Marketing

Great products deserve great visibility, especially in Google Shopping. Here’s how to make sure your feeds stand out in Google Merchant Centre. 

If you sell online, you already know the power of Google Merchant Centre (GMC). But as the platform evolves, the margin for error shrinks. Optimising your product feeds today isn’t just about getting listed, it’s about standing out.

With automation, AI, and new feed requirements coming into play, now is the time to refine your approach. Whether you’re a seasoned ecommerce pro or just getting started, this guide walks you through best practices for keeping your products live, visible, and clicking.

1. Start with clean, structured product data

Think of your product feed like your digital shop window. If you have messy, incomplete or confusing data, shoppers (and Google) will walk right past.

So make sure each product entry includes:

• Accurate titles (with brand, product type, and attributes)
• Clear, keyword-rich descriptions
• GTINs or MPNs for identification
• High-quality images with no watermarks.

Take care not to stuff titles with keywords – Google’s smarter than that now. Think clarity + context.

2. Optimise titles and descriptions for clicks

Your title is the first thing shoppers see, so you have to make it count.

A strong title format might be: [Brand] + [Product Type] + [Key Attribute] + [Size/Colour]

Example: Nike Men’s Running Shoes – Flyknit, Black, Size 10

Make sure that your descriptions:

• Include key product benefits
• Match the tone of your website
• Avoid fluff and manufacturer boilerplate.

As always, the goal is to convince and convert, without sounding like a robot.

3. Use the right product categories and attributes

Google’s product taxonomy is more detailed than ever, so get specific:

• Don’t just say ‘Clothing’. Instead, say ‘Apparel > Men > Shirts > T-Shirts’
• Use accurate custom labels for segmentation (eg ‘Clearance’ or ‘Best Seller’)
• Fill out optional attributes like material, pattern, and age group. These all help with filtering.

Remember: if Google can’t figure out what your product is, it won’t show it.

4. Stay on top of feed disapprovals

Nothing tanks a Shopping campaign like hidden feed errors. Keep a close eye on:

• Missing or incorrect GTINs
• Mismatched pricing between your feed and site
• Broken or slow-loading image URLs.

Set up Google Merchant Centre alerts and review diagnostics weekly. Proactive monitoring is the difference between running smoothly and scrambling to fix disapprovals.

5. Use Feed Rules to automate smarter

Google’s Feed Rules let you transform and enrich your data automatically. Look to:

• Add your brand name to the start of every title
• Convert size formats (eg ‘M’ to ‘Medium’)
• Standardise colour names across your catalogue.

This is a great way to clean up bulk product feeds without manual editing. It’s an especially useful tactic for retailers with thousands of SKUs.

6. Sync with your website in real time

Where there’s a price or stock change, you’ll want your feed to reflect that immediately. Use the Content API for Shopping or a real-time feed management tool to:

• Avoid disapprovals for price mismatches
• Prevent advertising out-of-stock items
• Save your team hours of manual work.

Platforms like Feedonomics, DataFeedWatch and Shopify’s built-in GMC apps make this easier than ever.

7. Layer in first-party and audience data

It’s all about relevance now. Syncing your product feed with first-party audience data (like past purchases or site behaviour) means you can:

• Tailor promotions to returning users
• Exclude low-converting segments
• Optimise your bidding strategy based on customer lifetime value.

While this happens mostly in Google Ads, your feed needs to support personalised, dynamic campaigns with clean data.

8. Don’t forget local Inventory ads

If you have physical stores, activate Local Inventory Ads (LIA). Take care to:

• Show nearby product availability to local shoppers
• Drive in-store visits with real-time stock updates
• Boost mobile CTR by serving ‘available nearby’ results.

LTA is one of the most underused yet powerful tools in Google Shopping, especially if you’re targeting footfall.

Final thought: Feed quality is the new competitive edge

As Google Merchant Centre becomes ever more sophisticated, retailers who treat their feed as a core marketing asset – rather than a backend admin task – will rise to the top.

Yes, optimising your product feed can get technical. But you’ll see the payoff in better visibility, higher click rates, and increased conversions.

Need help with GMC?

Looking to get more out of GMC? Chillibyte’s e-commerce SEO specialists can audit, clean, and optimise your setup to make sure your products shine. Why not get in touch today

Your product feed is live – but nothing’s showing. What’s gone wrong? And what can you do about it? 

Google Merchant Centre (GMC) is a powerful ecommerce tool, but it’s also a stickler for the rules. If your products are disapproved, they won’t appear in Shopping results, Performance Max campaigns, or across the Display Network. And if enough disapprovals stack up, your entire account could even be suspended.

Happily, most disapprovals are fixable, once you know what you’re looking for. Here’s a guide to the most common pitfalls, how to self-diagnose them, and when to bring in expert help…

Start in the Diagnostics tab

Start by looking at GMC’s Diagnostics tab, which is basically your disapproval dashboard. 

It breaks issues down into three categories:

• Item issues – affecting specific products
• Feed issues – problems with the file you uploaded
• Account issues – bigger-picture problems that may affect everything.

Start with the most critical errors (those in red). Google will even tell you what to fix, although the explanations and instructions can sometimes be vague.

