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If you’ve ever found yourself squinting at a Search Console traffic dip, frantically trying to remember, “Wait, did we launch that new header template before or after the Core Update?”—I have fantastic news for you.

Google has finally heard our collective plea and rolled out the ability to add annotations directly into the Search Console Performance Reports!

This is a game-changer. It means no more mismatched spreadsheets, no more relying on memory, and no more guessing why your impressions spiked. You can literally drop a sticky note right onto the graph.

Quick Context: When Did This Happen?

Google officially released this feature to everyone on Monday, November 17, 2025.

It had been in testing for months, so if you’ve seen screenshots floating around, they’re real! This addition immediately fills a massive gap in search analysis, giving us a single, reliable timeline for all our data.

Why Are Annotations Such a Big Deal? (The End of Guesswork!)

The core value is context. Your Performance Report shows the what (clicks and impressions changed), but annotations give you the why (we launched a new schema, or Google rolled out an update).

• ⚡ Pinpoint the Cause: Now, when traffic zaps (or surges!), you can instantly see if it aligns with the moment you launched a new campaign, fixed a huge bug, or deployed a site migration.
• 🤝 Shared Team History: Annotations are visible to everyone with access to the GSC property. It’s an automatic, shared change log for your team, your boss, or your client. Accountability just got easier!
• 📈 Clear A/B Testing: You can perfectly document the launch and end dates of any major SEO test, allowing you to quickly isolate the test’s true impact from everything else happening online.

Here Is How to Drop Your First Note in GSC

The process is super intuitive. Google designed it to be quick, which is exactly what we need when tracking a fast-moving update!

Step 1: Head to the Performance Report

1. Log into your Google Search Console property.
2. Find the Performance report (under the “Index” section).
3. Make sure your date range covers the day you need to mark.

Step 2: Add the Annotation

You can typically do this in one of two fast ways:

• The Power User Move: Right-click directly on the chart line or the date line at the bottom. A quick option to “Add annotation” should pop up.
• The Traditional Way: Look near your date picker for the “Add Annotation” link.

Step 3: Write Your Note and Save

A simple box will appear. Keep your notes brief, clear, and professional!

• Date: Select the specific date of the event (e.g., when the code went live).
• Note: Type your explanation. You have a 120-character limit, so use a clear shorthand! (e.g., [TECH] Fixed canonical tag issue site-wide or [GOOGLE] Nov 17 Core Update Started)
• Click Add.

A Quick Heads-Up: Annotations are shared with all property users, you can’t edit them (only delete and re-create them), and they auto-delete after 500 days. Use simple, clear language!

Step 4: See the Magic

You’ll now see a small marker appear on the graph for that date. Just hover over the marker to instantly read your note. You can now tell the story of your search performance without ever leaving the tool!

Pro Tip: What Should You Be Annotating?

Don’t just track big SEO changes—track anything that impacts your business or site structure:

• Google Algorithm Updates: Don’t rely on outside sources; mark the days Google officially announces a rollout (Core Updates, Spam Updates, etc.).
• Major Infrastructure Changes: Any time you migrate CMS, change domains, or deploy a site-wide template update.
• Content Strategy Shifts: When you push a major content audit, consolidate pages, or start focusing content on a new user intent.
• External Factors: Big holidays, major promotions, or seasonality changes that always affect your traffic.

This simple feature is going to save us all countless hours of investigation. Go give it a shot and start building the historical record your data deserves!

Best Practices for a Clean and Compliant Email List

1. Keep One Master List Instead of creating multiple email lists, use one main list and organize contacts with tags and segments (e.g., “Newsletter Subscribers” or “Family Law Clients”). This prevents duplicate emails and confusion.

2. Avoid Duplicates Mailchimp automatically prevents duplicate emails in one list. Keeping all contacts in a single list also prevents extra costs and spam complaints from people getting the same email multiple times.

3. Regularly Clean Your List

• Remove inactive contacts (people who haven’t engaged in 6-12 months).
• Run re-engagement campaigns to check if inactive users still want to receive emails.
• Archive or delete bounced and invalid emails.

