So today is a tip episode, no guest to interview, just little old me.
My tips, my advice.
These shorter more succinct episodes are here to help with easy learning and quick wins and I promise they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.
Today I’m answering questions about ecommerce SEO.
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Setting up a website is not a one-off process.
In many ways, it’s like having a plant.
Building your website and optimising it to be found is like setting up the nutrient-rich soil.
Hitting publish for the first time is like planting a seed.
Now you just sit back and see what happens right?
No, much like that little seed, if you ignore it, it will wither away, much like your website traffic.
You have to monitor it, remove any bugs, and give it plenty of water and sunshine. I’ll leave the plant metaphor there.
So how do we keep it healthy and thriving? The answer? Well, one answer is Google Search Console. I often describe it as Google Analytics ugly cousin, but in fact, it’s a rich source of website nutrients, helping you diagnose, and understand your website, and if necessary bring it back to life.
Today we’ll look at the benefits of using Google’s Search Console as a tool in your SEO garden shed to keep traffic high and problems low.
Tune in to learn:
What Google Search Console is
Two metrics to focus on when you’re getting started
What Sodiq thinks of Search Console Insights
Where to start looking when your traffic is way down
More advanced ways to use Google Search Console
Sodiq’s tips for getting acquainted with Google Search Console
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Need a speedy SEO Fix?
These micro SEO tip episodes are a fast way to digest a little SEO knowledge for easy learning and quick wins and I guarantee they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.
Today I’ll be giving you some top tips on Local SEO.
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Showing Google you've got the goods
Hey you, ecommerce store owner.
I know you got a sexy theme for your website that promised it was responsive, conversion-focused and all that jazz.
But is it?
So many ecommerce sites fall down on the basics of user experience.
Terrible navigation - check
Confusing home page - check
Bland category pages - check
Cut and paste product descriptions - check
And don’t get me started on that checkout experience.
Well, today we’re honing in on carts, shopping and making the sale.
Telling you how to turn casual browsers into eager buyers.
Tune in to learn
The three main differences between service-based business SEO and ecommerce SEO
How small businesses should build out the primary nav structure
Two ways to start driving more relevant traffic to your ecommerce site today
How to avoid the duplicate content issue with collection and product pages
How to do keyword research for collection pages and product pages
How to improve time on site and key information you should add to encourage customers through to the sale
How to stand out in the SERPS against the bigger brands
Optimising your product pages - where to start
Why generative AI isn’t going to doom ecommerce stores
The importance of your brand story, and taking consumers on a journey with your brand
Useful resources
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Okay, are you ready for a rant?
I know I share interviews and chats.
I’ve now started sharing tips and advice.
But today it’s rant time. This Toon is angry and I want to share why.
So today I’m getting stuck into shitty SEO agencies.
What they do.
Why they do it.
And how to see the red flags before you get screwed.
Ready? Let’s go.
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Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course
Understanding how Google classifies context.
The Google beast has come a long way since 10 blue links, doorway pages and exact match domains.
But what’s changed the most is probably how we consider and use keywords.
At beginner level we’re gathering keywords, grouping them by content and then using them on our pages, but as Google strives to improve the search results, it has started to dig deeper, and look at more than just the words on the page - now Google thinks about both context and the relationships between words.
And this, my friends, is what we mean when we talk about entity-based SEO.
Tune in to learn:
Today we’ll cover:
What entities are
What a knowledge graph is
What semantic search is
How semantic search helps users find relevant information
Keyword research: how relevant it is with entities in the mix
Nik’s top 5 tips for content writers with Natural Language Processing in mind
Useful resources:
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I’ve started a new style of episode.
I’ve had an amazing run of interviewing other humans but often you don’t hear that much from me.
My tips, my advice.
So I thought I’d start sharing that with you.
After a long 5 years, shorter more succinct episodes for easy learning and quick wins, 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.
Today I’ll be covering Core Web Vitals: what are they, why do we care about them, and how we can make them better.
