Digital marketing can feel complex at first, but the fundamentals are straightforward. At its core, digital marketing is about reaching the right audience, with the right message, through the right digital channels—and learning from the results. This guide introduces the essential building blocks every beginner should understand.

Your Website Is The Foundation

Your website sits at the center of your digital marketing efforts. It’s where campaigns point, content lives, and conversions happen. Every other channel ultimately supports what happens here.

For marketers, this means your website must do more than “look good.” It needs to be:

Practical takeaway:

If a campaign underperforms, the issue often isn’t the channel — it’s the landing experience.

Regularly audit your top pages to ensure they clearly answer:

Content Powers Digital Marketing

Content is how you attract, educate, and build trust with your audience. Blog posts, landing pages, emails, and social content all play different roles — but only when they’re intentional.

Effective content:

Consistency matters, but reuse matters more. Content should be structured so it can be adapted across channels without rewriting everything from scratch.

Practical takeaway:
Map your content to funnel stages (awareness, consideration, decision). If most of your content sits at the top of the funnel, you’re likely leaving performance on the table.

Being Discoverable Matters

Search engines and social platforms are how people find content — but discoverability isn’t about being everywhere.

SEO helps your website appear when users are actively searching for answers. Social platforms help distribute content, reinforce credibility, and support brand awareness.

The goal is relevance, not reach.

Practical takeaway:
Focus on:

If a piece of content can’t be found or understood, it can’t perform.

Email Still Delivers Results

Email remains one of the most reliable digital marketing channels — especially for nurturing and retention.

Successful email marketing isn’t about volume. It’s about:

Email works best when it supports a broader content and lifecycle strategy, not when it operates in isolation.

Practical takeaway:
Audit your email program and ask:

If you can’t answer those questions clearly, neither can your audience.

Measurement Enables Improvement

One of digital marketing’s greatest advantages is measurability.
But data alone doesn’t drive progress — understanding it does.

The most effective teams don’t chase every metric. They focus on the few that reflect real progress and use them to learn, iterate, and improve over time.

Analytics should help you answer:

Practical takeaway:
If your dashboards don’t lead to decisions, they’re not doing their job. Prioritize:

Tools Should Support Strategy

Modern marketing depends on tools — but tools should support strategy, not define it.

The right tools:

More tools don’t automatically mean better results.

Practical takeaway:
Before adding a new platform, ask:

If the answer isn’t clear, the tool probably isn’t necessary.Context

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Final Thoughts

Digital marketing fundamentals haven’t changed — but expectations have.

Success still comes down to:

For marketers, the goal isn’t perfection.
It’s building a strong foundation that allows your strategy to evolve as tools, platforms, and user behavior change.

Ready to build a stronger digital marketing foundation? At Oomph, we help organizations turn fundamentals into measurable results through strategic content, accessible design, and data-driven insights. Let’s talk about your digital marketing goals.

Contentful is no longer just an alternative CMS—it’s become a foundational platform for organizations navigating complexity, regulation, and rapid digital change. In 2026, the question isn’t what is Contentful? It’s why are so many organizations rebuilding their digital ecosystems around it? The answer lies in how digital experiences are built, managed, and scaled today.

Contentful Is Built for Systems, Not Pages

Traditional CMS platforms were designed around pages and templates. That model breaks down when content needs to move faster, live in more places, and remain consistent across teams and channels.

Contentful takes a different approach. It treats content as structured data, not static pages. That means teams create content once and deliver it anywhere—websites, apps, portals, email, or future channels that don’t yet exist.

In 2026, this isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s how modern digital platforms operate.

Composable Architecture Is Now the Default

Composable architecture has moved from trend to standard. Organizations want the freedom to choose best-in-class tools without being locked into monolithic platforms.

Contentful fits cleanly into this model. It integrates with design systems, analytics platforms, personalization tools, consent managers, and AI services through APIs—without forcing teams into rigid workflows.

This flexibility allows organizations to evolve their stack over time instead of rebuilding every few years.

AI Depends on Structured Content

AI-driven experiences are only as good as the content behind them. In 2026, organizations are using AI to support personalization, search, localization, content optimization, and automation.

Contentful’s structured content model makes this possible. Clean, well-defined content enables AI tools to understand, reuse, and adapt content accurately—without introducing risk or inconsistency.

For teams exploring AI responsibly, Contentful provides the infrastructure needed to scale with confidence.

Governance and Compliance Are Built In, Not Bolted On

For regulated and mission-driven organizations, governance isn’t optional. Publishing controls, audit trails, permissions, and review workflows are essential.

Contentful supports these needs at scale. Teams can define roles, control who edits or publishes content, and maintain visibility into changes across environments. This level of governance is critical in industries like healthcare, legal, finance, and the public sector.

In 2026, compliance isn’t something teams add later—it’s designed into the platform from day one.

Marketing and Development Work Better Together

One of Contentful’s biggest advantages is how it aligns marketing and engineering teams. Developers maintain design systems and integrations. Content teams manage content without breaking layouts or workflows.

This separation of concerns reduces friction, speeds up delivery, and minimizes production errors—especially as digital ecosystems grow more complex.

Ready to explore what Contentful could do for your organization? Whether you’re evaluating platforms, planning a migration, or looking to optimize your current setup, Oomph can help you build a content infrastructure designed for the long term. Let’s talk about your next move.

Why Organizations Move to Contentful Now

Organizations typically migrate to Contentful when legacy systems start holding them back. Common triggers include:

In 2026, Contentful isn’t chosen because it’s new. It’s chosen because it’s resilient.

