The WP SEO Show – Demystifying SEO for WordPress Websites (SEOHive)

In this episode, Pete and Jeff talk about the practicalities of

running SEO retainers for your clients – the good, the bad, the ugly,

and som tips from their own experiences.

Key talking points include

1. The Importance of Weekly Client Management

• Monthly retainers shouldn’t mean monthly attention
• Regular monitoring helps catch issues early
• Allows for better tracking of algorithm updates across client portfolio
• Builds stronger client relationships and trust

2. Weekly Review Process Should Include:

• Rankings check
• Organic traffic analysis
• Google Search Console error monitoring
• Task progress updates
• Client KPI tracking
• Sales/conversion monitoring

3. Time Management Tips

• Dedicate specific days for client reviews (examples given: Mondays or Fridays)
• Can be done in 10-15 minutes per client
• Start with top clients if overwhelmed
• Schedule reviews at least 48 hours before client meetings

4. Communication Best Practices

• Share highlights and wins immediately
• Don’t go more than two weeks without client contact
• Proactively inform clients about algorithm updates or ranking changes
• Get regular feedback on sales/leads that might not show in analytics

5. Benefits of Regular Monitoring

• Easier to spot trends across multiple clients
• More confident client conversations
• Better prepared for monthly reporting
• Opportunity for quick fixes and improvements
• Earlier detection of potential issues

6. Project Management Considerations

• Use tools that your team will actually engage with
• Focus on implementation rather than perfect tool selection
• Consider client preferences for communication platforms
• Set up regular task reminders for consistency

Main talking points include:

• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): Importance of optimizing websites to help users take desired actions (leads, sales, etc.).
• CRO and SEO Link: Driving traffic through SEO is ineffective if visitors can’t convert due to website issues.
• Common CRO Mistakes:
• Broken contact forms or inquiry forms.
• E-commerce checkout issues (not verifying if payments go through).
• Missing or unclear calls to action (CTAs).
• Long mobile pages with CTAs buried at the bottom, requiring excessive scrolling.
• Broken links, particularly in key areas like footers.
• Usability Checks:
• Regularly test websites, even on incognito browsers, to catch errors like broken images or caching problems.
• Look for broken forms, payment issues, or email issues that might hinder conversions.
• Proactivity: Regularly checking for issues even after a site goes live, especially for maintenance clients.
• Mobile Experience: Consider how the site is experienced on mobile devices, ensuring that key actions like CTAs are accessible early on the page.
• Analytics: Using tools like Google Analytics to identify high exit rates or bounce rates on key pages, which may point to usability or CRO issues.
• Value of Small Fixes: Fixing even small issues (like broken links in a footer) can result in significant improvements in traffic and conversions.
• Client Communication: Keeping clients informed about ongoing checks, testing forms, and being proactive builds trust and strengthens the relationship.
• Importance of Detail: Small details often overlooked, like unchecked form errors, can have large impacts on user experience and site success.

We come into contact with a LOT of websites – we audit them, we optimise them and we work hard to get them ranking in the SERPs. 

In this episode, Pete and Jeff take a look through the top 10 most common SEO mistakes they come across in dealing with client websites. 

** SPOILER ALERT – here's the list ** 

1. Unchecking "Disallow the search engines from indexing this site"
2. Not undertaking keyword research
3. Overusing target keywords 
4. Leaving development URLs in place when a site gets pushed live 
5. Not optimising Images properly
6. Ignoring technical SEO features (particularly in the build) – See Ep 8 - The Importance of Technical SEO 
7. Not running your SEO Plugin through it's Optimisation Process 
8. Having a flat URL structure
9. Not reviewing performance once built and populated 
10. Not building internal links to key target pages

Main talking points include:

In this episode, Pete and Jeff were super honoured to pick the brains of Branded SERP guru, Jason Barnard.

