI search engines offer numerous benefits, including the capacity to understand context, quicker and more relevant results, and customized experiences.

They do, however, have drawbacks, including the possibility of bias, privacy issues, and an excessive reliance on technology.

It’s important to exercise caution while using AI search engines, double-check information from several sources, and be mindful of any potential negative effects. In this manner, you may maximize the advantages while lowering the dangers.

1. Bing

Google’s closest rival is Microsoft’s Bing search engine. It offers a variety of search features, such as map, video, and image searches.

According to HawkSEM, about 27% of US search queries are handled by Microsoft’s Bing.

Bing offers a range of customizable search settings, such as location settings, privacy controls to control data collection and usage, and safe search filters.

With the help of Microsoft’s AI technologies, Bing’s search capabilities are improved, outperforming many other search engines in terms of accuracy and contextual relevancy.   

Bing uses its own search algorithms and crawler, making its SERPs different from Google’s. It also offers Microsoft Rewards, earning users points for searches or shopping. These points are redeemable in Microsoft and Windows stores.

Bing has its chatbot, Copilot, which provides customized results to users.

According to Meetanishi Microsoft Bing gets more than 3 billion monthly active users.

3. Perplexity.ai

Perplexity AI is a search engine powered by AI that can be accessed via online and mobile applications. Since its launch in 2022, it has grown to 15 million users and answered 250 million questions by July 2024.

The platform uses AI to provide answers to search queries, providing source links that allow users to explore the original content. While the basic version is free, membership is necessary to access other services like image generation and Copilot, an intelligent assistant that prompts follow-up questions to improve search results.

However, because it relies on large language models (LLMs) to extract answers, Perplexity can occasionally generate false or misleading results.
For example, when asked “What are the seven wonders of the world”, Perplexity delivered a clear and informative response, accompanied by helpful citations for further reading.

4. You.com

You.com was founded in 2020 by Richard Socher, a well-known natural language processing (NLP) expert and former Salesforce chief scientist. Since its launch, they have served 1 billion queries.

You.com’s AI-powered search engine provides summary responses to questions. Additionally, they offer a list of websites with content related to your search.

Even though You.com has its internet crawler, it uses Bing to power its searches. You can select between a private mode, which guarantees that You.com does not gather any of your data, and a personal mode, which provides more customized options. You.com offers both a paid and freemium edition.

Additionally, the company provides an AI writing helper called YouWrite, an image-generating tool driven by AI, and a Chrome extension.

You may select from more than 20 different AI models with it, making it the ideal option for AI enthusiasts.

Mainstream Search EngineschGPT

Mainstream search engines have established themselves as credible competitors to Google and have retained a small but consistent market share over the last few years.

5. Yahoo!

Yahoo! is one of the more popular alternatives to Google, with a decent 2.67% of the market share in 2023.

Yahoo was around before Google. It started as a web portal and in 1995 developed its search engine. Yahoo’s strength lies in its diversification; in addition to search, it offers services like email, news, finance, and more.

Since Yahoo! uses Microsoft Bing as its engine, search results are comparable. It has a simple, text-heavy layout for its search results page.

Yahoo received over 700 million monthly active users and received 3.4 billion monthly visits in 2022 even though their search market share is declining.

6. Ecosia

The primary distinction that sets Ecosia apart is its dedication to using ad income for green initiatives, like planting trees.

Ecosia plants a tree for around every 45 searches you conduct. They give you a customized counter to keep track of the number of searches you’ve done, which demonstrates your direct involvement in reforestation.

Nearly 210 million trees have been planted by Ecosia to date, and the organization has also committed 85 million euros, or roughly $92 million, to climate action.

It doesn’t build a personal profile to customize adverts and search results, nor does it keep your search history indefinitely (it gets erased after a week). Additionally, Ecosia is open about the fact that you can disable cookies.

