The Recipe For SEO Success Show

Toon Update: Podcast on pause Apr 29, 2024

Hello, I just want to explain that we're going to be taking a little bit of a break on the podcast, probably about a month or so.

This is sadly because I've had some bad news from home and I need to return to the UK and spend some time with my family. So I hope you can bear with me while I get through this difficult time.

We will be back later in the year with more great episodes.

Thanks for listening. I wish you all well. Thank you.

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Why your products don’t rank on Google with Patrick Rice (NEWBIE) Apr 02, 2024

How to make your ecommerce store stand out with SEO

Do you struggle to get your products to rank high on the search engine results pages?

Last year we went through how you can improve user experience on site with Louis Smith.

And today we’ll cover some common mistakes ecommerce owners make that can lead to their products ranking poorly, or sometimes not at all.

Tune in to learn:

How ecommerce SEO differs from service-based business SEO
What features ecommerce owners can access in the SERPS
Why you should get set up on Google Merchant Center.
The biggest mistakes ecommerce sites are making
What the best structure for product pages is
Patrick’s top tips on how to make more engaging product descriptions
How to use internal linking to cross-sell your products
Why having a personalised brand can help you stand out
What role schema plays in ecommerce sites

Useful resources:

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Can you focus your SEO on just one page? (TOON TIP) Mar 19, 2024

Today is a tip episode, no guest to interview, just little old me.

My tips, my advice.

These shorter, more succinct episodes are here to help with easy learning and quick wins and I promise they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today I’m answering a question that was posted in the I LOVE SEO group about whether someone can optimise one web page of their website, and if that will be enough.

Listen to all the tip episodes

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REALITY SEO: Jane Fonti: How I doubled organic traffic to my online store Mar 05, 2024

There is a mountain of SEO advice out there, but how much of it is actually doable for the average business human?

In my reality SEO episodes, I talk to real humans and get the truth about how they use SEO and digital marketing to improve their businesses.

Today I’ll be talking to a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, Jane Fonti.

We’ll chat about how Jane got her start in SEO, the digital marketing highs and lows, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.

Head to the episode notes

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EASY ECOMMERCE SEO: 5 focuses for 2024 (TOON TIP) Feb 20, 2024

Today is a tip episode, we’re going to be talking about easy ecommerce SEO, five things for store-owners to focus on in 2024.

I’m gonna be honest, I think that most ecommerce stores need to focus on some foundational elements.

So let's jump in.

Listen to all the tip episodes here.

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How to be a better marketer in 2024 with Rand Fishkin (NEWBIE) Feb 06, 2024

Knowing your audience and cutting through the noise

In 2024 with the rise of AI, it can feel like we’re moving further and further away from our humanity. If we can chatbot our customer service, analyse spreadsheets to decide our next move, and Chatgpt our content do we really need to build relationships with our customers any more?

Well obviously, yes, yes we do!

But where do we start?

How do we really know who our audience is, what they’re talking about and how to reach them?

Can we use data and insights to find out what podcasts they’re listening to, which social accounts they follow and the websites they love most?

And when we know all that information, what the hell do we do with it?

Today’s guest is an all-time favourite of the show and is going to help us understand what the eff is going on in the world of digital marketing and social media this year - and how we can be better marketers.

Tune in to Learn:

How much influence AI has actually had in digital marketing
The biggest challenges marketers are facing n 2024
What ‘dark social’ means
What the future of paid ads looks like
What is working in social media
How SparkToro works
How to use the data you find using SparkToro
Why email marketing is the way forward
What you should be investing your time in marketing right now

Useful resources:

Geraldine DeRuiter’s new book: If You Can’t Take the Heat

Head to the episode notes.

Freebies:

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SEO for new websites; the first steps (TOON TIP) Jan 16, 2024

Today is a tip episode, no guest to interview, just little old me.

My tips, my advice.

These shorter episodes are here to help with easy learning and quick wins and I promise they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today we’re going to be talking about what the first steps are for a new website when it comes to SEO.

Check out all the Toon tips here.

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SEO Predictions for 2024 with Kate Toon and Cyrus Shepard (NEWBIE) Jan 02, 2024

So here we are, a fresh new year to grapple the Google beast and get our site found online.

But what should be our SEO priorities in 2024? What’s coming down the pipe? And what is old hat? Today I’m joined by one of our favourite guests on the Recipe for SEO Success podcast, Cyrus Shepard.

We’re going to be rubbing our crystal balls together and chatting through what we think are the big things to focus on in 2024. Will AI ruin SEO once and for all? What algorithm updates do we see coming? Can we finally forget schema? We’ll answer all this and more in today’s episode.

Tune in to learn:

What impact Generative AI will have on the Search results
The importance of User signals in ranking
What Cyrus learned as a Google quality rater
Whether backlinks still matter
If you still need to keep using schema
The three-second rule and why it matters more in 2024
What Cyrus learned from the recent Google privacy trial

And so much more.

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Easy SEO testing tactics: How to get better results with Logan Bryant (NEWBIE) Nov 21, 2023

Taking testing one step at a time

Do you ever wonder how effective your site’s SEO is?

You’ve put all this time and effort into finding effective keywords, your images are slim, your page loading time is faster than a fast thing.

But is it bringing in the clicks and sales? Because at the end of the day, ranking is nice, but you know what’s nicer? Making money!

Today we’re going to look at some tests you can run on your SEO to make sure it’s all ticking along, and what needs some work.

Tune in to learn:

What SEO testing is
Where to start - simple tests for small business owners
How to measure how successful your title tag is
How long you should run a test before looking at the results
How you can test the effectiveness of a featured snippet
How to look at your highest conversion pages and see where the clicks are really going
What tools Logan recommends for SEO testing
Logan’s top tip to get started with testing

Useful resources:

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4 most common website issues (TOON TIP) Nov 07, 2023

Today is a tip episode, no guest to interview, just little old me.

My tips, my advice.

These shorter, more succinct episodes are here to help with easy learning and quick wins and I promise they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today we’re going to be talking about the 4 most common website issues I see every day.

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REALITY SEO: Elisha de Jonge: Getting Google on board with my rebrand Oct 24, 2023

Embracing techy SEO to get found online

Getting SEO advice is one thing, but how much of it is really doable for the average business human?

In my reality SEO episodes, I talk to real humans and get the truth about how they use SEO and digital marketing to improve their businesses.

Today I’ll be talking to a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, Elisha de Jonge.

We’ll chat about how Elisha got her start in SEO, the digital marketing highs and lows, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.

Useful resources:

SEO META in 1 CLICK

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How much should SEO cost? (TOON TIP) Oct 10, 2023

Today is a tip episode, no guest to interview, just little old me.

My tips, my advice.

These shorter, more succinct episodes are here to help with easy learning and quick wins and I promise they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today we’re going to be talking about how much should SEO cost?

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Being green online with Ray Pastoors (NEWBIE) Sep 19, 2023

Now here’s me thinking that being online means I’m pretty green.

My entire business is up in the cloud, with very few physical products, not much post, and a little shed in the back garden that uses minimal electricity.

And I never use my printer, not because I’m green but because I can’t hook it up to my computer properly.

But today’s guest is going to explain how even hosting your website has environmental consequences and some simple steps to minimising your environmental footprint.

Tune in to learn:

What it means to be green online
How your digital footprint is connected to your carbon footprint
How climate change is being affected by websites, apps and email
Common practices online that are more harmful than helpful to the environment
What steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint
Why hosting is a big issue when it comes to being green
How True Green® can help reduce energy output
What to focus on when choosing a hosting platform

Useful resources:

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6 ecommerce SEO questions answered (TOON TIP) Sep 05, 2023

So today is a tip episode, no guest to interview, just little old me.

My tips, my advice.

These shorter more succinct episodes are here to help with easy learning and quick wins and I promise they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today I’m answering questions about ecommerce SEO.

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Google Search Console 101 with Sodiq Ajala (Newbie) Aug 22, 2023

Setting up a website is not a one-off process.

In many ways, it’s like having a plant.

Building your website and optimising it to be found is like setting up the nutrient-rich soil.

Hitting publish for the first time is like planting a seed.

Now you just sit back and see what happens right?

No, much like that little seed, if you ignore it, it will wither away, much like your website traffic.

You have to monitor it, remove any bugs, and give it plenty of water and sunshine. I’ll leave the plant metaphor there.

So how do we keep it healthy and thriving? The answer? Well, one answer is Google Search Console. I often describe it as Google Analytics ugly cousin, but in fact, it’s a rich source of website nutrients, helping you diagnose, and understand your website, and if necessary bring it back to life.

Today we’ll look at the benefits of using Google’s Search Console as a tool in your SEO garden shed to keep traffic high and problems low.

Tune in to learn:

What Google Search Console is
Two metrics to focus on when you’re getting started
What Sodiq thinks of Search Console Insights
Where to start looking when your traffic is way down
More advanced ways to use Google Search Console
Sodiq’s tips for getting acquainted with Google Search Console

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How to improve your local SEO (TOON TIP) Aug 08, 2023

Need a speedy SEO Fix?

These micro SEO tip episodes are a fast way to digest a little SEO knowledge for easy learning and quick wins and I guarantee they’re 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today I’ll be giving you some top tips on Local SEO.

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Ecommerce SEO-friendly UX: from crappy to kerching with Louis Smith (NEWBIE) Jul 11, 2023

Showing Google you've got the goods

Hey you, ecommerce store owner. I know you got a sexy theme for your website that promised it was responsive, conversion-focused and all that jazz. But is it? So many ecommerce sites fall down on the basics of user experience. Terrible navigation - check Confusing home page - check Bland category pages - check Cut and paste product descriptions - check And don’t get me started on that checkout experience. Well, today we’re honing in on carts, shopping and making the sale. Telling you how to turn casual browsers into eager buyers.

Tune in to learn

The three main differences between service-based business SEO and ecommerce SEO
How small businesses should build out the primary nav structure
Two ways to start driving more relevant traffic to your ecommerce site today
How to avoid the duplicate content issue with collection and product pages
How to do keyword research for collection pages and product pages
How to improve time on site and key information you should add to encourage customers through to the sale
How to stand out in the SERPS against the bigger brands
Optimising your product pages - where to start
Why generative AI isn’t going to doom ecommerce stores
The importance of your brand story, and taking consumers on a journey with your brand

Useful resources

Freebies:

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Why I’m sick of shitty SEO agencies (RANT) Jun 20, 2023

Okay, are you ready for a rant? I know I share interviews and chats. I’ve now started sharing tips and advice. But today it’s rant time. This Toon is angry and I want to share why.

So today I’m getting stuck into shitty SEO agencies. What they do. Why they do it. And how to see the red flags before you get screwed.

Ready? Let’s go.

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What the eff are entities in SEO? with Nik Ranger (NEWBIE) Jun 06, 2023

Understanding how Google classifies context.

The Google beast has come a long way since 10 blue links, doorway pages and exact match domains.

But what’s changed the most is probably how we consider and use keywords.

At beginner level we’re gathering keywords, grouping them by content and then using them on our pages, but as Google strives to improve the search results, it has started to dig deeper, and look at more than just the words on the page - now Google thinks about both context and the relationships between words.

And this, my friends, is what we mean when we talk about entity-based SEO.

Tune in to learn:

Today we’ll cover:

What entities are
What a knowledge graph is
What semantic search is
How semantic search helps users find relevant information
Keyword research: how relevant it is with entities in the mix
Nik’s top 5 tips for content writers with Natural Language Processing in mind

Head to episode notes

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Core Web Vitals: A speedy summary (TOON TIP) May 16, 2023

I’ve started a new style of episode.

I’ve had an amazing run of interviewing other humans but often you don’t hear that much from me.

My tips, my advice.

So I thought I’d start sharing that with you.

After a long 5 years, shorter more succinct episodes for easy learning and quick wins, 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today I’ll be covering Core Web Vitals: what are they, why do we care about them, and how we can make them better.

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Improving website user experience with Kevin Indig (NEWBIE) May 02, 2023

Leaving your audience satisfied with every click

So you have your beautiful new website. You’ve carefully written the copy and paid an arm and a leg for a fancy pants design, you’ve even done a little SEO, optimising your images, writing titles and metas and making an effort to speed up your site.

But you’ve noticed something odd when you look at Google Analytics. Your time on site is low. People are only viewing one or two pages. And your conversions are lower than worm doing a limbo. ‘What went wrong?’ you cry, gnashing your teeth. Well it could be your user experience. How people enjoy and consume the content on your site, and travel from point a to point b. Perhaps there are 15 steps before I can check out. Perhaps the font is so small it needs a microscope to read.

Or the buttons have grey copy on a grey background. User experience is crucial not just for … the users, but also to please the Google beast, so lets dig into this topic today.

Tune in to learn:

User experience: what it is, and how it differs from accessibility
How to measure user satisfaction
Why engagement is so important to SEO
Which good engagement metrics to focus on
The pros and cons of heat mapping tools
Kevin’s best heat mapping tool recommendations
Which GA4 reports you should focus on
How marketers should approach SEO content in 2023, compared to 2013
Kevin’s number one tip to improve user experience

Useful resources:

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Why does Google change things all the time? (TOON TIP) Apr 18, 2023

A complete history of algorithm updates (and why they matter)

Google appears to be fiddling with things all the time, which can feel overwhelming for your average site owner.

But the truth is most of the updates don’t impact small business website owners, and Google is pretty open about the big changes that you really need to take action on. In this episode, I’ll run through a complete history of the algorithm updates since 2011 and explain what they mean and how they help.

Tune in to learn:

What is an algorithm?
Why are all the updates named crazy things?
The biggest updates you need to know about
Why Google changes things all the time
Bonus: top tips on how to use pop-ups on your website.

Useful Resources:

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10 basic SEO mistakes you’re probably making with Brendan Kelso (NEWBIE) Apr 04, 2023

Brendan Kelso and Kate Toon get back to basics

It’s time to get back to basics.

If you’re a regular listener to the podcast you’ll know we dive deep each episode into a different SEO challenge and adventure.

But today I though it would be useful to have a recap of common mistakes that we often see small business and professional services websites making.

Because the truth is it’s often not bleeding edge SEO that makes the difference in this market, but ensuring you’ve ticked off all the essentials.

So today put your mind at rest as I chat with Brendan Kelso about the core things you need to fix up to ensure your website gets the Google love.

Tune in to learn:

Easy site changes that make all the difference
SEO basics that most people forget
Why Google My Business should be a priority
Why it’s not the cutting-edge things that matter

And so much more.

Useful resources:

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More Traffic, More Money: Building beautiful backlinks with Alan Silvestri (NEWBIE) Mar 14, 2023

Building quality backlinks and promoting your content

I know, I know, backlinks are well-trodden ground, we’ve covered them before and we’ll likely cover them again.

Because still after all this time, debate rages about whether backlinks really do make a difference to you ability to rank.

Google encourages us to earn, not buy links.

SEOs tell us to focus on quality not quantity.

We dutifully keep our backlink profiles clean, disavowing on a regular basis.

But is any of this working?

And if the black hat tactics don’t work (PBNs, comment spam and the rest) why do so many SEO types still do them?

Today we’re getting back to basics on backlinks and it’s a refresher that’s definitely worth your ear time.

Tune in to learn:

Do backlinks matter to Google?
If backlinks from social media have any impact or authority
Where to start setting up your first 3 backlinks
How to recognise good backlinks
How to recognise the red flags
How content promotion ties in with link-building
Ranking locally - what effect local backlinks will have
Alan’s favourite tools to track backlinks
Dodgy backlinks - are disavows worth it?
Alan’s top backlink tip

Useful resources:

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Should I target zero-volume keywords? (TOON TIP) Feb 28, 2023

I’ve started a new style of episode.

I’ve had an amazing run of interviewing other humans but often you don’t hear that much from me.

My tips, my advice.

So I thought I’d start sharing that with you.

After a long 5 years, shorter more succinct episodes for easy learning and quick wins, 100% jargon and gobbledegook free.

Today I’ll be answering the question that comes up a lot from my course students: Should I target zero-volume keywords?

Freebies:

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International SEO: best practices with Julia-Carolin Zeng (NEWBIE) Feb 14, 2023

Taking your brand global

While many of us start small and want simply to be found locally, over time our desire to be found on the global stage increases.

And even if we’re not directly targeting other countries, of course it’s likely that a fair share of your website visitors come from different countries and speak different languages, so it might be time to consider making your site more international.

But if you’re looking to create an international website, what do you need to consider?

In this episode we’ll focus on the three big tasks:

1. International-friendly URLS - or country targeting

2. Language tags - language targeting

3. Ranking in the different countries.

As well as discussing a bundle of other tips and tactics.

So, if you’re ready to take your brand global, this is the episode for you.

Tune in to learn:

How to choose an internationally-friendly brand name
Which is best moving from local to global: Top level domains, sub domains or subdirectories
How to avoid duplicate content issues across multiple sites
Best practices for language targeting.
What to consider across different cultures when writing content
Best ways to handle keyword research and backlinks for international variations of your site
Top tips for using Google Analytics and Google search console
How important it is to host your international sites on a local hosting site

Useful Resources:

The Guide to International SEO - Just getting acquainted with international SEO? Start here.
The International SEO Checklist - Aleyda Solis walks you through everything you need to know to get started with international SEO.
International SEO – Google Technical Support

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ChatGPT: Friend or Foe? (LEARN) Jan 31, 2023

Taking on AI as an asset, not a threat

Everyone is talking about ChatGPT.

My LinkedIn is stuffed with experts providing tips and examples of how to use this amazing tool.

(Everyone is an instant expert on LinkedIn).

To some it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

To others, it’s the end of the content marketing world as we know it.

I mean, haven’t these people watched The Terminator movies, don’t they know how it all ends?

So today I’m going to give you my low down.

What is ChatGPT?

What can it do?

Why all the fuss?

I’ll take you through the challenges, the positives, what’s coming, and also a bit of a reframe for those who are struggling or feeling scared about this new tool

It’s time to embrace the robots people. Let’s get stuck in.

Tune in to learn:

What ChatGPT is
Why everyone is talking about ChatGPT
Why your job isn’t being taken by robots
How to use AI tools as an asset
The limitations in using ChatGPT
What’s coming down the line

Useful resources:

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Time is money: Speedy sites with Jono Alderson (NEWBIE) Jan 24, 2023

How to increase your site’s speed, performance, and quality

There’s one thing that never gets old when it comes to SEO.