For organizations new to the platform, getting started doesn’t have to mean a complete rebuild. Oomph’s Contentful Kickstart Package helps teams move from decision to deployment with a structured, low-risk approach—giving you the foundation to scale as your needs evolve.

The Takeaway

Contentful has evolved alongside the modern digital landscape. It’s not just a CMS—it’s a content platform designed for scale, governance, and change.

For organizations planning beyond their next website launch and toward long-term digital maturity, Contentful provides the flexibility and confidence needed to move forward.

Ready to explore what Contentful could do for your organization? Whether you’re evaluating platforms, planning a migration, or looking to optimize your current setup, Oomph can help you build a content infrastructure designed for the long term. Let’s talk about your next move.

Cookie consent has become a standard part of the modern web experience. What once felt like a small technical detail is now central to how organizations handle privacy, compliance, and user trust online.

Why It Matters:

If your website uses analytics, marketing tools, or third-party integrations, cookie consent isn’t optional. It’s a foundational requirement of operating a responsible digital presence.

Cookie consent refers to the practice of informing website visitors about how cookies are used and giving them the ability to control that choice. Rather than assuming permission, organizations are expected to be transparent about what data is collected, why it’s collected, and how it’s used. Visitors must be able to opt in, opt out, or manage their preferences in a clear and accessible way.

The rise of cookie consent is directly tied to privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. These laws were designed to shift control back to individuals, especially as data collection has become more sophisticated. Cookies, particularly those used for tracking behavior, measuring performance, or enabling personalization fall squarely within that scope.

Not all cookies serve the same purpose. Some are essential for basic site functionality, while others support analytics, advertising, or embedded third-party services. Modern consent approaches recognize this difference, allowing users to make informed decisions rather than forcing an all-or-nothing choice.

How cookie consent is implemented matters just as much as having it in place. Poorly designed consent experiences, confusing banners, vague language, or limited options can frustrate users and undermine trust. Thoughtful implementations do the opposite. They integrate naturally into the site experience, communicate clearly, and respect user choice without disrupting usability.

Your content management system plays an important role here. Cookie consent doesn’t exist in isolation; it must work alongside your CMS, analytics tools, and marketing stack. A modern CMS makes it easier to manage scripts, control how and when tracking tools load, and update privacy messaging as regulations evolve. Without that flexibility, maintaining compliance becomes difficult and error-prone.

The risks of getting cookie consent wrong extend beyond potential fines. In an environment where users are increasingly aware of how their data is handled, missteps can damage credibility. For organizations in regulated or mission-driven sectors, that erosion of trust can have real consequences.

Cookie consent is no longer a checkbox or a banner added at the end of a build. It’s a core component of modern digital governance.

Organizations that treat consent as part of their broader content and platform strategy are better equipped to stay compliant, adapt to change, and deliver digital experiences users can trust.

Need help implementing cookie consent the right way? Whether you’re navigating GDPR requirements, evaluating your current setup, or planning a website redesign, Oomph can help you build a privacy-forward digital experience that protects users and keeps you compliant. Get in touch to talk through your needs.

For many organizations, privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA seem like distant legal concerns rather than operational priorities. In practice, however, websites serve as the primary point of data collection—making compliance far more relevant than most teams assume. If your site collects user data in any form, privacy compliance isn’t optional.

Understanding When GDPR and CCPA Apply

GDPR governs the collection of personal data from users in the European Union, while CCPA applies to personal data collected from California residents.

Crucially, these regulations are triggered by user location, not company headquarters. A U.S.-based organization serving a global audience may be subject to both frameworks.

Why Websites Are at the Center of Compliance

Most modern websites collect data through multiple channels:

Each of these collection points creates compliance obligations around consent, transparency, and user control.

Moving Beyond Cookie Banners

Meaningful compliance extends well beyond footer disclaimers. Effective privacy management requires:

Legacy CMS platforms frequently lack the flexibility and governance capabilities needed to meet these requirements.

The Role of Your CMS in Privacy Compliance

Your content management system is instrumental in supporting privacy obligations. A modern, composable CMS enables organizations to:

For regulated and mission-driven organizations, CMS limitations can translate directly into compliance vulnerabilities.

The Cost of Non-Compliance

While regulatory penalties are a concern, the greater risk lies in eroding user trust.

Today’s users expect transparency and control over their personal information. Organizations unable to deliver on these expectations risk damaging their reputation with customers, donors, and partners.

Final Thoughts

GDPR and CCPA represent more than legal obligations—they present fundamental digital experience challenges. Websites built on flexible, compliance-ready platforms are better positioned to adapt as privacy expectations continue to evolve.

In today’s environment, privacy compliance shouldn’t be viewed as a constraint. It’s an essential component of delivering a modern, trustworthy digital experience.

Need help ensuring your website meets modern privacy standards? Our team specializes in building compliance-ready digital platforms that protect your users and your organization. Let’s discuss your requirements.

A website is the cornerstone of your brand’s digital presence. It communicates who you are, what you offer, and why customers should trust you. In today’s digital-first marketplace, your website is often the first, and sometimes only, impression a prospective customer will have of your business. That makes maintaining it not just a technical task, but a strategic business priority.

Owning a website is a long-term investment. It reflects your brand, reputation, values, and offerings, and it directly influences key performance indicators (KPIs) such as lead generation, conversions, and customer engagement. Consider how much time and budget go into designing and building a website. Once the site goes live, the work doesn’t end there; ongoing maintenance is critical to ensure it continues to run optimally.