In a conversation that covered a myriad of topics, the main talking points include:

• Importance of Managing Brand SERPs
• The Role of Google's Knowledge Graph
• Modern SEO and Entity Management
• The Concept of EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
• The KaliCube Process (Understandability, Credibility, Deliverability)
• Knowledge Panels as a KPI
• Influence of AI on Branding and SEO
• Maintaining Consistency Across Digital Footprints
• Schema Markup and Implicit Semantics
• The Value of Building Authority
• Actionable Steps for Individuals and Agencies

Connect with Jason

• Jason's Book: "The Fundamentals of Brand SERPs for Business" is available on Amazon
• Jason's Website: https://jasonbarnard.com/
• Jason's Guides: As mentioned on the show, Jason has some extensive guides for managing your own Branded SERPs. – grab your copy here!

In the episode, Pete and Jeff chat through the things you need to think about in your agency as you start delivering monthly recurring revenue services. 

The topics they chat through include: 

• Selling MRR Services – what to watch out for and how to do it
• Servicing MRR clients amongst project work
• The benefits of MRR services for agencies, their owners and their clients
• How MRR helps you to grow your business responsibly

Related Episodes: 

• 003 – How to Price Monthly SEO Services

Main talking points include: 

Our first show of 2024 focuses on three core SEO principles expected to be significant in the year. The first is the enduring importance of content, especially in the context of AI's growing influence and the need for authentic, human-generated material. Secondly, technical SEO – emphasizing the increasing relevance, especially given the rise of AI-generated content and its impact on search rankings. Finally, the growing prominence of local SEO, including the importance of optimizing for local search results and map pack traffic.\

In summary:

• Importance of Content: Emphasizing the need for authentic, human-generated content in the age of AI.
• Technical SEO: Increasing relevance due to the rise of AI-generated content affecting search rankings.
• Local SEO: Highlighting the significance of optimizing for local search results and map pack traffic.
• AI's Impact: Discussing how AI is shaping SEO strategies and content creation.

Shoutouts

• Isaac's Skiing YouTube Channel
• The Admin Bar
• Alex Curtis / The Lead Engine

AI is the fastest growing phenomenon since the invention of the internet itself, and as with any leap forward in technology there are pro's, con's and unknowns... 

In this episode, Pete and Jeff chat through the benefits and pitfalls of current SEO AI tools, and how they use them. They also touch on some of the moral dilemmas when it comes to using AI and how far you should reasonably let it go in your processes right now. 

Main talking points include:

In this episode, Pete and Jeff cover the following:

• The problem with selling SEO on its own
• Why broadening the scope beyond SEO is a good thing
• Why SEO should be part of a larger growth strategy
• The importance of having an initial discovery process / triage process
• Building recurring revenue 
• Building long-term relationships with clients

In this episode, Pete and Jeff chat around the lifecycle of SEO Algorithm updates and the themes that have come to pass over the last 10 years or so.

The pair also consider what to do when algorithm (or "algo") updates happen, so you can ride them out as well as possible.

Main talking points include:

• Setting Expectations and Discovery Process
• Managing Client Relationships
• Scaling Services
• Client Communication
• Handling Large Clients
• Financial Impact of Client Loss
• Client Lifecycle

In this episode, Pete and Jeff dive into how you can better utilize some built-in but overlooked WordPress features to improve SEO on your site.

Key Takeaways on Post Types, Categories, and Archive Templates:

Post Types - The Highest Level of Organization

• Post types are the highest level for categorizing different content across your site, like pages and posts.
• Avoid going overboard and creating a lot of custom post types. Keep it simple.

The Power of Categories and Taxonomies

• Use categories (which are a default taxonomy) to group related content within post types. This allows better content targeting.
• For example, an ecommerce site could have categories for different product types under the default WooCommerce products post type.

Take Advantage of Archive Templates

• The archive template controls the display of taxonomy and date-based archive pages.
• You can add unique, relevant content to archive templates to make these pages more useful, like FAQs, videos, etc related to the category topic.
• This helps demonstrate your authority for those category-related keywords.

Plan Site Structure and Metadata Early

• Ideally, post types, taxonomies and site structure get planned early on along with actual content and keywords being targeted.
• Don't let developers make these organizational decisions solo without client input. Logic doesn't always translate for real visitors.

Should You Have Author Archives?

• Author archive pages usually only make sense on content-heavy sites like newspapers where the actual author is important.
• For small business sites, you likely want to disable these from being indexed to avoiding duplicate content issues.