How to Avoid Email Overload and Duplicates

Having too many lists or duplicate contacts can cause compliance issues and affect email performance. Here’s how to avoid this:

• Check for Duplicates Before Uploading: Remove duplicates and verify email formats.
• Use Tags Instead of Multiple Lists: Organize contacts with labels like “Event Attendee” or “Past Client” instead of separate lists.
• Delete or Suppress Old Contacts: Prevents sending emails to people who no longer engage.

How to Keep Your Email List Engaged

A great email list isn’t just big, it’s active and engaged. Here’s how to keep it that way:

1. Identify Inactive Contacts People who haven’t opened or clicked an email in 6-12 months are likely inactive.

• If you have implied consent, inactivity for 24 months means they should be removed (unless they give express consent).

2. Send Re-Engagement Emails Give inactive subscribers a reason to stay. Example subject line:

“We Miss You! Want to Keep Getting Our Emails?”

Include a clear action: “Click here to stay subscribed.”

3. Archive or Remove Unresponsive Contacts

• Archive: Keeps them in your records but removes them from active emails.
• Delete: Permanently removes them.
• Suppress: Blocks them from being added again.

Tracking Your Email Success

To improve your email strategy, track these key metrics:

• Open Rate: How many people open your emails.
• Click Rate: How many clicks on links.
• Bounce Rate: How many emails didn’t go through.
• Unsubscribe Rate: How many opt out.
• Spam Complaints: Signals if your emails are unwanted.

Use Mailchimp’s segmenting tools to group contacts based on engagement (e.g., “Opened Last 3 Emails” or “Inactive for 12 Months”).

Quarterly Email Maintenance Checklist

Every 3 months, review your email strategy:

• Check Campaign Reports: Look at open rates and click rates.
• Identify Inactive Contacts: Remove or re-engage them.
• Backup Engagement Data: Keep a record for compliance.
• Clean Bounced Emails: Archive invalid emails.
• Update Consent Records: Track new subscribers and opt-outs.

Need help optimizing your email marketing? SMARTLI offers expert guidance and training. Reach out today!

Elevate Your Email Marketing Strategy: Simple, Compliant, and Effective

Email marketing is a powerful tool to connect with your audience, build relationships, and grow your business. But to get the best results, your strategy needs to be both effective and legally compliant with rules like CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation) and PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). Whether you’re in the legal industry or any other field, these best practices will help you run a clean, compliant, and results-driven email marketing campaign.

Why Email Marketing Works

Email marketing offers key benefits that make it one of the best ways to reach your audience:

• Direct Communication: Emails go straight to inboxes, avoiding social media algorithms.
• High ROI: Email marketing gives some of the highest and cost effective (nina – combined both points here)) returns on investment (ROI) in digital marketing.
• Stronger Relationships: Regular emails help keep your business top of mind. Your messaging remains personalized, building  trust and strengthening client relationships.
• Measurable Results: Tools like Mailchimp let you track open rates, clicks, and conversions.
• Ownership of Your Audience: Unlike social media, you own your email list and control how you reach people.

Following the Rules: CASL & PIPEDA

To avoid fines and ensure trust, your emails must follow Canada’s email marketing laws.

CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation)

• You need permission (either express or implied) before sending marketing emails.
• Every email must include:
  • Your business name and contact details.
  • An easy unsubscribe option (requests must be processed within 10 days).
  • Proof of consent records (when and how someone signed up).

PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act)

• Businesses must handle personal information carefully.
• You must:
  • Get clear (informed maybe-nina?) consent before collecting personal data.
  • Keep personal data secure (e.g., encryption, password protection).
  • Allow people to access or update their information.
  • Have a privacy policy explaining how data is used.

Not following these rules can result in fines up to $10 million, so compliance is critical.

Building a CASL-Compliant Signup Form

Your signup form is where compliance starts. Here’s how to do it right:

1. Use a Consent Checkbox Make sure users actively opt-in to receive emails. Example wording:

“Yes, I agree to receive emails with updates, events, and newsletters. I can unsubscribe anytime.”

2. Enable Double Opt-In A double opt-in means users confirm their email after signing up. This helps prevent fake signups and improves list quality.

3. Keep Consent Records Mailchimp automatically logs when, where, and how users signed up, which helps with legal compliance.