The risks of neglecting website maintenance are extensive. Common issues include:

Security Vulnerabilities

Website Downtime or Broken Functionality

Slow Performance

SEO Ranking Loss

Incompatibility with New Browsers & Devices

Poor Analytics & Marketing Integration

Higher Long-Term Costs

Brand Reputation & Trust

The ROI of Regular Website Maintenance

Proper maintenance is a business-critical investment with measurable ROI. Regular updates and monitoring strengthen security, preserve performance, ensure compliance with accessibility standards, and protect user experience. With a clear process in place, maintenance safeguards your digital presence, reduces costs, and supports outcomes such as improved lead generation, e-commerce revenue, and stronger brand trust.

Here’s a breakdown of the ROI across multiple dimensions:

Why Start Early

It’s important to begin discussing website maintenance with your agency during the planning stages of a new site, as it can influence technical decisions and long-term requirements. Maintenance packages vary depending on your team’s resources, and a trusted agency partner can help define core tasks, expectations, and responsibilities. For organizations with tighter budgets, we’ve also seen success with automated solutions that handle routine updates.

Maintenance as Business Insurance

Website maintenance is more than applying updates—it’s business insurance.

Organizations need to uphold security, performance, accessibility, SEO, GDPR compliance, and other standards that directly affect user experience and, in many cases, legal obligations. Working with Oomph ensures these processes are streamlined, proactive, and aligned with your business goals. If you’re looking to protect your digital investment, let’s explore a maintenance approach tailored to your team’s needs. Learn more about our maintenance services.

THE CHALLENGE

The Challenge

Fidelity Investments manages one of the most extensive content ecosystems in financial services, producing a constant stream of insights, trend analyses, and investment strategies. However, its design team faced a critical challenge — their design system felt restrictive rather than empowering.

While Fidelity’s internal team was updating brand standards, they struggled to apply them strategically within their digital experience. The design system supported incremental changes but lacked the flexibility to evolve with new ways of presenting content. Designers felt stuck in familiar patterns, limiting opportunities to rethink layouts, improve content discovery, and enhance engagement.

To break free from these constraints, Fidelity brought in Oomph to infuse fresh thinking, introduce new editorial layout strategies, and expand the capabilities of their design system.

OUR APPROACH

Oomph worked inside Fidelity’s existing design system, bringing an outside perspective to challenge old assumptions and push the boundaries of their brand standards.

Reimagining Editorial Storytelling

With Fidelity generating massive amounts of financial content, our team explored new ways to organize and present information. We conducted a cohort analysis of leading editorial experiences across industries, studying how different platforms arranged related content, structured topic-based storytelling, and guided users through complex financial narratives.

We then worked within Fidelity’s Figma files, prototyping new layout variations that:

  • Allowed for dynamic grouping of content by topic, trend, or investor interest.
  • Introduced larger, more structured content modules to replace scattered individual components.
  • Created scalable patterns that could adapt to different content types and investment themes.

Expanding the Design System Beyond Incremental Updates

While Fidelity’s internal team was busy refining brand alignment, we helped them move beyond small tweaks to explore new possibilities. Our role was to:

  • Push the boundaries of what was possible within their existing system.
  • Experiment with layouts that weren’t explicitly outlined in the brand standards.
  • Provide fresh external perspectives on how the brand could evolve digitally.

Collaboration & Seamless Handoff

We worked side by side with Fidelity’s internal team, ensuring every new layout and component fit within their development and governance structure. While Oomph focused on strategy and design, Fidelity’s team took the lead on integrating new components into their system and coding them into production.

Our handoff process included:

  • Detailed design annotations and functionality breakdowns.
  • Guidance on flexibility—such as how components could adapt to different use cases.
  • Clear expectations for future scalability and content governance.

By the end of the engagement, Fidelity had not only expanded their design system but also re-energized their creative thinking.

THE RESULTS

A More Flexible, Scalable Design System

Oomph helped Fidelity’s design team break free from rigid design patterns and accelerate innovation by delivering:

  • A reimagined editorial content strategy that improves engagement and storytelling.
  • Expanded design system components that allow for more dynamic content grouping.
  • A faster, more creative design workflow that helps Fidelity scale design updates with confidence.

By combining fresh creativity with structured execution, Fidelity was able to move forward with clarity, confidence, and a more powerful digital experience.

Helping Enterprises Scale Design Without Sacrificing Innovation

For large enterprises, design systems should accelerate progress—not slow it down. If your team is struggling with applying brand standards, creating scalable content models, or evolving your digital experience, let’s talk.

In recent months, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has been gaining attention, often positioned as the next evolution beyond traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO). For some clients, this presents an exciting opportunity to rethink and restructure their digital content. For others, it can feel overwhelming, raising more questions than answers. As AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini change how people discover content online, clients increasingly ask: What is GEO, and how can we prepare our sites for it?

The following handy Q&A guide aims to demystify Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), explain why it matters, and provide practical steps your team can take to get started.

Q: What is GEO and how is it different from SEO?

A: GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. While SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses on getting your content to rank in traditional search engines like Google (via keywords, backlinks, and site performance), GEO focuses on getting your content mentioned, referenced, summarized, or cited in AI-generated answers from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

Think of SEO as getting your content listed, whereas GEO is about making your brand and its content the answer.

Q: Why should my organization care about GEO?

A: AI platforms are rapidly becoming the first stop for users looking for answers, especially younger audiences and professionals. If an answer appears via Gemini on the top of a Google search, fewer people may scroll further down the page to look for other sources. They got the answer they needed from just one search. If your content isn’t optimized for these tools, you’re missing out on certain traffic data, visibility, and an opportunity to build trust. 

In 2026, ChatGPT alone sees over 4.5 billion visits per month, and Perplexity handles nearly 500 million monthly queries.

