Search Engine Journal Show

We're excited to bring you the SERP's Up podcast on the SEJ Show channel! Join Wix for their landmark 100th episode, as their experts & guests take a deep dive into the world of SERPs. If you’re frustrated by how broken the SERPs feel, don’t worry…they’re getting honest and covering the reasons. In this candid discussion, they’re also breaking down what’s currently going on with local SEO, the effects of the Google August Update, and of course…they’re talking all things AI. Celebrate Wix’s 100th episode with this powerhouse panel, as Mordy Oberstein & Crystal Carter of Wix are joined by SERP experts like Kevin Indig, Barry Schwartz, Chima Mmeje and more to let loose on issues search marketers are facing right now. If you haven’t experienced a SERPs Up episode before, you should absolutely take a listen to experience the full effect of Mordy and Crystal’s banter. The SERP’s Up podcast is brought to you by Wix Studio. 

Join us as we look at how your online reputation and local marketing strategies can drive revenue for your business, while avoiding pitfalls along the way. With guest Raj Nijjer of Edge, we’ll dive into the revenue impacts that your online reputation can have, and why this reputation building should be crucial in your planning. Join your host Loren Baker, as he and Raj discuss how to avoid wasteful strategies of local marketing and multi-location businesses, plus a couple tips on how a good reputation can help attract and retain top talent. [01:14] - Raj's Background and Journey to Edge. [02:44] - Edge's Concept of Employee-Driven Growth and Its Connection to Google Reviews. [10:34] - How Reviews Contribute to Local SEO. [11:27] - Customer-Facing End: In-Depth Reviews and Personalization. [13:24] - Standing Out in Cutthroat Competition: Franchises and Service Businesses. [14:37] - Motivating Employees and Transparent Recognition Through Reviews. [20:49] - Reputation Management and Injecting Employee Recognition. [45:06] - Employee Retention During Challenges Like The COVID-19 Pandemic. We encourage businesses to amplify positive reviews and learn from the negative reviews. - Raj Nijjer, 5:34 Now not only does the brand win and the business win, but employees can feel great or a person can feel great about the job that they've done. - Raj Nijjer, 9:21 Positive reviews are so important. There's one stat I read on your site…53% of customers won't go to a business rated under four stars. - Loren Baker, 15:21 I think the injection of motivating and recognizing your employees while they're doing this service is something that we're very proud of, because we can see which employees are doing really well. And then you can duplicate that. - Raj Nijjer, 21:44 Our goal is to marry the marketing with operational excellence. You want to hold people accountable, especially if you're rewarding them. - Raj Nijjer, 30:53 I think one thing COVID taught every business owner is employee retention and how hard it's been to find people and when a displacement happens, it really jeopardizes your business if you don't plan it well. So you want to keep your superstars, don't ever lose your superstars. - Raj Nijjer - 41:10 Resources Mentioned: Edge Connect With Raj Nijjer: Raj is Head of Marketing for Edge, an employee-driven growth platform for service brands. Previously, he was the CMO of Refersion (acquired), and held executive marketing roles at Yotpo and Yext (IPO in 2017). Raj also spent over nine years at Godaddy (IPO in 2015) in leadership roles launching innovative product lines with over ten patents issued and leading to a PE buyout and an IPO. Raj is also fractional CMO to early and mid-stage technology startups. Raj received his Bachelors of Science degree in International Management and his MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajnijjer/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RajNijjer Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker 

Join us as we explore how to prove that SEO matters to resistant stakeholders and C-suite executives, along with ways to combat the external noise affecting the outlook on SEO efforts. Dan brings his experience as a leading SEO consultant for top companies to this exclusive interview. He and Loren navigate the complexities of the shifting SEO landscape, and how to set realistic expectations in your business.  They also dig into the potential risks and opportunities of AI in search, and what these drastic changes mean moving forward. I think oftentimes in a lot of organizations, everyone's time poor, everyone has their own set of KPIs and objectives moving towards that bigger goal, and oftentimes SEO is trickled through. - Dan Taylor, 1:53 I think through that communication system framework, however you want to go around it or phrase it, it's about getting that shared buy-in. - Dan Taylor, 8:24 We have people planning their budgets and their SEO plans already, but with a little bit of a turbulent economy, sometimes it's a little bit of a question mark. - Loren Baker, 1:18 [00:43] - Dan's background and expertise [01:53] - SEO planning and visibility tips. [03:18] - Recommendations for visibility in SEO. [04:14] - Managing expectations with AI. [07:02] - Addressing SEO performance comparisons. [08:24] - Effective communication for executive buy-in. [11:17] - Combatting SEO Misinterpretations. [15:52] - Personal Touch in Client Interactions. [26:48] - Adapting SEO to Rich Media in Search Results. [32:06] - Adaptations in the travel industry. It’s having sincerity and it's actually having a human touch. - Dan Taylor, 14:40 Essentially that kind of battleground which we previously had in search is sort of being lost. Now it's understanding what the impact of that's going to be, whether or not it's going to be a major impact, minor impact, or if the impact overall is going to be redistributive. - Dan Taylor, 18:19 It's about trying to bring in what unique modifiers we can into the actual product pages themselves...So how can we create a differentiator? It was this concept we had called champion products. - Dan Taylor, 21:03 Resources Mentioned: Mirador Local Connect with Dan Taylor: Dan Taylor is a recognized SEO professional, having worked with a number of companies in strategically helping them increase their organic market visibility and overcome technical challenges. Having consulted and worked with companies like Cloudflare, Proton, and China Southern Airlines, Dan has been featured in the leading SEO publications, as well as spoken at a number of SEO and marketing conferences in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and online. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrwtaylor/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/taylordanrw Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker 

