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Search Engine Journal Advertisement Specifications

Updated and Effective March 24, 2026

(1) Branded Category Sponsorship:

  • Client’s ads will be shown on SEJ’s SEO, Paid Search, Social Media, Content Marketing, Generative AI, WordPress or Digital category and applicable sub-categories in the following places:
    • Header banner with Client’s logo displayed at the top of the category newsfeed and below the featured image of each article within the category throughout the duration of the campaign​
    • In-content leaderboard ad displayed in each non-sponsored article of the sponsored category; these ads are capped at 100K IMP per week and are refreshed after 30 seconds
  • SEJ will ensure the minimum impressions (IMP) to be served across the combined ad placements throughout all of the campaign periods in the aggregate as stated in the Insertion Order. If the minimum IMP is not met, SEJ may (at its sole discretion) either (i) extend the campaign period(s) at no additional cost to the Client to satisfy the minimum IMP, or (ii) provide a service credit to the Client to be applied towards other available advertising on the SEJ Website. The credit value shall be assessed proportionally based on the CPM rate paid by the Client for the sponsorship subject to any discounted pricing provided by SEJ. This service credit has no cash value.
  • Client shall provide the following for this sponsorship:
    • In-content leaderboard ad for desktop in sizes 728×90 and 1456×180
    • In-content medium rectangle ad for mobile in sizes 300×250 and 600×500
    • 400×400 PNG logo for the header banner
    • Header banner message text, up to 150 characters with spaces
    • Header banner headline text, up to 50 characters with spaces
    • Header banner CTA text, up to 60 characters with spaces
    • UTM links
    • Optional: Client’s Google Ads, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels
  • Client may provide a second set of ad creatives to test; for monthly sponsorships, client may change ad creative up to one time per week and must give SEJ at least five business days to complete any changes
  • SEJ shall install Client’s pixels on all sponsored category pages throughout the campaign period

(2) Dedicated Email Sponsorship:

  • Client’s marketing message sent to SEJ’s subscribers as a dedicated email that will be labeled as sponsored
  • Client agrees to follow SEJ’s sponsored email guidelines; SEJ shall provide these guidelines before work starts on the campaign
  • Client shall complete the following no later than three weeks in advance of the scheduled email date:
    • Select a template for the email design from the options provided by SEJ within the provided sponsored email guidelines
    • Prepare the email content according to selected template specifications
    • Provide two subject lines for the email message to be approved by SEJ
  • Client shall submit assets for the campaign as instructed within the provided sponsored email guidelines.
  • SEJ shall send the Client a test email two weeks prior to the scheduled email date; Client shall have two business days to approve the message; which approval shall be deemed given if Client fails to reply within three business days

(3) Ebook Sponsorship:

  • SEJ will produce and promote the ebook
  • Ebook co-sponsorship is limited to three non-competing advertisers
  • Client’s ebook sponsorship shall include leads delivered over the specified campaign period, a full page ad in the ebook, and the opportunity for the sponsor to contribute a resource to be featured within the ebook.
  • Ebook registration form shall include the following staple fields: full name, email address, location, job title, company name, company size, and industry; Registrants will be required to provide consent to SEJ’s content agreement which states that their data will be shared with participating sponsors
  • Client shall provide the following no later than eight weeks prior to the ebook launch date:
    • Company logo
    • Resource contribution; To be determined by SEJ. Client will be notified of the specifications pertaining to this portion of the sponsorship during the initial stages of planning the project.
    • Full-page advertisement per the following specifications:
      • Client shall provide one 8.5×11 document in PDF or JPEG format with 300dpi resolution
      • Client’s ad shall be inserted within the ebook according to its designated placement
    • UTM links for all ad placements
    • Client’s target lead profile
    • Optional: One profiling question for the registration form, to be approved by SEJ
    • Optional: Client’s Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels
  • Client shall complete a final review of their full page ad and resource contribution no later than two weeks prior to the ebook launch date; SEJ shall provide Client with a copy of these items
  • Client shall be referred to as a sponsor of the ebook and Client’s resource contribution shall be labeled as such
  • Client’s Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on the ebook registration page for one month
  • SEJ shall deliver registration leads to the Client in real time as soon as possible over the campaign period; All leads will be shared with all sponsors
  • SEJ shall retain editorial authority and exclusive rights to the ebook content
  • Ebook shall be hosted only on the SEJ Website; Client shall not circulate the ebook as their own property
  • Additional terms for special content “State of SEO“ report ebook sponsorships:
    • There shall be no full page ad; Instead, Client’s company profile shall be featured on the back page of the report
    • Leads shall be delivered over an 8-week period to start upon ebook launch date and SEJ reserves the right to satisfy the lead guarantee by extending the length of the campaign if necessary
    • Client shall have a non-exclusive and royalty free license to use, distribute, and publish the sponsored “State of SEO“ report on its own website and other channels for ten months following the close of the lead delivery period.