Q: How is GEO impacting my site’s analytics? 

A: Likely a lot. Generative engines often summarize content without requiring a click. That means you may see fewer impressions and clicks, even if your content is powering the AI’s answer. Most websites are seeing direct traffic declining across the board. With that said, users who do click through to sites are often engaging more deeply, leading to longer session durations and higher conversion rates. 

Because of this, it’s crucial to learn these new patterns and recognize them within your site’s analytics by setting up new reports. 

Q: How do AI engines choose which content to cite?

A: AI tools evaluate a number of factors, with the most important being:

Each tool has its own algorithm, but clear, factual, structured content with recent updates from trusted sources performs best.

Q: What kind of content works best for GEO?

A: Content that answers questions directly, especially with a conversational tone, tends to work well. Additionally, you want your content to explain not just the what, but also the why and how, since generative engines often expand on user intent. Content structures that perform well for GEO include:

Q: How can we tell if our content is being featured in AI tools?

A: While most AI platforms don’t yet provide native analytics, you can track GEO success through:

Q: Is there a way to make our site more “AI-friendly”?

A: Yes! Here are key GEO best practices:

  1. Use schema markup: Help AI models understand your content’s structure and intent. You can use schema.org to help guide you through improving your site’s markup. 
  2. Write in a Q&A or conversational format: More people are asking full questions or prompts in ChatGPT—rather than just listing keywords. Match your content with how users phrase queries in AI tools. 
  3. Optimize your About page: Make sure that your About page is thoughtfully written to answer who you are, what you do, and why. ChatGPT, for example, pulls from these pages to assess trustworthiness and authority.
  4. Refresh content: Update existing articles with new data and a clear structure (aka headings, bullets, FAQ sections, summaries). Note: You don’t need to create new URLs, just refresh the content to make sure it is relevant and current for today. 
  5. Include citations and data points: Wherever possible, add data and sources. These increase your authority and credibility.

Q: Do we need to optimize differently for each AI tool?

A: The core strategies (trustworthiness, schema, natural language, performant) apply across all platforms, but there are nuances:

Q: Can we block AI tools from using our content?

A: Yes, but be thoughtful about what you are blocking. Adding a file like robots.txt can block AI crawlers, but doing so may reduce your visibility and lead to attribution from AI tools. It could also block legitimate crawlers and thus negatively impact both SEO and GEO, so be thoughtful about how you compose and format that file. 

Note: If your brand has legal or content ownership concerns, we can help you assess what should or shouldn’t be available for AI training or citation.

Q: Do AI Tools honor authenticated access?

A: Yes, but remain mindful. Models like ChatGPT can’t “log in” or bypass authentication. If full research content is only available behind a user login, it won’t be included in training data or scraped summaries. But still pay attention to how content is displayed. If your research is behind a login or subscription paywall, ensure that:

Q: What is llms.txt and should I add it to my site?

A: llms.txt is a proposed convention for websites to provide a lightweight, machine- & human-readable summary (in Markdown) of the “important” parts of the site, to help large language models (LLMs) more easily crawl, interpret, and use content. More sites are starting to add it to their sites to help guide which pages AI should pay attention to. However, it is not yet a universally supported or enforced standard. Many LLMs or AI platforms do not currently yet automatically look for or honor llms.txt. As of now, you can think of it as a nice-to-have, not a requirement.

Q: How often should we update content for GEO?

A: Best practice recommends updating at least once a year for evergreen content. Prioritize updates for:

Even simple updates like reordering information, adding new facts, or improving layout can go a long way with AI engines.

Q: Is GEO just another passing trend?

A: Not at all. GEO is a direct response to how AI is changing digital search and content discovery. Platforms like Google are rethinking their search experience through tools like Gemini, as more people turn to these tools for answers. GEO is how brands stay visible in this new AI landscape.

Q: What’s the first step we should take for GEO Optimization?

A: Start with a content and schema audit of your top-performing pages. From there, apply structured markup, rewrite headlines for clarity, add Q&A sections where applicable, and refresh key posts. A phased approach focused on high-value content will have the biggest immediate impact.

Need help figuring out what content to prioritize for GEO? Our team at Oomph can assess your current visibility and build a roadmap tailored to AI performance.

For more insights into GEO optimization, read…

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is making organizations scramble — our clients have been asking “Are we ready for the new ways LLMs crawl, index, and return content to users? Does our site support evolving GEO best practices? What can we do to boost results and citations?”  

Large language models (LLMs) and the services that power AI summaries don’t “think” like humans but they do perform similar actions. They seek content, split it into memorable chunks, and rank the chunks for trust and accuracy. If pages use semantic HTML, include facts and cite sources, and include structured metadata, AI crawlers and retrieval systems will find, store, and reproduce content accurately. That improves your chance of being cited correctly in AI overviews.

While GEO has disrupted the way people use search engines, the fundamentals of SEO and digital accessibility continue to be strong indicators of content performance in LLM search results. Making content understandable, usable, and memorable for humans also has benefits for LLMs and GEO.

How LLM systems (and AI-driven overviews) get their facts

Understanding how LLMs crawl, process, and retrieve web content helps us understand why semantic structure and accessibility best practices have a positive effect. When an AI system generates an answer that cites the web, several distinct back-end steps usually happen: 

  1. Crawling — Bots visit URLs and download page content. Some crawlers execute javascript like a browser (Googlebot) while others prefer raw HTML and limit their rendering.
  2. Chunking — Large documents are split into small, logical “chunks” of paragraphs, sections, or other units. These chunks are the pieces that are later retrieved for an answer. How a page’s content is structured with headings, paragraphs, and lists determines the likely chunk boundaries for storage.
  3. Vectorization — Each chunk is then converted into a numeric vector that captures its semantic meaning. These embeddings live in a vector database and enable systems to find chunks quickly. The quality of the vector depends on the clarity of the chunk’s text.
  4. Indexing — Systems will store additional metadata (URL, title, headings, metadata) to filter and rank results. Structured data like schema metadata is especially valuable. 
  5. Retrieval — A user asks a question or performs a search and the system retrieves the most semantically similar chunks via a vector search. It re-ranks those chunks using metadata and other signals and then composes its answer while citing sources (sometimes). 