In this must-listen episode, join us for a sit-down with John Brown from Google's Trust & Safety team. With his rich background in building ad networks and more, John offers exclusive insights into Google's efforts to educate publishers globally. Discover critical differences between publisher policies and demand restrictions, explore the evolving role of UGC, and learn about Google's initiatives to support publishers. As you navigate the complexities of policy compliance, you won't want to miss John's expert perspective, honed through years of leadership and mentorship in this realm. We don't want to misinform folks or trick folks or anything like that. We provide clear narratives around the policies, why do we create it? Where does it fit within the ecosystem? - John Brown 03:46 Really, it's the ease of use for the user because everything that's in the website, or mostly everything that's in the website without some editorializing, it is things that could be found elsewhere on external Google pages. - John Brown, 08:01 That was the number one concern going into this is not just to launch and then leave alone, but to launch and iterate and make sure it's fresh. - John Brown, 09:44 I learned early on at Google, traveling globally and speaking on stage globally, that different users across the world consume information differently. So we can't just have a help center with text and localize it and hope that people understand. - John Brown, 13:30 [00:00] - Introduction to John Brown, Google's Policy Transparency Lead. [01:57] - Significance of John Brown's role in ecosystem health. [02:45] - Overview of transparency.google's key features. [09:44] - Keeping transparency.google current in the digital landscape. [23:02] - Google’s Fair Policy Appeals process: Google highlights fairness and transparency in the policy appeal process. [37:28] - Google's dedication to a mission-driven nature of trust and safety teams. Resources Mentioned:  Google Transparency Center Make sure you meet people who need the information, and give them the information that they want to consume in their format that they most prefer. - John Brown, 16:29 There's a dedication there. There's a mission that you probably don't find in other parts of organizations just because other teams, not just within Google, but elsewhere. It's quarter to quarter revenue, things like that, trust and safety. - John Brown, 37:28 Connect with John Brown: John is part of the Trust & Safety team at Google, and leads a team that is focused on educate publisher partners globally on policies, enforcement actions, and best practices to remain policy compliant.  Prior to Google, John built two Ad Networks, has served on two IAB working groups, managed qualitative data for over 90 ad networks, and has mentored dozens of startups through his Techstars accelerator affiliation. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrown74/ Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener: Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/

We're diving into insights from over 16,000 ecommerce businesses, showing the trends that shaped PPC advertising in 2023, and how to use them to move forward into 2024.   In this insightful interview with Jacques van der Wilt, he and Loren examine highlights from DataFeedWatch's powerful Multichannel Marketing Report. They take a look at which PPC strategies stood out the most and which channels provided the best return, along with big changes coming next year.   Using these insights, they also explore the most common challenges in ecommerce PPC campaigns, and what leading brands are doing to succeed right now.   We looked into the feeds of 15 to 20,000 online stores in all of those countries, and that means that's such an incredible volume that what we see basically is an almost exact picture of what is happening in ecommerce advertising. - Jacques van der Wilt, 2:20   Obviously Google is still the largest channel. Almost every retailer is using that. However, we can see that social is beginning to eat their lunch. - Jacques van der Wilt, 6:06   I think Amazon has a big influence on everything. They're probably market leader in ecommerce, so their impact must have been big. Yet I think that it's not primarily driven by Amazon. - Jacques van der Wilt, 11:59   [0:00] About Jacques van der Wilt [2:11] DataFeedWatch's Multichannel Marketing Report [6:06] Marketing channel trends [9:14] Growth of TikTok [13:42] The 3 largest barriers to PPC growth in 2024 [16:58] Other challenges retailers are facing [21:40] Best tactics for PPC practioners to use in 2024 [25:02] Challenges for retailers with large inventories   Resources Mentioned: Multichannel Marketing Report 2023: https://www.datafeedwatch.com/multichannel-marketing-report  DataFeedWatch homepage:  https://www.datafeedwatch.com/  Creating or modifying images with AI is super easy. Imagine you're unhappy with your images as a retailer, but you have images for 10,000 products. It's horrible. So you can do that much quicker. It's a big time saver. - Jacques van der Wilt, 16:02 Connect with Jacques van der Wilt: Jacques is a shopping feeds industry leader, start-up mentor, and entrepreneur. He's the founder of DataFeedWatch (acquired by Cart.com in 2022): a leading global feed management and optimization company that helps online merchants optimize their product listings on more than 2000 shopping channels in over 60 countries. Before founding DataFeedWatch, Jacques held leadership positions in the US and Europe. He is also a seasoned guest speaker at industry events and a mentor at Startup Bootcamp. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanderwilt/ Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker 

In an increasingly difficult economy, do you know how to prove the value of your SEO and remain efficient, while maintaining the SEO budgets you need to succeed? Will Critchlow, CEO of SearchPilot, joins me on the SEJShow to examine actionable strategies to doing more with less and maintaining the freedom to test, all while proving the positive impacts of your SEO work.  Using insights from marketing leaders, SEO specialists, and senior executives, you’ll hear Will and Loren break down the skills you need to keep your CFO happy while driving efficiency. If you’ve found yourself having to defend your budget, pitch harder than ever, and work more to prove your results, then you won’t want to miss this episode. There's more pressure on ROI calculations, there's more scrutiny on all of those decisions. SEOs are often shy of taking on targets, quotas, goals and so forth. But even forecasting is something that I think the industry is too naive about. –Will Critchlow, 06:04 Big companies are spending tons of money on this stuff. The fact that you are out there asking for a quarter of a million dollars, half a million dollars, whatever it might be, that's actually totally achievable. –Will Critchlow, 09:38  Speaking of the funnel, we all know that SEO is not a direct response marketing technique. It's not search keyword, find site buy done. There's all kinds of touch points throughout the funnel, multi-touch attribution, which is massive. –Loren Baker, 16:16  [00:00] - Will's background and expertise.[08:44] - Integration challenges in long-term planning.[12:30] - The importance of planning when dealing with CFOs.[13:18] - Tracking multiple attribution points.[16:16] - Google algorithm updates and their impact on forecasting.[21:05] - Forecasting challenges influenced by various factors.[23:32] - Beta testing's effects on search results.[26:41] - The evolving impact of AI-powered tools on search queries.[29:28] - Strategies for SEO teams to improve forecasting. Resources Mentioned:  SearchPilot www.searchpilot.com Intro to SEO testing [PDF] Get on the email list to get new SEO test results in your inbox  SEO as a product discipline is something that we are seeing. And what that often means is squads of product managers, engineers, designers, all aligned to that objective. –Will Critchlow, 13:18  I think almost every SEO is testing beta testing, Google, SGE, and we have in our heads that when that query is done, everything's going to be pushed down. There's going to be an article, there's going to be this, there's going to be that, but we tend to forget that we're the ones beta testing it, right? –Loren Baker, 23:07 And so the other reason that I'm bullish on there being organic links is I think there have to be ad links because I don't think Google is going to turn off 98% of their revenue overnight. And I think they're not going to go with only ad links because I think that's a degraded user experience. So I think there's going to be a combination of advertising links and organic links, and our job is to win the organic just as it always has been. –Will Critchlow, 27:37  Connect with Will Critchlow: Will Critchlow is the founder and CEO of SearchPilot, a company dedicated to simplifying and improving SEO testing processes for large websites. He co-founded the SEO agency Distilled in 2005 and played a key role in expanding its services and the SearchLove conference series to the US, establishing offices in Seattle and New York.  In February 2020, he spun out SearchPilot as an independent business while Distilled was acquired by Brainlabs. Will is recognized for his expertise in SEO and digital marketing and often shares his insights through various platforms. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willcritchlow/ Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker 

