SEOLeverage - The SEO Podcast for Online Business Owners: Recent Episodes
Gert Mellak, SEO
The SEOLeverage podcast helps you as a growing business to attract qualified visitors to your website via search marketing. Topics like SEO, Google Ads, Remarketing strategies, but also segmented social media and e-mail marketing find a place here.
If you want to grow your online business, this is the show to follow!
Your host, Gert Mellak, shares stories and findings from his fast growing SEO agency, and interviews top experts who provide actionable insights for your business growth.
Check out SEOLeverage.com/podcast for more information, all episodes, as well as summaries and downloadable transcriptions.
If you have any questions, send them to support@seoleverage.com!
In this episode of the SEO Leverage Podcast, Gert Mellak welcomes Kristina Reiser, brand strategist at Recognized, for a deep dive into what it really takes to build a brand that resonates — and sells.
💡 Kristina explains why personal branding often outweighs corporate branding, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. From her years of experience helping founders and companies communicate with clarity and purpose, she reveals how branding is more than just a logo or a color palette — it's your company's soul and long-term strategy.
🎯 Topics covered:
- The difference between corporate vs. personal branding — and how they work together
- Why founders should lead with their personal brand to build trust and loyalty
- How branding supports SEO and AI-driven search visibility
- Actionable tips to start building your brand — even if you're short on time
- How to measure personal brand impact (yes, you can track this!)
- Why consistency across platforms is essential in the era of AI and multi-channel marketing
Whether you're growing an e-commerce site, launching a personal consultancy, or scaling a digital agency, this episode will help you approach branding with clarity, confidence, and strategic focus.
Podcast Highlights:
01:38 - Why Branding Is More Than Marketing
Kristina explains how branding isn’t just a function of marketing — it’s a long-term business strategy that defines how a company connects emotionally with its audience.
02:50 - Corporate vs. Personal Branding: What’s the Real Difference?
Kristina breaks down the core differences between corporate branding and personal branding, and why the latter is often more effective for SMEs and founders.
07:49 The Power of a Personal Brand in E-Commerce
Kristina delivers the episode’s core message: For small and medium e-commerce businesses, your personal brand is the most valuable asset.
10:48 Start Here: Actionable Steps to Build Your Personal Brand
Kristina shares practical advice for founders starting from scratch: Build a small team, focus on the right platforms, and avoid spreading yourself too thin.
25:36 Consistency Across Platforms: Why It Matters for Google & AI
Gert and Kristina discuss how inconsistent messaging across social platforms confuses not just people, but also Google and AI.
16:36 How to Know Your Personal Branding Is Working
Kristina shares tangible KPIs to measure branding success — from increased direct traffic to brand mentions and authority in your niche.
Guest Website Info:
- Name: Kristina Reiser
- Role: Brand Strategist | Founder at Recognized
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristinarajzer
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this game-changing episode of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak is joined once again by SEO pioneer Dixon Jones (founder of Majestic, InLinks, and now Wake – What AI Knows About You).
Together, they explore how search engine optimization has evolved beyond rankings and backlinks — into a world where LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT and Gemini are shaping brand perception, traffic flow, and user journeys in real time.
You’ll discover:
- Why mentions without links now influence AI more than traditional SEO signals
- How your brand could be misrepresented — or even misunderstood — by AI tools
- What it really means to “optimize” in an era of zero-click search and AI-driven overviews
- How Wake helps uncover the semantic gaps between your site and your market
- The importance of building topical authority outside your website
Whether you're a seasoned SEO, a digital marketer, or a business owner trying to stay ahead of the curve, this episode will give you a new perspective on visibility, trust, and search in the age of AI.
Podcast Highlights:
13:45 – 15:20 SEO Has Changed—And It's Not About Clicks Anymore
Dixon explains how the core of SEO is shifting from driving website clicks to influencing what AI systems understand about your brand. This moment introduces the powerful idea: "SEO is now about what AI knows about you."
6:35 – 8:30 - How Microsoft Lost Control of Its Brand Narrative
Dixon shares a real-world case where Microsoft.com blocks Gemini from crawling its site—leading AI to form opinions based only on third-party content. A striking lesson in why brand visibility in AI matters more than ever.
2:59 – 4:20 - The Real Risk of Ambiguity in AI: The Hennessey Example
Dixon explains how an SEO agency's brand name, spelled similarly to a well-known Cognac, led LLMs to misclassify it — showing how context and clarity are vital for AI interpretation.
10:15 – 11:25 - The Rise of AI-Only Purchase Journeys
Dixon recounts spending £2,000 on a high-performance PC without ever clicking a website—researching, validating, and buying entirely through LLMs. A powerful real-life example of zero-click search in action.
24:00 – 25:40 - Your Website Alone Is No Longer Enough
Gert and Dixon discuss how LLMs pull from multiple sources—not just your website—to build brand understanding. The takeaway: to influence AI, you need consistent signals across the web.
35:49 – 37:30 - Fixing AI Misunderstandings Is the New SEO Priority
A single mistaken review labeled InLinks as a rank tracker—and LLMs picked it up as fact. Dixon shows how correcting small details in third-party content can instantly clean up your AI reputation.
Links:
Official Website 👉 https://dixonjones.com Learn more about Dixon, his background, speaking engagements, and how to get in touch.
Wake (WAK) – What AI Knows About You 👉 https://wak.io The central tool discussed in the episode. Wake analyzes what large language models (LLMs) know about your brand — and helps you close the gaps.
InLinks – Entity SEO Tool 👉 https://inlinks.com Dixon’s previous SEO technology focused on entity-based optimization and internal linking powered by natural language processing.
Majestic – Backlink Analysis Tool 👉 https://majestic.com Dixon was formerly CEO of Majestic, a leading backlink and trust flow analysis platform.
Guest Website Info:
- Name: Dixon Jones
- Role: CEO & Founder of Wake (WAK) | Former CEO of Majestic | CMO at InLinks
- Website: https://dixonjones.com
- Contact: https://dixonjones.com/contact/
- About: Dixon Jones is a pioneer in the SEO industry with over two decades of experience. He led Majestic, one of the most trusted backlink analysis tools, and later helped develop InLinks, a cutting-edge entity SEO platform. His latest project, Wake (What AI Knows About You), helps brands understand and influence how large language models (LLMs) perceive them online. Dixon is widely recognized as a thought leader in semantic SEO, brand authority, and AI-driven search visibility.
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak sits down with Joseph Armstrong, founder of 90 Day Korean, to dive into a story every digital entrepreneur dreads: losing 70% of website traffic overnight.
Joseph shares the raw reality of what happened during a devastating Google core update in 2019, how it put his entire business at risk, and how the SEO Leverage team helped turn things around — fast. Within just three weeks, the site had fully recovered, and from there, it doubled its traffic and increased conversions.
But this episode is more than just a recovery story. You'll learn:
- ✅ How to build a resilient online course business over time
- ✅ The power of internal linking, user experience, and smart content organization
- ✅ How Joseph evolved 90 Day Korean into a global membership platform
- ✅ What most course creators get wrong when scaling
- ✅ How AI and team feedback shape their content and support systems
- ✅ Why regular customer interviews became a turning point in product development
Whether you're a course creator, marketer, or SEO enthusiast, this conversation is packed with real talk, strategic insights, and behind-the-scenes lessons from a founder who’s been through the storm — and came out stronger.
Podcast Highlights: 05:59 – 06:30 - We Lost 70% of Our Traffic Overnight
Joseph shares the gut-wrenching moment when a Google core update wiped out the majority of 90 Day Korean’s traffic — a situation many online businesses fear. It instantly raises the stakes and gives the conversation emotional depth and urgency.
07:10 – 08:27 - The SEO Recovery That Took Just 3 Weeks
After connecting with Gert, Joseph implemented a focused SEO action plan and fully recovered rankings in just three weeks. This segment shows the real-world power of expert SEO, structured workflows, and quick execution.
09:53 – 11:50 - The Power of Internal Linking and Content Cleanup
Joseph and Gert unpack how rethinking internal linking and removing redundant pages helped clarify the site’s structure — improving both SEO and user experience. It's a golden nugget for content-heavy websites.
36:43 – 38:16 - Why Customer Interviews Changed the Game
Joseph reveals how regularly talking to customers uncovered gaps in the product and guided critical improvements. This is a practical, often-overlooked growth tactic for course creators and SaaS founders.
27:22 – 30:19 - Adopting an AI-First Mindset (Without Losing the Human Touch)
Joseph discusses how his team uses AI for support, content structure, and message clarity — while still relying on human review. It’s a balanced, real-world look at leveraging AI effectively inside a growing business.
Links:
90 Day Korean - Official Website - https://www.90daykorean.com/
Guest Website Info:
- Name: Joseph Armstrong
- Role: Founder & CEO, 90 Day Korean
- Website: https://www.90daykorean.com
- Email: joseph@90daykorean.com
- About: 90 Day Korean is an online Korean language learning platform designed to help English speakers go from zero to confidently holding a 3-minute conversation in just 90 days, and work toward conversational fluency within a year. The platform features structured courses, personalized coaching, and a supportive membership community — all built on practical, real-world Korean, not textbook theory.
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In Episode 139 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, host Gert Mellak sits down with Lloyd Thompson, founder of VirtualDOO, to unpack the chaos of business operations and how founders can stop being the bottleneck in their own companies. Lloyd shares his insights on how to transform operational disorder into smooth, scalable systems through fractional operations management, helping business owners free up time and energy while driving growth.
From defining clear accountability and crafting a vivid vision, to streamlining SOP ownership, team rhythms, and introducing feedback loops, Lloyd reveals the keys to building a well-oiled business machine. They also explore the rise of Revenue Operations (RevOps), leveraging CRM data to maximize ROI, and dive into the exciting world of AI agents and how they’re reshaping operations today.
Whether you’re drowning in tasks or looking to level up your team’s performance, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-world examples that can help you reclaim your time and scale your business effectively.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
- How to get out of daily operations with a fractional COO
- The 4-step method to assess and fix operational bottlenecks
- How to reclaim your time with a simple Task Audit
- Tips for creating smooth team workflows and feedback loops
- An intro to Revenue Operations (RevOps) for better CRM use
- How to leverage AI tools and agents to boost efficiency
Podcast Highlights: 01:24 – What is VirtualDOO? Lloyd explains how his company helps founders delegate operations through flexible, fractional COOs.
05:29 – Diagnosing Operational Chaos The importance of an operational health assessment and how it uncovers key business inefficiencies.
12:17 – Reclaiming Founder Time Lloyd shares a simple Task Audit method to free founders from day-to-day tasks.
19:54 – Creating Operational Smoothness How rhythms, dashboards, and feedback loops lead to smoother team operations and growth.
27:02 – Introduction to Revenue Operations (RevOps) Connecting sales and marketing in the CRM to maximize lead and customer value.
38:09 – Leveraging AI in Operations How businesses are starting to use AI agents and automation to increase efficiency and reduce workload.
Links:
- VirtualDOO Website: https://virtualdoo.com
- Free Resources & RevOps Self-Assessment: https://virtualdoo.com/resources
Guest Website Info:
- Lloyd Thompson
- Founder of VirtualDOO
- Helping founders escape operational chaos with fractional COOs and streamlined systems.
🌐 Website: https://virtualdoo.com 📄 Free Resources & RevOps Self-Assessment: https://virtualdoo.com/resources 📧 Email: lloyd@virtualdoo.com
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In episode 138 of SEOLeverage Podcast, host Gert Mellak sits down with Nick Penev, founder of Extreme Power Brands and expert in partnerships and e-commerce growth strategy. They explore the art of leveraging partnerships to scale your business, create meaningful connections, and dominate the Amazon and e-commerce landscape.
Nick shares his fascinating journey from a young entrepreneur in Bulgaria to running multimillion-dollar businesses and his shift to building a thriving partnership model. Learn about his innovative "Partnerships as a Service" approach and how connecting with the right partners can outperform paid marketing.
This episode covers:
- The power of partnerships in growing e-commerce brands
- How to build and monetize a community of engaged followers
- Practical steps for creating impactful collaborations like webinars, content swaps, and proactive referrals
- Why newsletters and communities are vital assets in today’s competitive digital space
- Insights into modern tools and processes for partnership management
Whether you're just starting your e-commerce business or looking for advanced strategies to scale, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration.
Guest Website Info:
Nick Penev Founder of Extreme Power Brands and the partnership agency Hello Tax, Nick Penev is an expert in partnerships, e-commerce strategy, and community building. With over 15 years of experience in the e-commerce space, Nick has developed innovative approaches to partnership management and scaling businesses through strategic collaborations.
Learn more about Nick and his initiatives:
- Website: Extreme Power Brands
- LinkedIn Profile: Nick Penev
- Partnership Platform: Hello Tax
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In episode 137 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak and guest Joe Fier talk about Delphi, an innovative technology that lets you create an AI clone of yourself. Additionally, they explore how AI tools can transform workflows, boost productivity, and enhance daily life. From writing content to making phone calls, these advancements are reshaping what's possible. Tune in to uncover the future of AI and how it transforms the way you live and work.
Can you imagine having an AI clone of yourself that can answer questions, write content, and even talk to people on the phone?
In this episode, I talk to Joe Fier about the latest advancements in AI, including a new technology called Delphi that allows you to create an AI clone of yourself. We discuss the possibilities of this technology, as well as other AI tools that can help you automate your workflows and live a better life.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
- The Delphi AI technology that allows you to create an AI clone of yourself
- How AI can be used to automate your workflows and live a better life
- The latest advancements in AI, including tools that can help you write content, answer questions, and even talk to people on the phone
Tune in to learn more about the future of AI and how it can help you achieve your goals.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
1:14 Gert introduces Joe Fier
3:04 Joe discusses the current state of AI
8:15 How AI is changing the way we learn
16:20 How AI can give you superpowers
20:37 Joe introduces the Delphi AI technology
29:53 The importance of consistent synchronization with AI
37:51 How to create enhanced versions of AI bots
42:36 How to clone your voice with AI
56:28 The future of AI
1:02:27 How to be a first mover in AI
Links:
- Delphi
- Future Tools
- Hustle and Flowchart
- Joe Fier on YouTube
- Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
Guest Website Info:
- Joe Fier is an AI advisor and fractional worker who helps businesses automate their workflows and create better engagement with their brands.
- You can find Joe on social media or email him at joe@hustleandflowchart.com.
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In Episode 136 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak delves into the concept of custom GPTs and their utility for business owners. He introduces custom GPTs as specialized AI tools tailored to specific roles, such as SEO tasks or social media content creation. By creating GPTs with detailed instructions and examples, users can save time and achieve consistency, avoiding the need to repeatedly explain tasks. Mellak emphasizes the ease of setting up these custom tools using the premium version of ChatGPT, making them invaluable for tasks like LinkedIn post creation or content optimization.
Mellak discusses the strategic advantage of custom GPTs in business processes, particularly in marketing and SEO. He describes breaking down workflows into smaller tasks that can be trained into GPTs, ensuring high efficiency and precision. For instance, an SEO-focused GPT can analyze top-ranking articles to identify missing terminology or semantically relevant topics. This helps businesses create optimized, competitive content while avoiding irrelevant or cluttered information. The approach streamlines operations and leverages AI to focus on what truly matters in content creation.
The episode concludes with Mellak encouraging listeners to experiment with custom GPTs and seek expert help if needed. He highlights the benefits of professional guidance for businesses looking to integrate AI seamlessly into their workflows. Additionally, Mellak directs listeners to a detailed written summary on his website and invites them to share their own GPT creations, reinforcing the collaborative potential of these tools in advancing business success.
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
AI Tools mentioned:
- ChatGPT
In today’s episode of the SEOLeverage podcast, Gert discusses the importance of not just attracting traffic to a website but ensuring that traffic converts to buyers. He emphasizes the significance of understanding search intent and how platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Quora are increasingly influencing user behavior and purchases.
Gert also highlights the need for a multi-platform strategy, including audience platform research to identify key platforms where the audience spends time, and a platform strategy to engage effectively on these platforms. He also mentions the use of tools like ClickUp to manage tasks and maintain consistent visibility.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:49 SEOLeverage Podcast Intro
01:11 Discussion on the challenges of finding buyers in a crowded online space
02:05 Explanation of how search engines are surfacing content from various sources
04:08 Real-world examples of how users find and choose products/services online
05:49 The importance of brand presence on platforms beyond Google
06:56 Introduction to the Platform Leverage program
08:15 Overview of creating a multi-platform strategy for consistent online engagement
09:40 Closing thoughts and invitation to learn more about leveraging multiple platforms
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Resources:
Platform Leverage - A new project focusing on essential marketing strategies in the AI era
AI Tools mentioned:
- ChatGPT
- Perplexity
- CoPilot
In episode 134 of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert Mellak delves into the SEO value chain, presenting it as a versatile framework that can be applied to SEO and broader business and life scenarios. The episode also highlights a new project called Platform Leverage, designed to help businesses navigate the changing landscape of AI and evolving user behaviors.
In this episode, Gert explores the concept of the SEO value chain, a powerful thinking framework that can be applied to various aspects of life and business. Gert explains how this framework helps organize thoughts, focus on crucial steps, and achieve desired outcomes in SEO and beyond. He also introduces a new project called Platform Leverage, designed to help businesses navigate the changing landscape of AI and user behavior.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:45 SEOLeverage Podcast Intro
00:55 Introduction of Platform Leverage, a new project focusing on marketing essentials
01:59 The importance of controlling brand narrative across platforms in the age of AI
02:33 Explanation of the SEO value chain and its role in achieving organic revenue
03:39 The importance of Site Audits in establishing a position within the SEO value chain
04:22 How the value chain concept applies to various life situations
05:58 Closing message
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Resources:
Platform Leverage - A new project focusing on essential marketing strategies in the AI era
AI Tools discussed:
- ChatGPT
- Perplexity
- Claude
In this episode of SEOLeverage, host Gert Mellak interviews Mario Peshev, CEO of DevriX and Growth Shuttle, and author of "MBA Disrupted." They explore strategies for growing successful digital businesses in today's rapidly evolving market. Mario shares insights on effective client acquisition, emphasizing the value of personal connections in an AI-dominated landscape.
The discussion covers key topics such as long-term business thinking, the importance of market research and customer feedback, and the benefits of maintaining long-term client relationships.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:01 SEOLeverage Podcast Intro
01:44 Gert introduces Mario Peshev and his extensive experience in digital entrepreneurship
02:36 Mario discusses his background in software engineering and his passion for learning
06:05 The importance of balancing art, craft, and science in digital specialties and entrepreneurship
08:41 Mario explains the concept behind his book "MBA Disrupted" and the need for practical business education
17:00 Discussion on effective client acquisition models for service businesses in the current market
20:57 The value of personal, direct conversations in client acquisition and the rise of events and communities
22:34 Mario shares insights on the declining efficiency of traditional outbound marketing and PPC campaigns
26:35 The importance of playing the long game and having a long-term focus in business
30:30 Gert and Mario discuss the significance of framing expectations and building brand affinity
35:25 The crucial role of market research and gathering customer feedback in product development
41:07 Mario emphasizes the importance of adapting to enterprise clients' needs in SaaS businesses
45:15 Discussion on the value of long-term client relationships and retaining institutional knowledge
49:55 Mario provides information on how listeners can reach out and learn more about his work and book
Connect with Mario Peshev:
Website: https://mariopeshev.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpeshev/
X (Formerly Twitter): https://x.com/no_fear_inc
Book Website: mbadisrupted.com
Mario's Companies:
DevriX: devrix.com
Growth Shuttle: growthshuttle.com
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Has your website been hit by a Google update? In this episode, Gert breaks down the steps to diagnose, analyze, and recover from ranking drops. Learn how to distinguish between update impacts and other factors, understand the nuances of core updates, and discover the long-term strategies for bouncing back. Don't miss these crucial insights for navigating the ever-changing SEO landscape!
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:37 SEOLeverage Podcast Intro
00:47 Episode overview and reminder about show notes at SEOLeverage.com/podcast
01:43 Analyzing the cause of ranking drops
02:34 Importance of thorough analysis to identify affected pages and keywords
03:26 How Google core updates work and their impact on search results
05:27 Helpful Content Update: Its impact and recovery process
06:00 What steps to do when hit by a Google update
06:49 Call to action: Reaching out to SEOLeverage for assistance with Google update recovery
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
A successful exit strategy is essential for business owners considering selling their firms. In today’s episode, we are thrilled to host Jonathan Baker, an experienced M&A specialist from punctuation.com, who shared his invaluable insights into the world of business acquisitions.
Whether you're contemplating selling or simply want to future-proof your firm, this episode is packed with valuable advice to guide you through the process.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:00 Introduction of the episode and guest
03:47 What factors influence a firm's valuation in an acquisition?
05:44 Why do software firms generally command higher multiples than service businesses?
08:36 What are earnouts, and how do they typically work in professional services deals?
10:39 How are M&A deals typically structured?
12:48 When might it be more beneficial to keep a business rather than sell it?
15:52 What steps should business owners take to prepare their staff for a transition?
19:09 How do clients and employees typically react to a business being acquired?