Additionally, Ecosia asserts that it is carbon-negative, having constructed its solar power plant to power its servers sustainably. Ecosia is free, however, you can gift a tree.  

7. Aol

AOL, previously America Online, is a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. You still get a start page with selected hot subjects from the news, entertainment, sports, health, food, and finance categories in the online portal game.

However, it can also be used as a web search engine. In the US, its market share is 0.09%. During the 1990s and 2000s, it was extremely popular.

It is not the most private search engine because location and activity tracking are enabled by default. On the other hand, you can disable these through the Privacy Dashboard. The search results are powered by partnerships with Google and Bing.

Privacy-Focused Search Engines

Protecting your digital privacy might be tough in the present day of targeted ads and tracking. For a more private and safe online search experience, these are the best alternative search engines.

8. Startpage

Startpage, headquartered in the Netherlands, provides Google-like search capabilities without tracking users. It is excellent for people who appreciate privacy.

Instead of searching the entire web, Startpage collects results from numerous search engines such as Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo, highlighting links that are present across all of them. It also includes a URL generator, a proxy service, and HTTPS capability.

Startpage had topped 3 million daily searches by 2023, indicating that it was becoming increasingly popular among privacy-conscious users. It also complies with the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), which ensures user data privacy.

9. DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is a mainstream search engine, but its main appeal is that it doesn’t collect or store any personal information.

In 20121 it had substantial growth, managing about 98.79 million search queries per day. DuckDuckGo accounted for 2.13% of the US search market as of December 2023.

DuckDuckGo’s search results come from over 400 sources, but no personal information is shared with any of them.

DuckDuckGo is a wonderful solution for those who value their privacy and personal information when exploring the web.

They have DuckDuckGo Lite, a mobile version of the search engine.

10. Swisscows

Swisscows is a privacy-focused search engine headquartered in Switzerland, a country known for its strict privacy rules. It uses semantic information recognition to get rapid and efficient search results without retaining personal information.

Swisscows is also family-friendly, with automatic filtering of violent and inappropriate content. It avoids using tracking cookies and geolocation. While it uses Bing for web searches, it created its index for the German language edition.

With over 20 million searches processed monthly in 2018, Swisscows distinguished itself as a search engine that respects user privacy by not collecting or keeping data.

Swisscows also provides a unique, ad-free music search option that respects user privacy.

11. Brave Search

The private search engine Brave Search is produced by Brave Software, the same company that created the privacy-focused Brave browser.

In 2023, it became completely independent of other search engines such as Bing, relying only on its index to improve user privacy and transparency in search results.

Brave Search, which is integrated with the Brave browser, provides an ad-free browsing experience while also rewarding users with cryptocurrency, resulting in a unique combination of privacy and earnings.

Brave Search has grown rapidly, with 24.57 million daily active users as of January 2024. Additionally, it states that over 65 million people use the Brave browser every month for a faster and safer browsing experience.

12. Gibiru

Gibiru is a search engine that values privacy and does not censor results. It is ideal for people who want to avoid being tracked by the government or companies. Gibiru’s servers remove all search logs within seconds after processing the query. In March, Gibiru received 2.84 million visitors. It uses a modified Google algorithm to provide search results, so you can get what you’re looking for without worrying about Google tracking you.

Gibiru also offers a mobile app for anonymous online browsing. Gibiru earns commission when users make purchases or perform activities based on its search results, rather than using personal data for ads.

Search Engines for Specific Countries or Languages

These search engines are intended to address the special needs of users in various regions by reflecting local languages and cultural backgrounds. They can adjust to both language and cultural differences.

For example, Baidu and Yandex adhere to local censorship laws, which influence the material that users see. Similarly, Naver’s design has been modified to South Korean consumers’ preferences.

Here are some notable examples:

13. Baidu

Baidu is China’s leading search engine, with a 66% market share. Its search results cater specifically to the Chinese market, with content hosted on Chinese servers ranking higher in the SERPs.