In an era of user-generated, human-generated and machine-generated content, mistakes are increasingly costlier to make. Learn the ways to revitalize and future-proof your approach to content marketing with Purna Virji, globally recognized content strategist and bestselling author of "High-Impact Content Marketing". She and Loren will uncover the common mistakes content marketers make, and how you can avoid them as you plan your marketing strategy. Tune in and hear strategies for creating genuinely inclusive and relevant content that audiences will actually want to consume, so your content strategy won't go the way of the dinosaurs. What we want to think about is what are we solving for. What roles do we play? How are we engaging with the audience and giving them what they are interested in, what they need, and what would be of value to them? – Purna Virji, 03:00 You always want to give your audience something to do next. It all comes down to this concept called backward design. – Purna Virji, 08:58 We found that we get the most social interaction and the highest quality traffic from social media. LinkedIn has just become the most engaged platform there is within social media, and it's been a complete 360 over the past three or four years. – Loren Baker, 27:30 [00:00] - About Purna. [02:41] - Strategies for intentional content creation. [08:58] - How to ensure content effectiveness. [14:41] - Best practices for content promotion. [18:01] - How to create content for various audience awareness levels. [20:13] - Importance of company representation in content marketing. [23:41] - LinkedIn's content promotion capabilities. Resources Mentioned: High Impact Content Marketing Take an idea before you even create the content and think about different ways you'll use that idea. – Purna Virji, 17:13 The members on LinkedIn tend to see their time on LinkedIn as an investment in themselves professionally and personally. They're here to learn, grow, share, and put their best foot forward. – Purna Virji, 30:18 Try to understand what makes you money and for that, who are the types of the cream of the crop? Customers who spend a lot are loyal are referring you to others. – Purna Virji, 03:53 Connect with Purna Virji: Purna Virji, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a celebrated content strategist and marketer, currently the Principal Content Solutions Consultant at LinkedIn. Her career spans leading roles at Microsoft, and diverse experiences in social media, search advertising, and television, giving her a unique perspective on content marketing. Recognized as an Adweek Young Influential and Search Personality of the Year, she's also a top-rated international speaker and an advocate for women in technology. Virji is the author of the best-selling book "High-Impact Content Marketing," showcasing her expertise and influence in the field. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/purnavirji/ Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

The most important thing you can do if you are worried about ranking is write content that satisfies intent and fulfills the aspirations of E-E-A-T. –Ben Steele, 09:11 Join us as we talk about the biggest updates to Google Ranking Factors this year, and what that means for you as we head into 2024.  Our very own senior editor of ebooks, Ben Steele, gives you the behind-the-scene scoop on what factors really matter now. More than 200 hours went into researching and gathering our findings on the signals that have been officially declared, at one point or another in time, as Google ranking factors. Ben brings you the impact behind the BIG updates made this year: E-E-A-T, Google's redefining of page experience, the developments around systems and signals, and more. Listen in as Ben and host Loren Baker, two of SEJ's brightest SEO professionals, talk Google Ranking Factors. Discussion designed for search professionals and marketing managers planning for next year.   Notable: Suppose you do build content that is comprehensive enough to display authority in your experience. In that case, the aspiration is that content will float to the top regardless of more manipulative tactics. –Ben Steele, 10:14 When people have asked me what's our secret to ranking content at SEJ, I've always told them the publish button because we've been building this brand, this entity, and this trust for 20-plus years. –Loren Baker, 13:48 Google is evaluating links more qualitatively. Keywords are still huge, but the number doesn't matter anymore. It's about the way you use them. –Ben Steele, 22:30 [03:30] - Google ranking factors 2023: What's changed and what remains? [10:14] - Keywords and links vs. content and E-E-A-T in today's SEO. [22:30] - Google's qualitative approach to evaluating ranking factors. [27:39] - Building E-E-A-T for smaller sites to compete with big brands. [29:42] - Generative AI content's ranking performance post-updates. [37:24] - Long-term success with E-E-A-T and user intent. [43:27] - Curation as a strategy against generative AI in SEO. [46:52] - How to access the Google Ranking Factors ebook. Keeping your nose clean, don't engage in the quick win strategies that are technically spam because Google has come out and straight up said if it's defined as spam under our guidelines, relevancy doesn't matter. –Ben Steele, 33:33 Curation is something you can lean into as a small business. There is still going to be a demand for human curation. –Ben Steele, 43:27 You can become a trusted source of curation for your audience... that's one thing that language models are not good at: being a source of well-curated information that you need right now. –Ben Steele, 44:29 Those factors of E-E-A-T  will be critical for inoculating your business from the negative impacts of AI implemented by big platforms... the experience and the trust. –Ben Steele, 45:53   Resources: Get the Ranking Factors ebook: https://bit.ly/3tFXB53 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Q64Cni    Connect with Ben Steele: Ben Steele, the Senior Editor at SEJ, boasts profound expertise in digital content. Though he didn’t initially aim to become an SEO strategist, the skills he acquired for his role, combined with his self-initiated research into digital marketing, unveiled his genuine passion in this field. His experience in professional theater not only refined his work ethic and leadership abilities but also fostered other invaluable attributes such as creativity. Now, at SEJ, Ben contributes to their ebooks, consistently providing fresh perspectives and strategic content advice. Through his SEO endeavors, he artfully weaves the nuances of human experiences, journeys, and expressions into enlightening lessons for others. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/writerbensteele/    Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker   