Common product disapproval reasons (and how to fix them)

Price mismatch

Your product feed says one thing, your website says another.

Fix: Ensure your landing page and feed use the same currency, format and price, especially if you’re using sale pricing or multi-currency tools.

Image issues

Google dislikes:

• Watermarks or text overlays
• Placeholder images
• Low-res or incorrect aspect ratios.

Fix: Upload clean, high-quality images. No logos, no ‘SALE!’ banners.

Missing or incorrect GTIN/MPN

Google wants unique product identifiers, especially for branded goods, so getting these wrong will cause problems. 

Fix: Provide the correct GTIN or MPN (check with your supplier or packaging if needed). Don’t make them up – invalid codes can cause more trouble.

Policy violations

This would include things like promoting unapproved pharmaceuticals, weapons, or adult content.

Fix: Remove the offending products, and make sure your site complies with Google Shopping policies.

Feed-level fixes to watch out for

If the whole feed is broken, Google may reject all items in one go. Here are two possible causes.

Missing required fields

Every product needs essentials like title, price, availability, condition and link.

Fix: Check your feed export setup. Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce sometimes need plugin tweaks or custom feed rules.

Encoding issues or formatting errors

Bad characters, unescaped ampersands (&), or wrong delimiters can throw Google out.

Fix: Validate your feed using Google’s Feed Rules or external validators.

Watch for site-level problems

Even if your feed is perfect, your website itself might be the cause of disapprovals. All of these can cause problems: 

• Unsecure checkout (HTTP vs HTTPS)
• Broken product pages (404s)
• Missing returns or refund policy pages
• No contact information.

Google needs to trust your store, so make sure your ecommerce site is as polished and complete as your product listings.

Use Feed Rules to patch data on the fly

Sometimes you don’t need to rebuild your whole feed – you can just tweak what’s already there. Use Feed Rules in GMC to:

• Clean up titles (eg remove ‘On Sale Now!’)
• Auto-fill missing values
• Combine fields (eg brand + product name).

It’s a handy way to quickly fix common issues without editing the raw feed file.

Get support or bring in the experts

Still stuck? Google support can help with some issues, but wait times and canned responses are common. 

At Chillibyte, on the other hand, we can offer timely and responsive support, for example by: 

• Auditing your entire GMC setup
• Resolving chronic disapproval causes
• Setting up monitoring systems to prevent future issues
• Managing merchant feeds alongside Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.

Final thought: Disapprovals are a symptom, not a punishment

A disapproved product isn’t the end of the world. It’s simply a warning sign that something in your data, site, or setup needs attention.

With the right approach (and a bit of patience) most disapprovals can be reversed, quickly and safely.

Need help with GMC?

Chillibyte’s ecommerce team has helped dozens of brands turn red flags to green lights. If you need to troubleshoot some GMC issues, why not get in touch today.

As AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok explode in popularity, many are wondering if Google’s days at the top are numbered. We unpick the key findings from a major new 24-month traffic study that addresses this very question… 

TL;DR 

AI chatbots like ChatGPT are growing super-fast, with traffic up over 80% year-over-year. But traditional search engines like Google still dominate, according to in-depth research, driving 34x more visits.

Instead of taking over from search engines, the research found, chatbots are carving out their own space for quick, conversational queries. Meanwhile, search engines remain the go-to for deeper research and shopping decisions.

So smart brands are starting to optimise for both because the future of online search is all about hybrid habits, not a winner-takes-all battle.

Remember when Google was the default starting point for everything online, from finding a new dinner recipe to diagnosing that weird noise your car makes? But as we all know by now, there’s a rival in town – the AI chatbot. 

Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are steadily reconfiguring the way we interact with the web. Instead of wading through pages of blue links, we’re now often having full-on conversations with AI, getting instant, tailored answers. Often it feels faster and more frictionless, even a tad addictive.

Which leads us to the question that more and more marketers are wondering: Are AI chatbots about to knock Google off its throne? To answer this question, a white paper from OneLittleWeb dived into two years of global web traffic to see how AI chatbots stack up against the old-school search engine giants. 

AI chatbots v Google: Key findings at a glance

The result isn’t as simple as ‘AI wins, Google loses’. There’s some complexity and nuance here. Here’s the breakdown:

AI Chatbots are surging

AI chatbots have exploded with 80.92% year-over-year (YoY) growth, racking up 55.2billion visits between April 2024 and March 2025.

Search engines have dipped – but volume gap remains

Traditional search engines like Google and Bing have seen a tiny 0.51% YoY drop, totaling 1.86trillion visits over the same period. But even with that huge-sounding growth, chatbot traffic is still 34x smaller than search engines.

ChatGPT leads the way but challengers emerge

ChatGPT dominates the chatbot world with an 86.32% market share, while Google continues to dominate search with 87.57%.

Meanwhile, platforms like DeepSeek (up 113,007% in traffic) and Grok are gaining traction fast, signalling that the chatbot market is about to get a lot more competitive.

AI Chatbots: Huge growth but it’s all relative

There’s no question: AI chatbots are having their moment. ChatGPT alone saw 47.7billion visits in just one year – a 67.09% YoY jump. OpenAI’s biggest competitor, Claude (by Anthropic), is also showing steady gains, along with new entrants like Grok by xAI (Elon Musk’s AI startup) and DeepSeek.