And that’s speed.

I’d argue it’s one of the most important technical factors.

A slow site isn’t going to please anyone, not least the Google beast.

So, in this episode we’re going to revisit the basics.

What’s the ideal load time
What makes sites slow
What tools can you use to test
What’s the impact of Core web vitals
And how the heck do you speed up your site?

It also features one of my all-time favourite guests, so I’m pretty darn excited.

Buckle your Google belts people, we’re about to get speedy!

Tune in to Learn:

Why site speed is so important
Factors that impact your site performance
How Google uses Core Web Vitals to look at your site
Why mobile is so much harder than desktop
How to improve the quality of your site
Jono’s top SEO tip

Useful Resources:

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Google SEO in 2023: Q&A with John Mueller (NEWBIE) Jan 10, 2023

Learning how the cogs turn behind the Google machine

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to actually talk to Google?

To ask them all the questions you’ve ever wanted to ask?

To find out why they do what they do.

Why they keep fiddling.

What they have coming up.

Imagine how great that would be.

Well, imagine no more, for today we have John Mueller, head of Google Search Relations, on the pod.

We’ve spoken to John before in my first season on Episode 15: Ask Google: Q&A with John Mueller, Episode 29: Mobile First with John Mueller, and Episode 30: GOOGLE Q&A with John Mueller.

And today, to kick off our pod in 2023 we have his ear again.

Hurrah.

Tune in to learn:

Biggest updates from 2022
What small businesses should focus on for SEO
What’s coming up in 2023
Where to find out the latest Google updates
Developments John is most excited for
John’s top 5 tips for ranking on Google
How important backlinks really are

Useful resources:

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The Top 10 SEO changes in 2022: what did you miss? With Cyrus Shepherd (NEWBIE) Nov 29, 2022

How SEO has changed this year and what you should do about it

It’s been a busy year in SEO land.And Google has been experimenting as always.And if you’re a normal human, and not glued to Twitter every living minute of the day, you might find it hard to keep up with it all.So I’ve asked one of our most popular guests to come back on the show and give us the low down on what’s what in SEO in 2022.The big moves.The little tweaks.The things you can ignore and the things you better jump right on.

This is a short, snappy wrap-up of everything you need to know about Search Engine Optimisation before you head into your festive flop period and face a brave new year.

Tune in to learn:

Kate and Cyrus’s thoughts on the top 10 changes in SEO this year:

Improvements to Google Search Console
Google not indexing less important pages
More videos
Greater emphasis on visual search
Mobile SERP changes: Site Name and Favicon in results, shorter titles on mobile
Spam Update (auto-generated content)
Universal Analytics > GA4
Changes to Google My Business > Google Business Profile
Product Review Update
Helpful Content Update

Where SEO is heading for 2023

Useful Resources:

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How to build a successful SEO Agency with Darren Jamieson (NEWBIE) Nov 15, 2022

Scaling up from being an SEO freelance consultant

Okay so perhaps you’re an SEO freelancer.Working job to job, helping clients on a small scale.But you have big dreams.You’d love to run your very own SEO agency.But the thought of setting it up and managing all the ins and outs leaves you cold.

The risk is huge and let’s be honest, SEO agencies often don’t have the best reputation out there! So how do you overcome all this and make your agency honest, legitimate and profitable? Today we’re going to answer all this and more.

Tune in to learn:

How running an SEO agency differs from being a freelance SEO consultant
Darren’s tips for starting your own SEO agency
Common mistakes to avoid
Why so many agencies get a bad wrap, and how to improve your reputation
Big changes in SEO - what has happened in the past, and what’s coming up in the future
Darren’s top DIY SEO tip

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Yoast for Shopify: a beginners guide with Marieke van de Rakt (NEWBIE) Nov 01, 2022

How to Yoastify your shop

If you’re even vaguely into SEO and haven’t heard of Yoast, then I’m guessing you have been living under a rock.

But for those that don’t know, Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that helps your site perform better in search engines like Google.

It also gives you the tools to bring your content to the highest standards of SEO and overall readability.

It’s my favourite SEO tool which I use on all my sites and recommend in my course The Recipe for SEO success.

And yes I’ve tried all the other tools, but I find that Yoast works best with other plugins and its SEO copywriting features are just awesome.

But one big fat bummer was always that I couldn’t recommend Yoast to my Shopify students, who now make up nearly 50% of my course takers.

They had to struggle on, using dodgy apps or hand coding.

But all that has changed.

Yoast has just launched a Shopify version of their famous WordPress plugin and today I’m delighted to be chatting to Marieke van de Rakt all about its features, upcoming developments and how to get the best out of the app.

Tune in to learn:

What Yoast is
Why Yoast launched an SEO app for Shopify
Core features of the Yoast SEO app
How it helps deal with duplicate content
How to start off with Yoast SEO
What kind of support is available
Marieke’s top SEO tip

Useful resources:

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Using Content Clusters To Boost Your SEO with Marion Leadbetter (NEWBIE) Oct 18, 2022

How organising your content can keep customers coming back

Have you heard about content clusters?

They’re all about strategic internal linking.

Creating little groups of content around a key topic.

You create a pillar page and link to and from it, offering multiple internal links to keep readers entertained, educated and on your site.

Benefits include more organised content, less overlap and more authority on a given topic and increased content production speed.

Sounds good right?

But where do you start?

And if your existing content is currently the blog equivalent of a hoarders boudoir, how do you organise your content into clusters?

Today we’ll answer these questions and many more.

Tune in to learn:

What content clusters are
What the benefits of using content clusters are
How to choose your cluster topics
Must-haves for your content clusters
Common mistakes to avoid
How to measure the effectiveness of content clusters, and where you can gather these metrics
How Google’s recent content update impacts content clusters
What to do if you already have a blog packed with content
Marion’s top content cluster tip

Useful resources:

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Mobile SEO with Cindy Krum (TECHIE) Oct 04, 2022

Keeping up in the rankings by being mobile-friendly

Did you know that half of all website traffic worldwide comes from mobile? I hope when you hear that you’ll understand how important it is to listen to this week’s episode.

Google has been pushing mobile-first indexing for the past few years. It rolled out the first mobile-first index in 2018 but more recently announced mobile-first indexing for the whole web.

So what does this mean for your little website? Well if your site isn’t fully optimised for mobile searches, it’s about time you got with the program.

In today’s episode, we’re going to share what mobile SEO is, best practices and top tips on how to ensure your site looks tickety boo on any device.

Tune in to learn

What Mobile SEO is
How Google classifies mobile
Why mobile SEO is so critical
Easy ways to check if your site is mobile-friendly
How to optimise your site correctly
How to improve the user experience of your site on mobile
How keyword research differs for mobiles
What you need to know about the latest mobile-first indexing update
Cindy’s top mobile SEO tip

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes

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Google Helpful Content Update: What NOT to do with James Welch (NEWBIE) Sep 20, 2022

What Google's latest update really means

Recently Google announced its Helpful Content update. And as per usual, the interwebs got their knickers in a twist.

SEO agencies sending emails to copywriters telling them to stop using keywords.

Business brands frantically worrying that they were going to get a penalty after stuffing their sites with useless space-filling guff in their blogs.But I tend not to freak out about these things.I like to wait and see.

And today we’ll be chatting through what Google really wants to see when it talks about Helpful Content.The dos.The do nots.And the do not panics.

Tune in to learn:

Google Helpful Content update:

What the purpose of the update is
What has changed
What hasn’t changed

3 things you SHOULDN’T be doing
How sites are being impacted by the update
What mistakes SEO agencies are making with content
James’s top content creation tips

Useful resources:

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Reality SEO: Estelle Oliveri: Why Amazon is not the enemy of eCommerce Sep 06, 2022

Finding the right keywords to rise above the competition

By now you’ve gobbled up a lot of SEO advice.

But is it really all doable?

In my reality SEO episodes, I talk to real humans and get the truth about how they use SEO and digital marketing to improve their businesses.

Today I’ll be talking to a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, and eCommerce extraordinaire, Estelle Oliveri.

We’ll chat about how Estelle got her start in SEO, the digital marketing highs and lows, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.

Useful resources:

Head to episode notes

Freebies:

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Reality SEO: WordPress SEO tips with Rachel Amies Aug 23, 2022

Enriching web dev and copy services with SEO

Hearing great SEO advice is one thing but is it actually doable?

In my reality SEO episodes, I talk to real humans and get the truth about how they use SEO and digital marketing to improve their businesses.

Like Rachel Amies, a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, a member of the Digital Masterchefs, and a cat-pun enthusiast.

We’ll talk about how Rachel took her web design and digital marketing to the next level with SEO, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.

Useful resources:

Head to the episode notes

Freebies:

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Influencer marketing: why it’s all about relations with Marina Garbuio (NEWBIE) Aug 09, 2022

Expanding your audience reach with the right voice

Influencer marketing.

Even the mention of it gives me the heebeejeebees.Visions of hot 20-somethings lying in a cossie on a rock in Ibiza spring to mind. Your product lying next to them on said rock.

And oh the horror stories. Small business owners giving away oodles of product, and splashing the cash only to be ghosted.So how do you choose a trustworthy influencer? And how do you see genuine return on your investment?

Today we’ll talk about the positives and the pitfalls of this relatively new form of advertising, and whether it really has legs for your business.

Tune in to learn:

What influencer marketing is, and when it became a thing
The positives of influencer marketing
Which types of businesses can benefit from influencer marketing
How to find the right fit for your business
How to approach an influencer the right way
What kind of return on investment (ROI) you should expect from engaging an influencer
What measures to have in place to ensure you don’t get burned
Marina’s top marketing tip

Useful resources:

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SEO that lasts: Solid strategies that stand the test of time with Alizée Baudez (NEWBIE) Jul 26, 2022

Staying strong during the ebb and flow of SEO

Bonjour mon petite SEO beasts.

Today we’re talking about longevity in SEO.

These days everyone is looking for a quick fix, fast engagement, the dopamine hit of an easy like.

But the truth is that solid SEO strategy takes time.

As I like to say, SEO is for life, not just for Christmas.

It can take a long time to get the needle moving, undo previous bad work and build up authority.

But once you get your SEO firing, the results last a very long time.

I have posts I wrote back in 2009 that still deliver consistent traffic to my site.

And my SEO has weathered the storm for 13 years, through a gazillion algorithm updates, with very little movement.

Our friend Rand Fishkin refers to SEO as a heavy flywheel; difficult to get started, but once it’s going, not so much effort is required.

So today I’m chatting with Alizée about how we ensure our SEO strategy is built for the long term and how to resist reacting to every little change.

Tune in to learn:

Core SEO pillars and principles that have remained unchanged
How long it will take to get results from your SEO strategy
Keywords: should you update them constantly or stick with the same ones
What your long-term keyword strategy should be
How to react when a new competitor moves above you in the rankings
Milestone changes in SEO in the last three years
Updates in SEO that you should be aware of
How iteration factors into a solid SEO strategy
Alizée’s top two tactics to try out today

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/seo-that-lasts-solid-strategies-that-stand-the-test-of-time-with-alizee-baudez-newbie/

Freebies:

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Reality SEO: Norelle Hentschel: Turning search queries into traffic-driving content Jul 12, 2022

Making informed keyword choices for my shopfront business

Hearing great SEO advice is one thing but is it actually doable?

I started the reality SEO episodes to illustrate how the teachings here and in my course, really impact small businesses.

You can hear the truth direct from real SEO beast’s mouths.

Like Norelle Hentschel, a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, a member of the Digital Masterchefs, and an avid herbalist.

We’ll talk about how Norelle was able to give her online naturopathy a healthy dose of SEO, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-norelle-hentschel-turning-search-queries-into-traffic-driving-content/

Freebies:

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Develop better content by going beyond the avatar with Shan Morrison (NEWBIE) Jun 28, 2022

Get creative in your marketing strategy

Are you content with your content?

I’d say that most of us aren’t.

And yet we know that great content is the key to building a brand, creating trust, and becoming well known for what we do.

But there are so many options.

Should we be creating blog posts, guesting on podcasts, creative videos, dancing on reels, or going live? How can we be everywhere?

And yes I know we’d all love to go viral, but if you tuned into my episode with Mr. Rand Fishkin, you’ll know that going viral is about as useful as something very unuseful - if it isn’t relevant to what you offer.

So how do we direct online attention to our business in a meaningful way with good, relevant content?

Well, today I’m talking to Shannon Morrison to get all the answers on how to build authority online with smashing content marketing tactics.

Tune in to learn:

Is content marketing still king?
How to get your foundations right to create good content
What an audience avatar is
How important audience avatars are in marketing these days
Four factors of content consumption, and how to leverage them to your advantage
Which platforms best deliver content marketing
Shannon’s top content marketing tip

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/develop-better-content-by-going-beyond-the-avatar-with-shan-morrison-newbie/

Freebies:

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SEO Copywriting Basics - Clever Copy Chats (Teaser) Jun 21, 2022

Check out my new podcast, Clever Copy Chats for some in-depth SEO Copywriting knowledge.

Whenever I’m in a copywriting group I see the same comments.

“SEO ruins conversational copy.” “SEO ruins conversion copy.” “You don’t need to use keywords any more. Google will work it out.” “SEO copy is boring copy.”

(Heavy sigh)

These kinds of comments show a fundamental misunderstanding of what SEO copywriting is and how it works.

And these copywriters who think that Google will magically work out where to rank you no matter what you write on the page, well they’re either naïve or just plain lazy.

If anything great SEO copywriting is even more important now than it’s ever been.

I’m going to get back to basics and give you an overview of the important elements in SEO Copywriting, and a few tips on how to please humans and Google too.

Listen to the episode now.

Reality SEO: Anthea Digby-Smith: Taking the time to revitalise my local SEO Jun 14, 2022

Filling the appointment books by showing up in local searches

From feedback, I find the Reality Episodes are a crowd favourite.

Yes, it’s great hearing from super-duper SEO and marketing experts, but what about the real humans chipping away at marketing goals, trying to woo Google, slippery up their funnel, and smash their socials?

Is all this advice actually doable?

Well, today I’m chatting with Anthea Digby-Smith, a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, a member of the Digital Masterchefs, and a hairdresser extraordinaire.

We’ll talk about how Anthea was able to give her online haircare business a total SEO makeover, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-anthea-digby-smith-taking-the-time-to-revitalise-my-local-seo/

Freebies:

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Why isn't my site indexed? Site crawlability troubleshooting with Gaston Riera (NEWBIE) May 31, 2022

Stopping your site from slipping through the cracks

You’ve built a beautiful site. Your mum loves it. You’ve even paid your developer for a super SEO package. So everything should be right, right?

But for some reason when you Google yourself nothing’s coming up, Or maybe just a measly page or two. And you have no idea why.

Or perhaps you’re pumping out content on your blog and for some reason, it’s still not getting indexed as fast as you would like.

This week we’re talking all about crawling and indexing. How to check, how to fix and the best tips for making sure your content is as findable as a findable thing.

Tune in to learn:

What it means for your site to be crawled and indexed
How to find out that your site isn’t getting indexed
What is a sitemap, what is a robots.txt
What is crawl budget
Crawlability vs Indexability: Why Google doesn’t automatically index your site after crawling every page
Common issues that prevent site pages from being indexed
Gaston’s recommended tactics to get your site indexed
How to troubleshoot indexing for a small website
How large sites differ, and how best to approach indexing
The difference between LATAM sites and English-speaking western countries (USA/UK/AU)
Gaston’s go-to tools to get your site indexed

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/why-isnt-my-site-indexed-site-crawlability-troubleshooting-with-gaston-riera-newbie/

Freebies:

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New podcast: Clever Copy Chats Podcast May 30, 2022

Hurrah back in the land of copy podcasts. It's been a while. So let me tell you what my new podcast is all about. I know. I know. There are a gazillion copywriting podcasts out there.

I've made a few hundred or so episodes myself, but honestly, most leave me wanting. They're all so dry, so earnest, so teachy. All mega famous copywriters dispensing blobs of copy knowledge down from their lofty plinths. Most of the folk interviewed aren't even copywriters anymore, they've moved on to being course creators and moguls. So I wanted to create a podcast that gets back to the sticky, awkward, gloriousness of being a day today copywriter.

The woes, the ups, the bitty fist annoyance of a client that won't use track changes, the tips on how to write 5,000 words in 20 minutes because you forgot the deadline, and of course, the real bottom warming stories of great clients and amazing writing that keeps us doing the do each day.

So come with me on a journey through colons and interrobangs.

Through client Zooms and last-minute amends, we'll have some laughs and learn a thing or two along the way.

Grab a coffee and join me on Clever Copy Chat.

SEO got you the lead: Now what? with Russell Pearson (NEWBIE) May 17, 2022

Turning those well-earned clicks into cash

Okay so you’ve listened to all the episodes of the Recipe for SEO Success podcast, you’ve done my fabulous courses, and put in the hard SEO hours.

The Google beast finally understands who you are and the traffic is pouring in.

But how do you turn casual browsers into sales? How do you move people from your page to a purchase?

Today we’re talking about how to turn SEO juice into sweet sales nectar.

How to turn cold chips into hot potatoes.

SEO got you this far, what next?

Tune in to learn:

Three quick things to think about for your homepage once people have been lured over from the SERPS
How to introduce your brand quickly and easily to people searching for what you do
How to connect with people who know you from social platforms/your brand
Top 3 tips to make those eCommerce sales
Russell’s top tips for converting customers to your services-based business
What is a SMART offer
Sales calls - Have they been replaced by strong branding, really schmick marketing, funnels, and sales page, or is there still a place for them

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/seo-got-you-the-lead-now-what-with-russell-pearson/

Freebies:

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Human to human marketing with Jenn Donovan (NEWBIE) Apr 28, 2022

Appealing to the humanity of the masses

Have you noticed that your buying choices are often not defined by price or even product features but by how you feel about a brand?

We want to buy from brands that we feel have values that are aligned with our own, but to do this, brands need to market intelligently and emotionally.

They need to appeal to our humanness.

So how do we do this? It might seem relatively straightforward if you’re a one-human band, but what about larger businesses? How do we show up as real humans in everything we do, how much is too much, and when is caring sharing, oversharing?

Today we’re going to chat about the best ways to show up online as glorious human beans and make genuine connections with your audience.