Everyone who touches your website is on the SEO team. The problem is that most people don't know they're on the team. An “always on” mentality regarding SEO can help mitigate risk and protect rankings. Since there's no 'easy' button for a technical audit, join us for this special spotlight episode to learn how 24/7 monitoring can help you see everything happening on your site at any moment.  Go beyond SEO and bring together teams focused on compliance, know when people go rogue and when other teams make changes. Addressing them quickly as they happen can help your rankings and growth. Conductor's Patrick Reinhart joins me on the SEJ Show to dive into the importance of continuous SEO monitoring and how Conductor can help you work smarter, not harder. Patrick will walk through common problems with SEO and how you can proactively fix them before rankings are impacted. You'll also learn how real-time SEO auditing can streamline your process. One of the hardest things is a conversation with other teams getting people to care. And I think something that always gets someone, the attention is data. –Pat Reinhart, 13:47 The mindset of it being a compliance component and that notification when something is not working can not necessarily change a negative mindset, but get everybody on the same mindset that you're working together for this common goal, which I like. –Loren Baker, 16:59 One of the best things you can do is pay attention to how specific you're being with your content. Specificity is going to be a key factor moving forward. –Pat Reinhart, 26:16   [00:00] - About Pat Reinhart. [05:51] - SEO audit shift to ongoing processes. [07:34] - Always-on SEO mentality explained. [12:38] - Real-time SEO monitoring versus health check-ups. [16:22] - Emphasizing compliance in SEO audits with developers. [17:31] - Realistic goal-setting with dev teams in SEO. [19:31] - SEO strategies before holiday code freezes. [24:41] - AI's impact in SEO and ChatGPT's role. [25:05] - Strategies for Google's search generative experience. [32:58] - Transparency and authorship in SEO content. [35:58] - LinkedIn's importance for SEO professionals.   Resources Mentioned: Conductor‘s 30-30 Webinars: https://www.conductor.com/events/30-30-webinars/ Searchmetrics: https://blog.searchmetrics.com/us/ Content King: https://www.conductor.com/contentking-get-started/ Lily Ray’s E-E-A-T: https://lilyray.nyc/e-a-t-expertise-authoritativeness-trustworthiness/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ It's not about speed or volume. It's more about creating specific content that drives value. –Pat Reinhart, 29:51 LinkedIn has been very helpful to me throughout my career. It's not just my digital resume. It's a community that you can use to your advantage. –Pat Reinhart, 38:12 It's more about process than practice most of the time. –Pat Reinhart, 44:25   Connect with Patrick Reinhart: Patrick Reinhart leads enterprise digital strategy for Conductor’s Customer Success team as Vice President of Services and Thought Leadership. With over 15 years of organic search and digital marketing experience, he helps some of the world's largest brands with organic search initiatives. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickreinhart/ Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker   

Bard is our creative collaborator. It's a place where you can come in and have a conversation with the large language model which really helps you to boost your productivity and bring your ideas to life. –Yuri Pinsky, 02:16 Step behind the curtain and into the world of Google's Bard with its Director of Product Management, Yury Pinsky, in an exclusive conversation with SEJ Editor-in-Chief Amanda Zantal-Wiener.  Hear about the origins and journey to Bard's unveiling, and discover how the team behind it envisions a collaborative future with AI. SEO pros and seasoned digital marketers alike will get an up-close look at the nuances of generative AI and a glimpse at what predictions for what's next.  So prep your popcorn -- grab your notetaking method of choice -- and tune in to learn how to incorporate Google's current and forward-looking AI initiatives into your own business innovation.   [07:11] - The origin of Bard and its market niche. [13:23] - Impact of generative AI and Bard on SEO and content creation. [17:37] - Using Bard for audience evaluation in content creation. [23:54] - Distinctive features of Bard compared to other AI models. [28:33] - Most interesting prompts seen in Bard. [33:29] - Future vision for Bard and generative AI.   I'm inspired by this idea that technology can work together with us, and we can bring Bard in as a creative partner in your editorial work or when we're trying to write a document for work or something in our personal lives. –Yuri Pinsky, 09:46 It's a very vibrant, fast-paced, fast moving industry right now. I think some of the unique things we have with Bard are things like the ability to plug into Google tools. –Yuri Pinsky, 23:54 In the sciences and the medical field, there could be lots of interesting breakthroughs in drug discovery in climate applications. How can they use the power of these foundational models to really benefit all of us in some way? –Yuri Pinsky, 25:44 Your ideas still have to be your own in order for AI to work with you best and work for you best. –Yuri Pinsky, 28:33 It is not the end of search. Bard is an experiment. It's complementary to search. It's this conversational collaborator. –Yuri Pinsky, 32:47   Connect with Yury Pinsky: Yury is a Product Manager for Bard, leading areas including Extensions, Factuality, and multi-modality. Yury is passionate about cutting edge technology and finding ways to bring it to users around the world. Prior to serving in his current role, Yury led product teams around Natural Language and Speech Recognition for the Google Assistant, spent time building wearables in Google [X], and helped build out Google Search on mobile devices. Outside of work, Yury enjoys spending time with his family, planning his next vacation, and the daily logistics of kids' extracurricular activities. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ypinsky    Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener: Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/ 

As platforms evolve, so should our strategies. No one knows that better than Brian Kearney, a prominent content creator who gained over 100k Instagram followers in about a year. Brian joined me on the SEJShow to dig into his viral success and what it's taught him about discoverability, co-branding with authenticity, and how a unique background can make for some of the best content. From harnessing the ever-evolving algorithms of digital channels to leveraging the nuance of relatable humor, Brian shared how his journey has culminated in an unparalleled ability to craft resonant content -- and how it can be applied to your strategic success.   —   Based in Boston, Brian Kearney started as a registered nurse, later transitioning into the healthcare and startup sectors. He also ventured into politics and volunteered for local initiatives. As a content creator on Instagram and TikTok, Brian is known for his relatable humor and consistent content quality. His diverse experiences highlight his adaptability and passion-driven journey. Connect with Brian Kearney: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krianbearney/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@krianbearney Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener, Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Journal: Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/ Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW   

SEO and Site Migrations: Common Pitfalls To Avoid  with Arnout Hellemans Migrations can be time consuming and stressful, even more-so when you don't have company-wide collaboration and alignment, or when you're worried about drops in rankings. Come learn some myth-busting migration tips shared between our host, Loren Baker, and freelance SEO and analytics consultant, Arnout Hellemans. Arnout has seen plenty of migrations go bad. Hear actual case studies on what not to do to have better success. Join us for this can't miss episode. Arnout Hellemans is a freelance SEO and analytics consultant based in Amsterdam but mostly working for clients all over Europe and the US. He just loves solving SEO puzzles. He has been freelancing since 2010 and loves it. Connect with Arnout Hellemans:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnouthellemans/ X: https://twitter.com/hellemans Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

