How does Google Maps work? In the first part of the article, we already figured out that this is not an additional option, but a separate lead generation channel. Let's move on to the main question: by what rules does Google choose the three who end up in the Local Pack? Unlike classic SEO, where algorithms remain complex and partially closed, Google acts quite transparently in local search. The company officially confirms three key factors that affect business rankings in Google Maps. They are called the “big three”. These three criteria determine whether you will be in the top 3 or remain out of sight. Relevance - how well your profile meets a specific user request. Distance - how physically close you are to the person looking for a service. Visibility or authority - how well your business is known,...

Just a few years ago, social media monitoring for most brands meant tracking mentions and counting likes. Today, that's not enough. In 2026, the ability to “listen” to your audience has become a strategic advantage, understanding the context, emotions, and moment your customer is in. Brands that win at this game no longer react after the fact. They predict and notice changes in market sentiment before their competitors do. What has changed, and what social monitoring trends should be considered today? 1. AI analysis of reactions and context Previously, algorithms divided audience reactions into three categories: positive, negative, or neutral. Sarcasm, irony, emojis, and cultural nuances were often simply left out of the analysis. Today, the situation is different. AI has learned to recognize not only words but also emotional subtext. It sees frustration behind polite phrasing. It understands irony....

Content marketing and changes in how it works are much greater and more profound than we think. That's why we've created a second part of our article on content marketing trends in 2026. Read the first part here! Let's learn together and get to work. There's little time and a lot of work to do! Email and social media instead of search The battle for zero-visit visibility is our reality, but there is a nuance. It's still not a click on a website, which marketers are constantly fighting for. That's why brands that have already experienced a drop in organic traffic from search will start to invest more actively in channels of direct contact with their audience. First and foremost, in email marketing and social media. As Vova Feldman, CEO of Freemius, notes: If Google is sending you less traffic,...

This year has been a busy one — with a dozen international conferences, hundreds of meetings, dozens of potential collaborations, and a couple of thousand handshakes. At Traffic Squad, we never go to events just to hang out — for us, it's a way to test hypotheses, boost our network, and understand what really works in the market and what just wastes the budget. 🚨 ALARM! A full day in London with Traffic Squad and EV Media: insights, new connections, partnership talks, and a deep dive into the iGB London atmosphere. Watch the full episode. In between trips from Barcelona pavilions to Roman rooftops, we asked our Head of Affiliate, Valeria, about her main insights. Which networking format actually works today? Classic booths, private parties, or small talk? It’s not the format that matters, but how you use it 🙂...

Google does not block texts created by artificial intelligence. The company has clearly stated that it does not matter who wrote the text — a human or AI. What matters is how useful, original, accurate, and reader-oriented it is, rather than search engine-oriented. In this article, we will explain how to safely use AI in content and not be afraid of penalties, as well as how to optimize texts so that they rank in 2024–2026. Why doesn't Google penalize AI content, but penalizes poor content? Many people still believe in the myth: “AI content = penalties.” I used to fear this too. But Google's position remains unchanged: Google does not penalize AI. Google penalizes poor-quality texts. Therefore, our focus should not be on whether it is “acceptable” to use artificial intelligence, but on what content we publish and whether it...

AI-powered creatives have become the standard in iGaming faster than anyone could blink. Yesterday, we were paying production companies thousands of dollars for a single video; today, we generate dozens of variations in five minutes. It's no longer a "gimmick" or an "innovation"—it's the basic infrastructure of performance. But with this widespread adoption comes another reality: AI-powered videos don't always deliver results. Many teams believe that writing a strong prompt is enough for the creative to "work" on its own. Mike Wiseman reveals a much harsher truth: a strong prompt is only 50% of success. The other 50% is in the details. And that's where things get interesting. The prompt can be perfect: the style is cinematic, the lighting is dramatic, the emotions are vivid, the offer is powerful. But the video can still fail. Why? All seven mistakes we'll...

Inclusion of game interactions in affiliate programs has gone from being a trend to an effective way to significantly increase user motivation and engagement. Research by Research and Markets shows that the global gamification market has great prospects. In 2024, it is estimated at more than $22 billion and should grow to more than $27 billion in 2025 with an annual growth rate of 23.2%. That is, by 2029, it is estimated that the market will reach almost $74 billion. The use of gamification in marketing helps: Increase user engagement on average. Increase conversions of affiliate programs and brands. Increase repeat sales and loyalty through points, levels, and rewards. In addition to excitement, this feature changes the perception of customer experience, making it more personalized through interactivity and constant interaction with the platform. In this article, we will reveal different...

A few years ago, semantic collection was a routine task: tables, KeyCollector, manual cleaning of thousands of phrases, and endless frequency checks. But in 2025, everything changed. Now, in a few minutes, artificial intelligence can create a semantic core that used to take a team of SEO specialists a week to collect. Keyword research has become one of the most popular tasks for AI in digital marketing. Surfer, Semrush, WriterZen, Ahrefs, and even ChatGPT have all received AI modules that analyze SERPs, determine user search intentions, and build clusters with little to no human intervention. But don't confuse speed with efficiency. Some tools really analyze data, build links between queries, and suggest where SEO has the most potential. Others only generate beautiful lists of keywords without understanding the context or real search demand. So this time, we'll figure out which...

RevDuck didn't even try to create the illusion of a unique technology or sweetly aggressive promises. This is a story about how overtime, no bureaucracy, and the right strategy allowed a small team to do what some people spend years doing. From the very beginning, RevDuck has become a place where decisions are made in minutes and hours, not weeks. Instead of big words, they took a domain for $13, started pouring traffic, and in the first month made about 1K FTD on one geo. In addition, they reached self-sufficiency in six months and created a team that is not interested in "correct resumes" but in people who know how to solve problems. Humanity, speed, and motivation are must-haves there. Therefore, we think this is a case worth analyzing in detail. Their story is not about a classic affiliate startup....