Baidu, like Google, provides a variety of services, such as maps, music, movies, and an app store. In addition, Baidu offers a mobile browser and an app.

14. Yandex

Yandex is Russia’s top search engine, with more than 50% of the market share. It is well-known for its powerful algorithm, which accurately interprets Russian-language search requests. Yandex is also widely used in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Apart from its search engine, Yandex offers a range of services like Yandex.Maps, Yandex.Music, and Yandex.Money, all of which contribute to a smooth user experience.

It also has an advertising network that lets businesses and organizations reach their intended audiences.

15. Sogou

Sogou is a rapidly growing Chinese search engine with a 5% market share in China. It provides an interactive search experience and includes features like WeChat integration, article search, English search, and translation services.

Sogou is committed to providing professional, accurate, and convenient search results by utilizing its own artificial intelligence algorithms.

16. Naver

Naver is the second most popular search engine in South Korea, accounting for 34% of the market share. Its interface is only in Korean, with no English version available.

As a local search engine, Naver does not index the entire internet. Instead, it concentrates on offering a variety of services, including blogs, news, music, and shopping.

Furthermore, Naver provides a mobile app for easy searching on the go.

Charitable search engines

17. Goodsearch

Goodsearch is a charitable search engine that donates a portion of its profits to organizations that its users choose. Goodsearch donates $0.01 to the user’s selected charity for each search that is conducted. Yahoo generates the search results.

But there are a few things you should know about the GoodSearch browser extension. It is categorized as a browser hijacker by PCRisk, which implies that it can change browser settings without the permission of the user, possibly compromising their security and privacy.

18. YouCare

YouCare, a charitable search engine founded in France, gives away 80% of its income to various charitable organizations.

YouCare stands out for being transparent; to confirm the contributions made, go to their donation certificates page. YouCare also has a counter that keeps track of how many searches you’ve done.

You can also specify where your money can be allocated among the many charitable deeds.

A Copyright-Free Search Engine

19. Openverse

Openverse is an open-source search engine developed as part of the WordPress initiative to assist users locate free and freely licensed content like as images and audio.

Unlike Google, which provides a broader range of search results, Openverse focuses on a huge, searchable library of open-source media, such as images, audio, and videos.

It’s excellent for anyone who needs music for movies or photos for blog articles without having to worry about copyright issues.

Openverse indexes more than 700 million objects from 45 sources, including Wikimedia Commons and Flickr.

A Revenue-Sharing Search Engine

20. Yep.com

Yep.com, created by Ahrefs, positions itself as a unique search engine that prioritizes user privacy by not tracking or selling user data.

While it monitors the frequency of keyword searches and the click popularity of links, it does not create personal profiles for targeted advertisements. Its business approach encourages direct pay for content providers by offering a 90/10 revenue share.

Additionally, it does not keep search history, IP addresses, or User-Agent strings indefinitely.

Knowledge-Based Search Engines

21. Wiki.com

Wiki.com collects results from thousands of wikis throughout the internet, making it a perfect search engine for people who value community-driven information, such as Wikipedia.

Wiki.com increases the accessibility of varied information sources by focusing on collaborative content, which appeals to individuals who value community-led information.

22. Wayback Machine

The Internet Archive, often known as the Wayback Machine, is a useful tool for researching historical web pages and much more.

It serves as a comprehensive online library, providing access to a wide collection of digitized materials such as millions of free videos, books, music, and software.

23. X (Formerly Twitter)

X stands out as a fantastic real-time search engine, especially useful during situations when immediate updates are critical. While Google may eventually catch up, nothing beats the speed of a tweet in critical situations.

X excels in providing minute-by-minute information, making it the go-to platform for those who need quick updates and insights when every second counts.

Its capacity to supply real-time material ensures that people remain informed and connected during critical events.

Specialized Search Engines

Specialized search engines focus on specialized topics or industries, giving users more relevant and focused results than broad search engines such as Google.