Effective Website Redesigns: How To Avoid Costly Mistakes With Janet Mesh of Aimtal Website redesigns are a necessary component for marketers. But with so many elements going into an effective redesign, do you know what to focus on to develop a solid plan from the start?  Join us and hear from Janet Mesh, CEO and co-founder of Aimtal, as she and Loren Baker, our founder and host, break down the ways to effectively launch a website redesign using Webflow and HubSpot, and the factors you need to focus on when redesigning. You’ll get tips on honing in on your site’s infrastructure using Janet’s “do no harm” strategy, to ensure that you have a clear infrastructure plan from the beginning. If you're looking to make your next redesign efficient and effective, you won't want to miss these tips.   Resources: Website Strategy Worksheet    Connect with Janet Mesh, CEO and Co-Founder of Aimtal: Janet Mesh is the CEO + Co-Founder of Aimtal, a fully remote integrated marketing & consulting agency for B2B tech companies like Cisco, Atlassian, Trello, and Prisma Cloud. She is a remote work advocate who, in the past 5 years, has built and run a team of marketers located in 6 time zones all over the world. Janet has doubled the size and revenue of her agency year-over-year since its inception in 2018 and Aimtal won the Sprout Social ‘Always Be Growing’ award in 2022 in recognition of this growth. Her passion for integrated marketing with an agile approach is the key to her success, and has led to over a million dollars in sales for her clients in the last year. Outside of work, you can find Janet trying new restaurants around the world, reading historical fiction novels, and hosting happy hours at home for family & friends. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aimtal_co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aimtalco/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aimtal/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aimtal_co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aimtal/   Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker 

Using data gathered from 3,890 SEO professionals for our annual State of SEO report, we're ready to give you new insights on the disruptive factors in the industry. From the rise of generative AI to shifting content trends, there are many opportunities to use these new disruptions to your advantage and stay ahead in such a competitive time. Ben Steele, senior editor at Search Engine Journal, joined me on this SEJ Show to break down the three significant disruptions in the SEO world and the opportunities they present. We examined the process behind implementing generative AI and what AI might look like next year. Get tactics for communicating your SEO value, tips on new ways to cultivate your audience, and new content creation strategies for facing changing trends. People noted that generative AI would be the biggest disruptor. However, respondents are largely positive; they feel optimistic about the impact of generative AI and its potential to affect their business's bottom line. I think there's an interesting duality to note there. It's disrupting many things, but people are still excited about it. –Ben Steele, 04:33 You bring up a great point about adapting focus. The industry is incredibly dynamic. With the acceleration of AI, changes in search engine algorithms, and evolving user behavior, SEO professionals need to be agile. They have to reassess and adapt their metric priorities in real time to ensure they're capturing the most relevant data, which translates to business value. That could be the reason we had to revisit the metrics we included in this year's survey. –Ben Steele, 20:29 While I can't predict the future with absolute certainty, what's clear is that the traditional role of an SEO professional is already transforming. SEO is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. It's no longer just about optimizing for search engines; it's about optimizing for user experience, understanding data analytics, and even having some proficiency with AI and machine learning models. –Ben Steele, 21:15   [00:00] - About Ben. [03:57] - Top disruptors in SEO. [04:33] - Has generative AI affected search yet? [07:07] - User behavior toward new technology: voice search example. [10:46] - Freelancers moving to permanent positions. [12:15] - Impact of layoffs in tech companies. [16:34] - Priority metrics for SEO professionals. [18:05] - Agency vs. in-house SEO communication struggles. [22:20] - Importance of click-through rate as a metric. [27:25] - SEO's role in ecommerce and Google Shopping. [28:53] - Content's role in SEO. [29:37] - Top barriers to SEO success. [30:57] - Communication barriers in SEO. [32:31] - Frequency of Google updates. [34:01] - Changes in Google SERPs. [34:36] - Major takeaways in the SEO report. [36:46] - Navigating SEO algorithm changes. [38:03] - Communicating SEO value.   Resources mentioned:  State of SEO 2024 - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/state-of-seo/ An SEO's job is not just to drive traffic; it's to complete that journey all the way down to the checkout. –Loren Baker, 26:08 What we're seeing is a shift in focus. Last year, people were going back to basics and focusing on technical SEO. This year, we're seeing a greater emphasis on understanding audience intent and traffic quality, not just raw numbers, but what this traffic means. –Ben Steele, 22:22 People are no longer convinced by the promise of getting you to page one for any term you want because the question becomes, 'Page one for what? For something that nobody searches for?' –Ben Steele, 38:03 For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.   Connect with Ben Steele:   Ben Steele, the Senior Editor at SEJ, boasts profound expertise in digital content. Though he didn't initially aim to become an SEO strategist, the skills he acquired for his role, combined with his self-initiated research into digital marketing, unveiled his genuine passion in this field. His experience in professional theater not only refined his work ethic and leadership abilities but also fostered other invaluable attributes such as creativity. Now, at SEJ, Ben contributes to their ebooks, consistently providing fresh perspectives and strategic content advice. Through his SEO endeavors, he artfully weaves the nuances of human experiences, journeys, and expressions into enlightening lessons for others. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/writerbensteele/ Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker   

Have you wondered how to expand your business' reach across different languages and cultures? Do you know what role multilingual and localized content can play in your business? Naoko Takano, Localization and Community Program Manager for WordPress, joined me on the SEJShow to explore the significance of localization and internationalization in WordPress’ mission.  Naoko has been involved with WordPress localization since its infancy and has seen firsthand how multilingual localization has built larger communities around businesses.  Learn the power of multilingual content and what it means for effectively broadening your reach online. Discover tips and opportunities for your business to collaborate across different cultures and how to leverage this power to improve your ROI.   WordPress, being an open-source solution from WordPress.org, your mission is to empower the publisher. –Loren Baker, 06:45 One of the advantages WordPress has is that we have so many different types of languages, and it's possible to add more languages as long as there are translators. –Naoko Takano, 13:49 The mission of WordPress is democratizing publishing. Our mission is to reach all the people using the internet and want to publish, not only in English-speaking countries. So yes, we want to expand beyond. –Naoko Takano, 23:28   [00:23] - About Naoko. [02:18] - WordPress localization and global growth. [06:45] - Open source as WordPress.org's growth driver. [08:49] - The role of translation in WordPress business expansion. [10:58] - Volunteer-driven operations at WordPress.org. [12:55] - WordPress plugins vs. enterprise CMS for expanding businesses. [13:49] - WordPress' multilingual capabilities. [14:55] - Anticipation of multilingual support in WordPress core software. [16:07] - Balancing WordPress' multilingual offerings with business interests. [16:54] - Gutenberg's fourth phase: Multilingual support? [17:07] - Adapting translation plugins for WordPress' block editor. [19:54] - WordPress' growth in the Spanish market. [21:52] - The most active countries in WordCamps events. [23:12] - The impact of translation on WordPress.org's international usage. [24:42] - Democratization through cultural collaboration in WordPress. [26:12] - Localization in WordPress: More than translation. [30:15] - The future of multilingual WordPress. [32:48] - The international WordPress community's size. [34:07] - Site translation and localization for various audiences. [36:24] - Connecting with the WordPress community online.   Resources Mentioned: https://wordpress.org/    I would like to see a more technology-assisted way for us to read and reach the audience in different parts of the world. That helps us find more engaging content and allows the content provider to reach further than the limitation of their language area. –Naoko Takano, 30:55 We benefit as a community by using the version we are familiar with and providing that to the client. The backend is also translated, which helps people make the plugins usable without the language barrier. –Naoko Takano, 08:49 We, the translation community, always say over 20,000 active people have been translating something within a year or so.–Naoko Takano, 32:52   For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to enhance your knowledge and skills in search marketing.   Connect With Naoko Takano: Naoko Takano is the Localization & Community Program Manager at Automattic with over ten years of experience in the US. She specializes in software localization and English-Japanese translation and applies her expertise to WordPress support, technical writing, and community organization.  A full-time contributor to the WordPress Polyglots and Community Teams for almost two decades, Naoko works as a Polyglots Global Mentor and General Translation Editor (GTE) for Japanese, aiding translation contributors and enhancing WordPress accessibility across different languages. Connect with Naoko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naoko/ Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/naokomc   Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker  