Take a look at these growth stats:

• Claude grew 1,217% YoY.
  
• Grok, although smaller in user base, has recorded an impressive 1,029% growth since launch.
  
• DeepSeek burst onto the scene with unprecedented momentum, up 113,007% YoY.

Clearly, users are curious and willing to explore beyond ChatGPT, and there’s the strong suggestion that the AI chatbot landscape won’t remain a one-horse race for long.

And yet, even with all that momentum, chatbots collectively still only attract 3% of the traffic that search engines achieve. At this point chatbot performance is still like a shiny new speedboat bouncing along next to an oil tanker. It’s impressive, but dwarfed still by several magnitudes of scales down. For now, at least.  

Search Engines integrate to stay competitive 

Search engines, especially Google, aren’t sitting ducks. While total search traffic dipped slightly, they still drive vast pull eye-watering numbers. 

Google, for example, drove 1.63trillion visits in the period April 2024-March 2025. Bing is still holding steady, despite the new competition. DuckDuckGo, meanwhile, and a niche player, continues to cater to privacy-conscious users.

Google’s secret weapon is integration. It’s been steadily weaving AI into search experience through AI Overviews and SGE (Search Generative Experience), offering snippets and quick answers straight on the search page. This keeps users within Google’s ecosystem – no chatbot download required.

How do people choose between AI and search engines?

Digging into user behaviour reveals some interesting insights. In a nutshell, people trust AI chatbots for quick advice and instant creativity. But when they want options, products or deep research, they still turn to search engines.

• Chatbots are often used for quick, complex queries like ‘Explain quantum physics in simple terms’ (!) or ‘draft a thank-you email’.
  
• Search engines still dominate for broader searches like ‘best hiking shoes 2025’ or ‘Italian restaurants near me’.

Coexistence, not a knockout fight

OneLittleWeb’s data paints a pretty clear picture of a key principle: AI chatbots aren’t replacing search engines, they’re augmenting them.

This dynamic is reshaping the customer journey. For example:

1. You brainstorm your holiday ideas with ChatGPT.
   
2. You then Google hotels and flights.
   
3. Finally, you cross-check reviews and book online.

It’s clear that AI chatbots are moving into the awareness and consideration stages of the buyer journey, areas previously dominated by search alone.

What does this all mean for SEO and digital strategy?

If you’re in search marketing or content creation, this report confirms the digital landscape is getting a new layer. Here’s what savvy brands should start doing:

• Double down on quality content: Like Google, chatbots prioritise well-written, authoritative content. That means avoiding content that looks like fluff or clickbait.
  
• Think ‘AI-first’ content: Optimise not just for Google, but also for AI chatbots. Clear answers, featured snippets, FAQ-style formats and structured content make it easier for AI to pull your info.
  
• Reputation management: AI tools are starting to summarise brand reputations automatically (see next section). Having strong reviews and public sentiment online matters even more now.
  
• Think E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness): This Google standard is critical across the board, as it’s also influencing how AI chooses what content to serve.

How does a chatbot ‘summarise’ a brand? 

You no longer control your brand narrative solely through your own site. AI is now a digital gatekeeper, and it’s ready to package its own first impressions of your business based on what it finds out there online.

So when someone asks an AI something like ‘Is [Brand X] worth it?’ or ‘What do people think of [Brand Y]?’ or ‘Best alternatives to [Brand Z]?’, the AI doesn’t just give search results. It often writes a short summary, pulling together the prevailing opinion from its sources. That could look like:

‘Brand X is known for fast customer support and user-friendly tools, but some users say the pricing is a bit steep.’ 

The AI comes up with this text by a number of routes: 

• Scraping and ingesting public data
• Detecting sentiment and patterns
• Pulling in cases from real-time APIs

Scraping and ingesting public data

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity have been trained on vast datasets that include:

• Public websites
• News articles
• Product reviews (from sites like Trustpilot, G2, Amazon)
• Forums like Reddit and Quora
• Social media (sometimes via plugins/APIs)
• Company blogs and press releases.
  

Detecting sentiment and patterns

AI models use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to:

• Gauge sentiment (positive, neutral, negative) in reviews and social chatter
• Identify common themes eg ‘fast customer support’, ‘expensive but high quality’, ‘app keeps glitching’ etc
• Spot influencer and media mentions, and assess their tone and sentiment.

Pulling in cases from real-time APIs

Tools like Perplexity or plugins for ChatGPT can also use live sources (like Google Reviews or Glassdoor) to serve up real-time info. This means your latest reviews could influence the AI’s answer today.

All this means is that having strong reviews and public sentiment online matters even more now, so it’s vital to adapt your strategy accordingly.

The future is hybrid

So the next phase of the internet isn’t a battle between AI chatbots and search engines – it’s a tag-team effort. Users will toggle between the two depending on their needs.

For now, search engines continue to reign supreme, not just by force of volume and historic habit but by integrating new AI-driven features to keep up on site. At the same time, AI chatbots are rapidly evolving, becoming more sophisticated and more woven into everyday workflows.

The brands that win out will be those that stay agile, produce genuinely useful content, and think multi-channel from day one.

