Michael Epps Utley 
Search engines like Google are changing their rules all the time, forcing marketers to stay on high alert as SEO signals shift in importance. Add AI to the mix, and the landscape becomes even more uncertain. With so many factors at play, digging into these finer details of digital marketing can be difficult. Still, it’s worth paying attention to seemingly small things like image optimization and tactics that make social media ads stick.
Read on for the latest on best practices for optimizing your business’ images and social ads, and stay tuned to GoEpps weekly for more updates on SEO, AI, content marketing, and more!
Google AI Overviews Expanding: What It Means for SEO and Content Strategy
Google’s AI Overviews are no longer just influencing search results; they’re expanding into visual searches as well. Recently, Search Engine Land reported that Google’s AI-generated summaries are now appearing in Google Lens results, further integrating AI-driven content into the search experience (source).
For businesses and marketers, this shift underscores the growing importance of optimizing not only written content but also visual content. As AI becomes more embedded in search, ensuring that images are well-labeled, properly formatted, and contextually relevant will be essential for visibility. This means focusing on high-quality metadata, descriptive alt text, and structured data markup for images to improve discoverability.
Does Geolocation Data in Images Matter for SEO?
One ongoing debate in the SEO world is whether image geolocation data impacts rankings. According to Search Engine Journal, the consensus seems to be that geolocation metadata in images does not directly influence SEO rankings (source). However, this discussion raises a broader point about image optimization.
While Google may not use geolocation data as a ranking factor, optimizing images in other ways—such as compressing files for faster load times, using relevant keywords in file names, and ensuring images are mobile-friendly—remains crucial. Well-optimized images contribute to better user experience (UX), which can indirectly boost SEO performance by reducing bounce rates and improving engagement metrics.
Making Social Ads Stickier
As AI-driven search evolves, businesses must also refine their paid media strategies. MarTech recently highlighted three common reasons why social ads fail to convert and how to fix them (source).
Why do some social ads fail? Some key takeaways include:
Weak Creative Execution: Ads need to be visually compelling and formatted to match platform-specific best practices.
Poor Audience Targeting: Ensuring ads reach the right audience with refined targeting strategies can make a significant impact.
Lack of Optimization & Testing: A/B testing different creatives, headlines, and calls to action (CTAs) is crucial for finding what resonates with your audience.
As AI continues to shape digital marketing, businesses should focus on integrating high-quality, well-optimized content across both organic and paid strategies. Staying ahead means adapting to new AI-driven features while maintaining fundamental SEO and advertising best practices.
