The WP SEO Show – Demystifying SEO for WordPress Websites

In this episode, we explore the various aspects of choosing the right keywords for SEO and the implications they have for a content strategy and, ultimately, the target business.

1. The importance of keywords in SEO
2. Choosing the Right Keywords
3. Keyword Research and Strategy
4. Understanding Traffic and Relevance
5. Balancing Keyword Difficulty and Search Volume
6. Expectations and Misconceptions

Mike Michalowicz – https://mikemichalowicz.com/

In this episode, Pete and Jeff discuss Google's March 2024 algorithm update. This update focuses on Google's efforts to combat spam, particularly by addressing low-quality, unoriginal, and AI-generated content.

This update isn't just about algorithm changes, however, but also introduces new spam policies, specifically targeting expired domain abuse, scaled content abuse, and site reputation abuse.

• The update aims to reduce spammy and unoriginal content by about 40%, enhancing the quality of search results.
• The importance of content authenticity and value to users is underscored, noting that AI-generated content, if used, should not dominate a site's content strategy.
• Google's update is a move towards cleaning up the internet ecosystem, making it more user-centric and reducing the effectiveness of manipulative SEO tactics.

Pete and Jeff also discuss the broader implications for SEOs and website owners, encouraging them to focus on creating valuable, original content rather than relying on AI-generated or manipulative content strategies.

• https://blog.google/products/search/google-search-update-march-2024/
• https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2024/03/core-update-spam-policies
• https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies#site-reputation

In this episode, Pete and Jeff take a step back and look at how agencies should approach SEO for each client, and demonstrate that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach – it all needs to be contextual to the competition.

The conversation revolves around how SEO is a game of displacement, so as a web professional, it is your job to review the competition and put a suitable plan in place for each client. That will inform your tech stack, your content structure, and maybe even the platform you choose to build the site on – everything.

The hosts also touch on surrounding themes of Keyword Research (and understanding a website's current level of operation through their Keyword Baseline), and how important speed and performance issues are in the grand scheme of things.

• SEOHive Strategy Sessions
• How to Understand Our Keyword Research

This show sees our first ever guest to The WP SEO Show - Matt Lasky. 

Pete and Matt discuss the importance of a well-structured web design brief for both clients and agencies. Matt, drawing from his career experience and his book "How to Take a Web Design Brief," emphasizes how a solid brief underpins successful project outcomes, effective communication, and ultimately, client satisfaction.

• The transformative effect of clear communication and understanding client goals.
• The role of a comprehensive brief in guiding project direction and fostering creative solutions.
• Strategies for agencies to navigate client feedback and maintain a collaborative relationship.
• The significance of aligning project objectives with user needs to improve conversion rates and achieve client objectives.

This discussion highlights how a detailed, thoughtful brief is not just administrative paperwork but a foundational tool for project success and client-agency collaboration.

• "How to take a Web Design Brief" on Amazon
• Matt's LinkedIn Profile

Disclaimer: This isn't a process for running a full SEO Audit on a website. Instead, this is the process I go through when a lead comes in to talk about SEO. Before any project has been confirmed, or any money has exchanged hands, this is the process I go through before the initial call to give me context. 

• Website structure
• User experience
• Current Rankings
• Competitor Websites & Rankings
• Website Speed / Core Webs Vitals

This leads to two gated products... 

• SEO Health Check
• Keyword Research & Mapping

... and from here I can present a retained proposal.

• Wondering how SEOHive can help your business? Book an Intro Call
• Need to get under the hood with something? Book a Strategy Session
• Want to know the stats behind a website? Buy some Scout Reports

Following on from a comment made by Google's John Mueller on X, formerly known as Twitter, Pete and Jeff have an honest discussion about whether you can ever guarantee SEO Results? 

• Why you can never guarantee SEO results
• How to talk to clients about SEO results and how to tie them into commercial metrics
• The risks of relying too much on a single platform for business
• The ethical aspects of selling SEO services, focusing on the importance of honesty and value in client interactions

In this episode, Pete and Jeff explore a real example of a content AI checker, and how a client interpreted the results.

Needless to say, the outcome wasn’t exactly “easy” to understand, so they chat through the results, the pitfalls and how these checkers are placed in the market at the moment.

Initiating SEO discussions with clients can be hard – regardless of if this is a new client on a client you've had for years...

In this episode we explore strategies for approaching SEO sales conversations, emphasizing the importance of presenting SEO as an opportunity rather than a hard sell. We discuss the importance of understanding a client's current business state, objectives, and expectations for SEO.

We also cover themes such as assessing a client's website performance, conducting keyword research, setting realistic targets, the challenges of working with brand new businesses and the importance of not overcommitting to unattainable goals.

• Approaching SEO sales conversations: Presenting SEO as an opportunity rather than a hard sell.
• Understanding the client's business: Assessing the current state, objectives, and expectations for SEO.
• Assessing website performance: Analyzing client's website for SEO readiness.
• Conducting keyword research: Importance of selecting appropriate keywords for client's business.
• Setting realistic SEO targets: Importance of achievable goals, especially for new businesses.
• Charging for SEO services: The need for agencies to charge fairly.
• Long-term client relationships: Focusing on sustained growth and consistent results.

Download the SEOHive SEO Audit & Sales Presentation Template.

Our first show of 2024 focuses on three core SEO principles expected to be significant in the year. The first is the enduring importance of content, especially in the context of AI's growing influence and the need for authentic, human-generated material. Secondly, technical SEO – emphasizing the increasing relevance, especially given the rise of AI-generated content and its impact on search rankings. Finally, the growing prominence of local SEO, including the importance of optimizing for local search results and map pack traffic.\

In summary:

• Importance of Content: Emphasizing the need for authentic, human-generated content in the age of AI.
• Technical SEO: Increasing relevance due to the rise of AI-generated content affecting search rankings.
• Local SEO: Highlighting the significance of optimizing for local search results and map pack traffic.
• AI's Impact: Discussing how AI is shaping SEO strategies and content creation.

Shoutouts

• Isaac's Skiing YouTube Channel
• The Admin Bar
• Alex Curtis / The Lead Engine

We kick off this episode walking through the six Core Web Vitals – a set of metrics used by Google to evaluate the user experience of a website.

These are:

• First Contentful Paint (FCP)
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
• Time to Interactive
• Speed Index
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
• Total Blocking Time (TBT)

Each vital is then discussed in detail, explaining what they measure and their importance in website performance.

• Importance of optimizing images and videos, including best practices for media file sizes and formats.
• Discussion on the use of WordPress and how various tools can impact Core Web Vitals.
• Techniques for optimizing JavaScript loading, such as deferring or minifying scripts.
• The significance of setting correct image sizes and the impact of media on layout shifts.

Pete & Jeff share practical experiences and challenges they've faced in optimizing websites, offering insights into real-world application of these strategies.

• Importance of Testing and Iteration: Emphasis on the necessity of testing optimizations and understanding the impact of changes on overall website performance.
• SEO and Core Web Vitals as Part of a Larger Strategy: They discuss how Core Web Vitals fit into a broader SEO strategy and the need to balance technical optimization with other SEO elements.