• Here’s the link to the OneLittleWeb white paper again: AI Chatbots vs Search Engines: 24-Month Study on Traffic Trends.

Contact us 

At Chillibyte, we specialise in future-proofing brands for both search engines and AI-driven platforms. Keen to know more? Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.

A beginner’s guide to high-performing social ads – why paid social matters, the best platforms, plus expert tips to get the most from your budget

Social media advertising is a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach their ideal audience, generate leads, and drive sales. With organic reach declining, paid social ads provide a targeted way to put your brand in front of the right people at the right time.

Why Invest in Paid Social Advertising?

Organic reach on platforms like Facebook has declined to as low as 5%. With paid ads, you are able to:

✔ Reach highly targeted audiences based on interests and behaviors
✔ Retarget website visitors who didn’t convert
✔ Scale up quickly and see measurable ROI

Best Paid Social Platforms

Each platform has different ad formats, targeting options, and audience behaviors. Choosing the right one depends on your business goals:

📌 Facebook & Instagram – Best for B2C, brand awareness, and eCommerce
📌 LinkedIn – Ideal for B2B lead generation
📌 TikTok & Snapchat – Effective for Gen Z and younger audiences

How to Run High-Performing Paid Social Campaigns

1. Define Your Campaign Goals

💡 Are you looking to generate leads, boost traffic, or increase sales? Your goal determines the type of ad and budget strategy.

2. Target the Right Audience

Who are you after? Your options here include:

🎯 Custom Audiences (retarget past visitors or email subscribers)
🎯 Lookalike Audiences (find new users similar to existing customers)
🎯 Interest and behavior-based targeting

3. Create Engaging Ad Creatives

Your ad creative needs to grab attention fast. Make sure to use:

✅ Eye-catching visuals and videos
✅ Clear, action-driven copy
✅ A compelling call-to-action (CTA)

4. Optimise & A/B Test Ads

Monitoring performance is key – you can adjust and refine ads based on what works best. Run A/B tests on:

🔄 Different headlines
🔄 Images vs. video ads
🔄 CTA wording

5. Track & Measure Results

Use Facebook Ads Manager, Google Analytics, and conversion tracking to measure ROI.

Why Work with a Paid Social Expert?

A successful campaign requires expert strategy, audience research, and ongoing testing. At Chillibyte, we help businesses craft high-converting social ads that deliver real results.

📢 Want to scale your social media ads? Get in touch today!

AI is dividing opinion among marketers but its growing influence is undeniable. Should you include it in your SEO efforts – and if so, how? 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising digital marketing, and search marketing is no exception. From technical SEO to PPC to content creation, AI-driven tools are transforming the way businesses reach and engage with their audiences. So should you fully embrace AI in your search marketing campaigns? The short answer is yes – but with a strategic approach.

In this article, we’ll explore why AI is essential for search marketing in 2025/26, the benefits it brings, and how you can effectively integrate AI-driven solutions into your strategy.

Why AI Matters in Search Marketing

AI is no longer just an option in search marketing – it’s a necessity. From improving SEO and PPC performance to automating content creation and enhancing user experience, AI-powered tools are transforming the digital marketing landscape…

1. AI is Reshaping Search Algorithms

Search engines like Google continuously update their algorithms to improve user experience and search result relevance. AI is at the core of these changes, with Google’s RankBrain and BERT models leveraging machine learning to understand search intent better. By using AI-powered tools, marketers can adapt their strategies in real time to align with these evolving algorithms.

2. Automation Saves Time and Enhances Efficiency

AI can automate repetitive tasks such as keyword research, competitor analysis and bid adjustments in PPC campaigns. This allows marketers to focus on strategic planning, creative content, and audience engagement rather than manual data crunching.

3. Improved Accuracy and Data-Driven Decision Making

AI-powered analytics tools process vast amounts of data at high speeds, providing actionable insights that help marketers refine their strategies. Whether it’s predicting trends, identifying user intent, or optimising content for better rankings, AI ensures precision in decision-making.

4. Personalisation at Scale

Modern consumers expect personalised experiences, and AI makes this possible at scale. By analysing user behaviour and past interactions, AI can help marketers deliver tailored content, ads and recommendations with the potential to boost engagement and conversions.

5. AI-Powered Content Creation and Optimisation

With tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Copy.ai, AI can generate high-quality content, including blog posts, ad copy and product descriptions. While human oversight is essential to maintain authenticity and brand voice, AI can significantly speed up the content production process.

How to Integrate AI into Your Search Marketing Strategy

1. Use AI for Smarter Keyword Research

Keyword research is the backbone of SEO and PPC campaigns. AI-powered tools such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google’s Keyword Planner can identify high-performing keywords by analysing trends, search intent, and competition levels. AI also helps discover long-tail keywords that align with conversational search queries and voice search.

2. Enhance SEO with AI-Driven Optimisation Tools

AI can streamline SEO efforts by providing on-page optimisation suggestions, improving site structure and identifying technical issues. Platforms like SurferSEO and Clearscope analyse top-ranking pages and suggest ways to enhance your content’s relevance and readability.

