In this special episode of Search With Candour, hosts Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook sit down with guests Arnout Hellemans, Yagmur Simsek, and Begum Kaya.

Recorded in a brand new studio to celebrate the finale of Season 3, the panel discusses SEO industry highlights from 2024, and makes some SEO predictions for 2025.

Topics include the rise of AI, shifts in search engine market shares, and the ever-evolving landscape of SEO. The conversation extends to personal branding, the importance of community in SEO, and how the integration of AI could reshape the search experience in the coming years.

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome

00:17 Introducing Our Special Guests

02:38 Highlights of 2024 in SEO

11:53 The Impact of AI on SEO

27:06 Building Trust and Brand in SEO

43:09 The Long-Term Impact of SEO Tips

43:31 The Challenge of Measuring Long-Term SEO Success

44:08 The Human Element in SEO

44:51 The Evolution of SEO Communities

45:51 Conversational Search and AI

47:00 The Future of Search Engines

49:19 The Role of AI in Everyday Tasks

01:03:41 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Society

01:13:01 Predictions for the Future of Search

01:25:58 Closing Thoughts

Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook follow up on Mark's popular Search Norwich talk about conceptual models for SEO and his recent Google exploit discovery.

Mark & Jack explore the details of the fascinating Google exploit, dissect the talk's key points, and answer questions from the community.

The duo also preview next week’s big episode featuring three special guests and discuss the revamped format for Search With Candour in their cosier setting.

Stay tuned for exclusive insights into Google's data, how Google classifies queries, and what this all means for SEO in 2025.

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Search with Candour

00:15 Studio Updates and Upcoming Guests

01:13 Exploring the Google Exploit

01:29 Sponsor: SE Ranking

02:50 Sponsor: Optmyzr

05:53 Advanced SEO and Conceptual Models

10:13 Understanding SEO Through Video Games

11:25 The Importance of Conceptual Models in SEO

14:53 Google Exploit Data and Its Implications

21:18 Site Quality Score and SERP Features

30:27 Optimising Click-Through Rates

33:25 The Twiddler Framework Explained

35:25 Google's Predicted Click-Through Model

37:53 The Role of Expertise in SEO

43:38 What Protobuf Is and How It Works

48:07 Wrapping Up and Future Plans

Jack Chambers Ward celebrates the near end of the year with a Spotify Wrapped-style recap of the podcast's top episodes from 2024.

Jack highlights the top 10 most watched and listened to episodes, along with honourable mentions from throughout season 3.

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00:00 Introduction

00:42 Upcoming Episodes

01:19 Sponsors

05:55 Spotify Wrapped Insights

12:36 Top 10 Episodes of 2024

13:02 Number 10

13:57 Number 9

14:55 Number 8

16:59 Number 7

18:27 Number 6

19:53 Number 5

20:56 Number 4

23:43 Number 3

25:27 Number 2

27:49 Honourable Mentions

38:47 Number 1

42:09 Conclusion and thanks

Join Jack Chambers-Ward as he discusses storytelling, copywriting, and content strategy with Will Slater, the creative content specialist at 43 Clicks North.

Will uses his experience as a writer and photographer to explain how even bad ideas lead to great ones, the importance of curiosity, and the intricacies of creating content that resonates emotionally with your audience.

Jack & Will explore how storytelling principles from novels, comics, and even music can enhance your marketing efforts. Plus, learn valuable tips for structuring your content, engaging specific audiences, and mastering the art of concise and impactful writing. This episode is packed with insights to help you create better content in 2024 and beyond.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro trailer

00:57 Introduction to Search with Candour

02:01 Sponsorship Acknowledgements

06:34 Welcome Will Slater

08:40 The Power of Storytelling in Copywriting

09:50 Creating Emotional Connections

11:25 The Role of Flaws in Storytelling

14:51 The Art of Concise Copywriting

17:42 The Process of Generating Ideas

22:53 Understanding Your Audience

32:11 The Influence of Music on Storytelling

40:33 The Power of Brand Recognition

40:58 Engaging the Senses in Writing

41:32 Show, Don't Tell: Writing Techniques

44:40 The Art of Comic Book Storytelling

48:44 Structuring Content for Impact

57:27 The Hero's Journey in Modern Writing

01:00:46 Concise Storytelling: Less is More

01:04:29 Understanding Your Audience

01:13:12 The Importance of Curiosity in Marketing

01:18:49 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Join host Jack Chambers Ward and special guest Amanda King as they delve into the intricacies of content hierarchy and content consolidation in this insightful episode of Search With Candour.

This episode is packed with expert advice, real-life examples, and tips for performing effective content audits.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

In this bonus episode Search With Candour, Jack is joined by Steve Paine, the English-language marketing manager at SISTRIX to discuss breaking news on site reputation abuse and recent data insights.

Steve & Jack explore the November core update from Google and its impact on website rankings with examples of affected websites such as Reddit, Forbes, The Guardian and more.

Steve and Jack also explore manual versus algorithmic enforcement of Google's policies and share their findings on recent shifts in SERPs and site visibility.

Follow Steve Paine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevechippy/

Follow SISTRIX: https://www.sistrix.com/blog/google-core-update-november-2024/

Follow Lily Ray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-ray-44755615/

Follow Glenn Gabe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenngabe/

Follow Barry Schwartz: https://www.seroundtable.com/

Chapters

Jack Chambers Ward sits down with web data analyst Marco Giordano to discuss how to get the most out of your web data.

Together, they delve into the intricacies of web analytics, covering topics such as incorporating crawl data, understanding GA4, leveraging BigQuery, and effectively communicating data insights to clients.

Jack and Marco also discuss the importance of combining technical SEO expertise with business acumen and provide valuable tips for anyone looking to maximise the impact of their web data.

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Chapters

00:00 Highlight reel

00:36 Welcome to Search with Candour

00:56 Introducing Marco Giordano

01:55 Sponsors

04:49 Marco Giordano's Insights on Web Data

06:12 Common Mistakes in Web Data Management

10:22 Balancing Hard and Soft Skills in SEO

19:00 Importance of Storing and Analysing Web Data

29:46 Combining Data Sources for Better Insights

37:17 Global Marketing Differences

39:26 The Role of Crawl Data and Log Files

42:05 Integrating Technical and Content Strategies

49:16 The Importance of Hybrid Skills in SEO

52:49 Evolving Job Titles and Industry Roles

54:27 Combining SEO with Other Channels

01:03:15 The Future of SEO and Analytics

01:09:17 Conclusion and Future Episodes

Jack Chambers-Ward is joined by SEO veteran Noah Lerner for an in-depth discussion on the importance of critical thinking in SEO.

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Chapters

Join hosts Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook as they tackle the latest SEO news and industry trends.

In this episode, we'll cover the growing influence of AI in search, Google introducing AI-organised search results, personalised Google Shopping feeds, and the pitfalls of AI Overviews for finance queries and restaurant reviews.

We also explore how Redditors are manipulating search results and whether we can trust online reviews anymore.

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Resources

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:10 Conference Season and Travel

01:40 Sponsor: SE Ranking

03:12 Sponsor: Optmyzr

06:01 AI in Search 2024

06:21 AI Organized Search Results

14:03 Personalized Shopping Feeds

26:55 Financial Advice Inaccuracies

28:52 Financial Advice Regulations in the UK

29:08 US State Laws vs Federal Laws

30:12 AI Overviews and Legal Nuances

31:00 Disclaimers and User Trust

33:39 Accuracy of AI-Generated Content

39:56 Reddit's Influence on Search Results

46:12 User-Generated Content: Pros and Cons

49:25 Conclusion and Upcoming Content