Search Engine Journal Show

How do you prepare your social and marketing team for AI? There are a ton of AI tools out there, but not all of them are useful.

Jamie Gilpin, CMO at Sprout Social, joined me on the SEJ Show to talk social, search, and how AI can play a bigger part in your strategy.

Gain valuable insight into virality, social media trends, and emerging AI technologies, and discover the seamless integration of these technologies into your team's workflow.

Trends come from forces, and forces are the big cultural shifts that we see. As a result, the moment or signals from those forces become micro topics. –Jamie Gilpin, 05:43

In the world of SEO and search, search changes quickly. Social media trends change just as fast, whether it's platforms or just the way that people are communicating. Everything used to be written. Then, it went to images. And now, video. –Loren Baker, 02:03

Social does infiltrate not just the full customer journey but all aspects of the customer's enterprise. –Jamie Gilpin, 33:23

[00:00] - About Jamie

[02:03] - The evolution of social media trends & content consumption

[03:25] - Understanding trend culture and TikTok's influence

[13:14] - The importance of having a business presence on TikTok

[19:51] - Opportunities to integrate AI in daily social media marketing workflows

[20:57] - Current discourse and applications of AI in marketing

[25:39] - Understanding the AI Assist Tool

[27:16] - Future of AI in visual content for social media marketing

[33:39] - Intersection of social media and search in consumer research

Resources Mentioned:

Sprout Social - https://sproutsocial.com/

One of the biggest opportunities, I would say, and it's synonymous with the challenge we have on the marketing team, is that it's so much easier to work autonomously in silos. Still, the real value, and more importantly, our customers expect that all those folks are working together and delivering one seamless customer experience. –Jamie Gilpin, 18:52

The worst thing that you can do, from a customer experience and perception perspective, is to not have a through-line for when your customer is ready to buy. When they see something they want to buy from you and can't find it. –Jamie Gilpin, 15:13

That's the future of social, and that's why I get very excited about this space. It started in marketing, but it started as a tool for us to advertise another thing–another channel that we would push our message out. –Jamie Gilpin,32:26

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Jamie Gilpin:

Jamie Gilpin, the Chief Marketing Officer at Sprout Social, is a marketing maestro who knows how to grow brands in technology. Her knack for building stellar teams and driving revenue through ingenious strategies make her a force to be reckoned with.

From lead generation to social media sorcery, Jamie's expertise shines through. Armed with an MBA from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in public relations from Florida State University, she's a marketing dynamo who knows how to make things happen.

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiegilpin/

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamiewo

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

YouTube is a powerful platform for B2B marketers, but many organizations still need to start using it to its full potential.

Ali Schwanke, founder at Simple Strat and Host of HubSpot Hacks, joined me on the SEJShow to share her top tips for creating a successful B2B YouTube strategy- including using YouTube's new features to make your videos more discoverable.

Gain insight into the rising importance of YouTube in B2B marketing, leveraging podcast features, differentiating strategies for marketers, the role of video in an AI era, and much more.

We run a channel called HubSpot Hacks over on YouTube, with about 18,000 subscribers. We just crossed over a million views earlier this year, and we're a small team of 10. –Ali Schwanke, 00:41

YouTube happens to be a place where there is very little competition for most B2B companies. So if we do help people on YouTube, it's because the barrier to entry is very high, and so the competition's low. –Ali Schwanke, 02:00

You can create videos so that they just earn a rabbit hole. So if I sent viewers a video every day, it'd take 30 days to get to know me. But if I create an experience for you and your journey that you consume 30 videos in four days because they're just so one after the other, yes, I've accelerated that relationship building, and that's what we're seeing. –Ali Schwanke, 14:18

[00:00] - Introduction to Ali Wanky.

[00:41] - Simple Strat's role with "HubSpot Hacks."

[02:00] - YouTube as a strategy for B2B in low-competition platforms.

[03:56] - Misconceptions about video marketing.

[06:19] - The importance of informative content in B2B YouTube marketing.

[08:52] - The role of authenticity in learning.

[11:22] - Strategies for embedding YouTube videos versus using tools like Wistia.

[14:51] - Techniques for consistent video exposure.

[16:17] - The benefits of multi-platform promotion for video content.

[21:51] - The value of content length variations in viewer engagement.

[23:49] - Format and style considerations: vertical versus horizontal videos.

[26:07] - The potential of YouTube Shorts in content marketing.

[27:29] - The role of AI tools in video creation.

