What is an emoji?

An emoji is an emoticon on a phone’s keyboard which allows a person to communicate, rather than typing a message visually. The word emoji is Japanese; it’s a portmanteau combining e, which means picture, and moji, which translates to character.

Where do emojis originate from?

Emojis were initially brought into existence in the late 90s in Japan, their design simplistic, utilising characters and letters to create faces. These early iterations of emoji allowed people to have a more nuanced form of communication, with emotion and tone being easily communicated through the inclusion of an emoji.

How have emojis evolved?

Since their advent, emojis have quickly flourished and evolved from simple character combinations to clean, branded icons which various phone companies release as part of their device keyboard.

1988

The first instance we see of the emoji was in Japan on the Sharp PA-8500, an electronic device described as an electronic pocket assistant. The device would be used to manage admin tasks, which include setting dates in calendars, for note-taking, and other tasks like filing contacts.

1997

By the mid-nineties, the first set of emojis for mobile phones was released on the Japanese-made SoftBank J-phone. The owners of this model of phone were able to access a set of 90 emojis, of which the emote which inspired the now iconic poo emoji was included.

1999

Almost a decade after a gentleman named Shigetaka Kurita developed a 176-character emoji Keyboard in 1999. Kurita was a developer for i-mode, a platform for internet use created by DOCOMO, a leading mobile carrier in Japan.

The purpose of the invention was to simplify communication through a set of symbols which would help to convey a message. The emojis were 12 by 12px and were embedded onto a keyboard similarly to the characters of the alphabet.

The nature of the designs ranged from practical communication tools like a gas station emoji, to more emotionally expressive icons, which were there to imply any emotion which couldn’t be interpreted through just text, providing emotional subtext.

2009-2010

In the early 2000s, the rapid succession of brands and companies alike wanting a piece of the emoji pie led to a contentious petition, which had begun 3 years prior. This began the process of the Unicode Consortium assigning different standardised codes to emojis. The Unicode Consortium are a non-profit organisation that standardises software and data internationally.

The proposal given to the Unicode Consortium contained 625 new emoji designs. The proposal was quickly accepted, and these emojis became available to use for those with internet access.

2011

By 2011, emojis really were going global with the release of the Apple emoji keyboard, populated with over 470 emojis for users to select from and create with.

2014

Then came the origin of World Emoji Day, which was officially observed on the 17^th of July. Interestingly, the date was selected in line with the date displayed on the emoji calendar.

Our take on the Emoji

With the handy help of ChatGPT, we were able to get a sense of how our logo could look if it were to be integrated into the IOS keyboard.

It’s been almost 40 years since the first emoji was created and being used, and now there are 3,790 emojis in the Unicode standard. Emojis are even utilised in marketing on email campaigns, social media content and even in blogs like this one here.

We’re really intrigued to see how emojis continue to evolve, expand in their catalogue and ultimately how they will allow us to express ourselves and enhance the content we create. We’d love to know what your favourite emoji is!

Do I need to research when copywriting?

Research is a critical step in the process of content creation, whether it’s finding inspiration whilst ideating or gathering statistics that will inform your discussion. Having research materials can majorly benefit you and the quality of your content.

Research is so important. Eugene Schwartz famously said that effective copywriting is 80% research and 20% writing, showing just how much groundwork goes into crafting the perfect message.

What does research help with?

It ensures you can understand a subject, create well-informed and factual content, and gain insight into how others approach the same topic. You’ll start to notice how others structure similar content and where gaps exist, giving you the chance to identify niches or perspectives that make your own content stand out.

The bottom line: why research is critical

Research transforms assumptions into intelligence, helping you understand who you’re speaking to, what they care about, and how they think. It’s the difference between shotgun messaging and sniper‐targeted persuasion. Skipping it risks wasting resources—and worse, selling nothing.

Are there different types of research?

Yes. There are three core types of research that support content creation:

Primary Research is the process of collecting data for yourself. It allows you to directly ask the audience for their response, usually through polls, interviews, or focus groups. It’s useful when you want tailored, specific insights to shape your message.

Secondary Research can be internal or external. Internal research involves analysing historic data or reports your business already holds, while external research draws from sources like studies, quotes, statistics, infographics, or reputable articles. These materials help reinforce your message with context and credibility.

Tertiary Research summarises information from both primary and secondary sources. While it doesn’t offer deep analysis, it’s useful for quick referencing or to confirm key terms. Examples include encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses.

What is the best approach to researching?

As you begin the process of ideating, this is the perfect moment to start exploring. Your topic—and your eventual content—can end up being strongly shaped by what you discover during this phase.