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Leaving your audience satisfied with every click
So you have your beautiful new website.
You’ve carefully written the copy and paid an arm and a leg for a fancy pants design, you’ve even done a little SEO, optimising your images, writing titles and metas and making an effort to speed up your site.
But you’ve noticed something odd when you look at Google Analytics.
Your time on site is low.
People are only viewing one or two pages.
And your conversions are lower than worm doing a limbo.
‘What went wrong?’ you cry, gnashing your teeth.
Well it could be your user experience.
How people enjoy and consume the content on your site, and travel from point a to point b.
Perhaps there are 15 steps before I can check out.
Perhaps the font is so small it needs a microscope to read.
Or the buttons have grey copy on a grey background.
User experience is crucial not just for … the users, but also to please the Google beast, so lets dig into this topic today.
Tune in to learn:
User experience: what it is, and how it differs from accessibility
How to measure user satisfaction
Why engagement is so important to SEO
Which good engagement metrics to focus on
The pros and cons of heat mapping tools
Kevin’s best heat mapping tool recommendations
Which GA4 reports you should focus on
How marketers should approach SEO content in 2023, compared to 2013
Kevin’s number one tip to improve user experience
Useful resources:
Freebies:
Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course
A complete history of algorithm updates (and why they matter)
Google appears to be fiddling with things all the time, which can feel overwhelming for your average site owner.
But the truth is most of the updates don’t impact small business website owners, and Google is pretty open about the big changes that you really need to take action on.
In this episode, I’ll run through a complete history of the algorithm updates since 2011 and explain what they mean and how they help.
Tune in to learn:
What is an algorithm?
Why are all the updates named crazy things?
The biggest updates you need to know about
Why Google changes things all the time
Bonus: top tips on how to use pop-ups on your website.
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Brendan Kelso and Kate Toon get back to basics
It’s time to get back to basics.
If you’re a regular listener to the podcast you’ll know we dive deep each episode into a different SEO challenge and adventure.
But today I though it would be useful to have a recap of common mistakes that we often see small business and professional services websites making.
Because the truth is it’s often not bleeding edge SEO that makes the difference in this market, but ensuring you’ve ticked off all the essentials.
So today put your mind at rest as I chat with Brendan Kelso about the core things you need to fix up to ensure your website gets the Google love.
Tune in to learn:
Easy site changes that make all the difference
SEO basics that most people forget
Why Google My Business should be a priority
Why it’s not the cutting-edge things that matter
And so much more.
Useful resources:
Freebies:
Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course
Building quality backlinks and promoting your content
I know, I know, backlinks are well-trodden ground, we’ve covered them before and we’ll likely cover them again.
Because still after all this time, debate rages about whether backlinks really do make a difference to you ability to rank.
Google encourages us to earn, not buy links.
SEOs tell us to focus on quality not quantity.
We dutifully keep our backlink profiles clean, disavowing on a regular basis.
But is any of this working?
And if the black hat tactics don’t work (PBNs, comment spam and the rest) why do so many SEO types still do them?
Today we’re getting back to basics on backlinks and it’s a refresher that’s definitely worth your ear time.
Tune in to learn:
Do backlinks matter to Google?
If backlinks from social media have any impact or authority
Where to start setting up your first 3 backlinks
How to recognise good backlinks
How to recognise the red flags
How content promotion ties in with link-building
Ranking locally - what effect local backlinks will have
Alan’s favourite tools to track backlinks
Dodgy backlinks - are disavows worth it?
Alan’s top backlink tip
Useful resources:
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I’ve started a new style of episode.
I’ve had an amazing run of interviewing other humans but often you don’t hear that much from me.
My tips, my advice.
So I thought I’d start sharing that with you.
After a long 5 years, shorter more succinct episodes for easy learning and quick wins, 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.
Today I’ll be answering the question that comes up a lot from my course students: Should I target zero-volume keywords?
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Taking your brand global
While many of us start small and want simply to be found locally, over time our desire to be found on the global stage increases.
