694 | Trusting AI in the SERPs? w/ Mark Williams-Cook & Jack Chambers-Ward

Andrew "Optimisey" joins the EDGE team this week, covering just a fraction of the hot digital marketing news. There's so much happening, it was tough to pick but we settled on these headlines to get to you. Covering news from Search Engine Roundtable and Brodie Clark, with a hot take on Google's playground, we finished with a hearty Happy Birthday to an 18-year-old SER! Thanks, Barry, for these past 18 years of reporting! [00:02:01] Political ad changes at Google for 2022 [00:08:20] Google is testing a lot of their own real estate on the SERP [00:14:40] The Volatility of the Dec 2021 Product Reviews update continues [00:21:04] Happy 18th Birthday to Search Engine Roundtable [00:24:37] #SEOChat 1 PM EST - Products, Reviews, and your GBP: Hosted by: Riley Hope @reillyhope13 [00:25:17] WEIRD SEO: John Mueller on SEO to quote Jurassic Park: Just because you can, should you?

7 Joulu 202127min

Mordy's back from vacation and we're covering his review of the November Core Algorithm update from Semrush. We're back to trolling each other with the regular jabs. Covering news from Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land this week. [00:04:21] The Mobile-First Indexing Deadline is Gone. [00:09:12] How Does One's Site "Fit Into the Internet" [00:21:57] Discussing the November 2021 Core Update with Mordy

1 Joulu 202135min

Darren Shaw of Whitespark.ca joins the EDGE again (been a while) to discuss Local SEO, Google Business Profile as well as his annual Local Search Ranking Factors survey from 40 of the top Local SEO professionals in the business. Get up to date on what affects local search engine optimization and where Entity SEO works into the Local SEO concepts, today on the EDGE. [00:05:02] What Does Whitespark Do for Companies? [00:07:05] QR codes are back! [00:08:52] Stats on Local Search [00:10:43] In some industries, Google drives upwards of 90% of all of their business. [00:13:12] Google as your new homepage, care of Mike Blumenthal  [00:15:17] In the past 6 years, Google has been rolling out a ton of incredible features [00:17:51] What are the first steps you help a business owner understand in Local SEO? [00:18:52] What is the top local search ranking factor? [00:21:29] Three Pillars of Local Search [00:23:04] What are citations? [00:26:14] Consistency is a myth in Local SEO [00:28:08] Local SEO = Entity SEO [00:30:02] Get the keywords in the review! [00:31:57] The Local Search Ranking Factor Survey [00:39:02] Keywords in the Business Name?  Seriously, Google?

26 Marras 202148min

Jason Barnard and Lily Ray join Erin Sparks on an EDGEFlash - a breaking digital marketing news episode. When it happens, we will get it to you as soon as possible! We uncovered a relationship of factors that lead us to believe that this is not just another core update! Breaking news, here on the EDGE! [00:02:24] The social media outcry regarding the November Google Core Algorithm updates [00:03:32] Ray: This is a tricky update due to the holiday season [00:05:28] Ray: How the Volatility Tools Work [00:06:39] Barnard: Does Dictionary site visibility increase = new entity knowledge? [00:09:08] Barnard: Completely new: core algorithm updates and knowledge graph update together [00:10:52] Barnard: 8% rise in the number Rich Elements [00:11:43] Increase in "People Also Search For" to 21% [00:12:34] BREAKING NEWS: People Also Search For + Dictionary ranking spikes + Knowledge Graph Entity growth….Google's more confident, folks! [00:14:57] Ray: Intense shifts can change because of current events [00:17:57] Words of advice from Ray and Barnard

24 Marras 202121min

Covering a lot of (Site)Ground here on the show today with Erin Sparks and Mordy Oberstein. Learning about the carbon emission expense of IndexNow, SiteGround sites being deindexed from a 4-day DNS outage and how machine written content may not be so bad in the future. Bonus on this episode: see Erin lose it when Mordy calls our toll-free number for the podcast. That's conversion optimization, baby! [00:06:11] Will Google use Microsoft's new IndexNow protocol? [00:11:30] A four-day outage at SiteGround is over, but still recovering. But Google dropping indexing in that short of time? [00:18:15] So Google has talked about how machine written content is currently against Google's guidelines, but someday it might not be. [00:23:14] Bonus: Mordy dials our toll-free number and we discover that it is taking faxes…...only faxes. Listen to Erin lose it…..

16 Marras 202126min

Mordy missed this episode! Please publicly shame him, if you would! We covered pretty important news - GMB is gone! What's in a name, really. The news is really about the changing way to edit your Google Business listing, and what is going away. More news to check out from Search Engine Land and Search Engine Journal today on the EDGE. [00:03:15] Goodbye Google My Business! [00:07:42] Google tells us where we should put our videos for maximum exposure [00:14:25] We've got a new Page Speed Insights version and [00:18:14] Incoming is a Page Experience Update coming to Desktop!

10 Marras 202122min

In our second segment of our Victor Zhitomirsky interview, we unpacked the caching and optimization tools available to help speed up your websites. Understanding the part that JavaScript plays in the rendering speed is a must. We dive into difference caching systems and hosting providers, arming you with an incredible set of options to future-proof your site speed. [00:07:12] Caching and Optimization tools for your WordPress site [00:08:30] What to look for in optimization and Javascript delay tools [00:09:17] Branching Javascript loading is the future of the Wordpress ecosystem [00:10:44] Page build platforms: which are the heaviest JavaScript load? [00:14:30] Will speed be a ranking signal in the future? [00:16:12] The new ecosystem of page-builder tools & Google's reward. [00:17:59] If we can't rebuild, what should we be looking for in caching tools? [00:22:11] Caching is not caching anymore [00:25:35] Comparing hosting providers

4 Marras 202133min

We go "Meta" on today's episode. Mordy wants to rename our firm's name, Jacob wants to rename Indianapolis, Erin renames Morday, it's all-Meta All-the-time today on the EDGE. Find out our take on Facebook-to-Meta, Google's evaluation on spammy links and domains and, yup - a take on the AMP debacle, yet again. Stories covered from SEL, The Verge and SER today on the EDGE. [00:04:57] What if the meaning of a name, was the meaning of the name? Facebook is now Meta. [00:12:33] Is Google ignoring spammy links? Or not…? [00:21:16] We're re-evaluating usage of AMP- Maybe you should too.

2 Marras 202132min