[32:17] - The necessity of engaging content in a crowded YouTube landscape.

[34:44] - Efficient content generation through webinar repurposing.

[35:19] - An overview of valuable resources on HubSpot Hacks.

Resources Mentioned:

HubSpot Hacks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuMAttNQze1GaVfiQ7rMcfA

Simple Strat: https://simplestrat.com/

How I recommend people use AI is less about the editing and more about the strategy. –Ali Schwanke, 28:57

You have to get outside your box of "everybody's ready to buy today, and we're going top of the funnel." We're saying, "how do I create interesting content?" So people just go, "you know what, that company is different. I kind of wanna pay attention to them because attention, time, and convenience are the currency that we all have today." –Ali Schwanke, 32:17

If you're going to go onto YouTube as a B2B company with human personalities, you do need to have people that are comfortable on camera and know what it's gonna take from them to be on camera consistently. –Ali Schwanke, 34:05

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Ali Schwanke:

Ali Schwanke, the founder of Simple Strat, stands out in the realm of B2B content marketing with over 15 years of experience. A certified content marketer, HubSpot agency partner, and YouTube creator, she leverages her expertise to build data-driven strategies that fuel business growth.

Schwanke champions a customer-centric approach to marketing, viewing content as a powerful tool to address customers' needs and challenges. Her innovative methods offer businesses a roadmap to increase their influence and reach through strategic content marketing.

Connect with Ali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alischwanke/

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alischwanke

Watch her on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/hubspothacks

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

It's our 20th Anniversary! In this special commemorative episode, take an exhilarating ride back to some of the earliest SEO and search marketing days as I sit down with our founder Loren Baker.

Come for the nostalgia and stay for the hidden gems as Loren reflects on an awe-inspiring 20-year evolution of Search Engine Journal. We delved into the unforgettable landmarks, behind-the-scenes stories, and revolutionary insights that have shaped the industry and our coverage.

Loren's captivating anecdotes and poignant reflections paint a bold picture of SEO's past, present, and future.

Join us as we celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Search Engine Journal and inspire a new generation of digital innovation.

We've achieved considerable success, especially since we collaborated with Alpha Brand Media in 2010 under the leadership of Jenise and Brent. Our primary goal was to expand SEJ's reach. Despite the various changes, one thing has remained constant – our commitment to continuous experimentation. –Loren Baker, 17:17

When I used to write, my natural inclination was to include a summary or an implication section in the post. I would explore questions such as: 'What does this information mean for marketers?', 'How can this be integrated into your SEO campaign?' or 'How can you incorporate this into your daily tasks? –Loren Baker, 15:34

Some of my favorite shows are those where we've invited day-to-day marketers, mainly in-house marketers, to share their experiences. They discuss how things are working from an enterprise perspective and in-house. Even when I used to attend a lot of conferences, I particularly enjoyed the in-house or enterprise-oriented sessions. As a consultant or agency representative, it helped me understand the thought processes, challenges and struggles in-house marketers face, which improved my communication with clients and sales. –Loren Baker, 24:54

[00:00] - Origin and Initial Vision of the Search Engine Journal

[07:15] - Key Changes in SEO Since Launching SEJ

[11:33] - Impact of Social Media Rise on SEO Strategy

[15:34] - Applying SEO News to Marketing Campaigns

[16:31] - Importance of Experimentation in SEO and Marketing

[17:17] - Growth and Evolution of SEJ with Alpha Brand Media

[18:29] - Learning from Past Mistakes and Wrong Decisions

[20:22] - Maintaining SEJ's Editorial Integrity and Accuracy

[21:12] - Keeping SEJ Relevant Amidst AI Advancements

[24:02] - Most Impactful Interview Conducted on the Podcast

[27:04] - Evolution of Challenges Faced by Marketers

[30:40] - Impact of AI and SGE on SEO's Future

[32:02] - Debunking the Myth: Is SEO Dead?