And even if we’re not directly targeting other countries, of course it’s likely that a fair share of your website visitors come from different countries and speak different languages, so it might be time to consider making your site more international.
But if you’re looking to create an international website, what do you need to consider?
In this episode we’ll focus on the three big tasks:
1. International-friendly URLS - or country targeting
2. Language tags - language targeting
3. Ranking in the different countries.
As well as discussing a bundle of other tips and tactics.
So, if you’re ready to take your brand global, this is the episode for you.
Tune in to learn:
How to choose an internationally-friendly brand name
Which is best moving from local to global: Top level domains, sub domains or subdirectories
How to avoid duplicate content issues across multiple sites
Best practices for language targeting.
What to consider across different cultures when writing content
Best ways to handle keyword research and backlinks for international variations of your site
Top tips for using Google Analytics and Google search console
How important it is to host your international sites on a local hosting site
Useful Resources:
The Guide to International SEO - Just getting acquainted with international SEO? Start here.
The International SEO Checklist - Aleyda Solis walks you through everything you need to know to get started with international SEO.
Freebies:
Taking on AI as an asset, not a threat
Everyone is talking about ChatGPT.
My LinkedIn is stuffed with experts providing tips and examples of how to use this amazing tool.
(Everyone is an instant expert on LinkedIn).
To some it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
To others, it’s the end of the content marketing world as we know it.
I mean, haven’t these people watched The Terminator movies, don’t they know how it all ends?
So today I’m going to give you my low down.
What is ChatGPT?
What can it do?
Why all the fuss?
I’ll take you through the challenges, the positives, what’s coming, and also a bit of a reframe for those who are struggling or feeling scared about this new tool
It’s time to embrace the robots people. Let’s get stuck in.
Tune in to learn:
Useful resources:
Head to episode notes
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How to increase your site’s speed, performance, and quality
There’s one thing that never gets old when it comes to SEO.
And that’s speed.
I’d argue it’s one of the most important technical factors.
A slow site isn’t going to please anyone, not least the Google beast.
So, in this episode we’re going to revisit the basics.
It also features one of my all-time favourite guests, so I’m pretty darn excited.
Buckle your Google belts people, we’re about to get speedy!
Tune in to Learn:
Useful Resources:
Freebies:
Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course
Learning how the cogs turn behind the Google machine
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to actually talk to Google?
To ask them all the questions you’ve ever wanted to ask?
To find out why they do what they do.
Why they keep fiddling.
What they have coming up.
Imagine how great that would be.
Well, imagine no more, for today we have John Mueller, head of Google Search Relations, on the pod.
We’ve spoken to John before in my first season on Episode 15: Ask Google: Q&A with John Mueller, Episode 29: Mobile First with John Mueller, and Episode 30: GOOGLE Q&A with John Mueller.
And today, to kick off our pod in 2023 we have his ear again.
Hurrah.
Tune in to learn:
Useful resources:
Head to episode notes
Freebies:
Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course
How SEO has changed this year and what you should do about it
It’s been a busy year in SEO land.
And Google has been experimenting as always.
And if you’re a normal human, and not glued to Twitter every living minute of the day, you might find it hard to keep up with it all.
So I’ve asked one of our most popular guests to come back on the show and give us the low down on what’s what in SEO in 2022.
The big moves.
The little tweaks.
The things you can ignore and the things you better jump right on.
This is a short, snappy wrap-up of everything you need to know about Search Engine Optimisation before you head into your festive flop period and face a brave new year.
Tune in to learn:
Useful Resources:
Head to episode notes
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Scaling up from being an SEO freelance consultant
Okay so perhaps you’re an SEO freelancer.
Working job to job, helping clients on a small scale.
But you have big dreams.
You’d love to run your very own SEO agency.
But the thought of setting it up and managing all the ins and outs leaves you cold.
The risk is huge and let’s be honest, SEO agencies often don’t have the best reputation out there!
