The Business of Digital Podcast

In our final 100th Episode Dana Todd joins us to talk all things marketing and digital. Listen and dig in with us as we cover a whole host of topics.

100th Episode with Dana Todd

Right from the start we got digging into some crazy old Internet History. AOL. Dial-up. Paying for internet by the hour (thanks AOL and others). Greg Boser said on Monday and credited Dana Todd with associating Organic with SEO for the first time (in a public forum of some sorts we believe). Do you recall the Million Dollar Homepage? TOTW - not family friendly and no we didn't look up what it means now! Dave's first conference some years ago was actually when he and Dana met. And 15 years later here they are doing a podcast!

SEMPO

Dana touches on some of the challenges businesses were facing when they started SEMPO and some of the reasons that prompted her and others to start SEMPO.

Digital Marketing Innovation

Dana digs into the lack of innovation for ads and monetization since the crash of the market. Dana covers her past start up NewsForce which was an advertorial or sponsored content. Banners. Text Links. Auction for Banners and Text Links. Not much else has come since FaceBook took much of the market left by Google and other Search Engines.

Future of Digital Marketing

We were not able to get Dana to make many predictions but she did talk deeply about the future of digital signage but that there is still legal issues around the future use of facial recognition. Think of retailers and virtual dressing rooms - these are already in the works. Will advertisers be able to target you personally in the future like we have seen in movies? What about deepfakes and fakes, do you think that will throw it all off? Let us know in the comments.

Matt brought up a beer example, not Dave! Regarding IRL and Digital Experiences in AR/VR the Deschutes Brewery videos you see below are a great example of what people are trying.

Screen Size

The group goes back and forth on how user behavior is changing and despite most people have 40-70 inch TV screens in their house many still prefer mobile devices.

Voice Apps, IoT & Appliances

Digging deeper, Dave brings up devices and how or how not marketers may get their hands deeper into those devices. Dana mentions a podcast - Should This Exist that you should checkout.

It’s the question of our times: How is technology impacting our humanity? On Should This Exist? we invite creators of radical new technologies to set aside their business plan, and think through the human side: What is the technology’s fullest potential? And what could possibly go wrong?

FashTech

Dana explores FashTech, Balodana (her startup), a $9,500 digital dress sold on the blockchain.

Inspiration

Moonshots. Feminists Everywhere. Just listen for the full list. Women need to get out in IRL more and do more self promotion and have more power lunches with a person or persons and grow your network.

People that break rules for positive reasons are the ones that set the bar for all of us - Dana Todd.

As always there is much more then in this write-up so be sure to listen!

Jim Banks joins Matt & Dave on a blast to the past where pay per click was only a few pennies, the auction was still new, Larry Page joined product calls and much more from the past 20 years of Pay Per Click.

100th Episode With Jim Banks

Matt and Dave are joined by Jim Banks and dig into the early days of Paid Search with GoTo, Overture, Google AdWords and much more.

History of Google Ads

Jim talks Pre-IPO days of Google and working with many people high up the chain at Google. Jim recalls working with Thomas Korte, Google engineers, arguing with Larry Page about a feature, dealing with Smart Pricing for Adsense (do you recall changing browsers and disabling back buttons to force people to click on Google Adsense?), suggesting what became Google Ads Editor, suggesting Google My Client Center and much more.

Jim's Early Days of Agency Life

Jim recalls starting his first agency in his house, moving to an office due to his wife wanting to go on holiday and then digs deeper into his philosophy of how he ran his business and agency. Long before Google provided much if any training, there was no YouTube on how do do something and for the most part you learned as you went and that is what Jim (and team) did.

Future of Paid Search/Marketing

Jim sees the future moving away from "done for you" service and more companies wanting a "done with you". Not sure what that means, just start listening around the 18 minute mark and find out. The guys dig into AI and what it will mean for those that advertise on FaceBook and Google. There is lots changing on the automation, machine learning, and AI front and more trust is being handed over to the platforms. Are you okay with it?

Google & FaceBook Support

Dave starts a storm of stories around the lack of support, the type of support, overall account management support, Google Betas, Google Partner Program, Google Growth Team, and AI and how it impacts small business, large businesses and agencies as well.

In the end it comes down to growth goals and different business units within a large company like Google and the result is weird rules.

Beta Programs

Jim and Dave go back and forth on the pros and cons for Beta Programs. How to get in them, the upside and downside and more.

Jim's PPC Tips

Throughout the show Jim drops some tips. We didnt capture all of them here but wanted to give you a taste.

Don't Always Pay the Suggested Max CPC

Always Use Google Ads for Conversions and Not Google Analytics

Shoutouts

Matt as always ends with a question around who inspires Jim. Jim has a great list of people.

Dixon Jones

Brett Tabke

Bill Hunt

The Chandelier Bar

As always there was much more discussed on the podcast so consider these just notes and not a transcript! And don't forget, Pubcon London 2020.

Lastly, we wish you another 20 years (if you want) in the industry Jim.

Mat and Dave go down memory lane with Debra Mastaler and cover the past 20 years of link building and digital marketing communities.

100th Episode With Debra Mastaler

Mat and Dave go down memory lane with Debra Mastaler and cover the past 20 years of link building and digital marketing communities. Debra got her start a week after becoming a stay at home mom and like many of us fell into digital marketing, directories, SEO and link building.

Over the years Debra has attended/spoken at almost 200 shows over the years so and to a point that Mat & Debra make early in the episode - it really can be all about who you know. If you are new to this podcast go back and listen to What is the Long Term Value of Networking (Events) and How to Talk to Speakers at a Conference.

History of Link Building

Our goal wasn't to cover the full history of Link Building, we think with Debra we covered most of the big items! The list below is some of the types of link building that we cover in the episode.

Site Outreach

Profile Links

Directories (BOTW, DMOZ, Yahoo & More)

Spinning Articles

Blogs & Content Links

PBNs

Google

Domain Authority

Content Thinning

Content Creation

Link Marketing

Relationship Building

Voice Search

Did you catch the 100th episode with Matt McGee? Do so now if you missed it.

Looking for more advice? Debra gives a ton but a few items we wanted to include was her suggestion to and find like minded people/groups and join them. This could be forums, groups, associations, or even Facebook Groups. No matter where you look and find people, just go find them. If you need tips on Facebook Groups go listen to E51 – Should Businesses Use Facebook Groups?.

To wrap things up Mat asks Debra for a list of those that have inspired her and the result is a great list of people! Give a listen to see who she lists.

Episode 100 Mentioned Tools & Resources

Heather Lloyd-Martin (in the photo above next to Debra and Christine Churchill)

Jill Whalen

Alliance-Link.com

Debra photos from The Link Spiel

SEOBook

Webmaster World

OMCP

Former SearchEngineLand Editor in Chief and Digital Consultant Matt McGee jumps on our next installment of the 100th Episode Series.

100th Episode With Matt McGee

In this installment of our 100th Episode we were joined by Matt McGee. Many may know Matt for his love of the Seahawks, U2 and as a long time Editor in Chief at Third Door Media (Searchengineland, Marketingland and MarTechToday). At the start Matt talks about his early days of TV/Radio, building websites and how he "fell" into SEO. Didn't we all fall into it in some random way?

Later in the episode Matt tells the story of one of his first early successes where he helped an older couple in 1999 build a website AND then with their SEO. From one of the first ecommerce site for this couple that sold painted duck decoys and custom wooden pens on their site. Back then a simple Yahoo Directory was able to save a client and really change their life by driving business to their site.

Google Dance and updates. Matt, Dave and Guest Matt did dig into the origin and how "fun" or "not fun" those initial dances were. We are of course recording and publishing this right around the June 2019 update has hit and article after article after forum thread digs into how to fix it. Matt McGee's way of dealing with daily SEO changes and even large updates is very similar to E42 – How to React to Google Algo Updates so give a listen if you missed that episode.

20 years of in the industry - stop worrying about Google and worry more about your Customers. Dont worry about the tiny changes Google makes but focus on your customers.

Later Matt McGee digs into his work background and where he has hopped but how he went from Radio/TV to working with his wife running marketing/operations in real estate. Another mention of the upside of conferences, networking and just the SEO community. Matt digs into what he misses and what he doesnt not being deep into SEO. Tune into the next 100th Episode guest to hear even more great reasons to attend conferences and join the community.

Matt and Dave go back and forth about the Pros and Cons of being a T shaped marketer vs. really digging into one thing and channel and killing it at that specialty. Where do you stand? Leave a comment below.

Matt asks Matt where Digital Marketing is going

SEO in traditional is going to be less important. Look at where the #1 URL is already showing up

For SEO you really want to be the answer

Not sure what future looks like but is curious about voice and how it will impact everything

Inspiration

Looks up to and at those that are always helping others in the marketing space. Matt did say that Susan Wenograd is "the awesome" for helping him and others constantly on Twitter with FB ad questions.

Episode Mentioned People & Resources

WebmasterWorld

Search Engine Land

Marketing Land

Search Engine Watch

The Biggest Trend in SEO

Siltala's Beard

Greg Boser joins the show to talk about the history and future of SEO. Dig into this one with us as we kickoff our 100th Episode Series!

History & Future of SEO With Greg Boser

Do you the origins of the term/name SEO? Listen and find out. The guys dig into checkbook SEO vs SEO and what that even is.

Greg was in it from the very early days and the stories he tells and people that are mentioned are all from a small group of people. That group really was just trying to understand what SEO was, what the industry was, what the heck they were doing and if there was even a career or future doing this type of stuff.

In the early days SEO was the Wild Wild West and really that was it. Greg digs into many of the differences of SEO "back when it started" and 2018/2019.

Do you know who coined 'Organic SEO"? Listen and learn!

Do you know where SERP came from?

A few fun things that Greg may chase down Dave for getting him to say - SEO is Dead(ish)! PPC is the future! And a few other things that you will need to listen to catch!

This episode covers a wide range of things, honestly just give this one a listen as you won't regret it.

Episode Mentioned Tools, People & Resources

Webmasterworld