[38:13] - Proudest Moments after Two Decades at SEJ

[41:04] - Future Plans for SEJ & Loren's Personal Career

[42:43] - Possibility of a Lauren Baker AI Chatbot

[44:55] - Dominating News Coverage without Being First

[45:47] - Making News Stories Evergreen for Audience

[47:55] - Creating Engaging Content for Less Exciting Topics

[49:58] - Influence of Trends on the Content Creation Approach

[51:13] - SEJ Experience's Impact on Worldview and Work Approach

Early on, I collaborated with several companies that wanted to start blogs. However, they were hesitant because they didn't believe they had anything of value to discuss. –Loren Baker, 47:55

Search and search traffic has evolved from being considered a vanity metric to becoming more focused on the long tail and conversion-driven. –Loren Baker, 27:13

The one thing I do love about this industry is that it's constantly changing. I love staying on top of everything in search, tech, and everything else, so I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Going to continue to help to grow this puppy. –Loren Baker,42:16

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Loren Baker:

Meet Loren Baker: a trailblazer in digital marketing, the mastermind behind Search Engine Journal (SEJ), and an authority in SEO. As the founder of SEJ, he's built a powerhouse of cutting-edge SEO insights and news, becoming a beacon for marketers and industry enthusiasts worldwide.

But Loren's passion for digital excellence doesn't stop at SEJ. As an Advisor at Alpha Brand Media, he injects strategic vision into every decision, continuously pushing the boundaries of what's possible in digital media.

At the helm of Foundation Digital, Loren crafts bespoke digital marketing strategies that redefine business success. His penchant for innovative solutions, along with his keen understanding of the industry's pulse, sets him apart as a dynamic and impactful leader.

Connect with Loren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener, Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Journal:

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/

ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) are seemingly everywhere, and it's crucial to learn what's possible with them while acknowledging their flaws. After all, do LLMs have their intelligence? Is ChatGPT ready for "prime time," or is it merely a toy that can lead to fake and error-laden stories?

President of Pilot Holding, Eric Enge, joined me on the SEJShow to share the truth behind the prevailing myths surrounding the generative AI landscape and how to succeed with the tools instead.

Discover the problems arising from placing too much trust in generative AI. You'll also find out what is possible and how to use it in your business best while avoiding the common mistakes associated with LLMs.

We must remember that the real problem is that this stuff is trained on the open internet. We have all the world's information on the web, and that's great, but we also have all the world's disinformation on the web and a lot of overtly intended misinformation. –Eric Enge,41:18

Anybody who thinks SEO is going away because of this doesn't understand SEO. As long as people want to search for and find things, and as long as there are tools to help people search for and find things, there will be SEO, end of story. –Eric Enge, 32:48

We're not at the point where this will supplant humans in all things. But we are at a point where we've developed a really interesting tool that can be used constructively and creatively in many different ways.–Eric Enge, 37:38

[00:00] - Introduction to Eric

[04:21] - AI's current and future role in search & opportunities

[09:36] - Effects of incorrect information on different Internet users

[14:13] - Error reporting to Google: Best practices

[15:25] - Preparing ecommerce sites for AI-enhanced search

[21:02] - The role of content in local search results

[23:52] - Evaluation of Google's source selection for search results

[28:23] - Impact of Google's result integration on clicks and conversions

[31:48] - Importance of brand visibility in search results

[33:14] - Misunderstandings about AI's influence on search results

[37:40] - Outlook on the future of ai systems

[38:29] - Recent advancements in ai-generated output accuracy

[41:18] - Web disinformation issues and their effect on ai models

[44:22] - Strategies for ai-optimized business content

[46:55] - AI's potential impact on online content credibility

[48:33] - Importance of experts in enhancing ai-generated content

[50:19] - Google's approach to evaluating content trustworthiness

[51:49] - Insights on AI's role in future content generation and SEO

Resources Mentioned:

Pilot Holding: https://www.pilotholding.com/

Right now, we have this massive paradigm shift or the preparation for the shift. We're definitely in the infant stages. Most of us SEOs have Google SGE running on our browsers. We're doing queries daily. We're getting scared or anxious every time we do a query. Now we're seeing an article appear before the typical organic results. We must keep reminding ourselves that we are beta-testing this at the moment. And this is a tricky thing to do sometimes when every time you search, you see everything pushed down. Google trying to answer what may not even be a question-oriented query with a relatively long piece of content. –Loren Baker, 04:21

The easiest way to get started is to take a page on your site, feed it into the model, give it the search query you want it to rank for, and ask it what changes you need to make to improve your chances of ranking on that or what content gaps you need to fill. –Eric Enge,44:22

Over time, E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is going to become more important. Google will place a lot of weight on looking for subject matter experts, fact-checking, and a strong staff of experts owning the content. –Eric Enge, 48:22

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Eric Enge:

Eric Enge is an award-winning professional and co-founder of Pilot Holding, specializing in executive consulting for SEO, content marketing, digital marketing, and finance. He founded Stone Temple Consulting, later acquired by Perficient, where he served as General Manager and Principal in the Digital Marketing team.