The Goal: Leverage What You Have

• The goal with post types, taxonomies and archive templates is ultimately to better leverage your existing on-site content for improved SEO targeting - not complex tricks.
• Take what WordPress offers out-of-the-box and customize it to your advantage.

In this episode, Pete and Jeff muse about the trials and tribulations of WordPress Core Updates and how the latest release – WordPress 6.4 – went, as it wasn't as smooth as others have been. 

They cover: 

• What core updates are and why they're important
• Best practices when performing WordPress updates
• What to do to ensure nothing goes wrong

Main talking points:

In this episode, Pete and Jeff discuss Google's March 2024 algorithm update. This update focuses on Google's efforts to combat spam, particularly by addressing low-quality, unoriginal, and AI-generated content.

This update isn't just about algorithm changes, however, but also introduces new spam policies, specifically targeting expired domain abuse, scaled content abuse, and site reputation abuse.

• The update aims to reduce spammy and unoriginal content by about 40%, enhancing the quality of search results.
• The importance of content authenticity and value to users is underscored, noting that AI-generated content, if used, should not dominate a site's content strategy.
• Google's update is a move towards cleaning up the internet ecosystem, making it more user-centric and reducing the effectiveness of manipulative SEO tactics.

Pete and Jeff also discuss the broader implications for SEOs and website owners, encouraging them to focus on creating valuable, original content rather than relying on AI-generated or manipulative content strategies.

Links

• https://blog.google/products/search/google-search-update-march-2024/
• https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2024/03/core-update-spam-policies
• https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#site-reputation

Initiating SEO discussions with clients can be hard – regardless of if this is a new client on a client you've had for years...

In this episode we explore strategies for approaching SEO sales conversations, emphasizing the importance of presenting SEO as an opportunity rather than a hard sell. We discuss the importance of understanding a client's current business state, objectives, and expectations for SEO.

We also cover themes such as assessing a client's website performance, conducting keyword research, setting realistic targets, the challenges of working with brand new businesses and the importance of not overcommitting to unattainable goals.

Main talking points include:

• Approaching SEO sales conversations: Presenting SEO as an opportunity rather than a hard sell.
• Understanding the client's business: Assessing the current state, objectives, and expectations for SEO.
• Assessing website performance: Analyzing client's website for SEO readiness.
• Conducting keyword research: Importance of selecting appropriate keywords for client's business.
• Setting realistic SEO targets: Importance of achievable goals, especially for new businesses.
• Charging for SEO services: The need for agencies to charge fairly.
• Long-term client relationships: Focusing on sustained growth and consistent results.

Download the SEOHive SEO Audit & Sales Presentation Template.

In this episode, Pete and Jeff explore a real example of a content AI checker, and how a client interpreted the results.

Needless to say, the outcome wasn’t exactly “easy” to understand, so they chat through the results, the pitfalls and how these checkers are placed in the market at the moment.

Following on from a comment made by Google's John Mueller on X, formerly known as Twitter, Pete and Jeff have an honest discussion about whether you can ever guarantee SEO Results? 

Main talking points include:

• Why you can never guarantee SEO results
• How to talk to clients about SEO results and how to tie them into commercial metrics
• The risks of relying too much on a single platform for business
• The ethical aspects of selling SEO services, focusing on the importance of honesty and value in client interactions

In this episode, Pete and Jeff chat through the benefits and the process that moves an agency away from just being a "website provider" to a "trusted advisor" for your clients. They also discuss why this is sometimes out of our comfort zone and give some strategies and tips on where to start.

Main Talking Points Include:

• Understanding Client Needs
• Recurring Revenue and Growth Plans
• Client Communication and Strategy
• Low-Hanging Fruit and Long-Term Goals
• Confidence and Expertise

This episode delves into how the drama may reshape the WordPress ecosystem and its potential business implications for agencies and developers.

Main talking points include:

• WP Drama Overview: Ongoing tensions between WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg (Automattic) and WP Engine, a major hosting company, have escalated.
• WordPress Plugin Repository Conflict: Automattic blocked WP Engine from the WordPress plugin repository, which raised concerns within the WordPress ecosystem.
• Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Takeover: Automattic allegedly "hijacked" the free version of ACF from the repository, though WP Engine still manages ACF Pro for paying customers.
• WP Engine's Response: WP Engine downplayed the situation and found a workaround to update plugins despite the block, using VPNs to bypass restrictions.
• Client Concerns: The drama has led to increased client uncertainty, with some questioning the security and viability of WP Engine, despite no immediate risks.
• Impact on Developers: The conflict has made some developers consider alternatives to WordPress and question whether WordPress remains the best solution for certain projects.
• Community Reaction: The drama has sparked discussions about the contributions to the WordPress community, with concerns over profiteering by WP Engine.
• Long-Term Effects: Uncertainty about the future relationship between WP Engine and Automattic, with potential long-term impacts on the WordPress ecosystem.
• Developer Anxiety: Some developers have lost contracts due to client concerns, reflecting the ripple effect of the conflict on business decisions.
• Alternative Solutions: A growing discussion around whether WordPress is the best fit for all projects, with mentions of alternative platforms like Squarespace or Shopify.
• Philosophical Questions: Broader debates on the nature of open source, contribution expectations, and the role of the community in the growth of WordPress.

Technical SEO isn't the sexy side of SEO, but it is vital to ensure it's correct as it holds the keys to unlock the power in ALL other SEO practices.

In this episode, Pete & Jeff chat through the importance of Technical (on-page) SEO, why it's vital that those building websites understand the basics (with some tips on what you can do), and what your first steps should be on any SEO Program. 

We also mention Website Ipsum – a really handy tool from Kyle Van Deusen and The Admin Bar. 

In the first episode of a two-part mini series, Pete and Jeff start by chatting through their preferred WordPress SEO plugins for 2023.

These include:

• SEOPress Pro
• WP Rocket
• EWWW / Shortpixel
• Internal Link Juicer

Once you're done, listen to part 2 about themes and software...

Main talking points include:

In this episode, Pete and Jeff take a step back and look at how agencies should approach SEO for each client, and demonstrate that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach – it all needs to be contextual to the competition.

The conversation revolves around how SEO is a game of displacement, so as a web professional, it is your job to review the competition and put a suitable plan in place for each client. That will inform your tech stack, your content structure, and maybe even the platform you choose to build the site on – everything.

The hosts also touch on surrounding themes of Keyword Research (and understanding a website's current level of operation through their Keyword Baseline), and how important speed and performance issues are in the grand scheme of things.

Links: 

• SEOHive Strategy Sessions
• How to Understand Our Keyword Research

Main talking points

In this episode, we chat through structuring SEO retainers and how to sell them effectively. The main talking points include:

• Importance of having a clear, structured framework for SEO services that outlines what the agency delivers and how they operate, with potential scalability.
• The risks of not having a structured offer and how clients can influence the services' scope without a clear framework.
• Broader application of these principles beyond SEO, including web design and other services.
• Challenges in defining monthly recurring services, especially in SEO, compared to project-based services like website development.
• How an onboarding or discovery phase helps you properly set up clients, understand their needs, and build an effective strategy.
• Emphasis on setting clear expectations from the start to prevent misunderstandings about deliverables and to maintain client satisfaction.

Links

• Book a Strategy Session

Main talking points:

In this episode, Pete and Jeff take on the sticky subject of links and their roll within an SEO Strategy and Client Agreements... Their discussion includes:

• Shift in the Link Outreach Landscape
• Why Link Outreach, Not Link Building
• Challenges of Link Outreach
• Link Outreach is Still Relevant but Contextual
• Citation Building
• Evaluating Link Outreach Opportunities
• Associated Costs

In this episode, Pete and Jeff discuss how to implement effective SEO strategies even with limited resources. They break down the essential elements of budget-friendly SEO and provide actionable advice for agencies and clients.

Key Topics Covered

Site Speed Optimization

• Best practices for plugin management
• Implementing proper caching and image optimization
• Importance of quality hosting
• Benefits of using WordPress block editor
• Tips for balancing features vs performance

Site Structure

• Setting up proper permalinks
• Creating effective pillar and cluster pages
• Organizing content hierarchically
• Building strategic internal linking
• Avoiding common structural mistakes

Page Structure

• Proper implementation of heading tags (H1-H6)
• Schema markup basics
• XML sitemap setup
• Common heading tag mistakes to avoid

Budget SEO Strategy for Clients

• Creating comprehensive service pages
• Converting customer questions into content
• Building effective internal linking
• Maintaining regular content updates
• Understanding the time vs money investment

Tools Mentioned

• WP Rocket (caching)
• SEOPress Pro
• Meta SEO Inspector (Chrome extension)
• Headings Map (Firefox extension)
• Google Search Console

Need help implementing these strategies? Contact us at hello@seohive.co

Our 5-minute SEO Assessment of any client website! 

Disclaimer: This isn't a process for running a full SEO Audit on a website. Instead, this is the process I go through when a lead comes in to talk about SEO. Before any project has been confirmed, or any money has exchanged hands, this is the process I go through before the initial call to give me context. 

• Website structure
• User experience
• Current Rankings
• Competitor Websites & Rankings
• Website Speed / Core Webs Vitals

This leads to two gated products... 

• SEO Health Check
• Keyword Research & Mapping

... and from here I can present a retained proposal.

Need some help?

• Wondering how SEOHive can help your business? Book an Intro Call
• Need to get under the hood with something? Book a Strategy Session
• Want to know the stats behind a website? Buy some Scout Reports

This show sees our first ever guest to The WP SEO Show - Matt Lasky. 

Pete and Matt discuss the importance of a well-structured web design brief for both clients and agencies. Matt, drawing from his career experience and his book "How to Take a Web Design Brief," emphasizes how a solid brief underpins successful project outcomes, effective communication, and ultimately, client satisfaction.

Main talking points include:

• The transformative effect of clear communication and understanding client goals.
• The role of a comprehensive brief in guiding project direction and fostering creative solutions.
• Strategies for agencies to navigate client feedback and maintain a collaborative relationship.
• The significance of aligning project objectives with user needs to improve conversion rates and achieve client objectives.

This discussion highlights how a detailed, thoughtful brief is not just administrative paperwork but a foundational tool for project success and client-agency collaboration.

Links

• "How to take a Web Design Brief" on Amazon
• Matt's LinkedIn Profile

In this episode, we explore the various aspects of choosing the right keywords for SEO and the implications they have for a content strategy and, ultimately, the target business.

The main talking points include:

1. The importance of keywords in SEO
2. Choosing the Right Keywords
3. Keyword Research and Strategy
4. Understanding Traffic and Relevance
5. Balancing Keyword Difficulty and Search Volume
6. Expectations and Misconceptions

Shoutouts

Mike Michalowicz – https://mikemichalowicz.com/

Main talking points include:

In the first ever episode of The WP SEO Show, Pete and Jeff introduce themselves and the concept behind the show.

Giving a brief account of where the inspiration for the podcast came from, Pete and Jeff outline some of what they plan to include in the show as time goes by.

Overview of Core Web Vitals:

We kick off this episode walking through the six Core Web Vitals – a set of metrics used by Google to evaluate the user experience of a website.

These are:

• First Contentful Paint (FCP)
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
• Time to Interactive
• Speed Index
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
• Total Blocking Time (TBT)

Each vital is then discussed in detail, explaining what they measure and their importance in website performance.

Strategies for Improving Core Web Vitals:

• Importance of optimizing images and videos, including best practices for media file sizes and formats.
• Discussion on the use of WordPress and how various tools can impact Core Web Vitals.
• Techniques for optimizing JavaScript loading, such as deferring or minifying scripts.
• The significance of setting correct image sizes and the impact of media on layout shifts.

Real-World Challenges and Solutions

Pete & Jeff share practical experiences and challenges they've faced in optimizing websites, offering insights into real-world application of these strategies.

• Importance of Testing and Iteration: Emphasis on the necessity of testing optimizations and understanding the impact of changes on overall website performance.
• SEO and Core Web Vitals as Part of a Larger Strategy: They discuss how Core Web Vitals fit into a broader SEO strategy and the need to balance technical optimization with other SEO elements.

In this episode, Pete and Jeff consider the elements you need to consider when preparing a website for launch.

Pre-requisites

We're assuming you already have:

• Built the site properly
• Browser-checked it the responsive layouts
• Populated it fully
• Figured out your caching

Pre-Live

• Unblock Search Engines
• SEO Plugins & Basic Set Up
• Business Details in Schema / SEO Plugin
• 301 Redirects of old URLs to new URLs
• Site Title / Tagline (remove "Just another WordPress Website", etc)
• Are Web and Home URLs updated to live site
• Remove standard posts / hello world content
• Make sure GA4 is installed
• Make sure tracking codes are copied over from the previous site
• Ensure all plugins / themes / wordpress updates are complete (even if they're not on a maintenance plan, you should hand the site over with 0 updates required).
• Run an SEO Health Audit
• Make sure there is only 1 H1 tag per page
• Run a full check for any placeholder text
• Make sure forms submit
• Take payment gateway of of Test / Dev Mode (if applicable)
• Check load times on all page templates are less than 3 seconds (absolute maximum)
• Check Social Media links are correct
• Confirm 404 page is set correctly
• Ensure Cookies and Privacy Policies are correct / up-to-date
• Install security plugin (like Wordfence of iThemes)
• Check all contact forms go to the clients email address

Post-Live

• Submit to Google Search Console (this might involved submitting a new (different) sitemap.xml URL
• Make sure SSL Certificate is installed
• Set up Instant Indexing for Bing and Google
• Set up maintenance plan (if the client has signed up)
• Send Website Owners Manual (with agreement for maintenance plan if they're not signed up already)
• Ensure all licensed plugins have the new (live) domain authenticated on them

In this episode, Pete and Jeff consider the elements you need to consider when pricing recurring services (such as SEO). 

They talk through the subjects of: 

• Deliverables
• Expenses
• Time
• Profit
• Tax

... and provide a trusted formula for ensuring you are profitable with every service you offer. 

A hugh Shoutout goes to Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First and Fix This Next (among other titles). 

In the second part of the mini series, Pete and Jeff cover the themes and Plugins they recommend in their 2023 set WordPress set ups. These include: 

• Beaver Builder & Themer
• Kadence 
• SEMRush / Mangools
• GTMetrix
• Inlinks

If you haven't listened to part 1 (all about plugins) check it out here.

In this episode, Jeff and Pete discuss the concept of "Paid Discovery" in SEO projects. They delve into why it's crucial for agencies to charge for the discovery phase of an SEO project, how it benefits both the agency and the client, and best practices for implementing this approach.

Key Points Discussed:

What is Paid Discovery?

• Getting paid to figure out if you'll work with a client and cover the time needed to determine if it's a good fit
• Puts skin in the game for the client to show they are serious

Benefits of Paid Discovery

• Allows agency to demonstrate expertise without giving away full strategy
• Helps ensure client is equipped for the SEO work required
• Provides opportunity to align on commercial goals and objectives
• Screens out clients not suitable to work with

Running a Paid Discovery Session

• Be clear it's not a sales pitch, though the goal is to agree on a proposal
• Focus on trust building and showing your capabilities as an expert
• Include a "low risk offer" like a coupon to incentivize signing on for ongoing work

Operational Considerations

• Take the time upfront to understand infrastructure and capacity limitations clients may have
• Be willing to walk away from bad fits even when it's uncomfortable
• Have your own audit process or leverage tools like Scout Reports to qualify leads

In this episode, Pete and Jeff talk through how keywords are used in content. This includes: 

• A basic outline of what a keyword is
• Why it important to understand the keywords your customers use to search for your products and services
• A top level SEO strategy that any website can use for free
• How to incorporate keywords into content

In a change from the usual schedule, now we're 10 shows in we thought it was prudent to introduce us and our company, SEOHive, a little more. 

In this episode, we chat through exactly how Pete and Jeff met, how SEOHive was started and what it is that we offer today. 

If you would like to discuss how SEOHive can help you, schedule a 20 minute intro call today!