3. Boost PPC Performance with AI-Optimised Bidding Strategies

AI-driven bidding strategies in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads adjust bids in real time based on factors like user behaviour, device type and location. Automated bidding ensures that your ads are shown to the right audience at the optimal cost-per-click (CPC), so maximising ROI.

4. Leverage AI Chatbots for Improved User Experience

AI-powered chatbots can engage visitors, answer queries, and guide them through the conversion funnel 24/7. This not only improves customer service but can also boost lead generation and sales.

5. Automate Reporting and Analytics

Manually analysing campaign performance can be time-consuming. AI-based reporting tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and HubSpot use machine learning to provide in-depth insights into user behaviour, helping marketers adjust strategies quickly.

6. Improve Content Marketing with AI-Generated Insights

AI doesn’t just create content; it also helps marketers understand what type of content resonates with audiences. AI-driven content insights can identify trending topics, optimise headlines for click-through rates, and recommend the best publishing times for maximum reach.

The Challenges of AI in Search Marketing

While AI offers numerous advantages, it’s essential to be aware of potential challenges:

• Over-reliance on Automation: AI should support, not replace, human creativity and strategic thinking.
• Data Privacy Concerns: With increasing data regulations, marketers must ensure ethical AI usage and compliance with GDPR and other laws.
• Need for Continuous Learning: AI tools evolve rapidly, requiring marketers to stay updated on new trends and best practices.

Conclusion: Embrace AI, But Don’t Forget that Essential Human Touch

The most successful campaigns will strike the right balance between AI-driven efficiency and human creativity. By leveraging AI for data analysis, automation, and personalisation while maintaining a human touch in branding and storytelling, your search marketing strategy will be well-positioned for success in 2025 and beyond.

Talk to us
Keen to find out more about how AI-powered tools and strategies can drive up the performance of your search marketing campaigns? Our team of experts would love to have a chat about how best to future-proof your digital marketing strategy!

What are the trends and techniques that are hitting now – and what are the tactics to let go of? 

Content marketing has evolved significantly over the years, and as we move through 2025, the landscape looks more dynamic than ever. But many tactics that once delivered results have become obsolete, while new trends and best practices are shaping how brands engage with their audiences. 

So if you’re looking to refine your strategy for the rest of the year and beyond, understanding what works (and what doesn’t) is crucial. Let’s explore the key components of a strong content marketing strategy in 2025/26…

Tactics That No Longer Work

As content marketing has matured, certain approaches that were once effective have lost their impact. Here are some outdated tactics to wave goodbye to… 

1. Keyword Stuffing and Over-Optimisation

We shouldn’t need to say it, but it’s amazing how many people are still guilty of this one! Why? Because Google’s algorithms have become far more sophisticated, with AI-driven search capabilities prioritising natural, user-friendly content. 

Stuffing your content with excessive keywords in an attempt to rank higher – or shoehorning inhuman-sounding copy around contrived search phrases – is not only unlikely to perform badly search-wise and turn off your users. It could even lead to penalties.

2. Thin, Low-Value Content

Gone are the days when churning out short, generic blog posts could drive traffic. Search engines and users now demand in-depth, high-quality content that genuinely solves problems and provides value.

3. Clickbait and Sensationalism

While eye-catching headlines may attract clicks, misleading content will damage trust. Attention harvesting is a losing game – in 2025, user engagement and retention are more important than just generating one-off clicks.

4. One-Size-Fits-All Content

Generic content that doesn’t cater to specific audience segments won’t cut it any more either. Personalisation and hyper-relevance are key to effective engagement.

5. Ignoring Video and Audio Content

Relying solely on text-based content is a mistake. Video, podcasts, and interactive media have taken centre stage, and brands that fail to diversify their formats risk losing audience engagement.

Key Trends and Best Practices for 2025/26

So much for the tactics to avoid. What should businesses be focusing on to succeed in content marketing this year instead? Here’s our pick of the key strategies and best practices shaping the content landscape today… 

1. AI-Driven Content Creation and Optimisation

AI is playing an increasingly critical role in content marketing, from automating research and keyword analysis to generating content ideas and even producing drafts. However, human oversight remains essential to ensure authenticity, creativity, and brand alignment.

2. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness)

Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T continues to grow, meaning that brands must demonstrate deep expertise and credibility in their content. Author bylines, citing reputable sources, and creating long-form, well-researched content are key to success. Quality over quantity every time! 

3. Conversational and Voice Search Optimisation

With more users relying on voice search, optimising for natural language queries is essential. Content should be structured in a way that answers questions directly and succinctly.

4. Interactive and Immersive Content

Static content is no longer enough to capture and hold attention on its own. Interactive quizzes, polls, augmented reality (AR) experiences and even AI-driven chatbots that provide personalised content recommendations are gaining more and more traction.

5. Video-First Content Strategy

Video continues to dominate the internet. Short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts will go on making video an essential part of any content strategy. Live streaming and video-based storytelling are also proving highly effective in building audience engagement.

6. Content for the ‘Zero-Click’ Era

With Google providing more direct answers in search results, brands must optimise content for featured snippets, knowledge panels, and other direct–answer SERP features. Providing valuable information within the search results itself can enhance brand visibility and authority.