Here are some  examples:

24. WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is a powerful computational knowledge engine that delivers precise answers in a variety of fields, including mathematics, science, and linguistics.

It is an excellent resource for students, teachers, and professionals.

The Pro version, priced at $5.49 per month, includes advanced computing and data processing features.

25. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is widely known as a business-oriented search engine, with 61 million searches made each week. Its search algorithm promotes the originality of an organization’s LinkedIn Page name; more distinctive names get higher search results. 

However, overusing keywords might backfire, triggering spam filters and lowering visibility.

The system takes into account criteria such as the number of followers, connections to the searcher, page activity, and the relevancy of search terms in the organization’s name, all of which influence search ranks.

Conclusion

While Google is still the preferred search engine for many people, it’s important to know that it may not always be the greatest fit for your requirements and tastes.

Exploring other search engines can have numerous advantages, including increased privacy and a more personalized search experience. Whether you want to share entertaining material or protect your online privacy, these options can help.

From privacy-focused platforms to those with unique features and eco-friendly solutions, there is a search engine for everyone. We encourage you to experiment with these alternatives and share your results.

Which ones did you try, and how did they affect your search habits?

In SEO, things move more quickly than you can keep up, and landing on the first page of Google seems like hitting the jackpot. If you’ve ever worried about keywords, been frustrated by backlinks, or wondered why your site isn’t ranking despite your best efforts, you’re not alone. SEO can be a difficult and sometimes perplexing job, but it also has a lot of amusing moments that only those in the industry fully understand.

In this post, we’ve compiled 35 SEO memes that shows the ups and downs of the job . Now get a cup of coffee,  settle in, and get ready to chuckle (or groan) as you go through the most hilarious SEO jokes the internet has to offer.

1. The Viral Unicorn vs. The SEO Marathoner

It’s humorous sometimes, despite all the hard work, a bit of luck and timing can catapult someone to the top! It’s like watching someone effortlessly get through a challenging course you’ve been sweating over by using a secret shortcut that no one else is aware of.

2. Cat Listens, No One Else

It seems like only your cat, with its unblinking gaze and full attention, fully comprehends the depths of your SEO existence. Your cat sits there, ears perked up, hanging on every word as if you’re sharing the secrets of the universe, while everyone else is lost in the jargon.

3. The Ultimate Test of Patience

You speak SEO, but they hear “blah, blah, blah.” They don’t care about the complex science involved—they just want to know why their rankings are declining!

4. Seriously, Google?

Just when you thought you could relax and enjoy the holidays, your rankings decide to take a holiday too!”

5. Planning a Coup?

It’s like trying to dethrone a king with an impenetrable fortress—sure, a coup is possible, but it’s going to take a lot more than just good content.

6. Either Way, it’s A Headache!

Is there a Google update that will pass, or have you been penalized? Either way, you’re stuck figuring out how to get back on track!

7. Great Job, Honey!

It’s a little accomplishment, but it feels like winning the lottery of internet validation. Finally your moms comments have a competition!

8. My Morning Brew

Knowing that my content has just received a boost, I’m motivated to plunge into optimizing and ascending the SERPs, driven by coffee and SEO successes!

9. The Polite Threat

I may not know where you are, but I’ll find you and politely ask you to remove those links!

10. Constantly Checking SERP positions? Yep, We All Do It

No matter how many SERP tools come out, we just can’t resist. SEO is thrilling for geeks. Google always keeps us on our toes. So, here we are: checking rankings, checking again in incognito mode.

11. It’s Just Waiting for Google to Get Around to You

SEO may appear hard, but it is more about patience than brain surgery. With a little time and effort, you will notice results!

12. No Content Strategy? Nice Try, But No Entry!

Without a content strategy, you’re not getting through the SEO gatekeepers. You Gotta Have a Plan, Bro! Without one, you’re just wandering aimlessly in the SEO wilderness!

