Earned Media Podcast

In this episode of the Earned Media Podcast, I sit down with Barry Adams, an SEO consultant from Polemic Digital, to discuss news SEO for publishers.

We explore Barry’s journey from a webmaster to an SEO specialist for news websites, and he shares invaluable insights into the unique challenges and strategies involved in optimizing news content for Google. Barry explains the intricacies of Google’s news ecosystem, the importance of structured data, and how news publishers can stay ahead in editorial content marketing, blogging, and digital news publishing.

We also discuss the recent Google search algorithm leak, the impact of AI on news publishing, and the delicate balance between ad revenue and user experience on news websites. Barry provides practical advice for news publishers on building direct audience loyalty and minimizing reliance on intermediaries like Google and social media platforms.

Timeline Summary

0:23 – Barry’s journey from webmaster to news SEO specialist.

1:13 – What is news SEO, and how does it differ from e-commerce, local, and B2B SEO?

2:03 – Google’s Top Stories and the fast-paced nature of news ranking.

3:46 – Challenges of getting news content indexed quickly.

5:40 – The role of social media in breaking news and its impact on news SEO.

7:14 – The competition among news publishers to rank in Top Stories.

9:22 – Why Google may not be the best source for the latest breaking news.

12:25 – The significance of Google Discover versus Top Stories for news traffic.

14:57 – Discussion on the Google search algorithm leak and its implications.

19:16 – Key takeaways from the leaked Google data.

23:24 – The impact of paywalls and ads on news SEO and engagement.

27:58 – How generative AI is changing the landscape of news publishing.

31:30 – Google’s introduction of AI overviews in search results and their potential impact.

38:37– The importance of building direct audience loyalty for news publishers.

40:56 – Final thoughts on Google’s capabilities and the future of SEO.

Links & Resources

• Polemic Digital

• Belfast Telegraph

• Google News

• Google Discover

• New York Times

• Perplexity AI

Closing Remarks

Thank you for tuning in to this insightful episode with Barry Adams. If you enjoyed the episode, please rate, follow, share, and review our podcast.

Your support helps us bring you more expert insights and in-depth discussions.

Stay connected with us for more episodes that keep you ahead in the dynamic world of SEO consulting.

Ecommerce SEO consultant Aleyda Solis discusses what’s up in ecommerce SEO since Google launched AI Overviews, in this episode of the Earned Media Podcast.

As e-commerce SEOs work generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing, and Perplexity into their workflows, e-commerce SEO experts and online retailers are grappling with Google’s attempts to leverage generative for search results.

Solis shares practical strategies to maximize opportunities and navigate the e-commerce SEO challenges posed by these transformations.

(1:15) Solis highlights Google’s increasing integration of transactional functionalities within search results. For highly commercial keywords, like “black sneakers for men,” Google displays direct shopping options and detailed product information right there in the SERP. This shift reduces click-through rates (CTR) and the available space for traditional organic search results, positioning Google more as a competitor in the ecommerce space, than a simple search engine.

(2:45) Google’s Shopping Graph, which includes over 40 billion products, is a driving force behind this change. Solis explains that the integration with Merchant Center feeds is crucial for retailers. Platforms like Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce facilitate the creation and management of these feeds, enhancing ecommerce sites’ presence in Google’s shopping features.

(5:20) Structured data is vital to product visibility in search results. Solis advises retailers to leverage search schema in e-commerce SEO to highlight key product variants like price, availability, and reviews. Tools like WooCommerce and various plugins make it easier to create and optimize these feeds. Properly implemented structured data ensures that products appear prominently in search results, but to drive traffic and conversions, you need to be price competitive because Google displays competing online retailers selling the same product in SERPs now.

(7:50) Solis speculates on the potential impact of Google AI Overviews (formerly known as SGE, although Google says they’re different products), which could streamline the search process by providing users with direct access to product details. This feature integrates Google’s Gemini large language model (LLM) to generate search results in a more graphically elegant, scannable way, with links to sources. This underscores the need for retailers to focus on enhancing their schema product feeds and structured data to maintain visibility.