No matter what your business specializes in, your website is often the first place potential clients and customers learn about your company. This means visitors can decide about your services within the first few seconds. So how do you hook them?  Fiona Allman-Treen, author of “Website Mastery for Business Owners Who Don't Speak Tech,” joins me on the SEJShow and shows you the three key things your website needs to increase your website’s visibility, boost your business growth, and convert visitors to paying customers.  Get expert analysis based on Fiona’s best-selling book that will show you how to translate the tech-speak around website design and maintain ROI after your website launch's initial excitement is over. Website Mastery for Business Owners was needed because [speaking tech] is something that people shouldn't have to do to get a really good website. They shouldn't need to know the ins and outs of the code. - Fiona Allman, 00:59 What attracted me to the web in the first place was seeing that level playing field. It makes a one-man band can sound like an orchestra online, and that's what I love. So it's, it's all about making that happen for people. - Fiona Allman, 01:31 I've always found it nice to just send a text every once in a while and send a follow-up because you never know when someone will leave and go somewhere else. It's just good sportsmanship at the end of the day. Just, "Hey, how's it going?" It's checking in, you know, happy new year, whatever it may be. It doesn't have to be cheesy, but it, it has  helped me personally retain or even bring clients back. Just having an open line of communication all the time. –Loren Baker, 20:21   [00:46] About Fiona. [02:22] Keeping up with recent web design changes. [03:12] Initial steps in defining a website strategy. [06:11] Key elements for website visitor engagement. [13:57] Significance of image selection in customer engagement. [15:23] Strategies for customer satisfaction and preventing buyer's remorse. [15:56] Importance of post-purchase customer engagement. [17:22] Balancing customer connection and salesmanship. [19:42] Value of communication with returning customers. [22:57] An insight into Fiona's book "Website Mastery." [23:00] Advantages of print publishing over online writing. [24:02] Networking advantages of a physical book. [25:41] Using "Website Mastery" in client onboarding. [26:20] Unexpected outcomes of book publishing. [27:28] Reaction to book rejection at networking events. [30:49] Advice for non-tech individuals on web design mastery.   Resources Mentioned: Website Mastery Book: https://www.fatpromotions.co.uk/wmregister/ Fat Promotions: https://www.fatpromotions.co.uk/   You can attract people to your website, but you've got that attraction piece if they don't connect with what they see when they get there. You've got these visitors coming in, like, with decent search engine listings. You'll get that. But if they get there and they don't connect with what they see, it's not going to happen." - Fiona Allman, 06:11 I had one guy who bought a copy, and he put this glorious review on Amazon. He was so kind. And he said, I read it in three days, and I have to work with you. That's it. And it, as it turned out, we ended up going through all the different things that he wanted.–Fiona Allman, 26:56 You want those repeat customers. That's where your engagement gold comes in. When you get those repeat customers, just show them you care. So really what you want to do is, as you say, keep them on the, on your love them up the list. Keep them in your email marketing. Give them regular newsletters, but keep people from pestering them. –Fiona Alman,15:56 For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to enhance your knowledge and skills in search marketing.   Connect With Fiona Allman-Treen: Fiona Allman-Treen is the Director of FAT Promotions, a digital agency she founded in 2001 to help clients create compelling websites. Also known for her best-selling book 'WEBSITE MASTERY,' she is renowned for her expertise in strategic website design and online systems that drive sustainable growth for businesses and charities globally. Before launching her web design agency, Fiona spent over a decade in graphic design and marketing. A passionate advocate for entrepreneurship and female empowerment, she founded the Affinity Business Initiative in 2019 to support local businesswomen. Away from work, Fiona's interests include classic cars, red wine, and playing the ukulele.   Connect with Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatpromotions-website-design/ Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fatpromotions   Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

