Fastlane Founders and Legacy with Jason Barnard: Personal Branding, AI Strategies, and SEO Insights for Visionary CEOs

Latest Episodes:

How to Get Featured on Top Websites (Eric Schwartzman and Jason Barnard) Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

Eric Schwartzman talks with Jason Barnard about press visibility What a blast this one was. The rather delightful Eric Schwartzman has 20 years of experience as a Digital Marketing Consultant and Digital Transformation Advisor, so you can imagine the amazing nuggets of wisdom he shared with us. He explains the best ways to break a story and explains how he leverages enormous visibility for relatively unknown companies through earned media. In the second half, Eric explains his strategy to get featured on top topically-focussed industry websites… and how you can push your own sites above media outlets in Google with solid SEO. What you’ll learn from Eric Schwartzman 00:00 Eric Schwartzman and Jason Barnard00:10 Eric’s Brand SERP01:27 Eric’s Knowledge Panel02:00 How did Eric become a digital marketing coach03:47 The evolution of PR over the years08:07 The power of earned media09:37 How Eric got a small company noticed on the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, through earned media13:48 How to break a story in the current climate, where public gatherings are limited18:25 A plan of action to get featured on the top sites of an industry22:59 How Eric would pitch Jason “The Brand SERP Guy” to get featured on a top website28:27 The distinction between the op-ed and the news coverage aspect on a media outlet30:18 Eric’s strategy to feature a veterinarian on a top industry website35:08 Are journalists happy to work with SEOs?37:12 How to make your story discoverable with simple SEO Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video January 13th 2021 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

Timeless Marketing Strategies That Still Work (Melinda Byerley and Jason Barnard) Jan 05, 2021

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Melinda Byerley talks with Jason Barnard about marketing strategies (that work). Melinda Byerley has 20 years of experience in marketing, having worked with multi-billion dollar companies like eBay and PayPal. She has seen trends come and go, and how the industry changes and adapts — There are timeless principles in marketing that always work… the four P's in the Marketing Mix should always be a key component in your strategy. Reminder to self : Product, Price, Placement, Promotion. Melinda explains what motivates people to make a decision, how certain types of content cause strong reactions, and how it all ties into human psychology. We also discuss how we should adapt our content strategy in the age of social media and how crucial it is to choose the right platforms. What you'll learn 00:35 Kalicube Tuesdays 202001:10 Melinda's Brand SERP04:04 A quick game of knowledge graph hopping05:54 Jason's beginnings in marketing07:14 The importance of Product in the Marketing Mix08:55 Google has evolved — SEO can't be your only strategy anymore12:10 The timeless marketing principles that always work18:25 The importance of adapting your content to your audience's degree of expertise and needs23:38 Helping Google to trust you so you can rank for the queries you want25:57 The goal is to rank for your Brand name, but what about Google's perception of your brand?28:22 Has Google adapted its algorithm to the rise of social media, relying on social signals to drive certain content's popularity?31:17 How certain type of content ties into human psychology33:13 Different social media platforms are suitable for different audiences36:26 The importance of social media on our content strategy Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video January 6th 2021 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

How to Find and Hire the Right SEO (Stephan Spencer and Jason Barnard) Dec 29, 2020

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Stephan Spencer talks with Jason Barnard about his 7-step hiring process. Stephan Spencer has 25 years of experience in the SEO industry under his belt, having hired hundreds and hundreds of people. In this episode, he shares the process he has developed to make sure he hires the right people for his team. He has 7 steps, each one designed to sort the wood from the chaff and hire the right person. The techniques range from Rock 'n Roll (the “No Brown M&Ms” clause used by Van Halen's David Lee Roth) to fun (riddles), to marketing (split testing job ads) and simply putting people on the spot.Listen to then end to learn some of his riddles and trick questions! What you'll learn 1:04 Stephan’s Brand SERP and his image format system for Twitter5:00 Step 1 – Stephan's use of riddles and trick questions in his initial hiring process8:57 The reason behind the “No Brown M&Ms” clause popularized by David Lee Roth, and how Stephan uses it to pre-select his employees11:30 Step 2 – Checking a potential employee's social media (tips and tricks)12:50 - The importance of setting the culture for the entire team15:16 Step 3 – A/B split testing job ads to see what performs better by platform and region17:11 Step 4 – How to filter out unqualified candidates, and how to prepare a client to do the same21:17 A look into Stephan's vast experience in the hiring process and a couple of examples of his trick questions26:19 Stephan's method on withholding judgment towards a candidate during an interview28:49 Question: Do you do online interviews?30:35 Step 5 – Specific questions that can prove expertise on an interview32:38 Step 6 – Bring in another interviewer for a second opinion34:00 The importance of personality assessments for team members34:46 Step 7 – Confirm the fit by having a trial period or a trial project36:13 The finale: One of Stephan's riddles Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video December 29th 2020 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