The Case for Human-Accessible Content

There are many more reasons why digital accessibility is simply the right thing to do. It turns out that in addition to boosting SEO, accessibility best practices help LLMs crawl, chunk, store, and retrieve content more accurately.

During retrieval, small errors like missing text, ambiguous links, or poor heading order can fail to expose the best chunks. Let’s dive into how this can happen and what common accessibility pitfalls contribute to the confusion.

For Content Teams — Authors, Writers, Editors

Illustration of the problem with poor alt text on images, comparing one poor example and one good example

Lack of descriptive “alt” text

While some LLMs can employ machine-vision techniques to “see” images as a human would, descriptive alt text verifies what they are seeing and the context in which the image is relevant. The same best practices for describing images for people will help LLMs accurately understand the content. 

Illustration of poor heading structure, where the poor example shows skipped heading levels while the good example shows consecutive heading levels

Out-of-order heading structures

Similar to semantic HTML, headings provide a clear outline of a page. Machines (and screen readers!) use heading structure to understand hierarchy and context. When a heading level skips from an <h2> to an <h4>, an LLM may fail to determine the proper relationship between content chunks. During retrieval, the model’s understanding is dictated by the flawed structure, not the content’s intrinsic importance. (Source: research thesis PDF, “Investigating Large Language Models ability to evaluate heading-related accessibility barriers”) 

Illustration of poor link text context, where the poor example shows Click Here and Read more links and the good example shows more descriptive and unique text samples

Descriptive and unique links

All of the accessibility barriers surrounding poor link practices affect how LLMs evaluate their importance. Link text is a short textual signal that is vectorized to make proper retrieval possible. Vague link text like “Click here” or “Learn More” does not provide valuable signals. In fact, the same “Learn More” text multiple times on a page can dilute the signals for the URLs they point to.

Using the same link text for more than one destination URLs creates a knowledge conflict. Like people, an LLM is subject to “anchoring bias,” which means it is likely to overweight the first link it processes and underweight or ignore the second, since they both have the same text signal. 

Example of the duplicate link problem: <a href=“[URL-A]”>Duplicate Link Text</a>, and then later in the same article, <a href=“[URL-B]”>Duplicate Link Text</a>. Conversely, when the same URL is used more than once on a page, the same link text should be repeated exactly.

Illustration of plain language with a poor example and a more positive example. The poor example is dense and wordy while the good example if succinct and uses a list to break the text into chunks.

Logical order and readable content

Simple, direct sentences (one fact per sentence) produce cleaner embeddings for LLM retrieval. Human accessibility best practices of plain language and clear structure are the same practices that improve chunking and indexing for LLMs

For Technical Teams — IT, Developers, Engineers

An illustration of poor semantic structure, where the left shows a potential structure made only of HTML div elements, while the good example shows semantic elements used correctly.

Poorly structured semantic HTML

Semantic elements (<article>, <nav>, <main>, <h1>, etc.) add context and suggest relative ranking weight. They make content boundaries explicit, which helps retrieval systems isolate your content from less important elements like ad slots or lists of related articles. 

Illustration of data in written form as one way to parse information, but contrasted with schema markup which can make it easier for robots to collect correct information about a subject.

Lack of schema

This is technical and under the hood of your human-readable content. Machines love additional context and structured schema data is how facts are declared in code — product names, prices, event dates, authors, etc. Search engines have used schema for rich results and LLMs are no different. Right now, server-rendered schema data will guarantee the widest visibility, as not all crawlers execute client-side Javascript completely. 

How to make accessibility even more actionable

The work of digital accessibility is often pushed to the bottom of the priority list. But once again, there are additional ways to frame this work as high value. While this work is beneficial for SEO, our recent research uncovers that it continues to be impactful in the new and evolving world of GEO.

If you need to frame an argument to those that control the investments of time and money, some talking points are: 

Staying steady in the storm

Let’s be clear — this summer was a “generative AI search freak out.” Content teams have scrambled to get smart about LLM-powered search quickly while search providers rolled out new tools and updates weekly. It’s been a tough ride in a rough sea of constant change.

To counter all that, know that the fundamentals are still strong. If your team has been using accessibility as a measure for content effectiveness and SEO discoverability, don’t stop now. If you haven’t yet started, this is one more reason to apply these principles tomorrow. 

If you continue to have questions within this rapidly evolving landscape, talk to us about your questions around SEO, GEO, content strategy, and accessibility conformance. Ask about our training and documentation available for content teams.

Additional Reading

One question we frequently hear from clients, especially those managing web content, is “How can we implement accessibility best practices without breaking the bank or overwhelming our editorial team?”

It’s a valid concern. As a content editor, you’re navigating the daily challenge of maintaining quality while meeting deadlines and managing competing priorities.

When your team decides to prioritize website accessibility, the initial scope can feel daunting. You might wonder “Does this really make a difference?” or “Is remediation worth the effort?” The answer is always a resounding yes.

