Insights

Insights.

Thinking, analysis, and practical guidance from the Raincross team. We write about what we are building, measuring, and learning.

172 results

Analyst reviewing the Google Analytics advertising dashboard at Raincross

article

Why Your Ad Platforms and Google Analytics Show Different Results

Advertising platforms, Google Analytics and your CRM measure different things. Learn how to explain the gaps, check your tracking and connect campaign reports to real business outcomes.

Kevin WattsOct 20, 2026

Westhaven Home billboard beside a phone displaying a matching home renovation consultation form

article

Brand Awareness vs. Lead Generation

Brand awareness builds recognition. Lead generation turns interest into inquiries. Learn how to balance their roles, allocate your advertising budget and measure meaningful business outcomes.

Kevin WattsOct 15, 2026

podcast

What Are Your Customers Really Searching For?

Two people can search for the same service while trying to accomplish completely different things. One may be gathering information, another may be comparing companies, and someone else may be ready to make a purchase today. In this episode, Kevin Watts explains search intent

Kevin WattsOct 7, 2026

podcast

How Do Digital Ads Find You?

Have you ever researched a product and then started seeing related advertisements across websites, streaming television, podcasts, mobile apps, and digital billboards? In this episode, Kevin Watts explains programmatic advertising and how technology helps businesses reach

Kevin WattsOct 2, 2026

podcast

More Website Traffic Doesn’t Always Mean More Business

Your website traffic is increasing. Your advertising is generating more clicks. But your calls, leads, or sales remain flat, or may even be declining. How can a business attract more visitors without gaining more customers? In this episode, Kevin Watts explains why traffic

Kevin WattsSep 29, 2026

Small AI robots appearing in a colorful arcade-style whack-a-mole game

article

Google’s SAFE System and the Future of AI Content

Google’s SAFE research examines coordinated AI-generated content abuse. Here is what it does, and does not, mean for SEO and your content strategy.

Kevin WattsSep 28, 2026

podcast

Can ChatGPT Find and Recommend Your Business?

If a potential customer asked ChatGPT to recommend a company like yours, would your business appear, and would the information be accurate? In this episode, Kevin Watts explains how AI platforms discover, understand, and evaluate businesses using information from websites,

Kevin WattsSep 25, 2026

podcast

SEO Isn’t Dead, but It Is Changing

Every few months, someone declares that SEO is dead. But search engine optimization isn’t disappearing, it is evolving. In this episode, Kevin Watts explains how search is changing as Google, AI platforms, social media, videos, reviews, and online communities all influence how

Kevin WattsSep 24, 2026

podcast

What Does It Mean to Be Visible Now?

The way customers discover businesses has changed. Visibility is no longer just about ranking on Google. It now includes search, AI platforms, advertising, social media, reviews, content, and every other place where customers form an opinion about a business. In the first

Kevin WattsSep 23, 2026

Google Local Services Ads transitioning into the Google Ads Performance Max campaign interface

article

Google Is Moving Local Services Ads Into Performance Max: What Advertisers Need to Know

Google is moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads as specialized Performance Max campaigns. Here is what local advertisers need to know about budgets, bidding, reporting and lead quality.

Kevin WattsSep 10, 2026

Apple Maps Ads showing a promoted Raincross business listing across three iPhone search and map views

article

Apple Maps Ads Are Now Live

Apple Maps Ads are now live in the United States and Canada. Learn where the ads appear, how they are matched to customers, what businesses are eligible and what steps to take next.

Kevin WattsAug 26, 2026

article

AI-Created Ads Are Outperforming Human Creative

New research found fully AI-created ads lifted click-through rate 19% over human expert creative, while AI-modified ads did not. The difference is how much creative freedom the system was given.

Kevin WattsAug 22, 2026

Abstract map showing advertising signals connecting people to physical business locations for footfall measurement

guide

The Guide to Effective Footfall Measurement

Footfall measurement connects advertising exposure to physical location visits. Learn how visit attribution works, which metrics matter, and how to build a credible measurement strategy.

Kevin WattsAug 20, 2026

article

AI Ads vs. AI Authority

AI-generated ads can scale spend, but they do not build trust. The brands that understand the difference between AI ads and AI authority will own the next decade of marketing.

Kevin WattsFeb 25, 2026

article

Google’s 2 MB Crawl Limit: What It Really Means

On February 3, 2026, Google clarified something that had existed quietly for years but was rarely discussed outside of technical SEO circles: Googlebot does not process unlimited HTML when indexing pages for Search.

Kevin WattsFeb 10, 2026

Keyboard keys spelling ChatGPT with a yellow sticky note reading Ads between them

article

ChatGPT Ads and the Rise of AI Advertising

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how people search for information, evaluate options, and make decisions.

Kevin WattsFeb 2, 2026

Siri orb and Google Gemini spark side by side over a blue-toned retail scene

article

Apple and Google Are Friends Now?

For more than a decade, Apple and Google have been portrayed as rivals locked in a quiet but constant power struggle. Apple controls the hardware, the operating system, and the user experience.

Kevin WattsJan 13, 2026

Scattered black keyboard keys arranged on a pink surface, shot from overhead

article

Content Recycling: How to Update Existing Content for Better Results

Content recycling means getting more value from content you already have, by updating it or repurposing it. Here is how to choose pages, make useful edits and measure the change.

Kevin WattsDec 30, 2025

Hand using a stylus on a phone showing a Google business listing with a star rating

article

Anonymous Google Reviews Are Here

Google quietly rolled out one of the biggest changes to its review platform in years: users can now leave reviews under a custom display name instead of their real Google account identity.

Kevin WattsDec 1, 2025

Laptop screen showing the ChatGPT Atlas browser landing page and shopping interface

article

What ChatGPT Atlas Means for the Future of Search and Design

OpenAI introduced something that might reshape how we all experience the web, ChatGPT Atlas.

Kevin WattsOct 27, 2025

Three-dimensional Instagram app icon on a pink gradient background representing social posts in search

article

Instagram Posts Are Now Showing Up in Google Search: Here’s How Brands Can Seize the Opportunity

Instagram just made a game-changing move that could significantly impact how your business shows up online: public Instagram posts from professional accounts are now being indexed by Google Search.

Kevin WattsJul 9, 2025

Halftone hands reaching toward an illustrated brain inside a network of connected nodes

article

AI Can Build. But It Can’t Dream.

We’re living in one of the most exciting and confusing times to build something.

Kevin WattsApr 12, 2025

Man holding a large yellow hashtag cutout in front of his face against a blue background

article

Are Hashtags Dead? Why Social Media Strategies Need to Evolve

For years, hashtags were a cornerstone of social media marketing. Brands, influencers, and businesses alike relied on them to categorize content, increase visibility, and drive engagement.

Kevin WattsMar 28, 2025

Three-dimensional LLM lettering beside the words large language model on a dark reflective surface

guide

LLMS.txt: Our Guide to AI Content Control for Your Website

We're are always looking for innovative ways to help our clients optimize their digital presence.

Kevin WattsMar 11, 2025