24:18 Why might business owners consider acquiring other firms?
26:48 What are some practical tips for preparing a business for sale?
29:17 Best way to get in touch with Jonathan
Connect with Jonathan Baker:
Website: https://punctuation.com/
Sign up for their newsletter: punctuation.com/seoleverage
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearepunctuation/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, we break down strategies from knowing what your audience talks about on social media platforms, to understanding exactly what type of content Google wants to rank, and even leveraging powerful internal and external linking techniques.
Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or a business owner, these insights can transform your approach to SEO and skyrocket your online visibility. So get ready for a step-by-step guide to conquering Google's search rankings!
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:27 Podcast INTRO
00:36 Introduction to the episode
01:33 The Importance of Online Reputation Management
02:27 Keyword Research versus Audience Research
03:49 Matching Content with Google's Preferences
05:01 Creating Content that Stands Out
07:07 Importance of internal linking for better site structure and to support new content
08:15 Effective strategies for gaining links from external websites
10:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/seoleverage
Email: info@seoleverage.com
AI's growing influence means your brand's presence on multiple platforms matters more than ever. Ensure you're connected to a wider audience by being active on various channels.
In today’s episode of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert talks about the evolving landscape of digital marketing in the age of AI. If you’ve been relying heavily on a single platform, it's time to rethink your strategy.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:03 Podcast Intro
01:13 Introduction to the episode topic
02:43 Why does focusing on a single platform limit your brand's visibility to AI algorithms?
03:22 What factors do AI algorithms consider when evaluating a brand's popularity?
05:32 Why is Reddit a valuable platform in the context of AI and brand building?
07:39 How can brands ensure their various online profiles are linked and optimized?
08:51 Recap
09:50 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In today’s episode of the SEOLeverage Podcast, Gert and his guest, Tim Warren discussed the future of AI technology and its impact on SEO. They emphasize the need to understand and embrace these changes to remain competitive while acknowledging the limitations of machine learning and AI in capturing human emotions.
They also discuss the potential impact of AI on the legal industry, proposing specialist AI engines and a shared platform for the entire industry. Finally, Tim Warren tells Gert about his hopes that Knowledge Graph will make it possible for Google to have personalized conversations that understand who people are.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:06 Introduction to the podcast episode topic and the guest
02:15 Tim Warren’s background and his role as a Chief Provocation Officer
03:46 The importance of asking questions in the face of change
04:39 AI impact on white-collar jobs
08:06 The Gartner Hype Cycle and AI's evolution
13:26 Rise and fall of AI companies
16:06 The Importance of Human Expertise in SEO
23:12 Why more and more people are utilizing AI for their online search
32:13 AI in Personal Finance
36:35 The importance of trust and personalization in AI
43:35 The role of digital companions
50:41 Where to connect with Tim Warren?
51:09 End
Resources:
ChatGPT - https://chatgpt.com/
Anthropic - https://www.anthropic.com/
OpenAI - https://openai.com/
Claude - https://claude.ai
CopilotAI - https://www.copilotai.com/
Perplexity - https://www.perplexity.ai/
Connect with Tim Warren:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tswarren/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In today’s episode, Gert talks about omnipresence and its relevance to SEO and online marketing. He points out that it’s not enough just to be all over the internet, but to place your brand strategically where your target audience is always available.
Gert also highlights the growing importance of AI and large language models in shaping brand perception. He explains how these models use content from various sources to train themselves, making it crucial for brands to actively engage with their audience across different platforms. This engagement not only influences how AI perceives your brand but also impacts your visibility in search results.
Hear more about how Omnichannel Marketing can affect your online presence in this episode.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:58 Podcast INTRO
01:08 Introduction to the episode topic
02:02 What is Omnichannel Marketing and why is it important for your brand?
03:45 The importance of engaging with audiences across different channels
06:46 Examples of how different platforms cater to different audiences
07:30 The importance of audience platform research
08:55 How covering a wider range of platforms can impact brand perception?
09:28 Practical considerations for omnichannel marketing, including tailoring content to each platform's specific audience and format.
10:30 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Designing dashboards have different criterias and it's different for companies or freelancers, whether they have 25 people or 1000 people. What is important is focusing on the metrics or KPIs that will drive actionable items for decision making.
This episode of SEO Leverage provides a whole new perspective into dashboards with the conversation between Gert and Feliks Golengko on the significance of actionable dashboards and reports in providing data over performance, potential areas for improvement and deeper analysis and optimization.
This is a must listen episode, especially for those who find it a challenge to use Google Analytics and other tools.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:48 Podcast INTRO
00:58 Introduction to the podcast episode topic and the guest
02:29 Feliks Golengko's journey into becoming a dashboard and data analysis specialist.
04:25 Data collection and analysis for decision-making in business (...Two components of data preparation)
06:31 Why is it important to check into dashboards? (...The importance of KPIs in business decisions and monitoring of performance.)
09:52 What does it look like to look into KPIs potential on business performance? (...How do we choose the KPIs that need to be monitored?)
13:35 How can we say that a dashboard is well-designed? (...What is the primary focus of the design process?)
17:11 Dashboards and reports are tools for decision making and monitoring to motivate on improving the business.
21:16 What is a data story? (...The two basic design principles of a dashboard.)
24:33 When should a freelancer or a company consider having a dashboard? (...What are the criteria to consider?)
27:27 The challenges with relying mostly on Google Analytics, but not really choosing the right metrics or KPIs.
35:08 Felik's three major steps for businesses regardless of size when looking into dashboards and hiring an expert.
38:15 Felik's offer for free dashboard design sessions per month for SMEs, in exchange for case studies.
39:27 End
Connect with Feliks Golenko:
Website - MultiBase GmbH - https://multibase.de/eng/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/feliks-golenko/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In the era of AI-driven search and customer engagement, brands face a dual challenge. First, they must understand and adapt to the evolving algorithms that govern online visibility and user interactions. Second, they need to ensure their brand message aligns with both human preferences and the criteria AI systems use to evaluate content.
The proactive provision of accurate training material for AI systems is akin to laying the groundwork for a strong digital presence. By supplying AI algorithms with relevant data and context about their brand, companies can enhance their chances of being prominently featured in search results and other online platforms. Ultimately, the goal is to provide value to both users and AI tools.
Hear more about how AI algorithms can affect your brand reputation in this episode.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:44 Podcast INTRO
00:54 Introduction to the episode topic
01:45 The potential for AI tools to influence sales, revenue, and customer journey
03:29 Why is it important for consultants to prepare their clients for a shift in how AI tools would think about your brand in product selections?
05:52 The two steps in baking your brand into the AI algorithms to influence buying decisions
07:23 What SEO Leverage expertise can do to help with your online reputation management?
08:28 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Brand reputation is very important in any business. Inasmuch as every business would like to integrate AI to create semantically rich content that can get brands rank on page one of Google Search, there must be continuous monitoring to combat false information and negative reviews on legitimate brands. While there are positive results in using AI, there is also a potential for AI to manipulate online reviews which can impact brand reputation.
Learn more about AI and online reputation by listening to this episode.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:29 Podcast INTRO
00:39 Introduction to the episode
01:32 How can agencies or consultants legitimately and ethically help businesses to polish their brand reputation and continue to rank on page one in Google Search? (...Why is it important to take online reputation management seriously?)
04:29 Role of AI on online reputation: The danger of generative AI making false information and negative reviews on legitimate brands
06:41 How to combat and monitor false information perpetrated against your brand reputation?
07:39 Why is it necessary to look into affiliate agreements to prevent any high risk losses?
09:09 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, Gert gears away from the usual technical topics, SEO and marketing to make way for what is important in any business. And that is the topic that touches on the Employee Value Proposition (EVP). The world has changed immensely post pandemic and since remote work has been how the majority of businesses do their business now, the emotional aspect has been set aside. For example, leaders are not able to see if their employee is having a bad day at the moment, they just see the result - the inferior work they did.
Gert's guest for Episode 122 is Kevin D. Monroe, who as a mentor explored how showing gratitude can have an immense impact in the workplace. In this ever changing world, gratitude is needed now, more than ever. He encourages leaders to tap into the power of gratitude to be able to know the people’s feelings, what every employee wants and whether they feel being valued.
This episode is the first of something different in Seoleverage.com/podcast. Be sure to tune in for more of these personal development topics. Enjoy!
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:32 Welcome to the episode and introduction of the guest
00:47 Introduction of the episode topic
03:51 Two questions that Kevin Monroe popped out for Gert
05:42 Every business is a people business
10:37 What are the five things that people want based on the Reinvented EVP by the Gartner Group?
14:55 The emotional aspect that is lacking in the remote work environment as experienced by Gert
17:02 Compartmentalizing life and things post pandemic and how male and females do this differently. (...Using technology to become more human friendly)
19:42 The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
24:46 How to use the Appreciative Inquiry technique in Team meetings?
29:28 An invitation to pause and send short messages to some people.
32:09 What is the Free 5-day challenge on Kevin Monroe's website that can help listeners grow gratitude?
33:21 End
Resources:
The Reinvented EVP by the Gartner Group
https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/trends/reinvent-your-evp-for-a-postpandemic-workforce
The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman & Paul White
https://www.amazon.com/Languages-Appreciation-Workplace-Organizations-Encouraging/dp/080246176X
The Beginner's Guide to Growing Gratitude, Free 5-day challenge -
https://hub.globalgratitudesociety.com/invitation?code=87646C
Connect with Kevin D. Monroe:
Website - https://www.kevindmonroe.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmonroe/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, Gert Mellak brings to the forefront his team and emphasizes on all the different teams that work together in ensuring that the clients' goals and priorities are treated with utmost importance.
With everything that his entire team has experienced over the years, you cannot discount his team's dedication to communication and process innovation. With the onset of AI technologies, it is important that these tools go hand in hand with the human factor that makes the overall SEO strategies really make an impact.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:59 Podcast INTRO
01:09 Introduction to the episode
02:02 SEO strategies and the importance of aligning them with client goals and priorities.
03:35 Consulting and strategy are the key pillars of SEO
04:25 Role of Content Creation team and the use of AI language models
06:50 The Link-building team's role for SEO and branding
07:26 The Implementation Team
08:14 Who runs all the teams together?
09:20 The SEO Leverage Team
10:34 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, Gert Mellak is joined by the podcast regular, Joe Fier, to delve into the current surge of AI tools flooding the market, causing confusion among users. The primary focus of this episode is to spotlight trustworthy AI tools, outlining their practical applications and recommendations from these seasoned experts.
The conversation between Gert and Joe unfolds as they explore AI tools dedicated to post-production, audio transcription and content creation, as well as those geared towards audio and video optimization. They broaden the discussion to encompass AI's role beyond content creation, emphasizing its utility as a valuable business tool. Joe also shares his insights into the future of AI copycats and tools already integrated into a broader set of functionalities.
While the content may seem technical, Episode 120 is a crucial resource that must be shared with the audience. Don't miss out on this insightful episode, where practical knowledge about reliable AI tools is brought to the forefront for the benefit of users.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:51 Welcoming Joe Fier to the show
02:05 How Gert uses Chat GPT to structure thoughts and ideas, making content creation and delivery easier and more efficient.
06:57 Joe Fier discussed AI tools like Chat GPT and Claude AI to extract actionable insights from raw data
10:24 The boom of AI tools in the market and Joe Fier's prediction of these tools slowing down by the end of 2023
14:03 The issue of overwhelming tools out in the market, which are too broad and confusing for users
17:36 Features of Castmagic for post production tasks like show notes and prompts
20:27 Audio optimization tools and techniques using Descript
23:24 The benefits of using Riverside.fm for recording and editing interviews.
26:39 AI tools for visuals that Joe Fier recommends - Canva and Headliner
30:56 AI tools that not only relate to content creation but for the other aspects of the business - Gamma.app and Beautiful.ai
33:59 Ethical approach to AI for voice-over talents for payments and royalties with Voices.com
36:22 AI-powered chatbots and their potential uses - Withdelphi and Agent Runner
45:12 How to connect with Joe Fier?
46:34 Gert appreciates Joe Fier’s expertise and sharing these for the episode
47:49 End
Resources:
AI Tools discussed and mentioned in the episode
Claude - https://claude.ai/
Castmagic - https://www.castmagic.io/
Riverside FM- https://riverside.fm/
Gamma - https://gamma.app/
Beautiful.aia - https://beautiful.ai/
Voices.com - https://www.voices.com/
Delphi - https://www.withdelphi.com/
AgentRunner - https://www.agentrunner.ai/
Connect with Joe Fier:
Website - Hustle and Flow chart - https://hustleandflowchart.com/
Get the PDF of the Cheat Sheet on how to leverage a podcast - hustleandflowchart.com/seoleverage
Email address - Joe@hustleandflowchart.com
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
After about 100 episodes, Gert brings back to the podcast Anfernee Chansamooth, the authentic marketer, who will provide valuable insights on hiring and working with a fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) including considering potential agencies and allocating budget for execution.
In this episode, Gert and Anfernee discussed fractional CMO services for founders and CEOs who want to manage their marketing but don't have the time or expertise. There are benefits of hiring or outsourcing a CMO, without a full-time commitment.
If you want to learn about CMO roles, listen to this episode to the very end.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:46 Podcast INTRO
00:56 Welcome back to Anfernee Chansamooth and introduction to the episode topic
02:57 Who needs a full time SEO and how can businesses have enough with a Fractional CMO? (...To whom is Fractional CMO best suited for?)
05:00 Transistioning to the role of a CMO and why is it important to develop the capability to think at a higher level and make strategic decisions?
07:36 Distinctions of CMO roles and responsibilities
13:47 The difference between project managers and CMOs and the importance of equipping clients for long-term success.
17:56 What are the benefits of hiring a fractional CMO for small businesses?
22:22 How much investment is it to hire a fractional CMO?
24:27 What does the role of a fractional CMO mean for Anfernee?
30:58 Anfernee's insights on what kind of questions to ask a business owner before he comes in as the fractional CMO?
35:21 Where to connect with Anfernee Chansamooth?
36:32 End
Resources:
How to learn about fractional CMO, go to -
https://theauthenticmarketer.com/services/
Past episode with Stevie Brown
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3mPCo77DkgReqBPWXj0tyX
Connect with Anfernee Chansamooth:
Website - https://theauthenticmarketer.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, Gert discusses with Katrina McKinnon the potential of AI tools, ChatGPT for one, and its part in SEO and content creation, despite limitations and potential misconceptions. While AI can provide some answers, it cannot replace the need for human-generated content, and people will still rely on human-created content to learn about new products and brands.
People, universities and businesses need to look at and be cautious of what seems to be becoming more sophisticated fake content and focus on creating an authentic online reputation. Listen to this episode, episode 118 and get three important guidelines from Katrina on how to best handle new AI tools.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:49 Podcast INTRO
01:00 Introduction to the episode and the guest
02:06 Katrina's perspective on the use of AI tools
05:38 AI tools, their limitations and the reliability of information
11:19 SEO, brand awareness, and creating an authentic online reputation
14:56 Tell-tale signs of content created by humans vs AIs in creating a consistent story
16:55 What does it take for an ecommerce site to drive brand awareness? (...What is information gain and how does it surface content to be crawled as often?)
20:51 The best use for AI tools in content creation and SEO purpose
24:44 Embracing new technologies and working out how to use it with caution
26:44 What's wrong with universities with their conflicting stand on the use of AI tools? (...Similarly with Google's position on ecommerce promotions.)
29:13 Three guidelines as advised by Katrina in pursuing the use of AI in the following months.
31:26 Where to connect with Katrina McKinnon?
31:22 End
Connect with Katrina McKinnon:
Website - https://copysmiths.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinamckinnon/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Frequently, business owners encounter budget constraints when deciding whether to hire an in-house marketing professional or opt for marketing services based on their specific business needs. Additionally, there is a common misconception that marketing and sales functions are identical, even though they are two distinct aspects.
In this episode, Gert has engaged in a conversation with Stevie V. Brown, an expert from a marketing agency, to explore the cost-related benefits of hiring a marketing agency with access to a global team of specialists. Creating a successful marketing strategy for your business doesn't yield instant results, emphasizing the need for commitment and accountability on the part of business owners. If you're a business owner facing the dilemma of choosing between hiring for in-house marketing positions and working with agencies, this episode is essential to listen to.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:41 Podcast INTRO
00:51 Introduction of the episode and the guest
02:10 What is ‘The Care Factor Fix' all about? (...What are the four pillars of marketing services?)
03:47 Commitment on the marketing process from both sides, the business owner and the provider.
05:24 The Accountability Phase of the marketing process. (...Sales vs Marketing)
07:01 Why do business owners have to be realistic about timeframes and budgets?
08:02 How can business owners be engaged in the right way and understand how marketing providers do their job? (...And how engagement works both ways?)
11:21 The wrong marketing mindset and the lack of commitment from business owners.
14:37 Client engagement and marketing strategy at SEO Leverage
17:43 The importance of the on-boarding process.
20:47 In-house marketing versus outsourced marketing, which is better and costs less?
25:23 Ideal hiring for different marketing functions with one generalist that has access to a team of experts.
29:19 What is the first thing to think about when planning a marketing strategy for your business?
33:46 Marketing strategies, metrics and expectations for timeframes and results. (...Why is marketing not sales?)
39:27 Overnight success is not really overnight, it may take years.
46:33 Recap
42:33 Where to connect with Stevie Brown?
43:39 End
Resources:
Book - The Care Factor Fix by Stevie V Brown MSc - https://www.thechangestarter.com/the-care-factor-fix
Gift and Bonuses - https://www.thechangestarter.com/podcastgift
Connect with Stevie V Brown:
Website - https://www.thechangestarter.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Numerous strategies can be employed to prepare our business for the Search Generative Experience. One potential shift might be attributed to the prevalence of chatbots as searches can already obtain answers from it and will, therefore, diminish the need to click on ads.
In this particular episode, Gert underscores the significance of simplifying language and maintaining communication consistency. This is aimed at mitigating confusion and counteracting possible brand reputation issues. Gert also emphasizes the importance for business owners to carefully manage the information they disseminate and highlights the value of generating positive content
Tune in to this episode to grasp effective strategies for safeguarding your brand and online reputation.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:28 Podcast INTRO
00:38 Introduction to the topic episode
01:26 How chatbots may disrupt the search experience? (...How will it affect Google's ad revenue?)
02:35 Generative AI models and their impact on brand reputation.
05:09 Why is it important to monitor and control information with positive content to ensure authentic brand reputation?
06:48 Simplicity of terms, easy language and consistency that can get you ranked on page one in Google Search.
09:17 Ending CTA
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In today's episode, Gert had an interesting conversation with fellow SEO expert, Wil Reynolds. Wil started Seer Interactive as a one-man operation but now, Seer is home to over 200 team members across Philadelphia, San Diego, and Remote.
Wil shared some valuable insights on the hiring process, promotions, building a team and creating a company culture based on values and collaboration between innovation and the teams. He believes that company owners need to celebrate not just people who get promoted, but also those who choose to stay in their roles, helping others to get promoted and really loving the work they are doing.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:02 Podcast INTRO
01:12 Introduction of the episode and the guest
02:26 The future of search marketing, its disruptive changes and what Wil Reynolds thinks of it?
04:28 Automation vs growing the marketing team
06:02 The rapid pace of change and why Wil see it as a massive reset?
08:05 How did Wil Reynolds grow his team to 200 people?
12:37 Embracing change and innovation in a growing agency.
14:28 Will the people that lean on innovation drivers be the better team leaders?
15:48 A collaboration between innovation and the teams
17:12 How does Wil integrate company culture and values to over 200 team members across Philadelphia, San Diego, and Remote?
22:32 What a good hiring process should look like, according to Wil?
28:16 The downside of having a group of unicorn style people.
30:32 There is a need to celebrate those who chose to stay in the same role, helping others get promoted and are happy with what they are doing.
33:53 Putting a systemic schedule in place, say six months to check in with employees about their career growth.
35:31 Where to connect with Wil Reynolds?
36:49 End
Connect with Wil Reynolds:
Website - https://www.seerinteractive.com/
Website - https://wilreynolds.com/
You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/user/wilreynolds
Medium - https://wilreynolds.medium.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, Gert provides a very good analogy for SEO optimization, using the supermarket's eye-level strategy for users to find what they are looking for. If you are expecting your content or article to rank on the first page, you should follow Gert's recommendation of the top-down approach.
Users usually look at the top to find the answer to their queries and questions and if they don't find it there, they would most likely swipe back, and find the answers from others. For more information on the Top-Down approach, listen to the very end of episode 114.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:44 Podcast INTRO
00:53 Introduction of the episode topic
01:58 The two parties that are present in every Search Query
02:42 The analogy of supermarkets' eye-level strategy to sell their products which is similar to how users and search engines function with queries or questions.
04:20 Optimizing for SEO and User Experience
05:49 The top-down approach
06:51 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
How would you react if you attempted to search for your brand name on Google and discovered that it doesn't appear on the first page of search results? The last thing you want is for potential customers to click on your competitors' URLs that specifically target your brand name. All the money you've invested in running ads would essentially go to waste, right?