Whether you’re working on a small site or managing thousands of pages, accessible content improves user experience, ensures legal compliance, boosts SEO performance, and reinforces your brand as inclusive and responsible. As a content editor, you have the power to make steady, meaningful progress with the content you touch every day.

Why Accessibility Creates Business Impact

Accessible content delivers measurable outcomes across multiple business objectives:

Expanded Market Reach: When your content is inaccessible to users with disabilities, you’re limiting your potential audience. Consider that disabilities can be temporary, like a broken arm, and 70% of seniors are now online—a demographic that often benefits from accessible design principles.

Risk Mitigation: Inaccessible websites can lead to legal complaints under the ADA and other regulations, creating both financial and reputational risks.

Enhanced User Experience: Clear structure, descriptive alt text, and keyboard-friendly navigation improve usability for all users while boosting SEO performance.

Brand Differentiation: Demonstrating commitment to accessibility positions your organization as inclusive and socially responsible.

Implementing Accessibility in Your Editorial Workflow

The challenge isn’t whether to implement accessibility—it’s how to do it efficiently without overwhelming your team or budget.

The Fix-It-Forward Approach

Rather than attempting to overhaul your entire site overnight, we recommend a “fix-it-forward” strategy. This approach ensures all new and updated content meets accessibility standards while gradually improving legacy content. The result? Steady progress without resource strain.

Leverage Open Source Tools

Many CMS platforms offer free accessibility tools that integrate directly into your editorial workflow:

Drupal: Editoria11y Accessibility Checker, Accessibility Scanner, CKEditor Accessibility Auditor

WordPress: WP Accessibility, Editoria11y Accessibility Checker, WP ADA Compliance Check Basic

These tools scan your content and flag common WCAG 2.2 AA issues before publication, transforming accessibility checks into routine quality assurance.

Prioritize High-Impact Changes

Focus your efforts on fixes that significantly improve usability for screen reader and keyboard users:

Less critical issues can be addressed during routine content updates, spreading the workload over time.

Manage Legacy Content Strategically

Don’t let your content backlog create paralysis. Prioritize high-traffic pages and those supporting key user journeys. Since refreshing legacy content annually is already an SEO best practice, use these updates as opportunities to implement accessibility improvements.

Build Team Capabilities

Make accessibility part of your content culture through targeted education and resources. Provide internal training, quick reference guides, and trusted resources to keep editors confident and informed.

Recommended Learning Resources:

Track Progress and Celebrate Wins

Measure success by tracking pages published with zero critical accessibility issues. Share achievements in editorial meetings to reinforce your team’s impact and maintain momentum.

Scaling Your Accessibility Program

While regular content checks provide immediate value, sustainable accessibility success requires periodic comprehensive assessments and usability testing. If your team lacks bandwidth for advanced testing, consider adding this to your 1-2 year digital roadmap. Consistent attention over time proves more sustainable and cost-effective than attempting massive one-time remediation.

Start with Free Tools: Google Lighthouse provides immediate insights into accessibility issues and actionable remediation guidance.

Advanced Assessment Options: For teams ready to expand their program, tools like SortSite, SiteImprove, and JAWS screen reader testing offer comprehensive assessments. These advanced tools can uncover complex issues beyond content-level checks, though they may require developer collaboration for implementation.

Quarterly Program Goals:

Consider engaging someone who navigates the web differently than your team does. This perspective will expand your understanding of accessibility’s real-world impact and inform more effective solutions.

Accessibility as Continuous Improvement

Accessibility isn’t a one-time project—it’s an ongoing commitment to inclusive digital experiences.

By integrating accessibility best practices into your publishing workflow, you’ll build a stronger, more inclusive website that protects your brand, empowers your users, and demonstrates digital leadership.

The fix-it-forward approach transforms what seems like an overwhelming challenge into manageable, sustainable progress.

Ready to Accelerate Your Accessibility Journey?

Explore additional insights from our team:

Ready to take action? Contact Oomph to see how we can support your accessibility journey. We start with targeted accessibility audits that identify your highest-impact opportunities, then collaborate with your team to develop a strategic roadmap that aligns with your internal goals while respecting your resources and team size.

When you’re responsible for your organization’s digital presence, it’s natural to focus on what’s visible: the design, the content, the user experience. But beneath every modern website lies a complex ecosystem of technologies, integrations, and workflows that can either accelerate your team’s success or create hidden friction that slows everything down.

That’s where a technical audit becomes invaluable. It’s not just a diagnostic tool—it’s a strategic opportunity to understand the foundation of your platform and make informed decisions about your digital future.

It’s Like a Home Inspection for Your Website

Think about buying a house. You walk through focusing on the big picture—does the kitchen work for your family? Is there enough space? But a good home inspector looks deeper, checking the foundation, examining the electrical system, and spotting that small leak under the bathroom sink that could become a major problem later.

A technical audit takes the same comprehensive approach to your digital platform. We examine not just what’s working today, but what might impact your team’s ability to execute tomorrow. The goal isn’t to find problems for the sake of finding them—it’s to give you the complete picture you need to plan strategically.

Creating Shared Understanding Across Your Entire Team

One of the most powerful outcomes of a technical audit is alignment. Whether you’re managing internal developers, partnering with an agency, or preparing to issue an RFP, having a clear baseline allows everyone to ask better questions and make more accurate decisions.

A strategic technical audit delivers:

Proactive Problem-Solving: Surface technical issues before they become roadblocks to important campaigns or launches.

Performance Optimization: Identify specific improvements that will measurably enhance user experience and conversion rates.

Workflow Enhancement: Reveal friction points that slow down content updates, campaign launches, or day-to-day management tasks.

Vendor Enablement: Provide partners and potential vendors with the context they need to scope work accurately and ask intelligent questions.