If you’re unsure whether a subject will resonate with your audience, this is the time to dig into audience research and validate its relevance. Once you feel confident in your idea, widen your scope. Look beyond search engines—use books, research journals, industry publications, and competitor content. Diversifying your sources strengthens your perspective and helps you avoid generic or outdated information.

When your topic is set, you can move into keyword research. At this point, your focus shifts to identifying core and supporting keywords, along with long-tail variations that help optimise your content for searchability and audience intent.

Final Thoughts

Good copy doesn’t begin with writing—it begins with listening, observing, and investigating. Research is what turns creative instincts into strategic decisions. By building your process around it, you’re not just producing content—you’re crafting content with purpose.

So before you write, take time to explore. You might just uncover the insight that transforms your next piece from ordinary to unforgettable.

WordPress is forming an AI team to help with the development of AI products on the platform.

What is WordPress

WordPress is an open source content management system which allows users to create and manage websites including updating blogs, imagery, and customising UX. Users can use plug-ins which can be added to their site from WordPress extensive library which allow for enhanced customisation features and increased website functionality.

Why is WordPress forming an Open AI team

The open source nature of WordPress means that developers can create all manner of plug-ins and many have already begun to experiment with AI tools as current WordPress developers have published 660 different AI plug-ins for WordPress. 

The AI team will consist of James LePage, head of AI at Automattic, Felix Arntz and Pascal Birchel from Google, and Jeff Paul, director of Open Source at 10up and their role will be to oversee the development of AI tools. 

This is what WordPress Executive Director, Mary Hubbard, had to say in her latest blog post on why this matters, “Strategic focus: A unified team stewards AI development thoughtfully, avoids fragmentation, and ensures alignment with the long-term goals of WordPress.

Shared innovation: Contributors and companies are actively exploring AI across the ecosystem. This team provides a central place to collaborate, share ideas, and build together.

Rapid iteration: Like the Performance Team, we’ll take a plugin-first approach. Canonical plugins will allow us to move quickly, gather feedback, and deliver real value without waiting on the Core release cycle.”

Why is this important for SEOs

WordPress is the most popular CMS on the internet powering an estimated 43.4% of websites worldwide. Increased AI functionality within WordPress will be key for SEOs to enhance workflows and speed up functionality and processes of their site to increase workplace productivity. 

A Simpler Way to See What’s Working

Google Ads is testing a new layout that makes it easier for advertisers to track and
understand how well their ads are performing. The update is focused on what Google calls
“conversion goals” — the actions you want people to take after clicking an ad, such as filling
out a form, calling your business, or making a purchase.
With the new design, users can now click on a dropdown arrow next to each goal to get
more details without needing to dig through multiple menus. This new layout helps
advertisers quickly see which goals are active, how they are set up, and how they’re
performing — all in one place.

Easier Navigation and More Useful Information

Previously, Google’s conversion tracking could feel cluttered or confusing, especially if you
were managing several goals at once. This new test groups similar goals together and
provides a cleaner overview, making it easier to understand what’s going on.
For example, if you’re tracking both online purchases and phone calls, you’ll now be able to
see those separately but within a unified dashboard. Clicking on each goal shows more
specific setup steps and performance data, helping advertisers fix problems or make
changes faster.

Helping Businesses Make Smarter Decisions

This update is part of Google’s ongoing effort to make its advertising tools more helpful,
especially for small businesses or teams without dedicated marketing staff. By offering more
transparency and easier-to-read data, the redesigned interface should help users make
better decisions about where to spend their money.
Some advertisers have already spotted the change in their accounts as part of a limited test.
If it proves helpful, it’s likely Google will roll it out more widely soon. For now, it’s a
promising step toward making ad performance easier to understand — even if you’re not a
marketing expert.

Since the introduction of AI, the way marketers automate their workflows has changed forever. AI can improve productivity, problem-solving solving and even creativity with industry tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini leading the way in the new age of AI. SEOs can use these latest developments in AI technology to help with time-consuming tasks such as On Page SEO, Technical Audits and Competitor Research.

How has AI impacted SEO?

AI has impacted real-time results with SEO as website links are now getting pushed further down the search engine results page (SERP) for AI-generated responses.

This makes it more important than ever to be ahead of the curve on SEO and stand out from competitors, and the SERP is more competitive than ever. Using AI to your advantage to automate tasks i,s therefore a crucial component of appearing high up in search engine rankings in today’s digital age.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is the process of optimising elements of a web page to improve its performance on search engines. AI can help users with on-page SEO, including allowing users to answer any content-related questions to inform them about the content. Written content can also be optimised and summarised with the help of AI. Finally, AI can analyse web pages given a summary of any improvements that can be made in order to enhance a web page.

