Last quarter, we published an extraordinary analysis of hundreds of millions of Google searches alongside our clickstream panel partners at Datos (A Semrush Company). That analysis opened many marketers and creators’ eyes to the reality of how people use Google in 2024, i.e. navigational-heavy, and significantly weighted toward the top few thousand queries. This quarter,
ROI vs. VOI: Smart Marketers Look Beyond the Numbers
By Most of us default to Return on Investment (ROI) for measuring marketing success. It’s the tried-and-true metric that quantifies financial returns. Money in, money out. But we all know the messy reality of attribution. The prospects who subscribe and unsubscribe from our newsletters, who toss us a LinkedIn like now and then, who eventually Google
Unpopular Opinion: Public Relations is the Future of Marketing
By Public relations is a dying trade. Mainstream media has less influence than ever. Pitching for coverage is a thankless, fruitless task. Yeah, well, I think PR is poised for a massive comeback. Here’s why: This week’s 5-Minute Whiteboard is the one to show to your boss, team, client, or c-suite next time they ask why
Audience Research: The Complete Guide for Marketers in 2025
By Editor’s Note, May 2025: We are hosting a free webinar that walks you through how to do audience research. RSVP to join us on May 29, 2025! We launched SparkToro four years ago with the firm belief that audience research — and the knowledge that the tech giants gather about us — should be accessible
Why One-Pagers Are Dead (And What to Send Instead)
By Recently I said that nobody wants your one-pager. Some of you disagreed, one of you quoted Limp Bizkit at me, a handful of your AI-generated replies agreed with me, but mostly, you agreed with me. The problem with one-pagers is that they’re a frequently-asked-for asset that doesn’t address the true need. Your prospect (or their
Traffic Is Down; Revenue Is… Up?
By It’s weird times in the digital marketing universe. For decades, traffic and sales went together like peanut butter and jelly, cacio and pepe, palak and paneer. But, in the last few years, we’ve seen a deeply strange trend where the two have become unbound. In example after example, traffic can fall while revenue rises. Why
The Overlooked Reason Your Content Isn’t Gaining Traction
By “Your content isn’t getting amplified? Well, maybe it’s not good enough.” If I haven’t said that out loud before, I’ve definitely thought it. But it’s the least helpful piece of feedback. It’s not specific and it doesn’t offer solutions for next time. Instead, consider this: Maybe your content doesn’t match the user’s intent. As in,
The Digital Watercooler is Gone
By I used to log onto Twitter in the mornings and see people talking about a major brand’s latest ad campaign, skim through the latest viral marketing thread, and DM my friends for the tea of the main character of the day. I’d go onto LinkedIn and see some connections who have gotten new jobs, those
The State of Digital Agencies in 2024: Client Referrals Drive Agency New Business, But Is It Enough? And Are Sales Pipelines a Cause For Concern?
By Introductory note from Rand: In case you missed Paddy’s December post about this extraordinary research, let me give him a brief intro: Paddy’s had a long career in marketing agencies, and now coaches other agency owners and runs The New Leader newsletter (I’m a happy subscriber). Paddy’s contribution here cannot be overstated – he’s assembled a vast array
Why Do We Need Zero Click Marketing?
By You’ve heard of zero click marketing — and yes, you definitely heard it here first. We’re talking about creating standalone value in the platforms where people hang out, instead of dropping teasers and links in hopes that people will be compelled to click over to your site. It’s marketing where people already are and speaking