Eric's expertise spans digital marketing strategy, SEO, content marketing, paid search, conversion rate optimization, social media, web analytics, and marketing automation. He excels in guiding businesses toward their next stage of growth.

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericenge/

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stonetemple

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

Have you ever wondered how WordPress can transform your brand's narrative and enhance your online presence?

Executive Director of WordPress, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, joined me on the SEJShow to discuss the impact of the open source model on WordPress's growth and economy and provides valuable insights on leveraging WordPress to tell your brand's story and succeed in the digital world.

As WordPress marks its 20th anniversary, empowering individuals and organizations to share their narratives and establish their businesses, this episode provides a glimpse into WordPress's future and the unique ways marketers, entrepreneurs, and SMBs can capitalize on its evolving capabilities.

WordPress enabled about half a trillion dollar economy based on everything people can do to create services and products inside the WordPress space. How we have created our marketplaces has been significant.–Josepha Haden,15:22

Like all the things with AI, I always ask my community to move slowly enough to be ethical but fast enough to be relevant. We're technology, and we have to be fast. Otherwise, we don't matter. But also, we are open source, so we always want to be as ethical as possible.–Josepha Haden, 36:02

The thing I think that makes Open Source so valuable in the history of WordPress and probably in the history of any open source project is that it not only has a bunch of freedoms for what anyone who wants to use our software can do and can have, but it also specifically includes freedoms from things that they should not have to deal with. Like they should be free from having someone suddenly change their terms of service and no longer having access to their content or, suddenly changing their algorithms and no longer having any access to the audiences that they worked so hard to gain on their sites and in their own spaces.–Josepha Haden, 10:12

[00:00] - About Josepha. [00:29] - The 20th anniversary of WordPress. [00:40] - SEJ's transition from Blogger to WordPress. [01:54] - The WordPress project timeline. [04:12] - Explanation of open-source project contributions. [14:32] - The economy of WordPress. [14:51] - SEO plugins in WordPress. [17:23] - How do plugin and theme developers monetize their work in the WordPress space? [20:25] - How has Gutenberg changed WordPress post publishing? [27:21] - Benefits for merchants using WordPress for ecommerce. [28:56] - Storytelling in ecommerce. [31:26] - The role SEO plays in WordPress' operation and its importance to users. [32:31] - Future of WordPress. [33:08] - WordPress' multilingual support. [34:12] - How WordPress is navigating enterprise-level customizations. [36:02] - Ethical considerations of WordPress & AI. [41:57] - The role & importance of the WordPress community in its success.

Resources Mentioned:

WordPress – https://WordPress.org A Bill of Rights for the Open Web – https://wordpress.org/news/2023/04/episode-54-open-webs-bill-of-rights/ WordPress Playground – https://wordpress.org/news/2023/04/episode-54-open-webs-bill-of-rights/ Yoast – https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/ All-In-One SEO – https://aioseo.com/ Rank Math – https://rankmath.com/ Josepha's Blog – https://josepha.blog/

And for what it's worth, a group of existing agencies caters to enterprise clients in WordPress. We know, as WordPress is in the heart of us, that we can do that and support that. And we also can do that while keeping the heart of our open-source philosophies like we see it happening. WordPress.org/enterprise is the page that enterprise-specific agency leaders pulled together to help us get more awareness that WordPress is an excellent choice for enterprise implementations and clients.–Loren Baker, 45:24

One of the goals of Gutenberg was to lower the barrier to entry for new users of WordPress by creating this block standard. The idea was that everyone would use the same variety and type of interactions. You only had to learn one type of management style for all the interactive management spaces available inside the CMS. This was an opportunity for us to modernize the code base and bring in a new concept of how we can work with WordPress. –Josepha Haden, 21:40

So in the publishing space, one of the things that I think, I'm not going to say we're going to lead in, but certainly, I believe we're going to do the best in, is making sure that our native, multilingual support is as seamless and robust as it can be. We are the most used CMS worldwide, and that work is slated for phase four of our current Gutenberg project. It's not necessarily a Gutenberg-centric concept, but it is one of the areas where we can stand to make the most profound difference in using an excellent CMS globally. And so that is in our next three to four years.–Josepha Haden, 33:08

Connect with Josepha Haden Chomphosy:

Josepha Haden Chomphosy is an accomplished leader and technologist in open-source software. As the Executive Director of WordPress, she oversees the strategic direction of the world's most widely used content management system (CMS), with 43% of all websites globally powered by WordPress.

Since taking on this role in 2019, she has devoted her work to cultivating a more diverse and inclusive community that welcomes hundreds of volunteers worldwide, expanding the platform's reach, and empowering users to create exceptional digital experiences. Josepha is known for her leadership skills and philosophy, passion for open-source software, and commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive industry.

Connect with her on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephahaden/

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

Get ready to unlock the secrets behind successful – and SAFE – advertising as we dive deep into the world of ads policy with a true industry expert.

Alejandro Borgia, Google's Director of Product Management, Ads Safety, joins me on the SEJShow to decode ad policy, setting the record straight on common myths in the ads world, from captivating clicks to unwavering compliance.

From debunking misconceptions to chatting about what's next for ads, this episode is a must-listen for marketers, advertisers, and PPC enthusiasts alike.

[00:00] - About Alejandro.

[01:46] - How Google approaches ad safety.

[07:27] - Benefits of the Transparency Center.

[09:23] - How will AI integration affect ad safety?

[14:25] - How Google will defend the risks of generative AI in advertising.

[19:21] - Misconception about ad safety.

[22:21] - Top threats to Google's safety work.

[24:34] - The then and now of Google Ads.

[27:48] - What Alejandro is excited about.

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Alejandro Borgia:

Meet Alejandro Borgia, a standout authority in product management and marketing. At the helm of strategic initiatives at Google as the Director of Product Management, Alejandro is known for breaking new ground.

His proven track record extends to influential roles at cybersecurity giant Symantec and digital music pioneer Napster. Known for his thoughtful approach and continuous contributions, Alejandro has a well-earned reputation for fostering innovation, promoting growth, and encouraging transformation in the tech industry.

Connect with Alejandro on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandroborgia/

Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener, Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Journal:

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/

On this episode of the SEJ Show, we dive headfirst into the aftermath of Google's momentous May, from I/O to Marketing Live.

Join SEJ Editor-in-Chief Amanda Zantal-Wiener in conversation with industry experts Roger Montti and Matt Southern as we dissect the key takeaways and groundbreaking announcements from Google's annual events.

From an abundance of AI announcements to product updates, tune in to learn how to leverage and apply these developments to stay ahead of the curve.

Google announced a lot of things, but they're not shipping anything yet, so it's not like they're flooding the market with all this new stuff that we have to try. There are a lot of announcements, and I find that we have a lot of time to digest them before we can get our hands on them and use them. –Matt Southern, 2:17

The big takeaway that I got from I/O and the way Google is looking to change the search experience, also with GML yesterday changing the advertiser experience is making everything conversational, which by the way, I feel like we've seen this before. Conversational marketing with chatbots etc., was a really big deal. There's a big emphasis on a conversational approach to all these things. –Amanda Zantal-Wiener, 32:22

So it seems both Open AI and Google are afraid of the democratization of AI. Right now, people are building a chatbot for 500 bucks or less, so the technology is out there. People are building their own things, like Jasper AI is working with Cerebras, which provides AI infrastructure, and a lot of people think Jasper AI is just taking a chat GPT feed and modifying it. No, they built their own large language models using the Cerebras infrastructure, and it's very unique to them and very specific–what's called domain-specific. That's going to pose a problem for them, and they want to keep a light on it, in my opinion, but that's why you're seeing the first strike from Google and open AI about the legislation because they want to control what the laws are. –Roger Monttii, 7:17

[00:00] - About Matt & Roger

[02:04] - Are things slowing down this summer?

[05:50] - The talk about the L-word: Legislation.

[12:33] - The white paper on Google's ethics and AI.

[17:32] - Initial thoughts on Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE)

[22:03] - About Section 230.

[32:22] - How do you optimize for the new search experience?

[47:15] - How will the new search experience impact accessibility & KPIs?

[52:37] - What's the motivation for companies?

[58:26] - What's on the horizon?

Resources mentioned:

Google I/O: https://io.google/2023/

230 should be amended to account for recommender algorithms which is a relatively new thing that didn't exist. Section 230 was originally formulated to regulate, give a fair forum, and allow free speech. Section 230 is about allowing free speech. But let's face it: When it comes to people advocating harm, it might seem controversial, but there should be limits on free speech because the right to free speech is only the right to have to be able to say what you want and not have government and put laws into it. Free speech is when I walk into your house or Matt's house, or anybody who's watching. I can't go in there and say whatever the hell I want. You have the right to kick me out. So when you go to a website, whether it's YouTube, Twitter, or some random forum, if you don't can abide by the terms of service that restrict what kind of speech is allowed there, they have the right to kick you out. –Roger Monttii, 27:22

As far as the summer in search, I think that it might slow down, but Google has a history of pushing things without announcing them over to summertime, although there are some updates too. But there's been a history of Google pushing important changes related to how search works during the summer and then announcing it in the fall. –Roger Monttii, 4:13

I was watching the hearing with Sam Altman, and it seemed a little too friendly compared to previous hearings. It's unusual for a company like that to just welcome regulation, almost like they're asking, "please regulate us." –Matt Southern, 10:09

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Roger Montti:

Roger Montti is a seasoned search marketer boasting over 20 years of experience in the field. He has built a solid reputation for expertise and effectiveness by offering site audits, phone consultations, and content and link strategy assistance.

In addition to being a Head Judge for the 2020 and 2021 U.S. Search Awards, Roger is also a publisher of award-winning websites, showcasing his multifaceted talents within the industry.

As a prominent figure in search marketing, Roger has shared his insights at various conferences, including SES, SMX East, SMX West, SMX Advanced Seattle, Affiliate Summit NYC, Affiliate Summit West, and multiple PubCon events. In addition, his writing covers various topics, such as WordPress, Facebook, Google, SEO, and search marketing, further establishing him as a thought leader.

Connect with Roger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinibuster/

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinibuster

Connect With Matt Southern:

Matt G. Southern, a highly respected Senior News Writer, has been integral to the Search Engine Journal team since 2013. With a bachelor's degree in communications, he excels at distilling complex subjects into clear, engaging content.

In addition to writing, Matt is responsible for overseeing strategy development within SEJ's news department, ensuring that the organization remains at the forefront of the digital marketing and search engine optimization landscape.

As a trusted source of information, Matt's work at SEJ combines accuracy, quality, and relevance. His dedication to excellence in reporting and commitment to helping others better understand search engines and digital marketing make him an indispensable asset to SEJ and the broader industry.

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgsouthern/

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattGSouthern

Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener, Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Journal:

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/

In the world of SEO, search marketing, and content marketing, it's becoming clear that getting a solid grip on the customer's needs, desires, and lifestyle is equally essential to building your brand's unique persona and story.

Ryan Kutscher, the creative force and founder behind CIRCUS MAXIMUS, joined me on the SEJShow to talk about how his team creates compelling brand narratives. We covered their use of Ikigai, a profound Japanese concept that translates to "a reason for being."

This concept is a remarkable tool in their storytelling arsenal, providing a fresh perspective that introduces depth and purpose to their narratives. In this episode, we'll gain invaluable insights into how Ikigai can be utilized to create more meaningful, impactful stories, ultimately adding a rich layer of authenticity to your brand narrative.

​​We take a step back for brands to think more narratively about what the story they're trying to tell is. And then think about how they're applying that to the customer journey rather than tactics first, which just makes your head explode these days. –Ryan Kutscher, 04:38

Sometimes as a business owner or an executive, you assume that the entire company gets the mission and what you said is a human mission. So, one of the things lacking in the workplace, so that's been lacking in the workplace for the past 20-30 years, is purpose. What gets you up in the morning? –Loren Baker, 07:22

[00:00] - About Ryan

[02:43] - How they craft memorable brand narratives and characters

[08:50] - How human mission & passion comes in.

[11:57] - The Mark Cuban example.

[16:05] - How to get started with the voice of the customer.

[17:48] - How do companies earn revenue from pinpointing passion & mission?

[19:39] - Uber & Lyft example.

[24:46] - The In & Out Burger example.

[28:36] - Brands Ryan worked with applying Ikigai.

[32:11] - Other ways listeners can use the Ikigai concept.

[34:56] - How important are videos?

Resources mentioned:

Circus Maximus - https://www.circusmaximus.com/

The first question that we ask is why? Why is your brand doing what it's doing? What is the brand's purpose? That answer is not to make money or increase revenue by a quarter. It's not a business goal. It's a human mission. If everyone can kind of answer those questions the same way, or at least have an understanding of how the brand wants to answer those questions, they start to work for that idea or that narrative, and then that helps them do their job better and hopefully helps them tell their story better, tell the story better. There's an internal role of answering these questions and having this shared narrative, and there's an external role. So that's where it starts, with purpose. –Ryan Kutscher, 05:32

People like Mark Cuban, who are successful entrepreneurs, understand that you start with the mission and then build the company around it. You don't start with the company and then build a mission backward. And when you have a mission clearly defined, the people you need to help you build that company come to you because they're attracted to the mission. And some of those people are customers. So that's the power of the mission. –Ryan Kutscher, 13:32

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Ryan Kutscher:

Ryan Kutscher stands at the helm of Circus Maximus, an innovative agency transforming the advertising landscape. With a unique model that blends branding, content, and media, Ryan, founder and CEO, has propelled brands onto global platforms, partnering with industry giants and burgeoning start-ups.