Technical Audits

A technical audit is a comprehensive review of a site’s SEO capabilities, including site speed, site errors, image optimisation, title, descriptions and more. AI can be used for technical audits, for example,e creating any title tags and meta descriptions in bulk to specification, helping you understand any site speed issues. As well as explaining how to fix technical issues that may be complex or that you have not encountered before, as can be seen below.

Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis is also another SEO task that can be automated by recent advances in AI technology. These tasks are often time-consuming as multiple websites need to be analysed to make informed decisions on the strengths and weaknesses of competitors. AI tools can analyse the content on websites in a matter of seconds and help users to make quicker decisions on on-page tactics, as well as analyse keywords and content gaps.

AI is here to stay and can be used to automate a number of SEO tasks. The sooner SEOs get to grips with advances in AI the better, as they will be at risk of being left behind by their competitors if they fail to keep up with the latest advancements in AI technology.

Frequently asked questions are a necessity for any website. It compiles the most common queries put to a business, and sorts them into one accessible place, making it quick and easy for customers to seek out an answer.

Whilst FAQs will vary from site to site, depending on the business type and website functionality, there’s a primary purpose for every site to include FAQ and that is to: enhance the user’s experience.

Why should I use FAQs on a site?

There are definitely more than seven reasons why a website should include FAQs, however, we can boil it down to 6 core motivations:

Garnering positive customer sentiments

Including frequently asked questions on your website can improve audience sentiment, by making your site and content clear and user-friendly. Doing this will reduce customer frustrations by having any necessary and obvious information in a place that is easy to access.

Saving you and your reader time

Reduce the volume of customer service queries by placing the most common questions on an FAQ page. Saving them time from having to make contact to ask simple questions reduces the dissatisfaction felt over minor inconveniences.

Transparency and authenticity

Answering customer questions before they need to ask them shows a level of honesty from the company. The customer can rely on the fact your company has thought about their buying journey (should it be a service or product you’re selling).

Improving SEO efforts

Beyond the benefits to the customer, FAQs also allow you to include keywords for your business. This creates an opportunity to rank for your FAQ pages as well as other content on site.

More so, FAQs could be pulled onto the search engine result page under the “People also ask” section, demonstrating your business has the expertise to help.

Engagement

What better way to show you can engage and resolve any problems your reader or customer might have than to include FAQs? This shows your business is engaging in discussion with its audience.

Upselling opportunities for E-commerce

When it’s relevant, there’s an opportunity to upsell products. Providing useful links to products or services which would be relevant to the customer, can aid in propelling sales.

FAQs aren’t just a piece of content, they’re a strategic tool which can be used to build trust, aid in achieving your business goals and increase customer satisfaction. Whether its improving your SEO, creating a reliable reputation or taking the opportunity to upsell, FAQs are a win for your business and customers.

What is Long-form content?

Long-form content is typically over a word count of 1000 words, or in video format, the content is over a minute in length.

Long-form content takes longer for a reader or watcher to consume, which often requires a level of engagement that demands the audience’s focus. Certain platforms and types of content on websites will warrant long-form content. For instance, some examples of long-form content include:

• E-books
• Research papers
• Blogs and articles
• Videos and podcasts

When to use long-form content?

Long-form content is best used when there’s more information and details to be shared. Because of this, it tends to accrue higher levels of traffic in a longer period than short-form content.

Establishing the purpose of your content will ensure you can set measurable goals. This type of content is particularly helpful when a business wants to build its authority whilst educating or entertaining its audience.

Long-form content offers practical benefits to site owners, with the potential to have content rank for keywords. Another practicality is the re-usability of the content, this type of content is usually far easier to rejuvenate and repurpose for other platforms. Long-form content that demonstrates originality and high-quality content that provides value to the reader is more likely to draw in readers.

Factors to consider

1. Long-form content is ideal for when there are plenty of resources and budget (whether that’s time or money). If resources are limited, long-form content may not be the most practical style to produce.

2. Another factor to consider is the audience who will be digesting the content, if they have shorter attention spans, the content may not be suited to their watching preferences.

3. This type of content doesn’t garner high volumes of engagement.

4. Long-form content is suitable for websites, YouTube content, and even TikTok, with creators being able to post anywhere between 15 seconds to 10 minutes.

What is short-form content?

