Ann Smarty

3 weeks ago | open.substack.com | Ann Smarty

Both traditional search and AI search platforms are using existing content to give answers. When it comes to brands, they usually rely on official sources to answer queries and prompts. In other words, in most cases, those answers come directly from brands, i.e. you. This is very important to understand because the majority of businesses do not invest in building this online narrative. They don’t talk about themselves enough.

3 weeks ago | medium.com | Ann Smarty

Ann Smarty·Follow5 min read·--If you’ve been in SEO long enough, you know that Google has been trying to figure out real expertise behind web documents for years. From the failed “Authorship” project to its E-E-A-T guidelines, we have lots of evidence of that battle. This is where the term “Topical Authority” stems from, and here’s what you need to know about it:As the term suggests, topical authority stands for the go-to resource for or a well-known expert on (or both) a particular topic.

3 weeks ago | practicalecommerce.com | Ann Smarty

Understanding keyword trends is key for organic and paid search performance. Search terms rise and fall in popularity. Understanding the movements aids informed decisions, such as naming products, launching marketing campaigns, and developing content. Here are four tools to identify year-over-year keyword trends. SEOmonitor is a rank tracking platform that pulls search volume from Google Ad’s Keyword Planner.

4 weeks ago | open.substack.com | Ann Smarty

If you’ve been in SEO long enough, you know that Google has been trying to figure out real expertise behind web documents for years. From the failed “Authorship” project to its E-E-A-T guidelines, we have lots of evidence of that battle. This is where the term “Topical Authority” stems from, and here’s what you need to know about it:As the term suggests, topical authority stands for the go-to resource for or a well-known expert on (or both) a particular topic.

1 month ago | open.substack.com | Ann Smarty

Being a brand is going to be even more important as AI platforms are becoming popular discovery channels. You (or your products) will not be included in AI-generated answers unless AI platforms know about you. Creating and distributing brand knowledge content is the first thing you should do when optimizing your brand for AI search. But it is still essentially you talking about yourself. While it is important to do, listening to and promoting what others are saying is the next step.