2021, The Year Of The SERP (Dave Davies and Jason Barnard) Dec 22, 2020

Show notes

Dave Davies talks with Jason Barnard about the accelerating change in the layout of Google SERPs. When The Brand SERP Guy meets the Duke of URL, it's safe to say we're witnessing a match made in heaven. Dave Davis — co-founder of Oohloo Internet Marketing, author and SEO specialist — joins Jason Barnard on a fascinating discussion about the recent Google layout and functionality updates on the SERP, and what 2021 might bring. Things are really changing rapidly — Just in the last 30 days, there has been a total of 20 changes on Google's SERP. Dave's bet is that 2021 is going to be the Year of the SERP. One thing is clear, most marketers and brands are not keeping up with the new SERP rich elements in order to make the most of it. That's a fantastic opportunity for you to get ahead of the game. What you will learn 0:28 The problem in trying to optimize the Google result for the name “Dave Davis”2:05 The story behind the name “Oohloo” and its correct pronunciation4:02 How Dave used Kalicube's Brand SERP courses to shape the anatomy of his own Brand SERP (and control it)6:23 The newly updated Kalicube's Brand SERP tracking tool7:00 Why is 2021 the year of the SERP?12:17 Most marketers and brands are not keeping up with the new SERP rich elements / SERP features13:56 Entities and knowledge panels as the cornerstone of entity calculation17:12 Companies are limiting themselves by only competing for bluelinks — how can they re-address their outdated SERP strategy?19:28 Dave's idea on how Google could improve its personalization of UX24:20 The importance of thinking about SERP layouts / the anatomy of the SERP, as opposed to the old idea of the 10 blue links25:11 More on Google's personalization of results and layout27:31 Importance of understanding your audience and their context30:57 Yet more on Google's personalization of UX, and the potential for Google to determine search intent more accurately in the future33:02 Chrome as an extension of search, and passage-based indexing37:16 Is the best strategy to simply package our content the best we can for Google, and then 'let Google get on with it' since it knows its users way better than us? Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video December 23rd 2020 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

Content-Focussed Google Updates (Melissa Fach with Jason Barnard) Dec 15, 2020

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Melissa Fach talks with Jason Barnard about content-focused Google updates. Long gone are the days where the number of inbound links would mostly determine a webpage’s position on the SERP. Today, Google has completely shifted its focus to quality content and user experience.During this very informative and enjoyable conversation, Melissa shares absolutely boatloads: her own philosophy on how to create a flawless piece of content, a reliable process for writing an article and the most common mistakes people make when writing content. What you will learn 0:30 Melissa's Brand SERP - looking at multiple verticals3:31 Jason's Knowledge Panel and his ongoing experience with Wordlift4:23 Melissa's role on Jason's copywriting improvement5:22 About the latest Content Focused Google Updates — How important is Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T)?7:47 Offering a solution as a content strategy and the value of Content Hubs11:29 Featured Snippets as a sign of Google's trust, and zero-click searches14:41 Google's purpose with “Your Money or Your Life” search quality ratings16:08 How to improve one's authoritativeness 17:00 Can Google identify authors by their writing style?18:03 AI-generated content - it lacks a human soul20:45 Melissa describes her most successful written piece on Semrush21:23 How important is tone and engagement for Google?22:30 Takeaways and hints from the last Google update24:44 The importance of headings and structuring content correctly26:58 Melissa's tips on how to write a great piece of content30:56 Google's shift towards a more content-focused engine in 202034:01 Matching intent for your audience and for Google Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video June 16th 2020 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