Tune in to learn:

What human to human marketing is
Human to human marketing done well: examples of individual and larger brands doing it right
How to show your brand values online
How to overcome your fear of being more open with your audience
3 simple tactics to humanise your brand
How to differentiate yourself from everyone else
Human to human marketing fails: What to avoid
Jenn’s top tip for H2H marketing

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/human-to-human-marketing-with-jenn-donovan-newbie/

Freebies:

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Keyword research: Myth-busting and back to basics with Joh Kohler (NEWBIE) Apr 19, 2022

Peeling the fiction away from fact to help Google find you

Keywords, we’ve covered them before and we’ll cover them again.

Why? Because no matter how long I swim in the murky waters of SEO, I still see so much misinformation about how keywords are found, researched and eventually used.

Especially on low-grade SEO copywriting courses (shh, naming no names).

These so-called experts are stuck in the keyword past, talking about density and shoehorning them into every paragraph and meta description.

But with Google’s improvements in understanding the context of our content, (the why behind the what), the deeper intelligence around natural language process (hello Bert), and the fundamental improvements in learning how language itself works, these old school ideas won’t help you get found.

So today we’re going to bust some myths, refresh some memories and get back to the basics of keyword research.

Tune in to learn:

Who’s responsible for researching keywords: the client, the copywriter, or the SEO agency
What to do once you have your list of keywords
What role search intent plays in your choice of keyword
Why there is no one “perfect keyword”
When to start assigning your keywords to posts, pages and products
Keyword myths: Why you shouldn’t use the same keyword for every page
How service-based business keyword usage differs from keyword usages for eCommerce businesses
How to find investigation and informational keywords
How effective blogging is for keyword ranking
Joh’s favourite keyword tools
Joh’s number one tip for keyword research

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/keyword-research-myth-busting-and-back-to-basics-with-joh-kohler-newbie/

Freebies:

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REALITY SEO: Jude Love: How I went from SEO-curious to SEO-confident Apr 05, 2022

Niching, knowing your audience & personal branding

In my Reality SEO episodes, I like to focus on real humans grappling with the Google beast, and Digital Marketing.

I get all sorts passing through my slippery funnel of courses and resources: marketing professionals, copywriters, e-commerce owners, web developers, and real business humans.

Today we’re talking to Jude Love, a former student of The Recipe for SEO Success Show, a member of The Digital Masterchefs, and an absolute personal branding beast.

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-jude-love-how-i-went-from-seo-curious-to-seo-confident/

Freebies:

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Setting up successful chatbots with Dan Pinne (NEWBIE) Mar 22, 2022

Creating more profitable conversations with your customers

We all know that robots are taking over the world.

If you’re a fan of Black Mirror it’s pretty clear we’re headed for a Terminator future.

And while I’d like to feel bleak about that, I won’t.

This is a marketing podcast, after all, so let’s talk about when robots work for good.

When AI can save you time and money.

When using automation and bots can actually improve your customer service rather than ruining it.

For yes today we are talking Chatbots.

Now as a copywriter I’ve written a fair few bots for myself, I’ve also set one up to work on my Facebook page, but I haven’t fully embraced the opportunity.

And boy is that opportunity big.

Today we’re talking to Dan Pinne, chatbot guru and member of my Digital Masterchefs Community, about how to use chatbots to revolutionise your business in a non-Arnold Schwarzenegger way.

Tune in to learn:

What chatbots are, and how they can help your business
The key elements to a successful chatbot
Where to start with chat marketing
How lead-based businesses can use chatbots
How eCommerce businesses can use chatbots
Dan’s top tips for setting up successful chatbots

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/setting-up-successful-chatbots-with-dan-pinne/

Freebies:

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How to go Viral with Rand Fishkin (NEWBIE) Mar 08, 2022

Drawing your audience in with well-crafted content

Everyone wants to go viral. (I’m doing air fingers, I know you can’t see them, but believe me.)

Whether it’s for dancing on TikTok to a new catchy tune or for the perfect Twitter snipe, or a beautifully crafted blog post.

We all dream of the traffic tsunami and the potential that has to lead to cold hard sales.

But is it just a happy accident, or an artful strategy?

Today I am giggly with girlish glee to have Rand Fishkin, the co-founder, and CEO of audience research startup SparkToro, on the show.

He’s going to explain how going viral is much more nuanced than you might think.

And that if you put in the work, you can draw in the masses to your brand with well-crafted content that not only gets attention but warms the wiggly bits of your customers too.

Tune in to learn:

What viral content is, and how it can be used in your marketing plan
Which content formats are best for going viral
Rand’s powerfully simple formula for creating viral content:
- How to hook people in
- How to keep them on the line
- How to sink deep into your audience’s brain
Rand’s top tip for success with content marketing

Useful Resources

Bros., Lecce: We Eat at The Worst Michelin Starred Restaurant, Ever – Geraldine’s Restaurant post
Is This a Twitter Thread or a Blog Post? – Rand’s Blog post
Buzzsumo

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-to-go-viral-with-rand-fishkin-newbie/

Freebies:

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Reality SEO: Mitchell Beattie: Don’t let your marketing drive you mad Feb 22, 2022

Taking measured steps into digital advertising

Taking measured steps into digital advertising In my Reality SEO series, I interview real-life humans who’ve changed their digital marketing and SEO strategy for good and used simple techniques to transform their business and brand. These episodes include practical, doable advice and tips from people just like you.

Find out why mad-cat marketer, Mitchell Beattie, decided to pivot from the world of wine to help other businesses perfect their marketing strategy, what got him on the path of SEO, what his biggest learnings have been, and his top tips for small businesses.

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-mitchell-beattie-dont-let-your-marketing-drive-you-mad/

Freebies:

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The Art of Using LinkedIn to Future-Proof Your Business with Jo Saunders (NEWBIE) Feb 08, 2022

Build up your business by expanding your network

Build up your business by expanding your network I’ll admit when it comes to social media, my least favourite platform is LinkedIn. It’s like the boring guest at the party, hovering near the sausage rolls and talking about how great they are. And over the years I’ve had sporadic attempts to rekindle my LinkedIn love. But it still leaves me with a deep-rooted sense of meh. Today we’re going to change all that. We’re straying from the SEO path to talk all things LinkedIn.

Why it still matters, how to make the most of it for your business, and our special guest Jo Saunders is going to share her number one tip for making LinkedIn a powerful tool in your social media tool kit.

Tune in to learn:

What LinkedIn is, and what makes it unique to other social media platforms
Three ways you can use LinkedIn to improve your business
Why growing your network is important, and how to do it right
How being yourself will take you further
How to effectively engage and connect with others on LinkedIn
How LinkedIn can fit into your digital marketing plans
Jo’s top tip to using LinkedIn for your business

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/the-art-of-using-linkedin-to-future-proof-your-business-with-jo-saunders-newbie/

Freebies:

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7 SEO Predictions for 2022 with Kate Toon (NEWBIE) Jan 25, 2022

What will change, what will stay the same, and how this will affect ranking

Every year about this time, I dust off my crystal ball and start looking into Google’s nether regions, trying to discern what lies ahead on the murky path of SEO. This is a solo episode, just a little old me, and I’ll be running through my opinion of what’s next, what’s changed, and what remains the same. Will you agree?

Well, that remains to be seen, or heard.

Tune in to learn:

Important SEO changes from 2021 you might have missed
Is Google still even a search engine?
How Google is understanding us better
The lowdown on user experience
How Google is squeezing us out of the SERPs
Why we should all EAT more
How AI will impact things
Why images matter more than ever

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/7-seo-predictions-for-2022-with-kate-toon/

Freebies:

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RERUN: Digital Marketing Q&A with Rand Fishkin (NEWBIE) Jan 19, 2022

This episode is a rerun - while I take a much-needed break from the pod, keep your SEO skills sharp by checking out one of my favourite episodes. I was lucky enough to chat with one of my SEO heros Rand Fishkin in my I LOVE SEO Group on Facebook recently.

Not only was Rand my first ever guest on the podcast, he’s also been a huge influence on my SEO career and a veritable font of knowledge and ideas.

I was super excited to share the stage with him at Yoastcon recently where we discussed all things Digital Marketing – and he was generous enough to offer to share his thoughts with my students and DIY SEO Learners.

It’s a great episode that covers a range of topics and challenges a lot of traditional ideas about what SEO really means, and how to be successful in digital marketing in 2019. Enjoy!

Show notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/digital-marketing-qa-with-rand-fishkin/

Website: https://www.therecipeforseosuccess.com.au/

RERUN: Crawl efficiency: How to help Google slip through your site with David Pagotto (NEWBIE) Jan 04, 2022

This episode is a rerun - while I take a much-needed break from the pod, keep your SEO skills sharp by checking out one of my favourite episodes.

Crawlability is super important for your website.

Ensuring humans and those sticky little Google bots can slip through your site like a damp otter down a pipe is crucial.

We don’t want duplicate content and we don’t want oodles of pointless pages and archives being crawled.

We want slick, efficient, uber crawlable websites and today we’ll be going through how to make that doable. Tune in to learn:

What crawlability is and why it matters
The meaning of crawl budget
How often Google crawls your site
How you can get Google to crawl your site more
The key elements of crawlability
How to handle password-protected content
Zombie pages and how to deal with them
Best tools to crawl your website
How to handle 404s and 301 redirects
Dealing with duplicate content

RERUN: What’s your number one digital marketing tip? (NEWBIE) Dec 21, 2021

This episode is a rerun - while I take a much-needed break from the pod, keep your SEO skills sharp by checking out one of my favourite episodes.

9 experts share their best advice for 2019 I was lucky enough to present at Yoastcon in the Netherlands, so thought I’d do a special live episode interviewing all the smart people there and asking them their number one Digital Marketing tip for this year

Many of these awesome humans will also appear on future episodes of the podcast so stay Tooned for those episodes too.

Tune in to learn:

What is DSA?
How to find out what’s holding your customers back
What’s the most important aspect of branding?
What are progressive web apps?
How digital marketing is converging.
Why you need to get rid of some of your pages
Why you need to take a step back to look at your values
Why page speed still matters
What’s the biggest thing with WordPress site’s coming up?
Why it’s better to follow the path less trodden

Show notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/whats-your-number-one-digital-marketing-tip/

Website: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com.au

RERUN: How Agencies can suck less with Mathew Cocciardi (NEWBIE) Dec 07, 2021

This episode is a rerun - while I take a much-needed break from the pod, keep your SEO skills sharp by checking out one of my favourite episodes.

Let’s be honest, most of us are scared of SEO agencies. We’ve heard too many horror stories.

Of people being bamboozled, misled, ripped off, and left with sites riddled with dodgy backlinks, poor optimisation, and woeful rankings.

So what do we do? How can we learn to trust SEO agencies again, and more importantly how can SEO agencies Suck less.

Today, I’m chatting with Mathew Cocciardi, who was a little burned by his SEO agency experience – and sharing some hot tips on how to ensure, if you’re looking for an agency, you find a good one. And if you are an agency you sustain a good reputation.

Tune in to learn:

What led Mathew to seeking an SEO agency for help
What you should have set up before contacting an agency for SEO assistance
The key things to look for when choosing an SEO agency
How important is it for you as a customer to know SEO terminology
“Red flag jargon” you should look out for
How you can participate in the ongoing process
The best way to know your money is being spent well
Alternate models: What they are and the benefits of each

RERUN: International SEO: A beginner's guide with Nitin Manchanda (TECHIE) Nov 23, 2021

This episode is a rerun - while I take a much-needed break from the pod, keep your SEO skills sharp by checking out one of my favourite episodes.

International SEO is the process of optimising your website so that search engines can easily identify which countries you want to target and which languages you use for business.

Most of us struggle with getting to rank locally, so do we really need to care about international SEO?

Well if a good share of your website visitors are coming from a different country to where you’re located then it might be the right time to think global.

In this episode I’ll be chatting with Nitin Manchanda - an International SEO expert, about everything we need to know to get our global SEO in tip-top condition.

Tune in to learn:

When should you worry about international SEO.
How to structure your site for International SEO best practice.
What is Geotargeting and how should you be using it.
What to look out for when formatting your site for a country.
Which signals Google uses to understand the countries you’re targeting.
The importance of backlinks on international SEO.
Tips on how to win links in other countries.
How to handle local search engines like Yandex in Russia and Baidu in China.
Tips on international SEO for e-commerce businesses.
What are the biggest mistakes businesses make with International SEO.
The best ways to measure your international SEO success.

Show notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/international-seo-a-beginners-guide/ Website: www.therecipeforseosuccess.com.au

RERUN: Rand Fishkin: SEO for small business (NEWBIE) Nov 09, 2021

I was lucky enough to score an interview with one of my all-time SEO heroes, Mr. Rand Fishkin from Moz.com.

I asked him a heap of useful small business SEO questions, and yes, even asked how he felt being an SEO heartthrob!
Is it possible for small businesses to DIY their SEO?
Other than Moz and of course the Recipe for SEO Success, what are your other favourite SEO education websites? Resources?
What are you top five tools that every search marketing or digital marketing business type must use?
If you only had a few hours a week to spare in which to focus on SEO and marketing, what would you spend it doing? Building links or creating content?
There are only so many phrases and only 10 spots on the first page. Does there come a point where SEO just won’t work in a crowded market?
What role do spelling mistakes play in SEO, would having lots of typos in your copy impact your potential to rank?
Why is it so hard to rank for a keyword with a new page when you’re already ranking for it with an existing one?
Does social media impact my ranking? And which social media channel should I invest my time in?
What tips for an AU business wanting to appear in the US rankings?
How will live streaming affect SEO?
Do weak pages on your site damage the strong pages, should I kill off all my weak pages?
What was the one business decisions (mistakes) that you wish you could go back and change?
The truth is you’re a little bit of a heartthrob for many female (and possibly male) SEO types. How do you cope with that kind of attention?

Show notes: http://www.therecipeforseosuccess.com.au/seo-small-business-interview-rand-fishkin/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW5tOXslB5Q

Website: www.therecipeforseosuccess.com.au

Kate's Taking a Break - Farewell for 2021 Oct 26, 2021

If you have any suggestions for guests or topics for next year, email admin@therecipeforseosuccess.com, fill out the contact form on www.therecipeforseosuccess.com, or leave a comment in the I LOVE SEO Facebook group.

Reality SEO: Bec Slack: Why Customer Care is Everything Oct 12, 2021

Encouraging loyalty over quick sales

In my Reality SEO episodes, I like to focus on real humans grappling with the Google beast, and Digital Marketing.

Yes, I get lots of marketing professionals, copywriters, and web developers passing through my slippery funnel of courses and resources, but I also get real business humans.

Today we’re talking to Bec Slack, a former student of the Recipe For SEO Success Course, a member of the Digital Masterchefs, and an online educational toy store co-owner.

We’ll talk about the challenges she faced taking on a pre-existing business, and if learning SEO and Digital Marketing for a toy store is all fun and games.

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-bec-slack-why-customer-care-is-everything/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Keeping up with Keyword Research with Kristal Audain (NEWBIE) Sep 28, 2021

Finding the right words to help your customers find you

Ever wondered how Google takes your crazy search query and spits out pages and pages of relevant content?

It’s all in the words, my friend.

You might even say that words are the KEY.

And that’s why today we’re revisiting the topic of Keyword Research.

Much overlooked, much misunderstood, much avoided – Solid Keyword research underpins every aspect of your website structure, your content, your customer journey, and your conversions.

Understanding concepts like user intent, volume, traffic, click-through rate, keyword difficulty, and knowing when it’s best to go short or go long is all part of your SEO strategy.

So today we’re going to dig deep into smart keyword research, and how to get the right audience to your website.

An audience that engages, and buys.

Tune in to learn:

What a keyword is
The difference between short and long-tail keywords
Why you should rank for hundreds of keywords, not just one
Different keyword list brainstorming techniques
Narrowing it down: how to settle on your chosen keywords
What keyword grouping is, and how to find your focus keyword
Best methods: research a mega list of keywords for your site, or focus on a page by page (or product by product) basis
Ranking myths: Why using the same keyword on every page won’t necessarily help you rank for it
Ranking myths: Why you don’t need to use “near me” as a keyword in title tags and on page to rank for Near me searches.
Handy keyword research tools to save you time
Kristal’s top keyword research tips

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/keeping-up-with-keyword-research-with-kristal-audain-newbie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Keneena Fanning: Putting SEO back into Sustainable Fashion Sep 14, 2021

Drawing in customers with keyword research and colourful prints

Welcome to another Reality SEO episode, where I take the time to focus on real humans grappling with the Google beast, and Digital Marketing.

Of course, I love to help all kinds of business humans, but one of my favourite types to help are e-commerce store owners.

Because secretly, I long to have a shop.

I mean I have 3 already, but they don’t sell real things, like pottery hedgehogs or homemade soup.

But Keneena Fanning does have a real shop - Kablooie!

And today we’re going to learn all about it and discuss the highs and lows of walking her fashion label down the SEO runway.

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-keneena-fanning-putting-seo-back-into-sustainable-fashion/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Harnessing the power of Google Search Console with Noah Learner (NEWBIE) Aug 31, 2021

Getting cosy with data to make better content

Do you love tracking trends, dissecting data, or rolling in results?

Then I’ve got a treat for you.

Today is all about Google Search Console, formerly Google Webmaster Tools, a free platform that gives you the awesome ability to see the data Google sees and tracks for your website or app.

While I find it easy to get lost in data-tracking, it can be difficult to know what is worth paying attention to, and what’s just a long list of numbers.

So let us go forth and learn which parts of the Google-beast we can turn into juicy, flavourful SEO nuggets and rich content marketing strategy bites.

Tune in to learn:

What Google Search Console is all about
Why the data is so valuable for our businesses
How to use the data to gain a competitive advantage
How to use the information to target different stages of the buying journey
Three areas of GSC you should be looking at
How to use the new GSC insights feature
How to use the data to create content for frequently asked questions
Noah’s top Google Search Console tips

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/harnessing-the-power-of-google-search-console-with-noah-learner/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

REALITY SEO: Crystal Wong: From Pharmaceuticals to SEO guru: How I found my dream job Aug 17, 2021

Putting away the prescription pills and picking up SEO stats

In my Reality SEO episodes, I like to focus on real humans grappling with the Google beast, and Digital Marketing.

Yes, I get lots of marketing professionals, copywriters, and web developers passing through my slippery funnel of courses and resources, but I also get real business humans.

And sometimes my courses and resources have the power to turn normal business humans into digital marketing beasts!

As so with Crystal Wong, a kindred SEO-loving soul.

Today we’re talking to Crystal about how she went from working as a Pharmacist to an SEO consultant, and the challenges she’s faced along the way.

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-crystal-wong-from-pharmaceuticals-to-seo-guru-how-i-found-my-dream-job/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Tackling Common Google My Business Queries with Ben Fisher (TECHIE) Jul 20, 2021

How to maintain and optimise your GMB profile

When was the last time you checked out your Google My Business profile? Now this is not a set-and-forget project, people.

Much like planting a bushy hedge, your GMB listing needs love and attention.

Sometimes you need to prune back old images, or shape it into your new branding, fertilise it with a few fresh posts, or spruce it up with a nice flowering promo.

Occasionally you get pests or spammy reviews, and you need to know the best way to treat them, organically of course.

Is the bush analogy wearing thin yet? I don’t think so.

Anyhow, today we're going to be looking into some of the common questions that arise and how to make your Google My Business profile bushy and flourishing.

Tune in to learn:

How smart businesses are using their Google My Business listings to stay on top and win more business
Why your business may not be showing up in GMB
How to stay in Google’s good books by following the Google My Business Compliance Guidelines
How to tackle spammy listings and reviews
What to do if a genuine review is removed by Google
How to reinstate your listing if it has been suspended

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/tackling-common-google-my-business-queries-with-ben-fisher/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

The Science Behind Brand Psychology with Lisa Galea (NEWBIE) Jul 06, 2021

Using science to align your brand with your business goals and boost your bank balance.

What do you think about when you think about brand?

A sexy colour palette, logo, a particularly snazzy font?

Obviously, branding is way more than that.

But it's amazing how much the colours, or logos we use can impact how our customers see us.

And of course, there's actually a psychology behind branding that uses science to match your brand, to your business goals, and your mindset.

And if you get strategic about your brand, it can of course build a bulging bank balance.

So today we're straying slightly away from the SEO path to talk about brand psychology.

Tune in to learn:

What brand psychology is
How to use science to make your brand more appealing
How your brainpower and senses impact your brand and business
How multiple senses can be used in marketing
Why it’s vital to be consistent in your branding
How science influence the colours and fonts in your brand
Lisa’s top tips on branding

Useful Resources

Online colour wheel
Brand Sense by Martin Lindstrom – Sensory Branding
The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton – Behavioural Psychology for Branding & Marketing
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – How our Brain works
The Relationship Between Personality Type and Color Preference For Color Combinations by Lynessa Rico, Ph.D. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/the-science-behind-brand-psychology-with-lisa-galea/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Pinterest: How to use pins to boost your brand with Simone Pavils (NEWBIE) Jun 22, 2021

Get found across the board

Pinterest, remember that? I used to use it yonks ago to plan my kid’s birthday party, or to mood board my latest decorating project.

But I never took it seriously from a business point of view. And maybe I should have done.

For those living in a hole, Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to “pin” images and articles to their board.

People set up boards for anything from outfits to holiday destinations, makeup ideas, to dream cars.

But as well as a fun way to be creative, it can also be an incredible business tool for getting all kinds of products and services found online.

So this week we’re pinning our hopes on our Pinterest expert to tell us how to use this platform to boost our website traffic and our sales.

Tune in to learn:

Pinterest: What it is, who uses it, and how long it’s been around.
What makes Pinterest so valuable to businesses
How Pinterest can work for your service-based business
What being a Pinterest SEO means
Algorithms: Pinterest vs Google
How to get started on Pinterest today
Simone’s tips for optimising your Pinterest account

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/pinterest-how-to-use-pins-to-boost-your-brand-with-simone-pavils/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

How To Analyse SEO Data and Create SEO Reports with Supermetrics with Anna Shutko (NEWBIE)How To Analyse SEO Data and Create SEO Reports with Supermetrics with Anna Shutko (NEWBIE) Jun 08, 2021

Boost your marketing strategy with the right SEO data

Grappling the Google SEO beast takes time and effort, I know.

Once we’ve started our journey we need to check our progress and build on our success.

Measuring progress means we usually check loads of data and all the data lives in different places.]

You know, the kind where you have 25 tabs open and your computer is starting to ooze smoke.

Then we have to spend ages trying to make sense of it all.

Before we know it, we’re down the SEO data rabbit hole. Or if you’re like me, you give up and go and fiddle with Instagram instead.

So imagine if there was a tool that could pull all your relevant SEO data into one place.

A tool that allowed you to see all the information you need to know quickly and easily.

You’d finally have the SEO superpowers you need to make useful, strategic decisions about your marketing efforts.

Well, that tool exists and today we are talking about it.

Get ready!

Tune in to learn:

Why SEO data is important to your business
Which core metrics you should be looking at
Which SEO tools will give you the data you need
How to create a strategic Google Search Console SEO report
How Supermetrics can save you time, make better business decisions so you can focus on the right stuff
How to set up with Supermetrics, and what kind of reports it delivers
How useful running Google Ads alongside your SEO strategy is
Anna’s tip for analysing your SEO data and making good marketing decisions

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-to-analyse-seo-data-and-create-seo-reports-with-supermetrics-with-anna-shutko/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

WordPress Websites: Sidestepping the Common Mistakes with Tony Cosentino (TECHIE) May 25, 2021

WordPress websites and SEO mistakes that sap your Google juice.

Do you have a website?

Congratulations.

Give yourself a little pat on the bottom. You could already be on Google’s radar.

Maybe.

Because building a website is one thing, but building an SEO-friendly website is quite another.

Today I’m talking about WordPress websites and avoidable SEO mistakes I often see.

Mistakes that kill your flow of Google juice and ruin your customer karma.

I’ll take you through what to avoid, how to fix past errors, and how to ensure you have a good flow of Google love to your site.

Tune in to learn:

What is WordPress and why is it awesome?
The most common mistakes we see with WordPress websites
How to fix those SEO errors
WordPress themes that help avoid mistakes
Things to know about Gutenberg and WordPress
More about WordPress website technical audits and support

Useful Resources

How to set up an SEO-friendly WordPress site
Recipe for SEO Success Course
SiteGround – Web hosting
WP Engine – WordPress hosting
Kinsta – WordPress hosting
Divi – WordPress Themes
Yoast – SEO Plugin
Gutenberg – Plugin
TinyPNG – Image smusher

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/wordpress-websites-sidestepping-the-common-mistakes-with-tony-cosentino/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Shopify SEO: Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid with Kerri Bennett May 11, 2021

Common mistakes that will drag down your conversions

So perhaps you’re a new business considering taking the plunge into the Shopify pool.

Or maybe you’ve taken that leap off the diving board, and are already splashing about and wondering if your Shopify site is really up to scratch.

And no matter what you’re selling – whether it’s fun pool floaties, funky garden gnomes, or eco-friendly fashion – you know you need to rank well on the search engines to reach new customers.

So today I’ll be chatting with my favourite Shopify pro, Kerri Bennett, and we’ll be covering the top ten mistakes people make on Shopify and how you can avoid them.

Tune in to learn:

What Shopify is
The importance of choosing the right theme
Why your theme needs to be mobile-friendly
What benefits Shopify has over WordPress
How to navigate the app store
Why you should be putting more attention into your collection pages
How many H1’s are the right amount.
What steps you should be taking for SEO
Why bigger isn’t necessarily better with your images
When you should upgrade your theme version.
How to preserve your theme before adding new apps or changes.

Useful Resources

Judge.me – Product reviews
Recipe for SEO Success Course
SEO-friendly product description template
GTmetrix – Website performance monitoring tool
Pingdom – Website performance monitoring tool
Lighthouse – Chrome extension
JSON-LD for SEO – Shopify App

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/shopify-seo-top-10-mistakes-to-avoid-with-kerri-bennett/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

TikTok for Business (and the Reels alternative) with Dawn Lewis (NEWBIE) Apr 27, 2021

Using short, snappy videos to your advantage

Tik Tok. It’s the widely talked about short-form video sharing platform.

Most think it’s for bright young things, who can dance about and skateboard off high things.

While it’s mostly known for dance-trends and lip-syncing videos, and being as addictive as sugar-water to a manic hummingbird on a hot summer day.

It’s also hugely powerful for business.

IF… you know what you’re doing.

Today we’re straying from the SEO path to talk Tik Tok and how you can use this to your advantage.

Tune in to learn:

Tiktok: What it is, and how it can help your business
What makes Tiktok unique from other video-sharing platforms
How secure Tiktok is, and alternatives (eg. Reels)
How to get started making your first TikTok
Advice for getting your videos seen
How product and service based businesses can appeal to their audiences

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/tiktok-for-business-and-the-reels-alternative-with-dawn-lewis/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

SEO Forecasting: How to Predict and Plan the Future with Dan Petrovic (NEWBIE) Apr 13, 2021

SEO Traffic Projection for eCommerce Websites

Do you have a crystal ball? Or a set of runes? Or are you pretty dang good at deciphering tea-leaf patterns in your mug?

No? Well if you can’t see the future, how are you going to predict the future of your marketing campaigns?

How are you going to forecast results?

So many humans are blindly executing SEO campaigns, and crossing their toes and bum cheeks for results.

But today I’m talking to one of the SEO greats about how to use human ingenuity, apps, and insight to foresee the traffic your SEO efforts will bring to your website.

Tune in to learn:

What SEO forecasting means
Where to start when planning an eCommerce SEO campaign.
The two main ways to increase your site traffic.
Tips to get more clicks on existing results with Click Through Rate (CTR) Optimisation.
How you can project CTR-based traffic increases.
How you can project future financial gain, and which tools can help.
How seasonality can affect your projections.
The differences between projecting for service-based businesses and eCommerce businesses.

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/seo-forecasting-how-to-predict-and-plan-the-future/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Dissecting the Search Engine Results Page with Alan Bleiweiss (NEWBIE) Mar 30, 2021

What shows up in the results, and why

Ah those pesky Search Engine Results Pages, they seem to change every single day.

And working out what is what can be incredibly confusing for the newbie, and even the oldbie.

Today we’re going to take you through it. Step by step. Element by element.

We’ll name them, explain them and tell you how to optimise for them.

By the end of this episode, you’ll be a SERP Pro!

Tune in to learn:

Which factors impact personalisation.
The increase in ads on Google.
Different Snippet types and how to nab them.
What the local pack is and how it’s influenced by user location.
What the knowledge graph panel is,
Which searches spawn a knowledge graph panel
Alan’s tips for creating a combo with your title tag, meta description, and URL that drive ranking and click-through.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/dissecting-the-search-engine-results-page-with-alan-bleiweiss/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Clubhouse: The Ultimate Guide (NEWBIE) Mar 16, 2021

How to get started, not get stuck in and how to turn it to your digital marketing advantage.

Every now and again I like to stray from the SEO path and talk about other types of Digital Marketing.

Because of course, they all help improve your SEO.

This week it’s a solo episode, with just me, myself, and I, and I want to discuss the new kid on the social media app block.

Clubhouse.

Some of you may already have dipped your toe in the Clubhouse pond, only to discover it’s full of willy-waving 7-figure entrepreneurs, and heart-centred coaches talking about authentic brands.

Some of you might have discovered amazing new connections and chums to banish the loneliness.

Or perhaps you think it’s a social media app too far and really can’t be arsed. Or you’re on Android and just have to wait.

But in this episode, I'm going to give you the ultimate guide to Clubhouse.

How to get started, how not to let it take over your life, and how to turn it to your digital marketing advantage.

Tune in to learn:

What is Clubhouse?
The language and etiquette of the platform
How to get started
How to write your bio
How to moderate a room
How to start a club and moderate a room
Who to follow
How to improve your Clubhouse confidence
How to use Clubhouse to build your brand

Useful links

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/clubhouse-the-ultimate-guide/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Confessions of an SEO Agency founder with Alex Cleanthous (NEWBIE) Mar 02, 2021

Getting the low-down on SEO service providers

In the world of digital marketing, there are oodles of people promoting their SEO services.

Some promise overnight, top-ranking results like a bad pimple-cream ad. “One-time application, the results will shock you!”

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Some will tell you what you want to hear, with the hope that you won’t actually look into the results too closely.

So how do you find a solid, trustworthy SEO Agency? How much SEO knowledge should you have before hiring one?

Today I’m going straight to the source to get the inside scoop from a real, live founder of an SEO agency.

Tune in to learn:

What services SEO agencies provide
How Alex went from an SEO newbie to founder of a digital growth consultancy.
Common misconceptions about SEO agencies
How competitive the world of SEO Agencies is
What to look for in a reputable agency
Red flags to avoid in SEO services providers

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/confessions-of-an-seo-agency-founder-with-alex-cleanthous/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Gavin Hodgins: How I fiddled with my Digital Marketing rudder in 2020 (REALITY) Feb 16, 2021

Navigating stormy business seas, and the importance of coming back to port

In my Reality SEO episodes, I like to focus on real humans grappling with the Google beast and Digital Marketing.

Yes I get lots of marketing professionals, copywriters, and web developers passing through my slippery funnel of courses and resources, but I also get real business humans

Or those who, while they may know how to run a successful business, have studiously avoided dealing with the marketing side of things.

This week I’m talking to Gavin Hodgins, a Recipe course graduate and member of my mentoring community, the Digital Masterchefs.

Gavin runs FloatPac and Floating Solar, and prides himself on being the kind of CEO that gets involved in every level of operations.

Today we’re talking about Gavin’s ongoing relationship with digital marketing, the highs, the lows, and how he’s kept the passion alive all these years.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-gavin-hodgins-how-i-fiddled-with-my-digital-marketing-rudder-in-2020/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

BONUS EP: What happens if Google leaves Australia? Feb 14, 2021

Spreading your digital marketing eggs across multiple baskets

Google has been making headlines here in Australia, the news corporations aren’t happy about the way they pull their stories into the SERPS, and they want a cut of the profit pie.

Google is so far saying no, you want us to pay? We’ll go away.

So what would happen if Google left Australia?

In today’s bonus episode, recorded as a Facebook live in my I LOVE SEO group, I talk about this conflict between Google, the Australian Government, and news websites, and how this affects every business online, including yours.

Tune in to learn:

Why news sites are unhappy with Google
Why Google might pull their services from Australia, and what will happen if they do
Why you should do more for your site than just SEO
Why you should diversify your digital marketing across different platforms
Why you need to build brand recognition by getting your brand seen and heard across the web
Why having back-up marketing strategies is vital

Useful links

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/bonus-ep-what-happens-if-google-leaves-australia/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Best Practice Google Analytics: How to boost your business with Ray Pastoors (TECHIE) Feb 02, 2021

How to find the metrics that matter and not get swamped by data

Google Analytics can feel just a little bit yawn.

Yes, you set it up yonks ago.

And maybe poke around once in a while.

But really?

You’re not doing anything with the data.

In this week’s episode, we’re going to dig deep into Google Analytics, the important metrics, and reports that actually matter.

But more importantly, we’re going to chat about how to interpret the data and turn it in to… yes you guessed it, ACTION!

Tune in to learn:

What is data analytics?
Best practice tips to make the most of your Google Analytics setup.
Which metrics you should pay attention to.
How to make the most of the Google UTM URL Builder to better track your online activities.
Why it is important to use analytics to track your own marketing efforts.
Understanding marketing attribution and the multi-channel funnel attribution tool.

Useful links

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/best-practice-google-analytics-how-to-boost-your-business-with-ray-pastoors/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Super Simple SEO in 2021 with Cyrus Shepard (NEWBIE) Jan 19, 2021

Getting back to basics

So usually around this time of year, I do an SEO predictions podcast.

But you know what I’m over it, the world and their rabbit has an SEO podcast these days, and everyone does a predictions podcast, so no.

It’s not happening here.

And also the predictions are always the same.

Voice search will be bigger. Optimise for EAT. SERPs will change. Schema blah blah blah.

Obviously, we have the page experience update coming in May 2021 but we’ve covered that in our episode with Peter and we’ll do more around that time.

And here’s another thing. The more SEO changes the more it stays the same.

And most people (and yes I know it’s not all) are not even getting the basics right, so there’s no need for them to get sweaty about all the complex next-level stuff.

In this episode to kick off 2021, I’m speaking to one of my fave SEO experts (and one of the few funny ones) Cyrus Shepard about why we should get back to basics with SEO.

Tune in to learn:

Why simple SEO factors matter, and which should come first
Whether you should target keywords
What “fresh” content is
Why unique content is still important
The purpose of crawlability, crawl budgets, and 404 redirects
How relevant backlinks are to Google

Useful links

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/super-simple-seo-in-2021-with-cyrus-shepard/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Grappling Google My Business with Daniel Lamb (NEWBIE) Jan 05, 2021

Simple changes to deliver more customer engagement

By now I’m guessing you’ve probably heard of Google My Business, it’s Google’s free listing for all your business operation information including address details, reviews, posts, photos, and a whole lot more.

It pops up (for most of us) on the right-hand side of the Search Engine Results page when customers search for our brand.

But most of us are just plain lazy when it comes to Google My Business, only entering the most basic of information.

If we invest a little time and effort Google My Business can become a powerful way to increase customer engagement and ultimately make more moolah, and in today’s pod, we’re going to share 10 top tips on how to make your listing pop!

Tune in to learn:

Top 10 Google My Business Tips on:

Setting up your GMB page
Using the category feature
Responding to reviews - good and bad
The benefit of adding images
Why your information should be consistent across platforms and updated
Why the messaging feature is important

Useful resources

Google My Business set up
Citation inconsistency is the No 1 Issue affecting Local ranking
Google My Business Messaging function
Review Trackers Survey
Template to respond to reviews: “Hey, thanks NAME for your review. If you’d like to chat, feel free to call on this number XXXX XXXX. Sorry that you had a bad experience.”

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/grappling-google-my-business-with-daniel-lamb-newbie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Understanding Google’s Web Speed Report with Peter Macinkovic (TECHIE) Dec 15, 2020

Google Page Speed Demystified

Remember the early days of the internet?

Back when bandwidth was a total joke, and every browser took a few minutes to warm up.

It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

These days we have no time for slow sites. And nor does Google.

I want to open 10 different tabs at once and have them all working in less time than it takes a greasy penguin to slide down a hill.

And you guessed it, search engines have a similar opinion when it comes to website speed, so much so that most SEO experts consider it a core ranking factor.

And they try to help us, giving us nifty tools to help us measure and fix our site speed, well they’re kind of nifty, and also kind of impossible to understand!

But fear not, today I’m talking to Peter Macinkovic about how to understand Google’s web speed reports, and how to use them to turn your website turbo.

Tune in to learn:

What site speed reports are
Understanding and interpreting reports
How Google measures the speed
How site speed impacts your Google ranking
Report Opportunities: what they mean and how to enact them
Report Diagnostics: what they mean and how you can adjust your website.
Tips for using Google Page Insights Tool

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/understanding-googles-web-speed-report-with-peter-macinkovic-techie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Split-Testing for Visibility and Conversion Rates with Amanda King (NEWBIE) Dec 01, 2020

Finding the most effective form of your content

Do you ever have trouble making decisions? I know I do.

Should I wear red or blue?

Boots or joggers?

Do I feel like strawberry ice-cream or chocolate?

When you’re trying to pick between two different headlines for a post, or the colour of a call-to-action button on your webpage, the pressure is on.

Suddenly the choice between red and blue could make or break your click-through rate.

Today we’re going to discover exactly how to make that choice through definitive reasoning and results that are so solid you could build an adorable cottage for piglets on them and no wolf could blow it down.

Tune in to learn:

What is SEO A/B testing
Why split-testing is important
How SEO A/B testing differs from Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)
What kind of content you should be testing
Why A/B testing is a must for eCommerce stores
Why SEO A/B testing is a big part of the future of SEO

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/split-testing-for-visibility-and-conversion-rates-amanda-king-newbie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

How To Create High-Converting Sales Funnels with Talia Wolf (NEWBIE) Nov 17, 2020

Keeping Customers On The Line After You’ve Reeled Them In

So there are an awful lot of us doing the do. Standing out the front of our businesses, jumping up and down, and spinning a flashy sign in the hopes that customers will come our way.

But how do you keep your customers’ attention once they do actually show up? How do you lead them in, establish a connection, build trust and of course sell them stuff, and have them come back again and again? How do you lure them into your sticky tube, so to speak?

Today I’ll be addressing all of that with the help of my excellent guest Talia Wolf, as we talk about sales funnels.

Tune in to learn:

What sales funnels are, and how they can convert your customers
What a conversion optimization expert does
How to optimise your landing page without completely redesigning it
Ways to use emotional targeting in your marketing
The purpose of a Thank you Page
Tips for developing your email marketing campaign

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-to-create-high-converting-sales-funnels-with-talia-wolf/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

How Captions Can Dramatically Increase Your Video Audience with Ahmed Khalifa (NEWBIE) Nov 03, 2020

Making your content more accessible

One of the most overlooked factors when it comes to marketing is how well your content is received without audio, according to the World Health Organisation, approximately 5% of the world’s population is deaf or hard of hearing.

But did you also know that around 85 percent of humans watch videos with the sound turned off?

Assuming that sound will be played on your video, or even your podcast and not considering how to make it accessible to those without sound could be a big issue.

So that beautiful video you’ve made might not be getting the love it needs simply because you forgot one vital element. CAPTIONS!

Today I’m chatting to a guest who knows all too well about making sure your words are SEEN, accurately, as well as heard.

Tune in to learn:

What captions are, and why they’re so important
Ahmed’s favourite captioning tools
How YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo handles captions
Should we rely on the platforms for captions?
What people forget about when it comes to having quality captions
Non-video uses for repurposed or reused captions
What to consider when creating captions

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-captions-can-dramatically-increase-your-video-audience-with-ahmed-khalifa/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

REALITY SEO: Finding your Digital Marketing Voice with Jo Violeta (REALITY) Sep 29, 2020

It’s not just business, it’s personal

In my Reality SEO episodes, I like to focus on real humans grappling with the Google beast.

Yes, I get lots of marketing professionals, copywriters, and web developers passing through my slippery funnel of courses and resources, but I also get noobs.

Or those who, while they may know how to run a successful business, have studiously avoided dealing with SEO.

This week I’m talking to Jo Violeta, a marketing manager for her award-winning brokerage, and the host for her home improvement and property podcast.

Jo co-owns Violeta Finance with her husband, a successful mortgage brokerage that really understands the family, community, and small businesses.

Today we’re talking about how Jo markets her business, the tactics and techniques she uses, and the challenges she faces.

Useful resources

Property investment for beginners checklist

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-finding-your-digital-marketing-voice-with-jo-violeta/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Paid Advertising: How To Use Multiple Platforms To Increase Your Sales with Ilana Wechsler (TECHIE) Sep 15, 2020

How to set up the right online campaign for your business

Ads – they’re inescapable. I read once that the average person sees 5000 ads every single day.

What started out on billboards and in newspapers has turned into social media posts and fifteen-second video intros.

More importantly, with an ad, consumers are only ever one click away from the product being advertised. Don’t even get me started on the siren-call of Instagram ads – so many late-night purchases I now regret.

In this episode, I’m going to take you behind the furry curtains of online ads to show you which platforms will really have you strutting your stuff down the marketing cat-walk.

Tune in to learn:

What it means to run a digital marketing campaign
What are the perks of advertising on: ○ Facebook ○ Youtube ○ Google
What are the best marketing strategies for each platform
How many platforms you should target with your ads
Which common money-wasting mistakes to avoid

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/paid-advertising-how-to-use-multiple-platforms-to-increase-your-sales-with-ilana-wechsler-techie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

How To Dramatically Increase Your Ecommerce Sales with Brynley King (NEWBIE) Sep 01, 2020

Wheeling customers all the way to checkout

Selling online is tough. With the big boys like Amazon dominating the results, it can be hard to get eyeballs on your store.

But even if you do win the ranking game, and are getting traffic, how on earth do you get your customers to part with their hard-earned cash?

How do you persuade with amazing product descriptions? What strategies can you use to make the first sale? How do you stop those dreaded abandoned carts and how do you keep customers happy and coming back for more?

Today we’re talking eCommerce conversion optimisation, and how to get that delicious Kerching feeling!

Tune in to learn:

What eCommerce conversion optimisation is, and what it applies to
Key metrics you should analyse when creating an eCommerce growth strategy for your store
How to optimise an eCommerce store’s average order value
Ways to make email opt-ins and pop-ups more effective
Encouraging your store’s email list growth
What steps you can take to spruce up an abandoned cart email sequence
Setting up an email retention strategy that works

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-to-dramatically-increase-your-ecommerce-sales-with-brynley-king-newbie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Grow Your Youtube Channel Through SEO with Tom Martin (TECHIE) Aug 18, 2020

You gotta love YouTube

The expansive pool of cat videos, How To recipes for muffins, music videos and beauty vloggers are an endless source of entertainment. But it can also be an endless source of new clients.

Getting your lovely little face onto people’s screens is a powerful way to help them remember you – and to stick in their blobby pink brain like a lollipop to a car seat in summer.

Today we’re talking about how to come out on top of the Youtube algorithm through the magic of SEOoooo…

Tune in to learn:

Should everyone be on YouTube?
What the fundamentals of a successful YouTube channel are (the three C’s of YouTube).
How to create a YouTube strategy based on Keyword research.
Optimizing your Titles, Tags, and descriptions based on Keyword research.
Improving your click-through rate.
Optimizing for watch time and session time.

2020 eCommerce SEO Trends You Can't Afford To Ignore with Mez Homayunfard (TECHIE) Aug 04, 2020

Lure the SEO beasts your way with freshly optimised juice

Selling your products and services online can be tough.

Every year, new trends pop up like weasels from their little weaselly holes, and we have to figure out how best to wrangle and train them to deliver more SEO juice than our competitors.

But don’t fret!

I have an excellent expert to simplify the eCommerce digital marketing process and highlight what will push you ahead of the game.

Tune in to learn:

How COVID-19 has changed eCommerce SEO
Why SEO is vital to any eCommerce site
How to optimise your images for prime SEO goodness
What new SEO trends have sprung up in 2020
How to come out on top for SEO ranking on Amazon
If content on our own site and on Etsy and Amazon is considered duplicate content
What automation through longtail and AI is, and how it can make a difference to your SEO strategy.

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/2020-ecommerce-seo-trends-you-cant-afford-to-ignore-techie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Your Brand SERP is Your New Business Card with Jason Barnard (NEWBIE) Jul 21, 2020

Scrubbing up your Brand SERP to make a good impression

In this tech-crazed day and age, we often Google first, and ask questions later. When we find new business, product, or service, we want to know what the search engines, and the entire world, think of it. And we want to know NOW.

But more importantly, we want to know the brand behind the product or service. The who behind the what.

And of course, being found for who you are will always be easier than being found for what we do. And that’s where improving your BRAND SERPS can help.

Today I’m chatting with Jason Barnard to find out how you can make your brand SERP as sexy and alluring as a porch light is to a moth.

Tune in to learn:

What is a Brand SERP? Who searches exact match brand names?
What does Google display
Why using the default option isn’t always best.
How to make your SERPs sexier.
How to use the insight gained from your results.
How the knowledge graph can improve your brand SERPs

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/your-brand-serp-is-your-new-business-card/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

The five Cs of Personal Branding with Kat Elizabeth (NEWBIE) Jul 07, 2020

Get your head in the game so you can maintain your brand integrity

Personal branding is scary. You don’t want to step out from behind your brand. And if you do, you have questions.

How much do you need to share? How personal is a personal brand? Do you need a brand for your business and for you? And does it really make a difference to the bottom line? We’ll find out all this and more on today’s episode

Tune in to learn:

Why Clarity is the first step towards building a personal brand
What role Confidence plays in your messaging
Whether Consistency is really important
How to measure the results of your personal branding
What are the downsides of personal branding
What are the positives of personal branding

Useful resources

The Personal Branding Project

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/the-five-cs-of-personal-branding-with-kat-elizabeth-newbie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: How Rudo Makuyana is dipping her toe in the digital marketing pond (REALITY) Jun 23, 2020

Or how to market a podiatry business

In my Reality SEO series, I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS who’ve changed their digital marketing for good and used simple techniques to transform their business and brand.

These shorter episodes will include practical DOABLE advice and tips from people just like you.

Find out how Rudo Makuyana has focused on her Digital Marketing to build relationships, put herself out as the face of her brand, and be more customer-friendly and less medical jargony!

Useful resources

Google my Business

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-how-rudo-makuyana-is-dipping-her-toe-in-the-digital-marketing-pond/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Schema Secrets Revealed with Shay Ohayon (NEWBIE) Jun 09, 2020

Building schema markups: Avoiding the stumbling blocks and taking your websites to new heights

It’s that time again. SCHEMA TIME.

Yes, we’re here for another soiree with Schema.

You’re a little familiar with it at this point. You’ve eyed each-other across the room. You’ve heard your peers mention “markup’’ in hushed, worried tones.

It’s time to get reacquainted with, or meet for the very first time, this dead-handy structured data tool.

I know many of us put Schema in the too hard basket, but no more, I have a very special guest who’s here to make schema as easy as falling off a greasy log.

Even for the technically challenged.

Ready? Let’s get stuck in.

Tune in to learn:

What is Schema, and why is it important?
How to check for pre-existing schema on your website
How schema factors into Google rankings
How to effectively use Schema.org
Why you should be linking schemas, and how to do it
Do it yourself - how to build schema, and how to fix common problems as they arise

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/schema-secrets-revealed-with-shay-ohayon/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

10 small biz digital marketing mistakes – and how to avoid them with Louisa Dahl (NEWBIE) May 27, 2020

Tool free SEO for the budget conscious

When it comes to running your own business we have to wear so many different berets.

We have to be accountants, project managers, salespeople, and digital marketers.

And it’s a tough gig.

So often I see small business owners struggling to master digital marketing, not sure where to put their attention. Not sure what is going to move the needle.

Floundering, wasting money, getting ripped off, missing the basics.

So today I’m chatting with Louisa Dahl from Interactive Minds about Digital Marketing and we’re going to share the top mistake we see every day and how to avoid them.

Tune in to learn:

Why metrics matter
Why you need to know your peeps
How a lack of business confidence could be affecting your digital marketing
Why knowing your numbers is vital
Why relationships count
How to understand yourself and your brand
How to market yourself without arrogance

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/10-small-biz-digital-marketing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them-with-louisa-dahl-newbie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Anu Sawhney: Learning to stand on your SEO feet (REALITY) May 13, 2020

Learning sparkly digital marketing skills

In my Reality SEO episodes, I like to focus on real humans grappling with the Google beast.

Yes, I get lots of marketing professionals, copywriters, and web developers passing through my slippery funnel of courses and resources, but I also get noobs.

Or those who, while they may know how to run a successful business, have studiously avoided dealing with SEO.

This week I’m talking to Anu Sawhney, a Recipe course graduate and member of my mentoring community, the Digital Masterchefs.

Anu runs a successful online jewellery store called Bidiliia, and today we’re going to chat through challenges of Shopify SEO, writing killer eCommerce product descriptions, brand building, and how to make customers feel loved.

Useful resources

Bidiliia Website

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-anu-sawhney-learning-to-stand-on-your-seo-feet/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Marko Wittich: The Secrets of Shopify Success (REALITY) Apr 21, 2020

How Campfire Treats become top dog in Google

In my Reality SEO series, I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS who’ve changed their digital marketing for good and used simple techniques to transform their business and brand

These shorter episodes will include practical DOABLE advice and tips from people just like you.

This week we’re talking to Marko Wittich, who runs a Shopify website for his business Campfire Treats. I’ll admit it, Marco is one of my star students, he put so much work into the course, turned up to every coaching call and asked oodles of questions.

And guess what? It paid off.

Get ready to be blown away by his amazing results.

Useful resources

Google Search Console

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-marko-wittich-the-secrets-of-shopify-success/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

How to do SEO without the fancy tools with Saijo George (NEWBIE) Apr 15, 2020

Tool free SEO for the budget conscious

One of the hardest things about DIY SEO is affording all the tools.

We have the big three software Moz, Ahrefs, and SEMrush, and now oddles of up and coming brands.

On top of that, there are tools for keyword researching desktop tools like Screaming Frog and so many more. And it all adds up, especially if you’re a solo business person.

But what if there was a way to do DIY SEO without spending all that cash.

Today we’re talking about how to do your SEO without the fancy tools.

Tune in to learn:

We will look at how to use the browser and the built-in dev tools to get some SEO work done:

Do we need fancy tools
What are his top free tools
How do we test speed without a fancy tool
How do we test crawlability
How to we check ranking and keyword data
How do we check backlinks

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-to-do-seo-without-the-fancy-tools-with-saijo-george/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Webinar 101: How webinars can boost your business with Omar Zenhom (NEWBIE) Apr 01, 2020

How to make webinars your number one lead generation tool

Webinars. I've done a few before, but I must admit I've never quite been 100% sure if they work.

Are they the secret to wonderful lead generation or are they a little bit worn out and not working quite as well as they used to?

Well, today I'm honoured to have Omar's Zenhom from WebinarNinja on the show, to give us the lowdown on webinars for beginners, and also some tips for the more advanced amongst us.

Tune in to learn:

How to get started with your first webinar.
How to use webinars to build your email list
Why webinars are the #1 sales conversion tool for any product
How to market your webinar for free- How to use webinars as a product to sell your audience
How to use webinars as a customer retention tool Avoiding rookie mistakes
Different and new ways to do a webinar to appeal to different audiences
Tips for the non-tech

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/webinar-101-how-webinars-can-boost-your-business-with-omar-zenhom-newbie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

What happens when everybody's website is fixed with Jono Anderson (NEWBIE) Mar 17, 2020

Today I’m talking with Jono Alderson. Jono is a digital strategist at Yoast and also a bit of a wise old sage in the world of SEO, he’s not actually that old, but he has an air of Doctor who about him if you ask me.

I saw him present at Yoastcon last year and his talk about the future of the internet and Google searches was, without doubt, my favourite speech at any conference I’ve ever been too. High praise right?

So today on the podcast I wanted to ask Jono a big question. We’re all working on our websites, right? Some DIY, some splashing big bucks, the platforms are working to improve, the plugins, the browsers, the search engine.

So what actually happens when all our websites are fixed? What will we do then?

In this episode, we'll think about the future… and what it means for the average Joe or Johanna.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/what-happens-when-everybodys-website-is-fixed-with-jono-alderson/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

How to win featured snippets: the Ultimate Guide with Britney Muller (NEWBIE) Mar 03, 2020

Featured snippets, some love them, some hate them.

For some, they’re a chance to grab position zero and end up at the tipperty top of the Google results even when competing with the big boys.

For others, they’re Google scraping our content and denying us click-throughs.

Today we’ll talk through what Featured Snippets are, the different formats, and what tactics you need to use to nab them, and whether they really are good for branding, click through and conversion.

Tune in to learn:

What are featured snippets
Types of snippets (old and new)
What triggers Google to show a featured snippet
Benefits beyond ‘position zero’
How being featured relates to traffic and click-through
Why voice search is important
How to get there, and make it ‘work’ for you

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-to-win-featured-snippets-the-ultimate-guide-with-britney-muller/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

How to launch and run a successful online course with Sam Winch (NEWBIE) Feb 18, 2020

And why great courses are not passive, they’re supportive

People say that everyone has one good book in them. Can we also say this of ecourses? Can anyone turn the raging tsunami of knowledge in their head into a loving pool of learning and resources?

Having created oodles of online courses myself, it’s a question I get asked a lot. Along with, what makes a successful course? How much support do I need to give? How do I price it? What software should I use, and so much more.

So today we’re straying from the SEO path, onto the road of Digital Marketing and talking all about creating ecourses.

Tune in to learn:

How to leverage your existing content
How to make your content easy to consume
Why getting the damn thing “online” is the hardest part of
launching your online course
What’s the “right” opt-in for your course
Live launch vs evergreen course
How much support your course needs to give
How to price your course
Why perfection isn’t necessary but basic requirements must be met

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-to-launch-and-run-a-successful-online-course-with-sam-winch/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Amy Annetts: How to be a truly holistic marketer (REALITY) Feb 04, 2020

Or, why SEO must be part of your marketing strategy

In my Reality SEO series, I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS who’ve changed their digital marketing for good and used simple techniques to transform their business and brand.

These shorter episodes will include practical DOABLE advice and tips from people just like you. Find out why Amy Annetts, already a successful business marketer, decided she had to learn SEO, what were her biggest learnings and her two top tips for small businesses.

Useful resources

Google Search Console

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-amy-annetts-how-to-be-a-truly-holistic-marketer/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Belinda Austin: Know yourself. Know your audience. Build your brand. (REALIITY) Jan 21, 2020

How a non-techie marketing manager transformed her business

In my Reality SEO series, I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS who’ve changed their digital marketing for good and used simple techniques to transform their businesses and brand.

These shorter episodes will include practical DOABLE advice and tips from people just like you. Kate Toon chats with Belinda Austin Marketing manager of 6ft6 wines about how to build a brilliant brand with SEO.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-belinda-austin-know-yourself-know-your-audience-build-your-brand/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Digital Marketing Predictions for 2020 (NEWBIE) Jan 13, 2020

My low down on what’s coming our way this year

Today I’ve dusted off my crystal ball and I’m sharing my predictions for how the digital will develop in 2020,

What’s going to happen in the world of Google?

What should you as business owners, bloggers, entrepreneurs, word press developers, copywriters and marketeers be concentrating on?

Which platforms should we be using?

What are the big trends?

And what can we PLEASE ignore!

I'll also explain what I'm focusing my efforts on for my six, or is it seven, websites in 2020.

Tune in to learn:

Why position zero matters
What BERT means for user optimisation
How EAT is going to impact your business
How to have a bold brand that stands for something
Why your UX can't SUX
Why you need to get your bots ready
How video is going to change your business life

And my biggest overarching trend for 2020... #showthechaos

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/digital-marketing-predictions-for-2020/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Introduction to Series 2 Nov 28, 2019

In this episode, Kate Toon explains what's coming up in the newly revamped Recipe for SEO Success podcast Series 2 is going to be bigger, better and a little more regular.

How Agencies can suck less with Mathew Cocciardi (NEWBIE) Sep 17, 2019

Let’s be honest, most of us are scared of SEO agencies. We’ve heard too many horror stories.

Of people being bamboozled, misled, ripped off and left with sites riddled with dodgy back links, poor optimisation and woeful rankings.

So what do we do? How can we learn to trust SEO agencies again, and more importantly how can SEO agencies Suck less.

Today, I’m chatting with Mathew Cocciardi, who was a little burned by his SEO agency experience – and sharing some hot tips on how to ensure, if you’re looking for an agency, you find a good one. And if you are an agency you sustain a good reputation.

Tune in to learn:

What led Mathew to seeking an SEO agency for help
What you should have set up before contacting an agency for SEO assistance
The key things to look for when choosing an SEO agency
How important is it for you as a customer to know SEO terminology
“Red flag jargon” you should look out for
How you can participate in the ongoing process
The best way to know your money is being spent well
Alternate models: What they are and the benefits of each

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/how-agencies-can-suck-less/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

International SEO: A beginner's guide with Nitin Manchanda (TECHIE) Jun 25, 2019

Preparing your website for Global SEO domination

International SEO is the process of optimising your website so that search engines can easily identify which countries you want to target and which languages you use for business.Most of us struggle with getting to rank locally, so do we really need to care about international SEO? Well if a good share of your website visitors are coming from a different country to where you’re located then it might be the right time to think global.In this episode I’ll be chatting with Nitin Manchanda - an International SEO expert, about everything we need to know to get our global SEO in tip top condition.

Tune in to learn:

When should you worry about international SEO.
How to structure your site for International SEO best practice.
What is Geotargeting and how should you be using it.
What to look out for when formatting your site for a country.
Which signals Google uses to understand the countries you’re targeting.
The importance of backlinks on international SEO.
Tips on how to win links in other countries.
How to handle local search engines like Yandex in Russia and Baidu in China.
Tips on international SEO for e-commerce businesses.
What are the biggest mistakes businesses make with International SEO.
The best ways to measure your international SEO success.

Useful resources

Moz International SEO Best Practices
The Guide to International SEO – Just getting acquainted with international SEO? Start here.
The International SEO Checklist – Aleyda Solis walks you through everything you need to know to get started with international SEO.
International SEO – Google Technical Support

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/international-seo-a-beginners-guide/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

What’s your number one digital marketing tip? (NEWBIE) Jun 18, 2019

I was lucky enough to present at Yoastcon in the Netherlands, so thought I’d do a special live episode interviewing all the smart people there and asking them their number one Digital Marketing tip for this year

Many of these awesome humans will also appear on a future episodes of the podcast so stay Tooned for those episodes too.

Tune in to learn:

What is DSA?
How to find out what's holding your customers back
What's the most important aspect of branding?
What are progressive web apps?
How digital marketing is converging.
Why you need to get rid of some of your pages
Why you need to take a step back to look at your values
Why page speed still matters
What's the biggest thing with WordPress site's coming up?
Why it's better to follow the path less trodden

Bing Introduction with Fabrice Canel (NEWBIE) Jun 04, 2019

Why you shouldn’t ignore this search engine

Bing is often overlooked here in Australia, with a low market share of only 3% (according to Statcounter.com) is it really worth the effort?

In this podcast with Fabrice Canel from Bing, I discover some interesting features of Bing, and some amazing tools to help you with your whole DIY SEO approach.

Tune to hear why you need to give Bing a second look.

Tune in to learn:

What is Bing’s Market Share in Australia?
Is doing SEO for Bing the same as doing SEO for Google?
What role does Schema play with Bing?
Does Bing use Meta descriptions to rank sites?
Does Bing use speed as a ranking factor?
Does Bing care about secure sites?
What can Bing Webmaster tools help us with?
More about Bing’s SEO analyzer
Tips on setting up Bing Places Profile
What’s the best way to check rankings on Bing?
Where is Bing focusing resources in the next year?
What Fabrice recommend as your first three steps with Bing?

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/bing-introduction/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Crawl efficiency: How to help Google slip through your site with David Pagotto (NEWBIE) May 14, 2019

Crawlability is super important for your website.

Ensuring humans and those sticky little Google bots can slip through your site like a damp otter down a pipe is crucial.

We don’t want duplicate content and we don’t want oodles of pointless pages and archives being crawled.

We want slick, efficient, uber crawlable websites and today we’ll be going through how to make that dobable.

Tune in to learn:

What crawlability is and why it matters
The meaning of crawl budget
How often Google crawls your site
How you can get Google to crawl your site more
The key elements of crawlability
How to handle password protected content
Zombie pages and how to deal with them
Best tools to crawl your website
How to handle 404s and 301 redirects
Dealing with duplicate content

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/crawl-efficiency-how-to-help-google-slip-through-your-site/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Digital Marketing Q&A with Rand Fishkin (NEWBIE) Apr 30, 2019

I was lucky enough to chat with one of my SEO heros Rand Fishkin in my I LOVE SEO Group on Facebook recently.

Not only was Rand my first ever guest on the podcast, he's also been a huge influence on my SEO career and a veritable font of knowledge and ideas.

I was super excited to share the stage with him at Yoastcon recently where we discussed all things Digital Marketing - and he was generous enough to offer to share his thoughts with my students and DIY SEO Learners.

It's a great episode that covers a range of topics and challenges a lot of traditional ideas about what SEO really means, and how to be successful in digital marketing in 2019. Enjoy!

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/digital-marketing-qa-with-rand-fishkin/

Freebies:

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From Storytelling to Selling: Developing a Full Funnel Video Strategy with Ben Amos (NEWBIE) Apr 16, 2019

How having a solid video strategy can turn your stories into sales

Video has been around long enough now that people have cottoned on to it being a great tool for business. Everyday, I see more and more people getting in front of the camera to share their stories and expertise. And everyday, there’s an increase in below average videos being posted across the interwebs.

Today, I’m joined with Ben Amos to help you combat the battle of the average. Ben we’ll explore why Video strategy is the game changer and how you can use one to stand out from the masses.

Tune in to learn:

How push through not wanting to make videos at all?
How to come up with good story ideas
The types of content that help build awareness
Content that converts on video
What the structure is of a great video
Things to avoid when storytelling
The seven types of story
Easily accessible tools for creating killer videos

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/from-storytelling-to-selling-developing-a-full-funnel-video-strategy/

Freebies:

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Influencer Marketing: A beginners how to guide with Jeff Bullas (NEWBIE) Mar 31, 2019

How to find influencers and make them work for your business.

You might have heard the term influencer marketing.You might think all it involves is hot girls in bikinis on instagram clutching your product and charging you $1000 for one insta story.But it’s a teeny bit more complicated than this.An enhanced form of relationships marketing Influencer marketing can help boost your brand through the power of personal recommendation, it can get your products in front of new eyeballs, build trust, and ultimately drive conversions.It can also be a bit flat flop!

In this episode I chat with highlighly acclaimed digital marketing expert Jeff Bullas on how to get started in the somewhat scary world of Influencer marketing.

Tune in to learn:

What influencer marketing actually is
How influencer marketing works
How effective influencer marketing can be
What are the different types of influencers
What does an influencer actually do
How much does it cost
How to contact an influencer
How to know if your campaign has worked?

Useful Resources

Influencer marketing guide

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/influencer-marketing-a-beginners-how-to-guide/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

The Ultimate Content Marketing Q&A with Tim Soulo from Ahrefs: Episode 2 (NEWBIE) Mar 12, 2019

How Tim deals with haters and what he’d change about Ahrefs

So in this second part of the Tim Soulo interview, we are moving away from talking about content marketing. You can head back to the first episode hear all Tim's amazing tips on that.

And instead we're going to talk about the Ahrefs tools, what it does, and also some kind of sticky questions which I'm wondering if Tim is going to be comfortable answering.

We have some questions for Tim himself about what it is to be a well-known figure in the SEO industry. So this is going to be a great episode. Get your ears ready.

Tune in to learn:

What personal skills have given Tim the edge
How Tim deals with online abuse
What does Ahrefs do that no other SEO software does
Why doesn’t Ahrefs have an affiliate program
Why Tim chose Ahrefs over any other software company
What’s the one thing Tim would change about Ahrefs

Useful resources

9 Things only Ahrefs can do

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/the-ultimate-content-marketing-qa-with-tim-soulo-from-ahrefs-episode-2/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

The Ultimate Content Marketing Q&A with Tim Soulo from Ahrefs: Episode 1 (NEWBIE) Mar 05, 2019

Also, why Tim is going to live in the woods and work on his beard

Content marketing is something we know we should all do, but it’s so overwhelming many of us don’t know where to start. So today, I’m delighted to have Tim Soulo from Ahrefs on the podcast, he’s Marketing lead for this leading SEO software Tim and his team consistently pump out amazing shareable content that builds brand awareness and authority.

In this episode I’ll grill him with questions from you, the erstwhile listeners of the Recipe for SEO Success podcast, about content marketing, the Ahrefs tool set and his own personal experience as a leading figure in the SEO world.

Tune in to learn:

How often you should publish and update content
Are blogs a thing of the past
Will links become a thing of the past
What questions Tim asks his writers to produce great content
What has been Ahrefs most effective lead generator

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/the-ultimate-content-marketing-qa-with-tim-soulo-from-ahrefs-episode-1/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Andrew Lau: The secret to my skyrocket SEO Success (REALITY) Feb 12, 2019

How SEO made Andrew a better copywriter and a better dad.

In the Reality SEO series I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS who’ve worked hard to learn more about the wonderful world of SEO. They're all graduates of my Recipe for SEO course and all real business people, not SEO gurus.

Andrew Lau worked as an agency producer before deciding to take a leap into SEO copywriting. He knew that a high Google ranking was the key to keeping his phone ringing, so he dove in deep did the work and moved his website from page 100 to page 1. Right behind me! The student becomes the teacher or what?

He shares what learning SEO has meant to him and how ultimately it's helped him become a better dad.

Tune in to learn:

The pros and cons to working in agencies
The four pillars of SEO
What Andrew believes is the number 1 key to SEO success
How SEO helped Andrew become a better dad.
Why Andrew believes Google My Business is so essential

* Warning Andrew swears a lot!!

Useful links

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/andrew-lau-the-secret-to-my-skyrocket-seo-success/

Freebies:

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KonMari your site structure With Marieke Van de Rakt (NEWBIE) Feb 05, 2019

Make your site easier for customers and Google Gods to navigate

Many people think of SEO as an afterthought.

You build your website and then smear a thick layer of SEO icing over the top.But SEO is not the icing on the cake, it’s the cake itself.

Structuring your website well is essential for both usability and findability, not only does it help your customers find the content they need, it helps Google understand your site better.

In this week’s podcast, I’m honoured to have Marieke Van De Rakt on the show to take us through how to create a defined site structure that woos humans and the Google gods.

Tune in to learn:

Why Site structure is so important for your website
How to set up a good website site structure
Tips for structuring your homepage
Tips for structuring your navigation
What is cornerstone content and is it still a thing?
How to use taxonomies effectively
Marieke’s tips on contextual linking
How often should we be adding new content to our websites
Marieke’s top DON’Ts when it comes to site structure

Useful Resources

Yoast Site structure how to

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/konmari-your-site-structure-with-marieke-van-de-rakt/

Freebies:

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Reality SEO: Josie Brown: Do WordPress Developers REALLY need to know SEO? (REALITY) Jan 22, 2019

In the Reality SEO series I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS who’ve transformed their businesses with simple digital marketing and SEO techniques.Included in this episode are their practical doable tips and advice you can implement today.

Josie Brown is an Australian WordPress developer who wanted to feel confident about building SEO websites from the get go - not just installing Yoast and saying ‘DONE’.She talks us through the common issues she finds, image optimisation, speed and plugin problems.

Tune in to learn:

Can you develop a website without understanding SEO?
Choosing a bad domain name
Common image optimisation mistakes
Site speed issues and how to fix them
Plugin problems - which ones play well together
How having a group of peers to talk with has changed Josie’s business
What WordPress developers charge

Useful links

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-josie-brown-do-wordpress-developers-need-seo/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

SEO in 2019: The essential guide with Cyrus Shephard (NEWBIE) Jan 08, 2019

Cyrus Shepard gives the inside scoop on Search for 2019

It’s been a busy year in SEO land. With more algorithm updates than you can shake a stick at.

The Search Engine results pages are unrecogniseable, Google My Business gets sexier each and every day and conversational search is on the up, as we’re able to use pretty much every device in the house to browse the interwebs.So how can us lowly small business owners, bloggers and ecommerce store owners prepare for the year ahead?Can we peer into oh crystal balls and see what Google has in store?

Well today I’m talking with SEO guru Cyrus Shepard about what we should expect for Search in 2019. So if you want to get ahead of the competition, this is the episode for you.

Tune in to learn:

The importance of branded search
Schema and what you need to know
Is AMP here to stay
How can we take advantage of conversational search
What’s the deal with the ever-changing SERPs
Why site architecture is still important
Is speed still important?
Do we need to build links in 2019?

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/seo-2019-essential-guide-with-cyrus-shephard/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Using Google Tag Manager with Nik Cree (TECHIE) Dec 18, 2018

How Google Tag Manager can make your life easier

Google Tag Manager is every data lovers best friend. It’s been around for a while but many of us shy away from it due to fear of it being over techy. Can it really help me? Is it just for the big guys? What on earth is it really good for?

Today I’m talking to Nik Cree, the GTM master, about the insight and integration benefits of Tag Manager and how it can be an asset to your overall SEO and marketing strategy.

Tune in to learn:

What Google Tag Manager is
What GTM is useful for
How to access GTM
How to hook up GTM to your WordPress site
If you should remove other tagging plugins
Things GTM tracks
What Google Tag assistant is
The biggest problems users have with GTM
Tracking button clicks and video views

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/using-google-tag-manager-with-nik-cree/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO: Dom Kimber How I realised that SEO was not beyond my grasp (REALITY) Dec 11, 2018

Real life business owners explain their Digital Marketing secrets

Dom Kimber is an SEO copywriter based on the Sunshine Coast, not only did she build her own website but she grappled the Google beast, boosting her knowledge and confidence.In the Reality SEO series, I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS for who’ve transformed their businesses with simple digital marketing and SEO techniques.

With practical doable tips and advice you can implement today.

Tune in to learn:

How Dom overcame her fear of SEO
How Dom built her own SEO friendly website and saved big bucks
Dom’s and Kate’s top tips on writing killer titles and meta descriptions
Dom’s number one tip for small business owners thinking about getting started with SEO.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-dom-kimber-not-beyond-my-grasp/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

What is Google Optimise and why use it?: Q+A with Olga Summerhayes (NEWBIE) Nov 20, 2018

Olga shares the ins and outs of Google Optimise

Google loves to surprise and delight. It keeps us on our toes with surprise algorithm updates and plenty of features to help improve search. One of these additions is Google Optimise which came out a couple of years ago, but honestly I don’t think many people are using.

The big questions are “What on earth is it? And how is it useful to SEO?”

Today, Olga Summerhayes is joining me to answer both these questions and provide a map to help us navigate the world of Google Optimise.

Tune in to learn:

What Google Optimise is, when it was created and what it's useful for
How to access Google Optimise
Olga's 10-step Google Optimise process
Different tests you can do with Google Optimise
Working with A/B testing
Setting objectives
Targeting with Google Optimise
How to locate the results
Can you start it up again or do you have to recreate each time?
Google optimise 360 vs Google Optimise
Olga's top Google Optimise tips for best practice

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/what-is-google-optimise-olga-summerhayes/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO - Donna Webeck: Niching for more client calls (REALITY) Nov 13, 2018

Real life business owners explain their Digital Marketing secrets.

In my Reality SEO series I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS for who've changed their digital marketing for good and uses simple techniques to transform their business and brand. These shorter episodes will include practical DOABLE advice for real life humans (not lofty abstract tips that require 40 hours a week of effort and a $100k budget).

Find out how by specialising and niching Donna transformed her business, reached the top of the rankings for her chosen keywords and now her phone WILL NOT STOP RINGING (seriously it rang 3 times during the podcast I had to make her sit on it).

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-donna-webeck-niching-for-more-client-calls/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Advanced Keyword Research techniques: Q+A with Dido Grigorov (TECHIE) Nov 06, 2018

Dido Grigorov shares his advanced tactics for keyword research

Keyword research is essential to SEO, there ain’t no ifs or buts about it. However keyword research can feel like falling down the rabbit hole, blindly stumbling about, confused by the data and ending up choosing a random phrase out of sheer exhaustion.

Most of us know the basics. But what about the advanced techniques that the pros use?

Today I’m talking to Dido Grigorov on becoming advanced keyword research superstars. He’s going to show us how to find exactly what we need and how to avoid the rabbit hole..

Tune in to learn:

When detailed research is most important
Dido's process for determining synonyms and related phrases
How find find what keywords to target in a competitive market
Do free keyword tools really compete with paid tools?
Ranking for keywords on site with high competition
How do you balance catchy headlines with practical keywords?
Using primary and secondary keywords in titles
Using worldwide keyword data

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/advanced-keyword-research-techniques-dido-grigorov/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO – Paula Glynn: Understanding your clients to increase traffic (REALITY) Oct 23, 2018

Real life business owners explain their Digital Marketing secrets.

In my Reality SEO series I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS for who've transformed their businesses with simple digital marketing and SEO techniques. With pratical doable tips and advice you can implememen today Paula Glynn is an SEO and Digital Marketing strategist, who found that be really understanding how her customers talk, and reflecting that language back to them, she was able to rank higher, drive more traffic and convert more customers.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-paula-glynn-understanding-your-clients-to-increase-traffic/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Content Marketing: Basic to Advanced Techniques with Shannon Morrison (NEWBIE) Oct 16, 2018

Shannon Morrison reveals the best kept content marketing secrets

Content marketing can feel overwhelming, there's so much you can do, but what should you be doing?

Joining me today is Shannon Morrison, not only is he incredibly lovable he’s also a genius when it comes to all aspects of content marketing.

Whether you’re just dipping your toe into the content marketing pool or you’ve been attempting to swim in it for a while, this pod is for you.

Tune in to learn:

What content marketing is
How to find your audience
What goes into creating content
The types of content you can create
Top mistakes people make with developing content
Simple vs advanced content
Planning a good content approach
Developing a long term content strategy, including basic and advanced content options
How SEO factors into a content strategy
Helpful tools when developing content

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/content-marketing-basic-advanced-techniques-shannon-morrison/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO – Kate Merryweather: Reducing speed to capture more leads (REALITY) Oct 02, 2018

Real life business owners explain their Digital Marketing secrets.

In my Reality SEO series I interview REAL LIFE HUMANS for who've transformed their businesses with simple digital marketing and SEO techniques.

These practical episode include real life advice for real life humans.

My third Reality SEO guest is Kate Merryweather

Kate has worked hard on her SEO to optimise her site, and one her biggest wins was reducing her site speed from a bloated 13 seconds to a lean mean speedy machine of 3 seconds.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-kate-merryweather-reducing-speed-to-capture-more-leads/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Yoast: Your questions answered with Joost de Valk (NEWBIE) Oct 01, 2018

Joost gives us the low down on Yoast and what’s coming in the future.

Yoast is my favourite SEO plugin for WordPress.

I use it on all my business websites and yes, I have eight.

And I advise all my students to do the same. In my opinion, it's crucial for a great SEO strategy. So why Yoast?

And what makes it great?

Today, we're going to find out some secret Yoast tips that you can use to boost your SEO because we are talking with the man himself, Joost from Yoast is here to answer questions and explain how to use Yoast to its full potential.

Tune in to learn:

Why Yoast is called Yoast
How Joost going into WordPress plugin Development
Why Joost thinks Yoast is the best SEO plugin
Why Yoast has so many effing updates!
Why the Traffic light system is not a golden bullet
How Yoast work with Google, the other big plugins and themes to ensure their updates work
Big changes coming to Yoast 9.0 with linguistic morphology features
Yoasts sexy new Gutenberg features
How Joost handles social media attacks
Who's speaking at the upcoming YoastCon event
What Joost thinks will be the big thing for SEO in 2019.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/e35-yoast-your-questions-answered-with-joost-de-valk/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Reality SEO - Jenny De Lacy: Usability for better conversion (REALITY) Sep 04, 2018

Real life business owners explain their Digital Marketing secrets.

So today I'm starting something new.

I'm interviewing REAL LIFE HUMANS for my podcast who've changed their digital marketing for good and uses simple techniques to transform their business and brand.

These shorter episodes will include practical DOABLE advice for real life humans (not lofty abstract tips that require 40 hours a week of effort and a $100k budget).

First off the rank Jenny De Lacy.

Jenny explains how some simple usability changes improved conversion on her home page, encouraged more sign ups to her lead magnet and ultimate drove more sales.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/reality-seo-jenny-de-lacy-usability-for-better-conversion/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Practical Schema implementation: Q+A with Nikola Minkov (TECHIE) Sep 04, 2018

Nikola Minkov shares his best tips for implementing Schema

Schema. When I first heard about Schema I could feel the terror from my chest to the bottom of my bottom. What is Schema? Do I really need it? Can’t I just pretend it doesn’t exist?

Lucky for me, all my fears have been allayed as in this week’s pod Nikola Minkov breaks Schema down. We run through the A to Z of Schema, ways you can implement Schema now where you’re a beginner or a pro. If you feel the Schema terror or are simply intrigued and want some solid Schema strategies, this pod is for you.

Tune in to learn:

What is Schema?
Why is Schema important?
What are the benefits of Schema markup?
Great Schema plugins
Are plugins or manual Schema best?
What is Google’s structured data testing tool?
Schema troubleshooting
Schema Q&A from the digital masterchefs.

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/practical-schema-implementation-qa-with-nikola-minkov/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Local SEO: Q+A with Tim Capper (NEWBIE) Aug 14, 2018

Tim Capper answers our burning Local SEO questions

Local SEO and the mysterious local pack. We all yearn to crawl our way in and mostly, we fail. What is the secret to mastering local SEO? In this week’s pod we put our burning Local SEO questions to the master. We run through the best strategies to make it into the local pack and how to widen your local search opportunities. If you’ve spent many night trying to conquer the beast that is Local SEO, this pod is for you.

Tune in to learn:

Can I optimise for “near me” searches?
How to compete with big city level searches
Is putting more than one suburb in title tags and meta descriptions a good idea?
How do I know if I’m ranking in the local pack?
The best way to differentiate Google My Business clicks to other click throughs to the website in Google Analytics
How to prepare for voice search queries

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/local-seo-qa-with-tim-capper/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Update: What next for the Recipe Podcast? (UPDATE) Jul 25, 2018

Since I started my pod, not one but 4 of the big SEO software companies have started their own podcasts.

They have money, high production values, teams, audio people, dancing girls and lazers.

I have me, in a hut, with a really annoying dog next door who never stops effing barking.

I've been sketchy with my schedule. I've wondered if it's worth it. I've had horrible bouts of imposter syndrome.

But today I got a huge boost because not only did the spokesperson for GOOGLE recommend my podcast, but one of the most popular SEO news sites published a link to my podcast.

It's reinvigorated me to keep on going with the pod. And to make some changes.

10 easy ways to improve your Mobile Optimisation for beginners with Tom Casano (NEWBIE) Jun 19, 2018

Practical tips for normal humans

As you’ll know, if you listened to the podcast with John Mueller, Google has moved to a mobile first index.

So what does this mean for you small business owner?

Must you burn your site to the ground and start again?

Must you pay big bucks to your website developer to do all the things?

Must your site be faster than a otter sliding down a greasy tube?

Well no, and yes. And a bit more no.

In this episode we’re going to pass on 10 easy ways to improve your site’s mobile optimisation.

So oil up your ears people, it’s going to be fun!

Tune in to learn:

What mobile first means
Why Mobile optimisation is a top priority for all businesses
Important tips to improve speed
How to make your site touch screen ready
How to handle font and contrast issues
The importance of usability
What to do with pop ups
Why click to call is essential
Great tools to test out your site

Useful Links

Google’s typography guidelines for Android.

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/10-easy-ways-to-improve-your-mobile-optimisation-for-beginners-with-tom-casano/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Voice Search: What is it and how to make it work for your business with Eric Enge (NEWBIE) May 23, 2018

Learn the ins and outs of voice search and the potential for your business

Voice search is a speech recognition technology that allows users like you and me to perform searches via a voice command. Voice search can be used with smartphones and other small web-enabled devices.

It’s hard to say exactly how many search queries are voice-based since Google doesn’t publish that exact information regularly.

But we do know that it’s rising and that soon, voice searches may represent the majority of total searches.

In this episode, I’m going to uncover everything there is to know about voice search and how it’s changing the world of SEO.

Tune in to learn:

What voice search is and how it works
Why voice searches are on the rise
The positives and negatives of voice search
How Google generates the results for voice searches
Will voice search completely change the market for normal SEO services?
Will voice search cause normal SEO services to eventually become obsolete?
How do you optimize website content for a voice search?
What is the next big thing for voice search?

Useful Links

Answer the Public

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/voice-search-what-is-it-and-how-to-make-it-work-for-your-business/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

GOOGLE Q&A with John Mueller (NEWBIE) May 07, 2018

We get the inside track from Google themselves

Google, it’s a mystery - right? What the hell to they want from us? What fiery hoops must we force our websites to jump through to meet their never-ending list of demands?

And why do they keep changing things?

But rather than pull your hair out and mutter swear words under your breath, I have a solution for you. We can ask GOOGLE what they’re up to.

That’s why I’m super super delighted to have John Mueller back on the show today for a Google Q&A.

Tune in to learn:

Why most websites don’t have the basics covered
John Mueller’s top recommendation for ecommerce stores to increase visibility on Google
The importance of the H1
What’s the best way for ecommerce sites to use Google My Business?
How big your service area should be
If Google will ever offer SEO certification
Whether Google has too much power
And other super important Google questions

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/google-qa-john-mueller/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Mobile First with John Mueller (NEWBIE) Apr 09, 2018

Best practices and what it means for your business website

On Monday, March 26, 2018 Google announced that after a year and a half of careful experimentation and testing they’re migrating sites that follow best practices for mobile first indexing.

The much talked about Mobile first index is finally here.

But what does this mean for the average small business website owner?

How will this site affect their web traffic, and what changes do they need to make to their websites to ensure they maintain their rankings, today I’m talking with John Mueller from Google all about this momentous change.

Tune in to learn:

What does mobile first indexing mean
Why Google are making this change
What are the best practices for mobile first sites
What impact will mobile first have on the average business website owner
Is having a responsive site enough
How important is speed when it comes to mobile sites
And other super important Google questions

Useful Links

Google’s Mobile first announcement

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/mobile-first-with-john-mueller/

Freebies:

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PR: Using the media to boost SEO with Mez Homayunfard (NEWBIE) Mar 05, 2018

How to boost brand awareness and links with PR

You might not realise it but PR and SEO go together like jam and scones.

While some people like to keep their digital communications in neat little pots, the truth is that the lines are very much blurred these days.

If you can write a press release that generates real media coverage, it will boost your SEO efforts with traffic, awareness and those all-important links.

So how can small businesses and DIYers use PR to boost their SEO?

In this episode of the podcast I’m talking with Mez about how his agency uses press coverage and PR to build Google juice for their clients, and how you can too.

Tune in to learn:

What PR is
What influence outreach is
Why PR helps SEO
Mez’s tips for building media awareness
Mez’s tips for influence outreach
How Mez measures PR and SEO success

Useful links from this pod

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/pr-using-media-boost-seo/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Site migrations: How not to lose your rankings with Jason Mun (TECHIE) Feb 19, 2018

Top tips on how to make your migration stress free

Okay, so it’s time to make big changes to your website.

Perhaps you want to move to a new platform. Or finally change from HTTP to HTTPS. Perhaps you’re changing your domain name.

While this might be great for business, it’s important to understand just how big of an impact a poorly managed site migration can have.

Get it wrong and you could take a big fat hit in the wiggly bits when it comes to site traffic.

So in this episode of the podcast I’m talking with Jason Munn about how to ensure your site migration goes without a hitch.

Tune in to learn:

The different types of site migrations
When is it a good idea to migrate
The possible impact of poor migrations
Jason’s top migration tips
Kate’s top migration tips

Useful links from this pod

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/site-migrations-not-lose-rankings/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Domain Authority: is it a big fat lie? With Ross Tavendale (TECHIE) Feb 05, 2018

What it is, why it’s helpful and if it’s even real.

So if you’re been studying SEO for any period of time you’re likely to have come across the phrase Domain Authority. It’s a term coined by Moz, the SEO software company, and they use it as a metric of a site’s ability to rank against its competitors.

But while many swear that the concept of Domain Authority is real, many more assert there’s no evidence such a thing exists. In fact, you’ll find many of the more ranty SEO types getting really angry when it’s mentioned.

So in this episode of the podcast I’m talking with Ross Tavendale about Domain Authority, what it is, why it’s helpful and if it’s even real.

Tune in to learn:

What is Domain Authority?
How you can use it to measure performance?
Whether Ross thinks DA is real?
What is SEO Juice?
Why do we need no follow links?
What is Page rank?
If DA is real, how do we build it?

https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/domain-authority-big-fat-lie/

Useful links from this pod

MozBar (a free Chrome-extension)
Open Site Explorer (a backlink analysis tool)
Gary Illyes Domain Authority is not a metric
Google Trust
Killing Giants – Ross’s article
Majestic SEO

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/domain-authority-big-fat-lie/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Social media: Does social media help SEO; the definitive answer with Craig Campbell (NEWBIE) Jan 22, 2018

Does more likes equal higher rankings?

Social media is so much fun, and such a giant time sucker.

But does it really have any impact on your Search Engine Optimisation and ability to rank?

Social signals and their importance in relation to rankings is something that’s been hotly debated for years. There are lots of people is the YES camp and about the same number in the NO camp.

In today’s episode, we’re going to dig a bit deeper into the relationship between social media and SEO. And I hope that by the end of the episode, we’ll be able to be 100% clear on whether social media metrics have a direct impact on rankings.

So, if you’re a Facebook fan, Instagram addict or Pinterest tragic. This is the episode for you.

Tune in to learn:

Does social media directly influence rankings?
What do SEOs mean when they talk about causation and correlation?
Do links from social media count as much as links from a regular website?
Does the number of followers I have on Instagram, or Facebook influence how Google sees my website?
How can I use Twitter to boost my SEO?
Does posting on Google+ help improve my ranking?
How do I optimise my social profiles for SEO?
Is traffic a ranking factor?
Does boosting posts help?
Does using scheduling for social media posts hurt SEO?
How can we use social media to improve our SEO?

Useful links from this pod

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/social-media-social-media-help-seo-definitive-answer/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Forget AMP. Make fast sites! with Jon Henshaw (TECHIE) Jan 09, 2018

Why you need a fast site, not an AMP site

These days, everyone in the SEO cafeteria is talking AMP, AMP, AMP.

It’s been around for a time, and while some earlier pioneers have tried to make it work (me), many failed (also me) and have given up. So, when I saw the title of Jon Henshaw’s presentation at the recent Brighton SEO event ‘ FORGET AMP. MAKE FAST SITES', I thought my prayers had been answered! No need for AMP? That’s why, today, I have Jon on the show to give us the low down on AMP and speeding up websites.

Tune in to learn:

What is AMP?
Why AMP might not be great for your website
Why we need fast sites
What’s the ideal loading time
Advanced site speed improvement tips
How to improve your site’s images
How improving your site’s UX can help speed things up
What is prefetch and how does it help
What is Gzip and how does it help
Jon’s favourite site speed testing tools

Useful links from this pod

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/forget-amp-make-fast-sites/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

BONUS: My 2018 SEO predictions (Newbie) Jan 03, 2018

Today, I want to talk about my SEO predictions for 2018.

What’s going to happen in the world of Google?
What should you as business owners, bloggers, entrepreneurs, word press developers, copywriters and marketeers.
What should you be concentrating on?
And what will I be focusing my efforts on for my six, or is it seven, websites in 2018?

Knowledge Graph 101: What is it and how to make it work for your business with Bill Slawski (NEWBIE) Dec 12, 2017

And how to enhance your business results

The Google Knowledge Graph is a system that was launched in May 2012. It understands facts about people, places and things and how these entities are all connected.

The Knowledge Graph is used both behind-the-scenes to help Google improve its search relevancy and also to present Knowledge Graph boxes within its search results that provide us consumers with direct answers.

You and I know the Knowledge Graph as the little box/panel or card that appears on the right hand side of the Results page or at the top of the results below the AMP carousel on mobile devices.

So, as small business DIY SEOers, how can we use the Knowledge Graph to our advantage?

Today, I’m talking to legendary SEO guru Bill Slawski to get the lowdown on all things Knowledge Graph.

Tune in to learn:

What is the Google Knowledge Graph?
What does ‘things not strings’ mean?
Why the Knowledge Graph is important for your business
How often do Knowledge Graph cards show up
The anatomy of the Knowledge Graph card
How to enhance your results
Does the Knowledge Graph actually damage our site?

Useful links from this pod

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/knowledge-graph-101-make-work-business/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Landing pages: How to optimise your landing pages to drive more revenue with Arnout Hellemans (NEWBIE) Nov 22, 2017

Hacks and tips on creating a super smooth funnel

We all know how important our landing pages are. The internet is full of articles hacks and tips on how to create a super smooth funnel, killer Calls to Action and they all promise that if we get our landing optimisation right – we’ll be winner customers faster than a well oiled otter sliding down a pipe.

But how does landing page optimisation relate to SEO and what are the really important things we need to be thinking about when we optimise our pages.

Today I’m talking to Arnout an online marketeer from Amsterdam into SEO, Analytics and Conversion – he’s an all round SEO and landing page optimisation whizz.

Tune in to learn:

Anout’s definition of a landing page
Does traffic from paid search perform the same way as traffic from organic search
The 3 essential ingredients for a tasty landing page
The best colour and copy for a Call to Action button
Whether it’s a good idea to remove navigation from our landing pages
How can we assess our landing page’s performance
Common landing page mistakes
Average conversion rates
And much much more

Useful links from this pod

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/landing-pages-how-to-optimise-your-landing-pages-to-drive-more-revenue/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

DIY SEO: Real small businesses celebrate their SEO Success (NEWBIE) Oct 31, 2017

How to get to grips with Google when you're going it alone.

When I spoke to Rand Fishkin way back on Podcast episode 1 (when I didn't even have a podcast and honestly just wanted an excuse to talk to Rand Fishkin) I asked him if he thought it was truly possible for small business types to do their own SEO.

He replied that yes it was possible, but they wouldn't be doing SEO at the same level as some highly paid Search Engine Optimisation guru.

And I couldn't agree more, we've had some amazing experts on this podcast already and their level of knowledge is EXTREME.

But can a small business handle the basics, even the intermediate requirements of a good solid SEO strategy?

In this episode I talk to four small business owners who have decided to take control of their own SEO. - and find out whether it's a been a SEO success or a giant fail.

Tune in to learn:

What struggles each business were facing before they DIYed their SEO
What key learnings they have had along the way
What improvements they've seen so far
There number one SEO tip

Take the next step

Ready to get started with SEO? Here are a few things you can try…

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/diy-seo-real-small-businesses-celebrate-their-seo-success/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Wix versus WordPress: which is better? (NEWBIE) Sep 12, 2017

I compare cost, designer, optimisation and more

If there’s one thing I get asked by my SEO students at least once a week, it’s ‘Are Wix websites any good for SEO?’

And I get it. Wix is an easy to use platform that allows even the least technical beast to build a site quickly and easily.

I know that you want it to be great for SEO – because then life would be so much easier. But is it?

In this episode I’m going to compare both platforms and give you my honest opinion about whether Wix is really SEO-friendly, and how it compares to my favourite platform: WordPress.

Tune in to learn:

My previous experience with Wix.
How Wix stacks up against WordPress in terms of:
- Cost
- Usability
- Optimisation
- Design
- Plugins and apps
- Shops
- Support
- Maintenance

Useful Links

Page speed on Wix

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/wix-versus-wordpress-which-is-better/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Duplicate content: how to find it, fix it and does it really matter? (NEWBIE) Jun 22, 2017

Let’s bust the myths and focus on fixes

The words “duplicate content penalty” strike fear in the hearts of business owners.

And there are a lot of myths surrounding this topic so today we’re going to bust some. In this episode I’m going to take you through what duplicate content really means, how to find it, the different types of duplicate content and some easy fixes.

"Duplicate content generally refers to substantive blocks of content within or across domains that either completely match other content or are appreciably similar. Mostly, this is not deceptive in origin…..”

Tune in to learn:

What is duplicate content?
Is there a duplicate content penalty?
How can duplicate content impact your website?
What are the different types of duplicate content?
Some useful duplicate content finding tools
How to fix duplicate content issues.

Useful links from this pod

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/duplicate-content-how-to-find-it-fix-it-and-does-it-really-matter/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Facebook optimisation: Understanding the Facebook news feed algorithm with Marie Page (NEWBIE) Apr 04, 2017

AboutHow to get your content seen without paying for ads

Facebook - it’s the social media platform we love to hate.

Business page owners will know the struggle of trying to cut through the noise and get your posts seen. Some statistics say that even with the people who’ve taken the time to like your page, could only be seeing 2% of your content.

So how does Facebook’s news algorithm really work and what do we need to understand to get our content seen by more potential customers - without having to pay for ads. Today I’m chatting with Marie Page, Author, Speaker and Co Founder of The Digiterati about Facebook’s mysterious algorithm.

Tune in to learn:

What percentage of your fans will see your content
How the Facebook algorithm works
How Facebook measures interest in the page
How Facebook measures post performance
Which types of content work
Why recency is a key factor in Facebook
Whether Hashtags work on Facebook
Marie’s number one tip for business owners

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/facebook-optimisation-understanding-facebook-news-feed-algorithm/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

SPEED: How to speed up your sluggish website with Vahe Arabian (TECHIE) Mar 07, 2017

Create faster site that Google can’t help but love

We all know the feeling as we wait, and wait, (and sometimes wait some more) for the page to load. Do we hang around or do we click away and find a faster site? Well Google feels the same way, the school of thought is that while Google doesn't reward faster sites, it probably doesn't give slow sites a whole lot of love and this could see them slipping down the ranks.

In this episode I chat with Vahe about simple tips we can use to speed up our lazy old websites.

Tune in to learn:

Why having a fast site is important?
What is the impact of having a slow site
What is a fair load time benchmark for a small business website
Which Content Management System is the fastest
Our favourite speed testing tools
What is caching and how to does it help
How to reduce server response time

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/speed-speed-sluggish-website/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Content Marketing: 10 easy tactics for beginners with James Norquay (NEWBIE) Feb 21, 2017

How to boost awareness and sales without selling

So today we’re talking all about content marketing, how to use blogs, videos, graphics and other media to increase sales, improve customer loyalty, drive awareness and get a better return on your investment.

it’s a pretty big subject and can sometimes feel a little overwhelming, but don’t worry we’ve got ten simple tactics you can start using today.

So if you want to learn and how to stimulate more interest in your products and services and build rapport and authority with your customers, this is the show for you.

Tune in to learn:

What content marketing is
What benefits content marketing has for your business
Kate’s five favourite content marketing hacks
James’ favourite content marketing hacks
Content marketing tips and advice

Useful Resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/content-marketing-10-easy-tactics-beginners/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

ASK GOOGLE: Q&A with John Mueller (NEWBIE) Jan 24, 2017

What does Google have planned for 2017?

We all love Google, but sometimes as a business owner if can feel hard to actually talk to a real Google human!

So I was delighted to get the opportunity to chat with John Mueller, Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google. Yes a real live Google human!

John is someone I’ve been following for a long time, he provides excellent advice and answers to people all around the worlds so I’m super happy to have him here on the show.

Today John is going to be answer questions from students of my SEO ecourse, and I LOVE SEO community as well as giving us exclusive insight into what Google has planned for 2017.

So if you want the inside track on all things Google this is the show for you!

Tune in to learn:

Whether Google really wants to penalise websites.
What impact does Social media have on SEO.
How often you should update your pages and posts.
Do exact match domains impact ranking.
Why doesn’t Google use my Meta Descriptions.
Is it better to get lots of links from one domain or from multiple domains.
What’s the best long term SEO tactic.
Are Wix websites good for SEO.
What are the common SEO mistakes most websites make.
John’s one piece of advice for small businesses
What Google has planned for 2017.

Take the next step

Ready to get started with SEO? Here are a few things you can try…

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/ask-google-qa-john-mueller/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Google Penalties: The facts from an insider with Andre Weyher (BASIC) Jan 17, 2017

Andre Weyher shares his advice and tips on how to avoid and deal with penalties

Google Penalties, two words that strike fear into the hearts of Small business owners everywhere. There are so many myths and so much misinformation about Google Penalties that I wanted to clear it up - and so I’m speaking today with Andre Weyher, a long time internet buddy and an ex Google person!We’re going to take you through the ABCs of Google Penalties, why they happen and how to deal with them. According to Matt Cutts there are over 400,000 manual penalties that are applied every month, so this is important stuff people.So if you’re scared you’ll one day get a smack on the bottom from the Google gods, this is the episode for you.

Tune in to learn:

The latest SEO news: Artificial intelligence
What is a Google penalty
What sorts of things cause a Google Penalty
How do you know if you have been issued a penalty
How long Google gives you to fix the problem
What are the first steps you should take if you have received a penalty

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/google-penalties-facts-insider/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Backlinks: What to do when good links go bad with Sha Menz (TECHIE) Jan 10, 2017

A chat with SEO expert Sha Menz

In this week’s podcast we’re talking about links, but not just any old links. BAD LINKS and we’re going to explain – what to do when good links go bad.

There are lots of reasons that you can find bad links pointing to your website, perhaps you paid for some cheap links on Fiverr, perhaps you used a dodgy SEO company or maybe they just showed up and you have no idea how. Today with the help of Sha Menz I’m going to tell you how links can negatively affect your ability to rank, how to find them, and how to fix them.

Tune in to learn:

The possible impact of having a bad link profile
How to find out which sites are linking to your website
How to review links and decide which ones are ‘bad’
What to do with bad links
How to deal with links you didn’t build
Whether multiple links from one site is a good or bad thing
Whether reciprocal linking is good for your website

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/backlinks-good-links-go-bad/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Google My Business: tips and strategies to boost your business with Tim Capper (NEWBIE) Dec 06, 2016

Tim Capper shares his Google My Business wisdom

Google My Business, we all know it’s an awesome way to promote your business locally, but why does it have to be so dang complicated? In this week’s pod we to tackle all the basics of Google My business as well as some top advanced tips. It’s the perfect pod for newbies wanting to set up a Google My Business page, and established businesses who want to make sure they’ve ticked all the boxes.

Tune in to learn:

The latest SEO news
What Google Business is and the benefits for your business
What type of page you should set up
How to manage multiple location businesses
What to do if you don’t have a store front
What essential info you need to include in your Google My Business page
Common issues and mistakes
How to contact Google when things go wrong

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/google-business-tips-strategies-boost-business/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

SEO TOOLS: The good, the bad and the crappy! With Aidan McCarthy (TECHIE) Nov 22, 2016

Which is the best tool for small business DIY SEOers?

In today’s episode taking a look at some of the popular SEO tools on the market. Not with our SEO Consultant hats on but with our small business hats on.

Good SEO tools don’t come cheap and as a small business owner, trying to either manage their own SEO or at least take an interest in what their SEO agency is up to, it can be hard to decide which tool is best.

Today we’re going to look at the pros and cons of each tool and the cost involved, to help you make a more informed decision.

Tune in to learn:

Which tools are the best for keyword research
Our favourite tech analysis tool
The best backlink tool
The overall winner of our fave SEO tool discussion

Useful resources

BEST SEO TOOLS REVIEW

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/seo-tools-the-good-the-bad-and-the-crappy/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Usability and SEO: Optimising your website to nurture customers with Woj Kwasi (NEWBIE) Oct 31, 2016

How to improve user experiences and convert more customers

In today’s episode we’re talking all about optimising your website to make it a better experience for your customers. We know it’s important to rank number one, but what if when you hit the top spot, and the traffic starts coming it’s still not converting? This could be to do with having a confusing website that the users struggles to understand. According to Marketo 96% of customers who come to our website are not ready to buy? So in this episode we’re going to find out why and fix the problems.

Tune in to learn:

How user journeys work
Great tools to track your customers’ journey
Common user experience mistakes
Our tips on how to improve the user experience on your site
Which questions you should be asking your users

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/usability-and-seo-optimising-your-website-to-nurture-customers/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

eCommerce SEO: 6 silly mistakes you should avoid with Aaron Agius (NEWBIE) Oct 25, 2016

Tips and tactics to improve your online store SEO

On today’s podcast, we’re talking about some of the mistakes the ecommerce store owners make with their SEO. This is a cautionary tale that will hopefully help you avoid making the same errors.

Tune in to learn:

Exactly how long your product descriptions should be
Why you’re probably choosing the wrong keywords to target
Why product reviews are super important
How to deal with duplicate content issues
The one area of eCommerce websites that most people forget
How to intelligently name your product images.

Useful resources

UberSuggest
Thesaurus.com
Aaron’s article: Examining Common Sense: Data Driven Research Into Blog Audience Behavior

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/ecommerce-seo-6-silly-mistakes/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

My SEO Story: How I succeeded in SEO and how you can too (STORY) Oct 18, 2016

A true story of my SEO failures and successes

I love a good 'How to' podcast, I love finding out new SEO tips and tricks and sharing them with my listeners. But sometimes it's interesting to hear about how someone put those tips into ACTION and today that someone is me. Please note; This is a new type of pod episode (with improved sound!) and the end of the video podcasts.

Tune in to learn:

How I got started with SEO
The tactics I used to boost my SEO know-how
The challenges and negativity I faced along the way
Why great SEO tools are not the solution
The importance of experimentation, making mistakes and listening to Google
How and why I started the Recipe for SEO Success eCourse

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/my-seo-story-how-i-succeeded-in-seo-and-how-you-can-too/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Dodgy SEO: 6 tricks that might put you in Google's bad books with Andrew Raso (NEWBIE) Sep 27, 2016

Why these old blackhat SEO tactics are not a good idea

Kate chats with Andrew Raso about some of the dodgy SEO tactics that rubbishy SEO companies use to try and get your website ranking. Some are old school, some are blackhat, all of them are a big fat waste of time.

Tune in to learn:

Why buying backlinks isn’t a great idea
Whether commenting on blog posts adds value
Why buying lots of domain extensions is kind of pointless
The pros and cons of article submissions
What text you should use when linking back to your website.

Useful resources

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/dodgy-seo/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Google AMP for Small Business with Dawn Anderson (NEWBIE) Sep 14, 2016

Why Google AMP should be at the top of your SEO to do list

Kate chats with Dawn Anderson about Google AMP and how Google AMP will change mobile search and why it should be a top priority for all small business websites.

Tune in to learn:

What Google AMP is
How Google AMP works
What Google AMPed pages will look like
How Google AMP impacts your ability to rank?
Is Google AMP something we should tackle now or can it wait until later?
How to implement Google AMP on WordPress sites
The best Google AMP plugins
How Google AMP will impact eCommerce platforms

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/google-amp-for-small-business/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Schema explained with Tony McCreath (TECHIE) Sep 07, 2016

How structured data can help your website rank

In this episode, Kate chats with Tony McCreath about Schema or Structured data and how it can make your website easier for Google to understand and index.

Tune in to learn:

What Schema is
How Schema works
Examples of Schema in action
What impact Schema has on your ability to rank?
Different types of schema
The impact Schema has on shopping and ecommerce sites
How Schema links into Google shopping
How Schema helps with Google local
How to test your Schema

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yVa59kngQo

Useful resources

Moz guide to schema and structure data : A great guide from the guys at Moz.
Google Intro to structured data : The official word from Google.
Search Console Structure Data Report : Check your Structured date in Search Console.
Googles Structured Data Markup Helper : This tool will help you create basic Schema markup for several use cases.
MozBar : Double-check your structured data markup and redirects with this toolbar from Moz.
Google Webmaster forum for Structured data: Where the structured data geeks hangout, including Tony!

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/schema-explained-tony-mccreath/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

WordPress SEO with Peter Mead (NEWBIE) Aug 24, 2016

Kate chats with Peter Mead about WordPress SEO, why WordPress is a great platform, useful plugins, common pitfalls and essential fixes.

Tune to learn:

What WordPress is and why it’s awesome
The pros and cons of Yoast
What Yoast does and how to use it
Other great WP plugins
How often should you update WordPress
The best way to handle Google AMP
The importance of resetting your permalinks
Common WordPress mistakes

Take the next step

Ready to get started with SEO? Here are a few things you can try…

More training

In the podcast we mentioned changing your Permalinks. You’ll find a tutorial on how to do this right here.

Tools, websites and articles mentioned:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqK0rZcGGcw

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/wordpress-seo-peter-mead/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Rand Fishkin: SEO for small business (NEWBIE) Aug 10, 2016

Recently I was lucky enough to score an interview with one of my all-time SEO heroes, Mr Rand Fishkin from Moz.com.

I asked him a heap of useful small business SEO questions, and yes, even asked how he felt being an SEO heart throb!

Is it possible for small businesses to DIY their SEO?
Other than Moz and of course the Recipe for SEO Success, what are your other favourite SEO education websites? Resources?
What are you top five tools that every search marketing or digital marketing business type must use?
If you only had a few hours a week to spare in which to focus on SEO and marketing, what would you spend it doing? Building links or creating content?
There are only so many phrases and only 10 spots on the first page. Does there come a point where SEO just won’t work in a crowded market?
What role do spelling mistakes play in SEO, would having lots of typos in your copy impact your potential to rank?
Why is it so hard to rank for a keyword with a new page when you’re already ranking for it with an existing one?
Does social media impact my ranking? And which social media channel should I invest my time in?
What tips for an AU business wanting to appear in the US rankings?
How will live streaming affect SEO?
Do weak pages on your site damage the strong pages, should I kill off all my weak pages?
What was the one business decisions (mistakes) that you wish you could go back and change?
The truth is you’re a little bit of a heartthrob for many female (and possibly male) SEO types. How do you cope with that kind of attention?

Tools, websites, and articles mentioned:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW5tOXslB5Q

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/seo-small-business-interview-rand-fishkin/

Freebies:

Sign up for the Recipe for SEO Success Course

Barry Schwartz: Getting to grips with Google (TECHIE) Aug 10, 2016

Today I'm interviewing a very well-known name in SEO circles, Mr Barry Schwartz. the news editor of Search Engine Land and owns New York web consultancy Rusty Brick. He also runs very popular blog Search Engine Roundtable which is known for its coverage of SEO, SEM and all things online marketing.

Tune in to learn:

Your articles on Search Engine Land are the source of truth for my SEO experts and beginners. But whose articles do you regularly read and who are your sources of truth?
What are your top five tools that every search marketing or digital marketing business type must use?
John Mueller has recently come out saying lots of things don’t influence (or have a very small influence on) ranking as much as we thought. Keywords in URL, reviews on local search, outbound links, title tags. But in practice, lots of these things do seem to influence the results. What are your thoughts on this?
Also with all these things not being factors, what still IS a factor; just the content on the page and back links?
There’s a lot of confusion out there on page rank; what is it and is it still a thing?
There’s also a lot of confusion around HTTPS versus HTTP and whether everyday sites need to make the shift. How important do you think it is to improving your ranking chances?
For a small business person, what would be your top three things to focus on when starting out with SEO?
Where do you see SEO heading in the next couple of years?
You’re kind of the official translator of what Google puts out there, explaining it in normal human terms for the rest of us. Is that a bit of a heavy responsibility?

Tools, websites and articles mentioned:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0uZAPegkMo

Head to episode notes: https://therecipeforseosuccess.com/getting-to-grips-with-google-interview-with-barry-schwartz/

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Neil Patel: Content marketing made easy (NEWBIE) Aug 10, 2016

Neil Patel is an entrepreneur, angel investor and analytics expert, he's also the founder of KISSmetrics, Crazy Egg and the hugely popular website Quick Sprout. Neil is a prolific blogger, he's blogged about everything covering marketing, SEM, SEO, Social Media, you name it and Neil and his team have probably blogged about it.

How do you produce so much content?
I know that longer posts and regular posts work better, but how is a small business person meant to write a 3,000 word blog post every week?
When it comes to off page SEO, which tactic do you think is most powerful?
How will the potential 10k tweets (the fact that they're talking about increasing the character count) affect seo?
Do we have to get experts to write all our blog posts?
Ranking isn't everything, what other key performance indicators should we look at to track success?
If you could only choose one marketing tactic or maybe one marketing channel, which would it be and why?

Tools, websites and articles mentioned: