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In our conversations, we’ll break down the specific obstacles we faced and how we adapted our approaches. Whether it was a website redesign gone wrong or a sudden drop in traffic, these stories highlight the importance of resilience and creativity in SEO. Tune in to discover actionable insights that can help you turn your own setbacks into stepping stones for success.
Gelo defines problematic SEO as managing campaigns filled with issues, contrasting it with the more structured approach of programmatic SEO. Recognizing the challenges specific to each website is crucial.
Stress management and effective communication are vital tools in navigating problematic SEO campaigns, rather than relying solely on automation and AI.
Setting clear and honest expectations with clients about campaign timelines and outcomes is essential to maintain trust and avoid misunderstandings.
Gab and Gelo emphasize the importance of sharing experiences and learning from problematic situations to enhance skills and improve future SEO strategies.
Gab and Gelo highlights the distinction between "vanity metrics" and meaningful results, stressing the importance of tracking metrics that lead to actual conversions and business growth.
Gab emphasizes the importance of developing new strategies in less saturated niche markets, focusing on how backlinks can enhance visibility and improve ranking opportunities.
Gab and Gelo highlight that a strong brand is essential for effective website optimization, noting that unclear branding can hinder ranking efforts, particularly for non-branded terms.
Gelo stresses the necessity for clients to understand SEO basics, including the balance between SEO and paid advertising, to set realistic expectations and improve campaign outcomes.
Gab mentions the long-term consequences of neglecting SEO, noting that a drop in audience awareness can significantly impact a business’s visibility and growth over time.
The importance of managing client expectations regarding SEO strategies and outcomes is underscored, particularly in light of algorithm updates and the necessity for transparent communication.
Gelo discusses the implications of opportunity cost, emphasizing the need to balance work with lower-paying clients against aspirations for higher-paying projects, which can increase stress but is essential for growth.
Gab highlights the importance of setting realistic expectations and maintaining regular communication about progress, even when results are slow, to foster transparency and trust.
Gelo and Gab stress the value of seeking external insights and collaborating with industry peers to gain new perspectives and strategies, reinforcing the importance of continuous learning in navigating SEO challenges.
1. "Understanding problematic SEO is essential for navigating job postings in our field. Every website has its own unique set of challenges." - Gelo
2."Challenging campaigns are opportunities for learning. Each experience helps us refine our skills and adapt our strategies." - Gab
3. "Be upfront with clients about what to expect. Honesty in our relationships fosters trust and paves the way for better collaboration." - Gelo
4. "Focus on high-impact tasks that align with your clients' goals. Adjusting strategies to meet their needs can lead to more successful outcomes." - Gab
5. "Sharing our SEO problems in community groups opens the door to collaborative solutions. Learning from others' experiences is invaluable." - Gelo
6. "Creating relevant content is key. When we use customer insights effectively, we not only improve our rankings but also earn valuable backlinks." - Gelo
7. "Focusing on less competitive niches can open doors to better visibility and opportunities for backlinks. Research and alignment with audience needs are key." - Gab
8. "When you give credit through citations, you help Google understand relevance, which can enhance your SEO strategy." - Gelo
9. "Branding is crucial in SEO. It’s not just about keywords; it’s about ensuring they align with user intent to drive better performance." - Gab
10. "Educating clients about the balance between SEO and paid ads is essential. A strong understanding can transform their expectations and results." - Gelo
11. "Neglecting SEO can have lasting consequences on audience awareness. It's a long-term investment that needs consistent attention." - Gab
12. "Proactive management of client expectations, especially in challenging campaigns, is vital. Honesty and professionalism can foster better relationships." - Gelo
13. "Challenging campaigns are opportunities for personal and professional growth; they showcase your skills and commitment." - Gelo
14. "Recognizing potential issues early on can make all the difference in how we tackle challenges down the road." - Gab
15. "The reputation you build in this industry not only reflects your work but also motivates you to help others succeed." - Gelo
16. "Managing stress during difficult campaigns starts with setting clear weekly goals; it's all about staying organized and focused." - Gab
17. "Collaborative brainstorming with colleagues can often illuminate solutions to problems that seem insurmountable." - Gelo
18. "Maintaining a positive mindset in the face of challenges is essential; focus on what you can control in your campaigns." - Gab
As we wrap up this episode of SEO Kwentuhan, we hope you take a moment to reflect on the insights we’ve shared. From understanding the ups and downs of problematic SEO to the importance of honest communication with clients, these points are meant to help you navigate your own SEO journey with confidence.
Remember, success isn’t just about the technical know-how; it’s also about learning continuously and collaborating with others. Think about how you can apply these lessons to your strategies and relationships moving forward.
We can’t wait to continue this conversation in our next episode, where we’ll explore actionable tips for tackling the ever-evolving world of SEO. So, stay tuned, and let’s face these challenges together.
00:00 - 00:39
Gab: Introduction to the episode, discussing the lighter side of SEO with Coach Gelo.
Gelo: Introduction of the main topic: problematic SEO. Gelo mentions a definition they generated using ChatGPT.
00:39 - 2:04
Gelo: Emphasizes the importance of understanding problematic SEO as it relates to job postings in the field.
Gab: Briefly highlights the definition of problematic SEO.
Gelo: Defines problematic SEO as the challenging art of managing SEO campaigns filled with issues, contrasting it with the more organized approach of programmatic SEO.
Gelo: Describes the tools used in problematic SEO: stress management and communication rather than automation and AI.
02:07 - 03:11
Gelo: Discusses the variety of problems encountered in different campaigns, emphasizing that every website faces its own set of challenges.
Gelo: Starts discussing specific examples of difficult SEO campaigns.
Gab: Acknowledges the importance of sharing experiences to help others in the field.
Gelo: Mentions wanting to explore the topic further.
03:12 - 05:21
Gab: Shares personal experiences with challenging campaigns and the necessity for various tools in different niches.
Gab: Lists niches he's dealt with, including crypto and digital arts.
Gab: Highlights a current challenging campaign in the booking engine niche, discussing branding and SEO readiness.
05:21 - 10:01
Gab: Explains challenges faced, including lack of branding and QA processes, and the importance of addressing bugs.
Gab: Talks about the complexities of local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization in the booking engine niche.
Gab: Shares a case study involving a B2B cannabis website, discussing the lack of resources during the optimization process.
Gab: Discusses challenges in the payroll software niche, focusing on high competition and the strategy shift towards product-led content.
Gelo: Emphasizes the importance of aligning content with customer needs and improving conversion strategies.
10:01 - 15:09
Gab: Concludes his experience with three challenging campaigns and expresses the ongoing learning process in SEO.
Gelo: Shares his experience with problematic SEO, particularly with local SEO for service-based businesses. Discusses the pitfalls of using virtual offices in SEO strategies and how it led to issues with Google Business Profiles.
Gelo: Explains the fallout from using virtual addresses, including suspension of profiles and the importance of compliance with Google's rules. Warns others about the risks of using virtual addresses and shares a current issue with managing multiple websites for a digital marketing agency in Canada.
15:09 - 17:09
Gelo: Discusses the negative impact of black hat SEO practices. He highlights that the team handling a campaign did not optimize their website properly, resulting in the creation of numerous spammy backlinks. This excessive use of spam backlinks can lead to penalties from Google, causing the entire website to struggle with rankings and visibility in search results.
Gelo: Explains the issues with local SEO, emphasizing that searches for specific keywords in certain locations should yield results. However, he notes that in their situation, those searches were not appearing effectively. He shares that Google Search Console (GSC) showed no manual actions affecting their ranking, yet many websites still faced challenges.
17:10 - 20:07
Gelo: Emphasizes the importance of setting realistic expectations with clients, especially regarding campaign timelines and results. He advises being upfront about potential outcomes, cautioning against false promises. Gelo also discusses the need for dedicated resources, like writers, to support SEO campaigns and the lack of adequate tools available for their work.
Gelo: Stresses the necessity of establishing a strong brand presence from the outset. He mentions that clinics, for example, should have optimized listings early on to avoid difficulties later. He reiterates the importance of honesty in client relationships and maintaining open communication about performance.
20:08 - 22:08
Gab: Talks about the significance of experience in navigating SEO challenges. He highlights that as professionals progress in their careers, they should broaden their skills and improve their approach to handle diverse projects effectively. Gab also mentions the importance of learning from problematic situations to enhance expertise.
Gelo: Encourages the audience to share their SEO problems in community groups for collaborative solutions. He underscores the value of learning from others’ experiences and adapting strategies to achieve desired results.
22:09 - 25:23
Gab: Shares insights on client dynamics and how their needs can influence SEO strategies. He describes scenarios where client requests lead to shifts in campaign focus and the importance of aligning strategies with attainable goals, like increasing organic traffic.
Gab: Concludes by discussing pricing strategies and the necessity of transparent communication regarding budget constraints. He explains how adjusting service packages based on client budgets can lead to more successful collaborations.
25:23 - 26:51
Gab: Focuses on high-impact tasks rather than guaranteed results, often adjusting strategies to meet client needs, especially for SaaS clients.
Gab: Introduces a results-driven SEO strategy, concentrating on increasing organic traffic and rankings. Discusses setting measurable goals, such as improving qualified leads after optimization. Emphasizes the importance of revenue-driven results to influence business growth.
Gab: Mentions the challenges of reporting to clients when strategies are not producing expected results.
26:51 - 29:14
Gelo: Comments on the issue of traffic metrics not leading to conversions.
Gelo: Refers to "vanity metrics" and the importance of real results. Shares insights on monitoring metrics like monthly active users in a SaaS context.
Gelo: Discusses strategies for improving traffic without additional budget for backlinks, focusing on collaboration with other blogs. Details a strategy where he focuses on link earning rather than begging for backlinks, emphasizing collaboration with relevant blogs.
29:14 - 31:29
Gelo: Explains how he utilized customer service insights to create relevant content that appears in featured snippets, leading to passive backlinks. Highlights the success of using content to earn backlinks, creating a win-win situation for clients. Concludes that practical considerations for creating backlinks are crucial, ensuring both results and cost-effectiveness.
31:29 - 32:40
Gelo: Mentions a previous discussion about company strategies.
Gab: Discusses the importance of a new strategy, particularly in niche markets that aren’t saturated, emphasizing the role of backlinks in improving visibility. Suggests focusing on less competitive niches for featured snippets and using research to align with audience queries for better backlinks. Shares that when contributing content, he also utilizes external links to enhance authority.
Gelo: Agrees that providing good answers can enhance backlink opportunities.
Gab: Highlights the importance of giving credit through citations, especially when linking to non-competitors.
Gelo: Reiterates the importance of giving credit. Discusses how links, both outbound and inbound, contribute to Google’s understanding of relevance.
32:40 - 33:55
Gelo: Transitions to discussing common SEO problems that need addressing.
Gab: Identifies branding issues as a key problem; a strong brand helps in website optimization. Talks about his experiences with potential clients struggling to rank due to unclear branding keywords.
Gelo: Comments on the challenges in branding, especially with similar names. Emphasizes that without a strong branding keyword, it’s difficult to rank for non-branded terms.
34:02 - 34:56
Gelo: Asks about concerns with exact match keywords.
Gab: Affirms that concerns exist but explains they are not universal across industries.
Shares a personal anecdote about exact match domain purchases for local businesses.
Discusses how exact match domains can still rank well despite changing Google policies.
35:20 - 38:22
Gab: Reiterates the importance of branding in SEO strategy. Discusses the significance of keyword intent in strategy formulation. Highlights the need to align keywords with user intent for better ranking. Warns against mismatched keywords, which can lead to poor performance.
Gab: Discusses the role of service and commercial pages in SEO. Advises verifying keyword intent to avoid mismatches between service offerings and content. Suggests starting with lower competition niches rather than competing with big brands.
38:44 - 41:08
Gelo: Introduces client-side SEO problems that often arise. Emphasizes the need for clients to have a deep understanding of SEO basics. Discusses various on-page and technical SEO issues faced by clients.
Gelo: Addresses the reliance of clients on paid ads over SEO. Highlights the importance of educating clients about the balance between SEO and paid ads. Discusses the necessity of knowledge transfer to clients about SEO processes and expectations.
41:08 - 42:37
Gelo: Suggests sharing algorithm updates with clients to manage expectations.Highlights the challenges of turnaround times for client requests, stressing the need for clear communication. Concludes by discussing the readiness of websites for SEO and the challenges faced by startups.
42:38 - 44:15
Gelo: Introduces a strategy for building an audience for SaaS companies, emphasizing its effectiveness through various channels.
Gelo: Discusses companies leveraging social media to build audience awareness before launching their SEO campaigns. Mentions the importance of audience engagement before any major budget allocation. Reflects on some websites that are not yet optimized for SEO, seeking advice on improving their readiness for such campaigns.
Gab: Acknowledges the situation and shares an example related to the previous discussion.
Provides an analogy about a booking engine that is still not optimized for SEO and emphasizes the need for honest discussions with clients regarding their SEO strategies.
Gab: Talks about the challenges faced with clients who are not fully prepared for SEO campaigns, highlighting the need for clear guidance and understanding of SEO tools.
44:15 - 45:48
Gab: Describes the necessity of knowledge regarding SEO optimization and research to effectively tackle challenges with SaaS clients. Emphasizes that demonstrating the usage of tools and the importance of consistent branding are vital for maintaining audience recognition.
Gab: Discusses the long-term implications of neglecting SEO, noting that a drop in audience awareness can have significant consequences. Agrees with Gelo about the compounding nature of SEO efforts over time.
Gelo: Points out that budget cuts can often lead to SEO efforts being undermined, as SEO is a long-term investment.
45:48 - 46:49
Gelo: Reflects on the reality of businesses facing budget cuts and how it affects their SEO campaigns and results.
Gab: Acknowledges the ongoing SEO work and how updates can disrupt previously established strategies.
Gelo: Mentions the lasting impact of initial SEO efforts even after budget cuts.
Gab: Discusses the challenges clients face when they lack knowledge about SEO adjustments after major updates.
Gelo: Advocates for honesty in SEO practices and being transparent with clients about the realities of SEO.
46:49 - 48:06
Gelo: Stresses the importance of being knowledgeable and skilled in the field to navigate complex situations.
Gab: Acknowledges Gelo's point about clients needing to be educated on SEO.
Gelo: Adds that some clients may struggle to let go of ineffective practices learned previously. Encourages managing client expectations while striving to deliver results despite their previous experiences.
Gelo: Shares the importance of asserting one’s expertise while maintaining professionalism in client interactions. Discusses the complexities of handling challenging campaigns and the value of pushing back when necessary.
48:07 - 49:46
Gab: Reflects on personal growth through tackling challenges in campaigns and stepping out of comfort zones. Emphasizes the significance of continuous learning and adapting in the ever-evolving landscape of SEO.
Gelo: Suggests adopting a proactive approach in dealing with various SEO aspects.
Gab: Mentions his foundation in handling diverse clients and the lessons learned from challenging scenarios.
Gelo: Questions if success can be measured in terms of handling difficult campaigns.
Gab: Discusses the evaluation of competition and the importance of effective service offerings in SEO.
49:46 - 50:48
Gelo: Reflects on past experiences with different SEO tactics.
Gab: Shares insights on the repercussions of black hat SEO tactics and the eventual consequences.
Gelo: Agrees that unethical practices can lead to negative outcomes in the long run.
Gab: Concludes on the importance of recognizing potential issues from the outset.
Gelo: Highlights the opportunity for personal and professional growth through challenging campaigns. Reflects on the value of showcasing skills through successful handling of complex SEO tasks.
50:57 - 52:39
Gelo: Discusses his efforts on the optimization side, including writing landing pages and blogs. He shares insights from case studies that have helped build his reputation as an SEO practitioner among his colleagues, emphasizing the challenges faced and the commitment he brings to the table.
Gelo: Mentions sharing tools for free and building systems behind the agency to help others succeed. He reflects on the importance of his reputation and how it motivates him to assist his colleagues despite the challenges they face.
Gelo: Identifies opportunity cost as a major concern, stating that focusing on lower-paying clients can limit his potential to work with more premium clients. Gelo acknowledges the increased stress that comes with this decision. Continues discussing the implications of opportunity cost, recognizing the need to balance his current commitments with aspirations for higher-paying projects.
Gab: Jumps in to agree with Gelo, noting the challenges of communicating effectively with stakeholders and the difficulty in shifting outdated tactics to modern strategies.
52:39 - 54:22
Gelo: Highlights the importance of pushing for effective strategies while navigating client resistance, emphasizing that proven methods should be the focus.
Gab: Reflects on the rewarding feeling of successfully implementing strategies after discussions with clients, underscoring the importance of data-driven decisions.
Gelo: Suggests wrapping up their conversation by discussing actionable steps for SEO professionals facing challenging campaigns.
Gab: Offers strategies to manage stress and expectations during difficult campaigns, starting with the advice not to panic, as challenges are part of the organic process. He emphasizes setting clear weekly goals for each client to stay organized and focused, suggesting that having defined tasks helps combat feelings of being overwhelmed.
54:22 - 56:31
Gab: Encourages continuous learning to stay ahead in SEO, noting that understanding past challenges can prepare professionals for future issues. He shares that improving communication with clients is crucial, especially during tough times, and stresses honesty about expectations.
Gab: Points out the importance of setting realistic expectations and communicating progress regularly, even if the results are slow. He highlights the need for strategic reevaluation if tactics aren’t working, including competitor analysis to identify effective strategies.
Gab: Advises assessing the competition and experimenting with new approaches, ensuring that all strategies are tested properly with client approval. He underscores the necessity of staying innovative and adapting strategies based on what works in different niches.
56:31 - 58:22
Gab: Stresses the importance of using external insights and consulting with mentors or experienced colleagues for additional perspectives on problem-solving. He encourages engaging with industry experts to gain fresh ideas and strategies that can be applied to current challenges.
Gelo: Acknowledges the value of insights from others and how they can often illuminate solutions to existing problems. He adds that collaborative brainstorming with colleagues can lead to improved outcomes in SEO projects.
Gelo: Mentions his availability for questions, encouraging audience engagement.
Gab: Emphasizes maintaining a positive mindset amid challenges, reminding listeners to focus on controllable aspects of their campaigns.
58:22 - 59:35
Gelo: Encourages listeners not to let pressure overwhelm them, highlighting the importance of positivity in client relationships.
Gab: Agrees and reflects on the necessity of staying resilient in the face of industry changes.
Gelo: Ends with a call to action, inviting listeners to share positive messages in their community to uplift each other.
Gelo: Wraps up the discussion, reminding everyone of their support and encouraging them to reach out with questions.
Gab: Concludes with a shout-out for community engagement and motivation, highlighting the value of interaction among members.
59:35 - 1:00:39
Gelo: Encourages members to post insights and experiences to strengthen community ties.
Gab: Expresses gratitude and encourages listeners to connect with their social media platforms and join the community.
Gab: Thanks the audience once more, urging them to follow their podcast on Spotify and join their Facebook groups for continued learning and support. Gab signs off, looking forward to future discussions and encouraging everyone to stay engaged in SEO conversations.