Strategic Planning: Create a foundation for long-term digital strategy decisions, from infrastructure investments to editorial tooling.

The organizations we work with often tell us that a technical audit helped them transition from reactive maintenance to proactive digital platform management—a shift that pays dividends across every initiative.

What We Typically Discover

While every platform is unique, certain patterns emerge across industries and organization types. Technical audits frequently reveal:

Security and Maintenance Opportunities: Outdated software, plugins requiring updates, or access configurations that can be strengthened with minimal effort. This often includes ensuring accessibility compliance meets current standards.

Performance Enhancements: Specific optimizations in areas like image compression, caching strategies, or database queries that directly impact user experience. Modern audits also examine search visibility and performance optimization.

Scalability Considerations: Code or architectural decisions that work fine today but could limit growth or flexibility as your needs evolve. This includes evaluating search infrastructure and international expansion capabilities.

Process Improvements: Gaps in version control, deployment workflows, or change management that create unnecessary risk or slow down development cycles.

Editorial Workflow Optimization: Content management processes that feel cumbersome or inconsistent, often because they evolved organically rather than being designed strategically. For global organizations, this includes reviewing translation and localization systems.

Many of these findings aren’t urgent fixes—they’re strategic insights that become incredibly valuable when you’re planning a redesign, launching a major campaign, or evaluating new partnerships.

When a Technical Audit Delivers Maximum Value

You don’t need to wait for problems to emerge. Technical audits are particularly valuable when:

Taking Over Digital Responsibility: You’ve inherited a platform and need a comprehensive understanding of what you’re working with and where the opportunities lie.

Planning Major Initiatives: Before investing in a redesign, platform migration, or significant feature development, understanding your current foundation prevents costly surprises.

Preparing for Vendor Selection: Whether you’re issuing an RFP or evaluating agencies, giving potential partners accurate technical context leads to better proposals and more realistic timelines.

Developing Digital Strategy: When you’re ready to create a roadmap for digital growth, grounding decisions in technical reality rather than assumptions leads to better outcomes. This is especially important when considering AI integration or generative engine optimization strategies.

Our Approach to Technical Audits

We design our audits to build clarity and confidence, not overwhelm you with technical jargon. Rather than simply delivering a report, we walk through findings with your team, prioritize recommendations based on your specific goals, and translate technical insights into actionable business language you can share with stakeholders.

Our methodology goes beyond code analysis. We examine how your platform supports your current workflows, aligns with your organizational objectives, and positions you for future growth. This combination of technical depth and strategic perspective ensures you get insights that drive real business outcomes.

The audit process focuses on partnership, not judgment.

We’re not looking for flaws to criticize—we’re identifying opportunities to help you and your partners make smarter decisions. The result is visibility into the hidden layers of your digital platform and a foundation for more strategic planning, better technology investments, and sustainable long-term success.

Ready to understand what’s really happening under the hood of your digital platform? Let’s talk about how a technical audit could support your goals and strengthen your team’s ability to execute on your digital vision.

If your Drupal site relies on Acquia Search leveraging Solr, you’re likely facing a migration from Acquia Search to SearchStax. We’ve guided numerous organizations through this transition and want to share our proven approach to help you navigate this change successfully.

Before diving into the migration process, this transition presents an excellent opportunity to reassess your search strategy entirely. While Solr remains a powerful and robust solution, the search landscape has evolved significantly with innovative alternatives now available. For organizations considering broader platform transitions, this moment offers strategic value beyond search improvements. Modern React-based solutions can deliver dramatically faster user experiences. Our recent work with ONS demonstrates this potential—by replacing their Solr solution with Algolia Instant Search, we helped them achieve a 40% improvement in search response times while creating a more intuitive experience for their members.

Why the Move to SearchStax?

Acquia announced earlier this year that they’re sunsetting their Acquia Search offering in 2026, positioning SearchStax as the recommended migration path through their new partnership. This transition offers enhanced search capabilities and more direct control over your search environment through SearchStax’s comprehensive dashboard, providing visibility into Solr server performance, data analysis tools, search preview functionality, and advanced configuration options.

The architectural similarity ensures a seamless end-user experience—Solr remains the foundation, requiring no front-end changes for this migration path while delivering improved administrative control.

Our Proven Migration Framework

Through multiple successful migrations, we’ve developed a structured approach that minimizes risk and ensures smooth transitions. Here’s our step-by-step framework:

Phase 1: Foundation Setup

Phase 2: Testing and Validation

Phase 3: Production Implementation

Phase 4: Configuration Management

Phase 5: Transition Management

Addressing Technical Challenges

Our experience across multiple migrations has revealed common technical hurdles that require proactive attention. Configuration issues with Boost by Date Processor settings, Highlighted Fields errors during index rebuilding, and Facet configuration mismatches between environments are frequent challenges. The key to success lies in early identification during lower environment testing and leveraging Acquia support resources to resolve issues before they impact production.

Each migration presents unique challenges based on your specific configuration and content structure. Our approach prioritizes thorough testing and validation to surface these issues early, ensuring smooth production deployment.

Strategic Search Optimization

Successful migration extends beyond technical implementation. Understanding your content architecture, user behavior patterns, and business objectives enables you to optimize search effectiveness during the transition. This migration provides an ideal opportunity to evaluate search performance metrics, refine content indexing strategies, and enhance user experience design.

By following this proven framework and preparing for potential challenges, your organization can successfully transition to SearchStax while improving both administrative capabilities and user search experience. The result is a more robust, manageable search solution that positions your site for future growth and enhanced user engagement.

