308 | How to Use Data Analysis for SEO w/JR Oakes

Let's regroup. Erin Sparks, Mordy Oberstein and Andrew "Optimisey" Cock-Starkey hold the first EDGE of the Web SCRUM to discuss the growing concern of Google Search dominance and content aggregation overreach. Is Google taking too much of our own content for its uses? Where do we, as content providers, stand when it comes to our goals of visits to our websites as opposed to data purveyors to Google? Is there a Plan "B"? Welcome to the SCRUM! [00:05:48] Perspectives of Google domination [00:09:40] Taking you away from websites and keeping you on the SERP itself. [00:14:28] An old media consumption pattern [00:16:10] Is Google taking too much? [00:19:44] Google Ads eroding away the separation of Ad versus Organic [00:26:35] Are they giving us what we're asking for? [00:29:45] Can Google be replaced?

16 Sep 202139min

Olga Zarzeczna appeared on the SEO radar in August of 2020 with an incredible series of contributions to the community. With incredibly crafted posts such as "Technical SEO Audit (188+ Steps)" and "SEO Audit Tools: 65 Tools For SEO auditing" and spending upwards of 40 - 60 hours of meticulous writing, Olga is clearly defining herself as a thought leader in our digital marketing community. Give a listen as we go through her SEO Audit Tools list as Erin tries not to be a SEO Veruca Salt! [00:11:49] The Fail of SEO Auditing: Relying on a Single Tool Too Much [00:16:47] What Factors Kept Some Tools Out of the List? [00:20:19] First Tools: Errors, Warnings and Notice Audit Tools: Screaming Frog and Site Bulb [00:24:16] A Focus on the Semrush SEO Technical Audit Tool [00:25:29] The Requirement of SEO and Site Context When Reading Audit Results [00:28:24] On Crawl [00:29:00] Net Speak [00:30:28] DeepCrawl: The Enterprise-Level SEO Audit Tool [00:32:34] AHRefs Website Analysis Tool: Best Site Monitoring Tool [00:34:20] Check My Links [00:35:12] Link Redirect Trace [00:36:01] Why Javascript Rendering Analysis is So Important as an SEO Audit Tool [00:38:20] Log Analyzer Tools: Why is it so important to focus on the logs? [00:40:30] Volatility Sensors [00:44:37] Great Guidance: How to Start Your SEO Audit Process

16 Sep 202146min

Mordy and Erin tear into the topics this week (except for the Google Algorithm changes this weekend...missed that). We even got Mordy to pipe in about Google Ads, great info about impression-only data from your ads. The State of SEO 2021 from Search Engine Journal was The guys cut up again, so dive in today! [00:03:23] Twitter's Communities might be different - and have better context [00:08:37] Historical Query Data without Clicks from Google's Search Terms report [00:15:34] Search Engine Journal's State of SEO 2021 Report

14 Sep 202126min

We continue our conversation with Kristina Azarenko, educating people through her SEO Challenge (#SEOChallenge). We break down some of the learning blocks when it comes to SEO and how to navigate your continued education inside of the organization you work for. Improving the value or your own SEO skill sets is just as important as the SEO talent you bring to your company. [00:03:08] The John Mueller tweet that should be heard around the SEO world. SEO audit tools create "Hundreds of Recommendations. Most of these are not going to be relevant to your sites" [00:07:32] Do we need to shield our clients from spam notifications of SEO issues? [00:14:05] Lack of Structure is your enemy. [00:18:17] SEO knowledge structure should be like shelves [00:21:29] How do you keep learning a priority, in an agency or organization [00:27:40] Bringing value to yourself, not just the company you work for.

11 Sep 202139min

Carolyn Lyden drops in on the EDGE team to discuss her recent article that has the SEO industry looking at our relationship with Google. We're part of the business model, right? We continue to talk about the Google SERP Title debacle as well as other news items of the week. [00:02:36] GMB posts can actually now appear on third party sites without your knowledge. [00:04:17] Google dropped HTML title tags usage by 77%! Analysis from Mordy of Semrush. [00:11:32] Carolyn Lyden chimes in on her own article. Discussing the Google/SEO relationship.

1 Sep 202131min

In this episode, of which the SERP Title is yet to be determined by Google, we have a special guest with us to interpret the hot mess of Title replacements by Google.  Lily Ray, Senior Director, SEO & Head of Organic Research at Amsive Digital reviews her recent article, her observations and the SEO climate at hand.  This is NEW, folks. And it is an Earthquake. [00:02:55] Holy Jumbled Titles, Batman! What is Google doing?! [00:19:01] Google Search Console has Cross-Language Results [00:20:36] Timestamp Previews and Translated Captions coming to YouTube

23 Aug 202133min

With Kristina Azarenko educating people through her SEO Challenge (#SEOChallenge), we thought it would be great to get her and Erin Sparks together to talk about how SEOs can stop chasing perfection. Plus, any of our listeners can use the code EDGE at her course's checkout to receive a special surprise—she didn't pay us to promote; we just love it and want to pass it along. [00:07:54] Starting SEO with the right mindset. [00:00:00] Is there a particular attitude that we should have while performing SEO? [00:16:06] Obsession can be a good thing at times, but "out-of-context" panic on technical SEO issues are harmful [00:16:37] Reactive SEO - Is it worse that FOMO? [00:22:31] Agency SEO starts with communication and a deeper understanding. [00:24:01] Setting SEO priorities.

20 Aug 202130min

Prater & Martinez are back! This time around, we talk about brand perception shifts throughout the Pandemic, inclusive marketing and how audiences are way smarter than everyone thinks. [00:07:28] Examples that Joe and JD have seen of permanent brand perception and buying choice of consumers we've experienced through the pandemic [00:14:52] How Big Tech's efforts to flag socially offending accounts have over-reached and harmed legitimate advertisers. [00:16:59] Are Ad platforms too hyper-sensitive? [00:19:00] We will have more inclusive marketing in the future. [00:23:43] Audiences are smart, passionate and the most vocal they have ever been. [00:25:26] You can't please everyone [00:23:43] The world of product marketing and demand generation

20 Aug 202143min