13. Thought I Will Never Find You

I’ve finally done it! It makes you want to shout from the rooftops. That moment is pure, unadulterated joy, and no amount of metrics can ever measure it!

14. Nichmares Again!

You’re tossing and turning, dreaming of keyword opportunities and market segments, as if your subconscious is hosting its own SEO conference. SEO can consume your thoughts, even when you’re supposed to be catching some z’s!

15. How Now?

It’s like asking for a slow-cooked, gourmet meal but demanding it in five minutes. But don’t worry, we’ll turn up the heat as much as we can and get those results cooking faster.

16. You Might Lose Your Leg Next Time😄

It’s like saying “I’m not afraid of spiders” and then realizing you’re in a room full of them.

17. Oh, Really? Dream On!

Sure, good content is important, but don’t forget about all the other factors that come into play!

18. The Never-Ending Battle

Please google let me hold it a little longer.

19. Your Crush Doesn’t Know You Exist

Time to give it a makeover before Google swipes left for good.

20. Backlink Insomnia

“I really need to build more backlinks!” It’s funny how SEO stress can invade your sleep and make you obsess over backlinks.

21. Play By The Rules, Buddy 😉

The goal is to play fair and make Google’s job easier by offering valuable content and a great user experience. Earn those rankings with quality content and honest effort! The goal is to stand out, not to sneak around!

22. A Thousand Reasons To Smile

Could have been worse, LOL! Seeing this graph makes me realize my day isn’t so bad after all. Sometimes, a little perspective on someone else’s SEO struggles can be oddly comforting.

23. The SEO Struggle of Being Almost Famous

You’re so close to the spotlight, but somehow, you’re stuck in the “better luck next time” zone! “Don’t give up your big break could be just one search engine adjustment away!”

24. SEO Goldmine

Time to seize that prime spot on the SERP and enjoy the sweet taste of SEO victory!

25. The Ultimate ‘Déjà Vu’ Moment

When your competitor takes ‘great minds think alike’ to a whole new level.

26. I’m Just A Devotee At The Church of Google

While my friends and family think I’m a tech wizard, I’m only just paying tribute to the Google gods if you see me with my eyes glued to the screen and whispering sweet nothings to the search bar, know that I’m just paying homage to the SEO gods.

27. Google’s Wandering Eye

Did I forget to sprinkle some magic SEO fairy dust? The whole thing just leaves me scratching my head and laughing through my frustration—because, let’s be honest, sometimes the SEO game is just downright confusing!

28. Pure frustration! Lol

I start off with enthusiasm, but end up feeling like I’m reciting the alphabet in a foreign language. They’re nodding and smiling, but I can tell they’re mentally checking out! Meanwhile, I’m left wondering if I should just show them cat videos instead!

29. Just Lost My Appetite

Why does every update feel like Google’s way of saying, “Surprise! Your hard work is now a puzzle with missing pieces”?

30. Seriously, Where Do We Hide?

And just when you think you’ve found a hiding spot, Google’s like, “Found you!”

31. If Pity’s Too Much, How About a Bit of Shame? Lol!

So here I am, laughing through my exasperation, wishing Google would at least feel a twinge of embarrassment for all the chaos they create!

32. Mastering the Art of SEO Self-Sabotage

Hey Google, check me out! I’m so obviously human with all my ‘genuine’ spelling errors and grammar slip-ups, right? No way an AI would mess up like this, so my EEAT score is bound to skyrocket… isn’t it? Guess am in for a shock!

33. Newsflash! You can’t Rank By Adding More Garbage

Exactly! More words don’t equal better rankings. Quality and relevance are key.

34. The Struggle is Real

I stand a chance but its tough though. I need the Lords intervention too!

35. When Your Client Thinks SEO is Instant Magic—Brace for the LOLs

Unfortunately, we don’t have a fairy godmother on speed dial.