Short-form content is anywhere under a minute long or is roughly under 1000 words long. This type of content requires less attention and, therefore, tends to cater for those with little to no attention span with their content consumption. This type of content is typically seen in:

• Email campaigns
• Blogs and news articles
• Infographics
• Social media posts

When to use short-form content?

Short-form content is best used when there’s a minimal amount of information needing to be conveyed. This style of content is often more casual as a result, it requires less structure and is easier to create multiple because it typically requires less time and resources budgeted for it.

Short-form content is best suited to more casual forms of content consumption, like videos on TikTok or a thread on Reddit.  This often means the content is shared and engaged with in a more informal and real-time way.

Factors to consider

1. Short-form content needs forethought and planning, without it, content can become repetitive, lose its relevance or lack the substance needed to establish authority.

2. This style of content doesn’t have the same longevity that longer pieces of content have; this is down to the lack of information, and the type of content usually subject matter covered is commonly time-sensitive.

3. Because there are fewer words or seconds to work with, the subject matter is at risk of being oversimplified, limiting the depth of information being shared.

4. Short-form content is best suited to be on social platforms like YouTube shorts, Metas social platforms, LinkedIn, or Reddit.

Each type of content has its own unique benefits to offer, as well as applications. The key to success lies in understanding the purpose of the content, the audience and the resources available to be used. Aligning your content format with your business goals and the needs of the audience will allow you to make meaningful decisions around content production.

Measuring and analysing content performance is a key way to assess how suitable and successful the type of format chosen is for your business’s content strategy. If you’d like to explore how to optimise your content strategy further, reach out to us!

Recently, Google has updated its search ranking system to identify when parts of a website are distinct or noticeably different from its main focus. This adjustment helps Google highlight the most relevant and useful information for users, ensuring that the search results align with each site’s primary purpose.

A Google spokesperson explained that their system is now designed to detect when a portion of a website is “independent or starkly different” from the main content. This system has already impacted some larger websites, where sections unrelated to the core theme have experienced a drop in visibility on Google Search. Consultant Glenn Gabe noted declines for sections of prominent websites, and Google clarified that these changes aren’t due to a new “site reputation abuse” algorithm, which is only manually enforced at this time.

Why content consistency matters for SEO

Consistency in a website’s content is essential for effective SEO. When a website maintains a clear, focused theme, search engines can better understand its purpose and rank it confidently for relevant search queries. A focused approach not only boosts visibility but also builds trust with users, who learn to expect a certain type of information. When a site introduces content that diverges from its main focus, it can confuse both search engines and visitors, potentially leading to a decline in rankings.

Examples of starkly different content and why it might happen

There are several reasons why a site might suddenly include content that doesn’t align with its primary focus:

• Affiliate partnerships: Many sites add sections focused on affiliate-driven recommendations for products or services to generate revenue. For example, a financial news site might introduce a section on “top gadgets” with affiliate links. While this may be profitable, it can seem disconnected from the site’s financial theme.
• Hosting third-party content: Some sites allow other brands to host content within their subdomains or folders. For instance, a health and wellness site might host fashion articles, creating a mismatch with its primary focus.
• Broadening content themes too quickly: Some businesses expand their content to attract new audiences. For example, a travel site might introduce financial advice. Without careful alignment, this new content can appear unrelated to both users and search engines.
• Content experiments: Sites sometimes test new types of content to see what resonates with audiences. For instance, an academic website might introduce entertainment news. These experiments, while insightful, may confuse search engines about the site’s primary purpose.

Why Google’s system recognises independent content

Google’s updated system reflects its guidance from 2019, which advised against allowing unrelated content within a site’s subdomains or folders without close supervision. Their latest recommendation is that websites create value-added, brand-aligned content. Google’s goal is to prioritise consistent, relevant information that accurately reflects each site’s brand and main theme, ensuring a more straightforward experience for both users and search engines.

What this means for marketers and how to manage different content on your site

For marketers, Google’s recent emphasis on content consistency highlights the need for a well-aligned strategy across all site content. If sections of a website stray too far from its main theme, they risk lower visibility in search rankings. Marketers should evaluate any content that may not fully reflect the brand’s core purpose and decide how best to integrate or adjust it.

