SEO Blog | The Cambridge Web Marketing Co

Why Zero-Click Search Is Going Mainstream and How to Win That Answer Box

Oct 17, 2025 / by CWM

You open your phone, ask Google a question like “best noise cancelling earbuds,” and (before you even scroll) an answer bubbles up at the top. You glance, nod, maybe absorb it, and move on. No click. No visit. Just instant information. Welcome to the zero-click search era and it’s no niche: it’s fast becoming the…

Tags: search behaviour, zero-click

What the August 2025 Google Spam Update Means for Your Site (and How to Recover)

Oct 10, 2025 / by CWM

On 26 August 2025, Google quietly flipped a switch. Not a splashy, uber hyped “core update” but a stealthy, wide-ranging spam update. Over the next 27 days, the algorithm’s filters rippled across the web, surfacing sites that leaned too heavily on manipulative tactics or low-value content. The final roll-out wrapped on 22 September.

Tags: google algorithms, spam

Native Advertising Done Right: When Ads Blend In (Ethically)

Sep 26, 2025 / by CWM

Native advertising (also known colloquially as sponsored content) has the unique ability to fit into the rhythm of a platform, matching both the design and tone of the host environment. While this lends a smooth user experience, it also carries the danger of eroding trust if the content isn’t transparent or feels deceptive.

Tags: native advertising, sponsored content

Consumer-Generated Advertising: Let Your Audience Help

Sep 19, 2025 / by CWM

In today’s violently noisy digital landscape, authenticity is pure gold. Shiny, perfect brand ads are everywhere but real stories from real customers often cut through the clutter most effectively.

Tags: consumer generated advertising

Trust on the Internet: Marketing in the Age of Scepticism

Sep 12, 2025 / by CWM

These days, trust online is in short supply and we’re living in a world increasingly built on doubt. With endless noise, branded content fatigue, and fickle algorithms, consumers (especially Gen Z) are understandably sceptical of polished and sparkly campaigns.

Tags: brand building, reddit, trust

Meme Marketing: When Hashtags Laugh Back

Sep 5, 2025 / by CWM

In today’s digital playground, memes are more than just playground jokes and idle distractions. When wielding with deft and precision they can be (and have been) deceptively powerful and flexible marketing tools. Brands that “speak meme” share the same language as their audiences: punchy, playful, and instantly relatable. But with great lol comes great responsibility,…

Tags: hashtags, meme

How Amazon Prime Day Can Help You Win Your Back-to-School Campaigns

Aug 29, 2025 / by CWM

Amazon’s Prime Day, which was held this year (2025) from July 8 to 11, has become something of an annual holiday for many consumers. Like Black Friday before it, it’s spent the last decade finding its feet as a legitimate cause celebre among those looking for a summer bargain. But it’s not just an excuse…

Tags: amazon prime day, back to school

Advergames: When Brands Become Playable

Aug 22, 2025 / by CWM

Gaming is a bigger business now than it ever has been, with the industry worth more than the film and music industries combined.

Tags: advergames, branding

The Ethical Edge: Transparent Sustainable Marketing

Aug 15, 2025 / by CWM

Today’s consumers are wide awake when it comes to how they’re data is being used and what the brands they throw their money at are getting up to behind the scenes. In this kind of world, transparency is key, and the brands that are transparent and back up green claims with real action are the…

Tags: ethical marketing

Instagram’s “Quiet Posts” & “Trial Reels”: Top Strategies for Marketers

Aug 15, 2025 / by CWM

As far as the “big” social media platforms are concerned, Instagram has always traditionally been quite comfortable coasting on its legacy, implementing quiet changes occasionally, to keep up with the Joneses. In recent years, however, it’s really started to kick into gear, perhaps as a reaction to the immense success of TikTok.

Tags: instagram