Our comprehensive migration expertise extends beyond search implementations to complete platform transformations, ensuring your digital infrastructure supports your long-term strategic objectives.

Ready to begin your SearchStax migration? Don’t wait until the 2026 deadline creates a migration rush. Our fixed-price SearchStax migration service ($2,500) provides the structured, proven approach outlined in this guide—from foundation setup through transition management. Get started with your SearchStax migration today.

In 2026, the way people discover and engage with digital content has shifted. Traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is no longer the only strategy that brings people to your website. Meet Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), the emerging frontier for organizations looking to earn visibility through AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity.

If your organization hasn’t begun adapting its content strategy for GEO, now is the time. Here’s what GEO is, why it matters, and how to start optimizing for it.

What is GEO and How Is It Different From SEO?

While SEO focuses on improving your visibility on traditional search engine results pages (SERPs) through keywords, backlinks, and technical performance, GEO is about making your content the answer in AI-generated responses.

Rather than presenting users with a list of links, GEO centers on AI tools that synthesize information. These platforms use large language models (LLMs) to provide direct answers to questions. Instead of competing for a top 10 ranking on Google, you’re aiming to be cited, summarized, or linked to by tools like Gemini or ChatGPT.

In short: SEO gets you found, GEO gets you featured.

Why GEO Matters in 2026

AI tools are no longer sidekicks to Google—they’re central to how people research, compare options, and make decisions. As of late 2025, ChatGPT receives over 4.5 billion monthly visits, while Perplexity processes over 500 million searches per month. Google remains the dominant force in online search with billions of daily visits, but with the direct integration of Gemini into search results, the way people find information is changing. Users can now get answers without ever clicking through to your website—a “zero-click search result.”

If your content isn’t showing up in AI answers, you’re missing visibility with a massive and growing segment of your audience. Depending on what your digital experience delivers, this affects brand recognition, traffic and lead potential, and your credibility as an authority in your space.

In 2026, AI summaries are the new front page of search.

How GEO Works: What AI Tools Are Looking For

Each generative engine has its quirks, but several patterns are emerging across platforms:

1. Structure Matters More Than Ever

AI tools rely on clear, structured content. Use schema markup generously—particularly FAQPage, Organization, Article, and Product types. Structured data helps AI understand your content contextually, making it easier to reference in generated answers.

Tip: Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper is a great place to start reviewing your schema.

2. E-E-A-T Principles Still Rule

Google’s Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) framework, a core concept for SEO, now extends to AI tools like Gemini. Show credentials, cite data, link to reputable sources, and provide content authored by credible experts.

If you have certifications, awards, partnerships, or original research, feature them clearly.

3. Conversation > Keywords

GEO is less about keywords and more about natural language. Write in a conversational tone and frame your content in terms of questions and answers. Think: “What are the best family vacation spots in California?” instead of “California vacation destinations.”

4. Content Freshness is Key

AI platforms—especially Perplexity, which indexes content daily—prioritize content that’s up to date. Refresh evergreen posts annually and use a content calendar to track when to review content. Prioritize articles with titles like “Top” or “Best,” as these perform well in answer generation, particularly on ChatGPT.

5. Visuals Are Increasingly Important

Gemini and Perplexity are both investing in multimodal search. Media assets like charts, videos, and well-optimized images can increase the chance of being featured. Also make sure your image alt text, captions, and surrounding content are descriptive.

6. Prioritize Performance & Mobile-Responsiveness 

A site that performs well on mobile loads quickly, displays clearly on small screens, and avoids frustrating interactions like unclickable buttons or pop-ups. Poor mobile performance—including slow Core Web Vitals—can hurt your rankings, which in turn reduces your visibility to LLMs that rely on search results as input sources.

Tool-Specific GEO Tips

Gemini (Google)

Perplexity

ChatGPT

Tracking GEO Performance

A consequence of AI summaries is that websites may see a drop in clicks and visits within their analytics, particularly a decrease in organic traffic month over month. With users getting answers from AI-generated search responses, they may no longer need to visit your website for information. However, those users who do click through often stay longer and discover more pages than they did previously.

Websites may also see an increase in impressions or referrals from AI assistants. This data is increasingly important to track.

Even if AI tools don’t always send traffic directly, you can still measure their impact:

What This Makes Possible

For organizations investing in GEO, the shift isn’t just about traffic—it’s about creating the foundation for how your brand shows up when decisions are made. When your content is structured, current, and authoritative, you’re positioned to be the answer AI platforms cite. That visibility translates into trust, consideration, and the ability to shape how your expertise is perceived across the platforms your audiences use most.

Organizations that optimize for GEO now are building systems that can adapt as AI search continues to evolve, ensuring their digital presence performs across both traditional and emerging channels.

Action Items for Digital Teams

  1. Audit your existing content with these optimization strategies in mind. You can use AI tools like Gemini to identify optimization opportunities for particular pages.
  2. Update schema across all major content types, especially Q&A and organizational pages.
  3. Refresh your high-performing or evergreen content regularly, especially pieces tied to seasons, events, or top lists.
  4. Revise your content strategy to include multimedia assets, structured data, and topic clustering.
  5. Optimize your About page and author bios to strengthen trust signals for LLMs.

Final Thoughts

Optimizing for GEO is a fundamental shift in how people find and interact with content. As AI-generated answers become a dominant part of the discovery experience, your organization’s ability to show up in these spaces affects whether you gain trust or go unnoticed.

By embracing schema, writing conversationally, and refreshing content with purpose, your digital presence can evolve to meet the moment—one where the best answer often wins over the best ranking.

Ready to optimize your content for AI-powered search? Let’s talk about what that looks like for your organization.