(4) Podcast Spotlight Episode

  • 30-Minute interview with SEJ Show podcast host and the Client syndicated across SEJ’s podcast channels
  • Episode shall be recorded on video and shared across SEJ’s Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube channels
  • No ad rolls in the episode; instead, Client may drop a CTA at the end of the episode to promote their brand or offer
  • Client shall be provided a copy of the episode MP4. Client shall have a non-exclusive, perpetual, and royalty free license to use, distribute, and publish the sponsored SEJ webinar on its own website and other channels.
  • SEJ shall publish a recap article about the episode on the SEJ website and Client’s Google, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on the recap article page for one month

(5) Rundown Sponsorship

  • Gated content that requires a short form fill to access a stack of articles curated by SEJ around a relevant topic featuring a foreword from SEJ’s Editor, sponsored exclusively by the Client
  • Article stack shall include up to five (5) articles: four (4) articles curated by SEJ from its archive of published work and one (1) article provided by the Client
  • The Rundown topic shall be mutually agreed upon by SEJ and the Client
  • Specifications for Client’s written article:
    • Client shall submit their written article and featured image in a Google Doc or Microsoft WordDoc no later than three (3) weeks prior to the campaign start date
    • Article word count shall be no less than 800 words and no more than 1,500 words
    • Featured image size shall be 1600×840
    • Client may submit up to four (4) UTM links per 500 words
    • Client’s written article shall include the necessary sponsor disclosures and links shall be labeled sponsored/nofollow
    • Client’s written article shall go through SEJ’s standard editorial process for approval by its editorial team and will be limited to one round of revisions
    • Client shall receive access to the finished article after editorial approval and shall complete a final review of the article no later than one (1) week prior to the campaign start date
    • Placement of Client’s article within the stack shall be determined by SEJ
    • Client agrees to abide by SEJ’s editorial and image guidelines which can be accessed at
    • Other specifications for articles written by SEJ:
      • Article shall be written by one of SEJ’s writers; Writer shall be selected by SEJ
      • SEJ shall provide the Client with a questionnaire to complete for the purpose of writing the article according to the Client’s goals and objectives; Client shall complete the questionnaire no later than six (6) weeks prior to the campaign start date
      • SEJ’s writer shall provide Client with a written draft of the article no later than four (4) weeks prior to the campaign start date; Limited to two rounds of revisions between Writer and Client
      • Client shall complete final review of the article no later than two (2) weeks prior to the campaign start date
  • Specifications for Client’s Ad(s):
    • Client shall provide the following no later than three (3) weeks in advance of the campaign start date:
      • 400×400 PNG logo
      • Ad headline text, up to 50 characters with spaces
      • Ad message text, up to 150 characters with spaces
      • CTA text, up to 60 characters with spaces
      • UTM link(s)
    • Client’s ad will appear after the last paragraph of the Client’s article
    • No other forms of advertising will appear on The Rundown landing page; all advertising on the page shall be exclusive to the Client
  • Specifications for Lead Generation:
    • Registration form shall include the following staple fields: full name, email address, job title, company name, company size, and industry
    • Registrant location data will be auto-populated based on registrants’ IP address and shall be provided to the Client with other staple fields
    • Registrants will be required to provide consent to SEJ’s content agreement which states that their data will be shared with the participating sponsor
    • SEJ shall deliver registration leads to the Client in real time as soon as possible over the designated campaign period, or until the agreed upon lead quota is met
  • Client’s Google Ads, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on the landing page for up to one month; Client shall provide their pixels no later than three (3) weeks prior to publication

(6) Sponsored Article:

  • Client’s article published on the SEJ Website; Available in either Standard or Cover Story format
  • Client agrees to abide by SEJ’s editorial and image guidelines which can be accessed at
  • Article shall be written by the Client, unless the Client hired SEJ to write the content, then see below for other specifications for articles written by SEJ
  • SEJ reserves the right to postpone publication if Client’s initial draft does not meet its editorial standards
  • Client shall submit their written article no later than:
    • Three weeks prior to publication for Standard format
    • Five weeks prior to publication for Cover Story format
  • Article word count shall be:
    • No less than 800 words and no more than 1,500 words for Standard format
    • No less than 1,500 words and no more than 2,000 words for Cover Story format
  • Article will be labeled as sponsored
  • Article shall include up to four no-follow UTM links per 500 words; Links shall be provided by the Client
  • Images shall be provided by the Client per the following specifications:
    • Featured Image 1600×840
    • Company logo in white 480×80 PNG format
    • Supplemental images per the following specifications:
      • Image width shall be greater than or equal to 768 pixels
      • Image size shall be no more than 1MB for GIF images and no more than 2MB for JPEG and PNG images
    • Additional images and copy shall be provided by the Client for Cover Story format articles only as follows:
      • Hero banner 3840×1440: background image only, no text
      • Bottom banner 3840×1200: background image only, no text
      • CTA button text for the bottom banner image
    • Client shall provide appropriate attribution for each image
  • Article will be featured in the SEJ Website homepage carousel and in the right sidebar as the featured partner story on the day of publication only
  • Article will be shared in the SEJ Today newsletter and promoted on SEJ’s X, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts (one share per channel) on the day of publication
  • Client’s Google, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on the sponsored article webpage for up to one month; Client shall provide their pixels no later than three weeks prior to publication
  • Client shall set up their own author profile within SEJ’s portal to be used as the byline for the article no later than three weeks prior to publication; Instructions will be provided by SEJ
  • Article shall go through SEJ’s standard editorial process for approval by its editorial team and will be limited to one round of revisions
  • Client shall receive access to the finished article after editorial approval and shall complete a final review of the article no later than:
    • One week prior to publication for Standard format
    • Two weeks prior to publication for Cover Story format
  • The Article is guaranteed a minimum of 12 months of exposure. Thereafter, SEJ will de-index the Article and may rename its URL after 12 months from publication. The Article will remain on the SEJ website indefinitely, but not indexed, except that both the Sponsor and SEJ will have the right to remove the content after 12 months from publication. SEJ will also continue to attribute links with nofollow and rel=sponsored
  • Other specifications for articles written by SEJ:
    • Article shall be written by one of SEJ’s writers; Writer shall be selected by SEJ
    • SEJ shall provide the Client with a questionnaire to complete for the purpose of writing the article according to the Client’s goals and objectives; Client shall complete the questionnaire no later than eight weeks prior to publication
    • SEJ’s writer shall provide Client with a written draft of the article no later than five weeks prior to publication; Limited to two rounds of revisions between Writer and Client
    • Client shall complete final review of the article no later than two weeks prior to publication

(7) Takeover Sponsorship:

  • Client’s banner ads shown to all SEJ visitors throughout the campaign period, excluding any sponsorship related pages
  • Campaign period shall be for seven days
  • SEJ will ensure the minimum impressions (IMP) to be served across the combined ad placements throughout all of the campaign periods in the aggregate as stated in the Insertion Order. If the minimum IMP is not met, SEJ may (at its sole discretion) either (i) extend the campaign period(s) at no additional cost to the Client to satisfy the minimum IMP, or (ii) provide a service credit to the Client to be applied towards other available advertising on the SEJ Website. The credit value shall be assessed proportionally based on the CPM rate paid by the Client for the sponsorship subject to any discounted pricing provided by SEJ. This service credit has no cash value.
  • Client shall provide the following ads to be displayed across the SEJ Website:
    • 750×500 pop-up banner displayed upon entrance, visible only on desktop
    • 970×200 top leaderboard banner, visible only on desktop
    • 168×48 banner or animated gif (recommended) displayed in the navigation bar, visible only on desktop
    • 320×100 top leaderboard banner, visible only on mobile​
    • 300×250 in-feed banner displayed within homepage news feed, visible only on mobile
    • 300×600 top right sidebar banner, visible only on desktop (limit 100,000 impressions)​
    • In-post content ad, visible on desktop and mobile; For this ad Client shall provide:
      • Headline text copy, up to 50 characters with spaces
      • Message text copy, up to 150 characters with spaces
      • CTA button text copy, up to 15 characters with spaces
  • Client shall provide a duplicate version of each ad that is twice the size of the original ad for resolution purposes:
    • 1500×1000 pop-up banner desktop
    • 1940×400 top leaderboard banner desktop
    • 328×96 banner ad or animated gif desktop
    • 640×200 top leaderboard mobile​
    • 600×500 in-feed banner mobile
    • 600×1200 top right sidebar banner desktop
  • All images shall be less than 1MB in size
  • Client shall provide UTM links for all ad placements
  • Client shall submit all ads and links no later than four weeks prior to the campaign start date
  • Client may request to change ad creative one time during the campaign; SEJ requires at least three business days to complete any changes

