EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer (Erin Sparks)

Google Calls for Greater Sensitivity in Search Quality Guidelines

The latest update to Google search quality guidelines reminds evaluators to keep in mind the diversity of users and the need for impartiality to avoid ratings based on personal viewpoints.

Will Tracking Packages Be Possible in Google Search Results?

Google continues to find ways to deliver what users need without ever leaving Google. The search giant is looking to add package tracking in search results to bypass visiting carrier sites.

Why Differentiate Your Site? Because Google Wants You To

Google’s John Mueller says if your website’s content is too similar to content on competitor sites, you need to do better. He says you’ve got to do better around “commodity content.”

The Next SEO Obsession: Dwell Time
When searchers click on a SERP link to check it out, may or may not then return to the SERP to look at other results. SEOs are now becoming obsessed with how much time users spend on a webpage for going back to the SERP.

Legal Woes Continue for Facebook
Four little-known tech companies are mounting an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, claiming the social media giant maintains a brazen anticompetitive scheme, including the acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.

No More Double-Dipping on Page 1 of Google SERPs
As of today, Danny Sullivan confirms that webpages with a Featured Snippet will not get a repeat listing in the organic listings on page one. Some were enjoying taking up two coveted page 1 of SERP real estate.

Have you noticed an increase of videos that are showing up in your Facebook feed? Well, this certainly is a trend we are seeing and one we predicted. But with this increase in videos, it is getting harder and harder to get your video noticed.

So this week, we wanted to talk with David Feinman, CEO of Viral Ideas, a video marketing agency out of Philadelphia. David gained national recognition for creating The Zombie Run that went viral across the country - getting featured by CNN and Wired.

David shares with us some great tips on how to get your video noticed and keep them watching throughout the whole video.

All this and more, today on the EDGE!

[00:02:54] Coming up to our 500th episode

[00:05:45] DMCA request took MOZ.com off of Google’s Index

[00:10:12] This Week’s Poll

[00:11:12] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:12:37] Improve your promotions on FB with “Culture Codes”

[00:00:00] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

[00:22:06] 4 practical impacts to SEO from Google’s Machine Learning advances.

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

There is always something new with Facebook Ads and so we're learning what's new with Mojca Zove, founder of Super Spicy Media.

She runs a Facebook Ad Agency for 7-Figure agencies and so we wanted to pick her brain on what tactics and strategies she's using for those larger companies.

Plus, there are a couple of different instances of when a Facebook Ad campaign is a BAD idea. When should you avoid Facebook Ads? Find out, today on the EDGE.

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

The EDGE of the WEB team ventured across the country to attend the inaugural BrightonSEO U.S conference in beautiful San Diego! This special podcast was filmed LIVE in front of an audience with 5 of the industry's best as panelists. Witness industry experts collaborate in forecasting the unpredictable future of SEO. The panel evaluates the industry’s most disruptive topics, including Content at Scale, E-E-A-T, AI Generated Content, SGE, Google’s Knowledge Graph, and beyond, offering insights that light the path ahead. Do not miss this very special feature of The EDGE of the Web as we discover the true trajectory of our industry, and SEO’s unite to scale the expansive future ahead!

*Thanks to our panelists!*

Mordy Oberstein

Cindy Krum

Julie McCoy

Ola King

JR Oakes

Key Segments:

[00:07:20] Panel Segments

[00:06:24] Title Sponsor: SE Ranking

[00:07:44] How Can We Maintain Creative Control When Using AI To Operate At Scale? 

[00:14:52] The Journey Ahead For SEO’s As In Relation To Content

[00:27:56] How Ca n We Ensure The Accuracy And Reliability Of AI Generated Content? 

[00:35:35] The Expanding Google Knowledge Graph

[00:45:34] How Is Search Generative AI Going To Transform The Way We Search For Information?

[00:55:34] How Will SGE Change Organic Links On The SERP?

[01:00:00] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: SE Ranking

[01:04:27] How Can SEO Tools Gauge The Success Of SEO Campaigns In The Context Of SGE?

[01:11:52] The Future Of SEO In The Next 18 Months

Thanks to Our Sponsor!

SE Ranking: edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking 

Follow Our Panelists 

Cindy Krum

Julie McCoy

Ola King

JR Oakes

Mordy Oberstein

Unleashing the Power of Machine Learning and First-Party Data

Matt Holz, VP of Product Strategy at FoundSM, has nearly 20 years of marketing strategy experience and has led B2B marketing teams for multiple large and small organizations. Prior to his role at FoundSM, Matt gained valuable insights into outsourced support for driving leads and revenue while working with Found Search Marketing as a client. He later moved into segment marketing, SaaS, and healthcare IT but was eventually impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, he transitioned to the agency side and joined Found SM three years ago.  Matt joins the EDGE to share his unique perspective and specialized focus on Google Analytics 4. Matt and Erin explore the variances between GA4 and Universal Analytics and discuss how AI has the potential to revolutionize data reporting. Digital marketers, prepare yourselves! We've got the comprehensive guide on incorporating GA4 into your marketing strategy here on another episode of EDGE of the Web!

Key Segments:

[00:00:35] BrightonSEO US Free Tickets: Nov 9, 10 2023 https://edgeofthewebradio.com/brightonseo

[00:04:02] Introducing Matt Holz

[00:04:56] Matt's Industry Backstory

[00:07:34] Transitioning to GA4

[00:11:38] Why Did Google Analytics Make This Change? 

[00:14:30] What Additional Performance Will AI Bring To GA4?  

[00:16:22] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:17:08] A New Outlook On Reporting Data

[00:20:32] Paid Ads in GA4

[00:26:58] What Signs Give Us Hope In GA4?

[00:30:42] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix

[00:31:23] Challenges in Understanding GA4

[00:34:03] GA4 Data Opposed to Universal Analytics

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Follow Our Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/found-search-marketing

Welcome back to another episode of news from the EDGE!

The August 2024 core update has been rolled out! Primary intentions of the update are to reward high quality content and diminish low-value ranking based SEO content. 

In light of the August 2024 core update, a ranking bug affecting search results has emerged. Google claims the bug is unrelated to the update and confirms the issue is resolved and search performance should be stabilizing back to normal. 

Will the Google empire crumble? The DOJ and U.S government are considering a dismantling of the tech giant due to ongoing antitrust violations. Other penalties Google could potentially face are fines, privacy restrictions, and other financial constraints. Although a complete breakup is unlikely, the potential risk to SEO is monumental. 

It’s a roller coaster this week folks so strap in and get ready for everything that happened this past week in SEO here on EDGE of the Web!

News from the EDGE:

[00:03:55] The Google Search Bug has been resolved!

[00:06:11] The Core-Update we all suspected- it’s confirmed.

[00:15:50] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:16:11] Could the U.S. be looking to break up Google?

Captain Obvious: 

[00:20:39] Do you pay for Gemini Advanced?

AI Blitz:

[00:25:52] Google Search Expands AI Overviews Globally

[00:25:59] Google AI Overviews now show for signed-out users in the US

[00:26:34] X agrees to halt use of certain EU data for AI chatbot training

AI Tools:

[00:27:41] Luma Labs launches Dream Machine 1.5

[00:28:50] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Inlinks

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:30:05] Thumbnails Back In Google Search Result Snippets For Many

[00:30:19] Google Testing Search Snippet Hover Background Colors

[00:30:30] FTC Banned Fake Reviews

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

Twitter: @ErinSparks

Twitter: @MordyOberstein

Twitter: @TheMann00

Twitter: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

Be sure to enter the code "EdgeoftheWeb" at Riverside.fm for 15% off of your subscription!

https://creators.riverside.fm/edgeoftheweb.

Top Google contributor and owner of Sterling Sky, Joy Hawkins, joins the EDGE this week. Joy has been a renowned SEO speaker and influencer since 2006 and has been growing a top local SEO agency since 2017. How does local SEO differ from traditional SEO? Listen in as Joy shares her industry experience and delivers tactical strategies for executing premier-level local SEO. Google has been growing a much deeper focus on niche markets and authenticity factors. Learn how to leverage this shift to niche-level queries for your clients. Get ahead of the algorithm as we uncover the best local SEO strategies you should be following this week on the EDGE of the Web!

Give our new sponsor a try! Riverside.fm has a special deal for our listeners!  Use our link and the code "Edgeoftheweb" for a 15% discount of their podcast recording service!

Key Segments:

[00:03:57] Introducing Joy Hawkins

[00:05:40] Joy’s Backstory in the Industry

[00:06:53] Taking the Role of an Educator in the Space 

[00:08:15] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:09:29] SEO vs. Local SEO 

[00:13:24] Valuable Tactics in Local SEO

[00:18:13] EDGE of the Web Sponsor Riverside.fm

[00:20:18] Why User-Generated Content is Such a Major Factor in Today’s SEO

[00:24:27] How Do We Know That Citation Platforms Aren’t Being Indexed on Google?  

[00:25:59] Entering Into Niche Markets 

[00:31:57] EDGE of the Web Sponsor Wix

[00:33:08] Why do Operating Hours Affect Rankings? 

[00:37:37] Local SEO Recommendations For a Small Budget

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Riverside: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/riverside

Follow Our Guest

Twitter:https://twitter.com/JoyanneHawkins

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyhawkins/?originalSubdomain=ca

Mark Williams-Cook & Jack Chambers-Ward are back for their second segment this week as we dive head first into SGE and AI in search. Changes are on the horizon with Search Generative Experience. We weigh out the looming pros and cons as we explore the potential repercussions of Google’s integration of Search Generative Experience. Discover how you can optimize for Search Generative Experience and what helpful content really means in today’s search landscape as we take a trip down the SGE rabbit hole this week on the EDGE of the Web!

[00:02:29] Reintroducing Mark Williams-Cook & Jack Chambers-Ward

[00:07:21] Changes On The SERP

[00:11:52] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:12:37] A New SERP Challenge With SGE 

[00:27:38] Optimizing Content With SGE 

[00:30:24] Can You Track AI Overview Metrics? 

[00:32:34] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix

[00:35:12] Can We Put Trust In AI? 

[00:40:49] Mark’s LinkedIn Insights

[00:44:01] Screaming Frog Version 20

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://x.com/jlwchambers

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jlwchambers

Twitter: https://x.com/thetafferboy

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/markseo

Resources

Candour

Search with Candour Podcast 

Candour Youtube Channel

Anastasia Kotsiubynska, Head of SEO at SE Ranking, joins the EDGE to discuss the latest SE Ranking AI Overview studies. This episode focuses on the impact of AI overviews in Google's search results and what this means for SEO strategies.

Anastasia sheds light on how these AI overviews have changed over the last five months since their release in April 2024. While this technology offers impressive efficiency, it also poses significant challenges, such as a potential 25% drop in organic traffic by 2026 due to the "zero-click" trend.

With over 100,00 keywords analyzed, the findings are compelling: a 5% increase in AI overview usage from June to August, with 12% of searches now triggering these overviews. Additionally, approximately 56% of links in AI overviews match the top 100 organic links, while 73% match the top 10, raising concerns about content accuracy and reliability. The research also highlighted that 46% of relationship queries, 33% of food and beverage queries, and 23% of business queries trigger AI overview responses. Notably, high niche environments, such as healthcare and legal sectors, see AI overview and ads triggered simultaneously 65% of the time, spotlighting the growing complexity of search results.

Anastasia provides actionable strategies for adapting to these changes, emphasizing the need for continuous analysis and staying informed. This episode is essential for anyone looking to navigate the complex landscape of modern SEO.

Key Segments:

[00:04:36] Introducing Anastasia Kotsiubynska

[00:09:11] The SE Ranking AI Overview Studies

[00:10:08] AI Overviews Threaten Organic SEO Visibility Significantly

[00:14:32] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: SE Ranking

[00:20:05] 5% Growth of AIO For 100,000 Keywords Is Huge

[00:24:15] Reddit And Quora Links Absent In AI Overviews

[00:26:38] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 

[00:36:40] AI In Legal, Healthcare Risky, Needs Barriers

[00:39:01] AI's Role in Sensitive Inquiries Raises Concerns

[00:45:08] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:56:28] Clients Want Metrics On AI Overview's Traffic Impact

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

SE Ranking: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking 

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Follow Our Guest!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-kotsiubynska/ 

Resources:

1. Mar 04, 2024: Inside Google’s SGE: Uncovering the Beta Version of AI-driven Search
2. Feb 26, 2024: SGE Snippet Research: We Analyzed 100K Keywords to See Google’s AI in Action
3. Jun 19, 2024:. AI Overviews Research: Comparing pre and post-rollout results on 100K keywords
4. Aug 07, 2024:. AI Overviews Research: Analyzing sources in Google’s AI-generated answers
5. Sep 16, 2024: AI Overviews Research: Google Ads in the AIO-inclusive SERPs: https://seranking.com/blog/ai-overviews-and-ads-research/

Can Site Sections Affect Overall Site Ranking? Google Speaks

Google’s John Mueller noted it depends on the data Google has and can get for the website. Good site architecture that clearly distinguishes sections from one another will help.

Google to Restrict Post-Election Political Ads About Results

Given the huge number absentee and mail-in voting expected in the 2020 election, results won’t be known for days, so Google will not allow for false claims about unsettled election results. 

Google Analytics 4 Offers Several New Features 

The newest version of Google Analytics features AI-powered predictive insights, can track users across devices, increases granularity of data controls, and deeper integration with Google Ads.

This week's guest is the CEO of Team Odeon, Ori Zilbershtein. With a diverse background in business spending development, marketing technology, and SEO, Ori specializes in finding ways to elevate those around him. In this episode, we dive into Google’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Learn how the DMCA can be exploited by competitors to destroy your business rankings. We discuss the problem as a whole and evaluate potential solutions Google could put in place to stop this scam from hurting so many websites this week on the EDGE of the Web!

Key Segments:

[00:00:58] Introducing Ori Zilbershtein 

[00:09:38] What is the DMCA? 

[00:21:01] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:22:29] Does DMCA manipulation hurt the reputation of Google? 

[00:26:27] Why in the world is Google letting outsiders move the pin on a Business Profile?

[00:30:18] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 

[00:37:03] Final Pieces of Advice

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://x.com/OriZilbershtein

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orizilbershtein

Resources

Team Odeon

Whitespark

Google DMCA Report

Incoming! New Google Review and Helpful Content update on the way, but this may be the last time you're notified beforehand. Moving forward it seems that Google will refrain from announcing future updates as soon they are likely to be coming in real time. There's big news in the marketing world as Meta and Amazon are joining forces to streamline the conversion process for advertisers. OpenAI takes further strides in the Artificial Intelligence race by poaching Google’s top AI researchers with monster contracts. Plus, Google releases the SGE wave across 120 new countries and territories across the globe. We’re all a bit jet lagged here but nevertheless, we’ve got all the best SEO news for you right here on The EDGE of the WEB!

News from the EDGE:

[00:07:33] November 2023 Brings New Reviews Update from Google

[00:13:21] Meta and Amazon Join Forces to Enhance Advertiser Conversion Process

[00:15:48] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:17:00] Danny Sullivan Says There Are Significant Alterations to Search Ranking System Coming Soon

AI Blitz:

[00:22:03] Hollywood Actors Strike Ends With a Deal That Will Impact AI and Streaming for Decades

[00:26:12] OpenAI lures Google's top AI researchers with multimillion-dollar offers

[00:27:08] Senate AI Insight Forum Considers Who’s Liable For AI Harm

AI Tools:

[00:30:26] Multimodal RAG - Leverage AI tech for insightful insurance adjustments

[00:31:51] SheetAI - Goodbye, spreadsheet chaos

[00:34:07] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: InLinks

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:35:39] Google Expands Search Generative Experience To More Countries & Adds New Features

[00:37:09] Google's 3 Pillars Of Search Ranking Via DOJ Documents

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site    

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

Twitter: @ErinSparks

Twitter: @MordyOberstein

Twitter: @TheMann00

Twitter: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

You can now ask Amazon Alexa to delete all your voice recordings from the day, Twitter is experimenting with showing more ads, and Roku’s new Activation Insights tool is targeting viewers who have shifted to streaming. Get host's Erin Sparks take on the news along side this week's guest: Ginny Marvin from Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today.

Dawn Anderson shares her expertise of semantic relationships of content for the EDGE audience, in this second part of her interview with Erin Sparks. They dive in the machine learning concepts that are being honed right now for search engine to better understand th relationship between topics and the method of semantic distancing. Search machine learning is sorting out what is valuable and relevant to the user in ways it has never done before, and Dawn Anderson weighs in on whether data science should be a place for the SEOs of the world to focus on - get a chuckle at timestamp: 0:39:04!

[00:01:40] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:04:44] What is Next in Semantic Search?

[00:07:09] The Dense Retrieval Process

[00:08:35] Pulling Hard Negatives to Speed Up Search

[00:12:25] Search Result Diversification is Expensive

[00:13:14] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:13:13] The Research is Open Source

[00:16:06] Walnuts and Peanuts: It's All About Importance

[00:18:43] It's Not the Amount of Content, It's the Completedness of the Niche Topic

[00:20:33] What is Semantic Distancing?

[00:24:50] You've Got to Know More About Their Industry Than They Do

[00:28:01] Is That Page Good Enough to Represent the Query?

[00:31:20] Finding the Content Gap in Client's Industry

[00:33:27] Blogs are Jumble Sales!

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://www.sitestrategics.com

Follow Dawn: 

https://www.twitter.com/dawnieando

https://www.facebook.com/dawnlesleyanderson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/msdawnanderson/

https://www.instagram.com/dawnieando

Google Shopping Ads are Coming to Gmail

Beginning on March 4, 2020, Shopping Ads will be eligible for placement in Gmail. Advertisers must opt-in their campaigns to YouTube, Gmail, and Discover. Data will be reported under the Google Display Network.

SEOs Complaining About Google Post Rejections Based on Image Guidelines

Google appears to be cracking down on enforcing its image guidelines, which include not using stock photos. There are other image guidelines that are vague and confusing.

Over is a Content Creation App Recently Acquired by GoDaddy

The mobile app for small and medium-sized businesses is for rapid content creation for websites, email, and social media platforms. It will soon be part of GoDaddy’s Website + Marketing platform.

Imagine the year is 2020 and Google and Amazon have taken over the world and Skynet has become a reality. What can you do to prepare your marketing agency for this ultimate reality? We're talking to David Mihm is the founder of Tidings this week on Edge of the Web.

David Mihm has been involved in Local SEO for several years now and even founded the company GetListed.org which he sold to Moz in 2012. David's newest company is only a few months old and is looking to turn the email marketing industry on its head! This tool combines all of your social media postings and turns it into a weekly or monthly newsletter. Email marketing has proved to be one of the more effective marketing tools out there that people seem to ignore or push aside. This new tool will help to change that!

A few of the topics we cover in this episode include:

Home Service Ads
Local SEO
Artificial Intelligence
Voice Search
The Value of AdWords in the Future
The Future of SEO

Sustaining Relations With Your Clients

Discover the significance of migrating to Google Analytics 4 and harnessing its noteworthy capabilities. This week, we’re delighted to reintroduce Matt Holz to expand even deeper into the new capabilities of GA4 and emphasize the crucial role data plays in establishing a valuable knowledge bank for your clients. Plus, gain valuable insights from Matt as he shares his unique career path, now serving as a team member for a former client. Discover everything you must know about GA4 in order to achieve the highest level of performance, on this episode of The EDGE of The Web! 

[00:03:49] Introducing Matt Holz

[00:05:16] Tracking Events and Micro Conversions in GA4

[00:07:38] Customizable Metrics Reporting within GA4 

[00:10:22] Avoiding Errors When Building GA4 Reports 

[00:12:15] Found Search’s Role In Client Migration Into GA4 

[00:16:19] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:17:04] Looker Studio’s Relationship to GA4 vs. Universal Analytics 3

[00:20:15] Limitations of GA4

[00:27:28] Importance of Being a Data Advocate For Your Clients

[00:30:19] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix

[00:31:00] Alternatives to Google Analytics 4

[00:31:00] Insight to Matt Holz’s Career Path

Thanks to our sponsors!

Page One Power: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/pageonepower  

Site Strategics: https://www.sitestrategics.com

Follow Our Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/found-search-marketing

Our final podcast of 2022 doesn’t fail to deliver as we tackle content optimization with an analogy: treating it like you would if you were a comedian!

Dan Shure, the host of Experts on the Wire podcast, joins Erin again in the second segment of his interview in 2022. Dan shares a solid content creation perspective, focusing on intent before E-E-A-T. The challenge is that the content, once produced, often doesn’t get a second look! Dan has some great examples of success that he has seen for the consumer intent focus before anything else.

The connection between music theory and digital marketing is also explored, focusing on two main concepts: 

• Understanding the Large and Small concepts of content integration 
• and the perspective of Patterns.

If you like this show, let us know by going to RateThisPodcast.com/EDGE to share! Thanks for the great feedback this year.

Key Segments

[00:02:38] Introducing Dan Shure

[00:04:30] Always a Focus On Content Optimization

[00:08:05] Zero Time Thinking About E-E-A-T

[00:13:37] What is the QRG Really There For?

[00:14:50] Attention to Sentiment: Important Factor for SEO

[00:18:39] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Page One Power

[00:19:33] Using Images to Secure the Topic of Your Article, Use Google Lens

[00:21:48] Looking At Content Optimization Like a Comedian

[00:25:45] Loss of Indexed Pages: The New First for SEO?

[00:27:02] Indexing: If It's Important, Link to it From Your Homepage

[00:30:22] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

[00:31:33] Digital Marketing Lessons to Learn from Music

[00:38:50] Two Tools for Content Optimization from Dan Shure

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Page One Power https://edgeofthewebradio.com/pageonepower

Wix https://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix 

Follow Guest

https://www.twitter.com/dan_shure 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/evolvingdan/ 

https://www.instagram.com/danshure

Experts On The Wire Podcast:

https://www.evolvingseo.com/category/podcast/

Update Your Local Listings if Affected by COVID-19

For companies with a Google My Business listing, Google is asking everyone to make sure their open hours and other information is accurate if COVID-19/coronavirus is impacting operations.

One of Trump’s Retweets Gets a “Manipulated Media” Label

Twitter’s new policy to label some content as “manipulated media” (significantly and deceptively altered or fabricated) has been applied to a video President Trump retweeted.

Marketing Conferences Cancelled or Postponed

The latest search marketing conference to be postponed is Pubcon Florida 2020. More event cancellations and postponements are expected as COVID-19 concerns are on the rise.

Coming in hot from Brighton UK, SEO Consultant Natalie Arney joins the EDGE this week to uncover what’s in store for us with Google Search Generative Experience. Erin and Natalie discuss SGE's implications on current rank-tracking tools and how your future reporting should go as an SEO. With a focus on shifting one's mindset, Natalie walks through the changes she experienced from an agency to an in-house SEO perspective. Adaptation plays a critical role in this industry, and today, we focus on aligning ourselves with the ever-evolving landscape of generative search here on The EDGE of The Web!

Key Segments:

[00:02:22] News Recap

[00:02:56] RateThisPodcast.com/EDGE

[00:03:20] Introducing Natalie Arney

[00:04:30] Natalie's History in SEO 

[00:07:34] Changing From an Agency to In-House Mindset

[00:15:23] Preparing for Google’s New Search Generative Environment

[00:19:54] Will SGE Impact the Efficacy of Tracking Tools?

[00:24:15] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:25:55] How SEO’s Should Be Reporting in the Future

[00:31:31] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 

[00:36:05] Does SGE Have Potential to Develop Its Own Language? 

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix   

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/__nca

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/natalie-arney-33844052

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nca.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@__nca

Website: https://nataliearney.com/

When something goes viral on social media, how long before do keyword searches on that topic begin gaining traction? Can search marketers develop a strategy around these numbers for their content marketing?

Mark Irvine, the Senior Data Scientist at WordStream, has been doing some great research on how social media can impact search engine marketing and how you can take advantage.

Plus, we discuss Quora Ads, updates to the Google Campaign Manager, and more opportunities for featured snippets in the SERP.

All this and more today on the EDGE!

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

The Digital Marketing news roundup on the Site Strategics EDGE of the Web podcast makes sense of the latest headlines. This week’s episode features special guest Shay Rowbottom of Rowbottom Marketing, and explores Google's new social network, possible algorithm updates, and LinkedIn moving beyond "business only" style posts.

Page No-Index Guidance from Google

If you wonder which pages really should get a “noindex” tag and which ones you don’t have to bother with, Google’s John Mueller took a crack at explaining it in Google Webmaster Hangout.
By: Roger Montti
From: Search Engine Journal 

How Useful is AMP if It’s Not Tied to Top Stories?

In 2021 Google is going to drop the AMP requirement for Top Stories Eligibility. The question is whether or not publishers will stick with AMP if they don’t have to. Hard to say at this point.
By: George Nguyen
From: Search Engine Land

Video Views and Lead Ads get Engagement Remarketing Option on LinkedIn

If you’ve been waiting…and waiting…and waiting for more targeting options in your LinkeIn advertising campaigns, it looks like the wait is finally over for Lead Ads and Video views.
By: Susan Wenograd
From: Search Engine Journal

Sam Tomlinson joins us to discuss the issues revolving around the antitrust cases of Google & Facebook.  We unpack each company’s challenges and the concepts of fairness.  Isn’t this Big Tech’s platform that they invested in?  

[00:05:27]  The argument FOR business acquisition

[00:09:13]  The FTC reviews these acquisitions already

[00:13:36]  Facebook's weakest argument.

[00:14:47]  What are we upset about?

[00:16:13]  Google and Antitrust

[00:18:16]  Google: The Texas Lawsuit

[00:21:00]  No sympathy for the News: It’s Google’s Platform

[00:24:13]  Build a better platform

[00:29:41]  Please to Government

We've all seen the traditional marketing funnel or different variations of it. The traditional funnel starts with the awareness stage at the widest part of the funnel, then progresses to the consideration stage and finally the last stage is the decision stage.

Sangram Vajre, the co-founder and chief evangelist at Terminus, joins on this podcast to change the way you think about this marketing concept by flipping that funnel upside down.

It's called Account-Based Marketing and in this episode, he shares why he's changed his organization to focus on this type of marketing and how it unites the marketing and sales teams at Terminus.

We're diving deep into marketing strategy...TODAY on the EDGE

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

--

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

The Economic Slowdown Hits Yelp Hard
The coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact has forced Yelp to lay off 1,000 of its workers and furlough another 1,100. Yelp is all about local business reviews, which has declined sharply with shut-downs and social distancing.

During a Recession, SEO More Important than Ever
Although the novel coronavirus outbreak has brought the overall economy to a screeching halt, a survey reveals SEO can and should be maintained as a high priority moving forward through the recession.

New Google Blog Series on SEO Value with Case Studies
A surprising number of businesses still look at SEO with skepticism, questioning its value as an investment among competing priorities for scarce resources. Google’s aim is to convince them SEO is worth it.

Beta Launch of “Horizon” VR Social Experience by Facebook Horizon is Facebook’s sandbox creation tool for virtual reality experiences, which it wants to broaden while also keeping it social as it enters its next phase of development.

Will Apple Launch a Search Engine to Compete with Google? The signs include Apple hiring more search engineers, making changes to its Spotlight Search mobile engine to bypass Google results, and is beefing up its webcrawling Applebot.

Microsoft and Walmart Team Up in Bid to Acquire TikTok This is a significant move showing how big a deal it is to figure out who is going to take of TikTok in the US. Walmart sees huge e-commerce potential in the acquisition.

Garrett Sussman, Demand Generation Manager at iPullRank, talks to us about his experience in developing tools to help connect agencies to clients and helps us understand the factors of that success. We also discuss the pitfalls of an Agency/Client relationship and when it is best to walk away. Learning the “Love Language” of your client is always the most important aspect.  Listen to Segment 1 of our 2 part interview with Garrett on the EDGE.

[00:03:43] 100 podcast episodes in a year!  How did Garrett stay sane through that?

[00:06:00] Garrett’s history - coming from teaching to the start-up culture.

[00:09:14] Hiring internal SEOs.  The challenges of the industry

[00:11:12] The evolving nature of the target: Google.  A completely different paradigm.

[00:13:58] Supplementing your in-house with agency talent

[00:18:24] Experience matters in the Agency/Client relationship.  Broken trust is the major pitfall

[00:23:14] What are the key breakdowns inside of the agency, client relationship?

Why Podcasters Need Google Podcasts Manager

This new service from Google includes tools for more actively managing podcasts for Google Search as well as analytics on podcast listeners and new podcaster community forum.

Podcasts Are the New Spoken-Word Channel

In the latest Spoken Word Audio Report, Edison Research documents the continued rise of podcasting as the way people are consuming spoken-word audio, and the stats are impressive!

Updated Google Quality Rater Guidelines Emphasize “Needs Met”

It’s been nearly a year since Google last updated its Quality Rater Guidelines. Changes in the newest version point to meeting user needs as a critical need for SEOs to put time into.

Significant AI Search Changes Impact Many Queries

Announcements from Google to pay attention to include BERT now being used in 100% of all English search queries, the biggest update in five years to handling misspelled words, and passage indexing.

WPBakery Vulnerability Poses Threat to 4.3 Million Sites

The popular WPBakery plugin used in more than 4.3 million WordPress websites could result malicious JavaScript being injected into posts. Update to version 6.4.1 right away!

[00:03:37] There’s someone new at Search Engine Land!

[00:06:18] Is your content being outranked by a site that just used Copy/Paste?

[00:12:10] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Inlinks.net

[00:13:09] A spike in crawl traffic does NOT mean impending doom

[00:19:25] Our Poll This Week

[00:22:53] This is where the brilliant idea started.  SEO Leader Bobbleheads!

If building a foolproof social advertising strategy to engage your ideal clients sounds like a dream come true, you can do it! Learn how with Traci Reuter, Founder and CEO of Divine Social, is our special guest for episode 318 of the award-winning EDGE of the Web podcast.

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

--

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

While most of the advertising conversation is taken up by Facebook and Google, there are some lesser-known channels that can get you some great results.

Joe Martinez, the Director of Paid Search and Community, is a huge fan of Quora Ads and we wanted to have him on the show to get a break down of this advertising channel. What are Quora Ads? How do Quora Ads work? What type of results can you get with Quora ads? Get answers to all of your questions on Quora in this episode.

Plus - have you tried using Waze Local Ads? We have some great tips and ideas for you to try out Waze Local Ads...All on this episode of EDGE of the Web.

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

--

Download our show today or subscribe to our show on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/edge-web-seo-podcast-for-todays/id500483656?mt=2

Download our show on Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ivme3i4tvync3bdgssybupx5bve

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

Joining the EDGE this week is the founder of Content Hacker and president of Content at Scale, AI specialist Julia McCoy. Julia has been building her $5 million brand since the age of 19 while being named best-selling author eight times. Recently recognized as one of the top 30 content marketers worldwide, Julia shows no signs of slowing down!

In this episode, discover how AI continues to reshape the way content is made and learn how writers can leverage artificial intelligence for rapid efficiency and growth. Understand how to expedite your content curation process while still maintaining a ‘human’ element in the eyes of Google. It’s time to turn this AI uprising into an opportunity for rapid optimization this week on the EDGE of the Web!

Key Segments:

[00:03:10] Introducing Julia McCoy

[00:04:49] Julia’s Career Journey

[00:07:43] What Role Does AI Have in the Industry? 

[00:11:37] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:13:14] How is AI Changing the Way Brands Interact with Their Audience? 

[00:17:32] When will AI Reach its ‘Breakthrough’ Moment? 

[00:22:35] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Hostinger

[00:23:39] What is AIO? 

[00:28:10] Prioritizing Expertise in Content

[00:30:53] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 

[00:32:15] Utilizing AI as a Content Writer

[00:36:30] Could Human Error be Rewarded in the Future? 

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Hostinger: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/hostinger

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaEMcCoy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaemccoy

The SEO Sherpa, Cindy Krum, comes back to the EDGE loaded for bear! It’s awesome to reflect back on what Cindy was talking about in 2018 and and nowm in 2023. She was spot on with Entities being the target of search engine optimization, and we cut back to that show just to reflect. Erin and Cindy walk through the history of the portability of concepts in search, watching what Google is leveraging as it rolls out features and functions for content providers to test. The Big G is always learning, and our job is feed the beast in order to win in search. Cindy Krum is a stellar player in the SEO constellation and we’re excited to unpack this first segment of her 2022 interview with us. Be sure to check out the second episode coming shortly!

[00:02:50] Introducing Cindy Krum

[00:06:04] A Throwback Moment on Entities from the 2018 Show with Cindy

[00:10:47] What are Entities?

[00:12:43] Contextualizing the Cute Puppy Search

[00:13:44] How Does Google Define an Entity?

[00:15:02] Did Google Use Links to Understand Entities in the Early Days of Search?

[00:16:23] How has the Knowledge Graph Evolved?

[00:17:35] Site Strategics: Title Sponsor of EDGE of the Web 

[00:18:20] Mobile-First Indexing was a Misnomer. It had to do with Portabiity

[00:21:28] Entities Being Language Agnostic: HREFLang

[00:22:50] What is Above the Knowledge Graph? The Topic Layer

[00:26:26] You Can Guarantee that there's Another Training Benefit to What Google Rolls Out

[00:27:30] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: WIX edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

[00:28:36] Moving from Monolithic to Micro Services

[00:30:31] Portability as it Applies to Passage Indexing

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

WIX https://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Follow Cindy Krum

https://twitter.com/Suzzicks 

https://www.facebook.com/cindy.krum/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindykrum/ 

https://www.instagram.com/mobilemoxie/ 

Mobile Moxie recently launched some cool new Chrome plugins for our main tools:

SERPerator:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/serperator-by-mobilemoxie/ghnlaojdcibbkcgmanbbmbdgccmfdaof 

Page-oscope:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/page-oscope-by-mobilemoxi/aofebfljannpdpbeapgnolkihjiepdeo 

They also have a new WordPress Plugin: https://wordpress.org/plugins/page-oscope-preview-by-mobilemoxie/

It’s time to own your knowledge graph! Martha van Berkel of SchemaApp shares her perspective on the history of structured data, its pitfalls, and its stabilization. Listen in as she helps guide us in understanding the concept of semantic relationships, but more importantly, hear her call! Get back to BASICS! SchemaApp is trying to train the world, and you can dive in with the CEO of a really fantastic tool!

[00:02:21] Introducing Martha van Berkel’s schema journey

[00:08:00] How important is Structured Data in SEO?

[00:08:39] History of Structured Data for Websites

[00:10:15] The Moment the Chaos Stopped

[00:11:46] Schema.org: One Ring to Rule Them All

[00:15:21] The Definition of Semantics

[00:16:51] Think About Schema like the Biological Classification

[00:17:36] Solving Schema at Scale

[00:19:30] Reporting on the Value of Structured Data Deployment

[00:23:16] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:24:40] It’s Not Google’s Knowledge Graph, It’s Yours

[00:30:06] Friends Don't Let Friends Schema Spam

[00:32:48] We Need to Go Back To Basics

[00:34:01] Training the World

[00:35:37] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Wix

[00:37:15] Schema is Your First Communication with Google

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site 

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix 

Follow Guest

Twitter: @marthavanberkel

LinkedIn: SchemaApp Martha van Berkel

YouTube: SchemaApp

Welcome founder of Content Hacker and president of Content at Scale, AI specialist Julia McCoy, who is back for her second segment this week to understand the evolving landscape of AI content. Julia explains the new roles and opportunities driven by AI optimization that are emerging for SEOs and content writers. 

Discover how to set parameters for AI and train these learning models to follow brand guidelines for revolutionized content at scale. Understand how to Incorporate AI into your content while avoiding all of the negative stereotypes out there. 

The future of AI is set to expedite the entirety of the content process as we know it. Join us as we dissect AI-assisted content at scale this week on the EDGE of the Web! 

[00:03:28] Introducing Julia McCoy

[00:04:54] Where Does the Role of SEOs and Content Writers Lay Within AI Optimization? 

[00:08:43] How do you Maintain Brand Specifications When Using AI to Develop Content at Scale?

[00:13:29] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:15:02] How do you Measure the Success of AI Driven Campaigns? 

[00:22:34] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Hostinger

[00:23:56] Are There Any Studies Out There That Investigate The Effectiveness of AI Content? 

[00:30:09] How to Ensure AI Content Avoids Negative Stereotypes

[00:33:58] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 

[00:35:37] Guiding AI With Structured Parameters

[00:41:39] Julia McCoy Pro Tip

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Hostinger: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/hostinger

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaEMcCoy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaemccoy

Resources:

Content Hacker

Julia McCoy Books

Content at Scale

Content Transformation Podcast

Dissecting Google's latest moves in the advertising world, from expanding its ad opportunities to embracing dynamic pricing on YouTube. Also, Google's all-new updates on its indexing API, which now comes with a big dose of spam-detection rigor. Who knew indexing could be this thrilling?

Have you ever wondered if AI could help rake in millions with fake music? Well, a certain North Carolinian named Michael Smith did just that and found himself $10 million richer—but now he’s about to face the music.

Plus: a debate on whether AI can truly capture the essence of human dialogue or if it's just treating us like gullible toddlers.

Join us for some good vibes—or, as Mordy might say, forget the vibes and tune in for the tangible, substantial, and downright entertaining breakdown of the latest web trends. Stay safe, stay well, and avoid being a piece of vibing cyber driftwood.

News from the EDGE:

[00:02:31] Google Expands Ad Opportunities with YouTube First Position Availability

[00:05:29] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: SE Ranking

[00:07:16] Google Indexing API Now Enforces Rigorous Spam Detection for Submissions

[00:09:47] How Google Managed to Charge Publishers Higher Fees Than Competitors

Captain Obvious: 

[00:13:29] Brands and their “Good Vibes”

[00:17:43] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Inlinks

AI Blitz:

[00:19:06] AI and bots allegedly used to fraudulently boost music streams

AI Tools:

[00:21:50] Google Illuminate

[00:00:00] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:32:23] Google Reviews Restrictions For Business Profile Policy Violations

[00:33:23] Google Asks On Social If You Will Use Gemini AI For SEO

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

X: @ErinSparks

X: @MordyOberstein

X: @TheMann00

X: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

You've heard Erin mention on the show before that agency behind Edge of the Web (Site Strategics) is an agile digital marketing agency but what does that mean and why did we decide to become agile?

When Site Strategics wanted to become an agile digital marketing agency earlier this year, we reached out to this week's guest Muhammad Yasin, the director of marketing at PERQ. He and his team shifted to agile marketing a couple years before and our team picked his brain about some of the lessons he learned in the process of this shift.

So this week, having realized we've never dedicated a show to the topic, we decided to bring Muhammad on the show with our COO Jason Fletcher to talk about agile marketing and why both of our organizations work in this manner.

To learn more about PERQ, we had the co-founders of the company on our show a couple years ago. Listen to that show here: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/seo-podcast/show-68-perq-consumer-incentives/

Have you experimented with LinkedIn ads before? We haven't and we wanted to learn more, so we reached out to AJ Wilcox who is the founder of B2Linked.com. They ONLY worked with clients who are doing LinkedIn ads and are a LinkedIn certified ad partner.

While LinkedIn ads have been available for almost 10 years now, LinkedIn has been slow to make updates and have been overpassed by the other social network advertising platforms. LinkedIn, though, has a unique network of professionals that B2Bs love and can really use to take advantage of for marketing.

So, in this beginner's guide episode we ask AJ about the basics of LinkedIn ads, find out more about the new video ad platform, and find out some of the best strategies he uses to help clients get the best results.

We're diving deep into LinkedIn on this episode of EDGE of the Web!

Michael Lewittes swings back around to the EDGE to discuss a current and concerning topic, AI content and its effect on journalism.

Michael brings his quarter-century of media experience to the table, sharing his journey from a seasoned journalist to spearheading cutting-edge SEO tools like Rankify. Discover how transparency, fact-checking, and expertise are more critical than ever in the era of AI-generated content and rampant misinformation.

Explore the vital role of journalistic integrity in an age of deepfakes and echo chambers. With tales of newsroom dynamics and content homogenization, the conversation takes an intriguing turn toward how AI, if unchecked, could drastically alter the content landscape.

Key Segments:

[00:05:38] Early 2000s Fact-Checking Pioneer

[00:06:28] Emphasizing Transparency in Journalism

[00:12:10] Newsroom Lessons and Exclusive Stories

[00:15:00] Deepfake Verification and Digital Responsibility

[00:17:31] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:18:41] Journalism Integrity vs. AI Challenge

[00:22:25] Overreliance on Generative Text Models

[00:29:15] Legal Updates Require Human Expertise

[00:30:56] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix Studio

[00:33:36] AI's Imperfect Progress and Journalism Integrity

[00:36:19] Client-Driven Adaptation

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Wix Studio: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wixstudio

Follow Our Guest

X: https://x.com/MichaelLewittes 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lewittes/

A four-time guest of the EDGE and VP of commerce strategic services at Tinuiti, Elizabeth Marsten, joins the show this week to explore the profound landscape of retail media network marketing. Elizabeth stands out as a distinguished Digital Marketing expert with extensive experience in e-commerce and online marketplaces. 

Discover the essence of Retail Media Networks and explore how the retail industry giants leverage strategies for optimized results. Elizabeth describes the extreme levels of personalization retail media generates, outlining how personalization is expected to skyrocket. Grasp the vast scale of Retail Media Networks, and learn how data-driven positioning has become a centerpiece of digital marketing this week on The EDGE of The Web!

Key Segments:

[00:03:34] Introducing Elizabeth Marsten

[00:05:40 ] How Elizabeth Got Into Retail Marketing

[00:08:16] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:09:03] How has the Digital Marketing Industry Evolved in Recent Years? 

[00:11:29] What Are Retail Media Networks? 

[00:17:20] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Hostinger

[00:18:25] Digital Commerce Category Leading All Others

[00:22:28] How Personalized is Retail Media? 

[00:25:26] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 

[00:26:38] Fully Immersive Virtual Shopping 

[00:34:46] Bringing the Real World Connection to Marketing

[00:36:51] How Does a Small Business Leverage Retail Media? 

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Hostinger: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/hostinger

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://x.com/ebkendo?s=20

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmarsten/

Resources

Tinuiti

Retail Media: The 4 Pillars

Amazon Advertising

[00:04:43] The Why and How of Going Granular: Beyond Traditional Intent
User search intent has increasingly taken center stage for shaping content and SEO, but are the traditional user intent categories up to the task of addressing micro-intentions? Probably not.

[00:13:06] Subtopic Rankings Launched by Google in Mid-November
What Google is aiming at is to diversify the content surfaced on broad queries based on possible subtopics that may be of interest, although it doesn’t seem to have changed the look of SERPs.

[00:20:17] Do Google Ads Salespeople Link Ad Spends to Organic Rankings?
Google spokespeople have been clear in that past that ad spends do not have a direct impact on SEO (buy more ads, get higher ranking), and yet some salespeople seem to suggest just that.

This week's featured guest is Max Yoder, Co-Founder and CEO of Lessonly. Lessonly is an online training software that helps teams learn, practice, and Do Work Better. Max provides us his insights into his unique perspective on building good culture, values, and work ethics with employees in the workplace. If you are wanting to learn how to grow a strong culture, core values, and hard work ethics then this is the episode you need to tune into. Learn more from Max by checking out the EDGE of the Web episode 364.

Key topics discussed during the show:

• Lessonly and online training
• Team culture in a remote workplace
• Building a company with principles first
• Implementing core values in a workplace

Gearing Up for SGE 

Welcome back local SEO specialist and COO at Search Lab Greg Gifford. This week Greg joins host Erin Sparks to uncover the myths about local SEO and frequent challenges haunting business owners. Learn the common mistakes small business owners need to keep an eye on while setting up their Google Business Profile, and to wrap it all up Greg & Erin close with some highly necessary SGE talk. It’s time to master your SEO at a local level this week on the EDGE of the Web!    

Key Segments:

[00:03:13] Introducing Greg Gifford

[00:06:08] Challenges and Myths of Local SEO 

[00:14:25] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:14:59] Issues with the Google Appeal Process 

[00:19:04] Flaws in Google Business Profile 

[00:33:17] When are we going to see Google SGE? 

[00:45:37] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix

[00:46:47] What Does the Spike in Organic Traffic Loss Tell Us? 

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregGifford

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggifford/

Barry Adams returns to the EDGE to share key SEO tips for the news publishing industry. We delve into what Barry has seen from over 50 news site audits as the most common opportunities to leverage in the news ranking race. Be sure to check out the second part of the interview: we continue with these key SEO points as well as a focus on expertise and truth as it applies to  News SEO.  

[00:04:55] Career Path of a News Publishing SEO
[00:09:03] The Volatility in News Publishing: less than 48 Hours
[00:11:15] Topical Expertise, not Domain Authority
[00:14:37] Your Quality Raters Guidelines Checklist
[00:17:16] Page One Power: Title Sponsor edgeofthewebradio.com/pageonepower
[00:17:53] Get the Structured Data Right: NewsArticle + Images
[00:20:28] Having SEO Policies for News Adopted from the Top Down
[00:22:24] Know Thy Internal Links/Tags
[00:27:44] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Site Strategics edgeofthewebradio.com/site
[00:29:58] Infinite Scroll: Kill It
[00:33:30] Slow Response Times Can Be Your Undoing

If you have listened to our show for a while, then you know how much we love the SEMrush tool. It is one of our favorite tools and it is used every day in our agency.

So, we held back our excitement as we talk to Ashley Ward, the Corporate Speaker for SEMrush.

Ashley, a former newspaper journalist, has spoken at conferences all over the world about content marketing and shares with us today about the importance of storytelling.

Every business has a story to tell and telling that story is one of the best things you can do as an organization.

Plus, we discuss a few of our favorite features of the tool and learn a few new ones too!

When you’re going the extra mile for clients in your SEO work, it should feel like you’re being a detective. Your digital marketing clients need to feel confident about your SEO skills, abilities, and results, and that means sharing SEO reporting with them but it’s got to be the right kind of reporting to be effective. Providing your client with a high-quality and understandable SEO report has become very important when discussing SEO with someone who isn't in the SEO world.

This week's EDGE of the Web featured guest Bill Sebald, Managing Partner of Greenlane Marketing, has been creating SEO reports for a wide range of high-profile clients since 2005, and he’s got some incredible insights to share with you. Don't miss the EDGE episode that can help prevent you from digging yourself a hole by providing reports that cannot be understood by your digital marketing clients by getting great advice from Bill!

We have a special show for our listeners of the EDGE.  InLinks. our ongoing sponsor of the News podcast has made a major overhaul of their Keyword and Topic Research Tool. 

We reached out the Dixon Jones to come on the show to share with us the improvements, the process they use, and the key innovation of this update.  Keyword research with NEVER be the same.  It’s great to learn from a marketing SaaS company that is specializing in specific areas and not trying to do it all.  This is the way it should be done.  Get a free account with InLinks at edgeofthewebradio.com/INLINKS!

[00:03:40] Organizing the World by Ideas

[00:06:29] Google on User Intent

[00:07:45] Verbs are the Key to User Intent

[00:08:27] The Inlinks Process

[00:10:13] A Walkthrough of the Software (Check out the Video)

[00:11:57] Topical Data and Queries. Fast

[00:15:37] True User Intent: The Most Groundbreaking Achievement at Inlinks

[00:18:43] Building a Content Plan with the Verb Root Term Clusters

[00:21:34] Adjusting Your Competitor List

[00:25:19] What's the SEO Industry Saying About the Software?

[00:27:54] Not TD IDF Anywhere

[00:37:32] Marketing SaaS Going the Way of Specialization

[00:40:55] Future Updates at InLinks?

[00:41:36] Setup your free account at edgeofthewebradio.com/InLinks

Here’s an episode that takes on a news item and dives into the philosophical and metaphysical (no, not a new Facebook virtual world).  Covering stories from Search Engine Land and The Verge, the EDGE team parks on the side of the machine learning road to discuss the reality of Artificial intelligence and sentience.  Jump in and listen to our take on the AI news and give us a tweet to let us know your thoughts.  Can Artificial Intelligence become sentient?  A Google employee just said he saw it…

Remember, as we continue to celebrate our 500th episode, be sure to grab a swag kit from Ahrefs by sharing your #epicfail with us at #EDGE500!

[00:05:31] Continuing to celebrate EP500 #epicfails!

[00:06:41] Business Manager - the new tool from LinkedIn

[00:09:47] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:10:47] Twitter links are no longer nofollow

[00:15:55] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

[00:17:02] Has Google created a sentient chat bot? Well, they suspended an employee who said that they have…

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

Did you know that in a recent study, it was found that word of mouth resulted in 50-91% of a company's sales - yet most companies don't have a strategy for word of mouth marketing.

That's the reason Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert, decided to focus his next book on how to develop a word of mouth marketing strategy.

The new book, "Talk Triggers," was released in the last two weeks and based on early sales, it seems to be another best-selling book in the making.

Also, we discuss the announcement from Google about their breach and shutdown of Google+, the future of advertising on Facebook, and more - this week and more, today on the EDGE!

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI. Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Mark Traphagan about metrics that should be more important than rank. We also touch on whether Google even wants to give us clicks anymore, and how we might be wasting time even talking about them as much as we do in SEO.

[00:04:44] What are some other metrics that should be more important than just rank?

[00:11:25] It’s not about rank, at some point it’s a brand marketing position.

[00:14:03] Does Google even want to give you a click? 

[00:15:02] We can waste a lot of time complaining about changes from Google...Google’s taking with one hand, giving with another.

[00:21:40] Over 1200 SERP features on Google

[00:25:50] Google’s goal

Carla Johnson is a well-known keynote speaker, author and Chief Experience Officer at Type A Communications. She helps companies tell better stories in order to build stronger brand awareness, better customer engagement, and increase revenue. She is a consultant to the Content Marketing Institute and has worked with brands like American Express, Dell, and Motorola.

More recently, Carla co-authored the book Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing with Robert Rose which teaches marketers how to develop, manage, and lead the creation of valuable experiences for their organization.

We wanted to have Carla on this week's show to talk about branding - and more specifically innovative branding. She has worked with some of the world's biggest brands and has some great insight into how to keep that innovative culture in your company.

If you enjoyed our conversation with Carla, be sure to check out her presentation at Content Marketing World in a few weeks. If you haven't bought your tickets for the event yet, use Carla's discount code to save $100. Use code SPKR100 at checkout.

Mordy’s back with the EDGE after his holiday and throws out hot takes and Captain Obvious moments on the show. We cover the news of the week: AI Overviews that are rolling out in 100+ countries (except for those in the EU, oddly), Google’s perspective on Core Web Vitals and ranking, and the communication from Google about content that starkly differs from the rest of the domain - it ain’t gonna fair well, folks!

Check out our jump into AI News and Tools with this episode—seriously concerning and seriously funny information—the polls of the AI space.

Also - last chance to get BrightonSEO US tickets! Go to https://edgeofthewebradio.com/brightonseo to enter into the weekly giveaway! 

News from the EDGE:

[00:02:15] Last Change for BrightonSEO Tickets

[00:06:37] Moryd’s Hot Take on the Semrush purchase of Search Engine Land

[00:09:30] Google Rolls Out AI Overviews in 100+ Countries

[00:13:34] What Does John Mueller Say About Core Web Vitals and Ranking?

[00:15:54] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:17:15] Google Also Says: Stay in Your Lane

AI News:

[00:27:28] Researchers say an AI-powered transcription tool used in hospitals invents things no one ever said

[00:31:17] Meta is reportedly working on its own AI-powered search engine, too

AI Tools:

[00:34:57] AI pricing generator for your product or SaaS.

[00:37:29] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: InLinks

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:38:46] Google To Sunset Call Ads; Migrating To Responsive Search Ads

[00:40:51] Google Search Console Performance Report Showing Almost No Data Today

[00:42:27] Google: AI Is Not Going Away, So Don't Be Left Behind

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

X: @ErinSparks

X: @MordyOberstein

X: @TheMann00

X: @EDGEWebRadio

It has been a while since we had a show focused on Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). And it's been a while since we had Eric Enge on the show too, so we decided to solve both those issues with this episode.

Eric Enge is the CEO of Stone Temple Consulting and is a great educator and leader in the SEO community. He has conducted several studies for the SEO industry, including voice search and smart assistants. But he has done lots of work and studies with AMP too.

Most of this episode is spent talking about AMP, but we sneak in a few questions about a recent study that Eric did which compared the different smart assistants, which you can read in the links below.

Sponsor
EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

Dan Shure, the host of Experts of the Wire podcast, returns to join the EDGE. He discusses how the show came about in 2015 and the factors of the success of a podcast with today’s digital consumers. There are some huge lessons that the EDGE team shares in common with Dan and his show. We were eager to discuss how podcasting flourished through COVID and what kept some of them afloat after. Dan shares some podcasting tips with our listeners as he reflects on one of the most important elements of podcasts - research.

Join one of the EDGE’s astute colleagues, Dan Shure, as we go on the Wire with this Expert!

[00:02:35] Introducing Dan Shure

[00:04:57] SEO Came From Necessity

[00:10:30] How the SEO Podcast Affected Dan’s Business

[00:12:14] Audio Quality Is a Separator in the Podcast Space

[00:15:54] When Dan's SEO Skills Took Off

[00:17:52] Some Lessons Learned About Podcasting 

[00:18:09] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/pageonepower

[00:19:01] Research is the Key

[00:22:24] Companies that Jumped Into Podcasting During COVID

[00:24:51] Oversaturation of the Medium?

[00:25:33] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

[00:26:07] Podcast Tips: Equipment?

[00:27:26] Find Your Niche or Create One

[00:30:12] Education from the Podcast Discipline

[00:32:53] Asking 50 Experts

Thanks to our sponsors!

Page One Power https://edgeofthewebradio.com/pageonepower 

Wix https://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Follow Guest

https://www.twitter.com/dan_shure 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/evolvingdan/ 

https://www.instagram.com/danshure

Translating Conversion Success To Clients

This week we welcome back distinguished SEO expert, Eli Schwartz, to the EDGE. Eli has put in over a decade of unparalleled B2B and B2C growth initiatives, in addition to writing and publishing his book, Product-Led SEO. In this episode, discover the true meaning behind Product-Led SEO, and how you can utilize this strategy to further position yourself for success. Additionally, understand the significance of creating a customer persona, and how without one, you're unable to fully understand the buyer's journey. We uncover the TRUTH about Product-Led SEO, and how to truly maximize revenues for your clients on this episode of The EDGE of The WEB!

Key Segments:

[00:00:35] BrightonSEO US Free Tickets: Nov 9, 10 2023

[00:04:03] Introducing Eli Schwartz

[00:05:24] What is Product-Led SEO?  

[00:11:18] Eli's SEO Guide Presentation at Google

[00:17:19] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:18:03] Why is Creating a Persona and Understanding Needs of User Not So Commonly Practiced? 

[00:25:20] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix

[00:26:01] Why Google Rankings Don’t Pay the Bills

[00:30:12] Demonstrating REAL Success To Clients

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix   

Follow Our Guest

https://twitter.com/5le?lang=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze

What if we could automate and use machines from some of the most mundane SEO tasks and free up our time for more strategy?

Well, it is possible and we'll find out how machine learning can make our lives a little easier.

Britney Muller is the Senior SEO Scientist at Moz and she has been one of the more vocal leaders in the machine learning space for SEOs. She has written and presented on the topic a number of different times and is continually trying to learn more.

Let's continue our deep dive into machine learning this week on the EDGE!

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

At Site Strategics we make it easy for you to stay up-to-date on the latest #DigitalMarketing news with our roundup segment in each episode. This week’s EDGE of the Web podcast will feature special guest Traci Reuter, Founder and CEO of Divine Social, to provide commentary and analysis on important headlines.

Abusing the host? Is that what Mordy has lowered himself to? We love the Fall decor on the SERP. It’s NEWS!

Today we cover articles from Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, TechCrunch and Search Engine Watch covering topics such as Google’s new search labels for coupons, the depreciating value of the link in the future, Mastodon’s rise amidst the chaos of Twitter, and Mordy Oberstein opines whether Google is moving to a more continuous “real time” algorithm. Oh, and we might talk about Robert Plant, ferns and rubber plants, too.

News from the EDGE:

[00:03:01] New labels to highlight coupons and promos in Google search results

[00:07:21] Perhaps the value of backlinks are changing as Google continues to evolve?

[00:11:47] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:12:41] Social Network Mastodon nearly doubles in users in just one week

[00:22:49] Our own Mordy looks at data to see if we’re moving towards “real-time” algorithm updates.

[00:31:47] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks 

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:32:55] Barry Blast 1: Links may be less important to the Google Search ranking algorithm in the future - Barry - Link

[00:33:57] Barry Blast 2: Google Tests Fall Decorations In Search Results - Link

[00:34:53] Barry Blast 3: Google: No, Your Website Doesn't Need 200,000 Words To Be Considered Authoritative - Link

How to leave Twitter and switch to Mastodon from Jon Henshaw

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

Twitter: @ErinSparks

Twitter: @MordyOberstein

Twitter: @TheMann00

Twitter: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

The face of tech has changed and the pie is getting bigger. We talk about Google’s FLOC and how the scene changes as privacy becomes paramount. Carolyn Lyden, Director of Search Content at Search Engine Land and SMX, also unpacks elitism, the backlash women in tech can face, how you can help, and how the narrative can be reframed to reflect inclusion.

[00:04:13] What is FLoC?

[00:12:48] Does Google get to decide that they're the arbiter of privacy and data?  What do marketers say?

[00:15:06] Carolyn’s take on the Zero Click effect.

[00:16:49] Competitors in the Knowledge Panel? What the FLoC is that?

[00:21:00] The discrepancy of females in the SEO industry.

[00:23:34] Has Carolyn witnessed veiled attacks against women in SEO?

[00:28:44] Key points about being an ally to Women in SEO

Congrats to Barry Schwartz for 30,000 posts on Search Engine Roundtable!  Thanks for all of the hard work.  The EDGE is covering stories from Search Engine Land, Journal and Roundtable this week.  Be sure to check out sponsor edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks to receive a free account today!  

[00:04:42] Local News gets more visibility

[00:10:42] Bing to help get millions of new visitors via PubHub

[00:16:25] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:17:32] Is Code to Text ratio a ranking factor?

[00:22:56] This Week's Poll

[00:26:22] Show Notes

[00:27:02] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Inlinks.net

Craig Campbell visited the EDGE team to share some key understandings around Personal Blog Networks for inbound link building.  He also shared his many tips for “website flipping”: finding old domains, making them sparkle and building the value of the site for sale.  Entrepreneurship is the name of the game here today on the EDGE.

[00:02:35] Is there Black Hat & White Hat SEO anymore?

[00:09:26] What are PBNs? 

[00:14:19] How tough is SEO now?

[00:17:43] How does the process of buying websites work?

[00:22:55] How tough is it to scale?

[00:26:09] Where can you buy websites?

Google Analytics is a wonderful tool that many marketers and websites use, but many marketers make mistakes in Google Analytics when it comes to campaign tagging. Well, we got a hold of Annie Cushing, the founder of Annielytics, to discuss how to make the best of your marketing efforts within Google Analytics.

Some of the topics we cover include:

- Campaign tagging
- Creating Custom Channels & Dimensions
- Filtering out spam traffic

This is a deep-dive into Google Analytics, so if you are a beginner to Google Analytics, we recommend that you have your analytics account open to help you know what we are talking about.

Plus, we catch up with Douglas Karr of the Marketing Tech Blog to discuss one of his latest blogs titled: "What Strategies, Tactics, and Channels Should Marketers Focus on in 2017"

A great episode this week on Edge of the Web!

Work from Home Content Engagement Spikes on LinkedIn

The biggest rise in people engaging with remote working content on LinkedIn is in the US, but not just any content. What’s resonating is an emphasis on support, care, and community. 
By: Matt Southern
From: Search Engine Journal

Facebook Expands Video Chat Capabilities with Messenger Rooms

The sudden huge rise in Zoom users is prompting Facebook to up its game with Messenger Rooms that can handle up to 50 participants, and doubling WhatsApp video chats to 8 people. 
By: Casey Newton
From: The Verge

When Search Results are Disappointing, Google will Offer Query Tips

The new feature in Google Search will be triggered when the search engine can’t find good results for a query and will include suggestions for how to rephrase a search.
By: Barry Schwartz
From: Search Engine Land

Mordy grabs the captain’s seat as Erin’s stuck in a trailer in the garage with COVID. Wow - listen to these guys. They just wander around the news while Erin’s away and offer up Ring Dings to everyone (by the way - call Mordy on that). Then we catch Mordy at the end imitating Ron Burgundy and James Lipton. What’s going on here? Seriously?

Okay - articles from Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable and Kevin Indig. Digging their own holes deeper - Jacob and Mordy give their take on the news this week!

News from the EDGE:

[00:04:04] Nearly Two Thousand Ranking Factors Revealed In Recent Yandex Leak

[00:13:13] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Take the SE Ranking Checklist Challenge!
Receive a one-month Pro 1000 subscription for completing this challenge when you go to https://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking and send a screenshot of these completed steps:

1. Create a project, add at least 5 keywords;
2. Find 5 competitors via the Competitive Research tool and add them to “My Competitors” section;
3. Run a website audit and show what issue you are going to fix;
4. Do a backlink check and upload your backlinks to the Backlink Monitoring tool;
5. Optimize one page using the Content Marketing tool.

[00:14:05] Google Is Getting Sued By The Us Government Again- Could Be A Dismantling Of The Ad Division

[00:17:53] Sometimes Cannibalizing Your Own Product Can Be A Good Thing?!

[00:28:02] Our Title Sponsor: SE Ranking

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:32:09] Barry Blast 1: Poll: Most SEOs Won't Recommend Using AI To Write Content - Link

[00:34:39] Barry Blast 2: Poll: AI-Generated YMYL Content Trusted Less By SEOs - Link

[00:40:03] Barry Blast 3: Report: Dealerships Can List Auto Inventory On Google Business Profiles - Link

Thanks to our Sponsors!

SE Ranking https://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

Twitter: @ErinSparks

Twitter: @MordyOberstein

Twitter: @TheMann00

Twitter: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

Are Your WordPress Plugins Being Hacked?

There has been an uptick in hacker attacks against WordPress sites, and the common thread running through them is the exploitation of security flaws in at least eight different popular plugins. Protect your sites! 

New Nofollow Link Policy Launched. Guest Post Penalties?

Nofollow keeps Google algorithms from learning about linking context, it is now being treated as a hint, not a command. Also, some websites are receiving manual actions for paid outbound links in guest posts. 

Big Tech Cancelling Events Due to COVID-19 Coronavirus

Google just cancelled its huge developer conference (Google I/O), following suite with other tech giants: Facebook cancelled its similar F8 event, and Amazon is not sending anyone to SXSW and other events.

Erin Sparks is back at the mic with Mordy Oberstein to tackle some recent developments in SEO from Google. Today’s news update covers the gamut—another unexpected algorithm update, a recommendation for redirects from Illyes and a new feature that tells end users why a page is ranking in their search results. 

[00:06:54] Google hits us with another spam update

[00:12:16] Gary Illyes recommends keeping redirects in place for one year

[00:16:20] Google is showing why pages rank to the end user

Here’s a little litmus test #DigitalMarketing professionals should apply to their messages: Would you be embarrassed to put this on a billboard? PJ Christie, Founder and CEO of Search and Convert, explains all in episode 313 of the award-winning Site Strategics EDGE of the Web podcast.

From the news: 

Search Engine Journal: 50% of Small Businesses Do Not Have a Marketing Plan
“According to a survey of 350 SMB owners, 50% do not have a marketing plan for 2019.”[Link] By: Matt Southern

Search Engine Land: Google updates Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
“Last week, Google updated its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines for the first time since July 2018.” [Link] By: George Nguyen

DavidGaughran.com: Time To Ditch Mailchimp?
“Mailchimp attracted extreme criticism this week when it became clear how its new marketing services would impact its core email offering.” [Link] By: David Gaughran

GatherUp: The FTC Takes Action On Companies Barring Consumers From Writing Negative Reviews “Including language in your contracts or agreements that bar your customer from writing a negative online review is not only bad form, it’s against the law.” [Link] By: Mike Blumenthal

Sponsor:

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

There’s a lot of news this week coming up on the holidays and it’s Google’s fault! Morty Olberstein and Erin Sparks dig into the new Google Search Console dashboard, December’s link spam algorithm update and Erin’s EEEEEEEEEE onomatopoeia. . .

E-E-A-T

On top of that these two peas in a pod(cast) lament on an Elon Musk Twitter poll asking if he should step down as CEO. You can guess how that conversation went. Oh, and both of their Twitter accounts may or may not still be live. . .

Follow us on Twitter and let us know how we did on this show.

Help us out with a review of the show today!

Go to RatethisPodcast.com/EDGE

News from the EDGE:

[00:03:17] Google Reveals More Information About Search Status Dashboard

[00:08:54] Google December 2022 Link Spam Update Rolling Out Now

[00:12:35] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:13:05] E-E-A-T and major updates to Google’s quality rater guidelines

[00:25:29] Google E-E-A-T: How To Demonstrate First-Hand Experience

[00:27:44] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

[00:28:38] Elon Musk’s poll results are in: He should step down, Twitter voters say

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:32:59] Barry Blast: Quick Roundup

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

Twitter: @ErinSparks

Twitter: @MordyOberstein

Twitter: @TheMann00

Twitter: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

Dug into Search Engine Land, Tech Crunch and yes, Bloomberg (the first one on deck) this week. Of course, we couldn’t cover the bloody 5th Product Review Update from Google, as we recorded on Monday. Wow - updates are coming inside of weeks now. Can’t really grab ahold of that unless we go to a daily news show! (Please stop the updates, Google, please!)

Had great fun, as usual, with Mordy and Jacob. Check out the links and let us know how we’re doing at RateThisPodcast.com/Edge!

[00:03:12] Negative reviews can not be changed through incentives to customers

[00:06:19] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:07:08] Discord-like Messaging coming to Facebook

[00:09:02] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

[00:09:55] Google and Alphabet antitrust suit regarding ad technology will NOT be thrown out…

[00:14:15] Fast Track 1: Google Drops Article Too Short & Word Count Section From The Search Console Content Errors

[00:16:26] Fast Track 2:Google Promotes Google Lens In Mobile Search

[00:18:34] Fast Track 3: Google Tests Two People Also Ask Results In One Question

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

GA 4 is coming, and Google says it will implement it for you. Do you want to be verified on Twitter? That’ll be $1000 per month. . . maybe? Is Google going after ChatGPT? Lastly, a judge just used ChatGPT to help him write his ruling. OMG! Great articles from Search Engine Land, The Information & Vice. And, of course, Search Engine Roundtable.

Erin Sparks and Mordy Oberstein tackle these trending topics and many more on the 567th edition of EDGE of the Web!

News from the EDGE:

[00:05:25] Make the switch to GA4, or Google will do it for you

[00:11:19] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

[00:12:35] Twitter Considers Charging Brands $1000 Per Month to Stay Verified

[00:20:47] Sundar Pichai confirms Google is working on AI search feature users can “engage directly with”

[00:023:33] A Judge Just Used ChatGPT to Make a Court Decision

[00:30:04] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor:

 https://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking 

Take the SE Ranking Checklist Challenge!
Receive a one-month Pro 1000 subscription for completing this challenge when you go to https://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking and send a screenshot of these completed steps:

1. Create a project, add at least 5 keywords;
2. Find 5 competitors via the Competitive Research tool and add them to “My Competitors” section;
3. Run a website audit and show what issue you are going to fix;
4. Do a backlink check and upload your backlinks to the Backlink Monitoring tool;
5. Optimize one page using the Content Marketing tool.

One Edge Listener Will Get A Full Year Business Package. We’ll Announce That On Our Feb 10th Podcast! A $2,500 Value!

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:33:28] Barry Blast 1: Google Does Major Refresh Of The Canonicalization Help Documentation

[00:35:57] Barry Blast 2: Google Local Review Filters Removed Many Legit Reviews, Google Restoring Reviews

[00:39:30] Barry Blast 3: Google Testing Apprentice Bard: Google's Answer To OpenAI's ChatGPT?

Thanks to our sponsors!

SE Ranking https://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking 

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

Twitter: @ErinSparks

Twitter: @MordyOberstein

Twitter: @TheMann00

Twitter: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

Is This The End Of Google Ads?

We’re back with another episode of news from this EDGE! Unfortunately, Mordy had to step away this week but fear not! Wix’s Crystal Carter steps in to fill all the gaps! 

Are marketers actually contemplating a departure from Google Ads in light of the alleged adjustment to ad prices? Google attempts to regain teen market share with Search Generative Experience after losing almost half of Gen Z queries to TikTok and Instagram. Plus…the United States might not hold the highest position in artificial intelligence, says the CIA. As always, we have all the Google, AI, and SEO news to keep you in the loop here on another episode of News From the EDGE!

*BONUS* We’re giving away 40 FREE Brighton SEO tickets until November 2nd!!! Enter for your chance to win by going to edgeofthewebradio.com/brightonseo! Congratulations to this week's winners!

News from the EDGE:

[00:02:06] BrightonSEO Sweepstakes

[00:05:28] Is your teenager ready for SGE? (Is SGE ready for teenagers??)

[00:14:13] Greg Finn says it is time to LEAVE Google Ads

[00:21:59] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics [00:22:55] TikTok is looking to offer an ad-free experience for subscribers. How much would you pay? 

AI Blitz:

[00:29:57] Tom Hanks says AI version of him used in dental plan ad without his consent

[00:35:31] CIA official says China ‘growing every which way’ on artificial intelligence 

AI Tools:

[00:38:14] LyricStudio - Unleash Your Creativity with AI-Powered Songwriting Assistance and Lyric Generation

[00:40:37] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: InLinks

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:41:27] Google Local Chat With A Live Agent Rolling Out?

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site    

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

BrightonSEO https://edgeofthewebradio.com/brightonseo/

Follow Us:

Twitter: @ErinSparks

Twitter: @CrystalCarter

Twitter: @TheMann00

Twitter: @EDGEWebRadio

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

Earlier this year, Erin and Tom were sitting at a local networking event and the presenter started talking about this concept called Radical Candor. It was a new book that had just come out and it definitely perked their interest.

While we tend to focus on digital marketing topics for our show, we know that a lot of our audience are in management roles and could learn a few things from the book.

So we reached out to Kim Scott, the author of the book "Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity", to see if she could come on our show and answer our questions about the topic of "Radical Candor"

The book was released earlier this year and it has now become a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. In the book, she shares personal stories of her professional development as she worked in Russia, to starting her own company, to running successful teams at Google in how she developed the concepts she talks about in her book.

Giveaway

We are giving away ONE FREE COPY of Kim Scott's book "Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity." To enter our contest, head over to our Facebook Live conversation and leave a question or comment for Kim and we'll choose one as the winner! You have until Friday, December 8 at noon ET to enter! To enter the contest, visit: https://www.facebook.com/EdgeoftheWeb/videos/1303616849748166/

Erin Sparks welcomes guest Areej AbuAli, founder of Crawlina and Women in Tech SEO, to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, what it’s like to grow a community from scratch, the importance of mentorship, and some of the challenges women face in the SEO industry.

Join them as they explore what it’s like being an entrepreneur. . . on the EDGE!

• [00:02:43] Introducing Areej AbuAli
• [00:05:25] Interest in Technical SEO
• [00:07:36] Computer Engineering and SEO?
• [00:08:54] Education in SEO
• [00:11:01] Enterprise vs. Mid Market/SMB
• [00:14:35] Technical SEO for the Enterprise
• [00:16:13] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics
• [00:17:10] The Entrepreneurial Journey
• [00:19:57] Women in Tech SEO Community
• [00:22:52] The Challenges of Being a Woman in SEO
• [00:26:47] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Wix
• [00:27:21] Women in Technical SEO Festival
• [00:29:15] WTS Mentoring Focus
• [00:33:17] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: SE Ranking
• [00:34:25] Going International

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://www.sitestrategics.com

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

SE Ranking: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking

Follow Guest

• https://www.twitter.com/areej_abuali
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/areejabuali/
• womenintechseo.com
• crawlina.com

Would love it if you'd give us a rating on ratethispodcast.com/edge!

In our second segment with Tim Schmoyer, founder of VideoCreators.com, we walk through what it takes to create YouTube Shorts with success. It’s not for the faint of heart, truly. Learn about the steps to adhere to and the audience's desires in Shorts. Tim also shares his story of content creation burnout and the stresses and issues it caused. Tim provides a good deal of transparency into how he got through it and shared tips to avoid “hitting the wall” in your production and, more importantly, your health.

[00:04:58] YouTube Shorts: What Value Do They Have?

[00:09:22] 1 YouTube Subscribers = 23 TikTok Subscribers

[00:12:47] Getting Into YouTube Shorts: Key Steps

[00:19:01] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:19:46] YouTube Shorts: Just Show Change

[00:24:45] Would Tim Recommend Going to YouTube Shorts?

[00:27:46] Burnout on Creating Content

[00:29:03] Tim Shares His Story on Content Creation Burnout & Tips

[00:31:56] (1) Set Healthier Boundaries with Social Media

[00:32:37] (2) Stay Well-Grounded

[00:33:46] (3) Surround Yourself with People Who Can Do Things Better Than You

[00:34:42] (4) Make Sure You Have Therapy in Your Life

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://www.sitestrategics.com

Follow Tim: 

https://twitter.com/timschmoyer

https://www.facebook.com/videocreatorstv

In this episode of EDGE of the Web, Erin welcomes the talented Akvile DeFazio to discuss the exciting world of AI in marketing. Akvile shares advice for small businesses looking to harness the power of AI, emphasizing the importance of beginner AI courses and webinars. Akvile shares her thoughts about the dynamic nature of marketing, the intricate balance between AI tools and human creativity, and the necessity of human oversight in AI-generated content.

Akvile also announces her upcoming free webinar on Black Friday and Cyber Monday ad strategies, co-hosted with Mikhail Alfon on September 10. She provides an engaging look at AI's evolving role in advertising, discussing creative tools like Canva's plugin with ChatGPT, and emphasizing the importance of strategic thinking and empathy in crafting impactful ads.

[00:10:37] AI Exploits Human-Like Errors For Authentic Advertising

[00:13:30] Creative Tools For Marketing

[00:14:17] Exploring AI Tools For Creative Design Solutions

[00:16:01] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:17:10] AI Prompts Transforming Artistic Creation And Education

[00:25:57] AI Emotion Synthesis Needs Stringent Governance Controls

[00:27:73] Ensure Cultural Accuracy With Inclusive, Checked Messaging

[00:31:53] Beginner AI Resources

[00:33:27] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix Studio

[00:34:46] Upcoming Webinar Announcement

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wixstudio

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://x.com/AkvileDeFazio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akdefazio/

There's one thing that is for certain in the marketing technology industry - change.

Rather than slowing down, several big changes are accelerating across the industry but what is driving this change? Will it slow down or continue to accelerate?

Scott Brinker, the editor of chiefmartec.com and VP of Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot, joins us on the show this week to explore this change in marketing technology and what trends he's seeing in the MarTech Industry.

All this and plenty of 301 redirect jokes, today on the EDGE!

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

--

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

Guiding the Buyer's Journey

After a long hiatus, Marketing Scientist Dr. Pete Meyers is back on the EDGE once again! As a marketing scientist at Moz, Dr. Pete specializes in monitoring the google algorithm. In this episode, Dr. Pete shares his perspective on the SGE generative experience, as well as how site owners can utilize the new SERP. Google, Google, and more Google is what’s in store today. Learn how to seize control of your customer’s journey in this episode of EDGE of The WEB!

Key Segments:

[00:03:03] Introducing Marketing Scientist, Dr. Pete Meyers
[00:13:33] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics
[00:14:49] Dr. Pete’s Biggest Takeaways from Google I/O 
[00:18:42] Should Site Owners Anticipate Traffic Loss? 
[00:23:56] How Will Google's Generative AI Change The Buyer's Journey?
[00:27:34] Does Google Have The Rights To Your Content?
[00:29:05] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 
[00:32:25] Will Google Remove Query Reporting Due To Privacy Purposes?
[00:35:14] How Can You Control The Buyer’s Journey Moving Forward?
[00:37:28] The Impact Of Paid Ads In The New Journey Funnel

Thanks to our Sponsors!
Site Strategics http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site  
Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix   

Follow our Guest:
https://www.twitter.com/dr_pete
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpete/
https://mastodon.social/@dr_pete

Bill Slawski is the Director of SEO Research at Go Fish Digital and he is also behind the blog SEO by the Sea. As well as his extensive SEO knowledge, Bill is known for examining and studying patents filled by search engines.

In this episode, Erin and Tom talk to Bill about the latest patent filed by Google (Project Jacquard - Textile-Based Device Controls), learn about the weirdest patent Google ever filed, and learn more about Bill's history in law.

Check out this fun interview and join us for our next show on Facebook Live for a chance to win a free account to Ahrefs!

Erin Sparks interviews Akvile DeFazio, founder and president of Akvertize Inc., an award-winning agency specializing in paid social media advertising. Akvile shares her rich experience managing social media adverts across various sectors, including e-commerce, events, and apps, leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok.

Key discussion points include:

• Ad Strategies and Targeting
• Changes in Consumer Behavior
• Importance of Conversion Tracking
• AI and Advertising
• User Experience
• Meta Ads for E-commerce
• Advertising Landscape Changes

Akvile also shares the importance of mentorship, ongoing learning, and adaptation in the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing. Listen about her own journey, the role mentors played in her success, and her commitment to paying it forward by mentoring college students.

We sure to check her presentation out at BrightonSEO US in November!

Hey! BrightonSEO US is THE event where the brightest minds in the industry share their insights, and we’re giving YOU a chance to be part of it—for FREE! Go to the link https://edgeofthewebradio.com/brightonseo to enter into the weekly raffle! 5, 2-day tickets are available each week! Join us in November!

Be sure to RateThePodcast/EDGE! We would love to hear from you about this episode!

Key Segments:

[00:12:59] Social Media Targeting Changed Due to Privacy Regulations

[00:16:40] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:17:41] Paid Social: Effective with AI-driven Features Evolving

[00:20:03] Expand Ad User Experience; Ensure Seamless Journey

[00:21:57] Facebook Excels in Advertising, Discovery, and Shopping

[00:27:16] Use Facebook's Data for Optimal Audience Targeting

[00:29:49] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix Studio

[00:33:22] Consumers Buying Earlier, Reducing Bottom-funnel Ad Spend

[00:34:21] Trusting in the Black Box

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wixstudio

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://x.com/AkvileDeFazio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akdefazio/

In this two-part interview, Roger Montti of Search Engine Journal talks about how last year’s pandemic affected SEOs who want to see each other and learn from one another. He and Erin Sparks talk about how new SEOs can’t be afraid to be challenged, Montti’s perspective on CWV and discuss that Wix & Wordpress spat.

[00:04:24] Roger’s Publishing History

[00:07:03] The Effect The Loss Of Conventions Have Had On The Seo Community.

[00:13:08]  Don’t Be Afraid To Be Challenged

[00:14:19] Core Web Vitals, Roger’s Take.

[00:24:57] Wix and Wordpress Slap Fest

Did Google Start the New Year with a Search Algorithm Update? 

There are always people complaining about drops in traffic and other people happy about traffic increasing. The chatter itself does not necessarily indicate a significant update occurred.

Microsoft Advertisers Could Win Great Prizes

Enter the Microsoft Advertising Sweepstakes by completing the MS Advertising Certified Professional certification, adding a new MS Advertising account, or enrolling in the MS Advertising Partner Program.

How are Headings Really Supposed to be Used for SEO? Google Speaks!

Google’s John Mueller explained how to use H1, H2, and H3 HTML headers in SEO. The different heading levels with keywords don’t affect ranking. Use them to show hierarchical levels of information. 

[00:03:24] New Community Feedback Feature on Yelp for “Health and Safety Measures”

Enough people want to know how safe they’ll be from the pandemic if they visit local businesses that Yelp has added a feedback feature for social masking and social distance compliance.

[00:10:52]Google Doesn’t Want to Pay Australian News Company

Australia wants an industry code requiring tech giants like Google to pay news publishers. Google’s “experiment” of disappearing Australian news from search is a chilling response.

[00:19:21]Dedicated Results Pages for Hashtag Searches on YouTube

Previous searches by hashtag inevitably included results not carrying the hashtag, but YouTube has an improved hashtag search now that limits results to videos actually carrying the hashtag.

Beta Integration with PromoteIQ Now Available in Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Advertising is making changes to support retailers, including an integration with PromoteIQ now in beta mode, along with Microsoft Bing for Commerce.  

What Shopping Ad Managers Should Know in 2020

Four things: Smart Shopping Campaign automation with Google, going global with International Shopping Ads, structured markup for feed-free product data, and Microsoft Bing Smart Shopping Ads.

Tracking Offline Conversions with Microsoft Advertising

When you want to get the full story of revenue attributable beyond website activity, you need to know how to import all kinds of outside data into Microsoft Advertising.

Mordy and Erin tear into the topics this week (except for the Google Algorithm changes this weekend...missed that). We even got Mordy to pipe in about Google Ads, great info about impression-only data from your ads.  The State of SEO 2021 from Search Engine Journal was The guys cut up again, so dive in today!

[00:03:23]

Twitter’s Communities might be different - and have better context

[00:08:37]

Historical Query Data without Clicks from Google’s Search Terms report

[00:15:34]

Search Engine Journal’s State of SEO 2021 Report

How do you create the content your audience wants? The likes, the comments, the shares....the lack of likes, comments, shares, sentiment, the amount of total brand conversation - these are all data points in your focus group of how your audience is perceiving your brand.

On this show, we are talking to Stacey Jaffe, the Vice President of Digital Content and Channels for Teach for America, who had just spoken at the Digital Now conference in Orlando, Florida. Stacey and her team are creating content for Teach for America by staying true to their "north star".

Find out more about this and more, today on the Edge!

We had a great time at SMX West in San Jose this year and were able to sit down with some thought leaders in our digital marketing space.  Huge thanks to Third Door Media, who opened the door for EDGE of the Web to be part of the conference.

We were able to catch up to Elizabeth Marsten, friend of the show and presenter at SMX. We covered the digital marketplace of Amazon, Walmart and Google Shopping.  Give it a watch and listen!

Be sure to enter the code "EdgeoftheWeb" at Riverside.fm for 15% off of your subscription!

https://creators.riverside.fm/edgeoftheweb.

We welcome back Michael Lewittes for his third interview segment this week. We dive into Ranktify, the content optimization tool Michael founded back in 2022. Learn how Ranktify offers you the capability to connect the dots between product and user through a holistic process of amplifying each piece of E-E-A-T in your content. Micheal gives insight into the future impact generative AI will have on search ranking, identifying how Ranktify’s authoritative content creation differs from some of the leading AI tools. Learn what Ranktify can offer to your website, and discover the future landscape of SEO tools this week on the EDGE of the Web! 

Key Segments:

[00:04:53] Reintroducing Michael Lewittes

[00:07:05] What Ranktify Offers as a Tool 

[00:11:18] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:18:12] How Ranktify Differs from Gen-AI Tools

[00:21:12] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: SERanking

[00:22:17] What Michael Sees on the AI Horizon

[00:35:08] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Wix

[00:37:19] Final Advice From Michael Lewittes

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://www.sitestrategics.com

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

SERanking: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/seranking

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelLewittes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lewittes

Resources

https://www.ranktify.com/

This week, we welcome Dana DiTomaso to the show for her long-awaited return to the EDGE. Dana is a marketing partner at Kick Point, working to help clients grow businesses by making digital marketing and traditional marketing work well together.

In this episode, Dana and Erin discuss the role of the agency and its responsibility to help shepherd the Google assets of its clients.  Pay attention to how Big Query is set up for your clients: they must own the connection - it cannot be moved from an agency account to the client after set up!

This discussion also hones in on topics ranging from data-channeling, restrictions, and interpretation methods that help you optimize your utilization of Google Analytics. Grasp the power of Google’s advanced user-centric analytics in GA4, right here on The EDGE of The Web!

Key Segments:

[00:03:29] Introducing Dana DiTomaso

[00:05:07] How Dana got into SEO

[00:08:17] New Responsibilities For Digital Marketers with the Birth of GA4

[00:13:26] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics 

[00:21:00] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Hostinger 

[00:22:40] Differences Between UA and GA4 

[00:28:16] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix 

[00:29:39] Was GA4 Prematurely Implemented? 

[00:32:27] What Metrics Have Changed as a Result of GA4?

[00:35:33] A New Approach to Interpretation With GA4 

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Site Strategics: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Wix: http://edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

Hostinger: https://edgeofthewebradio.com/hostinger 

Follow Our Guest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danaditomaso?lang=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dditomaso/

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Grow Your Agency with Google Analytics Training & Templates

9 Google Ads Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Business

We came across a very important article from Dan Taylor this week regarding the possibility of site indexing being the most coveted goal for SEO’s of the future. Coupled with an article from Search Engine Roundtable regarding Google’s ability to ascribe quality to different sections of your site - I think we have some clear perspective of the SEO future to come! (see, Erin can write!) Article from the Verge, Search Engine Land, and DanTalyor.online, as well as Search Engine Roundtable - it’s a jammed-packed digital marketing news show this week!

[00:04:55] Paid features coming to Facebook and Instagram

[00:09:30] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:10:28] The Helpful Content update is still going, and going, and going…

[00:13:23] Next up for SEOs: Indexing!

[00:18:31] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

[00:19:33] Fast Track 1: Google Ads To Disapprove Ads That Don't Meet Better Ads Standards

[00:20:40] Fast Track 2: Google Can Crawl Site Sections More Frequently & Determine Quality By Section

[00:22:44] Fast Track 3: SiteGround Now Hosting Bill Slawski's SEO By The Sea For Free

[00:23:22] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/pageonepower

[00:24:00] #SEOChat

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Page One Power https://edgeofthewebradio.com/pageonepower 

#StandwithUkraine edgeofthewebradio.com/ukraine

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are going to continue to dominate the conversation in the PPC industry this year. What are the best ways to use Machine Learning and AI and what skills do you need to have to be successful?

Brad Geddes joins us this week to discuss the role Machine Learning should play your PPC campaigns and how it can positively or negatively impact your campaigns. If you don't know, Brad is the co-founder of Adalysis and is one of only two Google-Approved AdWords Seminar Leaders to ever receive the recognition. He has conducted more than 100 officially supported AdWords Seminars and has spoken at more than 125 conferences around the world.

Machine Learning and AI in PPC - Let's find out more, today on the EDGE!

Sponsor

EDGE of the Web is brought to you by Site Strategics and they are offering to help you find out your digital marketing ROI. The Digital Marketing ROI Report will examine your existing SEO, content, social media, and PPC to help you discover your TRUE ROI.

Visit https://edgeofthewebradio.com/roi/ to get 30% off your comprehensive review of your digital assets!

Edge of the Web Radio is brought to you by Site Strategics. Site Strategics is a web design and marketing services company that not only helps business owners look good on the internet but helps ensure you come to the top positions on major search engines. Are you looking for a professional SEO firm? Site Strategics curtails its business to Indianapolis, Indiana -- but also works nationwide and globally. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.sitestrategics.com/ or http://www.edgemedia.studio

It’s been announced and we need to ramp up our understanding  and implementation of Google Analytics 4. 

Krista Seiden of KS Digital, LLC shares about her role as project manager of GA4, discusses the history of Google Analytics, and maps implementation of Google Analytics 4.  An incredible resource of knowledge of GA4, Krista teaches the foundational concepts of the new platform and the treasure trove of new insights that are coming our way.  It’s time to get our GA4 game on as we have a year to gather our data before it’s gone from Universal Analytics.

[00:03:52] Krista Seiden's history that led her to GA4

[00:06:41] Moving to the GA education team

[00:08:09] PM on the new Google Analytics product: GA4

[00:10:31] Short history of Google Analytics

[00:11:58] What Universal Analytics brought to the table in 2014

[00:13:16] GA4 released under the tool name: Google Analytics App Plus Web

[00:14:41] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: edgeofthewebradio.com/wix

[00:15:18] The web doesn't work the same way that we used to measure user behavior

[00:16:50] The GA4 foundational concept: User behavioral modeling as opposed to chasing fictitious accuracy

[00:19:00] The sunset announcement & the contention

[00:20:07] Why are people afraid of GA4

[00:22:30] Where is our historical data going?

[00:28:07] What is being lost in Google Analytics 4?

[00:31:03] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:32:00] This isn't the Bounce Rate you're looking for…

[00:44:04] First time ever: fully customize the user interface of analytics

[00:44:50] Google Signals: Connecting users between their devices

[00:47:03] The new mindset of getting into GA4

When it’s time to catch up on the latest #DigitalMarketing news, all you have to do is tune in to the latest episode of the Site Strategics EDGE of the Web podcast! This week features analysis and commentary with Lily Ray, SEO Director at Path Interactive on stories such as the Google disavow tool is not going away so just use the old version for now, starting July 1 all new sites will be indexed using Google’s mobile-first indexing, and Google’s updated Quality Rater Guidelines targeting E-A-T, page quality and interstitials.

Eli Schwartz joins us on the second part of his interview on the EDGE, discussing how to achieve Blue Ocean status with your SEO strategy.  Learn some key points on how to acquire that valuable knowledge of customer need and experiences by tried and true methodology. Lastly - learn why you shouldn’t care about Position Zero. Make sure you check out his new book, “Product-Led SEO: The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy”.

[00:06:05] Blue Ocean and Red Ocean

[00:11:27] Are Blue Ocean Strategies for Everyone?

[00:12:23] Learning Customer Blue Oceans: Surveys, Customer Data & Customer Support

[00:15:32] The Interview Series Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:16:17] The Challenge: SEO Siloed Away from Sales and Marketing

[00:18:43] Paid Search is Research

[00:19:40] The Goal is the North Star

[00:20:47] Sponsor for EDGE of the Web: Wix

[00:22:13] How to Guide Clients Away from Keyword Volume Buglights

[00:25:18] Touching the Third Rail: Who Cares about Position Zero?

What is Google's latest shake-up? The Page Experience Report's exit from Search Console. This week, we are joined by the insightful Lidia Infante from SurveyMonkey, as we explore the headlines in the SEO and Marketing world.

The DOJ has some audacious demands for Google to sell Chrome, and ads have finally hit the AI Overview pages: We even unpack the drama-filled lawsuit between WP Engine and Automattic, questioning the ethical boundaries of open-source communities. This is the stuff that only Andy Cohen can unravel at this point. 

Ever wondered about the environmental costs of AI? Lidia hits us with some eye-opening facts while we dissect Google's claim of reducing power consumption by 90%. Don’t miss our banter over volatile localization signals and ranking shifts during Google’s November Core Update!

News from the EDGE:

[00:04:28] Google Search Console Drops Page Experience Report

[00:09:59] Ads Now Being Seen on Google AI Overviews

[00:18:25] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:19:46] WP Engine Intensifies Legal Dispute With Automattic

[00:28:54] DOJ is Pushing for a Sell-Off of Google’s Chrome Browser

[00:37:11] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: InLinks 

Barry Blast from Search Engine Roundtable:

[00:38:28] Google Also Cautions On Using Google People Also Ask For Content Ideas

[00:39:54] Google November 2024 Core Update Movement - Slow But For Some Massive

Bonus Coverage:

[00:42:19] Freaky AI News: Human, Please die.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site

Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks

Follow Us:

X: @ErinSparks

X: @LidiaInfanteM

X: @TheMann00

X: @EDGEWebRadio

There aren’t very many people who got involved in SEO from the very beginning and then stuck with it all the way to now. When you have the opportunity to book a guest who basically invented SEO and popularized the term itself, you take it, right? We had the opportunity to have the one and only, Father of SEO, Bruce Clay on EDGE of the Web episode 333! If you don't know Bruce, he is the Founder and President of Bruce Clay Incorporate. He speaks at leading industry conferences (over 300) and conducts training courses for students worldwide. He's also been featured in various publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, PC Week, and many more.

We deep-dived into the recent Wall Street Journal's recent article on November 15th, "How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms and Changes Your Results: The internet giant uses blacklists, algorithm tweaks and an army of contractors to shape what you see". Learn about the truth and miscommunication between The Wall Street Journal and Google as we break down this lengthy article into sections to analyze the information!

Mark Williams-Cook continues on the EDGE with the last show of 2024 - discussing his recent findings of a Google bug exploit that shows us a HUGE insight into ranking factors. Learning from the endpoints that send data to micro-services that influence features on Google, Mark was able to discover a way to modify the requests that output JSON data. From that - they saw a slew of “properties  that Google was collecting from their ranking systems and query classifiers as to certain scores they were giving websites.” Yup - that’s bigger than the DOJ Google leaks earlier this year, folks! At the end of the day, it’s a consensus score. Are we in alignment?

Learn about AlsoAsked.com, the software that Mark has been building for the last few years. We’re huge fans of what this tool can be used for: 

Mark dissects the importance of understanding SERP dynamics beyond just the "10 blue links." He emphasizes the need to delve deeper into "People Also Ask" panels to gain insights into user intent and search behavior. 

AlsoAsked.com not only offers a visual map of intent but also supports both synchronous and asynchronous API requests. This functionality allows programmatic querying of PAA data, essential for responding to real-time changes in user queries and optimizing content planning effectively.

A huge tool - and a huge insight into Google’s consensus data analysis of a site. Great lessons learned from this last show of 2024. Dig in!

[00:03:39] Introduction to Mark Williams-Cook

 [00:05:02] Mark Reported a Google Exploit - a Big One

[00:10:11] Metrics Called “Site Quality” from Google

[00:14:43] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics

[00:18:29] It’s About Consensus Factors

[00:23:38]  AlsoAsked.com: Understanding the Most Important Feature on the SERP

[00:25:00]  The Intent Research Tool

[00:31:04] Screenshare of the Tool: Check out our YouTube video

[00:35:58]  A Slice in Time isn't Enough

[00:36:18] EDGE of The Web Sponsor: Wix Studio

[00:39:11] Using it with Screaming Frog & ChatGPT - an SEO Superpower

[00:42:17] A Recent Challenge from John Mueller & Mark’s Response 

[00:46:14] It’s Not About Repeating Answers, It's About NEW Answers 

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