Beyond his leadership role, Ryan is recognized for his creative approach to life. He champions entrepreneurship within his team, urging them to infuse creativity into their daily lives. And amidst all these, he finds joy in the companionship of his Australian Shepherd, Rudder.

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kutscher-a282605/

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

Looking for some great PPC conversion rate optimization tips?

Navah Hopkins, PPC expert and SEJ contributor, joins me on the SEJShow, where we explore the art and science of turning ad clicks into valuable conversions. She delves into the crucial journey from ad to landing pageant and shares strategies and techniques to help you deliver on the promise made in your advertisements.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or a newcomer, this podcast episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to take their conversion rates to new heights.

Navah Hopkins is the Evangelist for Optmyzr. A veteran of the digital marketing industry, she began as an SEO in 2008, transitioning to PPC in 2012. In 2019, she became a founding member of the Paid Search Association, a group dedicated to empowering the next generation of PPC practitioners and serving as a resource for all practitioners to learn from and share with the community.

Now, landing page experience is a core component of quality score, which is a core component of ad rank, which influences your cost per click in at least Google and Microsoft PPC campaigns. And what's interesting is that the landing page experience is a two-part piece: The first is how well the landing page answers the promise you made in your ad, and that goes to the keywords you're targeting or the audiences you're targeting. The other piece is a little bit technical, and where you might need to partner with your SEO friends or use a tool that has some of these things baked in. Is the ad bot able to crawl your landing page to generate a quality score? Are you going to be having popups going left, right, and center? Are you going to have modules that may not necessarily behave? So there's a, there's a technical component, and then there's the, the content component. And what I think a lot of either PPCs, may need to remember to think about is the technical component. –Navah Hopkins, 04:47

I've always considered utilizing SEO or normal site pages as huge distractions for PPC campaigns. Typically with PPC campaigns, someone knows where they're going to go. You want to keep them in that funnel and follow that call to action, so they will make that purchase. But it seems like, in PPC, you can direct someone into taking that call to action. Whereas SEO, we're doing the exact opposite. We're interweaving this web of distractions to show that it's an authority, and there are reviews, FAQs, and there's the schema, and there's everything else, like all across the board and interlinks and navigation. –Loren Baker, 10:07

If we want experiences that are curated, we need to know how to say yes. Because that's another thing: what does that experience look like? And we can talk about that in terms of what cookie consent looks like on the landing page. The other thing that's important to factor in is that if you choose to say no to tracking, which is a valid choice, just expect to see ads that are not valid. –Navah Hopkins, 18:00

[00:00] - About Nava.

[03:35] - What is landing page experience, & how does that impact overall PPC performance?

[12:52] - How important is landing page compliance for in-app browsers?

[19:32] - Which is worse, rage clicks or abandoned carts?

[24:02] - Metrics for landing pages.

[27:45] - What is Performance Max?

[32:23] - Opportunities in AI.

[35:43] - Tips for managing multiple campaigns & pages.

Resources mentioned:

Performance Max: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10724817?hl=en

Google IO: https://io.google/2023/

What's interesting is that if you see that mostly YouTube displays and others are getting the lion's share of your budget, odds are you're not budgeting enough for transactional search. More importantly, your landing pages are likely being served to people that aren't as relevant. So definitely make sure that, as you're building your P-max campaigns, you include as an audience signal some of your competitor websites. –Navah Hopkins, 31:17

One of the things that I would encourage every consumer to think about is whether you want the experience of walking down New York City and you see billboards everywhere. Or whether you want an experience of, "I went into a pop-up store that I sought out, and I have this very curated shopping experience specifically for me." No judgment either way, but bear in mind that advertisers and SEOs only have the data that we consented to give. So you need to share that data to expect landing pages to be a perfect match. –Navah Hopkins, 14:34

I think this new visual era is exciting and interesting, but that's one of the areas where this is a good time to fail fast and test playing with video, playing with display, ads, and content. See how you can adjust your landing pages to capitalize on that. Because if you're treating your landing pages that came from tech sources with the same as visuals, you likely need to include a couple of opportunities to connect with your consumer.–Navah Hopkins, 11:53

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Nava Hopkins:

Meet Navah Hopkins, the Evangelist for Optmyzr. With over a decade of experience in digital marketing, she knows the ins and outs of SEO and PPC like the back of her hand.