(8) Webinar Sponsorship – Presented by Client:

  • SEJ shall provide hosting, technical support, registration management, and moderator services for the webinar
  • Client shall select the presenter, prepare the webinar content, and give the presentation at the scheduled time
  • Client understands that SEJ advocates webinar content that is educational and thought leadership driven and does not encourage the use of “salesy” subject matter for this type of sponsorship
  • Scheduled webinar shall be a live event and run for approximately 60 minutes: Client’s presentation shall be approximately 20 to 45 minutes in length, and the remainder of the hour shall be used for Q&A
  • Webinar registration page shall include the following staple fields: full name, email address, location, job title, company name, company size, and industry; Client may provide up to two additional profiling questions for the registration form
  • Client agrees to attend a 45-minute kick off call with SEJ no later than eight weeks prior to the scheduled webinar
  • Client shall provide the following details in the designated Asana form provided by SEJ no later than six weeks prior to the scheduled webinar:
    • Webinar title, up to 60 characters with spaces
    • Webinar description, 150 to 250 words
    • Presenter information: full name, job title, company name, headshot, X handle, email address, and phone number
    • Up to two lead profiling questions for the registration page
    • Company logo 400px wide in two versions:
      • Full color, high resolution
      • White transparent PNG
    • Client’s target lead profile
    • Answer to this question: What problem will your presentation solve and for who?
    • Optional: Client’s Google, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels
  • Client agrees to conduct a run through of the webinar in its entirety with the elected Presenter on SEJ’s webinar hosting platform no later than one week before the scheduled webinar
  • Client shall provide the following no later than two days before the scheduled webinar:
    • Final slide deck
    • Final poll questions, up to three
    • CTA for the follow up email
  • SEJ shall provide the following promotions for the webinar:
    • Two articles published on the SEJ Website: one pre-event article to announce the webinar and one post-event article to recap the webinar with a link to watch it on demand
    • One pre-event email to SEJ’s subscribers
    • One follow-up email to attendees and registrants of the webinar
    • Social media promotion on SEJ’s Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and other social media accounts
  • Client’s Google, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on SEJ pages related to the webinar sponsorship for up to one month
  • Client shall be provided a copy of the webinar MP4 file upon Client’s request. Client shall have a non-exclusive, perpetual, and royalty free license to use, distribute, and publish the sponsored SEJ webinar on its own website and other channels.
  • SEJ shall provide Client with the full contact list for all registrants and attendees including available poll data, Q&A activity, any engagement metrics, and survey results within 48 hours from completion of the scheduled webinar; Registration and attendee reports shall include all completed lead form data
  • SEJ shall deliver a minimum of 500 global leads from the sponsorship. Client shall keep any overage from the live event.
  • SEJ reserves the right to satisfy the lead guarantee with the on demand version of the webinar if necessary.
  • Specifications for Double Feature Webinar Upgrade:
    • A second, duplicate showing of the Client’s webinar shall be conducted live within one to two days following the initial webinar campaign date; Double feature webinar shall be presented by the Client and hosted by SEJ
    • Date and time for the double feature webinar event shall be mutually agreed upon by the Client and SEJ
    • SEJ shall provide Client with the full contact list for all registrants and attendees of the double feature webinar event

(9) Webinar Sponsorship – Presented by SEJ Editorial:

  • SEJ shall provide hosting, presentation, and moderator services for the webinar as well as technical support and registration management
  • SEJ shall obtain editorial control over the content of the webinar
  • Sponsorship shall be exclusive to one company
  • Client shall be mentioned as the sponsor at the start of the webinar
  • Webinar registration page shall include the following staple fields: full name, email address, location, job title, company name, company size, and industry; Client may provide one additional profiling question for the registration form
  • Client shall provide the following details in the designated Asana form provided by SEJ no later than four weeks prior to the scheduled webinar:
    • One lead profiling question for the registration page
    • Company logo 400px wide in two versions:
      • Full color, high resolution
      • White transparent PNG
    • Script for a 15-20 second elevator pitch to be recited by the moderator at the start of the webinar (may not be exact)
    • Handout for attendees in PDF format or as a non-gated link that aligns with the content of the webinar
    • Link to a non-gated resource or offer for the follow-up email
    • Optional: Client’s Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Google Ads pixels
  • SEJ shall provide the following promotions for the webinar:
    • Two articles published on the SEJ Website: one pre-event article to announce the webinar and one post-event article to recap the webinar with a link to watch it on demand
    • One pre-event email to SEJ subscribers
    • One follow-up email to attendees and registrants of the webinar
    • Social media promotion on SEJ’s Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and SlideShare accounts
  • Client’s Google, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on SEJ pages related to the webinar sponsorship for up to one month
  • SEJ shall provide Client with the full contact list for all registrants and attendees including available poll data, Q&A activity, any engagement metrics, and survey results within 48 hours from completion of the scheduled webinar; Registration and attendee reports shall include all completed lead form data
  • SEJ shall deliver leads to the Client per an agreed upon amount and criteria outlined in the advertisement description herein. SEJ reserves the right to satisfy any lead guarantees with the on demand version of the webinar if necessary.

(10) Content Syndication:

  • Client to provide their own content for syndication via SEJ website; topic to be mutually agreed upon by SEJ and the Client.
  • Promotion shall run for the designated campaign period.
  • Client shall provide the following two weeks prior to campaign launch date:
    • Client’s content in PDF format, brand guidelines and packaged PSD/Figma files
    • Pixels, if using (Google Ads, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn)
    • Two lead profiling questions for the registration page
    • Company logo 400px wide in two versions:
      • Full color, high resolution
      • White transparent PNG​
  • Specifications for Lead Generation:
    • Registration form shall include the following staple fields: full name, email address, job title, company name, company size, and industry
    • Registrant location data will be auto-populated based on registrants’ IP address and shall be provided to the Client with other staple fields
    • Registrants will be required to provide consent to SEJ’s content agreement which states that their data will be shared with the participating sponsor
    • SEJ shall deliver registration leads to the Client in real time as soon as possible over the designated campaign period, or until the agreed upon lead quota is met​
    • Client’s Google Ads, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on the landing page for up to one month

(11) Display Ad Packages

  • Client’s ads will be shown in the following display ad placements:
    • 320 x 250
    • 300 x 600
    • 320 x 100
    • 728 x 90
  • SEJ will ensure the minimum impressions (IMP) to be served across the combined ad placements throughout all of the campaign periods in the aggregate as stated in the Insertion Order. If the minimum IMP is not met, SEJ may (at its sole discretion) either (i) extend the campaign period(s) at no additional cost to the Client to satisfy the minimum IMP, or (ii) provide a service credit to the Client to be applied towards other available advertising on the SEJ Website. The credit value shall be assessed proportionally based on the CPM rate paid by the Client for the sponsorship subject to any discounted pricing provided by SEJ. This service credit has no cash value.
  • Premium advertising packages (including Takeovers and Branded Categories) may receive priority delivery over Client’s ads, which may result in Client’s ads being delivered in lower-priority inventory, including impressions served via ad unit refresh (i.e., refreshed impressions), during the applicable campaign period(s). SEJ will provide Client with notice prior to the launch of such premium advertising.

(12) SEJ Live

  • SEJ shall provide hosting, technical support, registration management, and content production for SEJ Live.
  • Event co-sponsorship is limited to one exclusive advertiser, or three non-competing advertisers.
  • Client’s sponsorship shall include leads delivered over the specified campaign period, listed as a sponsor, and the opportunity for the Client to contribute during the event.
  • SEJ Live registration page shall include the following staple fields: full name, email address, location, job title, company name, company size, and industry.
  • Client agrees to conduct a run-through of the event in its entirety with sponsor representative on SEJ’s event hosting platform no later than one week before the scheduled event.
  • Client’s Google, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn pixels shall be installed on SEJ pages related to the event sponsorship for up to one month (optional).
  • SEJ shall provide Client with the full contact list for all registrants including available poll data, Q&A activity, any engagement metrics, and survey results within 48 hours of completion of the scheduled event. Registration and attendee reports shall include all completed lead form data.
  • SEJ shall deliver a minimum of 1500 global leads from the sponsorship, shared with other co-sponsors, unless the sponsorship is exclusive. Client shall keep any lead overages.

(13) Additional Terms. Client acknowledges that no display ad impressions will be served or furnished to visitors utilizing adblockers, Twitter Blue/X Premium subscribers that have opted for an ad-free experience on SEJ, and on any sponsored content pages or articles.

(13) Additional Terms. Client acknowledges that no display ad impressions will be served or furnished to visitors utilizing adblockers, Twitter Blue/X Premium subscribers that have opted for an ad-free experience on SEJ, and on any sponsored content pages or articles.