Eric Schwartzman

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.

Ecommerce SEO: Google’s Integration of Transactional Functionalities

(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.

The Importance of Structured Data in Ecommerce SEO

(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.

Preparing for Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) in Ecommerce SEO

(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.

Optimizing Product Detail Pages (PDPs) for Ecommerce SEO

(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.

Ecommerce SEO and the Role of Merchant Center Feeds

(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.

Leveraging User-Generated Content and Expert Insights for Ecommerce SEO

(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.

Embracing Visual and Interactive Content in Ecommerce SEO

(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.

Staying Updated with Google’s Algorithm Changes for Ecommerce SEO

(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.

Practical Tips for Ecommerce SEO Success

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

• Leverage structured data: Ensure your product feeds are comprehensive and updated.

• Optimize for AI Overviews:

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

• Improve PDPs:

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

• Stay informed of Ecommerce SEO Trends:

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

Balancing SEO and User Experience in Ecommerce SEO

(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.

The Future of Ecommerce SEO

(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.

Google Algorithm Secrets Revealed

Inside Google’s Algorithm

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.

Google’s Deceptive Practices

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

The Impact of AI on Search

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.

Actionable SEO Insights

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.

Podcast Episode Highlights

Truth About Click Data

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

Importance of Writing with an Authoritative Voice

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

Actionable SEO Strategies

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

Key SEO Discussion Points:

Fragmentation of Search

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

AI and Verification

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

Google’s Core Updates

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

Optimizing for Language Models

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

About Mike King

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.

Tune in and learn:

• 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.

Howard Bragman, the legendary Los Angeles public relations agency leader, passed away from leukemia on February 11, 2023, at the age of 66.

Bragman was known for his pioneering work in the field of public relations consulting, helping to shape the image of numerous celebrities, politicians, and organizations over his long and distinguished career. In his honor, we are bumping this interview with him from our archives to the top of our show feed.

Born in Flint, Michigan on February 24, 1956, Bragman moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s and quickly made a name for himself in the world of public relations. He founded his own PR firm, Bragman Nyman Cafarelli (BNC), in 1989. Over the years, his entertainment PR clients included a veritable who's who of Hollywood, including Cameron Diaz, Paula Abdul, Stevie Wonder, Sharon Osbourne, Monica Lewinsky, Joe Manganiello, Anna Kendrick, Terrence Howard, Ricki Lake and Melissa Rivers.

Bragman was also a trailblazer in the area of LGBTQ+ representation, working with many LGBTQ+ clients and advocating for greater visibility and acceptance of the community in the media. In 1993, he famously helped Ellen DeGeneres come out as gay on her television show, becoming a leading advocate in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

In addition to his work in public relations agency consulting, Bragman was also a sought-after media commentator and author, writing several books on the topic of reputation management and appearing on numerous television and radio programs to offer his insights on current events and the entertainment industry. Bragman was an Adjunct Professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for Communication.

Bragman was known for his sharp wit, tireless work ethic, and unwavering commitment to managing his clients reputations in the court of public opinion. He was widely respected in the public relations consulting industry for his integrity, professionalism, and dedication to the field of public relations consulting.

Bragman is survived by his husband, Chuck O'Donnell, as well as by his sister, Marcy, and his brother, Barry. He will be deeply missed by his family, his colleagues, and his many friends and admirers in the world of public relations and beyond.

In this podcast, which I recorded with Howard 20 years ago when the internet was just becoming a business communications tool, and he spoke about the impact of on-demand media consumption, and how the shift from appointment-driven to on-demand news consumption makes it more important for public relations consultants to focus ensuring that clients' messages are reaching their target audience, regardless of how or when they consume the content.

Bragman also mentioned that PR is doing a better job than mainstream advertising in utilizing technology to spread the word for clients. However, he cautioned that information on the web can be like cotton candy and urged PR consultants to consider the source and medium when placing stories.

When we spoke, he had just sold BNC to Weber Shandwick and launched his boutique agency FifettenMinutesbased on Andy Warhol's predication that in the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.

Learn how to get media coverage from Howard Bragman, founder of BNC, Bragman, Nyman and Cafarelli, and Fifteen Minutes, posthumous in this historical On the Record Online podcast episode with Eric Schwartzman.

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.

Google Advertising Trends Covered

Which types of products and services are easiest to sell through PPC advertising

Which product and service categories are most profitable online right now

How much it costs to hire a top Google ad agency to run your PPC campaigns

How he decides what companies to accept in his incubator program

How to create PPC ads that convert and drive qualified traffic

The role of AI in PPC advertising and the switch to Performance Max campaigns

And much, much more

About the Podcaster

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.

Schwartzman & Associates SEO Consulting Difference

Access to a wealth of SEO expertise that can propel your website to new heights.

Meticulous keyword research, identifying the most relevant and high-impact keywords in your industry.

On-page optimization techniques will fine-tune your website's content, ensuring that it ranks prominently in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Technical SEO audits and enhancements will enhance your website's overall performance and user experience, contributing to improved search engine rankings.

Content that resonates with your target audience, driving not just traffic, but also engagement and conversions.

Compelling, keyword-rich content that not only meets the stringent demands of search engines but also captivates and informs your visitors.

Higher conversion rates and, ultimately, increased revenue for your business.

Our data-driven approach ensures that your SEO strategy evolves with the ever-changing digital landscape, keeping you ahead of the competition.

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.

What’s the difference between Affiliate Marketing and Referral Marketing?

Anna Gita, CEO Max Web, delivering her keynote at the Affiliate Meet Market in Berlin.

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.

How do I hire an affiliate marketer?

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

Join an affiliate network like MaxWeb: Affiliate networks are online marketplaces that connect merchants with affiliates. You can sign up as an advertiser and search for affiliate marketers interested in promoting your products.

Use a recruitment agency: Some agencies specialize in recruiting affiliates for advertisers, almost like hybrid employment/talent agencies. You can work with one of these agencies to find affiliates who fit your business well.

Attend industry events: Industry events, such as conferences and trade shows like Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas, Jan. 23-25, 2023, are great places to meet affiliates and build relationships with them. It is also a good idea to approach keynote speakers and podcasters who focus on affiliate marketing because they may be able to help or make suggestions.

Connect directly with affiliate marketers: If you know of specific affiliate marketers you think might be a good fit for your brand, create your affiliate program and contact them directly. But you need a way to generate tracking links to measure traffic and conversions from different affiliates. At a bare minimum, you’ll need a tool like Pretty Links.

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.

Outside the Affiliate Meet Marketing at Arena Berlin at Eichenstraße 4, where MaxWeb CEO Anna Gita delivered her Affiliate Marketing Roadmap keynote address.

How much do affiliate marketers charge?

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.

Is there any audited research on how much gross revenue affiliate marketing programs generate?

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:

Latest YoY affiliate marketing sales by vertical from Rakuten.

Can affiliate marketers get sued?

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:

False or misleading advertising: If an affiliate marketer promotes a product or service using false or misleading claims, they could be sued by the merchant or by regulators for deceptive advertising.

Intellectual property infringement: If an affiliate marketer uses another company's trademarks, copyrighted materials, or other intellectual property without permission, they could be sued for copyright or trademark infringement.

Breach of contract: If an affiliate marketer violates the terms of their contract with a merchant, they could be sued for breach of contract.

Fraud: If an affiliate marketer engages in fraud, such as selling counterfeit products or making false claims about a product or service, they could be sued for fraud.

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.

What is the highest-paying product category for affiliate marketers?

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

Digital downloads: Affiliates who promote digital media products, such as video entertainment products, virtual reality experiences, ebooks, self-paced training courses, and monthly subscriptions, can often earn a high commission rate, as these products typically have higher price points and lower distribution costs.

Software as a service: Affiliates who promote SaaS products usually earn higher commissions since software products have high price points, cost very little to distribute, and the cost of inventory is zero.

Home improvement: This category took off after the lockdown, with everyone improving their home offices. Affiliates who promote home improvement products, such as fixtures, furniture, appliances, and home decor, earn high commissions, as these products tend to be expensive.

Luxury brands: Affiliates who promote luxury brands, such as high-end fashion, accessories, jewelry, perfumes, skincare, fine and spirits, and watches, also earn a high commission rate, as these products are expensive. To check if a luxury brand has an affiliate program, search the name of the brand plus “affiliate program,” you are likely to find a landing page where you can sign up if the brand is running an affiliate marketing program.

Which country has the most 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.

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.

Integrated Marketing for a Small Winery

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.

Winery's Background

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.

Winemarker's Challenges

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.

Schwartzman & Associates Integrated Marketing Campaign

Winery Website and E-Commerce Enhancement

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.

Content Marketing and Social Media

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.

Vineyard Virtual Tastings and Community Building

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.

Data-Driven Decision Making

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.

Winery Marketing Results

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.

Elevating News Visibility with SEO Strategies

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.

SEO for News Sites

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%. 

Surprising SEO Athlete Rankings at ESPN

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.

SEO for Journalists

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:

On-Page SEO (On-Site SEO): The search engine optimization strategies implemented directly on a news website's own pages. This includes optimizing the article's contents, meta tags, headings, and internal linking. The goal is to make each page more appealing to search engines and user-friendly for readers, ultimately improving its ranking in search results.

Off-Page SEO (Off-Site SEO): Off-page SEO encompasses actions taken outside of the news website to enhance its online presence. This involves building high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites, engaging in social media marketing, and managing online reviews and mentions. Off-page SEO aims to boost a news site's authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

Technical SEO: Technical SEO focuses on the behind-the-scenes aspects of a news website. It involves optimizing the site's architecture and each page's h tag structure, improving page loading speed, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and addressing issues such as crawlability and indexing. Technical SEO ensures that search engines can easily access and understand the website's news articles.

Local SEO: Local SEO is crucial for news publishers that serve specific geographic areas or communities. It involves optimizing a news site's content and online presence to target local audiences effectively. This includes optimizing Google Business Profile (GMB) listings, using location-specific keywords, and encouraging user reviews. Local SEO helps news sites appear prominently in local search results and attracts local readership.

News SEO Essentials: Beyond Technical 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.

SEO Headlines Journalism

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.

Analyzing Trending Headlines for Insights into the Google News Discovery Algorithm

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.

Tech SEO Topics Covered:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Ecommerce Marketing: In the realm of SEO for ecommerce marketing, organic search plays a pivotal role in ensuring your online store ranks well on search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves optimizing product descriptions, meta tags, and site structure to make your products more discoverable. Effective SEO practices can significantly boost your online sales and brand visibility.

Guiding Googlebot for Efficient Crawling: One of the fundamental aspects of SEO is instructing Googlebot, Google's web crawler, on what parts of your website to crawl and what to exclude. This includes using the robots.txt file and meta tags like "noindex" and "nofollow" to influence Googlebot's behavior, ensuring that it indexes the most valuable pages of your site.

Managing Your Crawl Budget: Google allocates a limited crawl budget to each website, which determines how frequently it will visit and index your pages. Managing this budget efficiently is essential for ensuring that your most important and updated content is regularly crawled, maximizing your search visibility.

Preserving Backlink Authority: Backlinks from authoritative websites are valuable for SEO. Understanding how to retain and build upon this backlink authority is crucial. Strategies include monitoring the quality of backlinks, disavowing harmful ones, and creating high-quality content that naturally attracts backlinks.

Analyzing Google Search Console Error Reports: Google Search Console provides valuable insights into your website's health and performance. Learning how to interpret and address the error reports in Google Search Console can help you identify and rectify issues that may hinder your site's visibility and rankings.

Significance of Breadcrumbs and Structured Data: Breadcrumbs and structured data provide valuable context to both users and search engines. Implementing breadcrumbs in your site's navigation aids user experience and helps Google understand the hierarchy of your content. Structured data, in the form of schema markup, enhances how search engines display your content, potentially leading to rich snippets and improved click-through rates.

Earning Google's Trust in Canonical Links: Canonical links help prevent duplicate content issues and consolidate ranking signals. Gaining Google's trust in your canonical link recommendations involves correctly implementing canonical tags, ensuring consistency, and regularly monitoring their effectiveness in managing content variations.

Comprehensive SEO Insights and Strategies: These are just a few examples of what's covered in the field of SEO for ecommerce marketing. There's a wealth of knowledge and strategies available to optimize your online store's visibility, reach, and conversion rates. Whether it's keyword research, on-page optimization, or mobile SEO, a holistic approach to SEO is essential for ecommerce success.

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.