SEO Unfiltered Podcast: E01 How Can Businesses Take Control of Their Own SEO

This podcast episode discusses how businesses can take control of their own SEO efforts. It covers the importance of understanding SEO even when outsourcing, the fundamentals of keyword research and on-page optimization, and the role of off-page signals like backlinks and mentions. The episode features insights from Ben Hawkshaw-Burn, co-founder of Geeky Tech, and host Genny Methot.

Q&A

Q: Why should businesses learn to do their own SEO?

Businesses should learn to do their own SEO to understand what they are buying when they outsource, and to be able to quantify the results provided by an agency. Understanding SEO empowers marketers to have an impact on their site's visibility and rankings, even if they utilize external services.

Q: What is the first step in SEO for a marketer?

The first step in SEO is keyword research, which involves understanding who the target customer is and what terms and phrases they use to search on Google. This helps in identifying what the business wants to rank for.

Q: How can a marketer find keywords?

A marketer can start with common sense, thinking about what their audience types into Google. They can also use Google's search results to gauge relevance and competition. Professional keyword research involves using tools to quantify search volume and competition levels.

Q: What should a marketer do after keyword research?

After keyword research, the next step is on-page optimization, which involves putting the researched keywords onto the website. This includes ensuring the site is crawlable and indexable, and creating content that answers the searcher's query by naturally incorporating the keywords in relevant areas like the URL, meta title, and H1 tag.

Q: What are the key elements of on-page optimization?

Key elements of on-page optimization include incorporating keywords into the URL, meta title, and H1 tag. Additionally, image alt text should be descriptive, and content should be unique and relevant to the target keywords to avoid keyword cannibalization.

Q: What is off-page SEO?

Off-page SEO, or offsite SEO, involves external signals that help Google validate the claims made on a website's content. These signals typically come from mentions, traffic, and backlinks, where other websites linking to a site are seen as a vote of confidence.

Q: How can businesses get backlinks and mentions?

Businesses can obtain backlinks and mentions by reaching out to partners, asking for links or testimonials, generating PR, and creating valuable content that others naturally want to link to. Setting up social media accounts and business directories also contributes to external signals.

Q: Should businesses buy backlinks and mentions?

Buying backlinks and mentions is generally not recommended, especially for beginners, as it can be against Google's terms and may lead to penalties. It's better to generate these signals naturally through valuable content, partnerships, and PR. If buying links, extreme caution is advised due to the risk of acquiring low-quality or harmful links.

Q: What is the biggest mistake companies make regarding off-page SEO?

The biggest mistake companies make with off-page SEO is often wasted opportunity, such as not realizing the value of partner links or mentions. Another significant mistake is poor keyword research, leading to pages that don't effectively serve customer search queries.

Q: What is the difference between user experience and technical accuracy in on-page optimization?

User experience (UX) focuses on how a user interacts with a website, primarily for conversion, while technical accuracy in SEO relates to how well a website is structured for search engines to crawl and index. While poor UX can indirectly impact SEO through user behavior signals, the direct ranking factors are more technical, like time to first byte.

Questions not yet answered

{'question': "What are the specific metrics used to quantify the 'authority' or 'trust' of a backlink or mention?", 'hypothetical_answer': "A detailed answer would explain metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) from Moz, Domain Rating (DR) and URL Rating (UR) from Ahrefs, and other factors search engines might consider, such as the topical relevance of the linking site, the anchor text used, and the overall quality signals of the referring domain. It would also touch upon how Google's own internal metrics, though not publicly disclosed, likely play a role."}
{'question': "What are the key differences between 'black hat' and 'white hat' SEO techniques?", 'hypothetical_answer': 'This answer would define and differentiate between black hat SEO (methods that violate search engine guidelines, like keyword stuffing or paid link schemes) and white hat SEO (strategies that adhere to guidelines, focusing on quality content, user experience, and natural link building). It would also discuss the risks associated with black hat tactics and the long-term benefits of white hat approaches.'}
{'question': 'How do local SEO strategies differ from general SEO, and what are the specific tactics for local businesses?', 'hypothetical_answer': 'A comprehensive response would cover the unique aspects of local SEO, such as optimizing Google Business Profiles, managing online reviews, building local citations, and targeting location-specific keywords. It would explain how these tactics help businesses attract customers in their geographic area and differentiate them from broader SEO strategies.'}
{'question': 'What is the impact of Google algorithm updates (like Penguin and Panda) on SEO strategies, and how can businesses adapt?', 'hypothetical_answer': 'This question would be answered by detailing the purpose and impact of significant Google algorithm updates, such as Penguin (targeting link schemes) and Panda (targeting low-quality content). It would explain how these updates have shaped modern SEO practices and provide strategies for businesses to stay compliant and resilient to future algorithm changes.'}

Follow-up questions

{'question': 'What are the specific technical SEO aspects that a marketer should be aware of?', 'hypothetical_answer': 'A thorough answer would detail technical SEO elements beyond on-page content, such as site speed optimization, mobile-friendliness, structured data (schema markup), crawlability and indexability issues, and handling of XML sitemaps and robots.txt files. It would explain how these technical factors influence search engine crawling, indexing, and ranking.'}
{'question': 'How can businesses measure the success of their SEO efforts?', 'hypothetical_answer': 'An ideal answer would outline key performance indicators (KPIs) for SEO, including organic traffic volume, keyword rankings, conversion rates from organic search, bounce rate, time on page, and backlink growth. It would also discuss the tools and methods for tracking these metrics, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console.'}
{'question': 'What is the role of content marketing in SEO?', 'hypothetical_answer': 'A comprehensive explanation would detail how content marketing, including blog posts, articles, videos, and infographics, drives SEO by attracting organic traffic, earning backlinks, and establishing topical authority. It would cover strategies for creating high-quality, relevant content that meets user search intent and satisfies search engine algorithms.'}
{'question': 'How has the role of AI in SEO evolved, and what are its implications?', 'hypothetical_answer': 'This question would be answered by exploring how AI tools are used in various aspects of SEO, such as content generation, keyword research, data analysis, and predictive modeling. It would also discuss the potential impact of AI on search engine algorithms themselves and how businesses can adapt their SEO strategies in an AI-driven landscape.'}

SEO Unfiltered Podcast: E01 How Can Businesses Take Control of Their Own SEO

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Q&A

Questions not yet answered

Follow-up questions

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