April 2022 in SEO

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Hello, SEO community! April is drawing to a close, and we’re back with some of the month’s hottest stories. Stick with us for the news and SEO tips you need to round off your April in style.

April 2022: the top stories

The headlines this month include the launches of YouTube Search Insights and TikTok’s Interactive Add-Ons. We’ll also cover some interesting tests Google is running with new featured snippet formats.

YouTube rolls out Search Insights to all users

When planning out content for your website, there’s a wealth of sources you can turn to, from Google’s Keyword Planner to proprietary services such as Moz and Semrush. Video content creators, however, haven’t had things as easy. Now, however, there’s a new tool that will help users on YouTube to access valuable data and see what audiences are really searching for.

First tested in November, YouTube Search Insights has now rolled out to all users. Thanks to the tool, users can see which keywords viewers are searching for. Users can select to view data from across YouTube, or to see what their own viewers are searching for. If selecting your viewers’ searches, you can also see which keywords people similar to your audience are looking for.

Perhaps Search Insights’ most interesting feature is the ability to highlight content gaps. This shows the user any searched-for terms with few relevant results. Search volume is also indicated via high, medium and low buckets.

At present, English-language data is available for the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and India. The company has announced plans for a broader rollout in the near future.

Interactive Add-Ons come to TikTok ads

TikTok has long prided itself on its high engagement rates, which some studies estimate are 15% higher than those of other platforms. This month, it’s aiming to bolster that reputation by providing advertisers with a range of Interactive Add-Ons.

Ad creators on TikTok can now choose from seven different Add-Ons that can help to make their content more eye-catching and engaging. This includes…

  • Four standard features:
    • Display Cards, used to highlight important messages, share offers and drive traffic
    • Gift Code Stickers to boost conversions and offer special incentives
    • Voting Stickers to elicit audience participation
    • Countdown Stickers to build excitement for upcoming events
  • Three premium features:
    • Pop-Out Showcases, which drive clicks via a pop-out element
    • Gestures, which encourage users to take a certain action before offering information or rewards
    • Super Like 2.0, a planned feature which shows floating icons when users engage with the ad

By making ads more interactive, TikTok is hoping to boost the engagement and conversion potential of its ads. The platform has also stated that the new Add-Ons can prove useful at different stages of the funnel, with the standard features helping to drive clicks while premium features boost brand awareness.

If you’re just starting out on the platform, be sure to check out our guide to TikTok marketing. We’ll help you to hit the ground running!

Google’s featured snippets could be changing

Once upon a time, the ultimate goal for any search marketer was to rank #1 on Google. Over time, however, things have shifted, and the ‘best’ SERP real estate isn’t quite as clear cut. Much of that is down to the arrival of featured snippets. Providing tidbits of interesting content on the results page itself, featured snippets changed the game for SEOs.

After a few years, we’ve become used to the standard formats for featured snippets, which include definitions, tables and lists. Now, though, it seems that Google is shaking things up once again by testing two new types of featured snippet.

The first of these is the From the web format. Here, instead of grabbing a definition from a single site, Google will feature a line from two, three or four different sources, with links back to each of them. Examples can be seen in this tweet from Glenn Gabe:

The second format is Other sites say. Here, a standard definition is provided, much like a normal featured snippet. However, beneath this, a line is shown from multiple sites—again, with links provided to each. This can be thought of as a hybrid between a traditional featured snippet and the ‘From the web’ format. You can see it in action here:

If you’re already ranking on page 1, the new formats could provide you with yet more chances to grab additional SERP space. This is definitely something worth keeping an eye on as we examine whether these new features get rolled out more widely.

NEWS IN BRIEF

We’re not quite done yet! Even though we don’t have space to cover everything under our main headlines section, there are still plenty of top stories worth taking a look at. Fortunately, some fellow outlets have reported on them themselves! See them all here:

SEO advice we love

We always check for the latest tips from experts across the fields of content and search engine optimisation. It helps us to become better at SEO, and it can help you, too! Check out some of our favourites from the past month below.

Tip of the month

Gated content vs ungated content featured image

“Gated content is one of the most popular methods of lead generation in content marketing. But what if your audience isn’t willing to give out their details? And what if there’s more to gain by keeping your content open to all?”

To gate or not to gate? It’s a question that all content creators have to ask at some point. On the one hand, gated content gives you the ability to grow your email marketing list and gain valuable information about your users. Conversely, keeping your content available to all without barriers maximises your potential reach. So, which option should you choose? Check out our guide to Gated vs Ungated Content for tips!

That’s another month down! If you’ve enjoyed this roundup, be sure to check back with Supersede Media as we offer more helpful SEO advice throughout the month.

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