If your site hosts different types of content—such as affiliate recommendations, third-party contributions, or experimental posts—consider these steps to keep it SEO-friendly:

1. Align content with your core theme: Review all sections to ensure they contribute to the brand’s main focus. If some content is notably different, try adapting it so it aligns with audience expectations and the site’s overall message.
2. Use clear and purposeful organisation: Structure distinct content in a way that doesn’t detract from the core purpose of the site. For instance, use a dedicated subdomain or clearly separated section, so both users and search engines recognise it as a supplementary offering.
3. Ensure relevance and quality control: Google values content that provides genuine value, so focus on quality even for topics that differ slightly from your main theme. Consistent quality across topics builds trust with users and search engines alike.
4. Monitor and adjust: Keep track of performance and user engagement for sections that diverge from the primary theme. If certain areas underperform or cause user confusion, consider realigning the content or removing it.
5. Communicate with third-party contributors: If hosting third-party content, set clear guidelines to ensure alignment with your site’s focus. This helps retain relevance and quality, ensuring all hosted content contributes positively to your brand.

By applying these strategies, marketers can maintain a cohesive, brand-aligned website that performs well in search results and provides a consistent experience for users. As Google’s algorithms continue to evolve, prioritising clarity and brand consistency will become even more valuable.

We are thrilled to announce that Intelligency, has been honoured with the prestigious Northern Enterprise Award 2023 for the Best International Boutique Marketing Agency. This accolade highlights our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in the dynamic world of marketing.

Intelligency has been extremely fortunate to enjoy working with a wide range of clients domestic and abroad. In 2023, we expanded our relationship with streaming giant ‘Viaplay’ which saw us roll out our venue finder for their Scandinavian markets.

What is the Northern Enterprise Award?

The Northern Enterprise Awards, hosted annually, celebrates the industriousness, creativity, and dedication of businesses located in the northern regions. It recognizes companies that have consistently demonstrated excellence in their sector, offering innovative solutions and outstanding customer service. Winning this award is a testament to a company’s exceptional performance, resilience, and contribution to the economy.

Continued success

Receiving the Northern Enterprise Award is a significant achievement for Intelligency. It places us among the great agencies in international marketing, acknowledging our unique approach, global reach, and the impactful results we deliver for our clients. This award is not just a recognition of our current success; it’s a beacon guiding us towards future innovation and excellence in the international marketing arena.

A word from Sean Walsh, Co-Director at Intelligency;

“I am incredibly proud of our team for achieving this remarkable feat. Winning the Northern Enterprise Award for Best International Boutique Marketing Agency is a significant milestone in Intelligency’s journey. This accolade is a reflection of our team’s hard work, creativity, and relentless pursuit of marketing excellence.

Our approach has always been client-centric, focusing on delivering tailor-made, impactful marketing strategies that drive success. This award strengthens our resolve to continue pushing the boundaries and setting new benchmarks in the marketing industry.”

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate this achievement, we remain committed to upholding the standards that earned us this award. Intelligency will continue to innovate, inspire, and lead in the international marketing landscape, delivering exceptional services to our clients worldwide.

Thank you to the Northern Enterprise Awards for this honour, and a huge thank you to our clients and partners for their ongoing support and trust in Intelligency.

After years of deliberation, Google has begun its mission to remove tracking cookies in Chrome. These tracking cookies are also known as third-party data and play an instrumental role in monitoring user behaviour in digital marketing campaigns.

What are third-party cookies and why is it important?

Third-party cookies follow users across the internet and allow marketers to gather an understanding of user behaviour. The cookie data is sent to third parties who then leverage this in digital advertising campaigns. It is suspected that over 80% of marketing agencies use this type of data in their campaigns. Third-party data can be particularly effective in retargeting users who have visited a site with follow-up emails (such as cart abandonment) or new products.

Why does Google want to remove third-party data?

Google initially suggested the phasing out of cookies in 2019 however the implementation date has been pushed back multiple times before its launch this year. Only 1% of Chrome users will be affected primarily, but Google hopes that it can phase out cookies entirely by the end of 2024. The company claims that the removal of third-party data will improve user experience, by providing more privacy and security.

What strategies should agencies implement moving forward?

Most of the marketing community agrees that first-party data needs to be at the forefront of any 2024 marketing strategy. First-party data is data that a company owns such as email addresses. Brands should utilise existing data for any future campaigns and build their current data segments. The larger the data pool, the more effective their digital marketing campaigns will be. There will be challenges ahead though as many online users are often unwilling to hand over their data without serious consideration.

What’s next?

Google’s action has massively changed the marketing landscape and consequently, the ad ecosystem will have to adapt quickly. Google is offering support via a yet-to-be-released Privacy Sandbox which could potentially help businesses. Furthermore, some marketeers could move towards redistributing their budgets into walled gardens such as Amazon or Facebook – these companies have a strong well of data from users who have logged in.             

2024 has started with a seismic shift to the marketing world and everyone should dutifully be prepared for even greater changes to come.