7. Sustainability and Ethical Storytelling

Consumers are more conscious than ever about the brands they support. Content that highlights transparency, ethical business practices, brand purpose and sustainability efforts can help build trust and loyalty.

8. Community-Driven Content

Engagement is shifting from just broadcasting messages to fostering genuine conversations. User-generated content (UGC), community forums, and interactive social media discussions will play a bigger role in content marketing success.

9. Long-Form and Evergreen Content with Depth

While short-form content is essential, long-form, in-depth pieces still have their place – especially for SEO. Comprehensive, regularly-updated guides, case studies and well-researched reports help establish authority and provide long-term value – they are the content gifts that keep on giving!

10. Omnichannel Content Distribution

Sweat those assets! If done right, a single piece of content can be repurposed and distributed across multiple platforms. Look to email marketing, social media, video and even offline channels to slice and dice your content pieces to maximise reach and engagement.

Crafting Your 2025/26 Content Strategy

What does your content marketing strategy need to look like if you’re to stay ahead of the curve in 2025/26? 

In a nutshell, you need to be taking a strategic and responsive approach to content marketing. Here’s how to craft a winning strategy:

Set Clear Goals:

Same as always – define what success looks like, whether that’s brand awareness, lead generation, engagement or conversions.

Know Your Audience:

Leverage data and AI insights to understand audience preferences, pain points and behaviours.

Prioritise Quality Over Quantity:

A few high-value pieces will outperform a slew of thin, me-too content items.

Diversify Content Formats:

Combine and repurpose blog posts, videos, podcasts, interactive content for maximum impact.

Optimise for Search and Social:

Ensure content is structured for SEO while being shareable and engaging on social platforms.

Leverage AI and Automation:

Use AI tools for research, content generation, and personalisation, but maintain a human touch.

Measure, Analyse, and Adapt:

Regularly review performance data and refine your strategy based on insights.

Fancy a chat?

A strong content marketing strategy in 2025 is about more than just publishing content – it’s about delivering value, fostering engagement and keeping on top of digital trends. By focusing on quality, leveraging AI intelligently, and embracing diverse content formats, brands can build lasting relationships with their audience and achieve sustainable growth.

Are you ready to refine your content marketing strategy for the months ahead, talk to our expert team – we’d be delighted to share some thoughts to help you navigate the ever-changing digital landscape and craft a winning approach tailored to your business goals. 

Google are a smart bunch and certainly know how to make us work hard to get those all-important rankings. With an ever-evolving algorithm and hugely competitive landscape, it’s a battle to see yourself outrank those you are up against.

That is why those among us in the SEO world look to deploy a host of tactics to ensure the words and images on screen translate to a high position on the SERPS.

Some of these strategies don’t always work though. We can spend time cultivating what appears to be high quality, relevant and detailed content, tailored to the search intent, yet for some reason, the Google gods think it’s not worthy of a high position. So, what do we do?

We must adapt, and match the audience demand as things change, we have to be aware of trends and make ourselves an authoritative voice on those trends. To do this, we adopt link building and digital PR strategies.

These give us the chance to amplify the voice or the message of the brand and the associated content to a potentially new and valuable audience that may have not yet found us via Google.

Building links has long since been known as a valuable tool in the world of SEO. If a high-quality site has a link to your content, it’s basically saying “we agree with this” or “these people know what they are talking about.” From this, your sites credibility grows and those ranking start to improve. So, what is the difference if both aim to give you the same result? In this edition of our blog, we take a look.

What is Digital PR?

Even if you are new to the world of marketing, you’ll know that PR can be both good and bad. In digital, bad PR isn’t so much a controversial statement, or a publicity stunt gone wrong. It’s more so that your content lands on a poor-quality site and causes your own site to lose a bit of its credibility.

Digital PR is where you use PR tactics to secure backlinks or exposure on high quality sites. Think news media, such as The Times, The Guardian, Sky News. Think industry publications specific to your niche. Think big. With digital PR you craft valued assets that can be shared and consumed by a wide audience, who in some cases, may have no interest in your brand but are lured in though your creative content. This could be videos, infographics, detailed reports or articles. Think about articles you may stumble upon such as “The five places you are likely to die.” It sounds a little morbid, it sounds a little odd, but you are giving it a click….Then once you start reading, you’ll find a link within to, let’s say, a life insurance company who have created this novel, quirky PR piece.

I’ll give you another example, how often do we see “Netflix viewers shocked by gory scene in latest show” or something similar? You click it, you want to know what the scene was, what the show was or whether people were genuinely shocked. Once on the piece, you find a few references to specific scenes, perhaps a quote from a viewer, but there it is…..the link to sub to Netflix.

You’ll craft this content, specifically for outreaching, to relevant outlets. With each item you outreach being built to the audience of the publications you are reaching out to. Some you may have built relationships up with through earlier work, others you might find via tools such as Muckrack, Prowly or Dotstar. These outlets become the metaphorical gun that shoots your message out to the new, untapped audience. To get them to do so though, you need two things. Great content, and a relationship.