A Measured Approach to the SERPs (Cindy Krum with Jason Barnard) Dec 08, 2020

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Cindy Krum talks with Jason Barnard about MoxieScore. Moxiescore is MobileMoxie’s new SERP measurement tool, theWith Universal and Extended search (Rich Results), one of the biggest challenges in digital marketing is to explain SEO performance to a client or a boss in a clear manner that is easy to understand. Cindy developed MoxieScore to make that task simpler... Cindy explains the concept and the ideas behind her new scoring system. What you'll learn 0:50 Cindy Krum's Brand SERP on Google and YouTube 3:07 What is the MoxieScore?6:38 How MoxieScore helps you quantify your real SEO success, so you can present it to stakeholders in a clear way 7:53 A quick dive into the sheer scale of all the different devices, languages, countries we should really be tracking 9:17 How MoxieScore differs from Kalicube as a measurement of SERPs 9:59 Cindy discusses different metrics that MoxieScore uses 11:46 How the MoxieScore and the MessScore help you identify the right queries to rank for 13:16 A quick discussion about the merits (or not) of “MuddleScore” 13:48 Obsessing about short head queries is a mistake 15:10 How Cindy's company — MobileMoxie — is trying to modernize how SEO Marketers think about their job, and how they look at SERP rankings 17:15 Tactics to simplify the presentation of different rankings on a SERP 17:56 How the MoxieScore works, and what elements it takes into account 20:06 Cindy shares MoxieScore's user-friendly features 21:02 How much control do people have over their knowledge panel? 22:03 MobileMoxie’s Page-oscope features 24:24 The future of on SERP SEO for businesses 25:37 Google as a free branding platform 26:49 Off site SEO and using social media platforms to rank Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video December 9th 2020 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

Google is Your New Homepage (Greg Gifford with Jason Barnard) Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

Greg Gifford with Jason Barnard at SMX West Greg starts by singing the song back to me. Then we discuss his world-famous slide decks. Then onto Google is your new Homepage. Thanks to Google my Business, in local this has been the case for years - Mike Blumenthal said it is 2017. People searching your brand name in a near me / local context will probably not visit your site. So that Brand SERP is the first and the last impression they get before engaging with you. When was the last time you visited a restaurant website after searching their name? Do you need a website any more? Greg gives a quick rundown of the top tips for GMB… and since in local users will rarely visit your site, it effectively becomes your site. Then onto video - wich is now a necessity for your digital strategy, rather than luxury. And it can be low cost without looking cheap. Greg gives some amazing tips for making great videos. And, of course, those videos can rank on your Brand SERP. Aleyda Solis using Wistia, and Greg agrees. Both suggest adding it to YouTube too. Greg goes as far as to also adds it to Facebook and LinkedIn to reach the biggest possible audience. It's all about exposure… Then onto a more general discussion about digital marketing has come full circle and we are now back to marketing… and that maybe marketers can now approach digital marketing more confidently since it is simply one more piece of their marketing pie, and now a separate 'thing'. Lastly, Brand SERPs - what appears when someone searches your brand name - you can and should, control that experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZe2vHal2SA What You'll learn 0:26 Greg's original movie-themed talks1:30 Google is your new homepage and the importance of your GMB listing3:00 Are you losing customers or conversions with zero-click search?3:30 How to optimize your GMB5:24 Is video content production really expensive?6:35 Is video content creation only reserved for those naturally engaging and good on camera?7:40 The importance of video boxes on your Brand SERP, and platforms like Wistia and Youtube for better metrics8:36 Greg's video upload strategy designed to reach multiple audiences10:32 Digital Marketing has come full circle as the old school methods become relevant again12:08 How to deal with a bad review to your business showing up on your Brand SERP14:27 The correct approach on how to control people's experience when they search for your brand

Negotiation isn’t all about money (Christine McKay with Jason Barnard) Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

Christine Mckay talks with Jason Barnard about negotiation. As a seasoned executive and negotiator with decades of experience, she reveals the elements we should consider to be effective at it. Turns out, negotiation is not about money, is about a conversation to find a common ground, just like in a relationship. Christine explains how we develop our default style of negotiation by the time we're 7 and reveals the secret for not being bullied in a negotiation. In this podcast, you will also find out what are the 4 different styles of negotiators, how each style has its place in different contexts, and how you can make it work in your favor. What You Will Learn 1:29 Christine's Brand SERP and how much geolocation determines search results4:21 Negotiation is not about money, is about how you ask5:59 How much you could raise your price based solely on customer your relationship with the customer6:55 Christine expands on how negotiation is nothing more than a conversation about a relationship8:59 How we develop our default style of negotiation by the time we're 713:09 The importance of asking effective questions in a negotiation and taking into consideration our counterpart's needs15:10 How you can determine a person's preferred style of communication by looking at their LinkedIn profile17:15 It's good to be charming but transparency is key18:40 Avoid being bullied in a negotiation19:40 Is your counterpart trying to bully you? Here's what that might mean21:30 How much being strategic and thinking ahead helps in a negotiation23:04 Could AI (Artificial Intelligence) do better than a human in a negotiation? (Hint: we're doomed)25:51 Venn's Negotiator Style Quiz and a quick guess on Jason's style of communication27:15 The 4 different styles of negotiators29:58 Every style has its place and can be effective in different contexts32:40 Back to the core concept: negotiation is a conversation about a relationship Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video December 2nd 2020 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

How NOT to Sabotage Your Social Media (Shaina Weisinger with Jason Barnard) Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

Shaina Weisinger talks with Jason Barnard on how to be efficient with your content strategy, and how to scale it appropriately. Social media is not about "me, me, me". Is actually about "you, you, you". Shaina shares her mindset when communicating with an audience if the goal is to generate interest in what you have to offer. You will find out the common mistakes made on social media, how to balance content strategy between different audiences, and the importance of generating educational content with the entertainment aspect in mind. You will also get valuable tips on how to convey charisma and relatability on camera from a video production expert. What you will learn 1:03 Shaina Weisinger’s Brand SERP and the social media platform she focuses on the most1:31 The concept of ‘giving your entity a home’ and it's importance on SEO2:19 Importance of audience engagement for Google's algorithm, and how Facebook videos and Youtube play a key role4:14 Youtube Brand SERPs5:00 Is Facebook’s ranking algorithm as reactive as Youtube and Google, when detecting real time activity on the platform?6:08 The importance of communicating to your audience on social media, taking into consideration their point of view, needs and intent10:06 What most of us are doing wrong on social media13:16 How to achieve a balance between your new audience and your existing audience when creating content15:06 Edutainment. How to balance education value with the entertainment aspect when creating content16:45 Being charismatic is a gift but also a skill. Shaina shares some tips on how to relax and be more relatable on camera24:59 The correct approach on writing and cropping images for different platforms32:40 Why you can’t use the same template for content on all the different platforms33:55 The importance of a good strategy to create content that scales appropriately35:05 On social, content dies quickly. If you make a mistake does that make social media forgiving Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video November 25th 2020 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

How to Become the Go-To Brand in Your Market (Barnaby Wynter with Jason Barnard) Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Barnaby Wynter talks with Jason Barnard about brands and acquisition funnels. The Brand Bucket Guy talks to The Brand SERP Guy ! Barnaby has a 6 step process for building your acquisition funnel. In this conversation he goes through them in reverse order. He includes conversion rates between each stage which (apparently) apply to all verticals, all sizes of business and all countries. He then goes back through those 6 steps in the correct order and includes leakage rates. This makes phenomenal sense. Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe here >> This episode was recorded live on video November 17th 2020 Recorded live at Kalicube Tuesdays (Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series). Watch the video now >>

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