So how do you overcome all this and make your agency honest, legitimate and profitable?
Today we’re going to answer all this and more.
Tune in to learn:
Head to episode notes
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How to Yoastify your shop
If you’re even vaguely into SEO and haven’t heard of Yoast, then I’m guessing you have been living under a rock.
But for those that don’t know, Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that helps your site perform better in search engines like Google.
It also gives you the tools to bring your content to the highest standards of SEO and overall readability.
It’s my favourite SEO tool which I use on all my sites and recommend in my course The Recipe for SEO success.
And yes I’ve tried all the other tools, but I find that Yoast works best with other plugins and its SEO copywriting features are just awesome.
But one big fat bummer was always that I couldn’t recommend Yoast to my Shopify students, who now make up nearly 50% of my course takers.
They had to struggle on, using dodgy apps or hand coding.
But all that has changed.
Yoast has just launched a Shopify version of their famous WordPress plugin and today I’m delighted to be chatting to Marieke van de Rakt all about its features, upcoming developments and how to get the best out of the app.
Tune in to learn:
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Have you heard about content clusters?
They’re all about strategic internal linking.
Creating little groups of content around a key topic.
You create a pillar page and link to and from it, offering multiple internal links to keep readers entertained, educated and on your site.
Benefits include more organised content, less overlap and more authority on a given topic and increased content production speed.
Sounds good right?
But where do you start?
And if your existing content is currently the blog equivalent of a hoarders boudoir, how do you organise your content into clusters?
Today we’ll answer these questions and many more.
Tune in to learn:
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Did you know that half of all website traffic worldwide comes from mobile?
I hope when you hear that you’ll understand how important it is to listen to this week’s episode.
Google has been pushing mobile-first indexing for the past few years. It rolled out the first mobile-first index in 2018 but more recently announced mobile-first indexing for the whole web.
So what does this mean for your little website?
Well if your site isn’t fully optimised for mobile searches, it’s about time you got with the program.
In today’s episode, we’re going to share what mobile SEO is, best practices and top tips on how to ensure your site looks tickety boo on any device.
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Recently Google announced its Helpful Content update. And as per usual, the interwebs got their knickers in a twist.
SEO agencies sending emails to copywriters telling them to stop using keywords.
Business brands frantically worrying that they were going to get a penalty after stuffing their sites with useless space-filling guff in their blogs.
But I tend not to freak out about these things.
I like to wait and see.
And today we’ll be chatting through what Google really wants to see when it talks about Helpful Content.
The dos.
The do nots.
And the do not panics.
Tune in to learn:
Useful resources:
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Finding the right keywords to rise above the competition
By now you’ve gobbled up a lot of SEO advice.
But is it really all doable?
In my reality SEO episodes, I talk to real humans and get the truth about how they use SEO and digital marketing to improve their businesses.
Today I’ll be talking to a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, and eCommerce extraordinaire, Estelle Oliveri.
We’ll chat about how Estelle got her start in SEO, the digital marketing highs and lows, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.
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Enriching web dev and copy services with SEO
Hearing great SEO advice is one thing but is it actually doable?
In my reality SEO episodes, I talk to real humans and get the truth about how they use SEO and digital marketing to improve their businesses.
Like Rachel Amies, a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, a member of the Digital Masterchefs, and a cat-pun enthusiast.
We’ll talk about how Rachel took her web design and digital marketing to the next level with SEO, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.
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Influencer marketing.
Even the mention of it gives me the heebeejeebees.
Visions of hot 20-somethings lying in a cossie on a rock in Ibiza spring to mind. Your product lying next to them on said rock.
And oh the horror stories.
Small business owners giving away oodles of product, and splashing the cash only to be ghosted.
So how do you choose a trustworthy influencer? And how do you see genuine return on your investment?
Today we’ll talk about the positives and the pitfalls of this relatively new form of advertising, and whether it really has legs for your business.
Tune in to learn:
Useful resources:
Head to episode notes
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