As WordPress celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is essential to reflect on its roots and explore how its history has shaped ecommerce and what this means for your website. Paul Maiorana, CEO of WooCommerce, joined me on the SEJ Show for this special episode to reflect on how ecommerce found its way into the WordPress world and how WooCommerce intertwined with WordPress’ values and initiatives. We talked about Paul’s 11+ year career with Automattic, his experiences leading WordPress VIP, and what led him to take on the leadership of WooCommerce.  You’ll also hear about the core community spirit that lives in the foundation of WordPress and how this has impacted WooCommerce’s mission for its users. You won’t want to miss this critical look back from someone who has been there through countless steps along the way. The difference, though, in governance is really important, which is that nobody owns WordPress. It's stewarded by the WordPress Foundation and a nonprofit that owns the intellectual property and everything around WordPress. That’s guided by Matt Mullenweg, its founder, co-founder, and still project lead. But the governance model is different. Whereas with WooCommerce, Automattic wholly owns WooCommerce. It's still an open-source product that uses the GPL license, free software, the same as WordPress is. Still, we effectively fund all of the development of WooCommerce. –Paul Maiorana, 14:36 WooCommerce is a global platform for sure. So we have customers in every country. There is such great support for localization. Translations and localization are a massive part of that, not just in terms of people providing those translations but also on the other side. It's how merchants can build a localized experience for their shoppers. –Paul Maiorana, 20:57 That's the beauty of open source, right? We're able to get leaner and meaner than some of our competitors. We’ve adequately federated this ecosystem of independent software developers, agencies, freelancers, and web hosts. These folks come together to produce a WooCommerce site and a quality product. Our interests are aligned, which ultimately makes for a better customer experience. –Paul Maiorana, 23:02   [00:00] - About Paul. [03:28] - WooCommerce's origin & Automattic integration. [07:01] - Purpose of WooCommerce development. [09:38] - WooCommerce's market share. [13:27] - Developer engagement with WooCommerce. [17:10] - Exploring WooCommerce extensions/integrations. [20:57] - WooCommerce & localization strategies, shopping support, lean model & open-source contributions. [24:14] WooCommerce's Solution to ecommerce challenges. [26:23] Commerce platform fragmentation issues. [27:40] Future commerce trends: Smartphone preference. [29:37] Growth potential in the WooCommerce ecosystem. [30:42] WooCommerce success stories.   Resources Mentioned: Woo Express: https://woocommerce.com/express/ Showcase of WooCommerce Merchants: https://woocommerce.com/showcase/ Woo’s In-House Developed Extensions: https://woocommerce.com/product-category/woocommerce-extensions Recent Woo Blog: https://woocommerce.com/blog/ WooCommerce Merchant: https://www.tinywoodstove.com/ Tonal: Success story mention who uses WooCommerce as their ecommerce platform: https://www.tonal.com/   We think we've got a real advantage and opportunity to, through WooCommerce, provide a solution that developers love, but also to provide a more opinionated package of WooCommerce and extensions integrated with a hosting solution to provide something that's much more turnkey and simple and just more intuitive for a merchant to get up and running with. –Paul Maiorana, 26:23 The ability to start with something simple like Woo Express, or something like that, just out of the box simplified shopping environment. And then as that company grows and as they go down the paths of more and more and test more and more marketing channels, making that easier to grow from a core as opposed to having everything thrown at you at once and trying to figure it out sounds like a very logical solution. –Loren Baker, 30:09 We're making some decisions and saying, this is the best way to do that. These are all separate. Each of these features represents a different extension in the WooCommerce ecosystem today. And we're bringing that all together into a preconfigured solution so that it's easy, and again, people can start selling without having to build. –Paul Maiorana, 27:40   For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to enhance your knowledge and skills in search marketing.   Connect With Paul Maiorana: Paul Maiorana is the CEO of WooCommerce, an open-source eCommerce platform, where he leverages his expertise in open-source development, content management, and WordPress, among other specialties. His leadership has contributed significantly to WooCommerce's growth and innovation in the online retail sector. Before WooCommerce, Paul built a formidable portfolio of professional experience focusing on open-source technology and software solutions. His understanding of the industry and his technical expertise have positioned him as an influential figure in pushing the boundaries of ecommerce. Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmaiorana/ Follow him on Twitter:https://twitter.com/pmaiorana   Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

How do you prepare your social and marketing team for AI? There are a ton of AI tools out there, but not all of them are useful. Jamie Gilpin, CMO at Sprout Social, joined me on the SEJ Show to talk social, search, and how AI can play a bigger part in your strategy. Gain valuable insight into virality, social media trends, and emerging AI technologies, and discover the seamless integration of these technologies into your team's workflow.   Trends come from forces, and forces are the big cultural shifts that we see. As a result, the moment or signals from those forces become micro topics. –Jamie Gilpin, 05:43 In the world of SEO and search, search changes quickly. Social media trends change just as fast, whether it's platforms or just the way that people are communicating. Everything used to be written. Then, it went to images. And now, video.  –Loren Baker, 02:03  Social does infiltrate not just the full customer journey but all aspects of the customer's enterprise. –Jamie Gilpin, 33:23   [00:00] - About Jamie [02:03] - The evolution of social media trends & content consumption [03:25] - Understanding trend culture and TikTok's influence [13:14] - The importance of having a business presence on TikTok [19:51] - Opportunities to integrate AI in daily social media marketing workflows [20:57] - Current discourse and applications of AI in marketing [25:39] - Understanding the AI Assist Tool  [27:16] - Future of AI in visual content for social media marketing [33:39] - Intersection of social media and search in consumer research   Resources Mentioned: Sprout Social - https://sproutsocial.com/ One of the biggest opportunities, I would say, and it's synonymous with the challenge we have on the marketing team, is that it's so much easier to work autonomously in silos. Still, the real value, and more importantly, our customers expect that all those folks are working together and delivering one seamless customer experience. –Jamie Gilpin, 18:52 The worst thing that you can do, from a customer experience and perception perspective, is to not have a through-line for when your customer is ready to buy. When they see something they want to buy from you and can't find it. –Jamie Gilpin, 15:13 That's the future of social, and that's why I get very excited about this space. It started in marketing, but it started as a tool for us to advertise another thing–another channel that we would push our message out. –Jamie Gilpin,32:26   For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.   Connect With Jamie Gilpin: Jamie Gilpin, the Chief Marketing Officer at Sprout Social, is a marketing maestro who knows how to grow brands in technology. Her knack for building stellar teams and driving revenue through ingenious strategies make her a force to be reckoned with.  From lead generation to social media sorcery, Jamie's expertise shines through. Armed with an MBA from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in public relations from Florida State University, she's a marketing dynamo who knows how to make things happen. Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiegilpin/  Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamiewo   Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker  