(10:05) Optimizing Product Detail Pages (PDPs) is not just about on-page SEO but also user engagement and conversion, as the Google leak may confirm. Solis emphasizes the importance of high-quality images, detailed product descriptions, and incorporating user reviews and expert insights. Many retailers overlook the potential of PDPs to drive traffic and conversions, missing significant opportunities in the process.

(12:30) Solis delves deeper into the importance of Merchant Center feeds and Google’s Shopping Graph. She explains that the Shopping Graph, which now includes over 40 billion products, is crucial for ecommerce SEO. The integration with Merchant Center feeds ensures that products are accurately represented in Google’s shopping features, enhancing their visibility and appeal to potential customers. Platforms like Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce have made it easier for ecommerce sites to generate and manage these feeds, providing a seamless way to integrate with Google’s shopping functionalities.

(15:00) In addition to optimizing PDPs, Solis highlights the value of user-generated content and expert insights. She suggests that incorporating reviews, testimonials, and expert opinions can significantly enhance the credibility and appeal of ecommerce sites. User-generated content not only provides social proof but also helps improve SEO by adding fresh, relevant content to product pages.

(17:45) Solis also emphasizes the importance of visual and interactive content in ecommerce SEO. High-quality images, videos, and interactive features such as 360-degree views and augmented reality can greatly enhance the user experience, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates. Visual content helps customers make informed purchasing decisions, reducing the likelihood of returns and increasing customer satisfaction.

(20:20) Solis recommends a proactive approach to staying updated with Google’s frequent algorithm changes and new features. Tools like SEMrush and Screaming Frog are essential for continuously monitoring and optimizing website performance. Engaging with SEO communities and staying informed about industry trends is crucial for adapting to changes in the SEO landscape. Solis also mentions the importance of participating in industry conferences and webinars to stay ahead of the curve.

(22:35) Solis offers several practical tips for ecommerce SEO success:

Prepare for AI Overviews by enhancing your product feeds and structured data. Be aggressive and populate as many content classes as possible.

Focus on high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and user reviews to engage and convert users.

Use tools like SEMrush and Screaming Frog and engage with SEO communities to stay updated on industry trends.

(25:10) Solis discusses the delicate balance between optimizing for SEO and providing a great user experience. She emphasizes that while SEO is important, it should not come at the expense of user experience. Websites should be designed to meet users’ needs, providing them with valuable content and a seamless shopping experience. This balance ensures that visitors are not only drawn to the site through search engines but also stay and convert into customers.

(27:50) Looking ahead, Solis shares her thoughts on the future of ecommerce SEO. She predicts that the integration of AI and machine learning will continue to shape the SEO landscape, with search engines becoming more sophisticated in understanding and delivering relevant content. Solis advises ecommerce businesses to stay adaptable and embrace new technologies to stay competitive in this evolving environment. Her insights provide a comprehensive roadmap for navigating the evolving ecommerce SEO landscape.

For a detailed exploration of these insights and more, listen to the full interview on the Earned Media Podcast. Subscribe to stay updated on the latest developments in SEO and ecommerce.

Google algorithm secrets are rarely leaked.

But in this special episode of the Earned Media Podcast, Mike King – who runs SEO consulting services provider iPullRank – discusses the future of SEO in the age of AI.

This podcast is being released just days after Mike’s bombshell blog post, which is taking the SEO world by storm, revealing explosive insights from leaked internal Google documentation.

This is an exclusive opportunity to hear Mike directly share his expertise and predictions about how AI will impact the evolving landscape of search and what SEO consultants need to do to stay competitive.

Mike King discusses the inner workings of Google’s ranking systems and the factors that influence search results, based on his extensive research and analysis.

Discover how Google has misled the SEO community about key ranking factors and the real role of domain authority, click data, and more.

Learn how AI is reshaping the landscape of search and what it means for your SEO strategy. Mike delves into the implications of Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and other AI-driven changes.

Mike provides practical advice on how to optimize for the new realities of search, including the importance of authoritative content, user engagement, and adapting to AI advancements.