Navah is all about sharing knowledge and spreading the love for paid search. She's a frequent contributor to SEJ, SEMrush, and WordStream. Plus, she's a sought-after speaker, sharing her wisdom with audiences across the globe.

In fact, Navah loves PPC so much that she's a founding member of the Paid Search Association. Along with her fellow members, she's dedicated to nurturing the next generation of PPC pros and creating a community of collaboration and learning.

Connect with Navah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navahhopkins/

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/navahf

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker

You know how the world of SEO is constantly changing. And staying on top of things and making the most of your skills is essential.

That's what we're all about here at the SEJShow - finding fantastic new business models and strategies that help you shine as an SEO consultant.

Roland Frasier joins me in today's show to dive into alternative methods that could change your consulting game, giving you even more rewards for all that hard work you put into client and partner projects.

So, strap in, and let's jump off that old SEO hamster wheel to uncover some exciting SEO consulting opportunities!

If you're entrepreneurial, it makes sense to think about possibly getting something more permanent for your time. –Roland Frasier, 03:40

What I found to be most effective is to say you've got knowledge, skills, experience, and connections that add tremendous value to businesses, so you have a choice: You can get a short-term income and a flat fee, get paid by the hour, and even get in the middle of a revenue share. But when that stops, it stops. A way around that is to come in and add value to the business. The value you bring to the company should be compensated by participating in the ongoing profits or equity of the business...That's the concept: how do you turn your effort into equity? –Roland Frasier, 05:12

After so many years in marketing, I don't consider myself just an SEO. I'm typically brought in to do SEO Consulting and help on that side. The next thing I know, there's a new brand launching, so I'm looking at opportunities for brand messaging, looking at the product before it comes out, and involved with that this and that. –Loren Baker, 13:03

[00:00] - About Roland.

[07:01] - What consultants should look for when they want to have equity in a company.

[12:55] - How to avoid "over consulting" and earn based on the value provided beyond SEO?

[20:45] - How to yourself as proving more than just SEO.

[23:20] - How to start consulting for equity.

[32:55] - What is a Fractional CMO?

[41:30] - The mindset that leads to a better quality of life.

Resources mentioned:

Epic Network - https://epicnetwork.com/

The Business Lunch Podcast- https://businesslunchpodcast.com/

I'm going to look at where I can have a significant impact. I'm going to say if the lift that I can add to this company is something that I think will move the needle for them, then I believe it's an appropriate conversation. –Roland Frasier, 9:40

They will put you in that box if you come in as an SEO, so how you brand and present are essential. I'd position myself as a strategist as opposed to an SEO-only. The fact that SEO is one of the things that you do is significant. It might be the main thing that you do. But having even alliances with other people that can provide the additional services is an intelligent way to go because if you come in as growth, you know that the company is going to value you more than if you come in as a component or sub-component of development. –Roland Frasier, 15:01

People might think that it's not possible to have you as a partner. It might not occur to them, but they might believe you're so far beyond that it's not even an option. So by telling them in advance that this is an option having them put skin in the game by having them show that they believe in you and that they're willing to invest in themselves is crucial in making this work. –Roland Frasier, 20:00

For more content like this, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/searchenginejournal

Are you looking to keep up with current and effective digital marketing today? Check out https://www.searchenginejournal.com for everything you need to know within the digital marketing space and improve your skills as an internet marketer.

Connect With Roland Frasier:

Roland Frasier stands out in the world of ambitious investments and building strategies. With over 1000 acquisitions, exits, real estate portfolios, and more under his belt for himself and his clients, he knows what it takes to succeed in business!

As a principal of 6 Inc.'s fastest growing companies plus an advisor at Stanford University –Roland is making waves with some hefty credentials. Not only has this savvy investor been featured on all major news networks but Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes & Entrepreneur are singing praises too!

And if that isn't enough star power...he even interviewed Sir Richard Branson AND Magic Johnson, so you know something good must be cooking up around him - like his award-winning podcast, 'Business Lunch.'

Connect with Roland on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandfrasier/

Watch him on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/RolandFrasierEPIC

Follow him on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rolandfrasier

Connect with Loren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal:

Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker