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Until recently, internet search seemed straightforward and predictable. A query, a results page, ten blue links, and a battle for the top spot. For years, SEO strategies, marketers' KPIs, and business budgets were built around this logic. But this model is rapidly losing its relevance. Today, search results are less and less like a list of websites. Google, Bing, and other platforms are embedding AI answers directly into the interface. The user asks a question and receives a ready-made result compiled by an algorithm right on the screen. No clicks. No transition to the website. No classic “compare several sources.” This is convenient for the user. For marketers and SEO specialists, this is a signal that is difficult to ignore. Traffic is no longer guaranteed, even with good rankings. The mere fact of being at the top no longer means...

I want to say, “A few years ago, everything was simpler.” You could launch bright advertising creatives, make a conditionally “working” landing page, and the combination would work for months. However, time and technology do not stand still, and Meta, TikTok, and Google have significantly tightened their control. Now platforms evaluate not individual elements, but the entire system as a whole: advertising creatives, texts, user behavior, and the landing page itself. That is why today you can increasingly hear the phrase “landing pages don't work” or “the platform is stifling spending.” In fact, in most cases, the problem is not with the platform, but with the fact that old approaches no longer pass algorithm filters. In this article, we will analyze what advertising creatives and landing pages should be like in the new reality, why video creatives have become a...

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 🙂...

UGC 2.0 in 2026 promises to shake up the content market! A logical evolution of UGC content is expected, with an emphasis on authentic videos and photos shot “on the fly” that generate trust and sales. This approach fits perfectly with social media trends, where audiences are tired of glossy advertising and want real reviews and honest impressions of products/services. So if the camera shakes a little, the lighting isn't perfect, but the video conveys genuine emotions — that's okay in some cases. Let's discuss further in which cases! What is UGC 2.0: The evolution of trends First and foremost, UGC is user-generated content created not by a brand, but by people: reviews, stories with tags, video reviews. UGC 2.0 in 2026 adds more vitality and is acceptable in a “knee-jerk” atmosphere: short videos from a phone, without filters, sometimes...

In 2026, mobile advertising no longer needs to prove its effectiveness; it has become the foundation of the digital market. Analytical reviews by Business of Apps clearly show that most content consumption occurs on mobile devices, and advertisers' attention is shifting there as well. A smartphone is not “just another screen,” but the main point of contact between the user and the brand, where people watch videos, read news, play games, shop, and make decisions. Because of this, mobile advertising is no longer a separate area within marketing. For brands, it is becoming the foundation of their digital strategy. AVOW materials repeatedly emphasize that mobile formats are no longer used “for testing” or as an addition to desktop campaigns. On the contrary, it is mobile scenarios that are now driving the logic of reach, engagement, and scaling. Everything else is...

Just a few years ago, TikTok was perceived as an endless stream of dances, memes, and random videos that “went viral.” The algorithm seemed like magic: either you got lucky, or you didn't. But in 2025, this illusion finally shattered. TikTok is no longer just a social network for entertainment; it has become a full-fledged search engine where people go not to scroll, but to search. Today, users enter queries into TikTok as consciously as they do into Google: how to launch an ad, which service to choose, where to buy, what works best. The platform responds not with links, but with videos, and it is these videos that shape perceptions of brands, experts, and solutions. For younger audiences, TikTok has long since replaced classic search engines, and for businesses, it has become the first point of contact with customers....

Just a few years ago, TikTok allowed for a lot of trial and error. You could post videos without any clear logic, catch trends on the fly, and hope that something would go viral. Sometimes it really worked. But in 2026, this approach finally ceased to be a strategy — it became a coincidence. Today, TikTok is less like a lottery and more like a system. The algorithm no longer rewards chaotic content flow and doesn't pick up videos just for emotion or trend. The platform favors those who work consistently: with themes, meaning, and clear logic for the viewer. In 2026, “hits” still happen, but they no longer build stable growth. Instead, structure works: when content responds to real requests, is grouped into themes, and is reinforced by audience behavior. This is how TikTok begins to trust the author...

Today, metrics no longer directly reflect reality. In a world of automation and incomplete data, they are increasingly an interpretation rather than a fact. It is this shift that gives rise to a new understanding of what metrics will be in 2026. Advertisers are no longer saved by “good numbers” 2025 brought a new norm. Reports look perfect, but business results are not so great. Green indicators, flat graphs, “everything is OK” in the offices, and at the same time, the feeling that something is not working as it should. And it's not about bad settings or the wrong contractor. It's just that the numbers no longer directly reflect reality. Marketing metrics increasingly mean “well calculated” rather than “that's how it was.” A significant portion of the results are not facts, but estimates, reconstructions, or simulations. The advertiser finds themselves...

Algorithms are fleeting, so while it used to be possible to hope for isolated “hits” and random success, now it makes no sense. Video advertising on TikTok and Reels was the first to show that it is beneficial for the platform's feed if videos can hold the viewer's attention for at least a few seconds and keep them there longer. The coming year 2026 is about radically testing formats that seemed too bold yesterday, and about creativity finally becoming the main lever, rather than an addition to targeting. How the algorithm reads ads The systemic restructuring of video advertising is far from a single update. Initially, TikTok and Meta's advertising algorithms were based on fairly simple logic: more signals → better targeting; optimization for individual metrics → stable results; more budget → faster learning. By mid-2025, it became clear to...