Is there a solution to this problem? Absolutely! All you need is an experienced SEO agency that specializes in managing and enhancing your brand's reputation to take action on your behalf.
If your brand is facing this issue, I encourage you to tune in to this episode and gain insights from SEO expert Gert Mellak.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:51 Podcast INTRO
01:01 Introduction to the episode topic
01:38 The research phase is an important part of the customer journey.
02:59 Why is online reputation management important?
03:52 How can an SEO campaign ensure that your brand achieves a Google ranking on the first page, outperforming your competitors?
05:25 Invitation to have SEOLeverage check out and do an audit on your brand reputation.
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Returning as the guest expert in this episode of the SEO Leverage Podcast is Joe Fier from Hustle & Flowchart. The time between his previous appearance is remarkably short due to the tremendous feedback received after Episode 109. Gert believed it was fitting to have him back for a more extensive conversation about podcasting.
When your aim is to convey your message and you're clear about your intention, purpose, and underlying motivations, your audience will naturally connect with what you're saying. It delves into a more profound exploration of your journey, comprehensively charting the process of executing a swift podcast launch. Then monetization naturally follows. There are effective ways to monetize directly on your show, either through guesting, sponsorship, membership and forums.
Find out more by listening to this episode. you wouldn’t want to miss.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:53 Podcast Intro
01:53 Welcoming back Joe Fier to the show
03:03 Leverage your intention to create a deeper connection with your audience through your podcast.
05:08 The guesting approach
07:37 How can you prepare for guesting?
10:10 What is a cheat sheet and how does it help guests on a show?
11:51 How has podcasting changed with the onset of AI?
14:29 When starting a podcast, what are some of the things that can be postponed so as not to worry too much?
17:54 How to use your podcast as lead generation for your business and vice-versa as a guest on other shows?
23:32 Ways to get your podcast off the ground.
28:49 Effective ways to monetize directly on your show.
31:54 How do you use your podcast to be a direct line for people to become a customer?
34:58 How to create a community around a podcast even if it is only available in audio version?
37:42 The value in connecting listeners in a community, like a Facebook Group, membership platform or forums.
41:21 How does Joe Fier's team go about helping people who want to succeed in podcasting?
47:51 Where to connect with Joe Fier?
49:01 End
Resources:
Chat GPT - https://chat.openai.com/
Perplexity - https://www.perplexity.ai/
Google Cloud AI - https://research.google/teams/cloud-ai/
Overcast - https://www.overcast.com/
Community Platform App, Skool - https://www.skool.com/
Connect with Joe Fier:
Website - Hustle and Flowchart - https://hustleandflowchart.com/
Get the PDF of the Cheat Sheet on how to leverage a podcast - hustleandflowchart.com/seoleverage
Email - Joe@hustleandflowchart.com
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Like any endeavour, it's crucial to understand the what, why, and who before embarking on a project. This holds true for SEO campaigns. During the initial phases of the campaign, these aspects should be thoroughly considered. Once you're in the midst of the campaign, whether handled in-house or by an external agency, seeking an outside perspective or conducting an audit becomes paramount to ensure you're headed in the right direction.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:44 Podcast Intro
00:54 Introduction to the episode topic
01:28 Why is there a need to put a big focus on the initial phases of a new project?
02:02 What is an onboarding call? (...What are the two reasons why it is important?
02:44 The onboarding process
04:07 How does SEO Leverage ensure that their process brings you closer to your goals?
04:46 Why is an external audit necessary when you are doing SEO in-house?
06:17 Focus on high-priority items with the team and resources.
07:24 Recap
08:03 End
Resources:
The ERICA Framework: Your Answer to the Toughest SEO Challenges - https://www.amazon.com/ERICA-Framework-Answer-Toughest-Challenges/dp/8409212595
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
When venturing into the world of podcasting, it's common for newcomers to fixate on monetization as their primary goal. But whether you are just starting or have already published 10, 20 or more episodes, there's more to it than just monetization. Prioritize exploring your underlying 'Whys' and defining your true aspirations in podcasting. By remaining receptive to strategies that resonate with both you and your target audience, the path to monetization naturally unfolds.
Join us in this enlightening 110th episode as Gert engages once again with Jeff Mendelson, the Podcast Superhero, for an insightful continuation on the topic of Podcast Monetization. If you've already committed to podcasting and identified your niche, this episode is tailor-made for you.
Get ready to embrace valuable insights and enriching perspectives!
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:39 Podcast Intro
00:49 Introduction to the episode and welcoming back Jeff Mendelson
02:32 Nailing down your WHYs first before putting out your own podcast.
04:38 What is the main challenge when it comes to making money with a podcast?
10:29 The win-win scenario that happens during the pre-call and post-call of an episode.
18:52 What preparations do you need so that even after a podcast episode there will be continuity of the networking propositions?
21:39 Leveraging what you can bring to the table and the importance of questionnaires.
23:09 The value in additional services, leaving a call to action and coming prepared to talk on someone's show.
27:18 Gert recaps the conversation
29:52 Knowing your avatar and finding more value in networking
31:58 Where to connect with Jeff Mendelson?
32:43 End
Resources:
Past episode mentioned - Episode 101 - Podcast Monetization with Jeff Mendelson
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/101-podcast-monetization-with-jeff-mendelson/id1535906923?i=1000613621651
Connect with Jeff Mendelson:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmendelson/
Website - https://jeffmendelson.com/
The One Big Tip Podcast - https://jeffmendelson.com/onebigtip/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/onebigtip
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In light of the continuous emergence of new AI Tools, one might wonder if joining the podcasting bandwagon is still a viable option. Well, the answer to this question obviously was discussed in this episode, Episode 109 of SEO Leverage Podcast with Gert having Joe Fier of Hustle & Flowchart, as his guest.
In the episode, they explored the potential benefits of leveraging these new AI tools into podcast post-production, aiming to streamline the process while retaining the essential human touch. Regardless of whether you are an experienced podcaster or just starting, there is considerable value in listening to this episode. It provides insights that can prove valuable in enhancing your podcasting endeavors.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:26 Podcast Intro
00:37 Joe Fier joins Gert as a guest.
03:23 Does it still make sense to start a podcast today with AI now becoming prevalent?
05:21 Where does a podcast fit into an overall digital marketing strategy?
09:00 Some podcast strategies do not bring impact at all according to Gert.
10:21 The Dream 100 Concept strategy
14:26 Step two strategy to leverage your podcast - The Google Cheat Sheet
19:11 How is it that Joe Fier's first podcast shows are still getting downloads?
22:26 With the new AI technology, how does podcast post production look now?
24:49 How do you decide which podcast you want to work with as a guest? (...consistency is the key.)
26:33 In Joe Fier's team, how many people account for doing post production using AI new tools? (...What are the tools they use?)
29:26 How can you actually leverage your podcast to your biggest advantage?
32:35 Why should intentionality be your purpose or your North Star whether in podcasting, business or SEO?
33:51 Is it possible to change the intentionality of the podcast and still gain traction?
38:50 The recap
42:26 Joe Fier's perspective on ads as a direct response marketer, a business owner and most of all as a podcaster.
44:40 End
Resources:
PDF of Cheat Sheet on how to leverage a podcast - hustleandflowchart.com/seoleverage
Matt Wolfe's YouTube Channel on AI, Future Tech and Digital Marketing - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChpleBmo18P08aKCIgti38g
AI Tools:
Cast Magic - https://www.castmagic.io/
Chat GPT - https://chat.openai.com/
Cleanvoice - https://cleanvoice.ai/
Pretty Links - https://prettylinks.com/
Connect with Joe Fier:
Website - Hustle and Flowchart - https://hustleandflowchart.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
This is another episode where Gert tackles something that is not SEO related but equally important for speakers, podcasters and YouTubers. His guest on the show is John Henny, an expert in voice coaching and training.
It is interesting to learn from their conversation that voice is the ultimate tool that a person has, no matter what it is that they are doing. The key to creating a compelling voice and becoming an engaging speaker is being aware and intentional about what message you want to convey to the audience or listeners.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:21 Podcast Intro
00:31 Introduction to the topic and introduction of the guest
02:19 The difference between speaking and singing?
04:21 How do we use our voice to connect emotionally and engage with our audience?
07:30 What are the ways to re-engage our audience when their attention span dwindles? (...How do singers reawaken the attention of the audience?)
09:30 After having some sessions with John, what were the noticeable results in Gert's speaking? (...How was Gert able to find his optimal speaking range?)
13:07 The audio component, not the visual component, is the one that truly connects with the viewer.
15:59 Even with AI technology, the human component does not go away.
17:35 Why is the vibration of the voice important?
18:48 Recap
20:21 How does John Henny work with people in either a masterclass or one-to-one? (... What's the Compelling Speaker Formula?)
23:46 John Henny's fascination with the human voice.
25:12 End
Resources:
Past episode - Episode 106 Cross-Channel SEO with Stephan Spencer
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/106-cross-channel-seo-with-stephan-spencer/id1535906923?i=1000618829716
Connect with John Henny:
Website: https://johnhenny.com/
To Get the Compelling Speaker Formula - https://www.compellingspeaker.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Local SEO work is important for local businesses especially if your business is a brick and mortar like a car repair shop, a salon or any kind of service provider.
So how do you optimize your website or the content you are putting out for local search? There are various strategies that you can do especially if your business is located in smaller towns with less population.
Listen to this episode and hear Gert Mellak's tips for overcoming local SEO challenges.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:36 Podcast Intro
00:46 Introduction to the topic
01:33 Optimizing your website for local search
02:16 Why is it better to check out groups, forums that are relevant for a specific region e.g. Facebook Groups?
02:50 Claim your Google business profile listing
03:29 Another strategy is to generate online reviews from your customers and act on negative reviews right away.
4:29 Why is it important that the content you are putting out has some elements that are of local relevance?
06:01 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
This conversation of Gert with Stephan Spencer in this episode is kind of different from other episodes because of the inspiration and soul included in it. Aside from Stephan Spencer's expertise in SEO, he delved deeper into the morality of how AI is quickly integrating into the works of content creators, thus taking away the credit from the originators who created their works intuitively.
For Stephan AI can be used for generating ideas for your content, but to have AI write your articles is like crossing a slippery slope.
Listen to this episode and be inspired by the perspectives on the best use of cross-channel SEO.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:48 Podcast Intro
00:48 Introduction of the guest, Stephan Spencer
02:54 How does Stephan leverage intentionality in the work that he does?
04:11 What brought about Spencer's change from being agnostic to being intentional?
06:27 The challenges of working with six or seven-figure brands or organizations vs billion dollar brands.
09:47 Why does Stephan like to work with small, nimble, hungry companies and leverage social platforms that actually yield SEO benefits?
13:32 How does the involvement of influencers in social media create intrigue and stir among people, and how does this impact SEO?
19:21 Google seems to not penalize links anymore - how do they even know when a penalty or algorithmic adjustments are even happening?
21:44 Link building is going to be important again with the onset of AI getting more advanced.
24:38 How is Google going to respond to AI generated content? (..Where is the credit to the originators who actually created their content intuitively?)
27:08 Expectations with Chat GPT and other AI tools. (...The thin line of inspiration and theft.)
29:11 What Stephan thinks about the future of AI, the dead internet theory which means that most of the internet is fake.
33:03 Who are the three audiences that you write for? (...What is a curiosity gap and why is this style of writing hard to accomplish?)
37:50 Balancing quality and quantity: How to tap into that universal intelligence and create an article that is remarkable?
39:17 Why does Stephan not spend time on Facebook and even deleted the app from his phone? (...Why does he think that FOMO is part of an illusion?)
41:27 Where to connect with Stephan Spencer?
41:55 End
Resources:
Past episode - Episode 96
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/096-ai-content-detection-with-jonathan-gillham/ or
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/096-ai-content-detection-with-jonathan-gillham/id1535906923?i=1000600096089
Connect with Stephan Spencer:
Website - https://www.stephanspencer.com/
Marketing Speak Podcast - https://www.marketingspeak.com/
Get Yourself Optimized Podcast - https://www.getyourselfoptimized.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Making your business profitable can be as simple as using the seven basic levers, which a lot of business owners most often overlook and neglect to review. Often you need somebody from the outside looking in, because business owners are engrossed with the day-to-day operations of the business. They think they are doing everything right because they cannot see the label from inside of the jar.
One of the basic foundations of a profitable business is having the right team at the right time. If you have someone who is running a certain department, let’s say the tech side and that someone has been doing this for 10, 20 years, yet he may not have upgraded himself to learn about the latest trends. When this happens, it decreases your bottom line.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:28 Podcast Intro
01:27 Seven Profit Levers that makes businesses more profitable
02:01 A quick side story of Daniel's client Michelle who needed help with increasing her profit.
04:55 How Michelle was able to more than 10x her profit using the seven profit levers all throughout?
08:06 Another story about another client of Daniel on ‘eliminating unnecessary expenses'.
12:52 What is automating your follow-up?
15:34 For business without a product, why does one-on-one conversations make sense instead of automating follow up?
18:50 How do you leverage your profit with upsells and cross sells?
21:53 Gert's story about a client's tourism to the United States website.
22:57 When people land on your website but did not take action, will they buy or are never going to buy in the future? (...What are the two tools used in deploying remarketing?)
28:02 What is OPA, Other People's Audience and how to leverage on those?
32:41 How does building the right team help increase profits?
38:46 The importance of going back to the basics and having a strong foundation in your business.
40:00 A recap of the conversation with Daniel Pope.
41:25 Where to connect with Daniel Pope?
43:08 End
Resources:
MailChimp - https://mailchimp.com/
ConvertKit - https://convertkit.com/
Pipedrive - https://www.pipedrive.com/
HubSpot - https://www.hubspot.com/
Active Campaign - https://www.activecampaign.com/
"What Got You Here, Won't Get You There"by Marshall Goldsmith - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q9J128?ref=knfdg_R_hard_pew
Connect with Daniel Pope:
Website - https://beknownonline.com/
Website - https://www.daniel-pope.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielapope/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
It's truly disheartening to discover that despite investing in paid advertisements to raise awareness for your brand, there are other competing brands out there who are directly siphoning off your traffic, rendering your investment futile. In terms of brand searches, users have a range of alternatives, instead of specifically intending to engage with your brand.
Numerous factors contribute to this predicament. One possibility is that your brand is quite generic, leading to confusion with other similar brands. Fortunately, there are methods to address this issue and ensure that the traffic rightfully belongs to you.
Tune in to this episode where you can learn about the effectiveness of online reputation management in eliminating these traffic thieves from search results.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:35 Podcast Intro
00:45 Introduction of the episode
01:23 In what ways does people steal your traffic making your investment for paid ads go to waste? (...Why does brand awareness become a problem?)
03:23 What can be done to push the results upwards even and push the competition to page 2, 3 or further behind from your brand?
05:22 Call to Action and Closing
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
When people do their search for a particular brand name on Google and depending on what they find in the search results, many potential customers may decide to avoid making a purchase. And these brands are spending significant amounts of money on paid advertisements.
In this episode Gert discusses a better alternative in putting your brand out there and rank better than when you are spending lots of money on paid ads. Leverage your investment to raise more brand awareness.
Listen to this episode and let SEO Leverage's team of experts support you in taking control of how your brand can land on Google's first page in search results.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:39 Podcast Intro
00:49 Introduction of the episode topic
01:33 Why are brands wasting 10s of 1000 dollars on paid ads but are not ranking?
03:08 What is active search branding?
04:51 Closing
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Greg Merrilees of Studio1 Design was the inaugural guest on Episode 2 of the SEO Leverage Podcast and he returns as a special guest on Episode 102, marking the milestone of 100 episodes.
In this episode, Gert Mellalk engages in an enlightening conversation with Greg Merrilees about the advancements of AI and its impact on website design and other industries. They discussed the aspect that AI should be perceived as a tool rather than a threat with its huge benefits, urging listeners to adopt a growth mindset and embrace the opportunities presented by this emerging technology.
Merrilees also offered his three-step process of educating, qualifying and demonstrating when working with clients to see if they are a good fit or totally disqualify them. Included in the discussion were the utilization of Questionnaires, videos and professional proposal software so that the clients are clear on the path they are taking.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:34 Podcast Intro
00:44 Welcoming back Greg Merrilees to the show
02:09 How has AI been affecting the design industry so far?
03:28 Can Google actually detect if a blog post or content used AI and if so, may devalue it and rank it eventually?
05:07 In Greg Merrilees opinion, what is the best use of Chat GPT for bloggers and content creators? (...What can't be taught to Chat GPT or what can't it not understand?)
07:46 Will copyright and authorship affect or slow down the training data and the design industry as a whole?
09:09 The huge benefits of AI vs the limitation
14:46 What is the three-part process by which Studio1 Design work with clients?
16:40 How does the Education Step work when designing a website?
19:59 What needs to be done with lead magnets or how can you lead clients to their next logical step to help them with their journey?
22:09 How do you disqualify a wrong prospect? (Why is Studio1 Design not for startups or big corporations, either?
24:26 Why do people want more traffic when it is not converting?
24:55 What is the sniff test case study by Gert with one of his clients?
27:44 The strategies that Greg and his team does to qualify clients if they are a good fit based on the three step process of educate, qualify and demonstrate. (What is their conversion rate on those calls?)
30:16 What's Gert's experience with the 40 set of questionnaire from Greg before he created SEO Leverage's website?
34:05 Why are videos and professional proposal software super helpful in proposals?
35:39 Recap of the conversation
36:39 Where to Connect with Greg Merrilees?
36:56 End
Resources:
AI Tools -
Midjourney AI - https://midjourney-app.com/
Playground AI - https://playgroundai.com/
Future Tools - https://www.futuretools.io/
GitHub Copilot - https://github.com/
Connect with Greg Merrilees:
Website - https://studio1design.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Podcasting can be done solo, but the most amazing podcast episodes are when there are one-on-one conversations with industry experts and interesting people. It is beneficial to both the host and the guest to be able to bounce ideas off to more people which just makes the conversation so much richer.
Podcasting is a very powerful medium that will give you some authority to be able to talk to amazing people and have a great time in making this connection happen. Listen to this episode around podcasting and all those interesting experiences, including monetization with Gert’s guest, Jeff Mendelson, known in the industry as the Podcast Superhero.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:33 Podcast Intro
00:20 Introduction of the guest, Jeff Mendelson
02:07 How was Jeff's journey from corporate to creating a digital marketing agency and eventually becoming an industry expert in podcasting?
08:04 What was Jeff's realization about getting real value in short-form podcasts?
10:53 Some guidelines Jeff provided on the best way to initiate contact with masterminds, industry experts, and other interesting people for potential interviews on his show?
13:47 What needs to be taken in consideration when checking out possible guests in your show or when guesting in a show?
14:52 Gert's favorite podcast directory and why he likes them?
15:59 The beauty of virtual communication: forging connections, conversations and exchanging value, without physical proximity. (...Jeff giving an example of his interview with Tyler Robertson, the CEO of Diesel Laptops.)
19:35 The importance of one-on-one conversations happening in podcasting.
22:06 How does Jeff maintain the connection with the people he had conversations with?
27:05 The importance of delegating so that you can do what you do best. (... Gert gives a shout out to his team.)
27:58 A recap of the conversation with Jeff
29:42 Where to connect with Jeff Mendelson?
30:04 End
Resources:
Podcast Guesting Directories
MatchMaker.fm - https://www.matchmaker.fm/
PodMatch - https://podmatch.com/
Gestio - https://guestio.com/
Automation Tool
Zapier - https://zapier.com/
Connect with Jeff Mendelson:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmendelson/
Website - https://jeffmendelson.com/
The One Big Tip Podcast - https://jeffmendelson.com/onebigtip/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/onebigtip
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Having launched 100 podcast episodes for SEO Leverage Podcast is no mean feat. Gert in this episode had memorable recollections of past episodes that stick out and interesting conversation with guests with their respective expertise. So many insights have been shared and the feedback to the podcast has been truly positive and that is the reason why Gert is set to move forward at full speed and give his listeners more value with exciting episodes and interesting guests.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:41 Podcast Intro
00:50 Welcoming to Episode 100 of SEO Leverage Podcast
Going back to the episodes that stick out:
01:53 The very first guest interview with Greg Merrilees from Studio1 Design.
02:30 Episode 4 was with Greg's mentor James Schramko, Episode 7 was with Ilana Wechsler from teachtraffic.com and Anfernee Chansamooth on Episode 8.
03:15 Episode 15 was about user experience and evergreen content with Cristoph Cemper of LinkResearchTools
03:46 For Episode 18 it was about website flipping and strategic growth with Jaryd Krause, and Episode 22 was with Justin Meadows of tuneWP.com, who is the technical support provider of Gert.
04:30 The conversation with Dixon Jones, the founder of inLinks is not boring even though it's about the tech side of things.
05:02 The growth of Semantic SEO and the rise of AI ChatGPT and the likes, the different aspects of SEO, ROI in SEO in Episodes 30, 32 and 40.
05:48 Justin Meadows came back on Episode 41 to talk about the repercussions of the wrong choice of page builders.
06:25 Episode 50 was all about link building and Episode 52 was about lead generation.
07:03 Episode 60 is about designing and optimizing a website with Quinn Zeda from Conversion Crimes.
07:41 SEO migrations was the topic of discussion on Episode 73 and the disastrous effects of wrong migrations without SEO help.
08:39 Episode 81: Inside the Head of a Search User
09:21 Conversation on brand SERPs, brand searches and how Google tries to understand how brands should be ranking on Episode 90 with Jason Barnard from Kalicube.
10:43 Episode 95 with Anke Hermann was about audio summits.
11:18 Legal tips for online businesses from legal expert Heather Pearce was the conversation in Episode 97.
11:46 Episode 100, moving forward at full speed on expert discussions on AI, searches and to provide value to the industry with lots of new guests coming soon.
12:19 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Although search intent is important, it should not be the sole focus when creating content or pages. It's crucial to consider other factors to understand why your content may not be ranking or why a competitor's content is performing better. There is what we call Search Intent Mismatch and your type of content is not the type of content that Google wants to rank
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:09 Podcast Intro
00:20 Introduction of the topic
00:33 Why is Search Intent Mismatch the most important symptom that causes your ranking to drop?
01:55 When rankings drop, what needs to be factored in the revisions based on what Google is looking for to rank?
03:01 Summary
03:43 End
Resources:
Get 5 quick wins for your website's SEO
https://seoleverage.com/quick-wins
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, Gert had a very informative conversation with Thomas Helfrich, the founder of instantlyrelevant.com, who believes that in order to convert trust and loyalty from customers, you need to deliver non-stop relevance.
We hear so much about AI and how it encompasses even marketing automation. Both Gert and Thomas agree on the advantages of automation, but it should be to accelerate the tasks of humans, not replace them. There is still a need to leverage technology with human led content development, social media management, and outreach for sales development, for example in the use of email marketing.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:33 Podcast Intro
00:43 Welcome to episode and introduction of the guest
02:07 Self introduction by Thomas Helfrich and how he landed in AI what he does.
05:13 What are the issues presented to Thomas' team when being consulted in creating content? (...What do you need to watch out for when using these technologies?)
08:45 AI is not a replacement for humans, but what areas can we leverage AI technology?
11:18 When it comes to content creation on the marketing side of things, what kind of technologies can be used?
13:31 When is the right time to add value to a relationship whether personal or business?
15:43 How is email marketing an effective tool? (...Why is human led, not full automation still the best for B2B?)
18:15 Why is non stop relevance important in building trust to get loyal long-term customers?
19:41 What’s Gert's preferred email automation technology that can do value sequencing?
21:43 How is tech fatigue a bigger problem in your email marketing list?
24:44 What would be the three tools or strategies that Thomas would suggest to look into?
27:42 Gert's recap of what was talked about in the conversation with Thomas.
29:29 What is Executive Eminence and why do you need to raise it for your messaging, your content, in your strategy, in your brand image, etc?
31:17 Where to connect with Thomas Helfrich?
31:36 End
Resources:
Email Automation Tools:
Active Campaign - https://www.activecampaign.com/
Pipedrive - https://www.pipedrive.com/
Three Tools that Thomas recommends:
Fathom - https://fathom.video/
Calendly - https://calendly.com/
Better Proposals - https://betterproposals.io/
Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
Website - https://www.instantlyrelevant.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/instantlyrelevant
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
For content creators, coaches, writers or similar service-based businesses, Intellectual Property protection is, more often than not, neglected or they probably do not have first-hand information of its importance. Intellectual Property is your business and you need to protect it!
The second piece that is highly important is Privacy Policy and from what Heather Pearce Campbell said, the guest of Gert in this episode, you cannot have a business and be online without it in place. Heather is the founder of Pearce Law PLLC and she helps entrepreneurs protect their brands and provide legal support and legal information.
This is an eye-opener episode for business owners not to neglect this very important step in their business - having that protection in place at the very start.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:27 Podcast Intro
00:41 Welcome to the episode and introduction of the guest
02:19 What was Heather's most challenging case she has worked on?
05:41 Why can't you not expect that people won't have the same standard as you do? (...What is the root cause of some business owner's legal challenges?)
07:26 What is an IP, what does it actually entail?
10:06 How can people understand the protections that go along with IP?
15:02 Is there a difference when someone puts in a tick mark on a check box with a service business where there is a signed agreement?
17:55 Some examples Gert shared when signing Terms of Purchase and his own experience signing documents for an international corporation, when he was still a freelancer.
20:00 For online course creators, what kind of legal terms should be used? (...Why is timing an important issue based on a legal perspective?)
22:28 What are the things that you need to outline in the terms of purchase that will protect you? (...What is the difference between Website Terms and Conditions and Terms of Purchase?)
24:22 Why do you need to have a privacy policy in place?
26:07 As part of website protection, why is it important that there is disclosure of Terms of Purchase?
29:03 What are the risks with not protecting your brand and how can you go about protecting your brand?
33:33 Why is it important to analyze your audience, what countries will you reach out for your brand?
35:46 Gert's recap of everything that was discussed in Episode 97
36:54 Where to connect with Heather Pearce Campbell?
38:22 End
Connect with Heather Pearce Campbell:
Website - https://legalwebsitewarrior.com/
Email - heather@legalwebsitewarrior.com
Podcast - Guts, Grit & Great Business Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guts-grit-great-business/id1516815054
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeatherPearceCampbell/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Chat GPT has been the buzz these days because of its AI generated content creation technology. In today’s episode Gert had a very focused and frank conversation with Jonathan Gillman, the founder of originality.ai, and heads a team of experts that understands your needs when it comes to originality and human content creation.
While GPT-3 or even going into GPT-4 in the near future, does makes some
sense, such as cutting research time, outlining an article or marketing strategy or even creating a website without actual proficiency on a specific subject matter, to a great extent it promotes plagiarism and gives no credence to human ability for superior content.
We’ll see how this whole AI thing is going through and how Google will act on it.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:35 Podcast Intro
00:45 Welcome to episode 96 and introduction of the episode topic and the guest
02:05 Jonathan Gillham's background and his experience in AI detection and plagiarism.
03:39 How can people know if the content was written by a human?
05:21 Where does Jonathan see AI content to make most sense?
09:59 How does the detection actually work? (...How can non-tech experts understand the process of detection if content is a work of an AI writer?)
12:04 What does the training look like in the future in order to determine GPT level of accuracy?
12:55 Jonathan's opinion on how Google will react to content being a commodity? (...Will Google apply some mechanism to restrict their search results as human generated?)
14:52 Why Gert was surprised Google did not do anything earlier with GPT and why he believes that Google needs to have an alternative solution rather than pulling the brakes too much.
18:32 What's Jonathan's take on GPT4 in comparison to the other versions of GPT?
24:12 Jonathan explains how his own software, a plagiarism checker and AI detector works. (...What are the percentages of probability of human generated and AI generated?)
28:05 Where to connect with Jonathan Gillham?
28:22 End
Resources:
Plagiarism checker mentioned in the conversation:
Copyscape Plagiarism Checker - https://www.copyscape.com/
Connect with Jonathan Gillham:
Website - https://originality.ai/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/originality-ai/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Have you heard about Audio Summits? If this is the first time you heard about it, you will be excited by this game changer format of having a summit or a conference from a totally different perspective. It does not require a commitment for an audience to be at the summit at a particular set time, it respects your time and you can participate on it on the go. There's more to it than being a lead magnets and for sure, you'll be hooked, especially when you are often invited to be a speaker on summits.
In this episode, Gert had an expert on the show in creating Audio Summits in the person of Anke Hermann, an international speaker, author and award winning trainer and facilitator. Listen to this episode and learn why Audio Summit is going to be the next big thing.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:47 Introduction of the episode and the guest
01:27 How Gert and Anke hit it off with so many things in common with them?
02:06 Why does Anke not like the way existing summits are being pitched in, even though it is free in terms of money? (...Why does she think their concept does not work?)
07:03 What is an Audio Summit, why is it different from a video summit?
12:46 Why is Audio Summit going to be a game changer? (...What does it offer that traditional summits don't have?)
17:22 What does the tech part look like in running an Audio Summit and what else is needed? (...What is the process for creating an Audio Summit?)
21:26 What is wrong with people thinking summits are lead magnets? (...What is the third process that needs to be managed?)
27:05 A recap from Gert on the points raised by Anke on the processes of creating an Audio Summit.
29:22 Where does Anke promote her Summit?
31:57 How long will the summit content or audio be accessible to those who signed up?
33:43 Where to connect with Anke Hermann?
34:30 End
Resources:
Hello Audio - https://helloaudio.fm/
ClickUp - https://clickup.com/
Book of Anke Hermann - Taming the Monsters: How to Rise Above Tech Frustration and Build Your Business Online With Joy and Confidence
https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Tech-Monster-Frustration-Confidence/dp/B088N4W9MP
Connect with Anke Hermann:
Website: https://ankeherrmann.com/
Website: https://createconnectandflourish.online/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Before we can really appreciate Content Design, we need first to understand for what purpose we need it for. Content Design is necessary for discoverability of search users for their search intent. It is the primary intention why users are searching for something. It could just be simple data they are looking for or maybe more complex information, but making your content visible and interesting for users to consume it depends on your Content Design.
Content design is a framework that considers the behavior of users interacting with your content. While jazzy designs, graphics and fonts are important, content design is more on understanding the users and their needs.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:20 Podcast Intro
00:32 Introduction of the episode
00:46 Invitation to head over to SEOleverage.com/podcast
01:08 Why does content design matter and for what purpose do we need content design?
02:25 What are the three aspects of content design that can best find the answers to users' search queries?
05:09 Why is Content Design one of the important leverage points that we see on established sites?
05:45 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode, we'll be discussing how our agency, SEO Leverage, helped a client increase their website conversions by dropping their traffic by 80%. Our client, a seven-figure company with a solid track record, had been experiencing a decline in conversions over the past 12 months. After analyzing their website, we discovered that the quality of their traffic had changed due to a large amount of irrelevant content being published on their site. To solve this problem, we made some tough decisions and removed 80% of the site's traffic in order to increase the relevance of the remaining traffic. The result was a significant increase in conversions. The takeaway from this case study is the importance of relevance in driving conversions and the potential negative impact of irrelevant content on a website's performance.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:35 How did our agency increase a client's website conversions by dropping their traffic by 80%?
03:15 What was the problem causing the decline in conversions for our client?
03:58 How did we increase the relevance of the remaining traffic on the client's website?
04:33 What was the outcome of focusing on conversions rather than traffic for our client?
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Are you tired of spending hours creating content for your website or blog?
Look no further than Chat GPT, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence tool that can generate written content based on a simple prompt.
In this episode, we'll explore the features of Chat GPT and how it can help streamline your content creation process. From generating outlines for a book to coming up with catchy headlines, Chat GPT can do it all. But it's important to note that while it is a powerful tool, it does have limitations and it may not always produce truthful content. So, stay with us as we dive into the world of AI-generated content with Chat GPT.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
1:36 How to get started with Chat GPT.
2:13 Chat GPT is a tool that can generate written content based on a prompt, or information that you input into a chat box
2:41 What is the role of AI in SEO?
3:48 Chat GPT is good at connecting concepts and generating natural-sounding text
5:17 Don’t use it to copy and paste and automate your content creation.
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
The success of your SEO campaign depends on so many factors, for example your goals for your website. If you want lead generation, then probably focus your attention to conversion first. Along with this, you really need to be intentional and be consistent in creating and optimizing your SEO strategies.
When will you start taking SEO seriously? Success will not happen when you do it this month and then stop and then regain your footing again.
Gert and his team will help you focus and consistently implement that SEO campaign that's right for you.
Listen to this episode and start taking actionable steps NOW.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:15 Podcast Intro
00:27 Welcome to the episode
00:56 Introduction of the topic
01:22 What does igniting your SEO means?
02:30 How do you create actionable steps to run an SEO campaign that are done right?
04:54 Why is it important to be intentional and pick a date on when you can really start taking SEO seriously?
06:30 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In this episode Gert had a delightful and very informative conversation with the widely known title of The Brand SERP Guy, Jason Barnard. Jason is an author and he used to be known as the Blue Dog cartoon character in Boowa and Kwala in 2007.
Using the child analogy with the History teacher, the teacher is the authority on the subject of history, but not a good authority on how to bake a cake. This is where the Knowledge Panel comes into picture and how Google will present you to the searchers, e.g. who you are, what you have to offer, what is your brand, etc. Listen and learn how easy it is or how much less effort you can build up your Knowledge Panel using the Kalicube process than doing it manually.
There’s more to this episode that you can pick up especially on brand SERPs, so listen to the very end and make sure to download the transcript of the episode.
Podcast Highlights:
01:05 Introduction of the episode, the guest and how did they get introduced
03:34 The background of Jason Barnard and how he got to correct Google in presenting him as the character Blue Dog.
04:56 Why is it important to connect the dots for Google to see the different properties that they will take into account, according to Gert?
06:26 What is the difference between branded and non-branded searches? (...When should people start to worry about their brand?)
10:01 How important are rich snippets for courses or in a coaching program? (...What is Schema Markup in terms of how Google makes sense of what a web page is actually about?)
12:56 What benefit can it give you to take as much advantage of Google, play their game as a bonus perspective, rather than thinking of it as taking something away from you?
17:30 Although Google My Business and the Knowledge Panel are set up differently, how can the two exist together? (...Can everybody get a knowledge panel?)
21:18 What are the different options in Kalicube that people can use and what is the three-step process that goes on an eternal cycle for Google?
24:18 How long does it take to build the Knowledge Panel? (...What are the caveats to it?)
27:55 What are second party websites that you can have partial control of and what about the third party websites that you have no control of, but are confirming what you are saying on your website?
30:24 How much effort does one need to put up a knowledge panel by doing it manually compared to the Kalicube Pro's process?
31:57 How was Jason able to change his description with Google from a musician to being an author first?
35:45 What are the 3 most important things than Google's offering on Schema Markup? (...How important is entity description?)
30:39 How does Google take into account when it comes to ranking non-branded terms?
42:23 Where to connect with Jason Barnard?
43:25 End
Resources:
Past episode with Katrina McKinnon - https://seoleverage.com/podcast/088-how-to-write-helpful-content-with-katrina-mckinnon/
Book, The Fundamentals of Brand SERPs for Business by Jason Barnard - https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Brand-SERPs-Business/dp/1956464107
Connect with Jason Barnard:
Website - https://jasonbarnard.com/
Website - https://kalicube.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/jasonmbarnard
Kalicube Academy - https://kalicube.academy/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmbarnard/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Growing your SaaS business with SEO isn’t a simple thing. It’s not like you just push a button and you expect that the content you created will rank first immediately. It really does not happen overnight. It’s really about bringing value, forging relationships, the goodwill you build with your audience over time and finding the product market fit.
Valuable insights here from the conversation of Gert with Kevin Sahin from ScrapingBee.com, a company that specializes in web scraping. When your clients are tech savvy or more of the developers, you have to take caution in making sales pitches because they hate marketing. When you're doing content marketing targeted at developers, forget about all the conversion rates. You only get to them by providing value. That’s value, value, value! Think of your Saas business as a long term game. Of course, there will be challenges and failures but you just have to be consistent and enjoy the process.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:35 Podcast Intro
00:45 Introduction of the episode and the guest
01:56 Kevin Sahin journey, from being in corporate to startups, then in SEO.
06:31 Kevin's journey into web scraping, the challenges and failures and how they eventually launched ScrapingBee.com?
13:14 How did Kevin and their company ScrapingBee get their first clients?
16:26 Since Kevin started with building blogs, how did he create the blogs so that it ranked? (...How did he start to learn SEO and implement it?)
22:28 Gert's personal theory on how Google takes signals and ranks a content as something good and with authority.
25:19 What else is important to consider when doing content for tech-savvy audiences? (...Why is it that any marketing tricks or optimization techniques are not received well by developers?)
32:00 Kevin's advice to people who would like to grow their SAAS business through SEO or content marketing.
35:23 Gert recapping the conversation with Kevin Sahin and the importance of having a long-term view in SEO.
37:39 Where would listeners find the episode and the link to the Ahrefs course.
38:23 End
Resources:
Ahrefs Blogging for Business Course - https://ahrefs.com/academy/blogging-for-business
Connect with Kevin Sahin:
Website: https://www.scrapingbee.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
When creating a content, you need to consider putting out visuals, those with elaborated images, perhaps including tables and the writer’s profile, as well. You also would need a caption that says something about the picture and if you’re selling something, what’s the benefit of buying it, right?
As Katrina McKinnon said in this conversation with Gert, there is power in creative story-telling and enhancing the reader's experience through interesting visual elements. She truly believes that you've got more chances of keeping your readers on the website, if your article looks beautiful, if it looks visually interesting. Content is King, but creativity is Queen.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:02 Podcast Intro
01:12 Introduction of the topic and guest, Katrina McKinnon
02:08 How Katrina came into the niche of content creation and was she able to create her company CopySmiths?
07:54 How does Katrina feel about Google's Helpful Content Update?
11:51 Why are visual images very helpful in content creation? (...What are some of the things you can do to make your content more helpful for user experience?)
17:29 What course of action did Katrina do in order to get a higher click through rate percentage for a client? (...Why is it that people are also clicking on links?)
21:56 Why is it important to include testimonials in your articles?
24:07 Gert's opinion on AI in terms of user friendly experience and what Google is missing on, but ranks them anyway.
28:25 What will give more chances to readers reading your article? (...Why is it important to add the writer profile on the article?)
30:31 Especially on mobile phones, what would make users read your article instead of swiping back to search for another article?
32:39 Why is it important to summarize in the first 25 words of an article and add a qualifying statement for the article and repeat that in the sub headings?
35:02 What is the reason Gert believes Google was better off not announcing Helpful Content Update at all?
36:07 Katrina's own reservations on how Google is able to tolerate bad and junky websites.
39:00 Gert recaps the conversation with Katrina.
41:11 Katrina's final statement on the conversation.
42:00 Where to connect with Katrina McKinnon?
42:17 End
Connect with Katrina McKinnon:
Website - https://copysmiths.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinamckinnon/?originalSubdomain=au
Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/groups/2597165263893071/user/100000589649193/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
There are so many things that you need to consider when writing an article or an online course in order for it to rank in Google Search. You just don’t write whatever you like, but you need to prepare with the right keywords. You can test what related keywords come up by doing a search for a similar article you want to write about. Keywords are really about connecting concepts, similar to connecting dots in an old children’s game to come up with a picture or a drawing. You also need to have a call to action in your article so that people reading it will be able to take the next step, which is what you really want in order to grow your online course.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:39 Invitation to experience the demo of the SEOLeverage tool
02:54 How to find the right keywords when writing a course? (...Where would the right keywords come from first?)
04:09 Where else do we need to check for keywords for the content you want to write about?
05:18 What research tools can you use to look for keywords?
06:00 How do you ensure that Google is able to connect enough dots or concepts to understand that the article you wrote is relevant and has a lot of value?
07:21 Why is there a need to have a call-to-action in the article you are writing about?
08:05 Invitation to book a demo with Gert
08:48 End
Resources:
The SEO Leverage App - https://seoleverage.com/app/
UberSuggest Keyword Tool - https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
Ahrefs - https://ahrefs.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
If you say that you have this much traffic, what are these numbers telling you? Does it give you the correct information? Actually, what is important is to look at the numbers of people dropping off in the middle of reading your article, why they don't take the next step, why they never engage and some other factors. Actually these are the numbers that you need to analyze so that you will be able to convert more and get better results.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:10 Introduction of the topic
02:14 What is the difference between branded and non-branded traffic?
03:32 Where do you get this segmented information from? (...Why is it better to increase your non-branded?)
05:19 Why do you need to dig deeper and understand the numbers that you get? (...What are those statistics and user sessions that you need to track and analyze?)
08:06 Invitation to get help in analyzing your numbers.
08:52 End
Resources:
The SEO Leverage App - https://seoleverage.com/app/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Whether you are employed or a business owner, you have a brand, whether it is in the analog or digital form, you have a personal brand. It is really important that your messaging is consistent with your core values, that you are sensitive to what your clients’ and customers’ needs and meet them where they’re at. When you nurture your relationships with them, they will always come back to you, whether it is for their current needs and future needs.
Branding is actually walking the talk. For example, when your business is in body and mental health, you have to make sure that you bring the same messaging in how you carry yourself through the challenges. You cannot be advocating mental health but here you are driving your team crazy with heavy workloads and even asking them to work overtime for free. There is such a thing as Emotional Intelligence and when used correctly can give so much potential for your business. Emotional triggers as a tool for marketing campaigns are okay as long as they are ethical.
An extremely interesting conversation between Gert and his guest, Cristina Alda who is a brand strategy consultant, keynote speaker, trainer, and mentor. She offers businesses brand consulting and creative content for everyday media.
Listen to the very end of this podcast episode and learn how to build connections and carry on with your personal brand. Enjoy!
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
02:48 Cristina Aldan's background and journey to what she is doing now. (...How she evolved from chemical engineering, to ecology to tech and now building websites and creating brand strategies for people?)
09:02 Why is it important for people in business to focus on their values and be consistent with their messaging?
10:10 What does branding really mean? (...How does that translate to you as an individual or as part of the company?)
12:19 Is branding going to be visual or will this go beyond just visuals? (...Where do you actually start when creating a brand strategy?)
17:03 Why Cristina does not do blueprint programs and the like, and instead focuses more on the uniqueness of clients?
18:47 How Gert's team do their work in alignment to their core value of connection and communication?
20:36 What should Emotional Intelligence be focused on? (... When are emotional triggers okay as a brand strategy?)
23:55 Why is it important to recharge? (...How do introverts and extroverts recharge before interacting with people?)
27:40 In what ways can we use emotional intelligence to connect better with our team and with our clients?
29:19 How can we communicate across multiple channels, across different cultures but still maintain the same messaging?
32:58 Clients and customers appreciate it more when businesses across all industries live it up to their core values of being authentic and integrity.
35:41 What is the biggest difference between the mental health challenges people are facing today?
37:24 What are the four buckets for emotional intelligence? (...How important are self-awareness and self-management?)
39:36 A recap of Gert's conversation with Cristina.
42:20 Where to Connect with Cristina Aldan?
42:51 End
Connect with Cristina Aldan:
Website - https://www.luckygirliegirl.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/luckygirliegirl/
Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1luckygirliegirl/id1544906363
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/luckygirliegirl/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyt5DAgDTQ6I58bY1BHTLWeNwPMFKGJle
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
A conversion is heavily reliant on what are the user behaviors of people visiting your website. These user behaviors are your signals, however, if you are not tracking soft conversions before users act on what you actually want them to do, you are losing on a big chunk of data that can really convert. These data are different depending on the different projects a business has, e.g. e-commerce sites or lead generation sites. It is really important that you take into consideration these soft conversion indicators.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:33 Introduction of the topic
00:52 What is the difference between conversions for different projects within an organization?
02:25 How do you define soft conversion for an e-commerce site and a lead generation site?
05:52 Invitation to head over to Seoleverage.com to schedule a free action step with Gert
06:30 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
When doing SEO strategies, you can base your decisions through the data that is available to you. There is a lot of data that you can collect and you can work with, but one needs to be very careful in analyzing and segmenting the data correctly. It is also important to cross-reference the data that is extracted from two data sources - Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Both work differently, but they compliment each other.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:04 Introduction of the topic
01:39 When compared to traditional marketing, what's the big advantage of digital marketing?
02:09 What do we mean by data-driven SEO?
03:15 When performing analytics, what kind of information can be extracted from Google Analytics and Google Search Console?
04:29 How does one correctly interpret the user behavior metrics using data-driven SEO strategies?
06:23 Ending CTA
07:04 End
Resources:
An app that will help you make the right decision for your SEO -
https://seoleverage.com/app/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
It is very important that you focus on reputation management and that it is monitored actively. You can have the best ranking but when people check you out and they find old reviews that are not very encouraging to make a decision to purchase, that ranking is of no use. It is definitely important that your branding in Google is in line with the image that you represent.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:44 An app that was just recently launched by SEOLeverage.com
01:27 Introduction of the topic
01:44 In SEO, what does branding actually mean?
02:40 Why is it important to pay attention to how your brand comes up in Google search?
03:58 What can you do if you want to push your article in terms of SEO?
06:10 Why is reputation management important for the image that you want to represent?
07:15 End
Resources:
An app that will help you make the right decision for your SEO -
https://seoleverage.com/app/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
It is really important to dive into the minds of the searchers in order for you to put up something in your site that will be the answer to their searches. Sometimes the content that you put out there in your site is very hard for people to consume. Consider giving more value so that searchers will be more willing to consider checking in your opt ins and will likely to consume more content from you in the future
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:56 Introduction of the topic
01:41 In order for your content to be found by the searcher, what do you need to have?
02:59 What is search intent?
03:58 In what ways can a searcher be happy about their search results?
05:42 Ending CTA
05:55 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In today’s episode of SEO Leverage Podcast, Gert will have a very informative conversation with the CRO guy, Kurt Philips of Convertica.co.
Business owners with online businesses often do not focus on conversion because they think that they have a product or products that people are looking for already and do not need lead generation in order to convert. This kind of inattentiveness to conversion also transcends to their website, such that there is no real call to action or where might people get in touch with them. Sometimes, too, they are rigid in giving out the fastest way of communication which is an email address, by asking people to fill out a long crappy contact form.
Well, even if you don’t fall into the level of 10,000 visitors a month or at least 3000 in lead generation, you can still do Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). Just listen until the end for insights from both Gert and Kurt and towards the end, if you feel that you may need to contact anyone of them, their contact details are mentioned. Enjoy!
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:06 Introduction of the guest, Kurt Philip
02:42 Kurt Philip's journey from SEO to CRO
04:18 How did Philip's former apprentice become a partner in the company?
05:36 When is the best time to consider engaging in a CRO agency?
07:29 What can be done to improve the conversion rate if client's do not get to the level of 10,000 visitors a month or at least 3000 in lead generation?
09:38 The problems with websites created using free templates and themes.
13:20 Why is CRO not in the minds of most online businesses and is not set up in their websites? (...and don't even have tracking analytics software installed)
17:08 How do you go about lead magnets to start converting?
19:58 Which is the more feasible way in helping clients convert - giving guarantees and refunds or continue testing until the goal is reached?
21:30 How does Convertica strategize on testing ideas or brainstorm on a particular project for clients?
23:31 What are the characteristics of a good lead magnet and will prompt people to readily give their email addresses?
29:04 If you are offering different services, what is a good way to communicate each of your offers so that people don't get confused?
29:49 Gert gave a recap of the topics discussed.
31:21 Where to connect with Kurt Philip?
31:49 End
Resources:
All-In-One Marketing Automation Platform - https://bentonow.com/
Performance Evaluation Review software - https://www.sigmetrics.org/
Connect with Kurt Philip
Website - https://convertica.co/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
SEO for Real Estate is definitely very specific, actually should be very focused on the detail of the real estate property that is for lease, for sale, or for rent. You cannot expect to rank if you are too generic in your targeting.
For example, if your keywords will be too generic as 'Real Estate Miami', most likely you'll have plenty of competition out there. In order for you to rank, you can go as specific as you can with, e.g. 'Beach house for sale in Miami' or 'Two bedroom house for rent in Miami'. Being specific will actually move the needle in real estate across all environments. Learn how to proactively rank your property listings by going specific that will match the right categories people are searching for, in this episode of SEO Leverage Podcast.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:52 Introduction of the topic
01:02 How does search for Real Estate work on the local level?
02:10 What needs to be done for past listings that are either already released a long time, sold or leased out but are still on the website?
03:35 Going for big generic terms or going too generic in targeting can become a disadvantage for real estate companies. (...What can they do so that they don't get huge competition on search queries?)
0516 What are the two things that are important for local SEO relevance?
07:11 Ending CTA
07:43 End
Resources:
Information for Structured Data on the Internet - https://schema.org/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Today there is an overload of information especially when it comes to SEO. There are things that could possibly help, could make you rank higher, could bring in more sales, etc, but these are random choices and you really won't know if it really works. So instead of spending a fortune on things that you have just come across or read on the internet, why not focus on things that actually mattered - the ones that have already been proven to work. Like a tool that will help you figure out where the focus really needs to be. Listen to this episode to get more information on this application by SEO Leverage.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:12 Introduction of the topic
01:58 Random choices that are available to focus on SEO, but do they really matter?
02:30 An SEO Leverage App that uses data from Google and can increase leads, sales, traffic, and brand awareness.
05:15 Ending CTA
05:30 End
Resources:
Sign up for the FREE Action Plan:
https://seoleverage.com/free-consult/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
I am sure that you want to make sure that the time you spend working for your SEO is time really well allocated and invested, right? Just when we think that we are doing everything right, we are unaware that it was spent on some useless things that we think are good for SEO. But really the bottom line is with Google - what they think is relevant and which is in line with what users actually want. As you know, Google adjusts to changing user behavior such that the content you write today, needs to be rewritten or refreshed, as in the case of search on virus, pre and post-Covid.
In this episode, Gert highlights the three biggest SEO time-wasting activities that you can monitor and get rid of in order to ensure that whatever resources you dedicate to SEO are really well invested.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:43 Introduction of the episode
02:07 Time waster #1 - Publishing content every week (Quantity over Quality)
02:35 Why does Google not need fresh content every week? (...Why is it important to make sure that articles are relevant and in line with what Google users actually want?)
04:33 Time waster #2 - SEO plugins (Why having your plugin showing all the ticks in green doesn't automatically guarantee that you have everything done for SEO?)
08:19 Time waster # 3 - Publishing fresh content all the time (...Instead of making sure that existing content has a proper structure)
10:10 Ending CTA
10:33 End
Resources:
SEO Tools
Yoast plugins - https://yoast.com/
RankMath Plugins - https://rankmath.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Some people think that if they tweak and optimize their SEO campaign they will get almost instant results. The truth is, so many factors need to be considered why it takes quite some time, even months before an SEO campaign to get positive results. You cannot simply push out content and expect it to rank instantly on page one. To a very few, it can happen, but it just shows that they have a very high authority status already, and have undoubtedly been doing quite a few things right. So to make sure that you are doing things right, make sure to listen until the end to get some guidelines and steps to ensure that SEO doesn't take longer than it has to.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:42 SEO Intro
00:52 Introduction of the topic
01:45 Beginning CTA
02:28 What happens when you push new content on your website? (...What do we need to consider when writing new content?)
03:51 How does Google process newly discovered contents?
04:30 Why is it important that your content is correctly linked to the relevant context within your website?
05:19 Why does competition play a big part on why SEO takes longer to see results?
06:07 What are the other external factors that can impact Google's algorithm as they pick up signals from all over the world?
07:48 The three ways in order to make sure that SEO does not take longer than it has to be.
09:59 Ending CTA
10:43 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
There is a difference in the overall content marketing strategy between SaaS companies and small to medium-sized businesses. Mostly it comes down to the budget the company has. For bigger companies, they would throw some significant budget at it for the first three to six months, see what's working and prove the value of this. Small-sized businesses, on the other hand, will create content that is more targeted and intentional.
This is a very, very interesting episode where Gert talks to James Scherer, the VP for Growth at codeless.io. Many significant nuggets can be learned from listening to this episode which essentially can push the ranking of your site to page one.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:41 SEO Intro
00:51 Introduction of the guest
01:38 The background of James Scherer, his love for content marketing and how he became the VP for Growth at codeless.io.
08:20 How is the team of James Scherer able to manage writing 75 articles per month?
11:03 What is the planning process for topic selection at monday.com?
14:05 Besides the planning process, breaking up categories and doing analysis, what else could be some takeaways from an enterprise level content strategy?
17:31 How do SaaS and B2B businesses view content across different platforms and are these completely different that need to be dealt with separately?
22:42 Is there any significant value in videos for an ongoing optimization that would have the same effect as you would for SEO for content marketing?
23:55 The difference on how James and Gert view transcriptions or AI generated content in general.
28:31 How do you go about creating and/or developing a content strategy? (...How do you use the Pareto Principle?)
31:18 What is domain authority and how can it identify what will actually rank for both the pillars and supporting content? (...What needs to be done if only the support content is ranking but the pillars aren't?)
33:18 Why is internal linking strategy important for your ranking?
36:51 What do you need to consider in doing pillar analysis?
39:17 How does content decay play into a content strategy when you see that content slips down in traffic and becomes less relevant? (...What do you do about it?)
46:56 Where to connect with James Scherer?
47:19 End
Resources:
Content ranking tool - https://surferseo.com/
Connect with James Scherer:
Website - https://codeless.io/
Email - James@codeless.io
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Doing SEO experiments in a safe space is essential before actually rolling them out sitewide. Any change you will do on a website will have results that can have an impact on it, either on the positive or negative side. By doing the test, you minimize the risk while at the same time trying to leverage more SEO tactics and strategies that actually can bring you to the next level. But even so after doing the changes, we cannot expect Google to give you the results immediately. It will take time. Going to page one in ranking will naturally take time if you are currently ranking from page five.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:16 Beginning CTA
01:33 Introduction of the topic
01:43 Why is it important not to disregard SEO Experiments in relation to Google's algorithm?
02:56 What is it that SEO Leverage does when it comes to testing different websites?
03:24 SEO Leverage's framework for SEO experiments, what are the things you need to consider?
05:02 How long will it take Google to return results given that SEO experiments are already underway on the site?
06:28 In order to get the best results on SEO experiments, what are the steps that need to be done?
07:52 Ending CTA
08:14 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Doing a migration is not that simple as it seems. Many things need to be considered because in doing SEO migrations a lot can go wrong in the process such as some contents can get lost or something can provoke your rankings to go down. It is important that you seek the advice of an expert to help you in the process of migration in order that the more important elements are kept and the downward ranking are kept at a temporary status. It is understandable, though, that Google's response to a site will be very different for the relaunched new version. In the same way, it is also common for Google to change the ranking slightly downwards until they slowly see how users react.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:34 Introduction of the topic
01:11 Beginning CTA
01:45 Why is there a need to be careful when doing migrations?
02:30 What are the first steps that SEO Leverage does when doing migrations?
03:24 How does Google react upon seeing a newly migrated page or a relaunched new version?
05:03 Why is it important to secure a trusted and expert person or agency to help in the migration process?
05:28 How should you proceed if you need assistance in the migration process?
06:35 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Even in such a competitive space like the tourism industry, a company can still have that lead provided it follows proven methodologies in the structure of the website. Added to it are the strategic placement of links and targeting of the right URLs, you will be able to see amazing results, such as getting on page one in ranking in Search and increased traffic to your sales funnel.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:38 Introduction of the topic
01:08 An overview of the company in the tourism industry that wants to launch a Spanish website and drive traffic to their sales funnels.
02:05 What steps did Gert Mellak and his team at SEO Leverage take to develop the company's website?
03:20 With the website structure established and the link-building strategies in place, what results did they get?
04:29 Ending CTA
04:59 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
At first thought, when asked to choose between quantity and quality, you would choose the latter, wouldn't you? But it is definitely different with SEO especially if you are just starting to build up your site. How important quality versus quantity is really determined by what you want to achieve. There are also many factors to consider, but more importantly making sure they're in line with what Google wants to rank. It is crucial to find the right balance between quantity and quality for your website.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:17 What makes SEO an important channel that can drive traffic and sales?
02:28 Why is it important to strike a balance between having a large quantity of content or a high quality of content?
04:26 Google also considers the quantity of links when sending signals, why is that?
05:34 What are the benefits of opting for quantity during the early stages of website development?
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Most say that using email marketing is a hard strategy, but if you know how to use it the right way, it is really fun and easy. It's a way where you can connect with people, to put a personal touch in your branding and for people to relate with campaigns that are not really the core of your business.
Gert has a very interesting conversation with travel blogger turned email strategist, Liz Wilcox and was able to weigh in on the theme of this podcast episode, "People buy when they're ready, not when they're selling." After listening to this one, perhaps you'll now consider email marketing to be your favorite marketing strategy.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:05 Introduction and welcoming of guest, Liz Wilcox
02:04 Background of Liz Wilcox and how she ended up being an email strategist.
04:58 What prompted Lisa Wilcox to write the book, "Tales from the Black Tank: A Collection of Hilariously Crappy RV Stories" and how it made $7,000 in the first 90 days?
06:16 How can you start building an email list and optimize your opt-ins?
11:25 What are some ways that you can make email marketing fun and easy? (...What is an email staircase?)
14:45 How do you turn someone to be a follower or a 'friend', someone who may have the same interest as yours?
19:08 What makes storytelling such an effective strategy for connecting people to you, and what should your storytelling framework consist of?
23:25 Is segmentation of content necessary so that it is consumed not by your entire email list but only ideal clients?
29:40 Why do big corporations run campaigns that have a personal touch, one that's leading to the brand's personality, visions and values?
33:29 Recap of the discussion from Gert
36:38 What are the two important mindsets that can serve as a guide when sending out emails?
37:19 Ending CTA and End
Resources:
Past episode of Gert Mellak with John Ainsworth -
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/066-paid-marketing-funnels-for-course-creators-with-john-ainsworth/
Connect with Liz Wilcox:
Website: https://lizwilcox.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
A consultant, in general, is an expert on a particular field, and an SEO consultant is no different. They have expertise based on years of experience and proven methodologies working on SEO strategies for clients. It is imperative that you as a business owner and the SEO consultant you hire have mutual trust in one another. As a show of trust, you will have to implement their advice, otherwise don’t hire one at all.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:08 What is the job of an SEO consultant?
01:48 Why do client's need to trust the consultants enough to implement their advice?
02:24 What can consultants do to get that trust from clients?
04:18 In what ways should a content be presented to people and what part of the site structure or social media platform should that piece of content be placed?
06:29 How can a 'Call to Action' lead to conversion?
07:38 Ending CTA and End
Resources:
Download the free book - The ERICA Framework
https://seoleverage.com/books/erica/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Long articles, although providing so many values, will not be beneficial if they remain unsearched for. They become stagnant and don't do absolutely anything for the website's traffic. In this short episode, Gert will provide useful advice on how to turn these long articles to mini-articles that will shine and be visible to respective search queries.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:10 What is the Pareto Principle and what is its correlation to the traffic coming to your website?
02:27 Why can't long form articles help your site grow? (...What needs to be done about it?)
03:44 A bonus tip regarding creating links.
04:08 Call to action to help scale traffic to your site
04:30 End
Resources:
Download the free book - The ERICA Framework
https://seoleverage.com/books/erica/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
If you have someone doing the SEO for your business, it is of utmost importance that they know everything about your business. The insights that they have gathered on your business will serve as a guide for them to come up with strategies to leverage SEO for your lead generation, brand awareness or whatever goal you have in mind.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:13 The importance of Research & Development and having a dedicated R&D person to handle the analysis in preparation for SEO strategies.
03:33 A real experience of a client that has achieved a six-figure income for seven straight years after undertaking the analytics process.
03:55 How does Time equals Insights in formulating specific and actionable steps for a client's success?
05:35 Ending call to action
06:10 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
If you are just relying on the traffic that goes into your website for people to buy your course, most likely you are missing out on the big opportunity to convert the traffic into someone actually buying. To even bring them into your website and have them choose to buy it at a higher price is a slim chance.
You need to convert that traffic into new email subscribers and from there, people will know what they would gain or the logic into buying your product or course. And if you have a large following from the social media platforms where you are active, you would want to get more of those people into your email list, as well. An interesting conversation between Gert and John Ainsworth, a funnel expert, about how to 5x your conversion.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
02:11 John Ainsworth background in creating funnels and courses.
05:28 The three problematic elements where people have enough traffic, but don't convert that traffic into email subscribers.
The three simple things people can do to increase the number of their email subscribers:
06:46 No 1 - Turning off double opt in.
09:43 No 2 - Show lead magnet more often on the site.
14:07 No 3 - Pointing to your lead magnet more often from social media platforms where you have a good number of following.
17:58 How can course creators extract better revenue from their courses, using the structure of six emails - gain, logic, fear, going, going, gone?
22:46 Recap
24:37 John Ainsworth advice when working with people to convert more traffic to their email list. (...It's not about creating new courses or how long they have had their course.)
28:21 How can people get the most revenue from what they are offering? (...What is an order bump?)
32:28 Where can people learn to create extra revenue for their business?
33:30 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Previous episode mentioned in the podcast with guest Quinn Zeda:
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/060-real-life-user-experience-tracking-with-quinn-zeda/
Get your FREE funnel review analysis here:
https://datadrivenmarketing.co/calculator/
Connect with John Ainsworth:
Website: https://datadrivenmarketing.co/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
What kind of content will bring in the right people to your business? This is often a hard question to start, more so if you are a service provider. Running out of content is a common predicament especially if your purpose in creating content is to publish it on social media. Very often, we lose sight of what kind of content will rank according to Google's standard. It does not necessarily follow that when your content works great in social media, it will also rank in Google Search.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:12 Introduction of the topic
01:56 What are the common problems service providers face when creating content for their business?
02:52 Some guidelines for creating effective content.
04:54 Why are leads from a content very valuable?
05:18 What is 'the one question per blog' strategy in order not to run out of content ideas?
06:08 Example of questions that goes to your customer service team and can be added to the list of topics to write about.
06:44 Why is it necessary to ensure that your content will meet Google's expectations in order to succeed in SEO?
07:59 What makes the Customer Service team an excellent source of information for a content to write about?
08:59 Call to action to leverage on SEO for your content.
09:54 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Relying on just one channel to offer your products and services may put you in a potential danger of not being searched and seen at all. People should be able to search for you right away because they have already set aside a time in finding the information they are searching for and to engage with your content. There are many other channels available so you don't just have to rely on just one channel like Facebook ads.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:57 Introduction of the topic
02:56 The difference between Facebook Ads and SEO.
04:56 Why should your business not rely on Facebook ads alone?
06:31 The importance of having an email marketing system in place. (...How to get email addresses through SEO?)
09:08 Call to Action
09:33 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework: https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Active Campaign - https://www.activecampaign.com/
Ontraport - https://ontraport.com/
MailChimp - https://mailchimp.com/
ConvertKit - https://convertkit.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Now that your goal to make it to the top of Search Engine Results Pages for the products or services that you offer has been reached, can you stop doing SEO altogether and still keep your place in the rankings?
Many may assume that once they have reached the top of the search engine rankings, the work is done. That is a very wrong assumption because competition is tough and before you know it, someone has already overtaken your place in the top ranking.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:39 Introduction of the episode topic
01:47 How is maintaining rankings possible through continuous SEO commitment?
02:40 The experience of Gert's clients who actually saw their competitors take over their top position.
04:14 Why is it important to have an SEO agency watching over your SEO and maintaining your ranking?
05:56 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Imagine, you wouldn't have to pay for Facebook ads or worry about Ad Spend and higher CPC costs. That would really be nice! All you have to do is maintain your SEO, build it up and make sure that free traffic can actually reach your site.
SEO is very good for online course creators and in this episode you will learn how to use SEO to best amplify your online courses. Ready your pen and paper to take down some notes and let’s delve in.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:41 Two things that Gert realised with the kind of clientele his agency, SEO Leverage have.
02:01 Introduction of the topic on the role of SEO for online course creators.
02:18 Working backwards, what are the ways that made people interact with you before deciding to purchase? (...How does SEO come into play when people decide that an online course is the right one for them?)
04:42 How does Google decide whether to send free traffic to your website?
06:09 Why is Keyword Research essential when creating content that should rank it on page one of Google?
08:19 What is the next logical step and how to build up that trust in your lead magnets?
11:28 Recap
13:01 End
Resources:
Previous episode mentioned - Episode 056 - How to Improve Your Lead Magnet
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/056-how-to-improve-your-lead-magnet/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
When an SEO agency comes to you and guarantees to bring your website to page one in the different search engines, Google in particular, I would strongly advise you not to believe in the guarantees they are selling. It's really never guaranteed because you can't have control of the several elements that are present in the macro scenario. Look for an agency who would offer a slow and steady approach rather than go with some doing scammy techniques in the system.
Get honest-to-goodness advice from this episode with regards to rankings and more informative materials from past and future episodes of the SEO Leverage Podcast.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:21 Introduction of the topic
01:56 The importance of understanding why there is no such thing as guaranteed ranking in SEO.
02:36 What is SEO Leverage and why their approach is different from the other SEO agencies out there?
04:53 The reasons why SEO ranking is never guaranteed? (...Why you cannot rely on false claims from other SEO agencies?
08:10 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Getting people who would be a likely fit for your website and making them realize that is relevant to them is really very hard to do. Consumers these days are increasingly choosing businesses based on their experiences with them and in order to maintain search rankings, you’ll need to focus on user experience.
The conversation between Gert Mellak and Quinn Zeda in this episode will show website owners and business owners that with User Testing, they can emulate user experience and do something about it at a fraction of the cost.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:28 Introduction of the topic with guest, User Tracking Expert, Quinn Zeda
02:00 How Quinn Zeda and Gert Mellak got connected?
01:27 A backgrounder of Quinn Zeda and how the pandemic led to her to launch Conversion Crimes?
06:10 Gert Mellak's user experience on the testing platform of Quinn. (...Why do people get sidetracked when on a certain page of a website when it's not what they came for?)
09:18 When should a business or website owner consider user testing for their website?
12:32 Testing regularly and keeping track of other outside factors, such as technological developments, are important.
14:50 How does Quinn find people to do the user testing process and what kind of training do they undergo to onboard them into the platform?
21:44 Gert Mellak's similar experience in testing e-commerce sites for clients and doing reputation management.
27:07 What can a user do to find out if the testing they are doing is going to yield helpful results?
29:13 If you want to see statistical significance or patterns, how many tests should be run ideally?
33:26 Quinn's thoughts on redesigning or redoing a website after the testing has been conducted.
34:40 Recap by Gert Mellak on the things learned from the episode.
37:55 Where to Connect with Quinn Zeda
38:28 End
Resources:
Book mentioned by Quinn Zeda:
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Quinn Zeda:
Website: https://conversioncrimes.com/
Sign up for free for Scout:
https://conversioncrimes.com/scout/
On Twitter and Instagram: @quinnzeda
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnzeda
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Scaling your site is an important process you must undertake if you want to 10x your business. The goal of this episode is to give you useful insight into how you can scale your website through content optimization and link building.
Nevertheless, before we think of scaling your website, will you be even able to handle it when your business is already getting ten times as many sales? Are you prepared with personnel, servicing, infrastructure, etc.? Listening to this episode will help you prepare as you set up your business for success in the coming year.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:58 Introduction of the topic of the podcast
01:44 Scaling in SEO through content optimization. (...Some questions and ideas that can set you up for success.)
03:54 When it comes to SEO, scaling also means links (internal and external).
05:46 How do you know if your business is ready to scale? (...What are the things to consider if you want to 10x your business?)
08:41 End
Resources:
Content AI app - Jarvis: https://www.jarvis.ai/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Very often how your article is structured is the reason why users are not encouraged to read and will therefore, leave your website and look for another one that will pick up their interest. Sometimes you may have a very good article, but your headline is not enticing enough or that the information the users are looking for are further down to the bottom of the article.
It is really important to know the right structure and balance within your article so that the searchers and users are able to stay and find your article as a good fit for their needs. The objective of this episode is to help you build articles that will engage users and lead conversions to your website.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:46 Introduction of the topic
01:13 What are some of the things commonly overlooked in articles on many websites?
01:32 How does the ERICA framework help in creating a good prototype article?
02:29 Important aspects to consider in an article's structure.
06:54 Why is it important to avoid huge content walls or text walls in an article and how can this be avoided?
07:14 What are some creative Call-To-Actions that you can include in an article?
07:40 A recap of what should be included in a good prototype article.
08:49 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Past episodes mentioned by Gert:
Episode 39 - Can AI Replace Your Writer with Anfernee Chansamooth
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/039-can-ai-replace-your-writer/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
If your site is currently on page 2 of Google ranking, it means that you are doing something right with your page, however, it does not mean that you have to be content being on page 2. Remember that Google wants to make searchers happy and your goal is to provide the best user experience to them. There are things that you can do to analyze what you are missing or the improvements that you can do so that you can be eligible to jump to page one in Google ranking. Simple tips from Gert Mellak here that can have a big effect on your SEO.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:41 Introduction of the topic
01:03 Why is it important to include page two of Google ranking in your site's SEO strategy?
01:44 What are the things you need to consider and that you are missing so that you can jump to page one in Google search results?
02:16 How can you ensure that your SEO is able to bridge the gap between where your page is currently at to make it eligible rank on page one?
03:43 End
Resources:
SEO tools that can help you with keyword ranking:
Ahrefs - https://ahrefs.com/
Semrush - https://www.semrush.com/
Ubersuggest - https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
Spyfu - https://www.spyfu.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
People go to Google or other search engines because they are looking to find a solution to their problem or get some answers to their questions. It is, therefore, important to find the right strategy to improve your lead magnet in order to increase your prospects, conversion rates, and revenues. In this episode of SEO Leverage Podcast, you will get valuable insights from Gert Mellak in ensuring that the next logical step is the right initial content that will lead your prospects into the buyer’s journey.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:44 Introduction of the episode
01:16 Some examples of pieces of content that can be used as a lead magnet.
01:43 What is the one key role that should be fulfilled by a lead magnet?
03:19 Why is it so important to produce the right initial content for the buyer's journey?
05:02 What are some creative ways to improve on your lead magnet?
06:05End
Resources:
Freelance services for your business:
https://www.fiverr.com/
https://www.upwork.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Take a look at the visual of the bubbly champagne flowing seamlessly from glass to glass down to the bottom. This is the same concept for the links that flow through your site, following the pathways created by internal links. Like most websites the majority of the inbound links should be pointing to your home page. That means you need to ensure that the leads, using the internal links are shared with the other pages on your site.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:44 Introduction of the episode
01:20 The analogy of the champagne glass pyramid with SEO optimization.
01:59 Why is it important to do the internal linking correctly, so that the bottom of the pyramid also gets its share of the champagne (leads)?
02:43 How can you ensure that the pages that generate leads will get the most traffic and thereby also gain the most authority?
03:55 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Many efforts to generate leads through SEO are done incorrectly. One of these is through email marketing strategies that are too salesy and pushy, which oftentimes turn people off. That is why emails with this kind of content just sit in the inbox of email recipients. When used in a nurturing approach, email can be a powerful marketing strategy. This episode of the SEO Leverage Podcast highlights the importance of putting in place a good email sequence.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:39 Introduction of the episode
01:13 What do you do with the leads that you got through lead generation, for example email addresses?
01:40 How do you ensure that you have a nurturing email sequence in place? (...What are some of the email system automation that you can use?)
03:17 What are some of the email marketing strategies that are positioned incorrectly?
05:17 An example of a strategy to make sure that people get interested first, rather than immediately pushing for sale.
07:53 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
If you want to increase your leads and convert, it is necessary that the call to action is clear and visible to the people viewing your website. Whether it may be placed on a sticky header, sticky footer, or buttons across the article, people want to feel connected to the lead magnet in order for them to take the next step, to say yes, or to want to know more. People are going to search for things that can solve their problems or something that can accomplish their search task. We have seen this work with our clients achieving 3x leads from SEO.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:12 Introduction of the topic
01:42 How did we get a client's website back on track with our software and Erica program?
02:00 What is the 80-20 Rule for identifying the pages driving the leads?
02:39 The implementation processes or methods to increase the number of leads:
- Calls to Action are placed appropriately across the page;
- Start optimizing through specific lead magnets e.g. key URLs
05:47 Results achieved by two of our clients using our method.
06:40 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
People don't want the feeling of being pushed into purchasing something. They want to do it freely as their own decision. While ads are interesting and it may work sometimes for people to take action, they would rather do their own research. A research based on necessity will more likely get people ready for the moment to take the next step and that is to make the purchase. This is where SEO works as a powerful tool for lead generation because the content that you have created is targeted for a specific audience, one that speaks directly to their needs.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
01:04 Introduction of the topic
02:15 Paid ads vs SEO when it comes to lead generation
03:30 Why doesn't the content convert?
04:14 The reasons why SEO is one of the most powerful tools in lead generation.
05:49 What can SEO Leverage do to help you leverage SEO to its fullest advantage?
06:31 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In order to get our sites ranked in Google, we should optimize them according to the searcher task accomplishment. People really want results that satisfy the query or be fulfilled when they have learned how to do what they're trying to do. It is important to have this in mind in the content creation process to ensure that the users arriving at your site can accomplish the task they went on to Google for.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:43 Introduction of the Topic
01:27 The Concept of Search Task Accomplishment
02:04 How does the search task relate into the content creation process?
03:37 Examples of what people would want to accomplish in doing a Search Task.
06:29 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Is it really necessary to publish or do an update to your blog posts on a weekly basis? In this episode of SEO Leverage Podcast, Gert outlines how to determine when to refresh or prune your already published articles. If your concern is to drive more traffic to your website by publishing more often, that is wrong. In fact, Google doesn't really care about frequency, it cares more about what makes users happy or how relevant the article is.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:06 Introduction of the topic on blog posts
02:05 Does Google care about the frequency of your blog post?
03:04 Why was the question about publication frequency raised?
03:50 Deciding on whether to update or refresh your blog posts depends on the following:
- Is it still relevant or valid to the users?
- Your kind of industry e.g. technology-related industries
- What articles are losing traction?
04:50 Why is a tracking system necessary to see if your articles need some work?
06:16 Gert Mellak’s rule of thumb that applies to different industry sectors in regards to article updates.
07:20 Recap
08:01 End
Resources:
Past episodes mentioned by Gert:
Episode 39 - Can AI Replace Your Writer with Anfernee Chansamooth
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/039-can-ai-replace-your-writer/
Episode 41 - WordPress Page Builders with Justin Meadows
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/041-wordpress-page-builders-with-justin-meadows/
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
The importance of link building in every SEO campaign cannot be overstated. They always go hand-in-hand, but you need to ensure that the links are of high quality or originate from relevant, trustworthy sites. When you add link building into your SEO campaign, you should be ready to continue link building after you start doing it, so that it will eventually yield good results.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:52 Introduction of the topic of Link Building
01:23 How important is link building, and why must content and link building be done the right way?
01:58 Where can you find good sources of links?
03:00 The best link building strategy according to Gert
04:03 Some different link building tactics people use, such as:
-guest posting
-free content in exchange for a link
-broken link tactic
05:29 Why is outsourcing your link building a better option?
07:58 The right tools to use to make sure only relevant links point to your site
09:25 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
The length of an article depends largely on what will make Google users happy. Imagine if the search or the query is just for the conversion of centimeters to inches or perhaps, asking for the actual height of Eiffel Tower, people don't need a full article on that information. Those are transactional queries. In contrast, if the search is more in-depth, like a product review or comparing you with competitors, or getting advice with regards to the pandemic, your article should be relevant and satisfying to a Google user.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:26 Introduction of the episode topic
01:05 Is article length an important consideration when looking to rank in Google Search?
01:38 What are the factors to consider when creating an article?
04:38 What is the best way to check on the optimal word count for SEO?
05:41 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Choosing the right marketing strategies can be quite confusing for someone who is just starting out. What will you focus on first to get better results? Or the better question is, which is better SEO or Google Ads?
SEO is often the first thing people try because unlike Google Ads or Facebook Ads, it's free. But if you really aren't aware of how SEO works, it is not likely to give you enough traction to lead to more conversions. Hear what is Gert's recommendation on which to take, SEO or Google Ads.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:44 Introduction of the topic
01:16 Why do people often prefer SEO over Google Ads?
01:57 What does it mean that an offer is already validated?
02:35 How is validation different when it comes to SEO?
03:46 In what way does Google Ads on top of SEO traffic help in marketing strategies?
06:09 What is PPC in Google Ads? Why is it not advisable for someone with a low budget?
07:55 When starting out, why is it better to start with Google Ads?
08:13 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Creating engaging video content for social media is a very good marketing tool business owners are incorporating to their marketing strategies these days. It’s an effective form of marketing strategy that can lead and convert people to become ideal clients. It sets you apart from your competitors, in that you create an authority figure to yourself and business, and more importantly, you are able to build that trust relationship between your audience. When consumers see your video, you become top of the mind and your brand sticks with them. However, creating videos is not just hit record and talk. There is a framework you must follow to ensure success of the video you created.
Podcast Highlights:
00:01 Prologue
00:41 SEO Leverage Intro
00:51 Welcoming Kan Huang to the show
01:56 Kan Huang's background and how he ended up in video production.
02:59 The growth of video and its consumption through different platforms, especially on YouTube.
04:42 What kind of industries or niches have a big use for producing content through videos?
05:38 The four steps to a Buyer's journey.
- Problem unaware
- Problem away
- Solution aware
- Brand aware
07:01 Should videos be created for each stage of the Buyer's Journey?
07:53 Before videos became popular, what strategies were used by businesses to answer their client's Problem Unaware?
10:19 The similarities of Video and SEO in the perspective of 'Search', that creates authority and establishes a trusted figure.
11:36 Aside from trust building, what other purposes does a video cover?
14:49 At what stage should a business owner look into outsourcing of the video production process or at least some parts of it, and what are the benefits of outsourcing?
17:11 The script formula or framework when creating a video content called HILDA - Hook, Introduction, Lead, Deliver, Ask.
23:03 How important is storytelling and when should we tie it to a video? (... The formula to use in storytelling - character, desire, conflict outcome.)
26:49 Three things people do not pay attention to, when creating content through
videos?
29:23 Recap
31:48 Two parting advice from Kan Huang with regards to the right equipment and in the consistency of producing videos.
33:52 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Kan Huang:
Website: https://socialwave.com.au/
Email: kan@socialwave.com.au
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Even if your content does not have ranking pages linked to it, you may still find your content come up in the first 10 or 20 pages in Google, BUT having backlinks is equally as important if not more so. In fact, you have a better vantage point in having relevant backlinks that will point to your site. The more relevant a link is, the more weight it's going to carry because of the authority it carries with it.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:57 Introduction of the topic
01:23 What are backlinks and why is it important?
01:44 Quantity of backlinks vs backlinks with relevance
02:54 How do you know when to add backlinks to your content in order to rank in Google Search?
04:06 Building links is something that you can do yourself, but it's best to have this done by an expert with the right tools and resources.
06:32 The importance of creating links on a consistent basis.
08:09 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
A content hub is like a centralized destination for all your ideas, information that you have researched in advance, high-quality content that you can structure or organize to topics and subtopics, and contains words and phrases that will rank according to Google's metrics. There are definitely significant SEO benefits to creating a content hub such as lead generation, along with increased authority, a stronger brand that will drive traffic and conversion to your page.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:57 Introduction of the topic
01:16 What is the common interpretation of a content hub?
02:31 From an SEO perspective, what is a content hub and how does Google evaluate it in order to rank?
05:27 Gert Mellak's recommendation to update the content hub as frequently as possible to stay current with what is happening in your industry.
06:00 The advantages of having a content hub for lead generation and link building?
07:02 SEO tools that SEOLeverage.com use.
08:45 End
Resources:
SEO Tools:
Ahrefs - https://ahrefs.com/
SemRush - https://www.semrush.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
In order to gain traffic to your podcast, it all starts with the end in mind. Your goal is really for people to find the information they are looking for and consume it as quickly as possible. Much work is needed in research and into creating the content even before you hit record. Not only do you want your podcast to gain traffic from various streaming apps, but you also want your content to show up in Google search. It is important to make sure that your episode is not only presented as an audio file but also as a full feature article.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:52 Introduction of the topic
01:28 What podcasters are missing in the preparation of their podcast episodes, specifically in search intents of users?
03:28 Gert Mellak's recommendation in the presentation of a podcast episode. (...Think always about the readers, not only about the listeners.)
05:01 The importance of research before recording an episode.
06:48 How can you transfer authority from other sites to your content?
09:58 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
SEO is definitely one of the main pillars behind a successful and balanced digital marketing strategy. Search Engine Optimization done with the most strategic approach will bring more traffic to your website and the higher your ranking is, the more searchers will trust that your website is a credible source.
As the landscape of digital marketing changes constantly, people are turning more to hiring the services of an SEO agency because they offer more expertise, strategies, tools, and resources to stay ahead of the game.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:06 Introduction of the topic
01:42 Hiring an SEO agency is more beneficial in the long run than employing an in-house person or team.
02:50 An overview of what an SEO agency like SEO Leverage and its team does.
(...Their expertise and the overall experience, paying attention even to the smallest details.)
04:05 What does an SEO campaign look like and what are the action steps an SEO agency should be doing?
08:20 The ERICA Framework and what it does to your overall marketing strategy?
08:52 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
The out of the box WordPress Builder has been a very popular website building platform, but it’s interface is really not user-friendly when editing for layouts and themes. It is for this reason why new page builders were developed, to help with the visual functionality of the website and into making the website faster.
Whether you are choosing to build your website yourself or paying a developer to do it for you is a major business decision that you need to diligently focus on so that it can ultimately get you better SEO results and customer conversion. Choosing the right developer with solid expertise is also a big factor here. We will discuss these topics with our comeback guest, Justin Meadows, in this third appearance on the SEO Leverage Podcast.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:11 Justin Meadows is back on the show.
02:04 Introduction of the topic on page builders.
02:34 Justin Meadows’ background, his work at Tunedwp.com.
03:36 What is a Page Builder? Isn’t WordPress enough?
05:06 Some popular page builders people can use to create a website, a new page, blogs, etc.
06:30 What are some of the possible problems people can encounter in using a page builder?
09:07 Justin Meadow's input on the importance of putting conscious effort in choosing the right page builder?
11:40 The issues on rebuilding websites that have been passed on from the original developer to different developers.
13:04 The side-by-side tests that Justin did between Beaver Builder and Oxygen Builder using Google's PageSpeed Insights test. (...Which result came up better?)
16:26 Recap
18:40 More of the functionality features of some page builders when it comes to being user-friendly. (Elementor and Divi vs Beaver and Oxygen)
22:15 The best advice when you are not sure what page builder to use or if your website's performance is slow?
23:22 Lessons learned from this episode.
24:30 End
Resources:
Previous episode where Justin Meadows was a guest:
Episode 22 - SEO Requires a Solid Technical Foundation with Justin Meadows
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/022-seo-requires-a-solid-technical-foundation-with-justin-meadows/
Episode 27 - Prepare Your Website for Mobiles with Justin Meadows
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/027-prepare-your-website-for-mobiles-with-justin-meadows/
The Divi Builder
https://www.elegantthemes.com/documentation/divi-builder/
Elementor Website Builder
https://elementor.com/
BeaverBuilder
https://www.wpbeaverbuilder.com/
WPBakery Page Builder
https://wpbakery.com/
Oxygen Builder
https://oxygenbuilder.com/
Google's PageSpeed Insights
https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/
Connect with Justin Meadows:
Website: https://tunedwp.com/
Email: support@tunedwp.com
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
SEO is definitely one of the most important tactics if you want your website to rank in Google search or any other search engines. To begin with, the question of whether it is a necessary evil seems quite out of place. Better yet, strike out the word evil because SEO really does more good than harm. To some extent, we see that SEO even outweighs paid ads. When doing a search, people are happy when the search they conducted brought them to the exact fit of what they are looking for. All these because of the careful execution and well thought of marketing strategy, SEO.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:33 Introduction of the topic
02:13 SEO's relevance in search rankings
03:10 SEO as an important tactic to your customer journey
07:08 Some SEO techniques that needs to be considered:
- Content creation
- Link building
- Geographic relevance
10:03 Other marketing strategies that you can incorporate with SEO.
10:48 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
The use of artificial intelligence is already being used in some industries like banking and finance, retail, telecommunications, so it is no surprise that it is now inching its way into copywriting. So how does this come into play for copywriters and content creators? Is AI going to replace their jobs soon?
Whatever tools there are, you really CANNOT replace your writer. Tools are supplements that aid human intelligence. AI as the acronym implies is artificial. In that sense, it is important to consider the tool's role as being that of a junior writer or as an assistant. There is still a need to inject human intelligence in creating content because writing caters to human's emotional response to what they read and hear. Simply put, AIs cannot fully understand or comprehend human beings and how they feel.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:20 Welcoming back to the show, Anfernee Chansamooth
02:09 Introduction of the topic
02:41 What are the challenges associated with traditional writing?
01:12 How do copywriters ensure they are able to convey the voice of our brand effectively?
10:24 The difference between Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. (...Automation vs Customization)
11:24 Is AI going to replace the jobs of copywriters and content creators? (...What can they do to uplevel their skills?)
14:28 Tools that can help with content writing.
18:19 How do AI tools come into play in helping professional copywriters in the writing process?
25:58 Anfernee's recommendations based on the tests conducted on the different AI tools.
29:29 Other AI tools that Gert recommends.
32:32 Anfernee's workflow within Jarvis AI when creating an article. (...How does he go about with the commands he asks Jarvis to do?)
39:16 Recap
42:58 Where to connect with Anfernee Chansamooth?
43:16 End
Resources:
Previous episode where Anfernee was a guest -
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/008-content-strategy-with-anfernee/
Anfernee's YouTube video on Jarvis.AI Review and Demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NROCes4Sj9M
Tools:
Jarvis AI Copywriting Tool
https://www.conversion.ai/
Copy AI, content writing tool
https://www.copy.ai/
Surfer SEO, Content editor tool
https://surferseo.com/
Grammarly Pro
https://www.grammarly.com/
Copyscape Plagiarism Checker
https://www.copyscape.com/
Heminway Editor
https://hemingwayapp.com/
Connect with Anfernee Chansamooth:
Website: www.simplecreativemarketing.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Writing SEO content is very different from writing content for social media or other platforms. Your goal in writing SEO content is to attract visitors to your blog, to your website, and to actually rank on Google. There should be a conscious effort to understand how users will behave on your site, what they need, and how fast they got what they are searching for. Ultimately, it boils down to making visitors happy.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:42 Introduction of the topic
00:55 Understanding what Google wants to show users in their search results.
02:05 Tools that you can use to help in writing SEO content.
02:47 A good headline and meta title are necessary to draw attention to your article. (...What is the difference between Headline One and the Meta Title?)
04:41 Why are subheadlines (H2s) equally important?
07:33 The importance of monitoring your published article with Google Analytics.
07:52 Other tools that can track and collect data on the scrolls people do in your article.
08:37 Recap
09:40 End
Resources:
Tools mentioned by Gert Mellak:
InLinks - https://inlinks.net/
Surfer SEO - https://surferseo.com/
Hotjar - https://www.hotjar.com/
Crazy Eggs - https://www.crazyegg.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
The importance of SEO to e-commerce has proven evident over the years, and membership sites have been one of those to benefit from it. When your business relies on membership, your next step should be to strategically focus on SEO in order to send traffic to your website. There is a greater possibility of converting visitors to paying members versus utilizing your budget for paid ads. In reality, search engines are the main source of traffic, so it is better to allocate that budget to SEO.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:56 Introduction of the topic
01:02 What are membership sites?
02:35 Paid advertising vs Search Engine Optimization
04:04 Why hiring an SEO agency for their expertise and methodology is highly recommended?
06:59 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Blogging is a popular way for businesses to capture prospective clients' attention. Most of them, though, are unaware they are losing traction and getting less traffic to their websites because of the recent Google algorithm update. In order to drive traffic to your website, you must stay on top of your game and start leveraging SEO for your blogs. By doing this, you ensure your content is consumed through a variety of funnels, such as your email list or downloads.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:36 Introduction of the topic
01:24 Is it too late to start a blog?
03:00 The importance of SEO for blogs.
05:28 Tools that can help you to produce excellent content.
11:22 End
Resources:
All-in-one SEO tool, Ahrefs - https://ahrefs.com/
Content marketing tool, Semrush - https://www.semrush.com/
Content Optimization tool, inLinks - https://inlinks.net/
Content Optimization, Surfer SEO - https://surferseo.com/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
A website that appeals to visitors correlates with high search engine rankings. Without SEO, it’s hard to say how we would ever find websites, businesses, or the information we seek on a daily basis. If your business has a website, SEO is important and based on the way search engines are developing, it’s unlikely that SEO will lose importance any time soon.
On this premise, we need to ensure that the people working in SEO should have the necessary skillset in order for them to focus on the overall strategy to be successful in SEO.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:35 Introduction of the topic
01:02 The role of an SEO person and the team. (...What he and his team need to know?)
02:45 In order to be successful in SEO, what are the skill sets needed in hiring an SEO person?
- writing skill
- communication skill
- consistency in execution
- curiosity and flexibility
- broad digital marketing knowledge
08:25 End
Resources:
Previous episode mentioned, Episode 21 -
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/021-the-best-team-for-seo/
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
While SEO is only a part of the overall marketing campaign, its importance cannot be understated, as it helps propel the campaign toward its goal. We must understand, as well, the difference between strategy and tactics, since most of the time, these two concepts are confused. Which is the blueprint and which is the implementing tool? We'll dive into this topic in this episode of SEO Leverage Podcast to help you clarify your SEO goals.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:25 Introduction of the topic
01:07 How is SEO success measured in terms of lead generation?
03:23 Strategy vs Tactics in an SEO campaign.
04:47 Why is it crucial that the SEO company you hire knows what your goals are?
05:54 End
Resources:
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
The long hours it takes to implement an SEO campaign will determine the success of your business. SEO involves many roles working in sync, so if you attempt to do it alone, you are wasting time that you could be using to focus on your expertise and further develop your business.
In this episode of SEO Leverage, you will learn about the importance of time to build a successful SEO campaign and why you are better off delegating the key roles to an overseer or hiring an SEO company.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:36 Introduction of the topic
01:45 The important roles an SEO team should have in order to run a successful SEO campaign:
- The role of a tech person or a tech service
- Content writing and research
- The Virtual Assistant and/or the Webmaster
03:27 Why is it necessary to have someone to manage the SEO team to optimize the process and results?
04:48 Gert Mellak's recommendation for the overseer role and why it is important to delegate that role instead of doing it yourself?
05:58 End
Resources:
Previous episode with guest James Schramko:
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/004-11-years-of-content-marketing-with-james-schramko/
The ERICA SEO Framework:
https://seoleverage.com/seo-consulting/
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Calculating for the Return of Investment in SEO is much more complicated than computing for your annual financial statements. You have to consider several attributes like conversions and the timing element. It is measured over a long-term period; it is a long-term strategy unlike in regular financial statements where it is computed on an annual basis.
The numbers are in ranges, on average, and as such, it is really important to know what part of SEO plays an important role in measuring your conversions and ROI. Knowing your numbers is the key!
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:39 Introduction of the topic
01:07 How do we calculate the Return of Investment in SEO and make sure you have the right numbers?
01:30 What is an important source of information in order to measure your conversion and revenue?
03:25 Why is it difficult to measure ROI in SEO? (...What are the attributes you need to consider?)
06:09 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Publishing an article should be an activity that should have a focused consideration of many things in order for it to rank. Content that rank is very important for a website in order to secure the traffic that will convert readers to either buying your products and services, become a loyal customer and cause them to keep coming back to your website for more information. Creating content should be very much thought of strategy and in this episode, you will learn some of the things that you can do in order for your article to rank.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:39 Introduction of the topic
01:00 Things one should do to assure that your article will align to Google's framework of E.A.T. and other algorithms in order for it to rank. (...What are the things you need to consider?)
06:22 Why is using Google's Search Console important?
08:17 End
Resources:
Free download of the book ERICA framework:
https://seoleverage.com/books/erica
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Content writing is not really for your own consumption, you don't write because you think it is interesting. You create content for your website because you want to bring in more traffic to your site and for it to RANK. Traffic is very important because it can mean more people to inquire about your products and services and then eventually end up as a buying customer.
In this episode, I will give you some advice on what those important considerations are, so listen until the end.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:35 Introduction of the Topic
01:16 What are the steps or things to consider in writing your content based on how Google will put you in the ranking?
06:28 What is Evergreen content and why is it important to consider this as non-existent?
07:01 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Looking into our competitors' website does not mean we are going to copy what's working for them, but more of analyzing what they have been doing. It's called competitive research and included in it is to look for their weak points, as well. From the information you have gathered you can come up with a game plan, and leverage on it for better processes and strategies.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:02 Introduction of the Topic
01:48 What is the VIP 20 and why is it important to do competitive research based on this?
02:18 What is the process of competitive research? (...What are some of the steps to follow?)
04:33 Why is it important to actively search for weak points on a competitor's website? (...And what are those weak points?)
07:34 An action step that Gert advises you to do in Google.
08:48 End
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Success in life can be measured in so many ways. Depending on what your goal is, success is being able to achieve that goal. It's the same thing with SEO success. It can also be defined in so many ways, but in order to know if the SEO campaign is successful or not, it depends largely on your goal. It is important for your SEO agency and for your entire team to let them know what the ultimate goal is so that they can make a tailored fit campaign for you.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:46 Introduction of the Topic
01:28 Why is goal setting important for SEO?
01:50 Examples of client’s success in SEO, e.g. number of leads, sales conversion.
Connect with Gert Mellak:
Website: https://seoleverage.com/
Email: info@seoleverage.com
Justin Meadows is back on this episode, this time sharing with us his recommendations to give optimum user experience when prospects are on their mobile phones. More and more people are on mobile phones because of easy access and faster speed. Most are multi-tasking in between errands and do not have time to spend on a content, as when they are in front of the desktop. With this trend, it is important for website designers to consider first doing the mobile version rather than trying to squish the nice desktop design they made to the tiny little screen of mobile phones.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:56 SEO Leverage Intro
01:06 Introduction of the topic and welcoming of the guest
02:46 What is the difference between mobile first and desktop first? (What should we consider first in terms of designing the website?)
05:37 High bounce rate does not necessarily mean it is bad.
08:19 Don't leave out the tablets as one of your traffic sources, we need to consider the website design for tablet users, as well.
10:55 The best way to handle the hamburger menu sort of navigation on mobile phones, as per Gert's personal opinion.
14:53 What does it look like for a good header on a mobile phone?
16:54 What do we need to look out for that may be interfering with our sticky Call to Action at the footer?
21:19 What do we need to consider in regards to the timing of the call to action and the pop ups? (...And how fast is it to close it?)
23:04 In terms of formatting long articles and other common elements on the website, what do we need to do so that it is consumed by the mobile user and not close it and look for another site?
26:27 What Gert recommends for long articles?
29:53 Other recommendations from Justin Meadows, for example on the side bars and the search functions.
32:48 For Gert, it is also important to have a phone number on the header for conversion.
34:02 How to transition from a mobile design version to a desktop version?
36:34 Recap
41:07 Where to connect with Justin Meadows
41:33 End
Resources:
Previous episode where Justin Meadows was a guest:
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/022-seo-requires-a-solid-technical-foundation-with-justin-meadows/
Connect with Justin Meadows:
Website: https://tunedwp.com/
Email: support@tunewp.com
In order to generate leads to your offer, you need to have the right messaging medium that will cater to the three categories of audiences - the wanderers, the seekers and the explorers. Your message should be able to catch the attention in order that it can be embedded in the reticular activating system of a person's brain. Tom Poland, our guest in today's episode of SEO Leverage podcast, will share his favorite medium to lead people to his offer and that is through webinars. Tom is the multiple best-selling author of the Leadsology® series and has a proven system to generate high-quality leads for your business.
Podcast Highlights:
01:00 Podcast Intro
01:10 Introduction of the Guest
02:28 Tom Poland's background and how he started doing webinars?
06:11 What are the three characteristics of your messaging that will catch the attention of your audience?
10:22 In some businesses, messaging does not need numbers.
12:17 How to focus your messaging to the three category types of audiences?
16:22 Understanding how lead magnets work and how people will take the offer and give their commitment to it.
25:54 Why does Tom choose a webinar as his lead magnet?
29:19 What does it take for a person to opt in for a lead gen?
32:00 Recap
35:59 Where to learn about the leadsology program of Tom Poland?
36:35 End
Connect with Tom Poland:
Website: https://www.leadsology.guru/
Attend his live webinars - leadgendemo.live which will bring you to
https://www.leadsology.guru/mwwlive-may2021/?ref=157
Resources:
Tom Poland’s books:
Leadsology: The Science of Being in Demand by Tom Poland
https://www.amazon.com/LEADSOLOGY%C2%AE-SCIENCE-DEMAND-Tom-Poland-ebook/dp/B01IUZXCUG
Marketing with Webinars
https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Webinars-Tom-Poland-ebook/dp/B08B3S6JNR
How sure are you that Google understands text? Well, we know that Google understands text to some degree but not everything. Google has been changing its algorithm in the last few years and for sure will constantly change based on new developments. Think about it, one of the most important things Google has to do is match what the user types into the search bar to a search result. We are in for an insightful conversation with our guest Dixon Jones, in today’s episode of SEO Leverage podcast. Dixon is an international SEO Speaker, an Internet Marketing advisor and is a PageRank specialist.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Podcast Intro
00:33 Welcoming of the guest Dixon Jones
01:28 Dixon Jones’ background and the companies he helped build.
03:38 His transition from link based analysis to page analysis.
05:53 How much does Google really understand about text on keyword search? (...How has Google algorithms changed?)
10:06 The evolution from text to topics or ideas to entities and the relationship of the contexts.
15:37 What are co-occurrences in electronically stored networks of texts or words?
17:59 What InLinks does in the content optimization space?
19:31 What's the role of API in processing algorithms and the two things it does?
23:21 The difference between Wikipedia and Google in terms of their database and entities.
27:24 How does structured data markup help machines cut through the long process of trying to interpret and understand content?
31:09 Gert's quick recap
32:34 What are the three things content creators should have or do to make sure that Google optimize their content and index it properly?
44:12 Where to connect?
44:22 End
Connect with Dixon Jones:
Website: https://dixonjones.com/
Website: https://inlinks.net/ - there's a free version that you can try
Resources:
How PageRank works in practice YouTube video presentation - https://youtu.be/3sOF6twdoHg
When businesses use paid traffic to get more SEO conversions, they have to make sure that they will have a good return of investment. Paid traffic is a cost, an expense that needs to be taken in consideration. Understanding how it works is also key to the success of the marketing effort, whether it is through advertising or remarketing via the social media platforms. Andy McDuff brings his expertise to the table as an experienced digital marketer specializing in paid media in this episode of SEO Leverage podcast.
Podcast Highlights:
01:06 Welcoming of the guest
02:08 Background of Andy McDuff
06:27 What would Andy advise a client if they want to test traffic first and they have limited budget?
13:45 How do we check the results with the search volume test and see if there is really a return on investment on paid traffic?
15:14 Having a complimentary strategy is important because having only one is quite risky for sustainable traffic.
19:22 Paid traffic compliments SEO and does well when it comes to remarketing. How does remarketing work and what are the different remarketing platforms ?
21:45 How do you sign up for Adroll and how does remarketing look like in Adroll? (Andy shares his screen to share a sample report in Adroll.)
26:11 Andy McDuffs recommendation regardless if you're going to run ads or not. (...putting those pixels on your websites immediately.)
27:50 Recap by Gert Mellak on remarketing.
31:01 What your budget will be on remarketing depends on whether it is profitable for you after doing the numbers.
33:43 If you have good traffic already, what are the different, good strategies to retarget audiences back to your homepage?
41:33 When it comes to creatives, how often do you think ads can be recreated or revised? (...And what is the effect of frequency in marketing or in the branding side?)
46:30 A full recap by Gert Mellak of all the topics discussed in the conversation.
49:45 Where to connect with Andy McDuff?
52:11 End
Connect with Andy McDuff:
Website: https://7milemediasezc.com/
Email: Andy@7milemediasezc.com
People think that every piece of content that's on the website is intended for Google, and this is not the case. What really happens on a website is that when you put out content, it might be content intended for social media, it might be content for people who want to know more about you and your thoughts about certain things. But if something is intended for Google, it needs to answer a question. What is that question? Tune in to learn more about it in today's episode.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:37 Introduction of the topic
00:48 Why is my content not getting any traffic?
01:34 What is search intent and why is it important?
02:02 Why do you need to mark an article as “no indexed”?
02:15 How to drive traffic to your website?
02:48 Summary of the topic
04:03 End
Resources:
Quora.com
The success of SEO to provide the best user experience and have fast access to a website depends on the solid technical foundation of who is running your website, someone who has a very good control and a trusted process. This is where Justin Meadows and his team at tunedwp.com comes in as an expert to fix things up and give solid recommendations.
Podcast Highlights:
01:12 Introduction of the episode and the guest
02:39 Justin Meadows Background
04:41 Gert's experience resonates with Justin in terms of SEO and how he is on top of every project for the clients.
07:29 Justin's view on mobile user experience.
12:08 How Google became the dominant search engine until today?
14:16 What are the core web vitals and why it is important to pay attention to this? (...What is LCP's role in website optimization and speed?)
17:30 What are CDNs and how can it deliver great results for user experience and optimize engagement? (Cloudflare vs Stackpath)
21:02 Another core web vital the Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), what does it do?
25:10 Justin's thoughts on sites on WordPress and the issues around it. (...What are the caching plugins he recommends?)
26:08 Integrating Automatic Platform Optimization (APO) with WordPress
27:25 Why adding more CSS and scripts into the page slows down the performance of your website? (...Which page builder does Justin recommend?)
29:48 Recap
40:20 Where to connect?
40:40 End
Resources:
Previous episode on SEO Leverage with guest Christoph Cemper:
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/015-how-toxic-links-can-hurt-your-site-with-christoph-cemper/
CDN Cloudflare
https://www.cloudflare.com/
CDN Stackpath
https://www.stackpath.com/
WP Fastest Cache
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-fastest-cache/
WP Rocket
https://wp-rocket.me/
Connect with Justin Meadows:
support@tunedwp.com
Website: https://tunedwp.com/
I'm sure you've heard the saying, "Behind every great man is a great woman." Well, we'll have to amend that to read "behind every successful business is a team of amazing people."
Let’s face it, nobody can run a successful business on their own. Nobody can do everything on their own and still provide an outstanding service.
In today's episode, Gert talks about the importance of having a solid team to get the job done.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:40 Introduction of the topic
00:58 Why do you need people dedicating resources on a regular basis?
01:52 Who is the person responsible for leading a project?
02:53 The importance of task delegation even if you know how to do it
03:16 What is the website Tunedwp.com and why Gert recommends it
05:20 Summary of the topic
06:37 End
Resources:
TUNEDWP
Marketing is the rocket fuel of every business and you need to have a good marketing plan so that it can bring in new prospects and sustain customers to your business. Creating a marketing plan is very daunting and seems so complex, but with the innovative and simple marketing plan framework of Allan Dib, your marketing plan can literally be condensed in one page and done in 30 minutes. It’s a marketing plan that works!
Podcast Highlights:
01:01 Welcoming of Guest, Allan Dib
01:55 Allan Dib's background and how he started in the space of marketing plans and business?
05:30 Creating a one-page marketing plan, a simple one-page sheet consisting of the three major phases of the marketing process. (...What the nine squares represent?)
09:33 The three-phase marketing cycle and what it means for businesses wanting to close a sale now (During Phase) and forgetting about the Before and After Sales Phase?
12:38 How the three-phase marketing cycle resonates to SEO and how lead nurturing phase is really extremely important when looking at conversions?
15:27 Why is it that looking into quick wins using low-quality affiliates is not going to get traction in the long run?
18:28 What do you do in the nurturing phase so that it can lead into conversions? (...How can helping people first by educating them, the best way to convince a prospective customer?)
27:38 Why is selling ethically a much better way of doing business?
30:11 In the after phase, how do you create remarkable wow experiences for your customers?
32:34 Summary of the conversation
35:43 End
Resources:
The Book: The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd by Allan Dib
https://www.amazon.com/1-Page-Marketing-Plan-Customers-Money-ebook/dp/B01B35M3SM
Also available on Audible:
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-1-Page-Marketing-Plan-Audiobook/B01KOQW7HI
Download the 1-Page Marketing Canvas:
https://successwise.com/1pmpcanvas/
Connect with Allan Dib:
Website: https://successwise.com/
How often should you hit the gym? Once, twice, thrice? While there isn’t a magic number or a one-size-fits-all approach, very often we get confused and would rather hire a personal trainer to guide and train us to achieve our fitness goal.
In this episode, Gert's talks about ERICA consulting and why it is similar to hiring a Personal trainer.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:38 Introduction of the topic
02:19 Why does Gert compare the ERICA Consulting Program to hiring a Personal Trainer?
03:22 What sets apart ERICA consulting with other SEO services?
04:05 Why is it better to get an SEO review every couple of weeks rather than monthly?
05:17 The importance of getting into the rhythm in SEO
06:37 End
Resources:
ERICA Consulting
Ever thought of buying someone's website and cut short the 'start from scratch' process in business creation? This is very interesting and when you come to think of it, buying an existing website is a new and viable strategy to grow a business. You save time in the planning stage, creating your initial content and the waiting period for Google to start sending traffic to your site. Gert will have an interesting and insightful conversation with Jaryd Krause of buyingonlinebusiness.com around this topic of website flipping space.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Intro
01:08 Welcoming of the guest, Jaryd Krause
01:44 Introduction of the topic
02:53 The background of Jaryd Krause and how he became an expert in the space of buying and selling websites?
04:43 Call to action to become a member of Jaryd's community and check out his content in YouTube and his podcast.
05:30 Two reasons why buying and selling websites is really interesting from the standpoint of Gert Mellak.
07:27 Jaryd concurs with Gert's point of view on the two reasons why buying a website is a viable business strategy, plus his own takeaway on this new strategy.
10:42 Buying an existing website is owning whatever traffic that comes to the website.
13:03 What is the Due Diligence Framework and why it is important to exercise due diligence when evaluating a website before purchasing? (...The four types of due diligence to consider.)
22:07 A lot of links on a website doesn't mean more traffic. (...Why is it strategic to understand when to buy and sell a business?)
23:50 Summary of what has been discussed.
25:05 Where are the anonymous affiliate sites going in general in the long run?
30:56 What are the things that a seller can do to increase the value of his business until he's ready to sell it?
38:28 Where to connect with Jaryd Krause?
38:43 Closing
Resources:
Previous podcast episode with James Schramko who was mentioned in this episode:
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/004-11-years-of-content-marketing-with-james-schramko/
An ad network mentioned by Jaryd Krause, where he is a part of:
https://www.ezoic.com/
Connect with Jaryd Krause:
Website: https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/
Email: Jaryd@buyingonlinebusinesses.com
Showing expertise, authority, and establishing trust is essential for building a successful business.
In today's episode, Gert talks about the importance of E-A-T, (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) to your website and some practical tips you can use to improve user experience.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:06 Introduction of the topic
01:29 What is E-A-T and its role in SEO?
03:00 Why is E-A-T important now?
03:58 What is the future of SEO?
05:19 Why do you need to consider E-A-T if you are in a Y-M-Y-L (Your money, your life) industry?
05:46 Practical tips to improve your website
06:58 Wrap Up/Summary
08:18 End
If you are on a tight budget or if you don't have that big budget like the big agencies and big brands have, then the way to go is go for local SEO. Any business that has a physical location or serves a geographic area can benefit from local SEO. Local SEO strategies with its strength on proximity can work better for you compared to other advertising efforts, as it can help your business be more visible in local search results on Google. John Vuong brings to the table his expertise, having started his career as a sales professional while working at the Yellow Pages Group and sharing his passion on local marketing dynamics and consumer behaviour.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:48 Introduction of the topic and the guest
01:49 John Vuong’s background as a sales professional and Internet marketer.
05:51 What are the recent changes in the local SEO level?
07:15 What is the role of content when it comes to local SEO?
10:22 John Vuong’s advice when it comes to content creation, what is needed to take into account?
15:31 As a thought leader, what has relevance got to do when we talk about local Search Engine Optimization?
19:39 Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (EAT) is a big factor in SEO, but will it really help grow your business? (...How does it resonate when it comes to competition?)
27:52 How does local SEO integrate with general SEO on the proximity level especially if you don't have that big budget like the big agencies and big brands?
34:02 Why is it that sometimes you should not worry about rankings at all and instead focus on something that generates quality leads and conversions?
39:00 Why is it important to track the quality of leads more than anything else?
41:15 Wrap Up/Summary
42:33 Where to Connect with John Vuong?
44:06 End
Connect with John Vuong:
Website: https://www.localseosearch.ca/
Podcast: https://www.localseotoday.ca/
Google core algorithm is based on links but when toxic and nasty links get into your site, it is very painful. When there’s a problematic link attack from either your competitors or from automated schemes like the globe spam, you get penalized for it. If you think that Google’s penalty is painful, think about the pain of getting your website off the list of the virus program distributors. In this episode of SEO Leverage podcast, we got to talk with Christoph Cemper who will give us insights on how Google is doing something about such links and what tools can you use to disavow harmful links.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:06 Introduction of the podcast topic
02:01 The background of Christoph Cemper and how did he start on the link research tool?
06:47 The key innovation that Google had recently that sets them apart from the other search engines. (...Google core algorithm is based on links.)
13:04 Why is Google saying that ranking without links is really, really hard? (...Links drive rankings.)
16:30 How are filters affecting search results and what about penalties as filters?
17:49 The difference of social media, e.g. Facebook, in terms of organic ranking, with that of Google.
20:12 What is the impact of Google algorithm updates on how Google treats ‘no follow’ tags or indexing?
26:04 What makes a link harmful and what to do about it? (... What is the new tool that has been moved by Google to the Search Console?)
32:28 What are examples of a problematic link attack that you can get on your site?
38:01 How do we know that we are being penalized and how does Google implement this? (...What do we need to be cautious about?)
47:06 Christoph’s thoughts on Google’s maintenance of brands being mentioned but not linked.
51:16 Wrap up, summary of the conversation
52:46 End
Resources:
Toxic Backlink Audit and Link Risk Management Solutions:
https://www.linkdetox.com/
https://www.linkresearchtools.com/
Book by Christoph C. Cemper - Spaghetti Code: Detangling Life and Work with Programmer Wisdom
https://www.amazon.com/Spaghetti-Code-Detangling-Programmer-Wisdom/dp/197676503X
Connect with Christopher Cemper:
https://www.christophcemper.com/
We all know that sleep is a vital, often neglected, component of every person's overall health and well-being. In today's episode, Gert talks about a story of one of his client’s 70% traffic drop on his website. This sudden drop can put you out of business fast, and it also resulted in their client’s sleepless night.
Tune in and discover how Gert and his team found a solution that leads to their client’s success and good night’s sleep.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:24 Introduction of the podcast topic
01:46 The Story of our client’s 70% traffic drop
03:28 The importance of getting to the point
04:19 Why people leave your website?
06:03 What is a good article structure?
08:34 The tools I recommend for dissecting articles
09:47 Recap of the episode
11:23 End
Resources:
Surfer SEO
inLinks
Wikipedia
We all know that tools these days are paid monthly via subscription. So you want to be sure that you know how to use it and you're going to need it. In today's episode, Gert will introduce 3 SEO tools that he and his team personally used to get ahead of the SEO competition.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
00:49 Introduction of the podcast topic
01:41 What is Ahrefs and why is it called the pocket knife for SEO?
02:35 Why competitive analysis is important?
03:29 Identifying broken links and the importance of having a Backlink analysis
04:30 Using a Site audit and the advantage it can give
05:26 Why Surfer SEO is simple yet a very effective SEO tool
06:26 My recommendation between Ahrefs and Surfer SEO
06:49 The complexity of inLinks and it's powerful feature
08:06 Recap of the SEO tools
09:16 End
Resources:
ERICA consulting
Ahrefs
Surfer SEO
inLinks
Dixon Jones - (CEO of inLinks)
When we say myth, it is a widely held but false belief of idea. This can be said about the “Evergreen Content” because it is an idea that does not work anymore. It is impossible to not to go back to the content you have published some time back and not update it. Especially with the fast technology and the rise of users of mobile phones, you have to stay updated with user experience, otherwise your content will be outdated.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:08 Introduction of the podcast topic
01:33 What is the myth about “evergreen content”?
03:13 The reasons why the evergreen concept does not work anymore or does not really exist?
04:31 Since the evergreen concept does not work anymore, what can you do for content optimization?
07:50 How can the ERICA framework help in your content optimization momentum?
08:44 End
Resources:
Download the book, The ERICA Framework for free:
https://seoleverage.com/books/erica/
Previous Episodes mentioned in this episode:
Ep002 - Greg Merrilees
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/002-design-user-experience-with-greg-merrilees/
Ep007 - Ilana Wechsler
https://seoleverage.com/podcast/007-the-3ws-of-paid-advertising-with-ilana-wechsler/
What is the user experience that you want to get when browsing on the internet particularly on Google? Google is the most popular search engine in the world, with over 70% of the market share and this is because Google has the capability to calculate a site’s relevance according to the number of pages and links that points back to the original site.
When we say user experience, it means the impact of our search in our lives. Did we get the right match on our search or the first link that we clicked did not give us the answer we are looking for? What is your user experience when browsing? Listen on and see what user experience resonates with you.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:08 Introduction of the podcast topic
01:32 What is user experience and what are the things that will make you spend more time on a website?
04:01 How does your user experience present signals to Google?
06:45 Common pitfalls for website user experience.
09:06 Acton steps I recommend to enhance user experience
10:43 End
If you are just starting out, or don't have the budget to spend on ads, or don't yet have the domain authority to bring your website on the first page, working with third-party sites is the best option to build brand visibility. To give more insight into this new way to approach search engine strategy, Gert is going to talk to Chris Dickey of Visability.com. Listen and see how you can start measuring your search engine visibility today.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 Prologue
01:14 Welcoming of guest, Chris Dickey
02:13 Introduction of self and his background
05:17 Why it is important for your brand or service to be seen everywhere, to be seen multiple times in the search?
13:57 If you are just starting out or on a low budget, how do you drive search visibility working with third party sites and who are the people you need to talk to?
17:13 How does the Visably software allow its clients to focus on their targetting or narrow their focus on what really matters?
22:18 How does the Visably PR tool help in managing your brand visibility in search and what is the Visably score all about?
28:03 How can Visably help in terms of knowing your performance in the E-commerce landing pages and affiliates?
30:15 At what stage do people start looking into using Visably strategy to leverage via third-party sites?
41:00 Rolling out of the Visably Pro (Enterprise Level Software) in January 2021 and what are we going to expect from it?
43:52 Where to Connect with Chris Dickey?
45:00 End
Connect with Chris Dickey:
Website: https://visably.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-dickey-6619b712
Why is it important to look into the monthly Google algorithm updates? This is what Gert will be discussing in this episode 9 of the SEO Leverage podcast. As you know Google is the widely used search engine and a trusted one at that because it releases the most comprehensive, sophisticated, and detailed list of Google search ranking algorithm updates ever. So, if your ranking dropped from the last update, there are ways to bring them back up.
Podcast Highlights:
00:00 - Prologue
01:12 - Introduction of the Topic
01:42 - What to look for in a Google Algorithm update and what action to take if it has affected your ranking?
06:15 - What can you do on your site, in general, to make it better?
07:09 - Why your E.A.T. (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) can affect your ranking?
08:25 - What can SEOLeverage.com do for you to streamline your website's search engine optimization?
10:15 - End
Having a good content strategy helps businesses attract an audience and create new leads. In this episode, Gert talks to Anfernee Chansamooth on how to design and create an effective content strategy. Anfernee is the Learning and Community Lead for Bean Ninjas, and also a content strategist, copywriter, and public speaker for Simple Creative Marketing.
Also, check out the bonus resources that Anfernee has put together at https://www.simplecreativemarketing.com/gert/. It contains a free case study guide and further expands on the topics discussed in this episode.
Podcast Highlights:
01:25 – Anfernee talks about how he got started with copywriting and content strategy and the challenges of running his first business.
11:20 – Common mistakes and misconceptions with content strategy.
21:45 – Creating your own category in the industry.
29:56 – Applying design and visual elements to content.
37:16 – Building an audience.
41:50 – Understanding buyer psychology and the importance of a clear content promotion strategy.
45:09 – Designing content strategy in line with the buyer’s journey and the customer empathy map.
53:41 – Using SEO research to match your content with user intent.
1:02:26 – Additional resources on the topics discussed at https://www.simplecreativemarketing.com/gert/
Connect with Anfernee:
Website: www.simplecreativemarketing.com
Advertising has evolved over the years with the onset of social media, entrepreneurs have used social media advertising extensively because people are on the internet most of the time. In this episode Gert is going to talk about the 3Ws (Who, What and Where) of paid advertising with Ilana Wechsler, a Pay Per Click Marketing Professional and founder of https://teachtraffic.com/.
Podcast Highlights:
00:14 – Intro
01:05 - Guest Introduction
02:12 - Ilana Wechsler's background
06:26 - What is traffic puzzle all about and how is it applicable for business
10:37 - The four quadrants of a retargeting campaign
13:42 Some common mistakes business owners do with their marketing campaigns
20:17 - How to approach promoting content on social and why copy on social is very important?
29:50 - What is the warning percentage of a Click Through Rate and other Key Performance Indicators to watch out for?
33:42 - What is the starting point for someone who would like to get going with paid traffic?
36:13 - Summary of what we talked about in this episode
37:53 - Where to Connect with Ilana Wechsler?
38:04 - End
Connect with Ilana Wechsler:
Website: https://teachtraffic.com/
Podcast Highlights:
01:27 - New website or just starting with SEO
02:15 - Target research
03:49 - Deep Dive Audit
03:53 - Extensive Keyword research & Link Audit
04:22 - List of Action Steps
05:00 - Importance of Google image search
06:04 - Solid Foundation
06:24 - ERICA Consulting
06:55 - Importance of Action Steps
07:15 - Link Building
07:44 - Why is in-house link builiding hard?
08:12 - Find a Trusted Partner in Link Building
08:52 - Let's Wrap This Up!
09:51 - You Need External Help!
10:38 - Don't Purchase Your Links Yourself!
10:54 - You Definitely Want Professional Help
11:51 - End
Content research is a lot more important than we can ever think of. May it be school, work or personal life. Doing the right research will definitely help you advance more!
Podcast Highlights:
00:45 - Intro
01:20 - What to write about?
01:48 - Pick Your Battles Well!
02:18 - Research, research, research!
03:10 - Start Low
04:34 - Gold in Trolls
04:57 - Action Steps
05:52 - Produce Something Ideally Better
06:22 - End
Gert Mellak's mentor shares insights about his audience, and how to consistently create valuable content, year after year, by playing the long game.
Podcast Highlights:
00:14 - Intro
00:34 - How Live Events Should Feel Like
02:55 - 80% Education - 20% Pitch
03:20 - Don't Sell Hard
04:07 - People Really Want Human Connection
04:28 - Nurturing the Community
05:38 - Focusing on Feeding the Audience
08:59 - James' History & Prime Goal
12:39 - A Very Good Overview
14:42 - Selling Information
15:07 - Roaring Interview with John Carlton
15:54 - Podcast with Tim Reed
17:31 - Why is Business Such a Long Game?
19:00 - Thought to the Future, Thought to the Now and Have a Nod Back to the Past
19:24 - Integrity is Rare
21:44 - You Can Control Your Own Reputation
22:06 - SEO is Like a Reward System
25:04 - Consistency in Content Creation
25:32 - What Does It Take to be Consistent in Content Creation?
27:31 - Own the Racecourse
27:51 - Shrink It Down to Bite-sized Pieces
29: 31 - You Don't Want Just One Channel
31:01 - Invest in Good Quality Content
32:33 - How to Get a Team Going
33:21 - Set Strong Expectations
36:14 - Tips in Order To Go Down the Right Way
37:16 - Thanking James Schramko
37:47 - End
Why the small fish first? It actually makes sense to go after smaller, lower search volume terms first.
The same way when you go fishing, you try to fish a smaller fish first and use it as a bait for the bigger one.
Today, Gert talks about strategies we can do after catching the small fish and how to turn it into the big fish!
Podcast Highlights:
00:12 - Taking the main keyword into consideration
00:28 - Importance of keyword research
01:16 - Rank for a high search volume term in your niche
01:53 - The small fish first
02:25 - What to do after catching the small fish
03:44 - Outro
04:22 - End
Transcript
[00:00:00] Hello, and welcome to episode number three of the SEOLeverage.com podcast. My name is Gert Mellak, and today we are going to talk about fish.
[00:00:11] When it comes to SEO, you should take into consideration what the search volume of a search term is. So very often we know what the main keyword is we want to rank for, but we are not exactly sure how many people really search for this keyword.
[00:00:28] We want to do a keyword research or have someone who knows their trade to create a keyword research for us and what the keyword research is going to give us is a list of terms that are actually searched by users on Google, for example. And it's also, if it's done in a decent way, you're going to give us an estimation on the search volume. Which is going to tell us how many searches are performed for this keyword. So if someone searches [00:01:00] for online coating, they are going to be a few thousand searches in a determined area for this term. It makes a difference if you go after a ranking for a high search volume term or a low search volume term.
[00:01:16] When the term or keyword or query doesn't get searched for very often, it's less competitive and it's usually easier to get a ranking for that term than for a very specific and general one with the highest search volume. As an example, trying to rank for online business coaching in Ohio is definitely going to be easier than trying to rank for online business coaching. Obviously, ultimately, you want to rank for a high search volume term in your niche.
[00:01:53] However, it might make sense to go after smaller, lower search volume terms first. The same way as you sometimes when you go fishing, you try to fish a smaller fish first and use it as a bait for the bigger one. On the website, you would still create a main pillar content targeting the highest search volume term first, but don't expect to rank it right away.
[00:02:25] What you want to do is, afterwards, create a lot of pieces of content, a lot of articles around this main pillar content targeting, lower search volume terms you might be eligible to rank for. And over time, then aim at the big fish at getting your pillar content ranking. As action steps for this episode, I would encourage you to check your site and identify your desired keywords or get an SEO consultant or SEO agency to help you with this.
[00:03:00] And then think about which smaller fish you could go after first. So there might be questions, there might be sub topics or specific angles about this topic you could write about. And all of those are going to build your authority in this space in Google's eyes.
[00:03:15] So the more high quality content you have covering all kinds of aspects of this topic. When you structure your site well is going to make sure your brand gets more and more recognition in Google's eyes in this field, in this industry or for this topic. And slowly you can then go after bigger and bigger fish and make sure you're going to end up cutting the big one.
[00:03:44] Thank you so much for listening to this show. If you think this is helpful for someone who is building a website or trying to make SEO work for them, please forward them this episode, send them a link, point them to iTunes, to Spotify, to Stitcher, to SoundCloud, wherever they want to listen to this show.
[00:04:02] And if you got value out of this also consider rating us on one of those platforms or leaving us a comment, we read every comment. We appreciate your feedback. And if there is a topic you would want to particularly be interested in, also let me know. I'm Gert Mellak you're listening to SEOLeverage.com.
[00:04:22] Thank you very much.
What does Design have to do with SEO?
Gert talks with Greg Merrilees from Studio1Design.com about the importance of design + user experience and Greg gives us his 10 tips plus his secret weapon!
Podcast Highlights:
0:56 - Guest Introduction
1:30 - Importance of Conversion Focused
3:27 - Humble Beginnings
5:13 - User Experience
6:52 - Getting the right balance between pretty design and conversion focus
8:38 - User Experience & User Happiness
11:47 - The Right Time to Invest on Custom Design
13:59 - Facts about using templates
15:29 - How to Make Sure Your Designs Convert
19:42 - Leading with Value
22:01 - Consistency is Everything. Focusing on Transparency.
26:06 - Doing Work with an Impact. Experience is Key.
28:36 - The Best Way to Engage an Agency
30:43 - Leakage Points
31:07 - Plug those Leaks
33:43 - First Impression is Important!
35:18 - Click Study
38:18 - Your website is never finished!
39:14 - Thanking our Guest
39:24 - Greg Merrilees contact information
39:29 - End
10 Steps Checklist
1 - “Does it clearly explains what problem your office solves?”
2 - "Do you clearly explain how people benefit from your offer, right?"
3 - "Do you clearly explain what's unique about your offer?"
4 - "Do you have social proof to show that your social works?"
5 - “Do you display your authority?”
6 - "Are you being consistent?"
7 - "Are you leading with value?"
8 - “Do you have a strategy for warming up cold traffic?”
9 - "Do you display a clear pathway?"
10 (Secret weapon) - "Do you have a killer website design that makes you look like an industry leader?"
Why is Google successful?
In this episode, Gert Mellak teaches on why Google became so successful what they believe in and what they stand firm on.
And as an SEO, what we can learn from their positioning and focus.
Podcast Highlights:
1:18 – Why is Google so successful
1:55 – What does Google do differently
4:27 – What can we learn as online business owners from this
5:00 – Action Steps
7:33 – Let’s wrap this up
7:50 – If a site wants to rank high
8:26 – Thank you so much for listening to the show!