Welcome to the “SEO Week 9 Roundup of 2024: Where the SEO news is as unpredictable as the weather, unless you like in the UK. This week the SEO community was going on about “is SGE dead”, “what makes a holistic SEO strategy”, if “Semantic SEO is dead”, “YouTube’s SEO possibilities with ‘Collab'”, and of course, everyone’s favourite SEO person at the table – “the link builder and the strategies they’ll be using in 2024”. So buckle up, walk the dog, and sit down again again and have a cuppa. Here I present my pick of the best articles in Week 9 of 2024!
Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) Back Again and On A World Tour
Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is like that quirky friend who suddenly becomes the life of the party. Scratch that, it’s back like that one friend who always has something to say, even when you didn’t ask. I
n the world of SGE, it’s all about growth and expansion – kind of like a teenager going through a growth spurt and has discovered McDonalds.
According to the latest buzz, SGE is spreading its wings in industries like education, B2B tech, and ecommerce faster than gossip at a royal wedding. It’s even got a front row RyanAir seat to new countries like Romania, Poland, and Turkey without sending out formal invites for extra baggage for it’s friends!
And there’s more! Google is playing around testing and removing the Cons from Pro and Con boxes – because who needs negativity in their search results anyway?
And if that wasn’t enough, they’re adding a review module and a listen button so you can hear Google talk back to you – it’s like having a digital buddy who never runs out of things to say (see the friend we mentioned earlier – called Alexa).
In a nutshell, Google’s SGE is here to stay. So next time you search on Google and see SGE results, just remember, it’s all part of the search engine’s grand plan to keep us entertained and slightly confused at the same time.
SEO in the World of a Multichannel Customer Journey – AKA: Holistic Multichannel SEO
This week I really enjoyed one article which sung my tune. Integrating SEO into the multichannel customer journey on Searchengineland. As an SEO professional, I can’t stress enough the importance of integrating SEO into the multichannel customer journey. I’ve been doing it for ages and I feel, even at interview its not fully understood by a lot of employers, although, being a marketing lead, I’ve seen how it works. Here’s my thoughts on the piece from my own perspective and article summary.
The digital marketing landscape is a complex web of touchpoints, and customers expect to find what they’re looking for, no matter where they are.
That’s where SEO comes into play— ensuring that the brand message is not only consistent but also visible and engaging across all platforms and aimed at the right person. From the moment a potential customer starts their journey, it’s a holistic experience of understanding and trying to further understand the client.
It’s about understanding who they are—their demographics, how they found your site, and what they’re looking for—and then delivering personalized content that meets their expectations.
This isn’t the early 2000’s, and just about using their first name in an email; it’s about crafting messages that resonate with a client at the right time, with the right images and the right tone.
It’s about choosing the channels they prefer, whether it’s email, SMS, social media, or even traditional print, and making sure your message is there, optimized for each platform.
But it’s not just about being present in the 360 digital marketing game; it’s about being effective.
That’s why measuring attribution is crucial. That’s another one of my big worries as well as biggest strengths when I do SEO account managing. This is a very hard thing to do, and elsewhere on the site I’ve talked about channel attribution especially sorting out direct traffic to the proper channel (especially if you do not really have a ’brand’).
You need to know which touchpoints are not just generating traffic, but driving conversions. This is where A/B testing comes in, allowing us to refine our campaigns to better target each audience segment and their preferred channels.
SEO is also a key player in enhancing other marketing efforts. Take video marketing, for example – my favourite. Short, engaging videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are all the rage, but SEO is what helps these videos get discovered on Google (cough YouTube), extending their reach beyond the app itself.
Similarly, when influencers share content, SEO ensures that this content aligns with the brand’s messaging and is optimized for search engines, amplifying the brand’s exposure and authenticity.
Podcasts are another area where SEO can make a significant impact. By optimizing podcast titles, descriptions, and content with relevant keywords, we can increase their visibility in search results, attracting a wider audience and fostering new connections.
And don’t forget word-of-mouth marketing—SEO makes sure that when customers rave about a product online, their testimonials are easy to find, adding credibility and trust to the brand. That’s the E in-EEAT, especially if you’re looking at local SEO as a part of your SEO strategy.
By aligning SEO with a multichannel customer journey and its touchpoints, we gain insights into our audience’s needs and can tailor our efforts to enhance their experience. This not only drives better results but also creates a seamless and satisfying online customer experience (UX).
In conclusion, SEO is not just a tool; it’s an essential component of a holistic marketing strategy. It ensures that every step of the customer journey is an opportunity to connect, engage, and convert. Simply, right person, right message, right time. That old adage 😀
Semantic HTML for SEO or User Needs?
Alright, let’s break this news nugget down of Semantic HTML for SEO or User Needs. Imagine you’re at a party and you’re trying to decide whether to hang out by the snack table speaking on your phone in a vertical fashion or hit the dance floor. That’s kind of like the debate between TikTok and Google for your brand’s visibility. Some folks are all about that snack table (TikTok), munching away and searching for stuff, while others are busting moves on the dance floor (Google). If your brand is only DJing on one spot, you’re missing out on all the fun happening at the other. So, what’s the game plan? Simple: go where the party people are! If they’re grooving to TikTok searches, be there. If they’re Googling till the sun comes up, be there. Or, you know, just throw your own mega-mix and be everywhere. What’s that? Know your customer profile!
So, while we’re sitting around, arguing over what counts as a “real” search engine, our competitors are out there doing the conga line right past us. It’s not about telling our audience where to party; it’s about showing up with the best tunes where they’re already partying. So, whether it’s TikTok, Google, or some other fad, we’ve got to listen to the beat our audience is dancing to and drop our tracks there. In the ever-expanding universe of search, it’s all about keeping up with the crowd, not the other way around. Let’s not be the wallflowers stuck debating club rules while everyone else is getting down on the dance floor!
Read the serious stuff here
YouTube’s Collab Takes SEO Possibilities To A New Level
YouTube’s new “Collab” feature for Shorts is a digital playground where creators can remix and interact with existing videos in quirky and creative ways. Picture this: you recording a 60-second masterpiece alongside your favourite YouTube video, adding funky layouts like side-by-side or green screen effects. It’s like a virtual jam session for content creators, sparking a wave of collaborative and reactive videos that breathe new life into the platform. Or the worst pastiche ever. Perhaps you could cook alongside Jamie Oliver and always make beans on toast to his Stroganov’s.
For digital marketers, the “Collab” feature is a golden ticket to sprinkle some magic into their YouTube marketing strategies. Imagine weaving user-generated content seamlessly into brand messages, fostering a sense of community through interactive campaigns, and riding the wave of trends to boost engagement. It’s like having a secret weapon to create buzz and build a brand culture that’s not just seen but felt in every click and share. I think it’ll be a two way street, of brands helping influencers and vice versa – as in the brand interacts. It’s more b2c has found a new outlet than being passive all these years.
Now, let’s talk competition. YouTube isn’t playing around with TikTok anymore; they’ve upped their game with “Collab.” By offering a feature akin to TikTok’s Duets but with a twist, YouTube opens up a world of possibilities for creators. With its treasure trove of long-form content ready to be remixed, YouTube is stepping up its game, providing a broader canvas for creativity. Add in the search superpowers and voilà! YouTube becomes the go-to platform for creators itching to ride the wave of trends and cultural memes in style. It’s like YouTube just put on its snazzy new shoes and joined the cool kids’ club! I wonder if there was a recent change at YouTube that made this happen? Let me know below.
Read the serious stuff here
LINK BUILDING DO’S AND DON’TS FOR 2024
This article discusses the dos and don’ts of link building practices in the digital landscape in 2024. Here are a few key takeaways which I got from it, plus what I’m adopting and continuing myself anyway. The article is excellent and digs deeper.
Do’s:
- Make sure you prioritize quality over quantity when acquiring backlinks: Instead of relying on sheer volume to acquire backlinks, focus on acquiring high-quality, authoritative links from relevant and trustworthy sources
- Devote Adequate Resources to Link Building: The best way to ensure that link building receives the attention it deserves is to invest in dedicated personnel for that purpose
- Monitor your progress before and after link building efforts to prove the impact of your efforts and to make a case for more resources to be invested in your link building campaign.
- Monitor your competitors’ link-building strategies to learn what they’re doing and what they’re not doing – I bet they’ll be moving alongside you – as that’s what I do when I see someone’s links starting to build up.
- Build Genuine Relationships: In order to effectively obtain links from bloggers and journalists, you should view link building as building relationships, emphasizing networking and connections with them in order to achieve successful link acquisition. Utilise methods such as outreach, content promotion, and NICHE guest blogging to build links. Monitor your link-building efforts regularly to ensure progress.
Don’ts:
- Don’t Prioritise Quantity Over Quality: Avoid focusing solely on amassing a high volume of backlinks, as Google values quality and relevance over quantity. Yep needed to be said twice.
- Avoid Leaving Links to Chance: Instead of expecting links to magically appear, strategize and systemize your approach to link building to attract quality links consistently
- Use the Wrong Tactics for the Right Links: Ensure your link building tactics align with the types of links you aim to acquire, avoiding mismatched strategies that may hinder success
- Neglect Internal Links: Internal linking is crucial for SEO health; incorporate a solid internal linking strategy alongside external link building efforts to enhance your website’s performance. My team knows I’m crazy about this – as it works!
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