Digital PR relies on relationship building, and it takes time. You need to build a contact list of site owners, journalists, marketers and more. Reaching out to them will be the start of your journey. Some may not want to know; others may love every aspect of what you have. It’s a slow burner and one where results may not be evident right away. Let’s use an example. At Chillibyte, we landed some links for a property client of ours on the Ideal Home site. This stemmed from spotting an opportunity on Dotstar. We then pitched to the journalist, she liked what we had and published it. Since then, we have been able to offer expert commentary from our client for a variety of pieces for the site where the writer reaches out to us, rather than us having to reach out to them.

You can view digital PR as they way to sing, dance and shout about your brand through being creative, informative and engaging.

What are the common digital PR tactics?

It all depends on what message you need to get across. You may have stories or stats to offer that align with a trend or current affairs. Data driven outreach is loved by media outlets as they can use it to help solidify their story. Expert commentary is loved just as much as it allows the publication to inform their audience with quotes from those “on the front line” rather than just give unsubstantiated opinions.

For the most part, digital PR will include:

• Creative marketing efforts to capture attention (videos, social campaigns, calls to action)
• Research and data driven content that provides valuable information
• Commentary and opinion to show the brand as a voice of authority
• Product launches and partnerships, showcasing innovation, new trends and endorsements

So, what about link building then?

There is a fair bit of similarity between digital PR and link building. The end result after all, is fundamentally the same. However, manual link building is a little different.

We all know that a backlink can help increase your site authority, and much like digital PR, if the link comes from a high-quality site, it’s going to work wonders. In PR though, a link isn’t always guaranteed. Some publications see your hope for a link as a chance to sell you an advertorial package, others may simply ignore links in the press release and just opt for a brand mention.

With link building, the core focus is the link. In fact, a link may be all you need to supply to the hosting site as opposed to a huge press release with media files and reams of info.

If you can successfully build links on high quality sites, you stand to see not just an enhanced credibility for your site but gain improved visibility within your industry. This then helps to build relationships among other industry experts, giving you the opportunity to perhaps work alongside each other in the future should opportunity arise.

With increased website credibility, the increased organic traffic follows (hopefully) and from this increased traffic, you should….and we say should….have a better chance of converting visitors into customers.

So how do we build links manually? We do it a little like we do with digital PR, except in some cases, you don’t need content, you just need to answer a question or provide a piece of data that helps another site out. Common link building tactics could include simply requesting a link from partners or affiliates, it could be from providing a blog with relevant images or a piece of data, or it could be from providing content that the host thinks is link worthy such as a helpful tool, some valuable resources or some key data that backs up their story or article.

You may find sites that have broken links where you can reach out and say, “Hey, I see you are talking about buying a new car, your link is broken, but don’t worry, I’ve got this if you want it” They might then just thank you for highlighting their broken page by giving you the link.

Another option could be where you reach out to a blogger for example and tell them you have some content relevant to some items on their site. You might have an infographic that complements their existing work. You don’t want paying for supplying them some valued info that bolsters their coverage, you just want the link that shows where the infographic came from.

You can view link building a little like being a helpful aid to other sites.

Overcoming hurdles

By covering both PR and link building, you stand to gain links from the high-quality media outlets but also the industry specific blogs and sites. This shows to Google that not only does the industry rate you, but the media does too.

Google won’t just take a link as a sign of quality though; it looks at the site and checks whether it serves a purpose to the user. It wants to know; will a click take the consumer to somewhere relevant and authoritative or will it take them to something of poor quality. As a result, links do not become the only factor. The quality of the content and the quality of the site come into play too.

You could, for example, look at a site that gets plenty of traffic, yet all its other metrics point to it being a site of low authority. If the content within is of high quality though, the rankings could be too. Engaging, quality content can convince Google that you are the thought leader in your field. And this, can be priceless.

It can take time though and as a result, many look to link building in favour of content. The thought being that lots of good links will push you to the top step of the Google podium. Whilst to a small degree that is correct, highlighting just one page as the bells and whistles of your site could actually demean your site’s worth. Instead, it’s best to cultivate high quality content, site wide, then when you build links and outreach, not only will Google know you are a worthy voice in the field, but the media outlet will too. 

Wow, we’ve reached double figures! It’s time to blow out some candles and eat some cake! This year, we celebrated our tenth birthday, a special milestone and one we are particularly proud of.

Since our inception, we’ve grown from strength to strength, welcoming clients from not only the UK, but across the globe too. Our place in the world of search marketing, now firmly cemented.

For some of you reading this, you may be new to Chillibyte, either as clients, or even team members. For others, you may have been with us from the start. Whoever you are, and whenever you came on board, we thank you all! You are what helps make Chillibyte great.

So, we guess you want to know what we got up to for our 10^th birthday? Well, let’s indulge you a little in how we celebrated, but first, a quick overview of Chillibyte to give you a little background.

When was Chillibyte founded?

Chillibyte was founded by Sam Trousdale and Tim Watney in the summer of 2013, with the aim of delivering premium search marketing services to businesses that felt their online presence was lacking. Utilising their years of experience in digital marketing, the duo put a plan in place. A plan that would help see rankings rise and sales surge for businesses looking for results that had otherwise eluded them.

Over time, the ability to demonstrate the merits of search proved to be successful. Clients could now see and understand why their brand wasn’t previously seen. They could finally fathom why keywords mattered, why content is king, and why getting to page one on Google is certainly not a given.