YouTube is a powerful platform for B2B marketers, but many organizations still need to start using it to its full potential.  Ali Schwanke, founder at Simple Strat and Host of HubSpot Hacks, joined me on the SEJShow to share her top tips for creating a successful B2B YouTube strategy- including using YouTube's new features to make your videos more discoverable. Gain insight into the rising importance of YouTube in B2B marketing, leveraging podcast features, differentiating strategies for marketers, the role of video in an AI era, and much more.   We run a channel called HubSpot Hacks over on YouTube, with about 18,000 subscribers. We just crossed over a million views earlier this year, and we're a small team of 10. –Ali Schwanke, 00:41 YouTube happens to be a place where there is very little competition for most B2B companies. So if we do help people on YouTube, it's because the barrier to entry is very high, and so the competition's low. –Ali Schwanke, 02:00 You can create videos so that they just earn a rabbit hole. So if I sent viewers a video every day, it'd take 30 days to get to know me. But if I create an experience for you and your journey that you consume 30 videos in four days because they're just so one after the other, yes, I've accelerated that relationship building, and that's what we're seeing. –Ali Schwanke, 14:18   [00:00] - Introduction to Ali Wanky. [00:41] - Simple Strat’s role with "HubSpot Hacks." [02:00] - YouTube as a strategy for B2B in low-competition platforms. [03:56] - Misconceptions about video marketing. [06:19] - The importance of informative content in B2B YouTube marketing. [08:52] - The role of authenticity in learning. [11:22] - Strategies for embedding YouTube videos versus using tools like Wistia. [14:51] - Techniques for consistent video exposure. [16:17] - The benefits of multi-platform promotion for video content. [21:51] - The value of content length variations in viewer engagement. [23:49] - Format and style considerations: vertical versus horizontal videos. [26:07] - The potential of YouTube Shorts in content marketing. [27:29] - The role of AI tools in video creation. [32:17] - The necessity of engaging content in a crowded YouTube landscape. [34:44] - Efficient content generation through webinar repurposing. [35:19] - An overview of valuable resources on HubSpot Hacks.   Resources Mentioned: HubSpot Hacks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuMAttNQze1GaVfiQ7rMcfA Simple Strat: https://simplestrat.com/   How I recommend people use AI is less about the editing and more about the strategy. –Ali Schwanke, 28:57 You have to get outside your box of “everybody's ready to buy today, and we're going top of the funnel.” We're saying, “how do I create interesting content?” So people just go, “you know what, that company is different. I kind of wanna pay attention to them because attention, time, and convenience are the currency that we all have today.” –Ali Schwanke, 32:17 If you're going to go onto YouTube as a B2B company with human personalities, you do need to have people that are comfortable on camera and know what it's gonna take from them to be on camera consistently. –Ali Schwanke, 34:05   For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.   Connect With Ali Schwanke: Ali Schwanke, the founder of Simple Strat, stands out in the realm of B2B content marketing with over 15 years of experience. A certified content marketer, HubSpot agency partner, and YouTube creator, she leverages her expertise to build data-driven strategies that fuel business growth. Schwanke champions a customer-centric approach to marketing, viewing content as a powerful tool to address customers' needs and challenges. Her innovative methods offer businesses a roadmap to increase their influence and reach through strategic content marketing. Connect with Ali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alischwanke/ Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alischwanke Watch her on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/hubspothacks   Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker  

It's our 20th Anniversary! In this special commemorative episode, take an exhilarating ride back to some of the earliest SEO and search marketing days as I sit down with our founder Loren Baker. Come for the nostalgia and stay for the hidden gems as Loren reflects on an awe-inspiring 20-year evolution of Search Engine Journal. We delved into the unforgettable landmarks, behind-the-scenes stories, and revolutionary insights that have shaped the industry and our coverage. Loren's captivating anecdotes and poignant reflections paint a bold picture of SEO's past, present, and future. Join us as we celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Search Engine Journal and inspire a new generation of digital innovation.   We've achieved considerable success, especially since we collaborated with Alpha Brand Media in 2010 under the leadership of Jenise and Brent. Our primary goal was to expand SEJ's reach. Despite the various changes, one thing has remained constant – our commitment to continuous experimentation. –Loren Baker, 17:17 When I used to write, my natural inclination was to include a summary or an implication section in the post. I would explore questions such as: 'What does this information mean for marketers?', 'How can this be integrated into your SEO campaign?' or 'How can you incorporate this into your daily tasks?  –Loren Baker, 15:34 Some of my favorite shows are those where we've invited day-to-day marketers, mainly in-house marketers, to share their experiences. They discuss how things are working from an enterprise perspective and in-house. Even when I used to attend a lot of conferences, I particularly enjoyed the in-house or enterprise-oriented sessions. As a consultant or agency representative, it helped me understand the thought processes, challenges and struggles in-house marketers face, which improved my communication with clients and sales. –Loren Baker, 24:54   [00:00] - Origin and Initial Vision of the Search Engine Journal [07:15] - Key Changes in SEO Since Launching SEJ [11:33] - Impact of Social Media Rise on SEO Strategy [15:34] - Applying SEO News to Marketing Campaigns [16:31] - Importance of Experimentation in SEO and Marketing [17:17] - Growth and Evolution of SEJ with Alpha Brand Media [18:29] - Learning from Past Mistakes and Wrong Decisions [20:22] - Maintaining SEJ's Editorial Integrity and Accuracy [21:12] - Keeping SEJ Relevant Amidst AI Advancements [24:02] - Most Impactful Interview Conducted on the Podcast [27:04] - Evolution of Challenges Faced by Marketers [30:40] - Impact of AI and SGE on SEO's Future [32:02] - Debunking the Myth: Is SEO Dead? [38:13] - Proudest Moments after Two Decades at SEJ [41:04] - Future Plans for SEJ & Loren’s Personal Career [42:43] - Possibility of a Lauren Baker AI Chatbot [44:55] - Dominating News Coverage without Being First [45:47] - Making News Stories Evergreen for Audience [47:55] - Creating Engaging Content for Less Exciting Topics [49:58] - Influence of Trends on the Content Creation Approach [51:13] - SEJ Experience's Impact on Worldview and Work Approach   Early on, I collaborated with several companies that wanted to start blogs. However, they were hesitant because they didn't believe they had anything of value to discuss. –Loren Baker, 47:55 Search and search traffic has evolved from being considered a vanity metric to becoming more focused on the long tail and conversion-driven. –Loren Baker, 27:13 The one thing I do love about this industry is that it's constantly changing. I love staying on top of everything in search, tech, and everything else, so I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Going to continue to help to grow this puppy. –Loren Baker,42:16   For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.   Connect With Loren Baker: Meet Loren Baker: a trailblazer in digital marketing, the mastermind behind Search Engine Journal (SEJ), and an authority in SEO. As the founder of SEJ, he's built a powerhouse of cutting-edge SEO insights and news, becoming a beacon for marketers and industry enthusiasts worldwide. But Loren's passion for digital excellence doesn't stop at SEJ. As an Advisor at Alpha Brand Media, he injects strategic vision into every decision, continuously pushing the boundaries of what's possible in digital media. At the helm of Foundation Digital, Loren crafts bespoke digital marketing strategies that redefine business success. His penchant for innovative solutions, along with his keen understanding of the industry's pulse, sets him apart as a dynamic and impactful leader. Connect with Loren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker   Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener, Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Journal: Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW  Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/