Contrary to Google’s public statements, click data plays a significant role in rankings. Mike King explains how this impacts your SEO efforts.

Learn why creating high-quality, authoritative content is more crucial than ever in the age of AI.

Get practical tips on how to optimize your site for AI-driven search engines and stay ahead of the competition.

Fragmentation of Search

The increasing diversity of search platforms and why it’s crucial to optimize for more than just Google.

The role of AI in search and the necessity for users to verify information through trusted sources like Google.

How recent updates are addressing AI content and the ongoing battle against spam.

Best practices for ranking in AI-driven search environments, based on Mike’s latest research.

Mike King is the CEO and founder of iPullRank, a leading digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and content strategy. His recent post has ignited a heated discussion about the future of search, and now he’s here to share his expert insights.

• A deeper understanding of the future of search and SEO.

• Practical tips for leveraging AI in your search strategy.

• Insights directly from this thought leader behind the first comprehensive analysis of the internal documents leak from Google Search.

In this exclusive episode of the Earned Media Podcast, Lily Ray, VP of SEO strategy and research at Amsive, explores the challenges Google faces with the influx of AI-generated content. Ray discusses Google’s March 2024 Broad Core Update, which addresses the deluge of low-quality AI content rising in the SERPs.

Lily Ray has been methodically monitoring web rankings for thousands of keywords and websites and sharing her findings consistently on X (formerly Twitter) @lilyraynyc. A recent report from the Pew Research Center reveals that the percentage of adults in the US who are more concerned than excited about AI rose sharply from 38% of US adults in 2022 to 52% of US adults in 2023, and with good reason.

“I’ve never seen as much spam in Google’s results so blatantly in top positions. I’ve never seen so many big companies getting away with publishing really low-quality content that’s ranking prominently,” says Lily Ray, VP of search strategy and research at Amsive. “Probably 20 to 30 people every day message me desperately because either their websites are being outranked by spam or AI content, or their content is being scraped and plagiarized by AI tools.”

Lily Ray critiques the current state of search, highlighting a noticeable decline in quality and an uptick in spam. She also examines how major publishers have come to dominate search rankings, which raises concerns about the existing balance between authority and relevance within Google’s algorithms.

The episode delves into Google’s strategies for mitigating the exploitation of AI-generated content to manipulate search rankings, and the long-term implications for SEO consultants. Her insights provide a nuanced understanding of the evolving SEO landscape, influenced by advanced AI tools like ChatGPT. This discussion is essential for those interested in the future dynamics of maintaining organic search engine visibility and the strategic maneuvers required to succeed in SEO today.

Kasim Aslam is the CEO of Solutions 8. He is a widely recognized thought leader in the search marketing arena, due to his exceptional track record of delivering exceptional PPC results and driving business growth through innovative marketing strategies. Sol8 manages $70M a year in PPC ad spending for roughly 200 clients of all sizes, from publicly traded brands to startups.

Throughout his career, Kasim has demonstrated a unique ability to understand the ever-evolving search marketing landscape and leverage his insights into the Google ecosystem to drive high-impact paid media marketing initiatives that achieve high multiple returns on ad spend. He is also the host of the Perpetual Traffic Podcast.

We met at the Affiliate Meet Market in Berlin last year, where he delivered the opening marketing keynote address.

Eric Schwartzman is managing director of Schwartzman & Associates, a Los Angeles-based website marketing company. If you need to boost your website’s organic traffic through effective SEO strategies, my team of seasoned SEO consultants is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes achieve remarkable online visibility and increased web traffic. With a proven track record of success, we offer a comprehensive suite of SEO consulting services tailored to your unique needs and goals.

Harness the power of SEO to drive organic traffic and grow your online presence, contacting Schwartzman & Associates is the first step towards achieving your goals. Our expertise, dedication, and results-oriented approach make us the ideal partner to guide your website to the top of the search results, ensuring that your business thrives in the digital age. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a consultation and discover how we can transform your online presence through strategic SEO consulting services.

Subscribe to the Earned Media Podcast.

In this Affiliate Marketing Roadmap for Brands episode of the Earned Media Podcast, Anna Gita, CEO of MaxWeb, one of the fastest-growing affiliate networks, explains what affiliate programs are and how they work.

I heard Anna’s keynote at The Berlin Meet Market. She spoke about the future of the affiliate marketing industry, and I was so taken by her message that I immediately invited her to be a guest on the show. Search engine optimization consultants may also want to check out my recent podcast with former Google Search Quality engineer Fili Wiese about Google’s search quality guidelines. I met him in Berlin, too.

The rest of this post is not so much an overview of my conversation with Anna, but rather an Affiliate Marketing Roadmap for success that you can use to better understand the process, informed by her presentation. What follows are answers to frequently asked questions about affiliate marketing.

While affiliate marketing and referral marketing are performance-based marketing channels, affiliate marketers earn commissions for promoting products through tracking links, while referral marketers do not. Referral marketing is acquiring links from editorial content and influencers on social media.

Affiliate marketers earn money in two ways. First, they earn commissions for sending traffic to an advertiser’s landing or offer page as long as the Earnings Per Click (EPC) exceeds the Cost Per Click (CPC). Second, they earn a Payout or commission if the traffic they send converts into a sale. Affiliate commissions are typically between 5-30%.

On the other hand, referral marketing is word-of-mouth marketing that relies on digital PR, branded content, or individuals recommending a product or service to their friends and family. Google Analytics defines referral traffic as the segment of traffic that arrives on a website through another source, such as a link on another domain.

Referral links can be acquired through press release distribution, media releases, product sampling, and other marketing tactics.

The main difference between affiliate and referral marketing is that affiliate marketing is focused on promoting products and services to earn commissions, while referral marketing is the collection of inbound links through unpaid activities.

There are four main ways advertisers tend to source and hire affiliate marketers:

But before hiring affiliate marketers, thoroughly vet all your candidates to ensure they’re a good fit for your brand. Look for affiliates with a proven track record, the right audience, and good work ethics. It’s also wise to establish clear terms of service and expectations to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

What affiliate marketers charge varies based on experience, niche, and demand. Some affiliate marketers who are also bloggers charge a percentage of the sales they generate, while others want a flat fee or a combination of the two.

Commissions for affiliate marketers range from 5-50%, depending on the terms of the affiliate agreement and what’s being sold. Since their cost of goods is higher, advertisers selling physical products usually pay less in affiliate commissions than digital products, where inventory and distribution costs are negligible.

Top affiliates may also demand a fee for their services over and above their commission to cover the cost of creating original, dynamic blog posts or other expenses related to promoting the product or service.

Shop around and compare rates from different affiliates to get a sense of the going rate in your industry. You can also negotiate with affiliates to see if they are willing to lower their rates or offer other incentives in exchange for a long-term partnership.

As might be expected, the amount of gross revenue generated by affiliates varies by industry, the quality of the affiliate program, and market demand for the product or service being sold.

According to a survey by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and Forrester Consulting, affiliate marketing accounted for roughly 10% of total US digital marketing spend in 2020. The survey also found that the average affiliate marketing program generated $20 in revenue for every $1 spent on it.

Another study by the Performance Marketing Association (PMA) that was reported in Forbes found that affiliate marketing generated 16% of e-commerce sales in the US in 2020 and that affiliate marketers generated an average of $58 for every $1 invested in their programs.

Rakuten recently reported that Year-over-Year sales (2021 to 2022) on their advertiser network were the largest for the following categories:

Affiliate marketers can be sued in certain circumstances, and it is also possible for advertisers to be held liable for their affiliate marketers’ activities. 

This is one of the reasons it can be difficult for aspiring affiliate marketers to get approved to participate in affiliate marketing programs.

Here are a few examples of situations where an affiliate marketer might be sued:

In their Dotcom Disclosure Guidelines, the US Federal Trade Commission says affiliate marketers must disclose any financial relationships with companies they publish links to. But this regulation is very loosely enforced, and many affiliate marketers and direct advertisers ignore this requirement.

One of the main benefits of using an affiliate network like MaxWeb is managing this risk since they vet their affiliates. But suppose you don’t have the protection of an affiliate network. In that case, advertisers should carefully review their terms and ensure they comply with all applicable laws and regulations to manage the risk of being sued.

While there are always exceptions, ​​these product categories tend to pay higher commission rates to affiliate marketers:

The US is home to most affiliate marketers. Other countries where affiliate marketing is popular are the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and, interestingly enough, Germany.

The hardest part of affiliate marketing is making your first sale. It’s difficult for new affiliate marketers to get their footing and start earning commissions because they don’t understand the industry, the players, or sequencing and lack experience with marketing and promotions.

Seasoned SEO consultants and online advertising specialists are among the best prepared to make the transition and often do to realize new revenue sources that are not reliant on providing digital marketing services to clients. Search engine optimization is one of the many ways affiliate marketers generate traffic by setting up blogs and creating branded content designed to get found when buyers are problem-solving on Google.

Another challenge that affiliate marketers face is finding and promoting relevant offers to their audience. Affiliate marketers need to choose products that align with their audience’s interests, as this will increase the chances of making sales. However, finding the right products can be difficult, especially if the affiliate marketer is in a niche with limited available products.

Finally, competition can be a significant challenge for affiliate marketers. With so many people vying for the same audience’s attention, it can be difficult to stand out and make a profit. This is especially true for new affiliate marketers, who may not have much experience or a large following.

It is impossible to know which traffic sources will convert best in an affiliate marketing program because it depends on the product, the price, the audience, and the strength of the offer. And these are always different. 

Nevertheless, the leading traffic sources affiliate marketers use to drive traffic and convert visitors into customers include (not necessarily in order of importance):

Ultimately, the traffic source that converts the best will depend on the targeted product and audience and the marketing strategy’s effectiveness. It may be necessary to try out multiple traffic sources and analyze the results to determine the most effective for a particular product or audience.

A conversion rate of 1-2% is considered to be average. Rates above 3% are above average. But rates vary depending on the product, price, audience, and offer. To calculate the conversion rate for an affiliate offer, divide the number of conversions by the number of the offer or landing page visitors, and multiply by 100. For example, if an affiliate offer generates 100 sales from 5,000 visitors, the conversion rate is 2%.

While this list is by no means comprehensive, here are a few popular affiliate marketing websites:

Ultimately, the right affiliate marketing website for your brand will depend on the products and services you are interested in promoting and your target audience, offers, and marketing strategy. 

But if you read this blog post and listen to this podcast, you will be well on your way to understanding this growing internet marketing channel, which drives 16% of ecommerce conversions in the US and Canada.

Listen to the Earned Media Podcast episode with MaxWeb CEO Anna Gita for an audio Affiliate Marketing Roadmap.

Think again if you think wine marketing agencies are all about social media marketing. While winery marketing for ecommerce may involve Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest, it’s content marketing, search engine optimization, and backlinks that attract new customers and drive online conversions.

Contrary to popular belief, PPC and influencer marketing are more effective than social media.

Let’s face it: someone searching for wine is much more likely to be a buyer than someone perusing their social media newsfeed. When it comes to digital marketing for fine wineries, organic social media marketing is much less targeted.

Halleck Vineyard, a boutique winery nestled in the picturesque Sonoma County, embarked on a digital transformation journey nearly three years ago under the guidance of marketing expert Eric Schwartzman. This case study explores the strategic initiatives that propelled the winery from a traditional business model into a digital powerhouse, significantly enhancing its online presence and sales channels.

Founded by Jennifer and Ross Halleck, Halleck Vineyard is situated in the Sebastopol region of Sonoma County, an area not widely recognized for wine when they first planted their vineyard. Despite the vineyard’s initial intent to serve as a college fund, their venture into winemaking, catalyzed by a chance meeting with winemaker Greg LaFollette, led to their first wine winning first place at a prestigious San Francisco Pinot Noir shootout. This accolade was a testament to the vineyard’s potential in producing luxury wines, defined by their commitment to quality over quantity.

Halleck Vineyard faced the daunting task of distinguishing itself within the saturated wine industry, where mammoth wineries dominate the market with massive advertising budgets and extensive distribution networks. Additionally, the pandemic introduced new hurdles, compelling the vineyard to pivot its traditionally offline sales channels to ecommerce almost overnight.

Under Schwartzman’s guidance, Halleck Vineyard revitalized its digital footprint, starting with a comprehensive overhaul of their website. The focus was on optimizing the site for SEO, improving user experience, and integrating ecommerce functionalities to facilitate direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales.

The introduction of a WordPress site enabled the vineyard to engage in content marketing, significantly boosting their SEO rankings for competitive keywords like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This strategic move helped the vineyard outperform larger competitors in search engine results. Additionally, social media platforms were leveraged to share engaging content and connect with a broader audience.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Halleck Vineyard swiftly transitioned to offering virtual wine tastings, a move that garnered attention from major corporations and media outlets. This innovative approach not only sustained their business through the pandemic but also expanded their customer base and strengthened community ties.

The vineyard adopted a data-centric approach, utilizing website analytics and customer feedback to continuously refine their digital strategies. This focus on data helped tailor their marketing efforts to attract the right audience and improve the overall customer journey.

Halleck Vineyard’s digital transformation has yielded remarkable results, including a significant increase in website traffic, higher conversion rates, and enhanced brand visibility. Their success story underscores the power of integrated digital marketing strategies in reaching and engaging with consumers in the luxury wine market.

Through their journey, Halleck Vineyard has demonstrated the efficacy of adopting a multi-channel digital approach, combining SEO, content marketing, social media, and ecommerce to navigate the challenges of the modern wine industry. Their experience serves as an inspiring blueprint for other small wineries looking to thrive in the digital era.

SEO for news websites is critical to audience development. If your news can’t get found, it can’t generate advertiser impressions, leads, revenue, or make a difference.

This post is a summary of a podcast interview I recorded with ESPN.com director of SEO Louisa Frahm about best practices when it comes to SEO for headlines, how to build an effective program to prove the value of SEO to hardnosed journalists, and what she’s learned about creating resources to support SEO for journalists.

Louisa has a long history leading SEO for news websites. Before she joined ESPN.com, she was director of SEO at the Los Angeles Times, so she has experience in SEO for newspapers as well, so she also has experience in online newsroom best practices.

Search engine optimization for news websites is the art and science of creating online news coverage that can be easily found through Google News and Google organic search. Given that 86% of Americans get their news online, learning to cover the news in way that not only informs readers, but also grows audiences and drives sustainable traffic from search engines has become a crucial skill that journalists must perform.

I started doing SEO for news websites in 2002 when I founded iPressroom, the first online newsroom management service. I sold the company in 2011 and remain a shareholder. Today, I lead an SEO consultancy in Los Angeles SEO with extensive experience designing, building, managing, and search-optimizing online news sites. We get news sites indexed by Google News, train reporters on SEO, and help content marketers create and manage credible online newsrooms with content marketing value.

According to Similarweb, ESPN.com is the 83rd highest-traffic website on the internet, with nearly 580 million unique visitors a month who average 3.6 pages per visit and spend almost nine and a half minutes per session.  They know how to sustain their visitors’ attention.

Over 70% of the traffic on the ESPN.com news website is direct, and 21% of that traffic comes from organic search. After that is traffic is from social media at less than 4%, then email at over 3%. 

Interestingly enough, the top athlete names that are getting the most search results in organic traffic at ESPN.com are the tennis player Andy Murray first, followed by the combat fighter Connor McGregor, then combat fighter Patty Gimblett, and tennis player Rafael Nadal, which is curious because soccer or baseball or basketball or football are more prominent sports. Louisa explains why that is in this post about SEO for News Sites.

When Louisa started working with her analysts at ESPN to help reporters execute Google News search engine optimization best practices, her objective was to make sure that every single team and every single sport was equally prioritized within her department’s workflow. 

Her team leads SEO training programs for journalists, essentially teaching writers the right formula for news article SEO, including keywords that drive organic traffic, and write headlines most likely to rank high in Google News. Reporters rely on her department’s guidance, metrics, and analytics. 

Her SEO team ESPN.com helps journalists sort through the various aspects of each of the four types of SEO:

At a major news publisher like ESPN, journalists don’t have to worry about the simple stuff, like providing a publication date, ensuring every page is reachable from at least one static text link, or adding structured data to their article pages. That kind of technical SEO Is done for them already. Louisa and I don’t talk much about Technical SEO in this podcast. They focus primarily on news SEO. But if you’re at a smaller publication or have a blog you want to get indexed on Google News, these technical SEO details matter too.

In the United States, ESPN.com dedicates much attention to the NFL, the MLB, and the NBA since they drive a ton of traffic. College football is huge, but combat and tennis have dedicated fan bases. So, the nice thing about SEO for news websites is that backlinks happen organically, which is how it should be. News sites don’t have to lure links actively. Since news outlets are authoritative, they become points of reference and get attributed naturally.

Trending SEO Headlines in Journalism can be easily researched on Google Trends, which has a fantastic real time stories view where you can see what the biggest stories are in organic search. Headlines matter a lot in SEO and Google Trends is a way to identify targets keywords. But the key is to effective SEO headlines is making sure to balance search engine needs with audience interest. You have to write for readers first and search engines second.

When it comes to SEO headlines for televised programming, people want to know the date and time something’s on and the channel. But these factors can be frustrated by different time zones and programs airing on different channels in different market. In the US, there are 212 syndicated Nielsen-rated markets.

Based on her experience doing SEO for news publishers, Louisa says that checking the real-time articles trending in organic search is a great way to gauge readers’ interest. She can see firsthand why headlines are important for SEO.

She can see which teams and players are trends, which is a great indication of what makes a good SEO headline and what’s most likely to grab the reader’s interest. She can also see which types of headlines are resonating most for any given needs break. It could be a straightforward news headline, a question headline, an emotional headline, a listicle, a how-to article, or a “reason why” headline. All these formats have varying degrees of efficacy for news beats and articles.

Subscribe to the Earned Media Podcast for the full interview about SEO for News Websites with ESPN.com SEO director Lousia Frahm.

Fili Wiese is a former Google Search Engineer and member of the search quality team. I spoke to him after his marketing keynote at the Affiliate Meet Market in Berlin.

Next up is an exclusive interview with ESPN SEO Director Louisa Frahm, so subscribe here. And don’t miss the Affiliate Marketing Roadmap episode I recorded with MaxWeb CEO Anna Gita.

I did not write anything below the subhead in this blog post about content marketing agency outsourcing.

The author is Jason Joseph, who writes for a service you can outsource writing to called Verblio, a service that ecommerce and B2B content marketing agencies outsource to. If you’re wondering whether or not Verblio is legit, this podcast and the post below are a live test of their service.

If you’re looking for ways to scale your editorial marketing practice to meet your clients’ needs, outsourcing to quality freelance writers is probably an ongoing pain point for you.

I like writing. But there’s only one of me. So I can’t realistically deliver the editorial packages my clients need without help. I use most of the online writer marketplaces fairly regularly. I’ve written about WriterAccess and ContentGrow in other posts. But Verblio was a new one I hadn’t tried.

So after several months of testing the service, I invited Verblio’s VP of Product Marketing Laura Smous, to be a guest on the Earned Media Podcast. I pulled a transcript of our interview and outsourced this blog post through their service with one caveat. Laura connected me with one of their customer success reps to ensure one of their best writers got this job.

Unlike the other online writer marketplaces, you can’t select the writer you want to use on Verblio. Instead, you post the job with a brief, and someone writes the article on spec. And you don’t have to buy it if you don’t like it. So if you want to get a sense of their top level of service, listen to my interview with Laura and come back and read this post by Jason Joseph.

Depending on your sector and objectives, Verblio may or may not be suitable for you. But the entirely unedited post – with uncorrected mistakes – from Verblio started here and was delivered with the headline…

A content marketing strategy uses content creation to provide the audience with value. Organizations use emails, blogs, and videos to share content with customers and establish credibility. According to the Content Marketing Institute, the content marketing market will have a year-to-year growth rate of 15.73% between 2021 and 2025.

However, creating content is one of the challenges most businesses face. As such, companies rely on third-party companies for content creation. One of the marketplaces that clients can use is Verblio. Here is everything you need to know about Verblio from the VP, Laura Smous.

 Verblio is a content creation marketplace that connects clients with experienced freelance writers. Content marketing is a cost-effective way to get leads and grow your business. On Verblio, you can connect to the right type of content and get what you need. The platform helps agencies to create high-performing content. Customers can order product descriptions, website content, and press releases. Even though the content marketing space is competitive, Verblio remains among the leading. But what differentiates Verblio from the other marketplace sites?

You may think there are numerous options, but choosing the right platform will help your organization’s success. Verblio is always looking for ways to improve. The writers play a vital part in the Verblio marketplace. It seeks to create a suitable platform for writers and customers. Even though AI is fast gaining popularity in content creation, it will not replace human writers. Verblio strives to balance AI and human writers to offer customers a better experience. Verblio has a team of writers who are qualified in different industries. So no matter what industry, you’ll get a professional writer to work on your content.

Quality has always been part and parcel of the content creation marketplace. Verblio has its foundation in journalism, and providing quality content is not a problem. It focuses on providing customers with content that ranks highly on search engines and generates leads. Most people use the platform as a customer acquisition tool. Paid advertising is costly compared to using content marketing to get new customers.

 On Verblio, customers get a variety of submissions and only choose the one they like. So a customer has a wide variety of choices and only purchases content that fits their organization. Once the system learns what you like, it will match you to a suitable writer, which is faster. Since writers don’t get paid unless a customer purchases their work, writers are motivated to choose a piece they know and will love writing. 

The system has been working in that way since its creation. Customers sometimes love the writers they have worked with and don’t want to return to the open marketplace. It’s for this reason that Verblio has a preferred writers option. There is also a writers pool for larger enterprise customers. The writer’s pool is excellent for clients who need high-volume content with tight deadlines. 

Statistics show that organizations that publish 4 blog posts per week generate 3.5x more traffic. Therefore, customers are looking for consistent content that is still of high quality. Clients can use the preferred writers or still get discovered by new writers. However, Verblio is looking for ways to ensure writers get prompt feedback on their content. The Verblio system works because it allows both writers and customers to go after what they love doing.

In Verblio, the product and engineering teams have a lot of input into product marketing and product strategy. Not many things were available when Verblio was first developed. However, the content marketplace still seeks ways to integrate with other technologies. Verblio has a lot of control over the document being written.

The platform ensures high-security standards and that customers retain the rights to the content they pay for. So you won’t stumble upon your content on another website. Verblio has a white-label platform for agencies that offers tracking, functionality, and robust editing. It also integrates with Google Docs. Some customers only want to work with Google Docs, where they want their content delivered. Verblio is moving towards actual integration with Google Docs. Google has a lot of capabilities, including commenting and version control as a word processing tool. Therefore, Verblio is moving towards google docs as a standard that the customers will have. Even though there may be gaps, Verblio seeks to determine the best way to close them by preserving the platform’s integrity.

Content marketing is a great tool to grow your business and reach your target audience. The platform ensures an excellent refresh strategy without affecting your new content creation. So, Verblio not only creates new content but also ensures that your content is always up to date. It is looking for things around E-A-T and how it will impact the perception of quality. Google E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It determines whether your content is valuable to your audience or if it will rank well. Since customers’ expectations are constantly changing, one sure thing is that customers need to produce content regularly to rank on search engines and establish credibility.

Verblio is looking for ways to do things differently and make customers understand what they need to invest in their content that will work for them. Numerous content marketing blogs use AI for content creation, but AI can be used in a niche without much competition. However, that can only happen when there is only one admin. One of the reasons to choose Verblio for your content marketing platform is that you’ll save time and have high-quality content written.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on content marketing services. It is easy to start with — you will see your business grow with Verblio as your content marketing partner. You can meet your content needs without maintaining a big payroll.