Expansion of Chillibyte

With an influx of clients beginning to flood in, rapid expansion was needed. Sam and Tim drafted in Akash Valand, an SEO Jedi who is the walking, talking encyclopedia of SEO strategy. Still here to this day, Akash, now the Head of SEO, has helped Sam and Tim enhance the Chillibyte reputation immensely. Next in was Amber Longhurst, the content writer who can make words sing on a page, no matter the subject.  Now the Head of the Content department, Amber strategises the way content will deliver meaningful and impactful results for clients across property, finance, insurance, beauty, travel, healthcare and so much more.

With a core now built, Chillibyte was able to continually expand as it impressed clients with its results. Valued assets such as Dan Stockwell, now the Head of Web, Jeff So the Head of PPC, and more, all came on board to help Sam and Tim with their mission.

Today, we celebrate ten years of Chillibyte with many of the people who joined Sam and Tim in the early stages of the journey still with us. A few faces have gone, and a few new ones have joined. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the Chillibyte ethos of giving your search marketing a kick!

So, let’s tell you about what we did to celebrate.

Chillibyte’s 10^th birthday party

With Covid putting pause to many events throughout 2020-2022, we approached 2023 knowing that if everything was as close to normal as possible, we could enjoy a 10^th birthday with our team. If it wasn’t, a party via Zoom may have been our only option!

Sure enough, life in 2023 is pretty much the same as it was pre-covid. This means we can have some fun.

So … what did we do?

We started with a vote organised by Senior Account Manager Kim May-Papailiou. A selection of event types was given to us, and we could all choose a preference. Options such as a meal and drinks, an escape room or a trip to a sporting event, were all listed among many others.

Being a team never to shy away from excitement, an escape room experience was chosen with a meal and drinks added in for good measure.

So, on a balmy July day, the team headed to Brighton. Some keen to soak up the atmosphere had already arrived in advance of the majority. Once all together, we headed for the Pier Pressure murder mystery at Preston Manor. With questions around whodunnit about to be answered, it was time to don our detective gear and go investigating!

The murder mystery solved by Chillibyte

Chillibyte is a team of around 15 people, and with the organisers of the event suggesting we break into smaller teams for a more competitive experience, we soon had captains picking their colleagues as prized assets. With none of us qualified in criminology and a few having visited the pub in advance, this could be a taxing affair……

Split into three teams, we navigated the manor attempting to solve a murder. Like a game of Cluedo, we needed to locate a weapon, the criminal and where it was committed within the grounds. Adorned with our costumes provided by the venue, we set out on the hunt for answers.

An hour is set on the clock, and penalties are in place for incorrect answers. Penalties that would affect the result for some.

With puzzles ranging from the simple to the complex, it was a true combination of excellent teamwork, a little luck, and some random guesses that we all managed to get back to the “Detective” with our allegations.

All three teams made it within the hour, but one failed. As you enter the room to announce your findings, the Detective confirms whether you are right or wrong with each accusation. If you have them all correct, and complete it in the quickest time, you are the winner. Unfortunately, the writer of this post was lured by a false indicator from the detective, thinking it was a helpful hint. Instead, he made a decision that cost his team a further five seconds. Putting them bottom of the rankings.

Whilst a career in MI5 may not be beckoning for any of us, we thought it was time to enjoy some food and drinks, satisfied a fictional killer had been found and justice served.

Seaside dining and city centre cocktails

Solving murders, even fictional ones, is hard. Leaving Preston Manner, we ventured closer to the seafront, stopping at a few pubs on the way to test the beers and break down our case findings. Time was moving quickly though, and with a drink or two enjoyed, it was time to move on to Shelter Halls. Now if you have never been, we recommend it. A huge selection of eateries, all under one roof, offering an eclectic mix of different cuisines. Whereas in a regular restaurant, you may order from one specific menu, at Shelter Halls, you can order your main from one, your side from another, and a drink from another. Fancy adding a side of pasta to your burger? No problem! Enjoy a little Indian food but wouldn’t mind some fries too? You can do that!

The service was speedy, and considering you are ordering from multiple menus, the wait for things to arrive from each outlet was incredibly short. It gets very busy though, and booking is a must. With tables often held for short periods, we knew that after eating it was time to explore elsewhere.

A bar close by that had a ship’s hull as part of its interior provided a welcome rest spot before we dived deeper into the city. The Cuban band outside gave us some welcome tunes to bring the afternoon into the evening.

As time progressed, a few of the team headed home due to childcare and other commitments but a few stayed out to see what else the night may bring.

A cocktail bar, where you “roll the dice” was next up. Bohemia is a great venue where your preferred drink can be ordered unless you “roll the dice”. The barman gives you two dice, each number represents a spirit. The numbers you roll then determine what the mixologist must use. Their ingenious creative skills mean you end up with a drink combination you may have never thought possible. In one instance, we were taken back to 1920s New Orleans with a whisky-based drink that looked appealing but didn’t quite give us the taste we hoped for. Our next roll provided something a little fruitier and from there, we had found our tipple for the evening.

With the night drawing to a close, it was time to reflect on the day and also the company itself. Sitting around a small table. Sam and Tim both enthused about how far Chillibyte has come and how excited they are for the next chapter.